November is the time to ensure your piste is still as good as new for the winter leagues but also next year.
A little leaf clearance and some maintenance carried out during this time will prepare and free up time when the summer returns to actually playing the game we love. Remember leaves piled up at the side of pistes will rot the wood boundaries if you are not careful over the winter and the mulch of the leaves will provide a great bed for weeds to ruin your piste so a quick clear up is required. Here we see a typical piste edge in Oct / November. You can already see the darker leaves at the bottom of the pile turning a darker brown as they decompose. Using a leaf rake it will remove the leaves but leave the piste structure underneath. A garden rake can dislodge larger under stones making a refuge of composting leaves making the situation worse. A quick rake up of leaves and maintenance at this time of year is a lot easier if players are not trying to practice shooting! Do not make the mistake of lighting a bonfire on your pitch, the ash will be difficult to remove after the fire has gone and may ruin the drainage. It will leave soot and ash on the piste which will make players hands dirty. Also, any wood burnt will throw out the most amazing amount of nails and screws to be left on the piste for the summer.
