Children’s Books with a Lawn-Theme – A List by Red Hen Turf Farm

Posted on April 11, 2019 by Red Hen Turf Farm

Here’s something a little different than you typical lawn-related or green-industry related posts that I hope you enjoy … the theme is Lawn-Related Children’s Books!

Last Summer, when visiting Black River Books in South Haven, Michigan, I happened across a cute lawn-related children’s book that put a big smile on my face called We Are Growing! by Michigan Author and Illustrator, Laurie Keller, as part of the great Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! series.

You can even watch a Youtube video of the author, Laurie Keller, reading We Are Growing as a part of the Adventures in Michigan kids’ summer reading program at Baker Book House — HERE IT IS!

This delightful 2016 picture book won the 2017 Theodore Seuss Geisel Medal, and follows 7 friends who happen to be blades of grass, as they have humorous adventures in growing, even as they are up against a menacing purple lawnmower. In School Library Journal, Rachel Forbes, formerly at Oakville Public Library, Ontario, Canada describes this cute book as follows:

K-Gr 2—An exciting thing is happening. The grass is growing! One blade grows tall, another grows curly, and two grow pointy. As these changes occur, the blades of grass declare what it is that makes them unique—all but one, that is. The last blade of grass has no distinguishing feature of note, and no matter how much the group wrack their brains, they can’t figure it out. Then, the great equalizer, the lawn mower, comes along. It takes this event for the blade to discover his special quality. As for the rest, even though they are literally cut down, they are reassured that they will grow again. The empowering narrative can be applied to lessons regarding things like confidence, identity, and growing up. No matter the takeaway, the message is easily consumable, thanks to exaggerated characteristics, cartoonish actions, and a good sense of comedic timing. In this new series, Willems’s popular characters share their favorite books, acting as the introductory and closing framework to the story. In this case, they have made an excellent choice. VERDICT Fans of Elephant and Piggie will devour this kooky easy reader, with its similar presentation and storytelling style.

We Are Growing! got me wondering what other kids’ books I might be able to find that are lawn-related, so here are 5 more books (of MANY that are out there) for kids of all ages that you might enjoy sharing with the young ones in your life.

The Little Mower That Could by Yvonne Jones (2016) – This picture book is a spin-off of the classic story, The Little Engine That Could. It follows a little ball that gets stuck in some tall grass who asks several different kinds of lawn mowers for help, and finally a kind green electric mower steps up to cut his way through the thick grass to help the ball. For the little mower enthusiasts in your life, Yvonne Jones weaves facts about each type of lawn mower into the story. You can check out the book trailer at www.yvonne-jones.com/trailers

Larry the Lawnmower by Jeanne Archambault and illustrated by Victoria Corey, (2014). In this Mom’s Choice Award-winning picture book, Larry is a dedicated little lawnmower, but when a big blue rider-mower replaces Larry on the farm, he is no longer needed and ends up being left in the shed until a young boy finds him and gives Larry a coat of fresh red paint so they can mow lawns together to earn money so the boy can buy a new bike. This story was inspired by Jeane Archambault’s grandson who was “crazy for lawnmowers” starting at 2 years old, and the illustrations are based on scenes at Windmist Farm in Jamestown, RI on Conanicut Island, where both the author and illustrator call home.

Lawn Mower Magic (A Stepping Stone Book) by Lynne Jonell, illustrated by Brandon Dorman. This illustrated chapter book is actually a sequel to Hamster Magic, and continues to follow the four Willow children as they have recently moved to an older home in the country. The family’s lawn mower breaks down and they can’t afford to fix or replace it, so the children dig out an older push mower that was stored in an hold tool shed. The mower doesn’t look like much, and it’s difficult to use, but it turns out that it’s been soaking up magic for years, and it’s hungry for grass. The children accidentally discover that the mower will move on its own, and the more it mows, the faster it goes. Just like what happened with the hamster in the first book in this series, there’s some type of magic happening.

