MILWAUKEE (AP) - The arctic cold that encased the Midwest this winter didnt exactly make for the most ideal of conditions to grow new grass for the Brewers, even with the retractable roof closed at Miller Park.

But the groundskeepers pressed on with the new sod. Even brought over some grow lamps from Europe to give the field an around-the-clock dose of synthetic sunlight.

All to get ready for Monday, when baseball returns to Milwaukee. The Brewers will host the Atlanta Braves to open the 2014 season for both teams.

This was a little harsher winter than we had anticipated. Were hoping for a little better spring, said Michael Boettcher, the teams director of grounds. But regardless of what Mother Nature gave us here, were going to have it ready for Opening Day.

The new field was lush and green for a two-game exhibition set against the Kansas City Royals over the weekend. Players gave it rave reviews.

The team was scheduled to get the grow lamps even before the brutal winter. Turned out to be perfect timing when the contraptions arrived this month.

It looks absolutely fantastic, outfielder Logan Schafer said. Its a lot firmer underneath. Last year, wed do a lot of burnouts trying to get jumps and wed kind of kick up a lot of grass. But you look it looks great out there, playing great.

One less thing for Ryan Braun to worry about as he switches positions from left to right field. But as if that wasnt enough of a transition, the Brewers top player is also returning from a 65-game doping suspension by Major League Baseball stemming from Biogenesis scandal.

So far, Braun looks as if hes going to follow through on his vow to again become one of baseballs top sluggers. The 2011 NL MVP hit .417 this spring with three homers and nine RBIs, and manager Ron Roenicke is also pleased with the way hes handled the move to right.

Hes working hard at it and he feels comfortable out there, the skipper said. I think with the range that he has hell save us a lot of runs.

More:
New field welcomes Braves and Brewers for opener

Photo by Michael Zamora

Michael Zamora/Scripps Newspapers Bluebonnets grow well in roadside waste areas, but cant compete with turf grasses.

Dear Neil: We have bluebonnets planted and growing in an area where we are going to plant El Toro zoysia sod later this spring. We will wait for the bluebonnets to go dormant before we lay the sod. Will they come up through the grass next spring? Also, how can we eliminate clover that is there before we plant the sod?

A: Wildflowers, and in this case more specifically bluebonnets, do not coexist with turfgrass at all. If you think about where you see bluebonnets growing natively, its always in an area that has poor soil with little native pasture grass. Bluebonnets succeed in bare areas, but they struggle competing with dense grasses. The highway department plants them in roadside areas that do have grass, but its not strong, assertive grass like youd have in a lawn. In fact, youll notice that many of those wildflower slopes along highways are pretty bare once they mow off the old, dried bluebonnet stubble in early summer. My advice would be to let the bluebonnets run their course, then gather the seeds just as the pods start to split open. Store the seeds over the summer in a jar or plastic bag (without moisture), either in an air-conditioned part of the house or in the refrigerator. Sow them into an appropriate place in late August or early September. A dedicated bed that receives little heroic soil preparation and that is seldom, if ever, fertilized would be great. As for the clover, once you have the bluebonnet seeds collected, rototill the area before planting the sod. The tilling will eliminate the clover.

Dear Neil: My husband and I want to put down some type of hardscape surface around a red oak tree. How much space should we leave between the trunk and the hard surface?

A: The more you can leave, the better you and the tree will both be but at least 3 or 4 feet out from the trunk. Trees major lateral roots are near the soil surface, and as the tree ages, those roots grow up and out of the soil. Its not due to erosion. Its just that they get large. As they swell, they break the hardscape surfaces. Thats why interlocking concrete pavers and other portable materials are so useful when working around trees.

Dear Neil: Why do the seedlings I start under grow lights for my flower and vegetable gardens end up getting so tall and spindly? They dont survive the transition to outdoor planting? I have lost them all.

