What can we say about the weather? It has been glorious to say the least.

We have experienced an extremely warm September with favourable conditions for helping many turf professionals and volunteers complete their end of season renovations. The social media platforms are full of pictures and videos of grounds staff showing off their work. With soil and air temperatures still in high double figures, germination rates are high with seeds germinating in less than ten days.

However, there are several cricket clubs still waiting for their final matches to be played before they can start their renovations with some perhaps having to wait until mid-October - especially if using contractors who are incredibly busy.

One such professional, like many of the other county cricket groundsman still waiting to complete their cricket season, is Karl McDermott at Lord’s. Hopefully within the next couple of weeks Karl will be able to see the completion of his own renovations. The work will be done both in-house and by using a professional contractor who is geared up to complete both the square and outfield at Lord’s.

 
I was thrilled to go and see Karl last week at the hallowed Lord’s ground to catch up with him and find out how he and his staff have coped with such a busy fixture list. To date, he has had over sixty days of cricket played, including test matches against India and New Zealand. 

A full account of my meeting with Karl will appear in a forthcoming edition of TurfPro. I would like to thank Karl for his hospitality and for showing me around the much changed Lord’s. 

Upcoming events

As for other news, just a reminder that the Amenity Forum's Conference is going ahead and is being held on Thursday 21st October 2021.

The venue will be The Pirelli Stadium in Burton-on-Trent. Full details of the conference can be seen on the following link Conferences Archive - Amenity Forum

Another major event coming up will be SALTEX at the NEC in Birmingham on the 3rd and 4th of  November.

I am looking forward to this year’s event as I always enjoy the opportunity to catch up with so many industry friends and work colleagues.  It would be nice to think we get a bumper turnout this year, especially now we are over the worst of the pandemic and many people are more confident about meeting people and getting out and about. 

This year I have been asked to appear on one of the show’s debate panels in my capacity of a Green Flag Judge. On the 4th November I, along with others from the Parks Alliance and the Parks Management Association, will be taking part in a debate entitled ‘Open and shut case - after a year when green leisure spaces have been readily appreciated by the nation, how do open space managers embrace the challenges ahead?’  I'm sure it will a lively discussion.

Renovation works

As for golf many greenkeepers are again completing some end of season renovations and making the most of this decent weather. Focus will be on getting some fresh seed into worn areas. Usually most tees have taken a battering over the summer months and will require priority attention.

It is important to ensure that all materials (seed, fertilisers, topdressings) and any hired machinery have arrived and are secured and stored safely on site ready for use. Often, when ordering materials late, you may be faced with delays on delivery or not being able to get the products you want in time for your planned works.

With the autumn now upon us, we hopefully will start to see much needed rain to help soften up ground conditions, allowing aeration works to begin on winter sports pitches and golf fairways. 

A deep aeration programme is a must to relive compaction and introduce some air spaces within the soil’s profile. This will not only improve infiltration rates but also allow some much needed oxygen around the roots.

The majority of turfgrass swards are grown in a medium consisting of a blend of soil and sand (in varying degrees) that provides a suitable environment for plant growth. This growing medium, commonly referred to as the rootzone, is made up of differing proportions of soil solids (mineral and organic material) and soil pores (for water and air).

Maintaining the correct balance of these components is critical for sustaining healthy plant growth. The spaces between the particles of solid material are just as important to the nature of soil, as are the solids themselves. It is in these pore spaces which create the environment for the plant to obtain the necessary nutrients, air and water it requires to respire and grow. 

Without effective aeration programmes, pitches would return to the quagmires of days gone by. 

Using a variety of aeration techniques and machines, modern day pitches can remain playable year-round. Some of the most popular machines used on natural grass playing surfaces to relieve compaction are the Vertidrain, linear rotary knife and in more recent times the compressed air Air2G2 and Oxy-shot machines of which all can penetrate to below 200mm and more.

And finally, just a reminder that the winter planting season will be soon upon us so it is important to start getting in your orders for materials and plant materials in early. No doubt there may be some delays on certain products due to the current issues regarding transport and securing goods nationally and internationally.