Virginia Turfgrass Council / P.O. Box 5989 / Virginia Beach, VA 23471 /
Transcription
Virginia Turfgrass Council / P.O. Box 5989 / Virginia Beach, VA 23471 /
Virginia Turfgrass Council / P.O. Box 5989 / Virginia Beach, VA 23471 / ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | March/April 2011 18 18 Cover Story Are Freedom Lawns Environmentally Responsible? 14 Recent Event Highlights from the VTC’s 2011 Turf & Landscape Conference & Tradeshow 26 Professional Matters How to Get Along with Your Boss 14 DEPARTMENTS 6 President’s Message from Melissa Reynolds 8 Director’s Corner from Tom Tracy, Ph.D. 10 Editor’s Perspective from Mark Vaughn, CGCS 12 VTF Report from Betty Parker 30 Turfgrass Calendar 30 Index of Advertisers 4 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL March/April 2011 www.vaturf.org President’s Message We Are Surpassing! R emember when I wrote, last winter, about “persistence” into the new decade? I believe this message was a valid one, and I believe it was heard. It has been the watchword for our industry in this last year. Why do I believe this? The activities of the Virginia Turfgrass Council in 2010 demonstrated just what persistence in striving for our industry will accomplish: • Increased number of pesticide recertification participants through six different sessions held at various state venues, all organized by the VTC. Melissa Reynolds VTC President • Increased participation in the Bob Ruff Memorial Research Golf Tournament, sporting 27 holes, with a net amount of $16,668.52 dollars being raised for research. This success was the direct result of numerous VTC committee members and other individuals volunteering their time to make contact with suppliers, vendors and VTC members to garner their participation. • Increased number of personal contacts and volunteer visits by VTC members to delegates and senators with regards to upcoming legislation in the 2011 General Assembly to provide educative insight about the value of turfgrass. (See the Director’s Corner in the January/February 2011 edition of The Virginia Turfgrass Journal, outlining these activities.) On January 25–26, 2011, our executive director, Tom Tracy, and Gil Grattan, VTC legislative chair and board member, met with senators and delegates at the General Assembly in Richmond, discussing the various pieces of legislation affecting our industry. • Increased the number of meetings collaborating with state agencies — VAC, VDACS, DEQ, DCR — with reference to policies affecting our industry. • Increased attendance at our 51st VTC Conference and Show over last year. • Increased tradeshow booth sales – this show SOLD OUT! New VTC Board Member Marc Petrus Innovative Turf Services Rockville, VA As you can read in the above-listed items, our organization experienced success in many areas to which we are dedicated in serving our industry. Without the determination to tackle the status quo of a lackluster economy, there may not have been these “increases” to report to our membership. Many thanks go out to those members and supporters of the VTC who challenged the norm of just “surviving” and attained the status of “surpassing.” Meet your newest board members! The VTC would also like to welcome the newest members of our board of directors, Mark Petrus and Scott Woodward. Mark and Scott are taking the seats of Patrick Connelly and Jeff Holliday, CGCS, whose terms ended at the recent Conference. Thank you, Jeff and Patrick, for your years of dedicated service to the VTC! New VTC Board Member Scott Woodward Woodward Turf Farms Nokesville, VA 6 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL March/April 2011 www.vaturf.org Director’s Corner LESSONS FROM Legislative Work Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director As I write this column, the General Assembly is still in session. Much of the committee work has been completed, and the nine (yes, nine) separate pieces of fertilizer legislation have been reduced to four. Two of the remaining four are administrative and seek to update regulatory language. The remaining two bills are a compilation of the original seven and are still being debated and negotiated. My experiences during this session of the General Assembly have taught me that three things must come into place for effective change to occur: a focus on relationships, a focus on the big picture and a focus on the nitty-gritty of negotiation. Relationships are vital to any endeavor that involves people. Our industry certainly meets that qualification because even though we work with plants, all of us are really in the people business. Members of the General Assembly are individuals with whom we must develop relationships. They need to know turfgrass professionals. They must be able to pick up a phone (or send a text message) and speak with a VTC member about the potential impact of a piece of legislation. As an example of the value of developing these relationships, please consider the work accomplished by Gil Grattan and several VTC members who devoted time last fall to meet with legislators in their home districts. Just as the General Assembly began, one of the legislators we visited asked me about the impact of fertilizer application blackout dates. I had the opportunity to explain to him that such dates are not practical for Virginia because of our diverse climate. Blackout dates did not appear in legislation endorsed by this person! Did our conversation affect his decision? I like to think it did. The big picture is that the turfgrass industry is viable and that properly maintained turfgrass is very good for the environment. Professionals within the industry apply principles that are based on science, enhance the