soil test

This is no secret among turfgrass scientists—there isn’t a lot of good justification to support what we call conventional guidelines for soil nutrients in turfgrass. And by that, I mean the conventional guidelines are broken.

One of the columns I’ve really enjoyed reading is the Wisconsin Soils Report. In the May/June 2013 issue, Doug Soldat asked How reliable is soil testing?. He pointed out some of the limitations of soil testing—these limitations are probably more extensive than you thought—and provided some good advice about practical and effective soil testing.

The answer, almost certainly, is yes. These calculations of how much calcium the grass uses, compared to how much plant-available calcium is in the soil, leave little doubt that there is almost always more than enough calcium in the soil to meet the needs of the grass.

Golf course putting greens and other high-use turf are generally grown in a sand rootzone. In Asia, many courses also have tees, fairways, and sometimes even rough areas plated with sand as well.

Phosphorus is an essential element for healthy turfgrass plants, but phosphorus can also contribute to algal growth in natural water bodies, so turfgrass managers should try to apply only the amount of phosphorus that is required by the grass.

There is a great article in the USGA Green Section Record about cost savings and turfgrass maintenance. Sometimes golf courses must find ways to reduce expenses on turfgrass maintenance, and the article Dollars and Sense: Making It in a Tough Economy provides a number of tips to save money.