Green preparations - spring 2019

Our green suffered pretty badly last summer due to the heat and the long-standing problem of the irrigation system not reaching the centre of the green and the four corners Since the season closed last autumn we have been following (or tried to as best we can) a maintenance program recommended by John Quinn, master green keeper who runs a website (www.bowls-central.co.uk) dedicated to bowls green keeping in the traditional way as it was done pre the 1960's i.e. emphasis on organic materials which look after the soil and reduce (and eliminate) the use of chemicals and artificial fertisers. Over the winter we purchased a Sisis S500 slitter/slotter and have been slitting the green monthly. We have also replaced the irrigation pump and the water now reaches the centre and corners. We had a team day to manually remove the weed Parley Piert. We have applied 3 doses of compost tea combined with chelated iron to combat moss, wetting agent against local dry patch (LDP) and 2 bags of winter fertiliser. This week we scarified 2 ways and applied spring fertiliser. Next week we will apply more materials to combat LDP and we will slot the green and over-seed. More work will continue monthly over the summer. A great deal of time and money has been put into the green over the winter to try to recover from last summers damage and get the best playing surface we can for the summer season . Are we going to succeed? Maybe not, it might take 2 seasons but we are certainly trying to do the best we can. The green may not be at it's best at the start of the season but bear with it, it's getting there. Two videos to show you work in action. They just show John and Stuart but it's been a team effort and those that have contributed are John Torr, Stuart Mackenzie, Brian Mackenzie, Barry Ryley, Eric Dipper, John Lizziemore, Jeff Freedman, Dave Wharf, Dave Jarrold, Ted Harrison, David Neale, Bernard Dowley and last but by no means least, Sally Ryley who helped with the weeding, brought us teas, coffees and baked lovely pasties and cakes. If anyone who helped is not mentioned then please do tell me.