Athletic fields are rarely given a rest. Between the different seasons and heavy foot traffic, sports fields experience extreme wear & tear throughout the year. It can be a real challenge to keep fields ready for its in-season sport and to ensure that they will not only look their best, but they will be as healthy as possible for years of continued beauty and safe use.
1. Hollow tine aeration
Aeration is key in loosening up the soil and increasing water infiltration as well as oxygen flow to the roots of your turfgrass. Hollow tine aeration works best after the fall sports season because of the amount of disruption it causes.
2. Overseeding
It is important to undertake overseeding on the worn out areas of the field during the winter season. Overseeding can help prevent further damage if the field is used during the winter months. When the winter ends and warm weather sets in, worn areas can be reseeded and the seeds will germinate and start to fill up the bare sections of the field as well as increase turfgrass density.
3. Top-dressing
Undertaking top dressing after the hollow tine aeration contributes massively towards improving the conditions of the grass come spring. Consider using compost as the top dressing material on native soil fields, and sand as the top dressing material on sand-based fields.
4. Consider using growth covers
Growth covers will help you to create a greenhouse-like effect over your field to allow seeds to germinate and grass to grow during the winter season.
