STUDIES WITH SAND CULTURE FOR BENTGRASS GREENS

The growth and development of Penncross bentgrass was studied for 3 yr on eight sand blends consisting of variable particle size. All were perched over a layer of coarse aggregate (6–12 mm). Germination and establishment rate were slower with those blends where particles smaller than 0.5 mm had been removed. Spring recovery rate after the first winter was also slower in the blends with the smaller particles removed, but this was not apparent after the second winter. The hydraulic conductivity varied greatly in the sand blends without turf, but there were no significant differences between treatments when turf was present in the 2nd and 3rd years. Total root growth or the amount of roots recovered from the peat-moss-amended top 7.5 cm of the 30-cm profile did not differ significantly among treatments in the final 2 yr although compaction reduced the amount of root present. In the lower, unamended portion of the profile there was a trend toward a greater amount of root growth for 2 yr when the finer particles were removed, but there was no significant difference in the 3rd year. The study demonstrated the ameliorating effect of developing turf on hydraulic conductivity in these vastly different sand blends and suggests that sands, even though not in the recommended range of particle size, can still offer relief to the compaction, drainage, and root growth problems encountered in the culture of bentgrass greens.Key words: Agrostis palustris, perched water table, germination rate, hydraulic conductivity, root growth, compaction