green world AN INDUSTRYWIDE PUBLICATION OF THE NEW JERSEY TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION Vol. 18 No. 3 September 1989 Soil Texture and Profile for Athletic Fields D.H. Taylor, G.R. Blake, and D.B.White Soil Profile Soils for athletic fields present com­ plex physical problems. These soils are subjected to concentrated traffic, often when soil is wet and most vulnerable to compaction. Natural soil structure at the surface is continually broken down and leads to compacted soil having poor water and air movement. This soil compaction inhibits water drainage for the soil and reduces oxygen movement to plant roots, causing oxygen depriva­ tion and death of the roots. A soil profile that maintains good growing conditions despite frequent traffic offers a satisfactory solution to this problem. A method that has worked well is to excavate the soil to 14 to 16 inches below the desired grade, install a Reprinted with permission of the University of Minnesota. D.H. Taylor is extension spe­ cialist, Department of Horticulture; G.R. Blake is professor emeritus, Department of Soil Science; and D.B. White is professor, Department of Horticulture. Dr. Blake was professor of Soil Physics at Rutgers Uni­ versity before moving to the University of Minnesota. tile drainage system in trenches cut into the soil, and cover the entire field with 2 to 4 inches of coarse sand or very fine gravel. On top of the sand place 12 to 14 inches of a modified soil mixture that maintains enough large pores even af­ ter compaction to insure adequate drainage and air movement for root growth. Figure 1 shows a sketch of this profile. Drainage Prompt removal of excess water pro­ motes optimal plant growth conditions and minimizes sports play disruption during periods of rainfall. When con­ structing athletic fields, supply both surface and subsurface drainage. Surface drainage removes excess water that does not infiltrate into the soil. Surface drainage is supplied by sloping the surface slightly from the field’s center to its sidelines. For most athletic surfaces, a slope of 1 to 1.5 percent is suitable and minimally af­ fects play. A 1.5 percent slope on a football field is equivalent to a 15-inch crown running the field’s length. To remove the surface runoff from the field, install a trench along sidelines, outside the bench area, and at the low­ est grade level. Place drain tubing in the bottom of the trench and then extend coarse sand to the surface to allow ex­ cess surface water to infiltrate quickly and be removed. Subsurface drainage that removes excess water after it infiltrates into the soil is as important as surface drainage. After water infiltrates the soil, subsur­ face drainage removes excess water that would stop root growth by cutting off the oxygen supply. In most cases, subsurface drainage is supplied through a system of flexible plastic drainage tubes. Drain tubing used for athletic fields commonly measures 3 to 6 inches in diameter. Dig trenches for subsurface drainage lines at a depth where the top of the tub­ ing will be at least 16 inches below the final grass surface. Trenches need to be only 6 to 8 inches wide and should have a uniform grade of 1 percent so that water will move rapidly to the sys­ tem’s outlet and prevent water pockets in trenches. Construct trenches to as­ sure a uniform slope. Subsoil excavat­ ed from these trenches should be re­ moved from the site to avoid plugged — continued on page 4 Figure 1. Vertical cross-section of soil profile recommended for athletic fields. Figure 2. Diagram of soil profile shows problem caused by leaving soil excavated from tile line trench at the site. Water encounters a barrier of fine soil in its flow path to the trench. OPINIONS AND COMMENTS Things You Do Not See on the “Front Page” When the tragic death of Navy Lt. George Prior was announced in 1982, considerable publicity blamed Daconil 2787 fungicide, which had been applied to the golf course where he played be­ fore his death. In the lawsuit of Prior v. Diamond Shamrock, the court decided Lt. Prior died from toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), which was caused by a viral in­ fection. A review of all medical writings re­ garding TEN confirmed that Daconil 2787 has never been associated with the disease during 18 years of the fun­ gicide’s use and the vast