APPLIED RESEARCH
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Security Blankets
The Pros and Cons of Turf Covers
By Mike Goatley, Ph.D., Extension Turfgrass Specialist; Xunzhong Zhang, Ph.D., Research Scientist; John Willis, Graduate Research Assistant; and David McKissack, Research Associate Senior, Virginia Tech
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overing cool and warm-season turfgrasses with turf blankets can result in striking and highly desirable turf quality and growth in fall and spring. At the same time, though, there are limitations to how much the covers can do. This article summarizes some of the key findings and observations of the Virginia Tech turfgrass team regarding how turf blankets modify turf growth and development.
Winter protection/spring greening trial on bermudagrass Since the fall of 2004-05, we have conducted research on a ‘Riviera’ bermudagrass turf maintained at a 0.75” cutting height at the old Virginia Tech golf course. We are evaluating both white and black polypropylene blankets (from Xton, Inc., in Florence, AL) for their effects on bermudagrass growth and development, as well as a silver, reflective fabric (50% porosity) that is commonly used in greenhouseproduction systems as a means of reflecting solar radiation. Each year, the trial is initiated in the fall prior to the first predicted killing frost event (typically mid-October in Blacksburg,VA). 18
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2006