3114_A4 TOP TURF WRAP v_4

TOP TURF
WITH COMPOST
The essential guide to utilising
quality assured BSI PAS 100
compost in turf care and
landscaping.
Compost – do you know the score?
Grounds managers, groundsmen and greenkeepers across the UK
are increasingly turning to compost as a solution to all kinds of
turf care and landscaping needs.
Compost, produced from garden prunings, grass cuttings and
leaves, can be used in a variety of situations including sports
grounds, athletics fields, golf courses and lawn maintenance.
It can be used in a number of ground care applications including
turf establishment, turf topdressing and divot repair.
Some of the key benefits of using compost include:
•
Reduced need for inorganic fertilisers - compost contains
slow release nitrogen and many other key nutrients,
including calcium, magnesium and sulphur.
•
Faster turf development – without leading to
excessive growth.
•
Improved turf density and colour - encouraged by slow
release nitrogen, iron and magnesium.
•
Improved soil drainage.
•
Increased water holding capacity – leading to cost and labour
savings related to irrigation.
•
Reduced nutrient leaching - unlike sand-based dressings,
compost can retain nutrients and make them available to the
turf for a longer period. Grass, therefore, remains green
without excessive growth, or increased mowing frequency.
•
Reduced soil compaction – compost helps to improve the
structure of soil.
•
Plant disease suppression - compost contains beneficial
micro-organisms which can suppress many turf grass
diseases including Fusarium patch (Microdochium nivale),
red thread (Laetisaria fuciformis) and brown patch
(Rhizoctonia solani) - particularly when applied as a top
dressing or a root zone amendment.
Compost Commonsense
As well as providing many direct benefits to the soil and turf to
which it is applied, compost produced from recycled garden waste
also makes environmental sense. Many local authorities have
targets to meet in terms of sustainability and the use of recycled
products is one way of addressing this gap within the landscaping
and grounds-keeping sector. Disease suppressive effects also
allow for the reduced use of herbicides and improved soil
structure accounts for less erosion.
Quality as standard
The BSI PAS 100 ‘Specification for Composted Materials’ was
developed by WRAP and The Composting Association to improve
confidence in compost through the use of a recognised quality
standard. The specification acts as a quality benchmark and
ensures that participating producers manufacture compost to an
agreed level of consistency, reliability and safety so that
groundsmen and greenkeepers can have confidence in the
product they are using.
The following case studies demonstrate the benefits of compost in action.
Further case studies can be found at www.wrap.org.uk/organics.
Case study 1::
GOLF COURSE
GOLF COURSE FAIRWAYS THRIVE WITH
RECYCLED COMPOST
Keen golfers at Loughgall Country Park golf course in Armagh,
Northern Ireland, have BSI PAS 100 compost to thank for the
improvement in quality to its fairways and tees.
Opened in 2000, the municipal 18 hole golf course is set in the
grounds of the magnificent Loughgall Country Park and is one of
the first courses in Northern Ireland to specify the use of
compost.
The par 72 course is set in mature woodland and includes
strategically placed bunkers, sloping terrain and water hazards
which add to the character and excitement of play.
Previously the site of a Department of Agriculture research
centre, the ground had been subjected to different levels of
chemicals, such as fertilisers, and its poor condition made
maintenance a challenging task.
In 2004, Country Park manager, Greg Ferson, approved a trial of
BSI PAS 100 compost after hearing about the success of a similar
project at Epping Golf Course in Essex.
Case study 2::
RACECOURSE
RECYCLED COMPOST KEEPS THE GOING
GOOD AT NEWBURY
Newbury Racecourse in Berkshire is one of the UK’s most
prestigious sporting venues, offering exciting racing both on the
flat and over jumps. This year it is celebrating its centenary and,
with the use of compost, the racecourse is greener than ever.
With around 30 race days every year, busy staff face an ongoing
battle to maintain the course and fill the numerous divots carved
by each horse.
Immediately following each race meeting, the estate team at
Newbury review the state of the course and spring into action. A
pre-prepared mix of compost, soil and sand is combined with the
divots and new grass seed added, this is then applied to the
course by hand. This labour intensive task takes a team of 16
people, working full time, two days to complete.
The mix, sourced from White Moss Amenities, contains
BSI PAS 100 compost from accredited producer Cheshire County
Council.
Sourced from accredited producer Natural World Products, where
the golf course already sent its grass cuttings and clippings for
recycling, the compost was applied to three fairways and one
sand based fairway landing area.
Greg explained: “We selected four different areas of the course
with varying soils so that we could establish the performance of
the compost in different conditions. On two of the fairways chosen
we had an issue with the grass growth and colour and hoped that
the compost would rectify this. All suffered from uneven and
unhealthy growth in addition to low nutrient levels.”
Compost screened to a maximum particle size of 10mm was
applied using a Dakota 412 spreader.
