st: fowler: st: fowler: st: fowler: st: fowler: lower cost...

SportsTurf 31www.stma.org

because it is better. It would be hard to sella field if a company said the reason they sewand hot melt is because it is cheap, the lineswill be crooked, your in-lays/seams willbe elevated, and it will all be held togetherwith roofing tar.

Telling the customer that sewing andhot melting is stronger has a better ring toit. Using sheep shears to accurately put infield markings is like using a chainsaw toaccurately cut crown molding. Sheep shearsshould be used on sheep, carpet knivesshould be used on carpet. Roofing tarshould be used on roofs; synthetic turfadhesive should be used on synthetic turf.

ST: What do you think installers doincorrectly most often?

Fowler: Measure incorrectly and useinstallation processes which adversely affectfield symmetry.

ST: What aspect gives you the mosttrouble as installer?

Fowler: Without a doubt dealing with

engineers. It seems like every project we goto there is always a new engineer on sitewho has done a couple of fields but some-how has all the answers. Schools have muchbetter luck when they do design build proj-ects. It saves money and leaves the fields inthe hands of the people who build themeveryday.

ST: How important is the adhesivechoice and installation? I’ve heard that’s atypical problem.

Fowler: This is very important. Two-component adhesives are recommended forstrength and durability. In the early days turfcompanies would use whatever inexpensiveglue they could get their hands on to installtheir fields. This caused seam failuresand gave gluing a bad reputation. The gluingprocedure was not the problem. The improp-er adhesive products were the problem.

ST: Have you used anything but crumbrubber as infill?

Fowler: We have installed fields with

recycled rubber, EPDM rubber, sand, coat-ed sand, and various organic infills.

ST: What about the new organic infill?What do you think is the best infill materialor is that not a concern of installer?

Fowler: Rubber is the best infill. Whenthese fields first started everyone said howgreat they were for the environment byrecycling tires and building new sports facil-ities. Ten years later everyone is concernedthat their kids are playing on old ground uptires and the effects from the dust particles.There are more airborne rubber dust parti-cles on every road in America than there areon any synthetic turf athletic field. EPDMrubber is considered cleaner and safer but itcomes at a much higher price.

Justin Fowler is president of Sports TurfDirect, which supplies seaming materials(including STA-1000) and installs athleticfields for most major turf companies as well aslower cost private field projects. ■

32 SportsTurf | December 2009 www.sportsturfonline.com

TTECHNIQUES for painting syn-thetic turf fields are very simi-lar to painting natural grassbut there are a few importantpoints to always keep in mind.By using the following fourrules, application and removalof synthetic turf paint will bemuch easier:

1. Groom the fieldIt is important that you

groom your field and removeexcess debris before painting.This includes removing anyremaining old paint. This willprovide the new paint with thebest surface so it can properlyadhere to the turf blades.Grooming makes the individual

fibers stand tall. This allowsthe entire blade to be painted.If the blades are matted down,only one side will be paintedand it will affect the “pop” thepaint gives spectators.

2. Avoid painting thefield when it is wet

It is important that the sur-face of your field has had theopportunity to properly air outafter a morning dew or rainstorm. If necessary, dry thefield with a backpack blower orfans. Wet artificial turf posesa problem because it will notallow the paint to properlycure. The bond between thepaint and the blade will be

weak and will not hold up wellto game day use. The optimumcondition for painting syntheticturf is warm and dry.

3. Paint infill systemswith an airless sprayer

The goal of painting synthet-ic turf systems is to use as lit-tle paint as necessary and tokeep the paint out of any infillmaterial. Airless machines setbelow 1100 psi atomize thepaint at the tip, allowing thestriper to paint the fibersrather than the infill. Low pres-sure machines tend to spray astream of paint that can rundown the blades and get intothe sand or rubber. CO2

machines should be avoided asthe gas can react with somepaints designed for syntheticturf and ruin the paint.

4. If possible, do not dilute the paint

If the paint is too thin, it willrun down the fibers. The resultwill be a weak line. Dilutedpaint will also likely color yourinfill material, leaving “ghost-ing,” even after you haveremoved all of the paint fromthe blades. ■

Doug Schattinger ispresident & CEO of PioneerAthletics, www.pioneerathletics.com.

