O",A'TIOe Budgeting for Sports Field MaintenanceJANE ARNETT-RIVERS· TOWN OF OAKVILLE· PAST STA PRESIDENT

Depending on your perspective,time and/or money is the itemyou always need more of. At

some point, unless staffing complimentsincrease with workloads, all the money inthe world will not help you get the workdone. The following is a description ofgeneral maintenance items, the equipmentto do it, staff required and materialsneeded. You decide, is it about time ormoney?!

In Oakville we have 61 diamonds and77 soccer fields. We host 16,000 playersusing our fields for 47,000 hours. Whatdoes all this mean to fields? Turf wear andtear. What does all this mean to you? You'dbetter find ways of doing more in less timewith less money. If the field is lit, it willreceive at least twice the play. If it is irri-gated and lit, it will be used for tourna-ments assuming the quality of turf will behigh. During tournaments, the field couldsee 5 to 6 games per day for 4 consecu-tive days. If applying appropriate fundsto appropriate amounts of play, open upthe purse strings on these fields - they willcost the most. Premier fields definitely seethe largest percentage of funds, unfortu-nately the others must settle with beingkept safe.

At a past Sports Turf Association FieldDay, Marc Altman said put your moneywhere your play is. In other words, don'ttreat the infield the same as the outfield.If home plate sees most of the action,spend more there. Compaction will be

more of a problem on 30% of a soccerfield. Keep that in mind while goingthrough the following points.

therefore increasing microbial activity orrelieving surface compaction. Optimum is12 to 16 holes per square foot, 2 to 3passes. It should be done with any reno-vation. Aerating should disturb the soil ina controlled way and be done when thecrowns have time to heal. Some studieshave shown it increases control when doneprior to weed spraying.

BALL DIAMONDSFirst, always first, mark your irrigation

heads. Whether aerating, overseeding orrolling, mark the heads. Damage to thelines is costly and will slow any operationdown.

Infield and Outfield $38,1 hourInfieldOutfield

$40, 1/2 hour$100,1 hour

Aerating can achieve so many thingsin the soil - whether to assist in movingwater or increasing the O2 in the soil,

OverseedingOn infields, we use establishment rates

of 20 pounds/l,OOO square feet, on out

~ »)~NDERSOD CO. LIMITED

~

~~

UnitedHorticultural Suppl'Y.

SUPPLIERS OF TOP QUALITYBENT AND BLUE GRASSES

(416) 364-5700TOLL FREE 1-877-727-2100

www.zandersod.com

Dave Cowan • 905-242-0785 Simon George • 289-259-3012Berni Peschutter • 519-878-4771

Bruce Sheppard • 519-660-9037 Bill Willaert • 519-420-7295

Phone: 1-800-328-4678 Fax: 1-800-922-2622

SPORTS TURF MANAGER • IS

fields, we use 10 pounds. We like tooverseed the infields 3 times and outfieldsonce. During play we use a perennialryegrass blend, in fall we use a Kentuckybluegrass.

InfieldsOutfields

$120-$170, 1/2 hour$240-$340, 1hour

TopdressingThis is the only chance you have to

change surface soil. Soil dictates themovement of water, whether throughgravitational flow or capillary flowthrough micropores. Soil can hold nutri-ents or release them. It can be your big-gest problem. You want water to move fastenough to keep the field playable, but slowenough to allow fertility levels to stay highas long as possible. Find the mix whichbest suits your existing soil. You shouldnot attempt to radically change the soiltype, this could result in a layering prob-lem further causing drainage problems. Nomore than 3/8" should be applied at one

time. To stretch money, use a higher qual-ity material on infields than outfields.

InfieldsOutfields

$210,1 hour$500, 2 hours

tion heads before cutting. Be prepared toadd infield mix after hauling away debris,often existing mix cannot be leveled outadequately.

HardballSoftball

$145, 2 hours$100, 2 hoursGrooming Infield & Warning Track

Change the point of entry each time theequipment accesses the infield. Ensure theoperator carries a rake and trash bags aswell as a short check list. Stress the im-portance of speed, too much will cause lipsto form on the edge of the infield. Ifgrooming is done slowly, less infield ma-terial will be thrown out. Our infields aregroomed daily, warning tracks 2x/week.

