The longer you leave your renovations, the less likely you will obtain favourable germination rates. Air temperatures tend to drop in October, thus slowing down grass growth. Many greens will have been extensively over played, resulting in plenty of wear and compaction.
The aim of the renovations is to repair and rejuvenate the green, repairing all worn areas, reducing thatch layers, restoring surface levels and re-introducing some finer grasses into the sward. Once the renovations have been completed, the green usually remains closed until next spring.
Do not skimp on your end of season renovation work. It is important to clean out unwanted thatch, introduce new seed material and top dress to restore levels.
It is imperative to get on with your renovations as soon as possible. Most bowling clubs rely on volunteers to help with the work, so it is important you plan and co-ordinate and ensure all your volunteer workforce are briefed about the work expected of them.
Ensure you have got all the necessary equipment and materials to do the job. It does not need to be seen as hard work, if you get a good team of helpers together, it is surprising how quickly you can get all the work completed.
Also ensure you source the best quality products on offer. Buying cheap seed or not doing a thorough renovation programme is false economy.
Once the renovations have been completed, look to keep your team of volunteers working to help finish other necessary tasks down at the club - cleaning out the ditches, cutting hedges, painting/staining seating and fences.
Also, look into getting your mowers serviced ready for next year. Obtain a few quotes and get them booked in.
Key Tasks for October
End of season renovations
It is inevitable that during the growing season you will get a build up of thatch. It is important you control the amount you have; rule of thumb is to keep it below 10mm (one finger's width). Generally, any more than 10mm of thatch will lead to turf problems in the following year.
It is important to monitor this build up, the taking of regular core samples is a good way to keep an eye on what is happening in your soil profile. You will need to ensure the scarification blades are set to eradicate unwanted thatch material.
Effective scarification removes unwanted thatch debris that has built up over the growing season. Ideally, you need to scarify the green in three passes, increasing the depth of penetration on each pass. The green should tbe aerated to a depth of between 100-150 mm using solid tines.
The green is then oversown, ensuring the seed makes good seed to soil contact.
The green is finally topdressed with a 70/30 or 60/40 sand soil dressing, usually 2-4 tonnes per green, working it into the surface using drag mats/brushes/lutes.
Renovation
The following activities are generally implemented during autumn renovations and usually carried out in the following order, when conditions allow. The sequence of operations and their intensity will vary from green to green according to the condition at the end of the season.
Mowing the sward, preparing surfaces for renovation: lower cutting height to about 3-4mm to clean and prepare green for renovation operations. The mower can then be used to clean up the green after scarifying has been completed.
Scarification, removal of unwanted debris: collect and disposal of arisings. Depending on the severity of the thatch, you may need to scarify several times in different directions. However, in most cases, if regular verticutting/grooming has taken place during the growing season, you would probably only be required to scarify in two directions. Do not scarify at right angles to the previous scarification line. Depth of scarification between 4-15mm, depending on depth of thatch to remove.
Aeration is the decompaction of soil, improving air and gas exchange in the soil profile. Depending on the turf's condition, you can choose to carry out hollow or solid tine spiking. Hollow tines are generally used on a bi-annual basis or when you have a severe thatch problem. Depth of aeration will be determined by the depth of your soil profile and what problems you want to rectify. Hollow tining is best achieved to a depth of between 75-100mm. Solid or slit tines can be set to penetrate deeper, ideally between 150-200mm.
Topdressing restores levels and improves surface drainage. Ensure you use compatible topdressing materials, sands, sand/soil mixes. Spreading can be achieved by several methods, utilising pedestrian or ride-on, disc or drop action top spreaders, or by hand using a shovel and a barrow. Best carried out in dry weather. It is important that the topdressings are spread uniformly. Brush to incorporate dressings and to help the grass stand back up. Brush in with a lute or drag brush/mat to restore levels.
Overseeding restores grass populations. It is important to ensure a good groove or hole is made to receive the seed; good seed to soil contact is essential for seed germination. Good moisture and soil temperatures will see the seed germinate between 7-14 days.
Fertilising, provides nutrients for grass growth. Apply a low N nitrogen fertiliser product, something like an NPK 5:5:15 to help the sward through the autumn period.
Watering/Irrigation is essential after renovations to ensure your seed germinates.
With the season finished and the green closed down for the winter, mowing will only be required to maintain a winter height of cut at 8-12mm. Some clubs are now using rotary mowers to keep the greens tidy through the winter months. This methods does two jobs in one, it keeps the grass topped and hoovers up any surface debris, such as twigs and leaves.
Brushing/switching of the playing surface keeps the green clean and removes any dew or surface water. Keeping the surface dry will aid resistance to disease.
Winter work
However, there are a number of clubs now staying open during the winter months,thus allowing members to play and practice when weather allows. For those clubs, it will be a case of keeping up with ongoing maintence regimes to keep the surface playable maintaining a height of cut between 5-6mm.
Brushing/switching of the playing surface keeps the green clean and removes any dew or surface water. Keeping the surface dry will aid resistance to disease.
A Sweepfast Cleansweep/Greensweep is ideal for keeping the surfaces clean; it not only removes the dew but collects any surface debris at the same time.
With autumn leaves beginning to fall, keep the playing surfaces clean and tidy. Remember to inspect and clean out drain outfalls and gullies.
Soil sampling is an important part of groundmanship. The results will enable the manager to have a better understanding of the current status of his soil and turf.
There are many tests that can be undertaken, but usually the main three tests to consider are:
Particle Size Distribution (PSD) this will give you accurate information on the soil type and its particle make up, enabling you to match up with appropriate top dressing materials and ensuring you are able to maintain a consistent hydraulic conductivity (drainage rate) of your soil profile.
