The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Soil and Water Conservation, provided a grant to Virginia Cooperative Extension to determine the nutrient management practices of Virginia turfgrass professionals. In May of 1991 a survey was sent to 2,322 professional turfgrass managers in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The mailing list was generated from the Virginia Cooperative Extension turfgrass educational list consisting of individuals who have expressed an interest in receiving information about Virginia Tech's turfgrass educational programs. Three hundred and fifty-six surveys were returned and three hundred were deemed usable. 

There are thousands of species of moss worldwide. These very simple plants lack the typical leaf, shoot, root, and seed-forming systems of most higher plants; however, they are some of the hardiest living organisms on the planet (Figure 1). Lawn moss can reproduce sexually (spores, etc.) or asexually (breaking off into smaller pieces that divide and multiply), and their numbers can increase rapidly under the right conditions. They are tolerant of extremely low mowing, so regular clipping of the grass will not remove them. It would seem that these plants would not offer much resistance to our efforts to manage or control them, but as Mother Nature often shows, their simplicity in design and function correlates well with their ability to colonize and persist in some of the most inhospitable growing conditions around your property: sidewalks, driveways, and yes – the lawn.

Low-maintenance vegetative evaluations are conducted for, and in cooperation with, the Virginia Department of Transportation. The primary purpose is to identify seeded species and/or cultivars that will perform under the harsh and varied environmental conditions found alongside roadsides in Virginia and the mid-Atlantic geographic region.

The minimal input management practices utilized in these trials differ traditional fine turf evaluation trials. Moisture is exclusively dependent upon rainfall events, with no supplemental irrigation available. Seeding rates are reduced, mowing occurs two to three times yearly, and other than an establishment application, fertility does not occur. The management parameters utilized make these tests unique in evaluating establishment and persistence performance.

Lawn turfgrasses provide many benefits to our immediate environment. Soil erosion control, improved protection of groundwater, improvement of the quality of life through noise and dust abatement, improvements of air quality, and aesthetic and recreational contributions are some of the assets provided by turfgrasses. However, disposal of grass clippings is an ongoing issue that requires the attention of homeowners in order to be a good land steward!

Golf courses have traditionally been thought of as environmentally sound landscapes, preserving green spaces that otherwise could have been developed and providing a recreational opportunity for nearby residents. In recent years, however as the public has become increasingly alarmed and concerned with chemical use and groundwater quality, the idea of a golf course being a chemically pristine expanse has been challenged.

There is no time of year that generates as much excitement in the management of lawns and landscapes as spring. Sales of all lawn and garden products soar as many homeowners strive for the best looking lawn possible. However, your enthusiasm for returning the lawn to tip-top shape should be tempered enough so that you make sound agronomic and environmental management decisions. Smart choices now will result in a healthy, dense turf canopy that will better withstand the environmental extremes of the summer months.

Soil testing. Sampling the soil to determine pH and nutrient levels is always a prudent choice in developing a management program for a lawn, especially if a soil test has not been done within the past three years (Figure 1). Any time of year is appropriate for sampling. A majority of Virginia soils are acidic and need to be amended with periodic applications of lime. For information on how to properly sample your soil, consult Soil Sampling for the Home Gardener, Virginia Cooperative Extension publication 452-129, at http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/452-129/. For additional soil testing information, see the presentation "Soil Testing for the Lawn and Landscape," at http://breeze.ag.vt.edu/p36588349/.

Every spring, turf managers are faced with the dilemma of having to provide safe and aesthetically pleasing athletic fields while turfgrasses are not actively growing. Sports field managers must wait for consistently warm weather before grasses resume active growth. Although Mother Nature dictates most aspects of field recovery potential, several steps can be taken to optimize the chances of providing the best and safest playing conditions possible once the fall playing season is complete.