TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT

Different mowing heights ( collar of the green ) bentgrass and ryegrass . Photo by Paul Johnson , Ph . D .

By Paul Johnson , Ph . D .

“ Grass grows in spite of us .” — Donald B . White , Ph . D .

I ’ ve found it interesting that turfgrass management is often discussed as if it ’ s separate of nature . Maybe that ’ s because a lawn or athletic field isn ’ t a natural plant community . You don ’ t find communities of grass plants like a high-quality lawn or athletic field in nature or nonmanaged places .

It ’ s because of our non-native urban areas that lawns and turf areas as we know them are planted and managed to tolerate and thrive in the challenging environments we put them in and where we use them for our recreation .

That “ separate of nature ” view may be why so many think of only cookbook approaches to caring for turf — i . e ., do this and you get that — not understanding nor caring to understand the plants themselves being managed , the environments that surround them , and the multitude of ways those interact . Turfgrass plants don ’ t live isolated , but live by the same principles by which other plant and living systems live . Turfgrass plants and communities interact and respond to the environment they are in and what we do to them in many , often fascinating , ways . We as managers and users of those turf areas interact and respond to those turf areas too .

I gained this appreciation of turfgrass communities thanks to my Ph . D . advisor and mentor , Dr . Donald B . White , who was professor in the Horticultural Science department at the University of Minnesota . Dr . White had previously published in newsletters and presentations his “ Ecological Principles of Turfgrass Management ,” and these principles have continually shaped how I see , research , teach and manage turfgrasses . Seeing the fields we manage in this more holistic way has helped me be more observant , curious , understanding and flexible in how I manage turfgrasses .

People may only think about natural environments when they hear the word “ ecology ;” however , the term describes the complex web of interactions that exist among different plants and organisms and the environment in which they live . That even includes a large urban area or stadium , as well . These principles help me teach about and find new and creative solutions to the ever-changing problems we see in athletic field management .

18 SportsField Management | September 2024 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com