Virginia Turfgrass Journal - September / October 2011

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | September/October 2011

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16 14 Upcoming Event

Sneak Preview – 2012 VTC Conference Educational Program

16 Cover Story

26 Departments 6 Director’s Corner

from Tom Tracy, Ph.D.

8 Editor’s Perspective

from Mark Vaughn, CGCS

The Secrets to Successful Sod Installation

10 VTF Report

22 Feature Story

12 Legislative Update

26 Applied Research

30 Turfgrass Calendar

Can Home Lawns Store Carbon?

Mismanagement in Topdressing Golf Greens

28 Recent Event

VT Field Day in Blacksburg

4 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2011 www.vaturf.org

from Betty Parker from Gil Grattan

30 Index of Advertisers

Director’s Corner

Three Steps to Success

Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director

in 2012 (and Beyond)

Now

is the time to prepare for 2012! Here are three ways you can make sure the upcoming year is profitable.

#1. Block out the week of January 16 for the VTC Turf and Landscape Conference and Tradeshow.

Once again, this event is being held at the Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center.

Your Conference Committee has put together an excellent education program (see page 14 for a preview), and the tradeshow is bigger than ever (and still growing!).

Complete details are posted on a dedicated conference website (www.turfconference. org). Be sure to check out the interactive floor plan on the vendor page; not only do company names appear on mouse-over, but we also added links directly to our vendors’ web pages.

#2. Be ready to contact and educate your legislator about the value of our industry.

Last year, we faced nine bills in the General Assembly that affected your use of fertilizer.

Much of our work in Richmond during January and February was focused on giving key decision-makers the facts about turfgrass. Too often, very well-intentioned legislators make decisions and pass laws that are not based on science.

For the 2012 General Assembly, legislation that focuses on nitrogen will be introduced. The proposed legislation will likely mirror what has already been passed in Maryland and will at least have these three components: (1) limit the amount of nitrogen that can be applied, (2) set a minimum percentage of slow-release nitrogen that must be a part of each application, and (3) establish setbacks that do not allow fertilizer to be applied within ten or fifteen feet of water.

We can send you information that will help give the facts about turfgrass. Remember, the general truth is that the person who has the best information succeeds. Let us make it our goal in 2012 to ensure that the people who make decisions affecting our industry have the very best information.

#3. Join or renew your VTC membership.

Many of you paid ahead and have already renewed for 2012. Thank you! The VTC is a member-based trade association, and we exist to serve our members and advance our trade. The more members we have, the more effective we are at ensuring that the turfgrass industry continues to grow and prosper. You can renew or join online at the membership page of our website (vaturf.org).

Yes, 2012 is coming. While we cannot predict the future, we do know that taking certain steps places people in a position to succeed. Take those steps by coming to the conference, contacting your legislator and making sure your membership is current. c 6 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2011 www.vaturf.org

Editor’s Perspective

The Joy Still

Outweighs

the Pain

Mark Vaughn, CGCS Virginia Turfgrass Journal Editor

“The

mass of men,” wrote Henry David Thoreau, “lead lives of quiet desperation.” “By a seeming fate, commonly called necessity, they are employed,” as an old book says, “laying up treasures which moth and rust will corrupt and thieves break through and steal.

It is a fool’s life, as they will find when they get to the end of it, if not before.” Now before you start thinking I’ve retreated to a woodsy cabin, hanging out with the likes of Euell Gibbons, gnawing on hickory nuts, with quill and paper in hand (although this thought process actually did start back at a cabin in the woods the day before a Virginia Turfgrass Association meeting at Primland Resort — check it out at Primland.com — but with a beverage in my hand), indulge me for a few paragraphs.

When I returned home from that overnight stay, I had an email message from one of my good friends about his recently graduated son. This young man had gone to Virginia Tech, as most do, a little unsure about life and not really knowing what career path to choose. He seemed fairly quiet and reserved (although I am sure he was not this way around his peers), certainly not the kind of person who would be comfortable on a stage, bass guitar in hand. Oh, and prior to his college days, he had never laid a hand on a musical instrument. The email was an update on the current U.S. leg of the band’s tour, before they start on their second trip to Europe. The professional banker part of my friend is “cautiously optimistic,” but the little boy inside of him has to be screaming YEAH!!!

This flashed me back to conversations I’ve had with veteran superintendents (translation: 50+ years of age) over the past few months. “How’s it going? You feeling any pressure? Membership holding up okay?” And then… the Mike Wallace “60 Minutes” deer-in-the-headlights zinger: “So, when young people show an interest in this business, what do you tell them?” Or, “If you had to do it all over again…”

The first response is usually (and I plead guilty, your honor), “Well, it ain’t the same business it was X number of years ago.” Then, we wax poetically about the good ol’ carefree days of bliss when golfers slept in the parking lot waiting for the first tee time; clubs had waiting lists for memberships; going to the local association meeting, playing golf AND staying for dinner was a given; new regulations weren’t coming out on a monthly basis; and the green industry was actually considered by most folks to be environmentally enhancing and not “demon rum.” All true, yes, but I have to remind myself that those were also the days of inferior irrigation systems, ancient equipment, very small staffs, limited pesticide options with some pretty low LD50’s, low salaries and few benefits.

And, then, the final question I ask of others and myself is, “So, does the joy still outweigh the pain? Do you still look forward to seeing the sunrise over a coating of dew most mornings? Is there another profession out there that would make you deep six this one tomorrow?”

