Message Board - Natural Turf: Faith in Soil Biology
9 Feb 2010 by korky
Hi Folks
As I look out on our main pitch, which has been closed since November, I ponder on the approach to get it in good nick for the forthcoming hurling season. It is displaying vast areas of "almost yellow" grass intermingled with "almost lush green" grass. I presume it is displaying symptoms of compaction. It has been occasionally slitted, last week, being the latest occasion. However it has never been vertidrained or decompacted to depth, and we have been pounding it for 20years. I believe in the biology to get this pitch coloured up , but having been asked today "what is the best to apply , a slow release or regular fertilizer? , I am finding it hard to say "neither", just keep slitting on a weekly basis and it will come round itself in due course. I'm sure it will but should I give it a boost with a bit of fert? On a related topic there was a murder of crows out on the pitch today( probably over 100). What were they feeding on or rooting for? I didn't see any evidence of worms. Is it too cold for worms to be casting at the moment.
9 Feb 2010 by Barry Pace
Hi Korky, were the crows feeding in the yellower areas by any chance.......
Plastic.... it's The End I tell you... THE END!!!!
9 Feb 2010 by korky
Hi Barry, not particularly but possibly in softer ground. The yellowness is pretty much all over this pictch but has green areas intermingled with it. The NPK status is more than adequate. Weather has been cold for a long time this year. Other years we would have to be cutting at this time, especially, down the "wings" to keep grass under control. An adjacent pitch which has got games and training throught the winter, when possible, is not displaying the same hunger as this one.
9 Feb 2010 by Grassman2011
Crows would normally be hunting down the leatherjackets or dare i say it, the chafer grub.
Leatherjackets can certainly be controlled, other posts are suggesting that chafers need to have been treated against back end of last summer.
Worms are certainly casting again on my outfield, but then i am in the middle of a spa city with its hot springs, where might you be Korky ?
9 Feb 2010 by korky
Hi Bath,
I'm in Kilkenny, Ireland and it is far from balmy. I didn't think of leatherjackets. There could well be a population of leatherjackets. I heard it said once that a field full of bullocks could have a greater weight of leatherjackets feeding beneath their feet
9 Feb 2010 by Grassman2011
Put a piece of black plastic down for 24 hours and see what is underneath.
9 Feb 2010 by korky
Thanks Bath will try that and let you know the outcome.
9 Feb 2010 by Ken Barber
Were they Rooks? I don't know the feeding habits of Grey-coats (Hooded crows) but I know they are fairly common in Ireland. It is possible that they were feeding on leather-jackets that were forced to the surface by heavy rain? The yellowed, compacted soils may have prevented them from getting down into the soil profile. The plastic bag test is a good way of seeing population levels. is there any evidence of dead grubs in the surface litter or thatch, which could also be a sign of drowning? You could try grabbing a few handfuls of grass and see how easily it tears out the ground, since a leather-jacket infested sward has a weakened root-system.
Any deep aeration undertaken last autumn, early winter will really benefit from any frost heave over the latter part of this winter.
KB
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under who’s shade you do not expect to sit.
10 Feb 2010 by korky
Hi Ken,
I will try plastic bag test. No debris on surface that I can see.
Will keep you posted as above. Thanks for help.
10 Feb 2010 by chick1
How about spreading A few All Ireland medals on the pitch (we certaintly have enough).It might frighten the crows !
11 Feb 2010 by korky
Hi Chick 1,
One could never have enough All-Ireland medals.
I have another query. Our sward is quiet thin in places particularly down the middle of the field. What is my best course of action to enhance it. Proper feeding will tiller what is there but should I add seed? If so, what is the best machinery to "stitch" in seed, what varieties, and when?
11 Feb 2010 by Grassman2011
One othe best seeding machines on the market heraldes from Ireland korky. The moore uni drill. I have no numbers but try and get hold of Sam Moore.
Overseeding will certainly be helpful.
11 Feb 2010 by korky
Thanks for that Bath. I think my neighbour uses a Moore Drill to sow corn. Could it be the same machine?
11 Feb 2010 by Grassman2011
Probably not, but could appear to be similar.
12 Feb 2010 by jontaylor
Korky
Is the grass not just yellow because the weather's been cold?
This winter has been one of the coldest in recent times and perhaps we've all got used to the greeness of warm winters where the grass never stops growing. As you say, in recent times you'd have been cutting by now but this year your grass is still dormant.
I travelled by train this week and mile after mile of pasture was looking bleached white - not by snow but be the cold. This pasture wasn't all compacted and probably much of it has a good natural balance.
Our cricket outfield has no winter sport played on it at all, loads of worm activity for natural decompaction and only one dose of chemical treatment of any kind in the last ten years - and it's half yellow.
This is a cold winter - and the grass is showing it...
The ciderman rolls
12 Feb 2010 by korky
Jon
I think you may be correct. I believe I can see an improvement in colour in the last week. The areas of "yellow" are not as pronounced. It has been very frosty at night all week and daytime temperatures reach only 4 to 5c. That wouldn't encourage much growth but the longer day length is probably helping. There is worm casting happing in areas. I think I will wait a little longer before fertilizing and then only lightly with low NPK numbers, as advised, to maintain microbe populations.Thanks for the input.
12 Feb 2010 by Ken Barber
I have been organic for a little over a year. In the past my greens would loose colour by December, early January and that was using an expensive slow release fertiliser.
This winter my greens have held their colour much longer and I put this down to a healthier soil food web. I can't wait until I restart my tea composting programme again this spring.
KB
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under who’s shade you do not expect to sit.
12 Feb 2010 by has 2 mow
Hi Korky
Faith in soil biology well it certainly seems the way forward to me something that we will all need to learn in time most of it goes over my head but from what i have learnt from this site in the past year will be implemented on all our greens this year and the results have been superb so far . The green that i call the pitch care classic (guinee pig ) is way ahead of all the rest of the greens . well this is a pic in jan say's it all really and all to an open mind and this site and some good advice . its well worth thinking about.
Mark
12 Feb 2010 by Ken Barber
Hi Mark,
12 months on, and what a difference in your attitude...... it can only be down to the results of your dedication, commitment to achieve and hard work!
Well done my friend!
KB
The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under who’s shade you do not expect to sit.
14 Feb 2010 by has 2 mow
Hi Ken
Thanks Ken , i do learn slowly but i have also followed some top advice . Also i have my new 100 ltr brewer on standby for spring ( home made ) . Many thanks .
Mark
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