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The Granular ProgrammeQuick, easy and effective - thatch reducing - no scarifyingAnnual Granular Programme
Feb Spread Winter Fertiliser 3 5 10 8%FE (Optional) March Spray Soluble Iron to kill moss. (Optional) Spread Soil Conditioner (Optional) April Spread Spring/Autumn 6 10 14 3MgO BIOGRAN May Spread Summer 12 0 12 3 MgO 50% Slow release Organic Base Jul Spread Summer 12 0 12 3 MgO 50% Slow release Organic Base Sep Spread Spring/Autumn 6 10 14 3MgO BIOGRAN Oct/Nov Spray Soluble Iron to kill moss.(Optional) Spread Soil Conditioner.(Optional) Nov Spread Winter Fertiliser 3 5 10 8%FE (Optional) The quantities for the Summer and Winter programmes are itemised below. Summer (April to September) 1/. Croquet Lawn Spring/Autumn 6 10 14 + 3MgO BIOGRAN Granular fertiliser Quantities: Half lawn 2 applications of 15kg = 2 x 15kg bags (1 in Apll, 1 in Sep) Full size lawn 2 applications of 30kg = 4 x 15kg bags (2 in Apll, 2 in Sep) Bowling Green 2 applications of 45kg = 6 x 15kg bags (3 in Apll, 3 in Sep) 2/. Croquet Lawn Summer 12 0 12 + 3 MgO 50% Slow release Organic Base Quantities: Half lawn 2 applications of 15kg = 2 x 15kg bags (1 in Apll, 1 in Sep) Full size lawn 2 applications of 30kg = 4 x 15kg bags (2 in Apll, 2 in Sep) Bowling Green 2 applications of 45kg = 6 x 15kg bags (3 in Apll, 3 in Sep) Winter (October to March) Winter Fertiliser & Moss Control with Iron 3 5 10 + 8%FE Quantities: Half lawn 2 applications of 15kg = 2 x 15kg bags (1 in Oct, 1 in Mar) Full size lawn 2 applications of 30kg = 4 x 15kg bags (2 in Oct, 2 in Mar) Bowling Green 2 applications of 45kg = 6 x 15kg bags (3 in Oct, 3 in Mar) Optional Extras: Soil Conditioner W 20kg bags Two treatments are usually necessary ie Spring and Autumn and can be applied using a fertiliser spreader with a wider port setting. Half lawn - 15kg per treatment Full size lawn - 30kg per treatment Bowling Green - 45 kg per treatment Soluble Iron 20kg Moss and Fungal Disease control One bag is enough to treat a croquet lawn four times. Dilution; 5kg of crystals diluted in 50 litres of water covers one croquet lawn. For moss apply Spring and Autumn. Affected areas can be sprayed using a knapsack sprayer or a fine rose watering can.
Diluting soluble iron is quick and easy.
I use a 1 litre scoop and a paint paddle which costs £3.91 at Screwfix. Add Soluble Iron to half a bucket of cold water. Stir with the paddle for 1 minute and pour off. DELIVERY by FedX or pallet PAYMENT Goods are supplied on credit to registered Croquet Clubs and CA members. Payment is due within 14 days of delivery by cheque or bank transfer. Tailor made fertilisers
These fertilisers are not "off the shelf". They are made specifically to my analysis for you and the quantities of nutrient in the bag can be changed to suit your lawns. For example, a bag of the Summer fertiliser has 12% Nitrogen, if you want stronger growth during the summer, this can be changed to 14% and if you want less growth, to 10%. This means that you can control the nutrition levels very easily. I would leave the Spring/Autumn as it is and alter the summer fetiliser which is effective in the main playing season. You can make this selection when ordering. How the fertiliser works The granular fertilisers are all 1mm-2mm mini granules. The Spring/Autumn Biogran fertiliser contains a broad spectrum of bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi which encourage the breakdown of thatch into usable nutrients within the root zone. Results across many croquet clubs show that thatch is reduced by about 30% per annum until an ideal level of 5 to 8mm is reached. At this point the breakdown of thatch equals the production of thatch and therefore stays in balance. This system is in line with the Sports Turf Research Institute article "Do Not Disturb" and eliminates the need to remove thatch mechanically by scarification which is damaging to fine grasses. Magnesium oxide is also included in the fertiliser to promote photosynthesis and plant health. The Mycorrhizae attach to the grassroots and grow long invisible hyphae into the surrounding soil. As a result of photosynthesis, the grass provides a constant supply of carbohydrates to the fungi. In exchange, the fungi provide minerals and moisture to the grass. It is a partnership made in heaven because the fungal hyphae are much longer and finer than the roots and have a much higher absorptive capacity. The Summer fertiliser has an organic base and releases nutrients over an eight week period. The fertiliser is converted into