TURF REPAIR AND RENOVATION BHT303

Add Turf Repair to Your Green Keeping Skills

Turf grasses grow in a slightly different environment to other plants. They grow closely together so must compete with one another for water and nutrients, they are frequently mowed, and they are often walked upon by people and animals as well as compacted under machinery. As such, turf repair and restoration requires a different skill set and knowledge base to other plant maintenance. 

Expand your gardening business into lawn and turf repair and renovation

Study this course and create your own speciality field with the repair and renovation of turf. Many sporting fields are maintained by private contractors and you can be one that develops a program to maintain the condition of the fields to optimum performance. This course develops your ability to diagnose and treat problems in turf.
 
 

Learn to Repair Degraded Turf Grass Surfaces

Since turf involves growing many plants in a condensed area, it requires maintaining differently to other plants. Turf has to be cultivated to reduce compaction and enable aeration of roots. It also has to be dethatched to remove debris which can promote diseases.  Many techniques are used to restrict damage to turf but often sections or whole surfaces need to be repaired or replaced.
 
The turf industry uses a great variety of equipment, both manual and mechanical, for repairing and renovating turf. Some equipment is highly specialised, designed to be used for a particular type of turf like bowling greens, whilst other equipment may have a much wider application.

Enhance your turf care skills

With this course you can create a niche for yourself with the skills you will learn about specialised turf repair. Irrespective of how skilled you might be, there is always a danger of overlooking something important when you carry out an inspection. If you use a checklist, or fill out a well designed "report form" you are much less likely to overlook anything. The best way to carry out an inspection is systematically.

Using a checklist is a simple way of ensuring you look at everything important when you are doing a site inspection. A checklist is simply a list of things which you should check (or inspect) when you are trying to make an evaluation. Ideally you should make up a checklist which is tailored to the situation you are about to inspect. You may base this checklist on a standard one, modified for each job. A simpler way may be to maintain a standard checklist.

Checklist (Incomplete Example)

  • Turf Varieties (major and minor)
  • Soil type
  • Drainage (surface and sub surface)
  • Compaction/aeration
  • Acidity (pH) and Conductivity (EC)
  • Plant fertility (Nutrient deficiencies/toxicities)
  • Physical damage (to turf or surface)
  • Recent cultural treatments (e.g. rolling, spraying, aeration, mowing, etc.)
  • Usage (frequency and type)

This course builds on these ideas to develop your ability to take a systemic approach in solving turf problems.

 

Comment from Student: "In my role within a large Aged Care Facility a great deal of my employment is spent in the area of Turf management and garden care/refurbishment. With ACS I was able to study at my own pace allowing me to put into practise and thoroughly research the subject matter broadening my knowledge and study experience further. I enjoyed the way in which the subject matter was presented as it allowed you to study each subject further, allowing for greater depth, clarity and knowledge.  Overall there are not many areas in which the course subject matter will not turn out to be invaluable, everything is covered to allow you to become successful within your own business or place of employment. A big thank you to Gavin Cole [tutor] and all at ACS. It was a pleasure to study with ACS, look forward to further study." (Craig Ledbury, Australia, Turf Repair & Renovation)

 

Course Content

  • 10 lessons
  • 10 assignments
  • 100 nominal hours
  1. Understanding Turf Deterioration - physiological and biological responses.
  2. Repair & Renovation Equipment - use and repair of applicable equipment.
  3. Turf Cultivation Techniques
  4. Health Improvement Techniques -pest control, feeding, watering, etc.
  5. Optimising Turf Usage
  6. Replacing Damaged Turf - techniques for replacement.
  7. Renovation of Degraded Turf - techniques to repair and renovated turf.
  8. Eradicating Turf Weeds
  9. Treating Aeration & Drainage Problems - compaction, etc.
  10. Managing a Turf Nursery.

You will learn to:

  • Compare the characteristics of different turfs with reference to hardiness, pest &
  • disease resistance, tolerance to play, suitability for different applications, etc
  • Explain different turf problems (including; soil problems, pest & disease weed, environmental, etc)
  • Explain the effect of various adverse situations on the physiology of turf plants.
  • Carry out turf consultancy, conducting site inspections and giving appropriate recommendations.
  • Develop solutions for the repair of damaged turf.
  • Identify the cause of deteriorating condition in a selected turf
  • Explain different repair techniques for control of problems identified.
  • Compare different solutions for the problem identified.
  • Develop turf renovation programs for different types of turf facilities
  • Compare renovation programs for different turf facilities
  • Identify when renovation becomes economically prudent for different facilities
  • .............and lots more!
 

Opportunities After Your Studies

This course is of value to people who have an interest in grass and turf surfaces. People who take this course are most likely those working in or aspiring to work in:

Turf maintenance
Green keeping
Lawn mowing
Sports turf maintenance
Grounds maintenance
Landscaping
Horticulture
Parks & gardens

The course will also be of value to people wishing to include a turf repair service as part of an existing mowing, gardening or landscaping business.