Establishing a Lawn

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Establishing a Lawn
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Establishing a Lawn

• Lawns are a major part of the home landscape

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Reasons for Establishment

• Ad beauty to the landscape
• Used as play areas for sports or for relaxation
• Provide cover to help control soil erosion

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Soil and Grading

• First consideration is the present condition of
  the soil

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Questions to ask

• Has the builder graded off all of the topsoil?
• Is the slope too steep to establish a lawn and
  mow it safely?
• Is drainage adequate?

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Grade

• Builder will establish the rough grade
• Usually slopes away from foundation
• Six inches of top soil should be spread over the
  surface

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Grade

• Topsoil is tilled to loosen and break up clods

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Slope

• General slope for the lawn after the topsoil is
  spread should not exceed 15
• Slopes greater than 15 are unsafe to mow

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Slope

• If a slope of greater than 15 cannot Be avoided,
  the surface should be planted with plants that do
  not require mowing such as ground covers.

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Drainage

• Good drainage ensures a balance between air and
  water in the soil.
• This balance encourages proper root growth

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Establishing proper drainage

• Install drainage tile about three feet below the
  surface of the soil to drain the subsoil

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Establishing proper drainage

• Make use of the slope of the land to drain
  surface water away

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Soil Preparation

• Good loam soil is best for most grasses
• If loam is not available, increase the organic
  matter (o.m.)

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Soil Preparation

• Add well rotted sawdust, weed free manure, or
  peat moss at a rate of 6 cubic feet per 1000
  square feet of land

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Soil Preparation

• Work O.M. well into the soil with a rototiller,
  rake and remove stones
• Seedbed should be firm and smooth but not have a
  powder fine surface texture

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Fertilizer

• Soil should be tested to determine the correct
  amount of fertilizer to apply
• Complete fertilizer with a high P content is
  recommended for establishing lawns.

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Fertilizer

• Starter fertilizers are manufactured with high P
  content
• Some soil test reports may indicate a need for
  lime

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Lime

• Changes the pH of the soil by reducing the
  acidity
• Can be applied in several forms

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Lime

• Calcium Carbonate
• Calcium Oxide
• Calcium Hydroxide

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pH

• If pH of the soil indicates a alkaline soil,
  sulfur or iron sulfate may be used to lower the pH

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pH

• Ideal pH range for lawns is between 6.0 and 6.5

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Spreading Fertilizer

• Spread in two different directions, half of the
  recommended amount in one direction and the
  remainder perpendicular to the first application

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Spreading Fertilizer

• This ensures uniform distribution of the
  fertilizer
• May be applied with a spreader or in a liquid
  form with a garden hose attachment

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Starting a Lawn

• Two ways
• Seeding
• Vegetative

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Vegetative

• Sprigging
• Sodding
• Plugging
• Strip planting

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Selecting Seed

• All lawn grass seed is required by law to have
  the following information on the label
• Name the package must give the correct name of
  all seeds in the package

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Selecting seed

• Information on where this type of seed grown best
• Purity gives the make up of the seed by percent
  of each type

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Selecting Seed

• Percent germination this identifies how well
  the seed will sprout and grow
• Other crop percentage of other crop seeds,
  wheat, barley, orchard grass, and timothy are
  undesirable

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Selecting Seed

• Inert matter material that will not grow
• Seed pieces, sand or dirt
• Inert ingredients add weight to the package and
  little else

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Selecting Seed

• Weed Seed not desirable in lawn mixtures
• Many weed seeds are difficult to remove because
  of their size

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Selecting Seed

• Law requires that the manufacturer list the
  percent of weed seed present in the package

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Selecting Seed

• Noxious Weeds each state has a listing of
  noxious weeds
• Weeds that are difficult to control

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Selecting Seed

• Noxious Weed listings are very specific as to the
  number and type of seeds per ounce

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Selecting Seed

• Year tested commercial seed is tested each year
  for germination results

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Selecting Seed

• Company name and address
• Lawn specialists should be contacted to determine
  the best seed mixture for your lawn

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Seeding

• Seed may be spread by hand or with a mechanical
  seeder similar to a fertilizer spreader
• Seed is mixed with a carrier such as sand to
  ensure uniform distribution

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Seeding

• Seeding is done in two directions just as
  fertilizer application is
• Lightly cover the seed by hand raking

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Seeding

• Seeds must be covered and in close contact with
  the soil

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Mulching

• Applying alight covering of weed free clean straw
  or hay will help hold in moisture and prevent
  seed from washing or blowing away.

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Mulching

• Straw also helps to hide the seed from birds.

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Watering

• Keep new seedlings moist until well established
• Once germination begins, seeds must not be
  allowed to dry out

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Watering

• Avoid saturating the soil as too much moisture
  can result in a fungal disease called damping off

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Vegetative Planting

• Sprigging, Strip Planting, Plugging and
  Stolonizing
• Used for grasses which are difficult to grow from
  seed or for which seed is not available

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Vegetative

• Zoysia, Bermuda Grass, Centipede Grass, Creeping
  Bentgrass and Velvet Bentgrass

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Vegetative

• Material must be kept moist until well
  established
• During first year light applications of N every
  two to four weeks helps to speed the spread of
  new grass.

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Sodding

• Sod consists of grass and grass roots in a thin
  layer of soil which is removed from the growing
  area in strips and rolled for transport

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Sodding

• Sod is the most expensive option
• Ideal for steep slopes or terraces where erosion
  may be a problem

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Sodding

• is used when the home owner wants a complete,
  instant lawn

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Sodding

• Sod should not be cut more than one inch thick.
• Thin sod will knit itself to the soil faster than
  thick cut sod

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Sodding

• After sod is laid and tamped down or rolled
  lightly, it is topdressed with a small amount of
  top soil

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Sodding

• Sod must be kept moist until the roots have grown
  well into the soil

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Strip Sodding

• may also be used
• strips of sod 2-4 inches wide are planted one
  foot apart

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Plugging

• small plugs of soil with grass plants in them are
  planted in holes evenly spaced throughout the yard

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Plugging

• The close the plugs are planted together the
  faster the area will fill with grass

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Sprigging

• planting of individual plants, runner, stolons,
  or cuttings at evenly spaced intervals.

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Stolonizing

• Shredded stolons are spread over the area and
  topdressed with soil.
• Used for larger or very specialized areas such as
  golf course putting greens

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Factors

• Climactic conditions temperature and available
  moisture

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Geographical regions

• US is divided into six regions with respect to
  the best types of grasses
• South Dakota falls in regions 1 and 4

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South Dakota

• Common grasses for our area include
• Kentucky Bluegrass
• Red Fescue

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.

• Colonial Bentgrass
• Tall Fescue
• Bermuda
• Zoysia

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• Crested Wheatgrass - SD state grass
• Buffalograss
• Blue Grammagrass

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