fSeaDwarf( 0

Seashore Paspalum

BERMUDA ALTERNATIVESAloha Seashore Paspalum and SeaDwarf Seashore Paspalum have a fine texture and

can be maintained at a wide variety of mowing heights They tolerate soil compactionand wear and heal quickly and require 50 percent less water and 75 percent less nitro-gen than BermudagrassEnvironmental Tur772-46o-S575For information circle 082 orsee hllplWWW0l1erslmscaf2909-082

NEW PERENNIALRYEGRASSICON perennial ryegrass is a

new fine textured turigrass varietyselected for its improved traffictolerance gray leaf spot resis-tance and deep green color It hasgood performance in both cool-season areas and for southernoverseeding ICON germinatesfast is less grainy at short mow-ing heights and has a slower ver-tical growthBurlingham Seeds80Q-221-733JFer lnfcrmatlun circle 060 orsee httpwwwonersimsca2909-060

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amp on the ground

FIELDTURFFieldTurf surfaces

have a thickness anddensity like naturalgrass Every FieldTurfsurfaces deliver optimal performance in wet or dry conditionsand provide the ideal playing conditions all year long Just askthe Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Montreal ExposFietdTurf8oo-724-2969For lntorrnatlcn circle 073 orsee httpdwwwonerslmscaJ2909-073

NEW PATENTED TALL FESCUEBarenbrug has introduced its RTF (rhizomatous tall

fescue) turfgrass which produces a thick rhizome-based root system that self-repairs and fills in dam-aged bare spots This is a fescue that doesnt clumpmaintains density and works in the transition zoneBarenbrag USABoo-547-4101For information circle 16 orsee httpwwwortersimsci12gog-116

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IRRIGATIONBASED ON ETThe RME Eagle RainMasters

new satellite controller has anautomatic or manual ET adjust-ment electrical and water-flowalarms and a programming inter-face Adding an optional 2-waycommunications card transformsthe unit into an internet-enabledplatformRainMaster80S-S27-44 96For information circle 080 orsee httpdlwwwonersimscaz909-080

I COVERMASTERSYST~~lOne of the many field cover mod-i els available from Covermaster is

RAINCOVER Plus Test results showthat its color combination is the best to reduce heat build-upunder the cover minimizing risk of turf damage Also availableis TARPMATE a plastic storage roller with safety end caps toprevent handling injurvCovermaster IncJ800-387-S8oBFor information circle 064 orsee httpwwwonersimsca2909-064

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9-VOLT BATTERY ADAPTERTo make maintenance more conve-

nient and cost effective on its ISOC100(300 Series battery-operated Irritrol

Systems has released a new s-volt batteryadaptercompartment for these valve-mounted

devices These controllers also are ideal for converting exist-ing electric valves to independent battery operation or to replacea solenoid if a broken valve wire cannot be fixed immediatelyIrrltrolSystems909-7BS-3623For information circle 072 orsee httpwwwonersimsca2909-072

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GROWING IN A NEWLATE SPRING SEASON

Removal installation and grow-inIn very early spring we determined Ryan Field was not recovering from wmter

desiccation damage from the cold dry 02-03 winter Insufficient rooting in thecenter of the field would have made it unsafe and unplavable [or the spring foot-ball game ill late April The decision was made on April 1 to re-sod the field VansEnterprise Ltd of Mundelein IL wns contacted to oversee the removal andreestablishment of grade for the field They had been instrumental in re-soddingthe fidd in 1999 it began stripping the field at a 2-inch depth with a KoroTopmnker supplied by RMT of Colorado on April 24 Tt- took two full days to stripout the field The field grinds were loaded out with I-ton dump trucks supplied byNU Facilities Management

The Topmaker was ideal for st-rippmg out the field for fourreasons J) Ve wanted to use the pulverized material comingoff the field as a compost topdressing for the rest of our athlet-ic fields 2) Ve were able to remove the material from thefield with minimal disruption to the grade 3) Ve didnt haveto ply for additional trucking and dumping costs from stripping and disposing of rolled sod and 4) 111amendments putinto RYltlnField from the past 5 years were able to be re-usedby t-opdressing or composting them for use in other areas

