November Bowls Diary 2010

Hopefully, you should have completed all your end of season renovations by now, making good use of the decent weather we had in October. Soil and air temperatures will start to drop below freezing in the coming months. Some long range weather forecasters are predicting a cold winter this year, so be prepared to cope with the icy weather.

In November, air and ground temperatures will be fluctuating, grass growth will slow down significantly when temperatures drop below 5 degrees Centigrade. Ground frosts will be prevalent in most parts of the country. Refrain from walking on or carrying out any work on greens that are frosted.

Greens should also be brushed daily to disperse early morning dews, thus keeping the surface dry which, in turn, helps prevent the onset of disease. Diseases, particularly fusarium, can still be prevalent during November. Good cultural practices will help reduce the incidence of disease attack. Improving surface water drainage by regular inputs of spiking/ aerating should now be implemented on a fortnight/monthly basis.

Useful Information for Brushing

Articles		Products
	Frost Explained		Dragmats

The moist soil conditions have stimulated a lot of worm activity in recent weeks. Earthworms can survive in a wide range of conditions, but most activity is dependent on the quality of food available. Worms like plenty of Organic Matter (OM), therefore greens with a high thatch problem tend to encourage worm activity. Soil pH also affects where earthworms are found. In strongly acid or alkaline soils earthworms are rarely seen (pH less than 4.5 or greater than 8). The soil texture will also affect the number of earthworms found; they prefer clay soils and are less frequently found in sandy soils.

Worm activity inevitability leads to worm casts appearing on the playing surface. These worm casts can be very problematic, they tend to smear the surface, which in turn can affect surface water drainage capacity as well as providing a seed bed for weed germination.

Historically, earthworms have been controlled chemically, killing all earthworms in the turf. The most widely used chemical was chlordane, an organochloride, now banned due to its wide ranging toxic effects and persistence in the environment. There is currently only one active ingredient left to control worms. Carbendazim is a worm suppressant that, when applied in the right conditions (when soils are moist), will help reduce worm activity.

Useful Information for Worms

Articles		Products
	Earthworms: Friend or Foe?		Worm controls

Aeration should be continued throughout the autumn when conditions allow, regular use of a sarrel roller will be beneficial in keeping the surface open.

Some deeper aeration will also improve invaluable, getting below 100mm will help improve any deep-seated compaction problems. The use of a verti drain type deep solid tine spiker will or similar can be hired in. Often access to greens can be a proble, some clubs will be restricted to pedestrian machines only.

Useful Information for Aeration

Articles		Products
	Why Aeration?		Tines

Soil tests should be undertaken 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 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.

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.

Useful Information for Soil Tests

Articles		Products
	Beneath The Surface		Top dressings