Foliar Feeding Improves Turf Health, Your Budget and the Environmentby Kathy Conard

Blog, Golf July 5, 2011 9:14 am

Foliar feeding of turfgrass continues to gain in popularity among golf course superintendents around the country.  There are several reasons for this rise in dependency.

Most importantly, foliar fertilizers can be absorbed rapidly by the plant so turf gets the nutrients it needs quickly and efficiently. This allows superintendents to get nutrients into the turfgrass even when root systems are under stress or decline.  Research has also shown that foliar feeding of putting greens can result in more uniform growth and more consistent conditions, key to any successful turf maintenance plan. Superintendents also have the convenience of tank mixing foliar fertilizers with pesticides and plant growth regulators whenever compatible, resulting in a savings of manpower hours.  In certain situations and times foliar fertilizers prove more effective than soil fertilizers; therefore, superintendents can reduce the overall amount of fertilizer they use.  Finally, foliar feeding prevents nutrients from leaching beyond the root zone, thereby reducing the risk of groundwater contamination.

Foliar fertilizers are applied to the leaf blade and allowed to remain there until fully absorbed. There is no need to water in foliar applied bio-stimulants and fertilizers since they do not need to be carried into the soil. In addition, foliar fertilizers do not require specific soil pH to be useful and effective.

There is a distinction between “true” foliar fertilization and the application of solubilized nutrients.  The former is accomplished by creating perfect solutions of quality concentrated liquid nutrients and applying those solutions with the spray tank.  Liquid fertilization, on the other hand, relies more on root uptake, and it can be accomplished two ways, either through fertigation, or by dissolving soluble powders in water and then applying it with a spray tank.

In addition to superintendent endorsements of foliar fertilizers, a growing body of evidence points to the beneficial properties of bio-stimulant materials also applied to turf. The combined application of humic acids and seaweed extracts to turfgrass has demonstrated improvements in both turf root mass and antioxidant activity.  Research conducted at Auburn University during the stressful 2010 summer shows the benefits of bio-stimulants. Products like Harrell’s Bio-MAX™ 4-0-0, which is liquid foliar combination of seaweed extract and fulvic acid, increased bentgrass turf density. Others have noted improvements in drought, cold, salinity, and nematode stress associated with the regular use of bio-stimulant-type product applications.

Proof  On The Golf Course

“I used to manage my course very lean because I didn’t want excessive growth from too much fertilizer,” says Lance Rogers, CGCS, superintendent at Colonia Country Club in Colonia, N.J. “New generation foliars don’t push growth and they help you to more easily manage even problem greens.”

A combination of foliar fertilizers and Primo® allow him to maintain green speed, reduce wilt and still keep putting surfaces looking good.

Phosphites would be the biggest winner in the foliar liquids category– Colonia is the pythium capital of the country and Rogers has always battled it. He says some three to four years ago he started a phosphite program on greens, tees and fairways and has not had pythium since. He has also been able to better manage his dollar spot problem. Rogers applies 3 oz./1000 every 14 days starting in early May. His greens program also consists of bio-stimulants with seaweed extract, humic and fulvic acids as well as foliars that contain manganese.

“My fertilizer budget has gone up but with the results I get it is worth it, better disease control, an ability to maintain expected greens speed, and I fight less wilt, all because the turf is healthier.”

Dave Libby, superintendent at Prouts Neck Country Club in Scarborough, Me., runs his entire program (tees, greens, and fairways) with foliar fertilization products.

“I find them to be very reliable and consistent with what we are trying to present.”

He turned to foliars for control and consistency.  “With a 100-year-old property, the organic content in the soil has gotten out of hand. I can feed the plant what it needs without inconsistent release or tie up issues found with granular applications. I avoid luxury consumption concerns, and don’t have to worry about exacerbating the thatch issues we are trying to correct. We have tightened the amplitude of our plant health as well, as we no longer see flush growth immediately following applications, nor do we see the drift off at the end of a typical granular product’s life span.”

Libby believes foliar use can result in a cost savings for superintendents. “I think that when you factor in low rates and time savings, the foliars present some significant cost savings to us. In this economy, cost is not a factor that we take lightly but the end product is superior and that justifies any cost variances in the eyes of those to whom I answer.”

Libby has tried “everything from Peters Dark Weather Feed to Grigg Brothers to Plant Food and Growth Products, to Nutritionals and Harrell’s formulations.” He adds, “Primarily we use those last two now because they are safe and effective.”

