Turf Management Establishment

1
Turf ManagementEstablishment
2
Turf ManagementEstablishment
I. Objectives
A. After studying this chapter, the student
should be able to

• Explain how a turf manager decides the species
  and
• cultivars which are to be planted on a site

• Discuss how the site should be prepared before
• planting

3. List and define the information on a seed
label
4. Identify the most appropriate times of the
year for turfgrass establishment
4. Describe how the new planting should be cared
for until the turfgrass is well established
3
Turf ManagementEstablishment
II. Species and Cultivar Selection
A. Selection depends on the following
1. Grasses selected must be adaptable to the
growing conditions at the location to be
established
2. Degree of turf quality to be desired and the
level of maintenance
3. Maintenance budget and type of equipment used
4. The expertise of the turf manager
5. Soil condition, climate, disease, intended
use, shading, and availability of labor
4
Turf Management Establishment
III. Cool Season Grasses - Environment
A. Poa Pratensis - Kentucky Bluegrass

• Mowing Height - .75 - 2.5

• Nitrogen Level - 2 - 6 lb N/1000 ft/yr

• PH range 6-7

• Sun

• Rhizome

• Texture - Med Fine - Fine

B. Poa Annua - Annual Blugrass

• Mowing Height - Below 1

• Nitrogen Level - 2 - 6 lb N/1000 ft/yr

• PH range 6-7

• Sun

• Bunch

• Texture - Fine

5
Turf Management Establishment
III. Cool Season Grasses - Environment
C. Festuca Rubra - Red Fescue

• Mowing Height - 1.5 - 2

• Nitrogen Level - 2 lb N/1000 ft/yr or less

• PH range 5-6

• Shade

• Rhizome

• Texture - Very Fine

D. Festuca Arundinacea - Tall Fescue

• Mowing Height - Above 2

• Nitrogen Level - 2 lb N/1000 ft/yr or less

• PH range 5-8

• Sun

• Bunch

• Texture - Coarse

6
Turf Management Establishment
III. Cool Season Grasses - Environment
E. Lolium Perenne - Perennial Ryegrass

• Mowing Height - .50 - 2.0

• Nitrogen Level - 3 - 7 lb N/1000 ft/yr

• PH range 6-7

• Sun

• Bunch

• Texture - Fine to Medium

F. Lolium Multiflorum - Annual Ryegrass

• Mowing Height - 1.5 - 2.5

• Nitrogen Level - 1 - 3 lb N/1000 ft/yr

• PH range 6-7

• Sun

• Bunch

• Texture - Medium to Med-Coarse

7
Turf Management Establishment
III. Cool Season Grasses - Environment
G. Agrostis Palustrus - Creeping Bentgrass

• Mowing Height - .125 - .5

• Nitrogen Level - 4 - 8 lb N/1000 ft/yr

• PH range 5.5-6.5

• Sun

• Stolon

• Texture - Very Fine

H. Agrostis Tenuis - Colonial Bentgrass

• Mowing Height - Below .3 - .8

• Nitrogen Level - 2 - 6 lb N/1000 ft/yr

• PH range 5.5-6.5

• Sun

• Bunch weak Stolons

• Texture - Fine

8
Turf Management Establishment
IV. Cool Season Grasses I.D Environment
A. Poa Pratensis - Kentucky Bluegrass

• Leaf Tip - Boat Shaped

• Ligule - Yes very small

• Auricle - No

• Leaf Type - Folded

• Leaf Vein - Pale line

• Heat Tolerance - Good

• Drought Tolerance - Good

• Wear Resistance - Medium

• Disease Resistance - Poor

• Color - Good

• Blend - Yes

9
Turf Management Establishment
IV. Cool Season Grasses I.D Environment
B. Poa Annua - Annual Bluegrass

• Leaf Tip - Boat Shaped

• Ligule - Yes Large, thin and transparent

• Auricle - No

• Leaf Type - Folded

• Leaf Vein - Pale line

• Heat Tolerance - Poor

• Drought Tolerance - Poor

• Wear Resistance - Medium

• Disease Resistance - Poor

• Color - Poor

• Blend - No

10
Turf Management Establishment
IV. Cool Season Grasses I.D Environment
C. Festuca Rubra - Creeping Red Fescue

• Leaf Tip - Pointed

• Ligule - Yes very small

• Auricle - No, thick collar

• Leaf Type - Folded

• Leaf Vein - Prominent

• Heat Tolerance - Poor

• Drought Tolerance - Excellent

• Wear Resistance - Medium

• Disease Resistance - Poor, rust and red thread

• Color - Good

• Blend - Yes

11
Turf Management Establishment
IV. Cool Season Grasses I.D Environment
D. Festuca Arundanecea - Tall Fescue

• Leaf Tip - Pointed, curved

• Ligule - Yes easy to see

• Auricle - Yes, collar like