On April 26 the field was inspected to insure all organicmaterial had been removed from the sand-based field and therough grade was established Two lbs PIlOOOsq fI- of 0-44-0and 10 lbsJl 000 sq ft of DryRoots were spread and the fieldwas tilled Valls Enterprise then established the finished gradewith a modified Harley rake

This piece of equipment one of the only known pieces ofequipment to grade sand with fibers was used becauseTurfgrid fibers still remain in the rootzone from the initial fieldinst-allat-ionin 1996 Throughout the course of trying to estab-lish the finish grade we received more than 3 lI2 inches ofrain This was a benefit became it helped keep the sand COIll-pacted during the grading process Before hlying the sod wespread another 51bollOOOsq ft Drykoots lo the lop of the fin-ish-graded sand On 1middot1ltlY2 we began laying sad Sod was deliv-ered by Evergreen Sod and supplied by Schaafsma Sod allfrom Peotone IL The sod most closely matched the composi-tion oi fhe rootzonc Countryside Industries of Wauconda ILwas responsible for laying the 300-plus rolls of 34-inch thickKentucky bluegrass sod Varieties consisted of P105 Midnightand Unique The field was laid east t-owest to conform to fieldirrigahon and to easily access the main point of entry into thefield The whole removal and installation process took 10 daysThe rain we received during this time extended the processabout 2 more days than we had planned Sodding was com-pleted May 3 the field was rolled with l 25-ton smooth don-ble drum roller fertilized with lI410 NIIOOOsq ft of 19-25-5and the grow-in began

Again timing wa of the essence and we knew we had togrow roots fa~lAshar 5 liZ weeks after laYlllgsod mid-Julle

BY JEFF SALMOND CSFM

late spring through summer grow-in on a foolhall field canbe difficult and hectic At Northwestern University we tack-led the task in 2003 The major obstacle lurf manager1 inthe north face is the short amount of time to get good rootdevelopment before the onset of a hot humid summer

With careful planning execution and some help from Mother Nature with mildweather Ryan Field responded quickly and established itself for a productive fallfootball season

A MODIFIED HARLEY RAKEESTABLISHED THE FINAL GRADEBECAUSE IT COULD GRADE SANDWITH TURFGRID FIBERS LEFTOVERFROM PREVIOUS INSTALLATION

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24 April 2004 SPORTSTURFmiddot httpwwwgreenmediaonlinecom

FIELDthe universitys annual graduation commencement ceremonieswere scheduled for the field Three days after laying sod emer-gent root hairs were prominent and showing through the bot-10111of the sod layer Two days later lhe roots began 10multiplyand branch

Vvwere able to mow at 1 34 inches Oil the new surface aweek after laying sod Twelve days after installation the sod wasfirmly in place and we aerified with a fohn Deere 1500 Aercorewith 5S-inch hollow tines to a l-Li-inch depth in a 4 x 4-111Chpattern Vic dragged the cores to begin the nixing process ofthe iootzone and sod layer The tnfts of grass were then sweptup with a Goossen Vcrsa-Vac

Dr David Minner 10wlt1State University and I have considered taking this ini-tial aerification out of the grow-in process by taking delivery of the sod already aer-ified In that way field managers wouldnt have to worry about proper timingbefore aerifying new sod

In addition twice as much potential rooting activity will occur with the addi-lion of aerification holes along the sod layer interface (1would be interested to

41 Kelfleld StreetRexdoleOntario Canada CANADA 1-800-325-4871 bull USA 1-800-665-2696 bull wwwspartsturfmagiccam

bull Quick germination in higher yieldsbull Easy to calibratebull Minimum surface disturbance

bull Sowing varieties include (but not limited to)All types of seed Grain Pesticide andFertilizer Prills Pelletized Lime Diazinon 5

bull Coverage Rates 4 Ibs - 500 Ibsacrebull Insure seedsoil contact while maintainingconstant seed depth

bull Save 25 of seed with accurate calibration

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know if anyone has ever used pre-acrificd sod) At the end of May we topdrcssedthe field with a 14-imlt layer of rootzone mix Vvemade our first preventativefungicide application at the same time and began a hi-weekly preventative fungi-cide maintenance program The keys to the first month of the grow-in were to I)not push the turf with too much fertility and 2) good water management

Fertility took place in and on the open rootzonc and Oil top of the sad after itwas laid After the sad Vias down the goal was to initially wet the entire rootzone