Louie the Lawnmower series by Maria I. Morgan, illustrated by Sherrie Molitor. In this series of 3 picture books written by Christian inspirational writer and speaker, Maria I. Morgan, Louie is a bright red lawnmower who previously lived with this friends at a hardware store. Louie’s BIG Day! (2014), Louie & the Leaf Pile (2015), and Louie to the Rescue: The Big Dig (2017) are fun, cute, simple stories that don’t overtly talk about God or Christianity, but the themes and life lessons like sticking up for your friends, getting to know a person without judgement, and being careful with your words are ones that the author feels helps her to “share God’s truth and make an eternal difference.” Any of these 3 books can be read as a standalone story.

Lawn Boy (2009) and Lawn Boy Returns (2011) by Gary Paulsen. Gary Paulsen is one of America’s most popular writers for young adults, and has written more than 200 excellent books for young adults. His his 5 book Hatchet series is especially well-known. Lawn Boy and Lawn Boy Returns are short light-hearted chapter books that tell about the comical slapstick adventures that unfold when a 12 year old unnamed narrator who is broke and decides to earn some money by using his Grandfather’s old riding lawn mower that he received as a birthday gift. When one of the boy’s customers, a persuasive day-trader Arnold Howell, barters mowing services for market investing advice on how to make money, humorous and increasingly complex economic adventures unfold as the business expands into an empire. Paulsen gives young readers a thorough yet entertaining crash course in basic economics and business concepts, such as the stock market and the changing needs of growing business enterprises through the lens of a lawn mowing business.

Happy Reading!

– Lisa, and the Crew at Red Hen Turf Farm

What a pain in the crabgrass!

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Red Hen Turf Farm

When is a good time to apply a pre-emergent crabgrass preventer?

So we never have an “exact” date on when to apply the crabgrass pre-emergent since every season is different. We monitor the weather and soil temperatures. Crabgrass germinates when the soil temperatures are consistently 60° F degrees for 3-5 days at a 1/4″ level. To be effective, crabgrass pre-emergent must be applied at least 2 weeks prior to germination. Here’s a great (real time) link we use for crabgrass germination and optimum times to apply pre-emergent from Michigan State University. GDD Tracker.

As you may know, the best crabgrass prevention is a dense, healthy turf, but because crabgrass has a massive reproductive & survival capability, it is common to have some in your lawn. Some of you may have seen more crabgrass come up several weeks after your first application last year. Here’s a tip: To prevent that second flush, simply apply another crabgrass pre-emergent to your lawn 7 weeks after the first treatment.

Regular fertilization should help thicken turf along with proper watering and mowing. Water deeply and infrequently. (Light and shallow watering will encourage crabgrass growth). Do not mow more than 1/3 of the leaf blade at one time. If you mow below 2.5-3 inches (depending on the turf species) it will increase crabgrass populations.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW: If you are planning on seeding or have completed a dormant winter seeding, we do not recommend using a crabgrass pre-emergent until the new seedlings grow (at least 2 mows at 3 inches high). If you apply it too soon, it will likely end up killing any new grass seedling growth. There are a few options for crabgrass treatment if you have planted grass seed or plan on planting this spring.

For example, a very effective product is a selective herbicide called Tenacity. Tenacity herbicide can be used for pre- and post-emergence control of a wide range broadleaf weed and grass species, including CRABGRASS (well, up to the point where the crabgrass has 4 tillers or fewer).

Here is a picture to show the tillering stages of crabgrass.
SOURCE: Kansas State University

Tenacity’s active ingredient, mesotrione, which is based on a naturally occurring compound produced by the bottlebrush plant that inhibits photosynthesis in susceptible plant species. The mesotrione is absorbed by weeds you are targeting through the roots, shoots and leaves and distributed throughout the plant by “translocation“. Because the targeted weeds are blocked from using photosynthesis, it does turn the targeted weeds white, and it may also cause temporary whitening of your turfgrass (for a few weeks anyhow).

Tenacity does NOT contain any fertilizer, so if this is the herbicide you choose, you’ll likely want to also do a non-herbicide / straight fertilizer application (like our 25-0-5 fertilizer) in May. When properly applied, Tenacity will destroy the weed but not harm your grass. And it’s safe to use on established or newly seeded turf.

8/29/20 UPDATE: You might also give a herbicide Red Hen carries call Q4 a shot (as long as the crabgrass is at the earlier smaller stage of no more than 3-4 tillers), and can read more about that option HERE.

