Maintaining Planted Areas

Introduction

Sports turf, but especially amenity turf, will often have some planted areas as part of the general turf environment.

Whilst the maintenance of the turf areas are invariable the main concern of the groundsman or greenkeeper, any planted areas will also need to be maintained appropriately to ensure that they enhance the environment of an amenity turf situation or that in which a sport is being played.

This article will provide the groundsman or greenkeeper with the background knowledge that is necessary to ensure the surrounds to grass areas are appropriately maintained, thus providing an environment in which users can enjoy even more and which may be appropriate for such competitions as Britain in Bloom.

Initially a turf or parks manager will have to decide what is to be achieved.

• Should the planted areas be formal or informal?
• How much of a natural look should be achieved? In a conservation area the natural aspect of the environment will be paramount.
• If a new area is to be planted, then what sort of general planting is desired.
• What type of plantings will be required? (See 'Planted Areas')
• An initial indication of the standard required from the area.

Assessment

A sensible course of action before setting a quality standard would be to carry out an assessment of the existing planted area/s as well as the area of any new plantings that might be planned.

The following items may wish to be assessed; however, much will depend upon the size of the area and management requirements:

1. Topsoil - depth, pH, texture, structure, nutrient status;
2. Subsoil - depth, pH, texture, structure;
3. Drainage - Is this natural such as run-off or through the soil, or are drains installed? At what level is the permanent water table?
4. What is the local climate (or micro-climate)? - rainfall, temperature, wind direction, frost potential,
5. Topography - the lie of the land; hollows may become frost pockets or wet areas, exposed areas may be susceptible to wind damage;
6. Altitude - this will affect the length of the growing season;
7. Site buildings, artefacts or historical features;
8. Pollution - air-, water-, soil-pollution may be a problem?
9. What is the current vegetation status? This will also include assessing the health of existing plants;
10. What are the access points to the site and planted areas? - This will be for pedestrians, disabled access and vehicular access;
11. Are there any services present? This may include water, electricity, gas, telephone/cable; sewage;
12. Are there any conservation or planning constraints or requirements?

Quality of the Area

Once the initial general objectives for the planted areas have been determined, and an assessment carried out, then a particular quality standard can be decided.

A number of factors and constraints will have to be taken into consideration when deciding the standard required, for example:

• How important is a manicured appearance?
• How much budget is available to maintain the area/s?
• If a higher standard than present is required, how is this going to be financed?
• Are there adequate staff available, and trained, to achieve the desired standard?
• Are there adequate tools and equipment available?
• What materials are required to maintain the area/s to the desired standard?
• Is there adequate irrigation available for plant establishment?
• Are the plants appropriate for the desired standard and required appearance?
• Is the soil type appropriate for the plants? etc.

Once all these requirements have been considered and reference made to the assessment report then an appropriate maintenance and management programme can be implemented. This will be much more effective than if maintenance of planted areas is planned on an ad hoc basis.

Planted Areas

There are many different types of planted areas that may need to be considered when determining an appropriate maintenance and management programme. These can include:

1. Woodlands;
2. Trees as specimens etc.
3. Scrub, including dune vegetation on links golf courses. (Scrub usually means a natural grassland containing a proportion of woody plants);
4. Hedges;
5. Shrub, including rose, beds;
6. Herbaceous plants (i.e. a non-woody plant in which the upper parts die down to a rootstock at the end of the growing season);
7. Seasonal bedding, especially spring or summer flowering;
8. Containerised plants, which may be located around buildings, for example golf club houses.

​​Maintenance

This part of the article outlines the main headings and lists some of the reasons for the tasks that are carried out, in general, in the maintenance of planted areas. More detailed articles will follow on the individual tasks themselves.

