Recommended wording for specifying rates of application

Pit Planting of Trees

Broadleaf P4 water-storing polymer granules to be homogeneously mixed into the planting medium at the rate of 1* gram per litre of planting pocket capacity'. (NB: If P4 is to be pre-blended with a tree-planting compost that will be mixed with soil backfill at a rate of 331/3%, the P4 should be incorporated into the compost at the rate of 3* grams per litre in order to achieve the required rate of 1* gram per litre of pocket capacity. If the compost:backfill ratio is to be 25:75 then the pre-blend rate should be 4* grams of P4 per litre of compost).

Root-ball trees: If root-ball trees are to be planted, reduce the amount of P4 to be applied by 25% to allow for the volume of the root-ball

High Density Planting (ground cover, shrub beds, bedding plants etc)

'Broadleaf P4 water-storing polymer granules to be applied to the soil at 100* grams per M2 and cultivated in to the top 20 or 30 cms.'

Notch or Slit Planting

'Broadleaf P4 water-storing polymer to be sprinkled into the open notch or slit at the rate of 2-5 grams per planting station' (depending upon the size of the plant and/or the notch).

Containerised Stock Planting

'Excavate a planting pocket double the size of the original pot or container volume and blend Broadleaf P4 water-storing polymer into the planting medium immediately surrounding the root ball at the rate of 1* gram per litre'. (e.g. for a 10 litre container, excavate a 20 litre pocket & blend 10* grams of polymer into the 10 litres of planting medium surrounding the 10 litre root-ball).

Raised Planting Beds, Planting Tubs, Interiorscapes

'Broadleaf P4 water-storing polymer granules to be homogeneously mixed with the planting medium at the rate of 1* gram per litre of planting medium'

Window Boxes, Hanging Baskets

'Broadleaf P4 water-storing polymer granules to be homogeneously mixed into the compost (or other growing medium) at the rate of 1.75* grams per litre of compost.'

Turfgrass

Establishment Rate: 'Apply 20* grams of Broadleaf P4 granules per M2 and cultivate into the top 5 cms. Apply the seed (or turf) and irrigate to field capacity to ensure the soil and P4 are fully charged with water.' (This rate will ensure quick establishment of seeds or turf).

Maintenance Rate: 'Apply 50* grams of Broadleaf P4 granules per M2 for fine turf, (100* grams per M2 for coarse turf) and cultivate into the top 20 or 30 cms. Apply the seed (or turf) and irrigate to field capacity to ensure the soil and P4 are fully charged with water.' (This rate will improve establishment and reduce irrigation and fertiliser requirements for the longer term).

*ARID AND SEMI-ARID CONDITIONS

Where hot, dry conditions cause very high rates of evapo-transpiration, multiply all the above application rates marked * by the amounts shown in the table below, according to the salinity of the irrigation water:

Electrical Conductivity of irrigation water in mS/cm-1. Approximate Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in mg/l in brackets
  4 (2,500) 7 (4,500) 16 (10,250)
Increase above rates marked * by: x2 x3 x4