Monthly tips and advice on the care and maintenance of your cricket pitch with Morgan Sports Solutions.
March
Some early March sunshine, the smell of fresh grass being cut and of course, Ireland beating England in the Cricket World Cup, it certainly gives us all a lift and I for one am very excited about the new season beginning. The start of March has brought cold, frosty mornings, nice sunshine throughout the day and cool temperatures come evening time. Air temperatures are starting to rise at present along with a nice stretch in the evenings providing more sunlight to the grass sward. We should see an increase in grass growth from here on.
At this time of year, turf grass diseases are very prone. From looking at various cricket squares over the past couple of months, I have witnessed red thread (Laetisaria Fuciformis) in quite a few squares.
This is due to a lack of nitrogen which can be easily treated with an application of 8+0+0 at 30g/m2. Worm casts can also be a problem at this time of year, so be sure to brush them off completely before cutting or rolling as this will cause small bumps to form on your wickets.
Brushing or switching the early morning dew is a great way of preventing diseases from attacking your grass sward.
Your pre season rolling programmes should have begun by now, especially with the weather we have had over the past week or so. Soil temperatures are reading between 6 and 7 degrees at the moment, the soil is plasticine like and perfect for starting your pre season rolling.
Remember to use the 'Union Jack' pattern, rolling in as many different directions as possible but always finishing in the direction of play. Sarrel rolling the wickets at the moment is ideal, as it will leave the surface open to allow air circulation and drainage.
The 'squaring off' of your cricket square can be done during the month of March, this can be achieved by using the 3,4,5 system to make sure that you have perfect right angles. Spending a little extra time on this now, making sure you have it spot on, will definitely save you time during the season!
If you find that you have excess organic matter (thatch) on your square, a light scarification will be required during the course of this month. Seeding of bare patches can also be carried out at the moment as the temperatures are rising, making sure that you have a good seed bed in place.
This is also an ideal time of the year to take a soil sample and get it tested for nutrients, P.H. and organic matter. Your outfield should have had a couple of cuts by now at between 25-30mm, reducing it to 20-25mm towards the end of the month. Verti-Draining will help your outfield immensely as it will encourage the air to circulate around the grass root system and also help on your drainage.
If you require any additional information please contact Morgan Sports Solutions on 01-4458870 or visit our website www.morgansportssolutions.ie
