OVERSEEDING TESTS IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL PARKS

A SERIES OF SEEDING TESTS WAS CONDUCTED ON ROADSIDES IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL PARKS TO DETERMINE EFFICIENT METHODS FOR ESTABLISHING A SATISFACTORY COVER OF PERMANENT GRASSES ON WEED-INFESTED SITES. THE TESTS WERE MADE ON THE ROADSIDES NEAR THE APPROACHES TO THE VIRGINIA END OF THE MEMORIAL BRIDGE. IN SEPTEMBER 1950, ONE LARGE SECTION WAS HEAVILY TOPSOILED, DISKED THOROUGHLY, WELL GRADED, FERTILIZED, AND SEEDED IN THE USUAL MANNER. A LARGE AREA WHICH WAS COVERED CHIEFLY WITH CRABGRASS WAS OVERSEEDED WITH THE SAME SEED MIXTURE (75 PERCENT KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS, 20 PERCENT REDTOP, AND 5 PERCENT COLONIAL BENT) AS THE LARGE SECTION; AND ANOTHER SIMILAR AREA WAS SEEDED WITH ONLY KENTUKY BLUEGRASS. THE SEEDING RATE WAS 150 POUNDS PER ACRE. PARTS OF THESE TEST AREAS WERE FERTILIZED WITH A 10-6-4 FERTILIZER LIKE THE LARGE SECTION THAT HAD BEEN TOPSOILED AND WELL CULTIVATED, AND PARTS WERE LEFT WITH NO FERTILIZER. IN THE OVERSEEDED PLOTS THERE WAS NO DISTURBANCE OF THE SURFACE. THE ONLY OPERATIONS INVOLVED WERE A SINGLE PASS OF THE SEEDER OVER THE AREA AND A SINGLE PASS OF THE FERTILIZER SPREADER OVER THE PORTIONS THAT WERE FERTILIZED. NORMAL MOWING OPERATIONS WERE CONTINUED OVER THE OVERSEEDED SECTION TO KEEP DOWN THE LATE GROWTH OF CRABGRASS AND WEEDS. AN EXCELLENT STAND OF TURF WAS PRODUCED ON THE OVERSEEDED SECTION; IT WAS FULLY THE EQUAL OF THAT WHICH WAS PRODUCED ON THE SECTION THAT WAS TOPSOILED AND THOROUGHLY DISKED. THE TEST SECTIONS THAT WERE FERTILIZED PRODUCED A BETTER COVER OF TURF AND DEVELOPED FEWER WEEDS THAN DID THE PORTIONS OF THE TEST PLOTS WHERE NO FERTILIZER WAS APPLIED.

• Record URL:
  • https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbroadsidedevcomrpts/1953/1953-012.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • No 286, pp 73-74. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • MONTEITH, J
• Publication Date: 1953

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Roadside Development Committee Reports
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Grasses; Planting; Roadside; Weeds
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00205039
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 22 1971 12:00AM