The lawn is the Atlas of our times, bearing its keepers and their children, dogs, cats and, if mine is any measure, whole armies of squirrels and chipmunks.

The lawn can bear this burden, with some periodic help, but it has also had to support a much tougher load that of societys conflicting expectations.

Up and down the land, local ordinances enshrine the front yard as a place where neatly mown lawns framed with low or no fences could speak of a communal respectability, openness and uniformity. With suburbia came and remains an enforced neighborliness. There was a time when every block had at least one greensward hobbyist, usually male, in unbridled pursuit of the trophy lawn. This mania probably has dissipated now that we inhabit Screen World.

To other eyes, the lawn is no trophy but a throwback to a time when its symbolic probity came at a cost not only to our individuality but to the health of the planet.

For a generation at least, environmentalists have been railing against the lawn for its addiction to scarce water, to polluting fertilizers and to life-killing pesticides.

My view? In our watery part of the world, the lawn is a welcome feature in many (though not all) gardens, but as one considered element of a landscape. Cultivated with care and knowledge, the lawn is a net environmental asset in its ability to check storm water, filter pollutants and generally cool the heat island.

Others might not regard the turf as kindly, and the debate lingers, but the lawn itself has moved on: Better practices and improved grass varieties now enable greater success with this ubiquitous land form. That is the central message of a living exhibition, Grass Roots, that opened this month at the National Arboretum and will be around for a few years.

Anyone with a lawn in these parts should make a point to see it for the simple reason that we live in a climatic cusp that makes turf cultivation particularly challenging.

I asked the experts behind the exhibit, Scott Aker and Geoffrey Rinehart, to rattle off some of the most common lawn blunders. You may know them already, but theyre worth repeating:

Mowing too short: If you mow cool-season grasses too short, youre inviting disaster. The grass will become stressed and die back, and the void will be filled with weeds. Keep your mower at its highest setting.

Here is the original post:
National Arboretums Grass Roots: A brighter future for the lawn

Published on October 29, 2014

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas: Immerse yourself in a vanishing landscape

STRONG CITY, Kan. - Stand here in a field of tall, windblown grass and wildflowers, and twirl around like a child. It's like being inside a prairie snow globe: You're surrounded by a sea of green, brown and yellow grass, with a blue-sky dome above.

The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas is one of just a few places in the country where you can immerse yourself in this serene but vanishing landscape. Tallgrass prairie once covered 140 million acres of North America, including much of the Midwest. But only 4 per cent of that ecosystem remains, wiped out by more than 150 years of human settlement, cattle-grazing and farming.

The Tallgrass Preserve here in the Flint Hills is one of the last tracts left, consisting of 11,000 acres mostly owned by the Nature Conservancy and managed with the National Park Service. There are miles of trails here to explore, but the Southwind Nature Trail is an easy-to-walk loop trail just under 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) that offers a sublime sense of what the landscape felt and looked like when it was covered with tallgrass and wildflowers across the region.

The preserve is also home to a historic site a late 19th-century ranch with outbuildings, along with a one-room schoolhouse used from 1882 to 1930. A free cellphone tour provides details on each structure, including a barn bigger than the house, an icehouse, carriage house, chicken coop with a sod roof (using plants as insulation, way ahead of its time), and outhouse with three holes. (Not that three people would have used it at once, mind you: one seat was for a child, and the other two were likely rotated in use.)

A prosperous cattleman, Stephen F. Jones, lived here on the Spring Hill/Z Bar Ranch with his wife and daughter in the 1880s. Limestone was easily quarried from the layers of rock beneath the rich prairie soil, allowing Jones to build an elegant mansion and stone fencing around his vast property.

But once you're on the Southwind Nature Trail, away from the ranch, you can almost suspend your disbelief and pretend you're experiencing this extraordinary landscape before settlers arrived, when the only destruction faced by the tallgrass was from a natural cycle of lightning-sparked fire, rainfall and grazing bison.

