Horticulture Principles and Practices

18
Turf Production and Use
542
PURPOSE AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES
This chapter discusses the principles of establishing and maintaining a lawn. The basic
equipment used for planting and caring for a lawn is also presented.
After studying this chapter, the student should be able to
1. Distinguish between the terms lawn and turf.
2. List three examples each of popular cool- and warm-season turfgrasses.
3. Discuss the guidelines for selecting turfgrass species.
4. Describe how a lawn may be established by seeding, sodding, sprigging, or plugging.
5. List advantages and disadvantages of each method of lawn establishment.
6. Discuss how a lawn mowing schedule is developed and implemented.
7. Describe how pests and diseases are controlled in a lawn.
OVERVIEW
Before starting a discussion on lawns and turfgrasses, it is important to distinguish
between the terms lawn and turf. Ordinarily, grass used in the landscape is referred to by
most people as a lawn; grass used on a football field or golf course, however, is referred
to as turf. Technically, the definition of lawn is a piece of land on which grass grows,
including residential, commercial, and recreational areas. The term turf is used by horticulturists
to refer to grass that is mowed and maintained, which again includes the uses
in residential, commercial, and recreational areas (Figure 18–1). A lawn installed as part
of a landscape is seeded to turfgrass so that it can be mowed and cared for.
Lawns are very important in the landscape for several reasons. For many, the aesthetic
value is most readily appreciated, but there are also secondary benefits. A lawn
provides a relatively inexpensive ground cover that protects the soil against erosion.
While conserving soil, this “natural carpet” also reduces dust on a dry day, mud on a wet
day, and heat and glare from the ground on a sunny day. Lawns have recreational use in
both residential settings and public places where people gather to relax or play.