Winter's Arrived

January 19'

Winter's Arrived

The winter so far has been very kind to us with no rainfall of note in December and just 21mm in January. To match the good fortune of the weather, fixtures have fallen nicely too and the stadium pitch going into February in as good as condition as we could hope. 

Although time mowing and line marking is reduced during this time of year as the grass isn't growing much, we spend most of our time repairing pitches after play, knocking back, pulling frost covers on and off. 

A typical day in January when we are having a cold spell is removing covers in the morning, if necessary mark the pitch, put goals in place ready for training. After the training session, we might use a Dennis G860 brush to clean up, if time and a quick repair of any divot markes etc before re-covering for the following day. If all goes smoothly, re-covering should take no more than two hours and taking the covers off in the mornings just 45 minutes.

Clearing snow off covers at the training ground

When snow has fallen on the covers, as it did last week, it can take many hours to remove the snow, depending on how much has fallen. Fortunately, we had less than an inch this time and a full pitch was cleared by 1030 training. If there is a decent amount to fall, it is unlikely a whole pitch will be d in this time without many people helping.

Managing the stadium MaCleod covering system is different. Snow is easily pushed to the side as it slides nicely across the material, once deflated. The down side is that there isn't anywhere for it to go to around the edges of the stadium pitch. If we have time, we will wheelbarrow it out of the stadium. If we don't have time to do that because of an impending match, then it is is put over the edges of the pitch area in to the stands and the lower area is closed off for fans. If the snow isn't moved from the edge of the cover, we can't get the cover off as it buries the straps which are anchored around the outside of the pitch. 

MaCleod system

This month, all the mowers have been sharpened to ensure we are cutting the leaf as cleanly as possible. It is important this is done to maintain plant health and the grass isn't torn when cutting as it will make it vulnerable to disease. Water and nutrients are also used more efficiently by the plant.
As soon as we notice it isn't cutting the paper cleanly when checking the mower over before we start, it is brought in to the workshop for grinding. We are fortunate enough to have our own grinders and experience within the grounds team to sharpen them ourselves. This is one of our strategies of maintaining our turf as healthily as we can with out regular chemical applications.

Planning for renovations is well under way and will begin in mid April. A timetable of which pitches are taken out is worked out mainly on a date to which they will be required back in play. Because of the concert this summer, the stadium pitch will be renovated in June and will be our last pitch to be renovated during the spring/summer as it will be required to be back in play at the latest date. 

 

Alternative Solutions

Dec 18'

Alternative Solutions

As we head into the new year, the weather has been wet and mild creating ideal conditions for disease outbreaks which we have had at the Training Ground, although the Portman Rd pitch is keeping relatively clear this year.

Three pitches of ten are now chemical free at the training ground and we are treating them with nutrient feeds, looking at different options from different suppliers. The first team pitches are still on our fungicide treatments. 

We don't apply preventative sprays largely due to the cost, as this money is used with the aim to create a stronger plant to resist or recover from disease outbreaks. Chemicals are being banned every year now and the options to choose from are becoming fewer. Propiconazole is the latest active ingredient to be given a use by date of March 2020. We use it in Banner Maxx, a systemic for when the turf is actively growing and has been our go to for many years as it controls 18 diseases. 

Although companies will develop replacement chemicals, I have no doubt they will be less effective and still cost a fortune. The plan is still to go 100% chemical free long before the last fungicides to control disease is banned, but finding the best alternative solution is still on going and probably always will be.

The Stadium pitch is now starting to have a winter appearance with natural thinning in the areas without the artificial light. The turf takes a bit more damage from games and the pre-match warm up areas are noticeable on the cameras. 

22nd December

The game on the 22nd of December was the turning point. we had had 11mm of rain on the Thursday, which was fine as the pitch needed some moisture in it, but we had another 5mm on the Friday night that wasn't forecast, 12 hours before KO, which left the top with just a little too much moisture in and some surface damage occurred during the game.  

