Organic matter change over time

I’ve been working on an explanation of what OM246 testing is. This short video¹ is the first of a trilogy, and in it I emphasize one important thing that I think everyone should understand about the measurement of total organic matter.

The main point I wanted to make in part 1 is that the change in total organic matter between two measuring dates shows the result of topdressing, and growth, and weather, and microbial activity, and coring, and scarification, between those two dates.

Knowing the change in OM, one can then adjust the maintenance work, considering how the surface performance is in relation to how one wants it to be. This is really simple, but it turns out, not every turf manager knows the total organic matter of the rootzone, nor the quantity of sand topdressing.

I’ve written about this before:

If the surfaces have just the right firmness level and hold the right amount of water, then I want the total organic matter to stay the same over time, and I can adjust the sand topdressing and other organic matter management work accordingly.

If the surfaces are too soft, or hold too much water near the surface, and I would like them to be firmer in the future, then I want to see the total organic matter decrease over time, and I will increase the amount of sand topdressing and organic matter management.

If the surfaces are too firm, or don’t hold enough water near the surface, and I would like them to be softer in the future, then I want to see the total organic matter increase over time. To do that, I will reduce the amount of sand topdressing and organic matter management.