There are special circumstances, however, where a heavy-soil sod could be appropriate for a sand-based field. In an "emer-gency" mid-season resodding situation, Indyk notes, a heavy-textured soil-grown sod could be used on a sand-based fieldto lend stability for immediate play. However, he emphasizes,this would be a stop-gap measure to keep the field in play,and resodding with a compatible sand-based product wouldeventually be necessary.

"Another important aspect is to have the sod cut as thin-ly as possible," he adds. "That will minimize the amount ofamount of soil differential. One of the problems we see is peo-ple having sod thick-cut to gain topsoil, but if you need top-soil, it's much better to simply buy it and spread it before youput down sod."

Regional strengths of turf grasses are being studied at morethan 30 locations throughout the country as part of theNational Turfgrass Evaluation Program (NTEP). The programis sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture'sBeltsville Agricultural Research Center and the MarylandTurfgrass Council.

NTEP data is helpful for sod growers and sports turfmanager who buy sod regularly. Knowing the regionalstrengths of turf grasses can be vital in selecting a turfgrassfor your area.

Installation: Right From The StartSod is a living thing-one under the stress of having its

root severed. Therefore, timing, from harvest to installation,is critical, especially in the hot summer months.

''Programming, timing harvest and placement of sod to min-imize the time between them, is important," says Indyk. "Sodshould be scheduled to be cut quickly, delivered quickly, andplaced quickly to prevent damage from heating up on the paletteor in the roll."

There are four steps for successful sod installation.Following these steps will ensure a turf that thrives.Neglecting any of them know can set the stage for future dis-aster.

Measuring and Estimating. Measure the area where youplan to install the sod. Mark the figures on a site sketch. Inaddition to width and length, note any unusual features orgrades. Determine in advance the direction the sod will belaid in relation to sidelines, cart paths, and other features.

Soil Preparation. Determine what amendments the soilwill require. As previously mentioned, it's important toknow the type of soil in which the sod was grown on the farm.At best, the soil types of the sod and the existing field will match.If not, amendment is a must, whether that comes in the formof nutrients, modification of the soil structure, sod washing,or something else.

"Proper soil preparation is key," says Indyk. "That includesdrainage, which means more than putting a drain line in atrench and covering it. Drainage systems have to be properlyengineered and programmed in terms of depth, spacing,and physical properties of the soil above the drainage line.I've seen drainage systems fail where the same soil that wastaken out of the trenches was used to fill them in after lineswere installed.

"You also want to make sure the soil has the propernutrients and is graded correctly, because it is very difficultto make great corrections in these areas after the sod is laid.

continued on page 34

TURFeDA New Angle

onAthletic Field

TORDressing

Since 1961, Turfcos Mete-R-Matics have been setting the

standards in the top dressing industry, and now we're ex-

panding that expertise to your athletic fields. The LargeArea Top Dresser is an innovative breakthrough

in technology for any playing field that seeks

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Benefits of the LAl include:

- Front Spread Design blankets 6 feet wide:better soil penetration and easy monitoring offlow and sand level.

_Unique 8·wheel design evenly distributes weightand contours to terrain. resulting in low PSI.

- Thatch reduction for healthier turf.-Evenly spreads top dressing 1/1(," to '12".- Levels turf in high playing areas.

Call for a free demonstration and video tape.Patent Pending

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Circle 135 on Postage Free Card June, 1992 33

Success With Sodcontinued from page33

And of course, no sod should ever belaid without provisions for watering."

For optimum results, rotary till the soilto depth of four to six inches. Add the nec-essary soil amendments and blend to adepth of three or four inches. Gradeand level for a smooth surface. Removeany large clods.

After rolling to firm the soil surface,water the prepared area to settle the soiland provide a moist base for the turf. Onmost soils, irrigate to a depth of sixinches.

Turf Installation. Sod needs water tosurvive and should be installed upon deliv-ery. Begin irrigating sod within 30 min-utes of installation. In hot weather, pro-tect unlaid sod by placing stacks inshade, covering the sod with moistburlap or sprinkling with water.

Forklift-attached sod installer fromCygnet Turf & Equipment.

Begin installing sod along the longeststraight line, such as a fence or cartpath. Butt and push the edges againsteach other tightly without stretching.Avoid gaps or overlaps. Stagger thejoints in each row in brick-like fashion,

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using a large, sharp knife to trim comersand edges. Avoid leaving small strips atthe outer edge, because they will notretain moisture. On slopes, place sodacross slope and install staples untilthe sod has rooted.

To avoid creating indentations or airpockets, refrain from repeatedly walk-ing or kneeling on the sod while youare installing it. After installing thesod, roll the entire area to improve sod-soil contact and remove any air pockets.

Irrigation. Immediately after instal-lation, apply one inch of water. The turfshould be kept moist until the sod is firm-ly rooted. This means irrigating daily, evenseveral times a day, depending on theweather. Hot, dry, windy conditions willcreate a greater need for supplementalirrigation than cool rainy periods. Also,keep in mind that turf near buildings orpavement will dry out faster than otherareas. Once the turf is rooted, reduce fre-quency of irrigation, while increasingduration for deep watering.