Tips for painting synthetic turf fields

When applying

paint to synthetic

turf fields, always

remember that

less paint is more.

Facility&Operations By Doug Schattinger


John Mascaro’s Photo QuizAnswer: from page 17

These off-colored half moon areas appeared just off the 20-yard line onthis high school stadium field the day after a game. It also appeared as wellon several other areas around the field. The first time they showed up thegrounds crew had to do some detective work to figure out what causedthese marks. As it turns out, some majorettes for this high school banddecided to add some additional flare to their halftime show by adding aflaming jump rope to their routine. Luckily, the damage in the pictureswas mainly superficial. The flaming jump ropes singed the Bermudapretty good and burned the ryegrass leaf tips. The grounds crew re-overseeded the areas and they grew out in about 2 weeks. Also, therewere two areas where they had also set buckets with lighter fluid inthem for the show. The buckets also killed the Bermudagrass in twoperfect circles. In those areas, the rootzone was flushed with water andre-overseeded. Since this stadium shares the field with youth, juniorvarsity as well as high school sports, the Sports Turf Manager request-ed that they eliminate all fire from halftime shows but they occasion-ally sneak it in. At least the fields are natural grass!

Photo submitted by David Presnell, Landscape & Turf Technician forGainesville City Schools and Bobby Gruhn Field in Gainesville, GA.

>>

If you would like to submit a photograph for John Mascaro’s Photo Quizplease send it to John Mascaro, 1471 Capital Circle NW, Ste # 13, Tallahassee, FL

32303 call (850) 580-4026 or email to [email protected]. If your photograph is selected, you will receive fullcredit. All photos submitted will become property of SportsTurf magazine and the Sports Turf Managers Association.


Facility&Operations

PANNING 65 ACRES, the DiamondNation complex in Flemington, NJconsists of six new A-Turf syntheticfields, creating the largest baseball andsoftball complex on the East Coast,according to synthetic surface providerA-Turf.

Four fields are 90 feet and two are 60or 70-feet fields. Each of the larger fieldsis designed so that they can be convert-ed into two Little League-sized fields,each with its own backstop, dugout andbullpens. This feature gives the complexthe ability to host up to 12 games

simultaneously and the versatility tohave both baseball and softball games.

Diamond Nation will play home tothe Jack Cust Baseball Academy, as wellas the new Jennie Finch SoftballAcademy. Cust, the Oakland Athleticsdesignated hitter, is from Flemington;he, along with his two brothers andfather have operated one of the largestyouth baseball facilities on the EastCoast since 1997. Diamond Nation isacross the street from the original facili-ty, which features three AstroTurf fieldsalong with indoor batting cages and aS

Diamond Nationcomplex all synthetic


health and fitness center. In the winter, a dome is put over all threefields. The entire academy and complex is now more than 700,000square feet and attracts some of the most talented teams and play-ers in both youth and college and high school showcase tourna-ments.

“Diamond Nation is the start of a new era of baseball. Seriousathletes looking to take their game to the next level now have astate-of-the-art facility, delivering a playing experience like noother,” said Cust. From the new A-Turf fields to the indoor train-ing facility, Diamond Nation will cater to competitive tourna-ments for athletes of all ages, as well as offering one-on-one train-ing with top coaches and instructors.

Installation took place (and continued) during one of thewettest springs and summers for New Jersey. The project includedmore than 80 trucks worth of material, making pre-planning forshipping and staging crucial to a successful outcome.

Each A-Turf field is engineered specifically for the uniquedemands of baseball and softball and are designed with a slightreduction in fiber pile height and a modest increase in the weightof sand in the rubber and sand infill to match the ball roll andbounce of natural grass, says the company.

“Having a hand in creating a truly unique baseball and softballexperience is what A-Turf is all about,” said Jim Dobmeier, A-Turf

founder and president. “As a baseball player, a coach, and mostimportantly as the company behind the Diamond Nation fields,my days are spent raising the level of play and giving athletes theopportunity to succeed.