The park is open daily, year-round, and each season offers a different experience of weather, colours, flora and fauna. On a visit in early autumn, the trail was lined with fields of tall yellow flowers dancing in the breeze, punctuated by bursts of other purple, red and white wildflowers amid the grasses. Tiny lizards, a snake and grasshoppers darted across the path. Rabbits, prairie chickens and other birds and other creatures live here, too. The trail meanders gently into higher ground and over a brook, then finally to the school, still furnished with a woodstove, wooden desks and benches, along with portraits of George Washington and Abe Lincoln.

As you walk back toward the ranch house to the parking lot, you travel a path parallel to a road where the occasional car zips by. It's a good reminder of the human factor that led to the prairie's demise.

Continued here:
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas: Immerse yourself in a vanishing landscape

The outfield of the intramural softball field off of Sprigg Street. Photo by Sean Burke

An abundance of time and money have been spent to make the fields playable, however the damage has already been done, and alternative solutions are already being considered for the future.

"Just weather-related, last winter we lost our grass on all three of our fields. This also occurred on city fields, the city of Cape lost several fields as well," assistant director of intramurals Jennifer Rose said. "Just the type of grass we had and the type of winter we had didn't mix."

As the spring of 2014 approached, Rose began noticing the deterioration of the fields. When the spring semester ended, Rose started looking for answers on how to repair the fields, but her options were limited.

"We did put seed down this summer," Rose said. "The seed was questionable whether or not it was going to work, but it was one of our options. We didn't have the ability to put it down on all three fields. We did go ahead and move forward with two of the fields, those fields do have grass now, that's our Bertling [Street] field and our upper Bertling field."

While the grass is there and the fields are playable, Rose is still doing damage control as the grass has already begun to show wear and tear.

"The grass kind of grows almost horizontal, so it looks like we've got this nice coverage in there but if you really dig around in that grass you'll see there's not a lot of roots for as much grass as there appears to be," Rose said.

Nonetheless, play still continues on both Bertling fields, but the field off of Sprigg Street is completely unplayable.

"We don't consider it safe enough to play any of the real sports on, so it is completely offline," Rose said. "It is open for recreational use, but we're not scheduling anything on there because it's more dirt than grass right now."

With only two intramural fields open for play, Rose had to make significant changes to the sports provided by the intramural office in order to preserve what quality of field is left and to ensure that the fields will be ready for spring.

See the original post here:
Mother Nature takes toll on intramural fields

Long Beach, CA (PRWEB) October 22, 2014

EasyTurf is scheduled to showcase their industry leading synthetic turf at the 2014 Long Beach Landscape Expo in Long Beach, Calif. Oct. 29, 30.

EasyTurf will unveil a booth that showcases the intricate energy saving and water conscious systems associated with their fastest growing artificial grass applications, pet, rooftop, playground and commercial landscapes. The EasyTurf artificial grass system can be largely engineered with recycled products, adding to the environmentally friendly nature of synthetic turf. EasyTurf will join other award-winning landscape professionals, the newest landscape products/equipment and educational seminars by some of the most respected experts in their fields at the Long Beach Arena.

EasyTurf has been an innovator of synthetic grass landscaping and has taken a leading role in educating consumers of our many benefits, said Dave Hartman, EasyTurf President. Were excited to join the Landscape Expo and show homeowners how we can improve their homes and quality of life.

The California drought will prompt many home and business owners to consider artificial turf for their future landscaping needs.

When natural grass is a part of landscape irrigation costs, 60 percent of those costs go to watering sod - not only is the water conserved [when artificial grass is installed] but so is the energy that would be used to get that 60 percent of irrigation from point a to point b, said Jackie Luper, EasyTurf Vice President, Marketing

EasyTurf uses a proprietary 100 percent permeable artificial grass surface backing, MaxxFlow, for unmatched drainage capabilities. Unlike a grass lawn, rain will not turn your EasyTurf surface into a mud pit. Natural grass lawns require regular maintenance, tremendous amounts of water, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer and time. EasyTurfs durability is also unmatched.

