Your month by month Green Maintenance Guide
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
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 slitting. This will help the roots to go down quickly, resulting in a better grass plant. But remember always to change 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 turn and the soil surface is dry, but that underneath it is not too hard and dry. If it is, the slitter sticks, pulling up the turf.
Bearing in mind that most work 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 some 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-eigths 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.
Dave recommends the use of Spring and Summer fertiliser. Apply accurately accordingly 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 receipe 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 (40x40 is 1600 sq yds equals 16 mixes).
At the time of application be sure that the turf is moist to a depth of six inces (feriliser 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 sorrel 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.
July
In the middle of the month give the turf a boost with another application of Summer feed (see June for receipe). Continue mowing, but if there is a drought, raise the height of cut to avoid stress.
Keep an eye out for the fungal disease Cortisium which indicates that the turf needs nitrogen. Also look for weeks, since a selective herbicide is effective if used now.
Extra grooming for an important match or tournament is satisfying, although at some greens it is routine. To speed up your green, use a thatch control reel lightly into the turf, but not touching the soil. Giving yourself plenty of time, go from corner to corner in both directions and follow this by mowing.
For a very special occasion, double cutting is an effective method of making the green faster. Mow from corner to corner and then at each turn go back on yourself and mow the same lane again.
August
Moss caused by rain can be treated economically with a sulphate of iron. Applied accurately at a rate of quarter of an ounce per square yard, it can be put on dry – in which case bult it up with sand. Alternatively, it can be watered in. If the latter method is chosen, mix the sulphate of iron in warm water before diluting with cold water, or use a proprietary moss killer.
The moisture content of the green must be maintained. If the grass looks starved, apply an Autumn feriliser composed of 3lbs of sulphate of ammonia and 1lb of sulphate of iron. It should be mixed with sufficient sandy compost to spread the misture over 100 sq yds. The sulphate of iron will harden the fescues, while the sulphate of ammonia will feed the turf. The latter will not contribute to disease provided debris removal is scrupulous.
Mow at Summer height of cut, except in drought coniditions when the height must be raised. Continue with fortnightly spiking and slitting.
Use a selective herbicide on later Summer weeds before they seed.
September
Start the month by ensuring all the materials for your Autumn work are either to hand or on order. Now is a good time to survey the green to see precisely where the levels need improvement (see November for details on survey method).
Once play ends, start on the Autumn work. Hollow tining should be carried out now, but only once every three years. Afterwards the holes should be left open to increase bacterial activity and allow gas exchange – carbon dioxide out, oxygen in.
After two weeks go over the green with solid tines, which will effectively squeeze the holes together. Before buying expensive top dressing materials, ask yourself whether the green really needs. Obviously if the levels are wrong then they must be corrected, but possibly the money could be better spent on equipment.
Greens where sorrel spiking is carried out frequently are more prone to leatherjacket invastion than others, as the holes are made by the spiker are a convenient size for the pest, so now is the time to apply an insecticide.
October
Put the green to bed for the Winter by scarifying to clear out accumulated debris. Make several passes with the thatch removal reel and rid the green of as much annual meadow grass as possible, then mow off cleanly.
As grass has a limited life, it is necessary to oversow lightly with perennial grasses. Sow early in the month while the ground is still warm. Avoid ready made mixes as the fine seeds end up at the bottom of the sack and, anyway, different grasses have different sowing depth requirements. Each green will require 12kg of chewings fescue and 4kg browntop.
Ideally a seed slotter makes a perfectly shaped pocket in which to sow the seed. Start by sowing the fescues, which must lie flat and see that they are buried into half an inch of soil. Then sow the fine browntop on the surface. If the weather is dry, be ready to water to help germination.
Raise the height of cut from a quarter of an inch to half an inch, as this allows more leaf area to manufacture food, enabling the roots to forage deeper.
November
Now is the time to pick up on the September survey and start levelling work. The survey itself can be fitted in earlier, but this is how to go about it.
Mark the green at one yard intervals with a string pulled tightly from one side to the other. Then look along the lines to see the undulations in the places where the turf falls away from the string. Using diluted emulsion paint, mark the low areas with a line, painted at right angles to the string.
Then indicate the direction of the dip by painting another six inch line along the string line, leaving a T-shaped mark. Move the string over yard by yard until the whole green is covered.
With all the low areas highlighted, make an assessment of the amount of sharp sand required for levelling. To raise the undulations, screed lime-free sand on top of the turf. Then, pressing a thick-pronged fork into the turf, prise it up and as you lift it the sand will run into the holes.
Maintain the height of cut at half an inch and keep the surface clean and dry to avoid fungal diseases.
A low nitrogen Autumn fertilister can be applied.
December
If snow follows a frost there is little to worry about, as the ground is already hard and fungi will be inactive. The time to start worrying is when snow follows a mild period. In these circumstances, fungi can be active under the show for weeks. So if snow is forecast, spray on a preventative dressing of contact fungicide which will coat the grass leaves and act as a barrier against disease.
When the snow settles, help the turf by removing as much of it as possible frm the edge of the green, but do not tread it.
Now is the time to check over your equipment. This month is an ideal time to look at surrounds of your green. Clean out ditches and if you have hedges, clean out around their bases. This will allow air to circulate, which helps to prevent disease from attacking the green.
The grass will continue to benefit from as much sold spiking, splitting and root pruning as you can manage to do. Carry on brushing daily, provided there is no frost.
Keep the green topped with the mower to a maximum height of half an inch.
