By: John Torsiello

One of the major trends in the care of golf courses is the move toward creating more natural, or native, areas off fairways. It just makes sense from a turf-management standpoint. Naturalizing rough areas means less expense in terms of maintenance as areas off the fairways have to be mowed much less frequently, if at all. It also means less application of water, fertilizer and pesticide, which again helps reduce the bottom line.

Example of Multiple Cuts of Maintained & Unmaintained Rough

Tim Morgahan, founder of Aspire Golf Consulting in New Jersey, observed, "The pros are that native (or naturalized) rough areas are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, easier to maintain and are good for wildlife. The cons are that they are a pain in the ass when you hit your $5 Pro V into them and cannot find it due to density." But the damage to the paying customer's wallet does not seem to deter superintendents from naturalizing rough areas.

"Converting mowed, irrigated rough areas to native grasses can reduce water, fertilizer, and pesticide inputs and may reduce mowing," says Dr. Anthony Koski, extension turfgrass specialist with the Colorado State University Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.

"However, it is important to understand that native areas will not be maintenance-free. In fact, if they are neglected they can quickly become weedy and unsightly." He says older areas must also be maintained to prevent the invasion of shrubs, brambles and trees. Grass species - especially if a mix of grasses is seeded - will change over time. "The species of weeds, and you will have weeds to deal with, will change over time, as well."

Major advances in breeding of turf-type tall fescues since the early 1980s have encouraged more use of tall fescue as primary or secondary rough. In traditional cool-season grass-growing climates and the transition zone of the U.S., interest in less maintenance has driven the use of tall fescue. Tall fescue is used now in areas where there are limits placed on annual fertility and chemical applications. The turf quality in high-performing NTEP-rated tall fescues is excellent, mimicking a wide-bladed bluegrass. They can be cut at 1.5 inches or higher, up to natural, non-mowed plant heights.

Another group of species that has garnered more interest in golf rough use is fine fescues. These species consist of hard, sheeps, creeping red and chewings fescues. The hard, chewings and sheeps fescues have been used more as "no-mow" grasses in far roughs and out-of-bounds areas. They can grow to 8 to 18 inches high and cascade over themselves if left in a natural state.

Fine fescues have an interesting ornamental look. In warm-season grass areas in the lower transition zone and further south in the U.S., weeping lovegrass performs similarly as the fine fescue no-mow grasses above. These all have the potential to be left alone with literally no maintenance when established, except for occasional weed control and spot seeding for fill in.

A similar scenario occurs regarding mowing height adjustments for roughs further south, where bermudagrass is the prevailing fairway turf. The roughs are also defined as primary and secondary by height of cut. So, the cut gets higher the further away from the fairway.

Read more:
Torsiello's Turf Talk - Managing the Rough

Types of Grass: Laying Sod or Grass Seeding in Westchester County, NY
Should you plant grass seed or lay sod? In this lawn care tips video, we show you the two types of grass and the pros and cons of each so you have the lawn y...

By: Total Turf Landscaping

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Types of Grass: Laying Sod or Grass Seeding in Westchester County, NY - Video

Last week we talked about completely renovating a lawn. Most of us dont need to get that drastic; we just need to give our yards a face lift or fill in the spots killed in this summers heat. Overseeding is a really good way to bring new life into a sagging lawn. This will take some time and planning, but not as much as renovating.

Two things are essential for maximum seeding success: good sunlight penetration and seed-soil contact.

STEPS FOR OVERSEEDING

1. One month before seeding use a broadleaf weed killer like Trimec, Weed-Out, Weed-B-Gon, or Weed-B-Gon Max plus Crabgrass killer. Do not use chemicals again until the new seedlings have been mowed three times. An exception is siduron (Tupersan), a pre-emergence herbicide.

2. Mow the existing grass to 1 inch. This will keep grass and weeds from competing with the new seedlings, help prevent seeds from lodging in tall grass and never reach the ground, and allow for good light penetration. Remove debris.

