How can I slow down the grass growth?

[pequeajim]

I belong to an RC Airplane club and we would LOVE to slow down the growth of the grass on our runway so we do not have to mow it so often.

What options do we have?

[Gatorboy]

Concrete.

[egon]

I was going to offer my lawn care services but didn't know if the model enginges could take the runway dust! [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Egon [AKA - Brown Thumb ] [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[robertn]

Different turf... There may be a moderate to fast growing turf there now(or just mixed "grass").

there are numerous varieties of grass available. Some grow faster or slower. Some grow to a relative short height, while others will get taller. Some need to be maintained short, while some like to have more height for a healthy existance.

You might want to check with a golf course, since they deal with similar issues for area's of thier turf, putting greens, ect.

[Pat]

If you have full control of the grounds then rip out the grass, steralize the dirt, put down plastic sheeting and then put down fine chat or maybe sand mixed wth calcium chloride. The calcium chloride is hygroscopic and will tend to keep the sand moist and less prone to be blown around. You can easily "dress" the surface of the sand.

OR... bigger scale wiith taller gear or wet the grass down and fly float planes or fit with skis. Scale Harrier jump jets. Hand launch... catapult...

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[pequeajim]

Thanks for the idea Robert. There are a umber of golf courses around the area that might be able to give me some advice. Someone mentioned mixing in the slower growing grass seed with what is there to allow the slower growing grass to take over.

Pat, thanks for the comment. It would be tough to pull up the runway, as it is so large, (1000'). We fly some pretty big airplanes, (45% of full scale) off of it and need the larger runway.

I am hoping for something that I can do to the existing grass to slow it down. This was a large cow pasture and I'm sure the cows fertilized the pasture for a number of years before we got a hold of it. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

I've enclosed a picture of our field from last October. There is a lot of grass to mow. It's about 300' x 1000'

[robertn]

Talk to these folks. They can give you recomendations on you specific area, climate, and soils.

Pa. Master Gardeners

My wife is in this program locally. It is really cool what these folks know, and the help they can provide.

[pequeajim]

Thanks, I will check that out.

I did talk to a golf course manager and he told me that they use a product called PRIMO Maxx to inhibit the growth. He says after the application, the grass will turn yellow or brown for about a week and then slow to about 1/2 the growth cycle.

He also recommended that after a week, or a good rain, I might want to start to layer in bluegrass and mow down as low as possible.

I was looking at the Pro MO brand of pull behind reel mowers. You can get a gang of three up to 9 and only need a 5-7hp tractor to pull it, (which we easily have).

[Pat]

OK folks here is grass 101: The leaves on grass are like little solar panels providing the energy to convert nutrients and moisture into more grass. Grasses with runners and lots of leaves low down on the plant retain lots of "solar panels" even when mowed short and so they recover and grow back easily. Grasses that have few leaves really close to the ground are stunted in their growth by close cropping (mowing or grazing.) Once you have picked an appropriate grass for your use (as well as climate and such) and it is established then close cropping will slow the growth dramatically. This interferes with drought tollerance so be prepared to have to sprinkle it if you get drought conditions.

45% scale???????????????? Some of us get in and fly planes of that general size!!!!!!!!!



Chemical imballance will also stunt growth of plants in general. You can mess with the pH (fairly easily and easy to correct) or do something drastic like introduce a series of light saltings untill growth is slowed enough. This is a more drastic approach and EXTREMELY difficult (read costly) to reverse but is innexpensive to do and is effective. Make haste slowly with salt as overdoing it is a problem.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[beenthere]

I'd be willing to bet that doing anything chemically to the grass will cost more than regularly mowing normal grass, like bluegrass. Start messing with stunting the growth, and then you need to combat the weeds that will surely want to take that 'space' left by the thick lush grass.

Just an opinion, but mowing is easy, and thoughtless, for the most part. Chemical applications will be the nemesis of whoever in the Club sticks their neck out, and leaves an unsightly 'strip' with weeds and bare spots. Just an opinion.

Good luck. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]