Technical Artificial tennis surfaces
It is vital to keep tennis playing surfaces clean and free from debris to avoid possible injury to players.
Many artificial, sand filled courts are not cleaned regularly, mainly due to the fact that they were sold, mistakenly, as maintenance free facilities. However, these courts require regular brushing and cleaning to keep the pile upright and prevent contamination of the sand infill materials.
Astro type systems: Keep surface clean
with regular sweeping and brushing. Remove any algae and moss from surface. Sand filled systems require regular brushing to maintain manufacturer's recommendations on sand levels and pile heights.
American Fast Dry courts: Keep surface clean, rolling to consolidate surface, levelling and brushing of fast dry materials, brushing to clean lines.
Clay courts: Keep surface clean, regular sweeping and brushing to restore playing levels using SISIS Trulute or similar.
encourages it to tiller and thicken up.
A dose of fertiliser will help promote growth. Ensure there is plenty of moisture in the soil profile to activate the fertiliser and allow it to enter the root system.
Many rugby union clubs resume training in July, so it is important to get the pitches ready and prepared for the return of the players; there may be a need to set out and mark training grids and practice areas.
Check you have enough marking materials and ensure your linemarker is fit for purpose.
RUGBY
WORK required on rugby pitches will be dictated by the code of rugby you are playing.
Rugby League pitches are still in use for matches, therefore the programme of work will be geared up for presenting pitches for games and repairing after games.
As for rugby union clubs, they have, or should have, completed their end of season renovations, so the work will be geared around promoting new grass growth and maintaining a uniform height of cut
Many rugby clubs do not have adequate irrigation systems to water their pitches during spells of dry weather and are solely reliant on rain, therefore their grass swards will be under stress, grass growth will slow down, with some rye grasses going to seed.
You may need to raise the height of cut, especially if you are cutting between 25- 35mm; leaving a little extra grass on will help the grass plant in times of drought.
July
Continue to cut and feed the grass on a regular basis; too often I see clubs stop cutting their pitches once the playing season is over, allowing it to grow uncontrollably.
Keeping it mown at a manageable height August
Generally, August sees the start of pre-season matches. The focus will be on mowing and preparing the turf surfaces for play. Grass heights will vary depending on the type of mowers used, however, most will be looking to maintain a height of cut between 25mm and 75mm.
Particular attention should be made to irrigation regimes, for those who have access to water, ensuring that all areas are watered uniformly to promote healthy growth. Make sure that divoting takes place straight after play finishes, because divots will dry and die very quickly in the hot weather.
Irrigation will be a priority, especially if maintaining newly sown or turfed areas. It is important that these areas do not dry out and die. It is important to ensure that the water gets down into the rootzone to encourage deep rooting. Allowing areas to dry out can lead to problems of dry patch, a condition that prevents water infiltration into the soil, thus forming areas of non-uniform turf quality.
Inspect installations for leaks.
Most groundstaff will be applying a summer NPK fertiliser, perhaps something like a 12:0:9, to maintain grass colour and vigour. A slow release fertiliser could be applied to see you through August and September.
TENNIS
THE Wimbledon fortnight will have no doubt stimulated many to get out and play some tennis. Coupled with the long daylight hours outdoor tennis facilities will no doubt be busy coping with the demand, especially clubs with grass courts.
Evapotranspiration rates will be high in July, water losses can be between 4-6mm a day. Irrigate uniformly and ensure you replace what has been lost. It is important to ensure that the water gets down deep into the rootzone, to a minimum of 150mm to encourage deep rooting. Check with a probe. Allow to dry out and repeat the irrigation process.
Allowing surfaces to remain dry for a period of time can lead to problems of dry patch, a condition that prevents water infiltration into the soil and thus forming areas of non- uniform turf quality.
To help overcome dry patch, the use of wetting agents has now become an integral part of the maintenance regime, with applications being applied on a monthly basis throughout the summer.
July
This month sees the continuation of regular maintenance tasks - grass cutting, grooming, brushing, aerating, feeding and watering.
Particular attention should be made to your irrigation regimes, ensuring that all turf surfaces receive adequate amounts of water to maintain turf growth.
Groundstaff will also be trying to maintain the sward height at between 6-10mm depending on the level of play.
Begin to plan your end of season renovations based on the condition of the courts.
August
Your maintenance regime will continue in much the same vein as last month's - grass cutting, grooming, brushing, aerating, feeding, watering and marking out for matches.
Prior to mowing, the surface should be thoroughly brushed. Continue to brush courts daily to remove moisture from the grass surface, stopping the spread of disease and facilitating an improved quality of cut on the dry grass.
It is important to remove any weeds from the playing surface, as they can affect ball bounce and performance of the court.
Pitchcare’s monthly diaries are written by:
Bowls, Tennis and Rugby - Laurence Gale MSc, Editor,
Pitchcare.com
Cricket - Bob Stretton, Head Groundsman, Massey Ferguson Sports Club
Football - Malcolm Gardner, Grounds Manager, BA Clubs
126 PC JUNE/JULY 2012
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