Sand Top Dressing - that ubiquitous and apparently simple greenkeeping operation indulged in by most clubs annually is actually a much more complex operation than most give it credit for. In this article John Quinn explains the mechanics of top-dressing. He explains what it can and can't do and why you must understand some soil science before top-dressing is considered.
Recent summers have seen a lot of greens devastated by Localised Dry Patch a disorder that is rapidly becoming the scourge of Bowling Green Maintenance Specialists and Club Greenkeepers a like. I make no apology for writing about this once again, because in my opinion this issue has the ability to accelerate the decline of …
I’ve had a couple of enquiries asking about the correct methods, quantities and materials for Spring (pre-season) over seeding and top dressing of bowling and golf greens. This is easy; the correct thing to do in this respect is…Nothing! Over-seeding into a sward that is about to become very vigorous as spring progresses is futile. …
Top dressing with high sand content composts has become a tradition in bowling green maintenance but it is far from beneficial. After 3 decades of routine top-dressing most greens are “inert” and can’t support a population of beneficial soil microbes. Soil microbes break down thatch and release nutrition to the turf. High sand and thick …
In spite of the common misconception that it does a lot of good and that it is an essential part of annual bowling green maintenance, in broad terms it does very little of good towards levelling the surface, drains club’s of much needed cash and actually causes untold damage to the green eco-system over time. …
At its most basic, the answer is that excessive use of sand on bowling greens causes the under lying soil to become inert; lacking life or the complex web of interactions that go to make healthy, high performance turf. The natural balance of the soil/turf ecosystem is upset and the green will never be capable of consistent high performance for as long as the folly of top dressing is allowed to continue.
Autumn and Winter Maintenance The Great Top Dressing Debate Localised Dry Patch, a modern plague? The Green Stuff Over Seeding; Fact and Fiction
I still get incredulous emails and phone calls about my advice to generally stop top-dressing. In the last 10 years I have only visited one club where I recommended sand top dressing as part of the renovation program and this was due to total neglect and lack of any real maintenance other than cutting and …
Autumn Bowling Green Maintenance always raises a lot of questions. Top dressing continues to be the most concerning topic for many readers. Should we top dress? Is it OK not to? And...if we do, what should we use? Master Greenkeeper John Quinn answers readers' most pressing queries about Autumn Bowling Green Maintenance.
I've recently added some new materials to the Bowls Central Shop to help further the invigoration of inert soil. One of the latest of these is BioActive RZ, Rootzone Improver
