Feature
FIELD CHECKUP MIDSEASON
By Tom Serensits and Andy McNitt
The
heart of the fall sports season is now upon us. Although the stresses of summer heat have passed, the rigors of games and practices are not only hard on players and coaches, but the playing field too (Fig 1). A few simple tips can help minimize the effects of field wear and tear whether you are managing natural or synthetic turf – or both.
SEED EARLY AND OFTEN
Fig. 1. Worn Turf due to Excessive Traffic
The importance of overseeding heavilyused fields and heavily-used areas within a field cannot be emphasized enough. Seeding is one of the most important in-season maintenance practices on heavily-used fields (Fig. 2). You should not wait until the turf begins to thin. Seeding high-use areas before significant turf loss creates a “temporary seed bank” in the soil, which is ready to spring into action as the existing turf stand thins. In almost all cases, perennial ryegrass provides the most in-season seeding success. Compared to other options such as Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue, perennial ryegrass offers several advantages.
20 North Carolina Turf gr a ss
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Fig. 2. Seeding High School Field
N ov e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 1