Post-Installation PointersDuring the first three weeks after

installation, avoid heavy traffic on thenew sod. This will give the roots anopportunity to knit firmly with the soil,helping to keep the turf smooth.

Mow turf at an acceptable growingheight for the species you select. The gen-eral rule of thumb is to mow frequent-ly enough so that you're not removingmore than one-third of the grass blade.And, of course, always make sure yourmower blades are sharp to limit turfdamage.

Aerating the sodded area in the fallprior to fertilization can improve rootingand resolve any compaction problemsresulting from traffic. Topdressing maybe necessary to correct uneven settlingand help protect turf in traffic areas. Usesterilized topdressing to avoid bring-ing weed seed onto the site.

By paying attention to selection andinstallation fundamentals, you canensure the success ofyour sod investment.And that makes good sports field man-agement, not to mention financial, sensein the long run. 0

Editor's Note: The American SodProducers Association in RollingMeadows, IL, assisted with this article.For information about the NationalTurfgrass Evaluation Program contact:Kevin Morris, Director, AgriculturalResearch Center West, Building 001,Room 333, Beltsville, MD 20705.

Walker mid-size rotary mower at work on a soccer field in Israel.

Mower technology has come alongway since the horse-drawn reelgangs of years gone by. Now

there are host of alternatives-lightweightfairway mowers, multi-deck rotaries,hydraulic reel gangs, fine-cut flails,mulchers- but the objective remains thesame: To cut grass efficiently and clean-ly.

Nowhere is this more important thanon athletic fields, golf courses, and otherrecreational turf areas, where time andturf quality are of the essence.

Advances in mower technology are cre-ated by designers and engineers, butborn of the needs and desires of endusers. Successful mower manufacturerslisten carefully and attempt to buildand improve the products requested.End users, in turn, let the manufactur-ers know how they've done. Withoutthis relationship, the technology mightstand still.

Here's a look, from the perspectivesof several major mower manufacturers,at a few of today's trends in user pref-erence and mower technology for cuttinglarge turf areas, and some possibilitiesfor the future. They don't agree on allpoints but one thing is certain-they'relistening.

Jacobsen's Light Thrust"Right now, it seems like sports turf

managers want their fields to be as fine-ly manicured as a golf course, and to lookand playas well as a golf course," saysDave Buchanan, marketing specialist forJacobsentrextron. ''Youcan really see thatin the precision striping of professionalbaseball diamonds. Sports turf man-agers are going to things like the TurfGroomer, a reel in front of the mowingreel which 'stands up' the grass beforeit is cut.

"Professionals want less compaction,so they're going with lightweight mow-

ers, better quality of cut, so they'regoing with higher quality reel mowers,"he continues. "They want it done asfast as possible, so riders are becomingmore popular, and they want a machinethat's comfortable. Creature comfort inmowing is not as important on a base-ball field as it is on a golf course, whereyou have acres of turf to cut, but it's stillnice to have comfort if you have to mowsomething every other day. That meansmore comfortable seats and ergonomicdesign, so people can reach and seeeverything they need to."

Excel Industries: Tough, Durable,Safe

"It seems like people are having tomaintain turf in rougher and rougherareas, so tougher, more maneuverableequipment is becoming increasinglyimportant," says Don Consolver, com-

continued on page 36

June, 1992 35

Mowerscontinued from page 35

munications writer for Excel Industries."We're fortunate in that our equipmentis built to handle tough mowing condi-tions."

"Mulching machines, like the TurboShredder, provide a real conveniencefor superintendents and turf managersin that they don't have to collect thegrass and dispose of it," he continues."Quite a few universities are doing stud-ies on what happens to those short grassclippings left on the grass, and it seemsthat they help retain moisture and deliv-er nutrients back to the grass. There'sa real thatch myth-eertainly, it couldbecome a problem if you mow infre-quently and leave long clippings, but ifyou cut regularly and leave short clippingsthere won't be a problem."

The Toro Company: WideRotaries Are Cutting Edge

"For the last 10 years at least, we'vebeen doing a lot research in wide areamowing preferences," says Rick Rodier,marketing manager of rotary productsfor The Toro Company. "That led usinto the wide area rotary mower market,which began with the release of the 16-foot Groundsmaster 580D in 1987 or1988. But there was more than pro-ductivity of the machine to consider. Atthe time, research showed us that if anoperator felt comfortable after an eight-hour day mowing, then he'd be moreproductive.

"This lead us to consider featuresother than cutting width. How well doesa wide area rotary maneuver? How easyis it to transport? With these and otherquestions, we put together a computerprogram called ''Value Analysis" whichhelps customers compare wide cut mow-ers and figures out how much it willcost per acre to mow a site with a givenmachine."

Kubota: Reel Performance"One of things I've seen at the uni-

versity level is people becoming moreknowledgeable on field quality and mow-ing products," says Doug Fencl, