This is a question I am often asked by superintendents eager to establish turf in an area that they are renovating. The primary steps in establishing a newly seeded area include good preparation of the seedbed, proper drainage, quality seed, use of a starter fertilizer and proper water management. After all of that hard work is done and you want the seedlings to grow quickly, we can help with that too.

Foliar-Pak Micros Plus contains key nutrients and plant growth hormones that enhance the root development and density necessary for rapid turf establishment. The bio-based formulation of Micros Plus will enhance cell division, chlorophyll production and plant respiration while increasing nutrient mobility and utilization. A recommended program for rapid turf establishment includes applying a two ounce rate per 1000 square feet on a weekly basis for three weeks. Follow up with two bi-weekly applications at a two ounce rate per 1000 square feet. Begin the applications when the seedlings are well established and it is possible to drive a sprayer across the area without causing damage. The addition of Foliar-Pak Promote or Foliar-Pak Bio-Sea with the last two applications will enhance the stress tolerance of the newly established turf. It’s important to maintain correct nitrogen and phosphorous levels; I recommend using Foliar-Pak 14-2-4 and Foliar-Pak 5-16-4 or a quality granular fertilizer.

One of my customers renovated a fairway that was uneven and held water in several low spots. It was impossible to keep the turf alive through the summer. He leveled and re-contoured the fairway and added subsurface drains to eliminate the drainage problems. The area was seeded with a Kentucky Bluegrass / Perennial Ryegrass mix in October of 2011. The seedlings were immature going into winter and were weak when the turf broke dormancy in the spring. He wanted to open the fairway and a new Creeping Bentgrass tee on July 1, 2012. He began using Micros Plus in early April 2012 and opened the fairway and tee in mid-May, six weeks earlier than his planned opening.

Photo of fairway after completion of Foliar-Pak Micros Plus program. Photo was taken on June 15, 2012.

Photo of tee after completion of Foliar-Pak Micros Plus program. Photo was taken on June 15, 2012.

Steve Honeycutt
ATS Sales Representative