Putting your Field to Bed
It is that time of year again, the days are short and turf growth has finally stopped after another long season. Most turf managers have moved indoors and are spending time with their families. In the back of our minds, we all are hoping for a mild winter and quick green-up in the spring. As Dave Minner once said, “If you are darn glad the fall season is over and you don’t want to see that field until next year, then expect it to look like a pasture because you are treating it like one.” For spring sports, especially soccer and baseball this would be an enormous mistake. How the fields are left going into winter is the best-case scenario, come March. The field does not simply improve over winter; it only has the potential for further deterioration. Spring conditions can often be too wet to core, seed, or topdress before the spring playing season begins. Putting your field to bed in the fall will help it wake up ready to go in the spring.
Football
Overseeding your field throughout and after the season will increase your stand going into the next season. Adding Kentucky bluegrass and/or perennial ryegrass even as late as mid-November can go a long way to improving a damaged field. Spread seed over the high traffic areas and allow players to cleat …show more content…
However, it is important to remember that the field condition entering the winter will be the same as the field condition during the start of the baseball/softball season, especially for college fields. College baseball/softball can start as early as mid-late February if weather allows. The first hint of spring and they usually will be on the field. The spring schedule for high school usually starts in April and continues through the summer months. A majority of the maintenance practices listed above for soccer and football can be employed for baseball/softball grassed