3. There can be three options for creating good seed to soil contact. Core aerate, or use one of the following a verticutter, a slit seeder, or a power rake, or both (aerate and one of these three). The verticutter, slit seeder or power rake can be rented and used in one direction. The machine will create inch deep grooves in the soil. Rake and remove debris. Verticutting will increase seed to soil contact more that aerating alone. This will maximize germination and coverage rate. Even lawns that are not being overseeded will benefit from an annual or biannual aerification. Do this in mid-September when temperatures are cooling off. This will reduce chances of injury to the turf. It will be easier to do this step if the soil has been moistened a day or two before. When aerifying, allow the cores to dry for a day then verticut the lawn in one direction and remove debris. This will prepare your yard for overseeding and chop up the aerification plugs as well. Be sure to flag your irrigation heads to avoid hitting them.

4. Buy good, clean, quality seed. You do get what you pay for when it comes to grass seed. A tall fescue blend made from the K-State turfgrass recommended varieties is a good choice for both sun and shade. Find these at you local nurseries and garden stores. Read the labels. Ideally, you want to find seed with 0 percent other seed and 0 percent weed seed. You will not like the results at 1 to 2 percent.

5. Broadcast your seed. Tall fescue blends should be overseeded at 3-4 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Applying too much seed can result in turf death from overcrowding, and can cause fungal diseases later on.

6. Verticut/power rake again this time at a 90-degree angle to the last pass. Try to distribute the debris evenly or rake and remove any large piles.

7. Fertilize with a turf starter fertilizer.

Go here to read the rest:
At Home Living: Planning helps overseeding project take root

Pheasant cover

BOONE They Gotta Have Cover is a new and catchy way to call attention to what farmers can do to bring back pheasants and other grassland birds.

Debuting at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Aug. 26-28, the video features three farmers rapping about the cover types theyve planted, then nurtured to shelter and feed pheasant throughout the year.

Once you hear the lyrics, you wont be able to forget them.

They gotta have cover! Yes they do, yes they do! or

Gotta have grass for the pheasants to nest, 10 to 12 inches is what the hens like best.

Its not as simple as planting a field of brome or switch grass, and watching the birds fly. The DNRs research shows that managed farms with three essential types of habitat produce more birds than unmanaged farms three times as many.

Whats good for pheasant is good for most grassland birds, from meadowlarks to quail; Henslowe sparrows to bobolinks.

Since the 1960s, Iowa has lost half the ideal land for grassland birds land in hay and small grains like oats dropping from more than 7 million to 3.4 million acres. As a result, grassland birds are in trouble.

Gotta have Cover gives farmers a quick tutorial on how to bring the birds back. The video is on the Iowa DNRs pheasant page atwww.iowadnr.gov/pheasants.

Link:
Outdoor news

MUSCATINE, Iowa As schools get back into session, Muscatine's road construction is nearing the beginning of the end for this year.

Three of the projects that have been under way since the beginning of spring have made significant progress, according to project managers, but there still remains work to be done on all of these.

Cedar Street

Work has begun on the third of four stages of the Cedar Street Reconstruction Project, said project manager Bill Haag.

The first phase, which included Cedar Street from the Parham Street intersection to Stone Brook Drive, began in March and ended in May. It was then that the second phase, including Cedar Street from Houser Street to Imperial Oaks Drive, began. Just as the school year began for nearby Muscatine High School, which has an access road to Cedar Street in that area, the second phase of the constriction had been completed, Haag said.

The third phase of the Cedar street involves the area between Imperial Oaks and Stone Brook Drive. Earthwork and storm sewers have been completed, but paving for the roadway will probably start within a few weeks. Some utility infrastructure will also have to be repositioned as part of the reconstruction work.

Haag said the contractors are still looking to complete phase four, a roundabout intersection at Cedar and Logan streets, before Thanksgiving of this year. However, some of the accessory portions of the project, such as new sidewalks, new grass and other items, will likely have to wait until next spring.

"There's plenty of time to get that done," Haag said.

