Virginia Turfgrass Journal - July / August 2013

EPA Chesapeake Bay Program — REPORT 2013

Virginia Turfgrass Council / P.O. Box 5989 / Virginia Beach, VA 23471 / ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Maintenance Basics for a Synthetic-Turf Field Highlights from the Virginia Beach Turfgrass Field Day and the Bob Ruff Jr. Memorial Research Golf Tournament

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council | July/August 2013

20

14 13 Upcoming Event 2013 Virginia Tech Turfgrass Field Days, August 27–28, In Blacksburg, VA

14 Cover Story

EPA Chesapeake Bay Program – Report 2013

20 Feature Story Maintenance Basics for a Synthetic-Turf Field

24 DEPARTMENTS 06 Directorʼs Corner

from Tom Tracy, Ph.D.

8 Editorʼs Perspective

from Mark Vaughn, CGCS

10 VTF Report

from Betty Parker

12 News from Virginia Tech 26 Turfgrass Calendar 26 Index of Advertisers

24 Recent Event Highlights from the VT Turfgrass Field Day in Virginia Beach, June 25, 2013 Virginia Turfgrass Council (VTC) serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Virginia Turfgrass Journal, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or VTC members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this bimonthly publication. Copyright ©2013 by the Virginia Turfgrass Council. Virginia Turfgrass Journal is published bimonthly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of VTC. POSTMASTER: Send change of address notification to VTC, P.O. Box 5989, Virginia Beach, VA 23471. Postage guaranteed. Third-class postage is paid at Nashville, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: Virginia Turfgrass Journal allows reprinting of material published here. Permission requests should be directed to VTC. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information. Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Franklin, TN 37068-0142, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524. Deadlines are the first of the month prior to the following month’s publication. (Example: August 1 for the September issue.)

Director’s Corner

We’re Constantly Improving

TO SERVE Tom Tracy, Ph.D. VTC Executive Director

The

OUR INDUSTRY

VTC is constantly seeking ways to serve the turfgrass industry. A new email blast and changes to the Annual Conference are just two examples of our endeavor.

“Awesome!” “Great opportunity!”

“Thank you!” Nothing less than a once-a-month email blast dedicated to industry news prompted such enthusiastic responses. This is not just any normal email blast — it consists of timely information from VTC VTC members and is sent to over 1,800 persons.

This past year, many of you have asked the VTC to help publicize job openings, training programs and other timely updates from your companies. To accommodate this need, we are conducting a test. On the

first of each month, an email blast will be sent that will be devoted to industry news.

We are committed to running this trial of the new email blast for at least one year — that means twelve separate opportunities for you to spread the word about what is happening at your company. The trial becomes permanent if it meets your needs. Please send us items to include. We do not have room for long descriptions; so, instead of several paragraphs describing the job opening or event, please email to us just a one- or two-sentence description, along with a link for interested readers to click on for more information. Our email address is vaturf@verizon.net.

The 2014 VTC Turfgrass Conference reflects two major changes.

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One, we have added Thursday back as a day devoted to Pesticide Certification and Recertification. Last year, we tried condensing the pesticide events into the Tuesday and Wednesday classes, enabling the entire conference to run from Monday through Wednesday. The condensed system worked for some, but it left other industry professionals out in the cold. (For those of you who liked having all of the classes end by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, we will continue offering pesticide recertification in key categories on Wednesday.)

The second major change to the conference is expanding the tradeshow floor. Yes, you read that right.

The tradeshow is expanding! More companies than ever before want booths! Thanks to the great work from the Virginia Sod Growers, we are able to add 24 additional booths in the back right corner of the floor. As a key draw to that portion of the floor, the Sod Growers are providing a putting contest that will have some very nice prizes.

The industry email blast and changes to the conference and tradeshow are just two examples of our constant quest to fulfill our mission of serving the turfgrass industry. Do not ever hesitate to let us know if there is more we should be doing for you.

Editor’s Perspective

»» Learning to ««

Deal with

Mark Vaughn, CGCS Virginia Turfgrass Journal Editor

A

few Journal issues back, I made mention of some of the things they don’t teach you in turf skool. One of the big essentials (in fact, perhaps THE essential to longevity in this business), but potentially harder to handle than an outbreak of Pythium, is how to deal with DIFFICULT people.

Let’s face it — it’s easy to deal with K.O.T.S.S.L.s, those humanoids that go around whistling “Keep on the Sunny Side of Life.” Type A’s or B’s, young or old, male or female, they all seem pretty comfortable in their own skin.

Not comfortable to the point of superiority, just comfortable.

But what about those who are not?

