Applying Fertiliser to the Square

Why do we need apply fertiliser to the square?

Fertiliser is needed to replace the nutrients removed in the clippings when the square is cut, loss through leeching from the soil and volatilisation to the air. The grass plant needs the nutrients to grow and develop, to resist and recover from wear and to prevent disease.

Without applying sufficient fertiliser, it will be harder to recover pitches, maintain a good cover of the right grasses (because weeds and weed grasses are better adapted to poor nutrient conditions) and to resist disease.

But be aware that applying too much fertiliser is detrimental to the quality of the sward and pitches, as well as detrimental to the environment (causing air and water pollution and the unnecessary emission of potent greenhouse gasses).

Generally, it is better to slightly under feed than to over feed.

How is fertiliser applied?

There are two principal methods of application:

1. As a solid granule of fertiliser, applied most commonly with a ‘spinning disc’ spreader where the fertiliser falls from the hopper onto a spinning disc that impels the fertiliser through the air. Occasionally alternative methods include using a drop spreader or a ‘waggling spout’ spreader. This method has the advantage of low equipment cost and easy materials handling (fertiliser tends to be supplied in 20 kg bags). The disadvantage is that the granules must be rained on or watered in to dissolve them into the solution. This is because plants absorb most nutrients in solution through their roots. Some granular fertilisers have coatings or compounds that are slower to dissolve which allows slow release of nutrients over time.
As a liquid applied with a sprayer. As outlined above, plants take up nutrients in liquid form through their roots so using liquid fertilisers means that the plant can be fed quickly, however, liquid fertilisers can also allow foliar feeding, depending on the water rate being used. Some fertilisers can be mixed with other agrochemicals to be applied at the same time. However it is often not possible to control or slow the release of the nutrient, so using liquid fertiliser can require more frequent applications.

Which fertiliser should I use and how much should I apply?

Different amounts of nutrients are needed at different times so the specific types of fertilisers will vary through the season. You can and should use soil analysis to determine the soil pH (the acidity or alkalinity of a soil, which controls the availability of most nutrients to the plant) and the deficiency or otherwise of certain key nutrients.

Note that soil analyses very rarely include the amount of nitrogen available to the plant (this is for technical reasons realted to soil testing). Nitrogen is one of the essential nutrients for grass plants – you will need to apply some nitrogen but applying too much can cause a weak sward because the grass will grow tall and lush but this will be weak growth in excess. All of which means less wear resistance and more mowing.

You should speak to your fertiliser supplier for advice on which fertilisers to apply and in what quantities but in general a March/April application of a ‘Spring/Summer Fertiliser’ with another application in July and then an ‘Autumn fertiliser’ at renovation is a good starting point. Applying autumn/winter fertilisers through the cooler months will assist in maintaining good plant health and may help to prevent the incursion of moss and disease, but too much nitrogen will mean that you have to mow more frequently and risks encouraging disease. It is important not to over apply nitrogen fertilisers in winter as there is a great risk of nitrogen being left unused by the grass which can lead to pollution problems. If in doubt apply at half summer rates but more frequently through the winter especially if the grass is growing.

Beyond this, fine-tuning macro and micro nutrient levels can benefit the quality of your sward but you should speak to your supplier or advisor.

The amount you will need will depend on the size of your square. Always consult the product label to determine the correct application rate. Always store and handle fertilisers inline with COSHH and the product label. The supplier should be able to provide a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to help with this. If in doubt – speak to your supplier.

If you are using granular fertiliser, try to go for ‘fine turf’ or ‘microgranular’ fertilisers because these have smaller granules more suitable for closely mown grass such as your square.

There is likely to be a supplier in your region – you can speak to your County Pitch Advisor who will be able to help identify suppliers in your local area or you can use the internet – there are online suppliers too. See if you can group together with a neighbouring club or clubs to help reduce transport/delivery costs.

Tips

Avoid over-feeding your square, especially in winter.
Look out for red-thread disease (Laetisaria fuciformis). This is a fungus that atttacks nutrient deficient perennial ryegrass. It has a characteristic red thread0like mycelium and will occur in patches on your square. This is often an indicator of an under-fed sward. Rather than reaching straight for a fungicide treament, look at a suitable (not too N-rich) application of fertiliser to help support grass growth.
Look out for Microdochium Patch (Microdochium nivale, formerly known as Fusarium Patch), this disease thives in lush, nitrogen-rich growth and cooler temperatures - and is an idicator that you are over feeding.
Iron-sulphate containing fertilisers can help to reduce and control over-winter moss.

Managing Weeds, Pests and Diseases

The management of weeds, pests and diseases is a specialist area of turf care but there are some basics you can follow.

