RESEARCH UPDATE: WHEN IS A FIELD TOO HARD?
A reader recently asked us what is considered a safe degree of hardness for an athletic field. In addition, he wanted to know how hardness is measured....
Omission
In our May issue, we omitted thanks to Smitty's Lawn and Garden Equipment (Overland Park, Kan.) for lending their time and equipment for our cover photography....
How To: Install a French drain
The French drain is a time-honored system for eliminating excess water from low points and other areas prone to saturated soil. French drains are quite...
Water works
Even though water covers two-thirds of the Earth's surface, there is a limited amount that people can use for everyday life. Only 3 percent of the world's...
Getting pumped
Whether you're selecting an irrigation pump to replace the one in your existing system or a new-install system, you'll first need to understand the different...
PRODUCT PARADE
Chemicals LDS CURE United Horticultural Supply introduces Alleviate, a product designed to cure localized dry spot and water-repellent problems on golf...
ON-SITE: Riverpark Golf Center
Some golf courses aim for grandeur, others a sense of tradition, some for a natural experience. However, many such courses are expensive and intimidating...
CHEMICAL UPDATE: Plant growth regulators
Plant growth regulators, or PGRs, offer various benefits. Turf and landscape managers typically think of them as tools to reduce plant growth, but this...
To the Last Drop
Due to competing needs for existing water resources, the amount of water available for irrigation is dwindling. Like it or not, we're going to have to...
Putting the brakes on bermudagrass
Tall fescue is a perennial cool-season grass widely used as turf in much of the United States, due in part to its relatively good heat tolerance. Bermudagrass...
What's it take to make a lake?
In addition to the expertise that golf course designers bring to a project in civil engineering, landscape architecture, planning and agronomy (not to...
EXPO 2002
At the International Lawn, Garden & Power Equipment Expo (EXPO 2002), is the keyword. New products, new features and new educational opportunities will...
Don't sell yourself short
A few winters ago, I met with an irrigation contractor in New England who wanted to calculate his rates for service work. At the time, he was charging...
A creeping menace
Golf course superintendents in the Transition Zone and parts of the South face a unique set of problems when it comes to growing turf. The summer heat...
The ultimate recyclable
We're often warned about the precarious nature of our water supply. But the interesting thing about water is that we'll never actually run out; at least...
Making It BIG
Grounds managers' jobs are anything but mundane. On any given day, your crews might be mowing, collecting garbage, repairing vandalized property, fertilizing,...
SHORT CUTS
New hardiness zone map The Arbor Day Foundation has released a new Hardiness Zone map that takes shifting climate trends into account. This was the reason...
RESEARCHING MAINTENANCE
Canal bank weeds We have a drainage canal with long, sloping banks that grow up in willows, maple, alder and several other woody shrubs. We are looking...
Demand for pesticides on the rise
The value of pesticide active ingredients used in the United States is forecasted to rise 4 percent each year to make the total $10.5 billion in 2006....
CHEMICAL UPDATE: ORNAMENTAL PRODUCTS
Ornamentals may not receive the regular chemical applications that you often provide for turf, but pesticides are a critical tool for managing pests that...
HOW TO: Sharpen rotary mower blades
There is no technical mystery to sharpening a lawnmower blade. It just takes common sense and a bit of know-how. If you have a good bench grinder or a...
RESEARCHING MAINTENANCE
No herbicide is that selective Are you aware of any post-emergence herbicide selective for broadleaf weeds in wintercreeper (Euonymus f. coloratus)? Via...
RESEARCH UPDATE: N LOSSES TO URBAN RUNOFF AND LEACHING
Turf is increasingly blamed as a source of non-point source (NPS) pollution, including nutrients such as nitrogen. Some turf critics suggest using permanent...
The right tool for the job
If you're a home improvement junkie like I am, then you've probably caught an episode or two of New Yankee Workshop. I watch with a jealous eye as he...
Avoiding trouble with wage-hour law
Picture yourself in this situation: You're a grounds manager, minding your own business, busy with the work you need to get done. One day, you're unexpectedly...
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