Practical Crops F F T C Technology PT2004-26

Production of turf on plastic sheet

urf or grass is an important element in landscaping, managing the weeds and harvesting. In , a new T erosion control, development of golf courses and way of producing turf or grasses on plastic sheet was football fields, among others. The common type of developed and proved to be successful and efficient. grasses used for these purposes are the carpet grass (Axonopus compresses), Bermuda grass (Cynodon The technology dactylon), and grass (Zoysia matrella, Z. japonica, and Z. valvet ). Basically, this new method involves planting of turf on Turf is commonly produced by the open field the compost medium, spread on a layer of black method. The grass seeds, grass stolons, or grass plug polyethylene plastics (Fig. 1). The materials used are: or sods are planted in the open field and are managed black polyethylene plastics (1 m wide) as mat; compost; with proper agronomic practices. However, this method wooden plank (1 x 3 in); and rooted (grass) stolons, is found to be troublesome, especially in terms of 10-15 cm long as planting material.

1” x 2” wooden grass stolon plank as border 15 m

1 m compost side elevation plastic sheet

Fig. 1. Production of turf using plastic sheet

Cooperating agency for this topic: Food and Fertilizer Technology Center (FFTC) Department of Agriculture 5F, 14 Wenchow St., Taipei 106, ROC Wisma Tani, Aras 7-17, Lot 4G2, Presint 4 Tel.: (886 2) 2362 6239 Fax: (886 2) 2362 0478 Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.fftc.agnet.org 62632 Putrajaya, Malaysia FFTC: An international information center for Tel: (60 3) 88703418/19 small-scale farmers in Fax: (60 3) 88703485 E-mail: [email protected] The procedure Maintenance of turf bed

1. Prepare a planting bed with an area of 1.0 m x 15 1. Water the turf bed 2-3 times a week with mist m. Level the area and make the bed a bit concave spraying. Avoid saturating the compost with to allow water draining. water. 2. Spread the polyethylene plastic on the leveled 2. Apply 350 g of NPK 15:15:15 or Urea per 15 m2 or bed. per bed every 2 weeks. Water the bed after 3. Place the wooden plank (1 x 3 in) as a boundary fertilizer application. on both sides of the plastic. 3. Weed if necessary. 4. Spread the compost evenly on the plastic to form 4. Trimming needs to be done 2-3 months after a layer of about 1.5 cm thick. planting. 5. Erect a temporary shed structure for the bed to 5. Turf is ready to be harvested or transplanted 2-4 avoid direct impact of heavy rain. This shed months after sprigging, depending on the type of should be removed after 1.5 months. turf planted (Axonopus, 2-3 months; Zoysia sp., 6. Spread the grass stolon uniformly on the compost 3.5-4 months; and Bermuda, 2.5-3.5 months). layer (sprigging technique). 6. To ease transportation for transplanting, 7. Spread another layer of compost, about 1.5 cm in harvesting is done by rolling the turf mat (Fig. 2). depth, to cover the stolons. 8. Compact the compost layer. 9. Water the bed after planting.

grass

1 meter

Fig. 2. Rolled grass ready for transplanting