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Virginia SportsTurf Managers Association

1st Quarter - 2010

INSIDEPresident’s

Letter

2

On The Cover

2

Am I Ready...?

3

Field Day 2010

125

Snow, Snow and more

Snow

In this issue:

Winter MaintenanceSnow Removal

Bermudagrass Winter Kill Issues

Virginia Tech students place second in the STMA Student Challenge:Team members (a * indicates 2-yr team members)Back Row: Jeremy Atkins*, Logan Horne*, Ryan Holbrook*, Brian Stokes, Kevin Steele*Front Row: Thomas Kirsch, Justin Jones, Coach Nick McKenna

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2010 Winter Kill Possiblities

I don’t know about you, but I am ready to trade my snow shovel in for an infield rake. I have enjoyed talking to everyone to hear how long it has taken to get the snow removed. Those of you in college athletics have been removing the snow from the grass while those of us in parks and recreation and grounds have been removing it from sidewalks and parking lots. Please send us your photos of clearing snow from athletic fields to include in our next issue of Sidelines. Congratulations to the Virginia Tech 2 Year team and their 2nd place finish at the STMA student challenge. The VSTMA board approved funds to help send both VT student teams to compete this year. I also want to congratulate Jason Bow-ers, CSFM on his new job. Jason is now the sports turf manager for the MLS’s new team the Philadelphia Union. And last but not least please keep in tune

with the proposed budget cuts to the VA Coperative Extension. Check for updates on www.vstma.org and tell your representatives how you feel about any proposed changes.

Happy Spring,

Joshua McPhersonVSTMA President and Manager, Athletic Field MaintenanceDepartment of Parks and RecreationGovernment of the District of Columbia

From the President: Ready for Spring...

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Josh McPhersonVSTMA President

The STMA has a “Student Challenge” competition for teams from two and four year university programs located across America. The three hour test consists of sections on athletic turf and sports field management topics, turfgrass identification, insects, diseases and weeds, as well as a written case study. The challenge is divided into two groups: the two year and four year programs. This year the Virginia Tech two year pro-gram team placed second (out of 12) and the four year team placed twelfth (out of 21). This is the best showing for Virginia Tech to date and is a testament to the hard work of the teams and their coach Nick McKenna. Virginia Tech has competed in the “Student Challenge” since it started in 2005.The students are members of the Virginia Tech Turfgrass Club which is advised by Dr. Erik Ervin. The teams receive travel funds from the Virginia Sports Turf Managers Associa-tion, Virginia Turfgrass Council, and Virginia Turfgrass Association.

If you have already paid your 2010 VSTMA and STMA dues, thank you. If you have not paid your dues this will be your last issue of Sidelines until you do. You can renew 3 different ways: if you are or would like to become a member of the national orginaization, STMA, you can pay through their organization. To pay the VSTMA directly, you can either use the website to renew your dues, www.vstma.org or send a check along with your name, address, phone number, and email to: VSTMA PO Box 11415 Blacksburg, VA 24062 Thank you for your continued support and participation in the VSTMA.

“Am I Ready...?”

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Although there’s still plenty of snow on the ground in some places, there is no doubt that spring is on the way. Soon the challenges will turn to growing and mowing among other things once again. Just a few thoughts to lay on the table as you consider, “Am I ready…?”

Mowers/Vehicles/Equipment:Blades/Reels:• Make sure your blades are sharp and that you have extras on the shelf. Did you grind your reels in preparation for the mowing season? Make sure they are adjusted properly and set to the height where you know you plan to start out. Oil /fluids:• Did you change the fluids/filters over the winter? Start the mower up and let it run for a short while. Check for any leaks. Get familiar with where your grease points are now and add grease as needed. They get harder to find once they get covered with grass/dirt etc.Batteries:• Make sure to check your battery’s charging capacity. Better to charge or replace a weak battery now than worry about it as the grass is already growing.Tires:• Check your tire pressure. Inspect tires for cracks/dry rot or excessive wear. Take the time to address them now while you have the time.Wearable items:• Do you have an infield groomer that needs tines or teeth replaced? What about your dragmat that was worn out last season? Did you replace that? Painters:• Was your painter stored properly last season? Check to make sure that lines aren’t clogged. Make sure your nozzles are clean and not damaged. Maybe get a few spares to take you into the season. Got paint?

