Lawn and Turfgrass Establishment and Maintenance
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Transcript Lawn and Turfgrass Establishment and Maintenance
Lawns are a major part of most home landscapes.
The three main reasons for lawns:
They add beauty to the landscape
They are used as play areas for sports such as baseball or
football.
They provide excellent cover to help control soil erosion .
When establishing a new lawn the present condition
of the lawn has to be analyzed.
Is there top soil?
Is drainage adequate?
Is the slope too steep to mow?
If you are planting a lawn after something was just built
there is usually a rough grade on the area– the rough
grade is done by the builder to make sure the house or
property does not get water in the basement.
6 inches of top soil is optimal when establishing a new
lawn.
The slope of the land should not be more than 15%.
When preparing the area for grass seed it is important
to remove rocks, big dirt clods.
You want to plant the seed on a smooth firm surface.
A soil test should be completed before adding any soil
amendments such as fertilizer or lime to see what the
soil is missing before anything is added to the soil.
Tests can be done by purchasing one at a garden
center, companies will do this as well as extension
offices.
A complete fertilizer with a high phosphorus content is
recommended for establishing a new lawn.
Controlled release starter fertilizer- is fertilizer that is
released over a period of time.
Controlled release fertilizer would be good to use.
Fertilizer should be spread east west then north south
on a lawn to get complete coverage.
Lawns can be started 2 different ways from seed or
from sod (grass that has already been started)
When selecting seed for the lawn remember the
following:
Percent germination- what percentage of seed will grow
Inert matter- sand, pieces of seed, and other items that
will not grow– these are undesirable.
Weed seed- a weed is any plant that is growing where it
is not wanted.
Purity- the break down of the different seed by
percentages.
Grass Variety
Pounds per 1,000 square feet
Tall Fescue
6-8
Red or fine Fescue
3-5
Bluegrass mixes
1 ½-2
Bluegrass fescue mix
2-3
Perennial ryegrass
5-6
Seed may be planted by hand or with a mechanical
seeder.
Cover the seed lightly with hand raking
Mulching or covering the area--- this is a very
debatable topic some people prefer cover over the
seeds while others claim it hurts the grasses ability to
grow quick and readily.
Water is very important in new grass. If it germinates
and is allowed to dry out the seed will die.
There are some types of grasses in which seed will not
work either the seed is not available or the seed does
not produce plants that are true to type.
These type of grasses need to be planted by spot or
plug sodding, strip sodding, sprigging, or stolonizing.
Most of these grasses are southern grasses used in
areas like Georgia and Florida
Sod- consists of grass and grass roots in a thin layer of
soil that is removed from areas in strips.
It is then rolled and transported to the area to be
sodded.
Sodding is justified on steep slopes unless coverage is
needed immediately.
Spot sodding or plugging- is the planting of small
plugs at measured intervals. The closer the plugs are
planted the faster the lawn grows.
Strip sodding- is planting the strips of sod end to end
in rows that are 1 foot apart.
Sprigging- is the planting of individual plants,
runners, cuttings, or stolons at certain spaces.
Runners- sprigs of grass that are obtained by shredding
solid pieces of sod.