“Most of the cricket squares are now showing good growth”
Thursday 7th September and this had its first mow just three weeks later. Most of the squares that
we renovate have been done by us for several years now. The last four years we have used a tractor mounted Graden in three directions, two diagonals and the third in the line of play. We usually scarify to a depth of 3 to 6mm, just deep enough for the seed to sit in, because we have carried out the renovation on a regular basis and most of the underlying rubbish has already been removed. If we are renovating for the first time, then I usually aim to achieve around 12mm on the final pass. It is very doubtful that any machinery has reached this depth in the past, so I feel it is very beneficial. We then clean up the arisings with a couple of passes of the p.t.o. powered Sisis Litamina; sometimes three passes are required. The grass seed is then applied at approximately 4 to 5 Kg per wicket. This is done by either a cyclone machine or the Sisis Variseeder, whichever the ground conditions allow. The square is then usually
spiked, if ground allows, using the Groundsman vertical action machine, fitted with old 3/8” tines, to between 25 to 35 mm. A 4.6.8 fertiliser is then applied at an average rate of 2.5 Kg per wicket before the loam is applied with an old Sisis land wheel driven top dresser. We usually aim to apply about six bags per
wicket. Finally, we attach a six foot dragmat to the tractor and drag this across the square in all directions, usually finishing in the line of play. This mat has level bars to the front and rear and does a great job, especially when it comes to levelling any hollows around the batting/bowling ends. If the levels of a square look especially bad, we will often drag a ladder across the line of play. This, drags loam from any high points and deposits it in low spots. We then pray for a drop of rain, but not too much though, we do not want the next job rained off. We could not have booked better weather than we had in this part of the world this autumn.
Most of the cricket squares
are now showing good growth and will probably need mowing during the next fortnight. The grass was up within six days on the relaid wickets and that is without any germination sheets.
A village club, up the road
from me, was paid a visit by some stray horses who just had to inspect the six wicket square, didn’t they! That made a real mess of the top dressing, so next spring could be interesting! Generally speaking, I think our squares will be in great condition next spring, because they have had such a good start. This will mean all our teams having excellent surfaces to play on in 2007.
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