ASHS Press Releases

Linear garden concept saves space, adds visual interest

FORT PIERCE, FL - Travel America’s highways or drive down any city street this summer and you’ll probably see them. From small, manicured beds of flowers maintained by community volunteers to extensive landscaping projects along America’s byways, roadside gardens are taking root.

Aside from the obvious aesthetic benefits, studies indicate that roadside beautification, including landscaping and gardens, can help drivers reduce stress, frustration, and aggression, while helping maintain safe highways. Implementing simple, cost-effective beautification projects can enhance communities and improve quality of life for residents and travelers.

A recent article published in the April 2008 issue of HortTechnology introduces the “linear garden”; a new, dual-purpose method to enhance roadsides while providing teaching gardens for students and community members.

Dr. Sandra Wilson, Associate Professor of Environmental Horticulture at the University of Florida’s Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC), and a team of researchers designed and planted a linear garden along a road at the entrance to the University of Florida and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Fort Pierce, Florida. Wilson explained the concept of the linear garden, saying, “The idea originated when existing university gardens, used as teaching labs for students, reached maximum plant capacity. We needed to find a way to teach students about plants in a limited amount of space, and that need paralleled our community’s interest in enhancing local roadside beautification projects.”

With minimal installation and maintenance costs, students and professors established the linear garden in a single strip measuring three feet wide by 2,426 feet long. Amazingly, 817 plants were planted in the compact space. The garden was designed to showcase landscape plants commonly used in south-central Florida, and year-round visual interest was maintained by planting trees, palms, shrubs, ground covers, and grasses.

Dr. Wilson noted that the new linear garden is used as a teaching experience for students in five college courses. Visitors to the garden also include students from local community colleges and garden club members. The garden also provides visual interest for residents and passers-by.

Summing up the project, Wilson stated, “A linear garden is an efficient, space-saving way to present plants for teaching purposes, and also serves to beautify the roadside throughout the year”.

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The complete study is available on the ASHS HortTechnology electronic journal web site: http://horttech.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/18/2/318

Founded in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is the largest organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural research, education and application. More information at: http://ashs.org

Sandra B. Wilson, Keona L. Muller, Judith A. Gersony, and Brian T. Scully
The Linear Garden: A Unique, Inexpensive, and Effective Way to Facilitate Plant Identification and Roadside Beautification
HortTechnology 2008 18: 318-319. [Full Text] [PDF]

Efforts underway to save thousands of orchid species from extinction

KALIMANTAN, INDONESIA– Borneo (Kalimantan) is the third largest island in the world. It is rich with a variety of indigenous orchid species that grow in the forests. Borneo’s rain forests are also home to some extremely rare species of orchids, all highly valued for their exotic aromas and aesthetic beauty. It has been estimated that 2500 to 3000 orchid species grow in the forests of Borneo.

Borneo’s orchids are also endangered, a result of the loss of natural habitat from fire, forest damage, and illegal logging. Increased exploitation of the forests of West Borneo, including gold mining and illegal burning, has led to the certain extinction of hundreds of orchid species. According to a Global Forest Watch 2002 report, Indonesia is experiencing one of the most dramatic losses of forestland in the world. Reports showed that at the current rate of loss, Borneo’s forests could vanish completely by 2010.

Economic factors, including illegal collecting and selling of wild orchids by domestic or foreign “orchid hunters”, along with increasing consumer demand for orchids, also contribute to the endangerment of Borneo’s native orchids.

Compelled by concern for the demise of Borneo’s native orchids, Chairani Siregar of the College of Agriculture at the University of Tanjungpura (Indonesia) undertook a 3-year study to locate and record endangered native orchid species in West Borneo. According to Siregar, “until recently, there were few records kept of the orchids native to West Borneo. For this reason, research was conducted to identify and create an inventory of all orchid species that exist (in West Borneo) before they and their habitats become extinct. The study was done in 10 counties and one municipal city in West Borneo.  Orchids found were identified and recorded by species. A total of 197 species of orchids were identified.”

Siregar is committed to cultivating all vulnerable and endangered species of orchids before they become extinct, adding that “local government intervention and participation in conservation, cultivation and marketing of orchids are necessary” for the popular flowers’ survival.

