Master Greenkeeper John Quinn is the author of Performance Bowling Greens, and several other titles on Greenkeeping, Club and Business Management.
The bowling green doesn't stop functioning when the season ends, so why should greenkeeping? Discover how regular winter maintenance, careful observation and proactive plant and soil care can protect your autumn renovation investment and give your green a flying start in spring, with no alarms and no surprises.
Why doesn't our autumn renovation programme automatically include a high-phosphorus starter fertiliser? And why do we supply different nutrients at different times of year? The answers involve soil biology, seed reserves, the competition between young seedlings and established turf, and some fascinating research into the relationship between phosphorus and annual meadow grass.
Real greens, real greenkeepers and real progress! Bowls Central readers share their autumn renovation photographs, practical experiences and impressive recovery results. From volunteer teams to professional contractors, discover how clubs are improving their greens and preparing for next season.
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.
One of the most useful things we can do is share real examples from real greens. Your photos and updates could help another greenkeeper understand what to expect, give them confidence to try a different approach, or simply reassure them that what they are seeing on their own green is perfectly normal.