environment and are economically feasible. Focusing on the big picture enables us to confidently pursue good legislation and shy away from legislation that is either based on false assumptions or only seeks hastily enacted regulations at the expense of long-term solutions. (One only has to look to the confusing web of local regulations in Florida to see an example of hastily enacted regulations that focus on the short-term.) The third leg of the proverbial legislative stool entails actively working in the give and take of negotiations. Such negotiations require the steeliness of a world-class poker player, the ability to anticipate the intents and actions of other negotiators, and knowing when to stand your ground and when to make compromises. What’s next? Even now, we are making plans for the 2012 General Assembly. Visiting legislators in their home districts is a key component of those plans. We need your help for these visits. Please contact us if you are willing to be part of a visitation team. I close with a quote from John Adams, our second U.S. President: “I am willing to risk the safety of our country upon this single proposition — that you will baffle and deceive them all by being perfectly honest.” Let us all have integrity and honesty in our relationships, in our big-picture focus and in our negotiations. 8 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL March/April 2011 www.vaturf.org Cover Stor y continued Virginia Turfgrass Journal is the official publication of The Virginia Turfgrass Council P.O. Box 5989 Virginia Beach, VA 23471 Office: (757) 464-1004 Fax: (757) 282-2693 [email protected] PUBLISHED BY Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 Email: [email protected] EDITOR Mark Vaughn, CGCS VTC OFFICERS President Melissa Reynolds Dura Turf Service Corp. (804) 233-4972 Vice President Frank Flannagan Belmont Golf Course (804) 501-5993 Treasurer Brian Vincel, CGCS Spring Creek Golf Club (434) 566-2580 Past President Rick Viancour, CGCS Golden Horseshoe Golf Club (757) 220-7489 VTC DIRECTORS Gil Grattan Vince Henderson Rick Owens, CGCS Marc Petrus Steve Slominski Steve Smith Scott Woodward VTC ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Mike Goatley, Ph.D. (Chair) Shawn Askew, Ph.D. Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D. Erik Ervin, Ph.D. Rajandra Waghray, Ph.D. Rod Youngman, Ph.D. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/ DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS Tom Tracy, Ph.D. (757) 681-6065 VIRGINIA TURFGRASS FOUNDATION Betty Parker (757) 574-9061 Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council |9 Editor’s Perspective Drum Roll, Please… My Predictions for 2011 Mark Vaughn, CGCS Virginia Turfgrass Journal Editor Two Thousand Eleven, Twenty Eleven… whatever you call it, wherever you go, here we are. Might as well face it armed with the best info you can get. Which is right here from VTC World Publishing Headquarters, located fittingly in the same building as the National Enquirer, The Globe and True Detective. Yes, I hesitate to brag on my connections to a higher power, but after watching the infomercial and sending him $5,000, I don’t believe Master Prophet (Google for more info) would mind me doing a little name-dropping. Oh yeah, for THE MAN, the disclaimer: Names mentioned herein are purely fictional. Any reference to any persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Besides, we all know words don’t MEAN anything anyway. Talk, talk, talk, talk. And sentences? C’mon… just a bunch of words strung together. Void where prohibited. Prediction #1 Following the California model, and seeing an opportunity to continue the revenue enhancement started by the privatization of ABC stores across the Commonwealth, Gov. McDonnell changes the state slogan to “Virginia is for vices” and declares Blacksburg Sensimilla legal. Flashing the “V” sign at a news conference, McDonnell (in a tie-dyed shirt) smiles, steps up to the microphone and proclaims, “It’s a new day for grass in Virginia. The royalties going to Tech for this will be enormous. They’ll have enough money to put that second deck in Cassell Coliseum. I’m sorry we had to ban tall fescue as a threat to the environment, but once we reordered our priorities, it became clear what the real danger to society was.” Prediction #2 Taking advantage of the 2011 locale of the Open, and desperate to appeal to a new generation of viewers, the USGA rents a house near Congressional, wires it with cameras and stocks it with Virginia vices (and the occasional lobbyist). “Golf House” is inhabited the week prior to, the week of and the week after the Open. Residents include Nancy “Snooki” Pelosi, John “Tan Jovi” Edwards, John “Waterfall” Boehner, Harry “Vegas” Reid, Lindsey “Dixie” Graham, Sarah “C-Barb” Palin, Michele “Overdrive” Bachmann and Christine “Witchie-Poo” O’Donnell. Sparks fly, and tempers flare, but the USGA coffers grow larger as Golf Channel viewership soars. Prediction #3 After the 2010 debacle at Whistling Straits, the PGA of America continues the generation gap-bridging started by the USGA and announces that the 2011 tournament at Atlanta Athletic Club will be played under “winter rules.” Rules chairman Vinny “The Dude” Petraglia declares that all participants will be allowed to move the ball one club length through the green. In addition, a small ball of twine will be issued to each player and can be used to continue the previous stroke by stretching it to the hole and cutting off whatever length is used (known to golfers as the “string” rule). Three tour players withdraw after the first round after suffering self-inflicted stab wounds (didn’t their momma teach them to carry