The naysayers — those standing at the ready to shoot down any new idea on the radar. They don’t like the way things are, but they’re not about to change them. The doomsdayers — who insist that if we’d only listened to Chicken Little, we wouldn’t be in this mess. The Playaa’s — those who have watched too many episodes of “Survivor” and think that life is about backstabbing your way to the top.

The Pharisees — who DO like the way things are, since they have total control.

As a friend of mine once said, “My employers live by the Golden Rule.

They have all the gold, so they make all the rules.” The little guys (and gals)

Difficult

PEOPLE — who have no control or influence in their everyday world, so by golly, they’re going to have some in yours.

The pretty people — well doggone it, they can’t help it that they’re just BETTER than everyone else. They let us live in their world, but only to serve.

The agitators, rabblerousers and instigators — who get their jollies by stirring the pot and watching it boil over. Probably played with gasoline and matches when they were young.

The perfectionists (raise your hands along with me) — those who like things to be “just so,” which leads to perpetual disappointment.

And finally, there are those who really can’t help it — they’re just nuts.

Every golf course has members and every business has customers who fit this category. Some may be certifiable, and some may be like Michael Douglas in Falling Down and have had their limit for the day. Either way, when you cross their path, you’re stepping into the eye of the storm.

So, how do you do handle all the non-K.O.T.S.S.L.s? And is it an innate talent, or can it be a learned discipline?

To the second question, I would say yes and yes. There’s no question some people are born with the knack for this. I’ve been in meetings (as I’m sure you have) and watched those who are

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masters at this turn a pit of vipers into garden snakes. I’ve seen those who can manage a career at the “difficult club” for twenty years. But, just as some athletes are “born,” others work their butts off on their weaknesses until they become athletes.

As a Type A redhead with Irish/ Scot/Welsh blood in his veins, I followed the latter course. Until not too many years ago, my first instinct when challenged was to bow my caveman back and dig in for a good fight.

This attitude served me so well that I managed to earn a triple bypass before my 41st birthday.

So, again I ask — how do you do it? Since academia won’t tell you, let me pass on what I’ve observed.

1. Find people who are good at it, and learn from them. I’m not talking about the perennial patsies who let everyone walk all over them. I’m talking about people who function in difficult situations regularly and still go home at night with their dignity intact.

2. Go to the bookstore, and start digging. There are many, many books on this subject. Yes, you may have to sort through some drivel, but usually there’s a hidden gem in almost every book.

3. Get your own act together —

Virginia Turfgrass Journal is the official publication of The Virginia Turfgrass Council P.O. Box 5989 Virginia Beach, VA 23471 Office: (757) 464-1004 Fax: (757) 282-2693 vaturf@verizon.net PUBLISHED BY Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718 Fax: (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedgecommunications.com EDITOR Mark Vaughn, CGCS VTC OFFICERS President Frank Flannagan Belmont Golf Course (804) 262-4939 Vice President Fredrick Biggers, CGCS Wintergreen Resort (434) 325-8252 Treasurer Brian Vincel, CGCS Spring Creek Golf Club (434) 566-2580 Past President Melissa Reynolds Dura Turf Service Corp.

(804) 233-4972 VTC DIRECTORS Gil Grattan Rick Owens, CGCS Marc Petrus Mark Roberts Christian Sain Steve Smith Rick Viancour, CGCS Scott Woodward

church, volunteering, coaching, whatever it may be to help you put things in perspective. You MAY find you were actually the cause of difficulty.

4. And finally, get older. Sorry, younger guys and gals, but you actually DO become wiser as with age. Ah… if I only knew at twenty what I know now.

Managing Editor’s Note: Mark has faithfully submitted his Editor’s Perspective column for every issue of the Journal (except for the annual Research Issues) since May/June 2005.

We figured he deserved a bit of time off, so for this one issue, we opted to re-publish his column (above) from September/October 2006. His advice then is just as applicable today.

VTC ADVISORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD Mike Goatley, Ph.D. (Chair) Shawn Askew, Ph.D. Jeffrey Derr, Ph.D. Erik Ervin, Ph.D. Rajandra Waghray, Ph.D. Rod Youngman, Ph.D. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/ DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS Tom Tracy, Ph.D. (757) 681-6065 VIRGINIA TURFGRASS FOUNDATION Betty Parker (757) 574-9061

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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VTF Report Cover Story

HUGE SUCCESS A Betty Parker VTF Manager

AGAIN!

Bob Ruff Jr. Memorial Research Golf Tournament • June 3 • Wintergreen Resort

Thanks to the Tournamentʼs Generous Sponsors!

