Facility & Operations
appearance for the plant materials.
On the practical side, another
benefit is that well placed mulch
creates a barrier between bored
or distracted teenage mower operators and the trees and shrubs
that are near the sports field.
Otherwise referred to as "mower Left: Gentle, easy to follow bed lines increase the ease of maintenance; a few well placed shrubs would complete the planting and cut down on fans cutting through the bed. Right: Mower blight causes disruption in water and nutrient flow.
blight," damage to the trunk of a
young tree greatly decreases the
capacity for water and nutrient flow and creates openings in the
and is an expense that must be included in the overall budget, but
bark and sapwood that facilitate decay and degradation of the
should be considered to be as important as a mower or irrigation
woody tissues inside.
system for the field turf.
The two-part question always arises: "How deep should the
Without a doubt, ornamental plantings that include groundcovmulch be and exactly where should it be placed? The two-part aners, perennials, annuals, containers, trees and shrubs can provide attractive surroundings as well as many desirable functional attributes
swer is: Starting 3 inches away from the trunk of woody plants and
for players, coaches and fans alike. Proper care must be taken to
extending it as far into the sports facility landscape as is feasible is
maintain them in a safe and responsible manner for the benefit of
the best placement of mulch. A depth of 2-3 inches is desirable for
all. n
most ornamental species.
Of course, mulch is not a panacea for all that ails an ornamental
John C. Fech is a horticulturist with the University of Nebraskaplanting or a silver bullet for the sports turf manager looking to
Lincoln and an ISA Certified Arborist.
completely ignore its care. Mulch needs to be replaced over time
18
SportsTurf | January 2014
www.sportsturfonline.com
