Fac recte et nil time.

Ok I am steaming steaming angry really.... 25 bloody years at this game... Sweat, grief, weather, stress and bollocks ..... lots of bollocks..... What do I know eh... What could I possibly know... Well nowt it seems cos NO ONE is bloody listening or they are too far up their own backsides to want to hear.

Disregard me, belittle me, DISRESPECT me, don't listen to what I may be saying, make me feel like you are looking down and sneering at what I am trying to get across because arrogance or closed mindedness is blinkering your over indoctrinated brain, what could some oik of a dirty nobody contractor possibly be able tell you all.....
I am sick and tired of people 'cherry picking' snippets of information, ignoring the big picture, common sense and lets face it without ACTUALLY looking and then trying to beat you with it..... Well screw em... my patience is wearing thin, and I find myself increasingly having to take a deep breath when my head is screaming....... I hope I can hold this in.

Well whatever happens I will say it and ask the questions again and again and again.....  Have we got it right? Is what the 'Industry' saying is 'The Way'.. 'They Way'? Because from where I am standing I am seeing surfaces that are following Thatch and Decompaction management routes either fall apart and destabilise or becoming yearly junkies for whatever method is this years 'vogue'. I am seeing surfaces that should be beaten not beaten and copious amounts of sand dressing making thatch worse.. NOT BETTER.. I am seeing far too many surfaces that should be beaten at a different time opened up and then falling apart as they become saturated screwing with soil health and more importantly destabilised... TOO DEEP TOO LATE JUST BEFORE WET.... STOP IT!..
We need to 'vent' I used to hate that phrase but it is SO relevant, shallow small light opening of the turf to let some trapped air out from beneath is all we should be doing now, save the big stuff for the Spring or Summer or when it settles to a cold (if ever!) spell.. STOP making them loose so they soak up, stop adding all this sand that sucks water in and holds it.. Leave them firm and let it ease in.. Decompact later.
Soil temps are still above 9.5 degs, Biology is trying to do its thing, it still needs a little assistance, but no more than a few inches deep....
And as I have said there are a few who are doing this already, some for an age, some are thinking this is the way and increasingly people are trying it, I know of some who are standard on one course whilst the other they are trying it out. The Greens are looking better for it... Now there's a thought eh... Lets ignore the science, go against industry 'recommendations' lets use our eyes, COMMON SENSE and ... wait........ what's that? .. Surfaces are better you say... Well who would have thought it eh, must be something else, can't be right though because all the 'Experts' say you should do it this way and that... Well SCREW THE EXPERTS then! Until they can start showing me that they have things right after all this time I have no collective respect for them.

At far too many courses it still isn't working ... Thatch is a symptom.. stop dealing with bloody symptoms and start to identify, amend and treat the underlying problems cos I am seeing Greens with no/low thatch % look the same and feel the same as Greens with a supposed thatch problem.

What is more important is STOP chucking all the 'Glitter' on... like where did this explosion of need for Wetting Agents come from, 15 years ago it was an odd tablet now it's a monthly thin this or fat that or penetratingcurativestickywatercoatingparticles bollox.. STOP IT!.. Yes a targeted Penetrant WILL possibly help moisture movement and potentially kickstart the basis of drainage, ie a water molecule dragging a molecule but WHY do we have to keep restarting this every month? Is that how water movement in soils has happened for millennia?

My 'problem' with Wetters is if they are 'thinning' water then 'thin' water sliding past soil particles carries nowt so all the normal things that are carried through in soil solution aren't, you know salts.. and waste, organic exudates.. What's that I hear.. yes one of the things that they are supposed to be used to treat the consequence of, well wouldn't it be bloody ironic if their use was exasperating the problem.

And the Curative's... love these, lets pour an Acid on and flush these coatings further down the soil profile where they can not be processed by 'normal' healthy biological means....

But the ultimate sin we as an industry are guilty of committing is blindly following Nutrient indoctrination thats manipulated and loaded so you keep chucking it on.... N, P, K, Macros Micros, Fe especially.... Iron ... EVERYONE is chucking Fe on, for this and for that.... WHY? Its everywhere in soil where I see problems... Coincidence?
http://www.gcsaa.org/gcm-magazine/2014/april/iron-cemented-layers-in-putting-green-soils

If you are not aware already then you really need to start to consider what you are applying, to what level and most importantly how often.. It is the Consequence of Excess that creates or contributes to MOST of the issues outside of wear we all see in managed turf.
Growth Potential or as we all used to call it 25 years ago Spoon or Trickle Feeding before it got jazzed up is without a shadow of doubt the ONLY way, little, often and based on the plants actual needs, replace and replenish NOT overstimulate or excess.
If you are of mind the biggest eye opener for all that can afford is sign up to The Global Soil Survey
global_soil_survey
and be surprised, for those that can't then just research and understand MLSN, see if this may be for you, MLSN
this is the MINIMUM nutrient 'guide' for healthier soil, healthier soil will be happier soil, happier soil performs better making you sleep better at night.......
The form of Nutrient we all apply is critically important here too, Organic/Inorganic its all sugar rush when you chuck loads on, its the simple little and often that's KEY

It ain't Rocket Science people, start opening your minds that 'The Industry' may not be quite right about methods, especially about amounts and certainly about timings, open your eyes and actually start to LOOK at the soil, how it feels when its happy and when its sad, how it smells, start thinking and start taking back control of your surfaces.

Now if you are sitting here and thinking 'what a lot of old bollox' and HONESTLY say that your surfaces are bang on the money with no issues then you are either on a Links or I tip my hat FULLY at you Sir or Madam, I would love to come and see and learn and listen to what you do somewhen and fully understand how your canny management can be shared with the guys who are having tough days and a few too many sleepless nights.

Finally for all you who got sucked in to the Carbendazim 'debacle'....... HAHAHAhahahahahhaha! Oh my oh my.. I feel for you guys I really do.. Blatant scaremongering, misinformation and profiteering by the majority of the Chem Industry, They must have all been laughing their socks off when they suddenly 'found' all those last minute 'Stocks' hiding in the back of a store somewhere..
For those trade reading this (is there any though?) if you can GENUINELY state you didn't run with it and not sell 1 litre more than you would have normally to anyone then fair play to you, I tip my hat and apologise for the misrepresentation, to EVERY one of you who sold ANY more than you would have normally to someone... SHAME on you.... the increasingly DIRTY 'feel' to this part of the industry means that people are starting to question the trust that is put in what you all say... You make your own beds Gents.....
Anyway it will be all fine people Normal Carbendazim Service will be resumed by the Spring.....

Breath... must breath......... Aaaagh thats better