Minnesota LTAP is now offering an online course that aims to help practitioners successfully install and manage roadside turfgrass. It provides a series of lessons on salt-tolerant turfgrasses and low-input turfgrass management for contractors, maintenance operators, and engineers.
The new course is designed for agencies and contractors looking to establish salt-tolerant roadside grasses, applicable to any northern US climate. The self-paced training is offered via the course management system Canvas. Cost is $30. The workshop qualifies for 1.0 Roads Scholar Program credit and 3.0 Continuing Education Units.
The course was developed by Extension Turfgrass Science at the University of Minnesota, with financial support from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and the Local Road Research Board (LRRB) under the project “Expanding the Success of Salt-Tolerant Roadside Turfgrasses through Innovation and Education."
The course incorporates findings from research funded by MnDOT and the LRRB in recent years.
Excerpt from the online turfgrass course—Mowing principles and practices
The first, and possibly most important principle of mowing, is the 1/3 rule. The 1/3 rule states that you should not mow off any more than 1/3 of the grass plant height at any one mowing... Removing more than this might result in significant stress, scalping, slow recovery of the stand, and possibly long-term damage. It’s also important to note that higher mowing heights will require less frequent mowing. For lower-maintenance roadsides that receive infrequent mowing, following the 1/3 rule may not be practical in all cases. However, following this rule should always be considered when developing a mowing program.