Colorado Street

After lagging somewhat behind schedule for the past couple of months due to inclement weather conditions, project director Jim Edgemond said work on the Colorado Street Reconstruction Project has gotten slightly ahead of schedule. "It's all pretty positive," he said.

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It's been a long road this year: Projects have kept drivers detouring, but work is progressing

As summer gets ready to move into fall, there are some important lawn-care tasks to continue and new ones to be done.

We should continue to mow at the proper height depending on grass type. Mow centipede to 1 to 2 inches. Most people mow to 2 inches since home lawns are often too uneven to mow lower without scalping the grass. Since the rule of thumb in mowing grass is to only remove one third of the grass blades, mow when the grass gets 1 inches (for 1 inch mowing) to 3 inches tall (for 2 inch mowing). Make sure to raise the mowing height to 2 inches several weeks before expected frost to prevent winter injury.

The best mowing height for Bermuda is 1 to 2 inches. Mow the grass before it gets 1 to 3 inches tall. You should always grasscycle by leaving the grass clippings on the lawn. This technique will provide up to 25 percent of the lawns fertilizer needs. Mow St. Augustine to 3 to 4 inches, zoysia to 1 to 2 inches depending on variety and tall fescue to 3 to 4 inches.

Fertilization is important to have a healthy lawn, but be careful not to overdo it. Between now and 4 to 6 weeks before expected killing frost (mid-September) fertilize warm-season grasses with 1 pound of potassium per 1,000 square feet. One pound of potassium can be applied by using 1 pounds of muriate of potash (0-0-60), 2 pounds of potassium sulfate (0-0-50), or 4 pounds of sul-po-mag (0-0-22) per 1,000 square feet. This potassium application will help prevent damage to warm-season grasses from the stresses of winter and get them off to a good start next spring. This is the way to winterize your warm-season lawn. Do not fertilize any warm season lawn with a high rate of nitrogen containing fertilizer after August.

Fertilizing at the wrong time and with excess nitrogen is one of the reasons we have so many problems with centipede. If you have already fertilized centipede with a fertilizer containing nitrogen there is no need to do it again. Do not apply nitrogen containing fertilizers to centipede after August. Bermuda can be fertilized in August at the rate of 8 pounds of 12-4-8 or 6 pounds of 16-4-8 per 1,000 square feet. Use half that amount on St. Augustine or zoysia in August. To give Bermuda one final push for good fall growth it can be fertilized at half the August rate in September. Bermuda grass is the only warm-season lawn I would recommend any nitrogen on in September.

Watering hasnt been needed much this year. About 1 inch of water should be applied when irrigating. The best irrigation timing is the early morning when the grass begins to turn a bluish gray color indicating drought stress. This method conserves the most water.

Insects are a concern in lawns but rarely a problem. If you have Bermuda grass, be on the lookout for fall armyworms now. They are rarely found in high-maintenance lawns, but where they are found they can do serious damage quickly. Look for discolored areas, large numbers of birds feeding in lawn areas and more closely in the lawn for fecal pellets. These insects are not true worms but caterpillars that can be green, brown or black with a Y-shaped marking on their head.

Treatment for fall armyworms is only needed if you find an average of 1 per square foot of lawn area. If detected at these levels, lawn insect-control products labeled for home lawns include those with pyrethroids (active ingredients ending in thrin like bifenthrin) or trichlorfon (trade name Dylox and often found in 24 Hour Grub Control Products) can be used following label instructions. Please always follow label instructions for safe handling and application of all pesticides. Do not apply to lawn areas where bees are actively foraging on weed flowers.

Weeds are always a hot topic. No matter what weeds you have, now is not the best time for post-emergence control. Summer annual weeds (like common lespedeza or crabgrass) are more easily controlled from April to June. Perennial weeds are easier to control from October to November and April to May. Winter annual weeds can be controlled from November to March.

For prevention of annual bluegrass and winter broad-leaf weeds, a late August to September application of pre-emergence herbicides containing benefin, trifluralin, dithiopyr or pendimethalin can be used. Do not apply a pre-emergence herbicide if you plan on over-seeding in the fall. These products are often sold as crabgrass preventers but are labeled for late summer and fall application for prevention of winter weeds.