“All we are trying to do is keep this property healthy with as little input as possible so that people can hit a ball with a stick. I don’t believe that double cutting fairways three times a week makes any sense when I can produce the same conditions single cutting twice and generate half the clippings yield. Mowing is a nuisance, to golfers and my fuel budget. Foliar feeding has allowed me to decrease mowing frequency without sacrificing the playing surfaces.”

Says Megan VanArsdale, CGCS, superintendent at Danville Country Club in Danville, Ky., “I have used foliars my entire career as a superintendent. They are an important part of my spray programs for greens and tees. I spoon feed greens and tees throughout the season using foliar products. It is an easy and safe method to feed my bent greens and tees. I have foliar fertilizers in every spray tank I send out. I also add foliars to a growth regulator for my bermudagrass fairways.”

VanArsdale turned to foliars because they are an easy way to feed turf. “Just add them to the tank mix and it does not require a separate application. Foliar products are great to spray with herbicides to mask any yellowing of the grass. There are some very cost effective products out there. I feel totally comfortable feeding my greens and tees during the hot summer months with the foliar products as opposed to a granular product. They are a great addition when spraying growth regulators on warm season grasses. They are also a great addition when spraying to rid bermuda out of cool season grasses.”

As for cost savings, VanArsdale says it depends upon the product used. “There are some expensive products out there, no doubt. There are also some inexpensive and very cost effective products out there. You just have to pick the products that work well for your golf course and that fit your budget. There is a wide range of products (their uses and costs) to choose from.”

Ronald Crowe, superintendent at The Reserve Club at Woodside Plantation in Aiken, S.C. has been using foliars since 1998.

“I still used a good bit of granular back then but over the years I could tell that foliar feeding the greens helped keep the greens more consistent. The Reserve greens had high counts of nematodes in them. They had very shallow and damaged roots. Foliar feeding the greens help me keep the nutrient level up in the plant where I wanted it. We did a lot of tissue testing to determine which fertilizers and rate to apply.”

He adds, “There seems to be a cost savings because you can apply only the amount of fertilizer that the plants need. With tissue testing you can see what the plants need, so if the plant tissue test shows it is high in calcium you can leave it out and keep the nutrients balanced in the plant.”

Timing For Just Right Results

VanArsdale sprays foliar products from March to October. “This is the time of year that is best suited for spoon feeding the grass. It is not the time of the year to put down excessive fertilizers, nor do you want to push the grass. I want a steady amount of fertilizer applied all season long to keep the grass healthy but on the lean side.”

She uses PAR™, 18-3-6 with UMAXX, 12-0-0 with UMAXX, Minors Package, and potassium silicate 0-2-12.

Crowe advises superintendents to take tissue tests so they can apply the rate and types of fertilizer the plant needs. “I foliar feed our greens all year. We no longer have bentgrass greens, we put Champion Bermuda on our greens last year. I have seen a little tip burn when temperatures are hot. We try to start spraying early in the morning before it gets too hot. I still use a granular fertilizer in the spring to get the plant started growing.”

Crowe reports that he has employed Harrell’s Max Foliar products for calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, and phosphorus, and uses potassium nitrate for nitrogen and potassium.

Libby was surprised when he began his foliar programs at how much longevity the products have. “It is not unheard of for us to go three to four weeks between fertility applications in our fairways with very little discernable change in plant health or clippings yield. On greens, I was very shocked at how low we could take our inputs and still maintain the health of our turf. Generally we are applying .04 to .07 pounds of nitrogen every 10 to 14 days depending on climactic conditions and producing very favorable results.”

He adds that not all foliars are made equally. “Quality products yield quality results. Be certain you purchase materials from vendors that will stand behind their products. I have tried several variations of the products we use now, and have seen results all over the map from the same analysis. Generally, if something is dirt cheap there is a good reason for it.”

There seems no question–judging from research and superintendent testimonials–that foliar, bio-stimulant and specialty liquid applications can go a long way in assuring an ideal playing surface through the sometimes harsh weather conditions of summer and well into autumn. And the bonus environmental perks and various cost savings makes these product categories an easy choice.

Kathy Conard is owner and President of KCC, an agronomic and communications firm in the Green Industry that helps evaluate golf course needs, provides counsel and planning tools for more effective results.  Her 25 years of experience spans rootzone, turf, soil and water management in the turf and ornamental industries.  Conard has written multiple trade publication articles and is available for speaking engagements and seminars. www.kccomm.net

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