A: That breaks my heart when somebody has that kind of experience, and unfortunately, youre not alone. This can be due to a couple of things, and I can best illustrate by telling you how a bedding plant grower will produce his or her plants. They will grow them in absolutely full sunshine, and they will grow them at 60 or 62 degrees. Grow lights provide perhaps five percent that amount of light, so the plants become lanky as they grow toward the light. That is made much worse very rapidly when temperatures are warm they try to grow more rapidly. Youd be better off investing in a small cold frame or, better yet, a home hobby greenhouse or window greenhouse that would give you more light.

Dear Neil: I have a 60-foot hedge that has gaps in it. It is 8 feet tall. Is there any way to prune the plants to get them to fill in?

A: Oh, how I wish I knew what type of plant was involved, also whether plants in the row actually died, or what else might have happened to cause the empty spaces. Sometimes you can find the same type of plant in a large nursery container and plant it into a void to solve the problem. Of course, if the gaps happened because a sprinkler head didnt water that part of the row (to use one example), the new plant would suffer the same fate. There are too many variables for a good answer. Id suggest you take a sharp photo (print, not on phone) to a local independent retail nursery for their suggestions. They can show you the replacement plants for the voids, if that becomes an option.

Continued here:
Bluebonnets do not coexist with turfgrass

They say the grass is always greener on the other side.

Well, mercifully, it is greener at Comerica Park, where the Detroit Tigers are scheduled to play the Kansas City Royals on Opening Day on Monday afternoon (1 p.m., FSD).

While the snow is melting after a brutal Michigan winter and most of us find our front lawns to be brown in color and straw-like in texture, the turf at Comerica looks remarkably green and springy and ready for the first game of the year.

The tarp that has protected the playing field at Comerica since new sod was laid just a couple weeks ago was rolled back this morning, revealing a healthy carpet-like layer of Kentucky bluegrass.

Any lingering doubts about Mondays game being postponed because of a sub-par playing surface were dismissed by Tigers head groundskeeper Heather Nabozny, who doesnt mind watching grass grow.

Its been a tough one this year, said Nabozny, looking over the field from the Tigers dugout. We ran into a lot of weather issues. We had to remove the snow twice the first time, 11 inches and, the next time, 4 before we could even think about grading the field and laying the sod.

Nabozny used giant warmers to thaw the ground so that the sod could be laid. Comerica Parks grass was ripped up in November, before the NHL installed a hockey rink at the stadium for the Winter Festival.

This was the first complete resodding at Comerica since 2007.

So whats left to do before Monday?

Mowing, coloring it up a little bit, fertilizing, said Nabozny, who has been with the Tigers for 15 years. We started to mow today. Weve had the growth covers on it so it started growing a bit.

Read more here:
Tigers declare Comerica Park sod ready for Opening Day

Dear Neil: We have bluebonnets planted and growing in an area where we are going to plant El Toro zoysia sod later this spring. We will wait for the bluebonnets to go dormant before we lay the sod. Will they come up through the grass next spring? Also, how can we eliminate clover that is there before we plant the sod?

A: Wildflowers, and in this case more specifically bluebonnets, do not coexist with turfgrass at all. If you think about where you see bluebonnets growing natively, it's always in an area that has poor soil with little native pasture grass. Bluebonnets succeed in bare areas, but they struggle competing with dense grasses. The highway department plants them in roadside areas that do have grass, but it's not strong, assertive grass like you'd have in a lawn. In fact, you'll notice that many of those wildflower slopes along highways are pretty bare once they mow off the old, dried bluebonnet stubble in early summer. My advice would be to let the bluebonnets run their course, then gather the seeds just as the pods start to split open. Store the seeds over the summer in a jar or plastic bag (without moisture), either in an air-conditioned part of the house or in the refrigerator. Sow them into an appropriate place in late August or early Septemer. A dedicated bed that receives little "heroic" soil preparation and that is seldom, if ever, fertilized would be great. As for the clover, once you have the bluebonnet seeds collected, rototill the area before planting the sod. The tilling will eliminate the clover.

Dear Neil: My husband and I want to put down some type of hardscape surface around a red oak tree. How much space should we leave between the trunk and the hard surface?

