Virginia Turfgrass Journal - May / June 2023

The ONLY TWENTY PLUS, ORIGINS OF TURF

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Protecting Your Ability to do Business

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, Suite 200 Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718

Fax: (615) 794-4524

info@leadingedgecommunications.com

Phil Bailey, CGCS VTC President

Two interesting topics will be covered in this issue of the Virginia Turfgrass Journal. The first is an update from Larry Nichols on the newly offered online Pesticide Certification through the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). The second topic will introduce our industry to the transition to battery powered maintenance equipment.

For several months VDACS has been performing beta tests to streamline pesticide certification online. The beta testing is now over and individuals that wish to take their initial pesticide certification test can now do so online.

A recent Stihl sponsored chainsaw safety class opened my eyes to the advancement of battery-operated equipment in our industry. The production of gaspowered equipment from manufacturers has dropped while battery powered equipment has risen dramatically. Not only have residential equipment sales of battery powered equipment risen, but so have the sales of commercial equipment. More than a dozen new battery powered products from Stihl have been developed for professional gardening, landscape, and tree maintenance. In 2020 Stihl saw an increase of 16.5 percent corporate growth. Stihl expects further sales and revenue from the introduction of numerous new products. “Battery powered products represent the fastest growing market for Stihl at the present time,” stated Martin Schwarz, a Stihl Executive Board Member. Stihl expects the demand for battery powered equipment to rise faster than any other category of equipment produced. With online pesticide certification from VDACS, the advancement of battery powered technology, and the continued scrutiny from concerned communities, you can see the need to have the VTC assist you in protecting your ability to do business. The Virginia Turfgrass Environmental Institute (VTC-EI) showcases your commitment to your community. Whether it be by involvement in community service projects or visiting with decision makers, please consider an additional donation to the VTC-EI. Your continued membership with the VTC demonstrates to legislators the true value of your industry. If you have colleagues that haven’t become a member, please reach out to them, and demonstrate the value of a membership to VTC to ensure your ability to do business.

Your friend in the industry,

Phil Bailey

VTC President

VTC OFFICERS President

Phil Bailey, CGCS

Isle of Wight County Parks & Recreation (757) 572-1981

Vice President

Wes Bray Lawns & Gardens Plus (757) 422-2117

Secretary / Treasurer

Jimmy Viars, CGM

Gloucester County Public Schools (804) 815-2779

VTC DIRECTORS

Sam Burris

Ray Funkhouser

Tony Montgomery

Bruce Sheppard

T.J. Skirsky

Harris Wheeler, CTP

Craig Zeigler

VTC ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

Mike Goatley, Ph.D. (Chair)

Shawn Askew, Ph.D.

Alejandro Del Pozo-Valdiva, Ph.D.

Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D.

David McCall Ph.D.

Dan Sandor, Ph.D.

Cynthia Smith, Ph.D.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS

Tom Tracy, Ph.D. (757) 464-1004

VIRGINIA TURFGRASS FOUNDATION

Brandyn Baty (757) 585-3058

Working for you

Virginia Tech Turf Team

Shawn D. Askew, Ph.D. Virginia Tech

435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-5807 askew@vt.edu

Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director

The manager of a multi-state landscape company told me, “At 8:30 in the morning, one of our employees went online, logged in, paid the fee, and completed the form to take the Registered Technician Examination.”

Her experience gets better: “By 5:00 PM that same day, VDACS* emailed him permission to take the exam. He went online the next day, took the exam, passed it and immediately received a temporary license allowing him to apply pesticides.”

Why should you support the VTC and the VTC Environmental Institute? Reread the above paragraphs. It is direct quote from the manager of a national lawn and landscape company.

Over the past decade we worked diligently to reduce the time required for persons to navigate the pesticide certification process. The procedure, from seeking permission to take the test, to taking the test, to getting results, used to take weeks or months.

It now takes days!

