Contents
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................1
SOIL AND SITE CONSIDERATIONS ...................................... 2
Evaluating the Site
Soil Texture and Structure
Soil pH and Fertility
CHOOSING A TURFGRASS.................................................... 2
Kentucky Bluegrass
Tall and Fine Fescues
Perennial Ryegrass
SITE PREPARATION ................................................................ 5
Preplant Weed Control
Soil Preparation
Installing a Sprinkler System
ESTABLISHING A LAWN BY SEEDING .................................5
Seed Selection
Seeding Rate
When to Sow
Seeding Methods
Top-Dressing Seeded Areas
Watering and Fertilizing
Mowing
Weed Control
Overseeding
ESTABLISHING A LAWN BY SODDING ................................8
Purchasing Sod
Sod Installation
Rolling and Watering
Mowing and Fertilizing
TURF MAINTENANCE ............................................................. 9
Mowing
Thatch Management
Irrigation
Fertilizing
Core Aeration
Weed Control
TURF PROBLEMS .................................................................. 17
Common Problems
Insects
Diseases
FURTHER READING AND RESOURCES ............................. 18
Susan Bell
Extension Educator
Ada County
L. Darwin McKay
Owner
TURFGRASS ESTABLISHMENT
AND MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
TURFGRASS
ESTABLISHMENT
AND MANAGEMENT
Learning Objectives
application
• Learn how to establish a lawn
• Learn how to establish a lawn
• Learn how to deal with the
common problems associated
Introduction
15
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TURFGRASS ESTABLISHMENT ANDMANAGEMENT
Soil and Site Considerations
EVALUATING THE SITE
SOIL TEXTURE AND STRUCTURE
Both sandy and clayey soils can be improved by
SOIL pH AND FERTILITY
Choosing a Turfgrass
hybridized to produce cultivars
QUICK TURFGRASS IDENTIFICATION
Bluegrass
• Rhizomatous growth habit
Ryegrass
• Bunch-type growth
Tall fescue
• Fine- to medium-sized blades
• Most have a bunch-type growth habit
Tall fescue
depending on species
15-3 CHAPTER 15:
TURFGRASS ESTABLISHMENT ANDMANAGEMENT
-
Note:
KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS
Kentucky bluegrass is probably the most common
monoculture
TALL AND FINE FESCUES
Turf-Type Tall Fescue
-
Table 1
Type of turfgrass Cultivars
Kentucky bluegrass
Perennial ryegrass
Marco Polo
ENDOPHYTES
cultivars live in a symbiotic
-
Acremonium foliar
A. coenophialum
15-4CHAPTER 15:
TURFGRASS ESTABLISHMENT ANDMANAGEMENT
requirement is medium and its water requirement is
endophytes
Fine Fescues
cool-season grasses to provide drought tolerance
requirements are low to medium and their water
root system that will easily cover open soil areas to
-
PERENNIAL RYEGRASS
Ryegrass blends well with other grasses and adds
insect resistance due to its symbiotic relationship
Table 2
Characteristic Turf-type tall fescue Kentucky bluegrass Bluegrass/Ryegrass mix Fine fescue
Fine to medium Fine Fine with high luster
Slow to medium Medium Medium Slow
Rooting depth
Thatch production High Varies
a
Low to medium
b
Water requirements Medium High High Low to medium
Fertilizer requirements Medium High High Low to medium
Insect resistance High Medium High High
Disease resistance High Low to medium High High
Drought tolerance High Low to medium Low to medium High
Heat tolerance High Low to medium Low to medium Low
Shade tolerance Medium Low Low to medium High
Cold tolerance Medium to high High Medium to high Medium to high
High Medium High Medium
a
Thatchproduction depends on the percentage of bluegrass in the mix. Bluegrass is a strong thatch producer, while perennial ryegrass produces
none.
b
Fine fescue thatch production depends on the grass variety and increases with higher fertility levels.