Eagle Sponsors

Associations & Clubs

BASF Landscape Supply Smith Turf & Irrigation Syngenta

Belmont Golf Course Goodyear Golf Club Greater Washington GCSA Shenandoah Valley Turfgrass Assn.

Virginia Turfgrass Association

Birdie Sponsors Wintergreen Resort’s 27-hole Stoney Creek Golf Course, designed by Rees Jones, was the host site for the 2013 Bob Ruff Memorial Research Golf Tournament.

The

2013 Bob Ruff Jr. Memorial Research Golf Tournament, held on Monday, June 3, at Wintergreen’s Stoney Creek Course, raised $17,000 for turfgrass research in the state of Virginia. Even after the tournament was expanded to 27 holes, it sold out with teams eager to compete and raise money for turfgrass research!

I want to thank Marc Petrus and the Virginia Turfgrass Council for their outstanding efforts each year in orchestrating this fundraiser for the VTF. Special thanks also go to golf course superintendent Fred Biggers, CGCS, and Wintergreen Resort for hosting this event. Their efforts are the fuel for quality turfgrass research being done in our state.

Agrium Direct Solutions/Solu-Cal Bayer Environmental Science Davisson Golf Earthwork ENP Fertilizer Fisher & Son Co. FMC Professional Solutions Genesis Turfgrass Growth Enhancer Turf Consultants HARCO Harrell’s Helena Holganix HORIZON Luck Stone Specialty Products Newsom Seed Quali-Pro Revels Tractor/ John Deere Landscapes SePRO Tom Rash Company Trinity Turf Turf Breeze Fans/SubAir Systems Turfscreen UPI Phoenix Virginia Green Wintergreen Resort Woodward Turf

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Breakfast Sponsor Innovative Turf Services

Lunch Sponsor Arysta LifeScience

Dinner Sponsor Southern States

Beverage Cart Sponsors Buy Sod, Inc. Landscape Supply Tidewater Sports Turf

Putting Contest Sponsor The Andersons

Hole Sponsors Brookmeade Sod Farm East Coast Sod Egypt Farms Harmon Turf Services Valent

Players warming up for the sold-out competition.

Congratulations to Our Winners!

Left to right: Mark Petrus (VTC board member and tournament organizer) shares a light moment with Steve Kohrherr (manager of the Stoney Creek Bar and Grill) and Dr. Tom Tracy (VTC executive director).

On behalf of the Harrell’s team, Matt Gregg (right) accepts the Gus Constantino Trophy from Mark Petrus.

Gus Constantino Trophy Harrell’s team (Matt Gregg, Chip Bass, Curtis Buxton)

Gross Score Winner Virginia Green team (Gil Grattan, Brian Vincel, Jim Gallagher, Billy Gallagher)

Commonwealth Cup SVTA (retaining champions!)

Long Drive Gordon Kretzer

“The Wall” Tom Adams

Putting Contest Scott Woodward The Virginia Green team was the gross score winner, with team members (left to right) Gil Grattan, Billy Gallagher, Jim Gallagher and Brian Vincel.

Retaining the Commonwealth Cup was the Shenandoah Valley Turfgrass Assn. team of Scott Cornwell, Frank Sprouse, Ed Eagle and Dan Murphy.

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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News from Virginia Tech

b o J w Ne r o f s e Duti k i r E .

Dr

n i v r E

Erik Ervin, Ph.D. Assistant Dean, Academic Programs College of Agriculture & Life Sciences Virginia Tech

A

fter 13 years as Professor of Turfgrass Culture and Physiology at Virginia Tech, Dr. Erik Ervin has been promoted to Assistant Dean of Academic Programs (50% time) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS).

Upon arriving in 2001, Dr. Ervin was an Assistant Professor whose job duties were split at 70% research and 30% teaching. He taught one turf class each semester, advised the turf undergraduates, mentored three or four graduate students in their research, ran the Turfgrass Research Center, conducted $200,000+ a year in research trials, published research articles and gave talks around the state and country. By the time of his first promotion to Associate Professor (in 2005), his “split” had been adjusted to 60% research and 40% teaching, since his turf-specific classes had expanded from 1.5 to 4.5 per year.

In 2010, Dr. Ervin was promoted to full Professor.

While his teaching and research loads remained the same, he took on “administrative” duties, serving as Undergraduate Programs Director for all students in the Crop and Soil Sciences major (Turf is just one of four concentrations) and Chair of department committees on Curriculum and Scholarships.

Such “administrative” practice allowed Dr. Ervin to consider applying for the open Assistant Dean position this past April. His job interview was successful, and he began his new duties on August 1.

