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Growin’ o’ the Green: Creating the Perfect Lawn
By Min-Fang Huang, AgriLife Communications intern
COLLEGE STATION -- As spring approaches, Kyle Field turfgrass managers know that proper care of the field during March and April is essential. When 90,000 people gather at Kyle Field at Texas A&M University next fall, the play will occur on the lush green turf of the football field. Work done this spring will pay off big then.
But great lawns don’t just happen. Maintaining a lawn is both a difficult and rewarding task, according to Mathew Pierce ’08 assistant sports field manager for the university. Many factors must come together for a great lawn, said the former student who majored in agronomy with a Turf Management Option in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The following is some of his advice:
Start with the correct turfgrass
Start with selecting the proper turfgrass.
Choosing the appropriate type of grass is not easy. Turfgrass --any grass that can tolerate being mowed and create a uniform surface--can be divided into two major groups based on temperature tolerance: cool season grasses and warm season grasses.
For cool season grasses such as bluegrass, the appropriate temperature is between 59 to 75 degrees F. Warm season grasses, including buffalograss, grow best between 79 and 95 degrees F. Depending on the location, other variables, such as weather, rainfall, sunlight, soil, pests, and weeds, should be taken into account.
Spring Care is essential during times of drought
The prolonged drought throughout Texas has caused normally lush lawns to dry up and begin to die. In these dry times, watering is essential.
Pierce recommends applying 1 inch of water per week during the spring and fall, and 1.5 -1.75 inches of water during the summer. Avoid overwatering; excessive water will damage the root systems.
During dry times, continue to fertilize and mow lawns. To come back in spring, turfgrass needs sufficient nutrition. Adequate levels of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium are essential. Fertilizer with potassium will help turfgrass tolerate stress, particularly during drought conditions.
A growing lawn needs regular mowing. However, don’t cut it too short. Removing more than 30-40 percent of the grass blade length will stress the lawn.
If winter weather has killed some of the grass, and there are straw-colored patches, reseed these patches in spring.
Lawn care should be a year-round activity
Although turfgrass stops actively growing during winter months, lawn maintenance is still required. l. One necessary task during the winter is to maintain soil moisture, said Dr. Richard White and Dr. David Chalmers, professors in the department of soil and crop sciences at Texas A&M University. If the soil under the turf is dry to the touch or the lawn is hard to dig up, the turf grass needs water, they said. But not too much.
“The amount of water used to irrigate turfgrass is best kept between a quarter to 1-1/2 inches,” Chalmers said.
In addition, “watering the lawn once a month during the winter is enough. Too much water will hurt the turfgrass,” White said.
Because the irrigation of turfgrass has been criticized as wasting water, checking the irrigation system is also important.
“Winter is a good time to check the system,” White said. “Making sure irrigation systems correctly spray water on lawns, not on roads or cars, is a way to help preserve water.“
Winter also is a good time to make planting plans, including times for fertilization and weeding. Both White and Chalmers suggest using soil examination services provided by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. The results of professional testing can include suggestions for fertilizer use.
“Lawn owners should wait until mid-April or after the last frost to use fertilizer, Chalmers said. “Most warm season turfgrass cannot grow well until the night temperature reaches 65 degrees F.” Once conditions are right for growth, turfgrass will absorb more of the fertilizer.
Doing your homework can help
With all the variables involved in lawn care maintenance, research on turfgrass is necessary and can save time and money. A good place to start is the AggieTurf website. Another helpful site is www.american-lawns.com , which gives lawn care tips for both beginner and advanced users. Also check out the Texas AgriLife Extension County List to locate the nearest county office, which can provide various helpful publications, turfgrass management advice and soil testing. AgriLife Extension Service horticulturalist Skip Richter has prepared an informative video about turfgrass selection. It can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI8Gb4sUsnQ
About the author:
Min-Fang Huang is a graduate student in the Master of Science Program in Science and Technology Journalism, and is currently serving an internship in AgriLife Communications.
3/10/09
