Lawns Handouts: Lawns and Irrigation Study Guide MontGuide Successful Lawns
Functional Benefits of Turfgrass Soil erosion control Dust prevention Rainwater entrapment Solar heat dissipation Glare reduction Pollutant entrapment Pest reduction Security/visibility
Recreational Benefits of Turfgrass Low cost surface Physical health Mental health Spectator entertainment
Aesthetic Benefits of Turfgrass Beauty/color Quality of life Social harmony Community pride Increased property value Compliments trees and shrubs
Turfgrass Climate Map These are not USDA Zones
SHOOT GROWTH Cool- and Warm- Season Species Growth in Montana Cool Season Warm Season SPRING SUMMER FALL
Morphology of Your TurfGrass Of the over 10,000 grass species in the world, only a hand full can be mowed regularly.
Kentucky Bluegrass Cool Season Grass Highly Rhizomatous Fills in nicely, repairs easily Most desirable cool season grass for Montana Used in sod production Tolerates cold, traffic, drought and heat 2 weeks for seeds to germinate Will not grow well in shade Best Location: Open sunny areas with well-drained soil
Resembles Kentucky bluegrass, but is lighter in color Stoloniferous Tolerates shade Likes it moist Tolerates poorly drained soils Does poorly in hot dry weather Rough Bluegrass Cool-Season Grass Best Location: Cool, shady and wet areas in poorly-drained soils
Useful in some locations low maintenance areas Not advised for lawn use Does not mow well Becomes stemmy 55 MPH grass Looks good at 55 mph Used on roadsides Best Location: Low maintenance areas with low fertility Canada Bluegrass Cool-Season Grass
Short-lived bunchgrass Will become clumpy in poor soils High tolerance to wear and traffic Used in seed mixes for instant gratification Usually dies out a year or two after seeding in Montana Used for over-seeding in U.S. transition zone due to its competitiveness Perennial ryegrass Cool- Season Grass Best Location: High traffic areas
Annual ryegrass Cool- Season Grass Used for quick cover until more permanent grass is established One season Well established in 20 days Best Location: Temporary areas or for quick cover
Chewing fescue Creeping red fescue Hard fescue Sheep fescue Fine Fescue Cool-Season Grass Narrow leaf blade Not made for athletic fields Not adapted to heat and humidity Produces a lot of thatch Best Location: Low maintenance, low fertility and shady areas
Tall Fescue Cool-Season Grass Coarse leafed grass Great in high traffic Great in heat and drought areas Establishes slowly Athletic fields in Eastern Montana Best Location: Sunny to moderate shade, well-drained soils, areas with warmer summer temperatures Tall fescue Fine fescue
Not suited for home lawns Not compatible with other mixes May become weeds in home lawns Creeping Bentgrass Cool-Season Grass
2-year MSU study of Individual Species and Mixes in a turfgrass situation Single species: Cody Buffalograss Foothills Canada bluegrass Bad River Blue grama Roadcrest Crested wheatgrass Sodar Streambank wheatgrass Rosana Western wheatgrass Critana Thickspike wheatgrass Sandberg bluegrass Muttongrass Sheep fescue Tall fescue Kentucky bluegrass Mixtures: Buffalograss + Blue grama Buffalograss + Sandberg Bluegrass Buffalograss + Muttongrass Buffalograss + Sheep fescue Buffalograss + Blue grama + Sandberg Bluegrass Buffalograss + Blue grama + Muttongrass Buffalograss + Western wheatgrass (or Crested wheatgrass) Blue grama + Sandberg Bluegrass Blue grama + Western wheatgrass (or Crested wheatgrass) Western wheatgrass + Streambank wheatgrass + Sheep fescue Western wheatgrass + Streambank wheatgrass Canada bluegrass + Western wheatgrass Canada bluegrass + Crested wheatgrass
Synopsis Many grass species and mixes stayed green with less water. However, they did not have other attributes that are desired for a turfgrass situation. Single species in mixes outcompeted others Sheep fescue did best overall Not recommended for traffic areas Non-native Sheep fescue in natural setting Sheep fescue in lawn setting
Bridger Plant Materials Center
Purchasing Seed Turfgrass can be seeded at a rate of 500 pure live seed per square foot. Therefore it is always best to buy quality seed without too much weed or other crop seed. Stay away from cheaper seed for turfgrass situations. A Mix is a mixture of several species Example: Kentucky Bluegrass, chewing fescue and perennial ryegrass mix A Blend is a mix of several varieties within a species A blend of several Kentucky bluegrass varieties
Concerns with mixing Shady and Sunny
Warm Season Lawn Grass Very hot and dry conditions Buffalograss and Blue grama (MT natives)
Buffalograss Excellent trampling resistance Good drought and mowing tolerance Infrequent mowing, late green-up Buffalograss
Buffalograss Buffalograss Stoloniferous Good drought resistant turfgrass if you live in the south
Blue grama Blue grama Excellent drought and trampling resistance Good mowing tolerance Infrequent mowing, late green-up
Zoysiagrass? No matter all the claims you read in the advertisements It will not grow well in Montana! In most of Montana, our summers are not warm enough for warm-season grasses
Zoysiagrass in cool weather
To seed or sod a new lawn Seed Cheaper Takes time to grow a nice yard Sod More expensive Less weeds Instant lawn Lawn can be used within 10-18 days
Planting a new Lawn -- seed Spring or Fall Fall you want the grass to grow to the three leaf stage before winter Rake it out Seed over in two directions For more even coverage
Rake and Roll Ensures good seed/soil contact
Water frequently 4 times per day until grass is established You can usually back off the frequency of watering when the grass is at the three leaf stage Easily done if a sprinkler system was installed first Don t Forget to Water
laying sod Can be done anytime during the growing season Make sure that you lay the sod within 48 hours from delivery Otherwise it will compost Stagger the seams Roll the sod so that there are no air pockets Water at least 3X per day for 10 days Most importantly green side up!
