Founded in c h ik v purrs OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 1936 TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION VOL 7, NO. 7 November 2001 Late Fall Fertilization By Pete Landschoot, Penn State University Dollar for dollar, fertilization does more to Why fertilize in late fall? Fall is the time of improve turfgrass quality than any other year when cool-season turfgrasses recover single maintenance practice. The from summer stress-related conditions, such challenge in developing a good program is as drought, heat, and disease. The cooler to apply the correct amount of tem peratures and moist fertilizer at the time of year that will Although few people conditions are conducive to most benefit turf health. dispute the need good turf growth. Although few people dispute the for... fertilization.... Provided that plants are need for spring and late summer opinions differ on the properly fertilized, turf begins to fe rtiliz a tio n o f coo l-s e a so n benefits of late fall accumulate carbohydrates in turfgrasses, opinions differ on the fertilization. stems, rhizomes and stolons. This benefits of late fall fertilizer reserve will help turf resist winter applications. The following is a injury and disease and will be description of how late fall fertilization tapped for root and shoot growth the influences turf performance and which following spring. types of fertilizers and rates provide the best Late summer fertilization can aid in turf response. recovery and carbohydrate accumulation. However, by late fall the response to late Late fall fertilization defined: At least some summer applications has usually dissipated. of the different opinions about late fall Research has shown that if fertilizer fertilization stem from confusion about the applications are made while shoot growth is meaning of this term. Some turf managers still active (during mid-fall), the turf may not refer to late fall fertilization as simply “fall harden properly, increasing potential for fertilization.” It is important to realize that fall winter injury and disease. fertilization is not the same as late fall Late fall fertilization has been promoted as fertilization. a means of prolonging turf color into early Fall fertilization could occur anytime from winter without increasing the chance of late September to just before Christmas. winter injury and disease. Winter color will be Most experts agree that late fall fertilization (Continued on page 3J should take place when foliar growth stops (or slows to the point that turf no longer needs to be mowed); grass is still green; and before the soil freezes. In Pennsylvania, this period usually occurs around Thanksgiving, however, it may occur later in transition-zone states and earlier in northernmost portions of the United States. Application timing also may vary from year to year depending on weather conditions. President's Message....... As you may or may not have heard, I moved on to another job. I am now at White Beeches Golf & Country Club in Haworth, New Jersey. I believe this is a good opportunity for my career, and I am very excited about it. During our recent Board of Directors meeting I asked fhe other directors to decide if fhey wanted me to finish my PRESIDENT term as president. They decided it would be fine with them if I Gene Huelster, Pocono Farms C.C. remained, and I am honored to continue as PTGA's president. 570-894-8055 turfman@ezaccess.net Now on to the next point. In my last message I got on salespeople who were not attending our monthly meetings, but attending VICE PRESIDENT Darrin M. Batisky, Glen Oak C.C. meetings that were in more “profitable” areas. Now it is time for all the 570-586-5791 superintendents who do not participate in their own organization. I dmbatisky@hotmail.com am going to need help understanding this, so please, any feedback SECRETARY/TREASURER will be greafly appreciated. Why would a superintendent pay dues Mark Eisele, CGCS, C. C. at Woodloch Springs and not attend a meeting? Not a single one! You know who you are. 570-685-2980 eiselemk@ltis.net It cannot be price. We have had a wide range of meeting prices this year. Is it time constraints? Well get yourself a little more organized. DIRECTORS Well anyway, I could go on and on about this, but it is really up to you Jason J. Barndt, Berwick Golf Club 570-759-6480 to participate. grassman72@hotmail.com Have a Great Holiday Season! See you soon! Steven Chirip, Egypt Farms, Inc. 