Middle School Curriculum
Unit 10: Horticulture
Lesson 6: Turf Production and Management
OBJECTIVES
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Explain and define turfgrass management.
Identify where turfgrass is used.
Explain and identify warm season grasses.
Explain and identify cool season grasses.
Identify the best time to seed.
Identify the mowing height.
Agriculture QCC:…………………………………………………….…25, 26, 30
Language Arts QCC:…………………………………………………….6-71, 74
7-67, 70
8-67, 70
Mathematics QCC:…………………………………………………...6-1, 8, 9, 21
7-1, 13, 14, 25
8-1, 15, 28
REFERENCES
Herren, Ray V. Exploring Agriscience. Albany, NY: Delmar Publishers, Inc.
Lee, Jasper S. Agriscience Discovery. Danville, IL: Interstate Publishers, Inc.
TEACHING PROCEDURE
Introduction and Mental Set
Find a picture of a home with poor landscaping and a home with beautiful landscaping.
Show both pictures and ask the student which house would they rather buy or live in.
Most will probably say the house with the beautiful landscape. Ask them why they chose
that house. Hopefully something about the landscape will come up, but if not be sure to
mention this aspect.
Ask students why turfgrasses are so important? Allow student responses. Explain that it
adds to the beauty and value of a home. Turfgrasses are also popular because they help
prevent soil erosion, absorb rainfall more effectively, and can also help prevent pesticides
from moving down further into the soil and contaminating ground water.
Discussion
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 10 Lesson 6
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1. What is turfgrass management?
Turfgrass management is a range of activities that help establish and sustain turf at a
desired level of quality.
2. What are some ways of mismanaging turfgrass?
Mismanagement can occur as a result of poorly adapted turfgrass; improper
establishment; errors in mowing, fertilization, and irrigation; improper cultivation;
mistakes in pesticide selection.
3. What are some ways in which turf is used?
Turfgrass is an outstanding ground cover for athletic fields because it can recover
quickly after injury and because it allows for a soft surface. Turfgrass is also widely
used on golf courses. Parks, cemeteries, and highway sides also use turfgrass.
4. What are warm season turfgrasses? Give examples.
Most warm season turfgrasses are adapted to the southern United States. These
grasses grow best at temperatures of 80 degrees F. or higher. These grasses cannot
tolerate cold temperatures very well.
-Pass out Handout #1 so students can see where warm season turfgrasses are
used.
A. Examples include: Pass out Handout #2 to show pictures of grass.
Bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass, Bahiagrass, Seasshore pespalum, Centipedegrass,
Zoysiagrass, Japanede Lawngrass, Mascarenegrass, Manilagrass, Common
carpetgrass, Dichondra, Kikuyugrass, Buffalograss, Blue Grama.
5. What are cool season turfgrasses? Give examples.
Most cool season grasses are adapted to the northern United States. These grasses
grow best in temperatures of 60-75 degrees F. Heat tolerance for these plants is poor.
Some cool season grasses can be grown in the transition zone.
-Pass out Handout #1 so students can see where cool season turfgrasses are used.
B. Examples include: Pass out Handout #3 to show pictures of grass.
Kentucky bluegrass, Rough bluegrass, Canada bluegrass, Annual bluegrass, Poa
supine, Perennial ryegrass, Annual ryegrass, Intermediate ryegrass, Creeping
bentgrass, Colonial bentgrass, Velvet bentgrass, Redtop, Tall fescue, etc.
6. When is the best time to seed?
The favored time for seeding cool season turfgrasses is in late summer. These times
are late August and September in the north and late September into October in the
south. Seeding in the spring is not desirable. The favored time for seeding warm
season turfgrasses is in late spring or early summer.
7. What is the appropriate amount of grass to be cut at each mowing and how
often should it be cut?
No more than 1/3 of the leaf growth should be removed at each mowing.
Mowing should not be determined when it is most convenient (example
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 10 Lesson 6
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every Saturday). Mowing depends on the growth rate and remember that no more
than 1/3 of the leaf blade should be cut at one mowing.
Activities: Visit the football field or local golf course to observe the different types
of turf used and the different mowing heights of the grass.
You can also go on a grass hunt around the school. Decide what grasses you would
like to find and hunt for them. Allow students to grow different pots of turfgrass.
Some warm season and cool season. Allow them to observe and see how different
temperatures affect them.
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 10 Lesson 6
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ACADEMIC CONNECTIONS
Mathematics
Middle School Connections in Agriculture Education
Mathematics QCC: Grade 6- 1, 8, 9, 21
7- 1, 13, 14, 25
8- 1, 15, 28
Name____________________________________ Period____ Date______________
Complete the following problems:
Remember that you learned that no more than 1/3 of leaf growth should be removed at
each mowing.
