Golf

The Puzzle of Liquid Fertilizers

Summer time means, among many other things, the switch over to using liquid fertilizers as a part of your overall nutrition plan. The popularity of foliar liquid fertilizer use has grown over the years due mainly to the ability to spoon feed your turf at a time when the plant's roots are simply trying to keep the plant alive. Feeding your turf nutrients absorbed through the leaves is simply more efficient when it's hot. However, choosing the right liquid products for your course is not as clear-cut.

I've stated this before but it bears repeating...not all liquid products are the same. Far from it, actually. Just because you're spraying on the plant, doesn't mean you're spraying into the plant. At its very core, you ultimately want to have the liquid nutrients taken up by the plant where it can do its job.

Seems simple enough, but at a time when it seems that every company has its own liquid line of products, understanding the makeup of the products themselves become monumentally important to your success as a superintendent.

When the goal is to have the liquid fertilizer and any other amendments included in the product, knowing the size of the water soluble components is the key to success. The plant itself takes up liquid through very small transcuticular pores. Products that start with components larger than these pores will not be taken up by the plant. It's like trying to put "D" cell batteries in a device that calls for "AA"; simply a matter of size.

Determining the size of the base components can't be done by merely looking at the liquid itself. You should always ask for supporting research before implementing new liquid products. Many new products that come on the market don't provide any university research to substantiate the claims being made about the product's effectiveness. You need to be able to have confidence in any liquid product before applying them to your course.

I also highly suggest doing some testing on your course on a nursery green or practice green when it comes to evaluating liquid products. Side by side comparisons with products you're already using gives you real world information on whether or not a switch is warranted. This is not a decision that should be made hastily and without knowing all the facts.

Liquid fertilizers are great for controlling growth and maintaining control over your course at a time when it needs it the most. Make sure you're applying products that have proven themselves in the industry and on your course.