Foot Traffic

Last Saturday I spent my afternoon tailgating on the lawn outside Van Fleet Hall.  Even though I had a great time, I couldn’t help but think the grass was not having such a good time.  There were wall to wall people around the O’Connell Center walking all over the grass, causing the already drought stressed grass to wave its white flag in surrender.  I began thinking about how much foot traffic the grass on campus receives, and thought I would do a little research to find out what effect foot traffic has on turf grass and what steps can be taken to minimize the damage.

Foot traffic can damage the leaf tissue which reduces the ability for that leaf to photosynthesize.  Foot traffic also compacts the soil which damages the grass’s roots and minimizes the grass’s ability to uptake water and nutrients. Keeping the grass healthy will minimize the effects of foot traffic and will aid in the recovery time.  Some tips to keeping a healthy lawn are to fertilize when needed.  Do not over fertilize as this will cause the grass to become lush and will not be able to withstand the foot traffic. Mow at a high cut, and deeply irrigate your grass only when needed.  Deep, infrequent irrigation will result in healthy root growth.  If you know when you will have heavy foot traffic on your lawn, water it a couple of days prior to the foot traffic.  This will give your grass a good drink so it is not drought stressed, but the soil will not be wet when it is being walked on.  Dry soil does not compact as easily as wet soil. Lastly, aerate the soil if needed to loosen any compacted areas.  Follow these tips and you should have a healthy lawn that can withstand all tailgating.

Reference:

Trenholm, L.E. & Unruh, J.B. (2011). Minimizing Traffic Damage to Your Florida Lawn. Retrieved form University of Florida, Gainesville, IFAS Extension website: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep071