How bad does the turf look at Seaford?

[WinnersOnly]

How bad does the turf look at Seaford?

What's going on down there the turf looks like a country paddock - I would hardly think it would be AFL standard? Our 'high performance' team then to put more stress on the players feet and lower limbs, during preseason taking the players on huge treks through mountains snow and ice. Is it any wonder the team has been riddled with foot injuries.

They call this a scientific approach to sports training - to me it looks like very amateurish!

[clarky449]

Ive gone down there almost every weekday the past 4-5 weeks having a kick.. Was perfect 3 weeks ago. Then they sanded it about 2 weeks ago and it was like a beach and last week they were putting some kind of product on the grass but was slowly coming back to life. Really hard surface though, would be very sore after training.

[WinnersOnly]

Ive gone down there almost every weekday the past 4-5 weeks having a kick.. Was perfect 3 weeks ago. Then they sanded it about 2 weeks ago and it was like a beach and last week they were putting some kind of product on the grass but was slowly coming back to life. Really hard surface though, would be very sore after training.

That might explain the odd colouring and differing growth rates but being hard at this time of year has to some significant concerns doesnt it? Who uses sand as a top dressing? Water and feritiliser does wonders surely the club arent skimping on that?

[plugger66]

Ive gone down there almost every weekday the past 4-5 weeks having a kick.. Was perfect 3 weeks ago. Then they sanded it about 2 weeks ago and it was like a beach and last week they were putting some kind of product on the grass but was slowly coming back to life. Really hard surface though, would be very sore after training.

That might explain the odd colouring and differing growth rates but being hard at this time of year has to some significant concerns doesnt it? Who uses sand as a top dressing? Water and feritiliser does wonders surely the club arent skimping on that?

Everyone with turf knowledge uses sand to top dress. Sounds like if it was done 3 weeks ago its the perfect time to do it. Will be sensational in a couple of weeks from the sound of it.

[WinnersOnly]

Ive gone down there almost every weekday the past 4-5 weeks having a kick.. Was perfect 3 weeks ago. Then they sanded it about 2 weeks ago and it was like a beach and last week they were putting some kind of product on the grass but was slowly coming back to life. Really hard surface though, would be very sore after training.

That might explain the odd colouring and differing growth rates but being hard at this time of year has to some significant concerns doesnt it? Who uses sand as a top dressing? Water and feritiliser does wonders surely the club arent skimping on that?

Everyone with turf knowledge uses sand to top dress. Sounds like if it was done 3 weeks ago its the perfect time to do it. Will be sensational in a couple of weeks from the sound of it.

So you are an expert in growing turf now Plugger - wow there is no end to your talents are there? Obviously it is a clay type sand (which is also referred to as top dressing or river sand) in contrast to beach sand, perhaps you can tell us where it comes from Plugger and what grade the sand is?

[stinger]

Sand-based athletic fields
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sand-based athletic fields are sporting grounds constructed on sand. They can have certain advantages over those built on native soils.



Highly maintained areas of turf, such as those on an athletic field or on golf greens and tees, can be grown in native soil or sand-based systems. There are advantages and disadvantages to both that need to be considered before deciding what type of soil to grow turf in. Native soils offer many positive qualities, such as high nutrient holding capacity, water holding capacity, and sure footing. However, native soil fields are typically very poorly drained. This causes problems with growing turf and maintaining a safe surface for players. Sand-based systems provide all of the above qualities, and also improved drainage. They allow the turf manager better control over moisture management and resist soil compaction.
Construction

Sand-based systems are composed of a sand-based root zone, a gravel layer, and a drainage system. Although the root zone of a sand-based system is mostly sand, amendments are often added to increase the organic matter content and add stability to the root zone. Peat moss is the most common root zone amendment used, but other inorganic amendments can also be used. Peat moss is used because it increases water and nutrient holding capacity and decreases bulk density. The most common ratio of sand to peat moss is 8:2. This ratio will allow a water holding capacity of 15 to 26% and increase nutrient holding capacity greatly.[1]

100% sand root zones are used often and are more cost effective. Selection of the type of sand is very crucial. Sand suitable for a root zone should be a medium to coarse (0.15-1.0 mm) particle size and should have sub-angular or sub-rounded shape. If sub-angular sand is chosen, it can deter some insects from making their homes in the soil. The shape makes it harder for them to move around in the soil. Rounded sands are not suitable because they do not pack and cannot provide a firm enough seedbed. Angular sands are not suitable because they become too firm and can potentially cut into roots. Once a sand is selected and it is determined if an amendment will be used, the layout of the root zone profile must be determined.

In the United States, the most common specifications for constructing a sand-based system are laid out by the United States Golf Association (USGA). The specifications for a sand-based athletic field are the same as what is typically used for USGA golf greens. These specifications consist of a 12 to 16 inch sand root zone. The choice of sand type and the addition of an amendment depend on the designer. When an amendment is used, it must be thoroughly incorporated with the sand. The sand overlays a 4-inch gravel layer. [2] This creates a perched water table above the gravel that helps keep the root zone moist during dry conditions. A drainage system should be installed below the gravel to carry excess water away from the field.
Aeration and Topdressing for Proper Thatch Management

Aeration on a sand-based system is used more to control the thickness of the thatch layer than to relieve compaction. A thick thatch layer on a sand-based athletic field can be detrimental. These layers prevent essential nutrients and water from reaching the plant. Further, fertilizers, fungicides, and insecticides can not penetrate the surface and reach the soil. This can obviously be devastating if a field is consumed by a soil borne disease or insect. Water penetration can also be deterred by a thick thatch layer. When there is a thick mat of organic matter near the surface of a field a second perched water table will form. This will cause roots to stay in the top couple of inches of soil because they do not need to search for water at greater depths. Without a deep root system, a field can become unsafe due to footing issues.

