If you're someone who thinks that lawns are about as exciting as watching grass grow, then hold on to your sod! Learn how to create a lawn that is low-maintenance, high-performance, energy-efficient and best of all, makes the neighbors green with envy. A couple of experts talk turf with master gardener Paul James:
Barry Cook, the owner of Northwest Hydro Mulchers in Boring, Oregon, has spent years breeding the perfect grass; dark green, fine leaf, wearable, drought-tolerant, disease-resistant and shade-tolerant. Sound too good to be true? With the help of beneficial fungus called endophytes, today's turf is tougher than ever and requires only half the fertilizer than the perennial rye grasses of yesterday. Endophytes live within the grass plant, stimulate seed growth, and help battle disease.
"Perennial rye grass in the old days is what we used to call a nitrogen pig," says Barry. "And we'd see perennial rye grasses that would take 8 to 10 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1000 square feet per year. That's a lot of fertilizer going down on the turf grass to keep it green and healthy."
New grass varieties take about five years to reach the market. The sod seeds are tested, awarded performance ratings, evaluated in a national turf program and then only the highest ranked grass will be commercially sold. With so many breeds of turf available, there are countless options to choose from.
"The most popular color right now is dark green," says Tom Cook, of Oregon State University. "And the problem is that over time, these perfect strands of rye grass will get invaded by other things and the other grasses that invade are always light green." So, if you prefer dark green grass but presently have a light green variety, Tom suggests choosing a turf that blends well because over time, the grass you didn't plant will eventually dominate the grass you did.
Before you get down to grass roots, there are some important factors to consider. Barry suggests determining the size of the area to be planted, the location, and the soil conditions. Ask your local landscape specialists what types of grass they recommend and what seeds best suit your specific planting area.
Once you've chosen your seeds and are ready to plant, there are several different methods to choose from including sowing the seed, laying down sod, or the newest in turf technology, hydro-seeding.
"What it means is that we're transferring seed through a water based carrying agent through a big distribution tank onto the soil surface," says Barry. "And we can transfer any kind of seed on the planet hydraulically."
Caring for your new lawn is up to you. Barry sustains an aggressive maintenance schedule which includes watering regularly, mowing twice a week, edging every 10 days, fertilizing four times a year, aereating, applying lime and thatching once a year. "To keep your grass at peak performance, water and fertilize to encourage good grass growth," says Barry. "You can mow a lot of the weed out." Determine your own maintenance plan to fit your time and needs. If you care for your grass, the grass will actually provide you with many benefits in return.
"Turf grasses provide outstanding erosion control, absorb noise and harmful pollutants, and an average sized yard releases enough oxygen for a family of four," says James. "And that's what I call the goodness of green."
Guests Barry Cook
Owner
North West Hydro Mulchers, Inc.
37267 SE Bear Creek Lane
Boring, OR 97109
Phone: 503-668-5531
Tom Cook
Turf Grass Specialist
Oregon State University
ALS 4017
Corvallis, OR 97331
Phone: 541-737-5449
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