Grooming the Grass

Once you have carried out the main thinning in the Initial Phase, conditioning will predominantly be with brushes although some additional verticutting might be required.

Be doubly careful not to scratch the soil with grooming or verticutting once you have completed your wetting up and first roll, this is because there is a risk of damaging the pitch as it dries and cracks.

Use a stiff brush (push-along wheeled types are particularly suitable) to groom the grass frequently (e.g. daily) and after rolling to lift the grass.  This helps to reduce green content of the leaf and allows moisture around the base of the plant to evaporate.

Ideally you should keep returning on the same line of brushing to avoid any striping of the pitch and nap that might be difficult to remove in the final cut.