number of rounds of golf played on courses where it had been applied. The handling of this event in the news should help us remember that most of us who have seen a report of this deci­ sion, saw it in turf and landscape publi­ cations. Did anyone see this in their lo­ cal newspaper or hear it on the evening TV news? All the news about Alar on apples rarely touched on the poor justi­ fication for banning sales. This incident was very costly to the apple industry, and the consumers who use apples as a health food. We need environment watchfulness, but costly mistakes will continue until environment news is based on good de­ cisions and has even-handed report­ ing. REE Man’s real life is happy, chiefly be­ cause he is every expecting that it will soon be so. —Edgar Allan Poe “Truth” surely has the record for one- liners.Pope John XXIII adds one that is especially appropriate for our age: “Hu­ man society is ordered, productive and in accord with human dignity only if it is based on truth. ” Green World is published three times a year by the New Jersey Turfgrass Association, P.O. Box 231, New Brun­ swick, NJ 08903. Consulting editor: Dr. Ralph Engel; advertising chair­ man, Sam Leon; production editor and layout artist: David Crismond. Sustaining Members of NJTA A-L Services Incorporated A. Lombardi Landscaping Aabar, Inc. I The Morie Co. Agri-Diagnostics Associates Alpine Country Club Aqua-Flo, Incorporated Aquarius Irrigation Supply Aquashade, Incorporated Aquatrols Corp. of America Arthur's Landscape & Irrigation Co. Associated Marketing, Incorporated Barefoot Grass Lawn Service Barnes Landscape Basking Ridge Golf Course, Inc. Benco Services, Landscape Div. Brickman Industries, Inc. Brouwer Turf Equipment Bunton Turf Products, Inc. Champion Landscape and Tree, Inc Coger Farms & Garden Center D & J Landscaping Del Val Design Landscape Delalio Sod Farms, Incorporated Double Eagle Equipment Company Dow Chemical, USA DuBrows's Nurseries Evergreen Lawn Sprinklers Farmstead Golf & Country Club Fertl-Soil Turf Supply, Incorporated Fiddler's Elbow Country Club Florence Landscape Services, Inc. Forsgate Country Club Fredette Landscaping Freehold Township Parks & Rec. Garfield Williamson, Incorporated Glen Summit Nurseries, Inc. Grass Roots, Incorporated Green Acres Country Club Green Grass Landscape Svc., Inc. The Green Machine, Inc. Grinkevich Lawn & Landscaping 1989 OFFICERS OF THE N.J.T.A. William Waddington, President Robert Dickison, V President Ralph Engel, Secretary Carol Wolcott, Exec. Secretary Joseph Bianco, Treasurer Jack Poksay, Past President Henry Indyk, Expo Chairman EXECUTIVE BOARD Robert Dobson Richard Gorbich Richard Hurley Samuel Leon L.J. Makrancy, Jr. Ed Milewski Bruce Nagy Steve Stys Joseph W. Manning, Jr. Hoffman-LaRoche, Inc. Homestead Lawn Sprinkler Co., Inc. Hopewell Valley Golf Club Horizon Estates Irrigation Unlimited, Incorporated Jade Run Turf & Sod Farm JEP Sales, Incorporated Jimni Krickett, Incorporated Lawn Doctor Mountainside/Cranford Lawn Power Equipment Company Lawn Spray Company Lebanon Chemical Company Lee Rain, Incorporated Leon's Sod Farm Leonard Reinhardt, Incorporated Lesco, Incorporated Lofts Seed Incorporated MacAndrews & Forbes Company L.J. Makrancy & Sons, Inc. Meadowbrook Lawn Service, Inc. Metro Milorganite, Incorporated Mid Atlantic Equipment Corp. Middletown Sprinkler Company Montco / Surfside National Lawn Services of NJ, Inc. NJ Nursery & Landscape Assh., Inc. O.M. Scott & Sons Paige Electric Corporation Partac Peat Corporation Paul's Lawnscaping Pennsauken Country Club Pine island Turf Nurseries, Inc. Pleasant Hills Landscaping Pocono Turf Supply Company Rapp Sod Farm Reed’s Sod Farm Reid Sod Farm Rich Green Lawns Rockland Chemical Company Rosedale & Rosehill Cemetery Assn. Royal Lawns of Monmouth Rumson Country Club S&A Irrigation & Lawn Services Sacco's Landscape, Incorporated Sandoz Specialty Sales Scian's Landscaping Incorporated Seabright Lawn Tennis Club Seacoast Labs Sequoia Lawn Care Sierra Crop Protection South Jersey Weed Control Steve Tanis Lawn Care Storr Tractor Company Suburban Lawn Service Surf Landscaping Sweeney Seed Company Toms River Lawn & Sprinkler Inc. Trenton Country Club Upper Montclair Country Club U.S. Golf Association Vaughan Seed Co. W. A. Cleary Corporation Wayne Township Parks Department Wells Lawn Service, Incorporated