Turf Talk with the Maryland SoccerPlex

With the Maryland SoccerPlex

A weekly newsletter to keep you informed about EVERYTHING Turf at the Maryland SoccerPlex.

This week's Turf Talk we will be discussing fertilizing and important nutrients for healthy turgrass!

Please feed me

Fertilizing is something that is important in sustaining a healthy field. Just like we need to eat our fruits and vegetables, turfgrass needs to have its nutrients as well! The most important nutrient for a healthy, beautiful field (or lawn) is nitrogen. Nitrogen can influence the color, growth and density in the turfgrass itself. The proper amount of nitrogen varies based on the soil composition and the grass type itself, and also it is important to remember that in Maryland, there are strict regulations on the amount of fertilizer you can apply for single applications and also yearly totals. Those regulations and much more info on home-lawn fertilizer topics can be found here: (Link here) Two other important nutrients are phosphorus and potassium, however in the state of Maryland you are not allowed to spread phosphorus unless you have a soil test that specifically calls for it, or you are doing a complete renovation. Potassium is a vital nutrient, especially for new growth and winter preparation, and again, rates and regulations can be found at the above-referenced website.

At the Maryland SoccerPlex, when applying our fertilizer, we use a foliar spray application for ~75% of our applications. Foliar feeding is performed by applying small amounts of liquid fertilizer onto the plant of the turfgrass. The benefit of applying the fertilizer directly to the plant is this allows the nutrients to immediately be absorbed into the plant. This also allows the plant to absorb and utilize the nutrients much more efficiently. At the SoccerPlex we aim to do a foliar application about every 3 weeks, this provides the plants with the nutrients they need without overfeeding them.

Next Week

Tune in next week as we discuss seeding, sprigging, and sodding!

Ask Us Your Questions

Do you have a burning turfgrass related question? Ask us! We will be happy to answer it in future iterations of Turf Talk - just email us at [email protected], subject line Turf Talk Question.

Many Thanks to Fine Earth Landscape, Inc. for

Their Continued Support of the Maryland SoccerPlex.

Learn more about Fine Earth here.

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