written by and with thanks to TurfCareBlog
Cricket Square Tasks for March, weather allowing includes cutting, rolling, squaring up of the corners and generally the start of real preparation on the square and outfield, prior to the coming season.
Cutting
Cylinder or rotary mow at around 15-18 mm in HOC (height of cut), if the grass is growing you can start to reduce your HOC, but there really isn’t any need to do this quickly. Whatever you do do, take the HOC down in stages, ideally in line with increased growth and mowing frequency.
Whatever mower you use, ensure the blades are sharp and cutting to their best to prevent tearing of the grass leaf.
Don’t remove more than a third of the leaf in anyone cut to prevent turf stress and yellowing.
Turf Disease
Red thread is the most common turf disease and luckily for us, all it often requires is a nitrogen-based fertiliser application, such as you would normally use on the square appropriate for the time of year
Fusarium is a more challenging disease and does kill leaf tissue, the use of fungicide is a last result, but can be applied ahead of high-risk disease periods or at the first site of an outbreak. Ideally can be prevented by the removal of surface dew. Fusarium is more rare a disease in comparison to red thread, but is more damaging to leaf tissue.
Nutrition
Apply autumn /winter fertiliser, a touch of Fe (iron) included will help keep moss at bay and help hold off disease, ensure its very well washed in especially if you have started or about to start pre-season rolling for risk of leaf scorch damage.
The more vigorously the grass grows the more fertiliser inputs will be required. The grass will start to yellow which will be an indicator it’s in need of nutrients specifically nitrogen, if growing well you could consider the use of a Spring/Summer fertiliser instead, containing a higher percentage of nitrogen.
Fertiliser requirements of a square, ideally should be based on annual soil nutrient testing results, carried out in the early part of the year.
Pre- Season Rolling
Is done to reaffirm the square after winter weather elements, such as rain and frosts gently re decompacted the soil profile. Pre-season rolling should be done over a period of weights and time, increasing the weight of the machines as the soil dries.
Square up the Corners
This should be done at the early part of the year to ensure the cricket pitches are cut out squarely. This can be done using the 3-4-5 Pythagoras method. Once you have your 3-4-5 you can insert plastic carrots into the corners of the square to give you a permanent all year-round indication of where the corners are.
Very tricky to explain, so here is some additional reading-https://turfcareblog.com/how-to-square-up-a-cricket-square-step-by-step/
By the GMA- https://resources.thegma.org.uk/cricket/cricket-squaring-square
Brushing
Brush off the dew whenever you can to prevent turf disease forming, there are also a few other benefits to brushing and other than your time it’s a fruitful task.
Brushing can also include using machinery and the collection of debris ideal prior to the start of pre-season rolling and during to help keep the plant upright. Always match aggression of brushing and frequency with a machine, to the level of growth.
My tip is , if you got a blue sky your not need to worry about surface dew removal, if its a cloudy overcast still day there the days disease risk builds.
Worms
If the grass grows well, manage ideally by cultural management techniques, such as drag matting and brushing when the castes are at their driest.
For more information-https://turfcareblog.com/how-to-control-worms-on-sports-pitches/
Overseeding
Spring and renovations are the main overseeding periods, along with seeding after pitch usages to restore grass coverage.
Creating pockets for seed to live in 10-15 mm deep, where bare by use of a sarel roller or even a thinly ended prong garden fork. Lightly scatter the seed and gently brush the seed into the created holes. Loam is only required if you’re looking to top up the area in general, but if using can be gently brushed into the holes, but this is optional as the holes should close up naturally if the soil is moist and especially in and around PSR.
Avoid an application of Fe (iron) or iron contained within fertiliser, around overseeding once the young plants are at their youngest (one leaf stage). I would recommend seeding during the late stages of pre-season rolling or after, this will minimise rolling stress on the young grass plants once germinated.
Moss
The use of iron sulphur can knock back moss and then can removed by raking, light brushing, scarification/verticutting (avoiding soil contact more than 1-2 mm in depth) followed by overseeding into any bare areas.
Outfield Tasks
- Start to get into a regular routine of cutting and possible starting to reduce the HOC down for the coming of the cricket season
- Collect up sticks, debris on outfield, prior to cutting.
- Overseeding small areas as required, if a mild march.
- Possible light firming with a light roller, to level out any minor lumps/bumps on the outfield prior to cutting, if required.
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