I have been very surprised during my travels this spring in the lack of grounds managers and coaches testing their infield mix. In addition to this, I have seen numerous grounds managers adding material to infields that have not been tested. We are in the 21st century! Testing is readily available and not that expensive. An infield mix test will run anywhere between $100-$150 per test. After all, buying and installing the incorrect material can greatly effect the playability of an infield.
The leading lab for infield mix testing is Turf and Soils Diagnostics. Depending on the type of test requested the results will provide gravel, sand, silt and clay percentages in a mix. Also the silt to clay ratio (SCR) is reported. Finally, a recommendation of materials to add to the existing infield is included. I can’t stress enough, this is NOT a topsoil quality test or a basic nutrient test. What does all this mean?
In future posts I will discuss some of the science behind an infield mix and why testing is important.
Go to j-dturf.com to learn more about J&D Turf.
Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer
ReplyDeleteI actually enjoyed reading through this posting.Many thanks.
Black Dirt Company