So, what are some of his Assistant Dean duties?

First, a little background about the organizational structure at Virginia Tech. VT has eight College units — including the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) — with each College consisting of four to twenty subject-specific Departments that 12 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2013 www.vaturf.org

confer degrees. Each Department has a Head, with Professors underneath. Each College has a Dean with Associate Deans for the three Missions: Academic Programs (Teaching), Research and Extension.

Each Associate Dean has an Assistant Dean under him or her.

As Assistant Dean, Dr. Ervin’s new duties will involve: • Oversight for curriculum issues: what is taught to the 3,000 CALS students across the 13 departments offering undergraduate and graduate degrees.

• Student advising: summer orientation for incoming students (and parents); main contact for students on academic probation and suspension; academic advising for Life Sciences undecided majors; recruiting and training of student ambassadors; and oversight of student internship programs.

But Dr. Ervin isn’t leaving the turf program! As these new duties are to only take up 50% of his time, he will continue teaching about three turf classes each year, advising all turf students and moderating his research and graduate student advising efforts.

He will also continue to conduct applied research on water quality, biostimulants, plant-health products, fertilizers, new cultivars and PGRs, but with 5 to 10 trials a year rather than 25. He also plans on continuing to give research talks in Virginia, nationally and internationally, as his schedule allows.

So, we may see him a little less often, but thankfully, we will still see him “in the field” or at a winter conference soon. Congratulations, Dr. Ervin, on your well-deserved promotion!

Upcoming Event

AUGUST 27–28 2013 Virginia Tech Turfgrass Field Days, Blacksburg, VA TUESDAY (AUGUST 27) 10:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.

Turf Club Golf Tournament Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Turfgrass Q&A Session and Social!

Home of Dr. Mike Goatley 2213 Birchleaf Lane Blacksburg, VA 24060

WEDNESDAY (AUGUST 28) PART ONE Glade Road Research Facility

7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.

Registration

12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Announcements

8:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.

Opening Remarks

12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Tours

8:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.

Research Tours Track A – Golf Track B – Sports Track C – Lawn and Sod

2:30 p.m.

Adjourn

PART TWO Turfgrass Center (off Southgate Dr.) 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Travel (use your own vehicle) 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Lunch

REGISTRATION DETAILS Registration fee: $45 (VTC member), $60 (non-member) or $95 (join/renew membership and attend).

Register online at: http://www.vaturf.org/events.html

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Cover Story

14 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2013 www.vaturf.org

EPA

Chesapeake Bay Program —

Report 2013 Its Conclusion: “A dense vegetative cover of turfgrass on a lawn reduces pollution and runoff.”

By Jim Novak, Public Relations Manager, Turfgrass Producers International

March 2011, a report by Environmental Maryland, titled “Urban Fertilizers and the Chesapeake Bay: An Opportunity for Major Pollution Reduction,” detailed the harmful effects of lawn fertilizer on the Chesapeake Bay and concluded that to reduce pollution from lawn fertilizer, lawmakers needed to take two broad steps: limit the amount and type of nutrients in the fertilizer itself, and ensure that homeowners and lawncare companies apply less fertilizer to the ground. In fact, prior to — and well after the report was released — concerned citizens, local lawmakers, environmentalists, community activists, etc., all with the best of intentions, expressed their concern and the need for stronger restrictions or the discontinued use of lawn fertilizers altogether.

But, wait! More than a few heads turned last winter when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program pulled together a “panel of experts” to look at lawns, lawn care and the impact that lawns have on water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. Approved this past March, their final report, “Recommendations of the Expert Panel to Define Removal Rates for Urban Management” (prepared by Tom Schueler and Cecilia Lan of the Chesapeake Stormwater Network), revealed some interesting conclusions, including the one that lawn fertilization is actually good for water quality.

The “panel of experts” was comprised of a diversified group, including: • Jonathan Champion, District Department of the Environment – Stormwater, Watershed Protection Division, District of Columbia • Karl Berger, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments • Dr. Stu Schwartz, a senior scientist with the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education, University of Maryland • William Keeling, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

In

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Cover Story • Dr. Mike Goatley, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Crop & Soil Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech • Dr. Gary Felton, Associate Professor & Extension Specialist, Bioenvironmental Engineering/ Water Quality, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland • Dr. Neely Law, Center for Watershed Protection • Marc Aveni, Prince William County Department of Public Works • Tom Schueler, Chesapeake Stormwater Network (panel facilitator) Technical support providers included Jeremy Hanson (CRC), Molly Harrington (CRC), Gary Shenk (EPA CBPO), Jeff Sweeney (EPA CBPO) and Mark Sievers (TetraTech)

