Jacob Blair is no stranger to Foliar-Pak products. He’s been using them for ten years, four at his current course, Oldham County Country Club (OCCC), and six at the course before that. He returns to them year after year because of his positive experiences.
Before working as the General Manager/Golf Course Superintendent at OCCC, Blair worked at a course that only allowed him to apply what the city attached to the course bought in bulk, which included Foliar-Pak products. The spray program at that course was minimal, with applications of Foliar-Pak products only going out every two weeks. Despite this, Blair consistently saw good results, which convinced him of the effectiveness of Foliar-Pak products and reassured him of their value in his program.
“We only sprayed every two weeks at the course I managed before OCCC,” Blair said. “And the results from the Foliar-Pak products we sprayed were pretty good considering the circumstances of the spray program.”
He continued, “So, I knew Foliar-Pak products performed well, and I wanted to continue using them in my program.”
And he did continue using them. When Blair left that course for OCCC, he brought Foliar-Pak products with him.
Like many of his industry peers, Blair strives to maintain lean greens at OCCC with minimal nitrogen usage. He also aims to control top growth and suppress Poa annua while ensuring the overall health of his plants.
Luckily for Blair, his decision to continue applying Foliar-Pak helps him accomplish those goals. Blair spoon feeds Foliar-Pak 14-2-4, three ounces every two weeks, to give his turfgrass a little nitrogen and aid in recovery from play. He then applies Foliar-Pak Minors, Gold Standard 45, and CSi L to help his turfgrass thrive with less nitrogen.
Foliar-Pak Minors gives his turfgrass the micronutrients it needs to help it flourish when it’s not getting much nitrogen. Gold Standard 45 and CSi L work to strengthen the cell walls of his plants and build a tougher, more rigid plant without a lot of nitrogen. The lower level of nitrogen use Foliar-Pak permits helps keep his top growth to a minimum and nitrogen-hungry Poa annua at bay.
“Foliar-Pak makes using less nitrogen easier,” Blair said. “I don’t really use granular products, so I spoon-feed 14-2-4 to give the turfgrass a small amount of nitrogen. Because I use little nitrogen, I know I need something to ensure my plants remain healthy.”
He continues, “Foliar-Pak Minors gives my turfgrass all the micronutrients it could need to stay healthy with less nitrogen, and Gold Standard 45 and CSi L create a tougher plant without needing lots of nitrogen. Being able to use less nitrogen starves out the Poa, and keeps my top growth down.”
The use of nitrogen-saving products also has management benefits, according to Blair.
“Because we use less nitrogen,” Blair explained, “We don’t have to mow our greens as much. We mow the greens two or three days a week, then roll the rest. Using less nitrogen also helps save hours on the mower and allows us to redirect that labor to other tasks.”
Furthermore, Blair stated that Gold Standard 45 has an additional benefit to the ones already mentioned.
“I run Gold Standard 45 from the middle of May to the middle/end of September,” Blair says. “Besides the health benefits, I like to put Gold Standard 45 in my tanks because it is cost-effective enough to run for a long period compared to other companies, and you get the same results. You get the same performance for less of a cost.”
When asked if Blair would consider switching to other products after his decade-long experience with Foliar-Pak, he quickly said no.
“No,” Blair said. “Foliar-Pak has performed year after year, so I’ll keep using it. Why get rid of something that continues to work well?”
