Winter Turf Development on Dormant Bermudagrass as Influenced by Summer Cultivation and Winter N Fertilization¹

Abstract

Overseeded winter turf on dormant bermudagrass is an important practice in providing live turf for a large portion of the year. It has been observed that as vigorous bermudagrass becomes older satisfactory winter turf is more difficult to establish and maintain. Previous research has shown that cultivation of bermudagrass immediately prior to overseeding cool season turfgrasses has improved winter turf. However, no work has been reported showing the effects of bermudagrass summer cultivation on overseeded winter turf quality. This investigation was initiated to study the relationship of thatch removal in the summer on winter turf quality. Thatch was removed from a 5‐year‐old putting green with a vertical mower in early, middle, and late summer and soil top dressing was applied after each aeration. N fertilizer was applied in summer, fall, and winter; P and K were maintained at high levels and the pH at 6.5. Ryegrass and red fescue were overseeded after turf mowing in October. The percent ground cover was measured in December, March, May, and June. The removal of thatch by frequent summer aeration and soil topdressing (cultivation) improved the winter quality of overseeded cool season turf. Excessive nitrogen fertilization in winter, especially on heavily thatched areas, reduced winter turf coverage. The best transition from cool season turf to bermudagrass occurred when the cool season grass persisted into the summer. The increased Poa annua infestation caused by early cultivation was reduced by more frequent cultivation.

Performance of Annual and Perennial Ryegrass Mixtures for Winter Overseeding into Three Warm‐Season Turfgrass Species

“…The Lm treatment similarly reduced C 4 verdure in Cynodon the same year (Table 5). These results conflict with numerous reports that link the early decline of C 3 grasses to earlier recovery of the host turf (Schmidt and Shoulders, 1972; Dunn et al, 1994; Richardson, 2004). Poor C 4 recovery despite removal of competition from ryegrass has been speculatively attributed to allelopathic chemical release during C 3 plant death (Kopec et al, 2001).…”

Species Selection, Pre‐Plant Cultivation, and Traffic Affect Overseeding Establishment in Bermudagrass Turf

“…The improved establishment in 2007 and 2008 from pre‐plant aerification is similar to previous research in which aerification plus soil‐topdressing enhanced establishment of annual ryegrass in a bermudagrass fairway turf (Schmidt and Shoulders, 1972). However, this is different than a previous report by Schmidt and Blaser (1962), in which verticutting was more effective than aerification in establishing overseeding grasses into a bermudagrass putting green.…”

“…Schmidt and Shoulders (1972) emphasized the importance of removing bermudagrass thatch to promote cool‐season overseeding establishment during winter months, as thatch removal would increase seed to soil contact and improve overseeding turf establishment (Schmidt and Blaser, 1962). Schmidt and Blaser (1962) also found that verticutting in multiple directions was more effective at promoting overseeding turf establishment than aerification, but this may have been due to the close mowing height (0.8 cm) used in their study for a bermudagrass putting green.…”

The Effect of Fraze Mowing on Overseed Establishment in Cynodon dactylon Turf

“…Although germination increased over time, no differences existed due to treatment (data not shown). Schmidt and Shoulders (1972) suggested that C. dactylon thatch removal via vertical mowing would result in greater seed‐to‐soil contact of the overseeded species and thus increased establishment. In the current study, vertical mowing in one direction did not improve overseed establishment over the untreated control.…”