An early Winter, for Suffolk at least...

December brought snow and the first frosts, approximately 4 weeks earlier than last year and the first pitch cover inflation for a match this season at Portman Rd

The seasons are definitely changing, for the last few years we have had growth until the Christmas period. As the temperatures have dropped during December, we are talking about the winter period setting in early.
The mowers have stayed away from the pitch until tidy up time pre match or a need for a light roll after a training session. This is the time we put the mowers on the grinders for another touch up to keep them as sharp as possible to try and keep presentation good and disease at bay.
We have had a couple of outbreaks of fusarium, which is not unusual as we don't spray a preventative fungicide, but have had to spray a curative treatment on the first team pitches, including Portman Rd. Our usual treatment is Banner Maxx (propiconazole) during the growing season and Medallion (fludioxonil) during the colder weather. If the attack has been particularly bad, or we have not observed an outbreak as it may have been over a weekend, then I find Razor (Iprodione) to be most effective. As this is coming off the approved chemical list, we have already had the opportunity to use up our last stock before the June deadline.

With the arrival of snow, a hard day is always expected! Fortunately we had covered a pitch before the weekend with snow falling on the Sunday morning. Clearing the snow on Monday morning was full on as we a little light on staff. Although hard work, also very satisfying. By the end of the day we walked in feeling we had achieved something ready for Tuesday’s training session. Snow fell again on the Monday night undoing all out good work!

Thanks to help from the U18 squad, we had cleared a whole pitch and removed the covers for an 1130 training session.

I have taken a photo of the east goal mouth on pitch 2 at the training ground in December for the last 4 years. This is so I have a record of progress, or not. I know there are many variables in the success of a pitch and the outcome isn't always in our control. A lot of it is to do with the weather and if there have been a few training sessions when it has been raining can make a big difference.

 

As you can see by the photo's there definitely has been an improvement in grass coverage. Certainly the feeding programme has improved and pitch 2 has had the new Koro over it for both years 2016 and 2017. 2016 was a contractors machine as our old one had broken down, which was a contributing factor in ours being upgraded For the 2017 renovations.

Looking forward into January, we have a run of 7 home games in 4 weeks at Portman Rd. This includes U18, U23 and 1st team cup games. Like all groundstaff up and down the country, we are hoping for the weather to be kind over the next couple of month.
When we have games at the stadium close together, we have to move some Groundsmen from the training ground to the stadium to help repair the pitch and prepare for the next game. Moral has to be high during this time as the work can be tedious and monotonous. In my mind, I see that March is the light at the end of the tunnel! Once we are past Christmas, the days are getting Longer and the count down begins.