The Grass Between My Toes:
Wait! Is That Fescue?
Mr. Dale Cruzan
Turf Grass Establishment & Maintenance
Performance Objectives
On a demonstration evaluation, students will be able to
identify and describe the various parts of the turfgrass
plants and their use in the identification of major
turfgrass species with 80% accuracy
 Identify and describe the major parts of the turfgrass plant
 Describe the difference between tillering, stoloniferus, and
rhizomatous species
 Recognize the different leaf tips, leaf surfaces, auricles,
collars, ligules, and vernation and how they are used in the
identification of major species.
The Importance of Turfgrass
How many people
play sports or enjoy
watching sports?
Why would it be
important to know
which species of
turfgrass is present?
Taking Me Back to Yesterday
 Key Points
 Monocots- 1 Seed Leaf at Germination, Scattered
Vascular Bundles, and have primary growth only
 Dicots- 2 Seed Leaves at Germination, Concentric
Vascular Bundles, and has primary and secondary
growth
 Photosynthesis- The Process of Turning Carbon
Dioxide and Water into Sugar and Oxygen
 Respiration: The use of Energy from Stored
Compounds.
Parts of the Turfgrass Plants
The Stem
The Leaves
The Roots
The Seed Head
The Stem
 Primary Stem
 Provides support for the
turf plant
 Supplies water, sugars, and
minerals to the plant,
transports sugars
downward.
 The Stolon: An Aboveground
Stem. Often grows roots
 Rhizome: A below ground
stemt. Often grows roots
The Leaves
 The leaf’s primary purpose
is to collect sunlight and
exchange gases.
 The primary site of
photosynthesis
 Major Parts of the Leaf:
 Midrib
 Blade
The Roots
 Store sugars, absorbs
nutrients and water, and
provides support for the
plant.
 Primary Roots- The Main
Root
 Lateral Root- Secondary
Roots off the Primary
 Root Hairs- Hair like roots
that uptake water and
nutrients
The Seed Head
 Begins as a flower
 When flowers are
pollinated, it begins to
form a seed head.
 The purpose is to distribute
the seeds and start new
grass plants
 Often undesirable in
manicured turf
How To Identify Turfgrass
Leaf Tips
Pointed
Rounded
Boat Shaped
Leaf Surfaces
Auricles
Collars
Ligules
Vernations
Growth Habit
Where we’ve Been?
What’s Coming Up?
The Differences between Cool
Season and Warm Season Grasses
Turf Grass Identification
Turf Grass Selection
The Role of Soils in Turfgrass
Establishment and Maintenance