July Football Diary 2010

Malcolm Gardnerin Football

As we head into July, you may already be praying for some rain to stop your grass drying off too quickly. No surprise really that at this time of year you would be looking to replace an evaporation rate of 5mm per day which represents quite a loss of moisture in the ground.

Replacing this moisture can be quite a task if you are lugging around hose pipes, or worse still, have nothing at all in place to supplement any rain you are fortunate to receive. Weather forecasters are now saying that we are currently experiencing the driest first half of the year seen since 1929, so naturally of course, water companies are gearing up for a round of hose pipe bans particularly in the North West of England.

This situation makes it very important that you pay particular attention to reducing drought stress by reducing the frequency of cutting (Chances are your grass will be slipping into dormancy in any case) secondly by letting your grass grow a little taller (raise the height of cut on you mower). If you normally cut with a box on you could try letting the clippings fly to help reduce evaporation from the soil surface.

Diary Compiled by Malcolm Gardner
Grounds Manager
BA Clubs

Early in the Month 1st - 15th July

If you have had to over sow any thin areas, it is critical that you do not allow seedlings to dry out. Keep your seeded areas watered.

If possible and if you have them to hand, make use of your germination sheets to encourage the rapid establishment of your seeded areas. If using germination sheets, check underneath them regularly for disease.

Make sure your goal posts are painted and ready for deployment. Also ensure your nets are checked for repairs or replacements are on hand if you haven't already done so.
Check you have enough line marking material to hand and enough to get you through your season. This is probably a good time to inspect your marker and ensure that it is in good working order for when you need it.

Later in the Month 16th July - onwards

Continue to monitor the progress/success of your thin over sown areas to ensure that you have the best opportunity for the grass to be strong, with good coverage for the start of the next season.

An application of fertiliser can be applied late in the month to take the grass through the rest of July and into August. Avoid the use of fertilisers with a high salt content, as this will exacerbate the stress factors in the grass as it draws moisture from the grass plant. Use of liquid fertilisers are less likely to scorch grass but may still need to be watered in.

Consider, as an alternative, applications of seaweed or amino bio stimulants which have proved beneficial in helping grass through stressful periods. Another consideration is the use of calcium, an important ingredient for giving the plant rigidity and regulating root and shoot growth.

There are a couple of products out there in the market that combine all these, specifically for incorporating into stress relieving programmes.

Key Tasks for July
Ongoing Maintenance

If you are unable to provide irrigation to the whole pitch then at least you should try and ensure adequate watering of the goalmouth and centre circle areas. If you follow a programme of using wetting agents to ensure a uniform wetting, this will help. Such a programme will need to have been initiated from April onwards and will usually follow a monthly application. This is particularly useful on soils prone to dry patch.

Useful Information for Ongoing Maintenance

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Scotts Sierrablen Plus Active 18+5+18+2MgO (4-5 mth)
Drag matting and brushing

Continue the work of brushing to keep the air circulating around the base of the plant, particularly important for removing early morning dew and controlling disease on watered areas.

Useful Information for Drag matting and brushing

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Drag-Star Drag Mat
Mowing

Cutting: Continue cutting regularly 25 -37mm to ensure a good sward density. It may be sometimes be helpful with newly sown grasses to lightly roll the surface before cutting to ensure that the weakly held grasses in the surface do not get pulled out. Also ensure that any cutting equipment used is keenly set to cut without tearing.

Useful Information for Mowing

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Facts about mowing ?
Aeration

Spiking: Continue spiking when the conditions allow alleviating built up compaction. Keep your spiking regime flexible. Surface spiking at this time of year and heading into a dry spell will help what rain you receive to move quickly down into the surface where it will be of benefit to your grass plants.

Useful Information for Aeration

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Why Aeration?
Other Tasks for the Month
  • Equipment cleaning/painting: Make sure that goal posts are cleaned and painted. There's nothing worse than rushing at the beginning of a season to get this job done, when you have a thousand and one other things to do before your first game. Check for replacement nets and spare parts; order them in so they are on hand when needed.

  • Line Marking:- Ensure you have checked your line markers and that they are fit for purpose. Especially the spray jet markers , you may need to replace the nozzles and check the battery and water pump.

  • Also remember to order your paint for your marker. See Pitchcare Shop for a range of line marking paints


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Football