A Core Sample Can Tell A Story - Part II

Back to the core samples posted on Tuesday.  Why is there a difference.  First a little background.

The Field:

• Sand based bermudagrass
• Topdressed and aerified regularly
• A higher end playing surface

Back to the photos:

In the first photo, from the turf down, you can see a small sod layer from the sod installed this year along with a small organic layer built up every 1/4 inch.  Why?  That is the amount of sand that is topdressed on an annual basis - much like a ring on a tree.  What is the heavier clay/black layer further down?  That is the sod layer from the original sodding process 6 year ago.

On the second photo you see a more visual difference.  Why?  Thick cut sand based sod grown on plastic was installed in high traffic areas.  So, the sand that was imported is 1 1/2 inch thick.  If you look closely, you can see the sod layer deep into the hole.

Bottom line, take frequent core samples of your field.  This field drains extremely well - in excess of 10 inches per hour, but it still has it's layering challenges.  

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

Play on!

--Jamie