Good groundsmanship, like ‘green fingers’, is not accidental or some kind of magic but is based on the natural processes that occur within turfgrass
not raining.
a procedure which should not be scheduled strictly to a timetable because effective use of the technique depends so much on weather and usage levels.
Mowing
The two components of mowing are height of cut and frequency. Mowing height is, to a large extent, dictated by the perceived advantages to the game. Frequency determines what can be called the severity of cut which relates to the proportion of leaf tissue removed. A simple rule of thumb has been advocated with regard to the timing of mowing. This is that, irrespective of the height of cut, turf should be mown so that no more than one third of the uncut height is removed. The basis for this recommendation is to protect the energy balance of the grass plant. The greater the proportion of actively photosynthesising leaf tissue that is removed, the greater the shock to the plant and the longer it takes to return to
Spiking is possibly the best example of
full energy trapping potential. The total picture is complicated because, in turf culture for sport, the grass root system is as important as the above ground tissue. Roots depend for their growth and sustenance on energy fixed by the leaves and translocated to them. Any stress on light trapping by leaves will have a detrimental effect on roots. Low light itself creates stress of course and this is why turfgrass root systems in shaded pitches are sparse and weak. It is not just for the sake of leaves and topgrowth that the rule of thumb on mowing is useful but because it helps sustain the vigour of the root system. The natural seasonal growth pattern of mown turf with no nutrient limitation is an increase in growth with increase in temperature up until around June, then a levelling off followed by a decrease in late summer and early autumn. During late autumn, with falling temperatures, photosynthate is stored in stem bases and roots rather than being used for active growth. These stored non-structural carbohydrates are mobilised to provide energy for the early spring growth of
both tops and new roots. The annual pattern of growth means that the optimum frequency of mowing changes over the year. This presents a problem for the planning of mowing by mobile crews where administrators want to set a standard frequency through the growing season. There are many aspects to mowing besides the ones covered, but timing is the focus for this article. One final point worth mentioning, bearing in mind the dry summer of 2006, is that mowing should be avoided as much as possible in drought conditions. Again, this relates to avoiding stress so as to maximise the speed of recovery.
Nothing strikingly novel or new has been presented but, what this article reinforces is top class turf culture involves more than following a fixed timetable of routine activities. Good groundsmanship, like ‘green fingers’, is not accidental or some kind of magic but is based on an understanding of the natural processes that occur within turfgrass systems and how they can be managed to fulfil a defined function.
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