Irrigation System/Water Supply:Water Supply:• visually inspect the exposed plumbing around your systems point of connection. Are there any cracks or breaks in the pipe and fittings? Depending on your systems water source this may be a municipal water meter, Irrigation well, pond, or storage tank. Pay particular attention to brass backflow devices and ball valves as they are especially susceptible to freeze damage. Pressurize System:• Once you have identified and repaired any visible cracks or breaks in your system it is time to pressurize the mainline. If you have pumps on the system make sure all switches and tanks are adjusted properly. Walk the system as it charges with water looking for any hidden leaks or breaks in the lines. If you system fails to pressurize there is most likely an underground break, look for the wet spot. Shut off the main supply valve and make the necessary repairs before moving to the next step.

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Walk Through:• Once you have charged the system perform a station by station walk through. Repair any broken heads and just as important make sure all your heads are strait and level to just below grade. A crooked or low head will not apply water in an even and efficient manner.Controller:• The final step in your spring turn on is scheduling your run times. The turf water requirement is lower in the spring and fall than in peak summer months. Adjust your run times or water budget down during these times to eliminate water waste. Consider replacing your current controller with an ET or ‘smart’ controller to maximize scheduling efficiency. Finally install a rain sensor on your controller if there is not one currently installed. Rain Sensors are a very inexpensive way to save water and they can be easily adjusted to restore water based on your soil and turf needs.

Hopefully, by addressing some of these things early, you may avoid some downtime and excessive or unnecessary repairs. Many system failures during the year could have been prevented with a small amount of effort early in the season. For repairs or issues larger than you can handle, call a professional and get it done right. Remember that your distributor is there to help you. They can offer suggestions or services to handle start ups / preventive maintenance / repairs etc.

“Cheers” to a great 2010 growing season!

This article was contributed by Chris Bassett and Ted Kienast.

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Snow, Snow, and more Snow...

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WESTENDTelephone: 804-754-3590Fax: 804-754-7179Toll Free: 888-559-3528Bruce Adwell (Cell): 804-640-8867

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WILLIAMSBURG, VATelephone: 757-253-8873Fax: 757-253-8877Neil Jones (Cell): 757-273-2057

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Turf Managers in differing areas of management were asked to answer questions about snow removal proceedures. The questions were: How do you coordinate spring sports when there is snow on your fields? For example do you remove the snow, make them practice indoors, or other options? If you remove snow, what methods do you employ and how effective do you think they are? Do you have issues keeping people off your fields during snow/frost events to prevent damage? How do you prevent traffic? How long after the snow has melted would you try to keep traffic off your fields to prevent damage due to wetness? Realistically how long are you able to keep traffic off and what do you do to counteract any damage? Each manager answered in their own way, I would like to thank them for their time and input.

Contributed by Vince Henderson, Henrico Co. Parks and Rec. Spring sports just as sports in any season are subject to weather conditions. The hard part with

spring sports is that everyone is so eager to get outside after being inside all winter…especially this current winter. Presently, we do not remove snow off of fields in the County of Henrico for recreation or association use. We have a large number of natural turf fields and no synthetic turf fields, so one question becomes whose field do you try to make playable and who has to wait? However, we have tried to think of ways to speed up the process, but most are not feasible. We believe that we would cause more damage such as ruts, ripped-up turf and compaction if we tried to remove snow. If we were to try and remove snow it would most likely be to a field that was lagging way behind other fields due to shade issues. In this case, we would do it the old fashioned way…shovel it. Obviously, special care transporting the snow off the field would have to be observed. Instead, the current conditions actually reinforce the need for well drained soils, properly graded fields, and proper site selection. We are finding that fields with these characteristics are coming along faster than those that do not. It really is no difference than when we get too much rainfall this time of year. Part of this may be due to the fact that, for the most part, the ground under the snow in this area is not frozen. Once the snow is gone it seems that the fields that have well drained soils are not that wet, and those that do not drain well are then subject to freeze and thaw conditions. Unfortunately, the hardest characteristic for user groups and turf managers to use, patience, must be utilized. Keeping user groups off of fields when conditions are not favorable has always been one of our biggest challenges. Generally, all we can do is place “Fields Closed” signs at our fields. We also apply turf blankets to some fields to deter use. Sometimes they work and sometimes they are ignored. This winter has been a little better due to the fact that the snow events have been so deep that it is almost impossible to play any type of game on the fields. Also, I believe that most of the kids in our area have been looking for the best hills around. Evidently, the fields have not been on their minds too much…yet. When we do get damage at this time of year we try to use our aeravator on the area as soon as practical to smooth out ruts, but also relieve compaction from the rolling effect. Usually, this will help keep the field safe from holes and ruts,

