native grasses Cancel The title field is required!

1. Cummings John C

   
   1/17/2012 1:01 PM

   My owner would like to incorporate native grasses into areas near tees and other out-of-play areas. He mentioned Sagegrass as one possibility. He wants something that turns brown in the summer for a contrast to the in-play turfgrass areas.
   
   
   Suggestions?
   
   
   This is new territory for me.

   
   
   
   
2. Baker Daniel

   
   1/17/2012 3:01 PM

   Speaking of new territory, where are you located? It would help with grass recommendations

   
   
   
   
3. Cummings John C

   
   1/17/2012 4:01 PM

   Kentucky

   
   
   
   
4. Rockwell Brent S

   
   1/17/2012 8:01 PM

   I really like the little bluestem and broomsedge in our mix. I would reccommend staying away from big bluestem and indiangrass as they get too tall and yield many complaints. When we were converting our maintained areas to native areas the first couple of years were tough. The fescue was out-competing the seed.

   
   
   
   
5. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   1/18/2012 5:01 AM

   I've seen some great outer roughs done in Tall Fescue. Bushhogged a few times a year, then sprayed with a herbicide for broadleaf weeds. Nothing like seeing those seedheads flow in the wind while looking for an errant drive. Should do good in your neck of the woods too and the seedheads will provide good color contrast in the summer months.

   
   
   
   
6. James Rauhuff

   

   0 posts
   
   1/18/2012 8:01 AM

   I have managed both tall fescue, and bluestem sage grown up. The tall fescue is beautiful when it comes to seed. The sage will only turn brown in the colder winter months, so there won't be much of a color contrast in the summer. One downfall to having only sage is it does not have a very dense growth habit, therefore allowing invasive weeds to stand out as opposed to the fescue. If you are allowed to burn, then late winter both grasses can be burned down to the ground to help with invasive weeds, volunteer tree sprouts and briars. One app of a three way herbicide in late spring and a late summer bush hog and you should be clean most of the season.

   
   
   
   
7. Patrick Reinhardt

   

   0 posts
   
   1/18/2012 8:01 AM

   We never bush hogged while I was in Atlanta. Sprayed a couple of times with herbicide, and let it go the rest of the time, other than trimming down in front of some tees where it got too tall. We were predominantly fescue with lovegrass and broomsedge blended in. We would use other grasses as accents in certain areas (Black Moudry Dwarf Fountain, Zebrasgrass, Indiangrass, Miscanthus, Muhley, etc). The advantage of not bush hogging is that we would see the broomsedge all year.
   
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8. Justin VanLanduit

   

   0 posts
   
   1/18/2012 9:01 AM

   Has anyone used or are looking into some of the new fescue blends that are able to be sprayed with roundup? During our greens and approach regrassing Lew Sharp from Tee 2 Green was telling me about the mixes they were introducing that can be maintained with roundup and I'm thinking of doing some small areas to see how it works.

   
   
   
   
9. Andrew Cross

   

   5 posts
   
   1/18/2012 10:01 AM

   Justin get in contact with Kurt at Exmoor, we did a few areas when I was there but I left before they fully matured. But they looked good, just have to wait at least one year before spraying round up as we severely stunted a test spot by spraying too early.

   
   
   
   
10. Justin VanLanduit

    

    0 posts
    
    1/18/2012 12:01 PM

    Andrew Cross said: Justin get in contact with Kurt at Exmoor, we did a few areas when I was there but I left before they fully matured. But they looked good, just have to wait at least one year before spraying round up as we severely stunted a test spot by spraying too early.

    
    
    Thanks Andrew, I'll have to give him a call and swing up there this spring. How's things down south? You get much rain down that way? I just got back in town and my weather station says about .5" over the last few days. Looks like some heavy snows again Friday.

    
    
    
    
11. Rick Elyea

    

    0 posts
    
    1/26/2012 10:01 AM

    John,
    
    You could use a mixture of fine fescues and native grasses. There is a mixture from Jacklin called Irish Links, that they have selling with very good success. Low maintenance, mow once a year, excellent fall color, food source and nesting habitat for birds and wildlife. Recommended seeding rate is 50 to a maximum of 75 lb/acre.
    
    Has been used in the transistion zone and up north by the Canadian border.
    
    Rick

    
    
    
    
12. Samuel Leatherberry

    

    0 posts
    
    1/27/2012 7:01 AM

    Patrick,
    
    Where did you get the fescue with the lovesgrass and broomsedge blended in? Did you blend it yourself?

    
    
    
    
13. Patrick Reinhardt

    

    0 posts
    
    1/27/2012 9:01 AM

    Samuel Leatherberry said: Patrick,
    
    Where did you get the fescue with the lovesgrass and broomsedge blended in? Did you blend it yourself?

    
    
    We blended ourselves. The broomsedge we would just transplant from around the course where there were existing stands (it would spread on its own as long as there is no traffic), and in some cases we did that with the lovegrass as well (the islands in the waste bunkers on 6 and 14). The large lovegrass and fescue areas were just seeded. Fawn tall fescue was our normal fescue, because of the larger and showier seedhead. The lovegrass was just a weeping lovegrass.

    
    
    
    
14. Andy Jorgensen

    

    1 posts
    
    1/27/2012 9:01 AM

    Applewood Seed can get whatever you need.
    
    http://www.applewoodseed.com or 1-303-431-7333
    
    I've ordered wildflower seed from them for years with great service.