A: The more you can leave, the better you and the tree will both be -- but at least 3 or 4 feet out from the trunk. Trees' major lateral roots are near the soil surface, and as the tree ages, those roots grow up and out of the soil. It's not due to erosion. It's just that they get large. As they swell, they break the hardscape surfaces. That's why interlocking concrete pavers and other "portable" materials are so useful when working around trees.

Dear Neil: Why do the seedlings I start under grow lights for my flower and vegetable gardens end up getting so tall and spindly? They don't survive the transition to outdoor planting? I have lost them all.

A: That breaks my heart when somebody has that kind of experience, and unfortunately, you're not alone. This can be due to a couple of things, and I can best illustrate by telling you how a bedding plant grower will produce his or her plants. They will grow them in absolutely full sunshine, and they will grow them at 60 or 62 degrees. Grow lights provide perhaps five percent that amount of light, so the plants become lanky as they "grow toward the light." That is made much worse very rapidly when temperatures are warm -- they try to grow more rapidly. You'd be better off investing in a small cold frame or, better yet, a home hobby greenhouse or window greenhouse that would give you more light.

Dear Neil: I have a 60-foot hedge that has gaps in it. It is 8 feet tall. Is there any way to prune the plants to get them to fill in?

A: Oh, how I wish I knew what type of plant was involved, also whether plants in the row actually died, or what else might have happened to cause the empty spaces. Sometimes you can find the same type of plant in a large nursery container and plant it into a void to solve the problem. Of course, if the gaps happened because a sprinkler head didn't water that part of the row (to use one example), the new plant would suffer the same fate. There are too many variables for a good answer. I'd suggest you take a sharp photo (print, not on phone) to a local independent retail nursery for their suggestions. They can show you the replacement plants for the voids, if that becomes an option.

Dear Neil: We have several acres of wildflowers, and they are the joy of every springtime. Unfortunately, they are now being invaded by the horrible purple thistle. How can I control that plant monster?

A: If you're talking about the tall, coarse-growing thistle with very prickly leaves, you can carefully spray its growth with a broadleafed weedkiller applied individually to each clump. Obviously, any herbicide that kills thistles will also kill desirable wildflowers. They do not differentiate. It's also possible that you are calling the invasive Scabiosa atropurpurea (pincushion flower) a "thistle," although it is not prickly. Again, since it's not a grass, selective spraying with a broadleafed weedkiller before it has developed strong colonies would be your best bet. You may want to talk to your local county Extension office for more precise advice on the invasive plants that might be called thistles in your immediate area. There are many types across the state.

View original post here:
Bluebonnets not friendly with turf grass

While irrigation of lawns accounts for much of the 24 per cent of valley water used for outdoor residential irrigation, this can be reduced for existing lawns and new ones.

Now is the perfect time to feed turf-grass and build up the soil by spreading a one inch layer of organic matter such as Natures Gold, well-rotted manure, or compost over your lawn.

It will decompose to form new, nutrient-rich soil which in turn feeds your lawn all season long.

There wont be the spike of fast growth, needing more water and more mowing, that chemical fertilizers create.

Mulch helps retain moisture. If soil is poor, mulching may be done in fall as well as spring to improve soil faster.

Aeration improves water penetration. If you aerate before mulching the mulch will fill the holes.

By the time you are ready to mow, the mulch will have settled below mower blades.

For more tips on reducing water use on your lawn check http://www.makewaterwork.ca.

Now is a good time to get rid of some lawn not needed for activities.

This will reduce maintenance time (mowing and trimming) as well as reduce your water bill.

Read more:
Steele: Time to focus on the lawn

MILWAUKEE -- Take a look outside and still see some white snow, brown mud and some patches of yellowish grass. But inside Miller Park, a gorgeous green field awaits the Brewers return thanks, in large part, to some new grow lamps.

"The research is really working in our favor at this point and is definitely going to be an asset to us as a grounds department," Brewers Grounds Director Michael Boettcher said.

