quad had a deeper green color with good growth. This product is slow release because it's primarily non-soluble nitrogen and con- tains iron.
On one of these fields we applied the bio-solid at 1 lb/1,000 sq ft rate on half the field and a more expensive bone meal, blood meal, feather meal animal byproduct type organic fertilizer on the other half of the field at the same rate. We deliberately left this field with just that one application for 1 year to examine the effectiveness of the two different products. It was very difficult to see any big differ- ence between the two sides of the field. The notable thing for me from this little experiment was that neither side of the field showed significant change in growth and color until late in the 10th month. I'm not saying we should fertilize once a year but I was try- ing to quantify the value of these products, because the cost is not the same for each. One problem with the bio-solid type is that it has no potassium
The next step was to begin using it on our recreational fields.
and excess phosphorus. When used in expansive soils (sandy soil or soils that freeze and thaw) it can leach phosphorus into ground water. We countered the potassium problem by blending the bio- waste with a chicken manure 3-2-3. The leaching problem was ad- dressed by lowering the rate and increasing the frequency. In our part of the country we don't have serious problems with leaching, our soils are heavy with silt and clay and we don't expe-
>> BUDGET CONCERNS led to using organic fertilizer products.
rience ground freezing or snow. We are now fertilizing all of our fields with this blend. This includes the athletic game and practice facilities that are hybrid bermudagrass. Timing of applications can be critical due to the nature of the product. Soil temps must be high enough to digest the material into a usable form (nitrate) for the plant.
I like to do my last applications in mid-fall and the first in mid- March. This helps to eliminate leaching and the waste of money.
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SportsTurf 21
