Root Length

[Smallaxe]

I was thinning out my carrot sprouts yesterday and there was a lot of various grass sprouts to deal with. I noticed that while I was pulling them out that the roots were already 3" long by the time the tops are large enough to grab.
This is just the 'visible' part of the root.

So the question is: If we, as scapers, are usings 4" of topsoil, then why is it so difficult to get a longer root base than 1 or 2 inches?

[dishboy]

I was thinning out my carrot sprouts yesterday and there was a lot of various grass sprouts to deal with. I noticed that while I was pulling them out that the roots were already 3" long by the time the tops are large enough to grab.
This is just the 'visible' part of the root.

So the question is: If we, as scapers, are usings 4" of topsoil, then why is it so difficult to get a longer root base than 1 or 2 inches?


I dug post holes for raised beds for my wife last weekend. Roots are down five inches. I thought this was pretty good since this lawn has never been cut longer than 2 5/8 inch .

[Smallaxe]

Cool. :) Do you know why? Do you do a lot of aerating?

I was more referring to lawns that are professionally renovated. Everywhere I have plugged this spring I see mostly crown roots less than an inch long and nothing growing into the soil below. [My 2 hole plugger pulls about 3" plugs and most soils are consistant, throughout]

[NattyLawn]

1. Soil compaction
2. Shallow watering by homeowners
3. Poor cultural practices by mowing companies and homeowners is the big one in my book.
4. Lack of soil biology

[Smallaxe]

Hey Natty, Elaborate on poor cultural practices and how it relates to root growth/depth.

[treegal1]

yes please , just once for the little people. we have st Augustine in my yard that's 18 inches tall and has roots 24 inches deep, we want some more ideas???

oh and it went to seed heads today????

[Smallaxe]

TG, we were talking about 'legitimate lawn' turf. :laugh:

[dishboy]

Cool. :) Do you know why? Do you do a lot of aerating?

I was more referring to lawns that are professionally renovated. Everywhere I have plugged this spring I see mostly crown roots less than an inch long and nothing growing into the soil below. [My 2 hole plugger pulls about 3" plugs and most soils are consistant, throughout]


Mulch mowing, no prem , no syn fert, deep infrequent watering. worms are the only aerating on this lawn, the robins really like this lawn!

[DeepGreenLawn]

there is nothing wrong with aeration. As far as I know it is VERY beneficial. Plus, it is good money for you too.

[Daner]

My first wild guess would be...the carrot area (Garden) Is getting more attention than the lawn...the water In the garden Is deeper and also your not running over It with your lawn mower compacting Its growing medium:weightlifter:...the biology...I bet the garden has more compost deep within as well...we cant keep the mowers off the lawn but we can add a deeper soil/compost mix right from the get go to compensate from the lawn getting too compacted...keep It well aerated and the water down deep...thats my wild guess and I'm sticking to It:waving:

D

[Kiril]

tap vs fibrous

[treegal1]

ya know, I am going to have to try so real turf, it sounds like it may work, just need to find out what will do great in the heat, without water???

[Smallaxe]

Dishboy, what kind of soil do you have? Sandy loam? clay loam? Lots of OM? etc.

Daner is right about the soil in the garden. To grow carrots u want 12" of loose, fertile soil. So a good point about seed beds is: If we start with a compacted area prepared with a skidster we cannot expect initial root growth to be as good as an open airy seedbed with say - a tiller.

That aside - do the roots actually grow longer after the first year or are they actually getting squished into a flat mat type carpet with ongoing compaction? Does aeration eventually show results?

TG1 our best grasses are KBG and Fecue. I personally do not like to have Per. Rye in the mix.
What are the best looking grasses in the South?

[treegal1]

its a weed to you,LOL, St Augustine Floratam type 2e

[DeepGreenLawn]

I like bermuda and zoysia myself. But then again, I think a lot of it is the area I am in. If I were to grow a St Augustine I would be laughed out of town for growing a lawn full of weeds.

[ICT Bill]

In the harsher heat of the south and near the beach where salt is a concern St Augustine is one tough turf type.

[treegal1]

we also use some argentine Bahia, and very little zoysia, its a specialty sod, mostly for sports turf. the heat is unreal,and it never lets up we surf in the winter,dec-mar. plant tomato's at x mas. however we are looking for a way to seed some dirt to become a lawn some day, the only thing is whats a good time?there is very little "cool" weather to start it in. we are looking at possibly growing it in flats to start with, then when it gets going send it out doors. just a thought, sod is so high$$$$.

[tungsten33]

its a weed to you,LOL, St Augustine Floratam type 2e

St aug Floratam TYPE 2E??? What's type 2e? I know that Floratam has excellent drought tolerance, almost as good as bermuda, better than zoysia grass but I've never heard of anyone saying type 2e.

[Smallaxe]

Your St. Augustine seems to be similar to our quack grass. It will grow in places where other grasses will not, due to harsh, dry conditions. Never see it spread into the woods though.
Not a pleasant, or comfortable lawn, from quack grass.

[DeepGreenLawn]

Hey small, it is like I was saying, her St. Augustine is the same exact "grass" as our Crabgrass. Shows up unannounced and grows in any bare areas or places you don't want it to.

It is well known and well hated here.

[Smallaxe]

Good reason to be anyone's favorite :) Does it grow as a perennial down there?

[treegal1]

oh yeah its a per everything, we edge weed-eat and do battle to keep it in check, and it still looks like a weed even to a native. we tried some brand name empire( zoysia hybrid) and its ok, just have to get the blades on the mower out of the sky(4" for SAF) and 2" for the empire.we are also doing a re seed now, yes in the heat of summer, its all Argentine Bahia. 2 weeks now and it looks so wonderful, it like a chia yard. that took almost all this months compost to do, But wow it looks great, and its real thin bladed grass. SAF is like a fat girl, you have her there because shes easy

[Smallaxe]

So in reality the Argentine Bahia is perhaps the most desireable grass down there, that a northerner would appreciate anyways.
It seems that - that was what one girl at the nursery was telling me - Bahia uses about 1/4 the water of either SAF or some other common grass.