Summer is just around the corner and that means we’re headed for hotter temperatures throughout the country. Unfortunately, the extreme temperatures of the summer season can often cause a lot stress to turf. A previously lush and vibrant lawn can dry out and go dormant without proper focus on health and irrigation.
Two of the most common conditions lawns succumb to in the summer is heat and disease stress. Heat stress occurs during consistently hot, dry weather when a lawn is experiencing moisture loss. And, summer diseases such as summer patch or dollar spot occur when the temperatures heat up with very humid conditions.
So, what can you do to protect turf during summer months? And, what are some effective, sustainable solutions to keep turf healthy all season long? We’ve connected with our Sustainable Products Manager, John Huber to learn more.
From: John Huber
S.T.R.E.S.S.: Summer Turf Requirements & Effective Sustainable Solutions
It’s summer. A time to slow it down and take some time to recover from the chaos of the crazy spring season. Getting out of the starting gate and finishing your first two application rounds is always a stressful period for landscapers and lawn applicators.
It’s now time to plan ahead for the fall season and [maybe] relax a little but it’s also when your customers’ lawns begin to get stressed out.
Proactive Spring Care with Low-Impact Fertilizers
What you do and what you apply to turf in the spring will affect your lawns and how well they will be able to deal with the stress of summer conditions.
We always talk about the basics with regards to best cultural practices, i.e. proper mowing, irrigation, etc. but we rarely talk about the benefits of applying fresh additions of viable organic matter to reduce summer stress and instances of turf diseases that pop up all over the country on every turf type.
Hudson Valley Natural 7-0-5 All Purpose Organic Based Fertilizer is the prefect companion product for Jackpot and is more versatile. It’s high in viable organic matter and is not only great for fighting summer stress and disease pressure on turf, It’s also a very effective tree, shrub and ornamental plant food.
The simple organic compounds that naturally occur in the organic matter are well known, proven plant growth regulators which helps reduce surge growth and preserve energy within the plant. They promote tighter, thicker cell walls that are more disease resistant and more heat and drought tolerant.
Cool season turf does not require much nitrogen in the summer. Some warm season turf varieties like zoysia and centipede grass require very little nitrogen all season long. Conversely, organic matter requirements increase in the summer months with warmer soil temperatures which creates optimal conditions for beneficial soil microbial populations.
Viable Organic Matter
Applying fresh viable organic matter in the spring and summer will fire up that living soil and those microbes will go crazy, working to raise oxygen levels, unlock the nutrients that are bound up in the soil and breakdown and convert the nutrients contained in the fertilizers that you apply into plant available forms for optimal plant uptake.
HVN 7-0-5 All Purpose Organic Based Fertilizer contains ample amounts of sulfur which helps control pH levels which will slow down the spread of turf diseases and contribute to a more intense dark green color without forcing surge growth.
HVN 7-0-5 is also a fantastic and affordable carrier for active ingredients that can be applied as part of programs along with our number one selling fertilizer, Jackpot. Whether you need a split application of pre-emergent weed control, apply control for white grubs and other subsurface feeding insects or you need to control surface feeders like chinch bug, HVN 7-0-5 is a versatile, sustainable solution for all of your summer turf requirements
If you would like to learn more about Hudson Valley Natural, low-impact products, or the HVN7-0-5 and Jackpot fertilizers, please connect with your local Central rep to learn more.
Finally
Rely on Central to help, whether it’s questions about the newest innovations in agronomics, organic & low-impact programs, or finding the right solutions for a problem area. We stay at the leading edge of the industry and we’re ready to help you grow!
About John Huber
John Huber is Central’s Organic and Sustainable Products Manager. John started out in the Green Industry as a grower of nursery plants. John launched his own landscape company and successfully built his business into the first organic-based turf management company in south eastern Virginia.
More recently, John worked in fertilizer manufacturing using organic ingredients that increased efficiency, and delivered numerous plant health benefits not found in today’s conventional fertilizers. John brings a wealth of knowledge in sustainable solutions. And with his leadership, Central Turf & Irrigation Supply will provide the stewardship to lead The Green Industry forward, into a new era of sustainability.