By Brian
Lachowsky, Regional Sales Manager
Most turf
professionals recognize organic fertilizers like Nature Safe are very safe
fertility tools. But the specific details that determine a product’s
safety can be confusing. The following is summary to help explain:
The
Issue:
Organic
fertilizers act very differently in soil than synthetic or chemical
fertilizers. Many chemical fertilizers are soluble. They dissolve, go into the
soil solution, and are often available immediately to the plant. They may be
subject to leaching as they move with the water through the soil profile.
Chemical fertilizers can also have high salt concentrations and contribute to
total applied salts. Salts BURN and can result in reduced microbial activity
creating additional problems.
Soil
compaction is one of the first noticeable problems. As the soil loses microbial
activity, it loses structure. This structure is important in terms of water
management, pore space, and rooting. Without microbial activity, thatch builds
up rapidly creating a series of issues. Thatch holds salt, is a disease vector,
contributes to scalping, ball marks and traffic injury. In addition, thatch
makes it difficult to get water where it is needed.
Salts burn
root hairs first, then the more tender parts of the root. The plant has to
spend large amounts of carbohydrates to continue putting out new roots. The
result is short roots that have difficulty getting beyond the thatch layer. The
thatch layer can continue increase due to the surge of growth the plant gets
every time a soluble fertility product is applied. In this situation, the plant
is now in severe distress and takes intensive management to survive.
Without a
healthy microbial population pathogens will flourish, especially during weather
extremes (drought, heat, humidity, etc.). The beneficial microbes normally keep
these pathogens at bay. When the salt concentrations in the soil are increased,
these microbes cannot survive, opening the door for pathogens and disease to
start.
Under these
conditions, the turf no longer has the carbohydrate reserves necessary to
recover from injury (traffic, ball marks, verti-cutting, aerification,
scalping).
The
Solution:
Fortunately,
these problems can be corrected remarkably fast. Through the use of Nature Safe
you can drastically reduce total applied salts. Nature Safe will also
re-establish a balanced and vibrant microbial population in your soil. These
microbes will act quickly to reduce thatch, leach salts, stimulate additional
photosynthesis (due to increased levels of CO2 given off by the
microbes), and bank the carbohydrates the plant needs for health and recovery.
The thatch reduction is rapid and measurable. Within three applications, your
customer should see a difference. Within one growing season, the thatch should
be at optimal or near optimal levels.
How To
Use:
Use Nature
Safe on your Tee’s and Green’s at 1/2 lb. of N. per month
throughout the growing season. At aerification apply 1 lb. of Nitrogen. This is
a simple program that works. You will see a change in the turf’s ability
to handle stress and an improvement in appearance in a number of weeks. Nature
Safe also encourages root growth and lateral growth. You should not see
excessive top growth, but rather, a very even feed with excellent color over an
extended period of time. One place to demonstrate this to turf managers is at
aerification on greens and tees. The improvement in recovery is often dramatic.
Western soils are particularly responsive to this due to the higher alkalinity
and salt levels.