3 years ago we airated our square with some hired kit with 4 inch spikes. We then bought a Sisis machine which we've used for the last two years and this has 3 inch spikes.
We've had a fair amount of rain recently but I was suprised to see so much water on our square tonight,much more than I have seen over the previous two seasons when we had similar amounts of rain.
Is there any chance that the change from 4 inch to 3 inch spikes could have reduced the airation enough to cause this waterlogging.
Greg
I would guess that your square has been harder this year than in the previous two, due to the dry and warm weather we have had. Should this be the case, then it will be harder for the water to perculate through and hence take longer.
Idealy, your square should have a fall on it so that excess water runs off.
You regularly post about the amount of moss you always have, perhaps the water cannot run of your square, this will always allow a moss factory to flourish.
Remember, a cricket square is not constructed with drainage in mind. Water must be able to run off, not sit in hollows or between saddled ends.
Bath,
Thanks for your comments and you are 100% correct re moss which is why I asked the question as i'm still trying to identify the main cause of this problem. Your probably right that it's harder than previous two years but I don't think our ground has ever been that hard.It's relatively easy to put a fork into.There is a bit of a fall as the bottom strip is always wettest and this creates a problem as we only have six so regularly loosing one is an issue.
I visited our ground today and was pleasantly surprised that it was pretty dry so our drainage issue may not be as bad as I believed.
In messages posted a good two years ago I commented that the previous maintenance team had used a 5 to 10 ton roller which I believe may have destroyed the sub/drainage layer.There's not much we can do about that without major expenditure.
I'm continually trying to identify all the best steps I can take to get rid of the moss again.I really thought we had cured the problem two years ago when the season after I took over maintenance it was pretty much irradicated.
There's always plenty of moss around in Devon on tree's,buildings etc so I'm resigned to the fact that there will always be some but at the moment there's too much for me to ignore.
Greg
Greg,
Am i right that in the past you have mentioned an amount of thatch in your square. If so, constantly removing that will also help to reduce the amount of moss.
Greg,
It could be that deep drilling would help you get through the top. May be too expensive to get a company in but with six strips a team of guys with battery drills and long bits, couple of weekends, who knows?
Following on from that idea Vic, if things are that bad, i have sometimes wondered whether using a Kango hammer might be any good. Tried at 12inch centres to start. Easily hired and used. It may leave smeared holes, but at least it would easily go through any hard pans and layers and at least allow fresh air in.
Bath/Ascott,
There may be some mileage in what your saying but my guess is it wouldn't be long before you are back to square one as usual usage creates compaction etc. I wouldn't be wanting to use a Kango every other year.
We may have a thatch problem but I have tried very hard to scarify this out and don't really know how to determine how bad this is.How do you measure thatch?
I also stongly believe at the end of season maintenance we have put too much top soil on and not enough grass seed hence inhibiting growth of existing sward and poor coverage of new sward hence more chance for moss to take over.
I'm sure there are several factors contributing so I need to work on as many as possible so all your thoughts are very welcomed.
Greg
19 Jul 2009 by pacman75cricket
Greg
Have you taken cores fom your square so you know what your problems may be layers/pans etc.
Will also show how much thatch so you know how deep to scarify etc.
I am aware of rootbreaks on my square & through spikeing roots are now growing though.
Think you need to know whats happening under the surface as important if not more than whats happening above.
19 Jul 2009 by Mike Last edited 19 Jul 2009
Hi Greg - just to refer back to your initial question of reducing tine depth from 4 inches to 3. The length of the tine isn't the only deciding factor in the success of your aeration programme - of equal importance is the number of tines per a given area, or 'pattern' if you will.
I was always taught to very the depth of aeration as aerating to the same depth on a consistent basis can lead to pan's forming, so i'd suggest that changing the depth of aeration might have actually been beneficial in your case. My only concern is with your actual aerator - i'm assuming that you have the drum type? If so, you are limited with this type of machine to the depth of the tine - this is where I find the punch action machines superior.
I'd go with Bath's original suggestion that the relatively dry summer has 'capped' the surface, making it harder for the water to percolate through the profile. This fact, in addition to your comments re the previous heavy rollers used give a good indication where the problems lie.
Deep drilling - I have used this method, in conjunction with hollowcoring to a friends lawn with great success - it certainly warrants consideration.
Thatch - you measure this by depth. Take a number of cores in a zig zag pattern across your square and analyse them for signs of thatch. There's a number of ways to reduce/control thatch. Hollowcoring can remove thatch, but with limited success as you are restricted by the surface area that you hit. Scarification/linear aeration is the age old tried and tested method. A programme of routine aeration will also help - do you have access to a sarrell roller?
