Common Problems

Fertilization is an essential part of turf management. Typically, nitrogen is a primary focus of granular applications of fertilizers on turf.

White clover (Trifolium repens L.) is perhaps the most common weed of home lawns and other turf areas.

Thatch can have either beneficial or detrimental effects on turf depending on the amount present.

Bitter cold and icy conditions during winter sometimes lead to the death of turfgrasses on golf courses, lawns, and sports turf.

Black medic is a weed of home lawns, parks, low-maintenance grounds, and along roadsides.

Yellow nutsedge—sometimes referred to as nutgrass—is a persistent weed problem in lawns, athletic fields, and golf course turf.

Thyme-leaf speedwell (also spelled thymeleaf speedwell or thyme-leaved speedwell) is a weed of home lawns, parks, and institutional grounds.

Wild violet is a common name used for several species within the Viola genus that infest home lawns, parks, grounds, cemeteries, and other turf areas.

Smooth crabgrass [Digitaria ischaemum (Schreb.) Muhl.] and large crabgrass [Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.] are the most common grass weeds of turfgrasses in Pennsylvania.

Corn speedwell, also called rock speedwell or wall speedwell, is a common weed of home lawns, parks, institutional grounds, and other turf areas in Pennsylvania.

Slime molds (causal organisms: Mucilago, Physarum, and Fuligo spp.) are different from most turfgrass pathogens in that they do not directly infect the plant.

Yellow foxtail [Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roem. and Schult] and green foxtail [Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv.] are warm season summer annual grass weeds that invade low-maintenance lawns, parks, grounds, roadsides, and new turf establishments.

Barnyardgrass, also known as cockspur grass, panic grass, or watergrass, is a warm-season annual grass weed that invades low maintenance lawns, grounds, right of ways, roadsides, and new turf establishments.

Summer annual grasses continue to be pervasive weed problems in many turfgrass areas throughout Pennsylvania.

Brown ring patch, sometimes referred to as Waitea patch, is a disease of annual bluegrass golf course putting greens.

Nimblewill, also called wire grass and drop seed, is a common warm-season perennial grass weed of lawns, parks, and other low-maintenance turf areas in Pennsylvania.

Common purslane, sometimes referred to as pursley or wild portulaca, is a weed of low-maintenance lawns, parks, institutional grounds, and athletic fields.

Why some laboratory tests do not provide a complete picture of the results.

Brown patch is a major summer foliar disease of golf courses, athletic fields, home lawns, parks, and institutional grounds, caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani.

Red thread is a foliar disease of lawns, parks, institutional grounds, low maintenance athletic fields, and golf course roughs.

Microdochium patch, sometimes referred to as Fusarium patch or Gerlachia patch, is caused by the fungus Microdochium nivale, and results in patches of blighted turf on golf course putting greens and tees

Pink snow mold is one of a group of diseases that occurs under snow cover during winter.

Gray snow mold, sometimes referred to as Typhula blight, occurs during late winter and early spring under snow cover.

Cool-season brown patch, also called yellow patch and low-temperature brown patch, differs from other brown patch diseases of turfgrasses in that it occurs during cool or cold weather, often under snow cover in winter.

Japanese stiltgrass, also known as Nepalese browntop and Mary's grass, is a highly invasive weed along roadsides bordering wooded areas, in infrequently mowed naturalized rough areas on golf courses, as well as in shaded or partially shaded parks and lawns.