This may be common practice but just thought I'd share the way I'm doing end repairs as this seems to be working very well.
Brush off debris
Spike worn areas with a garden fork
Lightly spinkle with water
Add grass seed if the strip can be left for a month
Lightly top soil and level
Lightly sprinkle again with water
Cover with grass cuttings
Run over with heavy roller
Works for me but if any one has a view I'd be pleased to hear it.
Greg
One thing I do different is that I water first so that I can get the fork in - even my ground down fork strugles to get into the ends (I've broken 2 handles already this season).
Prior to putting the roller over the repair, I compact the repair with the thumper thingy - but only if I'm going to re-use the track soon.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
If you want grass to re-grow, just firm in by foot and roll with wicket mower (disengaged blades, of course.) Why create a concrete surface for the poor plant to struggle through? Heavy roller comes later once grass has grown.
Proud to serve grassroots cricket
I have two different approaches, dependant on whether the track is to be re-used or not.
If to be re-used:
Brush out loose material. Wet out areas to be filled. Fill with damp loam and compress/level first by hand, then with home-ade "thumpy thing". Leave overnight to surface dry then fill any shrinkage cracks with dry loam (brush in by hand) and heavy roll. Repeat crack fill and rolling as needed. The crack filling is obvious - once you've realised that it is (I only realised how much better the repairs are when you use this method this season - doh!).
If not to be re-used:
Brush out loose material. If time allows, water well and leave overnight to dry the surface. Hand scarrify area (I use a scarrifier rake) or, if the surface is damp I will use a manual seed slotter. Partially fill deepest holes with loam, overseed area, top dress and lute level. Water, using fine mist to avoid flooding and/or seed/soil movement. Cover with 30gsm horticultural fleece.
I only ever use grass clippings to protect freshly repaired areas from players and will remove as soon as possible after the game as I believe the environment under damp clippings is not great for young seedlings. I also avoid use of a fork in summer as I do not want to break up the structure during the playing season - it cannot do anything good for levels to lift the ends - and the scarifier rake or seed slotter get more places for seed to settle per unit area than a four prong fork.
The ciderman rolls
How do you guys prevent picking up wet loam when compacting in with thumper thingies or feet if/when you don't use grass clippings.
Greg
Loam bag!!! M T of course!
Chris
"He not busy being born is busy dying"
I fasten a loam bag around the end of my punner with a cable tie. (Not as painful as it sounds!
)
I tend to think that if you have a lot of loam sticking to it, the loam is a bit too damp, although others may have a different view.
"I'm cheap, and nought but fashion; fling me away."
24 Jun 2009 by mario
I use the dust which has been swept up from the pitch in question or from previous clean-ups.
Sprinkle some on top of the moist loam and stick the end of the thumper into it before starting.
A bit like rolling pastry with a rolling pin. Dust with flour this time. But don't get the two confused!!
I know no boundaries.
I do the same as Mario to stop it stricking, I always have some dust in a bag, if you have not got any then you can always use some sawdust, you might get some pressed into the moist loam but at the loam is still in the hole.
The idea of the fork holes Jon is this, just drive the fork down the centre of the hole and give a good heave back and fore. This often brings the base of the hole very nearly level with the surround. Then fill fork holes with loam and seed into the loose loam that is used to level of.
With the problems that you have with your buried marl layer, the above should be a big help in breaking through it.
If you cant get the fork through it, drive a sturdy iron bar through the layer and fill with loam.
The use of grass cuttings on the ends for protection is fine providing you do not pile it up and smother the area.
to prevent the sticking (to some extent) you can also increase the impact force slowly. I use hands (fists and balls of palm) first and then build up to the thumper thingy. I usualy get some sticking, but carry an old 12" saw in my damp loam bucket to slice the arisings off the thumperthingy head (and back into the bucket). My dad called the thumperthingy a "rammer" btw.
The key is to get the moisture content of the filling loam right - too wet and it will definately stick, too dry and it won't bind to itself or the base of the hole.
There's no better way to learn than to experiment.
The ciderman rolls
Empty loam bag on soil and thump this. Nothing then gets dirty to need cleaning. Very little dampness is needed to bind the loam in a foothole.
If the loam appears to be remotely wet then it will be. It needs to be almost dry but with enough moisture to be able to bind together should you squeeze it in your hand. Its almost to wet if your hands get dirty.
