I am a turf guy. That may be met by disbelief by my Golf Course Superintendent or Sports Turf brethren, but I am. I love the look of a highly executed stand of grass. I love the demanding science that guides turf culture. I love the machines that help us maintain it. But most of all, I love being part of a professional camaraderie expertly doing what not many people can. So it is with some regret that I am in position/landscape that is not highly focused on turf. We all know the beneficial contributions turf provides including recreation space, ecosystem services, and aesthetic appeal. The University of Kansas wants, and needs, “good” grass but cannot devote the resources necessary to cultivate a high-end stand. So, my struggle is how to get my best grass when I am very limited in time, money, and staff? So, given limited options, am I doing the right thing?

Irrigation
Water is essential to turfgrass health. The common rule of thumb is one inch of water per week, give or take. There are many ways to deliver required quantities and many ways to schedule the delivery. If you have irrigation, you will have more control over water, but if not, you are at the mercy of rainfall. Personal preference aside, most managers have some approach that works well enough to meet essential grass function. But here at KU we do not irrigate. Thus, our grass must fend for itself. Our rugged grass regime means our grass can tolerate varying periods of drouthy weather but will eventually show dry weather response. I believe supplemental irrigation is essential to upper end turf results. I also know that despite some currently out of service irrigation infrastructure on campus, the price tag for refurbishment is too high for our budget. Regardless, irrigation is not a cultural practice I can currently count on for improving our turf.

Mowing
Mowing is our most intensive turf management undertaking. It is also a significant expense to our operation via labor, time and equipment. I believe that most lay people do not understand the strong relationship between mowing and turf health. It is essential to mow at the right height, with the right frequency/timing, and utilizing sound mowing practices. Our team is currently attempting to mow approximately 200 acres with only 7 employees. Not only is this a sizeable area, but most of it is intricate and parcelized, requiring significant allotment of support actions such as walk-behind mowing, trimming and blowing. In a previous blog I highlighted the positive sustainability impact that mowing at higher levels can contribute so we are currently mowing at 4.5”. We are largely able to maintain a 10-day schedule, but this doesn’t account for weather delays, rule of thirds, special events, etc. Until and unless we can add staff, this is an area we cannot adjust. Despite our best efforts, less than ideal mowing practices will impact on turf quality.

Fertilization
Using fertilization to maintain/enhance turf nutrition is a primary turf cultural practice. While turf can extract the necessary elements from soil, providing supplemental nutrients can add to turf health and quality. In high end grass fertilization programs are well thought out and usually are based on soil/tissue testing and assessing the results of any interventions. Here at KU, I seek to enhance nutrient supply by focusing on my soil health. Instead of inorganic fertilizer we are using corn gluten and alfalfa where we do “fertilize”. I believe this organic amendment (I hesitate to call it a fertilizer in the traditional sense) improves soil structure, harmonizes with soil organism health, and adds some nutrients for the grass. We purchase pelletized, local feed-grade product which greatly reduces price without decreasing effectiveness. I do not have laboratory results to back me up, but I strongly feel empirical observation is on my side.

Growing Sustainable Grass
My rationale for this blog started with a simple question. If I can only do one thing to promote healthy turf, what should that one thing be? Not surprisingly this simple question has spun out into what need be a two part blog. I have only addressed about half of the necessary turf inputs. Growing grass in any commercial operation, of even moderate quality, is somewhat complex and is influenced by many factors. Additionally, every adjustment to any input will require adjustment of other inputs. Good grass is straightforward but not simple. So, please read and stand by for my next submission. I’m eager to hear any thoughts as I continue to search for high quality, low input grass that meets my exacting standards.