There’s one thing for sure. We didn’t pursue a “normal” degree for a “generic” career. Some snicker at what we do, but to many, there is something almost mystical about what we create every day. We’re not sitting in a cubicle or mindlessly toiling on an assembly line. We almost certainly will not end up with the most toys, but to old Henry David, that isn’t the point anyway. And when you really, really think about it, like my good friend’s son, we are definitely not living lives of quiet desperation. c

8 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2011 www.vaturf.org

Virginia Turfgrass Journal is the official publication of The Virginia Turfgrass Council P.O. Box 5989 Virginia Beach, VA 23471 Office: (757) 464-1004 Fax: (757) 282-2693 vaturf@verizon.net Published by Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedgecommunications.com Editor Mark Vaughn, CGCS

VTC OFFICERS President Melissa Reynolds Dura Turf Service Corp.

(804) 233-4972 Vice President Frank Flannagan Belmont Golf Course (804) 501-5993 Treasurer Brian Vincel, CGCS Spring Creek Golf Club (434) 566-2580 Past President Rick Viancour, CGCS Golden Horseshoe Golf Club (757) 220-7489 VTC DIRECTORS Fred Biggers, CGCS Gil Grattan Vince Henderson Rick Owens, CGCS Marc Petrus Steve Slominski Steve Smith Scott Woodward ­ VTC ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Mike Goatley, Ph.D. (Chair) Shawn Askew, Ph.D. Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D. Erik Ervin, Ph.D. Rajandra Waghray, Ph.D. Rod Youngman, Ph.D. Executive Director/ Director of PROGRAMS Tom Tracy, Ph.D. (757) 681-6065 Virginia Turfgrass Foundation Betty Parker (757) 574-9061

VTF Report

Research Dollars in

ACTION Betty Parker VTF Manager

On

Tuesday, June 28, 2011, more than 140 turf professionals gathered at the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Virginia Beach for its second annual Virginia Tech Turfgrass Field Day. Virginia Tech’s HRAREC staff researchers — Adam Nichols, Matthew Cutulle, Aman Rana, Tommie Taylor and Dan Sykes, led

by Dr. Jeffrey Derr — joined by Dr. Mike Goatley (from Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus) and in cooperation with the VTC, were our hosts for this educational and well-received event.

The morning hours of the program showcased 25 field trials, presented by their investigators. Participants were most thankful for the almost-balmy weather we enjoyed, after the 100-degree scorcher we had for the event’s opening year in 2010.

The snapshots on these two pages feature just some of the research that your donations support. We are proud to be able to help sustain this vital station in an area of the state that offers a vastly different growing region for turfgrass than that in Blacksburg. It is evident by the participation that this is something desired and supported by our turfgrass industry.

Thanks to Jeff Derr, Tom Tracy and all their staff for the hard work that goes into these programs, and in particular, we would like to thank Quali-Pro for providing lunch for this event. c Photos courtesy of Abigail Hall and Betty Parker.

10 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2011 www.vaturf.org

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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Legislative Update

We’re

Working Hard for You!

Gil Grattan VTC Board Member and President of Virginia Green Lawn Care

The

Virginia Turfgrass Council continues to represent you and the turfgrass industry at the state and local levels. The tremendous commitment of time and energy by our members to educate officials about the environmental and economic benefits of the turfgrass industry is really starting to pay off.

Here are some of the examples of our members’ efforts over the last several months: • Several VTC members hosted Senator David Marsden for dinner and golf in Virginia Beach (October 2010).

• Mark Vaughn, editor of this magazine, met with Delegate Danny Marshall in Danville (November 2010).

• Gil Grattan and several other VTC members met with Delegate Bobby Orrock in Spotsylvania (November 2010) • Tom Tracy (our executive director), Sam Coggins and Gil Grattan met with Senator Richard Stuart in Montross (November 2010) • Tom Tracy, Gil Grattan and Scott’s Miracle-Gro representatives met with Delegate Ken Plum in Fairfax (December 2010) • Tom Tracy and Rick Viancour met with Delegate Brenda Pogge in Gloucester (December 2010).

• Tom Tracy and Dave Lawson met with Delegate John Cosgrove and his aide in Chesapeake (May 2011).

• Tom Tracy met with Delegate Ron Villanueva’s aide in Virginia Beach (May 2011).

• Frank Flannagan and Gil Grattan played golf with Delegate Betsy Carr at the Virginia Agribusiness Council Legislative Golf Tournament (June 2011).

• Dr. Jeff Derr and Adam Nichols (researchers at Virginia Tech) gave Delegate Cosgrove and his aide personalized tours of turfgrass research being conducted at the Hampton Roads AREC (June 2011).

In addition to the specific visits listed above, the VTC has used various means to interact with and educate members of the General Assembly. These included: • Eight members of the VTC distributed five-pound bags of seed, plus literature about the value of turfgrass, to each member of the General Assembly (February 2011).

• All members of the General Assembly who are within a two-hour drive of the Hampton Roads AREC were sent a personal invitation to attend the Turfgrass Field Day (May 2011).

• All members of the General Assembly are on the mailing list to receive our bi-monthly Journal.

In summary, the Virginia Turfgrass Council is focused not only on education but also on advancing the turfgrass industry, and we have been actively spreading information about the good work of turfgrass professionals and the benefits of quality turfgrass. If you would like to help in contacting (or if you know of) someone in a local or state office, please contact Tom or Gil for marketing materials and assistance.

The more individuals we are able to contact, the easier it becomes when our industry faces legislative challenges. c

12 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2011 www.vaturf.org

Upcoming Event

Sneak Preview of the VTC’s

52nd Annual TURF & LANDSCAPE CONFERENCE AND TRADESHOW January 16–19, 2012 • Fredericksburg, VA • Fredericksburg Conference & Expo Center MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2012 Weed Management, Plant Growth Regulators and More 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Class Sponsored by the Old Dominion Golf Course Superintendents Association

TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012 Morning Seminars 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Take your pick of topics for each Session.

