4/13/2021 - By John Keeler

When unusual weather patterns hit, as we have seen this spring, sometimes you just need to hold on and enjoy the ride.

The Northeast’s weather has been great, and we’ve had earlier than normal openings, but there’s one thing we can’t forget. The cultural practices. Right now, it’s the middle of April and if you want to survive the dog days of summer you need to aerify, overseed, and promote rooting.

What is the importance of aerification?

Aerification achieves three important objectives. It relieves soil compaction, it reduces the accumulation of excess thatch, and probably the most important aspect, it creates more air space in the soil. Keep the soil in balance by adding nutrients to your soil. How about adding a micronutrient package? Add an organic fertilizer? The slow, even feed minimizes top growth and enhances microbial activity to reduce thatch (check out this article on thatch management). Nutrition and fertility are critical to building root mass, improving density, and enhancing overall disease management properties, to protect your turf.

Aerification is a time to introduce newer species of grass to your playing surfaces. Maybe you need a grass for disease resistance, or a drought resistance variety? There are many to choose from.

Let’s talk about roots…

Lastly, your roots are the legs and the foundation of your turfgrass plant, without roots, you have no plant. Now is NOT the time to lose roots. Each and every day this spring you should be asking yourself, “how have I promoted my roots today?” The application of Cytokinin’s, which contain humic and fulvic acids, I believe are critical for summer survival. Cytokinin is produced in root tips and stimulates the production of antioxidants. Antioxidants are like stress insurance for plants, in times of stress, they can help keep your plants alive. Stress dramatically increases in the summer and the formation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in plant cells becomes present. ROS, which include free radicals, are powerful rebel compound roaming cells, waiting to tear apart vulnerable components. Cytokinin’s help combat those free radicals.

Humic acids serve as a major building block in the formation of these components. Fulvic acids are similar to humic acids, however, they have a higher oxygen content than humic acids. It is also important to understand that these acids aren’t a single acid, but rather a mixture of many different acids which serve various complex purposes in the soil. Humic and fulvic acids also serve as a food source for beneficial soil fungi and bacteria.

Please don’t forget the cultural practices as we move into this new season, no matter the weather.