The Cultural Practices of Turf

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The Cultural Practices of Turf

• Jon Spitzer
• Hort 4000

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Mowing

• Done at various heights for various purposes
• Mowing is always a stress, but encourages growth
  of the plant
• The lower the mowing height the greater the
  stress, and the more maintenance the turf will
  require
• Higher mowing heights favor root and rhizome
  growth
• Different species handle shorter/longer mowing
  heights better than others

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Mowing continued

• The shorter the turf is mowed, the more
  frequently the turf should be mowed
• Never remove more than 1/3 of the leaf blade
• Clippings should only be removed in high quality,
  high maintenance settings
• Clippings can contribute of 2lbs of N/1000ft2

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Mowers

• Reel Mower
• -Used for high quality turf, generally mowed at
  low heights
• Consists of a reel and bedknife
• Rotary Mower
• -Most common in home, commercial settings
• Consists of a blade that is rotated clockwise

http//www.toro.com
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Always Keep Your Mowers Sharp!!
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Irrigation

• Should be done deep and infrequently, to
  encourage root growth
• Turf should be watered early in the morning
  (3-6am) to reduce the amount of time that the
  plant is wet (Pathogens)
• Different species of grasses require more water
  than others
• (Fescues vs. Bluegrasses)
• Overwatering does not benefit or can harm
  turfgrasses

www.fieldfl.co.uk/ sportsirr.html
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Aerification

• Helps alleviate soil compaction
• Aids in the removal of thatch
• Should be done during low stress periods
• Is best done during the fall when weed
  competition is low

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Aerification Cont

• Hollow Tine (coring)
• -Removes plugs, best relief for compaction
• -Messy, labor intensive
• -Can be very disruptive to turf surface
• Solid Tine/Deep Tine
• -Punches holes without removing a plug
• -not as disruptive to turf surface
• -less labor intensive
• -does not relieve compaction as well as hollow
  tine

www.turftime.net/ turf_service.html
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Vertical Mowing, Power Raking

• Done with rapidly spinning blades or tines
• Used to remove thatch or reduce grain or reduce
  grain on golf greens, which can affect ball roll
• Thatch is a layer of un decomposed organic
  matter, and living crowns, stolons, tillers,
  stems, and rhizomes
• Thatch is good is present in most turf, but a
  heavy thatch layer can promote fungal diseases,
  insect infestation and poor water infiltration

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Slicing/Spiking

• Cuts stolon to inhibit roots to develop from the
  nodes
• Very effective in new establishment of golf
  greens
• Helps enhance water infiltration and help
  alleviate hotspots in closely mowed turf

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Topdressing

• Involves application of a a fine layer of soil or
  sand to the turf surface
• Very important aspect of maintaining high quality
  turf
• Helps level out turf surface and helps healing
  the damage done by other cultural practices
• Very easy to do incorrectly, layering can occur
• Should be done on a regular basis with the same
  topdress
• Is often done after aerification and vertical
  mowing

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Topdressing Cont

• Often times topdress is dragged or brushed into
  the turf
• Watering after topdressing can also help the
  topdress penetrate into the soil profile
• Topdressing can be very expensive and is usually
  only done on high maintenace turf

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Fine Fescues

• Many turf stands in the UK are fine fescues
• Species include Creeping red fescue (Festuca
  rubra L.) and Chewings fescue (Festuca rubra
  fallax)
• Fine fescues can require less cultural practices
  than other turf species
• Do well in areas of low fertility and require
  less water than other species of turf
• Best adapted to cool and moist climates, but do
  not tollerate poorly drained soils

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Question 1

• What is thatch composed of?
• Thatch is a layer of un decomposed organic
  matter, and living crowns, stolons, tillers,
  stems, and rhizomes

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Question 2

• What are the Pros and Cons of Aerification?
• Pros
• -reduces compaction
• -increases water infiltration
• -removes thatch
• Cons
• -messy
• -labor intensive
• -can disrupt turf playing surfaces

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Question 3

• Why and When is Topdressing done?
• -Helps level out turf surface and helps healing
  the damage done by other cultural practices

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Question 4

• What is the Purpose of Slicing or Spiking?
• -Cuts stolons and allows for roots to develop at
  nodes
• -Establishment of new turf
• -Water infilitration

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Question 5

• What species of turf is common in the UK?
• -Fine fescues
• -Creeping red fescue
• -Chewings fescue

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References

• Beard, J. 1973. Turfgrass Science and Culture.
  Prentice-Hall Inc. Englewood
• Cliffs, NJ.
• Christians, N. 1998. Fundamentals of Turfgrass
  Management. John Wiley and Sons Inc. Hoboken,
  NJ.
• Fry, J. and B. Huang. 2004. Applied Turfgrass
  Science and Physiology. John WileyAnd Sons Inc.
  Hoboken, NJ.
• Waddington, D.V., R.N. Carrow, and R.C. Sherman.
  Agronomy,Turfgrass Monographs Series 32.
  American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science
  Society of America, Soil Science Society of
  America Publishers. Madison, WI.