Beneficial fungi like Mycorrhiza are useful in other areas of the garden as well as making sure that the roots of the plants are well provided with phosphate. Two other areas that will interest the keen gardener are lawn thatch and pool treatment products.
Keeping your lawn in good heart
Product Thatch Eating Lawn Treatment Concentrate
Thatch in lawns is what it says it is. A layer of dead material made up of old horizontal stems. If the layer is up to about 1 cm then its a good thing as it gives the lawn a bit of bounce and will still let the water and nutrients get into the soil. It also acts a bit like a mulch to keep the soil covered.
However, once it builds up to about an inch it starts to form a waterproof layer. Rainwater runs off the lawn instead of finding it’s way down into the root zone.
It will also start to block the growth of new grass. The stem of the grass growing through the thatch becomes yellow, and makes the grass weak and liable to fungal attack.
Traditionally it’s dealt with by raking/ – scarifying - in the autumn. However we now have an alternative approach in which we can add a mixture of beneficial fungi and bacteria in an organic substrate. So it
- Restores a dense green hard wearing lawn
- Provides strong healthy root systems
- Degrades thatch and converts it to nutrient
Means that the lawn dries out faster after rain
Helps rapid establish of new lawns - Helps repair damage due to wear an tear
How it works
- Bacteria and fungi degrade thatch and turn dead grass into humus and nutrient for future growth
- The bacteria and fungi form a barrier round the root system to help block pathogenic fungi
- The bacteria and fungi create a good environment for establishment of new seeds
- The healthy plant with access to more nutrient grows faster
- The healthy plant is less susceptible to stress and draught
How to use it
Existing lawns require about 1kg per 2,000m2 applied twice a year, once in spring once in summer during, applied before rain or watered in to activate microbes.
The product contains Fungi (Including trichoderma commonly used in horticulture to help seed germination). Bacteria and an inorganic substrate
The substrate may be added to any fertiliser or other lawn treatment e.g. organic fertiliser, if mixed with a granular fetiliser it should be premixed with about 3% by volume of animal feed molasses, seaweed meal or similar to ensure distribution.
Keeping your pond clear
Product Blue Water for Garden Ponds, Fish Ponds and Small Lake
This product deals with the issue of keeping the water in your ponds clear. Basically it
- Prevents the growth of unicellular algae, blanket weed and duck weed,
- Reduces organic silt from decaying plants and fish waste,
- Prevents odours and smells
- Encourages the growth of rooted aquatic plants in silt or planting pots
- Is harmless to fish, amphibians and invertebrates.
How it works
- Bacteria use the available nitrate and phosphate before the algae can use it as food
- Bacteria degrades and mineralises the organic silt that forms from dead plants and fish waste
- Bacteria selected for their ability to degrade organic waste and use nitrate and phosphate for their own metabolism.
We have two products Fizzy tablets for small ponds and Symbio Blue water for ponds greater than 25 cubic metres
How to use it
Fizzy tabs for smaller ponds need to be used at the rate of
- 2 – 4 tablets per month for < 500 litres
- 4-8 tablet per month for 500-5000 litres
- 8-10 tablets per month for 5000-20000 litres
There are 20 tablets in a tube which retails at £20 per tube.
For larger ponds we offer Blue Water Junior
Apply one sachet per 25 cubic metres of water every 3-4 weeks starting in early summer when the water temperature reaches 10oC. For very polluted ponds start with 2 sachets.
We currently retail this at £23 per tub containing 6 sachets. You can buy it here.