scissors pointing away from them?). Prediction #4 Tiger Woods shocks the golfing world by announcing his retirement. Pressed for comment, he reveals that he will be opening a chain of “adult… uummmm… entertainment venues.” Tiger adds, “Like many golfers, other athletes, politicians, etc., I have enjoyed my time in the limelight, but it is time for me to move on to other ventures.” When asked how he could give up so close to his dream of eclipsing Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 majors, Tiger responds, “Dreams and goals change.” Then, with a big smile he adds, “The record I’m chasing now is Wilt Chamberlain’s, not Jack’s.” Prediction #5 President Obama saves golf from a meltdown by announcing a stimulus package for the game he loves. In a White House press conference, he states, “There are 18,000 golf courses in this country. Uh, wait… 17,999. What’s that? 10 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL March/April 2011 www.vaturf.org 17,998. As I was saying… What? Make that 17,997. ANYWAY, before I finish this speech, over 25 courses will have closed. If we give each of them one million dollars, that’s only a little over seventeen billion dollars. Chump change, compared to what my predecessor and I have given rich white people for the last three years. And these are not people that robbed from us to begin with. If we’re going to give money away, it might as well be somewhere we can enjoy it.” Prediction #6 WikiLeaks rocks the turf world by releasing hundreds of documents concerning Poa annua. These papers reveal that as early as 1975 there was a cure for the dastardly weed, but the parties involved agreed that for “the common good of the people ” (i.e., the universities and corporations), these secrets would be tightly held. Personal-injury lawyers descend like locusts on turfheads and, on their behalf, demand millions from the conspirators for their 35 years of pain, suffering, broken marriages and wasted pesticide applications. Prediction #7 Steve Jobs adds to the millions worshipping at the Apple altar by introducing a new green-industry app for the iPhone in February. By simply holding their phone 4" or less above the turf canopy and moving it in the shape of the Apple logo, users of “Greenpeace” will be given turf type, % organic matter, moisture level, instant nematode assay, diseases present, soil compaction level and nutrient recommendations. At the end of November, Jobs reveals it was all a farce but adds, “Hey, man, wasn’t it cool to see all those people on their knees mimicking my logo.” Prediction #9 After having Co-Junior Boy, Co-Senior Women and CoGolfer of the Year for 2010, the VSGA decides to have CoState Amateur and Co-State Open Championships. On hand to congratulate the Co-Champions will be Paula Abdul. They also announce that every contestant will get a “participant” trophy and a “Happy Meal” coupon. Prediction #10 And… the annual Masters prediction. Facing a Masters without Tiger, and the announced plans for the USGA and PGA later in the year, Augusta shakes up the old guard by inviting the Big O from Chicago to do her show all week on location. Things get real testy on Wednesday when her “supposed” first guest turns out to be not former champ Craig Stadler but a cleverly disguised Martha Burke. On Thursday, she brings in Medium star Patricia Arquette to contact the ghost of Clifford Roberts. Friday is a total disaster, as President Obama shows up and Washington Rd. is shut down, effectively eliminating any “patrons” from entering the grounds. The ever-industrious Oprah soothes all the hurt feelings, however, by promising ALL Augusta members a bus trip down the road to Savannah to pick up their new G550 Gulfstreams. Well, gotta go. Need to get the Beta version of Bazinga downloaded from “Sting” in time for our quarterly budget meeting. Prediction #8 Former Hard Rock Club Supt. “Sting” reemerges from the unemployed ranks by introducing an app for the rival ANDROID system. Modeled after the “Shazam” music app for the iPhone, “Bazinga” allows employed superintendents to determine the likelihood of their termination. Just turn on “Bazinga,” leave your phone on the pro-shop counter (or in the ladies’ locker room, on the bar in the 19th hole or backseat of the greens chairman’s Porsche), and watch the magic take place. Sensing the frequency of phrases such as “next level, stimp, club my brother-in-law belongs to, good assistant, low handicap, too much money, bottom line,” etc., Bazinga can easily determine if you have smooth sailing for the next year, or if they’re about to pour Paraquat on your pancakes. “Sting” says, “Get the drop on the buggers, and negotiate a severance package before they have you by the bollocks like they did me!” Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | 11 VTF Report Our Annual Betty Parker VTF Manager Progress Report On A special thank you goes out to Sterling Caudle for his service as our president the past three years. Sterling has served our board faithfully and will continue to do so this year as our vice president. the day the tradeshow opened at this year’s Virginia Turfgrass Conference, most of us walked to the Expo Center from our hotels. Our car doors and locks were frozen from the ice that rained over our parking lots and roads, but that certainly did not stop us! It was good to see so many of you at this year’s show. It is such a treat for me every year to talk with so many of the fine people in this industry and reflect on the trials and triumphs of the past year. Thanks to all of you who continue to support turfgrass research through the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation. Whether it’s as a sponsor at one of the