Brian McDonald

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Senior Faculty Research Assistant

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Department/Unit: Horticulture

Content by Brian McDonald

How long should my lawn be?

P: My husband has decided to let the lawn grow tall because dog play is tearing up the lawn. He thinks that is best to keep the grass stronger. I read from multiple sources we should keep lawn 2 to 3 inches and ...

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Fairy rings in my lawn?

P: 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?

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Tips for Making Your School IPM Plan Complete

Oregon Integrated Pest Management coordinators and other school staff from Oregon school districts, education service districts, community colleges, private K-12 schools and federal Head Start programs collaborated to ...

Tim Stock, Alyssa Cain, Emily Braithwaite, Alec Kowalewski, Brian McDonald, Clint Mattox | Aug 2022 | OSU Extension Catalog

What is the best way to manage Poa annua in my lawn?

P: About 80 percent of my 10,000 square foot lawn is Poa annua. Do I need to start over by killing everything, tilling, soil prep and replanting seed? Or, is there a gradual way to regain control? If I do kill and ...

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Irrigation rates and frequencies for Western and Eastern Oregon turfgrass

Learn guidelines for irrigating Oregon turfgrass, covering species selection, soil types, evapotranspiration rates and best practices for irrigation timing and frequency.

Alyssa Cain, Alec Kowalewski, Brian McDonald, Clint Mattox | Feb 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Managing crane fly in lawns

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, Emily Braithwaite | Dec 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog

Is there a "no mow" lawn in my future?

P: My so-called lawn needs help — it consists of clumps of grass with bare spots between. My small yard is completely fenced with a large apple tree shading much of it, so the grass gets at most 3 to 4 hours of sun ...

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Winter cutworm: A new pest threat in Oregon

Winter cutworm is a growing pest in Oregon, damaging lawns, crops and gardens. This guide provides ID tips, scouting advice and management options for this cold-season insect.

Jessica Green, Amy J. Dreves, Brian McDonald, Ed Peachey | Jul 2025 | OSU Extension Catalog

Retail Lawn Seed Mixtures for Western Oregon and Western Washington

This publication describes the benefits of choosing the right cultivar, species, blend, or mixture. It will also explore the advantages of seed coating and other preplant packaging options, such as fertilizer and ...

Stan Baker, Alec Kowalewski, Brian McDonald, Rob C. Golembiewski | Mar 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog

Best time to aerate?

P: When is the best time of year to aerate my yard? My yard is Kentucky bluegrass. I live in Eugene, Oregon.

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