Beginner'S Guide To Lawn Care And Turfgrass Management

How applying basic principles of mowing, irrigation, and fertilizing can land you a lush, green, healthy lawn

What you'll learn

Distinguish between the major turfgrass species used for home lawns and similar turf and learn why some turfgrasses are better suited than others

Learn how turfgrass plants grow and develop and apply those principles to promote a healthy lawn or turf

Recognize what makes a lawn and similar turf healthy and visually appealing

Understand how much, how often, and when mowing, irrigation, and fertilization affect lawns and similar turf.

Identify the major environmental stresses that lawns and turf face and develop strategies to mitigate them

Identify common weeds and diseases found in lawns and learn how best to prevent them year after year–with or without pesticides.

Use a lawn calendar as a simple tool to promote a lush, green, healthy lawn or similar turf

Requirements

No lawn care or similar experience needed. You'll learn everything you need to know.

Description

This comprehensive course provides a solid foundation for anyone seeking to establish, maintain, and improve his or her lawn while exploring the science of turfgrass management. Designed for beginners, the course is structured around 15 detailed modules that address key aspects of lawn care, combining theoretical knowledge with practical application.The journey begins with Module 1, which introduces lawn care principles and turfgrass management. Modules 2 through 5 delve into turfgrass growth, turfgrass–water relations, species diversity, and turf quality, equipping participants with an in-depth understanding of the factors that contribute to a lush, healthy lawn.The course emphasizes the role of healthy soil in Module 6, exploring the critical impact soil has on turf. Essential lawn care practices such as proper mowing (Module 7), irrigation (Module 8), and fertilization (Module 9) ensure participants master the core tasks for a vibrant lawn.Participants will also learn advanced cultivation techniques in Module 10 as well as step-by-step guides for establishing new turf or renovating existing turf in Module 11. The next three modules provide key knowledge and strategies to combat various turf problems such as stress (Module 12), weed infestation (Module 13), and disease (Module 14). Lastly, Module 15 provides practical lawn calendars for easy and effective scheduling of lawn care management tasks.Whether you’re a homeowner or aspiring turfgrass manager, this course equips you with the skills and confidence to maintain a beautiful, healthy lawn all year long.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Course outline

Lecture 2 Introduction to lawn care and turfgrass management

Lecture 3 Turf function, cultural practices, and proper lawn care

Section 2: Turfgrass growth

Lecture 4 Turfgrass morphology and propagation

Lecture 5 Two main types of turfgrass and factors that affect their growth

Section 3: Turfgrass–water relations

Lecture 6 Essentiality of water for turfgrass growth

Lecture 7 Environmental factors that affect evapotranspiration

Section 4: Turfgrass species

Lecture 8 Fundamental differences between cool-season and warm-season turfgrasses

Lecture 9 Common cool-season turfgrass species used primarily for lawns

Lecture 10 Common warm-season turfgrass species used primarily for lawns

Lecture 11 Comparing the traits, adaptability, and other features among turfgrass species

Section 5: Turf quality

Lecture 12 Visual quality, density, and other parameters used to measure turf quality

Lecture 13 Uniformity, color, and other parameters used to measure turf quality

Section 6: Soil basics

Lecture 14 Soil components and organic matter

Lecture 15 Soil aeration, texture, and pH

Section 7: Mowing

Lecture 16 Mowing stress and height of cut

Lecture 17 Effects of mowing height on turf

Lecture 18 Effects of mower blade sharpness and returning clippings

Section 8: Irrigation

Lecture 19 Importance of water

Lecture 20 How much to irrigate

Lecture 21 How often to irrigate

Lecture 22 When to irrigate

Section 9: Fertilization

Lecture 23 Nutrient elements and turfgrass composition

Lecture 24 Nitrogen fertilizer and leaching

Lecture 25 Quick- and slow-release nitrogen fertilizers

Lecture 26 Effects of nitrogen on turf

Lecture 27 Phosphorus and its effects on turf

Lecture 28 Potassium and its effects on turf

Lecture 29 Fertilizing cool-season turf

Lecture 30 Fertilizing warm-season turf

Section 10: Cultivation

Lecture 31 Advantages, disadvantages, and managing thatch

Lecture 32 Aerification

Section 11: Establishment

Lecture 33 Turfgrass seed and seed bag labels

Lecture 34 Seeding and cool-season and warm season turfgrasses

Lecture 35 Postseeding practices, plugging, and laying sod

Lecture 36 Renovating turf

Section 12: Turf stress

Lecture 37 Drought stress

Lecture 38 Mitigating drought stress

Lecture 39 Shade stress

Lecture 40 Low-temperature stress and freezing stress

Lecture 41 High-temperature stress

Lecture 42 Soil acidity and alkalinity

Lecture 43 Soil compaction

Lecture 44 Flooding and anoxia

Section 13: Weed control

Lecture 45 Weed identification: summer annuals and winter annuals

Lecture 46 Weed identification: perennials

Lecture 47 Herbicide classification and annual grassy weed control

Lecture 48 Broadleaf weed control

Lecture 49 Effects of mowing on weed pressure

Lecture 50 Effects of irrigation frequency and fertilization on weed pressure

Lecture 51 Weeds as indicators of underlying turf issues

Section 14: Turf disease

Lecture 52 Turf diseases commonly found in lawns

Section 15: Lawn calendars

Lecture 53 Generalized cool-season lawn calender

Lecture 54 Generalized warm-season lawn calendar

Homeowners, lawn care professionals, and others interested in learning how to maintain lush, green, healthy grass with scientifically proven methods