July -Loam

Hi and welcome to the July addition of the nomadgroundsman.com blog ,in this addition we are looking ahead to renovation with materials in mind.

This month we are looking at the basics of cricket Loam ,with the help of a leading supplier David Goodjohn of Green Infrastructures ltd.

David GoodJohn ,of Green infrastructure ltd.David is also a ECB County pitch advisor (Northants ) and a rugby and cricket nut .

David ,what is a cricket Loam?

Cricket loam is defined as a suitable clay loam type soil with sufficient binding strength to produce an even, firm surface upon which games of cricket can take place.

It needs to be fine graded (below 4mm in size) with no stone content and dry and consistent so as to enable even spreading when top dressing.

Loam is a mixture of clay ,sand and silt.

Why do we need Loam and do we have to topdress at the end of every season?

Loam provides a firm true surface for our square with the correct rebound qualities to provide good even bounce for cricket.

It also restores levels (help to keep the square flat)Give’s yourself the best chance to be ready for the first game next season.

We need to topdress at the end of every season or we will lose the levels from stud damage, we only need to put on what has been taken off by wear.

Where is cricket Loam sourced from,as many believe it comes from you farmers fields?

It’s always sourced from construction or civils, so ask if stock is available long term

I understand people do believe that , but it’s the same principle as the money tree, never exists in real life – and after all, most loams are blends of different soils.

Picture below

This is the kind of giant screener that we use for screening loam

What are we looking for in a good quality Loam dressing?

It needs to be fine graded (below 4mm in size) with no stone content and dry and consistent so as to enable even spreading when top dressing

In what conditions is it best applied and with what tools ?

The surface needs to have been thinned out (so no to bury any existing grass)and a key within the soil needs to be make to ensure the Loam topdressing is well integrated with the existing surface .

The grass needs to be short ideally (3/5mm) and the surface and Loam need to be dry to enable even spreading and levelling .

Picture below of a Loam /soil levelling loot,a must have for any grounds team.

How many bags of Loam do we need to apply during renovations?

This will depend on the current condition and the extent to which you need to scarify to remove thatch, so:

Heavily worn square / deep scarification can be 10-15 bags per strip;

Medium wear / average scarification generally 6-10 bags per strip;

Very little wear / superficial scarification or verticutting then 5 bags or less per strip

Always remember, if in doubt, consult your local County Pitch Advisor

When should we be looking at buying our Loam for renovations and what ways can we purchase it?

As Loam is made up of natural resources there can be shortages at times ,so it’s always wise to at least reserve it in June /July for a early September delivery .

How should you buy your loam,There are generally 3 options:

25kg bags

Dumpy (tonne) bags or

Loose

Cost is of course a consideration but if you work alone 25kg bags are more easily handled – if you have an army then many can shovel a lot.

Always good to order more than you need so you have some in stock for next season footholes and pitch repairs .

How do we find out how much clay,sand and silt is in our Loam ?

If you speak to your Loam supplier they will be testing there Loam yearly to identify the quantity of clay, silt and sand through partial size distribution testing, they may produce a chart as in the below picture.

Club cricket 26/28% as a rough guide and county low 30s as they have the benefit  of the staff and covers to dry out.

Above pie chart curtesy of.

https://www.surreyloams.com/cricket-loam/school-cricket-wicket-top-dressing

Is changing my Loam ,going to result in better pitches and should we be looking to change our Loam regularly ?

The general line of thought is that you should always stay with the same loam, but this may not give you the results you seek.

By incorporating a heavier clay loam (having got rid of thatch), a square can noticeably improve its playing characteristics.

But a note of caution ,if you have thatch or root breaks and or a lack of covers moving onto heavier clay based Loams will not be the answer and could create more problems than its solves.

Before considering changing Loam ,speak to your pitch advisor and possibly Loam company ,as not all loams are compatible with each other .

https://www.greeninfrastructureltd.com/

David 🏏

Keys task this month

-start to plan and think about the end of season renovations what do you want to achieve ,what type of scarifier do you need and do we need to get that booked in.

-Order your Loam and seed ,we will do this and get it delivered in late August.

-Raise heights of cut this will create a little more drought resistance and help the plant retain at bit more moisture.

-work smart if you can get hold of any germination sheets or and use the domes to help shade wickets that will over bake too much in these hot conditions.

-End of month ,consider stopping repairing pitches after use ,as renovations is looming.

-Reduce Nitrogen inputs prior to renovations .

Also see ,https://www.pitchcare.com/news-media/diary/cricket/2018/august

In The August edition we will be looking at seed selection for end of season renovations and will be catching up  with the progress of the newly installed hybrid surfaces at Sussex Cricket .

Brian 🌱