To create an effective fertiliser plan for your turfgrass or playing surface, several key components of soil should first be tested, including: nutrients, pH, CEC, and organic matter.
Why is Soil Analysis important?
Soil analysis is an essential tool for the prediction of available nutrient levels for optimum plant growth and improvement of your playing surface.
By their nature, sports surfaces will undergo plenty of stress. To preserve its health, quality and functionality; sports turf should receive all the oxygen, water and nutrients it requires. Therefore, soil analysis is vital to give groundskeepers the information they need about the current status of the turf and soil in order to create a fertilisation maintenance plan.
A programme of analytical testing will ensure that equipment, seeds and fertilisers are being used with full effectiveness and based on concrete evidence – this will prevent under and over-fertilising, save money and reduce risk.
Turfcare Specialists Ltd. can provide high-quality testing to determine soil nutrient status; we will also measure pH, cation exchange capacity and organic matter content.
How to test soil
In the sports turf industry, both soil analysis and plant tissue analysis are recommended. The soil analysis provides information on the nutrients available whilst the plant tissue analysis provides a snapshot of the plant’s nutrient status and is a valuable tool in a fertiliser programme and in diagnosing problems.
Tips for Soil Testing
- Clean equipment between each sampling procedure
- Don’t sample too soon after applying fertiliser
- Try and avoid soil contamination of soil and leaves when sampling
To perform a soil test, either purchase a soil testing kit, or arrange for a professional to test your soil on your behalf.
How do I create a fertiliser plan based on a soil report?
When the soil report results are back, the next stage is to use the information to create a plan:
- Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC): Measures the capacity of the soil to hold nutrients, a higher CEC means better nutrient retention. A low CEC soil will require less fertiliser but will require more regular applications overall.
- pH: Every species of plant or grass has a specific pH condition that it thrives in. You will need to consider this before you adjust soil pH using fertiliser application. Lime can used to correct acidic soils, whilst sulphur or sulphates will correct an alkaline soil.
- Organic Matter: The Primary food source for micro-organisms and worms which are essential for maintaining soil health. Compost can be applied to boost the OM.
- Nitrogen (N): There are several techniques to boost nitrogen in soil, including the application of fertilisers, manures and nitrogen-fixing plants.
- Phosphorus (P): Essential for energy transformations in cells and for the process of respiration.
- Potassium (K): Important for energy storage and the thickening of cell walls. It also helps turf to endure high stress situations and conditions. Signs of potassium deficiency may include yellowish, drooping vegetation.
Turfcare Specialists have the experience and expertise to maintain every type of natural pitch surface. Get in touch with us and we will provide the help you need to kickstart a fertiliser plan.
Remember: Take into account the day-to-day schedule and maintenance of your turfgrass, along with seasonal timings and events.
Contact:
Turfcare Specialists have been leading the way in construction, renovation and maintenance of natural pitch surfaces for over 35 years. We work with a broad range of clients, from small clubs or large organisations. With a range of products on offer, we can help maintain those high standards of turf. For more information, please get in touch with our friendly team today.