1. Turfgrass

2. Establishment Seeding  Least expensive method Sod  Most expensive

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

4. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Maintaining Grass Watering Mowing Aerating Fertilizing Topdressing Overseeding

11. 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

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

13. 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.

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

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

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

19. These #’s represent the % of each nutrient in the fertilizer  Example  10-35-12 10% Nitrogen 35% Phosphorous 12 % Potassium

20. Calculating LBS of Nutrients 10lb Fertilizer bag  25-10-15 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

21. How much fertilizer? We have a grass lawn that needs to be fertilized and a bag of 16-8-8 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?

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