Tis' the season for turf covers
11 Dec, 2006Old Man Winter has made his craggy appearance in much of the continental U.S.A., and outdoor youth sports are on hold for several weeks. Some turf managers use turf covers to protect fine turfgrass. Here are some advantages to using covers, the information courtesy of The Ohio State University sports turf team of Pam Sherratt and Dr. John Street.
* Significantly quicker spring green-up in 2007. Temperatures under the cover can be 6-10 degrees warmer than ambient air, so turf growth is 2-4 weeks quicker than on non-covered turf. As an example, Matt Williams at Columbus Crew Stadium aims to cover February 15th 2007 then uncover 2-3 weeks before the first game April 15th.
* Extended fall color - this is particularly important for late fall sports and warm-season grass fields
* Speeds up seedling germination & establishment
* Holds seed in place, and prevents erosion during a rain event
* Having the field covered discourages people from playing on them while they are being renovated
* If the cost is too restrictive for a blanket that covers the whole field, smaller pieces of blanket can be used to cover high trafficked areas, such as goalmouths and sidelines. Just be aware that covered areas will be a darker green color than the remainder of the field in the early spring
NOTE: A growth blanket, such as Evergreen by Covermaster, costs around $15,000-$20,000 for 90,000 sq. ft, depending on whether the cover has to be custom made (e.g. for baseball) or is just a standard rectangle. While there are less expensive covers out there, a good quality cover gives better results, lasts longer, and usually carries a 7-10 year warranty.
If you use a turf cover, protect the turfgrass from snow mold, advises CSFM Mike Schiller. Put down a snow mold fungicide, or a good all-purpose fungicide, to prevent any outbreaks under the covers, he says. Even if you put the cover on in February, it’s still a good idea to apply a preventive fungicide, because the last thing you want is disease under the covers.
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