Shortening the wait time, especially lengthy delays at getting permission to take required exams (waiting eight weeks to receive a response from Richmond was average) saves companies thousands of dollars. No longer do they need to pay someone who is hired to apply pesticides but is unable to do so because he or she is in a bureaucratic holding pattern.

Our work with VDACS was not limited to shortening the time required to become certified to apply pesticides. Here are three other major endeavors. One, pesticide examinations are now offered online. Persons can take them in the privacy of their office or home (the DMV and paper options are still available). Two, Registered Technician exams are now offered in Spanish. Let that sink in. Persons whose primary language is Spanish are a significant part of our industry. Offering the test in that language serves them and serves our industry. Three, the VTC is now authorized by VDACS to provide online recertification for Certified Fertilizer Applicators.

Your membership and support allow us to work with regulatory agencies such as VDACS. Our efforts are focused on enabling you, members of the green industry, to conduct business without onerous rules and regulations that are difficult to comprehend and follow.

Tom Tracy, Ph.D.

VTC Executive Director

* Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Alejandro Del Pozo-Valdiva, Ph.D. Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research Station 1444 Diamond Springs Rd. Virginia Beach, VA 23455 757-363-3900 adelpozo@vt.edu

Jeffrey F. Derr, Ph.D. Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Agricultural Research Station 1444 Diamond Springs Rd. Virginia Beach, VA 23455 757-363-3912

jderr@vt.edu

Mike Goatley Jr., Ph.D. Virginia Tech 420 Smyth Hall Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-2951 goatley@vt.edu

David McCall, Ph.D. Virginia Tech 435 Old Glade Road Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-9598 dsmccall@vt.edu

Dan Sandor, Ph.D. Virginia Tech 170 Drillfield Dr. 411 Price Hall Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-9775

dsandor@vt.edu

WITH SUPPORT FROM:

Thomas P. Kuhar, Ph.D. Virginia Tech Dept. of Entomology 216 Price Hall 170 Drillfield Drive Blacksburg, VA 24061 540-231-6129

tkuhar@vt.edu

Director’s Corner

The Virginia Tech Turfgrass Science program is celebrating 50 years of Turfgrass Research as part of their 2023 Turfgrass Field Day in Blacksburg, VA and we are reaching out to industry partners like you to help us commemorate this milestone.

Established in 1972, these 25 acres became the home for our program’s earliest scientists including: Dr. Richard “Dick” Schmidt, Dr. Roy Blaser, John Shoulders, Dr. Houston Couch, Dr. Wayne Bingham, Dr. Jack Hall, and Dr. David Chalmers. Over five decades of field research have supported Virginia’s golf-course superintendents, sports-field managers, sod producers, lawn-care operators and green-industry professionals in becoming more excellent turfgrass managers and better stewards of the Commonwealth’s natural resources. Over the past fifty years, many scientific contributions to the turfgrass science literature were born from these very grounds, and the turfgrass research center continues to serve our faculty, graduate students, and staff as a space to explore new ideas, identify sustainable solutions, and promote research-based best management practices for all areas of the turfgrass industry.

The Turfgrass Research Center continues to be a living asset in fulfilling Virginia Tech’s land-grant mission of research and extension, and also serves as an outdoor classroom in providing experiential-learning opportunities for many young Hokies during the academic year. Students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ School of Plant and Environmental Sciences and the Agricultural Technology program demonstrate and build upon their classroom knowledge through laboratory exercises and gain first-hand experience in operating turfgrass equipment commonly used throughout residential properties and professional turf facilities.

Now, as we look forward to the next 50 years and beyond, we invite you to join us on Tuesday August 29th, to meet our current Turfgrass team and connect with old friends as we look back at our storied past and share our vision for the future, at the 2023 Turfgrass Field Day in Blacksburg!

Save the dates below and thank you for your support of the Virginia Tech Turfgrass Science Program!

Turfgrass Calendar MARK YOUR CALENDAR & SAVE THESE DATES!

