DO SOIL AMENDMENTS PAY? IF SO, WHICH ONES?
In an effort to produce a quality product, some sod growers are using soil amendments. Numerous products are on the market that claim to improve the appearance and growth of turfgrass. Growers report mixed results with the products, saying that some seem to work while others don’t.
To answer the question of which work, the Turfgrass Producers of Texas awarded a grant to James Grichar, with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and Roger Havlak, with Texas Cooperative Extension.
They conducted trials in 2005 looking at several products and methods of application. Grichar will report on the findings at the TPT Conference in Bay City. He has over thirty years experience with the Experiment Station, having receieved his Bachelors and Masters degrees from Texas A&M University. His work has involved research in peanuts, soybeans, corn, and grain sorghum. He has been actively involved in turfgrass research over the past six years in weed control and the use of supplemental nutrients for turf growth and development.