Crowhurst Cricket Club

Crowhurst Cricket Club Pitch Maintenance

This page has been dedicated to members who regulary look after the square. It contains details of the repair techniques after every week of play and advice given to the club via Mike Hone from people such as Andy McKay who is groundsman at Sussex County Ground and Mr Bourne at Bournes of Newenden.
Fertiliser, loam and grass seed is sourced from Bournes at Newenden. Use fertiliser as stated. The loam is Surrey loam which contains 28percent clay.

Pre Season

1. Feed with fertiliser as late as possible before the season to include a moss killer if moss is a problem. This is best done when the grass is growing vigorously, March/April.
2. Mow the square over several weeks prior to the season and weather permitting, lowering the mowing height towards the start of the season
3. Roll the square as much as possible. It cannot be rolled enough especially before it hardens.

Pitch Repair

The pitch requires repair after each weekend or match. The wickets and any scuff marks are repaired by the following process. In addition the pitch requires regular light scarifying through out the season to help keep the moss and clover at bay.

1. Mow the used strips to remove any scuffed grass etc.
2. Sweep the wicket to remove debris. Take the debris away.
3. Lightly rake the damaged area to rough up the soil
4. Spike the area with a fork to allow some of the grass seed to germinate deeper
5. Evenly cover with grass seed
6. Spread with the palm of your hand so grass seed and soil mix forcing some grass seed into the spiked holes.
7. Cover with Surrey loam
8. Make level with levelling tool and tamp down
9. Cover the area with carpet matting to encourage germination. Peg matting to prevent movement in the event of wind.
10. Water the entire repaired strips.
11. Water all other wickets.
12. Water the whole square regularly through the season. During very hot periods it needs watering daily to prevent the grass dying. Leave a couple of days prior to a match to allow the surface to dry and harden

Pitch Feeding

The whole of the square is fed once every six weeks during the season using the following process. I would use the Moss, Weed and Feed killer to keep the clover and other weeds at bay.

1. Use the Black and Decker dispensing tool
2. Fill dispenser to the brim
3. Walk briskley up and down the wicket in the direction of the wicket.
4. Refill the dispenser and this time walk across the square
5. Two dispensers full should be adequate

Putting the square to bed for the Winter

The establishment of your seed will be much improved if you add a pre-seeder fertiliser such as 3.12.12 or 8.10.8 or 7.7.10 or 10,10,10 etc. i.e. something with a good balance of (N)Nitrogen, (P)Phosphate, (K)Potash, (make sure it doesn't contain iron at this stage). Ideally you would put this on immediately before adding the topdressing(loam), but it isn't too late to do it after, though you will have to pick your moment as you certainly don`t want to walk on wet topdressing! it sticks to your boots like glue.

1. Scarify the square in one direction. Allow the scarifier to cut the surface.
2. Scarify in the other direction
3. Mow in both directions to clear any debris left by the scarifier
4. Spike all over using the spiked roller. (Two people or I have towed it with the ride on mower when on my own)
5. Apply pre seeder fertiliser
6. Seed all over
7. Apply winter dressing of Surrey loam to the whole of the square. Level as you go.
8. It is usually raining that time of year and the ground is pretty damp anyway so there is no need to water, however, if it is a really dry autumn then keep watering until the seed is well established, but try and do it from off the square if that makes sense so your not trampling over your nice levelled ground.
9. Mowing will be needed when the grassplant is approx. 40mm high and the height of cut should be gradually reduced to your winter mowing height of 15 to 20mm. The square should be maintained at this height all winter. To be honest I have never mown the square in winter because the recreation ground is to boggy.

Winter Maintenance

There are various thoughts on this depending on who you speak to. Some advise not to touch the square after putting to bed until pre season and other suggest keeping it fertilised. I don't think either is wrong but you have to decide depending on what the growing conditions are. If conditions allow, regular tining is a good thing to allow oxygen to the roots as this is when the roots grow most as there is no top growth.

1. The square will still need occasional fertilising through winter, though with much lower nitrogen inputs. If you use something with iron in it will help to keep moss at bay. Most people neglect the square through winter, however, I would suggest applying something like 4.0.8 +4%fe at a rate of 35g/m2 every six to eight weeks from mid November onwards.
2. Regular solid tine spiking (when conditions allow) will help your roots achieve good depth as well as contributing to the drainage of the square during the wet months.
3. Winter mowing height of 15 to 20mm. The square should be maintained at this height all winter. It maybe best to use a rotary mower

Worms

Other issues to consider are worms. They need to be treated at the first sign of them. Suggestion is once in early November and again in January or February. We ask a local landscape gardner Nick Stell to do this as he holds the licence for the chemicals required.

Machinery

I have usually maintained the machinery myself where possible or if not we have used Battle Mowers for parts etc.

1. Ransom mower height setting. To lower the height turn the adjusting knob anti- clockwise
2. Roller. In case you may not be aware, when turning the ignition switch 'on' to start the engine a yellow light comes on. When the engine is started, gradually raise the engine revs until the light goes out. When this happens the relay has pulled in and the battery is being charged. The revs can now be reduced right down; the relay will not drop out. During the close season, remove the battery and drain the radiator to prevent frost damage as we don't use antifreeze in the engine.
3. Scarifiers. Use the new (orange)scarifier for heavier work as the old scarifier is only suitable for use on a newly cut wicket where it is not overloaded? If it is overloaded, the teeth on the nylon gear wheel on the drive shaft, driving the rear roller, wear down. After a while the drive shaft assembly has to be replaced. To lower the old scarifier, press the large black disc on the RH side inwards and then rotate to select one of the dedicated height settings, then release the disc so it returns to its outer position.