JUNE 22, 2023

13th Annual

Hampton Roads AREC

Turfgrass Field Day

Hampton Roads AREC Virginia Beach

DECEMBER

5 – 7, 2023

Lawn and Landscape

Short Course

Belmont Recreation Center Henrico, VA

JANUARY 22 – 25, 2024

Come to the Bay Hampton Roads AREC Virginia Beach

For event updates throughout the year, visit VATURF.ORG

Online SYSTEM UPDATES at VDACS

By Larry Nichols, Director Division of Consumer Protection VDACS

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) is in the process of completing upgrades to the online pesticide system. Recent upgrades include enhancements to the online system which make it more intuitive and user friendly, as well as an expedited process for submitting initial registered technician applications (RT-A form).

The recent upgrades to expedite the approval process for the issuance of the authorization to take the certified applicator exam are for registered technicians only; these upgrades, which are described below, were implemented March 22, 2023, and are designed to allow the prospective applicator to receive the authorization to test the day after their application is successfully submitted.

The agency is currently developing the expedited process for the submission of commercial applicator applications as well as for applications to retest or reinstate expired certificates (i.e., RT-B or CA-B forms); however at the time this article was written (late April), the expedited process for commercial applicators and retesting or reinstating certificates was not yet available.

The expedited process includes the following:

• For online applications, the new expedited process requires that the applicant enter information in all required fields before the application can be submitted for payment processing. Credit card and ACH payments are processed upon submission of the application. The online system will allow application fees to be paid by check and mailed to the agency. Applications for which the fee is paid by check will be processed after receipt of the check and reconciliation of the payment by the Office of Pesticide Services.

• Once the application has been successfully submitted online, the authorization to take the registered technician exam will be emailed to the applicant using the email address associated with the submission of the application. Under normal circumstances:

Authorizations to test will be emailed by the next day to applicants who pay the application fee by credit card or ACH; and

Authorizations to test will be emailed to applicants who pay the application fee by check after receipt of the check and reconciliation of payment by the Office of Pesticide Services.

• Please note that there may be times when the authorization to test emails are not generated as planned. Under these circumstances, Office of Pesticide Services staff will be working with the agency’s IT staff to resolve any problems and issue the authorization to test emails as soon as possible.

Applicants can take the exam once they have received the authorization to test. Applicants who pass their exam will immediately be issued a provisional applicator certificate which lasts for 45 days. During the 45-day period, VDACS will complete a final review of the application and issue the official certificate. It is important that applicators, who have been issued the provisional applicator certificate, monitor their email regularly since VDACS may request clarifying information to complete the review process and issue the official certificate. If VDACS does not receive requested information within the 45 days, the certification will expire, and applicators will not be able to apply pesticides until a new certificate is issued.

Applicants still have the option to submit applications by mail. Paper applications which are submitted to VDACS by mail or delivery service are placed in a queue and processed in the order in which paper applications are received.

VDACS has also established a remote testing option for those who prefer to test at their home or business, rather than testing at a DMV office. VDACS contracted with Everblue for the remote testing option. The remote testing option provides for testing 24 hours per day, seven days per week, with no advance scheduling required. Remote testing requires a computer, webcam, and microphone and there is a $26 online testing fee paid directly to Everblue for each exam taken (this is in addition to the application fee paid to VDACS). The authorization to test that is received from VDACS will include information regarding the remote testing option. In addition, applicants will get an email from Everblue with details about how to take their remote test. Upon completion of the test, applicators will find out immediately if they passed or failed; those passing the exam will receive the provisional applicator certificate.

Applicators may continue to take their exam(s) at DMV or with an approved VDACS proctor. There is no additional fee to take the exam at DMV or with a VDACS proctor. As a reminder, all exams listed on the authorization to test must be taken during one testing session whether at DMV, with a VDACS proctor, or when using Everblue’s online testing system. Please note: the email from Everblue provides information regarding remote testing and is not the notice of authorization to test used at DMV or with a VDACS proctor.

