| Broadleaf Weed Control From Dr. McCullough, UGA - Wednesday, March 10, 2010Perennial broadleaf weeds in spring are more difficult to control than winter annuals due to better heat tolerance and the ability to reproduce by seed or vegetative stems in spring... read more here
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| Don't Hurry Your Lawn... - Thursday, February 25, 2010Great read on early fertilization and why you shouldn't rush your lawn to greenup in the spring. By Willie Chance, UGA Extension - Houston County.
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| Controlling Annual Grassy Weeds: How To - Thursday, February 11, 2010 3 Ways to Control:
1. Non-herbicidal Control - mow as high as practical during the summer for the particular grass species in your lawn. Some weeds require high light intensity to germinate. Shade near the soil surface in a high mown lawn helps deter weed germination. Mow often enough that 1/3 of the grass blade is removed. Letting grass grow tall and then cutting it back low reduces turf density, allowing weed seeds to germinate and grow more easily. Irrigate properly - light and frequent encourages weed seed germination, even if you have applied a pre-emergence herbicide. Fertilize according to the needs of your lawn species. Aerate at least once a year to reduce compaction and control thatch.
2. Pre-Emergence Herbicides - these must be applied before the seedlings appear. These herbicides break down in summer months and when irrigation or rain is plentiful. If you have newly installed grass, wait until the grass has been mowed three times before spraying. After spraying, wait 2 months before seeding, depending on the product used. Do not apply to the soil before laying sod or apply to new sod. This will cause root restrictions. Apply sufficient water to wash the herbicide off the grass and into the soil surface (one-half inch is sufficient). Do not thatch your lawn after a pre-emergence application, since the herbicide barrier can be disturbed.
3. Post-Emergence Herbicides - these can be used to control existing annual grasses after weeds have begun to germinate. MSMA is easily obtained from any garden center and is often sold as "Crabgrass Killer." Others include Drive and Acclaim Extra. These 2 have been available to professionals for years, but Drive is now available to homeowners under the name "Weed B Gone MAX." These products may cause temporary discoloration of the turf. If the soil is dry apply enough water the day before treatment to moisten the soil to a three-inch depth. Do not apply post-emergence crabgrass herbicides to a new seeding until it has been mowed at least three times. Follow all label instructions to obtain the greatest effectiveness and to avoid injury to your grass and surrounding plants and trees.
This article was taken from Turf News Jan/Feb 2010 Issue, pg. 13
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| Did you know this about WATER? - Tuesday, February 09, 2010How can water, the very stuff of life, be virtual? The new - and imperfect - concept of "virtual water" will interest anyone concerned with sustainable landscapes.
The production of most products requires water, whether for irrigating crops or rinsing computer chips. When a product is exported or sold, that water may not literally be in the package, but it is part of the product, much like embodied energy.
Only 6 percent of water goes to drinking, washing and other household uses, while virtual water makes up the other 94 percent.
Economists and conservationists are starting to calculate the "water footprint" or virtual water content of products as an aid to understanding their impact on the earth's most precious resource.
Some examples are:
Cotton t-shirt: 719 gallons
Ream of white paper: 1,321 gallons
Pound of beef: 1,857 gallons
Midsize car: 39,090 gallons
Four ounce coffee: 37 gallons
Pint of beer: 20 gallons
Microchip: 8 gallons
(Taken from "What's your water footprint" in Mother Jone's July/August 2009 issue.) For more information please visit www.waterfootprint.org.
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| Turfgrass Institute and Trade Show - Wednesday, February 03, 2010If you didn't make it to the trade show in December, you can watch the video posted on the GTA Website! Here's the link:
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| Some Facts About Rebel Supreme Fescue - Wednesday, January 13, 2010 Rebel Supreme Fescue was specifically created to meet the demands of a southern lawn. The extensive, deep root system allows it to withstand drought, requiring less water than other fescue varieties. Rebel Supreme produces a dense stand which endures wear and tear, does not clump like Kentucky 31, produces more blades of grass per seed and will spread better than Kentucky 31. Rebel Supreme resists insects and disease, creating less need for fugicides and insecticides.
Fertilization for winter: mid to late February, use balanced fertlizer such as 10-10-10 or 15-15-15 & the rate is 10 lbs/1000 square feet.
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| West Georgia Green Association - Tuesday, January 12, 2010Find out about the January meeting and more about WGGA!
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| UGA Turf Team Develops mobils turfgrass textbook as an iPhone Application! - Thursday, January 07, 2010 |
| Preemergence Herbicide Loss After the Flood - Monday, November 30, 2009After the flood, should landscapers reapply preemergence herbicides? Read this article to find out!
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| New Brochures! - Tuesday, November 24, 2009 Check out our new brochures for each variety of grass! Go to the varieties page, pick your variety and scroll down to "Quick Links."
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| Mow it High! - Friday, November 20, 2009Mow it High and Let it Lie
Mowing is the most common cultural practice used on lawns around the world. In fact the ability to tolerate mowing is one of the criteria that separate turfgrasses from the rest of the grass species. There are many misconceptions about mowing that can lead to a less than perfect lawn and many homeowners are making lawn care way to difficult by using the wrong mowing practices.
