On this episode of Turfgrass Epistemology, Dr. Dan Sandor joins me to break down his study that addresses one of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of turf establishment: how much water should you really apply when seeding a new lawn?
Sandor et al. (2021) evaluated daily irrigation at 50%, 75%, 100%, and 125% reference evapotranspiration (ETo) to determine how quickly tall fescue and bermudagrass cultivars reach full coverage. The big takeaway? Applying more than 100% didn’t help, and drought-resistant cultivars didn’t show any special advantage during establishment.
In this video, we discuss:
💧 Why 100% ETo is the sweet spot for seeded lawn irrigation.
🌱 Why drought resistance in mature turf doesn't translate to faster establishment.
📉 How less water can slow you down but not necessarily fail you.
🧠 What this means for homeowners and professionals trying to balance establishment with water conservation.
📄 Paper discussed: Sandor et al. (2021), Irrigation requirements for establishing seeded tall fescue and bermudagrass cultivars in the transition zone
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🧪 Science, skepticism, and sarcasm—it’s all here.
📩 Have a comment or question of your own? Drop it below or email me.
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Turfgrass Programs and Extension Service Information:
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Diagnostic Criteria for Turfgrass Bullshit Disorder:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y_GeVPQ237pzm0ImTP4eVij6I9D0PHPn/view
