Growth Sheets and Watering

Growth sheets

Carefully lay a growth sheet over the repaired pitch.  You may find you only need to do this with small sheets at each end – covering the most intensive parts of the repair.  Germination sheets help to insulate the soil increasing ground temperatures and retaining surface moisture which encourages germination and can decrease the time it takes to germinate and the percentage of seed that germinates.

Germination sheets will need to be removed for play and then replaced afterwards if they are a trip hazard.

Watering

Once you have your germination sheets in place – water the pitch carefully using a small droplet size and low application rate to prevent seed and soil being displaced by water droplet impact or runoff.

Continue to water to maintain a moist soil through germination (where play allows) and remove germination sheets once you have good seed establishment and before they cause any damping off disease.