March rugby Diary 2003

March Rugby Diary

By Chris Parry

Keep up with the drag brushing/matting or harrowing when conditions permit, for dew and wormcast dispersion and to help stand the grass up prior to any maintenance work. Repair divots after games or training as soon as is possible, with particular attention to the scrum and line out areas.

Levels may need to be restored in areas where scrums have occurred, by light top dressing, seeding and raking over. Infill any holes that have occurred in the pitch surface with a sand/soil and seed mix. Lightly roll after repair work, preferably with a pedestrian mower.

"Topping" the grass maybe required as warmer temperatures are upon us.

Keep up your aeration programme, using needle tines. this will also enable you to tine more frequently, with minimum disturbance to the grass and playing surface.

Check equipment and machinery ensuring heights of cuts etc; are correct. If you have not had them in for a winter service yet, then hurry up and do so!

If your budget can stretch to over-seeding your pitch with 4 to 6 bags of grass seed in a window between games, will be very beneficial in promoting grass coverage for the last quarter of the season with the high usage that occurs on your pitch at the end of the season with the local cup matches.

Renovations should be in the forefront of your mind. Bear in mind problems that your may have encountered during the season ("wet-spots" or drainage). Try to solve these problems during or before renovations start. You should by now have quotations for your renovation work and a provisional starting date with the contractor.

Continue to be on the look out for pest and diseases. Treat accordingly and apply a fertiliser dressing if required on the basis of the results of a soil analysis.