Bowling Green FAQ 15: Marks remaining from autumn renovation.

We still have marks from the autumn renovation work carried out nearly 6-months ago at the beginning of October. How can we make sure this doesn’t happen again this year?

This could be due to a number of factors which are often related. Occasionally scarification is carried out a bit late and the weather turns colder sooner than anticipated. This reduces the growing ability of the existing grass plant to recolonise thin and bare areas.

If overseeding was also carried out, then the seed may have been slow to germinate and establish. An early October sowing can often be competing against cooler days and longer nights, reducing germination and development time. Seed may also be removed by birds, further reducing effectiveness of overseeding in early October.

The slower development of desirable grasses at this time of the year allows undesirable grasses, especially annual meadow grass, a foothold as these can be better adapted to cooling conditions. Weeds and moss can also invade thin or bare areas, and with mowing decreasing it is still maintaining the sward at a low height of cut which further weakens a newly developing sward at this time of year.

Top-dressing may have been applied so this would have helped with addressing any surface unevenness, but if there was no grass present to help bind the soil into the sward then it would just wash or blow out over the later autumn and winter period, exposing any underlying scarification scars.

The depth of scarification may have been too deep for the time of year with the prevailing weather conditions, plus there may have been an undesirable depth of thatch which would also reduce the ability of any seedlings to become well-established.

So, it would appear that an earlier renovation for the green should take place, giving an insurance buffer against inclement weather for this coming year. Most major competitions have been completed by the end of August to the first week in September, so a renovation can take place over a couple of days early on and the green can then be put back into play for the rest of September. With a. warmer soil, warmer air temperatures and longer daylight the seeds will germinate and become established that much quicker, whilst the existing grass will also still be growing strongly and will readily colonise over any scarification scars.