Just give us a call and we can go over the products to use. Use caution when using post emergent herbicides and ALWAYS read the label. 574-232-6811 is the number to call.

Pick your battles. You shouldn’t plant grass seed AND apply crabgrass pre-emergent at the same time. If crabgrass was a problem for you last year and you want to treat it, apply the crabgrass pre-emergent and save your seeding for fall. That is the best time to seed anyway. (Typically around August 15-September 15 … again, every year is a bit different … Purdue explains more about seeding in their free publication – CLICK HERE).

Here’s more info from Purdue Science: Crabgrass Control

Know when to give up. Crabgrass can be a pain if it is not taken care of early enough. If you wait until summer and you realize your crabgrass is out of control, you may as well let it go until it dies off with the first frost. There are post emergent herbicides that you can use but they are more difficult to use than the pre-emergent products, they cannot be used in the heat of the summer, are expensive, and are only effective on smaller crabgrass plants – which you probably don’t see anyway.

If you are looking for crabgrass pre-emergent + fertilizer (13-0-5), come see us! We have quality fertilizer in stock at great prices AND you get free expert advice!

Don’t forget to visit us on Facebook to see all of our updates including office hours and our first harvest of the season!

We have a ton of crabgrass topics! Check out our previous blog posts that touch on the topic of CRABGRASS by CLICKING HERE.

Until next time!

The Red Hen Crew

FROM THE RED HEN FAQ VAULT: Soils for Lawn – Considerations for Seeding and Sodding

Posted on March 29, 2019 by Red Hen Turf Farm

(This post was originally written by David Millar, Red Hen Turf Farm)

Unless a person has a lot of experience growing things in all types of soils, they probably could use some advice on preparing a site to grow grass on. There are some right things to do, wrong things and things that depend on your budget and the quality level you want your lawn to look like. Some things will produce a good return for your investment and some may be the right thing to do but not produce a great return for your investment. That’s why one recommendation does not fit for every lawn.

A person with an average budget and average expectations will do things differently than a person with a big budget who wants a “perfect lawn.” Proper and improper soil preparation before a lawn is installed will have a huge impact on how a lawn looks and the amount of money it takes to maintain it for many years to come. Proper lawn preparation before the turf is installed costs almost nothing compared to what it costs to correct something done wrong after the turf is installed. A lawn is one of the few things about a home that can last for the life of a home. Removing the turf and establishing new turf on a lawn can be one of the most expensive remodeling projects a person can undertake. My best advice is to select the kind of turf grass you want, and prepare the soil properly to achieve the lawn you desire. Keep an open mind as you read these recommendations, because many people spend a lot of money doing things that are wrong or not worth it.

What is soil? Soil is composed of particles of sand, silt, clay, rocks, organic matter, microorganisms and pore spaces. (sometimes moles, too!) Different soils have different amounts of these items.

Silt, clay and organic matter are responsible for the soil holding water and nutrients like Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium. Pore spaces are where the roots grow, the path water takes into the soil when it rains, and most importantly, the pathway of oxygen for the grass plant roots. Sand is mostly a structural part of the soil and holds very little water or nutrients compared to the other components. A soil with just a medium amount of clay will dry slowly and be sticky when wet. Clay soils have more water and nutrient holding capacity than sandy soils. Microorganisms perform the very important function of breaking down and recycling organic compounds like old grass plants and air pollutants that fall to the ground. Rocks and moles are just a nuisance.

What is the difference between topsoil and subsoil? At undisturbed locations, topsoil is the soil on top of the ground. It usually contains more nutrients, organic matter and microorganisms than subsoil and will better support plant growth than subsoil. Subsoil is below the topsoil and has fewer nutrients, organic matter and microorganisms, which can make growing plants from seed quite challenging. The purpose of adding topsoil is to increase the water and nutrient holding capacity of an existing soil, but you must be careful when you add topsoil or you can do more harm than good.

Why are pore spaces important? Pore spaces are cavities in the soil that allow water to pass through when it rains and are a channel for oxygen to reach the roots. An ideal soil is 50% pore spaces! Construction vehicle traffic, bulldozing a final grade, and dogs running in the same path all compact a soil, which reduces the size and number of pore spaces. Compaction increases when traffic or tillage is performed and when the soil is wet rather than dry. An impatient homeowner demanding that a landscaper rake and install a lawn when the soil is too wet causes tremendous compaction, which greatly affects the lawn for years to come.

