Restoring your sports turf After sustained drought, cracked-open clay loam soil under sports turf now presents a challenge. Grass cover is lost and the surface can be significantly uneven. With autumn approaching within months, treatment and seeding by the end of August offers the best chance of success – the heat stress will be over […]
Healthier growth for your turf When evapotranspiration rates can reach 3 to 4mm per day, applying little water often serves no value – it is simply lost before it is of any benefit. By ensuring moist conditions at 50mm – more if possible – makes it possible to skip watering for up to 5 days. […]
Improving football pitch drainage in urban areas With the need for improved surface drainage in urban areas the absence of suitable drainage outfall is often the problem. The drainage water flow is far too much for a standard soakaway. The creation of an attenuation pond is generally not possible with limited space. A development incorporating […]
Here comes spring… At the onset of spring before active growth begins: Too early for most cultural treatments and nutrition with major elements, regular applications of seaweed with available humic acid and liquid iron return vigour and colour to tired-looking greens. Surface water is always a concern to the sports turf consultant. From where is […]
Football complex south of Salisbury Planning was approved for the creation of a football complex south of Salisbury in relatively low lying ground. In the distant past the site was extensively drained with the installation of close spaced clay tile drains. However, during the second world war a ‘tank track’ was excavated in an effort […]
Geese grazing problem The vigorous new grass cover on an establishing sports pitch has attracted a gaggle of geese in excess of 50 in number. Apart from the mess caused with their droppings their severe grazing habit has begun to weaken the grass sward. In the first effort to deter them from landing on the pitch bollards […]
Tennis Court establishment The court was cut into a south facing slope. Surrounding surface drainage was achieved by incorporating shallow mowable swales with underground drainage directed to adjacent woodland. The topsoil is a clay loam not markedly different in particle size distribution to the desired tennis court loam. Being essentially for private use, surface drainage was […]
An Academy playing area had been established on level ground and was consistently water-logged. There was no drainage outfall and with potential for excess water run-off it was required that storm water is attenuated on site. The playing area was re-graded to form a camber running over the length of the sports pitch. Shallow swales were created […]
When to fertilise If scarification of annual meadow grass and over-seeding is planned it is better to delay fertilisation until the new ryegrass stand is about 30mm. Applying nutrition earlier to the meadow grass makes it difficult to attain a strong ryegrass sward. Then there is the matter of selecting a controlled release or readably soluble […]
How well does the pitch drain With spring around the corner – if it will ever come – now is the time to assess how well pitches have performed this winter. Immediate thought must be given to what can be done to overcome the problems that have arisen. If the solution is simply to control […]
