Grass Clippings
Around the grounds
Winter continues to rub salt to the wound by remaining cold and bringing us snow. The cold air will mean no significant lift in ground temperature and turf people pay attention to ground temperatures like a hawk. It’s the one sure way of predicting when the grass plant will kick start into action. Once the roots begin to warm, the rest of the plant will start to grow, and we can follow on with the programme of fertility, aeration and mowing.
Applying fertilizer now is pointless, for if you do get the plant to start to grow, which is unlikely, a snap cold spell can shock it and cause more issues than you solve. This time of year, we apply caution as it is critical to allow nature to lead and we follow on.
However, there are signs that spring is just around the corner; the days are opening up now and the first signs that early flowering trees are in bloom is giving us all hope of better days to come. Last week’s renovations for the course have helped the greens greatly and to put a decent amount of sand on the surface has improved the levels and smoothness of the greens. We haven’t extracted cores on this occasion as to remove anything at this time of the year will leave a core hole which is going to take twice as long to repair, due to the lack of growth. We tend to use a less visible method of getting air to the roots at this point in the year, which doesn’t disrupt the surface levels.
We intended to top dress the fairways and be ahead of the game but sadly at the last moment our sand supplier has informed us that sand production at the quarry is not available until April. Therefore, we will be sanding after the Centenary Putter and Ladies’ Gold Cup weekend. Croquet renovations have gone well this week and will help to make a difference to the lawns. Lawn tennis work is a little way off yet as again we are waiting for growth to nurse them into laying down more roots ready for doing more work to the green parts of the plant ready for play.
Soaring seed sales
Since the reports of fresh produce shortages on the high street, seed companies have seen a boost in sales of seeds for vegetables and easy-grow fruits. It is timely that the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) had already scheduled the Big Seed Sow event for this month but has received added interest in the new community growing campaign designed to get schools, groups and individuals sowing and sharing produce and the seeds that are created. The RHS will be teaming up with the BBC in support of their own spring campaign – Let It Grow – to spot light activities that are going on in locally and to further inspire more people to get growing in their communities. On a local level, many horticultural societies around the country are actively sharing information to help individuals learn to grow fruit and veg from scratch and the basics of propagation. Similar to the pandemic period, adversity has the effect that people become more resourceful and interested in the concept of growing your own. In the UK grocery price inflation rose again to reach 17.1% in the four weeks to 19 February 2023, the highest level ever recorded but growers are suffering from low returns from retailers. Overall take-home grocery sales increased by 8.8% during the four weeks and by 8.1% over the 12-week period.
The British Growers Association CEO Jack Ward has appeared on BBC saying vegetables such as carrots and cauliflowers have fallen in price and supermarkets could also experience shortages of carrots, leeks, cabbage and cauliflower within weeks as production levels fall. Production of tomatoes and cucumbers is also 35-50% down and wholesale spot prices double what they were before ‘tomatogate’ shortages began in late February. Britain’s biggest retailer Tesco, has seen sales go up by 6.6%. Sainsbury’s and Asda were just behind with sales rising by 6.2% and 5.9% respectively as people start to hoard once more!
Make March matter in your garden
March is the month when procrastinating over working in the garden should be cast aside and the work of literally grasping the nettle begins. There is usually heaps of work to do in even the modest garden at this time of the year and with spring around the corner, here is your check list for the month:-
♣ Tidy up borders, removing established and newly germinating weeds. Break up the surface in bear soil areas to get some air into the surface too.
♣ As a follow on, mulch borders now to keep down the weeds in the spring and keep moisture in the soil.
♣ Plant trees and shrubs now to establish before the soil temperature change. The tree planting window is closing so if you have any desire for trees, now is the time.
♣ Now is the optimum time for rose pruning so depending on the form of roses, prune accordingly.
♣ Cut dogwoods, willows and Cotinus right down to the base to promote vigorous new growth for the spring.
♣ If you’re a give-it-a-go allotment newbie Sow beetroot, broad beans, salads, and Swiss chard direct into well-prepared soil. You could also make early sowings of carrots, peas, spinach and radishes if the soil is warm enough. You can also start off aubergines, chillies, and peppers, plus tomatoes, under cover.
♣ Slugs can start to be a problem in warmer, wet weather, so take steps to protect your plants.
♣ Protect brassicas from hungry pigeons by covering them with fleece.
Peter Bradburn
Course and Grounds Director