![]() Its newfound popularity and the relative difficulty of producing it in quantity (sod or seed) had made paspalum a scarce commodity. As a side note, the biggest issue associated with paspalum continues to be availability. However, the trade-off will be more intense management practices – particularly through establishment. Paspalum has the potential to be a revolutionary turf for some facilities. However, those potentially could be offset by lower inputs of fertilizer and/or reduced water costs for facilities able to secure less-expensive effluent water. That, of course, presents some budget challenges. On a 14-day rotation, disease management costs will likely be higher than with traditional Bermudas or even the improved bents increasingly grown in warm-season areas. In this case, facilities likely will have to consider a preventative fungicide program similar to those used by Northern courses managing bent/poa mix. Like many turf management choices, the decision to use paspulum comes with consequences. That said, nothing is perfect and, as the article above points out, vulnerability to patch disease can be a problem. Better yet, newer, finer-leafed varieties have excellent playability characteristics and numerous courses love it as a putting surface. As potable water becomes less of an option for courses, paspalum is a marvelous alternative. And why not? It’s tolerant to many environmental stresses, including salt, heat and most heavy metals in effluent water. That said, if any one species could be described as a “sensation,” it would have to be paspalum.ĭuring the past five years, in particular, many in warm-season climates have jumped on the paspalum bandwagon. Let’s face it: It’s a little hard to get “jump up and down” excited about most turfgrass varieties. Impact on the business: Getting objective about paspalum It can be used as a turfgrass for lawns, athletic fields and golf courses but also to control erosion and stabilize dunes and coasts. It’s used mainly in mild to warm climates when the soil salinity and sodicity are high, when drainage is a problem and the water quality is poor. This halophytic, perennial warm-season grass, which undergoes winter dormancy in colder climates, produces a beautiful turfgrass surface during its growing season. Swartz), described as the environmentally friendly grass, is among the most salt- and sodium-tolerant turfgrass species. Has much less nitrogen run-off than many other turfgrasses because less nitrogen is used for fertilization.Īll paspalum selections are sterile, and must be propagated by transferring stolons or sod.Seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum O.Requires up to 50 percent less water than bermudagrass.This saves time and money and helps the environment by putting much fewer chemicals into the ecosystem. SeaDwarf™ Seashore Paspalum needs low fertilizer, low nitrogen and can be treated for weeds with table salt.At least one waterfront golf course has been known to irrigate it with water right out of the bay. SeaDwarf™ is great for seaside applications.It is perfect for situations where quality irrigation water is not an option.Weeds can be treated with ordinary table salt.A golf course in Mallorca, Spain, irrigates its SeaDwarf™ with straight seawater. It can be irrigated with brackish water, gray water, effluent or water with a salt content of up to 22,000 ppm, or in some cases, higher. Though SeaDwarf™ can be irrigated with fresh water, lower quality water may be used as an irrigation source. SeaDwarf™ Seashore Paspalum is highly salt tolerant.Potable, effluent, reclaimed, even seawater under the right conditions, can be used as an irrigation source. Can be irrigated with low quality water.Tolerates a wide range of mowing heights, about 1/10-inch to about 4-inches.A warm-season turfgrass with a fine texture.SeaDwarf™ Seashore Paspalum is the only dwarf cultivar of Seashore Paspalum.It is an excellent selection for golf course putting greens and fairways. SeaDwarf is a release from Environmental Turf and is the industries only true dwarf cultivar.
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