More on Orgro

Recently, we added a question and answer aspect to the blog. Feel free to contact us with any comments or questions about the grounds at Bretton Woods. We try to answer questions as quickly and clearly as possible. Certain answers may be used as full blog posts if we can answer the question for many people who may be curious about the same topic.

Question submitted by Wally Fullerton on 10/4/14:

I was curious so looked up the source of Orgro.  It apparently is made from biosolids left from water treatment at a Baltimore City sewage plant.  I have no problem with that - I've used the product once marketed (but, I think, no longer available) by the WSSC treatment plant.  But what are the benefits of using Orgro over other products such as Leafgro - a local composted product without the sewage component?  And are there any benefits of using the rather coarse version that you are using - it is rather strange to see large shards of wood on the fairways.

You imply that Bermuda can benefit, and avoid serious Spring Dead Spot, with potassium additives.  You also imply that Orgro benefits Bermuda.  But I just looked at the Orgro website and found that its analysis includes zero potassium (see below).  How do you reconcile the analysis with Bermuda's need for Potassium.

Analysis:

ORGRO® HIGH ORGANIC COMPOST

Guaranteed Analysis

1-1-0

   Total Nitrogen               

1%

< .25% Water Soluble Nitrogen

> .75% Water Insoluble Nitrogen

   Phosphate (P2O5)        1%

   Potash (K2O)

                0%

First, thank you for the questions. A better understanding of all that we are doing at Bretton Woods is a benefit to everyone so I am happy to clarify any of our practices.

I realize that the compost material that we are using has been a big discussion point lately. It is new and somewhat unorthodox. However, we are continually trying to improve and we are hoping to make major strides in the fight against spring dead spot with Orgro.

Using compost on Bermuda grass fairways to help with spring dead spot has been a practice in North Carolina for a couple of years now. Few, if any, major research projects have been done specifically looking at how the compost material aids in defense of spring dead spot. However, courses that have been using compost have visually seen a significant decrease in disease incidence.

Based on this, we decided to try a compost material here. Anything that we can do to improve the chances of the fairways to resist or recover from the disease is a benefit.

Orgro was not the original product that we looked at to use this fall. The company that shipped the product most often used in North Carolina was not registered to ship into Maryland so we had to find another material. We tried to find a material that closely resembled the product we initially were interested in. Orgro fit the criteria best.

We looked at a sample of the Orgro, but in the large quantities that we ordered it turned out to be slightly coarser than we anticipated. We have already located a possible alternative compost for next year should we deem this year’s trial a success. I agree that the larger pieces are a little odd to see in the fairways. However, we do want to err on the side of a little too coarse versus too fine.

If we use too fine of a material, it may decompose in the fall right after we apply it and be unavailable in the spring. You may have noticed that in the few days after we applied the compost to the fairways they turned a very nice dark green color. This is in response to the finer material that is present in the Orgro breaking down quickly and releasing nutrients to the plant. If the entire material was composed of particles this fine then the initial flush of growth may use up all the nutrients and leave nothing for spring. Leafgro could be a viable option, but with this initial trial we tried to match the material being used in North Carolina. We would also be hesitant of getting a material that is too fine because it may be too fine to spread.

We also are not using the Orgro for its inherent nutrient analysis. The potassium we are relying on to improve the winter hardiness of the Bermuda grass is not derived from the Orgro. We will be applying potassium separately.  Instead, we are expecting that when temperatures rise in the spring, the microbes in the soil will break down the Orgro and release nutrients to the Bermuda grass and aid it in greening up and recovering from any possible winter injury. Although the minor amounts of nutrients present do benefit the Bermuda most nutrients will come more from microbial decomposition of the larger pieces of compost. So, rather than applying the compost as a “fertilizer” we are using it more as food for the soil microbes in the spring.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org