many research tournaments around the state or as a direct donation to the VTF, we are very appreciative of your support. This year, the VTC presented us with a check for $16,668.52 from its annual research tournament held at Wintergreen Resort. The Shenandoah Valley Turf Association contributed $1,000 to the VTF and an additional $5,000 to the BMP project in their support of turfgrass research. Thanks also to the Virginia Sod Growers Association, which donated $2,000 toward turfgrass research. We genuinely appreciate all of these very valuable and hard-earned dollars. The VTF board met, as we always do at this time of year, to review the research proposals for this year. We will have to make some cuts to stay honest to our fiscal responsibilities, but we have endorsed the following projects for this year and look forward to working with our researchers to meet your needs and concerns. Please let us know if there a topic you wish to have addressed by our researchers. Obviously, they have to work within the scope of their fields and facilities, but they do and will serve at the pleasure of you, their employers! • Improving Chemical and Biological Management of Moss on Golf Putting Greens • Cultural and Physiological Impacts on Brown Patch Severity and Weed Encroachment in Tall Fescue • Novel and Conventional Chemistries and Timing Options for Managing White Grubs in Cool-Season Turf • Stream Water Quality Monitoring on Four Virginia Golf Courses in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Total for ongoing projects: $46,280 Total for new projects: $14,756.50 Seed law revenue has been down the past couple of years, but our endowment fund continues to grow with the recent success of the stock market. It has grown to $364,983.03. Our hope is that we will reach our goal of $1,000,000 and can begin to rely on the interest of this fund without impacting its principal. 12 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL March/April 2011 www.vaturf.org VTF Report continued 2011 VTF Board of Directors We would like to present our board for 2011 and encourage anyone with questions about the VTF to contact a board member so that we may serve our industry through the support of turfgrass research. President Jimmy Rodgers CSFM 540-295-5307 [email protected] Vice President Sterling Caudle, CGCS 804-438-5412 [email protected] Fredrick S. Biggers, CGCS 434-325-8252 [email protected] Lin Diacont III 804-837-6501 [email protected] Melissa Reynolds 804-233-4972 [email protected] Adam Dixon, CSFM 757-478-2291 [email protected] Rick Viancour, CGCS 757-220-7489 [email protected] Richard Fisher, CGCS 804-370-2967 [email protected] Frank Flannagan 804-501-5993 [email protected] VTF Manager Betty Parker 757-574-9061 [email protected] Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | 13 Cover Story Held January 17–20, the VTC’s Annual Turf & Landscape Conference & Show was once again an unprecedented success. From packed educational sessions to the sold-out tradeshow, golf course superintendents, sports turf managers, lawncare operators, sod producers, parks and recreation personnel and other turf professionals from across the region flocked to the Fredericksburg Expo Center for what is quickly becoming the must-attend event for the East Coast’s turfgrass industry. On these pages are just a few of the conference’s many highlights. Next year, the 52nd VTC Annual Conference and Marketplace will again be held at the Fredericksburg Expo Center. Mark your calendars for January 16–19, 2011! Congratulations to the 2011 VTC Award Winners VTC President Melissa Reynolds presented the VTC’s 2011 R.D. Cake/Silver Tray Award to Steve Glass, University of Richmond and 2004–2005 VTC President. Keith Happ and Darin Bevard, from the USGA Green Section, provided a recap of the challenges and opportunities faced by golf courses in 2010. VTC Executive Director Tom Tracy orchestrated the sold-out tradeshow, which quickly became the event’s hot spot for networking and socializing. The Virginia Chapter of the GCSAA presented its President’s Lifetime Achievement Award to Lee Dieter, 1970–1971 VTC President. Virginia Tech’s Jeff Derr (left) and Clemson University’s Bert McCarty were among the educational program’s popular presenters. The pretty ladies at the Registration Desk welcomed attendees to the Conference and provided vital behind-the-scenes assistance all week. >The VTC Award Dudley Eames, CGCS Former superintendent at Jefferson Lakeside C.C. >R.D. Cake/ Silver Tray Award Steve Glass University of Richmond and former VTC President >VTC President’s Award Rick Viancour, CGCS Golden Horseshoe G.C. and VTC Immed. Past President 14 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL March/April 2011 www.vaturf.org Seen on the Tradeshow Floor! Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | 15 Thanks to Our Generous 2011 Conference Sponsors >Platinum Sponsors Grigg Brothers Quali-Pro >Gold Sponsor CargoTec >Silver Sponsors All Pro Mowers Bayer Environmental Science DuPont Professional Products Egypt Farms Fisher & Son Harmon Turf Services Lawn & Landscape Training PAPC 16 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL March/April 2011 www.vaturf.org >Bronze Sponsors MiniVerde Ultradwarf Valent Professional Products Winfield Solutions >Fellowship Breakfast Specialty Turf Services >Pesticide Recertification Virginia Green Lawn Care >Wi-Fi Sponsor Southern States Cooperative Cover Story By Erik Ervin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Turfgrass Culture & Physiology, Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences Department, Virginia Tech 18 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL March/April 2011 