 

We are seeing massive benefits from the grow lights at the stadium, even the home made rig with 400w bulbs is making quite an impact. This one is left in the same position all of the time covering about 40sqm in the south goal mouth. we are covering as much of the pitch as we can with the other lights which covers 530sqm at any one time. The 1000w bulbs of the MU50 and LU120 have a bigger impact than the old MU360, which used to be at the old Highbury Stadium. We have had it for about 5 years now and it is still doing a good job.

Dense turf in the south goal mouth from the home made rig 

The last couple of weeks have seen a reduction in rainfall and it is easier to get on to work on the academy pitches. Timing is everything, not wanting to put machinery onto pitches which aren't quite fit for it, but also having to pressure to deliver the presentation expected. 

Another alternative solution to traditional aeration is an air injector from Bury Turf Care, which is the same principal as the Air2G2, but you can chose when to and how many times you release the shot of air. We found our demonstration very successful, relieving a compaction at 6 inch depth from an academy pitch which we were struggling to deal with even with regular aeration. I have them booked in for a days work on a couple of problem areas which have never drained adequately.

January will hopefully be a quiet month with only two fixtures scheduled at Portman Rd, but an U18's FA Cup might be scheduled depending on their result at Gillingham. 

I always see January as the month to get through in as good as condition as possible so when February is on us, we are on count down to hopefully some longer sunshine hours in March.

Let There Be Light!

NOV 18'

Let There Be Light!

Grow lights have been a valuable tool in stadiums over the last 15 years and we have been adding rigs to the Portman Rd since 2013, with our latest addition in November.

Having done much research across the three main manufacturers to get the best value for money, we decided to purchase a new LU120 from SGL. We also looked at TLS and MLR which would have also done a good job for us. 

TLS offered the same SqM coverage but with 18 bulbs to the SGL 24 and MLR offered two rigs with 12 in each rig covering 160SqM. 

The MLR option was of interest to us as we could split the two rigs up if necessary, covering 80SqM each. although the light intensity was diluted more over the extra 40SqM, I believe it would have been adequate to maintain grass coverage where we needed it. 

MLR are reviewing the design and build of this rig and when this has happened, I will be very interested in looking again and believe they will become very competitive in the grow lights market.

LU120

Every season the area in front of the dugouts loses a large percentage of grass coverage. The main reasons for this is lack of light, poorer soils in that area and increased foot traffic during games because of where it is. The LU120 is now positioned in this area and the expectation is that we will retain considerably more grass. We have already noticed that the light, with 1000w bulbs in dries the soil out a lot more quickly than the 600w MU360 which is based further along the wing.

Aeration with all three of the aerators has been taken place across all the sites this month to continue the battle with what has been a very wet month. Along with the aeration, we have been using penetrant wetting agents on some pitches to help pull water through the soil profile. extra care needs to be made on the stadium pitch that the top doesn't dry out too much, which can lead to the surface losing stability.

The pitch cover was used for the first time this season at the end of November for the Bristol City game to keep the 11mm of rain which fell off the pitch the night before the game. This did reduce our time we had to work on the pitch to turn it around from the Sky game on the previous Friday, but better that way and manage the rainfall.

We are fortunate in Ipswich to get half of the average rainfall for the UK, but it doesn't feel like it sometimes! In November, we had 25% more than our average but below overage over the previous 6 months, so it was time for natures payback...

During the Autumn, we usually suffered from, what I believe is called "Ghost Grass". I understand that it something to do with the plant not being able to control the production of gibberellic acid, therefore promoting growth. this is possibly some sort of fungal infection. The plant leaves are soft (probably due to cell elongation) and they do not get cut when the pitch is cut with a cylinder mower. The only way to remove them is cutting with a rotary mower. 

Ghost grass on 3 of the training pitches

Now that that the soil temperatures have dropped, we are currently at about 7 deg, the pitches have slowed in growth considerably and we are only cutting to present for matches and a tidy up when required. it is noticeable the extra growth under the stadium grow lights though, and showing a more dense plant. 