Questions regarding the online system should be directed to the Office of Pesticide Services at opsclrt.vdacs@vdacs.virginia.gov

2023 Landscape / Lawn Short Course

DETAILS

SIGN-UP FORM

The

13th Annual HRAREC Turfgrass Field Day Plus Pesticide Recertification

JUNE 22, 2023

Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center (1444 Diamond Springs Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23455)

PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATIONS OFFERED

Virginia: 3A, 3B, 5A, 6, 8, 10, 60

OPTIONS ( Check One )

VTC Member: Attend Morning Tours and Pesticide Recertification ( Must Attend All Day )

NON VTC Member: Attend Morning Tours and Pesticide Recertification

NON VTC Member: Attend Morning Tours ONLY

SCHEDULE

7:30 Registration

8:00 Morning Tours and Part One of Pesticide Recertification

Noon Lunch

1:00 Part Two of Pesticide Recertification

4:00 End

PRICE ( Check One )

NO CHARGE for VTC Members

$60.00 for Non-VTC Members to Attend Tours and Pesticide Recertification

$85.00 to join the VTC AND to Attend Tours and/or Pesticide Recertification

$25.00 for NON VTC Members to Attend Tours ONLY

Persons Seeking Pesticide Recertification MUST Attend the Entire Day

You may also register and pay online at https://vaturf.org

COME TO THE BAY

Growth Happens Here.

Monday, Jan 22

Buffers are Good Business

Technician Review and Exam

Certified Fertilizer Applicator Recertification and Certification Crew Leadership

Wednesday, Jan 24

Pesticide Recertification Modified Lawn / Landscape Short Course (Day 1 of 2)

Thursday, Jan 25

Modified Lawn / Landscape Short Course (Day 2 of 2)

TWENTY ONLY The

By Wes Bray,

Wes and Paula Bray, owners of Lawns and Gardens Plus, have had great success in establishing and maintaining a plethora of lawns, gardens and landscapes in their 34 years in business. Wes currently serves as Vice President on the VTC Board and has contributed immensely to the success of the VTC-EI through sponsorship of the Come to the Bay service project and other efforts by VTC and VTC-EI.

At this year’s Come to the Bay, Wes shared his knowledge and experience in establishing and maintaining beautiful oceanfront landscapes. The presentation, titled “The Only Twenty” highlighted the limited palette of plants that can be used in landscapes close to or next to the ocean. The “Only Twenty” concept applies not just to Virginia Beach, but also to coastal North Carolina and likely the entire Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland.

Wes explains that while the Virginia shoreline is in the transition zone and technically you can grow anything, you can’t necessarily grow it well. He credits Paula with the business’s success in this area. “We have been in business for 34 years working in the oceanfront area, and most of the beautiful flowers in these pictures are because of her and her efforts. In fact, several of our clients have said ‘Don’t let anything happen to Paula. I can get anyone to cut the grass but there’s only one Paula’.”

Regardless of the source of their success, Wes and Paula, along with their staff, have surely made great contributions to not only the lawn and landscape industry, but to the natural beauty of the Virginia Oceanfront.

Lawns & Gardens Plus

American beach grass provides a great background for the Vitex.

Dune protection provides micro climate that allows the Hydrangea to flourish.

Tall Fescue can tolerate occasional salt spray from NE winds.

The primary and secondary dunes offer great protection from NE winds.

The beauty of the dunes in winter takes focus off the perennial gardens.

Bermuda turfgrass and Elaeagnus would take over the dunes if allowed.

Come springtime, the beauty of the perennial garden is back.

Ornamental grasses thrive and some can become invasive if not managed.

Red Dragon leaf Begonia sheltered from ocean winds are impressive!

Miscanthus grass with Roses and native Phlox.

Bermuda turfgrass is virtually indestructible at oceanfront.

Joe Pye weed is a native that thrives with proper irrigation.