Sodding a yard
Garden Humor
How much should we water our lawns? Industry standard is 1 of water per week on average
One inch of water? Tuna Can method Put several tuna cans out in the lawn Run the sprinkler Example: If watering 3x per week, the can should be 1/3 full each time you run the sprinkler
When to Water? Always water when the temperature is rising. In the Morning Water new lawns less deeply and more frequently Water established lawns more deeply and less frequently. All dependent on soil texture
Lawn Care During Drought Do not fertilize the lawn unless you intend to supply plenty of water Mow the grass higher to decrease evapotranspiration, but not too high Reduce the weed competition Irrigate to at least a 6 inch depth Keep thatch under control (< ½ ) Or, let the lawn go dormant Be sure not to water erratically, as it will weaken the grass plants. Either water or don t.
Thatch Woven layer of living and dead tissue (rhizomes) between the vegetation and the soil surface Myth: Thatch is made up of old grass clippings.
Thatch Good or Bad? < ½ can be good Micro-/Macroorganisms Allow for breakdown of nutrients Cushioning Moderates heat stress to roots Allows water to get to root zone with less evaporation
Thatch Good or Bad? < ½ can be good Micro-/Macroorganisms Allow for breakdown of nutrients Cushioning Moderates heat stress to roots Allows water to get to root zone with less evaporation > ½ is not good Rooting into the soil may be limited water and nutrient deficiencies Creates an environment for pathogens and insects Insulates the crown from underlying soil s moderating temps Hydrophobic when dry
More than a half inch of thatch should be removed Good Thatch should be removed
Power raking vs. core aeration Power raking or dethatching blades will not reduce thatch Really only removes old grass blades Performed at the wrong time can damage grass crowns Only way to reduce thatch in a lawn is core-aeration Removes cores of thatch Allow air and water to create environment for microbes to breakdown thatch Power raking Core aeration
Core aeration Best left to the professionals Watch for Sprinkler heads!
Core aeration Best left to the professionals Running an core-aerator is like wrestling a gorilla =
Mowing the Lawn Mowing heights Ky. Bluegrass 2-2¾ Perennial Ryegrass 2 Fine Fescue 2-2½ Tall Fescue 2-3 Frequency? Never remove more than 1/3 of the height of the plant at one time. Generally, 2 to 2½ is recommended for mowing height
Mowing Heights Affect Root Systems Scalped lawn
Should Clippings be Removed? If you mow the lawn regularly, you do not need to remove the clippings. If the lawn is very tall, then you may remove the clippings No need to use a mulching mower (although easier than bagging) Clippings add very little nitrogen to the soil Overall recommendation is to remove the clippings if they are unsightly
How Often to Fertilize The Lawn? Blend of Cool-Season Grasses Apply 1 lb. of actual N/1000 sq. ft. per application Low Maintenance 1 x per year Medium Maintenance 3 x per year High Maintenance 5 x per year
When to Fertilize the Lawn? Low Maintenance Columbus Day Medium Maintenance Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day High Maintenance-- Early Spring, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Early October, Late October
Whoops... Uneven fertilizer application can occur with drop spreaders At the very least, go both directions for even coverage ½ the rate per direction so that you don t over-fertilize!
Use a broadcast fertilizer spreader More even coverage
herbicide damage Cheryl Moore-Gough
Lawn Fertilizers High N, on the order of 25-5-5 Usually need less P and K Part of the N is in slow-release form Some may contain broadleaf herbicides (2,4-D, Dicamba, etc.)
Broadleaf Weeds -- Control them when they are growing rapidly The best defense against weeds is to maintain a healthy and vigorous lawn that out-competes the weeds!
Hard to kill weeds Black medic Common Chickweed Henbit Knotweed Plantain Speedwell Spurge Knapweed May need more than just 2, 4-D
Field Bindweed
crabgrass We very rarely have crabgrass in Montana Don t waste your money on crabgrass control
Quackgrass What we do have in Montana Crab grass herbicides will not work on quackgrass Spot treat with glyphosate or re-seed
Controlling Three Common Lawn Weeds Dandelions and Canada thistle Broadleaf herbicide containing 2,4-D Quackgrass Repeated spot treatments with glyphosate Reseed Field Bindweed hard to kill weeds Repeat treatments of glyphosate (spot), and mixtures of 2,4-D and Dicamba or other active ingredients
Algae and moss Decrease Watering, Improve Drainage Reduce Shade, Improve Fertility ALGAE Limit Fall Nitrogen 2 sprays, wettable sulfur MOSS Ammonium sulfate on damp moss in early spring
Fairy rings Soil born fungus You can t eliminate them! Mask them by: Proper fertility Proper watering Proper mowing Core Aeration
Questions? End