Enhanced turf density helps the Arsenal training facilities withstand heavy practice and has improved the playing surface, reports Steve Braddock.

There’s an old adage in sport that practice makes perfect, and few have such perfect conditions for practice as The Arsenal. And that’s largely thanks to the dedication and experience of the club’s London Colney training facility Head Groundsman, Steve Braddock.

He’s an absolute football fanatic, but now not so much for the game itself as the turf on which it’s played. Steve confesses he would rather spend his Saturday afternoons productively working on the ten training pitches when it’s quiet, than watching the team in a buzzing stadium.

For the past year he has been trying out Primo MAXX, initially to create a dense and even turf as quickly as possible after the annual pitch renovation, but also to consistently deliver the optimum playing surface. He reports that keeping turf “in Primo mode”, with applications every four to five weeks, has achieved the desired finish, and brought about some useful management benefits.

“We are looking to keep that perfect shine on the surface all the time. I think we are now getting faster ball speed from the same length of cut, and we are able to maintain the high standard for longer, which keeps the players and trainers happier.”

With the heavy demand from coaches and management it is always a tight run thing to get pitches renovated before the start of pre-season training. Steve’s recipe for renovation is to start within hours of the final scheduled training session finishing on each pitch. He highlights the crucial importance of getting the 100% dwarf ryegrass seed sown early and growing well.

Having experimented with various Primo MAXX rates at different grass growth stages, he has found that a rate of 3.2lts/Ha worked best for his site to thicken out and fill the base of the sward, starting as soon as the new seed is growing vigorously and then continuing throughout the season.

Steve’s key concern initially was that turf in growth regulation would not be able to recover from damage inflicted during winter training. In fact, he reports despite incredibly wet conditions and intensive demand on the pitches, there has been no difference in recovery rates and, if anything, the dense turf surface encouraged by Primo MAXX was better able to withstand training activities.

In the height of the growing season mowing continues every other day on all the pitches whenever possible; the slower vertical growth when it is in regulation is particularly welcome if weather conditions interrupt the mowing cycle.

Taking just the finest of trims off the top with each cut, to maintain the correct sward height, reduces stress on the plant, which in turn leads to better plant health, he advises. The slower growth of turf in ‘Primo Mode’ brings benefits for season-long management operations, according to Steve. If the ground has been spiked or vertidrained, for example, he can leave it longer before needing to go across with the mower, and get even more benefit of the aeration treatment.

Barry McClosky of Avoncrop Amenity, which supplies Steve’s turf products, highlights one of the key facets of the Primo MAXX application is that it can be safely tank-mixed with a liquid fertiliser, to save time and prevent extra wear and tear by running over the ground too often. “Some people believe that because they are using a growth regulator then the turf doesn’t need feeding, but trials and Steve’s experience have shown a combination with a liquid feed stimulates the strong latera
l growth and a dense turf structure. Mixing the products allows operators to take best advantage of any spray window opportunities.”