BlogRenovation
Putting a cricket square to bed for winter
By Dan5 min read
Putting a cricket square to bed is the old phrase for the end of the groundsman's year: renovate it, rope it off, and leave it until spring. Most current advice doesn't see winter that way. Grass on a square grows for around ten months of the year, and what you do between October and February decides how quickly the square comes round in spring. This guide covers what putting a square to bed should mean now, a simple winter routine, and whether it's too late to renovate if you haven't yet.
What "to bed" used to mean
The traditional version goes: renovate in September (scarify, overseed, topdress, feed), rope it off, clear the leaves, send the mower away for its service, and don't go near the square again until March.
The first half of that still stands. The renovation is the most important job of the year, and it's covered step by step in the autumn renovation guide. It's the second half, leaving the square alone for five months, that current advice questions.
Why the square doesn't really sleep
UK winters have long mild spells, and grass keeps growing whenever the soil is warm enough. Leave a square long and untouched through all of that and three things happen:
- Thatch builds up again at the base of the grass, undoing some of the renovation.
- Moss moves in wherever the grass is thin and the surface stays wet. There's a whole guide on moss.
- Disease gets going. Microdochium patch (often still called fusarium) loves mild, damp, still weather below about 15°C, and long wet grass is exactly where it starts.
TurfCareBlog makes this case well in should we be putting a cricket square to bed? The short version: winter is aftercare, not hibernation. It's light work, but it's regular.
A simple winter routine
| Job | How often | Only when |
|---|---|---|
| Brush or switch off the dew | Most mornings in damp, still weather | Not frozen |
| Cut, 18 to 25 mm | When it's growing, often every couple of weeks in mild spells | Dry surface, not frozen, a third of the leaf at most |
| Feed, low nitrogen | Every 5 to 8 weeks while it's growing | Dry surface, moist soil, no frost forecast |
| Aerate | Once, from about November | Moist but not waterlogged or frozen, before Christmas |
| Check for disease | Weekly in mild, damp spells | Always |
| Clear leaves and worm casts | As they come | Brush casts in when dry |
| Keep off | Frost, snow, waterlogging or a thaw |
Brushing: the job that does the most
If you only do one winter job regularly, make it brushing. Dew keeps the leaves wet for hours, and wet leaves are where disease starts. A drag brush or switch dries the surface, stands the grass up for a cleaner cut and spreads worm casts before they're trodden in.
You don't need to brush every day. TurfCareBlog's rule of thumb is a good one: a bright, blue-sky morning with a breeze does the job for you, while a cloudy, overcast, still day is when the disease risk builds. Those are the mornings to get the brush out.
Cutting over winter
Keep the square around 18 to 25 mm through the winter. Cut when it's growing, the surface is dry and nothing is frozen, and never take off more than a third of the leaf in one go. Keep the blades sharp. If the new leaf pulls out instead of snapping cleanly, leave it for another week.
Long grass isn't safer over winter. It holds moisture and gives disease a head start.
Feeding over winter
Feed only while the grass is growing. A winter feed should be low in nitrogen (around 4 to 8% at most) with potassium and some phosphate, which toughens the grass up instead of pushing soft growth. Many winter feeds carry iron, which helps keep moss and disease down on established grass. Keep iron off new seedlings. A soil test is the best way to know what your square actually needs.
Put it down on a dry surface over moist soil, with no frost forecast and not in a wind.
Aeration: one good pass
Aeration lets air and water into a square that's been compacted all summer. It helps roots go deeper and the surface drain.
- When: once the soil has wetted up, from about November. Aim to finish before Christmas and stop by mid January.
- What: pencil or solid tines to around 100 mm. One well-timed pass does most of the good.
- The test: push a garden fork in. It should go in about 50 mm without much force, and the tines should come out cleanly. If they smear, it's too wet. If the surface lifts or plucks, stop.
- Avoid shallow spiking, under about 75 mm. It can create a compacted layer just below the surface.
No rolling until the new year
Rolling waits until the square starts drying out ahead of the season, usually from late February or March. On wet winter soil a roller only smears the surface and squeezes out the air the roots need.
Is it too late to renovate?
The best time to renovate is straight after the last game, in September. After that the window closes quickly.
- First half of October: still worth doing if it stays mild with no night frosts. In good conditions seed germinates in 7 to 10 days.
- Late October: too late for most of the UK. The soil is cooling, and a frost can kill young seedlings before they're established.
- Soil temperature is the real guide. Ryegrass will germinate above about 5 to 6°C, but slowly and patchily. Around 8 to 10°C and above is reliable.
If you've missed the window:
- Fill foot holes and low ends with matching loam so they don't hold water all winter.
- In a mild spell in late October or early November, small areas can be overseeded into holes made with a sarel roller.
- Otherwise, plan to overseed thin areas in spring, towards the end of pre-season rolling.
Put to bed properly: a checklist
- Renovation done, or a plan for thin areas in spring
- Ropes and signs up until the new grass is established
- Square down to winter height, 18 to 25 mm
- A low nitrogen autumn feed down
- Aeration planned for November or December
- Brushing and cutting on the routine above
- Covers, sightscreens and nets stored away
- Mower booked in for its regrind and service
- The season's notes written up for the AGM and next season
For what to do this month, see the October jobs list. And if you're new to the job this winter, start with taking over a cricket square.
Frequently asked questions
What does putting a cricket square to bed mean?
Traditionally it meant renovating the square at the end of the season and then leaving it alone until spring. Most advice now treats winter as aftercare instead. The grass keeps growing in mild spells, so it still needs cutting, a light feed, one good aeration and regular brushing.
Is it too late to renovate my cricket square?
The first half of October is usually the last sensible window, and only if it stays mild with no night frosts. Seed needs warm soil to germinate and a few weeks to establish before winter. After that, fill the worst holes with loam and plan to overseed thin areas in spring.
How often should I cut a cricket square in winter?
Only when it's growing and conditions allow, which in a mild winter can mean every couple of weeks. Keep it around 18 to 25 mm, cut when the surface is dry and not frozen, and never take off more than a third of the leaf.
When should I aerate a cricket square in winter?
Once the soil has wetted up, from about November, and ideally before Christmas. Stop by mid January. The soil should be moist enough for the tines to go in and come out cleanly, and never frozen or waterlogged.
Written by Dan, founder of My Ground App, built with the groundsmen at Roe Green CC in the Greater Manchester Premier League.