Machinery is usually prepared a day in advance to give us a head start on the golfers.
Top dressing is loaded from our store (the old barn) where it's kept dry, into the Dakota spreader.
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Pictures from above left clockwise
- Cutting and rolling to remove dew before top dressing
- Move top dressing to site
- Apply top dressing (little and often)
- Ensuring maximum cover
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There are many reasons why we apply topdressing.....
-To increase surface levels.
-To stimulate new root and shoot growth.
-To cover seed allowing it to make contact with soil and therefore providing insulation and maximising the germination rate.
-To increase the water holding capacity of the soil and reducing the amount of water stress during the summer months.
-To increase soil structure by adding a medium that will improve infiltration rates, soil strength, saturated hydraulic conductivity, aeration capacity, nutrient retention, and fertility levels within the soil.
-To allow a soil exchange to take place working in conjunction with hollow-coring to remove a lower quality soil and replace with a fresh, active medium.
-Topdressing with a soil/compost mix has been found to reduce disease instances. Topdressing with an organic substance will increase the microbial populations that attack pathogenic fungi.
-Topdressing also raises the quality of growing medium for grass roots, which increases plant visual and functional qualities such as density, uniformity, colour, texture and so on.
-Topdressing also provides a habitat for micro-organisms within the thatch layer and helps to maximise the thatch layer's decomposition rates.
-Finally topdressing also helps to reduce dry patch from forming within turf. Diluting the sticky mucilaginous residues within the thatch layer improves the water absorbency properties and reduces the hydrophobic nature of thatch.
-To increase surface levels.
-To stimulate new root and shoot growth.
-To cover seed allowing it to make contact with soil and therefore providing insulation and maximising the germination rate.
-To increase the water holding capacity of the soil and reducing the amount of water stress during the summer months.
-To increase soil structure by adding a medium that will improve infiltration rates, soil strength, saturated hydraulic conductivity, aeration capacity, nutrient retention, and fertility levels within the soil.
-To allow a soil exchange to take place working in conjunction with hollow-coring to remove a lower quality soil and replace with a fresh, active medium.
-Topdressing with a soil/compost mix has been found to reduce disease instances. Topdressing with an organic substance will increase the microbial populations that attack pathogenic fungi.
-Topdressing also raises the quality of growing medium for grass roots, which increases plant visual and functional qualities such as density, uniformity, colour, texture and so on.
-Topdressing also provides a habitat for micro-organisms within the thatch layer and helps to maximise the thatch layer's decomposition rates.
-Finally topdressing also helps to reduce dry patch from forming within turf. Diluting the sticky mucilaginous residues within the thatch layer improves the water absorbency properties and reduces the hydrophobic nature of thatch.
3) WHEN
Only when grass growth is strong enough to allow recovery from the covering and associated mechanical operations e.g. scarifying
when surface hollows require to be bought back to true levels
after tyning especially hollow tyning and also after overseeding
before major competitions making sure of sufficient recovery time before the event
HOW MUCH
sufficient to fill the base of the turf without smothering. The grass tips should be visible after levelling or drag matting and we prefer to do it little and often
WHY
to regain surface true
to stimulate growth through the addition of fresh minerals and organic matter
to modify soil structure when used in conjunction with tining
to assist in the prevention of thatch build up when done in conjunction of scarifying/verticutting
Only when grass growth is strong enough to allow recovery from the covering and associated mechanical operations e.g. scarifying
when surface hollows require to be bought back to true levels
after tyning especially hollow tyning and also after overseeding
before major competitions making sure of sufficient recovery time before the event
HOW MUCH
sufficient to fill the base of the turf without smothering. The grass tips should be visible after levelling or drag matting and we prefer to do it little and often
WHY
to regain surface true
to stimulate growth through the addition of fresh minerals and organic matter
to modify soil structure when used in conjunction with tining
to assist in the prevention of thatch build up when done in conjunction of scarifying/verticutting
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