Amenity Turf Category B

This has a minimum height setting of a mower of 15mm and a maximum recommended height of vegetative growth of 25mm. This category of turf will typically cut once a week during the main growing
season, with two cuts a week being more likely during peak growth periods. This category of turf is divided into two sub-categories: B1 and B2, depending on whether clippings are mainly boxed off and removed (B1) or let fly and returned to the lawn (B2). Category B1 can be suitable for a fine ornamental lawn use, and category B2 would be suitable for other ornamental turf surfaces. All category B turf would be cut with either a cylinder mower, or a rotary mower which has a rear roller. The desirable grass species will typically be fine fescues and browntop bents, aiming to have a very good desirable grass coverage of at least 75% (with total ground cover being at least 90%). Small amounts of weed or moss presence are allowed up to a total of 10% of the total ground coverage, as well as small amounts of disease infection (up to 5% of the ground cover) and earthworm casts (up to 10 casts per m2). Where this category is being used as a fine ornamental domestic lawn then the maintenance frequency could typically be cut at least twice a week, except in a few peak growth periods when three cuts per week would be most likely. Early spring might see it being cut from fortnightly to weekly as growth slowly picks up, whilst in late autumn to early winter this would drop from weekly to fortnightly for a light topping. The number of cuts over a year might therefore range from 70 – 80. For a domestic situation it is unlikely that this type of lawn would get much wear and tear, but there would still be a need for a spring and autumn renovation – ranging from light work to more intensive work depending on the prevailing situation, such as damage over the winter, especially from mammals, birds or grubs, or from drought in the summer or disease at any time of the year. May and the end of August are usually good ‘windows of opportunity’ to carry out renovation work. A sandy soil top-dressing at 1.5-3kg/m2 might be typical, along with an overseeding form 17-35g/m2. It might be that just selected areas are needed to be renovated, however, over time be careful not to produce small mounds and subsequent depressions where top-dressings have not been used to ensure than lawn surface is even over it entire surface. Fertiliser application would typically take place in April and Mid-August, so that adequate nutrients are also available with the soil solution at the time of any renovation work. 35g/m2 is a typical application rate. Watering is not a normal routine activity for a category B lawn but might be considered to wash in any fertiliser following application, and also to aid seed germination and initial establishment of the young seedlings. Scarification, preferably mechanical, will be required, especially where red fescues and browntop bents are the dominant grasses because they can be relatively high fibrous thatch producers. Routine monthly scarification should be adequate (x 6 occasions per year), although additional medium to heavy scarification might be needed at renovation times if thatch is an intermediate problem. Where thatch is a major problem then more serious removal work will be needed – hollow-tining or stripping off the thatch layer might be required. Aeration work should not be needed all that often as little walking over or use of the lawn would be taking place, so twice a year should be more than adequate. This would be planned as part of any renovation. Programme as it would help produce a ‘key’ to which top-dressing can be incorporated. It is important not to neglect this activity as it also helps to put some holes into the soil to aid root growth, drainage potential and to maintain a good soil ecology. Selective hand forking might be required on small areas at other times where people have walked over ornamental lawns. Weed content would probably be required to be less than the official maximum for a fine domestic ornamental lawn, so where weeds are a problem then some form of selective weedkiller may be needed. Ideally,try and undertake regular hand weeding to reduce or eliminate the need for pesticide application. Moss can and probably will be a problem in all but a small number of nicely exposed, non-shaded lawns. October is typically the time when moss presence starts to become quite noticeable and more dominant, although it can appear all year-round if conditions are right. However, during the main growing season the grass plants should outcompete the moss for resources and if well-maintained the grasses will be the ndominant species. Regular trimming, with long-handled shears, of the lawn edge will be required, typically on a weekly basis during the main spring and summer period, occasionally twice a week, and easing off either side of that
period. The annual lawn edgings may total between 25 and 35 occasions. A reshaping of the lawn edge might occasionally be required, in which case this would ideally be carried out during the autumn period.