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Snow, Snow, and more Snow...but allow for oxygen in the root zone. In the past, we have seen fields that we thought were going to be completely bare in areas completely recover without sod or sprigs. In fact, most of our lasting damage still comes from over use, not from random use during unfavorable conditions. For the most part, we have one more week (March 1st) before most of our spring sports get under way. The exception is high schools start this week with baseball, soccer, and track and most will be using tracks, parking lots, and gymnasiums for conditioning.

Contributed by Alison Moyer, Collegiate SchoolIn order to allow all of our spring sports to begin on time, we are planning to clear our 2 synthetic fields, utilizing all indoor space, and having early and late athletic practices each afternoon. We will not have to use our natural turf fields until after Spring Break which for us ends March 14 and hopefully by then they will be dry and ready for play. As for snow removal, this is the first year since I have worked at Collegiate that we have had to worry about it. We are relying mostly on Mother Nature and helping with a little snow plowing. However, our main goal at this time is to allow nature to take it’s course and let the snow and wet to melt and dry naturally. Luckily, we have 2 synthetic fields that take the pressure off of any natural turf fields......at least for a little while. Collegiate’s athletic department has the ultimate say of when we get back on our fields. My biggest responsibility is to communicate with the athletic department and help them determine a balance of good field conditions with the need for multiple fields to practice. If the fields are damaged at the beginning of the spring season, the athletic department knows we can’t do much to help field conditions for the rest of the season. One major constraint is our current budget only supports overseeding 1 time per year.

Contributed by Marc Moran, Atlee High SchoolWe do not have an effective ability to remove snow from the fields so we leave that up to Mother nature. I’m in close contact with our A.D., and he has developed an indoor rotation plan for each of our spring teams. The calendar is designed so that each day of the season is planned, and in the event that we have to resort to the indoor plan, we just look at the calendar and see what the rotation is for that day. Other than sidewalks, we do not clear other areas. We clear sidewalks using our tractor and a blade

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Snow, Snow, and more Snow...for the 3-point hitch. While we manage to keep our organized sports off our fields, we do have random folks who try to venture out on to the fields when we have snow. This year we have seen cross-country skiing on the campus. During the first snow, we had one field that was invaded by some high school kids playing some snow football. We try to keep signage posted so it would deter the majority of people off the field. We do get the occasional truck or vehicle on the field and try to keep local law enforcement in the loop and they try to patrol the facility at random hours in the night. After the snow melts we try to keep traffic off until the ground has firmed up. Our goal is to protect our practice facilities so they are in good condition for the duration of the season. We don’t feel we should sacrifice a field in one day for the purpose of getting a practice in the books. We have a good communication channel with our coaches and they understand our goals. As with all things, at times we have to compromise.

Contributed by Jesse Pritchard, Universtiy of VirginiaHere at the University of Virginia our spring sports must practice outdoors. We are fortunate that we have four different synthetic football/lacrosse/soccer fields that we can place our teams on during inclement weather. This winter has been especially difficult, but we have provided playing fields for every practice by plowing these synthetic fields as the snow has fallen. We use two four-wheel drive tractors with a rubber tipped plow attached to the front-end loader. The tractors are outfitted with turf tires and do not damage the base. We keep our coaches updated daily about the use of our natural grass fields in the winter. Again, we are fortunate that we have two game facilities for the lacrosse - one synthetic and one natural grass. We play our early season games on the synthetic field and once the weather breaks the games move over to the natural grass stadium.

