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By Mike Beardall in Industry on 17th Sep 2009 10:00
DJ Turfcare promote products at Saltex
Bio-Lime solves acid soil problems for healthier grass
BIO-LIME, from the Viano organic range, is a lime fertiliser mixed with bacteria (Bacillus sp).
It not only reduces the acidity of the soil but is also beneficial for the uptake of nutrients and the decrease of moss development.
A further benefit is that the bacteria digests thatch making scarification less necessary.
The problem
All soil in which grass grows becomes more and more acidic. There are two key reasons for this.
The first is the continued uptake of nutrients by the grass, needed for growth and strength.
The second is the ever increasing amount of acid rain. These two facts cause pH levels to drop, making it more difficult for the grass to take up nutrients so any fertiliser which is applied will only have a limited benefit.
Viano Bio-Lime will optimise the pH levels of the soil and prohibit the development of moss.The other disadvantage of acidic soils is that they provide the ideal conditions for moss to thrive.
For healthy grass the ideal pH range is between 5.5 and 7.0, where 7.0 is towards the alkaline end of the range and 5.5 towards the acid end.
The solution
The way to combat these problems is to sweeten the soil by using Bio-Lime, which also includes magnesium and bacteria.
Application should be twice a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn.
The lime element helps to correct the pH while the magnesium gives the grass a healthy green colour throughout the winter - and the bacteria helps to digest the thatch so that oxygen can get down to the roots.
Bio-Lime provides an excellent tonic for grass, particularly if the pH is below 5.5.
Supplied in 20kg bags (granular form), a bag will cover 200 square metres.
See Pitchcare shop for Bio- LIme
Read more articles in Industry, by Mike Beardall or from September 2009.
