Effects of Pre-Planting Disruption of Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis) Lawns on the Establishment of Three Flowering Forbs for Use in Pollinator Conservation Schemes.

Reduction of foraging resources is one of many factors driving pollinator declines. As awareness of this natural resource challenge has grown, so too has demand for effective conservations measures. Turf lawns are one of the most predominant forms of green space in urban habitats, and offer a unique opportunity for enhancing foraging habitat for pollinating insects. The objective of this study was to identify simple techniques that would enhance establishment of mowing tolerant forbs into a typical Kentucky bluegrass home lawn . Three species —Trifolium repens, Prunella vulgaris, and Thymus serpyllum— were drop seeded at a constant rate of 2000 seed/m2 in mid-May of 2015 into four lawn disruption treatments: scalping, aeration, scalping plus aeration, and an untreated control. Plots were arranged in a strip plot design and the trial was conducted at two locations in Minnesota. In mid-September plots were evaluated using a meter quadrat to estimate the abundance of desirable and weedy species and turf cover. Results, impacts, and potential applications will be discussed.