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Test your knowledge on turfgrass
Lawns have benefits, but caring for them pollutes our environment. Is grass best for your yard? This quiz may make you think twice.
By Yvonne Swanson, Special to the Times
Published February 23, 2008
There's a big debate these days over the most common crop growing in America, and it's probably growing in your yard, your neighbor's and the majority of properties everywhere you look. It's turfgrass, that green expanse of manicured perfection that is about as American as apple pie. Supporters say the American lawn has important benefits for the environment, recreation and old-fashioned homeowner pride. Critics say lawn chemicals and mowing are polluting the air and water, not to mention creating noise pollution. (If you awoke to the sound of a power mower or leaf blower this morning, you'll agree.) You be the judge. Test your knowledge in this Turf Test. Is lawn the right plant for your landscape? (Only one correct answer for each question.) 1. The benefits of a healthy lawn are all of the following except: a. It produces oxygen. and cools the environment.
b. It reduces erosion.
c. It attracts wildlife.
2. Each weekend, how many Americans mow their lawns? a. 20-million
b. 54-million
c. 72-million
3. How much do Americans spend on lawn care per year? a. More than $500-million
b. More than $5-billion
c. More than $11-billion
4. Which turfgrass requires the least amount of fertilizer? a. Bermuda
b. Bahia
c. St. Augustine 5. Your lawn has a few weeds here and there. Your best strategy is to: a. Apply a broad-spectrum weed-killer across the lawn.
b. Spot-treat weeds.
c. Ignore them and they'll go away.
6. How was the White House lawn "mowed" in the early 1800s? a. By laborers who sheared it by hand
b. By grazing livestock
c. By controlled burning 7. What percentage of residential water is used to water landscaping (primarily lawns)?
a. Less than 15 percent
b. More than 25 percent
c. More than 50 percent 8. When applying fertilizer, you should: a. Use a drop spreader to limit the coverage of particles.
b. Rinse spilled fertilizer granules off driveways and sidewalks.
c. Apply just before heavy rainfall to soak in.
9. Some homeowners are replacing lawn with garden beds. The best way to remove lawn is to: a. Smother it with newspapers or cardboard.
b. Dig it up.
c. Kill it using a chemical spray.
10. Without lawn, you wouldn't need a lawn mower. What U.S. sport makes use of lawn mowers? a. Lawn mower blade toss
b. Lawn mower racing
c.Lawn mower demolition derby
---
Answers: 1. (c) Turfgrass attracts wildlife only if you consider nematodes, chinch bugs and other pests desirable (they're not). If you want to attract birds and butterflies, there are numerous trees, shrubs, ground covers, vines and other plants to choose from. On the plus side, turfgrass does reduce erosion, produce oxygen and cool the environment by dissipating heat. Proponents also claim that lawn absorbs noise, thereby reducing noise pollution. Except, of course, when the lawn mower is running.
2. (b) According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 54-million Americans mow their lawns each weekend, using 800-million gallons of gas per year. Mowing your lawn for one hour pollutes as much as 40 late-model cars.
3. (c) According to a 2003 Harris Interactive survey, U.S. households spent more than $11-billion on lawn care. Experts consider turf the most expensive plant in the landscape. There are about 32-million acres of lawn in the United States, making it the largest irrigated crop by area.
4. (b) Bahia requires the least fertilizer - 2 to 4 pounds of nitrogen during the growing season. St. Augustine needs 2 to 6 pounds and the highest maintenance, Bermuda, needs 3 to 7 pounds to look its best. Bahia can yellow due to iron deficiency, and will require iron treatments throughout the year. Fertilizer encourages growth, which requires more frequent mowing.
5. (b) Experts recommend using pesticides in small doses as needed. Broad-spectrum products that kill every living thing should be avoided. Don't use "weed and feed" products either; they can injure nearby trees, shrubs and other plants. You can ignore weeds if you don't mind them, but some will quickly engulf the lawn. Of course, a plant is a weed only if you consider it a weed.
6. (b) The first lawn-mowing machines were invented in 1830, so like most lawns of the day, the White House lawn was grazed by livestock. Shearing by hand was a practice limited to mostly wealthy English landowners with prized lawns (which, by the way, are ideally suited to that cool and wet climate). Burning your lawn isn't a good idea, no matter how tired you are of mowing.
7. (c) Approximately 50 to 70 percent of residential water is used for landscaping, most of it to water lawns. Horticulturists recommend at least 1 inch of water per week to maintain a healthy lawn. The more water your lawn gets, the faster it grows. That means more frequent mowing. Overgrown grass is a target for ticks, snakes and other undesirables.
8. (a) Experts recommend applying fertilizer with a drop spreader rather than a rotary model, which sends granules flying in every direction. If any granules land on hard surfaces, they should be swept up, not rinsed down the street into storm drains. Never fertilize before a heavy rain or even more chemicals will run off into storm drains and into the water table.
9. (a) Smothering a lawn is the easiest way, unless you like shoveling and hauling off heavy pieces of sod. Lesslawn.com recommends placing a coat of newspapers 10 to 12 pages thick on top of the lawn to create a barrier that will kill grass and weeds. Be sure to overlap newspaper pages where they meet. Next, cover the papers with up to 10 inches of mulch. It takes several months to completely choke out the lawn and begin planting, but you can plant right away if you dig planting holes through the paper, remove that sod, then replace the papers up to the edge of the hole. Then top with mulch.
10. (b) U.S. men, women and children participate in lawn mower racing sanctioned by the U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association. Racers compete on riding mowers at speeds up to 60 mph (thank goodness all cutting blades are removed). Of course, if you're hoping to reduce gasoline use, air pollution and noise pollution, this probably isn't your sport. You'll have to find other ways to spend your time, now that you aren't mowing, weeding, fertilizing and watering a lawn. Yvonne Swanson is a freelance writer in St. Petersburg and a master gardener for Pinellas County.
[Last modified February 21, 2008, 18:28:37]
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