Extensive periods of dry weather can cause crack-damaged soils to be a major issue, especially on sports pitches where irrigation isn’t available. Not only will this drought-induced damage cause the playing surface to become uneven, unplayable, and potentially dangerous, it can also be aesthetically unsightly and therefore damaging to a club or groundsman’s reputation.
Mosses are primitive plants that are known collectively as bryophytes. These non-flowering plants are found in a wide range of habitats – including within fine mown turf swards – and consist of a slender, soft and fleshy stem, green or brown leaves and slender roots called rhizoids which absorb water and anchor the plant.
With all the physical effort it takes to create the perfect seed bed for new grass seeds to be sown into, it is important to ensure that the soil also contains the necessary nutrients needed to enable the freshly sown seeds to establish into healthy, thriving and vigorous new plants.
The successful establishment of grass or wildflowers on sloping ground and banks is reliant on being able to overcome several unique challenges which increase in significance as the angle of the gradient increases: the steeper the slope, the greater the impact of factors such as rainfall runoff and soil erosion on the ability of freshly sown seed to germinate and throw down a strong root for anchorage into the soil profile.
Whilst we all have a rough idea of what rates we sow seed at to achieve specific results, the optimum seeding rate varies according to the species being sown and the method of application being used.
Establishing and maintaining good grass coverage in concealed areas can be a real challenge for landscape gardeners, greenkeepers and grounds maintenance staff, especially if the area in question is heavily shaded for lengthy periods of time. The lack of direct sunlight can leave swards thin and increasingly susceptible to invasion by shade tolerant weeds and, more commonly, moss.
More than 100 greenkeepers, groundsmen and grounds maintenance contractors from across Scotland attended an amenity demonstration day at Falkirk Tryst Golf Club on 11th March, with those who braved the day’s stormy weather able to see some of the latest golf and sports pitch specific machinery and turf renovation equipment in action.
Germinal has introduced a new seed mixture to its Grade ‘A’ portfolio of golf-specific grass blends: containing two top-performing perennial ryegrasses and a high-ranking creeping bentgrass, A8 Ultrafine Ryegreens is the perfect ‘rescue’ mixture for the eradication of early season scarring.
