Pitchcare Classifieds SPRAYERS Moss Moss invasion
TOPDRESSING & LOAM
Ongar Loam cricket dressing and top quality golf and bowls dressings
Order direct from the manufacturer and our distributors Moreton, Ongar, Essex, CM5 0HY
Tel: 01277 890246 Fax: 01277 890105
www.binderloams.co.uk KALIONITIC made only from the original material
Surrey, Mendip and Growloam also produced
We have our own laboratory for batch and quality control, carrying out independent analysis for verification.
T: 01202 537777 F: 01202 532765 E:
growing@roffeybrothers.co.uk W:
www.roffeybrothers.co.uk
Email:
sales@binderloams.co.uk TREES TIES & SUPPORTS
Having sat in on the sales desk in the early part of the week, it became quite obvious that moss, at the present time, is one of the major problems in our industry after a mild and wet winter
Coincidentally, it comes at the same time as the discovery of the world’s oldest known plant specimen. That’s right, you guessed it, a moss! Found under the Antarctic ice, the specimen was found and re-grown in an incubator after laying dormant for 1,500 years.
Mosses have become such a ‘burden’ to many gardeners in recent times that some landscapers have begun to design gardens using moss. Used instead of grass, the product is cited as an excellent replacement for turf in areas of terminal shade and moisture.
So, why has moss become such a problem this year?
TURF SUPPLIERS
Growers of natural & rootzone sports turf using the very best STRI cultivars
Custom grown turf ‘Instant play’ sports pitch turf Reinforced fibreturf
Washed turf available in all turf grades
Contracting service Overseas supply
Tel: 01724 855000
www.countyturf.co.uk
150 l PC APRIL/MAY 2014
Moss, like every living organism, loves moisture. The difference between a moss and other plants is that they do not require a root system for survival. Whilst many take nutrients from the substrate directly beneath them, a lot of mosses can also survive in areas where moisture, and nutrients, pass over the leaf. They are also an organism that, in comparison to grass species, loves shade and poor drainage. These are special qualities that help us understand why they can be found on most surfaces, even hard surfaces such as roofs and pathways. The high levels of moisture, mild temperatures and a competitive growth habit over the winter period have therefore been a major contributing factor to the amount of moss we have witnessed in the early spring.
Mosses can be separated into three sub-classes. These three sub-classes comprise the following: • Sphagnidae – more widely
recognised as sphagnum mosses. There are over 100 species found worldwide
• Andreaeidae – generally found in alpine situations
• Bryidae – This comprises over 10,000 mosses, and therefore is fairly common within the UK
As the Bryidae sub-class is so broad, it is normally broken down into the acrocarpous or pleurocarpous sub- groups. The easiest way of distinguishing between these two is that acrocarps are normally tufted mosses, whereas pleurocarps are sprawling. The defining features of acrocarpous mosses are that they are unbranched with an erect growth habit. Pleurocarps form mats of growth through freely branched, often fern-like, branches.
How do we control moss growth in a turf environment?
The traditional method of moss control typically utilised the use of lawn sand and other cultural practices. Whilst there are many instances where these processes could still be advised, there has been a slight improvement in the technical ability to beat the problem at the present time, at least for pleurocarpous mosses. In a professional setting, many advisers would recommend treating the area with soluble iron sulphate, which would cause the moss to die off, allowing easier physical removal of the organism. This would have the added benefit of ‘greening up’ the sward without causing excess growth within the sward. The growth habit of an
acrocarpous moss is a contributing factor to why they are more difficult to control in general than their pleurocarpous counterparts.
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