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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
Kentucky Blue Grass
• Boat-shaped tip
• Parallel blades
• Short ligule, no auricle
• Underground Rhizomes
Aeration
• Lawn aeration involves the removal of small soil plugs or cores out of the lawn
http://www.earthpoint.us/Shapes.aspx
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
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
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