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Seeding is Believing - The Quick Slit Seeder follows fhe groundcontours accuraely and plants seeds at a constant depth in its own preparedmini seedbed This unit is also a cultural tool in that it acts as a gross roofpruner by cuffing or breaking the grass plant roots For the survival of thegrass plant it must immediately put all of its resources info growing newroots resulting in stronger pfants with better root structvtes

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SPORTSTURF 25

sportsturf machInes

and then apply supplementalwatering after signs of wilt These [0

practices helped force the roots intothe sand-base rootzone TheChicago area was also blessed withan average high temperature for themonth of May of 03 degrees withbeneficial rains

Graduation ceremonyAt the beginning of June we

lowered the mowing height to lgamc-height cat of I lZ-lllCh andapplied 114 lb NIlOOO of 14-0-24with micronutrienrs to feed the turf111 preparation for graduation Vefelt that keeping the field at glI11Clength for the summer monthsahead would payoff in the fallKeeping the turf at this heighthelped increase rhizomatous activityproducing a denser mat Tho week-end before graduation we determined the field was a little soft to support the in-coming Terraplas flooring system and staging In response we again rolled the fieldwith a 25-ton roller to help firm it up Ve then aerified the field with S8-inchsolid tints to begin clrylllg the field down and slowing growth This in turn alsosolidified the sand-based field By mid-june the roots were growing about an incha week and we had 5-6 inch roots

Ve mowed the field every day until the Terraplas was put down V-ie alsoapplied l preventative fungicide to support the turf during its time under cover

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26 April 2004

Graduation was a 3-uay processwednesday Terraplas and staging wasset up all the field Thursday weplaced the rest of the staging equip-ment and had a sound-check thenFriday Iva reserved for chair set-upand lasl-miuutc details with gradua-tion at 6 PM The nightmare neverfails to appear though aud onWednesday we had the hott-estday ofam year coupled with rain On grad-nation day the temperature underthe Tcnuplas got up to 100 degreesAltl10ugh this may seem extreme illhindsight we felt that the 3-day cov-ering with Tcrraplas actuallyenhanced rooLingand helped tollgh-en the turfgrass plant ill this particu-lar situationAfter graduation the field w~s

vacuumed with tile Coossen to helpstand-up the grass then we let the

field sit fOIa week At the end of June we fertilized the field with 112 lb Nil 00014-0-24 34 lb KIlOOO0-0-45 Drylcoots gypsum and micronutricnts We elsomade our first application of Menl insecticide Our main goal at that point was tostart making the plant more rigid and durable for football season Again we wereblessed with good weather as junes ltlvrragehigh temperature was 73 degrees Atthe beginning of June we also began ro take monthly tissue samples Lasee if wewere lacking IJl essential nutrients

July and AugustJllly started out with much warmer temperatures 1I1dincreased humidity vVe

applied another topdressing layer of 14-inch of root-one sand and brushed it inThese light application layers coupled with the fast root development were signif-icant ill providillg ballast over the entire field At a month and a half before theseason we felt that core aerification would be damaging to the overall stability ofthe field We instead opted to use slicing tines on the field This would be lessaggressive and potentially create more vigor in the plant After dicing we fertilizedthe field with 112lb Pf]OOO19-25-5 to revive the sliced rhizomes of the Kentuckybluegrass Ve also applied Drykouts

In July the grass began to layover more than USUlil We had been lTlowingthefield every other day so we decided to start mowing every day to help it stand upbetter This begall to visibly stress Ole plant After monitoring through tissue analy-sis we observed that the turfgrass was slightly low in iron Other environmentalfadms may have been the cause 111 the laziness of the grass such as increasedhumidity and the way tIll grass may have been trained in the sad field

jvlany field managers experience In) grass syndrome during this time of yearalld most opinions point to changing euvironmental conditions as the foe As soonas the heat and humidity of summer left the laziness went 3IvayVe could alsovisibly pick out individual rolls of sod throughout the field This could beexplained as varietal differences 111 eaeh of the rolls one variety showing differentchamcteristics over thc others nlis cliffercnce in shading also Ivellt away whenhumidity and heal c1eercasedAt this point we decided to mtroduee other varieties of Kentucky bluegrass

into the field ie overseecllCdthe field with 15 IbsllOOOKentucky bluegrass con-sisting of Blacksburg Blackstune rVlidnight and Apollo july temperatllres weremild for Chieagoland 81 degree average

