Jeffrey Jowell
Turf Management Coordinator
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BS in Agronomy from Texas A&M
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15 years working in the Turf Grass industry
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Agronomic and Irrigation Consulting, Erosion Control, and
Certified Golf Course Superintendent
Overview
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Why Do We Establish Vegetation?
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What Do we Do?
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How Do we Do It?
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Turf / Grasses?
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Maintenance/Succession
Why Do We Establish Vegetation
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More Environmentally Friendly
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Less Expensive
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Erosion Control
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Regulatory
Regulatory
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TCEQ Construction General Permit Requirements
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Texas Water Code
– Subchapter D
– Sec. 26.121.
What Do We Do?
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Site Stabilization
– Fast Establishing Vegetation
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Erosion Control
– Bonded Fiber Matrix Hydromulch
– Vegetation
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Turf Establishment
– Temporary (Winter Months)
– Permanent (Spring through Fall)
Turf Establishment Specifications
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Bonded Fiber Matrix Mulch
– Exceptional Erosion Control
– Flexible Growth Media
– Improved Germination
Turf Establishment
Hydromulch
Ready for turf – 10/03/13
Seeding (hydro mulch) – 10/11/13
Tributary in the
Addicks Reservoir
Watershed
U118-00-00
Turf Establishment
The Process….
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Soil Amendments
– Gypsum, Lime, Sulfur, and Misc. as determined
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Fertilizer
– 1:2:1 ratio of Nitrogen-Phosphorous-Potassium.
• 70% of the nitrogen is in a stabilized form
• Available when the plants need it
• Lowest environmental impact
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Seed Bed Preparation
• Cultivate the soil to a depth of 4-6”
• Disk, Harrow, Rake, Cultipack
The Final Process
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We Wait
– It’s Mother Nature’s turn
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Irrigation
– We successfully establish turf without supplemental water
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Mowing
– Used to promote turf grass establishment
– Reduces pressure from non-desirables (Johnson grass, Ragweed, Tallow,
Rattlebox, etc.)
– Not always performed
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Over-seeding and Promotional Fertilization
– Tools that we sometimes use
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Site Completion
Grasses
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The grass family (Gramineae) has over 11,000 species
Relatively inexpensive to establish
Reduce light, air and soil pollution
Of the 16 essential nutrients needed for plant growth, grasses readily assimilate
others
Grasses-TURF Grasses
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Of these 11,000, there are ~7 suited for Permanent Turf in Southeast Texas
Warm Season Turf Grasses
– Bermuda*, St Augustine, Bahia*, Zoysia*, Seashore Paspalum*, Centipede*
Carpet Grass*
* indicates can be established by Seed
Turf Grass
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Why do we use these grasses?
– They establish quickly.
– They are commercially available.
– They are cost effective.
– They are well adapted to our climate.
– They are naturalized.
– THEY PROVIDE REPEATABLE RESULTS.
Bermuda Grass
• Cynodon Dactylon is commonly called Bermuda Grass in many areas
of the world, but it is also known by numerous other names including
"Kweekgras" (S. Africa), couch grass (Australia and Africa), Devil's
grass (India) and Gramillia (Argentina). • The earliest introduction of Bermuda Grass to the U.S. is not recorded.
• Believed to be introduced during the Early Colonial Period.
• Originated from Africa, Asia or India.
• Earliest published report is 1807 (Mease’s Geological Account of the
United States).
The Facts about Bermuda Grass
– Drought tolerant, salt tolerant, heat tolerant
– Deep rooting
– Spreads through Rhizomes, Stolons, and Seeds
– Few disease and pest issues. (But they are present, preventing it from
becoming invasive)
– Produces viable seed (about 2 million seeds per pound)
– Grows on a wide variety of soils (Sands-Clays)
– Tolerates wide range of Soil Ph
– Survives flooding (prolonged submersion 30+ days)
– Requires massive cultural practices to become a mono-stand
Bermuda Grass Limitations
– Will NOT Tolerate Shade
– Goes dormant during the winter months
– Requires high Nitrogen inputs for aggressive growth
– Has established pests in our environment
– Limited height when fully grown
– Misunderstood (has a bad reputation)
Native Grass?
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What are the limitations of “Native” Grasses
– Germination? Slow, unreliable, unpredictable
– Difficult to source
– Slow establishment, or gets out competed (not just Bermuda)
– Most are Bunch Type grasses
– Require intensive maintenance to be successful
Grasses
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Grasses fall into two classes:
– Warm Season
– Cool Season
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Year Round Growth
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Root depths vary with season
Native Grass Propagation
Grasses/Plants are Opportunistic
What Caused This?
Questions?