Keep off the surface as much as possible. A little bit of mowing, should conditions allow, and some aeration is usually sufficient:

• Tip grass, if necessary, maintaining a winter height cut of 10-12mm
• Carry out inspection and maintenance of machinery and irrigation equipment
• Service equipment and replace any worn or damaged parts
• Check for diseases and pests, seek advice if necessary
• Clean up any leaf debris
• Spike, if and when possible, and only if conditions are right
• Maintenance of fences and hedges

January, in many respects, is likely to model December fairly closely with warmer periods giving way to cold snaps, particularly as we head into the second half of the month.

Once again, let’s consider the pros and cons of each:

Warmer Period

Pros: If soil temperatures rise above 10 degrees Celsius, then good growth will promote recovery on disease scars and worn areas, as well as push along seeded areas following renovation events during early autumn.

Cons: Warmer conditions which promote growth can encourage fungal diseases, especially when they occur alongside high relative humidity and low air movement.

Colder Period

Pros: Once temperatures drop to zero or below, fungal diseases will also draw to a halt.

Cons: Grass growth stops once soil temperatures hit low single figures, thus reducing recovery and establishment growth. In addition, cold conditions place an abiotic stress demand on the plant leaf tissues.

January represents the ideal time to engage in planning and education. Along with all other land-based industries the Sports Turf sector faces a number of challenges, both in the present here and now, as well as on the horizon for the next 5–10 years.

Primarily, those challenges can be categorised into the following:

·         Climatological

·         Legislative

·         Technological

Engaging in continued professional development at events such as BIGGA’s excellent British Turf Management Exhibition, over 22^nd–24^th January, is an excellent way to spend time with other like-minded individuals and engage in discussion and events designed to help transfer and expand the industry’s knowledge base. 2019 represents the first year Pitchcare will be represented at BTME under the Maxwell product brand, and consequently it provides opportunity to meet with the people behind the scenes at the company to give feedback and ask questions on all things sports turf management.

Planning fertiliser inputs via the creation of fertiliser programmes is a long established and accepted practice in the turf management sector. With an increasing emphasis on Integrated Pest Management as both best and most effective practice when tackling a range of turf management factors, transitioning that same thought process and working practice into a number of areas is both wise and necessary.

An annual management plan for the following areas are all as equally valid as a fertiliser plan:

Ø  Water management plan – surfactant wetting agents for intensive drought and wet periods, programmed application timings.

Ø  Disease management plan – cultural operations to improve grass species composition, soil ecosystem diversity, non-pesticidal disease management, chemical controls.

Ø  Worm management plan – identification of pressure points, reduction of surface organic matter, top dressing with sand, surface acidification.

Ø  Insect pest management plan – identification of pest species, monitoring of life cycle, treatment protocols.

Underpinning the success of all of the examples set out above are; communication, knowledge and education, planning, monitoring and recording.

2018 was a challenging year for turf managers; so, set about reflecting on those challenges, then go about implement how to position yourself and your organisation with the means to meet any challenges you may encounter in 2019 and beyond.

Times are not changing, they have changed.

Are you ready to meet the challenge?

It is important to maintain machines by carrying out regular servicing and repairs.

With minimum work needed on the green, use the time to take some machines out of operation for an overhaul.

• Keep machines overhauled and clean
• Maintain a stock of consumables for your machinery, replace worn and damaged parts as necessary.
• Keep an eye on your material stocks (seed, topdressing, petrol, oil), remembering to replenish as required.
• Service machinery and equipment - changing oil / air filters and greasing up moving parts and sharpening mower blades.

Our Lantra Accredited Bowls Green Maintenance Course is now available as an online course.

Now you can learn about maintaining a bowls green in the comfort of your own home and in your own time. This newly developed course consists of a number of videos with assessment questions, and an accompanying hard copy Course Manual. The Online Course is Lantra accredited and provides you with all the basic knowledge required to maintain a green over a 12 month period. There is also the option of attending a one day practical course.

Pitchcare is the only provider of LANTRA accredited training courses in the maintenance of Bowls Greens.

More information

We can also arrange Lantra accredited training on site to groups of 6 – 10 people. Email Carol Smith for information.

The Course Manual is available for purchase separately.

Pitchcare Forum discussions which could be of interest