Q: We have a baseball field with a multi-use outfield. The field is used regularly by the high school baseball and softball teams and the outfield is used as a practice field for football, soccer and marching band. Physical education classes also spend time on the field. As a town employee, I handle some of the on-site work with an assistant, but we also contract out work since we do not have a sprayer and other specialized equipment. Can you help us justify minimum maintenance practices, prioritizing the most important practices for this field to sustain a reasonable condition?
A: As a follow-up to the question, an on-site field visit was made. I was very pleased that the person who handles the on-site work, his assistant, the contractor who sprays the field, and an administrator (i.e., person with the money) were available for the field visit. As the group discussed the field, the complexity of the field’s management became clearer to me.
It has been my experience that field managers sometimes need more help with their administrators than my agronomic advice. This was partially the case, but there were also a lot of field management products and ideas being presented that were not core to maximizing their resources for this field. This was further complicated by their need to contract out some routine maintenance. I felt my primary role was to prioritize their management practices to maximize the field’s condition with their given resources.
I began with a reminder that a safe field is the ultimate goal of a good sports field. Foremost in my assessment was that this native soil field needed to be aerified. In some areas, I managed to insert a long Philips-head screwdriver to the handle; in other areas, I would have needed a hammer to insert it more than an inch. The dormant stand of bermudagrass was pretty good in areas that were not overly compacted but was full of annual bluegrass in the compacted areas.
My advice was to contract out a deep-tine aerification, as the town did not have the equipment. Deep-tine aerification would not only soften the field, but it would also reduce some weeds, discourage spring dead spot, increase water infiltration, and improve plant stress tolerance. Once they sufficiently reduced compaction, they could use their rolling aerator to try to minimize re-compaction. I do not believe the outfield could be aerated too often considering the amount of wear and compaction it receives.
Nitrogen fertilizer will maximize turfgrass density, and a denser field is a safer field. Increased density discourages weed encroachment; plus, regular nitrogen fertilizations will help the turfgrass recover from damage faster. A field manager needs to be purposeful when picking their fertilizer products. My suggestion is to price fertilizer products per pound of nitrogen rather than per pound of product. Although some slow-release products may be cost effective, soluble nitrogen sources are financially hard to beat. With available labor, good results may be achieved by splitting the soluble nitrogen applications and going out more frequently.
The next most important item on the list should be weed control. The herbicide program will depend on the decision to overseed with ryegrass or to allow the field to go dormant in the winter. Since the field was not overseeded this year, they have a great opportunity to effectively and inexpensively clean up annual bluegrass and other winter weeds. Looking ahead a few months, planning a pre-emergence herbicide program combined with post-emergence herbicides as needed will maximize maintenance dollars and will help ensure an attractive, safe field.
After compaction relief, fertilization and weed control, a good mowing program is essential to maintain quality. The more frequently bermudagrass is mown when it is actively growing, the better the turfgrass density. Regular mowing also discourages broadleaf weeds from getting a foothold. If you do have some weeds, mowing makes them less noticeable.
These four management practices should take priority in scheduling, even when a contractor is necessary to complete some of them.
Grady Miller, Ph.D.
Professor and Extension Turf Specialist
North Carolina State University
Questions?
Send them to Grady Miller at North Carolina State University, Box 7620, Raleigh, NC 27695-7620, or e-mail grady_miller@ncsu.edu
Or send your question to Pamela Sherratt at 202 Kottman Hall, 2001 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210 or sherratt.1@osu.edu