May 2012 – Essential Tips On Water Economy

IT is becoming very obvious from the weather forecast that there might be a very serious shortage of water in the foreseeable future which will, of course, affect our bowls greens.

For some of the country it won’t be such a problem, as the amount of rainfall will be sufficient to supply the need of the bowls green. However, clubs in the drier areas, where hosepipe bans may have already been imposed, are going to be subjected to many restrictions.

The clubs in those restricted areas will have to conserve water and make the best use of any rainfall that does occur. Ideally, turf should be moist to a depth of six inches or 150mm to enable the plant to function efficiently.

TIP ONE:

The number one priority is to remove the dew (guttation) every morning at around 8.00am, as any later than that the wind, together with the sun, will help to dry up any moisture.

TIP TWO

It is essential to make the best use of the water that has come through the plant overnight (transpiration) in its distribution of plant food. This operation, therefore, is one of the most important functions of turf culture in preserving the moisture content in the top six inches of the soil, so do not be tardy in carrying out this vital task.

TIP THREE

A healthy turf shifts nine pints of solution (water plus plant food) per hour, per square yard, throughout the hours of darkness. Perhaps it may be of use to remind readers that dew is the waste product that has passed through the plant and that by brushing this waste solution is returned to the soil for further use.

TIP FOUR

Two tools that are useful and quick for removing dew are firstly a dew brush, which is approximately three metres wide, very light and it will take about ten minutes to cover the green. It can be used in both directions if the removal of the dew needs to be speeded up prior to mowing.

TIP FIVE

Secondly, there is a dew roller that is approximately two metres wide with two little rollers about 80mm in depth. This tool will also take around ten minutes to cover the green. The roller is used on days when the green will not be cut, but will add two seconds of pace to it.

TIP SIX

The second priority is to be prepared for incorporating any rainfall that might occur so that the turf will immediately benefit. If the ground is bone dry or hard, the water will not penetrate the turf very easily and will soon evaporate in the sun and the wind.

TIP SEVEN

So, if your turf is reasonably moist at the moment ensure that your carry out plenty of shallow surface spiking to enable the water to move down into the turf with ease. If, on the other hand, the ground is rock hard then it is not advisable to attempt to spike until the weather gets much wetter. The rain water will act as a lubricant in the soil which will assist in any spiking operations.

TOP POINT

What it boils down to is that sufficient spiking should have been carried out during the closed season so that there are adequate holes created to allow any water than falls, or applied, can penetrate into the root zone.

While the hosepipe bans are in operation it may be that you will have to water the green by hand using watering cans in extreme cases on any dry patches to prevent further damage. The best time to apply any water is late in the evening or very early in the morning while the atmosphere is still cool.

TIP EIGHT

Another necessity is to raise the height of cut to allow more leaf area to protect the soil from the sun rays causing evaporation. I suggest that you raise the height during the drought conditions from 5mm to 7mm and this will not then slow down the bowls as the plants will be very dry on the surface.

TIP NINE

One old dodge many years ago was to scatter grass cuttings from the box, providing they do not contain many annual meadow grass seeds. Spreading these cuttings on bare areas will help to prevent excessive drying out and cracking up of the surface.

TOP TIP FOR NEXT TIME!

It is worth mentioning for the future for clubs that haven’t taken note of how important spring rolling is because after lots of spiking up until the middle of March a lot of this water is contained by rolling, slowing down the rate at which it evaporates from the soil. This operation is so important because if we have a dry spring at the start of the season the green will be relatively fast for the opening day.

Assuming that you have done plenty of spiking you have allowed the root systems to feed at a lower level so consequently you may require very much reduced use of fertilisers.

If and when water is allowed to be applied only use a gentle droplet so that it can be absorbed without causing puddling on the surface. Pop-up sprinklers often cause ‘bombing’ because of the size of the droplets created in order to reach the centre of the green. This is an unfortunate consequence of using pop-up sprinklers, particularly if seeding has taken place in the autumn.

It is always best to use a fine rose on a hosepipe when situations allow to avoid washing the surface too vigorously after repair work has been carried out on the turf surface. If it is at all possible try to arrange a system that will enable you to trap any water that falls on your clubhouse roof or shed and either store it in a large container for later use or direct it straight onto the green.

TIP TEN – THE LAST TIP

Whatever happens this year, be prepared to spike at every opportunity and remember to have a good spiking programme in the future.

Baden Powell was so right – simply BE PREPARED!