Summer Sports - Tennis “
Our garden; tearing in to the Centre Court surface to remove any thatch build-up
the Clegg hammer later but, first, we should address how we create ‘bounce’ on our courts.
To us, the initial part of this process starts the previous autumn with the renovation. Quite rightly, a number of posters brought up layering and how this can have a detrimental effect on ball bounce. This is why we feel renovation is so important! In brief, we scarify the courts heavily every winter, down to at least 10mm (we go further if it is required) using a Graden GBS1200. All debris is removed using rotary mowers and a power brush, to ensure that nothing is left in the surface. Any thatch layer in there is effectively going to act as a cushion the following season. For example, if you imagine putting a wooden board on top of a mattress, no matter how hard or thick
If you imagine putting a wooden board on top of a mattress, no matter how hard or thick that wooden board is, the mattress will always absorb a huge amount of the force placed on the board by a ball bouncing
Post renovation aeration being carried out on our practice courts
that wooden board is, the mattress will always absorb a huge amount of the force placed on the board by a ball bouncing. No amount of rolling is going to make this ‘sponge’ layer go away, whether it is a mattress under a wooden board or a thatch layer underneath the topdressing we apply. Away from mattresses and back to the courts; we keep scarifying until we are sure any thatch layer has been entirely removed - we’ll take cores when we think we’ve got it all to make sure that is the case. We’ll then aerate using solid tines, add any fertiliser or chemicals we feel we need, and then seed and dress the courts. Hopefully, the grass grows well and we have complete coverage before the winter. However, the most important aspect of our renovation is to ensure the soil is clean and pure, making sure that there is no potential for layering to occur, either through poor amelioration when we work the new topdressing in, or by burying a thatch layer, creating a break of organic matter which will never consolidate or ameliorate in to the profile. Through the winte,r we continued to aerate at various depths. Now, we’re aware that, according to Cranfield, one aeration operation a year is sufficient for relieving compaction and, actually, we don’t argue with this theory. As with everything in
groundsmanship, we should always question the motive for doing something and, if it isn’t necessary, we don’t do it! However, we aerate through the winter at varying depths. This helps to create channels for the grass plant’s roots to make their way down. Good rooting will, in turn, pull the soil profile together, preventing any of the layering we try so hard to avoid. This gives the profile strength and stability and, ultimately, helps with ball bounce - be it a tennis ball on our courts, or a cricket ball on a wicket. Another thing we’ve trialed in recent years has been the use of an Air2G2 air injector on the courts, normally in mid-October. Now we will add a slight cautionary note, by pointing out we’ve only done this behind baselines and around the court perimeters so far - not actually on the ‘in play’ areas of the courts. However, we have noted that the courts are staying drier through the winter, are rooting deeper, and are showing more wear resistance in season. We have heard concerns from other groundsmen, suggesting that the operation may be too aggressive and opens up the base of the profile too much. However, we are yet to see any negatives from this operation, and don’t feel we are likely too.
All being well, we don’t aerate any later than mid-January, other than light sarrel
PC APRIL/MAY 2016 I 85
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