Extremely Dry Conditions Across Central Indiana - Irrigating Sports Turf

It is extremely dry across central Indiana as the calendar turns to September 1.  Below are a few photos from a field I visited yesterday:

Bottom line - Check all of the heads on the field on a frequent basis.  Are the turning?  Do the have the correct nozzles? (photo #1)  Do they have a nozzle?  (photo #2) Are the at the correct height and pitch? (photo #3)

There will come a time every year when irrigation is critical to maintain healthy and safe sports turf.  After a wet spring, central Indiana is running almost 3 inches below normal since June 1.  With the recent warm and relatively low humidity weather conditions, turf has dried very quickly.

Click HERE to see a article from Dr AJ Powell from the University of Kentucky in regards to irrigation of sports turf.

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

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Bulk Material Storage - Dirt Bunkers

A quick post in regards to bulk storage. (aka - dirt bunkers)   Bulk storage is critical to every site due to many cost savings achieved by purchasing in bulk.  Here is a photo of a basic bunker system:

Designs come in all shapes and sizes.  Some systems include a roof if infield mix is an intended product to store.  Bottom line is, a bunker system, should include at a minimum:

• Hard surface floors - eliminate waste
• Height and width to support a full truckload of material
• Close to the fields for ease of moving material

Are dirt bunkers on your fall "to do list?"

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

Play on!

--Jamie

@JamieMehringer

Hydrating/Watering an Infield Mix

Fall is quickly approaching and with that comes baseball and softball infield renovations.  Click HERE to see a post on infield renovations.

Before a renovation, the infield mix must have deep moisture to ensure a smooth tilling/blending of the new and existing material.  Hydrating an infield is also important during the playing season to keep the surface more forgiving for athletes sliding across the infield.

Here is a photo journal of hydrating the infield mix at Butler University Baseball.

Initial watering - about 1 hour across the infield that is a "hybrid infield mix" of Melton and Natural Sand FS50 and Dura Edge Pro utilizing a 1 inch fire hose with a nozzle that applies water at 60 GPM.

Note the footprint on the bottom of the photo below.  Even with all the water applied, you could still walk across the surface:

This process is ideal before a renovation, but also after practices and games to allow for hydration of the entire column of infield mix.  This type of watering is best done in late evening to allow for percolation overnight.  Then, lighter watering events can take place during the day.  Watering an infield before a practice or game will NOT be enough to hydrate an infield on a daily basis.

Finally, please keep in mind that water is the best way to create a forgiving infield.  DO NOT work the infield more than a 1/2 inch during the playing season.  this will disrupt the grade and could create unplayable  surfaces after rain events.

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

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Fountain Central High School - New Football Field in 60 Days

As many of you know, the weather across the Midwest has not been too favorable for warm season growth.  I have heard numerous times this year, "Good luck getting any warm season turf to grow in 2013."  Bottom line, grow-ins of warm season turf have been successful in 2013, provided the process was started as early as possible.

The SmartTurf team was at Fountain Central High School, where the cool season turf was killed, tilled, and the rootzone was laser graded in late spring and the field was seeded in late May.  HERE is a link to how the field looked in late June and early July.

Below are three photos of the field before the first game on Aug 16, 2013:

To conclude, 2013 was a great example of the old saying, "Better to establish warm season turf too early than too late."

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

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

New Wall and Backstop Netting at Butler University Baseball

A quick Sunday post in regards to a new backstop wall and net at Butler University.

Before:

After:

Do you think a new wall and backstop improves a facility?  The system at Butler is one of the nicest I have seen during my travels.

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

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Corner of Playing Surface Drainage - Reds Urban Youth Academy

The SmartTurf team has been in Cincinnati recently to construct four playing surfaces for the new Reds Urban Youth Academy.

The previous playing surfaces were not laser graded.  To bring the fields to grade and laser grade the finish grade, additional topsoil was needed.  Kokosing Construction Company, the mass excavation firm for the project imported the topsoil and placed to +/- 1inch.  When this phase of the project was completed, the existing catch basins were well below finish grade at both the LF and RF corners.  So, the decision was made to pour a couple concrete curbs.  Here are a couple photos of the curbs.

