The routine addition of further sand to bowls greens has led to a method of reactive greenkeeping where we wait for negative symptoms to arise and then treat them. This has created a thankless job for many greenkeepers, where they are constantly having to be vigilant for a host of weeds, diseases and disorders before deciding which pesticide to use. The inert nature of the soils that this system creates means to to get any reaction form the turf in terms of growth, it is usually essential to continually apply chemically derived, strong fertilisers, which themselves help perpetuate the problems due to the high salt content of the minerals used in their manufacture.
The future, however, is bright for those who recognise the folly of this approach and accept that there is already too much sand in their green. They know that some semblance of life needs to be returned to the soil. If you’ve read Performance Bowling Greens, you will of course know that bringing a club around to this way of thinking can be difficult. Clubs are usually not very patient in waiting for results and 40 or 50 years of sand top dressing does things to the soil that are not easily reversed, but reversed they can be and that has been my goal since I started out in greenkeeping.
To that end, I have studied soil science and developed methods of helping greenkeepers to improve their soil to enable the development of fine perennial turf that becomes easier and more economical to maintain, but of course these methods take time. Over the time that I have been doing this, we have moved to a point where more of the industry that supplies the greenkeeping sector are realising that they need to listen to greenkeepers and develop products and materials that help with this transitional process.
To that end 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.
Balanced consortium of mycorrhizae fungi in root zone. Increased mineral nutrient uptake, increased plant stress tolerance, pest and disease resistance.
BioActive RZ™ combines beneficial microbes with a vegetable based source of continuous release micro-nutrients, trace minerals, fulvic and humic acids. BioActive RZ™ is carefully graded to ensure each particle contributes to the retention of moisture and nutrients in the soil. Mycorrhizae establish a symbiotic relationship with turf grass roots and a strong establishment results in mycorrhizae taking up nutrients from a far greater area than roots can reach. Mycorrhizae function in low pH environments and nutrient uptake is not affected by pH fluctuations in sand root zones. Mycorrhizae also provide a barrier to soil pests, e.g. nematodes, and help to control this important pest through their own defense capabilities.
- Applied nutrients are used more efficiently, particularly in low pH root zones
- Enables turf roots to make better use of water
- Protection from pest & disease attack
- Increased establishment of new turf grass surfaces
- Increase plant stress tolerance & recovery
- Increased root mass and plant growth rates
Application Recommendations:
- As part of Autumn Renovation after pencil or mini-hollow tining: 6 to 10 bags
- Pre-seeding and new turf: 1-2 Tonnes/Ha, mixed into the root-zone material
- Established turf: 0.5 – 1 Tonne/Ha after aeration