SeaStar for Hawaii
Over the past decade, a number of improved seashore paspalum varieties have been released into the marketplace. But most recently, the University of Georgia, world-renown for its seashore paspalum turfgrass research and breeding program, released what legendary turf breeder Dr. Paul Raymer believes to be the very best variety yet. That variety is called: SeaStar®.
SeaStar® Paspalum is the finest textured seashore paspalum turfgrass on the market today and is poised to change how golf courses, lawns and resorts in Hawaii are grassed.
“Hawaii is one of the most ideal environments that exists for seashore paspalum grasses. It’s the temperature, the humidity, the soil. It’s just happy there,” says Dr. Paul Raymer. “SeaStar®, in terms of pure quality, color, density and texture, is better across the board than any other seashore paspalum grass on the market today.”
Hawaiian Turfgrass is the exclusive licensed producer of SeaStar® in Hawaii.
SeaStar® for Golf
For golf, SeaStar offers the rare opportunity to use one grass on every playing surface. Yes, you read that correctly. On EVERY GOLF PLAYING SURFACE. That means: Greens, tees, fairways, roughs and collars. The ability to put one grass on every playing surface, a term called wall-to-wall, is extremely advantageous.
For owners & superintendents: It saves on maintenance costs. With one grass on every surface, maintenance programs for irrigation, fertilizer and chemical treatments are streamlined and consistent. The only real difference for maintenance in playing areas is the height of cut.
For players: SeaStar® Paspalum, like other paspalums, helps players improve their game. How? The grass grows in a very upright nature?it doesn’t lie down like other types of grass. So, a golfer hitting a fairway shot has a nearly perfect lie every time because the ball generally sits up, as if on a tee. Players of seashore paspalum golf courses report enjoyable golf rounds and somewhat lower scores.
“It is truly a grass for golf course applications that can go wall-to-wall. It was developed with wall-to-wall in mind, from roughs and fairways, to tees and greens. It performs very well at all of those wide ranges of mowing heights,” Raymer says.
SeaStar® for Sports Fields
SeaStar® makes for high quality sports fields. A fine textured seashore paspalum grass like SeaStar® is extremely well suited for use on baseball, football and other sports field surfaces. Why? Seashore paspalum grasses naturally grow aggressively from two different directions: above the ground in stolons, and below the surface in rhizomes. As the grass has the ability to heal quickly from two different directions, fields damaged by divots, tears, foot traffic and other sport-related wear see quicker healing of damage by this very aggressively growing grass.
SeaStar® for Lawns
Resort and home lawns grassed with SeaStar offer a luxurious, fine-textured look. Other benefits of SeaStar include: a high level of salt tolerance, tested and confirmed short-term drought tolerance, and the ability to be mowed with a reel or rotary mower.
Backed by Research
SeaStar® Paspalum was in testing and development at the University of Georgia for nine years prior to its release. It also underwent testing at the highly prestigious National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP). Results from NTEP placed SeaStar® in trials at eight locations from 2007-2009. During those tests, SeaStar® rated highest above all othere grasses tested for quality, color and texture.
SeaStar® Availability
Hawaiian Turfgrass is the only sod producer in Hawaii licensed to produce SeaStar® paspalum grass. A vegetatively propagated grass, SeaStar® will be available as sod, or, can be installed by Hawaiian Turfgrass using the company’s technologically advanced equipment for mechanically installing live sprigs.
SeaStar® Paspalum is in plant quarantine now in Hawaii, says Sean Aukanaii Fong, president of Hawaiian Turfgrass. Hawaiian Turfgrass is currently taking reservations for SeaStar® golf and resort lawn projects for 2016.
