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Soil temperatures have been warming and reached the mid-40s °F last week at Rutgers Hort Farm No. 2 in North Brunswick NJ and are creeping into the upper-40s °F early this week. Dr. Clarke recommends that treatment of turf with a history of take-all patch be initiated when soil temperature averages 40 to 60 °F. Treatment of fairy ring should be initiated when average temperature is in the range of 50 to 55 °F. Waiting to treat beyond these soil temperature thresholds will increase the risk that control strategies are not as effective.
Table 1. Soil Temperature Data under Bentgrass Turf Mowed at 0.375-inch in North Brunswick, NJ on 17 March 2020 at 2:00 PM.
| 3-inch Depth | Thatch-Soil Interface | |
| Current | 48 °F | 50 °F |
| 24-hour Average | 45 °F | 44 °F |
| 5-day Average | 47 °F | 47 °F |
Additionally, the Forsythia bloom started last week in central New Jersey, which Dr. Matthew Elmore recommends as a traditional phenological indicator for preemergence herbicide programs on turf.
