January 2012 – YOUR PLAN FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS!
David Bracey guides you through the bowling green maintenance calendar with tips and advice on what work to do each month throughout the first half of the year in order to keep your green in the best condition possible.
January
If the ground is frosty keep off the grass, but if it is foggy and mild, then keep the surface dry by brushing twice a day to keep disease at bay. Frost can heave up the ground, or loosen the surface, making brushing difficult. If this happens, especially in areas that have been oversown, then once the frost has gone give the green a light roll to firm it up. Prevent straggly growth by keeping the grass topped at a height of half an inch. The green benefits from solid spiking, chisel tining, root pruning and slit tining. This will help the roots to go down quickly, resulting in a better grass plant. But remember always to change the direction of travel when aerating. Not only is it impossible to spike right up to the extreme edge of the green, it is also here that people tend to stand during play. So to allow more air into this ground, hand fork all around the edge to about nine feet in from the edge. Finally, seize the luxury of having time to clear and reshape the banks and clean out the ditches and drainage holes.
February
Spike and slit to keep the surface open. Slitting effectively root prunes, cutting thousands of roots and in turn stimulating thousands more to grow. Before slitting ensure that the turf and the soil surface is dry, but that underneath it is not too hard and dry. If it is the slitter sticks pull up the turf.
Bearing in mind that most worm killers last only six months, and also that worms colonise the ditches, now is a good time to keep them in check. Use worm killer around the edge of the green, but only on a mild day when the worms are active. Light rolling can be started now, and maintain the height of cut to half an inch. There is still time for turf repairs. At the end of the month, if your green is clean, start working on making it fast for the start of the season. Do this by dressing the green with lime-free sharp sand. Stretch parallel strings at one yard intervals across the green and deposit the sand between them. Work in the sand with a lute, using the strings as a height adjustment guide.
March
If you have not had the light roller out before, you must get it out now to keep the green firm. Rolling twice a week is important, but should only be done if the surface is dry, with moisture underneath. Avoid using a heavy roller, as it pushes the grass plant sideways and can tear the top of the plant away from its roots. If a light roller is not available, use the mower (do not cut) minus its box, but do not linger over the job. Avoid excessive weight on the surface by keeping the mower moving quickly.
As the month progresses, gradually slow the roller down to compress the surface downwards. It should be done twice a week, but only if conditions are right. Meanwhile, carry on solid spiking, allowing the plant to breathe. If growth starts while the rolling regime is still under way, lightly scarify before cutting. This will lift up the end of the long rhizomes, which are otherwise rolled down by the mower. It will also prevent stalks with seeds from appearing. At this stage of the year, maintain the height of cut at half an inch.
April
As growth accelerates, lower the cutting height gradually to three-eighths of an inch. Mow a minimum twice a week, boxing the cuttings, with the final pass of the close season at right angles to the green. Work with a wide turning area around the edge of the green to avoid wear and tear.
Solid spike twice this month – diagonally – and keep rolling until the middle of the month, gradually increasing the weight of the roller. This can be achieved by a slower rolling speed, or if using the mower, by putting a bag of fertiliser into the box. I recommend the use of Spring and Summer fertiliser. Apply accurately according to the manufacturer’s instructions on a dry, still day, either by hand or applicator. Brush in well and avoid risk of scorching by watering the fertiliser in. Finally, if required use a selective herbicide, again following the manufacturer’s instructions. This operation should be carried out by a pesticide certificated operator.
May
As the playing season gets under way, ensure the surface is firm. If not, bowlers used to playing indoors throughout the Winter will complain about slow greens. If there is heavy rain after preparing the green, then as it dries out air will be trapped, resulting in a puff pastry effect, which will need rolling out. If this is neglected, the bowls will be slowed down, and divots could form. By now, mowing ought to take place a minimum three times a week. The height of cut can be reduced to a quarter of an inch if the green is level. If there are a lot of undulations, then it is just not feasible to achieve really short grass.
Brushing is useful since it prevents the ends of the grasses from lying down. The green can be raked if required. Continue solid spiking once a fortnight to aerate the turf, but do it diagonally so that the run of the bowls is unaffected.
Finally, this is the month when greens can look their very best, so time spent now on presentation reaps maximum rewards, by watering it in then and there.
June
In the first week of the month apply a Summer fertiliser. The following recipe is calculated to feed the plant at the correct rate to compensate for the leaves removed by mowing: 3lbs sulphate of ammonia and 1lb of sulphate of iron mixed with sifted sandy soil (15 parts – soil from hollow tining will do nicely). This is applied over 100 sq yds and then watered in. Check the size of your green to follow how many mixes you will need (40 x 40 is 1600 square yards equals 16 mixes). At the time of application be sure that the turf is moist to a depth of six inches (fertiliser on dry soils is of no use to the plant). Check the dew in the morning to ensure that there is adequate moisture in the turf. Only the areas that are without dew need watering, so check the green early before the dew has evaporated. Technically the dew we are referring to is called ‘guttation.’ Continue to maintain the height of cut to your chosen height. Let the turf breathe by slitting or Sarrel spiking once a week, and solid spike once every two weeks. This provides an escape root for storm water that would otherwise collect on the surface.