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| NG Turf Employees Attend Douglas County Nature Trail Workday - Tuesday, November 17, 2009 Tree planting season got off to a great start this year when Rolling HIlls provided 16 trees to the Douglas County Master Gardeners! On Saturday, October 10th, 21 volunteers gathered for a workday to plant 16 new native trees along the Douglas County Master Gardeners Nature Trail location behind the county courthouse. Rolling Hills provided the planting stock in 3 gallon containers that were grown over the summer at the Rome City nursery. Sugar maples, redbud trees, and Nuttall oak now grace the trail head while five bald cyprss trees were planted along the banks of Slater Mill Creek.
- From Highlights from the Hills, Issue 20, page 3
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| The Georgia Farm Monitor reported this story about the flooding in west Georgia. - Tuesday, October 06, 2009 |
| NG Turf's Monthly Emails! Read Here! - Tuesday, September 22, 2009 |
| MALTA Article on Drought Tolerant Turf - Friday, September 18, 2009Read NG Turf's article on drought tolerant turf published in MATLA Magazine!
MALTA Article.pdf
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| 24th Annual Customer Appreciation Day and Dove Shoot - Thursday, September 17, 2009The 24th Annual Dove Shoot Hosted by NG Turf
Whitesburg, GA – North Georgia Turf and Sports Turf Company held the 24th Annual Customer Appreciation Day and Dove Shoot on Saturday September 5, 2009 at their farm in Whitesburg, Georgia. Over 350 guests attended the event catered by Huckelberry’s Barbecue and Brewster’s Ice Cream.
Each year NG Turf and Sports Turf like to express appreciation to their customers in the southern tradition with a day of friends, good food and fun times. “I have a great time each year at this event,” says Todd Jarrett, president of Arbor Hill Nurseries, Marietta, Georgia. “It’s great to see people in our industry in a relaxed, casual setting.” Music was provided by the Chattahoochee Pickers.
Honored guests this year included U.S. Congressmen Lynn Westmoreland and Phil Gingrey, Republican Candidate for Governor Nathan Deal, Republican Candidate for Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black and Lt. Governor Casey Cagle. Each guest had an opportunity to speak and answer questions from the audience.
NG Turf shows all the varieties of available turfgrasses each year. This year NG Turf had three new turfgrasses: TifGrand Bermuda, which will be available in Summer 2010, Density Buffalograss, an extremely drought tolerant grass with a fine blade, and McZoysia, a hybrid from an off-type field cultivated at a residence near the farm. Other grasses included Tifway 419 Bermuda, TifSport Bermuda, Patriot Bermuda, Zeon Zoysia, JaMur Zoysia, El Toro Zoysia, Meyer Zoysia, Rebel Supreme Fescue and TifBlair Centipede.
Sports Turf Company employees spoke with guests about projects that are ongoing in the Southeast. These include Glenlake Park in Decatur, Georgia, Jonquil Park in Smyrna, West Georgia Univeristy’s new stadium football field in Carrollton and Mississippi State’s softball field renovation in Starkville, Mississippi. The company continues to expand their developments across the southeast in this highly specialized industry.
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| New Video - Thursday, September 17, 2009NG Turf has a new video on Kudzu.com!
View it here!
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| What is BUFFALOGRASS? Read more... - Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Perfect Turf for Drought Conditions—and More
“Density” is a perfect name for the buffalograss cultivar recently licensed by North Georgia Turf of Whitesburg, Georgia. It’s thin-bladed, fine-textured and dense; it’s green early, late, and through the season; the fibrous root system survives on little water; and it spreads without seeding. It’s low-maintenance and needs little fertilizer.
Density Buffalograss was first identified and isolated in Houston, Texas and was tested at Poteet, TX and Lebanon, OR, but it is native to North America. North Georgia Turf has grown it in Georgia since 2003. The testing proved that Density’s green-up is 21 – 25 days before Bermuda grass, and it stays green 10 – 14 days longer in the fall. Density is also resistant to disease and insects: testing hasn’t shown susceptibility to any diseases or to the buffalograss mite [Eriophyes slykhuisi (Hall)] or other insects common to buffalograss such as mealybug.
And it’s good-looking grass according to independent evaluation; Density had the highest ratings for overall turf quality, texture, spring green-up, and spring color in the 2002 National Turfgrass Evaluation Program. Root-producing nodes are close together, which makes for a thick, fibrous root system and a dense appearance.
(NTEP Progress Report 06-6, 2002.www.ntep.org).
Independent users have tested it for years, even in Georgia’s record drought. According to Jason Brownell, GCS, of Big Canoe Golf Course in Big Canoe, GA, “We installed Density Buffalograss in mid-June on our golf course in an area that has no irrigation. We were very surprised at how quickly the Density established and how well it withstood dry conditions during establishment because we could only water with a hose. The grass will be maintained at 4 inches and should serve us well in this non-irrigated area.”
For a good-looking native turf that thrives under hot, dry conditions too extreme for other turfgrasses, a low-maintenance turf that’s ideal for hot, humid climates, Density Buffalograss is an ideal choice--lawns, commercial sites and golf course roughs. It suits them all.
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