Turfgrass Care and Maintenance Tips
Turfgrass is often used as groundcover for athletic fields, golf courses, and home lawns, among other areas. Turfgrass forms an even, uniform, dense turf when mown and well-maintained. Examples include Kentucky Bluegrass, Rough Bluegrass, and Perennial Ryegrass. Like any living landscaping element, turfgrass needs care and maintenance.
Living turfgrass does not face the same threats nor requires the same routine care and maintenance procedures as polyethylene or nylon. Because it grows, living turfgrass has unique needs for optimal performance and shape.
For a well-maintained, strong, and healthy-looking living turfgrass, fertilizers are necessary. For some turfgrass, soil testing helps determine how much fertilizer to apply. For example, a soil pH test every year can help determine soil acidity, which is easily affected by natural elements and gardening practices. Measured on a scale of 1 to 14, the lower numbers indicate higher acidity.
High acidity levels can reduce fertilizer effectiveness and make it susceptible to diseases. Many types of turf grass do well within the 5.5–10 range. And because soil pH levels are not constant, regularly have tests done on the soil sample to determine the most appropriate turf grass management practices. To balance out the pH levels, applying an appropriate type of lime is possible.
Turfgrass requires frequent raking and mowing. Appropriate mowing practices protect turfgrass from weed infestations, disease, and compaction. Mowing, when done correctly, encourages healthy turfgrass growth, which is particularly important for sports fields. At least once a week, consider running the mower during the summer season. Avoid cutting more than a third of the grass’s blade, as that will stress the grass.
Another element influencing turfgrass’s care and maintenance is the surface’s performance expectations. Two basic components are considered in the performance of turfgrass: aesthetics and function. Aesthetics refers to the turf’s appearance or ornamental value. Function, on the other hand, refers to the turfgrass’s utilitarian attributes, such as slope stabilization, playability, or water runoff reduction.
The higher the desired performance level, the greater the required labor and resource inputs such as time, fertilizer, and irrigation. At a high-end private golf course, both function and aesthetics might be high priorities. This site needs to be managed for maximum playability while keeping well-manicured greens.
On the other hand, a low-traffic lawn outside a historic mansion might be more concerned with aesthetics over functionality. Maintenance must ensure a visually attractive turf that blends well with the historic architecture and landscape.
Correctly identifying pests, weeds, and diseases that affect living turfgrass is essential for proper management and control. For example, dollar spot is a common turfgrass disease in North America. On golf courses or closely mown areas, the dollar spot patches appear as straw- or white-colored spots that resemble a silver dollar. For its management, use systemic fungicides that contain the active ingredient propiconazole or contact fungicides that contain iprodione or chlorothalonil.
Fusarium patch is another fungal disease that affects turfgrass during wet seasons. It causes the formation of brown patches, affecting turfgrass’s aesthetics. The disease can be treated with a suitable fungicide.
