If your lawn is looking a little rough around the edges, or if you aspire to have the sleekest turf on the block, you”ll want to attend the Homeowners Field Day at the University of Wisconsin-Madison O.J. Noer Turfgrass Research Facility near Verona.

The field day is set for Aug. 24 from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will feature tours of demonstration plots as well as workshops covering an array of turf topics. Also featured will be an “Ask the Expert” booth, where horticulturist Bob Newman, an emeritus professor in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, will provide lawn care advice.

Tours of the demonstration plots will begin on the hour starting at 1 p.m. The plots feature evaluations of mulches, fertilizers and turfgrass varieties, as well as alternatives to the traditional turfgrass lawn, such as the backyard prairie and ornamental grasses.
Tour stops will include:
Variety trials: a comparison of 20 turfgrass varieties, including both cool- and warm-season grasses.
Fertilizer demonstrations: an evaluation of 12 fertilizers commonly used on home lawns.
Starting a lawn: an evaluation of techniques for establishing a lawn using a variety of mulches and starter fertilizers.
Reclaiming a “freedom” lawn: techniques for rejuvenating a lawn-gone wild and taking it back from the weeds.
Mowing practices: developing the best mowing techniques for a healthy lawn
The backyard prairie: an alternative to the traditional turfgrass lawn. Plots compare spring planting with fall planting.
Ornamental grasses: a test plot, planted in 1995, to assess more than 60 ornamental grass varieties for winter hardiness.
In addition to tours, there will be workshops on lawn fertilizers and turfgrass diseases, held inside the O.J. Noer Facility. Fertilizer workshops will be at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sessions on how to diagnose turfgrass diseases will begin at 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Proceeds from sales of soft drinks at the Badger Turf and Grounds club will be used to send a student to the National Turf Convention in Las Vegas.

The O.J. Noer Turfgrass Research Facility is located at 3101 County M, Verona, just north of its intersection with County PD. This first-ever homeowners field day is sponsored by the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the UW Agricultural Research Stations.