The panel’s conclusion The panel reviewed more than 150 research studies and additional reports to understand turfgrass nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) dynamics, homeowner fertilization behaviors, the effects of P fertilizer restrictions in watershed outside of the Bay and the effect of various outreach campaigns to change those behaviors. The panel’s conclusion, based upon a review of all the science and research done on the topic — “… a dense vegetative cover [of turfgrass] helps to reduce surface runoff, which can be responsible for significant nutrient export from the lawn, regardless of whether it is fertilized or not. Dense cover has been shown to reduce surface runoff volumes in a wide range of geographic settings and soil conditions.”

The experts concluded that the healthier a lawn, the better it is at controlling pollutants that can affect water quality in streams, rivers and, eventually, the Chesapeake Bay.

Industry comments Gregg Robertson, a government relations consultant for the Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association, offered these comments: • “Those of us who have been following this issue knew this was the case from the research. But the industry saying it was one thing; the EPA saying it is quite another matter.”

• “The conventional ‘wisdom’ up to this point and the attitude around EPA was that fertilizing your lawn was bad for water quality. In fact, the opposite is true. The research shows that a responsible program of lawn fertilization will actually improve water quality in the Bay.” • “The report’s data show that, on the whole, lawns in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are underfertilized, with 50 percent receiving no fertilizer at all. Do-it-yourself homeowners fertilize only an average of 1.7 times per season, while the report recommends 3 to 4 applications per year. Ninetyone percent of those who apply any fertilizer are do-it-yourselfers.”

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The research demonstrates that dense vegetative cover helps to reduce surface runoff, which can be responsible for significant nutrient export from the lawn, regardless of whether it is fertilized or not.

Robertson went on comment, “… the good news for our industry is that the report’s first recommendation for Bay-friendly lawncare practices is for homeowners to ‘Consult with the local Extension service office, certified plan writer or applicator to get technical assistance to develop an effective urban nutrient-management plan for the property, based on soil test analysis.’ Let me translate that: EPA is recommending that homeowners consult our industry to develop a plan to care for their lawns.

“Its second recommendation is what I believe is the summation of all the research on the topic of lawn care and water quality: Maintain a dense vegetative cover of turfgrass to reduce runoff, prevent erosion and retain nutrients. The research demonstrates that dense vegetative cover helps to reduce surface runoff, which can be responsible for significant nutrient export from the lawn, regardless of whether it is fertilized or not. If a lawn does not have a dense cover, it has an elevated risk for nutrient export, especially if soils are compacted or slopes are steep. In these situations, the primary nutrient-management practice is to identify the factors responsible for the poor turf cover, and implement practices to improve it (e.g., tilling, soil amendments, fertilization or conservation landscaping).”

Robertson also added, “To put this in clearer language, healthier lawns mean a healthier Chesapeake Bay. And if this isn’t enough, the report recommends that fertilizer be applied in small doses over the season in three to four applications. The report then cites research that confirms that it is the practice of lawncare companies to apply fertilizer in four to five smaller applications over the course of the season.”

Report recommendations for lawncare contractors and homeowners The report contains several common-sense recommendations under the title of Core Urban NutrientManagement Practices for the Chesapeake Bay. They include the following: • Consult with the local Extension service, a master gardener or a certified applicator to get technical assistance to develop an effective urban nutrientmanagement plan for the property.

Cover Story • Maintain a dense vegetative cover of turfgrass to reduce runoff, prevent erosion and retain nutrients.

• Choose not to fertilize, OR adopt a reduced-rate/monitor approach OR the small-fertilizerdose approach.

• Retain clippings and mulched leaves on the yard, and keep them out of streets and storm drains.

• Do not apply fertilizers before spring greenup or after the grass becomes dormant.

• Maximize the use of slowrelease N fertilizer during the active growing season.

• Set your mower height at 3" or taller.

• Immediately sweep off any fertilizer that lands on a paved surface.

• Do not apply fertilizer within 15 to 20 feet of a water feature (depending on applicable state regulations), and manage this zone as a perennial planting, meadow, grass buffer or a forested buffer.

• Employ lawn practices to increase soil porosity and infiltration capability, especially along portions of the lawn that convey or treat stormwater runoff.

Final thoughts If everyone associated in any way with the green industry, (i.e., landscapers, landscape architects, sports field managers, golf course superintendents, green industry associations, turfgrass producers, etc.) helped to communicate these best management practices to homeowners, lawncare providers and fellow green-industry professionals, the benefit to our environment would be immense, and it would have a positive impact on protecting the water quality of our rivers, lakes and streams worldwide.