It goes to show how important the grow lights are, however many are owned, we always need more to maintain grass coverage in the high wear areas. We are now in our sixth year of not turfing the goal mouths at the stadium, which we will endeavour to continue this record through the season.

Disease Pressure

October 2018

Disease pressure

Now the days are getting shorter, it's getting cooler and a lot more moisture hanging around the turf.  We aim to avoid disease outbreaks in the plant at this time of year to prevent needing to spray chemicals to control it.

knocking the dew off the turf first thing in the morning is a must. This is done with a 2.5 meter dew brush on the stadium pitch and by either a tractor mounted brush or by pulling a rope across the pitches at the training ground. if dew is left, then it creates warm, moist conditions for disease to break out.
We have had disease (Microdochium patch) outbreaks on four pitches so far during October. It is expected, but we are working towards minimising them as much as possible. three of the pitches were sprayed with fungicide and the other with nutrients to help the plant fight the disease on its own. This pitch (pitch 4) has been chemical free since March 2017. The hope is we will learn to deal with disease attacks without reaching for the chemical bottle across the whole site. This might mean we have to be tolerant to some disease scarring on the turf at times but it's weighing up the negatives and the benefits.
We are also sharpening our own mower blades using Bernhard grinders and we do this as often as necessary to keep a clean cut. Mowing with dull blades tears at the plant leaf and leaves it vulnerable to infection.

An advanced attack of Microdchium patch from back in 2012

Off pitch area of pitch 2 (2018)

Annual Meadow Grass (Poa annua) showing up on pitch 6. 

We are suffering more the average with the grass species Poa annua on one of our pitches this year. I'm sure it isn't a coincidence that this pitch wasn't sprayed off with glyphosate before renovation. It was also heavily watered during the summer heat, encouraging the Poa annua species. It can stand out by being a lighter shade of green and shows up clearly in the morning dew...

We are still continuing with the aeration. The stadium pitch has been aerated twice this mont, once with the verti drain with 3/4 inch tines and also with the weidenmann G8xi with 12mm tines. the only difference to the aeration program from the stadium to the training ground is the addition of groundbreaking in season is not carried out at the stadium. Although it would be beneficial, our old Blec Groundbreaker we have leaves lines which is not acceptable for the stadium pitch. 

We have probably made the last Primo Maxx application as we will spray up until the temperatures start to drop below double figures. Growth has slowed considerably in the last couple of weeks as we head towards winter. We will continue with our bio sprays of sugars/carbs and seaweed every other week.

We are also spraying Clear cast, which is a sulphur based product to deter the worms from surfacing,thus creating a cast. We have had mixed results, but since carbendazim was banned last year our options are limited. We will also be adding a little penetrant wetting agent to help pull the water through the profile. We have used this before with unexpectedly effective results but drying the surface out too much. This time a quarter rate will be applied and it will be monitored from there.

The last U23 game to take place at the stadium is at the beginning of November, then except for the U18 cup games, it will be clear for first team use only.

We have been very lucky so far with the weather going through autumn and keeping our fingers crossed we get into the new year without any weather which is too harsh.



I wish every month was September!

September 2018

I wish every month was September!

September and October are my favourite months of the year because the renovated pitches are more mature and stronger, the temperatures have dropped a little and there is no need to chase around with irrigation to keep the turf alive.

At this time, a big emphasis is put on aeration. We continue with our regular programme of 20mm deep soilid tines with the verti drain 7516 and 12mm solid tines at 7-8 inches with the weidenmann GXi8 after a pass of the 1m Blec Groundbreaker, which really shakes things about. It takes more than a day to get across a pitch, but it is worth it for the benefits of aeration and drainage, especially on the pitches which need a little more help. 