Soil pH. It is important to keep the soil at a pH of 5.5-6.5, a suitable level for most grass plants, and a balanced level of organic matter content in the soil profile.
N:P:K: Keeping a balance of N P K nutrients within the soil profile is essential for healthy plant growth.
Fusarium starts in the autumn as small orange to red-brown circular spots 1-2cm in diameter. When the fungus is particularly active, the patches have a brown ring at the outer edge. The centre of the patches may become pale brown/yellow. White/pink mycelium may be observed on the outer edge of the patch, matting the infected leaves together; this is often used as an indication of high activity.
Fusarium is naturally present in soil and thatch as spores and mycelium, even during the summer, although it is not active at temperatures exceeding 20°C or when there is insufficient moisture. Like most fungi, it requires suitable conditions before it starts to germinate or spread and damage other grass plants. Mycelium spread into adjacent plants or spores are carried on the wind or in moisture. These conditions are generally met in the autumn, although if summer temperatures become cool and sufficient moisture is available this can trigger Fusarium at any time.
Fusarium initially attacks the exterior cells of the grass plant; older plants growth contains more lignin and is less vulnerable to Fusarium, whereas young growth is more susceptible. This has implications for timing of fertiliser applications to minimise flushes of growth when the disease pressure is high.
When approaching autumn, it is advisable to use slow release forms of fertiliser. Routine and sequential applications of phosphite, as part of an integrated disease management programme, significantly reduces the incidence and severity of the disease. This alternative to the use of iron as a turf hardener is becoming more popular. Use iron prudently to harden plant cells and make them less susceptible to disease.
Care must be taken when applying iron in the form of iron sulphate, as swards that are dominated by Annual Meadow-grass tend to have received an abundance of fertilisers that contain a high proportion of ammonium sulphate. High levels of sulphur can lead to 'black layer'. Black layer is a deposit of metal sulphides caused by the activity of anaerobic bacteria. The anaerobic bacteria produce hydrogen sulphide which is highly toxic to turf.
Because Fusarium can survive within the thatch layer, it is good cultural practice to minimise this layer through aeration. Monitor thatch levels and aerate to achieve desired levels of oxygen within the sward. Air flow over the turf can also help reduce the incidence of disease. Drainage will help facilitate the flow of moisture away from the surface. Regular topdressing can help dilute existing thatch levels however heavy applications of topdressing are to be avoided as this can engender stress which can lead to an outbreak of Fusarium.
A large array of fungicides has historically been used although this armoury has been reduced in recent years as products have been taken off the marketplace. There has also been an increase in disease resistance due to the over reliance upon specific groups of fungicides. Therefore, it is useful to adopt a strategic approach when utilising fungicides to derive the best use for what is a relatively expensive resource.
Consider utilising good cultural practice to minimise reliance upon herbicides, the code of practice states that you should 'ask yourself whether you need to use a pesticide or whether there is another method of control or combination of methods you could use.' Appropriate use of the correct fungicide at the most effective time will minimise the potential damage done by Fusarium. Fungicides target Fusarium at different stages and use different modes of action.The practice of mixing different fungicides together to improve efficacy is a subject that deserves separate consideration. Suffice to say that pesticide labels aren't merely guidance but a legal document. It is an offence not to follow the statutory conditions of use of a pesticide. Broadly. fungicides can be categorised in the following way:
Preventative fungicides are particularly effective at inhibiting Fusarium before it becomes firmly entrenched. Where a history of disease exists and the potential for disease is high preventative fungicides can be used to prevent Fusarium becoming a problem. This can reduce the overall use of fungicides by tackling the disease when relatively low populations exist. These operate within the plant using various different modes of action. Preventative fungicides would include: Heritage Maxx, Instrata, Banner Maxx, Dedicate and Throttle. Medallion is a fungicide that unusually targets the presence of Fusarium on the leaf, in the thatch and in the top of the soil and therefore can be used to break the cycle at many points.
A curative fungicide is a fungicide that whose specific mode of action makes it particularly effective at arresting the progress of the disease quickly. Fungicides applied when the first symptoms of disease are evident have been shown to be more effective in disease control than allowing the disease to become established. Treating effectively with an appropriate fungicide will reduce the potential for future outbreaks and limit the need for further applications. Curative fungicides would include: Interface, Chipco Green and Medallion.
Some fungicides provide a blend of active ingredients and therefore can be viewed as both a preventative and a curative. These include the following fungicides: Instrata, Banner Maxx, Dedicate and Throttle.
Also in recent weeks we have seen rise in fairy ring activity on sports surfaces, to help you diagnose the type you may have and the best method of control, please click on the following link :-http://www.pitchcare.com/magazine/fairy-rings-the-subject-of-superstition.html
Keep machines overhauled and clean. Keep an eye on your material stocks (seed, topdressing, petrol, oil), remembering to replenish as required.
Ensure you look after your equipment and store safe and secure, it is a good idea to get into a habit of washing down and and cleaning after use.
Pitchcare is the only provider of LANTRA accredited training courses in the maintenance of Bowls Greens. It is a one day course designed to provide a basic knowledge of bowling green maintenance. The course enables the Groundsman to grasp the basic needs of a bowling green surface, either Flat or Crown, throughout a 12 month period.
Delegates attending the Bowling Green course and using the accompanying manual will be able to develop their own skills, working knowledge and expertise, by understanding the method of instruction and the maintenance principle it sets out. Included in the Course Manual, there are working diaries showing the range of tasks needed to be accomplished each month.
The Course Manual is available for purchase separately.
In addition, we are able to arrange courses to be delivered on site to groups of 6 – 10 people. Email Chris Johnson for information.
Time to plan some winter works in terms of tidying up areas around the gree; this would include tasks such as hedge cutting, clearing ditches, painting club house, weeding paths and borders.
Spend some time servicing equipment and machinery.