February 2021 Pitch Diaries
Unfortunately, January may not have been the positive, fresh start to the year that many were wanting. Let's hope that by the end of February things have started to improve somewhat.
Line marking at a foggy Bristol City FC
The recent heavy rainfall and cold snap which has seen freezing temperatures and snowfall across the country has caused numerous issues for turf managers. Long term forecasts are predicting that the whole of February will be varied, with a mixture of sunny days but also periods of rain. Daytime temperatures are slowly increasing but night-time temperatures are still relatively low. As we leave January and enter February, we can start to look ahead to get some early response from our turf, or can we?
Some key points from a previous diary which I feel is worth repeating as they highlight some very relevant facts that we are faced with this month. February has typically been classed as late winter, however more recently it has provided windows of favourable weather. This has allowed many agronomic activities to be carried out that wouldn't usually be done until a couple of months later. The 1st of February is 42 days post winter solstice (21st December), and towards the end of the month that figure will rise to around 70 days and the summer solstice (21st June) will be around 113 days away. To explain what this means in terms of day length, using Leeds as an example (a generic, central location in the British Isles), on the 1st February it will be 8 hours 54 minutes and the suns altitude from the horizon will be 11.65°. At the end of February, day length will be up to around 10 hours 47 minutes and the sun's altitude from the horizon will now be 20.46°. That's a difference of 1 hour 53 minutes and an altitude difference of 8.81°. This means from the start to the end of the month you gain approximately 2 hours of sunlight and a large increase (around 57%) in the height of the sun at mid-day.
Increased day length means an increase in sunlight and a gradual increase in temperatures through more exposure to solar radiation. With an increase in sunlight. there is more opportunity for photosynthesis and the turf can begin to 'wake up', however this is not a quick process given it is on the back of the cold winter weather.
In this month's diaries we discuss how you start to gain some recovery from any winter damage, by utilising the environmental changes outlined above and the increased ability of the plant to grow and develop. Monitoring soil temperatures and beiung mindful of the challenges the weather can pose.
Don't forget, you can also use our Pitchcare Forum, where members can ask for and offer advice on the whole range of sports turf surfaces issues.