InfieldWarning Track

$35,1 hour$35,1 hour

Brooming LipsFive times per season will help stop a

lip from developing. We use a sweepster3' broom with plastic bristles. Be sure tobroom into the infield. $25, 1 hour

Cutting and FertilizingNot including fertilizer costs. Equip-

ment to cut irrigated fields is floated andcut more often.

IrrigatedNon-irrigated

$75,1 hour$55,1 hour

Installing a MoundFor permanent mounds we have used

'Mound Master.' It takes approximately 50

MORE RESOURCES,MORE SERVICESTo Build Your BusinessYour time is better spent supervising job sites - not driving

around town looking for supplies. Now your local John Deere

Landscapes branch has everything you need to oversee a

successful landscape and irrigation contracting business.

Stop by today and see our expanded product lines of irrigation,

nursery and landscape supplies. You'll recognize our staff-

now become better acquainted with our new services!

More Than 200 Branches Nationwide

In CanadaBurlington,905-639-7980 Concord,905-881-4794

ClJOHNDEERELANDSCAPES

16 • MARCH 2002

Cutting Lips (Edge of the Infield)This is done when the season is not in

play, spring or fall, and prior to tourna-ments for detailing. It will prevent a lipfrom forming. Be sure to mark the irriga-

bags at $5 a bag. It constructs a more per-manent structure requiring less reinforc-ing. Be sure to have accuratemeasurements. Talk with the groups us-ing the diamond first to see what theywant. If reconstructing the infield, markthe mound dimensions and leave it untilall other work is complete.

InstallingMaintaining

$350, 8 hours$75,2 hours

Home Plate Construction andInstallation

Purchase rubbers framed in and filledwith concrete. We also use clay brickaround the home plate area. This cutsdown on constantly replacing material andchecking for divots. Be sure to have at least1-1/2 inches of material on top of brick soplayers can still 'dig in.'

With ClayWithout Clay

$850, 8 hours$85,1 hour

Weekly InspectionThis is one of the most important things

you can do. Use a form to ensure the in-spection is done and nothing is missed. Itis the time when holes are filled andseeded; irrigation heads are checked; andlips, fence lines, base paths and home plateare level. Recommended inspection sheetsare available from the Sports Turf Asso-ciation.

SOCCERAgain, always begin with marking irri-

gation heads before starting work on thefield. $38, 1 hour

AeratingSoil strength is measured by its ability

to hold when pressure is put on either ver-tically or horizontally. This is critical fortraction. Moisture levels will affect soilstrength. Aerating can improve moisturelevels and air in soil. $140, 2 hours

OverseedingChoice of seed depends on time of the

year. During mid season play, germina-tion times are critical, while in fall seed-ing, over wintering of seed is more of afactor. Guaranteed germination rates areon the bag, ask the supplier for them if

they're not. How you store the seed willalso affect germination rates. When aseed is cultivated there is a goal. Wearresistance, drought resistance and diseasesuppression are all factors. There is a costinvolved with developing new seed. Theydo it for a reason, find out what that rea-son is.

Perennial Ryegrass Blend $400, 2 hoursKentucky Bluegrass Blend $600, 2 hours

TopdressingYou want soil to hold nutrients in the

root zone for the plant to take up. Youalso want the water to drain to keep thefield playable. An optimum root zonewill allow you to fertilize less frequentlyby cutting down on leaching. Be sure notto alter material too much from existingsoils to avoid layering.

SandSoil

$900, 4 hours$700, 4 hours

Layout and LiningCutting down lines first with a push

mower will help keep them longer, es-pecially on irrigated surfaces. User build-ers block paint; mix it 1:1 with water.

Initial LiningWeekly Lining

$130, 3 hours$65,1 hour

Painting Goal PostsDone once a year using latex paint.

$55,1 hour

Cutting and FertilizingIrrigated fields are cut with a mower,

which is floated and cut 2 times perweek. Non-irrigated fields are cut every10 days. This cost does not include ferti-lizer.

IrrigatedNon-irrigated

$75,1 hour$55,1 hour

Weekly InspectionAs with the ball diamonds, design-

ing and distributing a checklist is veryworthwhile ensuring that work com-pleted is recorded and all points arechecked. Again, inspection sheets areavailable from the Sports Turf Asso-ciation .•

SPORTS TURF MANAGER • 17