Turfgrass Cultural Problems

1
Turfgrass Cultural Problems

• PPT 6.03.01

Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website
2
Two Basic Problems

• Soil Compaction
• Thatch Build-up

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

3
What is Soil Compaction?

• Condition of soil when particles become packed
  tightly together

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

4
Pore space
Non-Compacted Soil
for
air and water
Air
Water
Soil

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

5

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

Non-Compacted Soil
Good Root Growth
Good Shoot Growth

6
Three Results of Soil Compaction

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

• Poor root growth due to restricted air and poor
  percolation of water

Compacted Soil
little space
Roots can't grow
7
Results of Soil Compaction

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

1. Thin and shallow root system that cannot sustain
   shoot growth

Compacted Soil
8
Results of Soil Compaction

1. Thin turf that stresses easily and develops bare
   spots

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

9
What is the major cause of soil compaction in
turf?
Traffic

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

10
Sources of traffic

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

• Athletics
• Football
• Soccer
• Baseball

11
Sources of Traffic

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

• Golf courses
• Playgrounds

12
Sources of Traffic

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

• Ordinary foot traffic at public facilities
  schools, hospitals, government offices

Photo by Cheryl Reynolds
13
Kinds of Traffic

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

• Human
• Animal - pets
• Machines golf carts, mowing equipment, vehicles

14
Treatment for Soil Compaction

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

Coring (Aeration)
15
Coring or Aeration Defined
Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

• Removal of soil cores from a turf with hollow
  tines or spoons.

16
Several Coring Machines Available

• Vary in Quality of job performed!

• Background Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for
  Turfgrass Environmental Research Education
  (CENTEREs) www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

17
Several Coring Machines Available

• Vary in Quality of job performed!

• Background Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for
  Turfgrass Environmental Research Education
  (CENTEREs) www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

18
Several Coring Machines Available

• Vary in Quality of job performed!

Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website
19
Coring Machine Must Pull Soil Cores From the Soil!

• Spike coring machines are okay for overseeding to
  get grass seed in contact with soil
• Might help with lime and fertilizer
• HELPS LITTLE OR NOT AT ALL with Compaction!

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

20
Except on very light soils, coring without
removing cores may actually compact the soil.

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

Solid Tine
Pushes soil particles together around the hole
21
For Best Results!

• Pictures from http//clayvaughn.com/aeration.aspx
  website

Remove the plugs!
22
Coring Cultural Practice Tips

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

• Core when the grass is actively growing
• Top-dress the area with a peat and sand
  combination and rake mixture into core holes
• Or, if practical, chop up cores and redistribute
  them across the turf

23
Benefits of Coring

• Picture from http//clayvaughn.com/aeration.aspx
  website

24
Thatch Build-up

1. What is thatch?
2. Why is thatch build-up a problem?
3. How is thatch build-up treated?

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

25
Thatch Defined
Thatch is a tightly intermingled layer of
undecomposed roots, stems, and shoots located
between the soil surface and the green vegetation
of the turf grass.

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

26
Causes of Thatch

• Some thatch is natural however, excessive thatch
  may be caused by
• Over fertilizing with nitrogen
• Improper mowing by cutting too much leaf area off
  at one time
• Poor soil environment

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

27

• Not all Thatch is BAD!

• Issue with sod-forming grasses
• Small amounts of thatch is good. It
• Cushions turf and prevents wear
• Insulates soil from extreme hot and cold
  temperatures
• Reduces evaporation losses from soil surface

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

28

• Too Much Thatch is BAD!

• Restricts air and water movement
• Requires more frequent watering
• Great environment for disease insects
• Can cause scalping when mowing
• Contributes to winter injury
• Restrict fertilizer and pesticide movement

• Picture by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

29
When is thatch build-up a problem?
Less than 1/2 inch - no problem
Over 3/4 inch power rake or verticut and/or core

• Pictures by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

30
Treatment for Thatch
Timing is Important Best done when grass greens
up from dormant season

• Pictures by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

31
Treatment for Thatch

• Can top-dress with ¼ inch of topsoil once a year.
  
• Very expensive,
• Requires special equipment,
• Not usually practical

• Pictures by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

32
Treatment for Thatch

• Coring as performed for soil compaction
• Used in conjunction with power raking or
  verticutting

• Pictures by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

33
Treatment for Thatch

• Power Raking
• Similar to verticutting but uses spring-type
  wires instead of blades

• Pictures by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

34
Treatment for Thatch

• Verticutting
• 3" blade spacing for Centipede and St. Augustine
• 2" blade spacing for bermudagrass

• Pictures by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

35
Treatment for Thatch

• Verticutting
• Size of equipment varies

Close Up of surface after verticutting

• Pictures by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

36
Treatment for Thatch

• Verticutting
• Reels may be added to mowers

• Pictures by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

37
Treatment for Thatch

• Verticutting
• Reels may be added to mowers

• Pictures by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website

38
Treatment for Thatch

• The Key to Thatch control is to keep it under
  control to begin with
• Use light raking or cutting to keep thatch
  manageable

• Pictures by Casey Reynolds, Center for Turfgrass
  Environmental Research Education (CENTEREs)
  www.turffiles.ncsu.edu website