Educational Establishments “
I am currently looking into the feasibility of hiring equipment to carry out the deep
aeration in-house. It becomes more viable with a second sportsfield to look after
sportsfield is a sandy loam, which is quite stony below the surface.
Does it require any special maintenance techniques?
The field drains pretty well, providing we keep the top open. The new field will almost certainly be different. It has proper drainage and 300mm of very sandy soil. I’m expecting it to need a higher fertiliser and water input than the existing pitches. Drainage has been installed on the new pitches with the outfall running into our lake.
Are your pitches used by the community or hired out to outside agencies?
Not at the moment, as the school has needed the whole area. Community use may be a possibility once the new pitches have established.
What is the total acreage and how is this split up?
Thirty-two acres, with just under half being natural turf sports pitches. There are a further two acres of other grass areas, four acres of woodland and a five acre lake. Hard sports surfaces make up another three acres, with the remaining three acres taken up by buildings, roads and car parks.
We have a small, sand-filled artificial turf hockey pitch which is also used for tennis in the summer and a playground all year round. There are five further tennis courts on tarmac and four artificial cricket nets.
A sports hall is top of the school’s wish list when funds allow.
Tell us about your weekly/monthly maintenance regimes
Maintenance routines vary with the seasons and the school terms. Rugby is played throughout the first two terms of the school year, with the second half of the season mainly spent taking part in and training for the many 7-a-side tournaments. The school also plays football during this period.
With the growing season extending well into autumn once again, we are still cutting most areas twice a week as I write this in mid-
48 I PC DECEMBER/JANUARY 2016 The main rugby pitch - irrigation for this pitch is high on Stephen’s wish list
November. We cut the sports areas with a tractor-mounted Major roller mower which gives a great finish. When we are pushed for time, we will use our Kubota zero-turn, ride- on rotary which can be slightly quicker. I would like to move to a ride-on cylinder mower should the funds be allocated.
Aeration, in the form of a Sisis Maxislit, will take place weekly, in conjunction with a Sisis Quadraplay to ensure the best possible presentation. I employ a local contractor, SJK, to carry out deeper aeration at least twice a year.
I have found a combination of Verti-drain and Imants Shockwave to work really well in keeping compaction at bay. I am currently looking into the feasibility of hiring equipment to carry out the deep aeration in- house. It becomes more viable with a second sportsfield to look after. We mark out the rugby pitches and training grids weekly.
In addition to the sports pitches, we have several ornamental lawns and grass areas to look after and, at the moment, we are fighting a losing battle with leaves. Once things settle down a bit in December, we
concentrate on pruning shrubs and trees around the estate. Any major tree work is carried out by another contractor, Cedarmist.
I am currently reviewing the latest tree survey, carried out last spring, in order to put some of the recommendations into action. I also need to finalise the planting scheme around the edge of the North Field to act as a windbreak and added security. The viewing bank also needs some form of natural barrier at the back.
As growth begins again in the spring, cricket becomes the main focus, with pre-season rolling starting on the two squares in early March. Renovations take place during the Easter holidays, with the pitches and training grids overseeded and sand-dressed. I used a seed mix containing Tetraploid and creeping ryegrass this year, with encouraging results. The sward has continued to thicken up right through the autumn.
I have been using a growth regulator, Primo Maxx, for the last two years, in conjunction with a much improved fertiliser programme. I started using controlled release fertilisers in 2014 and have been very pleased with the
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