What's in The Bag?

Well it has been way too long ago since I have last posted.  Life got a little busy there for a few days/weeks.  Fertilization numbers have driven me to the point of insanity!  Pricing, analysis, timing, how long each product lasts, and the list goes on and on.  I begin with this, because I really want to educate you, the golfer on what really each number in the analysis means, and why we need each one and just a few thoughts that go into the fertilization of your golf course.  Just like our bodies need a certain percentage of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, so do plants, just in the form of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium (or the big 3).  These are the macro nutrients that plants require.  Just as our bodies need the big nutrients, their are also hundreds of other vitamins and minerals our bodies need.  Plants are the same.  This is why it is very important to know the type of grass you have and requirements that each grass takes at a certain time of the year.  It would not be wise for me to fertilize our fairways and tees in December.  Why?  Because the plant is not actively growing and taking in food.  It would be wise though to fertilizer Fescue in December, to keep it growing through the winter months.  Now that we have that out of the way.  How do you know what you need?  Nitrogen, which is the most important for growth (foliage and above ground growth).  So you have Ammonical Nitrogen, Urea, Nitrate, Insoluble, water soluble and the list continues of all the different forms of Nitrogen available and benefits of using a balanced approach.   Our second number phosphorus helps root formation.  Contrary to belief, phosphorous isn't a bad thing--only if it is done improperly, like most things in life.  Turf must have it to form roots and better anchor itself and take up water and other nutrients in the soil.  Lastly, we get to Potassium.  When you think of potassium in humans, we think bananas and cramp preventives.  This is similar in turf.  It is the stress guard for plants.  Stress from disease, insects, heat, and cold.  It is important to keep all of these in perspective.  To view more on this, visit a great website that NC STATE updates regularly http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/Keywords/nitrogen.aspx.  Now the tricky part for me is getting something that is going to give golfers the best possible playing conditions.  What is acceptable in the rough is not in the fairways, or greens, or tees.  Each area has its own uniqueness about it, and when choosing fertilizer, its not just, oh lets go throw some fertilizer out and watch it grow.  If you want the most consistent playing conditions for golfers it is imperative that we uses a slow release fertilizer that will release only a minimal amount each week.  The ones I am looking at are to get us 4 months of a slow feed.  This will minimize the effects of spikes in growth and baling hay in our fairways and rough!  With all of this said, it is just a quick rant, while maybe educating you minimally, that I honestly am analyzing fertilizers way more than I probably should, but I just want to put out a product that will give me the best product available--all the while keeping prices in mind.  I feel that the products I will go into detail throughout the year that we are applying at the time, are going to give us better results as we go throughout the summer.  I want to do some areas that will maybe give me some answers--there is nothing like in field research side by side.  If you can't tell a difference in roots, density, and blades, then really are they much different of a product?  Only time will tell and I plan to find out!