Don’t wait on athletic field repair it is important to manage wear and tear during the season.

Wear and Tear

At this point in the season, some if not all of your athletic fields are showing signs of wear. It may be from one or multiple issues:

• Fields being Used for both Practice and Games
• Goalies that do not see enough action and as a result spend the game kicking the turf in the goal mouth
• Games Played in Rain
• Games or Practices being held on Wet Fields without given the opportunity to dry out
• Marching Band practice
• and/or Gym Classes you hadn’t accounted for

The important thing is to expend the effort to try to not allow things to get worse.

Divot Mix

It’s time to create several 10 gallon pails of divot mix. The divot mix I particularly like at this time of the season is to mix vermicompost (you can use bagged soil) with perennial ryegrass seed.

If you have 4 or 5 days before you planning on putting out the mix you can pre-germinate the seed by soaking it in water for 12 hours, allowing it to dry out during the day, and soaking it again overnight.

Combine pre-germinated seed with the vermicompost. I mix approximately 15 – 18 lbs perennial ryegrass seed with a 50 lb. bag of vermicompost in a wheelbarrow. Fill your pails with your divot mix and go out and repair the sidelines or the goal mouths.

Broadcast Seed

If you don’t have time to create a divot mix then by all means spread some additional seed on your fields. Simply broadcast perennial ryegrass seed over the entire field. Let the athletes work the seed into the field.

Turf Blankets/Growth Covers

Sometimes using divot mix in season will not be enough for your athletic field repair. It is important make plans for how you are going to make repairs of these fields so that they are ready for next season. Certainly sod can be used to repair areas. Check to make certain that you will be able to get sod after the Thanksgiving Game. If not you can prepare an area near your maintenance shed where you can roll out your sod and maintain it until Thanksgiving.

Another option is to invest in some turf blankets. Turf blankets enable you to seed after the Thanksgiving Game; keeping the soil warm enough for new seed to germinate and also green up faster in the spring.

For more information on turf blankets/growth covers please free to call us at 978-432-1019 or Contact Us.