Home Garden
# Home & Garden >> Garden & Lawn >> Growing Grass

Turf Grass and Soil Fertility

Turf grass is a variety of grass species that give a uniform, groomed look to an area of the landscape. They are commonly grown in public areas such as golf courses, parks, cemeteries and athletic fields. Turf grass is sometimes replaced in home landscapes by native grasses, which are low-maintenance and drought-tolerant. Care of turf grass requires care of the soil it grows in.

  1. Turf Grasses

    • Turf grass is available in blends or single species seed. Check with local home garden centers for seed mixtures tailored to local climate conditions. Commonly used varieties of turf grass include Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides), which are grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 10. St. Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum) is hardy in USDA zones 8 through 10 and Zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica) in zones 5 through 10. Centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides) has a growing range of USDA zones 5 through 10(ref.1). Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra) are also grown as turf grass. They thrive in USDA zones 4 through 7 and 3 through 7, respectively.

    Soil Fertility

    • Soil fertility is the foundation for a healthy lawn. Professional turf grass managers and home gardeners are reducing their use of synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides and weed blocks and increasingly turning to natural ways to boost soil fertility. Healthy soil grows healthy grass. Weeds, disease, insect problems and poor grass growth are often signs of deficient soil fertility. The nutrients most needed in soil -- macronutrients -- are carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur. Oxygen and hydrogen are the essential nutrients available in water and air. Micronutrients needed include iron, manganese, zinc, boron, copper, molybdenum and chlorine. Organic matter in the soil encourages and supports a large variety of organisms that cycle these nutrients into the turf grass.

    Increase Soil Bacteria

    • Carbohydrates and proteins feed soil bacteria but are not a part of the content of synthetic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers manufactured with vegetable and animal meal contain the carbohydrates necessary to support healthy bacteria-dominated soil. Check the label of commercial organic fertilizers for the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) certification that ensures a chemical-free product. Mature backyard compost made from kitchen scraps, yard trimmings and some animal manures also provides the sugars and starches that feed bacteria for healthy soil. A teaspoon of healthy, fertile soil contains between 100 million and 1 billion bacteria. Bacteria convert plant and animal residues in the soil into forms that can be used by the rest of the organisms that reside in soil. Some bacteria species also help degrade pollutants in soil.

    Build Healthy Soil

    • Soil fertility is built up over several years with the continued addition of organic soil amendments and fertilizers. Use organic material such as mature compost to prepare the area for a new lawn. Organic material added to sandy soil increases moisture retention and nutrient content. The aeration and drainage of clay soils is greatly improved with the addition of organic material. Organic fertilizer with live microorganisms can be applied in the fall after summer growth and again in the spring before the growing season gets started.

Previous:

Next:

Growing Grass
  1. Grass Vs. Turf
  2. Centipede and Fescue Grass: Overseeding Seeds
  3. Turf Grass Diseases & Bad Tilling
  4. Water and Lime on New Grass
  5. Overseeding and Dead Grass
  6. Drought-Tolerant Turf
  7. Fake Grass and Lawns
  8. Turf Grass in the Backyard
  9. Why Turf Grass Needs to Be Fertilized
  10. How to Select Turf Grass
  11. How to Lay Grass Turf
  12. Grass and Turf Pavers

Home Garden © https://www.98905.com