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Mid-SeasonSodding:

Big-roll sod is preferred over slabs and small rolls because thereare fewer pieces involved and fewer edges. Photo courtesy: WestCoast Turf.

Planning for the PitfallsBy Steve and Suz Trusty

S ports turf managers strive forathletic field turf that withstandsthe rigors of play throughout the

season, whatever the sport. But some-times circumstances combine to weakenturf to the point that mid-season replace-ment is necessary. In northern regions,it's frequently the wear of constantsoccer play and the turf-tearing combatof football that are hardest on the cool-season grasses entering, or already into,the dormant condition.

Mid-season sodding can be a quicksolution to damaged turf, but the weatherextremes that stress turf most — summerheat and winter cold — also make sodinstallation and establishment moredifficult.

Dr. Henry Indyk of Turfcon inSomerset, NJ, offers these basics onsod installation. "Any sod being used onathletic fields should have compat-ibility of the soil on which the sod is grownand where the sod will be placed. Fora high-sand-profile field, high-sand con-tent or processed or washed sod shouldbe used and time built in to allow rootingbefore play.

"Rooting time varies according tosite, sod and weather conditions andthe site preparation, installationpractices and follow-up maintenance,"Indyk continues. "Normally, thin-cut

20 sportsTURF

sod can be adequately rooted within amonth and capable of supporting play.Hot summer or cold winter weathernaturally will slow the rooting process."

No matter what sod form is used, orwhen the sodding is done, proper sitepreparation is essential. Sodding successrates are lowered by attempting to soddirectly over an area where seedinghas failed by merely scalping the existingturf. A certain amount of tillage is nec-essary to get rid of compaction and thehard surface, making it easier for the turfto root. Those who think they can min-imize costs and labor by skimping onpreparation will end up paying later.

"Before sodding, consider what's inthe soil," Indyk advises. "Test for pHand nutrient levels and make anynecessary adjustments prior to installingthe sod."

Making the GradeIndyk also urges sports turf man-

agers to make sure the soil grade isestablished correctly, leveled and firm,with no hard or soft spots. "Today's softspots become tomorrow's depressions,"he explains. "Using post-installationcorrective measures — rolling to lowerhigh spots, or topdressing to raise lowspots — aren't as successful as doing itright in the first place."

When replacing only portions of thefield turf, make sure the sod conformsexactly to the level of the remainingportion of the field. Fit sod sections pre-cisely, with tight seams. Avoid any voidsbetween pieces. Stipulate the 'shelf life'of sod according to weather conditions.For example, with temperatures in the80-degree range, a six-hour windowfrom harvest to delivery, combined witha six-hour window from delivery toinstallation, can curtail the heating pro-cess that is detrimental to sod quality.With more moderate temperatures, orvacuum-cooled sod, these windows canbe extended.

At Camden Yards, the sod nurseryoffers mid-season insurance. Photocourtesy: Trusty & Associates.

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Indyk continues, "Water availabilityis a critical factor in all sodding situations.The irrigation source and supply shouldbe adequate to supply water as needed,when needed." Immediately followinginstallation, keep the sod pad wet and ade-quate moisture in the two to three inchesbelow the sod pad. Deep watering is ofno value to the sod until the roots extenddeeply enough to use it. Monitor rootgrowth and adjust irrigation as neededto adapt to that growth. Irrigation maybe needed two or more times each day tokeep the sod from drying out.Also, irrigation needs may vary indifferent sections of the field dependingon the soil profile, sun, shade, tempera-ture and winds, so watering must beadjusted accordingly.

"The first mowing of sod should bedetermined by the height and growth rateof the grass," Indyk says. "Sod top growthwill continue whether the roots haveknit into the underlying soil or not. Ifmowing is done properly and carefully,and with appropriate equipment, thereis no need to wait for the sod to knit."

Mid-Season Sodding:The Specifics

Dr. Tim Bowyer, general managerof the sports turf division of Southern TurfNurseries in Omega, GA, (a subsidiaryof the Warren Group of Crystal Lake, IL,)offers this advice on mid-season sod-ding: "When sodding at any time, youmust consider the physical site loca-tion and field specifications. For example,for fall and winter sports, resodding inthe south typically requires a bermuda-grass sod overseeded with perennialryegrass. If a bermudagrass field had notbeen overseeded, a dormant bermuda-grass sod would be used."

Replacement may be required becausefield damage is extensive, with holes,gouging and divoting conditions of suchseverity that player safety could be jeop-ardized. Or, field owners could decide theaesthetics of the field are inadequate fora highly attended or televised game."Under these circumstances, there maybe only a three to six-day window tomake the repairs," Bowyer explains.

"Generally, only the severely damagedturf section will be replaced. Thick-cutsod, in the 1-1/2-inch to two-inch range,offers greater stability in these resoddingsituations. Big-roll sod is preferred overslabs and small rolls because there arefewer pieces involved and fewer edges.The size of the roll must be adjusted tocompensate for the extra weight andbulk of the thick-cut sod. The weight andhandling combine to limit how long a stripcan be cut."

