Fall conjures images of bright red, orange, and yellow leaves—especially images of Vermont maple leaves. Fall takes on a different look for golf courses in the southwestern U.S., particularly those golf courses that do not overseed bermudagrass greens. Fall color means time for Endurant turf colorant in many areas of the world.

October is the time to begin applying colorants to non-overseeded bermudagrass greens. Many superintendents are already beginning their turf painting where cooler weather is coming early this year.

Temperatures just two to four degrees cooler have a relatively dramatic effect on soil temperature, bermudagrass growth and the grass’s natural green hue. See why here.

USGA Agronomist of the Southwest Region, Brian Whitlark has it right: “Green is king.”

Golfers want to see a course that they are proud to invite guests to come see, said Whitlark.

Whether in the Southwest, Southeast or anywhere in the world, turf colorants allow golf course superintendents to give the look and playability golfers and club members expect.

Tips for the Southwest and other desert environment areas for coloring non-overseeded ultradwarf bermudagrass putting greens:

• Begin using colorants when growth slows yet the turf remains green.
• Minimize colorant loss due to clipping removal by mixing in a growth regulator.
• Plan to spray on a seven to 10-day schedule.
• A walking spray boom works well for blending edges and minimizing streaking, but a boom sprayer may also be used for very fast applications. Learn how to apply colorants here.
• If time allows, spray in two directions to minimize or avoid streaking.
• Experiment with different rates and products to determine what will work best for your facility. There are many shades of green, application rates, concentration levels, and application styles to choose from when painting turf. Here are several options in colorants.
• Spray turf colorants at high enough rates and frequent enough intervals to achieve results that golfers will be proud to play on.
• Even if you may save money on non-overseeded greens when compared to overseeding, don’t let that be the plan. Instead, look to benefit members and golf visitors with a consistent putting surface through the entire year by choosing colorant.

An Arizona golf course superintendent has been using Endurant turf colorant for years on his ultradwarf bermudagrass. His method is particular to his golf course, but here’s how he does it:

Endurant turf colorant is applied every 10 to 14 days using 1.5 gallons per acre. The spray volume is doubled to accommodate bidirectional application. He sprays the turf in two directions for a uniform application on the grass. A low rate of nitrogen is included in the tank.

Looking to learn more about the benefits of painting your turf? Here is some great information from the USGA.

Instant Overseed

Off Season Winter Wonderland

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Agriox is a revolutionary product designed to transition soils from oxygen starved to oxygen rich growing environments. The low solubility and high stability of its powdered formulation allows this buffered oxidizing agent to slowly release molecular oxygen directly into the soil moisture within the root zone, eliminating the immediate release and atmospheric loss which dramatically reduced the efficacy of liquid oxygenation products in the past.

What Our Users Report Seeing After Beginning Agriox Applications
The product’s earliest impact is most often seen below the surface, on the roots themselves, which soon become thicker and more white. This is typically accompanied by an increase in the number of feeder roots. Over time, a significantly larger root mass is cultivated, as is a more uniform appearance up top. For newer customers, these are routinely sited as the primary benefits achieved from regular treatments. Though an apparent visual response is not necessarily immediate, there are observable indications that the turf is responding. The most prevalent of these is a noticeably longer duration of fertility application effectiveness. (This better utilization of nutrients marks the beginning of the reduction to overhead expenses our users see.) Another common sign is a temporary spike of growth after a week or two, a clear indication the soil is being purged of an excess of tied up nutrients.

Soil Benefits Noted After Application:
Reduced instances of disease; lesser need for fungicides; more rapid recovery from damage; less play lost to core aeration; more consistent overall turfgrass conditions across treated areas

Problematic Soil Challenges Being Overcome
Low soil oxygen levels affect a plant’s ability to uptake the nutrients you are providing it. Under such anaerobic conditions, turfgrasses use nitrates as the terminal electron acceptors for respiration instead of oxygen, effectively robbing the plant of nitrogen. The presence of Agriox effectively mitigates this process of denitrification. This begins to explain how it is able to make your fertility treatments more effective, which allows you to make fewer applications, an important aspect of the product’s value to take into account when considering adding it to your program. It is also worth noting that you do not need to change your existing routine when adopting this product.

Overview of the Biological and Chemical Implications of Higher Soil Oxygen Levels
Like all aerobic organisms, plant-friendly microbes must be provided with a constant supply of oxygen in order to survive and flourish. Unfortunately for turfgrass managers, this has traditionally been a practical impossibility. As a result, anaerobic microbes explode in population, which can lead to a host of problems including disease, nutrient deficiencies, hydrogen sulfide production, and black layer. Soils enriched with Agriox, however, show increased beneficial microbial populations and greater species diversity which helps to drive the nitrogen cycle and which promotes remarkable botanical health. The carbon dioxide resulting from increased respiration is offset as well.

In a general sense, the reduction of stress upon a soil ecology allows a plant to dedicate much more of its limited energy to internal processes and increasing vigor instead of externally to a fight for mere survival. Agriox achieves this by promoting the efficient movement of nutrients and water throughout the profile. Its slow release process is especially beneficial in the root zone during photosynthesis when plants are metabolizing nutrients, enzymes, hormones, organic acids, and other components which fuel growth. By increasing the soil’s buffering capacity, it reduces the effects of nutrient toxicity, and it improves hydraulic conductivity in heavily laden organic soils.