EasyTurfs superior synthetic grass products are matched by a dedication to exceptional craftsmanship and customer service, Hartman said. Our commitment to excellence continues to attract homeowners and commercial businesses searching for functional, aesthetic improvements.

World renowned dog whisperer, Cesar Millan recently introduced EasyTurf artificial grass as his turf-of-choice for pet owners. Millan says drainage was critical in his decision to partner with EasyTurf on the 10,000 sq. ft. installation of artificial grass at his Dog Psychology Center in Santa Clarita, Calif.

We have a lot of land to cover, so its important to me that our landscaping is easy to care for, safe for our pack and has proper drainage, said Millan. Not only does Easy Turf look just like natural grass, it helps to eliminate common lawn problems associated with pets like brown spots from urine, tracked in mud, grass clippings and it can even deter your dog from digging holes.

Visit link:
EasyTurf One Week from Unveiling Water-friendliest Turf at Long Beach Landscape Expo

More Video...

New grass at Four Winds Field

Big changes at Four Winds Field

Four Winds Field Trivia Answers

South Bend, Ind. A new field, a new name and several other changes, Four Winds Field won't look the same as you head into the stadium for the 2015 season and some of those changes are happening Tuesday.

Starting at 7 a.m. crews brought in truckloads of new sod to cover the field and at 10:30 a.m. they started laying it down. The field should be done by Friday. If you are interested in watching the process you can head out to the stadium all week long. Getting all of the sod in will take about 30 trucks full of 24 rolls each.

Roger Bossard, the grounds keeper for the Chicago White Sox is the one installing it. This is actually a patent system that he uses. Our field can take a microburst of rain, which the way he explained it to me is essentially one inch of rain in a very short time frame which equals about 68,000 gallons of water. He says if that happens, within about 20 to 25 minutes the field is ready to play on, explains South Bend Cubs President Joe Hart.

The field is just one of the many projects happening at the field right now. This past weekend they broke ground on their brand new hitting facility. Hart says it will be over 15,000 square feet and it will be done April 1st.

They are also working on changing their signage, something Hart says is a lengthy process, Everywhere you walk around in this ballpark you see a new sign that needs to be changed out. Things are underway right now and we are starting the design work. Our plan is to have as much stuff done by Thanksgiving as possible. I dont want to leave it up to the weather.

They are also working on making changes in the locker room. Hart says they are adding new lockers, putting in new carpet and adding Cubs colors.

Original post:
Back to grass, Four Winds Field under CUBStruction

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - A bit of magic will be returning to Four Winds Field this week.

Thats the way South Bend Cubs President Joe Hart sees it as the teams stadium returns to a natural grass playing surface.

I think it will be amazing, Hart said. I remember as a kid growing up, and even now when I go to a Major League stadium, whats the first thing you do? Even before I go to the concession stands. You walk in. You dont even go to your seats. You just walk into where you can look out and see the field. I think thats the experience thats going to come back here now.

Players will love it, Hart added. From a play-ability standpoint, having Roger (Bossard) do it, its going to be a Major League field.

Work began in late September. After tearing out the FieldTurf surface thats been in place for four seasons and putting down 7 1/2 inches of sand on the field, the team plans to begin laying sod today, finishing by Friday, Bossard told the South Bend Tribune (http://bit.ly/1s2ZVFV ).

Bossard is no ordinary groundskeeper. Hes put in 12 big league fields, including Wrigley Field, Fenway Park and his home field, U.S. Cellular Field, where he is the head groundskeeper for the Chicago White Sox. Hes been working on White Sox playing surfaces for 46 years.

Its crucial to get the sod down now, Bossard said Monday while praising his crew and taking a short break amid another long day and night at Four Winds Field.

While most people are looking forward to putting their lawn mowers away in a few weeks, the South Bend Cubs are looking forward to finally using one 10 days after the sod is in.

