UNITED  STATES  ÇOLF  ASSOCIATION 

ÇREEN  SECTION 
Southeastern  Office 

Georgia  Coastal  Plain  Experiment  Station 

T I F T O N, 

G E O R G IA 

S O U T H E A S T E RN 

T U R F L E T T ER 

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Ä 

/S' 

8.  P. 
Southeastern  Director 

ROBINSON 

Vol.  2,  No.  3 

1955 

FR Ci  GOLF CLUBS î>  SOUTHEAST  II DIGATE  HEED FOR  FERTILIZATION 

RESULTS  OP SOIL TESTS 

Take  Guesswork  Out  of  Fertilizer  Applications 

Soil  Tests  as  Indicators» 

The  f i r st  Turfletter  discussed  the  purpose  of  soil  testing,  how to  take 

soil  samples,  and  stated  that  soil  tests  are  used  to  determine  the  need  of 
grasses  for  plant  elements»  Other  requirements  for  good  growth  as  weed,  insect, 
and  disease  control;  proper  moisture;  good  drainage;  etc»,  must  be  satisfied 
before  plants  can  make  proper  use  of  plant  elements»  Soil  tests  should  not  be 
considered  as  a  cure-all,  but  only  as  one  of  the  steps  used  to  determine  grass 
growth  requirements. 

The  Important  Five  Percent. 

"  ' 

Plant  nutrients  are  obtained  by  grasses  from  the  air,  water,  and  s o i l.  The 

s o i l,  however,  furnishes  only  about  5»0%  or  less  of  the  total  elements. 
is 
this  very  small  percent  which  is  often  the  limiting  factor  in  the  production  of 
turf grasses.  Soils  in  the  Southeast,  generally,  are  low  in  nitrogen,  phosphorus, 
potash,  c a l c i c,  magnesium,  and  in  some  areas,  various  minor  elements  as  zinc, 
iron,  manganese^  etc»  To  maintain  good  turf  these  elements  must  be  supplied  by 
f e r t i l i z e r s»  Proper  f e r t i l i z a t i on  of  a  soil  to  supply  the  needed  elements,  then, 
is  very  important»  Soil  tests  point  the  way  to  a  good  f e r t i l i z er  program» 

It 

The  foundation  for  the  f e r t i l i z a t i on  of  grasses  was  laid  in  1840  when  a 

German,  von  Lie big,  f i r st  e xplained  the  nature  of  plant  nutrition»  Even  though 
f e r t i l i z e rs  have  been  manufactured  for  about  100  years,  the  need  for  applying 
elements  to  plants  was  recognized  by  ancien t  people  who  used  fish,  bones,  and  etc» 
In  marrjTcases  f e r t i l i z e rs  are  the  turf  producers  best  defense  against  poor  turf grass 

What  are  the  F e r t i l i ty  Requirements  of  Your  Soils? 

Golf  Clubs  Located  on  Sandy  Spoils  or^ Along  Coastal  Areas  Need— 

Phosphorus»  Ninety-five  percent  of  a ll  greens  tested  had  an  adequate  to 

excess  amount  of  phosphorus  present© 

Potash« 

Lime« 

Twenty-five  percent  of  a ll  fairways  needed  more  phosphorus« 

Seventy  percent  of  the  greens  and  f o r t y - f i ve  percent  of  the 
fairways  needed  additional  potash« 

More  lime  was  needed  on  twenty-five  percent  of  the  greens 
and  forty  percent  of  fairways« 

Golf  Clubs  Located  on  Loamy  Soils  as  Upper  Coastal 

a in  Need — 

Phosphorus«  Additional  phosphorus  was  needed  on  thirty  percent  of  greens 

and  seventy  percent  of  fairways« 

Potash. 

Lime« 

Sixty  percent  of  greens  and  seventy-five  percent  of  fairways 
need  potash« 

Twenty-one  percent  of  greens  and  f i f ty  percent  of  fairways 
need  lime« 

Golf  Clubs  on  Clay  Soils  as  Piedmont  jArj^s  J'^dj--

Phosphorus«  Ninety-five  percent  of  the  greens  had  a  plentiful  supply 

while  f i f ty  percent  of  the  fairways  needed  phosphorus« 

Potash« 

Sixty-five  percent  of  the  greens  and  no  fairways  needed  potash« 

Lime« 

Fifteen  percent  of  greens  and  thirty  percent  of  fairways  need 
more  lime« 

All  Soils  Need  A  Continuous  Supply  of  Nitrogen—TEB  KEY  T OSGOOD TURFJ 

The  amount  of  nitrogen  needed  according  to  tests  in  each  area  is  not  given« 

Nitrogen  is  quickly  exhausted  from  soils  by  leaching,  plant  growth,  etc.,  and, 
Therefore,  must "be  replaced  frequently  to  maintain  a  good  turf grass  cover«  Of 
a ll  the  elements~"applied  To  soils"" for ^grass  growth  nitrogen  is  the  rost 
important« 
Knowing  the  nitrogen  requirements  for  turfgrasses  in  an  area  w i ll  help  to  overcome 
the  lack  of  good  t u r f« 

Where  Can  Soils  Be  Tested? 

Actually  soil  tests  are  no  better  than  their  interpretation«  For  best  results 
interpretation  and  f e r t i l i z er  recommendations  should  be  made  by  trained  personnel« 
Most  State  Agriculture  Experiment  Stations  have  soil  testing  f a c i l i t i es  available 
for  golf  clubs« 
In  some  cases  the  f e r t i l i z er  industry  is  equipped  to  run  proper 
tests«  Tests  can  be  obtained  at  the  Georgia  Coastal  Plain  Experiment  Station  by 
addressing  samples  in  care  of  this  o f f i c e«  Always  take  samples  and  label  as 
indicated  in  the  f i r st  1954  t u r f l e t t e r« 

Southeastern  Turfletter 

US G A  G R E EN 

S E C T I ON 

Mr.  0.  J.  Noer 
Milwaukee  Sewerage  Contrassi on 
Box  2079 
Milwaukee  1,  Wisconsin 

. 

. 

Sec.  34.66,  P.  L.  & R. 

U.  S.  POSTAGE 
TIFTON,  GEORGIA 

l%c PAID 

Permit  No.  46