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The complete study and abstract are available on the ASHS HortScience electronic journal web site: http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/43/2/554

Founded in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is the largest organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural research, education, and application. More information at ashs.org.

Exploration and Inventory of Native Orchid Germplasm in West Borneo, Indonesia
Chairani Siregar
HortScience Apr 1 2008: 554–557. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

DDGS could reduce costs to commercial nursery growers

Tons of distiller’s dried grains held in storage. Click here for more information.

PROSSER, WA – Commercial flower and plant growers know all too well that invasive, ubiquitous weeds cause trouble by lowering the value and deterring healthy growth of potted ornamental plants. To control weeds, many commercial nursery owners resort to the expensive practice of paying workers to hand-weed containers. Some growers use herbicides, but efficacy of herbicides is questionable on the wide range of plant species produced in nurseries, and many herbicides are not registered for use in greenhouses.

Enter “dried distillers grains with solubles”, or DDGS. DDGS, a byproduct of converting corn to fuel ethanol, is typically used as livestock feed. Rick A. Boydston, Harold P. Collins, and Steve Vaughn, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, undertook a research study on the use of DDGS as a weed deterrent on potted ornamentals. The study results, published in the February 2008 issue of HortScience, evaluated the use of DDGS as a soil amendment to suppress weeds in container-grown ornamentals.

Researchers applied DDGS two ways: to the soil surface, and mixed into the potting media of transplanted ornamentals. Applied to the soil surface after transplanting, DDGS caused no injury to plants. According to Dr. Boydston, an agronomist with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), “grains applied to the surface at rates that gave good coverage of the soil (800 and 1600 g/m2) reduced the number of common chickweed and annual bluegrass. Weed control was not perfect, but could reduce the amount of hand-weeding typically required.”

When mixed into the potting media, however, dried distillers grains were toxic to transplanted rose, coreopsis, and phlox plants. Researchers concluded that DDGS may be useful for reducing weed emergence and growth in container-grown ornamentals when applied to the soil surface at transplanting. Dr. Boydston noted that additional research is needed to identify and confirm the safety (of using DDGS) to other ornamentals and effectiveness of controlling other types of weeds.

Dried distillers grains are becoming more readily available as ethanol production in the U.S. increases. The push to produce ethanol, a cleaner-burning alternative to gasoline, has gained interest as gasoline prices continue to soar. As production increases, finding new uses for byproducts like DDGS becomes more critical. Dr. Boydston sees the results of this and similar ARS studies as a win/win for ethanol producers and the agriculture industry, noting, “identifying new uses for byproducts likes distillers grains could increase the profitability of ethanol production”.

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The complete study and abstract are available on the HortScience electronic journal web site: http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/43/1/191

Founded in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is the largest organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural research, education, and application. Society website - ashs.org

Response of Weeds and Ornamental Plants to Potting Soil Amended with Dried Distillers Grains
Rick A. Boydston, Harold P. Collins, and Steven F. Vaughn
HortScience February 2008: 191–195. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

National Arboretum releases three new lilacs

Betsy Ross (left), Old Glory (middle), and Declaration (right). Click here for more information.

WASHINGTON, DC - Lilacs. The word evokes memories of promising spring days and visions of colorful, perfumed blooms. Lilacs have long been well-loved staples in America’s yards and gardens, and have played a storied role in U.S. history.

Native to East Asia and Southeast Europe, lilacs were brought to North America by the first settlers and were sold in American nurseries as early as 1800. The oldest living lilacs in North America may be those at the Governor Wentworth estate in Portsmouth, N.H., believed to have been planted around 1750. In 1767, Thomas Jefferson recorded his method of planting lilacs in his garden book, and in 1785, George Washington noted that he had transplanted lilacs in his garden. Today, over two million lilacs are sold annually in the U.S., accounting for over $13 million in wholesale sales.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently developed and introduced three new cultivars of lilacs. Honoring the patriotic role lilacs have played in U.S. history, the new shrubs have been dubbed ‘Betsy Ross’, ‘Old Glory’, and ‘Declaration’.