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

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Quickstand, Northbridge and Latitude 36 Bermudagrass

I made a stop at GrassMasters Sod Farm today.  The goal, look at 3 different bermudagrasses:

1. Quickstand
2. Northbridge
3. Latitude 36

Here are a few general notes:

First, Quickstand bermudagrass.  Here are a couple photos:

As seen on the photos above, this cultivar is not as dense as the newer cultivars and have very thick stolons.

Next, Northbridge bermudagrass was observed.  Here are a couple of photos:

The first photo shows Northbridge at sprig harvesting cutting height.  The second photo shows Northbride at sod cutting height.  Very fine leaf blades - similar to Patriot bermudagrass.

Lastly, Latitude 36 bermudagrass was observed.  Here are a couple of photos:

The first photo shows Latitude 36 at sprig harvesting cutting height.  The second photo shows Latitude 36 at sod cutting height.  Very fine leaf blades - similar to Patriot bermudagrass.

Here is a photo of sprigs from all three cultivars:

Quickstand/Latitude 36/ Northbridge

Conclusion - The two new cultivars (Latitude 36 and Northbridge) are excellent, dense turf with fine leaf texture.  Northbridge stolons were observed to have 3 plants per inch on the stolons while the Latitude 36 had only 2.  So, I would expect more scalping with Northbridge and less with Latitude 36, but Northbridge looks to be the slightly denser turf.

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

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Overseeding Cool Season Turf Athletic Fields

In just 4 days, the overseeding window for cool season sports turf opens for many across the Midwest.  Lack of overseeding athletic fields and overseeding at the incorrect rates can be major reasons why athletic fields fail.  HERE is a great article from Pat Sherratt at Ohio State University.  HERE is a link from an earlier post on the SmartTurf Blog regarding overseeding.

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

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Aerification and Topdressing of Sports Turf

We are entering the fall window to aerify and topdress cool season sports turf.  The SmartTurf team aerified and topdressed a soccer field this past week.  Here are a couple photos:

In this application, the goal is to create a sand cap similar to the research from Michigan State detailing the Spartan Sand Cap.

Will you be aerifying and topdressing your fields this fall?

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

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Bermudagrass for Fall Sports

As many of you know, this summer has been cool and overcast in many parts across the Midwest.  Fall sports are beginning and bermudagrass surfaces are just filling in if seeded and are trending a bit weaker than in years past due to the cool weather.

Below is a photo of the softball field at Butler University.  The Riviera bermudagrass was seeded in late May.  98%+  cover exists in this photo:

Furthermore, how does the SmartTurf staff monitor bermudagrass playability and wear tolerance?  A couple ways are through a shear strength tester and pulling cores from the playing surface.

First, a shear strength tester is used to monitor shear strength.  For cool season turf - 15-20 foot pounds is typical.  For bermudagrass 30-45 foot pounds is the standard.  This year, shear strength is closer to 30 ft lbs.  Last year, in the extreme heat, 45 ft lbs was seen across the Midwest.  Here is a photo prior to testing with the Turf-Tec Toma Shear Strength Tester.

Another method to monitor playability and wear tolerance is to monitor rooting and thatch depth of bermudagrass.  Too much thatch, the field was divot and shear strength will be low.  Too little thatch, the field will wear very quickly as all the play takes place on the stolons and crowns of the plant.  Here is a photo of a core sample taken today.

This bermudagrass field will play very well and demonstrates great shear strength.  It will wear relatively quickly due to a lack of thatch.

These are just a couple ways to monitor bermudagrass prior to fall play.

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

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer

Weed Control for Baseball and Softball Infields and Warning Tracks

For the most part, high school and recreational baseball and softball seasons are coming to a close.  Typically field maintenance turns to football and soccer.  Next thing you know your infield looks like the one below:

One way to control weeds (most likely crabgrass and goosegrass) on infields and warning tracks is to apply a tank mixture of glyphosate and Sureguard.  Click HERE to see an earlier post on this topic.

The application will typically give you 80-90% control which is much better than having to remove an infield full of weeds in the fall or early spring.

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

Play on!
--Jamie
@JamieMehringer