This is the JUNE installment of Horticulture Week's month-by-month guide to essential maintenance and management tasks for turf and sports facilities such as bowling greens, cricket pitches, football pitches, rugby pitches, golf, lawns and other recreational and fine turf.
All turf areas
Check for disease activity and treat appropriately
Watch for pests and control when necessary
Control weeds
Mow regularly
Winter games pitches
Irrigate regularly
Overseed areas that fail to thicken
Lightly top dress any remaining uneven areas
Apply a balanced fertiliser
Mow regularly to 25mm for football and 35mm for rugby
Paint goal posts or replace
Order line marking paint
Golf
Mow regularly
Irrigate regularly
Aerate greens with slit tines
Groom greens and consider lightly rolling to increase speed
Mow greens to 5mm, tees to 8mm and fairways to 12mm
Early in the month control weeds on fairways if necessary
Divot fairways
Bowls
Apply summer feed in the first week or so
Verticut and groom regularly
Aerate greens with slit tines or sarrel roller weekly
Spike using solid tines to a depth of 50mm every second week
Irrigate regularly
Mow to 5mm
Change rink positions regularly
Control thatch
Watch for dry patch
Cricket
Verticut
Prepare wickets well in advance
Mow square to 2mm
Repair footholes
Irrigate and roll
regularly
Mow outfield to 12mm
Control weeds
Apply balanced fertiliser towards end of month
Lawns
Water if necessary and if no drought orders in place
Mow 6-8mm for ornamental, 12mm for general and 25mm for amenity but increase all heights during drought
Apply suitable feed but avoid scorching
Overseed bare patches and top dress
Control weeds
Change position of benches and other furniture to avoid wear
*Jobs should only be undertaken when ground and weather conditions are suitable and will vary according to location and may vary significantly from year to year. And remember that while the year nicely divides into 12 months, activities often overlap.
- SEE SALLY DRURY'S TURF TASKS MONTHLY CHECKLISTS FOR THE WHOLE YEAR
