Cotton-Based Hydromulches for Seeded Bermudagrass Establishment

Establishment and dry matter production of seeded bermudagrass as affected by mulch treatment will be presented. Conducted as 3 separate greenhouse experiments, experiments included hydromulches, mulch blankets, and loose straw covers, all compared to bare soil. Hydromulch and blanket treatments included those made from cotton or cotton-gin trash, and these were compared to paper, wood, and cellulose hydromulches and blankets. Cotton-based hydromulches typically had faster bermudagrass establishment and greater dry matter production over the 10 week experiments. Newspaper and wood-based hydromulches performed poorly, with poor germination and growth from the seeded bermudagrass.