• Leaf Type - Folded

• Leaf Vein - Prominent

• Heat Tolerance - Good

• Drought Tolerance - Excellent

• Wear Resistance - Good

• Disease Resistance - Excellent

• Color - Medium to Poor

• Blend - No

12
Turf Management Establishment
IV. Cool Season Grasses I.D Environment
E. Lolium Perenne - Perennial Ryegrass

• Leaf Tip - Pointed

• Ligule - Yes hard to see

• Auricle - Yes, clasping

• Leaf Type - Folded

• Leaf Vein - Pale line

• Heat Tolerance - Poor to Medium

• Drought Tolerance - Medium to Good

• Wear Resistance - Excellent

• Disease Resistance - Good

• Color - Excellent

• Blend - Yes

13
Turf Management Establishment
IV. Cool Season Grasses I.D Environment
F. Lolium Multiflorum - Annual Ryegrass

• Leaf Tip - Pointed

• Ligule - Yes hard to see

• Auricle - Yes, clasping

• Leaf Type - Rolled

• Leaf Vein - Pale line

• Heat Tolerance - Poor

• Drought Tolerance - Poor

• Wear Resistance - Medium

• Disease Resistance - Medium

• Color - Poor

• Blend - No

14
Turf Management Establishment
IV. Cool Season Grasses I.D Environment
G. Agrostis Palustrus - Creeping Bentgrass

• Leaf Tip - Pointed

• Ligule - Yes easy to see

• Auricle - No

• Leaf Type - Rolled

• Leaf Vein - Pale line

• Heat Tolerance - Poor

• Drought Tolerance - Poor

• Wear Resistance - Good

• Disease Resistance - Poor

• Color - Good

• Blend - No

15
Turf Management Establishment
IV. Cool Season Grasses I.D Environment
H. Arostis Tenuis - Colonial Bentgrass

• Leaf Tip - Pointed

• Ligule - Yes hard to see

• Auricle - No

• Leaf Type - Rolled

• Leaf Vein - Pale line

• Heat Tolerance - Poor

• Drought Tolerance - Poor

• Wear Resistance - Medium

• Disease Resistance - Poor

• Color - Good

• Blend - Yes

16
Turf Management - LAB Establishment
IV. Cool Season Grasses I.D Environment
A. Lab Exercise
1. Pick a location, such as a park or your school
2. Select several different locations on the
site and have the students select grasses
for each site
3. See example in the outline
4. Discuss in class the choices and the good
and poor and why
17
Turf ManagementEstablishment
V. Spite Preparation
A. Soil preparation
1. Control of weeds and old grasses.
2. Debris removal
3. Grading and shaping
4. Irrigation and drainage installation
5. Optional soil amendments
6. Final planting bed prearation
18
Turf Management - LAB Establishment
V. Site Preparation
A. Lab Exercise
1. Pick a location, such as a park or your school
2. Select a location that could be used for a
new and have the students prepare a task
separation list of activities needed to use
the site
3. Discuss in class the choices and the good
and poor and why
19
Turf ManagementEstablishment
V. Preparation and Installation of a Turf
Planting Bed
A. Soil Movement and Placement
1. Avoid layering
2. Move only dry soil
3. Avoid over cultivation
4. All mixes should be mixed off site
5. Contours are usually more severe than they
appear during construction
20
Turf ManagementEstablishment
V. Preparation and Installation of a Turf
Planting Bed
B. Soil Amendments
1. Structural changing
2. Nutrient holding
3. Nutrient enhancing
4. Mixing
21
Turf ManagementEstablishment
V. Preparation and Installation of a Turf
Planting Bed
C. Mounding
1. Drainage around the base
2. Water holding capabilities
3. Maintenance considerations
22
Turf ManagementEstablishment
V. Preparation and Installation of a Turf
Planting Bed
D. Rough Grading
1. Smoothness
2. Firmness, levels, and sequence
3. Drainage considerations
4. Transit, builders level
5. Irrigation checks for smoothness
23
Turf ManagementEstablishment
V. Preparation and Installation of a Turf
Planting Bed
E. Finish Grading
1. Keep the same contours and slopes
2. Do not over work the area
3. Consider special areas such as sidewalks,
buildings, sand bunkers, etc.
4. Rolling, wetting, rolling
24
Turf ManagementEstablishment
V. Preparation and Installation of a Turf
Planting Bed
F. Fertilization
1. Types
2. Amounts
3. To incorporate or not
25
Turf ManagementEstablishment
