| Oufield
grass ruined by soccer or
football playing in the rain?
My school's
baseball field was severely damaged by a game of soccer in the rain. There
is an entire patch on the left field where the game was held that has
absolutely no grass and the earth is uneven thanks to the holes made by
soccer players.
I need the field to be in great conditions for an upcoming softball tournament
in 4 weeks which is going to be a big fundraiser for my class. What do
I do to get grass to grow again?
Unfortunately,
this is an all too common problem on fields shared by baseball, soccer,
and football. The other sports don't seem to mind playing in the
mud or wet ground. But this is bad for baseball when it's your turn
to use the field.
Here's what
to do:
Getting
grass to grow:
Water the area so it is not dry and hard, aerate it twice in an 'x' patter
with a core lawn aerator, spread topdressing (sand/compost/topsoil mix)
on the area at a rate of 1 ton per 1000 sq ft, spread grass seed (mixture
of rye and fescue will work) at a rate of 10 pounds per 1000 sq ft, drag
the area with the same wire mesh drag you use on the infield dirt (this
smooths it out), fertilize with starter fertilizer (6-20-20) at a rate
of 5 pounds per 1000 sq ft. Water it every day or let rains keep it damp.
Don't let it dry out. Stay off it. After grass has grown for 3 weeks,
mow it.
Flattening
the ground:
Then before using it for play, roll it with a lawn roller filled with
water (it weighs 100 pounds) to flatten out anything not leveled with
the drag and the topdressing. Have fun!
I've done
this several times. A 50 lb bag of seed is $75. A 50 lb bag of starter
fertilizer is $13. I use Horizon or Sequoia Pacific Turf Supply. Rent
a lawn aerator from Home Depot for $30. Topdressing where I am costs $25
a ton. Over 5 tons is free delivery.
For
in depth instructions and guidance to get grass to grow in the damaged
area, see the turf maintenance section
And see the baseball
field maintenance equipment section for tips and hints on the equipment
you need to use.
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