A standard fertility program for cool-season grasses is light applications of N in the spring and heavier in the fall.

Grass needs nitrogen (essential for plant growth, color), phosphorus (for the root system) and potassium/potash (to promote disease resistance and winter hardiness), elements that cannot be supplied from the soil alone. Because of this fact, fertilization will do more to improve subpar turfgrass or maintain good quality turfgrass than any other single management practice. A soil test by your local university extension should be done to establish the basis for a regular fertilization program. Liming is also essential to a good fertilization program and should be applied in accordance with the soil test.

Turf type fertilizer

Turf-type fertilizer usually has a 2:1:1, 3:1:2 or 4:1:2 ratio containing a minimum of 10% nitrogen, with 30% or more of the total nitrogen as water insoluble or controlled release nitrogen. Forty pounds of 20-5-10 grade fertilizer, for instance, is a 4:1:2 ratio containing 20 percent nitrogen (8 pounds), 5 percent available phosphates (2 pounds) and 10 percent water soluble potash (4 pounds).

Warm-season grass fertilization (again, no single N fertility program and soil type and weather are always a factor) is less complex. The standard recommendation is for 1 lb. N/1000 ft2 per growing month (the grasses emerge from dormancy in the spring with maximum growth in mid-summer).

Fertilizing Guidelines

Peter J. Landschoot, associate professor of turfgrass science at the Penn State Cooperative Extension offers these guidelines:
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Sources:
1.Fundamentals of Turfgrass Management. Nick Christians, Iowa State U., 2004.
2. Curtis Swift, PhD, Colorado State U. Cooperative Extension.
3. Turfgrass Maintenance Fertilization. Peter J. Landschoot, associate professor of turfgrass science, Penn State Cooperative Extension.

STMA Releases Guide to Synthetic and Natural Turfgrass for Sports Fields

The guide is available for download at www.sportsturfmanager.org

At the Jan. 20, Friday afternoon session of the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) Annual Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, Fla., the STMA released its new publication, ?EUR??,,????'?????<A Guide to Synthetic and Natural Turfgrass for Sports Fields: Selection, Construction and Maintenance Considerations.?EUR??,,????'?????<

Turf Spotlight

According to TPI, grass traps more than 12 million tons of dust and dirt from the atmosphere and roughly 50 percent of the heat striking a turf area is eliminated by the process of transpiration.

Turfgrass Producers International (turfgrasssod.org) has gathered some interesting statistical information on the turf industry:
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Tree Facts

85: Degrees. During spring fertilization, herbicides should not be applied if temperatures are higher than 85. Source: University of Kentucky Extension Service

30 to 50: Percent. The level of nitrogen in slow-release form fertilizer products recommended for application during spring months. Source: University of Missouri Extension Service