What does establishment mean when talking about lawns? Establishment is the period of time from when a lawn is started to the point when it will be maintained as a mature lawn. For a seeded or hydroseeded lawn, this period is about 24 months. For sodded lawns, it is about 2 months. Why the difference in time? You have to start from scratch with seed, but you transplant mature plants with sod. Don’t be fooled. It takes a lot of time, work and know-how to grow turf from seed. And, the quality of the soil the turf is growing on, along with the ability of the person growing the turf determines when the turf will be established.

What to do to a lawn and what to add to a lawn, therefore, depend on what kind of soil is present and what your expectations for your lawn are. Keeping these points in mind will help you decide what is best for you, as you read through this list.

As a general rule, the best dollar you can spend on a lawn is to have the soil loosened up and tilled to a depth of 4 inches. This process breaks up compaction and eliminates pockets of different soils. This mixing of the soil helps make it more uniform. You will have fewer areas of the lawn that are either dryer or wetter than the rest of the lawn.

This rutted up lawn is typical of most new homes. The soil needs to be tilled at least 4 inches deep to eliminate soil compaction.

An equally important benefit of tilling a soil is to eliminate the presence of different soil layers. Examples of layering would be when subsoil from a basement is spread out over what will be a lawn, or soil is brought in to fill low spots. Different layers of soil interfere with water movement and root penetration. The layer slows down water movement, keeping soil pores filled with water, preventing the roots from receiving oxygen. Grass plant roots do not like to leave one layer and grow into the layer below, thus causing the grass plants to become shallow rooted, which is not desirable. Some people like to mix compost into the soil and if you do, only add about an inch because compost “shrinks” over time and if you add too much, you will find your lawn will become bumpy after the compost shrinks.

These two pictures show how normal water movement slows when it reaches a different layer. The water would rather go sideways than down.

Do you see why the common practice of adding an inch or so of topsoil to a lawn can do more harm than good? These two pictures show how normal water movement slows when it reaches a different layer. The water would rather go sideways than down.

The only exception to number 1 is if you are on loose beach sand. A loose sandy soil is one where a person can take a shovel and easily dig a deep hole. It does little good to loosen up a soil that is already loose. Not all sand is loose sand and, in fact, some sands can be very compacted, which greatly benefit from being broken up.

High amounts of clay present mean that soil already has good water and nutrient-holding capacity. So adding topsoil does not provide a long term benefit.

If a person has a soil that does not have a lot of clay, and they have high expectations for their lawn, adding two inches of topsoil and mixing it into the soil will provide good benefits. If the topsoil will not be mixed into the existing soil, then don’t apply it, because it would be making a layer. If more than 2 inches of topsoil is added, it becomes difficult to mix it in. If a site were to receive 12 inches of soil, ideally, the soil would be mixed every two to three inches. Adding and mixing soil like this is usually only done on important athletic fields.

You can now see why it is difficult to establish a lawn from seed on sandy soils that are mostly subsoils. This soil has poor water and nutrient holding ability. Even turf professionals have a hard time growing grass on sand. Hotter weather makes this task even harder. Some landscapers spread a thin layer of topsoil and leave it on top to improve the chances of seedling survival. If the topsoil is very thick in some places, harmful layers can form. This thin layer offers no long-term benefits and increases the cost of seeding to about the cost of sod. Sod is easy to establish on sandy soils because it is made up of mature plants with growing momentum.

Sandy soils are not automatically bad. You just have to manage them differently once the turf has been established. Because they lack water and nutrient holding capacity, the interval between watering and fertilizing will be shorter than if topsoil were added. Instead of fertilizing every 6 weeks, a lawn without topsoil might
need to be fertilized in 4 weeks.

This is a seeded lawn on a sandy soil that failed. The owners gave up trying to grow the lawn from seed and had it sodded. Adding topsoil to a poor soil and then seeding nearly equals the cost of sodding, and you still have to grow the lawn from seed.

