It can be very difficult to maintain a turf under shade conditions. However, a few management practices can improve the overall turf condition in these areas. Shade in home lawn situations is generally provided by trees, therefore, the pruning of limbs below 10 feet from the ground and selective pruning of limbs in the crown […]
Category Archives: FAQs
This question does not have a simple answer because irrigation requirements vary with grass species, with soil type, and with environmental conditions. These factors often interact in complex ways that make decision making difficult. On average, turf will usually require from one to one and one hald inches of water per week for normal maintenance […]
It is important to remember that turfgrasses do not thrive on mowing; they tolerate it. It may seem that mowing is good for the grass, but mowing is always a stress. The cutting of leaf tissue may allow disease organisms to enter the plant, and it reduces the photo- synthetic area, lowering the production of […]
The general guideline for fertilizer application is to apply fertilizer when the turf is actively growing, therefore, the timing will be different for warm and cool season species. Cool-season species are most actively growing during the spring and fall of the year. However, high spring fertility treatments may be detrimental to the survival of the […]
Successful establishment of a lawn from seed is a critical component of creating a healthy lawn; however, at times good establishment can even be difficult for professionals. The potential of successfully establishing a healthy turf can be increased by paying attention to a few basic principles. Soil testing should be the first step in any […]
A mixture is comprised of more than one species of grass. It is often advantageous to plant a mixture because of the increased range in genetic diversity and adaptive potential that is achieved. For example, in a lawn situation some areas may be shaded and others may receive full sun. Additionally, some areas may have […]
Turfgrass breeders throughout the U.S. have worked very hard to develop cultivars of the common turfgrass species that are well adapted to different regions of the country. In addition there is an excellent program, called the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP), partially sponsored by the USDA that tests new and old standard cultivars of the […]
The turfgrasses are divided into cool-season and warm-season species. Cool-season species do better in the cooler times of the year and thrive in temperatures from 65° to 75° F. Warm-season grasses are best adapted to temperatures between 80° and 95° F. The cool-season grasses grow well in the cooler regions of the northern United States […]