Message Board - Cricket: Cutting in blocks and nap

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24 Aug 2010 by jontaylor

Following advice on this site I've been cutting my square in blocks this year, rather than the traditional mower width stripes. I have to say it gives a good cosmetic appearance and is much easier to keep the fewer interfaces straight. Pretty much all year I've cut the same blocks in the same direction to maximise the nap effect.
Following recent rains and a dose of feed, I have now got loads of grass and decided the square needed a double cut tonight at right angles.
But oh what fun when I went across the square! The nap pulled the mower first one way then the next and keeping straight lines was a nightmare. The drag was only slight, but very noticable to me.
Do those of you who cut in blocks normally switch direction from week to week? If not, do you get the same pull effect if you cut cross-ways?

The ciderman rolls

24 Aug 2010 by Andy Matthews

I have had a similar experience, I find that if you want to cut in blocks both ways, the best way to do it is to cut the square twice a week, once in each direction, then there seems to be little problem.

24 Aug 2010 by Sunlover

What exactly is a block cut? I know the groundsman at St Andrews block cuts and I've always wondered what he meant.

World Heavyweight Champ

24 Aug 2010 by barry glynn

Only ever cut in blocks and line of play myself. Apart from the first track though, Im not always cutting down the line of play in the same direction cos at least 2 tracks will be cut almost to match height and where they are on the sqquare obviously varies form week to week.

What do I do? I just cut the grass.

24 Aug 2010 by Andy Matthews

Sunlover "block cutting" is basically cutting the square in pitch widths as opposed to mower widths, I tend to only cut mine across the line of play as this is the first view people get when they come into the car park. Mine are actually 11ft widths as the stripes then fall naturally on to the back lines at each end.

24 Aug 2010 by Sunlover

I thought as such. Your square is looking great.

World Heavyweight Champ

24 Aug 2010 by Grassman2011

Never mow across the square except during the winter. Mow the blocks the same way all summer. No reason, just habit.
At what height of cut are you?

24 Aug 2010 by Andy Matthews

I cut at 12mm in the summer 18mm in the winter and I have cut all the tracks at 4mm this season, all have played better than ever, I am guessing bath that you don't like the ghost you can see, but it makes no difference at all to how they play.

24 Aug 2010 by mario

Same as Gordon. Up and down but never across during the season as it leaves ghost stripes across my pitches.

12mm Summer, 19mm Winter.

I know no boundaries.

25 Aug 2010 by Vic Demain

Cut blocks in line of play but also cross cut in stripes if the ends will stand it. I never worry about ghosts. Not experienced a pull on mower but am using a 36".

25 Aug 2010 by jlawrence

I only ever cut in line during the season.
sometimes I'll cut track widths, sometimes single stripes.

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

25 Aug 2010 by barry glynn

Wouldnt want ghosts on tracks, just give batsmen something else to blame apart from themselves when they get out!
"The ball was coming on slower off the dark bits" I can just hear it now.

What do I do? I just cut the grass.

25 Aug 2010 by Chris Thornton

I cut in blocks as I said earlier in the season and I do change direction every so often. What interests me are "ghosts"!!
For the first couple of cuts, this March, I cut diagonally from corner to corner. It looked the bizz alright and the shading ran towards the club so the people outside drinking and smoking were very impressed.
Problem was when I started to cut out the pitches the ghosting was quite severe and very noticable running, as it was, 45 degrees across each pitch. Not very clear when viewed along the line of play, mostly from across.
Good thing was though that only I noticed it!!!
Needless to say Cut in line of play.
P S R didn't create "ghosts"! I wonder why???
Chris

"He not busy being born is busy dying"

25 Aug 2010 by mario

Probably in my case, Chris, I got the ghosts from when I cut the square across the way with my 42" Allett in single stripes, however when it came to P.S.R., I rolled across initially and returned on the same line.

I know no boundaries.

25 Aug 2010 by jontaylor

This was the first time I cut crosswise since probably March - but I still have Ghosts from that pre-seaason cutting.
Come to that, after rolling last night I could still see very slight dark strips on the Union Jack pattern diagonals - from last autumns renovations!
Generally I agree with Chris, only the groundsman notices.

The ciderman rolls

25 Aug 2010 by RAM 1

Interestingly on this line. Last year I went to the first day of the Ashes at Cardiff. Beautiful sunny day, and was sat side on to the track about half way down. There were ghost lines all down the track blatently obvious to me but others with me couldn't see what I was on about. Showed up on tv too.Looked like a zebra crossing.

25 Aug 2010 by Mal

Zebra crossing is one thing, but zebra stripes are another story.

Geography is everywhere

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