An Insight Into Caister Bowling Green Keepers Duties.
Maintaining a pristine bowls green requires a meticulous, year-round approach focused on aeration, scarification, controlled irrigation & precise mowing. Mastering these core practises ensures a smooth, true playing surface while preventing the accumulation of moss & thatch.
We have eight club members that volunteer within the green keeper’s team that are divided into two teams & meet up weekly between 09:00 – 11:30 on Mondays, Fridays & occasionally on Wednesdays pending on the growth of the grass. At the end of each day an end of shift report is compiled to inform all keepers what has been completed & outstanding.
Prior to any work on the green a drag brush or swishing is completed to disperse morning dew & worm casts, as both encourage fungal diseases.
Monthly the green is applied with liquid feed & fertilisers to maintain the green to a good standard all year, not just the bowling season.
Pests: Pigeons & Seagulls have been causing an ongoing problem on the green by continuously making large holes. No sooner the holes are filled in, they dig the soil out. The team has come up with a solution & appears to be successful.
Spring Preparation: Scarify the green lightly before the season starts to pick up moss & accumulated dead material.
Spring / Summer: Utilising a Sorrel roller during the playing season that spikes the green to maintain soil health & aeration.
Height of cut: Gradually lower the mowing height from 8mm in early spring down to 4 – 5mm by mid-May.
As the green is being sorrelled, rolled & mowed, other members of the team are mowing the grass verges, mowing the car park, strimming along the fence line, maintaining flower boarders etc.
At the end of our day, we thoroughly clean the lawn mowers & tools ready for the next use.
September end of season work: Carry out end of season renovation work to the green. Scarify, apply 40KG bowls grass seed, apply pre seeder, 5 ton of top dressing & work the dressing into the surface by a drag mat to maintain levels.
Chris Eke.