February Cricket Diary 2012

February sees the beginning of a number of activities; brushing, verti-cutting, mowing, light rolling and fertilising to prepare the sward/grass surfaces for the forthcoming playing season.

After a harsh winter of snow and frosts, the key to these activities is timing, as each operation is weather dependant. Disease may also be prevalent during mild spells, so spraying of fungicides will also be required.

Diary compiled by Robert Stretton
Massey Ferguson Sports Club
Coventry

CULTURAL: Regular brushing in the mornings to remove the dew from the playing surfaces will reduce the likelihood of disease outbreak. Many turf grass diseases can be active during mild periods at this time of the year.

MOWING: Do not neglect your square. Light verti-cutting can start when conditions allow to remove lateral growth and encourage sward density. Mowing frequencies during the winter months are dependant on the need and condition of the facility. It is important to maintain a constant height of cut on both the square and outfield.

The outfield should be maintained at between 25-35mm. The square should be maintained between 12-20mm using a rotary pedestrian mower.

Useful Information for Brushing and Mowing

Articles		Products
	Penn Cricket Club square improved by young groundsman		Cricket Cages & Netting

AERATION: The use of a sarrel roller to keep the surface dry and free draining will also be beneficial to the square. Some Groundsmen may still want to carry out some deeper aeration work on the square; however, this policy is effective only where shallow rooting is a main concern and where pre-season rolling is not introduced until late March or early April.

As a rule of thumb, many do not aerate after JANUARY. The outfield can be aerated though, using solid or slit tines, when conditions allow.

Useful Information for Aeration

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	A breath of fresh air		Genuine SISIS Tines

PESTS and DISEASE: Disease can still occur in February, especially during spells of mild weather. It is important to keep the sward brushed, particularly in the mornings. Knocking off the dew helps remove surface water from the sward, allowing it to dry out and preventing disease attacks.

The use of switching canes and brushes can be used to remove these dew deposits.

Worm activity can be quite prevalent during the winter months, especially during periods of mild wet weather. Keep an eye on the square and treat accordingly. Worm treatments can be carried out if needed, but please remember to ask yourself why worms are present. Ph levels, organic matter and your cultural practices on the square need to be assessed. Carbendazim is now the only active ingredient available for controlling worms.

Systemic curative and protective fungicides can be used to control diseases; there are a wide range of products on the market that have the active ingredients chlorothalonil and iprodione. These fungicides are usually applied in liquid form using water as a carrier.

All personnel should be suitably qualified in the application of chemicals.

With pests such as rabbits, foxes and moles, it a case of identifying the problem and controlling their activities; employing approved pest control services to eradicate them from site may be a solution.

Useful Information for Pests and Disease

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	Fairy rings - fact and fable		Professional Fungicides

FERTILISER: Fertiliser treatment and turf tonics can be continued in accordance with your annual programme. If you haven't got a fertiliser programme, have your soil tested. Try an independent soil analysis company for an impartial set of results.

Only apply what your soil requires. However, the application of a low nitrogen, higher potash feed (NPK 6:5:10 +6% Fe) will help green up the grass and, at the same time, help control any moss that has accumulated in the sward during the winter months.

To help kick start the grass into growing, you can begin to apply some low nitrogen based fertilisers. Ideally, get your soils sampled for nutrients, organic matter content and pH. A pH of 6.5 is the optimum. Anything higher or lower would be to Alkaline or Acidic.

This information will help decide on the appropriate course of action with regard to applying the correct NPK balance for your site.

Useful Information for Fertiliser

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	Plant Nutrition - food for thought		Spring & Summer Fertiliser

ROLLING: Keeping one eye on the weather, you may want to begin your square rolling programme early. But only if your season starts early April, any other rolling should be delayed until March. If rolling hasn't started, then this should be initiated as soon as possible, starting with your lightest mower. Using the "Union Flag" system, roll in as many different directions as possible, but always finish in the direction of play. Timing of this operation is vitally important.

If you are using the weight of a mower to consolidate the ground, disengage the blades to reduce friction and unnecessary wear on the machine. More weight can be added to the grass box (bag of loam) to increase consolidation.

Gradually build up the rolling weight by moving onto the next size of cylinder mower, and adding weights to the grass box as required. This gradual build up may be over a few weeks, until the heavy roller comes out of the shed to achieve the right consolidation for the start of the season.

Ideal rolling conditions would suggest the soil to be in a state of plasticity, or "plasticine" like. Test your square regularly with a knife to see the condition of your square. If it is too wet, delay rolling, as any type of rolling will create a bow effect and could cause some structural damage.

Consolidation is your aim, and the quality of your pre-season rolling will show when you produce your early season pitches. The square is required to be consolidated throughout to a depth of no less than 100mm (where squares have been constructed to ECB guidelines). This can only be achieved with a gradual build up of roller weight.

OUTFIELDS:- Do not neglect your outfield; if conditions allow try and carry out some aeration work using solid or slit tines. Aerate by hand or machine to aid surface drainage (vary the depths of penetration to prevent the development of a soil pan). Keep on top of any grass growth; if left too long it then becomes a struggle to mow it.

Turf disease can become quite prevalent when soil moisture levels increase, coupled with the presence of early morning dews. The combination of moist soils and surface moisture on the leaf blade can increase the susceptibility of disease attack. Regular switching or brushing, following heavy dew will help prevent any attack of disease.

Some parts of the country may be experiencing snow. Snow cover can inevitably lead to disease outbreaks, so be vigilant after the snow has gone. Sarrel rolling will open the surface for much needed air to the roots, then dragbrush the square to raise the sward as it may well be flattened.

Useful Information for Rolling and Outfield

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	Spring Rolling		Cricket Covers