Ryan Schwab

Check out our team’s latest efforts in educating the public about our work. An article features the UMN Turfgrass Science team in the latest edition of the MGCSA's Hole Notes publication.

See the December 2022 Edition of Hole Notes on page 52 for "Determining Irrigation Thresholds Using Plant Available Water" by Ryan Schwab, Josh Friell, Eric Watkins and Gabe Olson-Jensen.

By Ryan Schwab and Jillian Turbeville

By Gary Deters and Eric Watkins

This article was originally published on the Low Input Turf Using Fine Fescues blog.

By Joan M. Barreto Ortiz

By Ryan Schwab

“No-mow” is a loose term we often use to describe a low input, grassy area that grows out higher than a typical turfgrass stand. The grass may flop over onto itself, go to seed, or create a clumpy pasture-like appearance (Figure 1). In Minnesota, fine fescues (Festuca spp.) are typically used in no-mow residential lawns or golf course roughs. Despite the term “no-mow” these may be mowed infrequently to create the desired aesthetic.

By Ryan Schwab

The establishment of no mow areas on golf courses is gaining popularity. In Minnesota, fine fescues are typically the species chosen due to their low-input characteristics. Fine fescues grow slowly, and they generally have low nutrient and water requirements, all of which saves golf course resources. They also may provide the desirable aesthetics of a waving pasture with gold-frosted seed heads, which is quite the contrast from the well-manicured playing surfaces of fairways and greens (Figure 1).

The Turfgrass Science team from the University of Minnesota gave two presentations and presented two posters at this year’s ASA-CSSA-SSSA Virtual Annual Meeting. Below is a listing of the abstracts, along with links to the poster PDF files.

This video is a recording of a webinar we conducted on September 29, 2020 as part of the Twin Cities Lawn Irrigation Efficiency Study funded by the Metropolitan Council and the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. We also have a PDF of PowerPoint slides from the presentation.

Please join the Metropolitan Council and the University of Minnesota Turfgrass Science group for