“We are definitely seeing growth in the number of syntheticbaseball and softball fields being installed,” Dobmeier said.“Traditionally, the athletic field business has been oriented moretoward oval or rectangular-type fields for football, soccer, lacrosseand field hockey. But over the years, we have seen an increase indemand for synthetic grass fields for baseball or softball. In somecases, the design is for a larger, multi-sport field, which includesbaseball or softball. In other cases, we are building stand-alonefields, specifically designed for that sport. ■

Visit www.sportsturfonline.com andclick on “E-newsletter” to register quickly

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I


Facility&Operations By Murray Cook

IN SEPTEMBER Europe hosted the2009 Baseball World Cup. Twenty teamstraveled to seven countries to compete in22 stadiums and the finals were playedoutside of Rome. To say the tournamentwas a success is an understatement, but thelogistics of managing the fields, teams,equipment etc., was intensely challenging.

The magnitude of this event wasdaunting but at the same time no athletewas injured from poor field conditions(not to mention Team USA broughthome the Gold Medal!). Each fieldrequired specific improvements andupgrades before and during the events. Inthe summer of 2008 I made the firstround of venue evaluations for this tour-nament that created controversy amongthe federations. Some initial sites wereremoved and new sites added. It wasimportant to set the field of play standardshigh for this tournament due to the factMLB level players would be participating.

The primary objective was to provide asafe playing field for the athlete. To ensuresafety Chad Olsen and I assembled agroup of US sports turf managers to assistwith the renovations and game day opera-tions. The logistics to transport the turfmanagement team between Sweden,Germany, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Hollandand Czech Republic was challenging tosay the least.

To reflect on the event we asked eachof the sports turf managers that had a partin the renovations a few questions relatedto the overall experience. We held severalphone conferences and shared reports ofeach venue to ensure each individual hadthe best knowledge related to the condi-tions of the playing field they were headedto. Their answers provide a compellingstory as it relates to sports field mainte-nance.

What did you learn fromyour experience working inanother country?

Rick Newville, sportsturf managerfor the Amateur Softball Association,Oklahoma City: From all my experiencesof working in other countries (Greece,Cuba, Italy), I have learned to appreciatethe luxuries of the equipment we use herein the USA. Forget about the high dollarpower equipment most of us use. Manyvenues I have had the pleasure to provideassistance lack the basic hand tools that wetake for granted: shovels, rakes, stringlines, etc. I have seen many crews who lackan edger, use garden hoes around theentire skin and warning tracks to edge thefield. Once a crew in Athens actually usedpocket knives to edge the field until apower edger finally arrived.

Tom Nielsen, director of sportsturf

Baseball World Cupin Europe challengesUS turf managers

BEFORE the final game

between Cuba and Team

USA. The first man in Cuba’s

line is Fidel Castro’s son,

Antonio. Photo by Ezio Ratti.

THE FIELD CREW from Nettuno,Italy after the final game.

REGENSBURG, Germany fieldmaintenance crew at work.

REGENSBURG, Germany hosted

first round games featuring

China, USA, and Venezuela.

>>

>>

>>

>>

Some common hand tools and products thatwe can [easily] purchase are not available soyou have to adjust your way of doing thingsand even learn from the local groundskeepers.

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operations, Louisville Bats: I learned from my experience inRotterdam that I really have it good in Louisville. For example, when Ineed a piece of equipment, I can order it or rent it and have it deliveredto the stadium. Also, I learned that the Rotterdam city employees facethe same challenges as city employees in the US. They are not ableto key on one field because they have 150 fields [to manage].

Jeff Nancarrow, sports turf manager, Daytona Beach Cubs: I didthree stops in Italy: Parma, Reggio-Emilia and Bologna. At eachvenue, the people were very accommodating and helpful, but they justdid not grasp the magnitude of the event. It seemed they were treatingthe task at hand as just another local event. From a learning standpoint,I learned to be more assertive in accomplishing what needed to be done.

Dennis Klein, turf manager, Texas Rangers: Working in anothercountry is always a challenge with the language barrier. This was one ofmany times that I have assisted the Brickman sportsturf team, but thefirst time to be at a venue by myself. It was more difficult in Croatia tocommunicate because not as many people speak English as they do inother countries

Eric Ogden, turf manager, Daytona Beach Cubs: Learning tothink on my feet and to adapt to the tools and techniques would havebeen the major lesson learned. Being able to make tools when neededor just using the tools they have to make things work. That was a lessonI will take with me throughout the duration of my career.

