Should I Condition My Infield Before Winter?

That is a question I have received numerous times this past week as baseball and softball coaches wrap up their fall field renovations.  The answer is, depends on the expectations of play in early spring 2014.

If there will be a need to roll the infields and play early in the spring (think late Feb. / early Mar.), yes I would condition the infields with at least 1/4 inch of topdressing.

If there is no need for rolling and play until later in the spring (think late Mar. / early April), no I would not condition the infield prior to winter.

Why condition?  The conditioner will allow the infield to become workable more quickly in the spring to roll prior to first activity.  To see an earlier post on rolling fields, click HERE.

Why not condition?  Conditioner will blow around the infield surface over the winter and can cause the buildup of material causing infield lips.

The end goal is to have an infield that provides cleat in and cleat out performance as shown in the photo below:

To see two earlier posts on depth of conditioners, click HERE and HERE.

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

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer