Warm season grasses look vibrant in the cold winter months with Endurant organic turf colorants. Bermuda grass and other warm season grasses and turf grass varieties look great in places such as Tennessee most of the year, until temperatures dip periodically near or below freezing, sending the grass to brown dormancy.
Endurant organic turf paint keeps these warm season grasses popping with natural looking green grass, appealing to golfers and visitors.
Endurant organic turf colorant in Tennessee
Golf Course Superintendent Jason Sanderson of Cherokee Country Club and Golf Course in Knoxville, TN, discovered turf paint as the best solution for brown winter dormancy many years ago. Each year, he improves his techniques to create a golf course that members enjoy while managing water usage, time and finances.
“Private country club owners really like to be able to find their golf balls in the middle of the fairway,” said Sanderson.
Sanderson hasn’t overseeded his golf course in more than 12 years.
Sanderson shares his experience and techniques to offer advice to others managing warm season turf grass during colder weather:
General turf paint advice, whether a professional golf course superintendent, landscape professional or homeowner on warm season grasses and other turf grass varieties from Sanderson:
- Endurant mixes better than the four or five other paints Sanderson has tried in the past 6 to 12 years.
- Endurant lasts longer, goes on a more natural dark color and stays true to that color longer.
- Painting on frost actually works best. However, it has to be done fast and applied quickly, painting in about two hours.
- Spraying in multiple directions is a definite must for the best color and even coverage.
- Multiple applications is really important in my opinion, said Sanderson. We make two applications a week or two apart and so far don’t have to paint again until spring comes and the turf comes out of dormancy.
- Water volume is the most important thing that Cherokee Country Club has figured out over the years of turf paint applications on their warm season grasses.
- Sanderson prefers GreenLeaf nozzles made particularly for painting.
- This is a personal choice, but I prefer the look and color of the Endurant FW, the turf colorant for fairways. (there are several other colors. See more Endurant turf paint varieties here.)
Photos courtesy of Golf Course Superintendent Jason Sanderson, Knoxville, TN
Sanderson noted these particular benefits for warm season grasses using Endurant organic turf paint during the winter months:
- Painting helps the soil temperature by at least a degree or two. We noticed we didn’t lose any grass on areas that were painted. Even when temperatures were especially low, we had less damage.
- Besides the agronomic benefits, it just makes the turf much more appealing to the eye.
- “Endurant gives a great look to the expansive views of the golf course.”
- It’s dependent on weather conditions, but so far, we put on two applications a week or two apart and don’t have to paint it again before spring.
- Endurant helped the bermudagrass get an earlier greenup in spring by about two to three weeks.
- Endurant helps make spring clean up really nice and gets us going a little earlier.
- My membership thinks it’s well worth the cost even if just to be able to see their golf ball and golf game.
- “Endurant looks great. It’s very dramatic.”
Sanderson shared the particulars of his property and how he uses the Endurant organic turf paint on his warm season grasses:
- Of the warm season grasses, the turf grass variety at Cherokee Country Club is bermuda grass.
- He paints all tees, fairways and the green surrounds at the country club and golf course, using Endurant.
- The property is located in north western Tennessee, totaling about 35 acres.
- Cherokee Country Club is located in Knoxville and has 18 holes.
- He’s been painting his tees there for about six years.
- He started using Endurant on the tees and decided to use Endurant organic grass paint on fairways after seeing the agronomic benefits.
- Cherokee Country Club prefers Endurant FW on the fairways at rate of 6 gallons per acre.
- Sanderson sprays the fairways two times, applying 3 gallons per acre in two directions, anywhere from a couple days apart to a week or two apart, depending upon the weather.
Series of articles compiling turf tips from professionals in the field
Sanderson is one of several turf professionals sharing their turf tips on Twitter with Geoponics and other turf growers, lawn professionals, sod growers and homeowners looking for tips.
Follow Geoponics and check out recent blogs for similar turf tips from professionals in the field, including frost delay prevention and frost damage prevention here.