Horticulture Hotline 03/19/18
By Bill Lamson-Scribner
I’m not suggesting that it is time to aerate, just a good
time to talk to your favorite person that does aeration and get on their
schedule. I would hold off on any high nitrogen fertilizer for now, and I
wouldn’t plant tomatoes yet. Of course, I have never played the lottery (some
would say boring).
As the night time temperatures warm up and the grass starts
to actively grow, aerating should be considered for the health of your whole
landscape. Wet soils compact way more than dry soils, and we have had our share
of wet soils this past fall with Irma (before that Matthew and the million-year
flood). Aeration will help rain or irrigation flush salts from the flooding out
of the soils also. If you have ever considered aerating, this is the year to do
it. While you have the holes open in your yard, there are many products that
you can add to that root zone area that will benefit your turf, trees, and
shrubs.
With all the salt water intrusion from Irma and Matthew,
your yard will greatly benefit from aeration. Salt water goes into the soil as
a liquid, then the salt gets into all the pore space in the soil and dries out
into a solid and binds up the soil like a glue would, giving the soil that
crusty feeling. In parts of the country that they have to use high sodium water
to water with, aeration can become a weekly or at least monthly cultural
practice. The use of wetting agents to flush the salts and to reduce the need to
water also becomes crucial.
Soil testing is also something to consider this year because
of all the rain and the leaching of nutrients. Since I have tested many of the
same properties soil annually for over twenty–five years, I can see that many
nutrients have been flushed out by all the rain and need to be replaced.
Aerating reduces compaction, reduces thatch, increases
oxygen movement to the roots, brings beneficial microorganisms to the surface,
cuts runners, and allows better penetration of water, fertilizers, or control
products into the soil.
Right after aerating, while the holes are open, is a good
time to add SeaHume G, BGK 7500, products containing mycorrhiza, Crab Shell, Turface
and/or Cotton Burr Compost. Even if you
are not aerating, these products are great to add to your lawn and beds.
·
SeaHume G is a bio-stimulant humic acid product
that will help your roots grow, soften up the soil, feed beneficial
micro-organisms in the soil, make nutrients that are in the soil more available
to the plants, and keep fertilizer from leaching. SeaHume G also contains 10%
cold water seaweed. The seaweed also acts as a bio-stimulant and is a source of
over 60 minor elements, amino acids, and natural chelating agents.
·
BGK 7500 is a granular organic product that has
thatch eating bacteria mix in with a 03-03-03 fertilizer. BGK 7500 is also
fortified with 6% humic acid.
·
04-04-04 Bolster and other products that contain
mycorrhiza. By applying these products while the roots are exposed, the
mycorrhiza can attach to the roots quickly. These friendly fungi will help the
plant absorb water and nutrients from the soil while competing with bad fungus
in the soil.
·
Crab Shell by Neptune’s Harvest will increase
the chitin eating bacteria in the soil. These bacteria will help control
nematodes and fungus. I would definitely use this product in areas that I have
problems with large / brown patch.
·
Turface can last about 20 years in the soil and
help manage moisture. This is a clay
product that has been super-heated until it pops! This makes this product sterile as well as
turns it into a little capillary. This
capillary holds water and then releases it as the plant needs it. This product is used on baseball infields to
manage the moisture levels in clay; otherwise the clay would be rock hard or
moist and slimy. Turface will also keep fertilizer and water from leaching in
sandy soils. Turface is great for wet or dry areas (like a thermos knows
whether to keep something hot or cold).
·
Cotton Burr Compost will add water holding
capabilities to the soil by adding organic matter to the soil. Cotton Burr Compost will soften up clay as
well as giving sandy soil nutrient holding capacity. Cotton Burr Compost is very high in nutrition
and will also help increase populations of beneficial organisms in the soil.
All the above products will help conserve moisture as well.
Always read, understand and follow product label. The
product label is a Federal Law.
