Grass shoots up in wet weather - to cut or not to cut?
MONTHS have rainfall have caused grass to grow out of control across Gloucestershire, with groundsmen facing a dilemma – to cut or not to cut.
Gloucester City Council's contractor Enterprise say many areas have become too overgrown for even their ride-on mowers to cope with – meaning some road signs are obscured by grasses.
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Overgrown: A grass verge on the St Briavels to Bream road.
Phil Matthews, from Enterprise, admitted they are facing a number of issues if they plough ahead with cutting, such as large bundles of vegetation clumping together, heavy mowers sinking into the soft wet ground, and wet grass clogging the machinery.
"Grassland management is extremely difficult at the moment and is not going to get any easier for the near future," he said. "The main problem is do we cut or not cut?
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"If the operation holds back for too long the grass will very quickly get away and then it is at a height where the problem gets worse.
"The growth rates will continue for at least another six to eight weeks due to the residual moisture capacity in the ground."
In May the Met Office warned that the wet weather we had seen in April was promoting strong grass growth.
Exceptional
In June rainfall again threatened the record books, while the warm temperatures made for perfect grass growing conditions.
And more rain is expected to hit the county this week from today until Wednesday with temperatures hovering between the 17C and 19C mark. The unsettled period is expected to last until at least mid-July, according to long-range Met Office forecasts.
The effects of the grass growth can be seen all over the county, including along the roadside on the A48 near Westbury-on-Severn, near Elton Corner, and in Bream.
And sports fields have also been affected.
Mr Matthews added: "Cricket has been severely affected over the last two months and on several occasions we have been unable to prepare both the outfield and wickets."
The rugby ground in Westbury resembles a lush meadow more than a pitch in its current state.
Gloucester city councillor Kathy Williams, cabinet member for the environment, said: "These have been exceptional weather conditions.
"We are working as best we can to get on top of it all, and we are hoping to get back to the status quo by the summer holidays.
"People have to bear with us for a while."
Comments
by CBCbuttheads
Thursday, July 05 2012, 9:27AM
“How did they cut grass before powered devices mmmm? In case you morons in the Gloucestershire county council dont know what it is, it's called a sythe and its powered by human strength. So get some of your fat backsides out of your plush council office chairs and get cutting! And! fix some pot holes while your at it!”
by sticks_stones
Monday, July 02 2012, 1:37PM
“No excuse at all, well, for the signs anyway, as already said brushcutters/strimmers - the good thing about them,is they can be used in the rain!
Cut to it, Enterprise.”
by sparkerduder
Monday, July 02 2012, 10:44AM
“Oh dear wrong type of grass then.......!
If strimmers can't cope ( or the operators ) bring in some heavier equipment that can.
The verges and associated signage must be kept clear if not for safety reasons then for looks.
It's not rocket science is it !??”
by 2ladybugs
Monday, July 02 2012, 10:42AM
“Pathetic............strimmers and brushcutters. Get off your backsides.”
by Matt1006
Monday, July 02 2012, 9:48AM
“Exactly. So if the grass is (apparently) too long for the ride-on movers, does this excuse them from not cutting it at all? Of course it doesn't. Yes, get the strimmers out, or if all else fails a pair of shears or even a scythe. The partly-obscured chevron sign shown in the photo is a potential highway safety issue. Ditto long grass obscuring sight lines at junctions, etc.
The highways authorities (and their appointed contractors) have a duty of care, and therefore need to adjust their working practises accordingly to deal with the long grass. And the forecast isn't brilliant, apart from supporting the continued rapid growth of grass.
Get your act together Highways, and stop scratching your backsides. Or possibly face a lawsuit if an accident is caused as a result of obscured signage etc.”
by Bonkim2003
Monday, July 02 2012, 8:29AM
“Not too difficult to strim around road signs and other essential features. Silly trying to mow long grass with cylinder mowers in any case. Rain is forecast for the foreseeable future.”