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: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/45791
Products you can see STMA Conference in Long Beach Revolution soil surfactant Revolution makes it easier to pro- tect your team by protecting your turf. This patented soil surfactant technology provides better mois- ture access and gas exchange in the root zone, improving overall turf health and making it much more resilient under all types of stresses. Revolution moves water and water-soluble inputs off the surface and into the soil more uni- formly, which helps you produce more uniform playing surfaces that can stand up to (and recover quickly from) the rigors of play. Aquatrols Turfplaner machine to debut Evergreen turf cover by COVERMASTER TODAY, groundskeepers rely on the use of a turf cover in the maintenance of natural grass sports fields. A turf cover can prevent desiccation (winter kill); it can speed germination of seed, promote stronger root development and delay dormancy in the fall or have the turf green-up quicker in the spring. There are a number of turf covers on the mar- ket today that promise various levels of results in these areas. One is a spun bond geotextile. Others are permeable and non-permeable polypropylene covers. Then there is a cover that is made of woven polyethylene with a liquid lace coating that binds the polyethylene strands together. This is the most widely used cover because it results in superior per- formance. in Long Beach g2 turftools, inc. will be introduc- ing its newest piece of equipment, the turfplaner, at the STMA show in Long Beach. The 84-in. turf- planer is a patent pending device that is capable of resurfacing and removing the surface irregularities of existing turf in a single pass to a grade tolerance of +/- 1/16 in. Through the use of dual propor- tional lasers and/or the patent pending auto grade technology, lip removal on baseball and soft- ball fields is now a simple one hour, one step process that is cost effective, time efficient and most important, within the reach of every maintenance budget. If the existing turf is unacceptable, the turfplaner can also be used to pre- pare the existing surface to re- ceive new sod or seed in a single pass, removing the existing turf and laser grading the field at the same time with out disturbing the underlying soil. g2 turftools AERA-vator is versatile The AERA-vator uses a patented vibrating tine action to fracture the hardest soil with very little sur- face disruption. The AERA-vator is used for incorporating athletic field conditioners on the skinned area of a baseball fields and aera- tion on the turf areas. If you want to lower equipment cost and uses one of the most versatile pieces of equipment on the market; the AERA-vator is the right choice in equipment for you. First Products EVERGREEN is such a cover and has been on the market for more than 20 years. Its open weave lets air, moisture and sunlight penetrate the cover re- sulting in a greenhouse type of effect, yet it allows excess heat to escape. That's the basic premise and it works. EVERGREEN is available in three color models, white, green and silver, each providing a specific function. The white cover allows full penetration of the three important elements—air, moisture and sunlight—that promote healthy turf. The green cover is identical except that it draws more heat to the soil because of the dark green coating. Silver takes the cover to the next level of per- formance by reflecting heat that rises from the soil >> TURF RESULTS comparison using Covermaster's Evergreen cover. underneath the cover back into the turf. In fact, a soil temperature increase of as much as 15 degrees has been recorded under the silver cover when compared to the other colors. In addition to the properties of the various col- ors, all EVERGREEN models are manufactured with SMART EDGE technology, which means that the cover can be cut to any shape or size. No hems or grommets are required because the patented lace coating keeps the material intact. This special fea- ture means that to keep the cover in place, anchor pegs can be used without limitations anywhere on the cover. This is not the case with polypropylene covers that can only be anchored in grommet loca- tions or else the material will unravel and separate. In selecting a turf cover, performance, longevity and proven success are the best criteria. With so many different covers on the market, the best ad- vice is to get feedback from current users. While many covers will help take natural turf through the winter, the question to ask is which one has the best results in all aspects. ■ CoverSports USA FieldSaver winter turf blankets/growth covers FIELDSAVER COVERS keeps turf protected all year long, from harsh winter conditions to promoting faster spring growth and green-up. FieldSaver is also a budget-saver; Josh Slayback, athletic field technician for the City of Clayton, MO calculated the savings impact of FieldSaver: "Winter turf blankets are an excel- lent investment, especially when con- sidering that sodding two 60 x 60-foot soccer goal mouths each spring over an 8-year period would cost us over $16,000. To purchase two 60 x 60-foot winter turf covers, seed and preventative fungicide over an 8-year period (the life expectancy of the blankets) will cost us an estimated $2,500." The Shaw Park 2010 winter renovation plan was: • Core aerate 6 directions • Seed with a turf-type tall fescue/Kentucky 44 SportsTurf | November 2011 bluegrass mix @ 15# per 1000 ft² • Apply a granular preventative fungicide • Cover the goal mouths with 60 x 60-foot winter turf blankets • Run the last irrigation cycle of the season FieldSaver winter turf >> BEFORE/AFTER photo taken at Shaw Park, Clay- ton, MO on 12/2/2010. blankets/growth covers feature Woven Polypro, translucent fabric with 90% light pass-through for better, quicker growth; hems and brass grommets means the cover can be secured with staples or stakes that stay put; and op- tional yellow safety color stakes mean more visibility, reduces tripping haz- ards and prevents loss of stakes in turf. More and more experts are including winter growth blankets/growth covers in their turf protec- tion plan. Can your turf and budget handle pass- ing on this small investment for another year? ■ www.sportsturfonline.com at