Winter Prep for Warm-Season Turf

Warm-season turf grass has special nutritional needs during winter. Low daylight length, low sunlight intensity, slower top growth, and higher traffic during the winter contribute to these needs. Expectations for quality turf are also at their highest because winter is most often the busiest golf season of the year, complicating matters further.

Foliar-Pak offers tools to optimize plant health under these conditions. It is vital to begin using these tools as temperatures drop and daylight length plummet before winter.

Foundation Forty

Foundation Forty works to increase photosynthetic activity and improve carbon assimilation, expanding the plant’s ability to build carbohydrates. The amino acids in Foundation Forty improve nitrogen assimilation, helping the plant conserve valuable carbohydrates as well. The result is a plant that can build more energy during a critical period where the cards are stacked against it in terms of building carbohydrates.

Amperage

Amperage provides the plant with micronutrients necessary for photosynthesis, helping improve plant color and health. Carbon sources in Amperage also supplement the carbohydrate reserves as the plant becomes limited in driving carbohydrate production through natural processes.

CSi L

During the dry winter months, CSi L becomes critical for the health of turf that endures a lot of traffic. Since leaf growth and recovery are limited as play increases, it is imperative to strengthen leaf tissue. The silicon will strengthen cell walls and cuticles, toughening the plant to handle the pressures of foot traffic, mowing, and rolling.

The amino acid in CSi L formulation works to counteract dry and high salt conditions that often occur in the winter, especially in coastal areas. It is one of the plant osmolytes which regulate water levels in the cells. Their role is to maintain proper moisture in the cells, so the plant operates correctly even under harsh drought and with applications of poor irrigation water.

Armament P

Armament increases the availability of multiple nutrients, which is essential for two reasons. First, the root system of warm-season turf becomes compromised during winter when the plant is not functioning optimally. The plant needs every advantage it can get taking up nutrients, and Armament’s ability to unlock soil nutrients increases root uptake. Second, the accumulation of salts from heavier irrigation water usage creates nutrient imbalances and precipitation of nutrients. Armament counteracts the effects of poor irrigation water.

The phosphorus in Armament P is also a very critical nutrient during the winter. The plant needs phosphorus to build ATP. ATP is the fuel that drives the plant’s engine. If phosphorus is limited, then the plant suffers from the inability to drive plant reactions and fails.