Typical Lawn Grasses

Slide 1 Turfgrass ID: Poa pratensis Kentucky Bluegrass Click Here and here Slide 2 Kentucky BluegrassPoa pratensis Germination Rate: 21 days Slide 3 Kentucky BluegrassPoa pratensis PROS: High quality, fine to medium textured turf under medium (to high) management Excellent wear tolerance** Rapid repair due to aggressive rhizome Slide 4 Kentucky BluegrassPoa pratensis CONS: More prone to summer dormancy - above ground portions becoming brown and inactive during extended drought Does not tolerate excessive acidic, infertile soils Slow to germinate when seeded (21 days) Has low seedling vigour and poor competitive ability with weeds (needs a nurse crop) Slide 5 Kentucky BluegrassPoa pratensis USEAGE: General purpose - lawns, parks, cemeteries, institutional grounds, roadsides, airfields Sport turf – athletic fields Golf courses – all except greens Commercial sod production alone (monostand), or blended (polystand with Red Fescue) KB dominates in full sun Slide 6 Kentucky BluegrassPoa pratensis MANAGEMENT PREFERENCES: pH from 5 to 7 Seeding Rate: 0.5 - 0.7 kg / 100 square meters Preferred mowing height of 20 to 75 mm Medium to high fertility: 0.25 to 0.75 kg of actual N (nitrogen) per 100 sq. meters per growing month Regular irrigation required during summer heat stress to prevent wilt, dormancy, and to sustain density Slide 7 Definition of a Cultivar Plants of the same species that are distinguished by various characteristics When reproduced they retain their distinguishing features: shade tolerance leaf width, and colour tolerance for low mowing heights, low temperature hardiness, heat and drought tolerance insect and disease tolerance fertility and establishment rate Many cultivars of all of these plants exist with characteristics to help them blend better or survive our climate. Slide 8 Typical KB stand in a side yard (north facing): Cut height is too long Density affected by cut height (and compaction?) Dry under eaves Powdery Mildew present (in foreground/white patches) Brown patch further down (compaction? low spot in lawn?) Slide 9 Turfgrass ID: Lolium perenne - Perennial Ryegrass Slide 10 Perennial RyegrassLolium perenne Germination Rate: 5-7 Days Slide 11 Perennial RyegrassLolium perenne PROS: Seeds that germinate rapidly Excellent seedling vigor, beneficial in erosion control (new seedbeds, not so much hills) Has best low soil temperature germination of all turfgrasses (5 to 8 C) Endophyte enhanced seed available Improves drought resistance, insect tolerance (surface feeding insects especially - makes the leaves less tasty) Very little thatch development Better tolerance of road salt than KB Slide 12 Perennial RyegrassLolium perenne CONS: Irregular upright growth, Clumping habit Reflection contrast and low density Mixed reports on winter hardiness Can suffer from poor visual appearance after mowing due to shredded tips Slide 13 Perennial RyegrassLolium perenne General Use Nurse-grass to aid in the establishment of KB/RF turf mixes As a quick cover crop – temporary repairs to make a turf area functional Spring overseeding of heavily damaged areas Reasonably good shade tolerance – widely used on shaded heavy wear areas with frequent overseeding Slide 14 Perennial RyegrassLolium perenne Management Preferences 20 to 75mm mowing height (same as KB) Water requirements are less than most other turfgrasses but some irrigation necessary 0.1 - 0.5 kg of actual N per 100 sq. m per growing month (Very low) Seeding Rate: 3.2 - 4.0 kg / 100m2 Overseed as frequently as necessary to maintain density Slide 15 Turfgrass ID: Festuca Rubra ssp Rubra - Creeping Red Fescue (Strong) Slide 16 (Strong) Creeping Red FescueFestuca rubra ssp. rubra PROS: Outstanding turf for drier, shaded locations and will grow well in full sun Leaf growth rate slower than other grasses Forms a fine textured turf of high shoot density, uniformity, and quality Germination rate: 7 - 14 days. Slide 17 (Strong)Creeping Red Fescue Festuca rubra ssp. rubra CONS: Weak rhizomes and slow growth rate equate to reduced recuperative capacity (compared to KB) Thatch decomposes very slowly because of high lignin content in leaf sheath Does not tolerate wet, poorly drained soils Slide 18 (Strong) Creeping Red FescueFestuca rubra ssp. rubra General Use: Often mixed in polystand with Poa pratensis Widely used in parks, cemeteries, roadsides, and airfields Produces an acceptable home lawn - Prominently found now in “Eco” blend turf Slide 19 (Strong) Creeping Red FescueFestuca rubra ssp. rubra Management Preferences: Low to moderate cultural intensity Mowing range of 20 to 50 mm (shorter than KB) At higher heights of cut, disease susceptibility increases and competitive ability reduced 0.1 to 0 .25 Kg of actual N (nitrogen) per 100 sq. m per growing month Seeding Rate: 1.6 - 2.0 kg / 100 square meters Slide 20 Sheep Fescue Chewings Fescue Hard Fescue Other Fescues Slide 21