Ut sementem feceris ita metes

Right then, time moves on so lets have a lil ol round up of where I am at.. This has only taken 3 days to write up!

4 Greens split to 3 zones and multiple comparisons between them..
Next where am I at... Who knows, there have been a couple of surprises that have kicked off and one has not 'kicked' so much as it did before so maybe there is a 'time' to process from receiving a core.
Am I wiser, hell yes I learn something everyday, its just a case of being able to process what you learn and place it in the correct 'box' so it makes sense when you review.
Will I prove anything? Really didn't think I would but think I now know for sure that this is a multiple pieced puzzle that needs all the pieces in place.

And it's given me a headache.........

Ok so review from last few days is:

Biologicals..

This one has properly gone for all 4, hence the colour and dark rings

3 of these have reacted

3 of these have gone, 1 fully, 1 to lower, 1 just starting to cloud, 1 not at all

Time to hit the computer program to see what it all means.....

Main Samples:

#LeanMeanSandedMachine 

 This is how they looked after a couple of days now......... Then a little agitation

    

 Then after around 10 minutes to see if they 'settle'

#UKsFinest

 Again after a couple of days ........                                   Then a little agitation

  

  And settled

#BrewBruiser

 

And finally #StreetFighter

 

Conclusions made to this is Waxy coatings STILL having some effect on the soil/water interaction on #UKsF as it literally fell clear within minutes, others seem to clear ok enough as expected.

Test Tubes:

Now this has been interesting, as half expected one 'set' did nowt as I think the soil had 'aged' too much between sampling and test, so for what I was looking for there may be a lifespan to the effects and this time round it showed only some of the 'stimulated' reactions that it did the first time round when 'fresh'. The Sugar Rush stimulation creates plenty of activity even for the apparently quieter sets, they managed to keep popping their lids off, whereas the other 2 would be vacuumed.

 

 

 

Will be looking to have a look at these under a microscope this weekend, see who's lurking....

As I will with these 4 Cover Slips set in a cork, just accumulating some nice things for me to look at.

And lastly ... 

It might not have wings but it isn't alf gone bubbly

And it isn't half as sweet as it was now Eeuuggh...... may have to sweeten it back in a bit... hhmmmmm

To settle this lot I will be taking the results form the various tests and formatting them in such a way that it only makes sense to me so there is a sort of visualization to the numbers BUT that all takes time and I haven't seemed to have much of that last few weeks....

Going to have to speak to the Sponsors on that one 

So yet again ...

Ligna ferre in silvam.

Nowt happened tonight other than checking the Biologicals, quick check Test Tubes all OK and give the pots a quick agitate and view 1 hr later.. OK I will take a picture or 2 ...tsk

But first, I would like to properly introduce you to another lil friend of mine, this is my lil pet core from Piltdown Golf Clubs 5th Green which was taken just before Christmas and I have been abusing ever since.

I first took this core to see if there were any Fungal reasons for what I was seeing so, I put it in a bag and made it sweat as I had seen somewhere that this was a way of stimulating fungal fruiting bodies, and boy, sweat it did .. BUT nothing, not a peep or a squeek, not even a hint of Fuzz.

So when I got bored with looking at it on my Desk for a couple of weeks I went to bin it... but as I pulled it out the bag and went to put it out the door I had a last good look and thought it just looked too good a bit of grass to chuck so I popped it in a polystyrene tray gave it some well needed water and placed it on the kitchen window sill. Now I thought I know, I will give it a little bio boost so I put a couple of Teaspoons of straight sugar in the water, in the tray and thought no more of it.
2 days later I come home to a very late dinner and an almighty bollocking, there had been some... issues.. apparently earlier when the Mrs came home the smell in the kitchen was awful, like someone had spilt half a pint of milk down the back of the cooker.. So out had come the cooker and all had been thoroughly cleaned but the smell was still there SO out came the fridge next.. still the smell until the realisation that it was my turf core, sat on the window sill...
So now I am banned from  keeping 'living' samples in the house and my core was relegated to the back door step... I did of course check to see as I wasn't having my grass put outside for nothing, and taking a deep sniff I nearly gagged.. it reeked of rotten milk, a lactic sickly stench.. Eeuuuww

