TURF ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE ON VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTS ALONG VIRGINIA HIGHWAYS

ERAGROSTIS CURVULA, WEEPING LOVEGRASS, MAY BE BETTER ADAPTED TO THE SUBSOIL ENVIRONMENT OF STEEP SLOPES THAN KENTUCKY 31 TALL FESCUE. THE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT WEEPING LOVEGRASS ESTABLISHMENT IS IMPROVED BY LIMING, RETARDED WHEN PLANTED WITH AGGRESSIVE COMPANION GRASSES, AND ESTABLISHES ITSELF FASTER ON WARM (SOUTH) SLOPE SITES. WINTER HARDINESS APPEARS TO BE IMPROVED WITH LIMING, REASONABLY EARLY PLANTING IN THE SPRING, AND WITH ADEQUATE FERTILITY. THE REPORT ALSO COVERS THE STUDIES UNDERWAY FOR TURF ESTABLISHMENT ON SLOPE SITES WITH AND WITHOUT THE ADDITION OF COSTLY SCARCE TOPSOIL. PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT ESTABLISHMENT WITHOUT TOPSOIL CAN BE ACHIEVED BY THE JUDICIOUS USE OF LIME, USING A 1 TO 3 STEP SEEDING AND FERTILIZATION PROGRAM. GENERAL - APPLY 1 TO 2 TONS OF LIME PER ACRE ONSOIL TESTS AND WORK IT INTO THE TOP THREE TO FIVE INCHES OF SOIL. STEP 1 - APPLY 800 LBS. OF 10-20-10 FERTILIZER PER ACRE AND FOLLOW WITH A SOWING OF 75 PERCENT OF NORMAL SEED REQUIREMENTS AND MULCH. STEP 2 - THREE TO SIX MONTHS AFTER STEP 1, APPLY 500 POUNDS OF 10-20-10 PER ACRE PLUS 300 POUNDS OF UREA-FORM NITROGEN AND FOLLOW WITH REMAINING 25 PERCENT OF SEED WITH 75 PERCENT OF THIS APPLICATION HYDROSEEDED ACROSS THE TOP HALF OF THE SLOPE, CONSTRUCTING SHALLOW, LATERAL FURROWS DURING GRADING, AND SOWING DESIRABLE VARIETIES AND SPECIES IN MIXTURES. ALTHOUGH MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED, INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE INCLUSION OF SERICEA LESPEDEZA HAS BEEN EFFECTIVE IN REDUCING MAINTENANCE COSTS. RESEARCH UNDERWAY INDICATES THAT SLOW CROWNVETCH ESTABLISHMENT MAY BE CAUSED BY INEFFECTIVE INOCULATION. STUDIES ARE CONTINUING TO FIND METHODS OF SEEDING, INOCULATION AND ESTABLISHMENT ON DIFFERENT SLOPE SITES. INVESTIGATIONS ARE ALSO UNDERWAY USING SERICEA LESPEDEZA AND CROWNVETCH FOR VEGETATION RE-ESTABLISHMENT ON SLOPES. /BPR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Hpr-1 (4), 0475
• Corporate Authors:

  Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg

  Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
  3500 Transportation Research Plaza
  Blacksburg, VA  United States  24061

  Bureau of Public Roads /US

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Woodruff, J M
  • Blaser, R E
• Publication Date: 1968-6

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Fertilization (Horticulture); Landscape maintenance; Liming of soils; Maintenance management; Planting; Roadside improvement; Slopes; Subsoil; Topsoil; Turf
• Uncontrolled Terms: Maintenance costs
• Old TRIS Terms: Establishing; Fertilization; Furrows
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Geotechnology; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218031
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bureau of Public Roads /US
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 5 1994 12:00AM