We work in the turf industry so our families, friends and clients can enjoy these long hot "dog days of summer" barbequing in the back yard or sharing a round on the golf course with a friend. We also work hard to assure that we don't have to become slaves to these turf properties during the toughest three months of the growing year. Making sure that the soil/turf environment will be running at peak performance in the summer also gives us some time with those hot dogs and burgers knowing that the turf is just fine!
For most golf course superintendents and turf managers the entire year boils down to the months of June, July and August, and too often that means holding their collective breaths until the cooler nights of August. Being prepared is the key to getting through those months when temperatures can reach the 100 mark and humidity keeps the disease pressure high. This starts with good soil management and an understanding how the soil/plant dynamic really works.
Most golf course superintendents and many sports turf managers are dealing with a lot of low CEC, or sand based, soils. Even native soils, after years of sand top dressing, act as low CEC soils. These soils have significantly reduced buffering capacities and cannot handle changes in temperature or water conditions as well as larger CEC soils can. Organic matter is typically lower and soil biology does not function as well in these fluctuating soils. This means lower nutrient mobility levels and plant stress.
Low CEC soils have to be managed differently and one of the best ways to start is with a protocol of water soluble paste extract soil tests. Many of our clients are discovering the benefits of running paste extract tests on a couple of the same "target" sites, maybe two greens, every month. These tests show us what is mobile and more importantly what is not mobile in the root zone. It also points out the most important "red flag", sodium and bicarbonate buildup, that can cause serious problems in these hot days of summer.
Sodium excesses can lead to wilt stress, and bicarbonates create localized dry spot problems; and, both can affect root health and lead to plant stress issues. First, identifying these problems is key. Then building a flushing program to remove these excesses assures that the root zone can function effectively even through these hot stressful days of summer. We have had great success with a program that uses calcium, in the form of gypsum, and a good carbon based calcium liquid to knock out the sodium and bicarbonate. A humic acid product is used to "chelate" or grab the sodium and bicarbonates molecules; and, a good penetrating wetting agent is then sprayed to take both out of the root zone. Before the irrigation water is used again (because it holds the sodium and bicarbonates) potassium sulfate is applied to replace sodium on the soil colloidal sites with potassium. Keeping the percentage of potassium levels higher than the percentage of sodium levels (on the soil tests) assures that sodium is not flushing into the plant cell causing the dehydration that leads to wilt and plant stress.
The results have been well documented with soil testing data but more importantly turf managers that use good carbon based programs and manage the "red flags" in the soil tend to enjoy more barbeque time with their families!
