Last night, Highlands experienced a pretty severe thunderstorm with intense thunder and lightening around midnight. These warmer nights that produce these storms are perfect for a golf course that's coming out of winter dormancy. The rain delivers free Nitrogen, that plant available; the primary nutrient responsible for plant growth and green turf.
All plants, including grass, rely heavily on the element nitrogen. Every living cell contains nitrogen. Nitrogen is essential for the production of proteins and enzymes and for photosynthesis. Grass depends on nitrogen for healthy growth and its bright green color. The atmosphere is 78 percent nitrogen. Grasses are unable to process the nitrogen in the air. Lightning plays an important role in the cycle that changes atmospheric nitrogen into plant-usable nitrogen.
During a storm, a bolt of lightning converts N2 from the atmosphere into ammonium and nitrate. Rainwater dissolves these highly soluble compounds and falls to the earth where it absorbs into the soil. The grass can use these forms of nitrogen immediately without waiting for the microorganisms to do their job. Lightning may contribute up to 50 percent of the nitrates in the nitrogen cycle. Although grass appears greener after a storm because of an illusion created by water and sunshine, lighting still delivers a vital nutrient that keeps your lawn lush and green naturally in the long run.