Fairway Fertilization

This past Thursday and Friday, assistant Mike applied an application of granular fertilizer to our fairways. Our fertilization program for fairways will include this application which will make up about 40% of our fertilization on our fairways. We plan to use urea which is a common source of N for the rest of our fairway fertilization sprayed with our growth regulator applications sometime around the first of July. We will melt the granular urea down with water and will add a plant growth regulator at the same time. We will make about 5 sprayable applications throughout the summer to keep our fairways growth in control and to provide a supplement food source which should give our fairways some consistent growth.

We will be adding a product called Hydrexx to our Urea 47-0-0 fertilizer application which will be mixed in our spray tank with our primo PGR(plant growth regulator). This product reduces the amount of ammonium which is volatilized into the air.(Volatilization is when a fertilizer changes from its stable form to a gas form(ammonium). During this process, 15-20 percent of the fertilizer will be lost to the atmosphere if the fertilizer has not been stabilized. The use of the Hydrexx can be used at a couple of different rates which control the volatilization from 7-14 days. This also allows the nitrogen to be released slowly from 6-8 weeks or 10-12 weeks based on the turf's needs. I've copied a link below which discusses nitrogen volatilization in more detail for those who are interested in reading further.

http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=WQ257

I've also copied a link to the Agrotain website regarding the Hydrexx product. While you are there, you might check out products called UFLEXX and UMAXX which are stabilized nitrogen products. UFLEXX is the 6-8 week slow release product and UMAXX releases in 10-12 weeks. The UFLEXX product is being used regularly in the home lawn care industry and both products are being used in the golf industry and other turf grass applications..

http://www.agrotain.com/turf/pdf/0109_HYDREXX_09SellSheet.pdf

Below are pictures of Assistant Mike applying our first granular fairway application of fertilizer.
The Lely spreader carries about 8-10 50 pound bags and can throw a distance of 45 feet or so.
Our tees and close zoysia approach areas to greens will be given the same product but will be spread by walking rotary spreaders because they are able to spread at closer range and will reduce any inputs to green surfaces. The product is then usually watered in to get it into the soil profile and prevent burn to the turf grass.