Baseball Field Drought Stress in Late April

This is the first in a number of posts this year on current events that may effecting your field.  Can you ID the issue with this field?

This blue/ryegrass playing surface is under drought stress in late April early May.  Why?  A couple of factors:

1. The team lowered the height of cut.  Cutting below 2 inches will require extensive and skilled water management practices
2. The thought that it is cool at night, so the field will not dry out.  Incorrect!  Turf can dry very quickly in the spring and fall in the midwest due to the lack of humidity and the presence of 100% sunlight and strong wind.

Bottom line, do not be afraid to run the irrigation.  You may need longer run times in the spring and fall than you need in the summer......  This field will definitely bounce back.  In fact, with the rains of the past two days, it is probably green again.

To learn more about drought stress, click HERE, to see a Turf Tip from Purdue.

Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.

Play on!

--Jamie

@JamieMehringer