In bello parvis momentis magni casus intercedunt.

Can't believe it's nearly 8 weeks since I last scrawled on here, but then a lot has gone on in that time, busy at home, busy at work, busy with this obsession, failing to get a lot of anything done...
Have had some rough days since a cold set in couple of months back, Hughes Syndrome is doing my head, literally, memory is shot to pieces, concentration levels around 5% and it feels at times like someone has turned a tap on and filled my legs with blood they so heavy but after 6 month catch up with Hematologist I got myself a trip to Guys to see the Top Doc and find out what can be done.
This is a fraudulent condition, makes you feel like you're taking the piss but you feel so exhausted and your body so heavy any exertion knocks you on your back, your head does not work properly, I used to be disorganised... now.. now .... what was I saying?.. oh yes if I don't write it down it may not happen!!

ANYWAYs... what has happened since last ramble.. Oh yes a selection of the cores as was afforded were sent off to a little place near Basingstoke to have a range of tests done. Now this is the serious expensive proper geeky know what they are doing stuff and only possible because of the support of a few close associates who have seen the same shadows so they will get a little anonymous mention in dispatches as the next stage after this only has some credibility in these test results because of them.
I will of course be naming and shaming them if I am subsequently hung drawn and quartered for making a tit of myself with this.
I now have to put all this together to some form of legible mish mash and see if it makes any sense at the end but yet again my ... greenness .. inexperience.. limitations of equipment and ability along with lack of time have slowed things a touch, one critical (I think) part of this was incomplete due to a supply issue and when an alternative was located results were so different it was scary..

So you wonder how accurate an indicator on these 3 samples the tests were and if you can't be certain, you can't trust it or you need to verify.

RANT!
Ok it has become clear through my own inadequacies and by further researching or checking with others that some of the information provided by Soil Analysis is deemed to be Gospel Science by plebs like me, well it would do wouldn't it its all proper and data and number like isn't it... Really?!?
Different protocols, lab staff changes, slight alterations on methodology or even just a change in lab will throw differing results no more or less varied than you taking 2 samples 10ft apart as they could just as easily be a mile apart.
Any information like this should only be used as a guide, a snapshot, an indicator, a comparison and consistency will be dependant on so many factors. If you wonder what I am on about take a sample, w pattern, out a stack, whatever, send it to different people and you will potentially get completely different results back... YET we all believe this stuff is Gospel According to the Geeks, it isn't...

Back on track.. SO I had to spend a little money on some gadgets after spending a bit of money on something that was not remotely ... trustable.. so now I have a bit of catching up to do redoing a selection of readings... Nice..

Oh yes I also learnt how to use a Buchner Funnel.. I like... well I sort of like if the soil is not too clayey as I only have a little pump (story of my life that) so suction is limited (another story of my life that) so brilliant when it comes to highly sand dominant rootzones or soils if you want to extract stuff.... I think.. looking at how I can use this to improve results in the future, 1:1 soaks now rather than 4:1 to get stuff out and hopefully easier conversions to realistic ratings.
I think what is going to be clear is due to my 'protocols' what I see/say/show can only be related to the other results and that is one of the main 'tacks' it ain't what the numbers say, its how they compare to each other.....

I have however been playing with a couple of 'off the shelf' products to see how they benefit or negate turf .. by 'off the shelf' I mean off the shelf at Tescos btw.. love it its all Mad Manx Mikes fault... There is a whole world of change out there just awaiting.

 This is the fire scorched area which has had some... assistance of sorts, to recovery

  

Mind you I am a mere dabbler compared to the new Scratch & Sniff Golf Guru Phil.... What this bloke won't try and put through his sprayer ain't worth thinking about..... Chutney next I reckon... or Fudge... Devon Fudge?.. Hahahaha

Now you might look at this and scoff, thinking it's a little scruffy, all those clippings BUT that is the 4th, yes 4th! cut the Tees needed THIS WEEK! Work in progress one thinks, it WILL settle it's just the fact that it has cost only a few pounds to stimulate this.....

Roll on the Global Soil Survey stuff turning up, Weather Station going in and his getting onto managing this place based on GP and MLSN..... THE future love it 

Oh yes and I managed to convince the good people at BLEC Global that they needed a new machine to sell.... And the Multi-Spray was born...

Now to be fair this was an evolution of someone elses cunning plan to fit an IBC onto a rotoknife rather than my brainwave, that's Manx Mike for you, I just thought about how it could be improved for Golf and Fineturf and after 9 months of badgering somehow convinced Gary to take it to the next level and actually make it! See the way I look at it is IF you want to put any 'product' on that should be in the soil it ain't doing no good on the leaf.. Sooo how do you improve the efficiency of getting stuff into the soil.. simples increase your surface area, how do you do that effectively..... DeDaaaaaa!
This is the Mk1, it was made a less than a week before BTME and a quick tank thrown on top, it will be modded to have a larger tank AND at the suggestion of a top Groundsman will have an optional brush fitted for those moments when you JUST want to Sorrel Roll, so Mr Mumby has truly another Multi-tool
Damn so should have discussed design fees first shouldn't I!?!
There is also another clever clever bloke out there called Bill Ellis who has completely separately and without any cross influence done exactly the same principle by fitting a Sprayer to one of BLEC's Axarators, a beast of a machine for Pitch Works which can effectively and quickly treat a full Rugby pitch in under three Quarters of an hour!

Thats it really, boring as hell I know.. I now have a week of redoing things to be sure, a couple of added things to check if relevant or not then it all needs putting down on paper .....

Then I start on this lot......
Sorry Phil I sort of killed a couple of these too...........

If I have forgotten anything... its fine I have a Doctors Note.. I will add to the next one

Be safe people