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Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stoloniferous) planting requires adequate fertility to maximize grow-in time and speed to establish a mature turfgrass sward. Cool-season turfgrasses also have different fertility requirements during establishment. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the use of granular, foliar, a combination of granular and foliar fertilizers, or urea for creeping bentgrass establishment on a sand-based green built to USGA
specifications. All plots received 0.5 lb P/M of a 25-13-12 started fertilizer prior to planting.
The six (6) fertilizer treatments consisted of:
• Green Spec (0.5 lb N/M) 7-7-7 applied every 14 days after germination
• Milorganite (0.5 lb N/M) 6-2-0 applied every 14 days after germination
• NuBlade (12 oz/M) applied at germination then
Gary’s Green (4 oz/M) + PK Plus (6 oz/M) applied every 7 days
• NuBlade (12 oz/M) applied at germination then
Gary’s Green (6 oz/M) + PK Plus (6 oz/M) every 14 days
• Urea (0.013 lb N/M) applied at germination then urea (0.14 lb N/M) applied every 14 days
• NuBlade (12 oz/M) applied at germination 7 days (6 oz/M) then Green Spec 7-7-7 (0.05 lb N/M) after 14 days then Gary’s Green (6 oz/M) + PK Plus (6 oz/M)

Plots were arranged in a randomized complete block design and replicated 3 times and ‘A4’ creeping bentgrass was seeded on 3 April. Visual ratings and analysis of percent (%) turf cover were taken weekly starting on 7 May. Consistent temperatures above 90 F occurred from mid May through 18 June resulting in persistent Pythium blight pressure during July and August. In general, creeping bentgrass treated with Green Spec 7-7-7 resulted in faster establishment and the greatest overall turf cover after 8 weeks on 31 May (Figure 1). Initially and until 22 May, the NuBlade (12 oz/m) applied at germination followed by Gary’s Green (4 oz/M) + PK Plus (6oz/M) applied every 7 days provided a high level of percent turf cover. In fact, the foliar program
applied at lower rates and on a 7 day interval performed consistently better than the foliar program using higher rates (6 oz/M) and on a 14 day interval (Figure 1). All Grigg Brothers foliar programs resulted in higher percent creeping bentgrass cover during establishment than an equivalent nitrogen (N) rate of urea (Figure 1).

‘A4’ creeping bentgrass establishment from seed during the late spring should be avoided in the transition zone. However, if you are going to establish a sand based creeping bentgrass putting green from seed in the transition zone during late spring and early summer fertility, treatments with Green Spec 7-7-7 will provide the best success versus common Milorganite and urea fertility establishment programs. Green Spec 7-7-7 combined with foliar treatments did not perform significantly better than Green Spec 7-7-7 applied alone. Lower dose (4 oz/M) and more frequent (7 day interval) foliar fertilizer treatments were more effective than higher dose (6 oz/M) and less frequent (14 day interval) application, however, all foliar treatments were more effective than urea treatments applied at an equivalent N rate.

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