The brewers bought the grow lamps in Europe over the off-season. They simulate sunshine on sections of the field for 24-hours at a time. That's helped repair some areas that were affected by frost over the winter.

"We are getting some temperatures up, we're feeding the turf a little bit here, slowly," Boettcher said. "Then with the lights, you know it's definitely starting to get ready."

Milwaukee County Golf courses can't say the same thing yet. Fresh snow forced Dean Wilde and his buddies inside Wauwatosa's Currie Park Golf Dome Tuesday.

"It was kind of a let down, because we were looking for warm weather and to get out there and swing the clubs and the courses to open, but no," Wilde said.

County courses hope most of the snow melts away by the end of the week. But grounds crews will then need to clean fairways and greens before anyone can hit the links.

"There's going to be a lot of tree branches down, some leaves from last fall," Parks Golf Turf Manager Jon Canavan said. "We get a blower out, we mow the greens, rake the bunkers up."

Back at Miller Park, the infield rakes were already out and mowers cut their first patterns in the lamp-aided sod. Boettcher couldn't put a dollar figure on how much the heat lamps cost, but he says they're worth the price tag.

"When it comes to putting out a quality field for our quality team we have out here, you know, the investment is still looked at as a good investment for the organization," Boettcher said.

Link:
New grow lamps help crews make Miller Park grass pristine

Spring may have sprung, but it will be hard to forget a long winter after you look at your lawn.

Saturated grass, downed tree limbs and snow mold are all effects of a brutal winter that MSU consumer horticulturists are finding hard to top.

"There's been some very severe low temperatures this winter, there were heavy winds, heavy snow loads, so we will see damage later in the spring," said Consumer Horticulturist Bob Bricault.

"There hasn't been a thaw," agreed Consumer Horticulturist Rebecca Krans. "We've had lots of snow and wind, which causes drying, desiccation of tissues."

Snow mold, which forms under snow cover, plagues Dana Davis's lawn in Mason. The horticulturist's yard is dotted with brown spots. But it looks worse than it is, Davis said.

"It's not a big deal," he said. "Usually a light raking and the grass will recuperate and a little fertilizer."

Occasionally, the grass will require some reseeding, Davis said, but the bigger pain will be in clearing up damage from salt and plows, something that could also make a dent in the checkbook.

"Peoples' budgets have been crunched because of snow removal," he said. "So this cleanup and all this snow is really challenging peoples' budgets."

But for many lawn companies, the cleanup can't start for several more weeks. Davis says he's expecting his employer, Outdoor Specialties, will be pushed back 2-3 weeks.

"In the green industry, it just means when the weather's nice we've gotta hustle a little harder to get caught up," he said. "It's always a challenge. Mother Nature's not often kind."

See more here:
Spring Brings Messy Lawns

Dear Neil: Is there any way to keep wild persimmons from bearing fruit? We track the mess into our house, and they make the patio almost unusable.

A: Im often asked that question relative to fruiting mulberries, and unfortunately, the answer is about the same for both. There is no mechanical or chemical means of preventing or removing fruit before it becomes messy. While I dont want to be the executioner for what might otherwise be very nice trees, your only recourse short of removing them will be to sweep or blow them away daily (or more often). I wish I had a more satisfactory answer for you.

Dear Neil: My wife has seen an ad for a grass that says it was Bred in Texas to help save one of our most precious resources water! It says they will ship plugs to us, and that we will need to get ready for a green lawn in sun or in shade. What do you know about this grass? Are its claims true or just hype?

A: Ive rewritten my answer three times. I so want to caution you against believing extravagant claims. You do not want to buy turfgrass through the mail any more than you would want to buy new carpeting that way. Talk to a local sod vendor, and buy new turfgrass where you can see what youll be getting ahead of time. Buy it from someone who can refer you to a home where that grass has been growing for a year or two, so you can see how it is performing. Although its a different type of grass, the ad youre describing is very similar to the zoysia ads that have been running for many decades. This is not a grass that Im comfortable recommending to you.

