2 days agoSummertime! Dry Heat, ET, LDS, Crabgrass Begins, Turfgrass Ants and a Research UpdateSummertime! And it started with a bang. Monday, June 21st and Chicago’s Midway airport clocked in at 100 degrees for the high. That was day one. And the heat continued. Our biggest change has been a rapid dry-down that’s visible across the landscape. No rainfall occurred in a week. If…7 min read
Jun 17Summer Heat! 90 Degree Days, Take All Patch, July 12 Field Day, and White Clover ControlIt was a hot one? Yes. This week was all about early heat and it wasn’t even summer yet. That’s next week. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen early heat. The nearest year that this June reminded us of in Chicago was 2012. For example, up to now (June…6 min read
Jun 10June? Cool/Wet Returns, Pythium Root Dysfunction, Bipolaris Leaf Spot, Cyst Nematode and KBG Divot ResearchIs it June? After a hot Memorial Day weekend we saw the first full of week of June feel less summer-like. Instead it felt (and looked) like the penalty box of April or early spring. On certain days, Chicago’s lows were in the 50s. Cloudy conditions with persistent rains would…6 min read
Jun 3June Arrives! Dollar Spot Begins, Few Other Issues and Dandelion ControlIt was a hot one. Memorial Day weekend that is. It simply meant it was go time for our nemesis dollar spot. A more typical Chicago summer was expected and so here we go. Humid conditions (frequent rain events) are normal. As for other issues? Currently there are few as…4 min read
May 27Memorial Day Weekend! Warming Weather, Rain Continues, 1st Dollar Spot and a Research UpdateSpring continued with a week of weather full of surprises. Well, maybe not so surprising because it’s spring 2022! It’s been cooler than normal (April). It’s been warmer than normal (early May). It’s been days of perfection (late May). Then this past week it was confusing (all of the above)…5 min read
May 20Perfect! Temps Cool, Greens Survive 1st Stressors, and Broadleaf Weeds Impress (insert dandelions here)Perfect! The third week of May turned out to be much nicer than the second week (that record hot one). Temperatures were cool again. Even chilly on a few days. And a nice Chicago spring had returned. The landscape continued to turn the pages of spring. The trees were finally…4 min read
May 13Spring No More! Record Heat, New Pests (Waitea, Sod Webworms, Quackgrass), plus a Divot Repair Research UpdateThree words are all that is needed to summarize May’s second week in Illinois. Spring no more! The radio news went something like this: “Last night’s low of 74 degrees set a new record. Yesterday’s first official high of 90 degrees set a new record, because Chicago normally doesn’t see…6 min read
May 6The Weather!?!: Rain Frustrates, Forecast to Change and Ball MarksThe Weather!?! The first week of May started off, and felt, much as it did in April or even March. One weather headline and graphic (by WGN-TV) started off “It’s March in May…”. The pattern? Persistent cool temperatures along with a consistent pattern of rainfall. Historically it didn’t look real…5 min read
Apr 29May! : See You Later Alligator (April), Nada on Diagnostics, Temperature Timings, and Divot Study DATAOverall, April was cold. And so it was fitting. Fitting that it ended on a cold note. I would call it B flat or Brrr flat. In the final week we saw a night or two with warnings of freezing. One day was actually hot. Like 80+ degrees. How it…5 min read
Apr 22April!?!: It’s Still Cool & Wet, a New Divot Repair Study, and Seeing Broadleaves (Weeds)The third week of April started off with a hop, hop, hop. It was Easter Sunday. In the landscape we are noticing some jumping too. Of the bulb kind. Things like Hyacinth and daffodil are now in peak bloom. Tulips are still just in bud (flowers will come a little…6 min read
