Specialists give the lowdown on managing turfgrass properties

By MINDY POEHL | Central Texas Edition

McLennan County Extension agents Donald Kelm, at left, and Will Kiker, right, along with Dr. Don Renchie, helped organize the seminar. -- Staff photo by Mindy Poehl

Sept. 23, 2004 - Turfgrass can be used in many places, such as home lawns, sports fields, parks and golf courses. In Texas, 65-70 percent of turfgrass is used in home landscapes. The care of that turfgrass however - keeping it beautiful and healthy, free of parasites - is extremely important.

With that in mind, the McLennan County Extension office, Brazos Valley Turf Grass Management Association, and the City of Hewitt hosted a Central Texas Turf Workshop, Sept. 14, that drew a good crowd of homeowners, landowners, landscapers, and professionals at the Hewitt Community Center.

"Weeds constantly cause problems in grasses," said Dr. Paul Bauman, College Station Extension weed specialist. "They are pesky pests that compete for sunlight, moisture and nutrients. Weeds take away from the overall balance of a turf and add to its maintenance requirements." Bauman warned that since weeds are aggressive and reproduce quickly, they are able to invade weak spots where turfgrasses are not growing.

To successfully get rid of weeds, he said, some identification must be completed. First, determine if the weed is a grassy weed or a broadleaf weed. Grassy weeds have jointed stems with veins that are parallel to the leaf margins and flowers are re-strained. Broadleaf weeds often contain flowers, the stems are compact and the veins form angles with one another, Bauman said.

Weeds can also be identified by their life span - as annual or perennial. Annual weeds sprout from a seed each year, develop in one growing season and die in less than 12 months. Perennial weeds live longer than a year and can regrow from dormant stolons.

To get rid of weeds, Bauman suggested reading herbicide labels to come up with the best way to eliminate the weeds on certain properties.

Dr. Don Renchie, an environmental safety specialist with Texas A&M University, said there were actual laws and regulations that govern turfgrass management. He said whether someone is working with public or private land or state parks, that person must be provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) when using pesticides. PPE is provided to reduce the exposure to hazards.

Renchie said the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), which was passed in 1996 and designed to address the Delaney Clause to protect children from pesticides, often comes into play in turfgrass management.

In 1998 the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) was updated to require people working with pesticides to use respirators so they will not inhale poisonous dust or fumes from blasting the land.

Renchie recommended storing pesticides in a separate location, keeping herbicides with herbicides and insecticides with insecticides. He also suggested keeping the storage area locked and closed off, with signs posted around the area with sufficient lighting. He also said it was a good idea to maintain stock records to make sure nothing is stolen.