30 Mar 2004 by mandy
Canada Green
We have a very short time for renovation (the football/rugby pitches become cricket outfields overnight!!) and this has been sugested as an option for overseeding. Canada Green has been sugested as an option, has anyone tried it? is it any good? are there any pitfalls?
Canada green
Sure as anything, if there is some problem to be tackled in a sward at least one membr in a club will suggest using Canada Green as a 'miracle cure'!
As far as I know, this seed mix is aimed at the home user and is attractively packaged, promising great results in any situation. I don't know what species or cultivars are in it, but I could hazard a guess at dwarf prennial ryegrass, smooth stalked meadow grass, some kind of fescue (and loads of annual meadow grass). Also, I doubt it can be purchased in 25kg bags!
I would be looking to use a professional seed mix of 50% ryegrass (for its wear tollerance and quick recovery), and the rest of chewings fescue, creeping red fescues and maybe a little bent (for aesthetis, benefits like increased drought tollerance and a tighter sward. This sort of mix should serve well for both the summer and winter requirements. Off the top of my head Advanta do a good mix (MM25?) which I know germinates pretty quickly in good conditions, or speak to your seed rep.
You'll need around 15- 35g of seed per m2 depending on how thin the sward is. It is worth getting contractors to drill the seed in so it can do its thing in the relative safety of below the soil and also you might want to generally broadcast some seed on the surface (success wil be increased if this also involves scarifying, harrowing or topdressing).
Cheap seed is usually a false economy!!!!!
Aeration is a must if you have the means to do it.
Also apply a spring/summer fertiliser (base this on soil testing if you can), as this will help the sward to recover quicker and also grow to it's full potential.
Rolling is generally considered essential to smooth the surface for summer use after the treatment it has recieved over winter, although many prefer to harrow. (rolling if time is short). ((Roll BEFORE applying fertiliser - or at least wait a few days for rain to break it down sufficiently or else you will stress the grass!)).
Hope this helps!
1 Apr 2004 by mandy
Canada Green
Thanks for that, sadly one of our area managers (no training but managinging GM - local government is wonderfull!!!!) thought it would be the answer to his prayers and solve all his pitch renovation problems. Info from a professional such as yourself props up my argument that he should just bite the bullet and do the job properly.
Canada Green
Mandy
Canada Green (when last seen by us) is a mix of an 'agricultural' ryegrass, an unlisted (i.e. STRI booklet) strong creeping red fescue and a smooth stalked meadow grass.
The Ag rye grass is meant to grow fast but is not designed for sports turf use as it does not have the same wear tolerant properties as dwarf perennial rye grasses.
The STRI booklet of Grass seed (Turfgrass Seed, £3.50 from the STRI at www.stri.co.uk) lists all cultivars available for sports turf in the UK and rates them for properties such as wear tolerance and colour of leaf amongst other things.
On a website this morning Canada Green can be purchased for £5.99 plus £4.95 carriage for 500 grammes- this works out at £21.88 per kg.
Grass seed for winter pitches varies between £50-75 per 25kg sack typically, or £2-£3 per kg.
Plus all these cultivars would be STRI listed.
So NOT a cheap alternative
Sometimes the marketing is so powerful it can lead us to take a course which is not in our best interests. With this information you'll be able to make the right choice for your situation.
Good Luck!
The light at the end of the tunnel is not a train
2 Apr 2004 by Hipper
Pitchcare
This is Pitchcare Messageboard at its best.
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