Do you seed or sod? This section covers seeding new areas or overseeding existing turf.

Check local agriculture experts for type of grass most suited for your climate. But here's the basics for baseball field seed:

90/10 blue fescue mix.
This is 90% fescue and 10% bluegrass. This is a nice mix for outfield grass and common at most fields maintained by a park district. After mowing, this usually is 2 inches or longer.

80/20 blue rye mix.
This is 80% perennial rye and 20% bluegrass. It is sometimes called sports turf mix. This mix is good for infields if not the entire field. This can be mowed as short as an inch long.

bermuda grass seed.
In the hot climates this works for the entire field and can be mowed to 3/4 inch long.

Sources and Suppliers

Suppliers I've used and am satisfied with: Horizon, Sierra Pacific Turf Supply. There are others of course, but these folks provide bulk supplies to landscapers and park districts and I've found that they understand what baseball fields need.

1. In the northern climates the cooler grasses work best - rye, bluegrass, fescue.
   
   
2. In the southern climates the hot grasses work best - bermuda.
   
   
3. In the transition climates it is sometimes a combination depending on the time of year. For example, bermuda in the hot summer, but overseeded with perennial rye throughout the season and heavily before winter. Pro teams use Chaparral perennial rye.
   
   
4. Seed needs to be kept moist and in contact with dirt to germinate. That's why you drag the infield turf after seeding in the 10 step turf maintenance program. This works the seed and topdressing together and down to the soil. Keep the top 2 inches of topsoil moist for the seedlings.
   
   
5. When seeding a larger area, till in topsoil/compost, roll flat, lightly rake to scarify, spread seed, lightly rake, roll flat, fertilize, and then start a watering program. Keep the seeds moist. Once they germinate and sprout you can cut back on watering a bit.
   
   
6. Overseed rate is 6 to 8 pounds per thousand square feet. One 50 pound bag is good for a high school size infield. One 50 pound bag can overseed 2 little league infields.
   
   
7. Apply seed to new areas at double the rate as overseeding.
   

Mistakes to avoid

1. Don't just lay the seed on top of bare spots. It will float to the edges when you water or the birds will eat it. Either way you still have a bare spot.
   
   
2. Find the best lawn in your neighborhood. Quite often the maintenance and growing practice there is NOT what you'd do for a sports field. You not only want your turf to look nice, but it needs to stand up to competitive play. Home lawns rarely are the same as a sports field.
   

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