Flick through the pages of gardening magazines at this time of year and chances are they’ll feature a step-by-step guide on getting lawns into shape. While some lawncare products have evolved beyond recognition in recent years, gardeners are still being advised to kill moss with sulphate of iron, the active ingredient in lawn sand, then set about ripping dead moss from grass via the back-breaking process of scarification or hand raking. Not to mention, the problem of getting rid of the debris removed.
Not only is this route to a greener lawn labour intensive, in an era when consumers are demanding easy and chemical-free gardening solutions, but it’s also unnecessary. Sulphate of iron turns moss black, which can make lawns look unsightly. If applied without care, it can damage border plants and stain patios and garden furniture. And that’s before the mammoth task of grabbing a lawn rake and pulling dead moss from the turf which, if carried out before the moss is completely dead, you can actually spread moss spores and make the situation worse as sulphate of iron is only a contact killer.
Surely there must be an easier solution?
MO Bacter organic Lawn Fertiliser – from Vivano and exclusively distributed in the UK by DJ Turfcare – is an innovative slow-release feed that cleverly digests moss without the need to scarify a lawn. Endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society, the UK’s leading gardening charity, it can be applied between March and October, offering a long season of use.
Its clever formulation offers five key benefits for the home gardener: it leaves no mess or staining, moss doesn’t need to be raked out and it’s safe for use in gardens where children and pets are present. Active bacteria transform dead moss into feed, while a slow-release fertiliser ensures that lawns are kept nourished for up to 100 days.
DJ Turfcare’s David Jenkins says: “MO Bacter contains special bacteria found naturally in the soil which digests unsightly moss and turns it into healthy plant food. This eliminates the need to rake dead moss from lawns – a labour-intensive chore that many gardeners despise, whilst also removing the need for gardeners needing to dispose of a large amount of debris. And for added peace of mind, MO Bacter will not stain surfaces or furniture in the garden.”
In another example of how MO Bacter breaks from conventional gardening wisdom, David explains: “There is a clear disparity between what consumers are told, versus the type of product innovation that is currently on the market. Traditional expert advice has been to apply a high-nitrogen fertiliser in spring which makes lawns grow rapidly. While this creates a good show in the short term, it leads to more mowing. Because the lawn’s energy is focused on leaf production, it weakens the root. However, MO Bacter is a balanced fertiliser which feeds the roots first, leading to a healthy grass plant that has the strength to compete with further invasions of moss. The long-term result is a healthy lawn.”
With MO Bacter already established as a proven seller, this consumer favourite presents an ideal opportunity for retailers to expand their lawncare offering, to cater for consumers who are increasingly demanding chemical-free products that carry the promise of a healthy, green lawn. The innovation that brought MO Bacter to market has resulted in a true stand-out product that offers garden centres the potential to drive sales growth in the lawncare category, while demonstrating a trustworthy alternative to traditional chemical-based lawn feed and moss control products.
MO Bacter is part of the Viano family of premium quality organic fertilisers, established in Belgium in 1948 and distributed in the UK by Surrey-based DJ Turfcare. Viano fertilisers improve soil structure by increasing organic matter and stimulating soil organisms. Unlike chemical-based products, organic fertilisers don’t dissolve quickly but instead are broken down by micro-organisms in the soil, resulting in better plant growth and development with no leaching.
Crucially, Viano organic feeds won’t burn the grass plants, if not watered in, and they don’t contain any risky organic waste materials. It’s a winning formula that’s good for an increasingly eco-focused generation of gardeners, for retailers to grow sales of lawncare products, and of course for the environment.
Find out more
To find out more about DJ Turfcare please visit www.djturfcare.co.uk or call 01483 200976.
The DJ Turfcare team will also be attending the annual Glee trade exhibition this September (14th – 16th, NEC Birmingham), where garden retailers can find out more about the company’s market-leading offering.
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