In summary, the best thing you can do for a lawn is to till to loosen and mix the soil. Eliminate different layers of soil by mixing. If you want to add topsoil, do it for the right reasons. Seed and hydroseed are difficult to establish on sandy or poor quality soils especially during hot weather. Sod easily establishes on all soils.

What is “proper lawn watering” anyhow? THE SUPER HOT SUMMER EDITION

Posted on July 5, 2018 by Red Hen Turf Farm

When the Temperatures are HIGH, RED HEN TURF FARM RECOMMENDS that you hold off on fertilizing and mowing, and plan on doing some extra watering if you want to keep your lawn from going dormant, especially with Recently Laid Sod

All year, we receive lots of calls about how to water your lawn correctly.

Even if you’re fortunate enough to have a sprinkler system, unfortunately, it’s not a “set it and forget it” thing.

Need more information on PROPER WATERING TECHNIQUES in various conditions?

Check out the LINKS below for several Science-Based / Regionally-Applicable resources to help guide you.

Purdue’s Irrigation Practices for Home Lawns GUIDE – A great resource for general information on WATERING PROPERLY – CLICK HERE
Purdue’s 2012 Article, “My Lawn is Brown and Crunchy… Is it Dead? What do I do now?” … While now in early July 2018 we’re not officially in a drought necessarily, the information relates to high summer temps and the need to adjust irrigation accordingly – CLICK HERE
Michigan State University’s Article, “Helping your turf during dry and hot weather” — CLICK HERE
Red Hen Turf Farm’s Early and Long-term Sod Care Guide – CLICK HERE
- This is our official GENERAL GUIDE on caring for your new sod, now, and in the long term. If you’re wondering about any of the topics covered and need more information, feel free to call at 574-232-6811, but perhaps first check out Purdue’s extensive list of easy to follow guides for homeowner lawn care at THIS LINK

GRUBS! and Caution While Googling – 2 CURRENT HOT TOPICS at Red Hen Turf Farm

Posted on July 5, 2018 by Red Hen Turf Farm

— Written July 2018

When it comes to caring for your lawn, can we please use science and not what you found on Google or happen to see on a store shelf?

Now please do not get me wrong — I really like and use Google a lot. But you must consider where the info is coming from. Ask yourself: “Are they trying to sell me something or get some type of info from me?”

When it comes to lawn grass there actually is a lot of great info out there on the web. The problem is there is more bad than good.

There are four science-based, regionally-relevant sources I would recommend sticking to:

Purdue University Extension – www.turf.purdue.edu/homeowner.html
Michigan State University Extension – https://www.canr.msu.edu/home_gardening/lawns/index
Ohio State University Extension www.ohioline.osu.edu/findafactsheet … and of course
Red Hen Turf Farm’s website www.redhenturf.com and blog www.redhenturf.com/blog

We get our info from the first three sources.

With that out of my system, let us talk about one of this year’s number one questions asked: What do I do about Grubs?

First, let’s talk about whether you NEED to apply any products in the first place. Almost every yard has grubs. Most grubs do very little harm. However, most expert entomologists believe that until you reach 5-10 grub larvae per square foot, there are not enough of them in one location to do damage to your lawn, and until you are seeing 5-10 grubs per square foot, there likely is no need to even consider using chemical insecticides to kill them. But, let’s assume you are concerned you have enough grubs to do some damage.

When it comes to choosing a product to apply, it may seem there is an endless number of choices that are for sale. I really believe many homeowners waste way too much money and time applying the wrong product. Basically, there are two main factors to look at when it comes to choosing a product to kill grubs: (1) the time of the year you are applying it, and (2) what type of grub you want killed.

(By the way — Yes! There are different beetles that include a grub / larvae stage of their life cycles, and No! grubs are not a main food source for moles … Read more HERE.)

IMAGE SOURCE: Ohio State University Extension’s Article, “Identification of White Grubs in Turfgrass”

Generally, timing on managing grubs is important to consider, and the type of chemical you’re using is more or less effective at different times of the year. Purdue’s 2017 article “TURFGRASS INSECTS MANAGING WHITE GRUBS IN TURFGRASS” by Douglas S. Richmond, Turfgrass Entomology Extension Specialist does into great detail about this – HERE’s THE LINK

Let’s focus on the time of year that it currently is — early July 2018.

