December Bowls Diary 2006

With temperatures falling and early morning frosts perhaps becoming more regular, grass growth will have slowed down dramatically. The need to cut the grass on a regular basis is not so necessary. You should use this spare time to carry out some other works in and around the greens, clearing out ditches, pruning and cutting hedges to keep them tidy and manageable. It is essential to keep the surface free of debris and aerated. The use of a sarrel roller will be sufficient to keep the surface open and free draining.

What happens to turf in frost conditions?

Frost on the grass leaf blades tells us that the water inside the leaves is frozen. Remember that 80+% of plant tissue is made up of water, the primary component of plant tissue. When this water is frozen, foot traffic on the turf causes the ice crystals in the cells to puncture through the plant's cell walls, thus killing plant tissue.

When they are frozen the leaves of the turf get easily bruised by player's feet. After thawing, the affected turf turns black or brown and becomes sparse. The turf can often remain thin for long periods if damage occurs early in the winter. The fine turf on greens becomes more susceptible to disease and the putting surface becomes very uneven.

More long-term damage can be caused when play takes place as the turf is thawing after a prolonged freeze. Under these conditions the top surface of the turf may be soft, but the underlying soil can still be frozen. Root damage occurs easily from a shearing action as player's feet move the soft top surface against the frozen sub soil.

The process of damage to the turf normally occurs in the following pattern:

* Bruising and damage to the leaf.
* Loss of turf colour.
* Severing of grass roots.
* Compaction of the soil.
* Thinning of the swards.

Remember to keep off your bowling greens during frosty conditions.

The need to cut the grass on a regular basis will have diminished. However, it is still a good idea when weather conditions prevail to keep the sward topped at between 10-12mm (winter height of cut).

Other works to be undertaken:

Continue to clean up any leaf debris, leaves when wet can be a slip hazard , keep walk ways and paths clean and tidy. Drainage ditches can be cleaned out. inspect the condition of your ditch materials ( bark /rubber sand) they may need cleaning, replacing or topping up.

Many greens are surrounded by fences or hedges these will need some maintenance, natural hedges may need a prune / cut to keep them tidy and manageable.

Many greens may well be still recovering from the hot dry summer we had, it will be essential to get some life back into the green. Improving the gaseous exchange in the soil profile while at the same time increasing the capacity of the green to drain more efficiently during the winter months.

This will be achieved by some frequent surface and deep soil aeration. However, care should be undertaken when choosing the type and size of tines to be used.Remember you do not want to be aerating at the same depth all the time, as this will eventually cause a pan layer to form. Which in turn will cause you more problems. Ideally you should be using a range of tines at different depths within the range of your soil profile.

Earthworms may be a problem, particularly with the recent heavy rains, so regular drag brushing. Ideally brushing can be daily when conditions are right.. Regular aeration to keep the surface open will aid drying. A drier surface may help towards reducing the effects of the earthworm activity near the surface.

Diseases have been widely reported, particularly Fusarium. These outbreaks have been mainly due to the heavy dews and changing climatic air temperatures we have recently experienced. Moisture on the leaf will allow diseases to move and spread easily. Regular brushing in the mornings to remove the moisture from the leaf is an important maintenance regime to deter an attack of disease.

Most of the tasks detailed can be undertaken within a limited budget. Local conditions and circumstances will need to be taken into account. If any members are undertaking any specific work not detailed, please let us know by adding a comment in the section below the diary.

Task	Frequency	Reason
Aeration	When conditions allow	Aeration should be continued throughout the autumn when conditions allow, the use of a sarrel roller will be beneficial in keeping the surface open.
Brushing/switching	Daily or as required	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.
Disease	Daily	Diseases are fairly prominent this year. Keep an eye on fungal disease attack and use approved fungicides to treat infected areas. Good cultural practices generally reduces the likelihood of disease outbreaks.
Fertilising	When required	Generally, no fertiliser applications are made during the winter months, as plant growth has slowed down. However, some groundstaff may apply a dose of liquid iron to colour up and provide some strength to the grass plant during the winter months.
Litter pick	Weekly or as required	Inspect and clear away litter or debris.
Machinery	Daily/Weekly	Keep machines overhauled and clean. Arrange the servicing of your machines ready for the new season.
Materials	Monthly	Keep an eye on your material stocks, (seed, top dressing, petrol, oil ) remembering to replenish as required.
Mowing	As required	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 10-12mm.
Perimeter fences and hedges	As required	Most bowling green facilities are enclosed by fences or hedges. December is a good time to complete any tidying up of these features. Hedges can be pruned and cut to maintain their shape and form.
Pests	As required	Increased soil moisture can often lead to an increase in worm activity. Regular brushing of the greens will help disperse their casts. However, if the infestation is large, you may need to apply some Carbendazim to control the worm population.
Repairs	As required	Carry out any repairs to ditches, paths, gates, floodlights and other building features. Ideally you should have your floodlights serviced on a annual basis to check that they are safe and operating to the correct LUX values. Also check that the lights are correctly positioned, thus preventing unwanted light pollution.
Soil tests	Ideally once or twice a year, or as required.	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 tests to consider are: ·Particle Size Distribution (PSD) this will give you accurate information on the soil type and it's 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. ·Organic matter content, it is important to keep a balanced level of organic matter content in the soil profile. ·Nutrient Levels. Keeping a balance of N P K nutrients within the soil profile is essential for healthy plant growth. Once you have this information you will be in a better position to plan your season's feeding and maintenance programmes.