Review your Bowls Central Soil Analysis Service experience and you could win a Soil Sampler
Author: John
Master Greenkeeper John Quinn is the author of Performance Bowling Greens, and several other titles on Greenkeeping, Club and Business Management.
Grass Seed Mixes; 80/20, 60/40, 40/60? What’s the Difference and Why does it Matter?
I am frequently asked about the difference between our 80/20, 60/40 and 40/60 Premium Fescue/Bent Grass Seed Mixes. On the surface, it might just look like a simple percentage change, but there’s quite a lot going on behind those numbers that can affect both the long-term performance of your green and the cost of the mix.
Fixing low pH without Lime
As standard soil analysis offerings are generally obsessed with chemistry, a very low pH is often interpreted as a chemical imbalance, which, of course, it is. The question of why those acid cations are dominant on the soil colloid, remains unaddressed in most cases. Instead it seems that many advisers are jumping straight to the temporary, artificial correction advice to add lime, and as we have seen, for fine turf, that can be dangerous advice.
Win a Bottle of BioActive Yucca Natural Wetting Agent in the August Prize Draw!
Your feedback helps fellow greenkeepers make informed choices — and it helps me continue to support the return to natural, chemical-free greenkeeping across the UK and beyond.
Here’s the bonus: every product review you leave enters you into my monthly prize draw to win a 1-litre bottle of BioActive Yucca — the top-selling natural wetting agent trusted by clubs nationwide.
🏆 How to leave a review (it takes less than a minute):
- Visit the product page of the item you purchased.
👉 Click here to browse your past orders - Scroll down to the ‘Reviews’ tab.
- Click “Write a Review”, rate the product, and leave a few words about your experience.
That’s it — you’re automatically entered!
Why BioActive Yucca?
✔️ Breaks down hydrophobic soils naturally
✔️ Helps your green make the most of rainfall
✔️ Supports soil microbes, no chemicals and Certified Organic
✔️ £74.22 value — yours for free if you win
Thanks as always for supporting Bowls Central — and for championing natural greenkeeping.
Best regards,
John Quinn
www.bowls-central.co.uk
Winner will be announced on 1st September 2025. Look out for the September Prize Draw towards the end of August
What is the The Soil Food Web?
Each individual grass plant releases sugars through its roots to attract beneficial microbes. In return, those microbes mine nutrients from the soil, cycle organic matter, suppress disease, and improve soil structure. This is so important to the health of plants that they give up around 50% of the sugar they produce during photosynthesis as root exudates.