I need three to four weeks of good growth to get my feeder root down a couple inches, Bossard said. And I think I am going to get it. I want to get the feeder roots down at least 2 inches by the time the first snow hits. Ive been saying a rosary.

After the sod is laid, he will begin a maintenance program that will include a couple of different fertilization procedures. He likes the forecast calling for mild weather the next five days. Hes not that worried about any frost.

The rest is here:
South Bend stadium going back to grass field

Q uestion: How do we get rid of a large area of lawn and convert it to a natural woodsy planting area with a few perennial plants and shrubs?

Answer: Beginning a garden from scratch can be quite a challenge, especially when the site is covered with turf. But, there are a handful of techniques to help with this process all of which I have performed myself at one time or another.

For sites like yours that are covered in turf, the sod needs to be killed or stripped and a few inches of organic matter rototilled into the site before planting. Getting rid of the grass is the hardest part of making a new planting bed, especially if you want to avoid using chemical herbicides.

The easiest way to remove sod is to rent a gas-powered sod-cutter. The first time my husband and I used a sod-cutter to start a new planting bed, I thought we might end the project with a divorce, or at the very least, with a matching pair of broken backs. It's hard work, but it is certainly easier than digging up the sod by hand. If you have any reservations about your physical ability to use such a machine and then haul away large strips of sod, you may want to consider hiring someone to do this part for you.

If this is a task you prefer to do by hand, rather than with a machine, use a short, flat-bladed shovel with a D-handle to cut the sod into strips. Then use the shovel to slice underneath each sod strip, lifting and rolling it up in a thin sheet. To ensure you remove enough of the grass roots to prevent it from re-growing, be sure each sheet of sod is about 2 inches thick. Toss the sod rolls into the compost pile.

Once the sod is completely removed, till the area or turn it over with a shovel. Then add 3 to 4 inches of compost or leaf mould and till the area again. Now it is ready for planting.

With a little patience, a new bed can be created via the pile-it-on-and-wait method. The it that gets piled on is organic matter and lots of it. Various types of organic materials are placed in layers over the area to essentially smother the turf and, over time, amend the soil. One to 2 feet (yes, feet!) of well-aged animal manure, shredded leaves, grass clippings, compost and even newspaper and unwaxed corrugated cardboard should cover the planting area.

The big downside to this method is the amount of time it takes for the organic matter to break down and make the area plantable. Though some of the sites I have prepared this way were ready for planting in as little as six months, others have taken a full year. Patient gardeners love this technique.

If this bed is underneath large, established trees, be extremely careful not to till into the tree's roots or smother them with excessive amounts of organic matter and mulch. If this is the case, carefully remove the sod by hand before planting, and then cover the area with no more than 2 inches of mulch.

Horticulturist Jessica Walliser co-hosts The Organic Gardeners at 7 a.m. Sundays on KDKA Radio. She is the author of several gardening books, including Attracting Beneficial Bugs to Your Garden: A Natural Approach to Pest Control. Her website is http://www.jessicawalliser.com.

Read the original:
Garden Q&A: Remove sod to create garden space

Raising New Orleans area east bank earthen hurricane levees by a foot or two before allowing theArmy Corps of Engineers to install a combination of geotextile mat and Bermuda grass sod asarmoring against erosion caused by overtopping will cost the east bank levee authority between $40 million and $50 million, authority members were told Thursday (Oct. 16).

A more detailed estimate will be presented to theSoutheast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East by its staff in November, executive director Robert Turner said, after additional meetings to discuss the costs and the extent of the levee raising with corps officials next week.

The additional soil is needed to assure that the levees will continue to be high enough through 2028 to block storm surges caused by a hurricane with a 1 percent chance of occurring in any year, often referred to as a 100-year storm.

Without the additional soil "lift," officials would have to rip out the millions of dollars of geotextile mat used to armor the levee in a few years, when portions of the levees sink beneath the one percent protection level and the levees would need to be raised. A failure to raise the levees when they sink could result in the system being decertified, which could result in residents and businesses in the area losing flood insurance, or seeing higher flood insurance rates.

