The Groundsman - No.1: First jobs

The cricket season may seem a while away but the first jobs start now. In the first installment of The Groundsman, David Bates from total-play offers his top tips for those getting their pitch ready ahead of the new season

As a rule of thumb, you don’t want to touch the pitch itself until the ground temperature is up to about 5 or 6°c, which is when the grass plant comes out of its dormant state. However, there are some things you can do so you’re ready to start.

First, your equipment - February is the ideal time to get in the store sheds and check your machinery and covers. Send mowers away for a service and blade sharpening, check covers for damage and either book them in for repair or research replacements.

With the banning of the chemical Carbendazim, the management of worm casts is going to be a real battle for some groundsmen. To prevent an uneven surface and swashing the casts back into the surface (which will create bare areas) you’ll need to disperse the worm casts before running over them with a mower or roller. Ideally, remove them with a drag mat or a dew switch in dry conditions - in addition, over-seeding the square in your pre-season works will help. Use a dimple seeder if you can – if not, simply evenly cast some seed prior to rolling. The roller will push some seed into the surface to generate to the all-important seed/soil connection.

As soon as the ground temperature rises and the grass plant starts working you should be ready to make the first cut. The secret is to cut little and often; taking down the sward gradually to the summer maintenance height of 12mm or half an inch. If the square is in good shape you may be able to use a cylinder mower straight away, but if it’s quite long use a rotary mower for the first couple of cuts, remembering to collect and clear the clippings, before you move onto the cylinder mower. Timing is everything - wait for a dry leaf blade before you cut, make sure you have sharp blades, take your time, try to brush up the plant once it's been cut - then wait to see what the next few weeks bring.

During his residency at Northants CCC, David Bates gained a reputation for preparing some of the finest pitches in the country. Having worked as a pitch advisor and trainer for the Institute of Groundsmanship, David now heads up total-play Ltd – which designs and installs class-leading non-turf cricket pitches and pitch cover solutions - and sports pitch consultancy Total Turf Solution.

For more information visit www.total-play.co.uk or call 01604 864575.