Some greenkeepers severely limit their NPK inputs. I am of the opinion that this could cause problems in the future, with weakened swards and increased disease
Greg Evans, Course Manager, Ealing Golf Club
potassium, for example, are very soluble. I increased the dosage of these two nutrients to counteract the leaching effect. On the other hand, high levels of iron and sulphur in wet soils will make these compounds toxic to the plant. An increase of aeration is needed to allow oxygen into the soil to balance this out. The flexibility that I needed to introduce into my planned fertility programme during each of these past two years was based on my experience and knowledge of this course gleaned from the soil analysis reports from prior years.
Feeding
I am frequently questioned about my feeding regime for greens. I apply roughly the following quantities per
fertiliser. Fertility and irrigation are the plants energy sources and their application is critical.
On many high maintenance courses with big budgets, the greens can often be sprayed as intensely as daily and fed at intervals depending on the fertility requirements. This is high end practice and only an option for courses with big budgets and adequate staff. Their feeding and irrigation programmes can be planned scientifically with the results readily apparent throughout the season. But, less well resourced courses can also benefit from the lessons being learned elsewhere.
The primary aim of my fertility
programme is to obtain a relatively constant seasonal growth pattern. Too much fertiliser at once produces a flush
A green cut at 5mm that has been overfed and overwatered, resulting in a high thatch layer and anaerobic soil conditions
200 tonnes of sand applied to the greens each year
Verti-cutting to remove organic matter
hectare of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium during a normal year:
• 100N/kg • 40P/kg
their own products and there may be more appropriate products available elsewhere. By all means accept their free soil analysis report, but cross check it with an independent report. Soil analysis reports are relatively inexpensive and, for peace of mind, well worth the cost.
The need for flexibility
Over the years, the most important thing that I have found with a fertility programme is the need to remain flexible. Some greenkeepers get stuck with nutrient numbers or overly rigid fertility programmes. Very wet summers have prevailed in South East England during the past two years and I needed to adapt my planned programme during each year. Prolonged, overly wet weather conditions cause problems such as the leaching of nutrients through the soil. Nitrogen and
• 100K/kg I am flexible with my fertility programme and these figures change from season to season. I am also noticing that my greens are becoming a little hungrier. This is not through the low cutting height adding stress, but a result of the change in the soil profile through my heavy sanding programme. However, the benefits of the reduced thatch content and firmer greens created by the sanding programme far outweigh this negative effect.
Due to the negative press generally
surrounding the overfeeding of greens, some greenkeepers severely limit their NPK inputs. I am of the opinion that this could cause problems in the future, with weakened swards and increased disease. However, I do not encourage greenkeepers to just ‘throw on’ the
Ealing’s 11th green cut at 2mm in late June
of growth but can lead to high disease pressures and slow greens. Too little growth results in weaken swards. To produce relatively constant growth, I put my greens on a six-week fertility programme.
Application starts with one base feed at a low rate, followed by two liquid top up feeds. My “rule of thumb” is little and often. I find that this application programme keeps the greens lean but healthy. A good ongoing indicator of success is the colour of the greens. If they are dark green, then you are likely to be applying too much fertiliser at once. Yellow greens indicate that you are not applying enough. A light green is, for me, the perfect colour.
Organic or inorganic?
The popularity of organic fertilisers began to decline several years ago, but are definitely making a comeback. These types of fertilisers are a rich source of nutrients for the plant, with many micronutrients and favourable acids included in their makeup.
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