If a heavy-soil, thick-cut sod is placedover a sand-profile field, it will be nec-essary to aerify and topdress with asand as soon as possible to increasedrainage and infiltration. Followinguse, the sod and heavy soil can be cut outwith a sod cutter or chopped out. The areacan then be refilled with the proper soilmix, leveled, watered and allowed tosettle in before the washed sod, orthinner sod with an appropriate matchingsoil are installed.

continued on page 22

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Mid-Season Soddingcontinued from page 21

Consider Long-Term SolutionsJohn Huber, president of Huber

Ranch Sod Nursery Inc. in Schneider, IN,adds this advice, "Mid-season replacementfor repair of severely damaged sectionsof football and, maybe, soccer fields is theonly time when the use of thick-cut sod

is logical. There are several disadvantagesto thick-cut sod. It doesn't root significantlybelow the imported soil because, with the1-1/2-inch to two-inch cut, roots havegrowing space and aren't forced to godeeper. It doesn't drain as well as thincut or washed sod. In wet situations, ittends to turn to mud. But it does havean advantage — increased stability."

If thick-cut sod is grown on the soil pro-file that matches the soil profile of the

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field with a grass-seed blend matchingthat of the field, it could be a long-termsolution, rather than a stop-gap measure.Big roll sod is the sensible form forathletic field applications because it'sfaster to install, gives greater stabilityand has fewer pieces and fewer seams.But even thick-cut, big roll sod will shiftsomewhat during the action of play andideally would have a period to knit inbefore use.

Dr. Indyk adds, "With most footballfields, mid-season sodding is used torepair the center of the field, betweenthe hashmarks. Generally, such re-placement runs from goal post to goal post.Big-roll sod is the sensible solution."

Huber, Bowyer and Indyk agree on theimportance of proper preparation andinstallation procedures. Huber adds,"For player safety and better visualappeal, the edges of each sod sectionshould be 'manicured' so there are no vis-ible seams. It may be necessary to makean application of iron following theinstallation to develop a more uniformgreen. This masks the variations incolor between the sod and existing turf.The sports turf manager will need to allowa day or two after application for the colorchange to occur."

Following installation of thick-cutsod, the sports turf manager will need toalter maintenance practices, especiallywater management, to compensate forthe differing soil conditions. All threeexperts agree on the advisability ofremoving sod grown on a soil differingfrom the field's soil profile, preferablyimmediately following use. They alsoknow that doesn't always happen. Hubercautions, "There will be long-term, detri-mental consequences if the non-com-patible sod and soil are not removed. Thesports turf manager should be preparedto compensate. It will be necessary toaerify intensively and attempt to rein-troduce desirable soil into the aerifica-tion holes to recover somewhat fromthe introduction of the other soil type."

Small Spot RepairCertain sections of athletic fields are

notorious problems. All three experts putsoccer goal mouths in this category.

Indyk says, "With so much pressurefor constant use of soccer fields, seedingrepair of the damaged goal mouth areasseems to be wasted effort. If there's achoice, use sod instead."

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Bowyer says, "An option for specificsections of damaged turf, such as soccergoal mouths, where there are demandsfor immediate field use, are the Netlon-amended, sand-based soil, turf squares.These are three to six-inch deep, largersections of turf grown with edges aroundthem so that they can set into placeand put into play immediately. Mostother sods need some time before theyreach playability."

Choosing the right turf type is animportant factor in your success. Bowyersays, "Bermudagrass is the best qualityturf for sport fields because of its basicgrowth characteristics. In northernregions, bluegrass/ryegrass blends dohave some rhizome forming abilities,but are not as vigorous and don't produceas much lateral strength as bermuda-grass. The further north we can pushbermudagrass, the better to have a basethat can withstand the stress of play."

Winter-hardy bermudagrass can beused in some sections of the north onbaseball fields that can be covered during

the winter months to temper the tem-perature variations and reduce desic-cation. "Zoysiagrass is an option for thebase turf of northern fields. It has theaggressive tendencies to dominate andform the needed densely-knit cover,"Bowyer continues. "I'd hope there wouldbe some serious research on its use as turffor athletic fields. It could be overseededor dyed green just as bermudagrass is inthe south."

While mid-season sodding can offer a"quick fix," it's not the ultimate solution.Bowyer says, "Some field problems go backto selecting the wrong blend of turf in thefirst place, or to such poor maintenancepractices such as applying too muchnitrogen late in the season, thus forcinglush growth and shallow rooting. But thegeneral problem is with intensive fielduse, which is probably the hardest thingfor the sports turf manager to over-come. Pre-planning and maintenancepractices can compensate somewhat,but a better solution is wise field-use man-agement. Mid-season sodding is a tem-

porary band-aid solution, not an answerto the turf problem."

Huber agrees, adding, "To avoid theneed for mid-season sodding, sports turfmanagers must focus on building the turfroot system throughout the year so thatit can withstand the extreme stressduring the playing season. It also wouldhelp if fields were made more wear tol-erant during construction, perhapsthrough the use of some of the newerconstruction materials now available.

Bowyer says, "Back-up sources ofsod, even if grown in the sports turfmanager's own on-site nursery, do offersome mid-season insurance."

Indyk and Huber agree with Bowyer."If sports turf managers were able to havebetter control of field use, they would havebetter control of the need for mid-seasonturf replacement." •

Steve and Suz Trusty are partnersin Trusty & Associates, a consultingfirm located in Council Bluffs, IA. Steveis assistant-chair of the public relationscommittee of the national Sports TurfManagers Association.

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