15-5 CHAPTER 15:
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a sharp mower blade to avoid shredding or tearing
Site Preparation
PREPLANT WEED CONTROL
SOIL PREPARATION
-
Buried stumps and logs create soil depressions as
-
Contour and slope are determined by the existing
-
INSTALLING A SPRINKLER SYSTEM
Establishing a Lawn by
Seeding
SEED SELECTION
on seed quality will only jeopardize your overall
Certied Seed
Seed Package Labels
enables you to determine how well the seed should
Figure 1. Sample seed label.
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TURFGRASS ESTABLISHMENT ANDMANAGEMENT
pure seed.
germination
inert matter
date of test
weed seeds
other crop seeds
Comparing Cost
HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED?
1. Estimate lawn size.
• Use a measuring wheel to measure the
•
multiply length by width to get the square
•
•
2. Calculate the amount of product needed.
SEEDING RATE
Calibrate the spreader to deliver the appropriate
WHEN TO SOW
Table 3
Species
Seeding Rate
(lb/1,000 sq ft) (lb/acre)
Kentucky bluegrass
Perennial ryegrass
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summer annual grasses that germinate with the
-
SEEDING METHODS
TOP-DRESSING SEEDED AREAS
WATERING AND FERTILIZING
MOWING
Start mowing as soon as the grass is tall enough
helps control annual weeds and limits clipping
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WEED CONTROL
OVERSEEDING
Overseeding is usually done in late summer or
Spot Seeding
Changing Grass Species
Changing to a more desirable grass species without
Then dethatch the area with a vertical mower or
Rake up the accumulated debris and dethatch
Establishing a Lawn by
Sodding
BENEFITS OF SOD
PURCHASING SOD
PREPARING FOR SOD DELIVERY
15-9 CHAPTER 15:
TURFGRASS ESTABLISHMENT ANDMANAGEMENT
enough time between watering and sod installation
-
Be on-site when the sod arrives so that the pallets
can be positioned to minimize the distance that sod
unroll the sod on a plastic tarp or cement to avoid
SOD INSTALLATION
The easiest way to install sod is to hire a landscape
Handle sod with care to avoid tearing or excessive
water previously sodded sections until installation
-
ROLLING AND WATERING
Rolling eliminates irregularities and establishes
MOWING AND FERTILIZING
Turf Maintenance
15-10CHAPTER 15:
TURFGRASS ESTABLISHMENT ANDMANAGEMENT
-
-
-
MOWING
-
-
tillering
Mowing Frequency and Height
Scalping or mowing lower than the recommended
height stresses grass and is not advisable at any
otherwise would shade and protect the delicate
Clipping Removal
Figure 2. Anatomy of a grass plant. Drawing by Aubrey
Stribling, University of Idaho.
LEAF BLADE
RHIZOME
DAUGHTER
PLANT
TILLER
ROOT SYSTEM
RHIZOME
Table 4
Species Height (inches)
a
Kentucky bluegrass
Perennial ryegrass
a
In spring and fall, use the lower end of the range. Use the higher end
of the range in summer.