V. Preparation and Installation of a Turf
Planting Bed
G. Seeding
1. Types of grass(s)
2. Seeding rate
3. Equipment
4. To mulch or not
5. Watering
26
Turf ManagementEstablishment
V. Preparation and Installation of a Turf
Planting Bed
H. Sodding
1. Cost vs. size
2. Types and selection
3. Installation
4. Post fertilization
5. Watering
27
Turf Management - LAB Establishment
V. Site Preparation
A. Lab Exercise
1. Have the students prepare a materials list
2. The materials list should include seed or
sod, soil amendments, fertilizers, etc.
3. Discuss in class the choices and the good
and poor and why
28
Turf ManagementEstablishment
VI. Seed Selection
A. Chapters 3 4
1. Types of grasses to use
2. Cool Season
3. Warm Season
4. Cultural Conditions
5. Blending of Grasses
29
Turf ManagementEstablishment
VI. The Parts of a Grass Seed
A. Awn
Hairlike projection usually extending from the
mid point of a grass seed
B. Lemma
Lowermost or outermost of the two
bracts enclosing the grass seed
C. Palea
Uppermost or innermost of the two
bracts enclosing the grass seed
D. Rachilla
The axis of a grass seed
30
Turf ManagementEstablishment

• Awn

The Parts of a Grass Seed

• Lemma

• Palea

• Rachilla

31
Turf Management - Establishment
VI. The Grass Seed Label
A. The name of the Seller
B. The Lot number
C. The seed Variety (may be more than 1)
D. The percent of seed Purity for each variety
listed
E. The percent of Germination for each variety
listed
F. The percent of Crop Seed present
G. The percent of Weed Seed present
H. The amount of Inert materials
I. The Noxious Weeds by name and the Number
per Pound
J. The Date when the seed was last tested
for Germination
32
Turf Management - Establishment
VI. The Grass Seed Label
Purity
What the label says The percent by weight of
each component seed labeled in the mixture.
What the label does not say Purity is an
indication of quantity, not quality. All pure
seeds are not capable of growth
33
Turf Management - Establishment
VI. The Grass Seed Label
Germination
What the label says The percent of pure seed
that is capable of growth in a prescribed time
under laboratory conditions.
What the label does not say All seeds do
not germinate at the same rate.
34
Turf Management - Establishment
VI. The Grass Seed Label
Crop
What the label says The percent by weight of
seeds grown as an agricultural crop. Must be
specified by name if in excess of 5 by weight.
What the label does not say Bentgrass and Tall
Fescue are grown as a cash crop, but are
undesirable in Bluegrass turf. If 2 crop
was Bentgrass, this would equal 181,000 seeds per
pound.
35
Turf Management - Establishment
VI. The Grass Seed Label
Weeds
What the label says The percent by weight of all
seeds in the package which have not been
included in pure seed or crop.
What the label does not say One
harmless Needlegrass seed weighs the same as 32
obnoxious Chickweed seeds. Both would be listed
as 0.27 on the package. If 0.1 weeds was
Chickweed, this would be equal to 560,000 plants
in a 10,000 sq. ft. turf area.
36
Turf Management - Establishment
VI. The Grass Seed Label
Noxious Weeds
What the label says The number per pound or
per ounce of weed seeds that are difficult to
control.
What the label does not say The information
given is not very clear and most consumers would
be unaware of the potential problems
37
Turf Management - Establishment
VI. The Grass Seed Label
Inert
What the label says The percent by weight of
material in the package that will not grow.
What the label does not say Bulking agents
are often added to make larger bargain
packages, or to meet weight requirements.
38
Turf Management - Establishment
VI. The Grass Seed Label
Date
What the label says The date the seed was
last tested for germination percentage.
What the label does not say How the seed should
be stored and what happens to the
germination percentage over time.
39
Turf Management - Establishment
VI. The Importance of Seed Count
A. Seed varieties are listed by weight and not by
count