www.vaturf.org Most Virginians live within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and have a home lawn. Many are also aware that Bay health remains impaired due to excess nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and sediment loading from the daily activities required in our densely populated society. These pollutants come from many sources, including sewage-treatment plants, city streets, development sites, agricultural operations and deposition from the air. Do nutrient pollutants come from home lawns? Lawn fertilizer contains N and P, so it is easy to jump to the conclusion that they do. Many who value the environmental and economic health of the Bay have come to this conclusion, leading them to advocate something called the Freedom Lawn. What is a Freedom Lawn? The basic concept is to take any existing lawn and continue only one cultural practice: periodic mowing. All other practices are to be discontinued: no fertilizer, no pesticides and no irrigation. The homeowner is then free to pursue other interests, free from the added costs of these inputs and free to proclaim to interested neighbors that he or she is protecting the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay. But is that so? In what follows, I discuss and present data on how the Freedom Lawn choice may actually result in more potential for degraded Bay water quality. Let’s review the research What happens when all inputs, except periodic mowing, are removed from lawns? All around us, we see the results in our parks, lawns and school grounds: weeds and open soil areas increase. Ignoring the aesthetic drawbacks, what are the potential waterquality impacts? A recently published study at the University of Minnesota provides some answers. The researchers installed Kentucky bluegrass sod on a silt loam soil with a 5% slope to easily allow runoff collection. To simulate soil compaction resulting from home-building activities, the compaction caused by the bulldozer during laser-leveling was not relieved by tillage prior to sodding. No fertilizer was applied during the first year. In the second year, the following treatments were applied to various plots in this study and continued over years three through five: • No fertilizer • Standard N (3 lbs./1,000 ft2/yr) + no P + standard potassium (K) • Standard N (3 lbs./1,000 ft2/yr) + 1x P (as recommended by soil test) + standard K • Standard N (3 lbs./1,000 ft2/yr) + 3x P (as recommended by soil test) + standard K Fertilizer treatments were applied in 1/3 equal increments in May, September and October of each year, based on standard lawn fertilization guidelines from Minnesota Cooperative Extension. These guidelines closely match those of Virginia Cooperative Extension. No irrigation was used on these lawn plots. The initial soil test P level was 25 ppm; this level is in the sufficiency range, so the testing lab recommended little to no P for normal lawn maintenance. What happened? By year three, the no-fertilizer plots had greatly reduced turf density, greater weed density, more exposed soil and more dead grass/ weed tissue than the N fertilized plots. Adding P at a 1x or 3x rate did not improve turf density relative to applying N-alone. Significantly, total P runoff from the no-fertilizer plots was greatest over the three years of monitoring because of greater runoff depth. That is, more water was lost from the plots that did not receive N fertilizer because of insufficient turf cover to impede flow, especially when the soil surface was frozen. Contained within this runoff water was also a greater load of P bound to soil and leaf-litter sediment. Thus, as long as enough N was applied to maintain density and retard weed invasion, less P was lost in runoff, relative to the no-fertilizer control, even when P was applied at 3 times the recommended rate. I do not make this point to justify over-application of P to lawns, but merely to highlight that the controlling factor in reducing P runoff from lawns is turf density. Researchers in New York (a Chesapeake Bay state) have reported similar results. They established an 80% Kentucky bluegrass/20% perennial ryegrass area from seed on a sandy loam soil with an 8% slope, using various natural organic and synthetic fertilizer treatments. Once the plots were mature (year 2,) results showed that the unfertilized control plots had significantly higher P-mass losses compared to any of the fertilized plots. These losses strongly correlated with less shoot density and lower infiltration rates on the unfertilized control plots. A direct quote is that “as shoot density doubled, the infiltration rate increased, which reduced runoff by three-fold.” The highest annual rate of fertilizer N applied in this study was moderate, at 2 lbs./1,000 ft2, but it was enough to ensure adequate turf density and water infiltration. Nitrate-N runoff from the organic or synthetic fertilizer treatments did not differ from the unfertilized control, averaging between 2 to 4.5 ppm, considerably below the EPA limit for safe drinking water (10 ppm). Interpreting the research Given these data, what does a Freedom Lawn offer for water quality in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed? The unfertilized control plots in the studies above received only periodic mowing (fitting the definition of a Freedom Lawn), and it took only two or three years for the “Freedom plots” to become greater contributors of P loading via runoff than the areas moderately fertilized with nitrogen. Eleanor Roosevelt is credited with saying that “with freedom comes responsibility.” In my analysis, Freedom Lawns do not embrace their environmental responsibility and, in fact, can fairly rapidly become