Editor’s Note: To view the full report, you may download it at: http://www. chesapeakebay.net/documents/ Final_CBP_Approved_Expert_Panel_ Report_on_Urban_Nutrient_ Management--short.pdf 18 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2013 www.vaturf.org

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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Feature Story

Maintenance Basics for a

SyntheticTurf Field

By Jim Cornelius, CSFM, Manager of the Pro Services Division of Fisher & Son Co.

20 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2013 www.vaturf.org

Even

though most sportsturf managers prefer natural turfgrass fields, in some situations — such as heavily shaded fields or multi-sport practice fields with near-constant traffic — a synthetic field may be the best option. If your facility is considering installing a synthetic field, keep in mind, however, that it will NOT be maintenance free. In fact, no matter what anyone says, synthetic turf does require routine maintenance. Also, infill material will gradually disappear from the field as it is carried off by players, wind, rain, snow removal, routine maintenance, equipment tires, etc., and since it is a crucial element of a synthetic field, missing infill will need to be replaced.

operations (snow plowing) or torrential downpours that cause flooding; in those circumstances, sand will need to be added to the mix.

Grooming the field Grooming the field is an essential maintenance task. We highly recommend using a groomer designed specifically for synthetic turf, such as the Greens Groomer or the Wiedenmann units.

When using any groomer, adjusting it so that it only lightly touches the fibers will provide the best results — do not lower the entire weight of the groomer onto the turf unless you want to level out uneven spots or move the crumb rubber to fill an area such as a lacrosse goal crease. When “tickling” the fibers with the groomer’s brushes, the intent is to stand the fibers up to minimize their lay-over from use.

We recommend that the field be groomed every 300 to 350 hours of use; some internet articles suggest 400 to 500 or more hours, and much depends on your facility’s available manpower.

At minimum, the field should be groomed several times during the highest use periods and less often during the down times (if there is such a thing).

Cleaning the field Replenishing infield material On average, an athlete or end user will carry off three to four pounds of infill material during a playing season.

Without infill support, the turf fibers bend over too far and too often under traffic and then break off prematurely.

Also, ultraviolet rays from the sun are extremely damaging to synthetic fibers. By maintaining a proper amount of crumb rubber, you can help prevent the fibers from folding over, which minimizes the amount of each fiber that is exposed to the sun and reduces fiber breakdown from ultraviolet rays.

To calculate your field’s infillreplacement needs, you first need to first determine how much infill your field currently has. Measure the amount of crumb rubber in a variety of locations within the synthetic-field

boundaries; this can be done with a Starrett gauge, depth gauge or simply a pen/pencil and a tape measure.

When our company services a field, we measure 10 locations, using the ASTM 1936-10 guidelines for Gmax testing as our test points. If your turf is 2-1/4" tall and you have less than 1-1/2" to 1-3/4" of infill, you need to add more. Although there is no official standard and each manufacturer’s suggestions will be different, our recommendation is maintain infill to allow 3/4" or less of exposed fibers above the infill level. Most crumb rubber infill calculates to 0.55 pounds per square foot for a 1/4" lift.

Most rubber/sand infill systems will not need additional sand since sand tends to stay stable within the turf. On rare occasions, sand may be lost due to

Trash and debris are additional constant nuisances. Timely removal is important to keep them from becoming ground into the infill material, causing removal problems later on.

Although largely overlooked, chewing gum on the field should be removed as soon as possible. Most chewing gums today never harden, and with the intense heat in the field, gum becomes gooey and eventually spreads across the turf surface. To remove gum, use either ice cubes or a freezing spray agent to harden the gum, chip it off and remove it.

When we deep-clean our clients’ synthetic fields, our equipment most frequently removes items such as sunflower seeds, pistachio/peanut shells, candy wrappers, cigarette butts, wire ties from nets, buttons, fabric scraps, cleats, bobby pins, jewelry, screws, nails, staples, paper clips and rocks (from Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

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Cover Story

Synthetic fields do wear. Pay particular attention to maintaining adequate infill material in heavy traffic areas, such as lacrosse goal creases and soccer goalmouths. Otherwise, you may end up with areas that must be professionally patched.

broken stone bags that are used to weigh down goals and equipment).

These items — plus dust, dirt, pollen, body skin cells, human hair, leaves and pine needles — can end up embedded in synthetic fields, where they remain for much of the life of the field.

It’s astounding, actually, how quickly debris can accumulate — unseen, amid the turf fibers and infield material — above the synthetic backing of a synthetic field, causing several problems.

