Message Board - Cricket: End of Season Renovations
17 Aug 2008 by EDS
Come the end of season I am only likely to have use of a Groundsmen spiker and Graden on a single weekend.
Assuming moisture content is ok for spiking.... is it best to Graden first, spike and then top dress / seed, or spike first, Graden and then top dress / seed?
Still Learning
17 Aug 2008 by Grassman2011
Des,
Graden and then clean up rubbish. Mow of as much grass as you can, usually wicket hieght, but 2 to 3mm will suffice. Overseed into Graden lines, then spike if ground conditions allow. 25mm to 50mm is better than nothing at all. Then apply top dressing.
I then like to dragmat, to work the loam into both the soil profile and the grass sward, before finally dragging a ladder across the line of play. This the drags excess loam from any high spots and often deposits it in to lower areas.
I usually only use approx. 6 bags of loam per pitch, but this does depend a great deal on what repairs are needed at the pitch ends.
18 Aug 2008 by EDS
Bath
Many Thanks for advice.
Des
Still Learning
20 Aug 2008 by Chris Thornton
I used to use a drag mat after loaming and I thought it did a great job but after a couple of years i found that ,the following season, there were definite high and low spots on the surface of the pitch!
I concluded that the drag mat, whilst brilliant at working the loam into the spike holes, doesn't actually help with restoring levels. It follows the contours of the surface and exaggerates them. I would drag it N S E W but still I was not confident that the pitch was even.
Luting with a "true lute" is hard work and finished off with a wide straight edge (OK a ladder) is best!
If you have a perfectly flat pitch then lucky you and a drag mat will be OK.
Chris
"He not busy being born is busy dying"
20 Aug 2008 by jlawrence
The drag mat is used to work the loam into the sward but it's the ladder (as Bath says) that sorts the levels. I carry on working with the ladder until such time as I'm happy with the results.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
20 Aug 2008 by Chris Thornton
Do you attach a rope/s and pull it (two men) along the length of the pitch?
"He not busy being born is busy dying"
20 Aug 2008 by Grassman2011
Attatch a rope to each end and one or two persons pull across the line of play and at a slight angle. This allows excess loam to travel along the line of the front edge of the ladder. This is often left behind in shallow area's, but any excess feeds of the end of the ladder and is picked up again when you move the ladder over.
This does not read to well, but i hope it makes sense.
21 Aug 2008 by EDS
I've been pretty satisfied with using the drag mat to work in the loam and help restore levels... but I like Bath's idea of the "ladder" so will give this a go..... if you dont try something new... you'll never know!
Still Learning
21 Aug 2008 by mario
I used the ladder idea last year with a fair amount of success. But having a wee bit of money left in the budget I have just purchased from the Pitchcare shop a 3 metre Levelute.
Used one on a school ground a couple of months ago and was suitably impressed with it's weight and the ability to scrape and/or drop in one pass.
Ok it's three hundred odd quid to be used once a year, so may be difficult for some to justify the purchase. But it does do a good job.
It's precipitating with some gusto today so time will be spent in the garage building it up.
I know no boundaries.
21 Aug 2008 by jlawrence
A 10ft (ie 3m) lute would be ideal - I believe BMS do one.
Like Bath, I tie ropes to either end of the ladder then pull it first straight down the line of play and then at approx a 30 deg angle working my way across the square again and again and again until I'm happy with it.
If I find the ladder is 'bouncing' too much I'll put a bag or two of loam on it.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
21 Aug 2008 by mario
Hi Jon,
Yes the Pitchcare Levelute is manufactured by BMS. It is just a bit easier to order through this site as we have an account already open.
I know no boundaries.
21 Aug 2008 by jlawrence
I wonder if something like that would be suitable for towing with the tractor - sure would be a lot quicker.
I've got that much angle iron lying around I was actually thinking of making my own - another one of those jobs I'll probably never get around to.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
21 Aug 2008 by mario
I had thoughts about towing it behind my Gator until I realised that it would be a bit awkward stopping and starting all the time to drop some loam ito the low bits as you were going along!
I know no boundaries.
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