Session One 8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. valuation of Fungi and E Nematodes Against Masked Chafer Grubs Shaohui Wu, Virginia Tech Disease Control in Cool- Season Sports-Field Turf Steve McDonald,

Turfgrass Disease Solutions Government Relations Tom Delaney, PLANET eeded Warm-Season Grasses S Research Update Adam Nichols, Virginia Tech

Session Two 9:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. sing Growing Degree Days U to Schedule PGR Applications on Bermudagrass Erik Ervin, Ph.D., Virginia Tech Utilization of Remote Sensing for Precision Turf Management David McCall, Virginia Tech Weed Control Updates by Virginia Tech Grad Students Angela Post, Adam Smith and Michael Cox, Virginia Tech he Latest on Selective T Poa annua And Poa trivialis Control with the Experimental Herbicide Methiozolin Shawn Askew, Ph.D., Virginia Tech Session Three 10:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. ew Herbicides for Weed N Management in Turfgrass Fred Yelverton, Ph.D., NC State anagement of Fine-Leaf M Fescues for Secondary Roughs Steve McDonald, Turfgrass Disease Solutions overnment Relations G Tom Delaney, PLANET The Entrepreneurial Equation Kyle Richardson, Edward Jones Co. Session Four 11:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. sing Plant Growth Regulators U to Manage Turfgrass Fred Yelverton, Ph.D., NC State

14 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2011 www.vaturf.org

Poa Management, the Irish Way Erik Ervin, Ph.D., Virginia Tech Postemergence Crabgrass and Goosegrass Control in Bermudagrass Shawn Askew, Ph.D., Virginia Tech nvironmental Aspects of Turf E Fertilization: Facts and Fiction Tom Turner, Ph.D.,

Univ. of Maryland LuNCH (on your own) 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

TRADESHOW 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

VTC SOcial Hour 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Informal Year in Review and recognition of scholarship winners.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2012 Fellowship breakfast 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

TRADESHOW & Lunch 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

VTC ANNUAL MEETING and general session 1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. concurrent educational tracks 2:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Upcoming Event continued

Golf Track OSHA Update on Workforce Safety 2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Water-Quality Monitoring 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Stephen Schoenholtz, Virginia Tech Fine-Tuning Your Foliar Nutrition Program 3:00 p.m. – 3:50 p.m.

Roch Gaussoin, Ph.D.,

University of Nebraska 2011: The Year in Review 4:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Darin Bevard, Keith Happ and Stan Zontek, USGA Sports Track Fine-Tuning Your Foliar Nutrition Program 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Roch Gaussoin, Ph.D.,

University of Nebraska

ith New Sod Options Come W New Disease Problems: What to Expect and How to Manage 4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

David McCall, Virginia Tech Lawn/Landscape Track erennial Grass Control: P What Are the Options?

2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Jeff Derr, Ph.D., Virginia Tech The Entrepreneurial Equation 2:50 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

Kyle Richardson, Edward Jones Co. Are You Ready for Growth?

3:45 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Bruce Sheppard, Weed Man SHA Update on O Workplace Safety 4:30 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2011 PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Robert Barksdale, RBB Sales and Consulting PESTICIDE CERTIFICATION TRAINING FOR CORE EXAM 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon Karen Carter, VA Coop. Extension CERTIFICATION EXAM (CORE, 3A and 3B) 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Must have written approval from VDACS to take the exam.

CONFERENCE ADJOURNS

Managing White Grubs 2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Rod Youngman, Ph.D.,

Virginia Tech Warm-Season Turfgrass Research Update 3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

Mike Goatley, Ph.D., Virginia Tech Gly-Ryes 4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Doug Brede, Ph.D., Jacklin Seed Sod Track Research Overview of Organic Products for Sod Production 2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Tom Turner, Ph.D.,

Univ. of Maryland Sod Multi-Cropping 2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Doug Brede, Ph.D., Jacklin Seed Controlling Sweet Vernalgrass and Other Troublesome Weeds in Sod and Lawns 3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

Shawn Askew, Ph.D., Virginia Tech Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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Cover Story

By Liz Nutter, Managing Editor, Leading Edge Communications (publisher of the Virginia Turfgrass Journal)

Ok,

an upfront confession is warranted here: the word “secrets” (in the headline above) is a bit misleading. In truth, a successful sod installation primarily entails just a bit of knowledge about how turfgrass grows and a healthy dose of common sense, according to Louis Brooking, president of Brookmeade Sod Farm (in Doswell, VA). Brooking is a past president of both the VTC (2002–2003) and Turfgrass Producers International (1998).

Unfortunately, however, even knowledgeable, sensible turfgrass professionals sometimes cut corners in the process of properly installing sod, which frequently results in a weak — or dead — stand of grass and unhappy clients. Granted, some of the steps in the process may not be practical in every situation, but whenever possible, they should all be followed closely to give new sod its best chance to fulfill its potential and purpose.

Sod 101

Sod is typically harvested and sold in three ways — by the small roll (18” wide by 81” long), by the big roll (42" wide and as long as 90') or in small slabs stacked on pallets. Although the Brookmeade crews will use the

farm’s big-roll harvester for large installation projects (such as athletic fields, golf courses or commercial sites), the company harvests its products primarily in small rolls.

“We sell most of our sod for residential lawns, and we install the great majority of it ourselves, since landscapers are not as geared up to do so as efficiently as we are,” says Brooking, “and my guys prefer small rolls instead of slabs. Yes, the rolls are heavier than slabs, but they cover a larger area at one time, and my guys just don’t like walking back and forth from the pallet as often as slabs require.”

