Welcome to our first, in a monthly series, of articles discussing sports pitch maintenance techniques; covering football pitches, golf courses, cricket pitches and bowling greens.
Football Pitch Maintenance April Schedule
As the end of the football season approaches April can prove to be a busy month for football pitch maintenance. Following this year’s harsh winter, most teams will have postponed fixtures to catch up on and some teams may be lucky enough to have fallen behind due to a long cup run. There are a number of things to be aware of during April:
- Replace divots after each game using a rootzone / seed mixture. The amount of time spent on this is dependant on the staff available but it will help cover bare patches as the seed germinates and keep the surface level.
- General maintenance should continue as usual, which includes mowing to between 30-38mm, aeration using a spike or slitter and finally brushing to lift the grass; useful for air circulation and the appearance of the pitch.
- As temperatures begin to warm up it’s worth considering an overseed of the whole pitch.
- Ensure your end of season maintenance materials have been ordered and if using a contractor, they have been booked.
Golf Course Maintenance April Schedule
Greens
- A spring summer / fertiliser should be applied, 14:2:6.
- Apply a moss killer 4:0:4 + 9% Fe.
- When growth really starts, usually mid April, consider some maintenance work. This could include hollow core and collect, where Greens have a thatch issue, or deep tine aeration to relieve compaction and aerate. This is dependant on your greens but should be followed up with topdressing and overseeding.
Tees
- During April tees should be top dressed, overseeded and a 14:2:6 spring / summer fertiliser applied.
Fairways
Apply some soluble iron, Fineturf use Headland Soluble Iron, containing 20% Fe which will help with both moss control and to add extra colour. Application should be 20kg per hectare.
A spring fertiliser should also be applied, 31:0:0, at 20 litres per hectare, which will add a spring spurt to your fairways.
Cricket Pitch Maintenance April Schedule
With the Cricket season due to start this month there are a number of things that should be happening to ensure your wicket is in the best possible condition:
- The mowing frequency of the wicket should increase with a gradual reduction in mowing height down to about 12mm.
- Regular rolling, daily if staffing will permit, to consolidate the wicket to 100mm. This should be carried out when the surface is moist. If heavy rainfall ensues it’s best not to roll as this can cause more damage than good. A well rolled and compacted wicket will help the speed and bounce of the pitch.
- A spring fertiliser should be applied, 6:5:18, or if conditions are warmer during the month a 14:2:6.
- Ensure the squares edges are clean and the wickets are marked out.
Bowling Green Maintenance April Schedule
With the bowling season starting in April your ground care work shifts from preparation to maintenance. Here are a few last tips before the playing season commences:
- Mowing heights should be reduced, not too quickly incase poor weather conditions set in again. Over the month and into next month you should be aiming for a mowing height of around 8mm.
- Light top dressing will help remove any surface irregularities.
- Regular verti cutting will remove weaker grasses and thatch.
- Overseeding if the sward is looking a little sparse and feed with a 14:2:6 fertiliser and consider a 4:0:4 + 9% Fe for moss control.
- Test Irrigation system to ensure you can keep the surface watered during the season.
Please join us again next month for May’s Sports Pitch Maintenance Schedule.
