Comparison of Color Quality, Winter Color, and Spring Green-up among Major Turfgrasses Grown under Three Different Soil Systems

This study was carried out to evaluate the visual turfgrass's color quality, winter color, and spring green-up under three different soil systems and to make a practical use for sports turf design and construction. Several turfgrasses were evaluated in multi-layer, USGA and mono-layer systems. Turfgrass entries in the study comprised of 3 cultivars from Korean lawngrass (Zoysia japonica Steud.) of typical warm-season grass (WSG) and 3 blends and 3 mixtures from Kentucky bluegrass (KB, Poa pratensis L.), perennial ryegrass (PR, Lolium perenne L.), and tall fescue (TF, Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) of cool-season grass (CSG). Significant differences were observed in the turfgrass's color quality, winter color, and spring green-up in the study. Seasonal variation of visual turf color greatly occurred according to soil systems and turfgrasses. Multi-layer and USGA systems were highly associated with better visual color ratings, as compared with mono-layer system. Regardless of soil system, visual turf color in all entries was better from spring to fall than in winter. Great color differences were observed during a period of early December to early spring. CSG produced a better color quality over WSG in any soil system. Overall color ratings for CSG were KB > PR > Mixtures > TF. As for a winter color, its ranking was USGA > multi-layer > mono-layer system. No difference was found in winter among cultivars of Korean lawngrass, being completely brown, but great differences among CSG. Rated best for winter color was PR, followed by CSG mixtures, KB and finally TF in order. It was generally conceded that fast green-up in spring was greatly related with multi-layer over mono-layer system and also CSG over WSG. Among CSG, TF had a fastest green-up. PR was also fast in green-up, but poor in color uniformity. KB, however, was the slowest due to shallow rooting system, when compared with other CSGs. These results demonstrate color differences were greatly variable according to soil systems and also among turfgrass species. A precise decision should be made in selecting turfgrass species and soil system. Multi-layer and USGA systems were considered as the suitable one for turfgrass color quality, winter color and spring green-up. It is a great necessity to combine proper soil system, right turfgrass species, and appropriate mixing rates by a concept-oriented approach, when establishing garden, parks, soccer field, and golf courses and so on.