Golfdom, April 2015

long way Applied to semi dormant turfgrass the color will look better and may last longer For optimum results do not wait until the turfgrass is straw brown In the 2011 2012 and 2012 2013 seasons 25 products were evaluated Fig 1 following a single application Initial colors were judged to be diferent among treatments Four products provided minimal to no color at the time of application Generally products faded over time with some products shifing to more of a gray or bluish color Te resulting color rating may be directly related to the initial color or due to the greater deterioration of color over time Table 1 A common question is what is the best colorant In fairness no one turf colorant was clearly superior in terms of natural green color at the time of application and at the end of the winter season In our 2011 2012 and 2012 2013 trials distance matrices grouped colorants based on similarity of attributes such as colorant coverage colorant quality and hue over a season and years Distance matrices are a set of statistical procedures that illustrates relationships by grouping items using proximity on a graph using multiple measurements simultaneously Traditional statistics only show relationships in two variables e g response in y given a change in x Results indicated that the colorants with the best natural green color did not generally last as long as some of the others Tis group included Green Lawnger Lesco Green Ultradwarf Super Southwest Green and Endurant To have a natural green color for the duration of the dormant period our data suggest reapplication will generally be necessary A longer lasting color although it may have a bluish or lime green hue can be achieved with minimum to no reapplication This group included Kameelyan Bermudagrass Kameelyan Blue Green Dye Turf Colorant Go Green Regreen Color me interested FiGUre 1 Digital images of colorant treated plots on a Miniverde putting green and Wintergreen The products not mentioned as part of these two groups generally were statistically lower in the combination of measured attributes Price considerations Of course in order for any new practice to be adopted by a superintendent it must make sense fnancially Depending on the brand a gallon of turf colorant will cost from 30 to 75 with most distributors giving volume discounts Tis is particularly important if a superintendent wants to apply a product to fairways Almost all the products are sold as a concentrate that must be further diluted before application A typical dilution rate is one part colorant to seven parts water although the suggested dilutions may vary based on product use existing turf color and desired result Some of the more concentrated colorants may be diluted up to one part colorant to 15 parts water So carefully read the label to get an idea of how much area one can cover with the product of choice Te cost of colorant needed per acre using the higher recommended application rates would range from 200 to 500 an application depending on colorant brand With seed prices currently a bit higher the last few years using one of these products could save superintendents a considerable amount of money when compared to overseeding Considering that overseeding will require ground preparation seeding watering fertilizing mowing pest control spring transitioning etc colorants may be a significant labor saving alternative as well Although potential monetary savings are a major advantage the ability to better manage the warm season grass is what keeps turf managers interested in this practice How to aPPly considerations The painting process can be boiled down to picking and purchasing a colorant adding water plus colorant to your sprayer and beginning spraying Any type of sprayer will work although a boom sprayer would be much more efficient Flat fan nozzles are commonly used Air induction nozzles and dual fan nozzles are gaining in April 2015 Golfdom 35 Golfdom com Photo courtesy usga Continued on page 36