West Coast Turf launches natural grass sod grown on plastic

West Coast Turf has introduced its new line of Ready Play Grass natural grass sod grown on plastic for instant use. 

“We have been growing sod on plastic for several years,” said Jay Danek, West Coast Turf’s Arizona operations general manager. “We are confident in the product we’ve developed over that time and wanted to bring Ready Play Grass to a bigger market. There is a need for a grass surface that can be used right away.”   

“The reason its grown on plastic is for the strength of the plant itself, similar to when you buy a plant at a nursery where the roots are bound in a ball since they can’t go through the plastic,” Danek added. “It makes the strength of the sod three to four times of what a normal sod field is by becoming root bound. The intertwining roots develop a tight mat of rhizomes to firm up the surface, giving it a study base of strength. It weighs about 18 pounds per square foot and can be grown up to 2 inches thick. After the sod is put down, it is not going anywhere. You can play on it instantly. Because we don’t cut the roots, there is no shock factor to the grass and it is able to start rooting immediately—although it doesn’t have to be rooted for use.”

Ready Play Grass is ideal for sports fields, golf course tees and practice ranges, and on top of artificial turf fields when a temporary natural grass field is required.

“We start off with a sod product that has been through its growing cycle of anywhere from eight to 12 months, and then another six to 15 months growing on the plastic,” Danek said. “We grow it with sod strength and weight in mind so there is no movement. Our proprietary harvest technique allows for sharp and tight seams so the rolls mesh together perfectly.”