Turf
Management
Best
Practices
Renovating lawns for better turf
health and appearance
■ BY JENNIFER KLEMMETSON
Kids and pets romp around on the lawn. Golfers trample
over fairways. Football players run up and down fi elds. The
sun beats down on the turf, and drought reduces the amount
of water available to the root zones. This all takes a toll on
the turf. But you can improve the health and appearance of
that thin, worn-down grass.
What is renovation?
Renovating is seeding over an area that has, or had, existing
grass to improve the appearance. Typically, renovation is
ideal for situations in which you have damage or dieback
on less than 50 percent of the turfgrass, and existing turf
isn't torn out completely. It offers an easy way to fi ll in bare
spots, improve the density of turf, establish improved grass
varieties and enhance color. It's mostly used when a large
area of turf is thin with damaged areas or bare patches, but
not completely bare.
Renovation can be done in the spring to help revitalize
existing cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass
or tall fescue, or fi ll in bare spots left over from winter.
However, competition from summer annual weeds and
stress make this timing more challenging. The ideal time
for renovating lawns is in the fall.
Overseeding
Overseeding is a common practice in warm-season
(bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, etc.) markets where turf goes
dormant during winter months. For homeowners, this
process allows them to have a nice green lawn all year round.
For sports fi elds managers and golf course superintendents,
it's important to overseed to ensure both aesthetics and
playability remain intact during winter months. People
expect to go to a sporting event or golf course and see a lot
of green — so overseeding is an important week of their
year to keep customers happy and coming back for more.
LANDSCAPE AND TURF MAINTENANCE
www.landscapeirrigation.com Landscape and Irrigation November/December 2016 17
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