570-894-3131 Gene Huelster John Downer, Elkview C.C. 570-222-9247 Eric Reed, Valley C.C. 570-788-4277 barley5@aol.com From the Editor's Desk. Past President Ron Garrison, CGCS, Fox Hill C.C. 570-655-2383 rgarrison@golfsat.net I find myself struggling with my first editor's message. I want to say something profound and immediately establish myself as a journalistic CHIPS & PUHS STAFF genius, but my pondering leads me to understand why I became a golf course superintendent and not a journalist. It also leads me to the EDITOR Darrin Batisky point of my editorial. Each of us could easily limit our realm of responsibility to our jobs as turfgrass professionals, and no one person Managing Editor could rightfully expect any more from us based on the commitment Melinda Wisnosky and dedication that our careers already demand. But for those that Editorial Committee have come before us and for those that will follow in this profession, we Ron Garrison, CGCS Jeff Koch have a responsibility to support the Pocono Turfgrass Association and Jim MacLaren to see that it exists into the future. That means that we all have an Eric Reed additional responsibility, whether it be as simple as attending the meetings, hosting a meeting, or offering assistance on a committee or PTGA Office board. This is an association of people, and without our commitment, RR 1, Box 219 there will not be a Pocono Turfgrass Association. Harding, PA 19643 Phone/Fax: (570) 388-2167 I wrote this editorial to talk myself info being your newsletter editor, despite the fact that my wife will deliver our third child in two weeks and my board has once again refused to automate my irrigation system, but please take from it anything that you will. Eric Reed Any opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author a n d /o r person quoted, and may not represent the position of PTGA. Information contained in this publication may be used freely, in whole or in part, without special permission as long as the true context is maintained. W e would appreciate a credit line. P z (Continued from page 1) Nothing Runs Like A Deere more noticeable in regions where winters are warmer (transition- zone states) and during mild winters. Late fall fertilization can also enhance spring green-up without the TOM BRAGO DALE ANDREW excessive stimulation of growth that often accompanies early spring fertilization. This green-up often will last into mid-spring. A fertilizer FINCH TURF EQUIPMENT, INC. (215) 661-0390 application in mid- to late spring is usually required to provide 419 Industrial Drive (800) 875-TURF North Wales, PA 19454 FAX: (215) 661-9161 additional nutrients to plants. Web Site: www.finchlnc.com PARTS: (800) 78-DEERE A small but potentially important increase in the plant’s carbohydrate reserves occurs when fertilizer is applied in late fall instead of early spring. This increase may provide a slight advantage by promoting better stress tolerance and disease resistance. Another reported effect of late fall fertilization is an increase in rooting, though precisely when and how this increase occurs is a source of some debate. Superior Products for the Maximum root growth of cool-season turfgrasses occurs in spring Turf and Horticultural Professional and fall, with early to mid-spring being optimum. Some root growth Mark Reed (610)282-2381 fax (610) 282-2392 237 East King St. Malvern PA 19355 will occur in winter if temperatures are above 32 degrees. Little, if PH. 1-800-262-2127 FAX (610) 644-7791 www.fisherandson.com any, growth occurs in summer. Most fertilizer applications are made in spring and late summer in attempts to promote root growth. One problem in using this GOLF CARS INC. LEASING • SALES • SERVICE approach is that much of the fertilizer is used by the shoots, PAUL SZYMANSKI SALES sometimes preferentially over roots. 