5/4/2021 - By JJ Jansen

I was visiting with a Golf Course Superintendent this morning and the conversation led to our current grass growing conditions… or lack thereof for the most part. Over the past 2 weeks I have heard the same complaints, in the South-Central area, when it comes to weather and growing warm season grasses. We experienced the coldest temperatures in a long time back in February and just had a frost on the ground, in some parts, this past week. Temperatures this year are not the norm as what we have come to expect.

Once Spring has “sprung” we all look at our past agronomic calendars to see what we were doing this time last year, which may involve different cultural practices, fertilizer applications, or herbicide/insecticide applications. The truth is that for most of the area we have not consistently hit that 150-degree mark where our daytime highs and nighttime lows equal 150 degrees. Although warm season grasses have greened up by now, consistent, and active growth will not occur until these temperatures are reached.

Hopefully, as we get into May, this weather trend will change, and we will start to see a warmup across the region. As the warmup begins, that is the time to begin your cultural practices and looking at timing the weather to get the most out of your granular fertilizer applications. Many courses have seen record rounds leading to increased cart traffic, as well as wear and tear on the rough and fairways. Due to this progressive damage, granular fertilizer applications to these areas are a must, and Harrell’s® POLYON® controlled-release fertilizer is a great fit.

This is a great time to get in touch with your Harrell’s Sales Representative to introduce you to our POLYGRAPH® (shown above). Mapping out the perfect custom blend a fertilizer fit for your specific location, agronomic needs, and budget. I like to use a blend of both POLYON® controlled-release nitrogen and a quick release component to help “jump start” the turf. The quick release will provide just that, a fast release nitrogen component followed by a steady release of nitrogen from POLYON® fertilizer, that is released over time. This is all mapped out through the POLYGRAPH®.

Depending on your needs, your Harrell's Sales Representative can plan with you the rest of your Spring and Summer fertility options, covering the rest of the year and helping you to dial in your unique program. This is a great time to apply your first application of POLYON® fertilizer. Starting now allows for your time and labor to be spent elsewhere on the course, armed with the knowledge that you have a fertilizer which will reliably perform for you even as we approach the long, hot, dog days of summer.