5/24/2022 - By Scott Parker

Sitting here as the Kentucky Derby starts up hand in hand with Mother’s Day (which is the unofficial start to summer around here), we’re literally about to be off to the races! It’s been a very unseasonably cold, wet season, and seems like spring never really got going in the northern part of the US.

Trees were late to bloom, the growing degree day (GDD) tracker is a couple of weeks behind, bentgrass hasn’t gotten going yet, and everything has just been... BLAH! All of the sudden, we’re now going to dry out for the first time and have consistently warm temperatures. So, you know what that means, another year of going straight from winter to summer!

Products To Help Kick Summer Stress

First off, I always like to caution against fertilizing too much to get bentgrass moving.

The Harrell’sMAX® line of products has many options to get you that early color while waiting for your fertilizer to kick into gear. Harrell’sMAX® 12-0-0 is one of my favorite options for color response. Along with nitrogen, you get a color response from the iron and manganese in this product. 
Also, if you’re spraying for seedhead control and want to stay away from nitrogen, Harrell’s IronMn Mg is one of our most popular products for color.

In abnormally cold conditions, Harrell’s Phosphorus Plus and Harrell’s Nitrate Plus do a fantastic job of delivering color.

Again, these products will help you get to the point you want your turf to be at, as soil temperatures rise and your granular fertilizer does its thing for you!

Using Fleet 100 ® For Moisture Management on Turf

Lastly, one of the most important things superintendents want to do is to be in control of water and moisture content. This is the time of year to start bi-weekly or monthly applications of Fleet® 100. Fleet® 100 can act as your anchor product in moisture management and allows you to adjust to mother nature as the season progresses.

Fleet® 100 can also be tank-mixed with your fungicide of choice as you’re preventatively treating for soil-borne fungus (which is also late this year!)

Contact Your Harrell’s Rep

These are just a few things to think about as the 2022 season is officially here and moving fast. Please reach out to your local Harrell’s sales representative to discuss the options I listed or other programs that best fit your needs. Good luck on a fun season and as always, thanks for your continued support of Harrell’s!