Sports Turf

Plant: Red Fescue

Term: Sprig

Fine or Red Fescue

• Cool season• Shade tolerant• Fine texture• Establish by seed or sod• Deep green• Drought tolerant• Low – No additional fertilizer required• Mow to 1 ½ to 2”• Creeping fescue or Chewnings fescue

Sprig

• Cut up pieces of grass plants that spread by rhizomes and stolons

• Disc them into soil

• Or

• Spread across soil and cover with a thin layer of sand.

• Root and grow rapidly in summer

• Doesn’t work until it is warm out

Bentgrass• Cool Season Grass• Full sun• Grown on sand• Texture: Fine • Requires more water than most sod • Requires mowing minimum every 2 days to 1/8” to 1/4” • Prone to disease • Fertilize every 4-6 weeks• Recommended Uses

– Golf Courses Greens – Lawn tennis courts – Croquet pitches – Lawn bowling greens

• Not a lawn grass!!

Virginia TechLane Stadium - Worsham Field

• Sports Turf Management Association’s college field of the year 2008

• Patriot Bermuda grass– New variety developed for sports turf by

Oklahoma State University

Greentech ITM

• Richmond, Virginia Company

• Has installed field turf for:– Virginia Tech– Michigan State– New York Giants– 2004 Athens Olympics– 2008 Beijing Olympics

Integrated Tray Management

• 4,600 4 x 4 trays rest on pedestals 2 -3” above 4,600 4 x 4 trays rest on pedestals 2 -3” above an asphalt base. an asphalt base.

• Fertigation system Fertigation system • A vacuum system connects 22 air vents under A vacuum system connects 22 air vents under

the fieldthe field• Moisture level is precisely controlledMoisture level is precisely controlled• The air vents allow air to be blown up through The air vents allow air to be blown up through

the trays to improve the flow of oxygen, which the trays to improve the flow of oxygen, which will enhance grass growth. will enhance grass growth.

• A heating system warms the soil to extend the A heating system warms the soil to extend the Bermuda grass active seasonBermuda grass active season

Virginia Tech Grass

• Patriot Bermuda grass– Supplied by Oakwood Sod Farm in Delmar,

MD– Improved Bermuda grass with greater cold

tolerance– Established with 2,000 bushels of grass

sprigs– Takes 90 days from planting to game ready

Turf Program

• Jason Bowers turf manager.– 2008 Turf award winner– 2000 graduate of Virginia Tech’s 2 year turf

management program– Sows 3,500 lbs of ryegrass seed every

September– Keeps field green until Late November– Cover with straw from December until April– Remove the ryegrass with a dethatching

machine in May.

Trays

Transition Golf Turf

• Greens – Bentgrass– Mowed to 1/8” to ¼” height w/ special mowers

• Tees – Bentgrass, Bermuda or Zoysia

• Fairways & Rough – Bermuda – Ryegrass combination– Bluegrass– Fescue

Quiz tomorrow

• Review

• Best grass for shade?

• Best grass for quick greening?

• Best grass for drought tolerance?

• Best looking cool season grass?

• What grass is going dormant now?

• What could you do to get it to turn green?

Today

• Turf ID Tool