Technical As soon as the club’s corporate
department has finished with the pitch and all coverings are removed, the contractor should be on site ready to commence work. The existing pitch surface should be
stripped using a Koro TopMaker, a superb piece of equipment that has revolutionised the way pitches are renovated. The Koro strips the entire surface, removing all organic accumulations and leaving a clean, debris- free rootzone which can then be worked with to produce the desired playing surface. Initial cultivation can then commence to
Koroing (Doncaster FC training pitch)
break up any pans or layering which may be present within the top 100mm of the pitch profile. This work also serves as the ultimate form of aeration as it redistributes particles around the profile and allows any anaerobic conditions to become oxygenated. Should any soil conditioners, such as seaweed or granulated lime stone and fertilisers, be required, they should be applied at this stage to ensure they are thoroughly incorporated in to the vital top 100mm of rootzone. Once initial cultivations are complete, and dependent upon the specification, it would be normal practice to apply new rootzone material, which is often Fibresand or Fibrelastic. This is intended to replenish any material lost during the removal of the surface. It is important to use a specially adapted drop spreader, such as the Raycam Speedresser, which is capable of handling this type of material without bridging or blocking as work progresses. The evenly spread material can then be
integrated into the top 100mm by further cultivation, normally with a rotary harrow. At this stage, a visual inspection will dictate how many passes with the cultivator are required to produce an evenly blended rootzone. The final pass will be made and levels trimmed to be consistent with those of the original construction. Consolidation will be required next. This is
Cultivating (Luton Town FC) “
As soon as the club’s corporate department has finished with the pitch and all coverings are removed, the
contractor should be on site ready to commence work
a vital aspect of the works and should be carried out evenly and accurately all over the pitch to achieve consistent results. As work progresses, it may be necessary to irrigate at this stage to maintain a degree of moisture in the immediate surface, preventing the separation of fibres. Fines in the rootzone can also find there way onto the surface as a dusty residue if irrigation is not available, causing problems later in the season by impeding surface drainage. Fine finishing is a vital aspect of achieving
the end result. This work should be undertaken by skilled operators using specialist machinery and equipment. When surface levels are seen to be satisfactory, the next stage of the works can then commence. The pitch should be overseeded with a
seeder designed specifically for sowing a pitch from scratch. Usually two passes will be made with this type of machine, but more may be required if the groundsman or consultant dictate otherwise. Finally, the pitch should be flat rolled to seal in the seed and produce the finished level. The first stage of pitch preparation is then
Raking (Stoke City FC) 110 I PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2015
complete. It is then up to the groundsman to use his skill and the relevant technology
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