FOOTBALL
GMX Bowcom linemaker was purchased new on his recommendation. “I hired in the Redexim Vertiquake 2516 during this current season to help with decompaction and to improve drainage,” William said. “This was the first time I had hired in this type of equipment and I found the process very useful, particularly with moving surface water down through the soil profile faster.” “Occasionally, I will hire in for a weekend a small pedestrian aerator for use in the goal areas - and generally anywhere on the pitch that needs it - just to perforate the soil to allow water, nutrients and air to penetrate the grass roots, and, of course, to relieve compaction.”
“I would love to have the Dennis Pro 34R at my disposal. Not only does it lift debris efficiently, it leaves a great stripe and, with two rotary blades giving it 860mm cutting width, I reckon I could cut the Oval pitch in around two hours. It really would be a great addition to have alongside the Toro.”
Pests and diseases
Pests and diseases are a problem at The Oval, like most other sports grounds, but William is on top of anything that crops up. He said: “Casting worms are a problem, although only in certain parts of the pitch. It’s not a problem that I intend to treat as I think the benefits of having earthworms present far outweighs the negatives of not having them, particularly in terms of nutrient availability, improved drainage, and
What’s in the shed? Toro Reelmaster 3100d
Hayter Harrier 56 Bowcom GMX Linemarker Kawaski Mule utility vehicle
52 PC August/September 2020
removing dead plant material.” “Yes, the casts provide weed beds when they are flattened by the lawnmower rollers, but using the drag mat before mowing breaks up the casts.” “We have a family of foxes living within the stadium grounds. A few seasons back a small hole appeared in the turf, but I didn’t think too much about it at the time and filled the hole with sand and forgot about it, as no similar damage occurred in the remainder of that season.” “We commenced renovation works and, a few days after the work had been completed, a small hole appeared in one of the goal areas. This slightly concerned me and, over the next several weeks, the hole that I filled in was hastily excavated the following night.”
“It was quickly established that a fox was the culprit, causing serious damage to the pitch with holes appearing in several places. I brought in a cage type trap and baited it
with dog food then played the waiting game.” “After checking the trap for several mornings, nothing was there until one morning, from a distance, I could see something in the cage. He was still alive having eaten all the dog food. I put the fox and cage into the back of my car and released the animal, unharmed, into the fields above east Belfast.”
“The digging did stop for a while but did start again, although not on the scale like before. One morning a magpie had gone into the cage and got trapped, and a fox was outside the cage desperately trying to get at the magpie. The fox ran off when I approached and I was able to release the terrified bird unharmed.”
“Pigeons are also a real nuisance especially after we have reseeded the pitch. They arrive in numbers, forty plus at times, and they will get through big quantities of valuable grass seed, which absolutely
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