Whether it's a football field, a golf course, or a home lawn, a new multi-state study offers recommendations for keeping some varieties of turfgrass greener, longer.
Researchers currently based in six states collaborated to identify three simple management tips to extend the green color and reduce cold-weather injury in hybrid bermudagrass. Those recommendations include raising the mowing height, applying nitrogen fertilizer in the fall, and most importantly, maintaining adequate soil moisture in the lead-up to a short-term freeze event, such as a spring-time cold snap.
The study, "Improving winter survival of interspecific hybrid bermudagrass in the Mid-Atlantic region through cultural practices," was published in the Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management journal in August.
Wendell Hutchens, co-author of the study and an assistant professor of turfgrass science with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, noted that although the work focused on golf courses, the recommendations could apply equally in other situations.
"The practices can be used universally," Hutchens said. "Sod growers can use the same practices, as can sports field managers and homeowners for their lawns."