When sod is harvested, the great majority of the turf’s roots are cut off and left at the farm, especially if the sod is thin-cut (with only about 3/4" of soil and root zone accompanying the aboveground grass). But, that’s actually best for the sod, Brooking says.

“If you cut the sod thin, the grass will put out a thicker root system faster than if you cut the sod thick,” Brooking points out. “With thick-cut sod, you have more soil there, which doesn’t give the roots much incentive to push down into the new soil.”

In essence, sod will work only as hard as it has to.

Thicker-cut sod will primarily “live within itself” — the roots are happy to stay in the old soil until all the nutri-

16 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2011 www.vaturf.org

ents are used up (which can take a year or more). Thincut sod, on the other hand, has less of a self-contained habitat, so the grass plants are forced to go to work; they simply must send roots down into the new soil or the sod won’t survive. That’s why Brookmeade harvests and installs primarily thin-cut sod, which establishes faster and more deeply, giving it a better chance of surviving and thriving.

The best time to install sod depends on the species of grass selected. Cool-season grasses — such as fescues and bluegrasses — grow best in fall and spring, and that’s ideally when they should be installed. “The best time to install a cool-season grass is in fall or even early winter, when it has several months to grow deep roots before the heat and drought of the next summer,” Brooking says. “If you install it in the middle of summer when temperatures are in the nineties, you may have to water it two or even three times a day just to keep it alive. It’s best to install it when the weather is cool.”

The opposite is true with zoysiagrass and bermudagrass, which both like heat and establish most successfully in spring and summer. “We usually stop our sales of the warm-season grasses around the first of October because they won’t root in cold weather,” he points out. “If you

install bermuda or zoysia sod in the winter when the grass is dormant, it will just lie there and won’t establish until warm weather returns. Until then, it’s vulnerable to being pulled up or washed away.”

SITE PREPARATION » Start with bare soil.

First of all, sod must be put down on top of bare ground — for the roots to develop, you need good sod-to-soil contact. So, if you’re planning to sod over an existing lawn, you must first eliminate any plant growth (grass and/or weeds) already there, with a nonselective herbicide.

» Perform proper grading.

If you’re working at a new site, such as a recently built new home with no lawn, however, the first step is getting a true, level grade. The grade that you put the sod down on is the grade that will still be there, long after you’re gone. Rolling the sod after installation will not change the grade. “If you have a high spot in the yard, and we roll the new sod, you’ll still have a high spot — it’s Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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continued Cover Story

just that everything is now a bit lower,” Brooking points out. “Rolling will not correct problems in the grade.”

» Get a soil test.

The next step, Brooking recommends, is to send a soil sample to a lab for analysis. Most labs will provide recommendations based on any deficiencies, and then you can add whatever nutrients and amendments are needed to improve the fertility and soil pH. “Most lawns in Virginia need lime,” he says. “Low soil pH ties up nutrients to where the plant can’t use them, and lime neutralizes the soil particles’ ability to bind up the nutrients. You need a soil test, though, to determine how much lime the lawn needs. Fall is the best time to apply lime, or you can apply it in early spring.”

» Loosen the soil.

Then, it’s time to loosen the soil with a rototiller to reduce compaction, especially from the grading process.

That’s also an ideal way to incorporate any recommended fertilizer and amendments into the top several inches of soil. Even the best, most beautiful sod, from the most reputable grower in the business, simply won’t grow on bad soil.

“The more improvements you make to that soil before the sod is installed, the better quality of lawn you’ll have in the future,” Brooking says. “When we first install the sod, it’s thick and healthy, and it looks great. But, after about a year, it will end up reflecting the quality of the soil you’ve put it down on. If that soil is packed hard or has no nutrients in it, the sod will thin out.”

Unfortunately, he points out, at most new-home sites, the builder doesn’t even put down topsoil, much less fertilizer and amendments. “The builder just slaps the sod down and hopes it looks good until the house sells, and then it’s up to the homeowner to keep the nutrients up,” Brooking says. “But if it were my house, I’d want the amendments and fertilizer put into the soil before the sod was installed.”

Also, if an in-ground irrigation system will be installed, this should be done after the ground has been loosened, but before the final surface is prepped. And, if the sod is to be installed in summer, make sure the irrigation system works, before the sod arrives. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve arrived at a jobsite, only to find that the irrigation system doesn’t work,” says Brooking. “If it’s summertime, then you’re in real trouble because, within three or four hours, the sod is already wilted.”

» Smooth the surface.

After tilling the soil, remove any debris from the surface that could interfere with root growth and water movement, such as rocks, large dirt clods, construction scraps, stumps and sticks. Then, perform a final grading to smooth the surface. Ideally, whenever possible, this step should be done by hand with a rake; running a drag behind a tractor will significantly compact the newly loosened ground.

» Moisten the site before the sod is delivered.

Most experts say that the soil should be moist, but not saturated, when the sod is laid. A day or two before the sod is delivered, lightly water the soil to provide an inviting foundation for the new sod.

Brooking cautions, though, against over-applying the water. “Too often, if we tell someone to ‘irrigate’ the site first, we’ll get there, and it’s a muddy mess,” he says. “You can’t lay sod without walking on top of the soil, and footprints on soggy ground will stay there for a long time. Instead, we tell them to just moisten the top area of the soil.”

INSTALLATION TIPS » Install the sod immediately after delivery.

One thing all sod growers agree on is that sod should never be ordered or delivered until the site/soil preparation has been completed, since sod should be installed as soon as possible after it arrives at the site.

The longer the sod sits on a pallet, the more it will deteriorate, particularly in hot weather. The natural activity of microorganisms that live in the soil harvested with the sod creates heat, and that heat cannot escape when the turf is stacked or rolled.

