Selecting Turfgrasses and Mowing Strategies to Reduce Mowing Requirements.

Mowing is one of the most important and energy-intensive cultural practices in maintaining turf.  However, little research has been published in regards to what influence mowing based on the one-third rule has on the annual mowing requirement of a turf sward.  Furthermore, the impact of turfgrass species and cultivars on mowing requirements is largely unknown.  The objectives of this study were to 1) determine if the one-third rule will reduce mowing requirements and 2) determine if turfgrass species and cultivars with differing growth rates influence the mowing requirements.  Three tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and three Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) cultivars with varying growth rates (i.e. slow-, medium-, and fast-growing) were evaluated under each mowing regime.  The four mowing regimes examined in this experiment included a factorial of two frequencies (weekly “homeowner” mowing or mowing based upon the one-third rule) and two clipping management practices (collected or returned).  The results from the first year of this experiment indicate that both mowing regime and turfgrass selection are important factors in the annual mowing requirements of a turf sward.  When comparing species within growth rate, tall fescue required more annual mowing events than Kentucky bluegrass.  As a whole, tall fescue had a greater annual clipping yield than Kentucky bluegrass.  Fast-growing cultivars, regardless of species, had greater annual mowing requirements than slow-growing cultivars.  Both mowing on a weekly schedule and returning grass clippings increased the annual mowing requirements of the turf.