usable nutrition for the plants by bacterial action. When favourable growing conditions exist (warm and moist), the bacteria are more active thus providing increased nutrients in sympathy with plant demand. The slow release is accomplished by incorporating longer, more complex molecules which take bacteria longer to break down. I prefer to apply fertiliser late in the day as morning dew will help to dissipate the granules. If possible apply before rain is expected. Do not apply fertiliser if the grass is stressed (drought). The fertiliser is not toxic to humans, pets or wildlife and the croquet lawn can be used immediately after application. Optional winter feeds. If your lawns are used during the winter, it is a good idea to fertilise with a low input of Nitrogen in November and February. Using too much nitrogen will damage the grass. The reason is that the plant cells are like balloons. Nitrogen causes the cell to expand but the cell wall requires photosynthesis to thicken. When daylight is in short supply, too much nitrogen will cause the cells to burst thus damaging the plant and inviting disease and fungal attack. The granular winter feed that I recommend has low nitrogen but 8% iron which hardens the grass and helps to control moss. Worm control There are some 28 species of worm found in UK soil of which only four are of the casting variety. They are surface feeders and the ones that can spoil the playing surface leaving patches of bare soil after mowing. Casting worms do aerate the lawn but can also cause extensive disruption to the playing surface. In extreme circumstances burrowing animals such as moles and badgers can destroy huge areas of turf in their search for worms. Until now pesticides have been the only effective method of control but these have been withdrawn from the market and are no longer available. However, new methods of controlling worms have evolved and do not require the application of pesticides. In essence the maintenance programme must address the rootzone condition and convert it into an environment that is not favoured by casting worms. The objective isn't to kill worms, just to persuade them to go elsewhere. The most economic approach is to incorporate Soil Conditioner into the annual maintenance programme. Moss Moss produces spores twice a year so should be treated in Spring and Autumn to kill the moss and prevent new spores ripening. Moss doesn’t have a vascular system and the roots have no function except to hold onto the ground, so re-growth is caused by spores in the soil not from roots. The winter feed mentioned above will reduce the moss to some extent but is not as strong as soluble Iron. The grade of iron that I supply dissolves well even in very cold water, is widely used by professionals and works really well. One bag is enough to treat the whole lawn five times so is very cost effective, there are cheaper alternatives but Iron comes in many grades and some can be hard to dissolve and very damaging to sprayers. At the dilution that I recommend it will blacken moss and I usually leave it and let the grass grow through, that way the surface isn’t disrupted. However, you can rake lightly but try not to disturb the rootzone. Be careful to wash your sprayer out very thoroughly so that no iron is left in the pipes or pump as it will re-crystalise and potentially ruin the sprayer. For spot treatment, a watering can and fine rose can be used. This video shows how soluble iron can be mixed with water quickly and easily using a paint paddle (£3.91 from Screw fix).
Dry Patch If you suspect that Dry Patch is present, you will need a curative, please refer to the Dry Patch page of Turf Info at this link Dry Patch Here you can download the "Detail" and "How it Works" pages as well as the Sports Turf Research Institute article "Do Not Disturb" which explains why scarifying is damaging to fine turf.
MSDS Safety Data Sheets
Delivery costs are calculated in the cart. Delivery of up to 8 bags costs less if delivered by FedX to a home address. In this case the bags are boxed for easy handling. 9 bags or more are delivered by pallet, usually to the Club. When the pallet reaches your local hub, the carrier will contact you to arrange a convenient day for delivery. You can also ask for the driver to phone half an hour before arrival. There is no restriction on the use of Iron as a turf "hardener" or "green-up" tonic. At higher concentrations pesticide certification is required. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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