Sports Pitch Maintenance
We provide bespoke Sports Pitch Maintenance to many Clubs, Schools and Colleges across the region
Sports Pitch Maintenance
We have an experienced team of specialists who can help keep your sports pitch in optimum condition all year round. We provide bespoke Sports Pitch Maintenance to many Clubs, Schools and Colleges across the region. We are experienced at helping clubs obtain value for money for their sports pitch maintenance, particularly when they are faced with restrictive budgets.
We are full members of the Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) so, keep up date and have access to the latest guidance and techniques.
Our services for sport pitch maintenance include:
- Verti Draining
- Slitting
- Qudra Play
- Over Seeding
- Mowing
- Rolling
- Line Marking
- Weed Control
- Fertilising
Verti Draining – solid tine aeration
The Verti drain machine punches holes into the ground up to a depth of 12 inches. We use the Verti-Drain model 7626 – the heaviest and toughest Verti Drain Model. We recommend Verti Draining during October to March
Benefits of Verti Draining:
- Provides a long-term solution of aerating the soil beneath the surface
- Aeration encourages better grass root development
- Improves drainage to reduce muddy surfaces and flooding
- Firms up the surface
- Helps improves the soil structure
- Improves drought resistance
- Enables longer playing season at a consistent pitch standard
Slitting – deep tine aeration
A slitter machine is mounted on a tractor, and each reel has three prongs that penetrate the soil. This machine will have much less impact than a Verti Drainer. We recommend that slitting is carried out between November and February.
Benefits of slitting:
- Helps aeration of soil with minimal damage to surface
- Improves drainage
- Reduces compaction
- Helps reduce thatch build up
- Prevents surface cracking in summer months
Quadra Play
This is when a tractor pulls a Quadra Play over the pitch in four different directions. The finger tines scarify the surface, then it is brushed and rolled. This Quadra Play does not penetrate the underlying soil. We usually performing a Quadra Play during February.
Benefits of Quadra Play:
- Removes thatch and moss to allow the grass to breath
- Helps prevent fungus by removing moss spores that could be carrying fungus
- Rolling repairs divots
- Brushing helps prevent compaction
- Helps the surface become more resistant to damages from pests
Over Seeding
We can seed the whole pitch or only the hard-worn areas. We use a disc seeding machine that cuts a groove in the ground, is rolled over and then presses the seed in. We go over the pitch in three directions: short, long and diagonal. We recommend giving the grass three to fours weeks to establish before the next cut. We usually over seed during April at the end of the season.
Benefits of over seeding:
- Higher germination rates as the seed is placed in the ground than lying on top
- We use “Sports Extreme Mix” which contains three different types of ryegrass dwarf perennial seed
- Helps create an even playing surface with good coverage
Mowing
We cut sports pitches with a Trimax, a ride-on tractor mounted mower. We suggest mowing the pitches once a month from March to September.
Benefits of mowing:
- Encourages the grass to grow
- Ensure the pitches are always playable.
- Helps create an even playing surface with good coverage
- Helps keep weed growth to a minimum
- Helps create an even playing surface with good coverage
Rolling
We have a range of different rollers that we use on cricket pitches. Rolling with the wrong weight can damage the soil. The pitch should be rolled in all directions. As a pitch dries the pace and bounce should increase.
Benefits of rolling
- Creates a hard and even surface necessary for a cricket wicket
Line Marking – initial and overmarking
We use a Fleet Line MAQA line marking machine which uses a GPS system to mark out the pitch without the need for measuring with reel and string. The paint is applied via a pump through a spray head and nozzle. Initial line marking is completed at the start of the season and then overmarking happens approximately every 30 games.
Benefits of GPS line marker:
- Accurate lines are painted
- Faster than traditional measuring out with reel and string
Weed control
We use a Frazier Agribuggy with a 21-meter boom to spray weed inhibitor onto the pitch. The weed control normally happens eight weeks prior to seeding.
Benefits of weed control:
- Removes broad leaved weed (e.g. dandelion and creeping buttercup)
- Large areas can be covered quickly
- A controlled amount of weed inhibitor is used over the pitch
Fertilising
We use a Frazier Agribuggy with a 21-meter boom to apply a liquid feed fertiliser. A higher nitrogen content fertiliser is given at the start of the summer to kick start the growth of the grass. A higher potassium content fertiliser is applied at the end of the summer to help with root development.
Benefits of fertilising:
- Encourages grass growth and root development
- Increases the play time on pitches through the playing season