Back in March I thought I would have a little inspect, see how it was fairing after a couple, of months, well it had been good weather for a week or so, grass was starting to kick off, lawn needed first trim to even up. To be fair it looked pretty good, sample had dried out probably more through the leaf than the air as it was nice but not that nice, so she had a top up of water and ... escalation.. 3! TABLESPOONS of Tate & Lyles finest.....

I also had a good look at it and .... No wonder you lot get thatch issues with this stuff, I am seriously impressed with Poa's resilience especially this year looking at Greens but rooting in mid air? This stuff could grow on clouds....

AS can be expected it proper kicked off after a couple of days so bad in fact had to move it from the back door for a bit.. until today, I thought I would check her again and she has given me a little present.... A nice little flower.. After all I have done.. bless

So as I thought yet again at its resilience I thought I would top it up again, noticing how the soil was pushing water away... Poa, you are naughty, you Super Exudator you...

You can almost see the surface tension here, if the core was any lighter I think it would have floated..

So it sat there all moist on the surface but not wetting after a couple of sugar rush events and I thought, it looks so good on JUST sugar, water and air...

You know what, lets give it some serious boosting, so a NEAT Gypflo/Pervade mix was poured over and then washed through/off ..... Lets see how you cope with that Poa... Pah

Right the main event... its late again.. so it will be brief...

Biologicals... These are coming along nicely even though its not quite what I expected

Ok.. 24hr old 1:5 Air Dried Soil : Distilled Water 1 hr after re-agitation

Left is cloudy, next clear as, next a little cloudy with last between 2 and 3...

Would consider checking sodicity properly at depth on #LMSM..

Mid zone, much the same result...

And the top... OK, repeating yesterday... this is where I start seeing the problem with soil coatings.... despite the time soaked, they are affecting the way soil and water interacts.. this has implications...

So I take the 'worst' and coincidentally the MOST Hydrophobic, #UKsFinest.. and give it another agitate, then I take the most 'willing' to interact, #LeanMeanSandedMachine and do the same... hhmmmm.

So AGAIN I come to my problem.... my issue... my ... madness..

It is April, these were taken in March but have been just the same ALL Winter, they have varying degrees of waxy coatings to the upper regions, still, NOW, its there, waiting.. to bite you all...

This ... 'No one seems to mind' effect is, will and has to affect the way water and soil interacts, to the point that, and this is where the 'day job' comes in, I think I am seeing drainage issues alongside it, the normal movement of water, gravitational and capillary are not happening as they should, they can't.

I am convinced that the worse the Hydrophobicity the worse surface stability has been, there is no cohesion between particles and when it is so wet it is saturated the surface is 'blowing' like it has been frozen, just there ain't been no penetrating frost over here this year...  

The lower regions are fine.. they like water...

Soil is not Hydrophobic, it is MADE Hydrophobic by the plant on top.

It has been the wettest Winter on record yet people are watering Greens already?!? If we hadn't had some rain in last week then you all would be at it...

AND THIS IS NOW.. in April.... What the hell is it going to be like in July if it is a warm one...

YOU ARE NOT TREATING HYDROPHOBICITY WITH YOUR SURFACTANTS!

You are just bypassing it, allowing it to super coat.... I think it is getting worse

But then I think a lot of things... Like what may ACTUALLY be causing all this... Hhhmmmm?

This is my .... Madness

If you get this far and are thinking.. 'WTF have I just read' then go to the beginning with the link below, it won't change your reaction any BUT it may just allow you to make some sense of above..
http://somethingstrangeisgoingon.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/ave-caesar-morituri-te-salutant.html