I like this thread as I seem to do all of what is suggested but never seem to get it right!!!!??
The name of the "thumper" is I believe a "Pummel" I have always called it a "Pummer"
I can't seem to get the grass to germinate well in this bl***y Kaloam!!
Chris
"He not busy being born is busy dying"
Wait for it!
Gordon (and I ) can if it is kept moist after seeding! If you are only able to water occasionally, in warm weather like this, it may be difficult. Only a problem for about 2 weeks last summer !!!
Proud to serve grassroots cricket
24 Jun 2009 by roon
This has been a hell of a good subject. Extremely informative to me.
I've struggled with this repair lark - sometimes okay, sometimes not - but I've got away with it because we have so few matches on grass. That is about to change in the near future.
It's the little details that seem to make the most difference. I like Bath's description "it's almost too wet if your hands get dirty". That is the sort of teaching I can understand.
I also wondered what I hit the loam with. I have one, but didn't know what it was called. It's a THUMPER THINGY!
roon use the search box at the top, there was a comprehensive description last year I think of how to make good repairs for pitches that are to be played on again.
The thumper thingy is called a "Punner"
"I'm cheap, and nought but fashion; fling me away."
25 Jun 2009 by Pitchcare Peter
http://www.pitchcare.com/magazine/article/5386/cricket-wicket-repair
25 Jun 2009 by Charles Johnson
As well as a thin dusting of old loam or clippings I use a flat thin metal (stolen !) pub sign over an old loam bag when heavy rolling foothole repairs for the first time, it stops the soft loam from sticking and stops the bag from rucking and creasing.
One slight variation on several good methods above (agreed, what great posts)
My ends are proud, saddled caused by previous generations of groundsmen over-dressing the ends and under-dressing the strip.
Tracks which are being taken out of play and may or may not get re-used are heavily soaked, spiked with narrow tines (equivalent to being forked) to depth, and as soon as the surface allows the ends are cross-rolled to the 5' marks. This has the effect of flattening out any scrapes and depressions without otherwise having to add 1-2 bags of loam over the ends. It also provides deeper holes in which the grass will germinate.
Chris you must keep the seed and loam damp untill germination. You can cover the repaired ends with germination sheets, jute sacking, old sightscreen mesh, anything that will let moisture and air through. If you live near a tennis club, the green mesh that they use as a screen on the fencing also works well.
Keep the area moist and lift the material for an hour or so a day so that the chance of desease is reduced. With temperatures as they are at the moment, grass could well be germinated with five days. If you have pre germinated the seed, almost immediately on planting providing you keep well watered.
Leave germination sheets on well pegged down, during games as well. The area will dry out and germinated seed shrivel and dye with the weather the way it is at the moment, if you take the sheets off.
That should have read Charles and it makes no difference what loam you use, it all dries out very quickly in this weather.
25 Jun 2009 by roon
Thanks for that Andy and Pitchcare Pete. I don't know how I missed it first time round. Pitchcare provide so much information, that I suppose I'll always miss something.
It seems to me that my biggest downfall is not irrigating enough. It's difficult to do when I'm at work all day.
I'm off to do some watering and I have a copy of that article to leave in the shed.
A copy of this thread will also go there when it looks like it has run its' course.
roon it is difficult when you are at work, I don't know what you have available for your irrigation but you can get battery operated timers for around £30 that you can programme to come on and off 3 or 4 times in a 24 hour period, for however long you want, link this to whatever irrigation you have, to either water at night or to fall in with your visits.
25 Jun 2009 by roon
Our cricket club is an off shoot of a privately owned Community Centre. Football rules. But we got in first!
Due to my determination to drive for grass pitches before the footballers had even got started, we have a sort of "grandfathers rights" as it were. We've been playing cricket here for about 15 years, but the grass pitches were only initiated four years ago. The footballers arrived two years later. Finance was the reason.
However, my point is, that a few of the regulars have no regard for cricket and would find it hilarious to damage my "irrigation" system. Three hoses joined together and connected to a tap at the side of the club which is hidden from view. Think of "behind the bike shed". You get the idea?
It takes 20 minutes to get connected (dragging out the hoses etc.) and the same to store away. I don't mind the hassle (no, that's a lie - I do), but I have to juggle the potential benefits of leaving kit out against the potential for losing everything.
Plans are afoot, though. We will get there.
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