Lawn and Turfgrass

Latest Resources

Climate-friendly lawns

Love your grass lawn but want to make your landscape more climate-friendly? Lawns might get a bad rap but provide benefits such as open play space for kids and pets, erosion control, and allowing line-of-sight at intersections....

Alec Kowalewski, Brooke Edmunds, Ruying (Wrennie) Wang | Sep 2022 | Article

Fall yardwork tips?

Hello! I live in Redmond, Oregon. As fall approaches, I was wondering: Should I fertilize the garden in the fall? I usually use liquid fertilizer that I spray on. Is this too much stress for the plants in fall? How ...

Susan Preston, Chris Rusch | Sep 2022 | Featured question

Fairy rings in my lawn?

Several brown, dead rings have formed in my lawn this summer. They seem to coincide with a type of mushroom. Are the mushrooms causing this? Is there any treatment short of applying a fungicide that is effective? Will the lawn recover on its own?

Brian McDonald | Sep 2022 | Featured question

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Pocket Guide to Grass Seed Pests and Beneficials: Identification, Monitoring, Management

By Amy J. Dreves Navneet Kaur Joseph DeFrancesco Leanna Van Slambrook Glenn Fisher Silvia I. Rondon and Nicole P. Anderson

Learn to identify common pests and beneficial insects found in grass seed production fields across Oregon. This handy pocket guide covers where pests are found, symptoms of pest damage, pest lookalikes and prevention tactics.

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Photo Credit: MarFot - Adobe Stock (Cropped from original)

Lawn & Turfgrass Video Library

bright green electric lawn mower on lawn with fallen leaves

Mulch grass clippings and fallen leaves back into the lawn

Credit: Brooke Edmunds

Expert tips on common turfgrass management techniques and pests. Useful for lawns and other managed turfgrass (like athletic fields and parks).

Mowing

Fertilization

Irrigation

Cultivation

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Managing Moss in Lawns

PNW Turf Insect Pests: Past, Present and Future

Irrigation Rates and Frequencies for Western and Eastern Oregon Turfgrass

By Alyssa Cain Alec Kowalewski Brian McDonald and Clint Mattox

When trying to minimize irrigation inputs, the best turfgrass species for the Oregon climate include perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) in Western Oregon, Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) in Central/Eastern Oregon and tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) in Western, Central or Eastern Oregon.

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Photo Credit: bozhdb - Adobe Stock (Cropped from original)

Athletic Field Management

Best Management Practices for Maintaining Sand-based, Natural Grass Athletic Fields (in English)

This publication recommends specific ways to manage of sand-based fields, which will require more frequent fertilization, irrigation, and cultivation for proper maintenance than native soil fields. This publication emphasizes the critical...

Alec Kowalewski | Sep 2015 | OSU Extension Catalog

Best Management Practices for Construction of Sand-based Athletic Fields for Football and Soccer (in English)

Sand-based, natural turfgrass and synthetic surfaces are the best options for athletic fields in the rainy Pacific Northwest. Sand-based, natural turfgrass fields, when compared to synthetic surfaces, are initially less expensive, more ...

Alec Kowalewski | Sep 2015 | OSU Extension Catalog

Pest Management Resources

Managing Microdochium Patch in Pacific Northwest Turfgrass (in English)

Those round, brown rings that appear on your lawn in spring may just be a passing problem. But if you manage a golf course, you may want to take steps to control Michrodochium nivale, the fungus that causes Microdochium ...

Brian McDonald, Alec Kowalewski | Jun 2021 | OSU Extension Catalog

Managing Crane Fly in Lawns (in English)

Crane flies are large, gangly insects that do little damage as adults. But crane fly larvae are known for chewing through patches of lawn, damaging roots as grass starts growing in spring. Learn how to prevent damage to your grass with simple maintenance and irrigation practices.

Alec Kowalewski, Brooke Edmunds, Brian McDonald | Sep 2020 | OSU Extension Catalog

Managing Moss in Lawns in Western Oregon (in English)

The mild, wet winters in western Oregon encourage the growth of lawn mosses. This publication describes the factors that contribute to this growth and provides tips for reducing problems. It is a companion to OSU Extension video EM 9176.

Brooke Edmunds, Alec Kowalewski | Dec 2017 | OSU Extension Catalog

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Fall yardwork tips?

P: Hello! I live in Redmond, Oregon. As fall approaches, I was wondering: Should I fertilize the garden in the fall? I usually use liquid fertilizer that I spray on. Is this too much stress for the plants in fall? How ...

R: View answer | View all featured questions

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