“If the sod is cut when it’s cold outside, it will last up to a week before you absolutely must install it. But, 18 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2011 www.vaturf.org

Cover Story continued

if it’s cut in the heat of summer, it will last only a day,” Brooking comments. “Typically, our coordinator, who works with the customer, will go by the site before we harvest the sod, to make sure everything’s ready for us.

Occasionally, we’ll get there and a thunderstorm will blow up and prevent us from installing, so our guys bring the sod back to the farm and unroll it out flat so that it doesn’t heat up.”

or sloppy seams between the edges. Just about every site’s soil is filled with weed seeds, and if you leave any bare soil (even just cracks between sod pieces), those seeds will come up. With sod that’s properly installed — with all the edges butted tightly against each other — there’s no opportunity for weed seeds to germinate and pop up through the seams.

» Work from back to front.

» Irrigate as you go.

So, where do you start with installation? “The easiest way is to find a long, straight edge and work off of that,” says Brooking. “More importantly, though, we always start at the back and work our way forward. So, if we’re doing both the front and back yards of a lawn, we’ll start with the back. Or if we’re doing only the front yard, we’ll start closest to the house and work our way down toward the street. You don’t want to have to repeatedly walk over sod that you’ve just put down, in order to get to the next bare spot.”

» Butt the edges tightly.

One of the biggest mistakes that non-professionals make when installing sod themselves is leaving loose

Sometimes, waiting to irrigate at the end of the installation is too long — the sod you laid first may be wilted (or, worse, crunchy) by then. “On a sunny day, when temperatures are in the 90s and we’re installing sod on a large lawn, we’ll do it by irrigation zone,” Brooking says. “The guys will get there and turn on the sprinklers to find zone 1, and they’ll lay that area first. Then they’ll turn on that irrigation zone — they won’t wait until they’re finished with the entire lawn before they start watering the sod.

For smaller jobs, we recommend that someone just water the sod with a hose, as you’re putting it down.

Then, after the installation is complete, turn on the irrigation system.”

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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» Install down a slope.

On a slope, installers often wonder whether it’s better to lay the sod across the slope or up and down the hillside. “That’s a big debate,” Brooking concedes. “Every sod installer has his own opinion. Mine is to install going down the slope.

I’ve never seen water wash properly pegged sod down. However, if the sod has been laid across a slope, I have seen it sag down across the middle. For the same reason, you don’t hang wallpaper across the wall — you lay it in strips from the ceiling down. A lot of books and even other installers will say to go across the slope — my theory is that they haven’t laid a lot of sod.”

POST-INSTALLATION » Water, water, water.

“The secret is that, after you install sod, totally get the surface wet,” Brooking advises. “We recommend that you saturate the site as soon as you put the sod down — you don’t want puddles on the grass, but when you step on it, you want the grass to feel squishy where you can see water around your foot. Also, lift up a corner of the sod and check to make sure that the water goes all the way through to the soil underneath.”

After that, it’s a matter of watching the sky, he says. “If it’s a cloudy day, you don’t need to water as much, but if the day is hot and sunny, you’ll need to water more — you just don’t want to let the sod completely dry out,” he says. “Our South Anna tall fescue blend will root in about two weeks, if you keep it properly irrigated and the weather is not extreme. You then need to make sure it gets water at least twice a week, since those root systems are still new and somewhat vulnerable for about three months, until they’re settled deeply into the underlying soil.”

20 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2011 www.vaturf.org

» To roll or not to roll?

Although some sod installers recommend rolling the sod immediately after it’s laid, to eliminate air pockets and to push the sod down onto the soil (to establish good contact for rooting), Brooking generally disagrees. “If the grading and installation were done correctly,” he says, “water will be sufficient to settle the sod down onto the soil, without compacting it like a roller can.”

AFTER-CARE TIPS » Mowing Brooking says you can start mowing the new sod — high — within about a week of installation. “With tall fescue, the key word is tall,” he points out. “The grass should be three to four inches tall. In the fall, if you want to cut it lower, you can do that, since it will continue to grow — it’s a cool-season grass. But in the summertime, new cool-season sod will not survive a short mowing.”

» Fertilize As Brooking points out, “You can tell, when driving down a street, which lawns are fertilized and which aren’t.

Grass is a living product, and it needs to be fed, or it will get thin. The better the amendments and nutrients you put in the soil, the longer the sod will last and look great. Then, if you keep feeding it, it will last indefinitely.”

About Brookmeade Sod Farm

The main type of turfgrass that Brookmeade Sod Farm grows and sells is its own South Anna tall fescue, which is a proprietary blend of three improved cultivars of tall fescue.

Although most of its South Anna sod is installed on home lawns and commercial areas, Brookmeade also grows, sells and installs some warmseason grasses — primarily zoysiagrass for residential use and bermudagrass for sports fields and golf courses. c

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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Feature Story

By Gina Zirkle, M.S. in Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University

With

the ongoing buzz of global warming and the talk surrounding regulations of greenhouse gas emissions, increasing emphasis is being placed on ways to reduce our carbon emissions and ways to capture and store carbon from the atmosphere. Lawns are a permanent ground cover, with an active growth cycle and extensive root systems, and they are often considered as a valuable carbon-storage resource. Despite concerns over the carbon costs (carbon emissions) associated with lawn-maintenance activities (such as mowing, fertilization, irrigation and pest control), the quantified data in this area is very limited.

To determine the net carbon-capture benefit and/or cost associated with lawns, we developed a basic model to identify the potential for carbon storage (or sequestration) in home lawns within the United States. This model compared the carbon accumulated by turfgrass to the energy associated with homeowner lawn-maintenance practices or carbon costs.

