an ydr c ric et lu s ut�eld is now in much better condition after surface removal and reseeding in February (above right)
ROOKS ARE STUMPED AT LANHYDROCK When rooks feeding on chafer grubs created havoc at a cricket club outfield, the only way to ensure a playable pitch was to remove the surface
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n September 2017 I was contacted by the worried chairman and groundsman at Lanhydrock Cricket Club in Cornwall, who said the outfield was being torn apart by rooks. He asked if I would visit to see what the problem was. The ground, which is in the boundaries of the National Trust’s Lanhydrock House in Bodmin, had several patches in its treelined outfield where turf had been removed by the birds, which were obviously after chafer grubs. Severe amounts of moss were contributing to the problem.
The outfield had not received any maintenance over many years – which could be said of lots of village cricket clubs where finances are tight – and the lack of fertiliser combined with no aeration, plus being a tree-lined site, meant that a lack of airflow has contributed to the mossy surface which formed an ‘incubation blanket’ for the grubs. Even during cold weather, the grubs did not go any deeper into the soil profile (which is expected) and stayed at around 50mm from the surface, devouring any roots that the sparse grass cover produced.
“The lack of fertiliser combined with no aeration meant poor airflow contributed to the mossy surface”
DRASTIC ACTION
If left untreated, the two successful adult teams and more than 100 youth players regularly using the ground would not have been able to play there for the 2018 season. With no chemical treatment for chafer grubs, it was suggested that nematodes be used to control the chafers. This was tried,
By Simon Johnson Regional pitch advisor
but the sheer amount of the grubs meant it was ineffective so the answer was to remove the grubs and moss. The plan was to use a fraise mower to remove the top 50mm of the surface then to reseed. But with it now being late February and the season only eight weeks away, there wasn’t a lot of time to get the seed in and germinating. Then, surprisingly, Cornwall suffered a period of snow and ice, which caused further delay. The seed was, however, drilled as soon as the outfield was dry enough in order that play could commence in early June. Now, the club is committed to looking after the outfield by regular deep aeration and fertilising, to improve the health of the sward. The only losers are the rooks, which have since found somewhere else to feed. Visit www.iog.org for more information about the Grounds and Natural Turf Improvement Programme
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www.iog.org THE GROUNDSMAN 15