• Dead Heading:
  • This is especially required for seasonal plants to ensure the flower bed keeps an attractive appearance;
  • It helps to prolong the floral display;
  • It may be impractical on some flowers, for example the tiny flowered Lobelia;
  • Begonia semperflorens and Impatiens produce masses of flowers all season long, even though dead heading is not normally carried out;
  • It is often impractical to remove dead flowers from most trees and shrubs, although it is desirable on some plants such as Roses, Rhododendron, Lilac;
• Fertilising:
  • This is required for healthy growth, especially for newly planted areas that have not established a good root system;
  • A foliar spray may be considered for some areas when the weather is dry;
  • A well balanced feed is required for good flower production.
• Leaf Removal and Disposal:
  • This will need to be undertaken especially if leaves are adjacent to sports facilities and amenity turf areas;
  • Composting of leaves can be used in home made compost heaps.
• Mulching:
  • This will help to keep soil moist in dry weather and is essential for young plants;
  • Weeds are suppressed with an appropriate thickness of mulch;
  • Mulch can be used as a source of nutrient supply;
  • It provides frost protection in the winter;
  • Soil structure can be maintained and improved with regular mulching;
  • Recycled materials such as paper shreddings, as well as gravel, bitumen felt and polythene sheeting can be used as a mulch.
• Pruning:
  • This is required to remove weak growth and diseased or dead branches;
  • Plants may require shaping to have an appropriate balance to their shape;
  • Required for decorative purposes to control flowering and fruiting;
  • Plants should only be pruned during the appropriate period, otherwise they may, for example, be made more susceptible to disease infection;
  • The trimming of hedges may also be required.
• Removal and Replacement of Plants:
  • Diseased and dead plants will need to be removed and possibly replaced with other specimens;
  • Vandalised plants and areas will also need replacing and repairing;
  • The appearance of formal borders will need to be maintained to a good standard.
• Soil Amelioration:
  • A number of additives may need to be applied, including sand/grit (to improve drainage potential); organic matter (to improve moisture holding capacity); lime (to raise pH) or elemental sulphur (to increase soil acidity).
• Supporting:
  • This involves the provision of a stake, post or some sort of framework so that weak or unstable stems can be attached.
• Thinning Out:
  • Removing plants, seedlings, shoots, flowers or fruit buds will most likely be needed to improve the growth and quality of the planted area;
  • Trees and shrubs can be removed and transplanted elsewhere so as to make good use of available plants.
• Tying in / Training:
  • The tying of plants will prevent excessive movement; A rubber, plastic or similar buffer should be used between a tree and a stake to prevent abrasion occurring from movement;
  • This may be required to improve the appearance of the plant;
  • Branches can be fixed into desired positions so that an unnatural growth habit is produced, for example topiary.
• Watering:
  • This will be especially needed for new plants, particularly in the first two years of planting during periods of dry weather;
  • Seasonal bedding plants will need regular watering during dry weather to maintain their appearance;
  • Irrigation will also help to prevent and reduce the effects of wilting in plants.
• Weed, Pest, Disease Control:
  • Weeds need to be reduced or eliminated as they compete for water and nutrients with the desirable plants. Mulching can help to reduce weeds;
  • Weeds will also smother existing, especially young and low growing plants;
  • Weeds, as well as disease and pest infected plants, can also make areas look very untidy;
  • Pests and Diseases should be controlled to maintain the general health of plants and stop them spreading to other plantings.

References and Further Reading

1. Anon, (1981), 'Hilliers Manual of Trees & Shrubs', 5th edition
2. Rushforth, K. (1981), 'The Hillier Book of Tree Planting & Management'
3. British Standard BS 3998: 1989 Recommendations for tree work
4. British Standard BS 4428: 1989 Code of practice for general landscape operations (excluding hard surfaces)
5. Brickell, C. (1992), ' Encyclopedia of Gardening', The Royal Horticultural Society
6. British Standard BS 7370-4: 1993 Grounds maintenance Part 4. Recommendations for maintenance of soft landscape (other than amenity turf)
7. Bird, R. (1994), 'The Cultivation of Hardy Perennials'
8. Brickell, C. (Ed), (1996),'A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants', The Royal Horticultural Society
9. Brickell, C. & Joyce, D. (1996), 'Pruning and Training', The Royal Horticultural Society
10. The Institute of Groundsmanship, (~1998) 'Guidelines for Performance Quality Standards. Part Two: Amenity Turf, Play Areas, Landscape Features'
11. Keepin, M. (2003), 'Bloom time for parks', The Groundsman, December issue, 20 - 24