Tough Weather for Turf

This past week's weather has been brutal, and is taking its toll on the turf.  So why do we often see turf loss during these dog days of summer?  Roots are often at the root of the matter.

As you can see in the illustration below, we are riding the annual roller coaster of root growth and loss, and are nearing the top.  Unfortunately, in this case, the top is when the roots are at their shortest.

Under these conditions, the ability of the plant to replenish lost moisture is limited, and there is little margin for error.  Too little water won't get the job done, however with extremely hot soil conditions, too much water can be equally disastrous.

August is around the corner, and while it hasn't been the best month in recent years, we will be happy to turn the page on July and look forward to some better grass-growing conditions in the coming months.  For now, we will tiptoe through the next few weeks.