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2010 Winterkill Possibilities

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The question “Do you think we will have extensive winterkill of bermudagrass this year?” was asked of members of the VT Turf Team many times at the annual conference in Fredericksburg. At this time, we were only one month into winter so even with the extreme weather we had in late December and early January, meaning there was still plenty of winter to come. However, I do think it is pertinent for all bermudagrass managers to educate their clientele regarding the increased likelihood of winterkill this year. Let’s hope I am wrong but prepare in case I am right, okay? Here are the factors to consider:

The growing season of 2009. That’s right. Last year jumps to the forefront of what I think will be the overriding factor in higher winterkill possibilities this year. While the winter of 2008-09 will not be remembered for extreme snow or cold events like this winter, we had significant winterkill of bermudagrass on golf courses and athletic fields throughout much of the Piedmont and Valley and Ridge regions of the state. The summer of 2009 was persistently cloudy, rainy, and cooler than normal; by mid-summer in Blacksburg, we were tracking a full 100 growing degree days behind normal levels. These limitations result in a weak bermudagrass plant with less stored food reserves and a reduced root system entering the winter of 2009-10. Anticipate loss of grass in the following areas: heavily trafficked areas, sloped areas prone to desiccation and/or northern exposures, shaded areas that remain frozen for longer time periods. These are always the usual suspects in winterkill scenarios.

The persistent, extreme cold of late December/early January. Winterkill is not solely caused by extreme cold, but it certainly plays a significant role. At some point temperatures are so cold that inter- and intracellular ice formation damages cell membranes and organelles, resulting in cellular death. Many parts of Virginia have dipped into the single digits to just below zero this winter. The one hope that many bermudagrass athletic fields have, though, is that the temperature extremes for many of us have been moderated by a thick layer of snow. Snow is a tremendous insulator and with snow depths of several inches (and for some, multiple feet!) that many of us have had, it is quite possible that the bermudagrass fields have been adequately protected during these periods of extreme cold. For those of you with cool-season athletic fields, don’t be surprised if you find some snow mold activity as the snow and ice thaws. These weather patterns are conducive to this cold weather disease that strikes under conditions of high humidity and temperatures just above freezing. Snow cover

provides these conditions, as well as turf blankets and rain tarps. Preventive fungicide treatments are most effective but snow mold is usually not a major problem in our region. However, for spring baseball, softball, or soccer fields that are covered with turf blankets or rain tarps, it is often wise to treat with a preventive fungicide to combat any disease that can attack the turf due to the altered temperature and moisture conditions under the cover. There are a wide range of fungicides labeled for disease protection that are detailed in the Virginia Tech Pest Management Guide (http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/).

Other factors likely to lead to turf loss? No surprises here. Heavily trafficked areas are the areas most prone to winterkill even in years with mild winters. The high levels of soil compaction are another contributing factor

2010 Winterkill Possibilities

www.vstma.org 9

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to a weakened turf plant less likely to survive winter temperature extremes. Anticipate problems between the hashmarks and 30 yard lines on football fields as well as the sideline areas where players and coaches stand. Similarly, the areas where cheerleaders spent most of their time during fall football season will be prone to damage. For this reason, whether it is a bermudagrass or cool-season field, core aerating these areas after the season is a calculated risk worth taking in most situations. Nick McKenna and I wrote a VCE publication entitled Winter Management and Recovery Tips to Optimize Athletic Field Safety and Performance for Spring Sports (http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-408/420-408.html) that was featured in our last newsletter that contains tips for spring management that you can apply to restore your field’s playability for upcoming sports.

How do I know how much damage I have on my bermudagrass field? Spot inspections using a plugger on your field can give you a sense of the health of the turf. Creamy white, pliable rhizomes are

a positive sign for bermudagrass life. Pulling plugs, moistening them, and placing them in a warm, lighted spot in your maintenance facility or office is another way to anticipate how much recovery is likely. For larger scale monitoring, you can vent (poke some holes in it) a piece of clear plastic, attach it to the ground with some sod staples, and within a week there should be signs of turf regrowth from the above or below-ground stems.

If I suspect damage, what should I do? If you had a reasonably dense turf entering dormancy, your field will likely still support spring sports with a safe, playable surface. Regrassing will likely be required but consider that with the aggressiveness of bermudagrass, it only takes a few living plants per square foot to provide adequate plant material to restore a dense canopy. The one standard management strategy that will likely be modified will be your spring PRE herbicide application for annual grassy weed control. If you suspect damage, as a rule of thumb you should not apply a PRE herbicide to your field. There are some potential uses for PRE herbicides for vegetative plantings (sprigs, plugs, sod) but even in these situations, many still choose to target weeds with early POST products and applications rather than PRE chemicals.