Joseph Skrabak, sports turf manager, Staten Island Yankees:Baseball in Spain/Italy is heavily influenced by local politics. Having thecrews and managers focus on field safety and playability was my mostdifficult task.

Kevin Moses, sports turf manager, Camden River Sharks: Weshould be thankful for the industry and resources we have in the UnitedStates. Working overseas you have to think outside of the box at timesto get things done. Some common hand tools and products that we candrive down the street and purchase are not available so you have toadjust your own way of doing things and even learn from the localgroundskeepers.

Budgie Clark, former sportsturf manager, WashingtonNationals: Get a lot of sleep. You are a one-man show when it comesto field maintenance. Communication is a factor as well. The conceptof field maintenance is very limited.

Brandon Putman, sports turf manager, York (PA) Revolution: Ilearned that it would benefit most to search for available tools andequipment before engaging in difficult projects because what is availablewill determine what can be accomplished. Determining resourcesbefore the event would also be helpful.

What was the most challenging thing(s) you hadto deal with? How did you overcome them?

Newville: I think the most challenging thing is the language barrier.It always helps to have a good interpreter, but many times there isn’tone available. Sometimes you have to be a pretty good mime to get yourpoint across.

Skrabak: Moving tons of material from off the field to the areas

where they were needed. I made quick friends with the constructionsupervisor to bring needed material with a loader when it was possible.Working without good hand tools. Just make do with what you have.

Nielsen: The most challenging thing I had to deal with was adaptingto the equipment. They did not have the same tools that I am used tousing. Also, the equipment is not as accessible as it is here in the US.

Klein: The most challenging thing was the lack of clay in the infieldskin mix. It was a sandy soil that was very difficult to keep wet andtogether. The field condition was very good. All the teams were shockedthat Croatia had such a place.

Ogden: The most challenging thing by far that would standoutmostly for me would have to be the language barrier. Being able toestablish main words to get the task at hand accomplished made the jobeasier as each day passed. With time overcoming that makes such anevent as this, become as successful as it was.

Nancarrow: Language barriers. Translators were available at eachplace, but not on a consistent basis. Each place was operating on volun-teers, so English speaking people came and went depending on their ownschedules. Luckily, the Italian language is somewhat similar to the Spanishlanguage. I have a good “work” vocabulary in Spanish. I was just able toget my points across using a combination of Spanish, English and Italian.

Moses: The biggest obstacle, which relates to all of the fields, was theinfield skin. The red infield material that is used did not compact verywell and needed to be completely hydrated in order to hold together. Ifit dried out the skin became way too loose which resulted in large div-ots. Most irrigation systems I encountered had a 360 rotor behind themound that covered the infield grass and skin and that was their usualmeans of watering the skin. It was a challenge to get across the impor-tance of watering the infield and to get the local groundskeepers to getthe hose out and spend the time watering the skin multiple times a day,even in the pre-game routine. The language barrier was also a big obsta-cle as a lot of the times the interpreter was not around very much and Ihad to communicate with the local groundskeeper with neither of usspeaking the same language. Using the little bit of English and Italianwe had both learned or picked up and by pointing and making handgestures we managed to get the job done.

Clark: Not having the proper equipment and supplies to work onthe field. No way to overcome the problem. Use what is available.

Putman: The most challenging aspect was the volunteer staff. A lotof the Italian staff had normal work schedules that were priority forthem, which is understandable. I was able to figure out the times theycould be at the field and planned tasks accordingly. However, therewere times when I was by myself working on the field.

What was your opinion of the field condition at thevenue you worked on? Before and after?

Newville: The overall field condition before my arrival was verypoor. It was still in poor condition when I left the venue. I am sure itwas in much better condition by the time a game was played at thatvenue. I only spent 2 days at each venue, and really only had time toaddress the mound, plate, and bullpen areas. These areas were drastical-


Facility&Operations

ly better upon my departure. During my stay, I also addressed other safe-ty issues at each venue with the grounds personnel. They assured me theissues would be resolved by the time a game was played.

