Ground Coverings

Essential Ground Coverings for Realistic Model Railroad Terrain

Ground coverings represent the foundation of realistic model railroad and diorama scenery, transforming bare plaster, foam, or wood surfaces into convincing representations of grass fields, meadows, forests, and agricultural landscapes. Our collection of 165 premium ground covering products spans multiple material technologies including static grass fibers that stand vertically mimicking individual grass blades, turf materials providing textured ground cover, pre-formed grass mats offering instant terrain coverage, and specialized foliage products replicating weeds, undergrowth, and wild vegetation. These materials work across all popular modeling scales from Z scale through G scale, with color selections representing seasonal variations from spring green through autumn gold and winter brown.

Woodland Scenics Static Grass and Turf Systems

Woodland Scenics dominates this collection with 127 products including their revolutionary Static Grass system featuring electrostatically charged fibers in 2mm, 4mm, 7mm, and 12mm lengths. The static grass application process uses specialized applicators generating electrostatic fields that align fibers vertically as they fall onto adhesive-coated surfaces, creating three-dimensional grass texture impossible with conventional scatter materials. The 2mm Static Grass replicates closely mowed lawns, golf courses, and manicured landscapes, while 4mm represents typical residential lawns and park grass. The 7mm length simulates unmowed fields, pastures, and wild grasslands, with 12mm Static Grass depicting tall prairie grass, wheat fields, and overgrown vegetation. Woodland Scenics Turf products in Fine and Coarse textures provide alternative ground covering options, with Fine Turf representing short grass and ground cover while Coarse Turf simulates bushes, weeds, and rough vegetation. Blended Turf combines multiple colors creating natural color variation avoiding the monotonous appearance of single-color applications.

Grass Mats and Pre-Formed Ground Cover

Woodland Scenics, Bachmann Trains, and JTT & Partners provide grass mat products offering instant terrain coverage without time-consuming static grass application. These pre-formed mats feature realistic grass texture molded into flexible backing material, available in various sizes from small patches through large rolls covering extensive layout areas. Woodland Scenics grass mats include adhesive backing enabling quick installation on foam, plaster, or wood terrain bases, while their tufted grass products feature three-dimensional fiber construction creating natural grass clump appearance. Bachmann Trains contributes nine grass mat products including Light Green, Medium Green, and Late Fall color variations, plus Pull-Apart Static Grass enabling custom grass clump creation. JTT & Partners offers 29 ground covering products including Field Grass in Dark Green, Light Green, and Natural Brown, plus extensive grass mat selections in 50-inch by 100-inch rolls providing economical coverage for large layout areas.

Seasonal Color Variations and Realistic Blending

Authentic ground cover requires color variation reflecting seasonal changes, regional vegetation differences, and natural landscape diversity. Spring landscapes feature bright green grass representing new growth, while summer colors deepen to darker green tones. Autumn ground cover incorporates yellow, gold, and brown tones as grass dormancy begins, with winter scenes requiring tan and brown colors representing dead vegetation. Our collection includes complete seasonal color ranges enabling era-specific modeling, with products like Woodland Scenics Fall Blend Turf combining multiple autumn colors, JTT Yellow Straw Turf replicating harvested grain fields, and various brown tones representing winter dormancy or arid climates. Realistic ground cover application combines multiple colors and textures, with base layers of turf providing overall color followed by static grass accents creating three-dimensional texture, and final detailing using specialized products like Woodland Scenics Static Grass Flock for weeds and wild vegetation.

Water Effects and Specialized Terrain Materials

Woodland Scenics expands ground covering beyond grass and turf into water effects and specialized terrain materials. Their Realistic Water products create ponds, streams, and lakes through self-leveling clear resin that cures transparent, while Water Effects gel simulates moving water, waves, and waterfalls. These products integrate with ground coverings creating complete landscape scenes featuring grass-lined stream banks, pond edges, and wetland environments. Woodland Scenics Learning Kits and Scenery Kits provide complete terrain-building systems combining ground coverings with instruction manuals teaching application techniques, while their Game Terrain products cater to tabletop gaming applications requiring durable, portable terrain pieces.

Application Techniques and Scale Considerations

Effective ground cover application requires systematic layering beginning with base terrain shaping using foam or plaster, followed by earth-tone paint establishing overall color, adhesive application using diluted white glue or matte medium, and progressive material application from coarse to fine textures. Static grass requires specialized applicators generating 10,000-15,000 volt electrostatic fields, available from Woodland Scenics and other manufacturers. Scale considerations influence material selection, with 2mm static grass appropriate for N and Z scales, 4mm suitable for HO scale, and 7-12mm lengths matching O and G scale proportions. Color intensity should be slightly exaggerated compared to prototype references, as model lighting conditions and viewing distances reduce apparent color saturation.

Complete Your Terrain Building System

Complement your ground coverings with our Foam Working Tools for terrain base construction, HO Scale Woodland Scenics scenery materials, N Scale Woodland Scenics products, and O Scale Woodland Scenics Scenery. Explore our Woodland Scenics Bushes/Shrubs/Tree Foliage for complementary vegetation. MPM Hobbies provides complete terrain construction solutions for model railroads, military dioramas, and architectural modeling across all popular scales.