Very little has been written about winter operations. Many cricket grounds are used for winter sports as well, and groundsmen are often frustrated by this.
(i) Post-season maintenance
- Do not allow winter-sport activity to prevent essential attention being paid to the pitch.
- Repair damaged areas, remove all loose material and thatch.
- Remove invader grass and clean the surface.
- Replant bare areas using bulli plugs. Be sure the same bulli as in the pitch is used.
- Apply fertiliser.
- Apply a light dressing of bulli and level.
- Mow to 15 - 20 mm and water.
(ii) Winter
It is suggested that pitches should not be left unattended during this period. Thatch and foreign material should not be allowed to fall into the cracks, and grass growth should be encouraged as much as temperatures will allow. Drilling and decompaction can be undertaken during mid to late winter or early spring as dictated by climate. There is evidence that a follow-up pre-season compaction programme assists in setting up the table for better pitch preparation early in the season. Timing is a key factor as heavy duty operations which are left late can bring about serious problems if they have to be hurried for the start of the season.
Early spring is a vital period for root growth, and over-rolling and disruption may suppress this.
For Highveld conditions it is important to irrigate the pitch during winter (3 - 5mm every two weeks). The aim of this practice is not to lift the grass out of dormancy but to limit cracking and so damage to the root system.
The Highveld and Free State are faced with another problem that is not experienced in any other cricket playing country in the world. Due to very dry windless nights between May and August, severe frosts may completely kill the grass on cricket pitches. This reduces summer tolerance of the grass. Because frosts persist deep into August and even into September, the grass only starts growing in late spring. When the cricket season starts, the grass is still in a recovery phase and shows poor tolerance to wear and tear. The result is that the grass is damaged in such a way that it loses its ability to recover during the rest of the season due to the often very busy match programme. If one can simulate more favourable conditions during the winter on a micro scale to minimise frost damage, these problems could be eliminated.
Various hi-technology materials are currently being tested to overcome the frost problem. All have one common goal: they provide grass with a warmer day-time environment and warm air is retained close to the soil surface at night. Eight products are being tested and the initial results are very promising. The distribution agents of these products are most willing to assist in the planning and construction of frames and covers. They will be easily removable from the pitch and will look very similar to the rain-covers currently used in the U.K. These frames can be used in winter for frost protection, while in summer they are easily converted into very effective rain covers.
(iii) Pre-season preparations
If your ground was being used for winter sports, lay down fixed deadlines and season limits.
- Mow in stages. Never mow to remove more than 40% of the grass at any one mowing and always wait 3-4 days between mowings. Preferably, don't let the grass get too long in the first place.
- Verticut only when the surface is dry. Do not confuse this with scarifying. Verticut in both directions with the machine set to cut to just below the level of the bulli. This operation is vital for the spring flush of growth as it severs the surface runners (stolons) and thickens up the turf. Runners grow at their tips, and by cutting the runners into sections, growth is promoted from each section. The cutting process also loosens up the thatch, thins out the mat, and breaks up the organic layer on the surface.
- Brush up all the uncut sections to ensure removal of the thatch.
- It is now essential to remove all loose material. A number of passes with the pitch cylinder mower will pick up much of this material. A rotary mower, set high, will progressively blow material aside. It may be advisable to use a knapsack type motorised blower to remove all the dust and thatch (NB. If you do not do this job correctly, you will have added to your layering problem).
- Flood the table, spike with a spiked roller or hollow-tine, and then apply fertilizer (particularly phosphate which promotes new root growth and must be placed in the root zone).
- Allow the grass to recover for a few days before applying a topdressing of sieved bulli. Do not use powdered bulli as this will crust and cake. Do not allow the grass to grow to the extent that the bulli dressing cannot be adequately screeded and levelled. Do not apply more bulli than is required for it to be rubbed into the grass, allowing most of the grass to show above the bulli layer. Apply bulli in minimal quantities at any one time.
- Spread bulli on low spots first (these should have been identified when the table was flooded). Then spread lightly from a spade in a sweeping action over the balance of the table. A light, low-bed trailer with old covers spread to collect spillage is preferable to wheelbarrows.
- Spread and level using a multi-bar metal frame, about the size of a dining room table, and constructed from 50mm flatbar with four dividers running lengthwise. On the front (long) edge are two welded hooks to which are attached ropes for two men to pull. The ropes must be at least 5m long so that the frame is not lifted when being pulled. The frame may be angled to help move cascading bulli from high spots to hollows. Alternatively, use a long straight-edge.
- Water lightly once or twice a day.
- After a week or less, rub in the bulli again using a frame.
- When the grass is through, dry roll both ways with a light roller to assist in breaking down the bulli and settling it.
- Highveld Spring treatment: When the turf comes out of dormancy it is important to remove all dead material from the pitch. This can done by scarifying (pin-type) followed by a good brushing. Fertiliser should then be applied in the correct quantities and only then should topdressing be applied.
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