Author: John

Master Greenkeeper John Quinn is the author of Performance Bowling Greens, and several other titles on Greenkeeping, Club and Business Management.

November 1, 2025

Downcast is back and improved

If a product’s real purpose is to kill earthworms then this is now illegal for turf application in the UK. It's always best to stay compliant with UK pesticide legislation, honest with your players and committee, and aligned with a longer-term view of soil health. That’s been the Bowls Central way since day one.
Downcast is a non-pesticidal liquid that deters surface worm activity and encourages it deeper in the profile. It doesn’t kill worms; it helps keep their good work (aeration, aggregation, nutrient cycling) where it benefits the soil without spoiling the playing surface.

October 31, 2025

Winter Greenkeeping Strategies

Winter Greenkeeping Strategies have to a large extent been based on preventative fungicide, putting the green to bed and hoping for the best. This overlooks the huge opportunity greenkeepers have to make a real difference through applying some sound Winter Greenkeeping Strategies right through the closed months.

October 21, 2025

Fix your bowling green step1.

I genuinely believe that it's possible to come up with a formula to fix your bowling green, regardless of it's current condition. This is due to one over-riding fact that I've discovered after looking at literally hundreds of greens. They are all at some stage of what I've termed the Circle of Decline. The critical factor in making this possible is simple. You must know what you are dealing with and there is no way to find that out without carrying out some hand dirtying investigative work. So let's get dirty!

October 20, 2025

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.

September 27, 2025

The Real Cause of Fusarium—and Why Fungicides Always Fail

When fungicides are used repeatedly, they don't just suppress disease temporarily; they erode the very microbial networks that would naturally keep disease in check. This explains why many greens find themselves caught in a cycle of recurring outbreaks and escalating chemical inputs.