SOILCARE

The high usage had taken its toll and all seven pitches had areas of poor turf growth, bare patches of earth and experienced waterlogging during the wetter months leading to the cancellation of some fixtures.

"Our annual pitch renovation programme in April was not sufficient to alleviate these particular problems," says Mr Green. "To be clear what was causing the poor turf growth and waterlogging we took metre deep soil profiles. These confirmed what we suspected - panning and compaction was stopping moisture from penetrating down into the soil."

Faced with similar problems at other sites, Wandsworth Borough Council has implemented two phases of an improvement programme working with Suffolk-based soil specialist C&P Soilcare to relieve the compaction using Terralift.

"We've used a two metre grid system to treat the affected areas," says John Warren, general manager of Soilcare. "Holes have been blasted through the soil structure to a depth of 0.9 metres. Seaweed extract has been blown down the fissures which, when wet, expands helping to keep them open. By decompacting the soil, the moisture is able to get through to the root zone promoting better turf growth and alleviating waterlogging following heavy rainfall."

To complete the work, in the autumn the Council plan to spray the pitches with glyphosate, cultivate to a depth of 200mm and re-graded using the latest laser levelling technique and liquid sod. Finally, to promote fast establishment of the new sward, hydro sprigging will be employed using grass plantlets.

"Pitches treated in previous phases have subsequently required minimal renovations in April," says Steve Green. "What is more, park users are benefiting as we're also getting more play on the pitches during the wetter months of the year."
28 June 2002