{"id":13504,"date":"2020-03-16T13:11:01","date_gmt":"2020-03-16T17:11:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aquatrolscompany.com\/spring-is-in-the-air\/"},"modified":"2020-03-16T13:11:01","modified_gmt":"2020-03-16T17:11:01","slug":"spring-is-in-the-air","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aquatrolscompany.com\/en-in\/spring-is-in-the-air\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring is in the air"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Spring is in the air; the days are getting longer and when the sun does shine, it\u2019s starting to feel just a little warmer. The natural world is coming back to life after what will have felt like a very, very, VERY long winter for many of us. However, these glimpses of spring bring hope to those of us who make our living in the great outdoors, whether that be in an agricultural, horticultural or sports turf sense. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re turning our attention to Greenkeepers in particular who now face immense pressure in preparing their courses for the playing season having suffered great setbacks after this extremely wet winter. Alongside pressures such as the course being played when it probably shouldn\u2019t be, worn out and damaged areas, there will also be the added pressure of various routine maintenance activities that have not been fulfilled due to the weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that said, there are always solutions to challenges and greenkeeping is no exception. We\u2019ll go over a few ideas for how to get back on track this spring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firm up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Firmness is key to giving the greens the best possible start to the season. If they are not firm, they will not be smooth and true and if they are not smooth and true, they may be running a little slower than we would like. We could be tempted (due to pressure) to get the 13mm spanner out and reduce the height of cut but this only creates further stress to the grass plant when the winter has already taken its toll. The roots have been sat in water for most of the year and golf traffic in unsuitable conditions has weakened the plant, making it less able to endure further stress. It\u2019s tempting at this point, to throw on a high-powered fertiliser to \u201cget them growing\u201d, but this can also have a negative affect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding how fine turf and soil biology comes\nout of hibernation is key to the task of hardening and firming up the growing\nenvironment. It needs nurturing and protecting with a well thought out,\nprogrammed approach rather than quick fix, short term wins. When we apply high\nsalt, high nitrogen feed we are damaging the biology; adding high nitrogen\nfertiliser when the weather is still unpredictable can weaken the plant and\nencourage soft growth and disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solutions for firm up, consistency and speed:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Appropriate nutrition through the spring growth period by understanding your soil biology. This will be crucial to maintaining a healthy plant and visually attractive playing surface. A soil test is always a good place to start.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Stimulate the soil biology, protect the plant and help with seedling establishment through with use of a bio-nutritional such as Attain<\/a>. Attain <\/a>promotes optimal plant and soil health, it contains secondary metabolites that enhance the existing nutritional elements contained with the soil. \u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Aid recovery, build resistance to stress and improve presentation through the use of a package such as Tough Turf Xcel which promotes all-round turf health.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Use of a quality wetting agent to move water away from the surface that has the technology to meet your specific needs. Wetting agents are not one-size-fits-all so seek advice from a manufacturer rep who knows his products. Here are a few questions you can ask to make sure you\u2019re purchasing the right product for the job:\n