As we started to see a change in climate winter colour turf is on a lot of people’s minds at the moment, and on the farm TifTuf winter colour is absolutely outstanding as we start slowing heading into the colder period. Right through previous winters TifTuf proved again and again being the king of winter colour and for customers trying to avoid the annual yellowing off of the other fine leaf grasses. TifTuf could be the perfect solution.
Why do grasses lose colour in winter?
Footpaths across the south-east Queensland region we will start to see the turf yellowing towards and during the winter months. It appears to be but the grass isn’t dead. Come spring it bounces back to life turning to its glorious green colour again. This is because with the shorter days and colder weather the grass goes dormant to conserve energy, essentially hibernating like a bear.
Different varieties will have varying degrees of loss of colour, with some premium grasses like the Sir Walter Buffalo keeping its colour far better than Nullarbor Couch. TifTuf gets through winter without losing its colour standing head and shoulders above most varieties when it comes to winter colour. Especially of the warm season these varieties including our Sir Grange is perfect for the SEQ climate.
Year round green
You could use a product that is a grass colorant called ColourGuard which we sell at our office in Acacia Ridge or even oversow with a cool season grass for winter that will die off when the weather warms up and the existing grass comes out of dormancy. But some customers just want a grass that stays green all year round, and there is none better than TifTuf.
Both Sir Grange zoysia and Sir Walter DNA Certified Buffalo are no slouches when it comes to winter colour, but even still TifTuf is just another level of green in the cooler months. While TifTuf was launched with talk about its other premium attributes, the glorious shade of green has kept all winter long and really stood out both on the farm and on customer’s lawns.
Other premium features
It’s not just about Winter colour when it comes to TifTuf. In fact it has far more important attributes especially with its low water usage making it superior for water restrictions. TifTuf has proven in University trials to use 38% less water than other similar varieties. The Sports Turf Research Institute has been performing local trials in some of Brisbane which will give a clearer picture of its performance under the local climate in the coming months. Early results are promising with existing installations that it is using far less water after establishment.
This research will also elaborate on the shade tolerance of TifTuf. Most Bermuda or Couch grasses have very little shade tolerance with the common Wintergreen Couch requiring at least 6 hours of sunlight a day. TifTuf has performance with far less light and once the results from that STRI trials come back there will be a clearer picture of just how shade tolerant TifTuf is.
TifTuf receives Smart Approved WaterMark
To purchase TifTuf at our online turf store or to get more information on TifTuf call our team on (07) 3114 8281. You can also pop in and view our turf varieties at our sales office on 1/243 Bradman Street, Acacia Ridge. Office hours are open from Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm, and Saturday 7am to 12pm.
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