Master Greenkeeper John Quinn is the author of Performance Bowling Greens, and several other titles on Greenkeeping, Club and Business Management.
Recuperative potential is, in simple terms, the green’s ability to recover from stress, wear, disturbance or damage. It is the green eco-system’s capacity to bounce back. The higher the recuperative potential, the more confidently the green can cope with maintenance operations, play, environmental stress and general pressure. The lower it is, the more likely it is that even sensible work can push the turf backwards rather than forwards.
Mycorrhizal fungi and turf health go hand in hand. The symbiotic relationships that exist between our turf grass plants and soil fungi are critical to producing a high performance, perennial grass dominated sward. Here we look at the benefits of mycorrhizal relationships in turf and the techniques greenkeepers can employ to encourage them.
Getting the mower ready is often seen as someone else's responsibility during the close season, but great care should be taken to make sure you are not falling foul of tradition again. Relief grinding and back lapping have become an unfortunate norm in cylinder mower set up, but can be more damaging to the turf and the mower than you might expect. John Quinn explains the theory and suggests a solution that will ensure your mower gives you trouble free service and impressive results all season long.
The Bowling Green Opening Day preparations are vital to the playability of the green in the early weeks of the season, but don't try to force things along too much. John Quinn details some of the most important considerations for this critical period in bowls green maintenance
Natural greenkeeping is about rhythm, not routine. And the best greenkeepers are those who tune into the biology of the surface—not just the calendar on the wall.
