EQUESTRIAN
John Deere 1565 mower
In the future, I’d like to see the course investing in a self driven forward drive mower that is more efficient and perhaps one that collects the grass too
the going on the racecourse for the horses very quickly and this is a challenge Shane and his team have to be prepared for. “This summer has been kind to us, unlike last,” said Shane. “You just need to be ready to adapt to whatever the sky throws at you. The weather is both your best friend and the worst enemy,” he said.
Taking regular monthly soil samples is a good management tool for Shane as it tells him exactly what the soil needs. “There is roughly one race meet each month,” said Shane. “We must get the ground in shape after each race for the next one. I normally cut the grass to four inches in height, but in mid August, the grass growth was high so I cut it to three and a half inches.”
“A soil sample was also taken at that time and it found the soil to be lacking in potassium. With that in mind, we will cut the grass again in three days’ time and apply around 30 grams per square metre of fertiliser that is higher in potassium to
compensate,” he added. “The more you know about the soil and its condition, the more informed decisions you can make.” “Also at the moment, one of the other main jobs is inspecting the railing. We have taken most of it down and are replacing the inner wooden pegs that support the PVC railing.”
“Some of them are loose and others are showing signs of rot, so we need to replace them to ensure the fencing is sturdy and secure,” he said.
Shane has already formulated a management plan for the end of the main season to further improve soil condition and overall track condition.
“This will be my first end of the season but I aim to scarify, top dress and over seed to improve the course. The grass already grows well in most of the course but some areas are slower to recover than others,” he said. Shane has a number of machines available to use in the garage and has a wish list of new equipment he would like to see arrive at
PC October/November 2019 135
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