Turf Education Day (TED)

6:00 – 7:15 AM
Exhibitor Set-Up
Location: Atrium

7:15 – 8:15 AM
Registration & Badge Pick-Up

8:15 – 8:30 AM
Welcome
A Word from Our Premier Sponsor, Russo Power Equipment

8:30 – 8:45 AM
Legislative Update & PFAS in Layman’s Terms
Location: Auditorium
Presenters: Scott Grams, Landscape Illinois and Dan Papineau, TruGreen

8:45 – 9:30 AM
Opening Keynote: Identifying and Controlling Summer Annual Grasses
Speaker: Dr. Aaron Patton, Purdue University
Location: Auditorium
Sponsored by: Russo Power Equipment

Join Dr. Aaron Patton for an essential guide to identifying and controlling twelve common summer annual grasses that plague turfgrass professionals. Learn how to distinguish species such as crabgrass, goosegrass, foxtails, and Japanese stiltgrass through seedheads, plant characteristics, and growth habits. The session also reviews preemergence and postemergence herbicides, along with real-world case studies demonstrating how proper identification leads to more effective control.

9:30 – 10:00 AM
Morning Break
Visit exhibitors in the Atrium.
Advanced Turf Solutions, Albaugh, Chemical Warehouse, Clesens, Conserv FS, Contour Landscaping, Inc., Envu, Foliar Pak, Greenworks Commercial, Knox Fertilizer Company, Masterblend International, Midwest STIHL, Russo Power Equipment SiteOne Landscape Supply, Steel Green Manufacturing, STIHL, TruGreen, Weed Man

Concurrent Sessions
10:00 – 10:45 AM

A Time of Neonicotinoid Bans: Effective, Organic Grub Control
Joe Magazzi, Green Earth Ag and Turf
Location: Room 111

The environment is changing for turf care professionals; more and more pesticides are being banned or restricted, a younger generation of homeowners are more environmentally conscious and the demand for more natural or organic options is growing by an estimated 6% per year (Businesswire by Berkshire Hathaway). Previously, there weren’t any non-synthetic treatment options to offer your clients for grubs that worked, and certainly none that were cost-effective. That is no longer the case with the game-changing new B.t.g. technology. B.t.g is organic and has been proven, in side-by-side university studies, to work as well as neonicotinoids or Acelepryn and has no off-target effects on people, pets or other beneficial insects. Price changes mean it is now competitive with Acelepryn G in most areas. In addition, organic products are often allowed or exempted where other synthetic products cannot be used. A true game-changer – B.t.g now gives you a cost-effective option for grub treatment to expand into the fast-growing natural turf care market or for use where synthetic options are not allowed nor desired!

Purchasing New Products and Technologies: Questions to Ask
Dr. Aaron Patton, Purdue University
Sponsored by Clesens
Location: Room 105

With so many new products and technologies entering the market, making smart purchasing decisions can be difficult. Learn seven practical questions every turf manager should ask before investing in new equipment or products.

Summer of ’26
Dr. Lee Miller, Purdue University
Sponsored by ConservFS
Location: Auditorium

The Windy City endured several scorching days in late June through July that put cool season turfgrasses to the test. In this discussion, we’ll talk about the trials and tribulations of the summer season in the context of the weather pattern, and how to manage pesky diseases primed by stressful conditions.

10:45 – 11:15 AM
Morning Break
Visit exhibitors in the Atrium.
Advanced Turf Solutions, Albaugh, Chemical Warehouse, Clesens, Conserv FS, Contour Landscaping, Inc., Envu, Foliar Pak, Greenworks Commercial, Knox Fertilizer Company, Masterblend International, Midwest STIHL, Russo Power Equipment SiteOne Landscape Supply, Steel Green Manufacturing, STIHL, TruGreen, Weed Man

Concurrent Sessions
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM

Illinois Department of Agriculture Regulatory Update
Brad Beaver, Illinois Department of Agriculture
Sponsored by TruGreen
Location: Room 111

Hear the latest regulatory updates affecting Illinois lawn care professionals, including pesticide regulations, compliance requirements, and enforcement priorities.

Organic Pesticides to Use Where Synthetics are Banned
Joe Magazzi, Green Earth Ag and Turf
Location: Auditorium

Organics are no longer a compromise! With pesticide laws getting more stringent and customer demand for organic lawns growing, the timing is perfect for new and effective alternatives to synthetic pesticides, so you don’t lose sales in these rapidly expanding markets. Innovative products have become available in the last few years, including many new options for weed, grub, pest, and disease controls to help you grow your natural turf and landscape offerings and expand treatments into areas where pesticides are otherwise restricted or not desired.

Problem Weeds: Trinity of Pain
Dr. Aaron Patton, Purdue University
Sponsored by Contour Landscaping
Location: Room 105

Some weeds earn their reputation. Lesser celandine, yellow nutsedge, and creeping bentgrass are a real pain for lawn care professionals, each for different reasons. This session breaks down the biology behind why these three are so stubborn and walks through practical strategies for managing them. You will leave with a clearer understanding of how each weed grows and spreads, when to time your control efforts, and which products and cultural practices give you the best shot at winning the battle.

12:00 – 1:00 PM
Lunch
Sponsored by TruGreen, Weed Man
Location: Room 101

1:00 – 1:50 PM
Afternoon Keynote: Fall Turfgrass Management Practices
Dr. Kevin Frank, Michigan State University
Sponsored by Russo Power Equipment
Location: Auditorium

Fall is the season of turfgrass recovery and renewal. Many practices are optimized in the fall including reseeding, aeration, fertilization, and weed control. This presentation will discuss the benefits and reasons fall is the perfect time for turfgrass recovery and preparing the turf for the next season.

1:50 – 1:55 PM
Afternoon Break

Concurrent Sessions
1:55 – 2:40 PM

Fertilizer Programs and Nutrient Fate
Dr. Kevin Frank, Michigan State University
Location: Auditorium

Turfgrass management, specifically fertilizer applications, are often implicated in urban water quality issues. This presentation will discuss how to manage turfgrass responsibly while minimizing environmental impacts on water quality. Best management practices for nitrogen and phosphorus applications, and fertilizer technologies to minimize environmental losses will be presented.

Equipment Calibration: Accurate Applications Start with Accurate Calibration
Josh Cull, Lawnworks of Joliet and Jeff Kolbe, Spring Green Lawn Care
Sponsored by Midwest STIHL
Location: Room 111 / Parking Lot

Accurate equipment calibration is essential for achieving consistent, effective, and economical turf and landscape applications. This live, hands-on demonstration will guide industry professionals through the proper methods for calibrating fertilizer spreaders and liquid spraying equipment using real-world application equipment. Attendees will see practical, step-by-step calibration techniques for verifying application rates, identifying common sources of error, and making the adjustments necessary to deliver products at their intended rates. The demonstration will also illustrate how equipment setup, operating speed, spread width, nozzle output, pressure, and other variables can affect application accuracy. Emphasis will be placed on how proper calibration promotes consistent results, reduces over and under-application, minimizes product waste, and improves overall economic efficiency. Participants will leave with practical calibration methods they can confidently apply to their own equipment and operations.