ProGro Solutions is now Advanced Turf Solutions

In the coming months, ProGro Solutions will change its name to Advanced Turf Solutions.

In 2016, ProGro Solutions and Advanced Turf Solutions (ATS) officially joined forces as an employee-owned green industry distributor with a deep commitment to quality and service. By operating under the Advanced Turf Solutions name, we can provide our customers with more access to digital resources and the entire ATS network of green industry experts.

You’ll see new signs on our buildings and logos on our shirts; however, the friendly faces of your agronomic consultant, delivery driver, and customer service team will remain the same. Customer service operations will continue at our regional office in Mendota, IL, and the support staff and business operations in Elk Grove Village, IL and Madison, WI will be unchanged.

To connect with us and explore our variety of digital resources, follow us on Twitter @AdvancedTurf and @ATSSportsTurf, Facebook @AdvancedTurf, and Instagram @advancedturf. Look for our new website coming soon at www.advancedturf.com.

Stay tuned for regional events to celebrate our new name!

Best Management Practices from FMC: Deer Tick

Keep safe from deer ticks with this great information from FMC. 

Download here

Foliar-Pak's Custom Lawn Program

Stack your customer's turf defense against drought, heat and disease pressure with this comprehensive fertility bionutrient program.Turf will be healthier and stronger and you'll hear fewer complaints. 

• Promotes controlled growth and long-lasting color

• Increases nutrient uptake and ensures predictable nutrient availability

• Unlocks the tied-up nutrients that already exist in the soil, turning them into plant usable nutrition

• Provides stronger defense against drought, heat, and disease pressure

• Apply this program at each round.

Download here

Keep Heat Tracking Damage Off Your Lawn

Heat tracking damage on lawns

Recently, I have received quite a few calls and pictures from customers inquiring about tracks in the turf that appear dead and if the damage was caused by mowing or a fertilizer application. Typically, fertilizer does not cause the issue. It’s the equipment used to apply the fertilizer or the mowers used to cut the grass that creates the problem. The damage occurs when the turf is starting to wilt, and traffic is put on it. Anything you drive over the turf when it is wilting will cause heat track damage.

The condition of the turf is the primary key to the cause of the tracks forming. When a lawn is entering drought stress, it may still be green, but the stress is already starting. The weight of the machine riding over the lawn bends and breaks the leaf blade. The leaf blade is no longer able to stay green, and it turns brown as it dies off.

Avoid damage by mowing or fertilizing in the cooler part of the day or move the application or mowing to a later date. The good news is the grass blade is just damaged, and the grass plant is not dead. The turf should recover in about two weeks.

Heat tracking damage can also cause diseases to spread in the turf.

The picture below is a lawn showing drought stress and leaf blight. Ascochyta leaf spot symptoms develop during hot, dry periods. The disease can look like large, irregular patches of straw-covered grass and appear dead. It can easily spread after mowing or fertilizer applications.

The cut grass and damage from the tires on the drought stressed turf makes it easier for the disease to spread. Luckily, the crowns and roots of the turfgrass are not affected and should recover in 2 or 3 weeks with cooler temperatures and rainfall.

You can help manage leaf blight damage by following a few cultural practices. A yearly aeration program will help reduce thatch and improve water penetration. Mowing at or above 3” and mowing less frequently will also help. Try to stay off turfgrass when it shows signs of drought stress and wilt. The easiest way to determine whether or not turf is wilting is to walk across it. If you notice that your footprints don't bounce back right away, this shows the plant is under drought stress.