SALTY ALKALIGRASS

DESCRIPTION

Salty is improved alkaligrass Puccinellia distans developed for areas affected by saltwater spray, salt water intrusion, roadside salt, ice melt chemicals, soils with a naturally high pH or high salt content. This slow growing, fine textured cool-season native grass has a distinct upright bunch-type growth habit. Salty has a medium dark blue-green color that produces moderately dense turf which can tolerate a height of cut as low as ½ inch. Left unmowed, in non-maintained or native sites alkaligrass can reach a height of 12-16 inches.

APPLICATION

Salty is very compatible with many warm and cool-season native and introduced grasses, forbs and wildflowers. Also developed for permanent poly species turfgrass blends and mixtures containing slender creeping red fescue, strong creeping red fescue, chewing fescue, creeping bentgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, bermudagrass and selected salt and high pH tolerant native grasses, forbs and wildflowers.

ADAPTATION

This Grass was adapted primarily for turf use along coastal seaboards of New England, Mid-Atlantic regions. Coastal landscapes along seaboards of California, Oregon and Washington also are well-suited for alkaligrass.

Also adapted to inland regions such as Mid-West, Upper Great Plains, Rocky Mountains and Western Intermountain areas.

ATTRIBUTES OF SALTY

Superior tolerance and performance in moist saline soils.

Tolerates areas in the cool temperate regions of North America which are exposed to full sun with moderately hot summers.

Withstands soil pH of 8.0 and higher.

Excellent cold hardiness and retains color well into the fall season.

Alkaligrass is native in the U.S. and serves as a component in native grass mixtures.

SEEDING

Salty can be seeded in spring or fall when soil temperatures are 60°F or higher. However, if spring seeding should be planned so that the plants will be well-established before the warm months of summer.

Alkaligrass, like many native grasses is slow to germinate and establish requiring
10-15 days prior to germination.

SOIL PREPARATION: Prepare firm seedbed free of clods, sticks and vegetative debris. Seed should be in contact with soil. Salty prefers well-drained loamy soils similar in every respect to Kentucky bluegrass and many fine fescue species. Alkaligrass does not like poorly drained high bulk density soils.

pH: Soil should be slightly alkaline (7.0 -8.0) for favorable growth. Low pH soils (acid) often contribute to yellow chlorotic leaf color and poor tillering and shoot growth.

NPK requirement: Like many native grasses Salty requires moderately low rates of available soil nitrogen to maintain proper basal tillering and growth.

Water use: Salty and other native grasses are recognized as low water users with ET rate of 6-7 mm per day. Lower mowing heights, limited soil nitrogen and infrequent but deep soil profile irrigation practices will help reduce water use.

Mowing height: Salty recommended mowing height for permanent turf in blends and mixtures is ½-3 inch. It can be left unmowed and will reach plant height of 12-16 inches and may produce attractive inflorescences (seed heads) in both spring and fall.

Weed Control: From NCSU Pest Control Recommendations for Turfgrass Managers 2004. In established turf for general broadleaf control: 2, 4-D+dicamba, 2, 4-D+MCPP, 2, 4-D+MCPP+dicamba, 2, 4-D+2, 4-DP and others. Preemergent herbicides to control annual grassy weeds in established turf: benefin (Balan), bensulide (Pre-Far),
dithiopyr+trifluralin, pendimethalin (Pre-M), prodiamine

Rates: 2-3 lbs./1,000 ft.sq. or 80-120 lbs./acre. Seed count of Salty is approximately 2,000,000 seeds per pound and dependent on year of harvest, location of production and seed production practices.

Depth: Sow at ¼ to ½ inches.

USES OF SALTY

Shorelines: As a monostand or in a mixture with other cool-season grasses in areas adjacent to shorelines and
adapted inland regions.

Wildflowers: As a nursegrass or companion crop in wildflowers planting along coastal regions or in alkaline soils. Serves as a soil stabilizer in saline soils which typically would be difficult for other cool-season grasses to persist.

Roadsides: As a component in roadside or highway DOT mixtures. Persists along roadsides where high accumulation of salt from repeated wintertime applications have adversely affected growth of turf in the nearby adjacent areas.

Naturalized areas: As un-mowed stands or in naturalized plantings in out of play areas along golf course, in coastal shoreline regions or in alkaline soils high in pH.

Golf courses: As a companion grass in golf course fairway, tee or rough mixtures.