Continue reading here:
Lauderdale: Lawn care now

CFE advice for Grassland Conservation Management 7 Simple Steps for Grassland Farmers.

Start with

Identifying the important habitats on your farm

And then look at how you can:

Enhance water and soil quality

Provide a year-round food supply for wildlife.

On any farm, the steps below complement best practice in soil management, nutrient management (fertilisers and manures) and pesticide use to improve the environment, and most are supported by agrienvironment schemes. There is no blueprint for how to deliver improved environmental management on lowland livestock farms. It needs a tailored approach based on your own soils, landscape and environmental features. Addressing local environmental priorities can improve the benefits of these measures further, e.g. focussing on local populations of declining species or checking if you are within a priority water catchment.

Generally, wildlife benefits from livestock systems that provide a diverse range of habitats with a variety of vegetation and heights through the season. The ideal includes a mix of long-term permanent grassland and arable crops rotated with temporary grass leys.

Read the rest here:
The Voice of British Farming

Even in well maintained lawns, spot or general lawn seeding is sometimes needed. Lawns can thin because of weather or as a result of damage caused by insects or grass diseases. Some badly damaged lawns need to be completely "rebuilt" before regular maintenance can do much good.

There are three general categories of seeding: spot seeding; lawn renovation, and overseeding a lawn; and renovation. What kind is right for growing grass on your lawn depends on the condition of your turf. Spring-Green professionals can help with all of yourlawn seedingquestions and needs.

Whatever type of seeding is done, there are three important rules to follow when seeding a lawn:

Tip #1:Choose the lawn seeding system that's right for you and your turf.

Spot seeding is a quick and easy way to repair things like ruts along driveways, areas worn by foot traffic, and small areas that have died for any reason. When spot seeding a lawn, use a stiff rake or potato hoe to cultivate the soil and break open the surface. Apply seed to the open seedbed and gently tamp down.

Overseeding a lawnbroadcasts the seed over a large area. This works well when the lawn just needs a general "thickening up." Overseeding can be done along with lawn aeration or by itself, but doesn't work too well when there is a heavy thatch layer.

Lawn renovation is for lawns that have excessive thatch or are so thin that only a complete rebuild will get the lawn back on its feet. Lawn renovation can be done several ways: old sod can be removed with a sod cutter; the lawn can be de-thatched and seeded; or slice-seeding can be used. Slice-seeding (or verticut seeding) is probably the best for growing grass because it "drills" the seed into the soil without having to remove a large amount of thatch.

Tip #2: Before you begin seeding a lawn, consider the current season.

It's true that seeding can be successful any time of year, but spring and summer lawn seeding require a lot more care and water, and weeds and crabgrass cause a lot more competition. Seeding a lawn in late summer or fall is ideal. Early fall is preferred because seed can germinate faster in the warm soil and continue to establish itself through the cooler weather of fall and winter. There's also more natural water in the fall so less sprinkling is needed.

Tip #3: Whatever time of year you choose for seeding your lawn, remember to keep the seed moist until you have good germination.

Link:
Tips for Seeding a Lawn: Spot Care, Overseeding & Lawn ...

How well did the official ATP and WTA rankings seed the U.S. Open, and where are the biggest imbalances?

During the last Slam, the general weirdness of grass courts and the transition period between clay and hard season causeda couple of big imbalances in the seeding at Wimbledon. Most of the glaring errors have been ironed out by now, and players' rankings have reverted to where they "should" be, but there are a couple imbalances remaining. Let's see where they are.

Here are some plots comparing each seeded player'sAB hard-court rank compared to their official tournament seed.

The top half of the seeds follow the line pretty tightly, so there's not a glaringly easy path into week 2. Stan Wawrinka has probably the easiest path for a breakthrough semi run -- looking at you, Nishikori/Raonic -- but it's still miles more balanced than Wimbledon was at the top this summer.