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A mulching mower makes it easy to recycle clippings
THATCH MANAGEMENT
Causes of Thatch Buildup
-
Controlling Thatch Buildup
Top-dressing is another way to reduce thatch
Dethatching
It may be necessary to dethatch every year until
Then dethatch in a perpendicular direction and
Dethatching makes a lawn look rough and ragged in
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TURFGRASS ESTABLISHMENT ANDMANAGEMENT
IRRIGATION
may need to be irrigated twice weekly to maintain
Benets of Deep, Infrequent Irrigation
water use because less moisture is lost to
-
use a soil probe or shovel to check soil moisture
-
gation each month until you learn how long it takes
determine moisture at the desired depth and control
When to Irrigate
How Long to Irrigate
-
-
The best approach is to determine when irrigation
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How to Irrigate
Overwatering Problems
green grass or a thinning lawn may also indicate
organisms and encourage root-rot pathogens that
Water Stress
-
Irrigation Challenges
Sloped land and compacted soils present special
Dry spots may indicate that it is time to water the
entire lawn or they can indicate a problem with
additional sprinkler head may be needed to provide
Also check the soil in the dry spot with a shovel or
FERTILIZING
bluegrass or perennial ryegrass can exhibit poor
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TURFGRASS ESTABLISHMENT ANDMANAGEMENT
treated using a chelated iron product or by altering
Understanding Ratios and Analyses
O
How Much Fertilizer to Apply
CALCULATING FERTILIZER
APPLICATION RATES
Fertilizer package directions list rates to use as
package directions or use the steps below to
calculate how many applications are needed
1. Convert nitrogen rate to fertilizer rate.
2. Split the total.
applications in order to avoid exceeding
amount needed is less than the maximum
Sandy and gravelly soils have limited ability to
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Timing Fertilizer Applications
-
How to Fertilize
CORE AERATION
tines cannot penetrate to the needed depth in dry
Figure 3.
SHOOT GROWTH
ROOT GROWTH
JAN. FEB. MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC.
Table 5
Species
Actual N
(lb/1,000 sq ft/year)
a
Kentucky bluegrass
Perennial ryegrass
a
Within the recommended range, the need for N is determined by
cultural practices such as irrigation and clipping removal. If irrigation
is limited, less fertilizer is needed. Leaving clippings on the lawn also
reduces the need forfertilizer.
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WEED CONTROL
Discouraging Weed Growth
irrigation and maintenance practices to promote a
Raising the mower blade slightly can allow grass to
Controlling Weeds
dig out a perennial weed with a rhizomatous root
years to eliminate established perennial weeds using
-
-
Herbicides will provide only temporary control
Timing Weed Control Measures
Annual grasses such as crabgrass are usually treated
April is a good time to treat summer annual weeds
TURF RENOVATION
extremely weedy lawns or those with extreme thatch
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Turf Problems
COMMON PROBLEMS
• Improper watering
• Poor soil drainage is seen on clayey or
water or as muddy or damp areas with sparse
• Summer dry spots
• Mowing too low
• A dull, brown cast
• Yellowing turf
Follow irrigation recommendations and obtain a
• Turf that grows too fast between mowings
• Thin turf
• Thatch buildup
maintenance recommendations to minimize
• Crabgrass and other weeds
INSECTS
Sod Webworms
This insect is the most common aboveground insect
caterpillars hide in silk-lined tunnels located in the
White Grubs
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TURFGRASS ESTABLISHMENT ANDMANAGEMENT
damaged grass dries out and is easily pulled out or
Billbugs
Damaged grass breaks away at the crown as you pull
egg laying begins in May by using an appropriate
DISEASES
Further Reading and
Resources
BOOKS
Lawns:
Your Guide to a Beautiful Yard
Turfgrass Management
WEBSITES
https://www.uidaho.edu/extension.
http://csuturf.colostate.edu.
https://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/.
http://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/htm/lawns.
http://turf.wsu.edu.
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Table 6
Disease/Symptom Conditions Favoring Development Management
Brown patchRhizoctonia solani
Fairy ringMarasmius oreades
decomposing organic matter in the
Fusarium patchMicrodochium nivale
Promote soil aeration and drainage
Helminthosporium diseasesHelminthosporium
bipolarisH. drechsleraH. exserohilum
Necrotic ring spotLeptosphaeria korrae
Found on seeded and sodded
Rust Puccinia
Snow mold, grayTyphula
Snow mold, pinkMicrodochium nivaleFusarium nivale
Yellow patch Rhizoctonia cerealis
Adapted from Sustainable Gardening: The Oregon-Washington Master Gardener Handbook, Oregon State University Extension publication EM 8742.
Chapter 15 published December 2015.
