In this topic, you will be studying turf grasses and lawns. Some people think that growing lawns
in the Southwest is not sustainable, but there are certain beneficial aspects of growing a turf grass
lawn that cannot easily be replaced. To learn more about this debate, read the supplemental
article posted in the folder.
Like herbaceous plants used for landscape color, the climate of Arizona definitely influences
what types of turf grasses are grown and when we can grow them. In Phoenix, you can grow
warm-season grasses that survive our hot summer but go dormant in the winter. You can also
grow cool-season grasses that grow well in the winter and spring but cannot easily survive our
hot summer. Before viewing the videos read the following sections of the textbook and answer
the following questions.
Be able to define the following terms:
Cool-season grasses
Warm-season grasses
Hybrid grasses
Sod
Sprigs
Plugs
Overseeding
Scalping
Now you are now ready to watch the videos for this section entitled Southwest Turf grass and
Arizona Cardinals Football Playing Field. Click on the Video link in the Folder on the course
website. After reading the articles and watching the videos, you should be able to answer the
following questions:
1. What benefits are derived in the landscape from growing a lawn? What are some of the
expenses involved when growing a lawn?
2. What examples of cool-season grasses were presented in the video as grasses that can be
used for lawns in the Phoenix area? What are examples of warm-season grasses? Why
can’t people living in central Arizona grow a single type of grass year-round?
3. What advantages/disadvantages were discussed in the video for each of the different
types of cool season-grasses? For example: What cool-season grass can be planted in the
Topic 3: Southwest Turfgrass
fall and will stay greener longer throughout the winter into spring and early summer? Is it
better to grow annual or perennial ryegrass? Which type of ryegrass is more expensive to
plant and which is more difficult to maintain? Which type of ryegrass is better if a person
has children and pets?
4. The video mentioned two general types of Bermuda grass - what are they? And how are
they different? What are some of the advantages to planting hybrid Bermuda grass?
5. How do some of the examples of hybrid Bermuda grass that were demonstrated in the
video differ (Santa Ana, Tifway and Midiron)?
6. What types of turf grasses grow best in the Phoenix region in lawn areas under trees and
in shade? What types are not tolerant of shade? What is the best turf grass to use for a
sunny residential Phoenix landscape location in the summer? In the winter?
7. When designing and planting a lawn area, what key points should one remember to
include and do? What is the difference between using seed, sod and sprigs to plant a
lawn? How is common Bermuda grass typically planted? How is hybrid Bermuda grass
typically planted?
8. When does Bermuda grass turn brown and dormant? When types of lawns in Phoenix are
overseeded, and what type of grass is used in the overseeding process? What is the
seeding rate per 1,000 square feet of lawn used for overseeding cool-season grasses?
After overseeding, how often and for how long should one sprinkler irrigate to establish?
9. Once established, about how often should a lawn be sprinkler watered?
10. What type of fertilizer is used to fertilize lawns? How much fertilizer is generally needed
to keep a lawn healthy?
11. Why is it important to regularly mow lawns? How do mowing heights differ between the
different types of grasses commonly grown in the Phoenix area?
Turf grass lawn plants mentioned in this video are listed below.
Cynodon (Common and hybrid Bermuda grass; locally used cultivars include Santa Ana, Tifway
419 & Midiron)
Lolium (Annual and perennial ryegrass)
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