Dear Neil: I have a constantly enlarging ring of dead grass in my lawn. I tried insecticides, and I replaced the grass, but the dead circular area continues to spread. Any idea what this might be and what can be done?

A: Ill give it my best shot, but I have to admit that without a photo and without even knowing what type of grass is involved, my shot is one taken in the dark. Im asked this same general question many times each year. When I delve into the details, I usually hear that there are trees involved, perhaps the side of the house and other things that are casting shade onto the grass. When its a circular area, that suggests to me that it might be the ground directly beneath a shade tree. As the tree gets larger, so does the shade pattern. Even St. Augustine, our most shade-tolerant grass, requires at least four to six hours of direct sunlight per day in the growing season. Without it, it thins and disappears. If you have a tree anywhere near the center of this dying area, shade is the issue and its time to plant a shade-tolerant groundcover such as mondograss or its big sister liriope, English ivy or even purple wintercreeper euonymus or Asian jasmine. I hope that helps.

Dear Neil: You mentioned a product that could be applied to pears to prevent fire blight. What was that and how it is applied?

A: Spray agricultural streptomycin onto the pears while they are in full bloom. That time has passed for most pears for this year, and with freeze damage to the pear flowers over so much of Texas, it would have been difficult to get it applied anyway. Bees carry the fire blight bacterium from an infected tree into the flowers of a healthy tree as they are pollinating the blooms. Thats why this spray must be made at the flowering time. Agricultural streptomycin is a specialty product that youll seldom see in national retail stores. Youre much better off buying through a local independent retail garden center or hardware store. They can order it for you if they dont already have it on hand.

Dear Neil: I need your advice on plant spacings. Let me know if any of these might be too close. A Natchez crape myrtle 7 feet from concrete piers under house and 8 feet from concrete stairs; a Choctaw pecan 23 feet from the piers and from the roofline; a Texas red oak 15 feet from concrete piers; a cedar elm 18 feet from the house and piers and 13 feet from a concrete porch and sidewalk; and a chinquapin oak 12 feet from a wood fence. I have no problems currently. Just thinking ahead.

A: Youve been busy measuring. Those distances sound quite adequate to me. I have several of those trees in similar settings, although mine are closer. Your best bet is to have a certified arborist check the trees every couple of years. Watch for roots that could cause damage to become obvious.

Read the original here:
No chemical, mechanical way of preventing fruit before it makes a mess

EMPIRE Sod / Turf / Grass
Choose the perfect sod for your landscape project. From Big Earth Landscape Supply located in Bradenton, Tampa, Sarasota and Palmetto, Florida. For more help...

By: Adam Rickert

Continued here:
EMPIRE Sod / Turf / Grass - Video

Anjana Schroeder / Crain's Detroit Business

The crew putting in new sod works Thursday at Comerica Park less than two weeks before opening day.

Workers began installing 103,000 square feet of Kentucky bluegrass at Comerica Park today, the first full re-sod of the Detroit Tigers ballpark since 2007.

After scraping away snow and ice from the barren playing surface the old grass was removed late last year so a temporary ice rink could be built on the infield the ground was prepped to receive the grass from Fort Morgan, Colo.-based Graff's Turf Farm. The turf was shipped in several trucks, and is expected to be ready for Opening Day on March 31, when the Tigers host the Kansas City Royals.

New natural grass fields at major league ballparks range in price from $100,000 to $250,000. The National Hockey League agreed to pick up replacement grass costs at Comerica Park as part of the deal it swung with Red Wings and Tigers owner Mike Ilitch to host its Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium instead of Comerica Park.

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If you enjoy the content on the Crain's Detroit Business Web site and want to see more, try 8 issues of our print edition risk-free. If you wish to continue, you will receive 44 more issues (for a total of 52 in all), including the annual Book of Lists for just $59. That's over 55% off the cover price. If you decide Crain's is not for you, just write "Cancel" on the invoice, return it and owe nothing. The 8 issues are yours to keep with no further obligation to us. Sign up below.

Continued here:
Blade brigade: Field of green laid for Tigers' Opening Day