Core aerification is the most conventional way to control thatch. Taking up plugs and removing them from the surface eliminates much of the organic matter that is in the soil. The most common aerificaiton tines used are usually a half inch in diameter, normally penetrate about four inches, and are hollow. If the holes are on 2 inch center, 36 holes will be punch per square foot. After a field is aerified, the cores can either be raked up and removed, or left on the surface to break down. Solid tines will punch holes into surface but are only a temporary solution. This is because they do not reduce the organic layer, but merely displace it. Another common method of reducing thatch is vertical mowing. This consists of vertical blades tearing into the soil and pulling out organic matter. It is very effective at reducing thatch, but is also very disruptive. This can lead to a long recovery time for the turf. Reducing the amount of thatch at the surface allows nutrients and pesticides to penetrate into the soil more effectively. Collecting grass clippings will not reduce the formation of a thatch layer. Thatch layers are made up of decomposed vegetative parts of grass plants like stolons and rhizomes.

Once a field is aerified, and there are holes in the surface, a field should be topdressed with the same sand that was used in the construction of the field. Refilling the aerification holes with sand improves the macroporosity of the soil and allows better penetration of water. This will allow the turf manager to water deeper and therefore improve the root system. Introducing sand into the thatch layer allows the growth media to be suitable for play. Without sand mixed with the thatch layer, divots would readily kick out and the field would not be safe for any type of sport.

[70s sainter]

I never thought id learn anything on saintsational , but there you go.

[Devilhead]

Ive gone down there almost every weekday the past 4-5 weeks having a kick.. Was perfect 3 weeks ago. Then they sanded it about 2 weeks ago and it was like a beach and last week they were putting some kind of product on the grass but was slowly coming back to life. Really hard surface though, would be very sore after training.

That might explain the odd colouring and differing growth rates but being hard at this time of year has to some significant concerns doesnt it? Who uses sand as a top dressing? Water and feritiliser does wonders surely the club arent skimping on that?

Everyone with turf knowledge uses sand to top dress. Sounds like if it was done 3 weeks ago its the perfect time to do it. Will be sensational in a couple of weeks from the sound of it.

So you are an expert in growing turf now Plugger - wow there is no end to your talents are there? Obviously it is a clay type sand (which is also referred to as top dressing or river sand) in contrast to beach sand, perhaps you can tell us where it comes from Plugger and what grade the sand is?

A loamy sand with a ph between 6 and 6.5 should suffice and I suggest that our groundsmen consider using Carl Spackler's Bent which is a mix of Kentucky bluegrass, featherbed bent, and northern California sinsemilla - a perfect hybrid which will also help our players completely forget about their troublesome foot injuries

[DC93]

My mate who I go and kick with and have a run around on the oval works in the Turf Industry. He said everything was normal with what was happening to the ground.. When I saw the sand and all the holes in the ground I thought "WTF is this" but he said it was normal and its a process done over a few weeks to bring the Turf back to life.. He used his Turf words but just cant remember everything..

Been watering the ground a lot more in the past week then they did early on..

[Con Gorozidis]

love your work devilhead! a true grass expert! youre like cheech and chong man

[plugger66]

Ive gone down there almost every weekday the past 4-5 weeks having a kick.. Was perfect 3 weeks ago. Then they sanded it about 2 weeks ago and it was like a beach and last week they were putting some kind of product on the grass but was slowly coming back to life. Really hard surface though, would be very sore after training.

That might explain the odd colouring and differing growth rates but being hard at this time of year has to some significant concerns doesnt it? Who uses sand as a top dressing? Water and feritiliser does wonders surely the club arent skimping on that?

Everyone with turf knowledge uses sand to top dress. Sounds like if it was done 3 weeks ago its the perfect time to do it. Will be sensational in a couple of weeks from the sound of it.

So you are an expert in growing turf now Plugger - wow there is no end to your talents are there? Obviously it is a clay type sand (which is also referred to as top dressing or river sand) in contrast to beach sand, perhaps you can tell us where it comes from Plugger and what grade the sand is?

No im no expert but my mate own a turf company and guess how and when he top dresses. Don't get upset because you have no knowledge of how grasses work. And I have no idea of your last question but as you told us they what they should have done, which by the way was completely wrong, I would have thought you would know the answer. Water and fertiliser to top dress. That's funny.

[Devilhead]

love your work devilhead! a true grass expert! youre like cheech and chong man

[WinnersOnly]

Is that why they call you Devil head?

[Devilhead]

Is that why they call you Devil head?

My nozzle is none of your business

BTW - That's a specialized gopher hose for flooding out gopher tunnels

We once had a gopher problem at Seaford but our management fixed the problem in October last year

[Dave McNamara]

BTW - That's a specialized gopher hose for flooding out gopher tunnels

We once had a gopher problem at Seaford but our management fixed the problem in October last year

Cuddly little gopher...?

[remboy]

Sand-based athletic fields
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sand-based athletic fields are sporting grounds constructed on sand.

Glad we sorted that out. I never would have guessed.

[WinnersOnly]

Very good thanks Devil got quite chuckle out of your wit - take care!