Sea Spray - Seashore Paspalum
Scientific name: Paspalum vaginatum
Other names: Species common names: Seashore paspalum, Salt water couch.
Cultivar name: Sea Spray.
Characteristics: Seashore Paspalum is the premier grass for badly salt-affected sites where other turfgrasses struggle to survive or die. It will grow across a wide range of soil pH from very acid to alkaline. Like the couches, it is a medium-textured turf best suited to short mowing heights (around 15-30 mm). Seashore paspalum has good drought and wear tolerance, and is more shade tolerant than the couches. It survives at low fertility, but responds well to added fertiliser with nitrogen in the nitrate form.
Origin: Developed in the USA by Pure Seed Testing in cooperation with Dr Ronny R Duncan and the University of Georgia.
Global growing areas: USA. Released in Australia 2009.
IP protection: USA Patent no: 7,262,341 B1, 28 August 2007.
Details
- Texture: Fine.
- Description: Dark blue-green leaves with a shiny lustre due to a waxy leaf coating; forms a moderately dense turf.
- Use: Lawns, parks, sportsfields and golf courses on salt-affected soils. Revegetation of salt-affected sites.
- Mowing height: 13-38 mm with a reel mower.
- Method of propagation: Seed. Sowing rate is 500 g/100 m2.
- Preferred soil types: Grows in a wide range of soils from sands through to clays, and from pH 4.0 to 10.0.
Comments
´Sea Spray´ is currently the only commercially available seeded form of seashore paspalum for turfgrass use. Can be used for bio-remediation, extracts salt from soil. Forms a fine-leaved ‘dune’ effect if left unmown. Suited to foreshore remediation. Can produce full ground cover within 8-10 weeks from sowing. Tolerates coastal humidity and heat.
Tolerances
- Heat: Good.
- Cold: Comparable to green couch.
- Shade: Limited tolerance of shade (comparable to green couch). Does not tolerate tree shade.
- Drought: Fair tolerance of dry conditions.
- Salinity: High salinity tolerance once established. Seed germinates best when irrigated with water with 1500 ppm salinity.
- Wear: Tolerant of wear.
- Herbicide sensitivity: Sensitive to many of the herbicides used for the management of green couch. Use only registered herbicides in accordance with the label.
- Pests and diseases: Lawn grubs (army worm, sod webworm) particularly during summer and autumn. Disease resistance best under saline conditions.
Photos used on this page are not necessarily photos from DEEDI
For more information and updates on warm season turfgrasses, their production and management please go to http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/turf
For updates on Sea Spray please go to http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/26_4219.htm
.
