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January Bulletin Print E-mail
I hope to produce a monthly “heads – up” of ideas and hints to focus your precious time, money and help the maintenance and preparation of your grounds. As a professional groundsman it would be easy to give advice way over the heads and budget of many of you who maintain small grounds on a shoestring budget. I shall endeavour to remember how I started at Woolpit with a “brownfield” site with no money and no knowledge 30 years ago!

As I go to press the forecast for the next couple of weeks is very cold with the potential for snow so this is an ideal time for planning.
  • Go to the ECB website and download TS4. This is the “Bible” to follow and refer to, for us all.
  • Go to the Pitchcare website and glean all the knowledge and products available as well as the advice and machinery.
  • Contact Martin Taylor and find out about the fantastic Institute of Groundsmanship courses in the county starting in the spring.
  • Contact a qualified representative from companies such as Colliers, Rigby Taylor, Sheriffs or Atkins and plan a budget for seed, sprays, Ongar Loam and fertilisers.
  • Have all machinery serviced and sharpened.
  • Produce a 1, 5, and 10 year Ground Improvement Plan with machinery wish list and present at the next committee meeting.
  • Plan fund raising – nobody else will!
  • Trailer of equipment available for hire (See photograph) Contact Martin Taylor for cost’s/availabilty

January Tips

  • Keep off the square when frosted.
  • Continue swishing or brushing the dew and worm casts as much as possible.
  • Keep up fertiliser programme with lots of Fe(iron) to maintain colour and suppress moss.
  • If you don’t have a 2 ton sit on roller, book for hire now, for a weekend in late February/early March to start pre- season rolling.
  • Remove any leaves, twigs or debris from outfield or square.
  • Repair sightscreens, scorehuts etc.
  • Continue shooting or trapping any rabbits and do not allow moles to even think about popping up!
  • Cut back any overhanging trees or branches and maintain boundary fences. 

Any queries or help contact:

Tim Parker
ECB Suffolk County Pitch Advisor
Mob: 07714 332001 

 
 
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