The ONLY 20 PLANT LIST

JUNIPER

Hollywood, Shore, Blue rug

CRAPE MYRTLE

HOLLY

Yaupon, American, Burford

ORNAMENTAL GRASSES

Pampas, Fountain, Miscanthus, Muhly

HYDRANGEA

Paniculata, Macrophylla

EUONYMUS

RIVER BIRCH

PIERIS

INDIAN HAWTHORNE

LIVE OAK

WINDMILL PALM

CAMELLIA

LIGUSTRUM

FATSIA

PITTOSPORUM

ITALIAN CYPRESS

MAGNOLIA

VITEX

ROSE

TURFGRASS

Fescue, Bermuda

ASSORTED PERENNIALS

Lantana, Hemerocallis, Rudbeckia, Daisy, Coneflower, Nepeta ,Hibiscus, Echinacea, Perovskia, Acanthus

“These plants will thrive at the oceanfront if placed in the right cultural environment-- shade, sun, irrigated, non-irrigated, etc.,” Wes says. “Regular maintenance is very important: pruning, trimming, fertilizing, insect controls, removing blown in sand. We schedule monthly maintenance (or more frequent) to monitor conditions.”

Native Muhly grass enhances the landscape at the oceanfront.

Lantana brings the many pollinators to the oceanfront garden.

AN ELECTRIFIED FUTURE?

By Brandon Sheppard, President-Elect, NALP

The electrification of green industry tools has increasingly become a hot topic in the last several years, driven in large part by the spate of legislative and regulatory efforts to mandate a rapid transition or ban the use of gas-powered equipment entirely.

On principle, the lawn and landscape industry has nothing to fear from a responsible transition to zero emissions equipment. If anything, reducing emissions generated through our work further strengthens the powerful environmental ethos that drives our industry. Our industry is responsible for creating and maintaining so many of America’s green spaces. Not only has our work beautified communities from coast to coast, these living, breathing landscapes produce oxygen, sequester carbon, deliver energy savings, help manage stormwater run-off, and contribute significantly to public health (mentally and physically). We are one of the only segments of the economy where the work we perform daily is a legitimate asset to combatting climate change. The risk for our industry lies in the passage of ill-conceived government regulation that would force a transition faster than technology and the energy grid can support.

As the President-Elect of NALP, I would like to share how NALP has been working on your behalf; campaigning for responsible transitions for professionals to adopt zero emission equipment. We recognize that the energy transition is inevitable, but it must be responsibly structured and cannot happen overnight. Significant hurdles surrounding capability, infrastructure, and expense must be addressed.

For example, in Maryland, we engaged directly with Del. Linda Foley (D-15) and secured a victory by getting commercial

landscapers removed from requirements that would have required an expedited shift to zero-emission leaf blowers. We commend Delegate Foley, among others, for attending and listening to field studies and workshops that shared the perspective of the lawn care and landscape industries with this transition in mind. We cannot expect considerations to be made for our industry if we do not first make our presence and perspective known to policymakers who craft and vote on measures that could impact our business operations.

Additionally, it is imperative that we remain engaged even when less-than-favorable legislation is passed. It is no secret that California has been at the forefront of forcing the shift to zeroemission equipment. Despite this fact, NALP has continued to use its relationship with the California Air Resource Board (CARB) to advocate for rebates and tax incentives that help small businesses make the transition in a way that is economically viable.

As mentioned previously, this change cannot happen overnight, and our industry must be given adequate time to phase in zero-emission equipment, which is why we are also imploring California policymakers to delay the ban on gas-powered commercial equipment for an additional two years.

Though NALP and state organizations can coordinate and streamline lobbying, there is no substitute for business owners and landscape professionals who live and operate in the districts where potentially devastating legislation has been introduced engaging with their elected officials. Ultimately, the impact of hearing from their constituents will always outweigh the impact of any outside lobbyist. At the end of the day, legislators are subject to the will of the constituents they serve. Keep in mind, they are certainly hearing from our adversaries; make sure they hear from you.

We challenge you, our fellow stakeholders, to engage with policymakers through any means possible. Letters, phone calls, and scheduling face-to-face meetings with lawmakers and their staff. For too long, our industry has been guilty of believing in two myths: one, that someone else was looking out for our interests, and two, that logic and science would rule the day. We must engage to change this pattern. Plus, the relationships built through consistent outreach cannot be understated. If we don’t tell our story, someone else will.

