By Dominic Petrella
Shade can be stressful for turfgrasses due to decreasing photosynthesis, causing turfgrass to produce leaves that are more susceptible to traffic damage and disease incidence. Turfgrasses grown in shade may not perform very well due to decreased density. While we understand that shade is stressful, it’s commonly forgotten that there are two different types of shade, qualitative shade and quantitative shade (both having different properties) that can lead to these detrimental changes in turfgrass growth.
Check out our team’s latest efforts in educating the public about our work. We have an upcoming presentation on irrigation from Dr. Dan Sandor and a research report with results from our Regional Optimization of Roadside Turfgrass Seed Mixtures project.
By James Wolfin
When you close your eyes, and envision the “perfect” front lawn, what comes to mind? If I had to guess, I’d imagine that you are envisioning a lush, low-cut grass, with a deep green color that is uniform and free of weeds across the entirety of the landscape. What the average land manager or homeowner may not consider is: How can we support our pollinators within the turf lawn?
By David R. Herrera
The University of Minnesota Turfgrass Science program has been developing and testing fine fescue varieties for low-maintenance turfgrass use in the Midwestern United States. Because of the relative underuse of fine fescue turfgrass due to costly seed and limited availability, we are currently investigating fine fescue turfgrass species seed yield performance to determine how growers might begin producing this valuable commodity right here in Minnesota.
By Eric Watkins
Each year, the turfgrass research team at the University of Minnesota evaluates thousands of plots for turf performance. The summarized results from 2018 are now posted on our cultivar evaluation results page. Checking results from local turfgrass evaluations is an important part of purchasing turfgrass seed. I have briefly summarized some background information below on the rating and interpretation process to help you better understand these results.
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The University of Minnesota's Turfgrass Science Program conducts field-based research and offers education and consultation to both commercial turfgrass managers and homeowners caring for their yards. Want to search our site? Click here.
For turfgrass or home lawn questions, contact:
For questions related to turfgrass extension, contact:
Dr. Brian Horgan, Professor
bphorgan@umn.edu or 612-624-0782
For degree questions, contact:
Dr. Eric Watkins, Professor
ewatkins@umn.edu or 612-624-7496
