Product Manual

Page 3 - Mascaro Profile Sampler Instructions
Copyright 2005 - www.turf-tec.com
A Practical Guide to
Analyzing the Soil Profile
of Golf Greens
By TOM MASCARO
Green Section Committeeman
(Reprinted from the USGA GREEN
EECTION RECORD July, 1992)
ESTABLISHED GREENS can reveal their
secrets when you analyze the soil profile. Golf
greens contain a world of information. The
complete life cycle of new or old greens can be
easily analyzed by taking a close look at their
profiles. With this information, the turf manager
can develop a management program that can
prevent, or at least minimize, future turfgrass
problems. Monitoring the soil profile of greens
also helps to establish a record of existing
conditions and reveals the progress of the
management program. A soil profile can reveal a
number of problems which could eventually
affect the health and growth of turfgrasses.
The soil profile can be compared to the rings of a
tree. Growth rings reveal the secrets of a tree’s
growth, and just as they tell us its age by
counting the number of rings, they also tell us
something about the climate and growing
conditions by the space between rings. The soil
profile also can reveal its secrets if observed
properly. An undisturbed soil profile can reveal
its origin and gives clues as to whether it is
natural or man-made. If man-made, it reveals
how well the soil was mixed during construction.
A soil analysis can be carried out by allowing the
sample to dry and then passing it through sieves
to separate it into its component sand, silt, and
clay.
There are numerous ways of exposing an
undisturbed soil profile. One way is with an
ordinary shovel. Digging away the soil and
leaving a clean vertical wall exposes its profile
for observation. Another method involves the
use of a specially designed tool which extracts a
clean soil sample without disturbing the playing
surface.
A clean soil profile, to a trained eye, can be read
like a book. Close observation can reveal both
good and bad conditions that may exist in the top
6-inch layer of soil.
Care should be exercised when taking soil
samples so that the profile remains intact and in
its undisturbed state. When studying a soil
sample, observe everything.
Many times, more than one problem can be
revealed. Start at the top of the profile and check
each of the following characteristic in this list.
Turfgrass Leaves - Observe the green surface
leaves. Use a magnifying glass to observe the cut
A soil profile tells the story of how a topdressing program has
changed the profile over time. A consistent sand topdressing
program has built a good rootzone over heavy clay soil.