A legendary superintendent that I once worked for would deliver a severe tongue lashing if turf was ever overwatered. That same veteran would be very understanding if the decision was made not to water and turf suffered because of it. That wisdom has been reinforced over and over again in my travels as I have witnessed that managing water is the most important and often most difficult thing about managing quality turf.
If you let out a dismissive “pfff” when you read the title of this blog, you’re in the right place. Let’s start with a quick definition of what a plant biostimulant is.
Most people would agree that one of the core functions within plants is photosynthesis, which is necessary for the plant to generate its own energy through sugar production. The ingredients carbon dioxide and water are prepared in the chloroplasts fueled by energy from the sun with the result being sugars and oxygen. The correct balance of nitrogen, magnesium, and micronutrients are required for chlorophyll formation.
When we think about plant physiology, we typically think of soil and roots being the primary source or nutrition for our plants. Traditional feeding of the soil with the use of granular and liquid fertilizer is the most common and recognized way of fertilizing, however the most savvy and experienced growers know that they can control growth, aesthetics and the health of their turf much more accurately with the use of foliar nutrient applications.