Enhancing spring green‐up of warm‐season turfgrasses through late‐winter scalping

Abstract Rapid spring green‐up of warm‐season turfgrasses in the transition zone is often desired to improve early‐season turfgrass quality, thereby increasing the acceptance of these species in arid and semi‐arid climates. This study evaluated the effects of late winter scalping on spring green‐up speed in 41 cultivars of bermudagrass ( Cynodon spp.), six of zoysiagrass ( Zoysia spp.), and eight of seashore paspalum ( Paspalum vaginatum O. Swartz). Field experiments were conducted in 2010 and 2011 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, using cultivars from the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program. Scalping was performed in late February by mowing dormant turfgrass to 0.5 inches (1.3 cm), and green‐up was quantified biweekly using digital image analysis to estimate the number of days to reach 50% and 90% green canopy cover based on area under the curve and soil growing degree days (SGDD) accumulation. Scalping accelerated green‐up across species; however, responses varied considerably among species, cultivars, and years. Bermudagrass exhibited the most consistent response, reaching 50% coverage up to nine days earlier in one year, while zoysiagrass responses were inconsistent, with scalping either accelerating or delaying green‐up depending on the year. Seashore paspalum showed consistent improvements, reaching 50% coverage 7 to 8 days earlier following scalping. Scalping increased soil temperatures and SGDD, although these effects were short‐lived. Overall, cultivar selection had a greater influence on spring green‐up than scalping alone, suggesting that although late winter scalping can enhance early‐season recovery under certain conditions, its practical benefits may be limited and should be weighed against labor requirements and environmental variability.