![]() ![]() ![]() Marschner, Mineral Nutrition of Higher Plants (New York: Academic Press,1995) and E. Jones, "Turf Analysis," Golf Course Management, 48, no. Values were obtained from publications by J. **Sufficiency ranges are expressed as percentages or parts per million (ppm) on a dry weight basis. *Bold type indicates the form more commonly available to turfgrasses. The exact amounts of needed nutrients vary among species, cultivars, soil moisture contents, and time of year hence, the amounts listed under “sufficiency range" should not be used as indicators of deficiencies or excessive concentrations. Table 1 lists the 16 essential nutrients, the form in which grass plants are able to use them, and the approximate amounts of each found in healthy turf. Exceptions are if turfgrasses are planted in soils high in sand content, such as golf course putting greens, or if iron applications are used to provide a darker green turf without stimulating excessive foliar growth. The micronutrients iron, manganese, zinc, boron, copper, molybdenum, and chlorine are required only in minute amounts and are rarely supplied to turfgrasses through fertilization. Calcium, magnesium, and sulfur, the secondary nutrients, are needed only occasionally in the form of fertilizer or lime. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are referred to as primary nutrients and are supplied periodically to turf through fertilizer applications. They are never deficient in turfgrasses because they are derived from carbon dioxide (CO 2) and water (H 2O). Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen make up about 90 to 95 percent of the plant's dry weight. These nine nutrients-carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur-are called macronutrients. Nine of the 16 required nutrients are needed in much larger quantities than the other seven. Thus, a calcium deficiency can be just as detrimental to the plant as a lack of nitrogen, even though turfgrasses use more nitrogen than calcium. Regardless of the amount required, a deficiency of any of these nutrients will limit the growth and development of your turf. Some nutrients are needed in large amounts, other nutrients only in minute quantities. Turfgrasses require at least 16 nutrients for normal growth and development. Successful turf maintenance fertilization requires that you assess your turf's nutritional requirements, understand fertilizers, know how much to apply and when, and use proper application techniques. Proper fertilization practices produce a dense, medium- to dark-green turf that resists pests and environmental stresses.Ĭareless application techniques or excessive amounts of fertilizer applied at the wrong time of year can result in serious turf damage and contamination of water resources. Dollar for dollar, fertilization does more to improve poor-quality turfgrass or maintain good-quality turfgrass than any other management practice. ![]()
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