During October the following activities are usually undertaken:

• Regular brushing in the mornings to remove the moisture from the leaf is an important maintenance regime to deter an attack of disease.
• Monitor thatch levels and aerate to achieve desired levels of oxygen within the sward.
• Tip the grass when necessary to prevent any excessive growth taking place
• Apply further top-dressing if any holes or hollows require
• Check for disease and pests, seek advice if necessary
• Drag brush daily
• Spike if conditions are right

End of Season Renovations - if not already undertaken

The success of the renovations will be down to the appropriate work undertaken including:

• Scarification
• Aeration
• Topdressing
• Overseeding

The objectives of end of season renovations are:

• To remove thatch
• To repair worn areas
• To renovate surface levels
• To remove unwanted debris
• To re-establish sward densities (overseeding)
• Application of pre seeding/autumn fertilisers to promote sward establishment

The following activities are usually carried out in the following order, when conditions allow.

Mowing the sward, preparing surfaces for renovation: lower cutting height to about 3-4mm to clean and prepare green for renovation operations.

Scarification, removal of unwanted debris: collect and disposal of arisings. Depending on the severity of the thatch, you may need to scarify several times in different directions and to a depth of 4-15mm.

Aeration will usually be done with solid tines however, occasionally hollow tines will be used if a change of soil texture is required.

Overseeding. It is important to ensure a good groove or hole is made to receive the seed; good seed to soil contact is essential for seed germination. Good moisture and soil temperatures will see the seed germinate between 7-14 days.

Watering/Irrigation is essential after renovations to ensure your seed germinates.

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.

The start of October is set to continue as September has ended, somewhat on the wet side. There are some signs, however, that for at least some parts of the UK this may change to a more settled and drier period toward the second half of the month. Whatever the local environmental conditions are at any given time, paying close attention to what happened in previous years with respect to the timing of disease outbreaks, cross referencing that information against the current date, before then checking that against current prevailing weather conditions prior to looking ahead in a bid to see what is just around the corner, are the absolute fundamental basic levels of turf grass pathogen management in 2019 - these all encapsulating fundamentals of an Integrated Pest Management approach.

In the context of Microdochium nivale control, knowing what happened, what’s happening and what’s about to happen is paramount when determining the likelihood of disease expression and the selection and timing of inputs aimed to counteract the onset of disease attack. Say goodbye to the age of the reactive product applier and say hello to the age of the informed tactician.

The second and third aspects, of course, are what factors favour the pathogen and what factors favour the plant. The final factor is what is the effect of the input or action being taken and how will this influence conditions, either towards the pathogen or towards the host (grass plant).

Nutrition

Regulating nitrogen inputs to maintain steady hardy shoot and leaf growth is a priority. Lush growth is more susceptible to attack by fungal pathogens, so slow release nitrogen, either polymer coated or methylene urea in combination with straight urea will give longevity through to the new year. Where conventional fertilisers are chosen, ensure the ammonium value is not above 4 or 5 percent.

A dose of micronutrients is a good idea to ensure the plant has a full menu of essential nutrition.

Iron – the traditional go to option for hardening the plant in the winter. However, there is no evidence to suggest iron plays a role in directly hardening the plant against pathogen attack. Calcium and silicon are the proven elements for this need. Sulphate of iron, in particular, will weaken the cell walls of the leaf due to the acidity; rather, a fully chelated iron with a pH more towards neutral will be far less antagonistic towards cell wall integrity and beneficial leaf dwelling microorganisms.

Biostimulants

Carbohydrates - Applications of carbon energy in the form of sugar during the autumn will be beneficial to the plant and soil over winter. The benefit is a more resilient and well-developed plant in the early spring.

Seaweed – maintain seaweed applications during October, but avoid applications at times when environmental conditions favour fungal pathogens. Seaweed will illicit important beneficial defensive and stress responses in the plant and associated microorganisms when applied ahead of disease activity and when conditions favour the disease.

Amino acids – play an important role in abiotic stress tolerance, helping plants to prepare for and cope with autumnal and winter stress events.

Humates – continue applications to maximise nutrient availability and application efficiency as well as providing habitable zones for beneficial bacteria.

Fungal pathogens

• Adequate balance nutrition of all plant essential elements not just NPK
• Minimise stress by raising heights of cut and avoiding activities such as top dressing which weaken and damage leaf integrity
• Look after the soil via regular light aeration
• Reduce periods of leaf blade wetness by removing dews or using dew dispersants (apply only to a dry leaf)
• Monitor disease forecasts via resources such as Syngenta’s Greencast
• Plan, stock, apply beneficial nutrition as part of non-pesticidal disease management
• Take advice on and plan strategic preventative fungicide applications using historic data, live weather forecasts and site specific conditions and protected maintenance operations which may cause abiotic stress.

Worms

There are no legal substances which can be applied for the control of worms. Any substance or products which act directly upon worms would never be approved by CRD for authorisation.

The only legal option is modification of the local surface soil environment via acidifying with specifically formulated solutions of ammonium sulphate or the application of straight sulphate

Beware regular applications of sulphate of iron, they may well discourage surface casting activity, but the iron will accumulate in the soil causing long term imbalances and negative effects to plant health throughout rest of the year.

James Grundy
Senor Technical Manager
Basis No R/E/75421FMAT

It is important to maintain machines by carrying out regular servicing and repairs.

As grass growth slows down, use the time to take some machines out of operation for an overhaul.

• Inspect and clean machinery after use.
• Maintain a stock of consumables for your machinery, replace worn and damaged parts as necessary.
• Secure machinery nightly with good storage facilities and strong locks
• Record makes and models and take pictures of your equipment as additional reference

Grounds Training was established in 2006 to provide a complete and unique service delivery training courses for the sports turf industry. We are now the go-to provider for on-site, bespoke training for groups. Alongside our renowned turf maintenance which now includes Lantra accredited Online courses. Grounds Training also works with the industry’s awarding bodies – Lantra and City & Guilds (NPTC).

Open courses for individuals to join are also offered at our Allscott (Telford) Training Centre, Most courses lead to Lantra Awards or NPTC qualifications; a small number of niche courses where the instructor is an experienced groundsman who is also Lantra Awards or NPTC registered, offer Pitchcare certification.

Whether your staff are involved with preparing and maintaining sports turf, operating ground care machinery and equipment or require a safe use of pesticides qualification, we have the course to suit them.

For more information on our online courses click here

The Course Manual at just £30 is available for purchase separately.

Here are our upcoming open courses:

PA1/ PA6A - Thursday 17th/ Friday 18th October, Allscott Telford TF6 5DY

For more information visit: Groundstraining.com or email info@groundstraining.com

Check and inspect ditches, floodlights, structures and any site furniture for damage; keep the site clean and maintain a tidy appearance throughout the facility.

Current Forum discussions:

Worm Casts

Craneflies

Soil Testing