During September we have had the MacLeod cover system inspected by Sports & Stadia, with some very useful tips . Despite knowing the cover for 8 years and there being one at Portman Road for almost 20 years , you always learn something new and find a better way of doing things. Earlier in the year, when “the beast from the east “ was with us , we had some of the worst conditions that there has been for many years and the cover kept the pitch frost free throughout.
There is a mains gas supply installed behind the south goal which connects directly to the heater unit where we are able to pump heat via vents along the central tube the length of the pitch. By shutting off vent outlets along the tube, it is possible to push the hot air evenly to the north end of the pitch .

MacLeod cover inspection September 2018

We are continuing to feed the pitches as much as they require, going with the weather conditions rather than the date as we are still getting good day time temperatures, although at night it is starting to cool off a little. The soil holds onto the temperature well in the autumn but will drop off quicker when we start to get a run of frosts, which I’m sure will be some time off yet in the south east.  

The bio-stimulant and trace element fortnightly sprays will continue throughout, with Primo Maxx growth regulator is still being applied for the time being, whilst the temperatures are still with us.

Good conditions during September

The stadium pitch has performed well during September hosting 5 matches including two U23 fixtures. Extra help from the Groundstaff from the Training Ground is required when we have a 1st team fixture on the Saturday and an U23 on the Monday. Although not ideal, it is better to fit in our five compulsory Stadium fixtures whilst the turf has some recovery time before the Winter. Much of the battle is getting the correct amount of moisture in the pitch for the game as this has a direct impact on the surface damage we take.

The October international break gives us an 18 day gap in fixtures at Portman Rd, which will give us the chance to carry out some verti cutting, deep aeration and liquid applications of a wetting agent, Primo Maxx and our bio-stimulant mix.

A New Season

August 2018

A New Season

 

As the new football season begins, the hot summer starts to cool and gives some rest bite from heavy watering. Although keeping the turf watered is essential, by doing this can also cause some side effects...

 

 Now the renovated pitches are approximately three months old and doing well after the grow in, some of the consequences of heavy watering are beginning to show. We are seeing a little more Poa Annua grass species among the ryegrass than usual. It's no surprise and something we have to battle to some extent every year.

Annual Meadow Grass (Poa Annua) in some training pitches

We are now verti cutting every couple of weeks to clean any seed heads out and applying a silicon based product to the turf to also help to stand the leaf and seed head up so the mowers can remove the seed. Having poor characteristics and performance for sport, it is important to control The Poa from spreading.

We have also seen an increase in Knotgrass weed, which I expect is due to the unusual weather we have had this summer. As a rule, we don't spray selective weedkillers, but as we walk over the pitches so much knocking back after training, we can hand weed them before they become too much of a problem. Notice the large tap root on the photo. We have had some reaching 10 inches down!

Knotgrass weed

Another consequence of heavy watering is black layer. Water fills the pore spaces instead of air and anaerobic conditions are present producing hydrogen sulphide gas, which is poisonous to the roots. Smelling the soil can detect anaerobic activity which will give an eggy smell, rather than a clean soil which will smell sweeter. Increased aeration and back to a normal watering regime will likely solve this. We tend to aerate approximately every 14 days alternating between 12mm tines at 7-9 inches and 20mm tines to 10-13 inches.

Soil Profile of Pitch 6 (training ground match pitch) showing a little blacklayer

During the very hot weather we held off applying the Primo Maxx growth retardant as it can stress the turf more if it is under some sort of other stress. This year our first applications were at the end of July and we shall carry this on until the temperatures drop below double figure, usually sometime in October.
Our Primo Maxx programme has slightly changed from one monthly application of 0.8 l/h to fortnightly applications of 0.6 l/h. This is with a view of keeping the product consistently active in the plant instead of it wearing off after about 3 weeks the giving it another hit on the fourth week. Although we have increased the monthly amount by a third, we haven't noticed any major reduction in growth, but certainly a more consistent growth.

