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<br />.;[;'f-l~lr{~..~'\'iH;'l~ <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br /> Table 2: Geneml comparison of grasses <br /> Drought DIsease Insect Heat Cold Growth <br /> Type Tolerance Resistance Resistance Tolerance Tolerance Rate <br /> Cool Season Grasses <br /> Kentucky medium medium medium fair excellent medium <br /> bluegrass <br /> Perennial medium fair fair fair good fast <br /> ryegrass <br /> Flne good good good poor excellent slow <br /> fescue <br /> Tall good good excellent medium fair fast.. <br />i. fescue <br /> Warm Season Grasses <br /> Zoysia- excellent good good excellent medium slow <br /> grass <br /> Bermuda excellent fair good excellent poor fast <br /> grass <br /> Centipede poor good good gond very poor slow <br /> grass <br /> St. Augustine fair medium medium good very poor fast <br /> grass <br /> Prairie Grass <br /> Buffalcr excellent fair good good good slow <br /> grass <br /> "4' except for dwarf varieties which are medium to slow.growing <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />II <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Figure 2: Lower anatomy of the grass plant <br />(adopted (rom Schultz 1.989) <br /> <br /> <br />\ <br />CROWN\:j <br />~.fr <br />1 ;;;. / <br />, .i( ~ <br />RHIZOME-/ )~I~< \( <br />,~ r.j-,; <br />'I, <br /> <br /> <br />Grasscycling-Letting Clippings Lie <br /> <br />Grass is unusual in that it does not grow from th~ tip <br />but from the crown, near the soil line (see Figure 2). <br />Mowing cuts off the oldest part of the plilnl. thus the <br />plan[ can tolerate repeated cropping. TrJditi0I1JI <br />lawncare practices call for raking Jnd removing clip- <br />pings, which were thought to proml)le th~Hch :mu <br />disease. In fact, leaving clippings on the l~wn is bcneti- <br />cial. so long as the lawn is frequently mowed. Clip- <br />pings provide nutrients and moisture. Rese:lfchcfS 31 <br />the University of Connecticut Agricuhur:d Slalion <br />llseu radioactive nitrogen to track lhe t":llC llf applieu <br />nutrients when clippings are recycled. They found lhat <br />within a week. most oCthe nitrogen fmllllhc clipping." <br />was incorrorateJ into new gras:; growth. Altcr three <br />year:;, nearly HO'}it of the ;Ipplicd niln)~en h~ld b<..'cn <br />returned (0 the lawn thmll~h the di(lpin~~ (SdlUlLl <br />!lJX<J). The ROlJ.lIe In~aillHl..' RGsc;\n:h l\:l1lt."r flllJnd <br />lh;lt an ;l.:rc of cJjrrill~s pnwidcs an ;l\'~r;\:!t:; of 235 <br />,,(HJnds ()!" nitn)gen and 77 p11UIJds. lll" plll1spl1l1rlls <..';1..:11 <br />year (Mt:ycr PN5). Clippin~s also return IIhlislUft' (t) <br />(he gra:-;s, whi.:h hdps pn11l'Cl agaillsl di"t'u~lll: ;l1ld <br />L.:ak:iUIll, wiliL.:h hclj1~ b:ep (lh: Slli! t"rl1 11 1 ~l'UIII~ hlll <br />acid. <br /> <br />: . . ~ <br /> <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br />I <br />.. <br /> <br />I <br />