4180 SKYRON DRIVE One reported advantage of late fall fertilization is that roots are still BUCKINGHAM, PA 18912-0247 growing at a time when top growth has ceased, thus allowing the 215-340-0880 OFFICE • 215-340-1634 FAX roots to make full use of the fertilizer. But the roots are growing very slowly, and if the soil is frozen, not at all. Studies in Virginia have shown that moderate rates of soluble nitrogen (1 lb. N/1000 sq ft) increased rooting of creeping bentgrass without a noticeable increase in top growth. In contrast, studies in Ohio showed no increase in Kentucky bluegrass root growth during late fall or winter following late fall fertilizer applications. However, when compared to early spring applications of nitrogen, late fall fertilization increased rooting in spring. Presumably, this benefit was due to early spring green-up from a late fall application, which alleviated the need for early spring fertilization. When fertilizer was not applied in late fall but instead in early spring, excessive shoot growth occurred, depleting carbohydrate reserves that would have otherwise gone into root production late in spring. One could derive from these studies that while the net effect of late fall fertilization on rooting is slight, application in late fall may be more beneficial than in early spring. Late fall fertilization is occasionally blamed for increased winfer injury, snow mold and annual bluegrass encroachment. A few studies have been designed to examine the influence of late fall CARRYAU. fertilization on winter injury. But none has conclusively demonstrated DRIVE IT TO WORK. C lu b C a r ® detrimental effects. Heavy fertilization in mid-fall—when grass shoots are actively growing—can enhance snow mold (presumably due to reduced (Continued on page 4) (Continued from page 3) hardening and increased succulence of plant tissue). But this should not occur with late fall fertilization. In fact, reports from several VERTI-DRAIN & ROTADAIRON 5 7 0 6 0 2 -3 0 5 4 8 0 0 5 5 4 -4 8 6 3 universities have shown that late fall fertilization may actually reduce DEALERS & CONTRACTORS FAX 5 7 0 6 0 2 - 3 0 5 3 winter diseases. While some studies have shown increased annual bluegrass E & M Go lf S u p p l y Co. populations in fall, there is no good evidence to show that this increase A DIVISION OF H.V. INC. 9 5 0 SATHERS DRIVE. PITTSTON TOWNSHIP, PA 1 8 6 4 0 is related to late fall fertilization. SPECIALIST IN DEEP TINE AERATION Fertilizer sources and rates: Most late fall fertilization programs include STEPHEN MICHAEL moderate amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Rates of 1/2 to 1 lb soluble N/1000 sq ft are recommended over higher rates (assuming a late summer application was made) to avoid winter injury, excessive growth in spring and leaching or runoff. A recent study at the University of Illinois showed that when nitrogen was applied at moderate rates in late fall— 1 lb of N/1000 sq ft—both Premium sod for golf courses urea and sulfur-coated urea provided a better early spring color response than Milorganite. Chip Presendofer A T Sales Associates, Ltd. However, when Milorganite or sulfur-coated urea was applied in late 1011 Church Road Oreland, PA 19705 fall at a higher rate (2 lb of nitrogen/1000 sq ft), results as far as spring green-up were similar to those obtained from applying urea at a lower Tel 215-886-6011 rate (1 lb of N/1000 sq ft in late fall and 1/2 lb of N/sq ft in early spring). Fax 215-886-1203 Slow or controlled-release nitrogen sources are better than soluble Pager 800-983-3430 sources on sandy soils because of reduced potential for leaching. Nitrogen fertilizer should never be applied to frozen soil due to the increased chance of nutrient runoff. Suggested rates of nitrogen fertilizers for late fall fertilization: John Fowler Bentarass fairways and greens: Syngenta Professional Products 1/2 lb soluble N/1000 sq ft —f t 4. Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. 1 lb slow-released N/1000 sq ft S y n g C n T c * 325 Mill Pond Lane * Oxford, PA 19363 Tel. 610-998-2896 Kentucky bluegrass/perennial ryegrass/fine fescue lawns and grounds: Fax 610-998-2987 www.syngenta.com 1 lb soluble N/1000 sq ft 1-1/2 to 2 lb slow-release N/1000 sq ft john. fowler @syngenta.com P^cS Season's (greetings! The "Boardof Dire of the Tocono Turf grass J and the Advertisers of “Chips & Butts » 7 yÆ siVou a a Very Siapjoy S Season! A Thank You Pocono Turfgrass Association Aft: Gene Huelster R.R. #1, Box 219 Harding, PA 18643 Date: November 19, 2001 Dear Members of the Pocono Turfgrass Association: I would like to thank you for awarding me the Pat­ terson Scholarship. Your generosity has been a tre­ mendous help in defraying the cost of my education It has been a great learning experience as well as a pleasure being associated with the Pocono Turfgrass Professionals and it is my hope that the relationships February 3-10, 2002 I’ve developed in the past three years will continue Trade Show: February 7-9 long into the future. Orange County Convention Center Thank you. Dan Tanto ‘TurfSaCes & ConsuCtation * v ANDRE & SON. INC. TURF KING PRODUCTS & CONTRACTED SERVICES JOHN VOJICK VOICE/FAX 1.888.887.3770 EXTN 671 . . . . . . O T n rrT CELLULAR 1.607.768.0575 2 MILL STREET RESIDENCE, VOICE/FAX 570.222.TURF MONTROSE, PA 18801 Effectiveness of Late Applications of Herbicides We are fielding questions about how late postemergence herbicides, such as three-way broadleaf products, can be applied in the tall. Though these products work faster when the plants are actively growing, these herbi­ cides will still work as long as the plants are green and photosynthesizing. Therefore, applications well into November will work, albeit slower. You JO H N M. BODOCK may not even see any effect this year, but weeds will die over the winter. Try to apply on a dry, warm (55 degree F), sunny day to maximize effect. If you have problems with winter annual broadleaf weeds such as common Lawn and Golf Supply Co., Inc. S p e c ia lis t s I n Eq u ip m e n t A nd S up p lie s chickweed, it makes more sense to apply a broadleaf herbicide as late as For Ma in t e n a n c e O f T urf possible in the fall to control most of these late-germinating weeds. PHONE: (610) 9335801 Zac Reicher, Assistant Professor/Turfgrass Extension Specialist (800) 362-5650 FAX: (610) 933-8890 647 NUTT RD. P.O. BOX 447 PHOENIXVILLE, Pa 19460 Purdue University Life Tip ¡CENTURY RAIN AlDl Whenever an individual or a business Featuring decides that success has been attained progress stops. Rotors • Valves • C entral C o n tro l Systems 800 - 347-4272 • Layout and Design • Typesetting I t ’ s e v e r y p la y e r ’ ;s r e s p o n s ib ilit y ... • Mac/IBM desktop publishing |WffJ# n ! interface • Laser color separations ■ R e p a ir b a ll m a rk s • Scitex® electronic photo retouching ■ R e p la c e o r fill d iv o ts 31 Hill Street, P.O. Box 507 • Full electronic prepress services Wilkes-Barre, PA 18703-0507 • Foil stamping, embossing ■ R a k e b u n k e rs 570-822-8181 • Complete bindery including FAX: 570-823-3579 saddlestitch and perfect binding A message from your g o lf course superintendent and GCSAA P^l COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS Following are the new committee appointments for 2002. Anyone Bayer ^ who would like to help out on a committee, please don't hesitate A griculture Division to call the appropriate chairman listed below. John W. Wiblishauser Garden & Professional Care Field Sales Representative Bayer Corporation 318 E. Glenside Avenue Publicity/Editorial Eric Reed Glendside, PA 19308 Phone: 215-887-8936 Fax: 215-887-0971 Voicemail: 888 242-4200, ext. 3605 Finance/Fundraising Mark Eisele Alllied/Government Relations Darrin Batisky Scholarship & Research Duane Schell TORtt Social & Welfare John Downer Survey & Response John Downer Membership Duane Schell Education Jason Barndt TURF EQUIPMENT Golf Tony Grieco MATT BROWN TELEPHONE: 215-340-5401 PAGER: 888-896-5094 By-Laws Joe Henry Sergeant at Arms Steve Chirip IRRIGATION GEORGE SKAWSKI TELEPHONE: 215-340-5450 GCSAA Committee Gene Huelster PAGER: 888-376-2074 EMAIL: g.skawski@philyturf.com Nominating/Long Range Steering Darrin Batisky Philosophy of Life Analyze the past Consider the present And Visualize the future. Pa $C 9 POCONO ROUNDUP NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE POCONO Job Changes TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION Ryan Batz is moving to East Hampton G.C. on Long Island. Marital Bliss! Gene Huelster is going to White Beeches in Bergan County, NJ. Adam Herman will be taking over at Pocono Farms C.C. Chris Butler (Center Valley Club) is taking over at Shaun Henry of Wyoming Valley C. C. Woodstone C.C. was married on November 2, 2001. Darrin Batisky is taking charge at Chartiers in Pitts­ burg. Ed Keil of Lehman Golf Club will be getting married on December 15, 2001. Welcome New Members Congratulations! Chris Collins, Advanced Agro Tech., Inc., AF Kenneth Givens, Eagle Rock Golf & Ski Resort, A Board Members Tom Height, Fox Hill C.C., S Ian Larson, Great Bear Golf & C.C., C We have a new member on the Pocono Turfgrass Jeremy Reph, Whitetail Golf Club, B Association Board of Directors—Joe Henry. Michael P. Samulski, Blacklick Woods G.C., NR John Shema, Eagle Rock Golf & Ski Resort, C POCONO TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION c/o MELINDA WISNOSKY POSTAGE R.R. 1, BOX 219 HARDING, PA 18643 TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION NAME & ADDRESS ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED.