Football Pitch Maintenance Tips

To support groundsmen, the following football pitch maintenance calendar has been supplied courtesy of Pitchcare. This calendar should be used as a guide only.

January Maintenance

Another year over and the end of a decade to boot, and may I extend my good wishes to you all for the coming year. We still have a long way to go to the end of the season and though the days will now start to get longer, we still appear in the grip of some very cold swings of weather.

February Maintenance

Down in the south, though, you would expect temperatures to be better than average for the whole country with average temperatures lower the further north you go. This may not always be the case, as it all depends on which direction the weather comes from (off the continent, from the Arctic or up from the warmer Mediterranean regions).

March Maintenance

If we thought last year was a good test for a grounsman's skills then I guess that this year has been equally so, particularly with the levels of rain, sleet and snow giving this winter a very grey feel, and no surprise that the grass on most pitches will be looking a little thin in places.

April Maintenance

It is incredible to think that we have come out of one of the coldest, wettest winters on record only to experience the driest March on record. Hopefully, providing you manage to get your renovations timed to perfection, you may still be able to take advantage of some traditional April weather of warmer, sunny days interspersed with some of nature's watering in the form of rain.

May Maintenance

As we enter into the month of May football pitch renovations will be at the forefront of Groundsmen's minds. Most clubs will have nearly finished their playing season, albeit some friendly games or cup matches may remain. You should have organised the delivery of relevant services / materials in time for these important renovations.

June Maintenance

Hopefully, for the majority, you will have completed your pitch renovations by now, eagerly waiting for the new seed to germinate and get to the two to three leaf stage, so you can start mowing. It is critical that you do not allow seedlings to dry out. Keep your seeded areas watered and, if possible and if you have them to hand, make use of your germination sheets to encourage the rapid establishment of your seeded areas.

July Maintenance

The recent rainfall has been most welcome for the many groundsmen who have struggled to water their pitches adequately during the prolonged dry period. With plenty of moisture back in the soil profile, the grass will begin to colour up and promote some much needed growth.

August Maintenance

The weather predictions for this month are that it is likely to become wetter with frequent showers just about everywhere. This is probably welcome for those without an irrigation system to keep the water reserves in the soil topped up, and particularly in ensuring that new seedlings have the right moisture levels to survive.

September Maintenance

In September, the new season is in full swing and all your pitches should be looking at their best. With the warm temperatures encouraging grass growth, you should be continuing with regular mowing of the sward to help promote tillering and mowing the grass at least twice a week; more if you have the resources.

October Maintenance

If you find night time temperatures are falling, growth rates of both grass and fungal pathogenic growth will start to drop off. This will also lead to heavier morning dews, prolong periods of leaf blade wetness and increased risk of attack from fungi.

November Maintenance

For most of the country, the expectation is that we will return to some seasonal normality regarding the weather during November though, in reality, Mother Nature will be sure to test our keenness and the application of our knowledge in ensuring that the game goes ahead no matter what.

December Maintenance

December is the darkest month of the year with the grass only receiving a potential of around eight hours of light each day though, by the end of the month, the days will be starting to stretch out again (December 21st being the shortest day). This will surely place extra pressures on pitches that suffer from long shadows during the morning and early afternoon.