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
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 slitting. This will help the roots to go down quickly, resulting in a better grass plant. But remember always to change 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 turn and the soil surface is dry, but that underneath it is not too hard and dry. If it is, the slitter sticks, pulling up the turf.
Bearing in mind that most work 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 some 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-eigths 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.
Dave recommends the use of Spring and Summer fertiliser. Apply accurately accordingly 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 receipe 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 (40x40 is 1600 sq yds equals 16 mixes).
At the time of application be sure that the turf is moist to a depth of six inces (feriliser 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 sorrel 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.
July
In the middle of the month give the turf a boost with another application of Summer feed (see June for receipe). Continue mowing, but if there is a drought, raise the height of cut to avoid stress.
Keep an eye out for the fungal disease Cortisium which indicates that the turf needs nitrogen. Also look for weeks, since a selective herbicide is effective if used now.
Extra grooming for an important match or tournament is satisfying, although at some greens it is routine. To speed up your green, use a thatch control reel lightly into the turf, but not touching the soil. Giving yourself plenty of time, go from corner to corner in both directions and follow this by mowing.
For a very special occasion, double cutting is an effective method of making the green faster. Mow from corner to corner and then at each turn go back on yourself and mow the same lane again.
August
Moss caused by rain can be treated economically with a sulphate of iron. Applied accurately at a rate of quarter of an ounce per square yard, it can be put on dry – in which case bult it up with sand. Alternatively, it can be watered in. If the latter method is chosen, mix the sulphate of iron in warm water before diluting with cold water, or use a proprietary moss killer.
The moisture content of the green must be maintained. If the grass looks starved, apply an Autumn feriliser composed of 3lbs of sulphate of ammonia and 1lb of sulphate of iron. It should be mixed with sufficient sandy compost to spread the misture over 100 sq yds. The sulphate of iron will harden the fescues, while the sulphate of ammonia will feed the turf. The latter will not contribute to disease provided debris removal is scrupulous.
Mow at Summer height of cut, except in drought coniditions when the height must be raised. Continue with fortnightly spiking and slitting.
Use a selective herbicide on later Summer weeds before they seed.
September
Start the month by ensuring all the materials for your Autumn work are either to hand or on order. Now is a good time to survey the green to see precisely where the levels need improvement (see November for details on survey method).
Once play ends, start on the Autumn work. Hollow tining should be carried out now, but only once every three years. Afterwards the holes should be left open to increase bacterial activity and allow gas exchange – carbon dioxide out, oxygen in.
After two weeks go over the green with solid tines, which will effectively squeeze the holes together. Before buying expensive top dressing materials, ask yourself whether the green really needs. Obviously if the levels are wrong then they must be corrected, but possibly the money could be better spent on equipment.
Greens where sorrel spiking is carried out frequently are more prone to leatherjacket invastion than others, as the holes are made by the spiker are a convenient size for the pest, so now is the time to apply an insecticide.
October
Put the green to bed for the Winter by scarifying to clear out accumulated debris. Make several passes with the thatch removal reel and rid the green of as much annual meadow grass as possible, then mow off cleanly.
As grass has a limited life, it is necessary to oversow lightly with perennial grasses. Sow early in the month while the ground is still warm. Avoid ready made mixes as the fine seeds end up at the bottom of the sack and, anyway, different grasses have different sowing depth requirements. Each green will require 12kg of chewings fescue and 4kg browntop.
Ideally a seed slotter makes a perfectly shaped pocket in which to sow the seed. Start by sowing the fescues, which must lie flat and see that they are buried into half an inch of soil. Then sow the fine browntop on the surface. If the weather is dry, be ready to water to help germination.
Raise the height of cut from a quarter of an inch to half an inch, as this allows more leaf area to manufacture food, enabling the roots to forage deeper.
November
Now is the time to pick up on the September survey and start levelling work. The survey itself can be fitted in earlier, but this is how to go about it.
Mark the green at one yard intervals with a string pulled tightly from one side to the other. Then look along the lines to see the undulations in the places where the turf falls away from the string. Using diluted emulsion paint, mark the low areas with a line, painted at right angles to the string.
Then indicate the direction of the dip by painting another six inch line along the string line, leaving a T-shaped mark. Move the string over yard by yard until the whole green is covered.
With all the low areas highlighted, make an assessment of the amount of sharp sand required for levelling. To raise the undulations, screed lime-free sand on top of the turf. Then, pressing a thick-pronged fork into the turf, prise it up and as you lift it the sand will run into the holes.
Maintain the height of cut at half an inch and keep the surface clean and dry to avoid fungal diseases.
A low nitrogen Autumn fertilister can be applied.
December
If snow follows a frost there is little to worry about, as the ground is already hard and fungi will be inactive. The time to start worrying is when snow follows a mild period. In these circumstances, fungi can be active under the show for weeks. So if snow is forecast, spray on a preventative dressing of contact fungicide which will coat the grass leaves and act as a barrier against disease.
When the snow settles, help the turf by removing as much of it as possible frm the edge of the green, but do not tread it.
Now is the time to check over your equipment. This month is an ideal time to look at surrounds of your green. Clean out ditches and if you have hedges, clean out around their bases. This will allow air to circulate, which helps to prevent disease from attacking the green.
The grass will continue to benefit from as much sold spiking, splitting and root pruning as you can manage to do. Carry on brushing daily, provided there is no frost.
Keep the green topped with the mower to a maximum height of half an inch.
Acknowledgements to Dave Bracey for this article