Dr. Margaret Pooler, a research geneticist at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and U.S. National Arboretum, published a report in the April 2008 issue of HortScience, announcing the release of the new lilacs. According to Dr. Pooler, The National Arboretum’s lilac breeding program was started in the 1970s to develop lilacs that were adapted to warmer climates, had good mildew tolerance, and a showy, fragrant floral display. ‘Betsy Ross’, boasting pale cream buds that emerge into pure white flowers, was released in 2000. ‘Old Glory’, and ‘Declaration’ were introduced in 2006. Both of the newer lilacs came from the same controlled hybridization, but have markedly different traits.

‘Old Glory’ was selected for its abundant fragrant bluish-purple flowers, rounded growth habit, and disease-tolerant foliage. According to Dr. Pooler, “In the Washington, DC, area, ‘Old Glory’ reaches a mature size of approximately 12 feet tall by 13 feet wide, and shows good tolerance to Cercospora blight and Pseudomonas syringae in warmer climates where these diseases are a problem.”

‘Declaration’ was selected for its large, fragrant, dark reddish-purple flowers and open upright growth habit. In Washington, DC, its mature size is 8.5 feet tall and 7 feet wide; however, it performs best in traditional cooler lilac-growing regions. The names of all three cultivars were selected as part of a “U.S. Flag” series of lilacs from the National Arboretum. Both ‘Declaration’ and ‘Old Glory’ were tested by growers throughout the U.S. and are currently being propagated and should be available at retailers this year.

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The complete study and abstract are available on the ASHS HortScience electronic journal web site: http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/43/2/544

Founded in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is the largest organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural research, education, and application. More information at ashs.org.

This press release is also available on EurekAlert!

‘Betsy Ross’, ‘Old Glory’, and ‘Declaration’ Lilacs
Margaret R. Pooler
HortScience Apr 1 2008: 544–545. [Full Text] [PDF]

New high-yield peach introduced 

DAVIS, CA - Summer is peach season, and soon consumers will be flocking to roadside stands and farmers markets to purchase these fresh, juicy, candy-sweet fruits for cobblers or simply enjoying right out of hand. 

Almost all of the fresh peaches available to consumers are freestone, named because the fruit separates easily from the stone, or pit. Clingstone, or “cling” peaches attach, or “cling” more to the pit. Because they retain their flavor and quality through processing, clingstone peaches are the type most often used for commercial canning.

To address the need for high-yield, improved-quality peaches for use by commercial fruit canners, University of California at Davis Professor Thomas Gradziel and his colleagues in the Department of Plant Sciences and Department of Food Science have introduced a new cultivar of clingstone peach called ‘Lilleland’.

In an article published in the April 2008 issue of HortScience, Gradziel notes: “Since its introduction in 1921, ‘Halford’ has become one of the most extensively planted processing peach cultivars in California. However, high temperatures during fruit development often promote a red anthocyanin staining of the fruit pit cavity and an increase in pit fragments that remain in the fruit after processing. The red anthocyanins turn brown when heat-processed, staining both the processed fruit and syrup. Both stained and fragment-containing fruit need to be sorted out, which can greatly reduce final processed fruit case yields.” According to Gradziel, ‘Lilleland’ was developed as a replacement for ‘Halford’.

Gradziel noted that ‘Lilleland’ is characterized by a small pit, no undesirable fruit pit staining, and reduced incidence of pit fragments in the processed fruit, adding; “In long-term commercial evaluations, ‘Lilleland’ peaches have demonstrated good firmness, color, shape, and productivity.” The patented peach was named in honor of the late Professor Ormund Lilleland of UC Davis, who was responsible for many of the initial plant nutrient studies for processing peaches.

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The complete study is available on the ASHS HortScience electronic journal web site: http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/43/2/542

Founded in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is the largest organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural research, education, and application. More information at ashs.org.

‘Lilleland’ Peach: A High Case-yield Processing Clingstone Peach for the ‘Halford’ Maturity Period
Thomas M. Gradziel, Mary Ann Thorpe, and Diane M. Barrett
HortScience Apr 1 2008: 542–543. [Full Text] [PDF]

Research determines ideal irrigation methods for premium wine grapes

Robert Mondavi vineyards, Napa CA. Click here for more information.

