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Field maintenance is fairly straightforward--aerate the fields, fertilize, apply extra seed or sod when necessary. Well, not so much. As you probably know from personal experience, how you use each field determines its maintenance program. But unless you run a pro-football stadium, fields often will host multiple sports or events, opening the door for uneven wear and stress on the turf.
Multi-use fields can be rather difficult to maintain because of the varying wear patterns, weather conditions and other stressful situations that arise throughout the year. At Virginia Tech University, maintenance of multi-use fields has become an extremely important issue to tackle since our grounds are under the spotlights--literally. We are currently in basketball season, which draws around 15,000 spectators to campus. Football season brings another 66,000 visitors. But preparation for these guests begins months before their arrival. Year-round planning and proper care can help a field stay healthy and vibrant--even when the field is being used for everything but the sport for which it was intended.
It All Starts With The Turf
Without fail, I get several phone calls a year asking if the football stadium is available for alternate uses, such as a national recording artist’s concert. I love the music, but the thought of staging, canopies, wires and barricades running through the turf is difficult to bear. Fortunately, I always have a plan in my back pocket since multi-tasking is a normal occurrence for the fields. With a few simple steps, you can help a field be ready for anything.