Seaside II Creeping Bent Grass

Seaside II, with a medium-fine texture, provides a high-quality playing surface for greens, tees, and fairways. It has shown very good drought tolerance and the ability to use effluent or water sources that have a salt level to 15,000 ppm, with a pH of 7.5 – 8.5. Recommended seeding rate is 1.25 to 1.5 lbs/1,000 sq ft for a new planting, and 0.1 to 0.25 lbs/1,000 sq ft for interseeding. Seaside II bent grass has shown excellent resistance to dollar spot and other diseases. With the low fertility and drought tolerance, it is able to compete with other grassy weeds like Poa annua.

 

The amount of the fertilizer should be .1 lbs of nitrogen every 14 days +/-, depending on approximate growth, clippings, and performance. The yearly amount of nitrogen will be from 2 to 4 lbs, phosphorous 2 to 3 lbs, and potassium 6 to 10 lbs. As far as micronutrient amounts, this should be checked with tissue tests during the year and again with a soil test in the early spring.  Fertilizer is important for healthy bent grass.

  

Maintenance Program

 

Seaside II can be irrigated with water sources containing salt content as high as 15,000 ppm and a pH of 7.5 - 8.5, and it also demonstrates resistance to dollar spot. Seaside II has a medium-fine blade and produces a dense stand of grass, for high-quality playing surfaces on greens, tees, and fairways. Its aggressive growth characteristic allows Seaside II to compete well with invading species like Poa annua. Seaside II is often chosen for coastal golf courses, where sea spray is a problem for other varieties of bent grass.

Seaside II bent grass, with a medium-fine texture, provides a high-quality playing surface for greens, tees, and fairways. It has shown very good drought tolerance and the ability to use effluent or water sources that have a salt level to 7.5 – 8.5.  Recommended seeding rate is 1.25 to 1.5 lbs/1,000 sq ft for a new planting, and 0.1 to 0.25 lbs/1,000 sq ft for interseeding. Seaside II has shown excellent resistance to dollar spot and other diseases. With the low fertility and drought tolerance, it is able to compete with other grassy weeds like Poa annua. 

 

The first mowing should be done when there is uniform turf coverage with a height from 1/4 to 3/8 inches and definitely not more than a 1/2 inch. The mower should have a smooth front roller. It has been reported that some people have used grooved rollers too early. Bent grass clippings should not be caught early on, as this will help build a biomass or padding that will protect the plant from damage. During the early stage it is important to do a weekly light topdressing. This will cover the clippings and smooth any roughness in the surface as well as accelerate the filling-in of the turf grass canopy. It is possible to get to the desired mowing height within six to seven weeks after the first mowing, if not sooner. 

 

With regard to aeration, this has varied from course to course. Most golf courses aerate two to three times a year: in the spring, early summer, and fall, similar to what is currently being done with other bentgrasses. Some courses are going less, others more, but it all depends on the size of the greens, soil type, and traffic. Topdressing varies depending on management style, from light weekly applications to once a month when verticutting. As with all bentgrasses it is important to get as much topdressing into the canopy as possible. This can only be accomplished if the canopy is opened up by the use of groomers, verticutting, grooving, or spiking.  All grasses including bent grass should be aerated.