irresponsible. A more responsible approach heeds the scientific data, recognizes the limitations imposed by urban soil disturbance Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | 19 continued Cover Stor y during development and recommends that we strive for “Sustainable Lawns” by following a set of best management practices (BMPs), with the goal of maintaining lawn surfaces with minimized water-quality impacts. BMPs for Sustainable Lawns Below are 12 BMPs for Sustainable Lawns in Virginia and throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. BMP#1: Improve the soil at establishment to reduce compaction and improve infiltration. In new-housing construction, much of the topsoil is removed, and the remaining subsoil is severely compacted. Replacing a shallow topsoil layer prior to grassing is helpful in getting the lawn established, but the underlying soil compaction remains. Subsequently, long term, water infiltration is poor, greatly increasing the possibility of thin turf and off-site movement of nutrients. Thus, prior to topsoil placement, the subsoil should be cleared of all debris and rip-plowed and tilled. Topsoil can then be distributed and a seedbed prepared. Adding a 1" to 2" layer of quality compost prior to seedbed preparation would also be very beneficial to lawn health and water infiltration over time. BMP#2: Plant or re-plant best-adapted turfgrass species and varieties. Each year, the turfgrass programs at Virginia Tech and the University of Maryland collaborate to put out a list of recommended turf varieties, based on field evaluations (found here: http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/3008/30 08-1456/3008-1456.html). To make the list, each variety must have performed above average at both test sites for at least three years. Each listed variety must also be available as certified seed, ensuring genetic purity and seed quality to the buyer. With adequate establishment, odds are that these varieties will provide greater stress persistence than those not on the list. BMP#3: Improve the soil after establishment to reduce compaction and improve infiltration. Most homeowners inherit a lawn with compacted soil. Core aeration and compost topdressing can slowly correct compaction. The rolling-drum aerators commonly used or rented, however, pull up cores from only 1% to 3% of the lawn surface area and do not go much deeper than 2". To improve water infiltration and relieve compaction, go over the lawn in two to four directions during moist (not wet) soil conditions, twice a year during periods of active turfgrass growth. If possible, hand-spread and rake in a quality compost applied at 100 lb./1,000 ft2. The average size of home lawns across Virginia is 5,000 ft2, requiring 500 lbs. of compost for each application. Cover Stor y continued Repeatedly applying organic matter via the compost will build topsoil, bind nutrients and water and promote soil aggregation for improved water infiltration and compaction resistance. Further, it will serve as a natural organic slow-release fertilizer, providing approximately 1.5 lb. N/1,000 ft2 each time it is applied. Two compost applications per year would, then, provide all the fertility the lawn requires to remain healthy and dense enough to greatly limit any potential P or N runoff. BMP#4: Soil test every 1 to 3 years to determine if fertilizer P is needed; use fertilizers with 0% P (e.g., 30-010) if the soil test indicates no need. Binding readily to clay minerals and soil organic matter, phosphorus does not leach. Thus, soil-test P levels change quite slowly in most Virginia soils. With our moderate rainfall, soil pH does fall, but not fast enough to require re-liming more frequently than every two to three years. Soil testing every one to three years, therefore, is sufficient to ensure adequate P availability. If the soil test indicates no P need, then select fertilizers that contain no P. BMP#5: Implement a moderate fertilizer N program based on Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation recommendations. Our research review (above) clearly indicated that not applying N-containing fertilizer is not a responsible choice for pollution prevention. A moderate amount of N per year (1 to 4 lbs. actual N/1,000 ft2) is needed to maintain enough turf cover to impede sediment-bound P loss. Refer to these online sources to guide your N fertilization practices:http://www.pubs.ext. vt.edu/452/452-717/452-717.html and http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil and water/documents/tipsstate.pdf. High-use lawns will need N at the 3to 4-lb. level to push enough growth to ensure adequate cover against runoff. Bermudagrasses: Patriot, TifGrand, TifSport, T10, 419 Zoysias: Zeon, JaMur, El Toro, Meyer, Empire, Emerald, Palisades Adequate cover on low-use lawns can be maintained via 1- or 2-lb. programs. For added insurance against N runoff or leaching losses, use fertilizers with higher proportions of slow- or controlled-release N sources. Using slow-release sources, including organics, also reduces surge growth, reducing mowing requirements relative to using quick-release N sources. BMP#6: Do not apply fertilizers to frozen soils. Several studies have noted that 60% to 90% of P-runoff occurs during winter thawing periods when the surface soil is still frozen. Such large runoff events occur because the soils are either frozen or saturated, prohibiting water infiltration and allowing soil- or leaf-litterbound P present in open soil areas to be quickly lost. Applying P-containing fertilizers too late (November or December) or too early (February or March) greatly increases the potential of P loading into Bay waters. BMP#7: Do not apply fertilizer