Clover, Clover Everywhere

As we continue to watch the rain fall and the mercury rise, we know that the coming weeks will be challenging for turf (and especially for its keepers). One opportunistic weed that has seemed to be flourishing lately is white clover. If you're unfamiliar with white clover, it is readily identifiable by its three heart-shaped leaves and white flowers. Recent, heavy rainfalls have produced a flush of top growth in the turf, causing plants to utilize much of the nutrition in the soil and creating deficiencies in fertility. As a result, white clover has been able to readily encroach on what would normally have been healthy, dense turf.

Luckily, there are some easy solutions to combat the clover that has invaded your lawns. Raising mowing heights and increasing fertility will bolster the turf canopy and reduce the amount of light and nutrients young weed seedlings receive. Many times, however, these measures alone are not enough. Post-emergent selective herbicide applications containing the active ingredients triclopyr or quinclorac are extremely effective in controlling actively growing clover populations. Combine these products with a sticker or adjuvant, such as Chem-Stik LpH™ or Microyl™ to ensure optimal spray coverage and plant uptake.

So, if clover seems to be taking over your turf, give your ProGro representative a call. We are here to recommend the proper combination of maintenance, herbicides, spray additives and fertilizers you'll need to get your turf back to its healthy, clover-free condition. 

Eric Styck

ProGro Sales Representative

Foliar Fertility Strategies

Each year presents its own unique weather challenges. So far in 2015, many are dealing with excessive rainfall. Not only do the constant storms limit our opportunities to play golf and enjoy other outdoor hobbies, but, the weather is beginning to have a negative impact on turfgrass. Extended periods of anaerobic soil conditions are resulting in loss of root mass and reduced carbohydrate reserves. Adding to the problem, frequent heavy rains prompt rapid leaf growth and result in missed mowing opportunities. This usually leads to removal of excessive leaf tissue when mowing does occur. Then, the plant must spend extra carbohydrates to regenerate the necessary leaf tissue.  We must also consider the fact that the constant flushing rains are depleting the soil bank of nutrients, which are normally available to the turf. Given all these circumstances, I want to offer some fertility strategies, which can help increase rooting, carbohydrate reserves and plant vigor for the rest of the growing season. 

• Take soil tests soon. The nutrient composition of the soil can change drastically after significant rainfall or irrigation use. Be sure to perform soluble paste extract tests, especially if you are growing on sand-based soil medium. This will give you an accurate gauge of the current plant available nutrient supply.
• Low dose / more frequent foliar nutrient applications ensure turfgrass with limited root mass uses a greater percentage of applied nutrients. Consistent Foliar-Pak applications will provide better results and a greater value than granular applications.
• Take full advantage of amino acids, seaweed extracts, humic acids and other carbon sources to improve plant functioning, optimize photosynthesis, improve rooting, enhance uptake and generally give the plant every advantage possible. Build your foliar program around 14-4-2 and Promote, add in the Foliar Pak nutrients that a soil paste extract test indicate are needed, and you’ve created a fully balanced nutrient/ biostimulant program.
• When the going gets tough, lean on L-18 Activator. It will give the plant the extra edge to build proteins, battle stress and conserve carbohydrates. It will also improve uptake of control products helping your turf battle dollar spot, brown patch, anthracnose and other pathogens.
• Address Potassium. With all of the heavy rains it is likely that K has been depleted. 1-0-15 should be included in your foliar rotation. MKS Turbo is a great way to fortify your soil with K, Mg and S. It is easier to apply and much more efficiently absorbed by the plant than traditional granular applications of these nutrients.
• Any time the weather is conducive to growing roots, consider making a couple extra Foliar-Pak sprays to maximize root growth: consider utilizing the 5-16-4 and Bio Sea combination.This combo will provide the nutrients and biostimulant package necessary to push rooting and ensure cell wall strength.
• We are currently dealing with some very succulent leaf tissue. Foliar-Pak CSi supplies foliar silicon that will increase cell wall strength and plant turgidity. Stronger cells help decrease disease incidence. More upright growth can help increase green speed and smoothness.

I hope these ideas lead you to better turf health regardless of the type of weather you’ve experienced. Consult your local ATS representative or visit Foliarpak.com for more information on our products.

Curt Geron
Guest Blogger
Director of Sales, EnP Investments, LLC

The New Brandt® Tree Injection System is Excellent

I recently assisted a customer, who was injecting ash trees to control emerald ash borer. We were using a newly redesigned injection system from Brandt Consolidated, Inc, called Brandt® enTree® EB. This system has a double wall surgical tubing inside, which contains 25 ml of emamectin benzoate. The system is covered by a plastic sleeve that allows you to look in on the tube to determine the progress of the injection. The top of the unit has a sealed septum where the injection prong is inserted. If the prong is removed, the septum seals back up, so you do not lose any active ingredient. The prong is now clear plastic instead of brown, allowing more visibility of the injection progress.

We drilled 2-inch deep holes at the base of the tree using a 1/4 inch drill bit and a cordless drill. The units were placed on the tree at 1 per 5 inch diameter at breast height, or DBH. This delivers 5 ml of emamectin benzoate per inch, or a two-year application rate. I was amazed at how fast the trees took the material, even on a cloudy morning with waterlogged soil. The longest any unit took was under 2 minutes. The new double wall surgical tubing provided enough pressure to make short work of the injection time. The bubble in the tube will go flat when finished, but there may be a small amount of chemical left in the tip. The trees were actually able to pull the product out of the tip in a few cases.

I also noticed if the prong was left in the tree, but pulled the sleeve off when finished, the

tree would pull the remaining material out of the tip as air was now able to get to the other side of the prong. I am amazed at the speed of the whole process. One person could inject as many as 200 trees per day with this system. All you need to do is drill and set. Once you get to the end, you can come back and remove the empty units. After the units are removed, just discard them in the trash.

Mark Sybouts

Advanced Turf Solutions