Wilfred MacDonald, Incorporated Wilpat Turf Sprinklers, Incorporated Woodbridge Center Woodbury Board of Education Woodruff/Lerco Lawns of So. Jersey World Class Lawns OPINIONS AND COMMENTS Are Things We Do for Turf Worthwhile? Research is beneficial to better turf, but it is usually expensive and time- consuming. Like most things biological, many unanswered questions remain. Turfgrowing seems doomed to suffer along without important answers, be­ cause of the numerous problems which are difficult and complex to study. Some seem to defy solution. Yet, when we encounter turf prob­ lems, our determination or the demands for better turf pressure us into trying the “new thing” or the best available theoretical answer. This seems a justi­ fiable action, but cost, failure, and risk to turf can be worse than the original problem. After you decide to use a new proce­ dure, plan to evaluate what you “tried.” Does the new or somewhat untried work? Does the so-called standard treatment work as satisfactorily as you believed? What are the long-term re- WE CAN HELP YOU GROW better quality turf Jonathan Green stocks more bluegrass, fine textured rye­ grass and turf-type tall fescue varieties than any other seed house in the mid- atlantic and eastern states. Jonathan Green stocks an entire range of insecticides, herbicides, fertilizers and specialty turf products for professional lawn services, golf courses, municipalities, sod growers, hydro-seeders and all landscape contractors. Jonathan Green provides you with product information, custom turf care programs and prompt knowledgeable attention to your particu- lar turf problems... large or small. FOR THE FASTEST SERVICE IN THE EAST CALL Jonathan Green FARMINGDALE, NEW JERSEY 07727 IN NEW JERSEY 201-938-7007 1-800-526-2303 OUT OF STATE BEAM CLAY THE PROFESSIONAL'S CHOICE . . . SINCE 1922 BEAM CLAY IS THE RED BASEBALL MIX USED BY THE U.S.A. AND CANADA. PROFESSIONAL TEAMS ACROSS SPECIAL MIXES FOR PITCHER'S MOUNDS, HOMEPLATE AREAS & WARNING TRACKS. BOTH AVAILABLE IN BULK OR BAGS 201-637-4191 PARTAC PEAT CORPORATION KELSEY PARK GREAT MEADOWS, N.J. 07838 PARTAC GOLF COURSE TOP-DRESSING AMERICA'S PREMIUM TOP-DRESSING HEAT TREATED CONTROL THATCH, PROMOTE HEALTHY TURF & SMOOTH PLAYING SURFACES They have helped NJTA fulfill its mis­ sion of assisting with (1) turf education, (2) turf grass research, and (3) inform­ ing the public of the role of turf. This big assist from our advertisers leaves more money that is donated to turfgrass re­ search. We know the key role research plays in growing better turf. Among the several dozen advertisers I wish to acknowledge: Lofts Seed for 41 paid advertisements through the span of this publication, Garfield- Williamson and Rockland Chemical had 25 and 27 advertisements respectively since the late 1970’s. A range of 15 to 19 advertisements have been paid by each of the following: Cleary Corpora­ tion, Lebanon Chemical, Storr Tractor Company, Terre Company, and the Wil­ fred MacDonald Company. We owe a special thank you to all others who ad­ vertised occasionally! In addition, we thank Sam Leon, Wil­ liam Nist, and Jack Wittpenn for manag­ ing most of the advertising arrange­ ments over the past 20 years. • REE Parkmaster The Professional for large areas. suits? Was there short- or long-term turf injury? Answering some questions can require a career of formal research. Yet, the grower has a responsibility to acquire more knowledge about the worthiness of new things tried. The most practical and simplest method of evaluation is leaving an un­ treated check strip beside the treat­ ment used. In some cases, you might treat across a tee or fairway in an in­ conspicuous area. Usually, the strip should be a minimum of 20 to 40 feet long. It can be marked by a tree, water- head or fixed marker. A trial strip at several locations is often desirable. Record the location and date. With some materials or treatments, repeat the process for several years. This procedure is unlikely to answer all your questions. Yet without the treated and untreated comparison, it is often impossible to know why or if a turf change occurred. But the trial strip will often tell you if the treatment was a success, failure, or safe procedure. Some of our turf treatments are very costly and the nature of the problem obscure. The grower has a need and obligation to learn