Such debris can create safety hazards for the athletes (particularly sharp metal items), abrade the grass fibers and degrade the crumb rubber (which, in turn, increases the field’s hardness), reduce water infiltration by clogging drainage pores and develop an organic layer that is conducive to the proliferation of bacteria, mold, moss, fungi and insects, as well as the germination of weed seeds.

Special deep-cleaning equipment with HEPA-filter vacuums can remove this type of debris from within the turf.

Rain, snow, sleet and hosing will not wash it out.

Invariably, field managers ask if synthetic fields need to be disinfected.

For the best answer, my suggestion is to review the research pages of Dr. Andrew McNitt at Penn State University (http://cropsoil.psu.edu/ssrc/ sportsturf-scoop).

Controlling weeds Weeds can exist and thrive in synthetic turf, especially if the field is not deep-

cleaned regularly enough to prevent an organic layer from developing. Also, if your turf is surrounded by bermudagrass or any other creeping grass variety, be prepared — the stolons and rhizomes of such grasses tend to seek their way into and under the synthetic turf. Synthetic-field surfaces reach optimal growing temperatures before the surrounding natural turf does, providing a perfect greenhouse effect for creeping varieties to spread. After they start spreading beneath the synthetic field, they will find the drainage holes and send their shoots upwards for the sunlight.

The resulting sewing-machine effect makes removal of creeping grasses quite difficult, and in most cases, the grasses will need to be chemically treated (as approved by the syntheticturf manufacturer) to kill them off. The simplest solution is to prevent them from growing in the first place (i.e., pull weeds early, edge where the synthetic field meets natural turf, remove standing water after rain events on the synthetic field, etc.), and then remain vigilant so that you can act quickly if you discover an encroachment.

Patching worn areas Unlike with natural turf, you can’t grow synthetic fibers back in once they are gone, so pay particular attention to maintaining adequate infill material in heavy wear areas. For instance, lacrosse players can destroy a goal crease in as little as one year if the turf

22 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2013 www.vaturf.org

is not maintained. The infill material gradually gets kicked or shuffled out, and then the fibers take a beating and break off quickly without the support of the infill material. Before you know it, you’re left with a big area that must be patched. You could replace the area with either a piece saved from the initial installation, or you could cut a piece from outside the playing area so that it matches in color (from sun and weather exposure) and type. Still, though, it won’t be a perfect match because the fibers in the patch piece will not have had as much wear as the regular field (so the “nap” won’t be the same).

In addition, to make a patch in a synthetic field, you will need special materials, and your local homeimprovement or hardware store does not carry them. Don’t use Gorilla glue, “liquid nails,” styrene bonding agents and/or drywall screws or framing nails for repairs, since they are not designed for synthetic turf and may later become a liability nightmare. Instead, contact the manufacturer or a reputable service company to handle making the patch.

Painting the field Painting may or may not be needed on a synthetic field, depending on whether or not the “painted” areas (lines, logos, etc.) were actually inlaid during installation. If you need to paint, use only a paint product that is approved for synthetic turf. It seems that a new synthetic turf paint debuts

Cover Story continued

every year, so do your homework — look at each company’s history, and get recommendations from other turf managers with synthetic fields. In case you later need to remove the paint, ask the supplier whether it can be done, how it is done, what will it cost, how long it will take and whether you will need special equipment and chemicals.

Also ask if the product has been endorsed by any synthetic-turf manufacturers and whether your turf’s manufacturer is one of them.

If you have to paint, try to do so at times other than during the heat of the day. Also, removing lines works best at night or early in the morning (when the turf is the coolest); otherwise, the chemicals will evaporate long before they start to work, and this will only cost you more time and materials.

Damping down static Static on a synthetic field is common and can increase with humidity and (sometimes) field age. If you need to combat this, you can do so with one of several household products. Liquid Tide washing-machine detergent and liquid fabric softener both work well when sprayed on the turf.

Gmax testing Finally, unlike with natural turf, we can’t see what is happening underneath the surface of a synthetic field.

ASTM has recommended that synthetic fields be tested annually to determine their hardness in G force (better known as Gmax). Although some turf managers do not believe this is necessary, I can assure you that it is an important tool, much like soil tests with natural field. If you don’t test every year, you later have no data to determine what has occurred over time.

Final thoughts If properly maintained, a synthetic sports field will provide years of use and play for all users. Just be aware that a synthetic field does require regular care.

If you have a concern, don’t hesitate to ask a peer or your contractor for an answer — doing so can keep you from making a mistake that could significantly shorten the life of your field.

