8/24/2021 - By Scott Parker

What a year 2021 has been so far. As turf managers, you’ve had to endure a lot this year. From labor shortages to cost of most everything rising, to record golf play, to extreme weather patterns, to the delta variant, it’s been a very difficult year. Now we’re officially in the “dog days” of summer, along with hurricane season. All that being said, preparation is important!

Continuing along those lines, I’m sure most all of you are very aware of the seed situation our market is facing now. This has been a very difficult year for seed manufacturers as well. The drought out west negatively impacted crop yield in a big way… 30-40% less seed availability. What seed is available is in high demand from the turf market and most definitely by the big box stores. And in turn, prices have also gone up dramatically. With the uncertainty of what will or will not be available this fall and next Spring, now is a fine time to meet with your local Harrell’s representative to make a plan of protection, for what you currently have at your facility. This year won’t give all of us the opportunity to wait until fall or spring to reseed roughs, banks, lawns, sports fields, etc.

As we enter late-summer and fall, you can talk to your Harrell’s rep to craft a Harrell’s ProtectMAX® plan for key areas in your roughs, green banks, and play areas. This is the time of year where we experience high gray leaf spot pressure, so it’s good timing to get out in front of it with these types of applications. Also, investing in a strong fertility program is an obvious way to protect your current stand of turf. We have the Harrell’s POLYGRAPH® that we could run for you to best determine when to apply POLYON® controlled-release fertilizer, what type of POLYON® fertilizer to apply, and how much you need to apply per acre to get your desired control.

To reiterate, it’s been a challenging year, but a good year all the same. Our industry is very healthy with new golfers coming out every day, and Mother Nature always presents challenges, but you always seem to come out on top. Cooler nights and shorter days aren’t far away, and I know they’ll be welcomed by all of us! Until then, best of luck the rest of the summer and as always, thank you very much for your support of Harrell’s.