Prosser, WA — The inland areas of the Pacific Northwest, where rainfall averages only 4 to 12 inches per year, present growing challenges for vineyard owners and wine grape producers. The arid conditions in this part of the country have not been conducive for vineyard owners who produce and market high-quality wine grapes.

To promote healthy grape production when nature fails to deliver, vineyard managers in the area typically employ an irrigation practice known as “regulated deficit irrigation”. More than 60% of the wine grapes in the state of Washington are grown using this drip irrigation method. Unfortunately, the current irrigation methods are replete with problems that can cause over-irrigation and compromised grape quality.

Recently, researchers at Washington State University’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center completed a study that should provide vineyard managers new techniques for producing healthy and long-lasting grape crops. Joan R. Davenport was the lead author of the study published in the February 2008 issue of HortScience. Explaining the impetus behind the research, Davenport said: “Most of these vineyards use drip irrigation to supply supplemental water. Soil moisture is often measured to determine when to apply irrigation. However, without knowing the pattern of moisture under these conditions, the best place to check soil moisture content to mimic what the plant root sees was not understood. Our objective was to establish the soil moisture zone in this system.”

Researchers discovered that areas immediately below the drip line and the drip emitter were not appropriate places for monitoring soil moisture.They found that there can be a “dry zone” just below the emitter created by the repeated dropping of water, thus causing the soil to seal. Davenport explained that “right below the drip line the moisture pattern was variable due to distortions (warping) of the lines, and thus was not a good indicator of the patterns of plant available water.” After extensive trials, data indicated that soil sampling within a 20- to 40-centimeter radius of the drip line emitter best reflected the amount of water available to the plants.

According to Davenport, the research will have multiple benefits. “Environmentally, the results have the potential to help growers prevent over-irrigation. In the industry, over-irrigation can have serious adverse affects on grape quality, which is equally important to yield for premium wine grape production. For the industry, knowing where to monitor soil moisture to best reflect plant-available water means that there is less chance of stressing the vines by under-watering. Not only can this adversely affect fruit yield, it also has the potential to reduce plant cold-hardiness, making the plants more likely to suffer from winter injury, which leads to vine death in the area on average every 10 years.”

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The complete study and abstract are available on the ASHS HortScience electronic journal web site:http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/43/1/229

Founded in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is the largest organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural research, education, and application. Society website - http://ashs.org

Live plants, green spaces increase job and life satisfaction

Growing plants in the office. Click here for more information.

SAN MARCOS, TX — According to the 2000 census, American office workers spend an average of 52 hours a week at their desks or work stations. Many recent studies on job satisfaction have shown that workers who spend longer hours in office environments, often under artificial light in windowless offices, report reduced job satisfaction and increased stress levels.

How can employers make office environments more conducive to productivity and employee happiness” Try adding some “green” to your office. Not greenbacks–green plants! A research study published in the February 2008 issue of HortScience offers employers and corporations some valuable advice for upping levels of employee satisfaction by introducing simple and inexpensive environmental changes.

Dr.Tina Marie (Waliczek) Cade, Associate Professor of Horticulture in the Department of Agriculture at Texas State University, explained that the project was designed to investigate whether employees who worked in offices with windows and views of green spaces and workers who had green plants in their offices perceived greater job satisfaction than employees who did not have access to these environmental components.

Researchers posted a job satisfaction survey on the Internet and administered the survey to office workers in Texas and the Midwest. The survey included questions about job satisfaction, physical work environments, the presence or absence of live interior plants and windows, environmental preferences of the office workers, and demographic information.

Survey data showed significant differences in workers’ perceptions of overall life quality, overall perceptions of job satisfaction, and in the job satisfaction subcategories of “nature of work,” “supervision,” and “coworkers” among employees who worked in office environments that had plants or window views compared to employees who worked in office environments without live plants or windows. Findings indicated that people who worked in offices with plants and windows reported that they felt better about their job and the work they performed.

Study results showed that employees in offices without plants rated their job satisfaction low, while employees who worked with offices with live plants rated their job satisfaction higher. Additionally, employees in offices with plants rated their statements relating to bosses, coworkers, and their overall nature of work more positively when compared to employees in offices without plants.

