Turfgrass Management

PrinciplesKurt H. Bland

What is the best type of grass?

It is a lot like buying a car: Depends on the features you find

important. They all require maintenance, some

more than others. Nothing lasts forever, and if you

don’t maintain it properly you will have to repair it more frequently!

Color preference is important! Only Fescue will give you a green lawn

during the holidays.

Cool Season vs Warm Season Nutrient Mgmt.

In our area, that means Fescue versus everything else!

Fescue is most active in spring and fall when temps are cool.

Warm Season grass is only active when temps are warm.

Grasses only need to be fed when they are active.

Only fertilize warm season grasses in Summer months.

Only fertilize Fescue in Spring and Fall.

Aerating, Over-seeding, and Top-dressing

To alleviate compaction, all turf needs to be core aerated. Frequency depends on application. For most homeowners, once a year is plenty. Golf greens get aerated frequently on the other hand.

Over-seeding is necessary annually in bunching or clumping grasses like Fescue.

Top-dressing is only necessary in stoloniferous or rhizomatous warm season grasses like Bermuda, Zoysia, and Centipede.

Why do we aerate?

Improved air exchange between the soil and atmosphere.

Enhanced soil water uptake. Improved fertilizer uptake and use. Reduced water runoff and puddling. Stronger turfgrass roots. Reduced soil compaction. Enhanced heat and drought stress

tolerance. Improved resiliency and cushioning. Enhanced thatch breakdown.

Dethatching; Is it necessary?

Most important in athletic field application and in lawns North of our state.

Our humid, hot, wet conditions create healthy populations of microbes that digest most thatch.

Some warm season grasses are dethatched, but it is often to encourage rooting and is called verticutting.

Lime and pH

One of the most important, yet often time overlooked aspects of turfgrass management.

We have acid soils generated from weathering of acidic parent materials like granite.

Generally speaking, East of Mississippi River has acidic pH (low) and West of the Mississippi has alkaline pH (high).

Lime “sweetens” the soil by raising the pH.

Lime should be applied based on soil tests.

Weed ControlWarm Season

Pre-emergent to control crabgrass in Feb. and again in April.

Post emergent throughout the season as needed.

Pre-emergent to control winter weeds in September.

Healthy, vigorous turf controls weed populations.

Cool Season

Pre-emergent to control crabgrass in Feb. and again in April.

Post emergent throughout the season as needed.

Pre-emergent cannot be used after April or you will lessen germination of seed in the Fall.

Healthy, vigorous turf controls weed populations.

WateringWarm Season

Requires, on average, 1” of water per week to look good and remain healthy.

Avoid watering in the evening, and try to schedule it to run early morning.

Should only be done when active to avoid cool weather fungal diseases.

Can survive periods of drought by shutting down or slowing its metabolism.

Cool Season

Requires, on average, 1” of water per week to look good and remain healthy.

Avoid watering in the evening, and try to schedule it to run early morning.

Too much watering increases disease outbreaks.

Can suffer a significant loss during extended drought.

Diseases

Healthy turf, with proper moisture management, and proper pH is the best line of defense.

Winter kill looks like a disease.

Large patch is a disease, caused by the same pathogen as Brown Patch.

Brown patch only grows in the presence of high relative humidity, a host species, and night time temps above 69 degrees.

Thank You for Your Time!

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