turf transition zone
TRANSCRIPT
Introduction to HorticultureIntroduction to HorticultureTurfgrassTurfgrass
Plant: Tall FescuePlant: Tall Fescue
Term: Transition ZoneTerm: Transition Zone
Tall Fescue
• Cool season grass• Tolerates some shade• Plant by seed or sod• Mow 2 – 4” height• Moderate drought tolerance• Needs moderate fertilizer• Coarse textured, clumpy• Does not spread well, slower to repair• Deep green color• Predominant lawn grass in Piedmont, Va.
Tall Fescue Varieties• Kentucky 31 – Old standard grows in
many lawns, now primarily used as a cheap seed for little-used areas like roadsides. – Has endophytes which make it problematic for
pastures – esp. horses.– MaxQ is endophyte free tall fescue
Other Tall Fescue Varieties
• Used primarily in blends:Durana, Penn 1901, Forte', Signia, Oncue, Virtue, Rebel Sentry and Duster
• Buy blends for specific purposes:– Shade– High traffic– Drought resistance
• New varieties have finer texture
Tall Fescue
• Rolled leaf
• Collar
• Ligule
• Auricle
• Rhizomes
Turfgrass
• Lots of kinds of grasses
• Corn, Wheat, Barley,
• Sea Oats
• Ornamental Grasses
• Turfgrasses– Lawns– Pastures– Sports fields
Grass Growth Habits
• Bunch type – – Grows where a seed lands. – Bunches get thicker– Don’t recover as well
• Creeping – – Start where seeds land or by sprig– Spread by rhizomes & stolons
Transition Zone
• The area where neither a cool season grass or a warm season grass will grow well all year round
Turfgrass - Zones
• Warm season (Brown)– C4 photosynthesis– Reproduce and grow best in hot
weather (80 – 105)
• Cool Season (Blue)– C3 photosynthesis– Reproduce and grow best in
cool weather (50 – 75)
• Transition Zone– Cool season grass grows well in
Apr – Jun & Sep – Nov– Warm season grass grows best
in June - September
Transition Zone Grasses
• No one type of grass will do well all year
• Both types of grasses will grow & live. In general the cool are more successful
• Possible to use both• Requires more intensive
maintenance if a cool season grass is required
• Or use a summer time warm season grass which goes dormant (and brown in color) in fall - spring.
Cool Season Grasses
• Need cold winters (with temperatures below 32°) and warm summers.
• Grow best at 60 - 75°• Need regular rain in
summer • May go dormant in
summer heat & drought• Kentucky bluegrass,
perennial rye, tall and fine fescues, & bentgrass
Warm Season Grasses
• Tropical origin and thrive during the scorching summer heat.
• They are tough and form a dense lawn cover that thickens as they age.
• Their leaves turn brown in late fall and don't green up again until warm weather returns.
• In general they are green about half the year.
Bahia, Bermuda, Centipede, St. Augustine, Zoysia
Functions of turf
• Utility– Stabilize soil – reduce erosion– Cool areas by breaking up pavement– Remove toxic substances– Reduce CO2
• Ornamental– Enchances landscapes
• Sports– Reduce injuries
Turf Quality
• Visual– Density- # blades per inch– Texture – width of the blades– Uniformity– Color– Growth Habit– Smoothness
Functional quality
• Rigidity – resistance to compression & wear
• Elasticity – Ability to spring back after compression
• Resiliency – Ability to withstand damage
• Recuperative potential – Ability to repair itself after damage