When asked about their overall quality of life, results supported that employees with interior plants in their offices tended to consider themselves happier or more content when compared to employees without plants in their offices. Additionally, the group of employees that did not have either live plants or windows was the only group that stated they were “dissatisfied” with their quality of life.

According to Cade, “there were no statistically significant differences among the categories of “age,” “ethnicity,” “salary,” “education levels,” and “position” among employees who worked in offices with or without plants or window views. However, we did find gender differences. Males who worked in offices with plants rated their job satisfaction higher than males who worked in offices with no plants.” Interestingly, the study found no differences (in level of job satisfaction) in groups of female respondents.

The study supports previous research showing that adverse environmental conditions can have negative effects on employee perceptions of job satisfaction and overall well-being. Findings from the study also support self-reports from employees that job conditions are directly related to their attitudes, including job satisfaction, frustration, anxiety on the job, and turnover rates. Productive, happy employees keep businesses thriving. So, employers — want to keep your employees happy? Bring in some green and open the windows!

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The complete study and abstract are available on the ASHS HortScience electronic journal web site: 
http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/43/1/183

Founded in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is the largest organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural research, education and application. More information at: http://ashs.org

Andrea Dravigne, Tina Marie Waliczek, R.D. Lineberger, and J.M. Zajicek
HortScience Feb 1 2008: 183–187. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Educators find secrets to successful children’s garden programs by asking young experts

Only children really fit through the arch and in the tiny mushroom house (with its glowing roof), part of the Camden City Garden Club’s Children’s Garden exhibit. Click here for more information.

ITHACA, NEW YORK — Researchers have discovered the secrets to enhancing youth participation in school- and community-based garden programs. A 3-year study entitled “Greener Voices” proves that children will engage in learning more readily when given responsibility for decisionmaking and planning.

Children’s gardens have mushroomed during the past two decades. Gardens are popping up in schools, communities, public venues, and informal settings. Despite recent interest in gardening with children, little credence has been given to what children think about the experience: what interests them, how they may be involved in decisionmaking and planning, and how they can benefit from their involvement. “Adults make many assumptions about children and gardening, and instead of enlisting the creativity and innovative thinking of young people, they often involve children in the more mundane tasks of planting, weeding, and watering” notes Marcia Eames-Sheavly, lead researcher and Senior Extension Associate at Cornell University’s Garden-Based Learning Program (http://www.hort.cornell.edu/gbl).

Researchers set out to understand how children and youth engaged in project planning and to gain a better grasp of the constraints faced by adults who teach and design gardening programs. “We learned that ongoing efforts are needed to assist sites and the adult leaders who work there, including strategies to expand thinking about the capabilities of children and youth, to help children and youth adjust to new roles, and to identify ways for younger children to increase their participation”, added Eames-Sheavly.

The study will impact educators working with children, and ultimately impact the experience of children in garden settings, making those experiences more interesting, relevant, and compelling. Results of the 3-year project are being disseminated through in-service trainings, conferences, colleagues, and web-based materials.

Summarizing the project’s impact, Eames-Sheavly enthused, “In an era in which there is grave concern over a lack of young peoples’ engagement with nature, children’s gardens offer a way in which children and youth can interact with the natural world.”

The complete study and abstract are available on the ASHS HortTechnology electronic journal web site:http://horttech.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/17/2/247

Founded in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is the largest organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural research, education and application. More information at: http://ashs.org

HortTechnology 2007 17:247-253. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

New breed of pumpkin good news for growers and consumers in southeast US

A new, virus-resistant pumpkin, specifically developed for ornamental fall and Halloween displays. Click here for more information.

Statesboro, GA — Move over ‘Longface’, ‘Spooktacular’ and ‘Trickster’ - there’s a new face in the pumpkin patch. Welcome ‘Orange Bulldog’, a new variety of the familiar fall fruit that may soon be available to consumers and wholesale pumpkin growers. Researchers at the University of Georgia recently introduced the new, virus-resistant pumpkin, specifically developed for ornamental fall and Halloween displays.

Dr. Gerard Krewer from the Department of Horticulture at the University of Georgia’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, collected pumpkin seeds in remote areas of Brazil in 1996. The Brazilian seeds were then planted in laboratories, hybridized, and ultimately used to develop ‘Orange Bulldog’.

