Lawn Pros are Seeing Green

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- When Brian Howard faced a front yard full of crabgrass one summer, he didn't back down from a fight. Instead, he launched a stealth attack at the least likely time...after the third frost in late fall.

"I threw in seed for tall fescue, and raked it in before the ground froze again," he said. "The seed sat there all winter, but it came up beautifully in the spring." The crab grass was banished.

Such are the tricks of the trade learned by those who care for golf courses, athletic fields and other challenging swaths of land for a living. Howard, the superintendent at Sassamon Trace Golf Course in Natick, doesn't let a little crabgrass discourage him.

During the prime growing and mowing seasons, many weekend warriors may wonder how the most abused fields manage to look so good, despite cleats, golf clubs, and other instruments of torture. Those whose turf is turf will say that it's a combination of many factors -- the right soil, the right seed, and the right amount of food and water at the right time.

Al Rodgers, who handles grounds maintenance for the Hopkinton school district's fields, said his biggest challenge is compacted soil.

"With all the kids playing on the fields, it crushes the grass and compacts the soil," he said. "We're constantly aerating it and top-dressing it with sand."

A lot of athletic fields, including Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, are moving to a sand-based mix for their turf, Rodgers said. The mix includes about 70 percent sand, close to 30 percent loam and a small amount of "profile," a substance that aids in moisture retention. "We're putting that mix on all our soccer goal mounds," Rodgers said.

Howard said he aerates the golf course twice a year, to make up for all the foot traffic.

"If it's compacted, you end up with a shallow root system that requires more water," he said. "And that's no good."

While Rodgers favors a neutral pH for his fields, Howard said a slightly acid soil works best for a golf course. Too much acid, he cautions, and you'll end up with too many weeds. 

The right type of grass seed also helps build a tougher lawn. Rodgers designs his own mix, with three types of rye grass and three types of blue grass. Hopkinton buys its grass seed in 50-pound sacks from A.W. Moss, the Wareham company that also supplies turf materials for Gillette Stadium.

Howard customizes the seed according to where it will go on the golf course. 

"Stay away from rye grass if you want a long-lasting lawn," he said. "On the greens we use a bent grass called 'L-93' that we buy from a specialty dealer. It costs $8 a pound.

"We use blue grass around the tees, and for the fairways we use bent grass with a little bit of rye." Most people can't go wrong with a low-maintenance tall fescue, he added.

Regardless of the seed brew, Howard said late fall is the best time to lay it down.

"Think about it...seeds can sit in the soil for years and will germinate when the time is right," he said. To maximize re-seeding, he suggests occasionally letting your lawn grow tall enough to produce seeds, then cut it to half its length. After a few days, cut it again to three inches high.

Rodgers suggests that no more than a third of the grass length be cut off at one time, even if it means cutting it more than once a week. And while you're cutting, check out those mower blades. Nothing mangles the grass worse than blunt blades, the experts say.

Once the grass starts to grow, well-timed feedings can make a big difference. Many experts actually subscribe to a "less is more" theory.

"The biggest thing people need to get away from is the theory that dark green is good," said Howard. "People fertilize too early. If the grass isn't growing, don't fertilize."

But there's one exception: when the grass goes dormant before winter. "Use a fertilizer with a high WIN (water-insoluble nitrogen), that's activated by soil temperature and not by water," Howard said.

Sassamon Trace Golf Course uses Bay State Fertilizer, which is actually made from recycled sewage, Howard said. "We use chemicals only as a last resort."

Over at the Laborers Training Center in Hopkinton, which hosts many outdoor parties on its 50 well-manicured acres, the maintenance crew eschews weed-killer and attacks pesky broadleaf weeds the old-fashioned way: by hand.

"Sometimes we use a tool," said Sean Perry, a member of the maintenance staff." Other times we'll just pull them out with our hands."

John Ianni, supervisor of the grounds crews, said that the fertilizer is laid on very thick to encourage the grass to crowd out the weeds.

While water is also key to healthy growth, experts caution against using too much. 

"When it's dry and sunny the transpiration rate is high and we need to water at night," Howard said. "But if it's humid and muggy we don't water." 

And here's one last secret: Even the experts say that sometimes it's best not to fight the weeds. "We use Integrated Pest Management, and everything is monitored," said Howard. "But we have a certain tolerance for disease and weeds. You'll find some clover in the roughs."

Sunday, June 20, 2004