Bowls Green Maintenance For January here we are another year upon us and it’s not the ideal start we wanted, with the recent frost, snow and now the rain its becoming a challenging month already.
Tasks for January
- Removal of morning Dew
- Frost & Snow
- Cutting
- Slitting/ Spiking
- Fertiliser/ moss control
- Disease control
- General Maintenance
Dew
Throughout January, continue with brushing off the morning dew at your earliest convenience to reduce disease risk. If you have a sprayer then applying a dew disperser can help with keeping the dew at bay if your unable to get to the club daily to remove the dew.
Frost & Snow
Stay off the green during frost, walking on frosted turf can cause damage to the plant. If you have already had snow or get snow in the coming months then leave the snow to melt naturally. Avoid walking on the green and do not attempt to scrape the snow off.
Cutting
Cutting height should remain around 10mm-12mm to protect the grass going through autumn/winter. With the recent could spell soil temps have now dropped and growth is minimal. With all the rainfall we are now having and little to no growth I would leave the green from being cut. If towards the end of the month you feel it’s had a little growth and its looking a bit fluffy then give it a trim, do not reduce the height.
Slitting/ Spiking
With this current weather it may not be possible to get on the green to carry out any aeration works. If you feel you get a dry enough window and can get on to carry out aeration works without causing damage to the green, then continue with your slitting/spiking.
Fertiliser/ Moss control
While the grass is dormant and there’s very little happening, avoid applying any nutrition to the green. As there is some wetter weather around, if you see signs of moss starting to encroach the green then you can apply Iron to control the moss.
Disease Control
Continue to monitor for any signs of disease. Fusarium (Microdochium Patch) which is common in damp conditions.
General Maintenance
- Remove leaves and debris that may have fallen onto the green.
- Maintain any hedges/ trees.
- Check ditches and edges, ensure there kept clean and carry out any repair works if necessary.
- Ensure any machinery that is being put away for the winter is clean and dry before being left for months.
To see more Bowling Green Blogs
I hope you found my Bowls Green Maintenance For December of some help by MWTurfcare
