SportsTurf provides current, practical and technical content on issues relevant to sports turf managers, including facilities managers. Most readers are athletic field managers from the professional level through parks and recreation, universities.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/791889
FIELD SCIENCE 16 SportsTurf | March 2017 www.sportsturfonline.com safe/in compliance with standards? Barry: Patching mounds after the game, watering and covering is very important for us to keep moisture levels consistent in the mound. Having a good, deep moisture base in the mound increases playability, and minimizes patchwork after the game. The less patching you do, the less clay you use, the more money in the budget for other projects! MIKE MORVAY, DIRECTOR OF GROUNDS, LAKEWOOD BLUECLAWS SportsTurf: Once you have a mound built the way you want it, and regularly maintain it, how long do you expect it to last before you have to start over? Or is the idea to build it right at the beginning so you rarely have to rebuild the entire mound? Morvay: With normal maintenance practice and up care of mound it should last you the whole season. Normal packing on clay in the holes after each use and behind the rubber if needed will keep the mound in great shape. I like to fl ip my pitching rubber around the All-Star break. With that said we will re-slope the mound with clay and infi eld mix and roll it tight. I try to rebuild my mound in fall for the upcoming season allowing it settle over winter. SportsTurf: Are there any alternatives to clay-based soils (bricks) for mounds that will hold up to regular use? Morvay: I don't like the bricks because they are not easy to repair with. I prefer to use mound clay. SportsTurf: Are there any relatively quick and easy steps a K-12 or Parks/Rec turf manager can take to get his mounds to the correct height with proper slope? Morvay: The most accurate way to set your distances and heights is to use a transit with a laser. If this isn't possible, you can also run string between steel spikes and use a bubble level clipped on to the string. The third alternative is to build and use a slope board. You can also use a 2 x 4 as slope gauge. Build the mound in 1-inch levels, establishing the desired degree of moisture in each one to ensure each level adheres to the next. Use a tamp to compact each level as you build. To make it easier to tamp down each level, put down plastic or wrap the tamp with a towel or piece of landscape fabric to keep it from sticking to the clay. The key is building the mound in layers and using a slope board. SportsTurf: What's the most important post-game task that managers at lower levels can do to keep mounds safe/in compliance with standards? Morvay: The most important tip is to repair it after every use. Repairing after all games are over. Keeping up on the maintenance is key. STAY CONNECTED RED INFIELD CONDITIONER BULK DELIVERY 10, 15 AND 24 TONS DOUBLE PLAY INFIELD CONDITIONER HOME PLATE / MOUND CLAY 50 LB. BAGS / 40 BAGS PER PALLET AVAILABLE IN BULK NATIONWIDE