Turfgrass

Establishment Seeding  Least expensive method Sod  Most expensive

Seeding a Lawn Select grass seed Prepare the site Plant seed Water Wait

Seed Labels Purity  Shows % by weight of each seed type in the mix Germination  % of seed that should sprout Crop Seeds  % of seeds that are considered crops Weed Seeds  % of weed seeds in the mix Noxious Weeds  % of really undesirable weeds

Preparing the Site Loosen the top 2-3” soil  Add layer of compost Remove stones, sticks Level the area Spread the seed, either by hand or with a broadcaster Cover with light layer of mulch Keep moist until seed is germinated and established No mowing until grass is 2- 3” tall

Hydroseeding Seed is sprayed on with a hose Mixed with compounds that hold water & nutrients to help the seeds grow Faster application Seeds still need to be consistently moist No mowing till grass is 2- 3” tall

Sod Established grass is cut into strips and rolled Grass is brought to the new site and rolled out on prepared topsoil Instant lawn! Must be watered regularly so roots grow from existing soil into new soil

Maintaining Grass Watering Mowing Aerating Fertilizing Topdressing Overseeding

Watering Grass should be watered deeply and infrequently Roots will only go as deep as the water supply  Little bit of water often = little roots  Lots of water that sinks down into the soil = longer roots

Mowing Different kinds of grasses grow at different rates Never take off more than 1/3 of the grass blade at a time

Mowing Leaving grass clippings will recycle nutrients back into the soil  This only works if lawns are mowed very often and clippings are short  If the grass is long, remove clippings Change direction when you mow so your grass doesn’t develop a grain.

Aerating Creating holes in the turf 2 kinds  Hollow tine  Leaves plugs of soil on top of grass  Solid tine  Creates holes, doesn’t remove soil Allows for better water drainage Soil becomes less compact

Top Dressing Sprinkling a thin layer of soil on the top of existing grass Helps to loosen compacted soils Adds organic matter back into soils

Overseeding Adding seed on top of existing grass Grass can age, thin, and get patchy Adding seed to existing grass helps to maintain healthy looking turf

Primary Nutrients Those elements which the plant consumes in largest amounts  Nitrogen (N)  Phosphorous(P)  Potassium(K) Most deficient in the soil

Most fertilizers have three numbers on the front of the bag N-P-K  Nitrogen (N)  Phosphorous(P)  Potassium(K)

These #’s represent the % of each nutrient in the fertilizer  Example  % Nitrogen 35% Phosphorous 12 % Potassium

Calculating LBS of Nutrients 10lb Fertilizer bag  LBS NITROGEN?  10lbs x 25%(.25)N= 2.5 lbs N LBS Phosphorous?  10 lbs x 10% (.10)P= 1lb P LBS Potassium?  10 lbs x 15% (.15) K= 1.5lb K

How much fertilizer? We have a grass lawn that needs to be fertilized and a bag of in our garage. If we need to put 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft of our 16,725 sq ft lawn, how much fertilizer do we need to apply?

How do we figure this problem out? Total Fertilizer Needed =