• Creeping Bent - 8.8 million seeds per pound

• Colonial Bent - 9 million seeds per pound

• Kentucky Bluegrass - 2.2 million seeds per pound

• Annual Bluegrass - 1.2 million seeds per pound

• Creeping Red Fescue - 544,000 seeds per pound

• Tall Fescue - 226,800 seeds per pound

• Perennial Ryegrass - 226,800 seeds per pound

• Annual Ryegrass - 226,800 seeds per pound

40
Turf Management - Establishment
VI. Grass Seed Germination
A. Probable Germination Rates
1. The percent or purity (percentage(s) of the
grasses either individually or totaled)
2. The percent of Germination
Purity X Germination Viable Seed
Example 20 Perennial Ryegrass
75 Kentucky Bluegrass 90
Germination
Answer 95 x 90 85.5 Viable Seed
41
Turf Management - Establishment
VI. Converting Seed Weight Percentages To
Seed Count Percentages
A. Multiply purity percentages (a) by the number
of seeds per pound of each variety (b) to
find the number of seeds per pound in the
mixture
(a) purity (b) seeds/lb.
(c) mixture seeds/lb.
72 Kentucky Bluegrass x 2,177,280
1,567,642
18 Perennial Ryegrass x 226,800
40,824
7 Fine Fescue x 544,320

38,102
B. Add all seeds of each variety to find the
total number of seeds per pound in the
mixture
1,646,568
42
Turf Management - Establishment
VI. Converting Seed Weight Percentages To
Seed Count Percentages
C. Divide the seeds per pound of each variety by
the total number of seeds per pound in the
mixture. This determines seed count
percentages.
(a) mix seeds/lbs b) total
seeds (c) seeds/ct./
1,567,642 Kentucky Bluegrass / 1,646,568
95
40,824 Perennial Ryegrass / 1,646,568

2.5
38,102 Fine Fescue /
1,646,568
2.3
D. What was thought to be a 72 Kentucky
Bluegrass/ 18 Perennial Rye/ 7 Fine Fescue
is by seed count, a 95 Kentucky Blue/2.5
Perennial rye/2.3 Fine Fescue
43
Turf Management - LAB Establishment
VI. Seed Labels
A. Lab Exercise
1. Have the students compare four fictitious
labels
2. See example
3. Have the student calculate probable
germination, and have the students focus on
purity, test date, and germination date
4. Discuss in class the choices and the good
and poor and why
44
Turf Management - LAB Establishment
VI. Seed Labels
B. Lab Exercise
1. Have the students compare three actual labels
2. Have them go to a garden center or retail
store that sells grass seed
3. Have the student analyze the labels and
prepare a report.
4. Discuss in class the choices and the good
and poor and why
45
Turf Management - LAB Establishment
VI. Seed Labels
C. Lab Exercise
1. Have the students use all of the labels
2. Have them change the percentages of seed in
the blends from seed weight to seed count.
3. Discuss in class what this means in terms of
the actual turf area that will be created
46
Turf ManagementEstablishment
VII. Seed Establishment
A. Methodology
1. Fertilizer Spreader
2. Drop Spreader
3. Divide in half and spread two ways
4. Hydromulching or Hydroseeding
5. Mulching
6. Irrigation
47
Turf ManagementEstablishment
VIII. Seeding Rates
A. Species and Cultivar
1. Preparation and environmental conditions
2. Chapter 9 Table 9-1
3. Chapter 9 figure 9-10
4. Seed Samples
5. Cost of Seed
6. Cost vs Benefit
48
Turf Management - LAB Establishment
VIII. Seeding Rates
A. Lab Exercise
1. Have the students select the blend of grass
or grasses to be used on the final site
2. Have them calculate the seeding rate to be
used
3. Have them also prepare a final materials list
4. Discuss in class the choices and the good
and poor and why
49
Turf Management - LAB Establishment
VIII. Seeding Rates
B. Lab Exercise
1. Have the students Determine spreader
application uniformity with one or more
spreaders
2. Have them create a square-inch gauge
consisting of an index card with a one
square inch cutout
3. Set the spreader to apply the approximate
amount of seed recommended. Apply the seed
over a small area
4. Using the gauge, count the number of seeds
applied. Sample several areas. Average the
results. Fill in the chart (Figure 5-2).
Redo to arrive at the proper setting
50
Turf ManagementEstablishment