Turfgrass, or lawns, serve functional, recreational, and quality of life purposes. Functionally, they control erosion, reduce heat and noise, and filter water. They are used for many sports and provide safe areas for recreation. Lawns can improve aesthetics, property values, and community pride. However, maintaining turfgrass in California requires consideration of water use, drought, runoff, and environmental regulations due to fertilizer and pesticide use.

1. Turfgrass Management
LNT 132 – Spring 2017
Mark Valen

2. Turfgrass Defined
• Plants, usually grasses, grown for lawns or athletic fields, of a type
that forms a dense even turf if mown and properly maintained.
• For homes, we often call them lawns.
• For sports fields and events, they are often more technically referred
to as “turfgrass” areas.
• In some cases the term “turf” has come to mean artificially
manufactured lawns.

3. Turfgrass in California
• Water‐Use
• Drought
• Run‐Off
• Utility Bills

4. Turfgrass in California
• Fertilizers and Pesticides
• Increased Regulation
• Run‐Off
• Environmental Impact

5. Turfgrass Uses
Turfgrass areas can serve 3 main purposes:
Functional
Recreational
Quality of Life
• Let’s look at each one separately:

6. Functional Uses of Turfgrass
• Controls water and wind erosion of soil.
• Eliminates dust and mud.

7. Functional Uses of Turfgrass
• Aids in climate control:
• reduces heat build‐up
• reduces air pollution
• adds humidity to air which aids in reducing particles

8. Functional Uses of Turfgrass
• Natural filtering system
• Roadside safety
• Bioremediation
• Soil restoration
• Ground water recharge
• Carbon sequestration

9. Functional Uses of Turfgrass
• Natural filtering system
• Bioremediation
• Soil restoration
• Ground water recharge

10. Functional Uses of Turfgrass
• Fire break

11. Functional Uses of Turfgrass
• Reduces glare.
• Reduces noise.
• Increases property values.
• Provides commercial appeal.

12. Functional Uses of Turfgrass
• Wildlife habitat

13. Recreational Uses of Turf
• Sports
• baseball, cricket, croquet, field hockey, football, golf, lawn bowling, lawn
tennis, lacrosse, polo, horse racing, rugby, and soccer are all played on grass!
• provides safety in sports due to cushioning.
• Parks
• provides for a pleasant atmosphere.
• provides for an area to play.
• provides for safer areas in which to play.

14. Recreational Uses of Turf
• Synthetic Turf Alternatives

15. Quality of Life
• Improves the appearance of homes, cities, and
commercial areas.
• Can improve a person’s pride in their neighborhood.
• Provides beauty and compliments tree and shrub
plantings.

16. Quality of Life

17. Quality of Life
• Was the standard for the most popular look to a
neighborhood however, with new and more efficient
water‐saving landscapes, this look may be changing.

18. Quality of Life

19. Quality of Life

20. Turfgrass in California

21. Turfgrass in California

22. Turfgrass in California