as early as possible if a treatment is necessary, effective, and is worthy of further use. The use of the check-strip treatment can be help­ ful on one-time treatments or a series of treatments over a period of time. The best part of the check strip is the low cost in time and mon­ ey. -REE GreenWorld’s Mission & Sponsors Greenworld is approaching 20 years of publication. The articles have as much information as in some turf books. The costs of publications have been covered largely by advertisers. The Toro Parkmaster mows swaths from 30 inches to 18 1/2 feet wide up to 80 acres a day With a 7 or 9 unit hydraulically controlled frame. It has a compact pattern of gangs for easy mowing, easy transporting. The Parkmaster is the mowing tractor built to take Spartan gangs. Comes with powerful gas or diesel engine with cab and roll over protection system (ROPS) optional TORO Storr Tractor Co 3191 U S Highway 22 Somerville NJ 08876 201/722-9830 The Professionals That Keep you Cutting Soil Texture and Profile for Athletic Fields — continued from page 1 drain tubing perforations and to prevent the situations illustrated in Figure 2, where water does not flow quickly along the sand/subsoil interface of the drain­ age trench. The bottom of the trench must be clean, firm and of uniform grade. Tile or tubing can be placed di­ rectly on the bottom of the trench. Sand or very fine gravel can then be back­ filled into the trench until it is 2 to 4 inches above the top of the trench. Ex­ ercise care during the backfill operation to insure that drain tubing remains in place at its original depth. Spread 2 to 4 inches of coarse sand over the entire field. During this proce­ dure, avoid driving construction equip­ ment over drainage trenches because protection from crushing the plastic lines is not yet in place. This layer of sand serves several purposes. First, when the soil mixture above the sand FERTILIZERS COMBINATIONS OF NITROFORM I.B.D.U. S.C.U. And And WITH INSECTICIDES PRE-EMERGENCE CRABGRASS KILLERS HERBICIDES GRANULAR LIQUID SELECTIVE AND TOTAL FUNGICIDES GRANULAR FLOWABLE WETTABLE POWDERS INSECTICIDES GRANULAR LIQUID WETTABLE POWDERS R O C K L A N D DOES IT ALL Ask your supplier or write: ROCKLAND CHEMICAL CO., INC. ® Passaic Ave., West Caldwell, N.J. Consider the advantages of sod Trap banks and edges, green and tee banks and areas along cart paths need special attention. Or even those traffic areas around the club and halfway houses. Consider Rebel sod: • Holds up better than Kentucky bluegrass • Requires less Irrigation compared to Kentucky bluegrass • Requires less fertilizer than Kentucky bluegrass • Heat tolerant • Excellent dark green color • Greater disease resistance than most other turfgrasses In tough areas or wherever you want good-looking turf and less maintenance. Use Rebel sod. ___ Lofts Seed Inc. World’s largest marketer of turfgrass seed Bound Brook, NJ 08805 (201) 356-8700 • (800) 526-3890 LOFTS Available through: S. Novasack Bros. Turf Farm South Seaville, NJ (609) 263-2400 Tuckahoe Turf Farms Tuckahoe, NJ (609) 628-2415 Bohm’s Sod Farm Woodbine, NJ (609) 861-2785 Pine Island Turf Pine Island, NY (914) 258-4545 becomes saturated, the sand allows ex­ cess water to move rapidly to the drain­ age lines. Second, when the soil mix­ ture consists of distinctly different particle size compared to the sand, the sand allows more water to be held in the soil mixture above. Third, sand separ­ ates drainage lines from the soil mixture and thus prevent small soil particles from moving into the lines and possibly clogging portions of the drainage sys­ tem. Drainage lines throughout the system must have a continuous slope to the outlet. The outlet must be capable of handling the maximum flow expected through the drainage system. Other­ wise, portions of the system, particular­ ly those near the outlet, can become in­ operative and cause soil to remain excessively wet. Soil Mixtures for the Rooting Zone Deciding soil mixture specifications for the rooting zone is one of the most critical decisions of athletic field con­ struction. The mixture must allow ade­ quate air and water outflow to sustain plant growth even after compaction. Some water and nutrient holding capac­ ity is also important to reduce the inten­ sity of management required. Using soil mixtures with very high sand content generally