Seaweed extracts have been found to improve the quality of fine turf by increasing turf density, colour, and uniformity. Seaweed extracts contain betaines, which are natural osmoprotectants that help grass plants retain water and maintain turgor pressure, so should be a key component in the management and recovery of LDP affected turf. It's continued use results in a green that becomes increasingly resistant to wear and tear.
At its most basic, the answer is that excessive use of sand on bowling greens causes the under lying soil to become inert; lacking life or the complex web of interactions that go to make healthy, high performance turf. The natural balance of the soil/turf ecosystem is upset and the green will never be capable of consistent high performance for as long as the folly of top dressing is allowed to continue.
You might read about the possibility of dealing with fairy ring by using fungicides, or even be advised to use such an approach. Fungicides could well be part of the reason you have fairy ring in your turf in the first place so it’s best not to go down this road. Applying fungicide now is a sure way to cast your green back into another spin on the Circle of Decline. The correct action plan is clear and simple.
Over the course of many years of providing the Bowls Central Soil Analysis service and based on the thousands of reports I’ve written, certain trends have been revealed, and these relate very closely to a group of problems I have termed collectively as The Circle of Decline in fine turf. Perhaps the most annoying and …
This Pack of materials will help you carry out a thorough Autumn Renovation Programme on your green and is most suited to greens that exhibit problems including excessive sand content of the rootzone, LDP, low organic matter, thatch, low calcium content, all of which are common traits in greens where the rootzone has become excessively sandy.
