establishing turf
TRANSCRIPT
Establishing Turfgrass
Grass: Kentucky Bluegrass
Term: Aeration
Kentucky Bluegrass(Poa pratensis)• Shade tolerance: poor
• Planting: seed or sod
• Mowing height: 1 1/2" - 2 1/2"
• Water: needs regular watering, will survive droughts by going into a dormant state
• Spreads and recovers well – good sports turf.
• Fertilization: needs regular fertilization
• Cold/heat tolerance: Good cold, poor hot
• Best lawn grass in appearance
Kentucky Blue Grass
• Boat-shaped tip
• Parallel blades
• Short ligule, no auricle
• Underground Rhizomes
Rhizome
• a horizontal plant stem with shoots above and roots below serving as a reproductive structure.
Stolon• shoots that bend to the ground or that
grow horizontally above the ground and produce roots and shoots at the nodes.
Grass Growth Habits
• Bunch type – – Grows where a seed lands. – Bunches get thicker– Don’t recover as well
• Creeping – – Start where seeds land or by sprig– Spread by rhizomes & stolons– Repair themselves well
Tall Fescue
• Cool season grass• Tolerates some shade• Plant by seed or sod• Mow 2 – 4” height• Moderate drought tolerance• Needs moderate fertilizer• Course textured, clumpy• Predominant lawn grass in Piedmont, Va.
Tall Fescue
• Rolled leaf
• Collar
• Ligule
• Auricle
• Rhizomes
Soil Preparation
• Best success when seeding bare ground
• Use a tiller to prepare the seed bed
• Remove sticks, rocks, clumps of old grass
• Test the pH and the soil fertility
Rototiller
• Front-tine – smaller & lighter, bounce a lot when trying to break new soil – work better for re-tilling existing plots
• Rear-tine – bigger & stronger work best for preparing unused areas
Seeding
• Most economical– Grass seed $15 - 20 for enough for 2,500 sq
feet– Seed specific cultivars or blends– Seeds develop into the area where they will
grow
Seeding RatesSpecies Seeds per
poundPounds/
1000 sq ft
Cost/pound
Kentucky Bluegrass
1-2 million 1 – 3 $3 – 4
Bulk
Tall Fescue 170,000 – 220,000
4 – 8 $1
Bulk
Red Fescue
350,000 – 600,000
3 - 5 $1.75
Bulk
Perennial Ryegrass
250,000 6 - 8 $1.25
Bulk
Seeding Lawn
• Establishing Lawn from Seed Video:
Seeding and fertilization pattern
• Divide the amount of seed in half and sow half in each direction.
• Remember to close the spreader when changing directions
Lime
• Grass grows best at pH levels of 6.5 to 7• Liming rates for 1000 sq ft
Soil Texture
Sandy Loam Clay
pH 4 90 172 217
pH 5 67 127 150
pH 6 20 35 60
pH 7 None None None
Establishing Turf by Seed
• Germination Rates:– Fast – Perennial Ryegrass– Medium – Fescue– Slow – Bluegrass & Bermuda Grass
• Sow – 15 seeds/sq inch– Use rates recommended on the bag
Water
• Water frequently with small amounts
• Keep the soil surface moist
• Don’t water so much as to create run-off
Seed types
• Turfgrass blends– Different cultivars of the same species
• Turfgrass mixture– Combination of two or more species– Examples:
• Shade mix• High traffic mix
Grass seed label
Seed Labeling
• Have information about the quality of the seed– Seed purity - % of identified species– Seed viability - % of seed that will germinate
• Seeding rates– Different seeds have different weights and
seeding rates– Also information on spreader settings– Want ~15 seeds per sq. inch.
Lawn Renovation
• Kill everything and start-over
• Kill existing grass with glyphosate (Round-up)
• Allow 3 weeks to die completely
• Cut to ½” height
• Dethatch
• Reseed
Overseeding
• Add new seed to existing lawn• Good for bare spots or to improve lawn
traits• Best in September• Cut grass short (1”)• Remove clippings & thatch• Reseed• May need to add compost or topsoil