achieves these requirements. Most sands maintain large pores after compaction. These large pores allow water and air to flow quickly through the sand. By itself, however, sand retains very little water and almost no plant nu­ trients. Clay particles in soil and organ­ ic matter are the principal sources of water and nutrient holding power, but as the amount of clay and organic matter in a soil mixture increases, more large pores become blocked and water and air movement are impeded. The objec­ tive of blending sand and soil for athlet­ ic fields is to mix just enough clay and organic matter into the sand to give ad­ equate water and nutrient retaining power without reducing water and air movement to a detrimental level. The authors recommend starting with a washed sand of suitable quality and mixing in small quantities of soil and peat. Sand and gravel companies can inform you about their sands, but addi­ tional testing may also be necessary. — continued on page 5 Soil Texture and Profile for Athletic Fields — continued from page 4 An acceptable sand contains more than 60% particles between 0.25 and 1.0 mm in diameter (medium and coarse sand according to the USDA soil classifica­ tion). This gives a relatively uniform sand with many pores of similar size, thus maximizing air and water move­ ment through sand. Sand particles larg­ er than 2 mm or smaller than 0.1 mm in diameter are undesirable and should constitute less than 3 percent of the sand by weight. Most sand suppliers list fineness modulus values for their sands; these values indicate the gener­ al fineness or coarseness of a sand. Sands with fineness modulus values between 1.7 and 2.5 are recommended for use in athletic field soil mixtures. Generally, a washed or size-graded sand is needed to meet these require­ ments. Table 1 below summarizes these specifications. Mortar or plaster sands that meet specifications in Table 1 are available at many sand and gravel companies throughout the state. Commercial sands vary considerably in particle size and suitability for soil mixtures; many are well suited and can be used with (0.002 to 0.1 mm diameter) are pre­ ferred. Silty soils used in mixtures often cause unusually low water infiltration rates and poor internal water drainage. Soils with silt contents exceeding two and a half times that of the clay fraction are not suitable. Soils having silt-to- clay of 2.0 or less are preferred. Peat used in soil mixtures must be high in organic content. Reed-sedge, hypnum or sphagnum peats are suitable if the organic content is greater than 75% by weight. Generally, muck soils are unsuitable, usually detrimental, and are not recommended. The amount of each component (sand, soil, and peat) varies primarily with the texture of the soil component and may also depend on the depth of the soil mixture to be installed. If a 12- inch layer of settled soil mixture is laid over a coarse sand or gravel base, a soil mixture with 88 to 92% sand con­ tent by weight is recommended. Since the soil will settle, a 14-inch layer of loose soil moisture should be laid. Be­ cause the soil contributes sand to the mixture, actual mixing volumes of sand, soil and peat vary dependent on the sand content of the soil used. Use Figure 3 on page 6 to determine the mixing volumes of sand, soil and peat needed to obtain a specified sand content by weight. Before using the graph you must know the sand content of the soil. Table 1. Specifications for sand used in athletic field soil mixtures. Fineness modulus Particles < 0.1 mm Particles > 2.0 mm Partciels 0.25 to 1.0 mm 1.7 to 2.5 less that 3% wt. less that 3% wt. more than 60% wt. confidence but others should not be used. Concrete or coarse building sands, often available from the same companies, generally contain particles too large for soil mixtures. Sands used for specialized industries such as pe­ troleum or sandblasting are sometimes available. Some of these sands are well suited for athletic field mixtures where­ as others are not. Soil used in the mixture should be free of herbicide residues, roots and stones. Texture can vary widely, but soils low in silt and very fine sand COUNTRY CLUB greenskeeper Lebanon Pro Professional Turf Products Lebanon TOTAL TURF CARE P. O. Box 189, Dayton, NJ 08810 P. O. Box 180, Lebanon, PA 17042 A division of Lebanon Chemical Corporation The