Summer Sports - Bowls
generate a report for clubs and counties outlining funds they may be eligible for. For more information on this service, you can e-mail
alistair.hollis@bowlsengland.com. You never know, your club may well be eligible for funding through the scheme. Clubs should also look at other ways of generating additional income by utilising their clubhouse for other activities. Whist drives, dominoes evenings, quiz nights and barbecues spring to mind and, if the clubhouse is large enough (and licensed), dance evenings, discos, wedding receptions and other private functions.
Training and Gaining
Committee and club members need to understand that the patch of land outside the clubhouse is not just a lawn that needs regular cutting. There is a science and proven methods to producing a surface suitable for the game of bowls. This science goes way beyond the actual playing surface.
If a club is using volunteers to look after
You can learn a lot from taking a soil sample
“Members need to be informed about the science and methods required to provide that pristine playing surface they all long for. Maybe then, their £2 a week subs won't seem so extortionate!”
the green, it is important that they understand this science, or at least seek specialist advice when problems occur. There are a number of organisations, including Pitchcare, who offer Lantra accredited training courses for bowls greenkeepers. In addition, the governing bodies have county advisors who are able to offer hands-on advice. Pitchcare also publishes a monthly diary of works that should be undertaken at any given time of the year. Greenkeepers should consider attending the industry shows and seminars up and down the country to gain further knowledge. There’s also the Pitchcare community to tap into for advice, and your contractor, should you employ one.
On the green
Last year’s wet weather will not have helped clubs, and may well have contributed to lost revenue due to greens being waterlogged and, subsequently, suffering cancelled fixtures. In agronomical terms, the wet weather may have helped flush the soil profile and re-wetted greens that previously had dry patch problems. With spring around the corner, there is plenty of opportunity for clubs to get organised and start getting their greens ready for the oncoming playing season.
One of the first things to do is to take soil samples to ascertain the condition of
the green. March is a good time to do this. They should be sent off for analysis to enable you to get them back in time to make a difference to your new season’s maintenance. Ideally, you should have a full Particle Size Distribution (PSD) soil analysis done to tell you the actual make up of your soil profile. Soil is made up of percentages of clay, silt and sand. The PSD analysis will identify the ratio of these and confirm soil type, thereby giving you a better understanding of what soil you are dealing with. Also, you can establish the amount of organic matter (OM) content as well as soil nutrient status and soil pH. With this information, you will be able to identify the needs of your soil. There is an optimum for each plant nutrient and, when coupled with other properties such as soil structure and particle sizes, determine how vigorous your plants are. Different nutrients undertake different tasks within the plant. Once you have this information, you will be in a better position to plan the work required to improve the quality and performance of your green. Investing in spring renovation work will go a long to ensuring your green is able to withstand the rigours of the forthcoming playing season. However, this will not be productive unless you invest in a robust maintenance programme which, ultimately, is dependent on the skills and experience of your greenkeeper and/or volunteers. Spring renovations will be underway not long after this issue has been published, so ensure you have ordered your topdressing and seed requirements, along with any specialist machinery you may need to hire in for the tasks ahead. Soil temperatures should begin to rise during March, enabling the grass plant to make use of any fertilisers being applied. The grass plant’s transpiration/respiration rates need to be active to initiate movement of soluble solutions from the soil into and through the plant’s tissue.
Aeration
Early March is a good time to carry out aeration (when conditions allow, but not during frost), thereby opening up the soil profile, alleviating any compaction problems and, at the same time, keeping the surface free draining. Sarrel rollers should be used to aerate the playing surface (top 30mm), and
This is not an acceptable sports surface 80 PC FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013
Employing a competent contractor will reap huge benefits
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