“Very generally used” but “not to be recommended” | Asian peat grass center

It is a usual practice of commercial fertilizer companies to mix fertilization materials in different relationships, with a view to selling them for special circumstances. These ready -made fertilizers are extensively advertised & MLDR; And the opinion seems to prevail in the heads of many that they are exactly what is needed. Although these mixed fertilizers are generally used in general, they should not be recommended. Commercial concerns do not have any special information about the action of fertilizers on grass that an intelligent greenkeeper cannot quickly acquire, and therefore there is nothing cheap in their formulas mysteriously.

That is a quote from the Fertilizer Chapter in Piper and Oakley’s Peat for golf courses (1917).

That ‘nothing mysteriously cheap’ sentence has stayed in my head for a long time, and it was recently in my mind when I was writing an article. In the end I didn’t include anything about Piper or that quote in the article, but I wanted to explain here why that was in my mind.

It is important to apply exactly the right amount of nutrients on the grass, at the right time, to achieve the desired results. Adding too little fertilizer is a problem. Adding too much is also a problem. The problem that you encounter with mixed fertilizers is that they often contain elements that you do not want to add.

We are well aware of the problems related to the shortage of nutrients. Then there are problems such as the preference Poa Annua Invasion of crawling Bentgrass due to a thoughtless application of P when the Bentgrass does not need it. There is the risk to increase the dollar spot or snow form by adding K when this is not necessary.

Just as Piper and Oakley wrote in 1917, ready -mixed fertilizers are generally used. But can you get better results by mixing your own results, to ensure that you only apply what your grass needs? You certainly want to be careful with what you apply and ensure that you only apply products that have the desired action on the grass. I often find it easier to do that by avoiding pre -mixed products.