Establishing Turfgrass

Grass: Kentucky Bluegrass

Term: Aeration

Kentucky Bluegrass(Poa pratensis)• Shade tolerance: poor

• Planting: seed or sod

• Mowing height: 1 1/2" - 2 1/2"

• Water: needs regular watering, will survive droughts by going into a dormant state

• Spreads and recovers well – good sports turf.

• Fertilization: needs regular fertilization

• Cold/heat tolerance: Good cold, poor hot

• Best lawn grass in appearance

Kentucky Blue Grass

• Boat-shaped tip

• Parallel blades

• Short ligule, no auricle

• Underground Rhizomes

Rhizome

• a horizontal plant stem with shoots above and roots below serving as a reproductive structure.

Stolon• shoots that bend to the ground or that

grow horizontally above the ground and produce roots and shoots at the nodes.

Grass Growth Habits

• Bunch type – – Grows where a seed lands. – Bunches get thicker– Don’t recover as well

• Creeping – – Start where seeds land or by sprig– Spread by rhizomes & stolons– Repair themselves well

Tall Fescue

• Cool season grass• Tolerates some shade• Plant by seed or sod• Mow 2 – 4” height• Moderate drought tolerance• Needs moderate fertilizer• Course textured, clumpy• Predominant lawn grass in Piedmont, Va.

Tall Fescue

• Rolled leaf

• Collar

• Ligule

• Auricle

• Rhizomes

Soil Preparation

• Best success when seeding bare ground

• Use a tiller to prepare the seed bed

• Remove sticks, rocks, clumps of old grass

• Test the pH and the soil fertility

Rototiller

• Front-tine – smaller & lighter, bounce a lot when trying to break new soil – work better for re-tilling existing plots

• Rear-tine – bigger & stronger work best for preparing unused areas

Seeding

• Most economical– Grass seed $15 - 20 for enough for 2,500 sq

feet– Seed specific cultivars or blends– Seeds develop into the area where they will

grow

Seeding RatesSpecies Seeds per

poundPounds/

1000 sq ft

Cost/pound

Kentucky Bluegrass

1-2 million 1 – 3 $3 – 4

Bulk

Tall Fescue 170,000 – 220,000

4 – 8 $1

Bulk

Red Fescue

350,000 – 600,000

3 - 5 $1.75

Bulk

Perennial Ryegrass

250,000 6 - 8 $1.25

Bulk

Seeding Lawn

• Establishing Lawn from Seed Video:

Seeding and fertilization pattern

• Divide the amount of seed in half and sow half in each direction.

• Remember to close the spreader when changing directions

Lime

• Grass grows best at pH levels of 6.5 to 7• Liming rates for 1000 sq ft

Soil Texture

Sandy Loam Clay

pH 4 90 172 217

pH 5 67 127 150

pH 6 20 35 60

pH 7 None None None

Establishing Turf by Seed

• Germination Rates:– Fast – Perennial Ryegrass– Medium – Fescue– Slow – Bluegrass & Bermuda Grass

• Sow – 15 seeds/sq inch– Use rates recommended on the bag

Water

• Water frequently with small amounts

• Keep the soil surface moist

• Don’t water so much as to create run-off

Seed types

• Turfgrass blends– Different cultivars of the same species

• Turfgrass mixture– Combination of two or more species– Examples:

• Shade mix• High traffic mix

Grass seed label

Seed Labeling

• Have information about the quality of the seed– Seed purity - % of identified species– Seed viability - % of seed that will germinate

• Seeding rates– Different seeds have different weights and

seeding rates– Also information on spreader settings– Want ~15 seeds per sq. inch.

Lawn Renovation

• Kill everything and start-over

• Kill existing grass with glyphosate (Round-up)

• Allow 3 weeks to die completely

• Cut to ½” height

• Dethatch

• Reseed

Overseeding

• Add new seed to existing lawn• Good for bare spots or to improve lawn

traits• Best in September• Cut grass short (1”)• Remove clippings & thatch• Reseed• May need to add compost or topsoil