following example illustrates how to use the graph. Suppose you want to have a soil mixture containing 88% sand by weight and the soil you intend to use contains 37% sand. Enter the chart on the left line, then move verti­ cally downward to a sand volume of just less than four. Thus, a mixture of 4 vol­ umes sand, 1 volume soil and 1 volume peat would give about 88.3% sand by weight in the final mixture. Mixing Soil with Sand and Peat Mix sand, soil and peat only under conditions that insure a uniform mixing of ingredients. Mixing should be done off-site, away from or to one side of the — continued on page 6 Wilfred Mac Donald, Inc. 340 Main Avenue Clifton, NJ 07014 201-471-0244 •Jacobsen -Olathe • National • Gravely •Giant Vac •Broyhill • Cushman • Howard • FMC • Smithco •Terra-Care Minnesota covers many aspects nicely and has a unique table for predicting soil mixtures. The 12-inch depth of root zone mix does not offer potential for best rooting that might occur with a deeper profile. Sand particle size is covered simply and is important. Noth­ ing is said about the chemical nature of the sand. In this area, we deal largely with silica sands which are usually con­ sidered best. In achieving the desired soil product, our planning, mixing, and choosing the soils for atheltic fields needs careful scrutiny. We lack answers to important questions and find it difficult to do the work as intended. Even worse, anx­ iousness to complete the project forces shortcuts. We should ask for the time needed to do the work correctly. This in­ volves study, seeking and testing of materials. Our friends from Minnesota have given us a good presentation. Study this, and a paper of Dr. Spomers (University of Illinois) found in a 1977 Greenworld (Vol. 7, No.1), as an early step in planning the soil needs for in­ tensely used turf. • REE Soil Texture and Profile for Athletic Fields —continued from page 5 athletic field site. Mixing sand and peat into existing soil generally gives a poor mixture even if the soil in place is a good one. When mixing from precollected piles of sand, soil and peat, the shovel oper­ ator may need help deciding how to im­ plement the volume-ratio specification. Determine with the operator the number of scoops per load of each component and instruct him or her of the need to obtain equal volumes of each. Occa­ sional checking of the mixture by the soil specialist or architect during the mixing process helps determine if ad­ justments are needed. The most satis­ factory equipment for off-site soil mix­ ing is a mixer-shredder that accepts components and pulverizes, mixes and elevates them to a rotary screen prior to delivery. Work on mixing soil only at a moisture content that maintains natural soil structure. When mixed at a high water content, soil compacts, balls up and forms a non-uniform mixture. If mixed when too dry, soil tends to separate from sand or to remain cloddy, again forming a poor soil mixture. Editor’s Comment: Considerable diversity of opinion ex­ ists on the specifics of the proper soil mixture for athletic fields. Few question that most natural soils need amend­ ment. This paper from the University of Patrons Listing Figure 3. Nomograph to determine mixing volumes of sand, soil and peat for athletic field soil mixtures (from Taylor, D.H. and Blake, G.R. "Predicting sand content of modified soil mixtures from sand, soil and peat properties." Agronomy Journal 76:583-587 Michael P. Renzetti PLEASANT HILLS LANDSCAPING Golf Course Road Flanders, NJ 07836 (201) 927-1684 Samuel Leon LEON'S SOD FARMS Instant Lawn-Cultivated Grass Sod RD#1 Box 169 Frenchtown, NJ (201) 996-2255 08825 Drew Madzin ROYAL LAWNS P.O. Box 236 Farmingdale, NJ 07727 (201) 780-4950 Philip H. Mowery BUNTON TURF PRODUCTS, INC. 4054 Quakerbridge Road Trenton, NJ 08619 (609) 799-4101 W.A. CLEARY CHEMICAL CORP. 1049 Somerset Street Somerset, NJ 08873 (201) 247-8000 [Turf Chem & Fert] Call: Barbara Cleary or Russ Ward PINE ISLAND TURF NURSERY, INC. Charlie Lain & Son — Growers Beautiful "Pineturf" Blends Quality Sod — Quality Service (201) 875-5125 or (914) 258-4545 John Wistrand, Tony Grasso METRO MILORGANITE, INC. P.O. Box 267 Hawthorne, NY 10532 (914) 347-4222 LAWN POWER EQUIPMENT CO. BROOKREST SOD FARM Tony Russo Deines-Magnum 2000 Millington, NJ 07946 (201) 647-5804 Ken Stattel P.O.Box 122 Marlboro, NJ 07746-0122