Winter Overseeding Cool seeds-----From Johnsons Sports seed
Perennial ryegrasses have come a long way over the past thirty years or so they are finer leaved, harder wearing and quick to establish.
This makes them the first choice for modern winter sports use. As with all living plants there are limitations as to how well they will establish and perform.
Major limitations within the United Kingdom and many European countries are shorter day length and low soil temperatures at times when pitch use is still at a high level. Principally these occur in late Autumn, Winter and early Spring.
The breeders at DLF Trifolium have targeted the development of varieties of ryegrass that will germinate and grow at lower temperatures.
Rigorous testing and independent trials have verified the value of these varieties and they have been put to good use in a wide range of sport venues across the world with exceptional results.
In 2012 DLF introduced Axcella annual ryegrass which characteristically provides rapid establishment at low temperatures. This variety however is not as wear tolerant as the STRI listed 4Turf Tetraploids ( Double then Fabian) which followed in 2012. Traditional turf type perennial ryegrass has two sets of chromosomes, Tetraploids have four sets. 4Turf seeds are 1.5 times bigger than regular turf type ryegrass and deliver quicker germination and faster establishment. The advantages of these new grasses are utilized in J Rescue.
Lower light levels can be combated by the use of rough stalked meadow grass within the formulation. Rough stalked meadow grass is proven to tolerate wear, thrives under cool, humid and shady conditions and is now included in J Rescue Stadia
There will of course be newer varieties to follow these market leading cultivars. These new options offer a targeted renovation system, which extends the seeding window way beyond the capabilities of traditional ryegrass seed mixtures.
The standard Winter sports Mixtures in the Johnsons range to utilise these varieties are:
A new mixture is now available to fully use the characteristics of the Tetraploids: J4Turf- which will be 75% Double 25% Fabian
Case History
The new Tetraploid perennial ryegrass Double provided quick establishment and deeper rooting capacity. With horses going 40/50 mph the grass underneath is bound to get damaged, but the mixture has withstood the pounding.
Seeding was undertaken mid-March and by the end of April it was up to 75mm, even though the conditions were not the best for grass growing due to limited light and limited intensity of the light and insulation. At the beginning of May, about 6 weeks after sowing, Adrian was
comfortable with the density of the grass. “To get it to germinate in that time,” he says, “is a testament to the grass seed itself. It was a challenge but I felt relieved when it lived up to my expectation.”