“Within a couple of weeks the results were already visible. We
directly compared the areas which had been applied with
BSI PAS 100 compost with those where no compost had been
used. There was a significant difference in the growth and colour
of the grass,” said Greg.
“We’re delighted with the results of the trial and will be
continuing to use compost around the course, especially on the
areas where there is a high clay content as the compost improves
the soil structure by introducing more oxygen and improving its
water holding capacity.
“As we are a council-owned course, it is excellent that we can
demonstrate our commitment to recycling by putting compost
back into the course in a way which is improving its quality and
playability.”
Richard Osgood, Estate Manager and Clerk of the Course, is a
keen supporter of compost. He said: “Before compost became
readily available we used a straight soil mix but this had a
number of drawbacks. When applied to the course it appeared an
off colour and germination times were slow.
“We decided to try compost as we believed that it could offer
more nourishment and nutrients to the soil and we’ve not been
disappointed.”
One of the key roles of the grounds staff at Newbury Racecourse
is to ensure the turf returns to form as quickly as possible in
order to guarantee good racing conditions for future meetings.
Richard explained: “With compost we have seen germination
happen a lot faster and over the winter months the new growth
has been exceptional. This is aided by the superior consistency of
the mix which also makes it easy to work with and apply.”
Occasionally when the team feels that the racecourse needs an
added boost a top dressing of compost is applied to parts of the
24 hectare site using a spreader.
To date Newbury Racecourse has used more than 1,000 tonnes of
White Moss Amenities’ Root Zone Mix which contains 25%
compost.
Richard concluded: “We have found that compost gives a more
natural colour, encourages faster germination, creates a healthy
soil and is a better consistency than the straight soil mix. We are
delighted with the results we have achieved.”
at Household Waste Recycling Centres that was screened to a
maximum particle size of 10mm. Tree Fella is a certified
producer of BSI PAS 100 compost. A layer approximately 6mm
deep was spread immediately after seeding; using a purpose built
top-dressing spreader to cover the seed.
Case study 3::
CRICKET GREEN
CRICKET CLUB USE COMPOST TO
BOOST GREENS
Theydon Bois Cricket Club has been making good use of compost
as part of a programme to improve the quality of its outfield turf.
The Epping-based club, established in 1868, became interested in
the use of compost produced from grass cuttings, trimmings and
leaves following the results of successful golf fairway topdressing trials by ReMaDe Essex.
Preliminary inspection of the ground took place in November
2003 after an exceptionally dry season. Grass cover was sparse,
the soil was compacted and sufficient moisture for growth could
only be found at the low-lying part of the field outside the playing
area. A visual inspection of core samples indicated a clay soil with
little organic matter, so improvement to the structure was
needed at the same time as providing nutrients to promote new
growth.
Hollow-coring helped with drainage and allowed air to permeate
to the root area. This also enabled the subsequently applied top
dressing to penetrate the top few inches, helping healthy root
development.
The dressing used was well-matured compost produced and
supplied by Tree Fella Plc of Essex from garden waste collected
The cutting of the grass started in March. The grass height was
allowed to reach 7.5cm and then was topped using a newly
sharpened rotary motor, taking care not to pull the new grass out
by the roots. Cutting height was progressively lowered on
successive cuts until playing height was reached. Growth slowed
down in the drier mid-summer weeks and the playing surface is
now able to withstand the wear demanded of it.
“The previously bare patches are now impossible to identify.
Grass growth during the period March to May was good and the
turf is well established. The seed has germinated well, helped by
the warming effect of the dark compost,” said Warren Hyde, Club
Captain at Theydon Bois Cricket Club.
“This winter the turf has really thickened out and, for the first
year in my experience, we have seen very little moss growth
which has always been a nuisance,” he said. “We shall definitely
be looking into using compost again in the future.”
Neil Thomson, Programme Manager at ReMaDe Essex, was in
full agreement. “The turf results at Theydon Bois show how
effective compost can be. Compost can be an unfamiliar product
to many greenkeepers and groundsmen, but our trials have
shown that it can be used as an alternative to more traditional
turf top dressings, particularly those containing peat. This is an
area where we need to raise awareness throughout the industry.”
There are a number of composting companies that can supply
BSI PAS 100 compost for turf care and landscaping applications.
For a list of certified suppliers, visit the WRAP website on
www.wrap.org.uk/organics or call the WRAP helpline on
0808 100 2040.
Look for the sign to ensure your compost comes with
quality as standard
Please quote reference number 220RG.
Contact Details
WRAP
The old Academy, 21 Horse Fair
Banbury, Oxon OX16 OAH
Freephone: 0808 100 2040
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WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) is a major UK programme established to
promote resource efficiency. Its particular focus is on creating stable and efficient markets for
recycled materials and products and removing the barriers to waste minimisation, re-use and
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has laid down targets across fifteen programmes including Organics. WRAP aims to educate the
public about the key benefits of compost, to generate demand amongst key commercial sectors.