Green School Turf Management Track

October 17 and October 22 - You must attend ONE of these orientation sessions.

Plant Form and Function
Mary Owen, UMass Extension (Retired)
Learning how plants are put together, how they grow, and how they respond to their environment can help practitioners understand the cultural requirements of landscape plants, be helpful in avoiding problems relating to plant health, and aid in the diagnosis of plant health issues.

Plant Form and Function (continued)
Mary Owen, UMass Extension (Retired)
Learning how plants are put together, how they grow, and how they respond to their environment can help practitioners understand the cultural requirements of landscape plants, be helpful in avoiding problems relating to plant health, and aid in the diagnosis of plant health issues.

Basic Principles of IPM and PHC
Tawny Simisky, UMass Extension
The principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) form the foundation for understanding and implementing wise management strategies for pests. IPM management techniques assist in reducing pest populations while protecting beneficial organisms and utilize best management practices that are least harmful to humans and the environment. This often includes reducing dependence on chemical pesticides. Plant Health Care (PHC) employs many of the aspects of IPM and is tailored for the Green Industry.

Turfgrasses: Adaptation, Morphology, Management, and Performance
Jason Lanier UMass Extension
This introductory class will outline the space that turfgrasses occupy both ecologically and societally, as well as explore the unique form and function of turfgrass plants.  In-depth discussion on how environment, user expectations, management, and performance intersect will be featured.

Turfgrass Nutrition
Mary Owen, UMass Extension (Retired)
The fundamentals of turfgrass nutrition and the role of nutrients in turf management. Develop an understanding of macro- and micro-nutrients, how they are absorbed/utilized by turfgrass. Discussion will focus on the variables in a fertility program – rate, timing, frequency, and fertilizer characteristics – and how they can be used to develop an effective program for particular uses and settings. Organic fertility programs will be included.

Diseases of Turfgrasses
Angela Madeiras, UMass Extension
The biology and identification of the common turf diseases; management strategies stressing Best Management Practices (BMP) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM); low-input lawns and ecological landscaping as these pertain to disease management; biorational and biological disease control materials.

Pesticide Safety and Responsibility in the Landscape

Natalia Clifton, UMass Extension

The label is the law! The focus of this talk will be thecomponents of the pesticide label, as well as an in-depth coverage of personal protective equipment and the environmental fate of pesticides. In addition, there will be a review of the requirements for pesticide licenses and the MA Dept. of Agricultural Resources role in regulating pesticides in Massachusetts. (Note: The laws governing pesticide licensing and the regulation of pesticides in other states will not be covered.)

Basic Entomology
Tawny Simisky, UMass Extension
An overview of the characteristics that define insects from their close relatives, identification of the major orders of insects common to the Northeast, and life strategies common to these groups. Also a brief look at identifying larval (immature) insects and their development as driven by temperature. Basic entomology will set the stage for the common insect pests encountered by the Green Industry, while reminding us that the majority of insects are not pests.

Soil Health for Turf and Landscapes

Arthur Siller and Sam Glaze-Corcoran, UMass Extension

Basic principles and fundamentals for creating, promoting, and managing the health of the soil, the foundation of every landscape and turf system, with implications for every aspect of management and performance.

Turf and Trees

Melissa LeVangie Ingersoll, Women'sTree Climbing Workshop

Turf maintenance crosses paths with trees perhaps more often than any other plant system. This session will cover interactions between trees and turf, tree care basics for the turf manager, and other important topics including safety and knowing when to consult with a professional arborist.

Turf Water Relations & Water Management
Jason Lanier, UMass Extension

Water is among our most precious natural resources, and water supplies available for the irrigation of turf are increasingly limited.  This session will cover water relations both within the turfgrass plant and within the turf system, as well as management strategies designed to conserve water and protect water quality.

Pollinator Friendly Approaches for the Landscape

Nicole Bell, UMass Extension

Learn about provisioning both floral resources and nesting sites for pollinators, and a basic checklist for bee-friendly landscapes.

Vector-Borne Diseases: Awareness and Action

Stephen Rich, University of Massachusetts, and Nolan Fernandez, NEWVEC

Lyme Disease is the most prevalent infectious disease in Massachusetts and is now considered to be a public health crisis. In addition to Lyme, deer ticks can carry the pathogens which cause Babesiosis, Anaplasmosis, Relapsing Fever and Powassan virus, all of which can be very serious. This session will review the basic life cycle and ecology of deer ticks, incidence rates and distribution of tick-borne illnesses.