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Vertmax Bonnie Doon GC fairways treated with Vertmax turf pigment

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However, there are major differences between turf colourants which can be grass dyes, lawn pigments, and paints.

Types of turf pigments, grass dyes, paints & colourants

Turf colourants are dyes, pigments, or paints. These products allow you to paint grass green and contain a solvent, a colourant, additives, and up to 40% binder.

The difference between a lawn pigment and a dye:

A lawn pigment is a suspension of very small particles in a liquid. Over time these settle out which is why you need to shake a drum of turf pigment to put these back into suspension if it has settled out.

When you apply a lawn pigment it is coated on the leaf surface.

A turf dye on the other hand is dissolved in water and chemically binds to the leaf. These are often in spray indicators.

Pigments are able to resist fading, whereas dyes are more vulnerable to fading or bleaching caused by UV light.

Products that enable you to paint grass green include Vertmax®, Vertmax Duo®, Green Pig®, Ryder®, Sensi-Pro®, and BASF Vision Pro ®. These turf colourants are all based on copper pigments and the amount a product contains determines its rate of use, and the amount of greening.

To better understand how these products perform we will use work from North Carolina State University and more recently in Sydney, Australia by Gilba Solutions.

Colourant Influence on Turf Colour.

Turf pigments tend to be a darker green or blue colour which is especially the case on dormant turf. Application rates vary due to the amount of binder that they contain as the higher the amount of binder, the lower the colourant content and the higher the rate of application. So a product with an application rate of 2L/Ha contains less of the "good stuff" than one with a rate of 1L/Ha.

How Long do Turf Colourants Last?

The longevity of turf colourants depends on the time of year that they are applied and how often you may. On a golf green that is mowed every other day you will get at best 17 days. See our recent research blog on the longevity of green grass paint and turf colourants on a closely mown golf green for more information.

On a dormant fairway turf colourants can last months.

The incorporation of stickers and adjuvants gives increased longevity and rain fastness. Vertmax ® with QDT (Quick Dry Technology), contains both of these, and lasts around a month when you use it on a dormant couch.

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The difference between turf colourants, grass dye, paint & lawn pigments. How they work & how to use them on golf courses & sportsgrounds?