Angust was the month we started puthng the field in game mode I-IracleoachRandy Valker said he wanted to have a mock game on lhe fidd when lheyreturned from summer camp ill mid-August The field received another applica-tion of gypSUlllDryRoots and micronutrients in early August Ve were concen-trating on getting Illore Ca lVlgand K into the plant giving it more heartinesswith these applications lgtle also topdressrd with another 14-inch layer of rootzollesanel The mock game was August 2() md would he the first time players had beenallowed on the field Afler the mock game we made another application ofDryRoots Roots 1-2-3 Roots Stand-up and lIb KIlOOOof 0-0-45 in preparalionfor the first home game September 6 At the end of August the field was consis-tently averaging 7 to lO-inch roots

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The football seasonRyan Field performed well

throughout the season Ve startedthe seISOTIwith back-to-hackgames and ended the season withback-to-bar-k snowrain gamesOne practice we implementedouring the season was using pre-germinated Kentuckybluegrasssand divot mix aftergallles This is a post-game fieldmanagement routine MikeAndresen CSF11 Iowa State hasstated is an important aspect formaintaining quality turfgress coverfor the season and seasons tocome We worked to get a mass ofgrass groWlllg back into every divotVith this prlCtice we were notnecessarily looking to get maturegrass back ill the divots for this sea-son but more importantly we wereorking to get grass Fornext season We thought we were that much furtherahead of the game even if 10-15 percent of the divot-got kicked back out againThroughout the season we attempted to slay OIl the higher side of the potassiumrdnge of N-P-K The field was maintained wilh 14-0-240-0-45 and Roots prod-ucts Ve overseeded lhe field with 100 lbs of pre-germinated Kentucky bluegrassafter each game Ve roprlressed the field twice during the season once inSeptember after back-to-buck games and again in October The lat-terprocedure

WlS a very light application We did-nt aerify t-heentire football season aswe were not willing to sacrifice stabil-ity for any additional drainage or root-ing On November 8 we experienceda lake-effect snow game then a wet-raillYgame November 15 to close outthe season Immediately after thisgame our crew went ino our post-season repair program

The 2003 NU football team andfield were a success The team wasinvited to play in the MOI-OTCityBowl and Ryall Fields grow-in anddaily maintenance programs with-stood the rigors of a pnnishing season

The success was due to the sue-cessful execution by the people thatinstalled and maintained it 11IAthletic Grounds Foreman RandyStoneberg and Crouudskccpcrs RichThorn and Joe Berube were mstru-

mental in bringing Ryan Field to fruition in a short amount of time Their dedi-cation and attention to detail resulted ill a safe playable and aesthetically pleas-ing field Now we all wait for the snow to come off the field so we can duplicatethe performance next season ST

Jeff Salmond is a Certified Sports Field Manager and field agronomist atNorthwestern University He can be reached at j-salmondnorthwesternedu

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GreenTechs patented modular system is aninnovative technology that providessolutions to problems associated with thedesign construction and maintenance ofhorticultural and turfgrass projects Thispicture is an example of the GreenTechModular System used asa soccergoalmouth Modular construction allowsnew mature and well-rooted turf to beinstalled in worn high traffic areas such assoccer goalmouths It eliminates the needto constantly re-grass the area with sod thatdoes not have time to become fullyestablished

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I-~~+--i sportsturf machinesJ~_~~_~_~__~_~__~~~~__

VARISEEDERThe SISIS veriseeoer is designed for use on golf

greens tees and approaches and smaller areas of out-field turfThe unit offers Standard Seed Roller for sowing

heavy rates or large seeds such as rye grass FineSeed Roller for sowing bent and fescue mixtures orstraight fescue Ultra Fine Seed Roller for pure bentsThe varseeoer can be used with trucksters and mostcompact tractors51515864-843-5972For information circle 084 orsee httpwwwonersimsca2909-o84

Because their definitionof playable will neverbe the same as yours

Most sport facilities are often faced with very short periods oftime between sport seasons to get their fields playeble

Typar Turf Blankets will enhance germination and root growthallowing for earlier usage and greater survival through seasons