Do you know how much loam that you have been applying during your end of season renovations? I'd imagine that overly heavy applications of loam could lead to layering problems - do you know if the previous applications of loam have been thoroughly 'worked in'?
Mike A,
We put down about 12 bags per strip for end of season renovation.
Is thatch easily recognisable, i.e I know what grass and earth look like and would assume thatch looks like dead grass but are there any obvious signs.
What do you mean by loam being worked in.
Greg,
Sorry if I've missed this in the past but where are you? Have you had an experienced groundsman come around and offer some help or even a report. Can pay for these things but most of us "old boys" are just happy to talk to anything that moves occasionally.
20 Jul 2009 by Mike
Greg - 12 bags is more than I would use personally. I aim for between 8 and 10 bags per strip depending on how much material has been removed. I wouldn't imagine that 12 bags per strip would cause too much in the way of problems however, on the proviso that it is worked in properly.
You really need to work the loam into the surface. If you don't work it into the surface, the loam will just sit on top of what's already there, and this could increase the likelyhood of forming a layer of organic matter in your profile which will hold water, as well as smothering the grass which is already there. To work the loam in, a lute, dragmat or brush could be used. You are simply looking to get the loam down to the existing soil - you should be able to see the existing grass clearly, as opposed to having it covered by the new loam.
Thatch - very easily recognisable. Take a core and look for a very pale layer of organic matter between the grass and the soil - this is thatch.
I hope this helps.
20 Jul 2009 by widdywoo Last edited 20 Jul 2009
 |
"I'm cheap, and nought but fashion; fling me away."
Great response and really like the picture so thanks widdywoo.
Mike A thanks for comments on working in which we did a bit but probably not enough.
Ascott I'm in sunny Devon. I had a pitch adviser visit when I first took on the square 3 years ago and that's when we started the October renovation work.The previous guys hadn't airated for some 10 years,nor seeded and top soiled etc. It's surprising we have any track!! The first season after we did this the transformation was dramatic moving from 50/60% moss coverage to 5%.Last season was a little bit worse but this season I think it's upto 15% but patchy and all over the square.
Sadly Devon currently do not have a pitch adviser so I've called on our materials rep from Rigby Taylor. I've asked him several times if they offer a core / soil evaluation service as I know we need to do this to help identify the problems.
I'm hopefull that focussing on the basics as discussed in all responses above we can get back to where we were two years ago but am also convinced it's a situation which will never go away because of the general ground conditions and damage done in the past.
Greg
greg, whereabouts in Devon are you. There are some good groundsmen in that area and i know of a few popping down at end of season - i'm sure a few beers might persuade them to pop along for a chat.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
21 Jul 2009 by Charles Johnson Last edited 21 Jul 2009
RT should do a soil analysis for you, my rep does it every Spring on the basis that I calculate my fertiliser programme from the results.
If they are reluctant, a better response may be had by contacting competitors like Sherrif Amenity or Scotts.
Scotts (Jewel) and RT are overdue launching their new moss killer products, vital to you where continuing to apply iron on a waterlogged square creates other problems - ferro-manganese nodules or layers, pH falling off, inhibition of nutrients etc.
You will get most value from anything you can do to get water to run off the square better. Standing water is the underlying cause of your nightmares, not to mention trying to prepare a uniformly consolidated track in our climate. I have been working at this on my square for three years now, it used to be a real basin. Careful marking of high and low points, targetted scarifying/tining and differential amounts of dressing, at 5mm each year it is a slow gradual process. I think it is better, but still we get ponds which are slow to clear after heavy rain.
This Autumn I am going to blitz the ends where we have saddles - soak, remove cores maybe two or three times from an area out to the 5' marks, scarify away the high points around the creases, and heavy roll it while soft to try and get it to settle down fairly flat - before doing the normal renovation. It is a case of two steps forward, one step back though - even if we could afford the £6-12k to Koro and plane the ends to a reasonably flat surface, I have a horrid feeling the problem returns by itself with settlement in weak layers below the loam. 80 odd years of shifting silty clay subsoil, inexact gravel rafts, the influence of randomly laid ring drainage, artificial strips, and decades of marl migration through the profile. The stuff which makes our square different from all the others !
Gregg,
You will be glad to know that my square is now waterlogged, especially the uncovered area's.
Very hard surface and a lot of rain since Thursday.
21 Jul 2009 by mario
I'm sitting here watching Family Guy with the sound turned way up in an attempt to drown out the noise of the rain battering off my lounge windows.
Ground totally under water.......again!!
I know no boundaries.
jlawrence,
My club is Chulmleigh & Mid Devon, and not surprisingly we're in Chulmleigh which is mid way between Crediton and Barnstaple.
There are two pubs.
Greg
Greg, I'll send you a PM. I know a few people who will be down that way at somepoint.
Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.
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