In part one of this article, which you can find here, we went through the first four steps involved in the implementation of a successful spring renovation, in this part will go through the final five steps.
Mowing
Moss treatment.
Scarification, removal of unwanted debris.
Aeration, de-compaction of soil.
Top dressing, restores levels and improves drainage.
Over-seeding, restores grass populations.
Fertilising, provides nutrients for grass growth.
Brushing to incorporate dressings and help grass stand.
Irrigation, watering.
5. Top dressing
Top dressing is the process of applying sand, soil, organic material or any combination of these, over the top of your sports surface. Top dressing is necessary because the seed needs an environment where it is easy as possible to establish and grow.
The root-zone is the layer under the sward in which the grass roots live and breathe and this is really the starting point in the long-term success of any green or pitch. An ideal root-zone for healthy grass is a natural, well-structured sandy loam and for a home garden lawn, this would be the ideal choice. It is a little more complicated for a pitch or green where you would have rugby scrums, football tackles or golfers walking on them with spiked shoes every single day.
Benefits of Top Dressing:
- Restoring surface level
- Stimulates new root and shoot growth
- Improves germination on over-seeded areas
- Increases water holding capacity & air spores in the soil
- Improves soil structure
- Increases nutrient retention
- Improves surface drainage
- Increases ball bounce and helps give a smooth, true running surface
Top dressings are an integral part of sports turf maintenance and serve several functions in sustaining turf quality. The application of a good quality top dressing, in combination with a suitable aeration programme, will go a long way to counter the ravages of play. In addition, on sites where the original soil is not necessarily suited for sporting activity, the use of appropriate topdressing materials can contribute significantly to the production of an acceptable playing surface by making positive changes in the composition of the surface layer.
There are many factors to consider when choosing a top dressing, including costs. It is important to assess the existing soil composition of your playing surface to help choose the correct top dressing material. It is advised that your send your soil samples away for evaluation, or else seek advice from a top-dressing supplier or qualified agronomist.
There is a wide range of materials available for top dressing, ranging from straight sands, clays, loams and local soils materials through to purpose mixed root-zones combining clays, loams and sands. Sand to soil percentage mixes can range from 80/20, 70/30 and 60/40. Compatibility is essential, there's no such thing as a universally 'good' top dressing.
Sand provides the physical properties of which provide the drainage and stability usually lacking in natural soils. This is because the space between sand particles remains even when it is compacted, hence allowing drainage. Sand companies and top dressing suppliers are offering a wide range of materials for use on sports areas. Using the wrong dressing material, or creating a layering effect, can cause severe drainage and root-break problems.
The success of top dressing will also be influenced by the amount applied and how well it has been worked into the turf surface. Applying too much dressing will have a detrimental effect, smothering out the turf and increasing the likelihood of disease, slow grass growth and, in some cases, will kill the turf.
The amount of top dressing required will depend on the depth of material used x the surface area of the site. Most Greenkeepers in the spring may only be applying about 1-2mm of dressing per green (average size 500m2), about 0.75-1.5 tonnes of top dressing per green, whereas in the autumn renovation programme more than 2 tonnes per green may be applied.
Machinery:
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6. Over-seeding
Over-seeding worn and bare areas on sports pitches is an essential maintenance regime to ensure the upkeep of a healthy grass sward. Successful seed germination will be determined by a number of factors, weather and ground conditions at the time of sowing, methods used to sow the seed and, finally, the choice and quality of seed used.
It is important to use viable seed that is certified and from recent fresh stocks. Choose appropriate seed mixtures for the given sports surface and use cultivars that suit your requirements e.g. cricket, football, rugby.
Sow during optimum conditions when soil and air temperatures are consistently above 8 degrees centigrade. Grass seed will usually germinate between 7-10 days.
7. Fertilising
To maintain optimal growing conditions for the grass plant, a planned fertiliser programme should be implemented. It is important to know the fertility of your soil before applying any type of fertiliser treatments. Determining the correct NPK fertiliser ratio to suit the profile of your soil will give you the best results and save you money from your fertiliser program.
Benefits of a good Fertilising program;
- Increases root growth.
- Accelerates shoot growth
- Stimulates seed growth
- Balances growth
- Increases grass plants vigour and resistance to disease.
- Improves grass colour
Fertilisers now come in many forms, both granular and liquid. It is important that you understand how these products work and how to apply them. They both have their advantages. For example, some advantages of liquid fertilisers are they can be easier to handle and apply and you get nice uniformity of application. The nutrient content is identical in every drop of liquid fertilizer, while granular have individual nutrient components in each pellet. Granular fertilisers are generally cheaper, easier to store and can have slow-release options.
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8. Brushing
Now, all this top dressing, over seeding and fertilising will add up to very little if all the material is not well worked into the soil. The recommended method for incorporating all these materials into the surface is either by using a lute or drag brush on fine turf areas and a drag mat for larger areas. These methods ensure the materials are worked in evenly, and prevent any excess material remaining on the top. Its best to execute you're brushing, drag-matting and/or Luting when the surface is dry, this will allow the material to distribute itself easily.
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9. Irrigation
When executing a successful spring renovation, a ready source of irrigation must be at hand throughout the whole process, from seeding right through to successful germination. Try not to let your newly over-seeded areas to dry out. It's important to keep your seedbed moist persistently at the beginning of over-seeding with quick and frequent rounds of watering. As your seed begins to germinate and grow, you can decrease frequency.
Conclusion
Spring renovations are carried out to rejuvenate and prepare your sports surface for the forthcoming season. Successful renovation requires detailed planning and programming, to ensure the right materials and equipment are available and working throughout the renovation process. Generally, most renovation programmes have to be completed in a short period, between 1 and 4 weeks, usually during the month of April.
It can consume a lot of time and is often a very expensive exercise. However, when successfully implemented, the results of the spring renovation should promote and produce a healthy turf sward capable of withstanding the onslaught of the playing season ahead.
