Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Depth of Infield Conditioners - It Depends on the Infield Mix and the Level of Play


Infield conditioners are a critical tool for effective infield maintenance.  How deep should the conditioner be on a given field?  The answer depends on the level of play as well as the base soil.  
The first photo shows an infield that has a mix with a high silt to clay ratio (SCR - 2.5).  The field also hosts high school and recreational play.  In this example, a greater amount of conditioner should be used.  Approximately 1/4 inch of conditioner is the recommended depth for the surface.


The next example shows an infield with an engineered soil with a balanced silt to clay ratio (SCR - 1.0)  The field hosts professional play.  In this example, a lesser amount of conditioner should be used.  Approximately 1/8 inch of conditioner is the recommended depth for the surface.  


Bottom line, in the instances below a greater depth of conditioner should be considered :
  • Infield mixes with a high SCR
  • Difficulty in keeping moisture in an infield (recreational play)
  • Infield mixes with a great amount of fine and very fine sand
  • Infield mixes that tend to become too firm in dry weather
The goal is to create a top 1/4 inch that is managed to allow for cleat-in and cleat-out play as illustrated in the photo below:


To learn more about conditioners, click HERE.
To learn more about silt to clay ratio, click HERE.
Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.
Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer  

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