The vertical blades cut and lift the ends of the grass that is laid, this if left would cause grain and poor putting surfaces. However it can also be detrimental to over groom or scarify, this process if done too regularly will stress the grass plant leading to poor and thin surfaces, which can be prone to moss and weed infestation, along with higher disease pressures given the right conditions. It is a difficult balance to maintain surface quality and reduce grass stress. The groomers are on the greens cutting units on the old mower. We use this mower simply to groom greens as it often can pick up sand from the surface which blunts the cutting blades. Following on behind the grooming mower is another greens mower which tidies up any mess and long ends left from grooming. One measure to reduce stress to the plant, especially after grooming is to apply fertiliser which gives the plant the means of recovery, not just from the process but from general wear through machinery and foot traffic. Last week we applied an application of porthcawl ( a bio stimulant ) and urea (fertiliser) along with seaweed. This mix is applied every 2-3 weeks and watered in using the irrigation system.
Unfortunately during the process of spraying the fertiliser on the greens the sprayer has broken down, to be more specific the pump bearings have deteriorated to the point where they need replacing. Unfortunately the sprayer is near 30 years old and this is not the only thing that is deteriorating on it, the chassis is rotten and the control system is also leaking under pressure. This November a sprayer MOT has been introduced to ensure sprayer and the quality of spray they deliver meets a standard. This is just like a car MOT, it ensures poor spraying is not leading to environmental issues that can be avoided. Unfortunately for us our sprayer in its current condition is no where near the level it needs to be at. The cost of repair is far greater than expected, the sprayer is not worth spending too much money on as it is very old. The decision has been made to replace the sprayer at a cost not much more than the repairs. Plus we are 100 % guaranteed that we have a sprayer that complies with all legislation.
This week we are spiking and topdressing greens again. The demo spiker has been a great tool to speed up aeration on the greens, in just over 3 hours all the greens (30) have been spiked. If we were doing that with our wiedenmann, it would have taken over 13hours. The spiker has tines of 8mm but only to a depth of 50mm, however the weidenmann has a wide range of tine widths and can go to depths of 300mm if needed. The spiker is simply designed to relieve surface compaction allowing water and air into the immediate surface area.
Speaking of aeration, this is your first reminder that the annual intense aeration programme on the greens will start 1st August. This will be on holes 1-9 and they will be closed from 6.00am Monday Morning to 6.00am Friday morning. The following week we will then repeat the process on holes 10-18
More details will follow on the schedule of work during the week.
