Courtesy of Thomas Turf Services
Thomas Turf Services has announced the simplification of its soil testing process. The new Golf Green Health Indexing service delivers results without disturbing the surface and represents a new tool for turf managers to use.
For the new service, TTS provides superintendents and field managers with a bespoke sampling kit and easy to understand instructions for the collecting, packaging and sending of the samples.
“Our latest equipment is so sensitive that it only requires small quantities to establish the soil condition and to determine the presence of unwanted organisms or materials,” Jim Thomas said. “It only takes four easy steps to collect and courier the samples to our laboratory in Texas. Here we prepare a report within seven to 10 working days.”
Reports can provide full elemental analysis (including pH, P, K, Mg, Ca, Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe, & Na), an organic matter profile, saturated hydraulic conductivity, total porosity, air-filled porosity, water-filled porosity and water retention, as well as the bulk density.
“The new approach makes it possible to collect samples without major disturbance to the current soil conditions,” Thomas said. “The fear that sample extraction will contribute to the vulnerability of the surface, is now something of the past.”
Golf courses and venue operators can use the service to establish a benchmark or to monitor the grass conditions continuously. “We advise to have the soils tested on an ongoing basis, preferably once a year, to monitor the developments and progress made,” Thomas said. “When using this diagnostic tool, problems and trends can be caught early which will help with arresting or managing them.”
TTS offers the Golf Green Indexing service to all golf courses and sports venues in the Americas, as well as the Asia-Pacific region.