If you suspect turf damage and the bermudagrass turf is not going to be trafficked this spring you might consider dormant seeding (if/when the snow finally melts!). Research at the University of Arkansas indicated that late winter/early spring seedings (mid-March worked best) provided nearly 100% turf coverage by the time (mid-May to early June) when seeding is normally recommended. The strategy worked with all seeded bermudagrasses tested. If you give it a try and want to save some money, additional research at Virginia Tech indicates that you can blend less expensive, less cold tolerant seeded varieties with improved cold tolerant varieties like Riviera or Sovereign. A 50/50 blend seeded at a total level of 1 lb of pure live seed per 1000 sq feet worked well in our trials.

2010 Winterkill Possibilities

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In terms of a fertility program to promote recovery or reestablishment, take soil tests to ensure that P, K, and lime levels are suitable and apply any nutrients recommended by the test results. In terms of nitrogen, apply a predominantly Slowly Available Nitrogen source (one that is 50% or more SAN) to a maximum level of 1 lb N/1000 sq ft for the first 4 weeks of growth, and then follow this with applications of predominantly water soluble N sources at levels of 0.25 to 0.5 lb N/1000 sq ft per week for the next 4 weeks. This program provides a reasonable approach between promoting as much growth as possible in an environmentally responsible manner.

Rotate traffic around the field as much as possible during any recovery events. Mow the turf as it needs to be cut in order to maintain the 1/3rd clipping rule (don’t remove more than 1/3rd of the leaf blade in any single mowing event). As temperatures warm, regular mowing will further encourage lateral spread (and increased density) of your bermudagrass turf.

Spring covering considerations. Turf blankets are likely going to play an important role in helping many bermudagrass sports fields make it through the extremes of this winter. However, mismanagement of cover applications in the spring might INCREASE the potential for turf loss. If the bermudagrass has extensively emerged from winter dormancy due to covering, it is ideal to protect the bermudagrass from cold temperature damage as this turf will have utilized its limited carbohydrate pool to initiate spring regrowth. There simply won’t be any food reserves available for recovery if the turf is damaged by a spring freeze. This scenario of ‘spring kill’ is sometimes more likely than winterkill on bermudagrass fields.

It is always difficult to predict winterkill so it is very possible that your bermudagrass turf comes through this winter just fine. However, as the snow and ice melts, begin checking your field for signs of damage and recovery potential. It is never wrong to ‘preemptively’ educate your clientele regarding what might happen this year regardless of your best efforts to deliver the safest, highest quality bermudagrass playing surface possible this spring.

This article was written by Mike Goatley, Extension Turfgrass Specialist, Virginia Tech. He can be contacted at goatley@vt.edu with any questions or comments.

www.vstma.org 11

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The 2010 VSTMA Field Day will be held June 16 and 17, 2010 at the Collegiate School in Richmond, VA. The Field Day Commitee is still finalizing the Program and details. If you are interested in helping or have ideas please contact a member of the board. We hope to

see you there!

SportsTurf Events Calendar

June 16-17, 2010, VSTMA Field Day, Collegiate 9School, Richmond, VA

June 22, 2010, Turfgrass Field Day, Hampotn 9Roads AREC, Virginia Beach, VA

Aug 31-Sept. 1, VT Turfgrass Field Day, 9Blacksburg, VA

Dec. 13-15, Turfgrass Short Course, 9Charlottesville, VA

Dec. 15-17, Turfgrass Short Course, Virginia 9Beach, VA

WWW.VSTMA.ORG

VSTMA Board Of Directors

Josh McPherson, President• Vince Henderson, Vice President• Allison Moyer, Secretary• Kevin Moore, Treasurer• Sam Doak, Information Officer• Dean Whitehead, Past President• Chris Bassett• Rodney Hopkins• Marc Moran• Dave Myers• Jesse Pritchard• Mike Skelton•

VSTMA Professional Position PostingPositions are posted on www.vstma.org/classifieds.php. If you have jobs available or you are looking for a job, please send your information to vstma@vstma.org. We will also post goods for sale or trade by non-vendors.

Executive Assistant, Whitnee Askewvstma@vstma.org ~ 540 231-5312

Mike Goatley, BOD Advisor