British Sugar TOPSOIL has announced the launch of its second new product this year, Sports & Turf – a free-draining winter turf dressing ideal for use on winter games pitches, golf tees and approaches, and domestic lawns.

Sports & Turf being applied to the lawns of Kings College, Cambridge.

Sports & Turf is a blend of 80% sand and 20% of British Sugar TOPSOIL’s BS3882:2015 certified topsoil. The sand is predominantly medium to coarse (67%) and sub angular in shape, which assists free drainage and promotes good integration into the surface of the turf. The soil within the blend contains both phosphorous and potassium, which contributes to soil fertility and encourages healthy growth. A typical analysis of the product’s texture is as follows:

Sports & Turf has been tested and analysed by the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) and they are now carrying out two replicated trials – on golf tee turf and on fairway turf – at their research facility in Bingley, West Yorkshire. The turf comprises grass species also commonly found in winter games pitches and lawns and the trials will test the effects of the topdressing treatment on grass growth, turf health, turf colour and surface playability.

The new topdressing, at three different application rates – 2 kg, 4kg and 6 kg/m2/year – will be compared with an untreated control and with the same three application rates of sand only, on both turf types. The initial applications of topdressing and sand were made in October with a second application planned for spring 2017. The trials will conclude at the end of June 2017.

Sports & Turf is also being trialled on the formal lawns of Kings College, Cambridge, where Senior Horticulturist Steve Coghill has recently applied 40 tonnes of the winter topdressing. Steve is responsible for the beautiful parkland that surrounds the historic Kings College. Working with British Sugar TOPSOIL he agreed to trial Sports & Turf on areas where the grass has suffered from compaction and poor drainage, and he has been delighted with the results so far:

“British Sugar TOPSOIL’s Sports & Turf is a fantastic dressing, promoting growth and helping improve drainage. It is also an excellent substrate for sports turf renovation and repair.”

www.britishsugar.com