Lawn Painting versus Overseeding by Grady Miller
Overseeding
Part of M.S.
History of Turfgrass Paint • First used in the 1950’s on Hollywood movie sets – Larry Krieger developed different dyes in a watersoluble acrylic latex base • Golf course superintendents in southern CA adopted painting techniques – Limited information about overseeding – No reduction in course playability – Golfers accepted the practice
Painting’s Popularity • Cool, wet springs and drought resistant cool-season varieties used for overseeding have made the spring transition more difficult • Painting is non-invasive and provides an attractive surface that is affordable • Currently the leading alternative to overseeding • Could be used on cool-season grasses during drought
Overseeding • • • • • Seed Cost Preparation of area Additional water, little more fertilizer Transition back to warm-season turfgrass Alteration of herbicide programs
Overseeding
Overseeding
Research Motivation • Painting is a relatively new practice • Many products are available but few have been widely used • Application methods vary • Paint appearance and longevity varies, depending on dilution, application rate, turfgrass species, and level of turfgrass dormancy
Products Evaluated (Fall 2008 – Winter 2009) Manufacturer Product Name Becker Underwood Green Lawnger John Deere Landscapes LESCO Green Missouri Turf Paint Mtp Turfgreen Burnett Athletics, Inc. Titan Green Turf US Specialty Coatings, Inc. Turf in a Bottle Precision Laboratories, Inc. Regreen Precision Laboratories, Inc.
Products Evaluated • 12 products varied in: – Consistency (viscosity) – Recommended dilutions – Recommended application rates – Color – Cost
Viscosity • “Honey-Like” – Ryegrass, Ultradwarf Plus, Ultradwarf Super, Bermudagrass, and Bermuda Green* • “Water-Like” – Green Lawnger, LESCO Green, Mtp Turfgreen, Titan Green Turf, Turf in a Bottle, Regreen, and Wintergreen Plus * Latex paint
Dilution and Application Rate • Dilution – Label rates ranged 1 gallon colorant : 7-20 gallons water – Products were mixed based on the lowest labeled dilution (most colorant:water) • Application – Limited information on many of the labels • 1 gallon of colorant will cover 3,000 – 10,000 ft2 when mixed with water – Coverage depends on application rate, dilution, grass species, and level of dormancy
Colorant Application • Study conducted on two putting greens during fall 2008 and winter 2009 in Raleigh, NC – Completely dormant ‘Miniverde’ bermudagrass – Semi-dormant ‘Diamond’ zoysiagrass • All 12 colorants applied at 80 gallons per acre (gpa) using a CO2 – pressurized sprayer – Initial application: 11 November 2008 – Second application: 9 January 2009 *Five of the colorants were also applied at 40, 120, or 160 gpa
Colorant App.
Turfgrass Color • Differences in turf color were found between colorants and grasses at every rating date • Differences in grasses likely caused by the level of dormancy during colorant application Bermudagrass Zoysiagrass
Turf Color (1=Brown to 9= Dark Green) 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Miniverde Bermudagrass 0 Days After Application Diamond Zoysiagrass 0 Days After Application *All colorants applied at 80 gpa
Miniverde Bermudagrass 0 Days After Application Untreated Control Turf In A Bottle Green Lawnger Regreen Ultradwarf Plus Lesco Green Wintergreen Plus Bermudagrass Mtp Turfgreen Ryegrass Bermuda Green Titan Green Turf Ultradwarf Super
Diamond Zoysiagrass 0 Days After Application Untreated Control Turf In A Bottle Green Lawnger Regreen Ultradwarf Plus Lesco Green Wintergreen Plus Bermudagrass Mtp Turfgreen Ryegrass Bermuda Green Titan Green Turf Ultradwarf Super
Miniverde Bermudagrass 0 Days After Application Bermuda Green 80 gpa Ultradwarf Plus 80 gpa Wintergreen Plus 120 gpa Regreen 40 gpa Ryegrass 80 gpa Mtp Turfgreen 80 gpa Turf In A Bottle 80 gpa Untreated Control Green Lawnger 80 gpa