Call 800-455-3392

TURF BLANKETS

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AERA-VATOR FTThe new AERA-vator

fine tine uses the samevibrating action as itspredecessor with mini-mal surface disruption The fine tine uses asmaller tine for less damage while the vibrat-ing tines provide better penetration in compact-ed soil and allowing better seed-to-soil contactFirst ProduclsBoo-363-B780Ftlr Intormatlon circle 085 orsee httpwwwonersimsca2909middot085

SEEDER OPTIONSBLEC has a range of seed-

ers including the Unf a selfpropelled overseeder for fineturf The Multi seeder is avail-able in 36 to 96-inch wide

models with optional twin spike rolls Independentcast spikes make over 1400 holessq vd seed ismetered over the full width then in brushed toinsure seed to soil contactBLE(888325-25J2For information circle 087 orsee httpdwwwonerslmsca2909middot087

SPEEDSEEDThe Speedseed 6000 is for sports turf where economy

and random seed dispersements are important Unit willaccurately deliver all types of seed and brush-in to thethousands of holes created with no drill lines Adapts toutility vehicles and can be fitted with an optionalhydraulic rotary brush that pivots independently to fol-low contoursRedexim cnerternecees-o-soe-aoeaFor information circle 086 orsee httpwwwonersimsca2909-oB6

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VEHICLE MAINTENANCE SOFTWAREEZ Maintenance is a network-ready multi-user

Windows software program that schedules trackskeeps histories of and produces work order for all

maintenance on any type of equipment or vehicle including tiresProgram also tracks costs hours and downtime for repairslink It Sottware661-286-0D41For information circle 096 orsee httpwwwonersimscaI2909-Q96

-EZ Maintenance

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DEERE TOPDRESSERFeatures of John Deeres T0100

topdresser include galvanized steelconstruction 19 cu ft 1500-lbcapacity and 56-in spreading widthCompatible with Pro Gators onlyrequires auxiliary hydraulic kit andauxiliary hydraulic conversion kit forPro Gators in the 10000 serial num-ber sequenceJohn Deere8Do-537-8z33For information en-ere 088 orsee htlpwwwonersimsca2909-o88

MAG-KNIFE INTRODUCED BY JAKEJacobsen introduced its Mag-Knife System technology at the

Carolinas GCS conference recently The system uses a series of rareearth permanent magnets to firmly hold the bedknife to the mower

bedbar backing The new Mag-Knifesystem can be used on all 22-in cut S-in diameter Jacobsen greens and fair-way reel mowers including models thatare still in useJacobsen888-922-8873For information circleDS9orsee httpwwwoners-imsca2909-o89

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Custom numbered andcolored outfielddistance banner

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SajeFoampodding in 4colors protects

==~PtayersCoverSports offers a full line ofproducts to protect and enhanceyour baseball fields And wemanufacture everything so we cancustomize to your specifications

A_~_Your All-American Advantage

5744 Woodland Ave Phila PA 191438004456680 Fax 2157248706

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SEEDERAERATORThe Ryan 548 SeederAerator can help you plant 16 rows of seeds

over a 48-in swath at the precise depth for maximum germinationrates Remove the seeder attachment and convert into a verti-cal mower to remove thatch and renovate turf Use withany tractor equipped with a Category 1 3-pointhitch and 540 rpm PTOJacobsen88a~920~8B73For information circle 083 orsee httplwwwonersimsca29D9-o83

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LARGE-AREAREEL MOWERJohn Deeres 1905

large-area reel mowerhas a 136-in cuttingwidth and a Yanmar 4-cyl 43-hp liquid-cooleddiesel engine with a 156-gal tank The unit features atelescopic and tiltable steering column w-speed pedaland an armrest control that integrates all mowing func-tions Deeres patented White Box controller offers quickon-board electrical diagnosisJotm OeereBoo-537-8233For information circle 091 orsee htlplwwwonersimsca2909-091

MULTISPREADThe Earth amp Turf MultiSpread 200 spreads a variety of

materials It works great for spreading grass clippings andfor topdressing tees Capacity is 15 cutt spread width upto 60 in Available in ground drive or hydraulic driveEarth amp Turf Products LLCS88-69J-2638For Information circle 093 orsee http(wwwonersimsca2909-093

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