Technical
will help the grass plant recover from damage and stress and keep red thread at bay. If this fertiliser has iron in it, so much the better as this will harden the sward and the iron will also scorch moss.
2) Check pH
- Have an annual or even bi-annual soil analysis done
- Aim to maintain a pH of between 6 - 7, 6.5 being the agronomic ideal for Ryegrasses.
- Acidic soils encourage certain types of moss
- Excess acidity or alkalinity can affect the availability of nutrients. If there is a shortage of certain nutrients (especially N, P and K), then the grass will not prosper and moss will infiltrate
- If you do need to adjust the pH on a square, you should seek expert advice as a number of products are available to do this. However, changing the pH on a square should be done SLOWLY and gradually, in most cases, as the structure of a cricket soil and/or the way it behaves can be disturbed during the process
3) Control worms
- Each worm cast is a bare-patch that, if not colonised by a weed or weed grass, will invariably become a home to moss
- Use a suitable worm suppressant chemical at the times of the year when worms are most active in producing casts, but always before topdressing, as there is nothing worse than going out to cut a freshly seeded square for the first time and smearing a load of worm casts all over the place
- Switch or brush regularly to disperse casts, especially prior to mowing
4) Reduce moisture
- Moss spores spread and thrive in wet conditions
- Consider reducing the height of cut to around 15mm to 20mm throughout winter. Although leaving the grass plants longer will encourage deeper rooting, there is also less air movement through the sward, meaning that the grass stays
124 I PC AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014
Abandoning the square post renovations will only lead to tears the following season. Besides, operations such as mowing the square on a crisp winter’s afternoon is good for the soul!
”
wet for longer and moss and disease will have a greater opportunity to spread
- Spike regularly to improve drainage Renovation techniques:
If we return to our renovation aims from earlier:
- Clean the surface of any unwanted organic matter prior to topdressing
- Re-instate the sward and grass coverage with the desirable species
- Level the surface for the following season
We must recognise that there are fairly simple and common ways of achieving the above, which most cricket groundsmen will undertake as a matter of course, combined with any specific measures being undertaken to combat a specific issue/problem on their particular square. These are, but are by no means limited to:
1) Clean the surface up. Usually done by mechanical raking/scarifying in multiple directions (three light passes is a minimum where no thatch exists) and reducing the height of the sward to c.5mm, brushing etc.
2)Deeper passes may be required with the scarifier in order to remove thatch/fibre, though it is good practice to make at least one deep pass (10mm or more) as this will help control fibre and also provide an even better key for the new loam and seed
3) Re-instate the sward by applying seed - dimple seeders are the most superior method for cricket squares if you have one, though, if not, you should use the scarifier grooves
4) Spike (if possible) 5)Apply a worm suppressant
6)Level the surface by topdressing using suitable cricket loam (generally between 100-200kg per wicket). This should then be worked in using a lute or drag mat (though ladders dragged behind a vehicle are also sometimes used), careful attention being paid to levels at this stage
7)Apply pre-seeder fertiliser; I always do this last so as not to disturb the spread pattern with luting etc., though you can only do this if you are sure the loam will be dry enough to walk on - otherwise do it before topdressing. Something like an 8:12:8 or even a 7:7:7 at 35g/m2
will be ideal,
though you should be careful not to use anything with iron in at this stage as it can acidify the surface and damage new grassplants. The point here is to supply the grass with everything it might need to start a happy and healthy life. We can assume, under normal circumstances, that there is enough of everything in the soil apart from N, P and K. Phosphate, in particular, is very immobile in clay soils and so, even if soil testing has revealed that there is ample, for the purposes of re-seeding it is always safer to apply it at this point
8) Irrigate if necessary. It is important that the seed does not dry out and that it is supplied with enough moisture (on a regular basis) until the root system is established
9)First cut should be when the grass plant is at the ‘2-leaf stage’ or about 30mm high. The first cut should be set to just top off the grass and then the height can be gradually lowered over the next couple of weeks
It should be noted that some First Class cricket grounds topdress later in the year when the new seed has established, however, it is more difficult to pick the right weather for this.
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