Alec Kowalewski

Alec Kowalewski
Former

Content by Alec Kowalewski

Bring your lawn back to life this fall with renovation and care

August and September are good time to whip your lawn back into shape, but starting over usually isn’t necessary.  

Kym Pokorny | Jul 31, 2025 | News story

OSU study highlights benefit of reduced watering for tall fescue

By understanding the optimal watering levels and schedules, Oregon growers can conserve water, reduce costs and maintain high-quality turfgrass.

Alec Kowalewski | Apr 2025 | Impact story

Finding the right balance for eco-lawns and pollinators

OSU research shows clover and yarrow work best, but even low-input lawns require maintenance.

Kym Pokorny | Mar 11, 2025 | News story

Choose the right lawn mower for your yard

How you choose between rotary, reel and electric models has to do with your situation and preferences.

Kym Pokorny | Mar 4, 2025 | News story

Choose the right grass for your Oregon lawn

Oregon’s climates vary; so should your lawn seed choices.

Kym Pokorny | Oct 1, 2024 | News story

Leave grass clippings on the lawn for a greener, healthier yard

OSU Extension research shows mulching saves fertilizer and improves turf quality.

Kym Pokorny | Apr 16, 2024 | News story

How to manage moss in Oregon lawns

Dense, healthy grass — not products — is the key to long-term moss control.

Kym Pokorny | Jan 30, 2024 | News story

Beyond grass: Removing lawns to make room for new landscapes

Ready for an alternative to grass? Here's how to get ready for something different.

Kym Pokorny | Jul 13, 2023 | News story

Through thoughtful practices, lawns can be climate-friendly

Love your grass lawn but want to make your landscape more climate-friendly? There are thoughtful ways to keep a lawn as part of your landscape while balancing climate change concerns.

Alec Kowalewski, Brooke Edmunds, Ruying (Wrennie) Wang | Sep 2022 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Gray level)

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 Peer reviewed (Orange level)

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 Peer reviewed (Orange level)

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 Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Starting a lawn from scratch?

Q: We are finally moving into our new home. Due to construction issues (lack of water and vehicle damage), most of the grass has died back and there are areas of just dirt. Also, we have dogs. Is there any variety of ...

A: View answer | View all featured questions

Practical Lawn Care for Western Oregon

Describes options for different levels of lawn care – from keeping a lawn lush and green year-round to allowing it to go partially dormant in the summer. Discusses mowing, watering, fertilizing, and dethatching, ...

Doug Voderberg, Alec Kowalewski | Mar 2023 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Managing Moss in Lawns

Fed up with moss taking over your lawn? Oregon State University Extension Service turf specialist helps you learn about the conditions that encourage moss growth and the steps you can take to promote a healthy, moss-free lawn.

Alec Kowalewski, Brooke Edmunds | Mar 2024 | Video Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Best management practices for construction of sand-based athletic fields for football and soccer

Sand-based, natural turfgrass and synthetic surfaces are the best options for athletic fields in the rainy Pacific Northwest. Compare the benefits and learn the construction component requirements to withstand the range of climatic conditions.

Alec Kowalewski, Gwen K. Stahnke, Tom Cook, Roy Goss | Apr 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Best management practices for maintaining sand-based, natural grass athletic fields

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

Alec Kowalewski, Gwen K. Stahnke, Tom Cook, Roy Goss | Apr 2024 | OSU Extension Catalog Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Integrated Pest Management for Turfgrass

This video highlights the five cultural practices needed for proper integrated pest management in turfgrass: (1) mowing, (2) fertilization, (3) irrigation, (4) cultivation, and (5) pesticide selection and use.

Alec Kowalewski | Apr 2024 | Video Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Summer lawn weed?

Q: I have a prolific lawn weed which appears usually in early June (however, early May this year). It first showed up four to five years ago and gets denser every year. Looks like a small dark green leaf clover with small...

A: View answer | View all featured questions

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 Peer reviewed (Orange level)

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