Seed trails come to an early end

After two days when I have been unable to get down to ground, due to Art Exhibition and family commitments. I arrived at about 10-00 am this morning only to find this.

The vandals had been and thrown my seed trial pots at the score box and ruined all my efforts.

I was very upset.

Why would they want to do that?

They had also used the metal building pins as javelins and speared the sight screen with them.

I love my work on the cricket grounds and trying to help groundsmen improve their pitches. When this sort of thing happens I get a feeling in the pit of my stomach that makes me feel like I want to pack the whole thing in, retire to a caravan up in the Dales and just practise my art. This year we have had two break ins and I have lost machinery but for some reason what they have done this time has had the greatest effect on me.

Rant over.

Back to work I fixed the rake to the tractor and raked the whole outfield in two direction which lifts the horizontal grass and presents it better to the mower and rakes some of the moss out.

{I am sorry but my camera is playing up and wont focus properly I need to have a look at it.}

The above picture is after I have raked.

This is my rake fit to the back of the tractor it is an old Sisis one the problem is that it gets full of moss etc and I have to stop and clear it off. I have ordered a new rake from Brushes North West that has vertical rakes which means that you don't get that problem.

I then mowed the outfield with the gang mowers the advantage of using them is that they don't flatten the raked grass before they cut it as the Mastiff does with the roller in front of the cutting cylinder. I therefore get a better cut but I compromise on the finish as the don't flatten the grass after mowing as the Mastiff will do leaving bold stripes

Time for home.

I want to end on a positive. Last night at the opening of my art exhibition I sold two paintings lets hope I sell some more before it closes.

Hodgy 

Water and Roll

Tuesday at the Field of Dreams

Watering with the travelling sprinkler it follows the hose pipe full length of the pitch which can take up to three hours. 

Here are the first two pitches I will use and they had just had about an hours roll each. If you look closely you can see the difference because the grass which is still at around an inch long is flattened by the rolling process.

The net area also got more rolling around three hours I recon they are firming up well now.

I have had a busy week with my art work, preparing for my exhibition -assembling boards, hanging work a and staging the preview, so spent limited time at ground.

I have just looked at the weather forecast and although it is cloudy and quite cool at the moment I see that the sun is to come out and should get to about 14 degrees, which I will settle for in March. So I will get off down and get some mowing done.

My paintings have to be taken down on Saturday then I am at Lightcliffe preseason dinner followed on Sunday by the YCBGA Seminar and AGM at Cleckheaton -lots on at the moment.

Soon the season will be here now and you will be able to see the results of all you Autumn and Winter work.

See you next post.

Hodgy



Core Samples

After sorting out a quotation and a collection of goods I finally got down to ground at about 3-30pm however with the extra day light I thought I could make some progress.

I have been concerned for a long while now about a fibrous layer which is only around 2" at the very most beneath the square -I only have around 2-1/2"of clay soil before the indigenous material at the best. When preparing pitches if I hold a bit of moisture at that level I get away with it.  Just now I am concerned as that layer is very dry and crumbles with easy. I am also not convinced that I have given the square enough spring rolling.

So what do I do?

 The real cure is to dig the whole square up and start again -the square was never laid in the first place it has just evolved over time. Obviously that is not an option unless we can obtain a grant.

Here is the first core you can see the break at the fibrous layer.

This core has a little more moisture in it and has held together well.

I took four core out two were dry at the fibrous layer and two were moist. One of the dry samples had around three spike hole in it and roots were holding it together before I forced it apart. You know where the spike holes are you get an absolute mass of roots so much so that they most be making a big contribution to fibre when the die back.

This core did not break at the interface between the clay soil and indigenous as you can see and there was no fibrous layer to be seen in it.

What will I do?

Well tomorrow I will get the hose pipe out and water the whole square all day long -I hope the treasurer does not see this post- in a hope to get some moisture in there and will then roll some more to try to consolidate the top 2" as best I can.

More rolling on the net area.

Seed trials 1st cut. How well does Top Gun look

Looking good in the afternoon sun.

Brilliant Weather

On a beautifully Saturday Ben came down to do some rolling on the net area. It is much wetter than the square so there was plenty of moisture to roll out.

The bowlers blocks are given extra rolling in the hope of them lasting longer before they need filling.

While Ben was on with the rolling I fit the brush to the tractor and brushed the outfield and square -there was a heavy dew.

I then fit the "Thatch Control Reel" to the "Rotorake" and "Verticut" the square in two directions.

I then cut the square in two directions.

Back to my seed trials. The following pictures speak for themselves you can read the labels.

I think it is time to mow the  "Top Gun".

Scorer's view.

Groundsman's view from beneath the score box where the roller is stored.

Across the square.

Time for home.

Things are getting busy now so posts may be a bit irregular however I will do my best.

This week on Thursday is the preview of my art exhibition at Woodhall Hills Golf Club, Calverley, Leeds.

Below is the poster you are more than welcome to come along at any time including the preview. It would be nice to see you there. Today is the first day of British Summer Time with weather like this I say bring it on.

We are donating a percentage of every sale to the Soldiers Charity.

Feel free to come along and have a look.

Hodgy

Its Been a Mowing Day

On a beautiful day -the first of Spring- I have mown the outfield in checkers just to celebrate.

The season is getting nearer.

I just cant wait to get a pitch cut out but my Paladin -pitch mower-is not yet back from servicing, it is due back on Friday. Today I am just going to post a load of photos for you all to enjoy.

Then when you think every thing is going swimmingly

This happens I snapped the pull string on the Mastiff. So I had to retrieve my cord from the scorebox as it was been used as a pull cord on one of the numbers.

When I got it repaired I cut the net area and gave it a bit of roll.

I think someone once told me this is what you should do set out your pitches.

Are they straight?

I have plastic peg in indicating the edge of each pitch IE at ten foot centres. I let the candidates from the IOG Spring Course check to see if they have moved over the winter time or with spring rolling -for now they look OK.

Here you can see the pegs I use. If any of you want some let me know  they are £0-18 each plus VAT and postage which is not much as they are very light.

One look back at my days work and its home I go.