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Additional Information
Superintendents and turfgrass managers routinely see the benefits of using Turf Formula along with Super-Cal to achieve and maintain healthy greens and turf. The value of these products is not just when the grass is most actively growing in the spring and fall. It is just as important during the hot and dry periods during the middle of summer. Regardless of the season Turf Formula and Super-Cal help the plant in many ways:
- Loosen soil for better root penetration and greater oxygen uptake
- Promote more extensive, vigorous and healthy root growth
- Improve the uptake of essential plant nutrients
- Increase resistance to insects and disease by increasing soluble solids in the tissues and by increasing the thickness of cell walls
- Improve tolerance to high sodium salt soils
These benefits are even more important when the grass is under stress during the hot summer months. Greens are already under stress with extensive mowing done in the best of weather, but in the hot, dry summer months, it is important to do everything possible to reduce this stress to keep the greens actively growing. Because of the high usage that greens have in the summer and high environmental stress during hot weather, brown patches and other turf loss are unsightly on the course, and also costly to restore once the weather improves. A better approach is the use of Turf Formula and Super-Cal to promote better health and growth of the grass throughout the entire season.
How does Turf Formula along with Super-Cal improve the health and appearance of turf grass during the hot, dry summer months?
- Improved rooting provides a large volume of soil to provide water to the grass, thus making the grass more drought tolerant. In some cases, the frequency of watering may be reduced by the increased water holding capacity of the soil and roots being able to pull water from deeper in the soil. University testing showed a 35% increase in root penetration.
- Turf Formula also promotes active microbial associations with plant roots. Mycorrhizae (beneficial fungi) associated with grass roots help to increase the surface area for absorption of water by the roots.
- These products improve nutrient and water uptake by the plant, keeping them healthy and actively growing. Continuous growth of grasses (above and below ground!) is essential to maintain the surface and appearance of greens and turf. University testing showed a 32% increase in plant growth.
- Calcium is an important part of cell walls in plants. Cell walls contain calcium pectate. Without calcium, the cell walls are soft and pliable. Pectate is similar to pectin which is the compound that makes jelly jell. Calcium makes the cell walls rigid, and gives them thickness, thus good calcium nutrition is needed to give plants strong stems and leaves, and helps to reduce water loss through the cell wall. Once calcium becomes part of the cell wall, the calcium does not move, similar to bricks or 2x4’s in the walls of a house. Consequently, grasses need a continuous supply of calcium for the grass to produce healthy new blades of grass. Super-Cal provides calcium to grasses in a soluble form that is immediately and readily available to the plant. A continuous supply of soluble calcium is needed for all growing grasses. Super-Cal promotes thicker cell walls which reduce moisture loss and help to prevent wilting of the grass. It also helps to slow invasion of diseases and attack by insects. Research showed a 36% reduction in Brown Patch Disease.
- An added benefit from Turf Formula and Super-Cal is in high salt areas where the soil or irrigation water has high salt (SAR) levels. During dry periods in the summer, salt tends to accumulate closer to the surface of the soil whether from increased amounts of salty irrigation water or evaporation from the surface of the soil pulling water containing salts from deeper in the soil. Turf Formula and Super-Cal consistently help grasses to tolerate these salts and to perform better. University soil testing revealed a 72% reduction in salt levels and 33% Nematode reduction.
- Turf Formula increases nutrient availability in the soil by increased microbial and enzymatic activity. Laboratory testing indicates a 3400% increase in microbial activity in 24 hours.
This increased microbial activity works to release insoluble nutrients in the soil and covert them into a usable form. Good nutrition, especially potassium, which is promoted by Turf Formula, helps to regulate transpiration and water loss from the grass. High soluble solids in plants tissues also help to reduce water loss, as do thicker cell walls. University research shows nutrient increases from 26% to 68% in soil and plant tissue.
While very hot and dry conditions will always increase the stress that turf grasses must endure, Turf Formula and Super-Cal is a line of defense that should be used all season not only to promote lush, healthy growth in the cool seasons, but also to help the grass to survive and thrive during the not-so-ideal growing conditions of hot summer months.