The formula to calculate total carbon sequestration was as follows: Carbon Accumulation – Carbon Costs = Total Carbon Stored

22 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2011 www.vaturf.org

Carbon accumulation

All green plants, including grasses, use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. In addition to capturing carbon from the atmosphere, grasses are very efficient at storing carbon dioxide in the soil. Since a lawn is a permanent ground cover with an extensive root system that is continually breaking down and regenerating, lawns are able to accumulate carbon (which makes up soil organic matter), and this is essential in the development of a healthy soil structure. It improves numerous soil processes and properties, including plant-available

Feature Story continued

water and nutrient-holding capacities, runoff and erosion reduction, and filtering of pollutants.

A wide range of carbon accumulation rates from peer-reviewed scientific literature was employed as model inputs. These rates covered grasses found across all regions of the U.S and included both warmand cool-season grass species.

Management inputs

A review of homeowner lawnmaintenance practices and consumer product-use patterns supplied

by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company was the basis for the development of management scenarios in this model. The following statistics are national, with minor variations across individual states: Of the estimated 80 million home lawns in the U.S.: • Lawns are mown an average of once a week during the active growing season.

• Approximately 50%, or 40 million homeowners, fertilize their lawns.

• 30 million homeowners fertilize once or twice a year (1 to 2 lbs. nitrogen/1,000 ft2).

• 10 million homeowners follow university best management practices (BMPs) or hire a lawn service.

Lawns were divided into three categories to mimic a low- to highmanagement scenario summarized in Table 1. The categories included minimal input (MI), do-it-yourself (DIY) and university BMPs (best management practices for highactivity turf). Minimal input is limited to only mowing, with no fertilization, pesticide or irrigation practices performed on the lawn. The DIY category was based on homeowners’ average lawn-maintenance practices (one to two feedings per year, with minimal supplemental irrigation) previously described. The majority of home lawns are maintained under minimum and low-input scenarios.

The university BMP recommendations

Table 1. Summary of parameters, data and assumptions used in the model development.

Lawns Category

# of Mowings Lawns per Year1 (millions)

MI

DIY

BMPs

40

30

10

28

28

28

# of Irrigated Lawns (millions)

Fertilizer Use

Pesticide Use

None

None

None

3 – 4.5 (10% – 15%)

1 million tons sold/year (The Scotts MiracleGro Co., 2006) • 299,000 lbs. nitrogen • 300,000 lbs. phosphorus • 400,000 lbs. potassium

EPA reported pesticide use estimations in tons/year (U.S. EPA, 2004): • 6,504 tons herbicide • 1,543 tons insecticide

10

Industry-standard recommendations in lbs./acre/year • 131 – 223 lbs. nitrogen • 27 – 45 lbs. phosphorus • 54 – 89 lbs. potassium

Industry-standard recommendations in lbs./acre/year • 1 pre-emergent herbicide at 1.58 lbs.

• 1 post-emergence herbicide combo at 2.27 lbs.

• 1 insect control at 0.08 lb.

Table 2. Carbon equivalents for management practices.

Management Practice

Carbon Equivalent (CE)

Mowing

1.8 lbs. CE per lb. gasoline

Fertilizer

2.0 to 4.0 lbs. CE per lb. nitrogen 0.2 to 0.7 lbs. CE per lb. phosphorus 0.2 to 0.4 lbs. CE per lb. potassium

Irrigation

14.5 lbs. CE per acre per year

Pesticides

3.7 to 27.7 lbs. CE per lb. herbicide 2.6 to 17.8 lbs. CE per lb. insecticide

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continued Feature Story

were used as a high-management scenario. Mowing, irrigation and pesticide-use data were compiled from available literature.

Carbon costs

Every lawn-management practice uses energy that can be converted to a carbon cost. The carbon costs for turfgrass operations are not well documented, so farmoperation energy conversions were used. In terms of the gas used to operate mowers, electricity to run irrigation, and fertilizer and pesticide production and transportation, these conversions should be similar to maintenance practices carried out in a homelawn situation (see Table 2).

The highest carbon cost associated with lawn-management practices was irrigation, due to the energy required to pump the water. However, only 10% to 20% of home lawns are supplemented with irrigation. This makes sense when you look at a precipitation map of the U.S. Over half of the U.S. receives enough rainfall in a given year to support grass growth. The other half may require supplemental irrigation depending on regional climate conditions.

Carbon stored

Any management activity that increases plant growth can increase carbon storage; therefore, maintaining a healthy lawn can significantly influence carbon storage. Mowing high, returning clippings, fertilizing and conservative watering can actually increase the ability of a lawn to store carbon.

Overall, a healthy lawn can sequester as much as 300 lbs. carbon/year or 1,500 lbs. carbon/acre/year. This is more than the carbon stored by conventional agricultural and is comparable to the carbon stored in prairie land from the Conservation Reserve Program and some of the natural forested areas across the U.S. If you compare that to car fuel emissions, one average-size lawn can capture enough carbon to offset driving a standard-sized car 3,000

miles per year. It may not sound like much, but when you look at the estimated 40 million acres of turfgrass in the U.S., every little bit of grass can make a difference.

Golf courses have been documented to store 892 lbs. carbon/ acre/year in Colorado, and farmland converted to golf courses stores 2,230–3,211 lbs. carbon/acre/ year in Ohio. The high rate in Ohio is most likely due to the grass supplying a permanent ground cover to the previously tilled farm soil, as well as fertilizer and irrigation management of the course.

