Every few weeks as I feel it is needed, I overnight a zip lock bag of grass clippings from HCC putting greens to a lab in Pittsburgh, PA. Dr. York is able to analyze the tissue sample and tell me the exact percentage of nutrients in the grass- it's a great snapshot of what is happening at a given time. This can then be compared to the ideal percentages located in healthy turfgrass. This is a great tool particularly at the beginning of the season when we are just getting up and going. It allows me to adjust my fertility program based on what is making it into the plant. Potassium has always been a struggle for HCC greens- regardless of what I do, they tend to be low in this nutrient. Otherwise, our nutrient levels tend to all fall into the adequate range. Being able to quantify this type of data is critical to properly managing turf. It would be a waste of resources to apply nutrients to a green if they aren't even needed. This eliminates all the guesswork.