Easing The Pressure
With budgets getting tighter due to the recession and expectations from fans getting even higher, the pressure on groundsmen and contractors to produce pristine playing surfaces under demanding deadlines is getting more intense. Ideas4groundsmen talks to Grant Holmes of Agripower Contractors…..
Regular maintenance on natural sports surfaces is essential to keep the surface suitable for play throughout the season. As the playing season continues to lengthen, the knock-on effect for close season renovation works can be dramatic as a result of extended play and reduced recovery time.
Contractors have had some bad press over the years and like any profession, there are always a few who cut corners and give a bad name to the majority. The majority are highly skilled, hard working and conscientious groundscare professionals and the pressures that they face on a day-to-day basis are sometimes overlooked by those doing the complaining.
Summer is the time to renovate winter sports pitches where clubs generally implement light renovations preparing the pitches for the cold, wetter months. By implementing these procedures, improved drainage, a healthier sward and a higher resilience to disease can be achieved and therefore a better playing surface.
“Key to completing any successful project is planning,” Says Grant Holmes of Buckinghamshire based Agripower Contractors who have been in the business for over 45 years.
“The biggest problem we have is that some people expect you to be able to drop everything and do a job at a moment’s notice. It’s in the clients interest to give the contractor as much lead-in time as possible to commit both labour and plant resources to the project, invariably at a time of year when our resources are stretched as all clubs wish for works at their own respective club to start.”
It’s frustrating for everyone concerned if these works are not planned and, as a result, contractors are not able to carry out the task at a time convenient to the client. “I try and talk to clients about end of season renovations in January/February time but many think it is too early. But as soon as the season finishes, the phone starts ringing and they need us to carry out renovations.”
By that time clubs have often left it too late. There are no short-cuts to ensure a quality playing surface and a lot depends on the initial construction, quality of seed or turf used and drainage.
During the summer months, pitches/stadiums can be often be used for generating extra revenue during the ‘off season’ for concerts. The pitch can sometimes be covered for large amounts of time, making renovation for the up-coming season even harder in terms of the time available for the contractor.
Aeration, scarification, over seeding, top dressing, fertilising and weed control all help to achieve the end goal of a healthy and long lasting surface for players to enjoy. Agripower have invested heavily in a variety of leading implements designed to target different sections of the turf profile and have carried out a large number of projects ranging from Premier League clubs to smaller lower division clubs where money is often hard to come by and financed through fund raising and the summer activities.
Deep Aeration
Verti-draining provides a fast short-term solution for compaction and surface water retention. It provides deep aeration to the root zone, therefore promoting healthy growth, whilst also improving drainage. Verti-draining the pitch twice a year is advisable. Some recent additions are now available such as the Sisis Aer-Aid and Kensett Sport’s Gwazae deep probe decompactor from New Zealand. This machine pushes probes upto 700mm deep and blasts compressed air to fracture soil structure which then reduces compaction and improves drainage.
Scarifying
Scarifying is an important technique to remove thatch build-up, which can stifle plant growth. Removing excess thatch helps grass thicken up, which strengthens it against disease. Scarifying or verti-cutting can encourage vertical growth and avoid horizontal growth where it is not wanted.
Overseeding
For this operation, Blec overseeders are utilised. These machines sow seed at 50mm spacings up to a width of 2.5m. The use of disc seeders enables you to seed large areas in a relatively short period of time. For closer application, seeding is often carried out in three directions. All machines have a controllable regulator, for varying seed rates.
Top Dressing
The main uses of sand in the maintenance programme for a winter games pitch is to dilute accumulations if fine material and organic matter at the surface to retain the permeability of a pitch and provide a firmer surface in the wet weather. In these circumstances, pure sand, with no soil amendment, is the preferred top dressing material. Sand or sandy compost is important to repair the divots kicked out by the players, thus restoring the levels of the surface.
Apply and spread the approved sand to a uniformed depth of 8mm over the pitch and work the dressing into the pitch with brushes or a drag mat. This work is best done at a time when the sward is growing vigorously.
Fertilising
Grass requires enough nutrients to maintain it in a healthy state. Too much fertiliser (especially Nitrogen) can lead to turf that damage easily and has poor wear tolerance. Equally too little can lead to weak turf that recovers slowly from wear. Ideally, the nutrient status of the soil should be checked on an annual basis if it is a free-draining site. Tests for Nitrogen content in soil are not recommended however, as Nitrogen levels can change rapidly depending on how the soil is handled following sampling and results from such analysis can be highly misleading.
A general fertiliser programme for a natural soil pitch can be obtained from qualified agronomists who can also advice on fertiliser requirements. Many fertiliser suppliers offer a free soil analysis service.
Weed Control
Weed control is important if you want to maximise not only the aesthetic appeal of your pitches, but also the playability and resistance to wear. There are many contractors who supply weed control services if you are not fully qualified and licensed to apply herbicides or agro-chemicals yourself. You really need a specialist service and advice from a BASIS qualified advisor when considering the use of agro-chemicals. The law is clear on this issue and it not only makes sound sense in respect to health and safety and environmental protection, it will also ultimately save you money by ensuring the correct products are specified and applied as appropriate for your site and the problem you have. It is your responsibility to make sure that anyone who applies agro-chemicals to your pitches is licensed and qualified to do so and is applying licensed products in accordance with a full risk assessment, in accordance with the manufactures instructions and in compliance with a relevant COSHH assessment.
For further information, please contact Agripower Contractors on 01494 866776 or visit www.agripower.co.uk