SUPPORTING OUR SPORT
Croquet England is proud to be working with partners who care about the development and success of our sport and our community. We are grateful for their support and welcome their expertise, which we can share with you. “I NEED A 3LB MALLET”… WHY? by Chris Alvey, DB Mallets Over the last 11 months producing DB Mallets, I have lost count of the number of times we have been asked for a 3Ib mallet. It always seems to be on the list of requirements that people have. I understand the different head lengths people have got used to, although adapting to playing with a longer head if you use a standard grip is fairly straightforward (though not so easy for those using Solomon grip). Obviously, the overall height from the ground varies based on a player’s height, the grip used and their own personal playing style. But why 3Ibs? The only thing in common I can find with players that have requested this, is that they are using a wooden club mallet. When mallets were made of wood and had the lead weights in the head, 3lbs seems to have been the “standard” weight. But technology has moved on so much and you can achieve the same distances with a composite or aluminium mallet of a lighter weight, which will help achieve better stop shots and fatigue the player so much less. There will always be a market for a heavier mallet, one of my team utilises the extra weight in his mallet to compensate for a long‐ standing injury; and as his handicap is half of mine who am I to say it’s wrong. But you open yourself up to so many more manufacturers’ products if you don’t restrict your search by the weight you think you need. We have one mallet in the range that just hits the 3Ib mark which is the one I use. I bought it as I liked the way it played. If I’m honest I only weighed it recently because we started selling the model again and I needed the details for the website. My advice would be to look at all your options, forget the weight, concentrate on what works for you and getting the right height and head length… unless of course you’re going to use it for some demolition work in the off‐season! WINTER MAINTENANCE by Duncan Hector, www.duncanhectorturfcare.co.uk MOWING The summer cut height is 5mm to 7mm. In winter, set the cut height to 8 to 10 mm. Mowing every few weeks in the winter is important. It helps to thicken the sward, encourages a dwarf habit and discourages coarse grasses. FERTILISING It is a good idea to fertilise with a low input of nitrogen during winter months. I supply granular winter fertiliser that also contains iron for moss control. However, liquid fertiliser costs less at around £12.50 per lawn and can be mixed with soluble iron for moss Moss produces spores twice a year so should be treated in Spring and Autumn to kill the moss and prevent new spores from ripening. It doesn’t have a vascular system and the roots have no function except to hold onto the ground, so re‐growth is caused by spores in the soil, not from roots. Soluble Iron controls moss but must contact all of the leaf. For this reason it is best to mow before treating and use plenty of water in the mix. I recommend 2.5kg of Soluble Iron per lawn in 50 litres of water but 100 litres would help the product reach more of the plant. FUNGAL DISEASES Red Thread, Fusarium, Dollar Spot etc. All of these diseases can be controlled by spraying Soluble Iron. This avoids the use of fungicides which are expensive and can be detrimental to the microbial life in the rootzone. They also require Pesticide Certification and Registration. It is important to spray as soon as there are signs of attack because the iron will kill the fungus on the leaf. Once it has broken into the plant, it is too late. Use the same dilution as for moss ie 2.5kg (litres) in 50 litres of water. control. MOSS
Visit www.duncanhectorturfcare for fertilisers, Iron etc. and the Turfpedia knowledge base.
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