Living Lab Update: Low Maintenance Turfgrass

Low maintenance turfgrass requires less water, pesticides, and labor to maintain, thereby creating a more sustainable landscape on campus. Sam Bauer, a Turfgrass Extension Educator, has implemented low maintenance turfgrass as part of his living lab on the St. Paul campus. We're checking in with Sam this week to learn the status of his living lab and advice to future living lab participants.

How does your Living Lab relate to sustainability?

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Lawn and grounds areas established with traditional​ turfgrass species require a significant amount of resources and labor to maintain.  Low maintenance turfgrasses have proven to provide acceptable appearance and function, while requiring fewer inputs of labor, irrigation, fertilizers, and pesticides. We've established three separate areas of low maintenance turfgrass on the St. Paul campus with specific goals of sustainability. The species of tall fescue has been established across from the display and trial garden. In this area we are mainly looking at a reduction in water usage. Between Alderman Hall and the Soil Science building we have established a mixture of fine fescue species that require minimal irrigation, mowing, and fertility. This mixture was chosen because of the sloped landscape that is difficult to mow, which causes safety issues for the landcare team. The third area was established with salt-tolerant sod on a boulevard that receives heavy loading from deicing salts. Every year many boulevards on campus need to be renovated because of the damage from salt. Salt-tolerant sod is more sustainable in this environment.             

How has your Living Lab changed since its beginning? What has been successful/unsuccessful?

​Conversion of the traditional turfgrass species in the Living Lab areas has been a successful process. In many cases, we've been able to completely change the species from start to finish in about six weeks. As the turfgrasses matured, we started to reduce maintenance accordingly. Currently all of our low maintenance turfgrass areas are performing as planned. ​

What advice would you give to someone wanting to start a Living Lab?

​A greater benefit from the Living Lab program can be achieved by collaborating with colleagues and other departments on campus. We've been successful mainly through the support of Landcare and the Department of Horticultural Science.   ​

What has been the most rewarding part about the Living Lab program?

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The opportunity to "practice what we preach". The main goal of our turfgrass extension program is to educate consumers and turfgrass managers on low maintenance grasses and environmentally responsible turfgrass maintenance practices. It is only fitting that we approach the maintenance of campus grounds with the same goals.  ​