TechNotes Tips - General Turfgrass Archive

Potassium applications to warm season turfgrasses, especially bermudagrass, need to be applied during the fall to enhance winter survival of these grasses.

Seeding new cool season turfgrasses gets iffy in some parts of the country by mid-September. The optimum time for seeding cool season turfgrasses has passed by then for areas like New England, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Moving through to late September, the optimum time for seeding will pass for most of the northern U.S. The transition zone is still somewhat OK. But as October 1st approaches, the likelihood of successful seeding establishment decreases rapidly.

Urine damage from dogs occurs occasionally in some home lawns. Oftentimes these spots are quite apparent in the spring. Homeowners often complain that these spots never recover and remain baron. A light application of lime to these areas may help reduce the acidifying affects present. But the best recommendation is to tell the pet owners to provide their dogs with plenty of water.

Mowing frequency increases during the spring because of the favorable conditions for turfgrass growth. For the best results, mowing should be frequent enough to avoid removing more than one-third the leaf tissue.

Mowing in the northern U.S. can start when growth becomes evident. With early spring mowing it is best to begin too early than too late. The proper mowing practice is to remove no more than one-third of the leaf tissue. Removal of more than one-third of the tissue will result in scalp.

Which turfgrasses begin growth the soonest? Tall fescue will begin vertical growth first followed by perennial ryegrass and then Kentucky bluegrass. Oftentimes, tall fescue turfs will need to be mowed even before Kentucky bluegrass lawns have begun vertical shoot growth.