DROUGHT OF 2011

Nick Christains

September 30, 2011

While it has been dry in Central Iowa, we have not seen the severe drought condition that is occurring in South Western Iowa.  I have had an increased number of calls, particularly from lawn care professional, who are wondering about treating dormant lawns with fertilizer and wondering about weed control issues.

In the 33 seasons that I have been here at ISU, the worst drought that we saw in this area was in 1988.  We did research on these issues that year and I published the work in Lawn Servicing Magazine (which no longer exists) and in other sources.  Today I am posting an article based on that work.  On Monday, I will post a second installment on the 1988 research. 

The pages are in jpg and you will need to click on them like a picture.  You should be able to then enlarge the print.

GRAY LEAF SPOT DID SHOW UP IN CENTRAL IOWA

Nick Christians
September 19, 2011

On August 31, I posted a blog titled "Watch Out For Gray Leaf Spot".

It did show up.  Here is a post from Cory Johnson, Superintendent of Cedar Pointe Golf Course in Boone, Ia.  This is Gray Leaf spot.  It showed up on September 8.  These pictures are from Sept. 16.  This is classic Gray Leaf Spot on perennial ryegrass fairways.  They will need to reseed with ryegrass as soon as possible.

If anyone else has experienced this, send me some pictures.  I suspect that there is more out there.


The first two pictures are fairway shots.  It is the rye that died and there is some live Kentucky bluegrass.

Picture 3 shows a close up of live bluegrass in dead rye.

Picture 4 shows leaf symptoms on the rye.