Mrs. Halkiades CCCHS Fall 2007

Lawns  Major part of most home landscapes 1. Add beauty 2. Play areas 3. Cover to control soil erosion

Turf Grasses  Act as a vegetative ground cover  Most are perennial  Most reproduce from seed

What is the present condition of the soil?  1 st thing to consider in establishing a new lawn  Has the builder graded off all the topsoil?  Is the slope to steep to establish a lawn and mow safely?  Is the drainage adequate?

Soil and Grading  After rough grade is established  Spread topsoil evenly 6 inches  Till to loosen and break up clods

Slope  The general slope should not exceed 15%  Greater than a 15% slope are unsafe to mow  Should be covered in plants that do not require mowing

Drainage  Balance between the air and water in the soil Encourages proper root growth  Will survive in wet conditions Not swaps

Establishing Proper Drainage 1. Install drainage tile about 3 feet below the surface of the soil to drain the subsoil 2. Use the slope of the land to drain surface water away

Preparation of Soil  Loam  Can increase organic matter 6 cubic feet per 1,000 square feet of land  Work in with tiller

Fertilizer  Usually add a fertilizer with a high phosphorus content  Soil test  pH from 6.0 – 6.5 (slightly acidic)  Lime – reduces acidity of soil and encourages root development  Add lime to surface and work into ground 4-6 inches before seeding

Spreading Fertilizer  Spread in 2 different directions on new lawns ½ in north-south ½ in east-west Better distribution of the fertilizer  Applied most efficiently with a spreader  Work into soil surface with a rake

Starting the Lawn  Lawns can be started 2 ways: 1. Seeding 2. Vegetatively Sodding Plug Strip Sprig planting

Selecting the Seed  Name – of all seeds in package Info about all seeds  Purity – % makeup of all types of seed  Percent of Germination – how many will sprout

Selecting the Seed  Other Crop – undesirable for lawns Wheat Barley Orchard grass Timothy  Inert Matter – material that will not grow

Selecting the Seed  Weed Seed  Noxious Weeds  Year Tested  Company Name

Sowing Seed  By hand or by mechanical seeder  2 different directions  Seeding rates Introductory Horticulture book Pg. 381

Covering the Seed  Lightly cover by hand raking  Large seeds – 1/4 to 3/8 inch  Small seeds – 1/8 to 1/4 inch

Mulching  Mulch with a light covering of straw  Holds moisture  Prevents seed from washing away  Hides seed from birds

Watering  New seedlings should be kept moist until well established  Once seeds have germinated Do not allow to dry out Will die  Do not saturate the soil Damping off (fungus disease)

Vegetative Planting  Introductory Horticulture Book pg  Read  Define: Sod Spot sodding or plugging Strip sodding Sprigging Stolonizing disking

Review

Any Questions?