The UTIA Resource Helps Tennesseans Evaluate Potential Sods for Their Home Landscapes

For the first time in more than thirty years, the turf circle on the grounds of the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson, Tennessee, is getting a complete renovation. Established prior to 1992, the turf circle showcased thirteen varieties of sod across approximately 7,854 square feet.

The new turf circle will have eleven plots (ten outside and one center). Each plot was built with grass donated by West Tennessee sod producers. Improved bermudagrass and zoysia varieties have been added to the plots as well. The turf circle’s goal is to enable homeowners to see potential grass varieties before laying sod in their own yards.

Kim Brown, a UT Extension turfgrass specialist stationed in Jackson, began the project in May. “This is my first big project since I started working for the UT Institute of Agriculture in March. We first had to remove all of the old grass, then do groundwork. The final stage was to install the sod. All of this work could not have been done without the help of the employees at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center. It has truly been a team effort.”

The new turf circle was showcased at Summer Celebration on July 14. The circle is located near the UT Gardens, Jackson, on the campus of the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center and is open from sunrise to sunset.