Professional Documents
Culture Documents
&
MANUAL
For Natural Field Maintenance
INFORMATION BREAKDOWN;
Item 1 (weeding);
2 types of weeding method can be achieved;
a) Weed Pulling.
How to:
Minimize soil disturbance by pulling out weeds slowly and carefully, and replace soil to
disturbed areas where possible. Trampled and disturbed areas can provide optimal
germination sites for many weeds. Minimize trampling by limiting the number of people
in the site and the amount of time spent there. Whenever a manual technique is used, it is
wise to wear gloves, a long-sleeved shirt, and long pants. Some plants can cause moderate
to severe skin irritation, especially when their stems and leaves are crushed and broken.
Even the flimsiest weeds can leave hands raw and bleeding after several hours of pulling.
b) Mowing, Brushing Cutting, Weed Eating.
Mowing and cutting can reduce seed production and
restrict weed growth, especially in annuals cut before
they flower and set seed. Some species however,
resprout vigorously when cut, replacing one or a few
stems with many that can quickly flower and set seed. Be
sure to consider the biology of the weed before cutting.
Figure 2: Mowing natural turf.
How to:
Mowing and cutting are often used as primary treatments to remove aboveground biomass,
in combination with prescribed burning or herbicide treatments. It is important to collect
the cut fragments of species capable of re-sprouting from stem or root segments to prevent
them from washing or blowing into uninfected areas.
c) Mowing Types;
In the market there are many mowing products that can be used to mow natural
grasses, but not all mowers are suitable for sports type fields which requires
consistent grass height to achieve individual sports requirements. There is no
perfect mower in the market but few types of mowers are recommended as below
that are best used for sports field maintenance. Consideration depends on owners
budget, brand, and features;
Ride-On Mowers.
d) Mowing Practices;
It is essential that all types of mowing equipment be kept sharp and in good operating
condition. Dull, improperly adjusted equipment not only destroys the aesthetic value of
the turf by discoloration and bruising of the leaf tips but also provides more ready access
for disease organisms and insects through the damaged leaves.
The proper type of mowing equipment should be used for a given grass under a given set
of usage and maintenance conditions. Sharp, properly adjusted reel type mowers are
recommended for cutting quality turf grass areas because they provide a clean even cut
and leave the lawn with a well groomed appearance. Reel mowers combined in gang units
provide the fastest means of mowing large turf grass areas. Rotary mowers give a better
cutting job if tall weeds and coarse grasses are present. Rotary mowers should be used
where grass control rather than appearance is the predominant consideration.
Safety factors should also be taken into consideration in selecting a mower. Due to the
nature of the cutting mechanism reel mowers are generally considered safer than rotary
mowers. If a rotary mower is to be used it should be of heavy duty construction, well
shielded, and have the grass discharge port at the side or front never at the back of the
mower.
Mowing wet grass should be avoided as much as possible. Dry grass cuts more easily,
does not ball up and clog the mower, and gives a finer appearing lawn. Timing tests show
that mowing dry grass requires less time than mowing wet grass.
Item 3 (Fertilisation);
All lawn fertilizers contain three primary nutrients that are labelled in this sequence on the
packaging: nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (NPK). Fertilisers for flowers, trees,
shrubs, edibles and more have different compositions, so always use fertilizer specifically
designed for grass for best results. The NPK listed on a bag of fertilizer indicates the
percentage by weight of each of these three major nutrients.
Nitrogen (N) promotes rapid growth and lush green
colour.
Phosphorous (P) helps develop healthy root systems.
Starter lawn fertilizers have a high phosphorous count
for this reason, while fertilizers for established lawns
have a relatively low amount.
Potassium (K) boosts the overall health of your grass
and helps with disease resistance, drought protection
and cold tolerance.
*For example, a common type of all-purpose fertilizer is referred to as 10-1010. That means the bag contains 10 percent nitrogen, 10 percent phosphorous
and 10 percent potassium. The remaining ingredients contain other nutrients and
fillers.
Granular
Liquid
Item 4 (Herbicides);
A herbicide is a pesticide used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill certain
targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering
with the growth of the weed and are often based on plant hormones. Herbicides used to
clear waste ground are nonselective and kill all plant material with which they come into
contact.
a) Select the proper herbicide by identifying the weed and application site.
Be sure the label lists the weed you want to control. An herbicide will kill all susceptible
plants, not just weeds. Make sure the label says its safe to use on or around the plants in
your lawn, garden, or landscape. Be sure the weeds are in a stage that is susceptible to the
herbicide. (See preemergent and postemergent below.)
b) Check the label for the herbicide type.
Herbicides that kill most plants they contact are called nonselective. Weed killers that
control some kinds of plants but not others are called selective herbicides. Herbicides that
control the germinating seeds before plants emerge from the soil are
called preemergent herbicides. They wont control weeds that already have emerged.
Use postemergent herbicides to control plants that already have emerged. The younger
the weed, the better a postemergent herbicide will work.