Diamond Zoysiagrass 0 Days After Application Bermudagrass 80 gpa Ultradwarf Plus 80 gpa Ryegrass 80 gpa Lesco Green 80 gpa Untreated Control Ultradwarf Super 80 gpa Green Lawnger 160 gpa Ultradwarf Plus 80 gpa
Turf Color (1=Brown to 9= Dark Green) 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Miniverde Bermudagrass 56 Days After Application Diamond Zoysiagrass 56 Days After Application *All colorants applied at 80 gpa
Miniverde Bermudagrass 56 Days After Application Untreated Control Turf In A Bottle Green Lawnger Lesco Green Mtp Turfgreen Regreen Wintergreen Plus Ryegrass Ultradwarf Plus Bermudagrass Bermuda Green Titan Green Turf Ultradwarf Super
Diamond Zoysiagrass 56 Days After Application Untreated Control Turf In A Bottle Green Lawnger Lesco Green Regreen Wintergreen Plus Ultradwarf Plus Bermudagrass Mtp Turfgreen Ryegrass Bermuda Green Titan Green Turf Ultradwarf Super
Miniverde Bermudagrass 56 Days After Application Bermuda Green 80 gpa Ultradwarf Plus 80 gpa Bermudagrass 80 gpa Ryegrass 80 gpa Untreated Control Wintergreen Plus 160 gpa Green Lawnger 80 gpa Green Lawnger 80 gpa
Diamond Zoysiagrass 56 Days After Application Bermudagrass 80 gpa Ultradwarf Plus 80 gpa Green Lawnger 80 gpa Untreated Control Green Lawnger 160 gpa Ryegrass 80 gpa Ultradwarf Super 80 gpa Ultradwarf Plus 80 gpa
Treatment/Rate Green Lawnger 80 gpa LESCO Green 80 gpa Mtp Turfgreen 80 gpa Titan Green Turf 80 gpa Turf in a Bottle 80 gpa Regreen 80 gpa Wintergreen Plus 80 gpa Ryegrass 80 gpa Ultradwarf Super 80 gpa Ultradwarf Plus 80 gpa Bermudagrass 80 gpa Bermuda Green 80 gpa Bermudagrass Day 0 Day 56 Zoysiagrass Day 0 Day 56
• Data represents the mean of five rating weeks following the initial application (November 2008) • Horizontal line is an indicator of acceptable quality • Values with the same letter are not different at the 95% probability level • Abbreviations: GL: Green Lawnger TIAB: Turf in a Bottle UDS: Ultradwarf Super REG: Regreen WGP: Wintergreen Plus
Bermudagrass Zoysiagrass Treatment/Rate Day 0 Green Lawnger 80 gpa Green Lawnger 160 gpa Turf in a Bottle 80 gpa Turf in a Bottle 160 gpa Regreen 40 gpa Regreen 80 gpa Wintergreen Plus 80 gpa Wintergreen Plus 120 gpa Ultradwarf Super 80 gpa Ultradwarf Super 160 gpa Day 56 Day 0 Day 56
Colorant Considerations • Desired turfgrass color – Cost – Shade of green • Application timing – Level of turfgrass dormancy • Desired coverage – Dilution – Application method – Application rate
Product Product Cost Dilution App. Rate App. Cost $ gal-1 paint: water GPA $ acre-1 Pioneer Ryegrass Pioneer Bermudagrass $45.00 $45.00 1: 7 1: 7 80 80 $450.00 $450.00 Pioneer Ultradwarf Plus $45.00 1: 7 80 $450.00 Pioneer Ultradwarf Super Precision Lab. Regreen $45.00 $45.00 1: 7 1: 7 80 80 $450.00 $450.00 Precision Lab. Wintergreen Plus Titan Green Turf Lesco Green Green Lawnger Missouri Turfgreen US Specialty Turf Dye $45.00 $28.50 $65.00 $49.58 $49.95 $39.
Application Methods Boom Applied 11 November 2008 Wand Applied 15 November 2009
Application Methods • Issues with both application methods – Amount of time to apply colorant – Blending vs.
Why Paint? • Painting is a viable option during the fall and winter – Reduced cost compared to overseeding – Aesthetically pleasing? • Depends on who you talk to! • However, research needs to be conducted on new products, dilution rates, application timings/methods, and the effects of colorants on spring green-up
Questions? Grady L. Miller Professor & Extension Specialist Turfgrass Science North Carolina State University Grady_Miller@ncsu.edu Kyle R. Briscoe Graduate Research Assistant Turfgrass Science North Carolina State University krbrisco@ncsu.
