Six Benefits of Brushing Sports Pitches

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Six Benefits of Brushing your Sports Pitches. In this multi sports blog we look briefly into these benefit, I was personally surprised there was so many benefits to brushing of a sport pitch.

Presents a upright leaf prior cutting

As simple as the title, it helps stand the grass plant upright prior to cutting.

Stands up Poa (weed grass)

Poa or Annual Meadow Grass is a weed grass for most of us, as its shallow rooted and a thatch forming plant. Brushing helps stand the seed heads up prior cutting for collection. Poa is also known for not liking to be knocked about via brushing or any other disturbance, even more effective is a power brush or brush cassette.

Prevention of disease and leaf wetness

Diseases such as fusarium patch forms if the grass plant stays wet for a period of time and if the weather is mild and damp. Brushing off the wet leaf will remove one of the pillars of disease (environment) this in turn will break the disease cycle.

Prevention is better than cure as once the disease is active, we are more likely to spread the disease via brushing. Keeping the grass plant fed with a low nitrogen-based feed with a touch of Fe (iron) can be a preventive to disease along with brushing.

Presentation

Presentation with mowers is on-going when things are growing but when the grass isn’t growing much there is the option to brush. Other than some of the benefits mentioned in this blog brushing will make the square/pitch more presentable at times of slow growth. As we know presentation can be half the job at times, at least to the outsiders.

Big thanks to our community for the images in the photo gallery below.

Dispersal of worm casts

Winter Sports Pitches- Brushing can help disperse casts, the higher the sand content of the cast the more successful dispersing will be.

Bowls- Pretty much the same with winter sports, though bowls greens in general should have a higher percentage of sand content (not always the case) in general to aid dispersement.

Cricket- More of a challenge yes, a cricket loam does contain sand but also contains clay so dispersing this type of cast is a real challenge and can often lead to smearing or capping of the cast.

Tips for dispersing

Brushing of casts to be done at the driest part of the day, i.e., when the leaf of the grass plant is dry and the cast has had time to dry in the sun or wind.

Dries off the leaf prior cutting and fertilisation

Drying off the leaf prior to cutting should lead to a cleaner cut, this also helps prevent disease accessing the plant via a torn leaf tissue.

Fertiliser manufactures advise applying a fertiliser to a dry leaf to prevent the granular sticking to the leaf and in turn scorching once it dries.

Extras

Brushing can be used to disperse grass clippings

Brushing can stimulate the plants defences responses. Dr John Dempsey

I hope you found this blog of interest by Brian on behalf of the TurfCareBlog community.

If you enjoyed this why not take a look at What to do on your Winter Sports Pitch this month – https://turfcareblog.com/what-to-do-on-a-winter-sports-pitch/

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