Some Common Active Ingredients in Herbicides and Their Use
Active Ingredient1
Weeds
Controlled
Where Used
Notes
Glyphosate: Nonselective,
postemergent
Most
As spot
treatments on
weeds or
clumps of
weeds
Will injure
desired plants if
spray gets on
them.
In cracks and
crevices or as
spot
treatments
Organically
acceptable.
Wont control
older weeds or
perennials. Best
when
temperatures are
higher than 70F.
Trifluralin: Selective,
preemergent
Gardens and
lawns
Water or
cultivate soil
after applying.
Use after garden
Most annual
weeds
plants are
established.
Benefin: Selective,
preemergent
Most annual
weeds
Lawns
Dithiopyr: Selective,
preemergent
Crabgrass,
annual
bluegrass,
oxalis, spurge,
and others
Lawns
Dicamba: Selective,
postemergent
Broadleaves
Lawns
Controls clover
and other
broadleaf weeds
in lawns.
Fluazifop: Selective,
postemergent
Grasses
including
bermudagrass
In broadleaf
groundcovers
or landscape
beds
Apply when
grass weeds are
actively growing.
Broadleaves
Lawns
Controls
dandelion and
other broadleaf
weeds in lawns.
1 Some of these active ingredients are sold in combination with other ingredients.
NOTE:
Remember to check on suppliers recommended dosage for herbicides stated
on the package.
Herbicides concentration usage may vary depending on the types of
treatment.
Product
Name
Fungicide
Ortho
Daconil
2787
(Chlorothalonil)
Diseases controlled,
Dollar Spot, Leaf Spot,
Brown Patch, Gray
Leaf Spot, Red Thread.
Fungicide
Monterey
Montery
Aliette
(O-etrhyl phosphate)
Diseases controlled,
Pythium, Rizoctonia.
Insecticide
Abbot
Labs
DiPel DF
Biological Insecticide
Diazinon
Insects controlled,
Lawn Chinch Bugs,
Cut Worms, Sod
Webworms, & more
Insecticide Ortho
NOTE:
Remember to check on suppliers recommended dosage stated on the
package.
Concentration usage may vary depending on the types of treatment.
Item 6 (Watering);
Water has many important roles within plants and if the water content in the tissue should
drop below 60%, the turf is seriously weakened and can die or go dormant. Water is not
only essential for growth but necessary for conditioning turf to handle and recover from
stress caused by heavy use and harsh environmental conditions.
Supplemental water is necessary when natural rainfall is not sufficient to keep turf healthy
after the soils have dried out. Temperature, sunlight, wind, humidity and natural rainfall
are climatic factors that help determine the amount of irrigation that is needed.
a) Keys to proper watering:
Irrigation should be supplied to replenish the amount of moisture lost. Monitor conditions
and water only when needed. You can use a soil probe or moisture sensors to check the
soil and see if it is wet to a depth just below the majority of the root system which is about
4-6". Also, turf takes on a dull bluish-gray color and its leaves curl when under severe
moisture stress. If you can see your foot prints after walking on the turf and the leaves
won't bounce backbegin irrigation. If the field is used before irrigation is applied
damage will result.
b) How much?
Turf should receive about 1" to as much as 2 of water per week during the growing
season. A rain gauge is a very inexpensive management tool that can be used to monitor
rainfall. If rainfall provides " you will have to provide the additional amount of water
depending on your soil and grass and evapotranspiration amount or ET.
Turf grass managers use ET to help determine supplemental watering needs. ET is the
abbreviation for evapotranspiration, which is the combination of water lost from the soil
surface and the water used by plants through the process of transpiration.
c) How often?
Deep and infrequent watering, once or twice a week is preferred for cow grass (axonopus
chinensis). Another time when more frequent watering will be necessary is at the time of
establishment. At this time, it will be critical to keep the seedbed moist to ensure
germination and may require daily watering, even several times a day.
d) Caution:
Never apply more water than the soil can absorb. Water that does not infiltrate into the soil
will be lost to evaporation or through runoff. There is an environmental risk to water
quality when surface water runoff carries soil particles that contain adsorbed nutrients.
When water bodies, such as lakes, estuaries, or slow-moving streams receive excess
nutrients plant growth is greatly stimulated. When dead plant material decomposes the
dissolved oxygen in the water is reduced and this can cause other aquatic organisms to die.
10
Therefore, proper water management and nutrient management are critical for protecting
both soil and water resources and aquatic life.
e) Best time of day to water
Water in the early morning when the wind is calm. This allows for adequate time for the
turf blades to dry off before field use. Turf watered in the late afternoon or early evening
remains wet longer allowing disease organisms time to penetrate turf tissue.
Be sure to finish watering at least 24 and preferably 48 hours before a game. Some
managers water the field after the last practice or game if needed to help turf recover from
the stress.
f) Watering systems
o Portable systems: Many school and community sports fields do not have
in-ground irrigation systems and rely on rainfall or above ground portable
systems to provide needed water. Water reels, for example, are portable
traveling irrigation systems that can be moved from the field to field once
they complete the irrigation cycle. All above ground portable systems will
take time and labor to set up, move and monitor to ensure adequate and
uniform coverage.
11
12