Skrabak: Give field c minus. Not much difference before and after.The natural turf would not take many games.

Nielsen: When I arrived in Rotterdam, I was surprised at how goodof shape the field was in. When I left, I felt like I had made some goodchanges on the field. I think that the people maintaining the fieldlearned some useful tips from me that will be implemented in maintain-ing the field and should raise the quality of the playing surface.

Klein: I do feel that all of the countries I have been to over the yearscould use training on field maintenance. The people are very eager andtake great pride in their complexes.

Ogden: The venue itself showed great potential upon arrival. Majordetails were taken care of but it was the absences of the “little things” thatgroundskeepers at our level take pride in. Teaching the local grounds

crews those aspects of a field is what really brought such great responseto those who saw the field before.

Nancarrow: I will choose Bologna, as I was there the longest. Turf wasterribly poor, 95% crabgrass. I actually like the infield material they use. Itcan take a lot of weather and be playable with a little effort. Mounds andplate obviously lacked the clay we use in the states. The “Reggio” clay pro-vided a better surface, but it was terribly difficult to work with. Almostlike concrete in a dry form. Very sticky when moistened.

Moses: In Regensburg, Germany, at Armin-Wolf Arena the playingfield was in very good condition. They had done a lot of renovationwork before hosting the World Cup and it really showed. The mainwork was in rebuilding the bullpens and adjusting the slope on the gamemound. With a proper turf maintenance program the field can reallyimprove (topdressing to help smooth the outfield and stop the infieldfrom bowing out, weed control, overseeding, etc). Hosting the WorldCup definitely improved the playing surface and hopefully they will con-tinue to build on the knowledge and experience they learned to contin-ually improve the facility.

Clark: The fields would not have been playable if we were not ableto be part of the World Cup Tournament.

Putman: In Florence, the biggest issue was the clay areas and turf.Even though the rain held off while I was there, the mounds were leftuncovered during the rain before my arrival. All the clay areas had to berebuilt. The mound clay used had high silt content, which makes it tackyand difficult to work with. The turf was unlevel with some deep lowspots that I had to fill with infield material. They did not have a mower

onsite, so for the first game with USA the turf was 3 inches long. Thenext day we were able to get it cut with a contracted service.

Would you do it again if asked and if so whatwould you do to make it a better experience for youand the field you worked on?

Newville: I would definitely do it again as it was a very valuable expe-rience for me. I not only enjoyed working with each field crew in prepar-ing their fields, but educating them on proper maintenance. Each crewwas very appreciative of us being there to assist them.

Skrabak: Undecided, but probably yes. I’m 61 next year. Bring orship hand tools and have all transportation issues worked out before-hand. Turf always taken care of by municipality or contract, have nocontrol over mowing. Took 8 hours to mow field in Chieti.

Nielsen: Yes, I would absolutely do it again. Next time, I would tryto bring more of my own hand tools. It would have been nice to haveone day, maybe the day before returning to the US to have time to do alittle sightseeing. A standardized groundskeeping manual with photos offields, mowing patterns, equipment and instruction in the language ofeach particular country would be enormously helpful. I brought my ownmanual that I have created and made copies for the field workers inRotterdam.

Klein: I always enjoy working with Murray and Chad. The projectsare always well thought out and organized. It truly makes me thankfulfor what I have at my stadium after I go on these types of jobs.

Ogden: I would return in a heartbeat to work internationally. Theone thing that would make the renovation of these fields easier would beimplementing the tools we use here in the states to the fields we work onabroad. A simple gift package of the necessities would turn those fieldsinto venues people ache to play on.

Nancarrow: I would absolutely do it again. For a better experience,I would ensure that materials and products were on hand prior to myarrival. At all 3 venues, we lost at least a day due to lack of product. Thefirst two didn’t have clay on hand. The last one had clay, but no pitchingrubbers or home plates.

Moses: Yes, I would do it again and I would try to incorporate moreof a teaching aspect into the experience. With the limited time we hadon the fields and with the communication barrier it was sometimes dif-ficult to get the reasons behind what I was doing across to the localcrews. I would also bring some tools with me such as a square 8x8 tampand a 3 foot steel rake to make the job a lot easier.