Landscape professionals and the services we provide are essential to maintaining the residential and recreational spaces that everyone enjoys. While the transition to zero-emission equipment is inevitable, we cannot react to changes as they come. We must meet this transition head-on to ensure that it is done in a responsible and sustainable manner. NALP is a leading voice in ensuring that any legislation or regulation accounts for the impact it will have on our members and our industry. We look forward to remaining engaged and fostering lasting relationships with policymakers and stakeholders alike to move toward a transition to zero-emission equipment that works for everyone.

The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) is the national trade organization representing the $98 billion landscape industry employing over 1.4 million employees in the United States. Member companies specialize in lawn care, landscape maintenance, tree care, irrigation and water management. Landscape professionals throughout the nation work daily performing essential services to homes and businesses to maintain their landscapes, sustain the environment and enhance and maintain healthy and safe green spaces.

ORIGINS of TURFGRASS

By Jay McCurdy Ph.D., Associate Professor, Turfgrass Extension Specialist Department of

Turf consists of a layer of various plants cultivated to form a uniform ground cover, typically one that can tolerate foot traffic and routine mowing. The first known use of the word turf occurs before the 12th century and refers to the “upper stratum of soil bound by grass” (Merriam-Webster, 2022). Objectively, turf only exists in human-maintained systems; however, the species comprising various turf scenarios long predate human interference.

Those turfgrass species most frequently selected for turf scenarios have been subject to environmental pressures (notably, frequent grazing) that have selected for traits that enhance their value as turfgrasses. Valuable traits include color, texture, uniformity, growth habit, and durability under stress. Plant breeding, the introduction of non-native and exotic species, and recurrent selection for desirable traits have led to modern cultivars and varieties of turfgrass that predominate in maintained turf settings such as lawns, sports fields, golf courses, sod farms, and roadside rights-of-way.

Turfgrasses are typically narrow-leaved species of relatively short stature that are somewhat regularly mown at heights of approximately four inches or less (Thompson and Kao-Kniffin, 2017). By convention, all grasses, including turfgrasses, belong to the Poaceae family of monocotyledonous flowering plants. The monocotyledonous (monocot) clade includes grasses and grass-like flowering plants with seeds that contain only one embryonic leaf (also known as a “cotyledon”). Monocots offer few obvious advantages for turf applications, as other flowering plants in the dicotyledonous clade (having two embryonic leaves) also persist under typical mowing heights as weeds or amenity forbs within various turf scenarios.

Not Just Grass

Turfgrasses are broadly classified as cool- or warm-season plants. Cool-season species are the predominant turfgrass species in climates with cold winters and mild summers, as well as adequate soil moisture. Warm-season species predominate in climates with mild winters and hot summers. The overlapping area between the two is termed the transition zone, where cool- and warmseason species grow equally successfully.

Cool-season species have evolved a C3 photosynthetic pathway for carbon fixation. They use an enzyme (called RuBisCO) to fix CO2. That carbon from CO2 forms a three-carbon sugar and then goes on to fuel plant growth and metabolism. Alternatively, warm-season species have evolved a C4 photosynthetic pathway that produces a four-carbon sugar. Plants with the C4 pathway have improved metabolism and a competitive advantage over C3 plants under conditions of drought, high temperatures, and limited nitrogen or CO2

Cool- and warm-season species have different optimal temperatures for growth and metabolism. Warm-season species grow best when temperatures are above approximately 80°F and enter dormancy below their “base growth temperature” of around 50°F. Alternatively, cool-season species grow best when temperatures range from 60–75°F. Cool-season species enter a state of winter dormancy at temperatures below freezing and are often considered dormant during summer conditions that exceed their ideal growing temperatures, especially when soil moisture is limited.

Growth models to predict the suitability and phenology of these species are largely based upon these parameters and estimates.

