Thatch

Firm courts and good ball bounce. That is our goal and one of the ways we achieve this is by removing thatch.Thatch is dead organic matter such as old roots and shoots that create a spongy mat between the surface and the soil. The thatch does not compress and acts as a cushion. It is vital for a well playing lawn tennis court to have minimal thatch.Beneficial microbes in the soil break down much of the organic matter, but they need help. In these pictures we are assisting by mechanically removing thatch.The machine we use to do this is new to Longwood and is manufactured in Austrailia by Graden. The little machine is very efficient - as you can see it pulls out a lot of material and six courts were dethatched in 2 1/2 hours. It has vertical blades that cut grooves in the turf and pull up dead organic material. Following this process the grass is topdressed with soil.

Topdressed courts