to impervious surfaces; immediately sweep or blow any granules back onto the lawn. Fertilizer, compost, grass clippings and tree leaves all contain nutrients. As such, it is irresponsible to leave any of them on impervious surfaces where they can move unimpeded into storm drains. BMP#8: Mow high, and follow the 1/3 rule. This BMP is all about maintaining density and high biomass on your lawn: both factors increase water-flow resistance, slowing runoff and increasing infiltration. Mowing turf at the higher end of recommended ranges (3"–4" for bluegrass and fescue; 1.5"–2.5" for bermudagrass and zoysiagrass) will accomplish this, while also providing a deeper-rooted, more stress-tolerant lawn. Mowing high also means you can mow less frequently without breaking the 1/3 rule. The 1/3 rule is to never remove more than 33% (1/3) of the grass height at one mowing. Repeatedly removing too much at each mowing (e.g., mowing a 5" lawn down to 2" = 60% removal) results in a shallow root system that produces turf thinning and weed invasion. For fescue lawns, not breaking the 1/3 rule means mowing back to a 3" height each time the lawn reaches 4.5". BMP#9: Leave clippings on the lawn, removing any that reach impervious surfaces. Grass clippings contain 2% to 5% N and about 0.5% P, and they break down quickly, re-releasing these nutrients for root uptake. Clipping return can serve as an organic fertilizer, providing more than 1 lb. N/1,000 ft2/yr. Left on the street, however, these nutrients can quickly move into storm drains to pollute the Bay. If large clipping clumps accumulate, either rake them up and compost them onsite, or mow the lawn in 2–3 directions to disperse them. BMP#10: Mulch tree leaves into the lawn and clean up any that accumulate on impervious surfaces. 22 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL March/April 2011 www.vaturf.org Studies at Michigan State, Purdue and Cornell have documented that mulching a 2" to 5" layer of deciduous tree leaves onto cool-season lawns for three to five consecutive autumns had no significant effects on lawn health or vigor. These studies also reported no increases in thatch or undue reduction in soil pH due to this practice. Recycling tree leaves back into your lawn is safer for the environment than piling them on the street and risking the loss of N and P to stormwater run-off. Mowing when the leaves are dry mulches them much more effectively. BMP#11: Irrigate only if severe drought persists and threatens to significantly reduce turf cover. Adherence to the first 10 BMPs should result in a fairly deep-rooted lawn that should recover from summer droughts of two to three weeks. Droughts of more than four weeks could result in the loss of some turf cover, especially if there is any traffic on the lawn during drought-dormancy. In this case, lawn cover should be preserved by applying 0.75" to 1" of water per week until rainfall returns. BMP#12: Use pesticides only when weed, insect or disease levels threaten to significantly thin the lawn; strictly follow label directions. Careful application of the preceding BMPs to ensure a dense, healthy lawn should greatly minimize the need for pesticides. For homeowners who wish to have lawns that are environmentally friendly or more sustainable than what current suburban development gives them, there are two primary choices: take what you are given and improve it by following these 12 BMPs, or start over by improving the soil and establishing a no-mow prairie and herbaceous/ woody perennial landscape. Simply stopping all management inputs and calling it a “Freedom Lawn” is easy and cheap, but it may ultimately be irresponsible. Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | 23 Professional Matters wouldn’t mention it. If you object to something the Boss has said, or if you have a different opinion, it’s often a good idea to present your objections as questions. For example, “What do you think of this possibility?” or “Is this other idea a possible alternative?” And if bad news crops up, don’t be afraid to tell the Boss quickly. Bad news simply doesn’t age well. A Boss who discovers bad news on his own is an unhappy Boss. Solve your own problems. By Raleigh F. Seay Jr., Ph.D., Seay Management In Make your boss look good. business today, whether we refer to the person in charge as the boss, supervisor, general manager, athletic director, mister or ma’am, we know that our primary job is to please the Boss, and we know that our work lives will be much easier, happier and more profitable if we are successful. On the other hand, if the Boss is unhappy, there’s a fairly high likelihood that we will be unhappy, also. Someone once told me about the “Two Rules of Boss Management” — 1. The Boss is always right. 2. If the Boss is wrong, refer to rule #1. Toward that end, here are some suggestions to help you create a Happy Boss. ing. This irritates the Boss, is impolite and sends a negative message to others. Listen. In presenting facts where a decision is required, present the information so that your point is obvious, without being dogmatic about it. If possible, let the Boss express all or part of the solution as his or her idea. Often, a good approach is to offer several options with a list of possibilities, including the pros and cons, and allow the Boss to choose. Never reject a Boss’s idea out of hand or in front of others — after all, the Boss thinks it’s a good idea, or he The Boss should be able to imply, and we should consider it an order. For example, if the Boss says, “I would like for thus and so to happen,” consider that a directive and do what is necessary to make it happen. Bosses like people who don’t have to be told things