Artificial Grass Maintenance - Brushing the surface

All sports surfaces need care and attention, not just real turf pitches. New artificial surfaces are a considerable investment designed to provide extended periods of use in all weathers. Natural surfaces just cannot compete with this performance. Whether we are talking about 2G sand filled surfaces, 3G sand and granular rubber filled or 4G long pile unfilled synthetic grass surfaces, the planned maintenance will dictate the players comfort, the speed of game, the cleanliness of the surface and the expected life span of the playing surface before renewal.

Brushing – the regular regime

Why brush the surface? The most frequent maintenance operation is brushing the surface. There are a number of issues that may be addressed by brushing regularly.

1. Heavy foot fall on the pitch may cause depressions in the in-filling creating an uncomfortable playing surface and a significant reduction in ball speed.

2. On the whole the blades of “grass” are designed to be laying vertically to the ground supported by the infilling. In this state each strand provides the maximum amount of support to the foot and ball and is subject to the least amount of wear.

3. The pitch must drain freely to allow the surface to dry out rapidly after rainfall. Surfaces remaining damp for longer periods of time are more likely to become infected with moss and algae spores, unplayable in freezing conditions, and expedite the decomposition process of any organic material lodged in the surface fibres. Compaction of the in-filling causes rapid deterioration of the surface by restricting free drainage.

4. Filling material can migrate over the surface especially in heavy play areas such goal 1 mouths, edges, corners and tennis base lines leaving these locations devoid of material. If this situation is left unaddressed it may seriously damage the surface, affect play performance and cause a hazard for players.

Brushing – How Often do I need to brush?

A 3G five-a-side pitch being played by energetic adults 8 hours per day could require attention every 2 days. A sand filled 2G tennis court played for a hour every couple of weeks would benefit from a brush up to half a dozen times per years. The pitch manager is the best person to gauge the required regularity after considering the 4 points above.

It is important the brush is supported (rather than just relying on gravity) enabling the height and pressure applied to the surface to be adjusted to effectively carry out the above operations. The brush must have the facility to be lifted and lowered to enable filling to be redistributed across the surface where it has migrated in to corners and around goals etc.

A drag brush towed behind a tractor/mower is unable to access the corners effectively or relocate filling accurately.

The Kersten KRB250 Folding Brush fits the bill perfectly.

It may be mounted on any of the Kersten K-Series Two Wheel Tractors From the 5.5hp K820 to the 9hp K2100 or, using the Kersten FKDR front linkage kit, it may be fitted to certain models of Ride-on Mower. The working width of the Kersten KRB250 is 2.5 metres. The outer brushes may be easily folded up in seconds to a transport width of less than 1.1 metre. Additional surface penetration may be achieved when required by adding weight to the weight tray and adjusting the height wheels. 

For more information visit www.kersten-machines.co.uk