Mercer County to Offer Four-Part Lawn Care Course
As
spring approaches many people will have questions about what should be
done to have a nice lawn in 2008 and still maintain a healthy
environment. A four-part course, The Basics of Successful Lawn Care,
will be offered at the Mercer County Extension office for professionals
in the lawn care industry and for homeowners who care for their own
lawns or hire maintenance companies.
The classes will be held on Feb 13, 20, and 27 and March 5 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. Pesticide re-certification credits are being offered. The charge will be $12.00 per class or $40 for all four to cover the cost of printed handouts and refreshments.
Lecturer Barbara J. Bromley, Mercer County Horticulturist, has divided the course into 4 parts. Each session stands alone, but there will be references to material learned in earlier classes.
Part 1 is Management Strategies and Selection of Grasses. This will cover determining lawn maintenance levels, characteristics of cool and warm season grasses grown in New Jersey, soil testing, and understanding the basic grass requirements of light, water, and soil.
Part 2 is Basic Maintenance, IPM-Based Practices. This includes mowing, edging, soil testing, fertilizing, liming, and watering.
Part 3 is Pest Control and Troubleshooting. This class will cover the identification and control of insects, diseases, and weeds.
Part 4 is Lawn Renovation and Establishment. Included in this class is how to renovate a damaged lawn or establish a new lawn on bare soil by seeding or sodding. Also included will be environmental factors that damage turf.
NJDEP
Pesticide Recertification Credits available for certified pest control
operators are 4 for category 3B and 4 for PP2 for part 1 and part 3. There will be 2 credits for category 3B and 2 for PP2 for part 2 and part 4. Total credits for all 4 classes: 12 each for categories 3B and PP2.
For
a full outline of the course, to have questions answered, or to
pre-register (strongly advised) call Rutgers Cooperative Extension at
(609) 989-6830 or visit the office from 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. at 930 Spruce Street in Lawrence, adjacent to the Trenton Farmer’s Market. All classes will be held at the Extension office. There is ample parking.