Maintenance Calendar or Schedule, Applying a Generic

To help setting a baseline for a maintenance programme for a specific turfgrass surface the use of a generic maintenance calendar or schedule can be a great help. However, caution needs to take place because of the word generic. Don’t use a calendar or schedule off the shelf because there will be numerous factors that need to be taken into account before it can be applied to a specific situation, if an efficient and effective outcome is required. Don’t just follow a schedule religiously without question because generic ones are meant to be questioned and reflected on.

The geographic location of the surface can have a large impact on the frequency of the maintenance activities. Temperature and rainfall are significant factors in mowing and irrigation requirements, so use local knowledge and conditions to adjust the schedule to suit specific needs. The timing of fertiliser applications may vary from the generic schedule (suitable temperature and soil moisture conditions are required if the most is to be made of expensive fertiliser applications), whilst the soil type, in conjunction with environmental conditions, will influence when maintenance tasks can take place. For example, if the soil drains poorly then this will impact on optimum times when aeration can take place because there is little point smearing the surface and rootzone, as well as compacting the rootzone if the moisture content is not suitable.

Any guide fertiliser programme can vary significantly depending on current conditions and requirements of the pitch or surface. Site specifics such as soil pH, soil texture, current nutrient status, irrigation programme, sward condition, root depth and mass, thatch content, desired and existing quality, as well as its micro-climate may all influence the considerations of a grounds manager in having something different from any generic suggestion.

Scarification should only be carried out when the sward and surface can recover, so suitable growth needs to be taking place otherwise unsightly score marks will be left on the sward. If the location is in a colder or drier part of the country, then revise the schedule to reflect this.

Overseeding will ideally take advantage of warmer and moist weather conditions, although there are constraints as to when this can take place as part of major renovation activities due to play still needing to take place. The grass seed mixture may vary from any suggestions made with a schedule in a similar way to that of a fertiliser programme. Select species and mixtures that best suit the needs of the pitch or surface, and make sure this includes cost-effectiveness as well.

Overmarking of some sports pitches will vary not just due to the amount and type of usage taking place, but also the extent of rainfall that occurs as this can gradually wash away line markings.

Attention to detail for pre-match preparation and especially post-match repairs and tidying up can range from minimal to a very large amount of time inputs. Even with surfaces maintained within a stated quality grade, the attention to detail inputs might vary significantly.

The quality of a surface, whilst being within a grade from Entry to elite (grades 1 to 5), can vary within any specific grade. Some organisations may require a pitch to always be near the top end of a stated quality grade, whilst others may be quite happy around the minimum levels for that grade.

Anticipated and actual usage can vary significantly from the generic guide, so this can have a significant impact on what is actually needed for a particular pitch or surface.

Even when a generic maintenance schedule has been adjusted to suit a specific pitch or surface, the management of the programme needs to be pro-active because conditions and requirements will change as the season progresses. Making some finer ongoing adjustments to the initial updated schedule can make all the difference in producing a surface that is playable, safe, cost-effective and to the desired standard.