Clark: Yes, I would love to be more involved with international base-ball and to be able to take their field maintenance to a higher level withthe proper equipment and supplies to work on the field.

Putman: Of course, I love the international work. I feel that a docu-ment in the local language that outlined procedures and necessary equip-ment, tools and materials would lessen confusion. It would also give usa basis on how to identify items in the native language, i.e. how to sayrake in Italian. If the document were sent ahead of arrival, it would givethe administrators of that facility time to acquire the necessary items forthe tournament. ■

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CHINA TAIPEI and USA line up in Torino, Italy.>>

Field of the Year

www.stma.org SportsTurf 39

Search for sustainability

helps Oregon winanother Field of the Year

TTHE SPORTS TURF MANAGERS ASSOCIATION (STMA) hashonored Oregon’s Pape Field with its prestigious Field of the YearAward for the university and college soccer division. Built in 1998 inconjunction with the Ed Moshofsky Sports Complex, Pape Fieldstands out as one of the nation’s finest collegiate soccer venues and ishome to the University of Oregon women’s‘ soccer and lacrosse pro-grams.

The 81,000-square-foot field sits adjacent to three football practicefields that encompass a total of 265,000 square feet, with the entirearea also used by other varsity teams during off-season conditioning.Underneath the turf, the underlying drainage system is equally state-of-the art, with a herringbone design and lateral piping every 15 feet,atop a sand base that facilitates quick drainage. The root zone is 12inches of modified USGA blend sand from the Columbia River Basin,

and lies over a 4-inch gravel blanket. This system, when first installed,had a percolation rate of 14 inches per hour. A fully automaticRainBird irrigation unit is also permanently in place, and its 64 headsprovide a 1/4 inch of water in 45 minutes.

Pape Field is maintained by Oregon grounds manager EricFasbender and his staff, who’s work on the Kilkenny Practice Fieldpreviously won the 2007 Field of the Year Award for football. [Editor’snote: Fasbender has since left Eugene and now is at LSU.] “I am tremendously honored to have Pape’ Field recognized in thismanner,” Fasbender said. “This award is a testament to our staff andthe hard work that they put in behind the scenes. Whether the sun isshining or the rain is falling, they are out there to make our athleticfields are the best in the country. I have always dreamed of winning aField of the Year Award, and now we have two of them!”


Field of the Year

Steve DiNatale and Kenny Hoffman also were honored for the second con-secutive year as Oregon’s assistant groundskeepers. Jason Anderson was thegrounds intern for the year.

The STMA Field of the Year Award program began in 1992 and there arefive field types for which awards may be given: Baseball, Football, Soccer,Softball and Sporting Grounds (Lacrosse, Rugby, Field Hockey and Tennis). Foreach field type, awards may be given in three categories: Professional, Collegeand University, and Schools and Parks. This year there were a total of just 10awards presented.

“I have always thought that Pape Field was one of the best in the nation,”said Oregon soccer head coach Tara Erickson. “It’s nice to have that validatedby this award and is a testament to our fantastic grounds crew. My greatest com-pliment about Pape Field is that I never have to worry about it and how the sur-face could affect my team or the game. I know it is going to be perfect for usevery single day.”

From the award entry: “Since installing Kentucky bluegrass on our grassfields on campus, we have had great success with our turf, but we continue tostrive to get better and push the envelope when it comes to innovative ideas andpractices. In January 2008 we took on a new challenge, in addition that we faceregularly like overseeding, Poa annua control, and battling the weather. Ournew challenge was to become a “green operation” and work to be “sustainable”in our maintenance practices. This goal has been one of the most difficult toachieve, especially given the timetable to execute the plan, but it has also beenthe most rewarding.

“We began this quest by examining our fertilizer program and looked forways to reduce inputs and maximize efficiencies with our products. Our oldprogram consisted of all granular, slow-release applications that would beapplied every 3-4 weeks. We wanted to know how efficient this program was,so we began to take soil and tissue tests monthly to see how the nutrients thatwe applied were being taken up by the plants. The results showed that many ofthe nutrients were leaching out or were being tied up in the profile and were notavailable to the plants. We knew that our old program was successful in grow-ing outstanding turf that was durable and recovered well from wear, but it wasnot ‘green’.

