Winter Sports Pitches Tasks for June/July tasks includes cutting and pre and post renovations works however big or small but most clubs now will be renovated and only weeks off the new season. Heat stress to turf can be the challenge of this month, keeping new grass plants hydrated.
Cutting
If HOC is reduced prior to renovations, you can now gradually increase back to you in play height of cut, this will take stress off the new grass plants and help hold in some additional moisture.
Cylinder or rotary mow at between 25-30mm in HOC, but if working towards a late renovation try and get that down to 15-20mm, this will assist in renovations works and give the new seed a head start.
Rugby-HOC range – spring/summer 40mm- post renovations 50 mm. Hoc may vary on the site location and if at a multi sports complex where lap over with a cricket outfield.
Watering
Easier said than done but it is vital to keep water levels up, this will ensure the grass recovers quicker after usage and prevent the pitch becoming hydrophobic.
Once pitches become hydrophobic, water will just puddle and struggle to infiltrate into the soil profile, this tends to happen during the hotter times of the year.
Nutrition
Application of a Spring/Summer fertiliser if renovations are way off or maybe better holding off on nutrition and instead apply a pre seed fertiliser or feed after renovations.
Once renovation is complete and new grass is established a fertiliser application could be considered. The requirement of a pitch, ideally should be based on annual soil nutrient testing results, something with the analysis of 9-7-7 or 12.0.9 (spring/summer) common but not exclusive.
If the plant is under heat stress, hold off till a good downpour of rain, if you don’t have the means to irrigate.
Verticutting
Less common at recreational levels.
This is a good month to start a bi-weekly or monthly verticutting, the aim is to thin out horizontal growth, which in turn creates a more densely packed grass sward.
Verticutting should be only carried out when the grass plant is actively growing and established and not under heat stress. Verti cutting units or cassettes are common for such a task.
Winter sports pitches at recreational level often rely on a rake fitted to a tractor mounted multi tool, like a quadraplay, avoid heavily raking till any young grass seed is well established.
Post Match Repairs
Post match ASAP hand repair any divots by lifting and prising back into position, any left- over bare or low areas can be top dressed and seeded, although maybe better to hold off till renovations.
The use of a tractor mounted multi tool such as a quadraplay once hand divotting work is complete could also be helpful in gently brushing, raking, rolling (polish roller) the pitch level back to pre-match conditions.
Overseeding
Spring or/and renovations are the most product overseeding periods, ideally creating holes or grooves 10-15 mm deep, but you may still have a few thin areas post renovation which need a further overseeding.
Unless you can irrigate or the weather is unsettled it can be a challenging couple of months keeping young seed hydrated but if you have the moisture it’s less of a challenge.
Avoid applications of Fe (iron) or iron contained within fertiliser around time when the plant is at its youngest, i.e. once renovations complete and young grass coming up.
Renovations -Just for those who maybe having a later renovation into early June
This can be very budget and pitch specific in requirements, but the elements below usually make up renovations or a combination of them.
- Scarification- as thatch or surface debris requires
- Seeding – 35 grams a square metre would need around 9 bags to seed a full-size pitch. Drill seed in 2-3 directions and consider 1 direction of dimple seeding. In the vast majority of cases a 100% ryegrass mix is used.
- Topdressing – with a suitable medium coarse sports sand root-zone, see the below blog for more specific guidance-How to Choose the Correct Topdressing for your Sports Pitch | TurfCareBlog
- Decompaction- If soil hardness isn’t an issue and allows penetration.
- Application of pre-seed fertiliser, an analysis of 6.9.6 NPK is common for pre-seed fertilisers, prior to rain or means to irrigate.
- Germination flee/sheets for smaller high wear areas would be of benefit, ensuring daily checking underneath to ensure disease doesn’t start to form.
- Volume of topdressing is often based on budget, but a common range of 50-100 tons for a full-size pitch.
Where funds are limited, renovations of just the high wear areas can take place.
Aeration
Aeration of pitches if conditions allow via in-house solid tines, slit tines, linear with the possible addition of a deeper form of aeration such as verti-draining when or if required once/twice a season. As we come into the summer months, any form of deeper spiking may not be possible, due to hardness of the ground.
Weed Control/Management
Weeds can be a sign of a lack of nutrients, compaction and other deficiencies, control methods include the prising out of shallow rooted weeds such as daisies and plantains.
Deeper rooted established weeds such as dandelion may need chemical application by some certified to apply herbicides, between April and September pre or post of seeding windows based on product label recommendations. Take advice from a BASIS qualification person, if spraying pre or post renovations to avoid young plant stress.
Line Marking & Initial Marking out
Take a look at this very helpful guide on How to Mark Out a Football Pitch HERE.
Regular straightening/string line to keep the straight and weekly overmarking of lines.
Keep up stock levels of marking fluid, to ensure you don’t run short
External Funding options by the Football Foundation
