May 2023 - Parks & Recreation - 50

OPERATIONS
Field Maintenance Recovery Practices
By James Bergdoll, CSFM; Adam Thomas, Ph.D.; Grady Miller, Ph.D.; and Nick Christians, Ph.D.
N
atural turfgrass areas are used extensively for recreation and provide
places where adults, kids and pets can spend time outside the
home. Managers of natural grass surfaces are responsible for proper
maintenance activities to ensure the health and safety of these
recreational areas. In 2020, Sports Field Management Association (SFMA) released
a Route to Recovery Guide (tinyurl.com/4ydwr3tk), as well as part two of
the Route to Recovery Guide (tinyurl.com/mtfww99w), that covers many topics
that can help guide staff through field maintenance concerns. These guides address
many of the challenges that maintenance staff may encounter with fields
that have not been maintained.
Managers of natural grass surfaces are
responsible for proper maintenance
activities to ensure the health and
safety of these recreational areas.
Here are some of the most critical
practices to use to get your field
back in shape:
Mowing
A standard rule in the industry for
moderately to intensively maintained
turfgrass is to never remove more
than one-third of the grass blade in a
single mowing. Removing more than
this results in physiological stress
and possible heat or cold injury. If
the athletic field was not mowed and
excessive growth occurred, the field
should slowly be brought back down
to the normal height. This may take
several weeks or months depending
on growth levels.
Fertilization
When grass is actively growing is
the ideal time to optimize the turf50
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grass response to a fertilizer application.
Soil test results will tell
you how much fertilizer to apply
for nutrients other than nitrogen,
and while many soil test reports
will not contain soil nitrogen levels,
they will provide a recommendation
for how much nitrogen to
apply and when to treat. As a rule
of thumb, most state extension
recommendations suggest
readily
available nitrogen (water-soluble)
should be in the range of 0.7 to 1
pound of nitrogen per 1000-squarefeet
per active growing month.
Irrigation
Turfgrass plants need an inch of
moisture per week to sustain active
growth. If irrigation is an option, the
field may need more frequent irrigation
during the recovery period. This
will help reduce stress related to the
turfgrass being brought back down to
the proper height, as well as reduce
heat and drought stress. Similarly, if
some spots on the field need seed,
you may need to supply water from
irrigation in frequent small amounts
while the seed germinates.
Weed Management
A playing surface covered in weeds
can disrupt the appearance and
safety of maintained turfgrass surfaces.
In addition, weeds compete
with desired turfgrasses for space,
water, nutrients and light. If weed
populations
threshold set
have exceeded the
in your integrated
pest management plan, consider
finding the best herbicide to control
the weeds present at your facility.
Make sure to read and follow the
label for control of these weeds,
especially if there are temperature
restrictions on the label.
Field recovery may seem like an
insurmountable task in front of
you, but once regular maintenance
resumes, many of these practices
will quickly become routine. Communicate
with end users regularly
about the importance of getting
field maintenance under control
before resuming use. Using a field
prematurely will cause excessive
wear and damage, resulting in an
unsafe playing surface. Also, don't
forget to reach out to SFMA members
for advice on various questions
that may pop up, as they are probably
working through the same issues
as you are.
Editor's Note: This article originally
appeared on Open Space Blog in June
2020 (tinyurl.com/ys9c248m) and has
been edited for length. Representatives
of the Sports Field Management Association
contributed to this article.
James Bergdoll, CFSM, is Director of
Parks Maintenance at City of Chattanooga
Public Works. Adam Thomas, Ph.D., is
with Iowa State University. Grady Miller,
Ph.D., is with North Carolina State
University. Nick Christians, Ph.D., is with
Iowa State University.

http://tinyurl.com/4ydwr3tk http://tinyurl.com/mtfww99w https://tinyurl.com/ys9c248m

May 2023 - Parks & Recreation

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