Technical
with 32% calcium will increase calcium levels in the top 10cm of rootzone by about 200ppm and 30Kg Kieserite 16% MgO will increase MgO in the top 10cm by about 30ppm.
These nutrients should be added and brushed into the tine holes before applying topdressing.
Soil biology, thatch, disease and percolation rates
Soil biology is responsible for thatch degradation and the friability of the soil. If you get a good balance between soil biology and chemistry, it is no longer necessary to hollow core most greens to remove thatch and create friable rootzones because the microbes do the work for you. For more information see
www.pitchcare.com/magazine/hollow-coring- and-deep-scarification-is-it-really-
necessary.html
If the thatch does not degrade and convert to humus, even with regular aeration, it means that the fungi and bacteria needed to break it down are missing from the thatch layer. They can be added with compost teas, or with inoculants of thatch-eating fungi and bacteria. Compost teas add a lot more soil biology than inoculants which helps create friable rootzones. The best time to start applying is after scarification and before overseeding. If liquid inoculants and/or compost teas are used, apply just before or after overseeding then monthly whilst the soil temperature is above 5O
C
When thatch degrades, it forms humus which acts as a substrate for soil microbes, increases the nutrient holding capacity of the rootzone, improves water retention when dry and increases percolation rates in times of heavy rain, because the combination of humus and soil microbiology create the correct air and water spaces between soil particles for optimum root and shoot growth.
As a general rule, it is better for the sward and less expensive to degrade thatch and convert it to plant nutrient and humus than dilute it with sand. Topdressing only needs to be applied to provide an even surface and substrate for the newly sown seed.
Again, aeration is essential because thatch degradation is an aerobic process. A mixture of solid tining and sarrel rolling - at least monthly through the close season - will pay dividends next summer.
Overseeding and nutrition
With the correct chemical balance and the rootzones’ physical structure sorted out, we can now look at overseeding and nutrition. By the
end of the season, most bowling greens will have a variety of bare patches - the after effects of heavy use, dry patch and fairy rings and possibly some disease scars - all of which will allow moss to invade which, if not treated, will carry over to next year as an uneven sward. Filling in these bare patches with new seed is the main aim for October and November
Where the grass has worn away, there is unlikely to be any mycorrhizal fungi in the soil so, to encourage rapid growth of new seedlings on bare patches, seed should be coated with mycorrhizae for maximum effect.
If you are breaking down thatch, the organic matter released will act as the main biostimulant, so inorganic or organic fertilisers may be used. If, however, there is limited thatch, then best results are usually obtained by using organic fertilisers rich in proteins and carbohydrate, or by applying complex carbohydrates as a biostimulant.
The NPK value of the fertiliser will be determined by the soil analysis; usually, more potassium than nitrogen is needed in autumn, and, if applying mycorrhizal fungi, little or no phosphate is required, except on very new constructions.
If the soil analysis shows that Cation Exchange Capacity is low, i.e. below 7 meq/100cm, it will be increased over time by converting thatch to humus; but, if budget allows, a quick fix can be obtained by brushing zeolites into the tine holes. This will help prevent nutrients from leaching and make fertilisers last longer.
Fulvic acid is not only a good, low light and cool season biostimulant but, when applied as a liquid, is an excellent chelating agent and can be mixed with most fungicides and liquid fertilisers to get them more effectively into the plant.
Climate change is giving us a much extended growing season so, in some years, it is possible to apply an additional feed in November or even December. At this time of year, when fusarium is rife, it is usually prudent to apply an inorganic turf hardener to prevent fusarium or snow mould from utilising any excess organic matter for its own growth.
The renovation programme may be different from that usually recommended, but the combination of the three disciplines of biology, chemistry and physics, as nature intended, will get natural processes working for you to reduce inputs and improve results.
Cricket case study Managed by Daniel Ratling BSc
The square was physically prepared in the usual way, before overseeding with ryegrass coated with Mycorrhizal Seed Coat, followed by topdressing. Symbio Caviar 10:0:4 (containing fulvic and amino acids and complex carbohydrates) was applied at 50gms per square metre in mid-September. The photograph was taken on 22nd October showing complete regrowth on all worn areas.
Daniel comments of the success of combining biology with traditional practices; “I have successfully used Symbio Caviar 10:0:4 fertiliser and mycorrhizal seed coat or inoculant on my cricket square renovations for the last four years. Rapid and healthy seedling development, prodigious rooting and mycorrhizal infection of the roots have all been witnessed post renovation. For loam soils with adequate levels of phosphorus, I have not found a better combination of products for establishing seedlings.”
Symbio is dedicated to researching solutions to restoring the natural biological activity in soils and growing media essential to ensure the long term sustainability of food production and amenity plant resources for the world’s increasing population.
E:
martin@symbio.co.uk T: 01428 685762 W:
www.symbio.co.uk
- Treat Your Turf
echneat PC AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 I 129
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