First league game versus Blackburn Rovers

We are currently playing U23's fixtures at Portman Rd, with the plan of getting our 5 compulsory stadium matches played during the growing season so we can gain some natural recovery. This year we have not entered the U23 cup, which is in a mini league format and games must be played at the stadium. We don't have any choice over the dates they are played and last year left a problem when the home fixtures were scheduled in January and February. Along with other fixtures falling awkwardly, this left us with more games than the stadium pitch can cope with at that time of year, mixed in with poor weather.
We could play the U23 games at another stadium to spread the usage, but given the remote location of Ipswich, There isn't a non league stadium within a 25 mile radius, as per league/cup rules, which has the required facilities to host the fixtures.


We continue to work on the pitches to make them as strong as we can going into the Autumn and Winter, we appreciate the good times and plan as well as we can for the more challenging times ahead.

Heat Stress

July 2018

Heat Stress

With temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius for much of the month, it wasn't only the turf which was suffering from heat stress! irrigation breakdowns and high winds made it a challenging month.

I usually welcome the warm summer months, the pitches are at their best at this time of year and I feel I have more control over the pitches as they are growing and their health can be controlled easier with applications of products, water and mechanical operations.

This summer has been different, with no rain for 9 or 10 weeks, temperatures more than 10 degrees warmer than the rye grass plant thrives on, the pressure has been on to not miss a square inch of the pitch when watering or it shows up within a day or so due to the intense heat.

Heat stress caused by irrigation missing areas due to wind

With most pitches being on a semi automatic or fully automatic watering system, it shouldn't be too difficult to keep the pitch area watered - until it gets windy...

The wind was strong for much of the early part of the month, leaving some areas of the pitches with drought stress. Some early morning hand watering was required to try and catch up on these areas, hoping enough went on to see it through the day.

With such a long period without rain, the ground water has diminished with reduced amounts being drawn at the training ground and no water at all being taken from the bore hole at the stadium. We have the ability to switch the mains on and off as required, but it does come at a cost.

Pitch 6 holding up well after the first run of games

On some days when it has been really hot, we have missed cuts on the pitches to reduce the stress on the plant and avoided putting products down which may cause problems in the continued heat. 

Primo Maxx application at the end of July

Only at the very end of the month once the temperatures have fallen to just above average for the time of year has the growth retardant, Primo Maxx been applied to the stadium pitch. Like many stadiums, Portman Road has its own micro climate. the wind is stronger in certain parts of the bowl and it tends to swirl. It is certainly hotter in the summer than outside of the stadium and colder in the winter too. For this reason, the first Primo Maxx application has been held off longer than normal. The stadium pitch is now 9 weeks from seeding (23rd May), and the first application has now been made. Energy from the plant is redirected from the upward growth into creating plant density and increased rooting. It also reduces the amount of poa annua seed heads which can show up now.

The first use of the Stadium pitch is always at open day, which is a training session on the pitch in front of the fans. It is our first chance to see how the pitch performs. We are generally looking for evidence of the strength of the plant/rooting or lack of it which will be shown up quickly!

Pre-season friendly 28/07/18

As we have don't have any reinforcing fibres in the pitch, it is vital we work on root development as much as possible. coupled with a comprehensive aeration programme, we are applying products to the pitch regularly to encourage root development. We are also looking at more products which are trialled at the training ground to see if there is something better on the market we can use on the stadium pitch. As a rule, we don't try anything out at Portman Road unless it has proved its worth at the training ground first.

Two days after the open day, we had our first home pre season friendly, which is more full on for the turf than a training session. Tackles aren't held back and the twisting and turning is a good test to see where we are at.

Due to the first league fixture drawn at home on 4th August, the pitch was aerated 5 days before the friendly held on 28th July, which leaves the pitch a little on the soft side, so some damage was expected but I was pleased with how the pitch came through. The pitch will play a little firmer going into the first league game, then a two week gap in fixtures, so we will once again be able to relieve any consolidation in the soil created by the mowers in the build up to the game.

The Training Ground kept well watered in the heat

All in all, a hot summer is preferred to a cold winter every time, and we should be grateful for the irrigation we have, even if the wind does cause havoc now and again.