2 Minute Turf Talk - Got Thatch?

Where does thatch come from? Thatch is directly related to the imbalance of the carbon to nitrogen ratio in the soil. What this really means is there is too much synthetic nitrogen in the soil, resulting in excessive root growth, and not enough carbon food energy to feed microbes. It’s the microbes that turn that ligneous root mass into humus. The microbes' food, available carbon, is burned up breaking down excessive nitrogen. This causes them to work at a diminished speed and the microbes can’t keep up with the root growth. It is still a popular suggestion that all you need is urea to grow grass, but most superintendents today know that is dangerous. It has become clear that by feeding microbes with available food sources and balancing the use of synthetic nitrogen, we can improve the carbon to nitrogen ratio and reduce problematic thatch. This is why our industry is embracing carbon based products.

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[keithinglis]

Joel, when are we getting your liquid stuff in canada??