The Struggle Is Real Establishing and maintaining the right Turfgrass for your athletic fields. TRPA 63 rd Annual Conference November 17, 2015 Kingsport, TN Stephen Callis The Hogan Company Questions to Answer Budget Temporary or Permanent Use of Area/Time of Use Conditions of Area 1
Budget How much do I have to spend? How much will it take to maintain? Temporary or Permanent? Quick Fix or Long Term Solution 2
Use of Area & Time of Use When will the majority of use/traffic occur: Summer Only Spring/Fall All Year Conditions of the Area Full Sun or Shade How much Shade No Sun Partial Sun Morning Sun Afternoon Sun Dry or Wet Soils Rocky Soils/ Clay Soils 3
What Are My Options? Cool Season Grasses Warm Season Grasses 4
Cool Season Grasses Bentgrass Fine Fescue Kentucky Bluegrass Ryegrass Tall Fescue Bentgrass 33 Varieties (Per Latest NTEP Data) 26 are commercially available Velvet (2) Colonial (6) Creeping (25) 5
Bentgrass Uses Golf Course Tees, Fairways, Greens Croquet Very High Maintenance Not Practical for Sports Turf Fine Fescue 25 Varieties (Per Latest NTEP Data) Blue/Sheep (1) Slender Creeping (0) Hard (5) Chewings (11) Strong Creeping (8) 6
Creeping Red Fescue Slender vs. Strong Slender Withstands close mowing High salt tolerance Short, fast-growing rhizomes Strong Upright Growth Tolerant of higher temperatures Strong, robust rhizomes Slender Creeping Red Fescue 7
Strong Creeping Red Fescue Chewings Fescue Bunch Type Winter Hardy Best suited for close mowing 8
Chewings Fescue Hard Fescue Drought & Heat Tolerant Winter Hardy Well suited to all soil types 9
Hard Fescue Sheep Fescue Great Disease Tolerance Tolerates Close Mowing Drought Tolerant 10
Sheep Fescue Fine Fescue Uses Only Hard Fescue can withstand full sun Majority of Fine Fescues used in mixes Shade Mixes Nurse Crops in Wildflower and/or Native Grass Mixes Sometimes used to overseed Bermudagrass (Chewings, mostly) No-Mow Areas 11
Fine Fescue Fine Fescue 12
Kentucky Bluegrass 82 Varieties (Per Latest NTEP Data) 35 Commercially Available Kentucky Bluegrass Classifications America, Compact, Mid-Atlantic, Midnight, P-105 (Elites) BMVG Limousine Eurasian (Common) Julia Shamrock 13
Kentucky Bluegrass Uses North of Transition Zone: Permanent South of Transition Zone: Are You Crazy? Transition Zone: Good Luck! What about the Heat-Tolerant Bluegrasses? Kentucky Bluegrass 14
Ryegrass Annual Intermediate Perennial Annual Ryegrass 15
Turf-Type Annual Ryegrass Turf-Type Annual Ryegrass 16
Intermediate Ryegrass Perennial Ryegrass 88 Varieties (Per Latest NTEP Data) 62 Commercially Available Adapted to most soil types Prefers milder climates Great Wear Tolerance 17
Perennial Ryegrass Uses North of Transition Zone: Permanent Athletic Fields Golf Courses Home Lawns Sod Farms South of Transition Zone: Overseeding warm season turf Transition Zone: Good Luck! Perennial Ryegrass 18
Perennial Ryegrass Perennial Ryegrass 19
Perennial Ryegrass Perennial Ryegrass 20
Perennial Ryegrass Tall Fescue 113 Varieties (Per Latest NTEP Data) Drought, Heat, & Wear Tolerance Large, Deep Root System Finer Bladed, Dark Green Color What about rhizomatous Tall Fescue? 21
Tall Fescue Tall Fescue 22
Tall Fescue Uses Transition Zone & North Sod Production Athletic Fields Golf Courses Home Lawns South of Transition Zone: Good Luck! Tall Fescue 23
Tall Fescue Tall Fescue 24
Tall Fescue Tall Fescue 25
Tall Fescue Tall Fescue 26
Tall Fescue Tall Fescue 27
Cool Season Grasses Bentgrass Fine Fescue Kentucky Bluegrass Ryegrass Tall Fescue Warm Season Grasses Bermudagrass Buffalograss Seashore Paspalum St. Augustine Zoysiagrass 28
Buffalograss 10 Varieties (Per Latest NTEP Data) 5 Seeded 5 Vegetative 9 Commercially Available Only grass used for turf that is native to North America. Very Heat & Drought Tolerant Some Shade Tolerance Buffalograss Uses South of Transition Zone Sports Turf Home Lawns 29
Buffalograss Buffalograss 30
Seashore Paspalum 6 Varieties (Per Latest NTEP Data) 5 Vegetative 1 Seeded 2 Commercially Available Very Salt Tolerant Fine Texture/Bright Green Good Drought & Wear Tolerance Seashore Paspalum 31
Seashore Paspalum Uses South of Transition Zone Athletic Fields Golf Course Sod Production Home Lawns Seashore Paspalum 32
St. Augustine 6 Varieties (Per Latest NTEP Data) 4 Available Now Vegetative Only Green/Blue-Green Color Good Salt Tolerance St. Augustine 33
St. Augustine Uses South of Transition Zone Athletic Fields Golf Course Sod Production Home Lawns St. Augustine 34
Bermudagrass 35 Varieties (Per Latest NTEP Data) 18 Seeded Varieties 17 Vegetative Varieties 12 Commercially Available Bermudagrass Spreads through rhizomes & stolon's Fine Bladed Great wear tolerance No Shade Tolerance 35
Bermudagrass Bermudagrass Uses Transition Zone & South Sod Production Athletic Fields Golf Courses Home Lawns Erosion Control 36
Bermudagrass Bermudagrass 37
Bermudagrass Bermudagrass 38
Bermudagrass Zoysiagrass 35 Varieties (Per Latest NTEP Data) All Vegetative 4 Commercially Available Coarse Texture Great Wear Tolerance Very Drought Tolerant Good Cold Tolerance Can t Overseed Into 39
Zoysiagrass Zoysiagrass Uses Transition Zone & South Athletic Fields Golf Course Sod Production Home Lawns 40
Zoysiagrass Zoysiagrass 41
Warm Season Grasses Bermudagrass Buffalograss Seashore Paspalum St. Augustine Zoysiagrass What Are My Options? Bermudagrass Ryegrass Tall Fescue 42
What Are My Options? What Are My Options? Who plays on the field? Youth High School College Professional 43
What Are My Options? Baseball/Softball Youth March-July & September-October High School February-May & September-October College February-May & September-October Professional February-October What Are My Options? Soccer Youth March-May & September-October High School February-May & September-October College February-May & September-October Professional February-May & August-October 44
What Are My Options? Football Youth July-November High School July-November & April-May College August-November & March-May Professional July-January Questions/Comments 1-888-224-6426 stephen@thehogancompany.us THANK YOU! 45