Making sure that the pitch gets the right amount of water is a vital part of keeping it in perfect condition. Being able to tell when and how often the pitch needs water can save you a lot of time and money, as well as eliminating the kinds of problems that can result in even more costly and time-consuming extra work. The question is: are we, in general, irrigating too much?

Simeon Liljenberg is Head Groundsman at the Swedish national football stadium, Friends Arena. According to him, many groundskeepers should consider cutting down on irrigation. “A lot of pitches get way too much water. As a matter of fact, a huge amount of money could be saved by drastically reducing irrigation,” Simeon says. Over-irrigation is bad from three perspectives. Firstly, we should all use water wisely, since there could be a shortage of water in many parts of the world in the future. Secondly, irrigation often takes a lot of time and effort: particularly when it comes to moving around, setting up and adjusting equipment. Finally, a constant supply of plenty of water leads to shallow root systems, which can increase weed growth. The basic rule is: irrigate a lot, but not very often.