Go green(er)

Dr. Mark Howieson, technical team leader at Becker Underwood, talked about some of the benefits of using turf colorants on the golf course with the spring season fast approaching.

How do turf colorants help boost greenup?

MH: It helps in a couple of ways. First is aesthetic. Application of a colorant makes the course look green and growing. Visually it looks good. Second, colorants typically contain dark pigments. These pigments absorb energy from the sun, warming the soil and canopy to help speed greenup.

What are the benefits they could get from using a colorant at this point in the season, especially in more temperate regions?

MH: If you apply the colorants, it’s going to look better coming right out the shoot and give you a quicker greenup in the spring.  Some courses may consider applying a colorant to greens after the covers are removed and greens mowed for the first time in the Spring to reduce the discoloration that sometimes occurs.

What can colorant do to strengthen turf coming out of winter?

MH: It’s not a silver bullet. It doesn’t replace fertilizer, spraying pesticides or other tools that you use. It’s a little advantage that can increase canopy temperatures by a couple of degrees.  It can differentiate you from the course down the street.

And how does it help with dealing with overseeding?

MH: Colorants can be used as an alternative to overseeding in many instances.  Some enterprising superintendents have begun to use it and have commented that most golfers don’t notice much of a difference between an overseeded or pigmented fairway.   This can be a real opportunity for many facilities because using a colorant is less resource intensive then an overseeding program and less disruptive to the base warm season turf as well.