Awarding an At-a-Boy - The Benefits of Turfgrass
As we move into the spring season and beyond I think it's appropriate to award an at-a-boy to all who devote so many hours each and every day to the growth and care of turfgrass. In many instances all our devotion to the art and science of growing turf is either taken for granted or worse yet goes completely unnoticed - a darn shame don't you agree?
I also believe most of those we serve have very little understanding of all the positives attributable to the turf we nurture, worry over and work very hard to maintain. So while most reading this are aware of the many benefits provided by turfgrass, I thought it well worth taking space and some of your time expounding on the contribution turf makes to the well being of the communities we serve.
I certainly encourage you to click on the "Share" icon you see associated with this article and pass along all these benefits to your customers and friends. It's really important for those we serve to more fully appreciate all that lawns, golf courses and sports fields contribute to their general well-being. So exactly what are all those benefits?
First and foremost turf makes a significant contribution to reducing the negative impact of storm-water run-off. Proven fact, runoff can be reduced and significantly slowed by establishing new lawns and large areas of turfgrass.
But as importantly, the lawns and recreational turf we care for offers a natural filter for all sorts of contaminates and in so doing purifies rain water as it travels into the aquifer system. In fact, the filtration system we call turf has been found to function as an excellent means of lowering acid levels occurring in rainwater runoff.
Now, as though all that's not enough, turf also provides us with a key ingredient in our staying remaining healthy not to mention ALIVE. Turf makes a significant contribution to the production of oxygen. All green plants take in carbon dioxide and water and through the process of photosynthesis the plant gives off pure oxygen. So if you maintain a healthy lawn of say 5,000 square feet I'm happy to report that enough oxygen is produced to meet the daily needs of up to of 8 people.
We are also acutely aware of the regulatory focus placed on controlling soil erosion and the movement of sediment into our streams and rivers. In many circles soil erosion has become one of the most pressing environmental problems we face nationally. And this is especially true for all of us working within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
We see billions of tons of soil wash away each year at a cost to the economy also measured in the billions of dollars. So once again our turfgrass provides a very cost-effective method of significantly reducing the impact of water-born soil erosion.
As university research and growers work to improve grass varieties and as more focus is placed on soil health, the grasses we sow and maintain offer improved root depth and density. Those grasses work very effectively to bind the soil and the resulting turfgrass root system is able to absorb rainfall better than most other ground cover plantings. Plant turfgrass, maintain it properly and see runoff and suspended soil particles reduced to manageable levels.
Last, put certainly not least, all of us who contend with hot and humid summers should appreciate anything that mitigates our discomfort. Once again comes turfgrass to cool and win the day. On a typical mid-summer afternoon natural grass areas will be considerably cooler than asphalt and cooler yet when compared to synthetic sports turf.
We measure our air conditioning systems by the tons of cooling effect or the unit of measure used to describe the heat-extraction capacity of air conditioning equipment. On average a residential lawn has the cooling effect of up to 9 tons of air conditioning. So absent turfgrass our urban/suburban environment would be much warmer and off-setting that additional heat would certainly result in higher electric bills.
But the planting is only part of the story. Our customers, especially those serviced by the LCO community, must be educated to practice good cultural practices. In fact, adopting the following practices will go a long way to insuring healthy turf and our realizing the positives outlined above. So let's all encourage our customers and neighbors alike to take special care of their turf:
- Mow the lawn high to reduce stress; compaction and help the plant develop deep roots. Keep turf type tall fescue at a height of 3-1/2 - and higher yet when temperatures exceed 85 degrees over consecutive summer days.
- Keep mower blades sharp and sharpen them multiple times during the cutting season. Dull blades result in jagged edges on each bland which in turn promotes disease.
- Leave clippings on the lawn allowing them to contribute up to 30% of the nitrogen needed by the plant. Proper mowing frequency and mower height and the issue of thatch will not be a concern in turf type tall fescue turf.
- Water less frequently each week but for longer periods and never after 10:00 AM. Average an inch per week for established lawns.
Again, I encourage you to "share" or forward this article to your friends and neighbors. Don't you think it high time we help the communities we serve to more fully appreciate all we do to improve their quality of life? You all deserve some credit for all the positives coming from turfgrass?
AT-A-BOY