twice, and if the Boss has the sense that you listen and pay close attention, you’ll have a happier Boss. Also, as you listen, be careful not to interrupt the Boss as he or she is talk- Bosses have poor opinions of people who present problems and ask the Boss to solve them, so it’s usually not a good idea to go to the Boss for answers unless you have come to a stone wall and do not know where else to go. Present the problems with your recommended solutions, and ask for any additional ideas he or she may have. Be concise. When meeting with the Boss, be as brief as you can. Be clear (not fancy), and utilize economy of words in spoken and written communications. Be direct but diplomatic, particularly when communicating by email. Experts tell us that we should take as much care with an email as we would do with a letter, in terms of tone, grammar and good writing skills, such as using complete sentences instead of short phrases. A too-short email can be misunderstood as brusque, so try to balance clarity and diplomacy. Be diplomatic. 26 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL March/April 2011 www.vaturf.org This principle is the epicenter of good Boss Management. In a meeting, be sure the Boss has all of the facts in advance, and let the Boss do the talking and receive the attention. Coach Landry once said, “It’s amazing what a person can accomplish when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” So, if you let the Boss take credit for the work or ideas that come from you or your department, there’s a good chance that he or she will look after you down the road. Accentuate the positive. Successful managers are almost always positive thinkers, and most bosses detest negativism in any form. As Henry Ford once remarked, “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t — you’re right.” Bosses hate complainers, so we should make it an absolute rule — never complain. Never. The Boss may have pressures that we don’t know about, so always keep things positive and upbeat. This makes for a Happy Boss. Keep your promises. If you tell the Boss that you will do something at a certain time, then you must do it; otherwise, your Boss will come to think of you as undependable. Your Boss needs to know that you are completely reliable, no matter what the circumstances, and that he or she can take that to the bank. This virtue is solid gold currency for a Boss because it is so rare. Have a good relationship, but don’t get too close. Some bosses like warmth, friendliness and first names, others are more aloof, and a good many bosses fall somewhere in the middle. For the most part, it’s a good idea not to get involved with the Boss’s personal life, as this can be Trouble waiting to happen. Confidences may be exchanged and later regretted by both parties, and it may foster mistrust or suspicion among co-workers. If you’re reading this article, there’s a good chance that you’re multi-tasking — on the one hand, you work for a Boss; on the other hand, you probably are a Boss. These principles will help you achieve success in both categories. Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | 27 Index of Advertisers Calendar of Events Turf Industry Events May 24 June 28 January 16–19, 2012 Pesticide Recertification Gypsy Hill Park Gymnasium Staunton, VA Turfgrass Field Day and Pesticide Recertification Hampton Roads AREC Virginia Beach, VA VTC 52nd Annual Turf & Landscape Conference and Trade Show Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center Fredericksburg, VA June 7 Bob Ruff Jr. Memorial Golf Tournament Wintergreen Lower Course Wintergreen, VA June 14 Pesticide Recertification Bruton Heights Bldg. Williamsburg, VA July 19 Pesticide Recertification Expo and Conference Center Fredericksburg, VA July 18–22 TPI Summer Convention & Field Days (Turfgrass Producers International) Reno, NV BASF . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover www.basf.com Bayer . . . . . 17, Inside Back Cover www.bayerprocentral.com Buy Sod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20, 21 www.buysod.com Collins Wharf Sod Farm . . . . 11 www.collinswharfsod.com E & S Soil and Peat . . . . . . . . 22 www.eandssoil.com East Coast Sod & Seed . . . . . 25 www.eastcoastsod.com Egypt Farms, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 www.egyptfarms.com Ernst Conservation Seeds . . . . . .9 www.ernstseed.com Growth Products, Ltd. . . . . . . . . 23 www.growthproducts.com Harrell’s Custom Fertilizer . . . . . 5 www.harrells.com Herod Seeds, Inc. . . . . Back Cover www.herodseeds.com Kesmac/Brouwer Inc. . . . . . . . . 28 www.kesmac.com Luck Stone Specialty Products . . . . . . . . . 27 www.luckstone.com Mid-Atlantic Sports Turf . . . . 22 Modern Turf, Inc. . . . . . . . . . 30 www.modernturf.com Oakwood Sod Farm, Inc. . . . 11 www.oakwoodsod.com Quali-Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 www.quali-pro.com Revels Tractor Co. Inc. . . . . . . . 29 www.revelstractor.com Roxbury Farm & Garden Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 www.roxburyfarmgarden.com Southern States Cooperative . . 13 www.southernstates.com Texas Sod Leasing . . . . . . . . . 27 www.texassod.com The Turfgrass Group . . . . . 7, 24 www.theturfgrassgroup.com Winfield Solutions, LLC . . . . . . . 9 Wood Bay Turf Technologies . . 16 www.woodbayturftech.com Woodward Turf Farm Inc. . . . . . 6 www.woodwardturf.com Virginia Turfgrass Council (VTC) serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Virginia Turfgrass Journal, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or VTC members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this bimonthly publication. 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