Research has been done to compare fertilized fine fescue (irrigated and non-irrigated), Kentucky bluegrass (irrigated) and creeping bentgrass (irrigated) for differences in carbon-accumulation rates. Irrigated fine fescue sequestered the most carbon at 2,989 lbs. carbon/ acre/year, while the sequestered carbon from non-irrigated fine fescue, Kentucky bluegrass and creeping bentgrass were 1,240, 1,829 and 1,543 lbs. carbon/acre/ year (respectively). All turfgrass species were found to exhibit significant amounts of carbon accumulation over the four-year research period.

With all of this said, carbon storage does not accumulate indefinitely.

Soils have a saturation point, but soils can take hundreds of years to reach this point in a turfgrass system. Saturation first occurs in the topsoil and then gradually accumulates into the layers below.

Conclusions

So what does all this mean for the turf industry and the reduction of greenhouse gases? It means that turfgrass is a valuable resource and that lawns can play a role in removing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it for extended periods of time. Efficient fertility and management practices optimize the net carbon benefit.

Turf is a good and valued resource for sequestering carbon.

There was a net positive in carbon storing under all lawn-management

24 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2011 www.vaturf.org

scenarios investigated, from lowmaintenance lawns with minimal activity to highly managed lawns used in high-activity areas.

Carbon storage can be maximized with the maintenance of healthy turf with a dense root system. Annual feeding (approx 2 lbs. nitrogen/month during the growing season), mulching grass clippings and minimizing supplemental irrigation help to maximize turf as a carbon sink.

This means that turfgrass is not a carbon-intensive landscape, nor is it a major source of carbon. In fact, managing grass with the appropriate amount of fertilizer and irrigation can actually increase the amount of carbon stored. Since the concepts of carbon credits and carbon trading are not being regulated in the U.S., carbon sequestration is an additional benefit of turfgrass that we can continue to promote.

About the author

Gina Zirkle graduated from Ohio State University in 2004 with a bachelor of science degree in Plant Health Management. Following graduation, she was hired by The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company as a research specialist in the research and development department, working on agronomic new-product development for all of the Scotts Miracle-Gro products. In 2008, she continued her education sponsored by Scotts and graduated from OSU in March 2010 with a master of science degree in Environment and Natural Resources, focusing on carbon sequestration in home lawns.

After graduation, Gina accepted a new position within the Scott’s Miracle-Gro Company as a scientist in the environmental stewardship department and is responsible for building outreach and education initiatives with non-governmental environmental stakeholder groups, as well as federal, state and local departments, and academia. In this role, she also provides data, analysis and support for federal and state legislative activities. c

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Applied Research better to apply light (one-third to three-quarters cubic yard per 5,000 square feet) and more frequent applications of topdressing.

A light, frequent program avoids thatch/topdressing layers and results in less membership inconvenience (from debris and topdressing material that does not work down into the surface). Further, with the everincreasing usage of straight sand or high-sand-content topdressing materials, there is sometimes the temptation to topdress heavier to more rapidly build up a sandier rootzone. Resist this temptation!

Light dustings of high-sand-content products on a frequent basis is the proper procedure to follow. If you deviate from this program, mismanagement problems can occur.

Mismanagement

in Topdressing Golf Greens

By Stanley J. Zontek, Director, Mid-Atlantic Region, USGA Green Section

In

today’s management scheme, topdressing on the golf course is an extremely important program for turfgrass maintenance and player enjoyment. The vast majority of golf greens we see in our travels as agronomists for the U.S. Golf Association Green Section that are smooth, relatively fast, firm (not hard) and true putting surfaces are those on courses that utilize a good topdressing program. Therefore, a good topdressing program is an opportunity to properly manage high-quality putting green turf for the golfer.

As with most everything, however, there is always the possibility of problems arising, unless an agronomically sound program is followed. There basically are three areas where a topdressing program can be mismanaged. These opportunities for error are (1) the rate of application,

(2) timing of the application and (3) the materials used for topdressing the greens. Each area, if not understood and planned properly, can result in a program that, in the short term, can give less-than-desired results and, in the long term, can cause major turfgrass management problems.

Rate of application

Heavy, infrequent applications of topdressing offer, by far, the greatest chance for membership inconvenience and turfgrass management problems. Many years ago, it was a common practice to heavily topdress greens in the early spring and the late fall. Under certain circumstances (protection against winter desiccation, soil modification, seedbed preparation, etc.), heavy topdressings still have their place.

As a general rule, though, it is far

26 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2011 www.vaturf.org

Timing of application

As mentioned above, improper timing can cause problems with a topdressing program. We have seen a number of times where topdressing bentgrass/Poa annua greens with straight sand during hot weather results in increased (and, sometimes, uncontrolled) Poa annua wilt. It only makes sense that high sand, especially if it is applied heavily when hot, will absorb heat much like sand at the beach, and the grass will suffer.

Once this grass is lost in the summer, it is difficult to bring it back.

So, in managing a topdressing program, especially when using straight sand, look at timing both from the aspect of common-sense turfgrass management and public relations (try to avoid topdressing immediately before a club event!).

The rate and timing of topdressing materials are extremely important.

Topdressing material

Entire turf conferences have been devoted to the subject of what is the best topdressing material to use on golf greens. It is essential that whatever topdressing material you use — be it straight sand, high sand or a sand/soil/peat topdressing — use quality materials and

have them tested. Mismanagement problems are well documented when topdressing greens with poor-quality materials.

Also, soil layers can be readily found if topdressing materials are constantly switched. Thus, decide what material is best for you under your circumstances, and then stay with it. If you are unsure or unsatisfied with your current topdressing material, have it tested and, if appropriate, then switch. It all depends on what type of putting green soils you have now, how these greens are performing and how you would like them to perform in the future.

