Superintendent Speak Part II

G

Gang Mower
A machine for cutting turfgrass - usually fairways - in which a tractor propels a cluster of reel mowers usually in groups of three, five, seven or nine.

Germination
The beginning of growth in a seed, plant bud or joint.

Grain
As applied to putting greens, the tendency for grass leaves to lie down in one direction and interfere with the natural roll of the ball.

Grooving
A form of cultivation using rotating knives that cut slits into the turf and soil.

Ground Covers
Plants used to provide a low-maintenance, vegetative cover that is not necessarily turf.

H

Heaving
A swelling or rising of the surface caused by the freezing and thawing of soil.

Herbaceous
Nonwoody plants.

Herbicide
A chemical used to kill weeds or herbaceous growth.

Humus
A dark, well-decomposed material formed from decayed vegetable or animal matter in the soil.

Hydroseeding
A technique for applying seed, mulch and fertilizer in a water slurry over a seedbed.

I

Infect
To become established in a parasitic relationship with a host plant.

Infiltrate
To filter into; the penetration of water through soils.

Inorganic Fertilizer
Plant nutrients derived from mineral rather than organic sources.

Insecticide
A chemical used to destroy insects.

Internode
The portion of a stem between the nodes or joints.

L

Leaching
The removal of materials from the soil through rainfall or the application of water.

Lip
An abutment of sod raised 3 to 4 inches above the sand level of a bunker. It faces the putting green and prevents a player from putting out.

Lime
Materials containing calcium and magnesium used to neutralize soil acidity and to supply calcium and magnesium as plant nutrients. Lime materials include limestone, shell, marl, slag and gypsum.

Liquid Fertilizer
Plant nutrients applied in solution.

Localized Dry Spot
A dry area of sod and soil that resists water as normally applied; caused by various factors such as heavy thatch, soil or fungal organisms.

M

Mat
In turf, an undecomposed mass of roots and stems hidden underneath green vegetation. Associated with sponginess or fluffiness in turf.

Matting
The process of working topdressing, fertilizers or other materials into a turfgrass area with drag mats.

Microenvironment
The area in the immediate vicinity of the turfgrass plant from the surface to the depth of root penetration into the soil.

Micronutrient
An element needed in small amounts for turfgrass growth.

Microorganisms
Small organisms such as bacteria and other minute entities; usually invisible to the unaided eye.

Mildew
A disease in which the causal fungus forms a coating over the surface of plant parts. The coating, which is a mycelial growth, is usually thin and whitish. There are two types of mildew: downy and powdery.

Mixture, Seed
A combination of seeds of two or more turfgrass species.