Green Concept

Melspring products and services are all part of "the green concept" as developed by Melspring. This concept is concentrated around the plant and has three distinct characteristics which are based upon the ecological and economical management of the turf with visible results, namely: ammonium nutrition, active organic matter and buffering capacity in the soil. The Marathon fertilizers were the first series of products, based upon these agronomic concepts. The mode of action and the production method have been patented within the E.U.

1. Ammonium take by the plant leads to:

tillering of grass instead of lenght growth
increased numbers of active roots
resilient and dense turf

activation of bacterial dominated soil life
increase of disease resistance due to competition
balance in organic matter

balance in moisture supply and drainage
mobilization of bonded nutrients
constantly available nutrients

defence against fungal and insect infestation
a higher tolerance to drought, heat, salt
better redistribution and transport of nutrients to most needed plant parts

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Background information on sustainable turf maintenance is given below

Organic matter

Organic matter in soil has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are the retention of moisture and nutrients and the structure and stability of the soil. The disadvantages are excessive water retention and compaction of the soil. Also fungal domination can become a problem when the organic matter gets too stable. These disadvantages are experienced most often under intensive grass use. It is important to ensure a balance. Knowledge can help with this. Read more

Hard turf or soft growth?

Nitrogen is the main element for the growth of plants and grass. Nitrogen occurs in several forms in the soil. The way in which nitrogen is absorbed defines for a large part the way the grass or plant grows, whether through cell division or through cell elongation. Read more

C/N ratio

Le rapport C/N de la matière organique ou du sol détermine l’énergie potentielle et l’azote stockés dans ces substances. Plus le rapport est élevé, plus il est difficile de libérer l’énergie. Plus le rapport est bas, plus il est facile de mobiliser l’azote et d’utiliser l’énergie Read more

CEC - nutrient buffer capacity

A sufficiently high CEC (clay/humus complex) is important for environmentally sound turf management. Nutrients are buffered by CEC, reducing the leaching of nutrients. Read more

Calcium

Calcium gives strength to the plant and structure to the soil. Calcium is often unavailable despite a high calcium content in the soil. This has to do with the pH. Liquid calcium is therefore often administered to the leaf. The effect is then greatly reduced because calcium is almost exclusively incorporated into the plants by cell division. Read more

pH

The pH of the soil determines whether or not nutrients can be absorbed and to what extent. In addition, the soil life is also influenced by pH. Both in terms of activity and fungal or bacterial dominance. Grasses also have their preference for certain pH ranges. Read more

Grasses

Grass exists in many varieties. Research is being done by grass seed companies to make the turf as suitable as possible for its intended purpose. This allows the user a choice of different strains and varieties. Besides the characteristics of these grasses it is also important to know how these grasses can be maintained. Knowledge of the needs of the grasses can help to adopt the right measures. Read more

Re-use of organic residual materials

Sustainable turf care means taking into consideration the products used. Known origin, low C/N value are key quality aspects on the organically based products of Melspring Green Care. Read more

Soil Analysis

Winter time is the ideal time for a soil analysis. There is a lull in the grass development and because of the lower temperatures, the mineralization rate is also low. Nutrients, normally present in the soil solution, have been used or leached. This gives a good insight into the nutrient status of the soil. Read more