Most of the work will be required in Jefferson Parish and New Orleans. Most of the levees in St. Bernard Parish are topped by T-walls that were built about 3 feet higher than the surge height expected today, and won't require height adjustments for another 40 to 50 years.

Turner said the East Jefferson Levee District would rely on money it has and will have in its levee improvement fund, and on money it would request from the state's capital outlay budget for the lifts on its levees. The authority approved a resolution later in the meeting to request $29.6 million be included in next year's state capital outlay budget for the lifts there.

The Orleans Levee District's budget will have to be amended to address the increased cost, but at first glance, existing taxes are high enough to pay for the costs, he said.

The authority acts as the board of both the levee districts.

The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-West is considering similar levee lifts in advance of armoring installation. The corps says thearmoring of all earthen levees on both sides of the river will cost about $300 million.

Authority member Rick Luettich, a civil engineer and professor of marine science at the University of North Carolina, questioned whether existing estimates of how high the levees should be are adequate, given a recent study for the authority that indicated the corps' storm surge modeling was already outdated.

Continue reading here:
Adding soil to east bank levees before armoring could cost $40M-$50M, levee authority told

Fear not, overworked sod at Victory Field help is on the way.

A committee of about two dozen people are focused on replacing the natural grass surface at one of the busiest athletic fields in town with artificial turf.

The volunteer group has been meeting with officials from Gale Associates, Inc. of Weymouth, Mass., which has spearheaded artificial turf athletic field projects across the region, and most recently worked on the new facility at Portsmouth High School.

Dr. Alex Robertson, a Barrington resident and an orthopedic surgeon, has helped organize the recent local push for an artificial turf surface at Victory Field.

During a meeting with the school committee last spring, Dr. Robertson told officials that todays artificial turf was safer and more durable than regular grass. He said he had witnessed the rough condition of Victory Field late in the fall season after a friends daughter had torn a ligament in her knee in a non-contact injury while playing there.

The school committee voted 5-0 to pursue a plan to replace the grass with artificial turf, and since then organizers have been considering all the options available for a new Victory Field, including expanding the facility.

Most recently, the group decided to explore a plan that would increase the size of the field so that when a new artificial surface is installed it would accommodate not just football games but also soccer, lacrosse and field hockey. Dr. Robertson said that while soccer and lacrosse teams at the high school currently use Victory Field for some home games, the dimensions of the playing surface fail to meet national guidelines for those sports.

For safety reasons, no one should be playing on the field except football, said Dr. Robertson, adding that the field is too narrow for soccer and lacrosse.

But a larger project would result in a larger price tag it was initially thought that the work would cost about $800,000 but the expanded project would likely double that figure. Dr. Robertson said his committee will have a better idea of the estimated cost for the work in about two weeks.

According to reports, Portsmouths project (it included a new field, track and eight tennis courts) cost about $2.3 million, while Narragansett is spending about $3.2 million for a similar project. Both towns are combining privately-raised money with taxpayer funds to cover the costs.

Here is the original post:
Barrington turf talk takes a turn toward expansion

Bermuda grass could answer long-term drought doubt

By John Hollenhorst

October 13th, 2014 @ 5:50pm

SALT LAKE CITY The man in charge of keeping the campus green at the University of Utah is calling for the state to lift its ban on a so-called "noxious weed."

He thinks it could be part of the answer to long-term worries about drought.

Senior Crew Lead for the University of Utah, Lorenzo Lopez, said Bermuda grass uses dramatically less water and thrives in many areas where other grasses dont.

"This could be a great opportunity for Bermuda grass. I think it's one of the answers. It's not the complete answer," said Lopez.

But Lopez is not allowed to do it.

Lorenzo Lopez's lawn crews can't even experiment with Bermuda grass. The state long ago declared it an enemy in the war on weeds.

Rich Riding, Noxious Weed Program Manager with the Utah Department of Agriculture said the plant is a threat.

Read more:
Bermuda grass could answer long-term drought doubt