TURF MANAGEMENT
Tackling Drought Conditions with Vredo Compact Seeders
ummer has arrived and with it comes the potential for
S drought conditions which can take a heavy toll on sporting facilities relying on natural turf surfaces , where even extensive watering and irrigation particularly on golf courses may not alleviate the effects of drought . This is when overseeders to replace grass which despite the best efforts of the professional ground staff , has been lost , comes into its own .
If you want to effectively revitalise heavy wear areas in drought conditions , then you will have to aerate effectively first . Being able to aerate without stopping play , is increasingly important so options for addressing the compaction include the renowned Air2G2 Air Inject proving industry leading aeration with no disruption or the Campey Imants ShockWave ® as the ideal choices .
Once the soil has been de-compacted it is now ready for overseeding .
Lee Morgado Director of Campey Turf Care Systems explains what to look for when choosing a seeder :
Here are the main features to look for when choosing a Seeder : -
• Minimise wastage by choosing the Seeder which places the seed directly into the soil to give the highest seed into plant conversion rates .
• Look for precise seeding depths with an easy depth adjuster to main good playability with a stable of the soil structure . Precision planting will give you the flexibility of shallow planting “ light-germinating seed ” such as Bent grass , Agrostis , Poa
If you want to effectively revitalise heavy wear areas in drought conditions , then you will have to aerate effectively first .
pratensis and deeper depth planting for “ temperature-germinating seed ” such as English Ryegrass which needs the greater depth to ensure germination .
• Choose the lightest Seeder with a disc system to minimise compaction on the field and allow smaller tractors to be used and still achieve a good working width . This is especially important for greens .
Vredo ’ s new range of Compact and Super Compact double disc seeders meet all the above criteria and more with the three latest range additions include the DZ5 single compact , the . DZ5 Super Compact , and the DZ5
“
Turf-Fix . Full details are available on the Campey website www . campeyturfcare . com .
Many golf courses and pitches suffer from soil compaction because of the lack of moisture in the root zone and it is here where a double disc seeder comes into its own . Vredo double disc seeders were developed during drought conditions in The Netherlands , with the principle of not wasting seed by making sure it is placed at the correct depth in the root zone .
Wastage is minimised because the seed is placed directly into the soil using high-quality self-sharpening baron steel discs to cut through dry and compacted surfaces , giving a 97 % germination rate . Placing the seed where it needs to be in the soil profile prevents it from being dried out by the sun or eaten by wildlife and allows grassed surfaces to be mown with the seed perfectly placed within the slit .
Another factor working to prevent seed waste and improve germination is
14 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | September / October 2022