Message Board: Natural Turf: [CLOSED] Flooded outfield

20th Nov 2009 by Chris Thornton

Hello,
My cricket outfield has had standing water on it for about 21 days or so. Some areas are quite deep and some areas, given a few dry days, will dry out.
We have had this problem for years now but mostly in Summer and the water is usually gone within days. But, this rain we are suffering is massive and as it is winter the field hardly drains at all.
What I would like to know is how long will grass remain alive under water such as this. If we get a dry spell I recon it will take 3 weeks for it to go which would mean some areas will have been under water for 6 weeks and that it if we get a dry spell.
There is no working sports drainage on the field and the problem will have to be addressed( in the long term) we know.
So once again lads, can grass be killed by drowning???

"He not busy being born is busy dying"

20th Nov 2009 by Cranfield

Yes over time , there will be no air in the soil profile , water will have filled the pore spaces,. it will be down to how long the water lies on the surface, eventually the grass plant will drown.

20th Nov 2009 by jlawrence

yes it definitly can be killed by remaining under water. i'd suggest that after 6 weeks it'll most likely be a goner.

Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.

20th Nov 2009 by Chris Thornton

Thanks each I know the way forward now. I have a pump but need some more piping and joints so am afraid the club will have to stump up.
Chris

"He not busy being born is busy dying"

20th Nov 2009 by trubs

I went to a demonstration of the Gwazae machine yesterday, quite impressive. May be of interest to you.
www.gwazaecontractors.com

20th Nov 2009 by Mal

Hi Chris, I seem to remember you posted some similar pictures to this last year. One thing that I used to have problems with when I was in the same situation a few years back now, wasn't so much the grass dying off from the water but the tide marks left from the sea gulls paddling around the edges of the puddles. They did more damage than the water. Any way, hope you manage to get it pumped away and assume that you have somewhere you can pump it to?

Geography is everywhere

20th Nov 2009 by Cranfield

Hi Chris I have recently spoken to Tim Packwood at Worcester CCC who regularly has floods on his ground , however they generally only last for around 18-20 days-three weeks at most.

The grass does not die , but thins out and goes yellow.

His biggest problem is the silt that deposits itself on the turf.

However as soon as the water has gone ,and without doing any further damage , His first priority is to get some air back into the soil profile and apply a feed to help the grass recover.

20th Nov 2009 by Chris Thornton

All good advice and thanks. Yes I will have somewhere to pump it to given another 30ft of hose and another connector then it can go out of the ground and into the main road grid, (clean water) so hopefully no probs with the jobsworths on the council.
I think I can get the new pipe by Wed first thing so given some dry weather it should be gone by Thurs teatime.
I will have two bags of A/W to spare as well.
The seagulls give the old folks in the adjacent nursing home some entertainment though but I have been told that when the tide is in they are too numerous to count!!
Chris

"He not busy being born is busy dying"

20th Nov 2009 by jontaylor

Chris,
Devil's advocate question time.
If the ground doesn't drain, where do the nutrients go? If they don't wash out, why feed? Do you risk adding fusarium to your other woes?
I have the opposite problem to yours - drainage too good - so I have no experience to go on. I'm just worried that it's one thing for a pro outfit like WCCC to cope with flood damage, but possibly another matter for us???

The ciderman rolls

21st Nov 2009 by Chris Thornton

Can't sleep J T and not 'cause of this O/F problem, so am answering this in the early hours!
Yep I take what you say and if I can get shut of the water next week it might be advisable to wait until Spring to see what the O/F is like then. Thanks,
Chris

"He not busy being born is busy dying"

21st Nov 2009 by tonybolton

Our ground is in one of the wettest/rainiest areas in the country/world, you have to live with it through the wet months I vertidrain in September but it still floods, so I do it again in February/March, a good weed and feed in April and you've got decent grass for the playing season, you'll never beat nature let it take it's course

A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother

21st Nov 2009 by bath

Tony, is that your ground ? and if so where is it please ? Looks superb.

21st Nov 2009 by Chris Thornton

Thinking just that meself Bath.
Well out of my league!!
Chris

"He not busy being born is busy dying"

21st Nov 2009 by tonybolton

Worswick Memorial Ground, Rawtenstall, Lancashire, under water at the moment, but don't panic nature will take it's course isn't Spring a wonderful season, just need a dry summer

A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother

21st Nov 2009 by barry glynn

Blimey, pictures look great, dont know whether to be inspired or depressed!

24th Nov 2009 by TomM

How deep does the water get Tony and how long does it stay on for because from the pictures it looks fantastic.

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