Don’t Suffocate Your Turf! The 7-Day Rule for Grass Playing Surfaces
For groundskeepers, sports turf managers, and anyone responsible for maintaining grass playing surfaces, here’s a crucial reminder: never leave your turf covered for more than 7 consecutive days.
Why? Because prolonged covering creates a perfect storm for a multitude of turf health issues:
- Oxygen Deprivation: Grass needs oxygen to survive. Covering it restricts airflow, leading to stress and potentially death of the plant.
- Increased Humidity & Temperature: Under a cover, humidity and temperature rise, creating a breeding ground for fungal diseases.
- Lack of Sunlight: Photosynthesis, the process by which grass converts sunlight into energy, is impossible under a cover. This weakens the plant, making it susceptible to disease and wear.
- Thatch Development: Trapped moisture and lack of airflow can accelerate thatch buildup, hindering water and nutrient penetration.
When a pitch is left covered for extended periods, especially in the UK’s damp climate, it creates an environment conducive to fungal diseases:
Fusarium Patch (Microdochium nivale): This is a very common turf disease in the UK, particularly during cool, damp conditions. Covers trap moisture, which encourages Fusarium Patch. This fugus can cause yellow or brown patches on the turf, and in severe cases, kill the grass.
Red Thread (Laetisaria fuciformis): This disease thrives in damp conditions and when the turf is lacking in nutrients. It’s characterised by pink or red thread-like structures on the grass blades. Again, covers that increase dampness will accelerate this disease.
Excessive moisture fosters other fungal diseases such as Pythium, leading to root rot and damping-off, particularly in young turf, and Anthracnose, which causes leaf spots and dieback.
By trapping moisture, covers create a humid environment that promotes fungal growth. Coupled with reduced airflow and temperature swings that weaken the turf, this significantly increases the risk of disease.
Whether you’re using event temporary flooring, rain covers, or any other type of covering, it is essential to ensure the cover is deployed and removed as quickly as possible for maintaining healthy, resilient turf.
Here are some best practices:
- Regular Inspections: Check your covered areas frequently.
- Ventilation: If possible, provide ventilation to reduce humidity and temperature.
- Strategic Covering: Only cover turf when absolutely necessary. When using temporary flooring for events like concerts, choose systems designed for swift installation and removal to minimise stress on the grass.
- Post-Covering Care: After removing covers, ensure proper aeration and drainage.
Investing in your turf’s health pays dividends in performance, aesthetics, and longevity.
Why Stadia XHD is the perfect choice for pitch protection:
- Rapid deployment: The self-locking panel assembly of Stadia XHD allows for rapid deployment, significantly reducing the duration of ground cover and protecting your playing surface.
- Even weight distribution, minimal imprints: Stadia XHD’s wide surface area provides uniform weight distribution, significantly reducing imprints and preventing turf damage.
- Unmatched strength: Stadia XHD delivers superior strength, with a maximum of 12,500 kg per axle loading for vehicles and up to 150,000 kg per m2 in static load capability. This allows stadiums to accommodate a wider range of events, from concerts to sporting events requiring heavy equipment.
- Enhanced efficiency: Stadia XHD panels are conveniently stackable on pallets for effortless storage, maximising storage space and streamlining operations.
Protecting valuable stadium turf during events is paramount, and Stadia XHD delivers with its exceptionally fast deployment and removal. This system minimises the duration of turf coverage, reducing the risk of damage from heavy equipment and prolonged pressure. Designed to withstand the rigors of modern events, Stadia XHD empowers stadiums to maximise event potential while maintaining the integrity of their turf.
Finding the right products and advice to help you keep your teams moving and turf in pristine condition is vital. We work with stadiums and event organisers to ensure you’re supplied with the best solution for your requirements and budget. Contact our team for expert guidance on portable turf protection temporary flooring systems. With decades of industry experience precision installs, we deliver innovative solutions on time and on budget.
Contact us today on +44 (0) 203 286 7463 or email hello@theboxgrp.com to explore how we can support your next project.