Dr. George Boyhan, Assistant Professor and Extension Horticulturist at the University of Georgia and lead author of the study published in the October 2007 issue of HortScience, explained that pumpkins have not been readily available in southern states because conventional pumpkins are highly susceptible to viruses and often die before they produce fruit. The research team set out to develop a virus-resistant pumpkin with bright orange color and an open cavity that would be suitable for Halloween carving. According to Boyhan, ‘Orange Bulldog’ seeds “consistently produced fruit during fall production, whereas commercial pumpkin cultivars often succumb to severe virus infections before fruiting.”

Although ‘Orange Bulldog’ is not yet available to growers or the public, Boyhan’s team hopes that a commercial supplier will soon handle the seeds and make the new pumpkin available to pick-your-own pumpkin growers and consumers.

The complete study is available on the ASHS HortScience electronic journal web site: http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/42/6/1484

Founded in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is the largest organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural research, education and application. More information at ashs.org

George E. Boyhan, Gerard Krewer, Darbie M. Granberry, C. Randell Hill, and William A. Mills
HortScience Oct 1 2007: 1484–1485. [Full Text] [PDF]

Researchers Find Most-effective Seed Mixture, Planting Times for Fall Sports Fields

MADISON, WI — A study published in the February 2008 issue of HortScience offers new information that can help schools and contractors get outdoor athletic fields ready for fall sports more quickly. Results of the research study will help schools and communities pare down the usual 9- to 12-month waiting period between planting new fields and opening the fields to autumn football traffic.

Dr. John Stier, Associate Professor of Horticulture at University of Wisconsin-Madison, led the 2-year study of seed mixtures and planting times. He noted that football fields are usually planted using slow-establishing Kentucky bluegrass seed mixed with a lower proportion of perennial ryegrass seed. The objective of this study, explained Stier, was to evaluate the effects of planting time and seed mix on three different blends of the two seeds.

The researchers also studied each seed blend’s ability to stand up to “football-type traffic”. “We were interested in determining the amount of time needed for athletic fields to establish before they could successfully support autumn sports. We also wanted to see if the amount of time (to establish the fields) was affected by grass types and mixtures, and how planting time affected the relative proportions of different grass species that became established.”, stated Stier.

During each year of the project, field plots were seeded three times: in late summer, as a dormant planting in late fall, and in the following spring. Each plot was subjected to simulated football traffic (simulating either one or four weekly games) from mid-August through mid-November of the year in which spring seeding occurred.

According to Stier, all planting dates provided acceptable turf quality by September, regardless of seed type. However, Kentucky bluegrass-based mixtures planted during the summer provided better turf quality than mixtures planted in the spring. Dormant-seeded mixtures provided the poorest turf quality. The team found that turf seeded with 100% perennial ryegrass was less sensitive to planting dates than Kentucky bluegrass turf. Summer and spring plantings provided similar quality and dormant seedings resulting in superior quality to Kentucky bluegrass-based dormant seedings.

Additionally, simulated traffic studies revealed that different levels of traffic did not affect turf species proportions. The most consistently desirable results were obtained with a mixture containing 70%-80% Kentucky bluegrass and 30%-20% perennial ryegrass. The best results for mixtures dominated by Kentucky bluegrass came from fields seeded in late summer.

Stier added that perennial ryegrass could be planted in spring and provided ideal ground cover with few weeds, but mixtures in which Kentucky bluegrass seed comprised 50% or more of the turf needed to be planted the preceding summer. Dormant seedings did not perform well, leading to relatively poor ground cover and significantly higher weed populations.

Summarizing the impact of his team’s research, Stier said: “The research outcomes can allow school systems to prepare better bids for construction and renovation of sports fields, making the fields more likely to meet expected performance standards and ultimately reduce costs to the school districts.”

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The complete study and abstract are available on the ASHS HortScience electronic journal web site: http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/43/1/240

Founded in 1903, the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) is the largest organization dedicated to advancing all facets of horticultural research, education and application. More information at ashs.org

John C. Stier, Eric J. Koeritz, and Mark Garrison
HortScience Feb 1 2008: 240–244. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]