If you put down a product that includes Merit or Dylox (Red Hen carries both), water it into the soil and follow other label directions for control of many types of grubs. You notice I said “many”.

There is a product on the market that is called Milky Spore. Now, Milky Spore is a great product, but only for Japanese’s beetle larvae. There are 7 types of annual and multi-annual white grubs that are common in the Midwest. If you believe the only beetle to lay eggs in your yard is going to be the Japanese’s beetle, then go and buy it. But not from Red Hen. My job is to save people time and money, and Milky Spore goes against both of those values.

There are more great products out there that can be applied this time of year. But we all need to read the label to save time and money. Let’s use science this year, and always consider whether the source of your information is reliable.

Until next time, Jeremy

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Want to Dive Deeper into the Subject of Grubs?

Red Hen’s previous blog posts that include info on Grubs – CLICK HERE
Purdue University Extension’s article, “Managing White Grubs in Turfgrass” – CLICK HERE
Michigan State University Extension’s article, “What are the alternatives to grub control insecticides?” – CLICK HERE
Michigan State University Extension’s article, “How to choose and when to apply grub control products for your lawn” — CLICK HERE
Ohio State University Extensions article, “Identification of White Grubs in Turfgrass” — CLICK HERE

Straight from the RED HEN FAQ VAULT – If it’s BROWN, Mow it DOWN … and More EARLY SPRING GRASS TIPS

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Red Hen Turf Farm

Red Hen’s 1st 2018 Harvested Pallet of Kentucky Bluegrass Sod – WINTER IS HOLDING ON STRONG! Harvested 4/9/18

You’ve noticed that in the winter months, your lawn’s grass typically will turn brown, right? This is a normal response to winter conditions — your grass has simply gone into a dormant or resting stage. Though your grass may look dead, it is alive and is waiting for the air and soil temperatures to rise in late March to early April. Once this happens, the turf color will begin to green up and start growing again.

So what can you do besides wait for warmer days?

Well, if your grass tips are brown, go ahead and mow them down. That’s right … By doing an early spring mowing and removing the brown tips off of your grass, this naturally brings out the greener grass blades, and it may even help to stimulate growth. While you’ll still need to plan on simply giving the grass more (WARMER) TIME to green up, a good mowing certainly won’t hurt, at any rate. For an established lawn, remember to mow grass to 3 to 3.5 inches high, which makes it less prone to insect, disease, and weed problems. In general, you should mow frequently, cutting off no more than a third of the height each time. Also, by mowing frequently and only when grass is dry, this will prevent clumping, and allow for leaving the clippings on your lawn. Save yourself time and money by NOT bagging or raking up your clippings. The grass clippings will break down and return valuable nutrients to the soil — in a way, it’s Mother Nature’s Free Fertilizer … However, if you do end up with clumps of grass clippings, you will want to rake, bag, or mow again so they don’t smother / shade the grass.

What else can you do?

An early spring application of fertilizer may do wonders in speeding up the green-up of your lawn. As I write this on April 12, 2018, the ground is no longer frozen, so it’s a fine time to start off with either a Fertilizer + Crabgrass Pre-emergent (like our 13-0-5). By around May 1st depending on when we start seeing consistent 60+ degree days, you may decide to treat for broadleaf weeds with a Fertilizer + Broadleaf Post-Emergent like our 22-0-5.

TIP: Remember, if you’re planning on doing some Spring Grass Seeding, as a general rule you will want to keep any herbicides away from those areas.

Not sure what approach to take? Every year is different, and every yard is different… Give us a call and we can chat about different options.

Understandably, every spring, we get a dozen or so calls from customers who sodded their lawns last year with Red Hen’s 100% Kentucky Bluegrass Sod, because they are worried about how UNGREEN their lawns are while their neighbors’ (non-Kentucky-Bluegrass) lawns are already coming out of dormancy and greening up.

Compared to the perennial ryegrasses and fescue grasses that are typical in our area, Kentucky bluegrass sod needs MORE time, MORE warmth, MORE sunlight, and MORE nutrients to GREEN-UP in the spring. This is simply a natural result of the genetics of the Kentucky bluegrass sod.

