Message Board - Cricket: Spraying today

With 36 hrs of dry windy weather followed by calm conditions this afternoon, and then a forecast of heavy rain for the next 3 days I decided to cover as many bases as possible today.

Cut the outfield 2 ways, mowed the square; scarified, cut and rolled Saturday's deck (which may not be used because it's a county Constabulary match between Lancs and Derbys and they may all be on overtime elsewhere). Next plan was to put on my last high N +Fe and +Mg then spray with Carbendazim for the anticipated late summer worm infestation.

Having spread the till, I then set up the sprayer. Here's the point:

With a beautifully striped square that nobody could see to appreciate, how damn easy is it to give perfect even spray coverage with a pedestrian sprayer and lance following the mower lines. You guys probably know this already but I can't believe I was so stupid as to not think of it before.

Lol

Its easy peasy when you know

Ste

Ha ha ha Ste, I'm just off to shoot myself, 15 years of nearly self taught and I'm still learning....

The day you stop learning Eddy....well, a long way off I hope mate.

Ste

Eddy I always cut first and then spray. Linemark UK made me a metre boom 4 spray nozzles to fix to my line marking machine perfect coverage if I follow the mowed stripes. The boom and nozzles cover just five feet so up and down and a wicket is done 30 walks and the 15 track square covered.

Steve, Tony

I think my mistake here was trying to produce a perfect stripey surface on Saturday when I would never consider spraying. the stripes and the sprayer never came into contact with each other.

Whatever the job, we all count don't we. I get bored a third of the way through my square and start estimating distances then pull myself together and go back to concentrating on straight lines. I've never worked out my pedestrian mileage but it would be interesting.

36" Mastiff or Regal full size rugby pitch two directions just over nine miles, excluding trips to box emptying zone.

My pedestrian sprayer has a 10 ft boom with 6 nozzels so its just once down each pitch. For the outfield I put it in the back of my berlingo van and adjust the hieght accordingley,
I mow the outfield with 20ft circles round the square so its twice round each circle, the tank holds 60ltrs 3 tankfulls does the outfield
Peter

Hi Peter. Thanks, taking the stripe guides a stage further still. Always wondered why your outfield was so good. You've got me thinking now. We've never done anything to our outfield because of the cost of outside contractors. I would never be allowed to put anything like that in our Zafira but if I were to rig a similar setup in the back of my ifor williams P6 trailer then hmm...

On a similar vein Eddy. I cut the pitches in the same direction so each is shaded/striped in one direction. When I put the granular feed on the square the spinner reaches about 10ft so its a piece of p.....s.
As for the outfield here at Woodhill it has NEVER been fed EVER.
The secretary agreed with me that for about £300 a year it should so next season..........

Chris

£300.00 what are applying next year Chris?

ste

Stop looking at amenity suppliers, go and look in your local equestrian supplier.
Have just bought slow release 12% nitrogen fert for less than £15/25kg. Applied to square with no visible mottling 10 days later - but a very clear N boost.
Alternative for outfield is available in 20:10:10 for about £17/25kg.
Since then I've discovered that a player is the accountant at the store and so next time will get an additional 20% staff discount!
Amenity fert is a total rip-off. Look to other suppliers and you too will be able to do outfield for less than £300.

Agreed with JT.

Been looking @ cheap winter feeds for 10ha. Local ag supplier - 0-20-30 for £600! Add in a touch of ammniom sulphate, divide across 4 applications, job done.

Can you get micro granular from such suppliers?

Good point about agricultural till Mike, I have used it in the past but getting hold of +Fe and +Mg too isn't that easy. Personally I wasn't looking to feed the outfield, I was looking to get as much moss out as possible this autumn (mechanically) then spray for moss and broad leaved weeds. Without breaking any Pitchcare rules what do you guys use? An estimate of the area involved is around 12000 square yards. About a third of this is very mossy because of tree shade in winter.

£300 is/was a complete guess I put to the Secretary. I get the golf club to spray for weeds in early may and suggested a tank mix next year. We put iron in this year and it worked fine.

How much is liquid fert a gallon anyway??
Our o/f is 150 yards from boundary to boundary in both directions so how big is the whole field. How much liquid fert' will I need????

Would Peter Robinson pop down and do it for me??

Questions questions.
Cheers Chris

Barry,
I've not found mini prill at equestrian suppliers so if using fast action fert on square I would disolve and spray. On outfield on winter I would just spread.
The slow release that I recently applied to the square was in ca 5mm long "noodles" and this has not led to a mottling on the square. The noodles have completely broken down in the recent rains.
Eddy - Iron sulphate and magnesium sulphate can both be bought for about £20/ 25kg. Using them will add complexity over using a preformulated amenity grade product. Disolving iron sulphate in acidified water must be the cheapest way to treat outfields for moss. Don't forget to filter.
If you are a full time groundsman and can afford to pay for the convenience of amenity grade products, then you will logically choose convenience - if the convenience adds value over your time. In the case of winter feed on outfields I would question the value if all you need is straight feed.
If you are unpaid, and have a restricted budget, then you might choose to look for alt

Jon, thanks, the Fe and Mg are what I add to the square in bought in bags as normal 'Spring and Summer.' I'm way out of my depth with outfield cricket management however and this is the next stage I want to take our club as we progress. Most of this season has been spent in persuading the powers that be to avoid rolling the field pre season, leaf clearing, and acknowleding that maintenance of the outfield mower is critical (with me as the first line mechanic as a cheaper alternative to buying in). I would like to initiate a programme of chain harrowing, chemical treatment and aeration for a cricket-dedicated outfield of some 2 acres with the aim of removing broadleaved weeds, improving already reasonably flat levels,and reducing compaction. I am going to have to either borrow equipment to do this or manufacture or adapt my own, as I have already.

It would be brilliant if the IOG offered a third part to their Level 1 courses ie Spring and Summer, Autumn and Renovation and then a third, THE OUTFIELD. That would make such a difference.