Turfgrasses, such as the Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass) and perennial ryegrass pictured here, evolved under frequent grazing.

Lawngrass zones of the United States (Freeze, 2022).

Photo Credit: Tim Freeze, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Plant & Soil Sciences Mississippi State University

This is the first article of a multi-part series detailing the origins and future of turfgrass.

There are approximately 40 million acres of turfgrass in the United States (2% of the total U.S. land cover) (Milesi et al. 2005). Several estimates suggest that residential lawns represent roughly 75% of U.S. cultivated turf (an area of approximately 30 million acres) (Roberts and Roberts, 1987; Vinlove and Torla, 1994).

Early Lawns

A lawn is an area of soil-covered land planted with grasses or forbs that are maintained at a short height by mowing or grazing. Lawns may be situated in residential areas or commercial or shared public spaces. The word lawn originates from an ancient Celtic language, possibly Welsh. The Welsh word llan (pronounced ɬan, where ɬ has a slight sh sound), which is often used in compound words to describe a local place named for a saint, such as Llanbedr or St. Peter, has come to mean a cleared or enclosed area of land—perhaps around a church, business, or settlement. The common Brittonic word llan or laun came to mean an enclosure, most likely around a place of worship. Early lawns would have been used for communal gatherings and possibly grazing, although the area would have been distinct from agricultural fields. Lawns would have been composed of mixed grasses and forbs that were endemic to the area.

Lawns are frequently attributed to European origins, but their purposes (e.g., communal gatherings, periodic grazing, aesthetics, etc.) and the ingredients to manage them (low-growing species and a suitable environment) have often coincided throughout global human history. For at least many thousands of years, humans have felled trees, grazed, and gardened their immediate surroundings. This behavior partly arose from the advent of agriculture, but also serves for defense—modern gardeners can easily relate to the struggle to keep deer or rabbits from ravaging gardens. An aesthetic preference for stately grounds certainly would have developed, but could only occur when safety, time, and labor were available. Grazing would have prevented cleared land from reverting to forest, and other, previously intangible benefits of a cultivated lawn would have been noticed.

Though they may not fit neatly within the contemporary definition of a lawn, early examples of maintained open spaces as “yards” or “lawns” are fairly commonplace the world over. They include examples like the plaza between mounds at the Cahokia complex in Illinois, where the stick-and-ball sport chunkey was played 900 years ago, and Japanese gardens that incorporated manicured grasses, mosses, and even trimmed bamboo. While not unique to Europe, most scholars agree that the modern American lawn aesthetic owes much to European origins.

Lawns existed in Europe from the Middle Ages (in the 5th through the 15th century) onward. They were rudimentary by contemporary standards, with very practical purposes—lineof-sight for defense and communication, ease of movement, production of grain crops and vegetables, grazing, and fire prevention. Those early lawns must also have created vistas and an aesthetic that evolved with European civilization.

The European lawn of the 17th and 18th centuries was a demonstration of wealth and power at some of the continent’s finest estates. The palace of Versailles’s tapis vert or green carpet—one of Europe’s first and finest garden lawns—was expanded by

An early push propelled mower with an eight-inch blade width.

Turfgrass has transformed the aesthetic and ecology of the U.S. suburban landscape.

A reconstructed Anglo-Saxon lodging. Lawns would have been places for work, gathering, and grazing.

A traditional hay meadow where human interaction has selected for a complex ecosystem of grasses and forbs that can persist with very few inputs.

André Le Nôtre to two acres in the 1660s. A century later, the lawn had been cemented as an exemplar of Western Europe’s idealized built landscape. The architect Capability Brown refined the English lawn with natural or “romantic” estate settings for wealthy clientele. His landscapes featured smooth, undulating lawns running from “house to horizon,” sometimes with dammed rivers or creeks, serpentine lakes, clumps of vegetation and scatterings of trees, and a visible horizon line. These gardens often used grazed grass lawns or pastures to supplement the perception of scale within the landscape. In some instances, they used lines and texture to deceive the eye—employing concepts like false horizons using “ha-ha walls” or cleared land that sloped uphill and decreased in width as it reached a ridge.

