About DBIS   | Story archive   | Contact DBIS  | DBIS home

Slower Growing Grass

Horticultural Scientists Develop Slow-Growing Grass

October 1, 2008

Horticultural scientists bred a new, slower-growing variation of St. Augustine grass. It grows about half as fast as normal grass, resists cinch bugs, and its fine blades have a deep green color.

read the full story...

Science Insider

Lawn Watering Tips: It's best to avoid frequent, shallow watering because this will encourage grass to develop a shallow root system. Watering too deeply is wasteful because it allows water to pass beyond the roots, meaning your grass can't use it. Many experts suggest a volume of water that will moisten soil to a depth of 3-6 inches, depending on the type of grass growing in your lawn.
-Watch for indications that your grass needs water: if the grass turns blue or dull green that can be an indicator. Also, when footprints remain on the grass after someone walks over it, it's probably time to water.
-The early morning is, generally, the best time to water. Less water will evaporate because of cooler temperatures and calm winds, allowing you to presume that the grass will be able to gather in more of the water sprayed on the lawn.
-Most turf grass fares best if it receives about 1 inch of water per week or a bit more. Don't forget to include rainfall when calculating how much water your grass needs.

Lawn Mowing Statistics: Mowing a single lawn may require using only a small amount of gas, but the amount used by people in the United States is very large. In fact, Dr. Nagata estimates that in Florida, if lawn mowings were reduced by half, it would save up to 30 million gallons of fuel a year.
-Multiple sources report that five percent of the United States' air pollution comes from lawn mowers.
-The EPA reported that as many as 17 million gallons of gasoline are spilled each year in the course of filling lawn mowers. This is more than what the Exxon Valdez spilled in 1989.
-The EPA passed regulations in September 2008 calling for a 35 percent cut in emissions from new lawn and garden equipment by 2011.

Video help

Latest stories

  • A Satellite Named Violet and a Student Named Amanda
  • Behind the Scenes with the K-Team
  • Deep Space Discoveries
  • Dogs Fighting Cancer
  • Earthquake! What's Your Risk

More information on this story

On The Web: Landscape Management

To Go Inside This Science:
Dr. Russell T. Nagata
Belle Glade FL. 33420
nagata@ifas.ufl.edu
(561) 993-1557


© 2011 American Institute of Physics