1. If your grass height is 6 inches how much growth should be removed during mowing
if you are removing 1/3 leaf growth?
2. If your grass height is 12 inches how much growth should be removed during the
mowing if you are removing 1/3 leaf growth?
3. If you have removed 10 inches of leaf growth after mowing, what was the original
grass height (remember you removed 1/3 leaf growth)?
4. Kentucky bluegrass is considered a cool season grass. Since cool season grasses grow
best in temperatures ranging between 60-75 degrees F, could a cool season grass grow
well at 20 degrees C.?
*Fahrenheit to Centigrade: C = (F – 32) 5/9
*Centigrade to Fahrenheit: F = (9/5 C) + 32
5. Bermudagrass is considered a warm season grass. Since warm season grasses grow
best in temperatures ranging between 80 degrees F. or higher, determine the degrees C.
that it would grow best in?
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Answers:
1. 2 inches
2. 4 inches
3. 30 inches
4. yes; because F = (9/5 C) + 32 so (9/5 x 20) + 32 = 68 degrees F.
5. 26.66 or 26.7 degrees C. or higher; because C = (F-32) 5/9 so (80-32) 5/9 = 26.666
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ACADEMIC CONNECTIONS
Mathematics
Middle School Connections in Agriculture Education
Mathematics QCC: Grade 6- 21
7- 25
8- 28
Name____________________________________ Period____ Date______________
Part of turf management includes keeping the grass cut. Below are some word problems
associated with cutting grass.
1. A riding mower takes only 1 minute to cut 1,000 square feet; how many minutes will
it take to cut 18,000 square feet?
2. How many hours will it take Jason to cut 15, 560 square feet with a push mower if it
takes him 5 minutes to cut 1,000 square feet?
3. Lindsay cuts grass on the average of 22 times a year. If it takes her an hour and half to
cut grass each time, how much money will she make if her father pays her $3.75/hour
(round to two decimal places)?
4. Determine the cost of mowing 10,000 square feet of grass with a 20-inch push mower
if it takes 7 minutes to cut 1,000 square feet. Labor costs $3.50/hour.
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Answers:
1. 18 minutes.
1 minute = x minutes
1000 feet
18,000 feet
so
1000x = 18,000
divide 18,000 by 1000 = 18
2. 1.3 hours
5 minutes = x minutes
1000 feet
15,560 feet
so
1000x=77,800
divide 77,800 by 1000 = 77.8
77.8 minutes, need in hours so divide by 60 = 1.3 hours.
3. $123.86; $3.75 x 1.5 hours = $5.63 each time she cuts grass. $5.63 x 22 = $123.75
total.
4. $4.20;
7 minutes = x minutes
1000 feet
10,000
so
1000x = 70,000
divide 70,000 by 1000 = 70
70 minutes, need in hours so divide by 60 = 1.2 hours; now 1.2 hours x
$3.50 = $4.20
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ACADEMIC CONNECTIONS
Language Arts
Middle School Connections in Agriculture Education
Language Arts QCC: Grade 6-71, 74
7-67, 70
8-67, 70
Name____________________________________ Period____ Date______________
Imagine that you have a friend living in Alaska. The two of you send letters back and
forth to one another. Your friend loves reading about the things you learn at school,
especially in your agriculture class. Write a letter to your friend and tell him or her what
you have learned about turfgrass. Include descriptions of types of grasses, management,
uses, and seasons. Remember the letter writing skills you learned in Language Arts class.
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SUMMARY
Students will learn about turfgrass management, where turfgrass is most often used,
what are warm season turfgrasses, what are cool season turfgrasses, when to seed and
how much leaf growth to remove when mowing.
Evaluation
Written Quiz
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 10 Lesson 6
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Handout #1: Temperature Zones
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Cool Humid
Transition Zone
Warm Humid
Cool Arid
Warm Arid
Regions A and D experience colder temperatures and are most suitable for cold season
grasses. Region A and D are called cool season zone.
Regions C and E experience warmer temperatures and are most suitable for warm season
grasses. Region C and E are called warm season zone.
Region B is known as the transition zone.
Georgia Middle School Agricultural Education Curriculum, Unit 10 Lesson 6
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Handout #2 Warm season grasses.
Bermudagrass
Bahiagrass
St. Augustinegrass
Centipedegrass
Zoysiagrass
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Handout #3: Cool Season Trufgrasses
Kentucky Bluegrass
Tall Fescue
Perennial Ryegrass
Creeping Bentgrass
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