June
Note: For the close season months of May through July, the tips will largely remain the same.
Monitor, Maintain and Manage
In the summer months, some areas are more prone to drought than others. If you are in one of these regions, it is worth switching to drought-resistant Perennial Ryegrass varieties of seed. Deep spiking the ground in spring can also help your pitch become more resilient to dry conditions. If you notice the grass has stopped growing or gone dormant, it is advisable to stop mowing or reduce your mowing frequency and increase the height of cut when you do mow.
Weeds are inevitable, so having a proactive weed management programme is far more effective than relying on selective herbicides year after year. Begin by setting a weed threshold, which is typically determined by the level of football being played. For example, Performance Quality Standards (PQS) state that a ‘Good’ pitch can have a weed coverage of up to 6–10%. You can monitor this with PQS testing or by using the Football Foundation’s Pitch Power programme.
There are five steps to a successful weed management programme:
1. Prevention – Stopping weeds before they appear.
2. Cultural – Making your pitch less inviting to weeds through regular mowing, fertilising, and watering.
3. Mechanical – Using mowing height control, surface grooming, and scarification.
4. Biological – Introducing insects or microorganisms that suppress weeds (rarely used at grassroots level).
5. Chemical – As a last resort, apply selective herbicides if earlier steps have not worked.
Please remember that using selective herbicides may require relevant certifications and safety gear.
Most weeds have fully emerged by June, and provided you are not experiencing drought, and your seeding has been down for six to eight weeks, you can consider applying a selective herbicide.
Now is also a great time to carry out any maintenance around the facility. Whether it is inspecting and repairing your goals or checking the surrounding areas, use this quieter period to spot and fix any damage. This is also the right moment to make sure you have all the essential equipment ready for the new season. If not, now is the time to order so it arrives in good time.