Filtering by tag: Commercial Horticulture, Nursery & Turf ✕

US map showing 2025 turfgrass sample origins; 71% SE, 41% NC, 13% SW; Top5 NC, FL, SC, TX, CA

2025 Turf Diagnostics Lab Review

Overall, total turfgrass samples submitted in 2025 to the NC State Turf Diagnostics Lab were 6% higher than samples submitted in 2024 and 13% above our 18-year running average (2008-2025). As…

Grass field with large irregular brown and bare patches across the turf

Record Heat for Most of NC = Ugly Creeping Bentgrass and Tall Fescue

This summer has been extremely tough, to say the least. Raleigh, New Bern, and Wilmington are on pace for the hottest summer ever recorded, while Asheville, Charlotte, Fayetteville, and Boone are…

NC STATE UNIVERSITY banner; turf disease examples labeled Brown patch, Gray Leaf Spot, Pythium blight

Gray Leaf Spot Development in Tall Fescue

Gray leaf spot has appeared in NC. This disease is difficult to control because the fungus thrives when nighttime temperatures stay above 72°F and produces many spores. We typically see about 28 days…

US map: 2024 turfgrass sample origins — 65% SE, 15% SW, 37% NC; Top 5: NC, FL, TX, CA, AL

2024 Turf Diagnostics Lab Review

Overall, total turfgrass samples submitted in 2024 to the NC State Turf Diagnostics Lab were 6% lower than samples submitted in 2023 and 7% above our 15-year running average. As expected, most (74%)…

Golf tee box and fairway framed by trees, mountains visible in the distance.

Sample Fees Waived for Western NC Turf Managers

For the remainder of 2024, the NC State Turf Diagnostics Lab will waive all fees associated with turfgrass disease diagnosis for anyone managing turfgrass in the Western portions of our state…

Red stylized hurricane symbol: circular eye with two curved pointed spiral arms

What to Consider After a Tropical System for Turf Disease Management

With Debby lurking off the SC and NC coasts, discussing what should be done in the aftermath is essential. Current rain totals vary from 4 to 20 inches, depending on where you are in the Carolinas.…

Close-up of short green grass blades and turf

Yellow Spot or Bacterial Etiolation? That Is the Question.

With the rapid transition from hot and dry to hot and humid, yellow spots develop on cool-season grass putting greens. Some are worried that the dreaded bacterial etiolation is making a comeback.…

Cardboard box labeled "Turf Diagnosis Sample Please Rush" in black marker

Turfgrass Disease Diagnosis: A Bit of Science and a Lot of Art

Turfgrass disease diagnosis is challenging. Despite what many in the general public and maybe even within the industry think, turfgrass systems are not sterile environments. Many researchers have…

The chart titled "Curative Suppression of Dollar Spot with Fungicides" from NC State University displays the percentage of dollar spot per plot over time, from May 13 to May 31. It compares six treatments: Secure, Maxima, Posterity, Daconil Ultrex, Chipco

What Is a Fungicide? That Is the Question!

I love the saying that Spring comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb. It says we have no earthly idea what Spring holds for us. But by the end of Spring, all will be okay unless summer shows up…

2023 Client Distribution bar chart: Golf 67%, Lawn 30%, Orn. Nursery 3% (% of all turf samples)

2023 Turf Diagnostics Lab Review

Overall, total turfgrass samples submitted in 2023 to the NC State Turf Diagnostics Lab were 11% higher than samples submitted in 2022 and 14% above our 15-year running average. As expected, the…