sixteen match wickets and four practice wickets
... the square at St Anne’s provides
was then overseeded with a mix of rye grasses and fertilised using a Scotts granular 7:0:14 product. Over the years Andy has experimented with different methods to control Poa and other weed species. He is now beginning to see a reduction in weed grasses on the square; it has gone down from 60% to less than 5% in three years. Now the square has been put to bed Andy concentrates his time on the outfield, often an area that gets neglected at some clubs. Being by the sea, the outfield at St Anne’s is predominantly a sandy soil with over 80% content in its profile. This makes it an ideal free draining turf. However, during warm spells, it is prone to drying out. Until the club introduced a new irrigation system a lot of grass was lost in the summer months. A number of drought resistant grasses
were trialed to overcome the problem. However, to protect the grass during dry periods, Andy has been encouraging about 6 mm of thatch in his outfield. Each year the outfield is hollowed cored to maintain thatch levels, aid
aeration and restore levels. The cores are brushed back into the surface using drag mats and brushes. Aeration is a key activity at St Anne’s
where the outfield is spiked regularly during the winter. The square also receives some aeration which, when conditions are right, is undertaken on a fortnightly basis trying to get down below 150 mm. However, aeration is ceased after January.
The outfield is cut with a ride on triple mower allowing the clippings to fly which helps to create some desired thatch formation. The sward is mown at 12 mm during the summer and raised to 15 mm during the winter. The square is maintained at 8 mm in the summer and 15 mm in the winter.
Maintenance of the facility has been made easier with the introduction of a new automated pop up system that serves both the square and outfield. In fact the investment has nearly paid for itself because the sward remains healthy, requiring less inputs to replace dead and dying grasses which, prior to the installation, was a regular occurrence after dry periods.
Now that the renovations have been put to bed Andy is hoping for some quiet time to plan the next improvement works, which will probably see the square being Koro’d to remove some minor undulations.
I suppose the next time I visit I will need to call in at Blackpool CC and compare facilities. I am sure, however, that the hard work and commitment Andy puts in at St Anne’s is replicated at Blackpool.
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