The bottom half definitely has its standard flukes, with Joao Sousa taking the crown for most over-seeded player. I had to do a double-take when I saw his ATP ranking:he lost eight straight matches at one point this year, and on his best surface no less. But when he has won, he's managed to win all at once, taking a couple titles and making semifinal runs to balance out the losses. The ATP point system is so top heavy, it's skewed toward the "predictably inconsistent" players who can do really well in certain spots, so winning a tournament once is much better than consistently above-average runs. It's a major reason why the ATP rankings aren't as predictive as they should be.

I know it's not a popular opinion, but I don't think Eugenie Bouchard has done enough to justify her top-eight ranking to date. I've written about this subject before, and her play since has followed the same pattern, most notably with a first-round loss to sub-100 Shelby Rogers in her home country tournament. Then again, her high ranking comes from the fact that she's done really well at Slams. I'm still on the fence if Slam-specific over-performance is a repeatable and predictable characteristic (that used to be Sloane Stephens' thing, until it wasn't), so for now, I'm happy to take a little bit of a stance and say Bouchard is over-seeded.

The bottom half of the draw is more marked by under-seeding than over-seeding. The most over-seeded player is 50th in AB hard ranks, and performance-wise, there's not a huge difference between 32nd and 50th. On the other hand, low-volume players like Victoria Azarenka and Venus Williams (still under-seeded, even after a finals run in Montreal) lurk as dangerous land mines, and just generally under-seeded players like Caroline Wozniacki and Ekaterina Makarova are right there as well. The women's side might have all of its best matchups in the fourth round this year.

Read more from the original source:
2014 U.S. Open seed analysis: Bouchard seeded too high, Azarenka too low

If it aint broke, dont fix it. At what point do you determine that your lawn is broke and needs fixin? There is a general rule of thumb that if 50% of the lawn is in good condition then work on improving it by killing weeds and overseeding with K-State recommended turf grass seed. If less than 50% is in good condition it may be time to fix whats broke.

Fixin your lawn will take serious commitment. Timing is critical and all actions needed should not be attempted in one weekend. A successful new lawn requires careful planning and frequent attention until establishment, but the results should be well worth the effort.

September is the best time to seed (or overseed) a lawn. The soil is warm and seeds germinate very quickly allowing time for good root development before winter. Plus, there is less weed competition than in spring. October 15th is generally considered the last day for planting a lawn in the fall.

In the past the popular seed mix was K-31.While it was very hardy it had the appearance of pasture grasses and an unacceptable level of weed and other seed. A much better choice for our area is a tall fescue blend. Find these at your local nurseries and garden stores. They are blends using K-State recommendations for varieties that grow best in our area. Be careful if buying pre-packaged blends from the large convenience stores. They often have an unacceptable level of weed and other seed. If you try to save money on seed you will be spending it on weed killer later and still not have a quality lawn.

Steps for renovation

1. Take a soil test. This will determine if any essential nutrients are deficient. Call the Extension Office for directions. (785) 232-0062.

2. Kill existing vegetation. (If you are overseeding use Trimec, Weed-Out, Weed-B-Gon, or Weed-B-Gon Max plus Crabgrass killer, and similar products to kill broadleaf weeds only.) Use Round-Up to kill ALL weeds and grass in the area chosen for renovation. Do this at least 2 weeks before planting new seed. Shortening this time will result in plants not being fully killed. Tilling too soon will only cause perennials to regenerate. (Wait one month if overseeding.)

3. Grade soil surface so it drains water away from the house and blends into the surrounding terrain. Avoid adding or removing soil around trees. Remove any dead plant material.

4. Amend soil. Add compost and fertilizer as recommended by the soil test. Till 10-12 inches deep or as deep as possible. This should be done several weeks before planting allowing time for soil to settle. Avoid over-tilling that results in the soil being beaten to the consistency of flour.

5. Hand rake for the final phase making it smooth to mow or walk on.

Continued here:
At Home Living: Know when it's time to fix your lawn