On the other hand, the superior genetics of Red Hen’s Kentucky Bluegrass sod gives it excellent disease tolerance against problems like leaf spot and summer patch. Kentucky Bluegrass is by far (in our opinion) the most beautiful cool-season grass you can buy. Once your Kentucky Bluegrass fully greens up by mid to late May, its deep, emerald blue-green color and dense, low-growing boat shaped blades can’t be beat.

More questions? Give us a call at 574-232-6811 … Thanks from Michelle, Lisa, and Jeremy @ Red Hen Turf Farm

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PREFER TO LEARN AT YOUR OWN PACE? Purdue University Extension’s Turfgrass Program offers so much free information about homeowners’ lawn care. This is a fantastic science-based and regionally-focused resource you can feel confident about trusting. You can explore at https://turf.purdue.edu/homeowner.html … Here’s a small sampling of the MANY topics covered:

Establishing a Turf Area
Establishing Lawn Areas From Seed
Seeding a Turf Area in the Spring
Purchasing Quality Grass Seed for Your Lawn
Establishing a Lawn from Sod
Building a Backyard Putting Green

Maintaining a Home Lawn
Don’t Bag It
Irrigation Practices for Homelawns
Mowing, Thatching, Aerifying, and Rolling Turf
Fertilizing Established Lawns
Should I Hire a Professional Lawn Care Service?
Maintenance Calendar for Indiana Lawns
Maintaining Lawns on Sandy Soils
Animal Urine Damage in Turf

Weed Control
Control of Broadleaf Weeds in Homelawns
Control of Crabgrass in Homelawns
Identification and Control of Perennial Grassy Weeds

Disease Control
Turfgrass Disease Profiles: Gray Snow Mold
Turfgrass Disease Profiles: Pink Snow Mold
Turfgrass Disease Profiles: Brown Patch

Insect Control
Turf Insect Management
Japanese Beetles in the Urban Landscape
New White Grub Pests of Indiana
Protecting Pollinators from Insecticide Applications in Turfgrass
Moles

Pesticide Information
The Way to Spray
Pesticides and the Home, Lawn, and Garden
The Benefits of Pesticides: A Story Worth Telling

Got Mushrooms?

Posted on July 27, 2017 by admin

We do. Mushrooms this time of year are pretty normal, especially in over-watered lawns or humid conditions. Common mushrooms are part of a harmless fungus that starts under your turf, breaking down organic material into nutrients your lawn can use. Since most mushrooms in your lawn are a sign of a healthy ecosystem, it may be best just to leave them alone. Aesthetically, they may not be very appealing to look at. Or you may be concerned with children and pets being around them.

If you want to get rid of them, simply just rake them up, or give the lawn a quick mow. Something to consider are watering habits. Although watering habits may not always prevent mushrooms, you should always water established lawns deeply and infrequently and only if rain has been scarce. Light irrigation promotes shallow rooting, non-drought hardy turf, and encourages crab grass. Newly sodded lawns require water one or two times a day while newly seeded lawns will require water two to four times a day. Most lawns in our area will need from 1 – 1-1/2 inches of water per week. In drier conditions, the mushrooms tend to go away.

In extremely dry conditions watering your lawn anytime is more beneficial than not at all. However, the most ideal time to water established lawns is 4am – 8am. Although this is not the most convenient time to water for most of us. The second best time to water is 8am – Noon. Try to avoid midday waterings. Contrary to popular belief watering your established lawn in the mid-day sun does not cause turf to burn. However, a disadvantage to mid-day watering may include loss of moisture through evaporation, making it difficult to thoroughly wet the soil.

For more information on Irrigation Practices visit Purdue Extension: https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ay/ay-7-w.pdf.

Weed of the Month – Common Chickweed

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Red Hen Turf Farm

Image Source: Purdue Turf Tips Click on the image to read more on Common Chickweed from Purdue

Lately our customers have been bringing Jeremy gifts. They say, “what is this and how can I get rid of it?” The last few customers brought in what we identified as Common Chickweed.