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

| 23

Recent Event

B

De ffrey e J y

On

Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in conjunction with the Virginia Turfgrass Council, Virginia Tech hosted its fourth annual turfgrass field day at the Hampton Roads Ag. Research and Extension Center (AREC) in Virginia Beach. We had 200 attendees for the tour this year, a significant increase from last year. In addition to pesticide recertification for approximately 120 people, we also held fertilizer certification for 40 people.

These 40 individuals were at the station from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., so it was a full day for those participants.

I was getting nervous as we approached 5 p.m., as I had to coach in an all-star softball game at 6 p.m., but I did make it prior to the start of the game!

Dr. Bobby Grisso, associate director for Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Programming, welcomed the group on behalf of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, as did Dr. Peter Schultz, station director. Frank Flannagan (VTC president) and Tom Tracy (VTC executive director) welcomed the group on behalf of the Virginia Turfgrass Council, and Betty Parker (VTF manager) represented the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation.

Our station’s turf team includes Adam Nichols, Dan Sykes, Aman Rana, Tommie Taylor and me. Cooperating faculty from Blacksburg are Dr. Mike Goatley, Dr. Erik Ervin and Mr. David McCall. I would like to thank this group for making our field day a big success.

24 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2013 www.vaturf.org

rr, Ph.D., Weed Scientist, Virgin ia T ech

Dr. Mike Goatley, Adam Nichols and I led the tour.

Twenty-five trials were labeled and discussed during the tour, including variety trials for bermudagrass, zoysiagrass, Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue and seashore paspalum. Herbicide trials addressed goosegrass, bermudagrass, crabgrass and yellow nutsedge control, among other weed species. Compost and microclover use, drought tolerance in perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass, combining tall fescue and hybrid bluegrass, and spring dead spot management were some of the other trials that were shown.

A barbecue lunch, sponsored by Quali-Pro, followed the morning tour. In the afternoon, classes on pesticide and fertilizer use were held, with presentations

by Robert Barksdale and Tom Tracy, among others.

I would like to thank the Virginia Turfgrass Council and the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation for their continued support of our turfgrass program at the research station. I would also like to thank BASF, Bayer, Gowan and Quali-Pro for their financial support, as well as the support from Landmark Turf & Native Seed, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP). Your support has allowed us to expand our turf research at the station.

We have set next year’s field day at the Virginia Beach station for June 24, 2014. I hope to see there next year.

FYI, we lost a close softball game that night, but it still was a lot of fun!

Attendees were welcomed to the Virginia Tech’s Turfgrass Field Day on June 25 at the Hampton Roads AREC in Virginia Beach

by Drs. Peter Schultz, Bobby Grisso and Jeff Derr.

Dr. Mike Goatley, addressing Field Day attendees in the field.

Frank Flannagan, (left) president of the Virginia Turfgrass Council, thanks the Virginia Tech researchers for the valuable information they provide to turfgrass managers.

Lunch for the Field Day was sponsored by Quali-Pro.

Adam Nichols, discussing research findings on a test plot.

Betty Parker (right), manager of the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation, and Dr. Jeff Derr, thank attendees for their ongoing support of turfgrass research.

Journal of the Virginia Turfgrass Council

| 25

Turfgrass Calendar August 27–28

November 15–18

January 8–10

January 27–30

Turfgrass Field Days

ASLA – Annual Meeting & Expo

Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (MANTS)

(American Society of Landscape Architects) Boston Convention & Expo. Center Boston, MA

Baltimore Convention Center Baltimore, MD

VTC 54th Annual Turf & Landscape Conference and Trade Show

December 11–13

(NC Nursery & Landscape Assn.)

Greensboro Coliseum Greensboro, NC

Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA

October 23 UMD Turfgrass Field Day

University of Maryland College Park, MD

October 23–25 PLANET Green Industry Conference

Virginia Tech’s Turfgrass Short Course

Fredericksburg, VA

Louisville, KY

October 23–26 School of Grounds Management and Green Industry Expo

Galt House Hotel and Kentucky Expo Center Louisville, KY

January 6–7 MTC Turfgrass Conference and Trade Show

Adele H. Stamp Student Union University of Maryland College Park, MD

January 13–17 Green & Growin’ Show

January 21–24 STMA Conference and Exhibition

Grand Hyatt Hotel San Antonio, TX

DIGITAL Marketplace

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Index of Advertisers

26 | VIRGINIA TURFGRASS JOURNAL July/August 2013 www.vaturf.org

Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center Fredericksburg, VA

February 5–6 Golf Industry Show

Orange County Convention Center Orlando, FL