Pesticides can be harmful to operators, users, and the environment. The use of pesticides is regulated in law and requires specialist storage, application and disposal – you should only use pesticides if you can comply with this law. For occasional use you should use a specialist contractor who will be responsible for complying with pesticide law. This will help to reduce the risk of harm to you, the users of your facility and the environment. Always follow the label instructions and do not apply pesticides illegally.

If you use pesticides on your ground (even where they are being applied by a contractor), you may need to register on the site as a Plant Protection Product user with DEFRA. Click here for more information

Casting earthworms

The most common pest on a cricket square is the earthworm. The casts left by worms become smeared when cut with roller mowers which can cause bare areas on the pitches, creating two-paced pitches.

Worm activity is highest in Spring and Autumn, in Summer it is often too dry, but they will appear following rainfall. Note that chemical control of worms is restricted. Making sure you remove clippings and thatch to remove food for the worms and also remove worm casts before mowing help with this problem.

It is really important to remove worm casts before cutting - particularly pre-season, otherwise they will be smeared under the mowers roller (particularly with cylinder mowers that have a front roller). This 'smear' can become a bare patch that will either persist or create a location for a weed or weed grass such as annual meadow grass (Poa annua) plant.

Removing worm casts can be a challenge with the clayey soils used for crickeet square construction but regular brushing or drag matting - particularly in dry conditions can help to disperse casts. Otherwise manual removal with an old dinner fork maybe the only way (more suited to low number of casts - for high numbers of casts this could be a 'working party' activity!)

Other pests

Other pests you might see in your profile are ‘Leatherjackets’ (the pupae of the crane fly) or ‘Chafer Grubs’ the larvae stage of chafer beetles – these are more common in outfields than squares however because they do not like heavily compacted clay soils with low thatch contents. Getting rid of a grub problem can be very difficult, so cultural controls such as removing thatch are the best way to prevent an infestation.

Other pests affecting squares tend to be larger whether that is birds pecking to remove worms, grubs and ants from the profile or rabbits, foxes and badgers digging – particularly in newly constructed squares. Control of these pests often involved bird scarers and fences as deterrents. If problems persist speak to your local pest controller but note that some species such as the badger are protected in law.

Weeds

The majority of broad-leaved weeds can be managed by hand. Using a knife, flat bladed screwdriver or peeler-knife, walk the square removing the weeds and plugging with loam and seeding to encourage grass to grow in the space left by the weed.

Where weeds are more widespread, persistent, or otherwise difficult to control by hand weeding, then use of a selective herbicide may be beneficial but before resorting to chemical control you can identify the weed using freely available turf management apps and see whether there is a cultural control such as adjusting nutrients, verticutting, aeration or mowing heights.

If you are applying a selective herbicide – make sure that the herbicide controls the weeds on your square and only apply as a last resort. You must comply with all pesticide legislation and best practice guidance. If you do not have the correct storage, equipment, and training then you should use a suitable contractor.

Disease

Because the grass plant is often under stress or under cover on a cricket square fungal diseases can be common. You should not need to apply fungicide as a preventative (technically called prophylactic application) because there are a number of cultural practices you can carry out to reduce disease risk:

Fungal diseases like moist conditions so regular brushing of your grass to remove dew and get air to flow to the base of the plant can reduce disease risk.
Keeping your mower sharp and setting it correctly to provide a clean cut of the grass is vital to reduce disease risk – ripped or torn leaves caused by a blunt or improperly set mower create weaknesses in the grass plant that fungal diseases can attack.
Get your plant nutrition right when you use fertiliser. Red thread disease (Laetisaria fuciformis) is a common disease caused by low nutrient availability – you can control the early onset of red thread by applying a nitrogen containing fertiliser and then cutting to remove old leaves. Whereas Microdochium patch (Microdochium nivale, formerly called fusarium patch) likes lush, over fed grass in cooler temperatures which is why autumn fertilisers are lower in nitrogen.
Try not to leave flat sheet covers down for long periods as this creates ideal conditions for disease – try to keep fresh air flowing over the grass.

If you do need to apply a fungicide always comply with the product label and use a suitably qualified contractor to provide advice and or apply the product unless you can comply with the relevant pesticide legislation.

Benefits

Keeping on top of weeds, pests and diseases maintains a healthy sward that will lead to better performing, safer and more easily managed pitches.
It also improves aesthetics, but this should not be the primary driver for application of pesticides.

Practical tips

Good cultural practices can help prevent weeds, pests and diseases and help to protect the environment.
Always follow the product label and comply with pesticide regulations. Full compliance with the legislation requires the correct storage, application equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), wash down facilities, disposal, and training – this can be prohibitively expensive to maintain for occasional use – so use a suitably qualified contractor who can comply with the law.
Check to see if you need to register with DEFRA as a Plant Protection Product user.
If you are unsure, speak to other grounds managers or your County Pitch Advisor.

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Fertiliser and Pest Control