SeaIsle 1 Paspalum

This new fine-bladed seashore paspalum cultivar, developed by Dr. R.R. Duncan at the University of Georgia's Griffin Experiment Station, is ideal for golf course fairways, tees, and roughs. It makes a fine choice for sports turf, home lawns and commercial landscaping, too. It's a grass that thrives on salt water. You can irrigate Sea Isle 1 using a seawater blend, or even straight ocean water with the right management practices. It also grows quite well when watered from recycled or effluent sources.

Characteristics

Sea Isle 1 has a very fine leaf blade with excellent green color that can be closely mowed to heights of ½ inch.

Water Quality Tolerance

The most outstanding feature of Sea Isle 1 is its exceptional salt tolerance. It will proliferate in soils irrigated with water containing 2,500 ppm dissolved salts, and will show only a 50% reduction in growth at 5,000 ppm. It is considerably more salt tolerant than Bermudagrasses and Zoysiagrass.

Weed Tolerance

Sea Isle 1 spreads quickly during establishment and forms a dense turf which will compete with the presence of weeds when properly maintained. However, all Paspalums selections have relatively poor sensitivity to pre- and post-emergent selective herbicides.

Insect Pest Tolerance

Sea Isle 1 is susceptible to insects that feed on foliage of grasses.

Soil Fertility Range

Sea Isle 1 grows best in soils with a pH above 6.0. It performs best on a low level of applied Nitrogen, approximately 3 pounds N/1000 square feet per year. Given a balanced N:P:K program according to soil tests, Sea Isle 1 performs well in a fertility program of about 50 to 70% of the amount required for Hybrid Bermudagrasses.

Establishment

All paspalum selections are sterile, and must be propagated by transferring stolons or sod.