Of the materials we see used for topdressing, a few points can be made. When using straight sand, the sand should not be too coarse or too fine. Both are bad. Sand size ranges are well established, so when in doubt, have the sand tested and retested periodically as a means of quality control. Also, “hard rock” or silica sands are preferred over calcium-based or calcareous sands, which may have long-term stability problems. Calcium-based sands literally can dissolve with time.

In using high-sand or sand-soilorganic matter materials for topdressing, proper testing is just as important. All too often, we have seen “good looking” topdressings test out to have zero or near-zero water-infiltration rates. Obviously, when applied as a topdressing to a green with even reasonably good internal drainage, this slow-draining topdressing soil can literally seal the upper soil surface, causing serious short and long-term water movement problems.

Various soil-testing laboratories are available to test topdressing materials. So, if you are in doubt, have your topdressing material tested. For the expenditure of a few dollars, solid information and peace of mind can be had.

be modified, turfgrass health can be maintained, and putting surface quality for the golfer can be improved by a good topdressing effort.

As with any program, problems can arise and mismanagement can occur. However, if you know what you want your topdressing program to accomplish, you can select a good material, have it tested and apply it

at the correct time and at the proper rate. The end result can be healthier and more playable putting green turf. For the golf course superintendent, this should be an important goal — well worth the effort involved — in first selecting the proper material and applying it, following established agronomic principles and good common-sense judgment. c

Final thoughts

There are many benefits to a good topdressing program. Poor soils can

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Recent Event

in Blacksburg!

By Tom Tracy, Ph.D., Executive Director, Virginia Turfgrass Council

More

than 100 turf professionals attended the 2011 Turfgrass Field Day held at the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg. The weather was ideal — cool and crisp, with a hint of fall. This annual event is a time for the turfgrass industry to speak with professors to get the latest updates on products and procedures for growing turf. Considering the brutally hot and dry summer most of Virginia experienced, such information is especially valuable.

Activities began with a Tuesday golf tournament sponsored by the Virginia Tech Turf Club students. Monies raised from the tournament enable students to

compete in turf competitions at the national conference.

After the tournament, nearly 100 people attended an early evening question-and-answer session. During this session, turfgrass professionals from across the state gave updates about insect, weed and disease problems they were experiencing.

Professors from Virginia Tech moderated the discussion and were able to provide solutions to many of the problems identified.

The next day was the actual Field Day. It was held in two locations, starting out in the morning at the Glade Road Research Facility. After tours and updates at that centrally located research facility, attendees

28 | Virginia Turfgrass Journal September/October 2011 www.vaturf.org

traveled to the nearby turf farm for lunch and afternoon tours.

This annual educational event is possible only because of the sponsors. Morning coffee, donuts and orange juice were provided by Smith Turf & Irrigation. Lunch under the Dick Schmidt Turfgrass Pavilion was provided by Agrium Advanced Technology and Bayer Environmental Science. Vendor sponsors included STEC Equipment, Pennington Seed, Syngenta and Woodward Turf Farms.

The 2012 Turfgrass Field Day in Blacksburg is scheduled to again be held at the end of next August.

Details will be on the Events page of www.vaturf.org. c

Index of Advertisers

Calendar of Events

Turf Industry Events October 27–29

Green Industry & Equipment Expo Kentucky Exposition Center Louisville, KY

December 12–14

Turfgrass Short Course Charlottesville, VA

December 14–16

Turfgrass Short Course Virginia Beach, VA

January 11–13, 2012

Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show Baltimore Convention Center Baltimore, MD

January 10–14, 2012

February 21, 2012

January 16–19, 2012

February 27 – March 2, 2012

STMA Annual Conference & Exhibition Long Beach Convention Center Long Beach, CA

VTC 52nd Annual Turf & Landscape Conference and Trade Show Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center Fredericksburg, VA

January 19, 2012

Pesticide Recertification Fredericksburg, VA

Pesticide Recertification Turfgrass and Virginia’s Waters Virginia Beach, VA

Golf Industry Show & GCSAA Conference Las Vegas, NV

BASF................. Inside Front Cover www.basf.com Bayer........................... Back Cover www.bayerprocentral.com Buy Sod, Inc............................... 9 www.buysod.com Collins Wharf Sod Farm.......... 23 www.collinswharfsod.com E & S Soil and Peat.................. 27 www.eandssoil.com East Coast Sod & Seed.............. Inside Back Cover www.eastcoastsod.com Egypt Farms, Inc.......................... 20 www.egyptfarms.com Ernst Conservation Seeds......... 21 www.ernstseed.com Fisher & Son Company, Inc........ 25 www.fisherandson.com Harrell’s Custom Fertilizer........... 3 www.harrells.com Kesmac/Brouwer, Inc................. 13 www.kesmac.com Landscape Supply, Inc........... 25 www.landscapesupplyva.com Luck Stone Specialty Products.................. 29 www.luckstone.com Mid Atlantic Sports Turf......... 20 Modern Turf, Inc..................... 30 www.modernturf.com Oakwood Sod Farm, Inc......... 21 www.oakwoodsod.com Quali-Pro.................................... 5 www.quali-pro.com RBB Sales & Consulting Inc./ Turf Landscape Consultants..... 15 www.rbbturflandscape consultants.com Roxbury Farm & Garden Center............................ 27 www.roxburyfarmgarden.com Southern States Cooperative.... 19 www.southernstates.com The Turfgrass Group.................. 7 www.theturfgrassgroup.com Winfield Solutions, LLC................ 9 Wood Bay Turf Technologies.... 29 www.woodbayturftech.com Woodward Turf Farm, Inc.......... 21 www.woodwardturf.com

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