Effect of Fertilizer and Straw Mulching on Winter Discoloration and Spring Regrowth of Lawn Grasses

This experiment evaluates wintering ability to maintain green color of lawn grasses during winter and investigates the effects of top dressing of fertilizer on improving green color during regrowth. Kentucky blue-grass could maintain green color and leaf chlorophyll content better than tall fescue and creeping bentgrass in winter. All three grasses in this experiment have shown the excellent wintering ability. In enhancing the recovery of green color at the early stage of regrowth, the mulching effect with rice straw was highly significant for creeping bentgrass. Green color recovery in grasses during its regrowth was better at the top dressing plots than at the plots without top dressing, but when fertilizer application levels were increased, green color in lawn grass did not significantly change. Although green color in tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and Korean lawngrass could be maintained during summer, the green color of creeping bentgrass is reduced significantly with high temperature. Top dressing after winter and mowing improved leaf chlorophyll content and green color in tail fescue and Kentucky bluegrass significantly. However, Korean lawngrass did not respond significantly with increased levels of fertilizer.