During the late 18th century, wealthy families of the Americas began maintaining lawns. In 1780, a Shaker community near Philadelphia began commercializing lawn seed. Thomas Jefferson is credited with the first English-style garden in the United States, circa 1806.

Mowing Leads to Modern Lawns

Before the advent of mechanical mowers, manicured turfgrass required animal grazing or human-powered scythes. The term “mower” dates to the 14th century, referring to one who cuts grass with a scythe. The term may have multiple origins—Old English mawan and the Greek term amao both mean “to reap a crop.” In 1830, Edward Beard Budding based his mowing machine on a cloth-cutting cylinder used to trim the irregular nap of wool cloth. Thus, modern mowing equipment was born.

The Victorian era’s penchant for sport spurred revolutionary new mower designs to maintain sporting venues for golf, football, lawn bowls, lawn tennis, and cricket. In fact, the term “lawn-tennis” was coined in the 1880s.

Mowing is the most common practice performed on maintained turfgrass and is by most accounts the most important and defining maintenance operation. The obvious purpose of mowing is to reduce the height of the turf, but it also serves other purposes, including the control of undesirable vegetation (i.e., weeds) and the production of a desirable sports surface (e.g., a “true” putting surface or a target surface firmness).

The ability to mow large areas without tending livestock or toiling over a scythe revolutionized the grounds maintenance industry and sparked a revolution in landscape design. Modern lawns look far different from their early predecessors. Lawns have been a mainstay of the U.S. built environment since the mid-20th century, during which large tracts of land were converted into suburban housing, recreational areas, and commercial real estate. This trend, spurred by population growth, technological advancements, and other socioeconomic factors, led to a reliance on turfgrass as a ground cover for newly constructed outdoor spaces.

This is to say almost nothing of the parallel and synergistic developments of the golf industry, which we will explore in a future article. It also says little about the historical changes in schools of thought regarding urban infrastructure and the development of parks and neighborhoods that were spurred by successive waves of soldiers returning from overseas wars, the effects of the Spanish flu pandemic and city dwellers’ migration

to the suburbs, or Depression-era spending on public projects that transformed the U.S. landscape and natural spaces in ways that are evident to this day.

In a future article, we will explore the concepts of landscape sustainability and “future-proofing” for the modern turfgrass economy. In much of the U.S. and around the world, rooftops, parking lots, busy city streets, and home lawns are replacing natural habitats. These systems have, for better and worse, changed how we interact with, build, and perceive our environment. Turf is just one result of these changes.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Turf. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved June 27, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/ dictionary/turf

Milesi, C., Running, S.W., Elvidge, C.D., Dietz, J.B., Tuttle, B.T., & Nemani, R.R. (2005). Mapping and modeling the biogeochemical cycling of turf grasses in the United States. Environmental Management. 36(3), 426-38. Roberts, E.C., and Roberts, B.C. (1987). Lawn and Sports Turf Benefits. Pleasant Hill, TN: The Lawn Institute. 31.

Thompson, G. L., & Kao-Kniffin, J. (2017). Applying biodiversity and ecosystem function theory to turfgrass management. Crop Science, 57(S1), S-238.

Vinlove, F. K., & Torla, R. F. (1994). Comparative estimations of US home lawn area. Journal of Turfgrass Management, 1(1), 83-97.

A horse drawn reel mower.

1920s and ’30s-era walking mowers on display.

SPRAYMASTER SPRAYMASTER

Stand-On 60 Gallon Spreader & Sprayer

Stand-On 60 Gallon Spreader & Sprayer

• Control panel allows the operator to conveniently make adjustments for a precise application.

• Maximize ground coverage with two 60-gallon spray tanks and a 250 lb. hopper capacity.

• Reduce operator fatigue with rubber compression in the foot plate and a larger padded knee bolster.

NEW FEATURE

Flip up hopper provides easy access to the engine and battery for maintenance.