15 Jul Caring for Natural Grass Athletic Fields
Summer is a busy time for many athletes—it is, after all, the season for watching outdoor sporting events. But it’s also a busy time for turfgrass managers, too! With all the games and practices scheduled on the fields, it’s important to stay on top of the maintenance and maintain the fields properly—especially if your athletic field is made of natural turfgrass. Natural grass fields are definitely more of a challenge than artificial turf—it is not an easy job. To help you maintain your field successfully, here are some tips and things to think about.
Successful golf course grounds all start with healthy soil. Course managers need to care for it, maintain it, and most definitely, test it. If the nutrients are off in the soil, it can have a waterfall effect, messing with everything on the course. By having it tested, you can cut problems off before they begin by looking at it in depth and making sure it’s balanced. Therefore, it’s important to dig down and understand soil testing. 
Summer weather can be an enormous challenge to your golf course maintenance. The stress on your turf can be brutal- here are some cultural and mechanical tips that can help you survive the summer heat and thrive throughout the year. Conditions can be brutal due to the high heat and humidity we often see. Excessive stress can cause turf decline that can affect playing conditions. Being proactive with your actions can help minimize stress and maximize play.
Great turf starts with healthy soil, but what does healthy soil start with? Before we dive into the specifics, it needs to be recognized that for something to have “health”, it must be a living thing. So how can soil be alive? It’s a vital, living ecosystem, full of organisms like bacteria, algae and fungi. It’s not just a growing medium, but its own entity. 
You hear me talk A LOT about potash applications and the importance of potassium levels for plant health and recovery. I don’t talk much about the actual golf and equipment traffic, but it is important for that too. This research focuses on silicon and how those products are sold to aid in wear and recovery. Take a look and see what you think. 
Sulfur is one of those elements that seems simple enough, but I often have conversations about it. Some clients worry about too much, some clients want more. There are a couple of "lanes" people choose on sulfur and once they are in the lane it is hard to get out! I hope this summary on sulfur will help clarify some misconceptions.
With many places that I work, the soils are high pH and often calcareous. I have seen sulfur on soils tests that are so high, you would think it was a sample from a bag of elemental sulfur. Take a look and as I see you in the upcoming weeks, we will have something to chat about.