Common Chickweed is primarily a winter annual broadleaf weed. Common chickweed produces small bunches of white flowers with five petals that may appear as 10 petals in early spring. Chickweed germinates in late summer or early fall however can vary throughout the year if soil conditions are shady and saturated enough.

There are several things you can do to help prevent chickweed. Improving turf density is the key. Ensure you are not over-irrigating (learn more about watering your lawn properly from Purdue at THIS LINK). Mow at the correct height (2-1/2-3 inches), and get on a routine fertilizer schedule to thicken turf (learn more HERE).

Common chickweed in your lawn may indicate poor turf issues. It thrives in compacted soils that may be consistently over saturated or poorly drained. Don’t rule out aeration as another option to maximize your turf resilience.

Chickweed also thrives in shady conditions so finding a solution for shady areas such as pruning trees to allow turf to grow and dominate the space will help.

If you have a few chickweeds, just pull them out. Triamine Jet Spray, a popular pre-mixed foamy herbicide in a can that we carry, is also a good product to use on smaller areas.

If you have larger areas needing treatment, there are two ways you can treat. Pre-emergent (before germination) and post-emergent (after germination).

Since we are currently in the post germination stage for chickweed (May), herbicides with the active ingredients of phenoxy acid and/or MCPP used alone or in combination with other phenoxies or non-phenoxy herbicides can be used. An example of a product to use from us is Speed Zone. You may find repeat applications are needed for post emergent treatment.

Image Source: Purdue Turf Tips Click on the image to read more on Common Chickweed from Purdue

Pre-emergent treatment can be performed in the autumn months. Use herbicides that contain isoxaben, pendimethalin, prodiamine or dithiopyr such as Tenacity, which we also carry. Always read, understand, and follow the label directions.

Thanks to our customers for bringing in your “weird weed” gifts – although some of the staff here at Red Hen would prefer donuts (like me).

Have a weird weed? Bring it in or take a picture of it and email it to us – we’ll tell you what it is, how to prevent it and/or how to treat it.

Happy Spring!

~Michelle, Red Hen Customer Service Specialist

DISCONTINUED – Red Hen Jumbo Bags of Mulch and Top Soil

Posted on May 2, 2017 by admin

5/02/17 UPDATE: Red Hen Turf Farm has decided, effective 2017, to DISCONTINUE our JUMBO BAGS of Mulch and Top Soil. We no longer carry these items, in bag or bulk. If you need a referral, we recommend contacting your favorite local garden centers.

A SINCERE THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE PURCHASED OUR JUMBO BAGS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS!

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.

It was a hard call, but ultimately, we felt that the Jumbo Bags were detracting from where our FOCUS needs to be, which is the production and harvest of Red Hen’s Turfgrass Sod. CALL for a QUOTE TODAY: 574-232-6811

Red Hen 2017 WEED ALERT – The Crabgrass is Coming! The Crabgrass is Coming!

Posted on March 31, 2017 by admin

CRABGRASS
Image Source: Purdue Turf Tips

Just a quick reminder….

It is once again time to get your crabgrass preventer out on the lawn. That is, unless you’re planning on a spring seeding … then you would NOT want to apply any type of weed herbicide.

Our 13-0-5 with crabgrass preventer (the Grey Bag) is a great choice, especially at only $29.50 plus tax. It covers 12,500 Square Foot, at a rate of 4 pounds per 1000 Square Foot.

I was down south in Alabama last week looking for signs of crabgrass, but the house we rent every year was all weeds.

Jeremy’s vacation view in Alabama

From the websites I use to track turf-related problems across the nation we are starting to see it germinate in parts of Kentucky and Tennessee. It’s a matter of 1-2 weeks and we’ll start seeing this common weed migrating to the north.

Getting your preventer down now will help stop crabgrass from germinating and kill other weeds also. With last year’s 5 weeks of little to no rain I think it might be a good idea to apply a crabgrass preventer twice this year to stay away from the summer flush of crabgrass. HOWEVER, that said, the only way I would recommend to do 2 applications is if you have open turf and have had problems in the past.

Do remember that its need to be watered in and applied at the right rate to be effective. Please always read the label.

Want to learn more about keeping crabgrass under control? Check out our previous blog posts on this topic by CLICKING HERE.

Until next time!

Jeremy and the Red Hen Crew