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Parks & Rec Business
| The Grass is Always Greener When you follow turf management best practices By Melanie Minch Spring brings singing birds and invasive weeds, warm breezes and grass-eating fungi. The key to avoiding or at least mitigating these and other common turf issues is to effectively employ the four standard weapons of the trade: fertilizer, water, aeration (perhaps) and proper mowing techniques. Since how and when you use these tools will literally make (or break) the very ground you step on, we went to work to develop a basic primer for your use. Fertilize Responsibly When it comes to fertilizing, best practices start with understanding the product you plan to use, maintaining/renewing proper certification(s) to apply the product (if necessary), applying conservatively (use only what you need) and understanding what you’re trying to accomplish with the application. Typical turf fertilizers are made of nitrogen (generally the largest number), phosphorous and potassium. To determine how much of each you need to apply, have your local agriculture extension complete a soil test to identify any soil deficiencies, and/or recommend a specific product or maintenance plan found to be particularly effective in your area. When it comes to application, make sure you consider the following: • Do not over-spray (apply only to the area you’re treating). • Keep fertilizer off sidewalks, parking lots, water features of any kind and playground areas. • Read the fertilizer label completely and conscientiously, and do not over-apply. • Apply on appropriate schedules. • Watch the weather before fertilizing. Whenever possible, postpone fertilizing when more than one inch of rain is expected in order to minimize fertilizer leaching. • Keep a three-foot ring (minimum) around waterways. Keep fertilizer and pesticide applications away from the water's edge or the edge of vegetation. • Use a tarp or sheet of plastic under the spreader when filling or emptying to prevent/capture spillage. Water--The Building Block of Life The single most important ingredient to strong, healthy turf is also, in many cases, the hardest to come by--plentiful, clean, low salt-content water. If you have to rely on Mother Nature’s occasional sprinkling to keep your turf healthy and green, you’re in for a battle as this lady is notoriously unpredictable and, some would say, fickle. The best way to take her out of the equation is to install irrigation in areas where keeping turf healthy is an absolute must (sports fields come to mind). The most popular form of irrigation is subsurface. It’s best to run the underground lines for this system when you build the new field or plant the new turf, but a trencher will quickly help you retrofit an existing field. Make sure you work with an irrigation designer who can promise the disappearing heads of your sprinkler system overlap, and take into account prevailing winds. Nothing is more frustrating than paying for an irrigation system that leaves large chunks of dry, brown grass next to lush turf. Also, make sure you coordinate the water plan with the fertilizing plan. You want to irrigate the soil after fertilization, soaking the roots, but being careful not to over-saturate and push the fertilizer off the turf in the form of runoff. It’s always a good idea to monitor the moisture depth (how deep your watering plan is irrigating the soil) by using a soil probe to test and record on a regular basis. Aeration Compacted soil means dead turf. Aerate the turf regularly, especially in areas where heavy foot traffic is common (playgrounds, sports fields, etc.), and allow air and rainfall to penetrate into the root zone and breathe life, literally, back into your turf. Aeration can be done anytime during the growing season and is as simple as renting the proper-sized equipment (both pull-behind or walk-behind models) from your local tool rental office on an hourly or daily basis. Mow It Down Bermuda grass should be mowed only with a sharp rotary blade or a reel-type mower blade (check your blades weekly, especially if you’re doing a lot of mowing). A dull reel-type mower pulls the leaf blades and stems away from the plants and leaves them weak and unhealthy--the perfect home for weeds and pests. Recommended mowing heights vary according to season. During the growing season (generally spring), you can keep it shorter, around ¾ of an inch. During the hotter summer months, you need to raise the blades to one-and-a-half inches if your turf is irrigated or two-and-a-half inches if not irrigated (to trap moisture). Be careful not to take off more than a third of the leaf blade during any one mowing. Melanie Minch is a freelance writer in Medina, Ohio. She can be reached via e-mail at gardens@zoominternet.net. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sidebar The Columbus Park of Roses One of the best ways to have great turf is to learn by example. The Columbus Park of Roses is a unique 13-acre garden in Columbus, Ohio. As one of the largest municipal rose gardens in the United States, the park features over 11,000 rose bushes, as well as specialized gardens of herbs and perennials. (Check out their annual Rose Festival, June 9-10, for beautiful, fragrant scenery, educational classes and entertainment. Go to www.columbusrecparks.com for more information.) Turf within the Park of Roses is carefully maintained to provide a beautiful “picture frame” for the plant material in the garden. The following is the complete turf-maintenance schedule. Please remember that this schedule is specifically tailored for this park in Zone 5 in Columbus, Ohio. Your park and zone will probably differ, and you’ll need to adapt accordingly. Check with your county extension service should you have questions about your zone. • April 1--Application by lawn spreader of granular corn gluten that is used as a pre-emergent for weed control. • Mid-May--Application by lawn spreader of Weed & Feed for the purpose of post-emergent weed control and lawn food. • Mid-June--Application by lawn spreader of granular complete fertilizer for food, and granular Merit for grub control. • Mid-August--Application by lawn spreader of granular corn gluten that is used as a pre-emergent for weed control. • September--Application by lawn spreader of Weed & Feed for the purpose of post-emergent weed control. • Late October--Heavy application by lawn spreader of urea, which is used for turf health and strength throughout the winter months. For additional information on the Park of Roses, call 614-645-3350 or visit its Web site at www.columbusrecparks.com. The Park of Roses is located at 3923 N. High Street, in the heart of Whetstone Park in Columbus, Ohio, and is free to the public. |
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