Turf Maintenance

Grass: Perennial Ryegrass

Term: Aeration

Perennial Ryegrass

• Germinates very quickly• Poor shade tolerance• Short-lived grass may only live one season• Only grows by seed – not sod• Mow at 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches• Poor drought tolerance• Bunch type grass – no stolons or rhizomes• Cool-season• Used for over-seeding dormant warm season

turf & quick green-up

Perennial Ryegrass

• Has auricles

• Folded new leaves

• Bunch grass – No stolons– No rhizomes

Kentucky Blue Grass

• Boat-shaped tip

• Parallel blades

• Short ligule, no auricle

• Underground Rhizomes

Tall Fescue

• Rolled leaf

• Collar

• Ligule

• Auricle

• Rhizomes

Aeration

• Lawn aeration involves the removal of small soil plugs or cores out of the lawn

http://www.earthpoint.us/Shapes.aspx

Aerators

• Self-propelled

• Towed

• Manual

Aeration

• Grass recovers very quickly & then grows better

• Increases oxygen availability to roots

• Reduces compaction – roots can expand

• Lets soil take up water better

Aeration Video

• Aeration Video

Lawn Maintenance

• Mowing– Mow at correct height for the grass

• Fertilizing– Schedule depends on grass, soil texture & soil test result

• Liming– Do a pH test to determine if it is required. Apply according to

results.

• Weeding– How many weeds are you willing to tolerate

• Aerating– Not required often

Decide how “organic” you want to be

Mowing Height & Frequency

• Never remove more than 1/3 of the grass length in a single mowing.

• Longer grass can handle stress better than short grass

• Longer grass outcompetes weeds• Leave longer during hot midsummer• Okay to cut shorter spring and fall• Alter the mowing path

Mowers

• Rotary • Reel

Fertilization

• Soil test first!!!• Never fertilize dormant grass• Feeding the roots – not the blades• Soil texture

– sandy soils need most, Loamy soils need least• Grass species

– Vary in their fertilizer needs• Organic option

– Urea– Compost

• Use high nitrogen, low phosphorus, medium potassium– 20-4-8

• Note: Changes coming due to Chesapeake Bay Legislation

Fertilizer

• Cool Season– 1 lb in Sept– 1 lb in Oct– 1 lb in Nov– ½ lb in May

• Warm Season– 1 lb in April– 1 lb in May– 1 lb in June– 1 lb in July/Aug

Never apply more than 1 lb of N per 1000 sq ft.

Lawn fertilizer

• Follow directions on the bag

• Add 1 lb N for 1000sq ft

• Fertilizing a 2000 sq ft area

• Our fertilizer mix is 28 – 3 – 3

• ? Lbs of fertilizer

Weeds

• Broadleaf weeds – Early spring – fall problem– Dandelion– Ground Ivy– Plantain

• Grassy weeds – Hot summer problem– Bermuda grass– Crab grass– Annual Bluegrass

Today

• Picture

• Greenhouse

• Front garden

Grass ID

• Use the key to identify the grasses from the turf areas:

• http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/TOOLS/TURF/TURFSPECIES/index.html

• Tall Fescue

• Kentucky Bluegrass

• Perennial Ryegrass

Mowing Safety

• Read the Safe Operation Practices Sheet

• Take the safety test