“AMG is the real Millwall of grass species, no one likes it, but it doesn’t care!”


equipment you need to use. Contractors are also an excellent option. They don’t all drive around in untaxed vans and disappear with your cheque before the job’s done! Talk to other clubs in your area and see who they have used, and compare experiences, there really are some good ones out there. You can always ask to see their previous work, even inspect their machinery and credentials, then you will feel far happier spending your club’s funds.


When it comes to loam, seed and fertiliser, make the same investigations as you would do for a contractor. There are many sources for all of these products out there (including, of course, the Pitchcare shop!), so get quality and value for your money, just the same as if you were comparing Curry’s and Tesco’s for the latest plasma 52” TV you bought for watching the Test Match.


We are a bit short of funds this year, so what if I don’t renovate?


There is only one answer to this question. No, no, no, no and no! If one of your committee, chairman or


president sidles up to you in the bar and buys you a beer, then beware, he may be about to ask you the same question. And how can you insist upon doing


‘proper’ end of season renovations? You explain the consequences of not renovating, that is what you do. By having a PQS assessment done, or completing one yourself, you are armed with the issues that bedevil your square. If you find that you have thatch lurking in the upper reaches of your profile, remind your friendly committee how they are always demanding more pace and bounce. With 10-20mm of fibrous dead matter lurking just under the surface, you can carry out as much pre-season rolling as you like (clearly you will only do as much as the Cranfield Report suggests!), and the profile will simply ‘spring back’ to its former state with the mattress effect that thatch has on a square. The long desired pace and bounce


106


will quickly become pitch and roll or, alternatively, it might create a spongy unsatisfactory surface that will allow the ball to bite into it and bounce vertically - a pretty scarey possibility, especially in this age of ‘where there’s blame, there’s a claim’.


Seeing any player escorted from the field clutching their mouth, with blood dripping through their fingers, is an experience none of us wants to experience.


Also, leaving bare areas is as good as sending out an invitation to different weed species to invade and colonise your square. Plantains on a length is a similarly scarey notion, whilst dandelions and daisies love to have space to breathe and deny grass species the opportunity to grow.


So, there we have it.


Insist on good renovation practice and you will reap the benefits. Buy the best seed you can afford. It is, after all, the essence of what we are trying to create, and, by saving a tenner on grass seed, how much extra expense will you be creating by having to do extra hours of work on the square? Make sure you have compatible loam, and then work it into the surface during renovations. Don’t just let it sit on top, like a thin film, waiting to explode once a cricket ball lands on it next April. Look carefully at the kinds of feed you use. Don’t go for the so called miracle cures, unless you can see the results of their use on other, similar surfaces. Spend your club’s money as if it were your own, it’s taken an awful long time to raise those funds and will be equally as difficult next year.


So, good luck with all of your end of season work. By assessing the issues carefully, and addressing them efficiently in the autumn, it is possible to save many, many hours of toil the following year. Not only does it save time, but it helps create a noticably improved square that your fellow club members will appreciate for months and years to come.


F words about the ‘R’ word!


Phil Frost gives us his views on end of season renovations


A


budgets and resources and, when asked to write this article, I have to be careful, especially in the current financial climate. But, end of season maintenance is the most important task carried out and needs to be done to a good standard. If not, the results can end up more expensive to repair than the cost cutting. End of season renovations need to start as quickly as possible. Soil, seed, fertiliser and equipment all need to be organised well in advance to catch that late summer heat in the soil, which will affect germination rate greatly. The first task undertaken is to cut and trim the square with a cylinder mower, boxing off the clippings. I am not a groundsman who likes dealing in heights of cut, this is usually governed by how much grass is on the square and how thick it is, but don’t be afraid to shave it! After the cut, heavy scarification begins,


starting horizontally, then two diagonal directions and, finally, in the direction of play. All debris is thoroughly cleared on every pass - this is very important. Don’t be afraid to be brutal with the square. Different pitch preparation techniques cause thatch and debris build up over the season, and this has to be removed properly. If not, the consequences are expensive, either by koroing or fraise mowing and, in extreme cases, dug up and relaid. Not a clever option in the current economic climate. Don’t be afraid. I have seen many


Grass Seed


Identifying the best grass seed is very important. I have always believed you can mask inferior soil with a good covering of grass. It can take years to find the right seed for your square. For many years at Taunton, I used 100% Elica, a dwarf perennial rye grass, and it worked a treat. But, in the late 90s, it became unavailable and it took many years to find something


ll clubs have their own methods and techniques for renovating their square, most often dictated by


groundsmen over the years who are afraid to be heavy handed with the scarifier. Don’t worry, it will recover.


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