“With our soil and tissue samples in hand we began to research differentproducts and programs that could meet our needs. We wanted to improve ourefficiencies but not lose any of the performance we had come to expect fromPape Field. After all, it played host to not only games and practices for women’ssoccer, but also served as the competitive and practice field for women’s lacrosseas well as being home for Oregon football, soccer, and lacrosse camps in thesummer. Our search ended with a combination of soluble and liquid fertilizersto be applied bi-weekly that would be available to the plant immediately andremained soluble in the profile so the plant could access the nutrients.

“In addition to the change in product we also began to research addingmicrobial populations that could help mine the nutrients that were present, butnot available to the plant. Early (2008) fall we added a large population ofmicrobes to help reduce thatch and free up nutrients that were locked in oursoil. Thus far, the results have been successful and we look forward to seeingwhat the future brings.

“Changing something that was proven effective took a leap of faith, but thechange has taken Pape Field to the next level with playability, wear resistance,turf recovery and overall turf health, while allowing us to become better stew-ards of the environment by maximizing use of fertilizers. We will continue topush the envelope with innovative thinking and outstanding actions.” ■

JanuaryEquipment maintenance/repairRemove growth blankets mid-monthMow at 1 ¼” as needed

FebruaryPaint lacrosse weeklyMow at 1 ¼” as neededSweep field as needed

MarchFertilize bi-weekly w/ STS 1000 and ammonium nitrate plus calcium at ½ lb. N/1000Poa annua control spray applicationPaint lacrosse weeklyMow at 1 ¼” as neededSweep field as neededSeed goal areas weekly

AprilFertilize bi-weekly w/ STS 1000 and potassium nitrate plus calcium at ½ lb. N/1000Paint lacrosse weeklyPaint soccer weeklyMow at 1 ¼” 3x/weekSweep field as neededSeed goal areas weekly

MayFertilize bi-weekly w/ STS 1000 plus calcium at ½ lb. N/1000Poa annua control spray applicationPaint lacrosse 1st week of monthPaint soccer 1st week of monthAerate, overseeed and topdress mid-monthFertilize with Rx Gold after overseeding for establishment and growthMow at 1 ¼” 3x/week

JuneFertilize bi-weekly w/ STS 1000 plus calcium at ½ lb. N/1000Paint football last week of monthMow at 1 ¼” daily

JulyFertilize bi-weekly w/ STS 1000 plus calcium at ¼ lb. N/1000Paint lacrosse first week of monthPaint soccer second week of monthAerate and topdress late in monthFertilize with Rx Gold after aeration and topdressing for turf recovery and growthMow at 1 ¼” daily

AugustFertilize bi-weekly w/ STS 1000 and potassium nitrate plus calcium at ¼ lb. N/1000Paint soccer weeklyMow at 1 ¼” dailySeed goal areas weekly

SeptemberFertilize bi-weekly w/ STS 1000 plus calcium at ½ lb. N/1000Paint soccer weeklyPoa annua control spray applicationAerate and topdress mid-monthFertilize with Rx Gold after aeration and topdressing for recovery and growthMow at 1 ¼” dailySeed goal areas weekly

OctoberFertilize bi-weekly w/ STS 1000 and potassium nitrate plus calcium at ½ lb. N/1000Paint soccer weeklyAerate and topdress mid-monthFertilize with Rx Gold after aeration and topdresssing for recovery and growthMow at 1 ¼” 3x/weekSweep field as neededSeed goal areas weekly

NovemberFertilize bi-weekly w/ STS 1000 and potassium nitrate plus calcium at ½ lb. N/1000Poa annua control spray applicationPaint soccer weekly until mid-monthAerate, overseeed and topdress mid-monthFertilize with Rx Gold after overseeding for sees establishment and growthCover field with growth blanketsMow at 1 ¼” as neededSweep field as needed

DecemberEquipment maintenanceMonitor seed germination and establishment

Pape Field annual maintenance plan

st: fowler: st: fowler: st: fowler: st: fowler: lower cost...

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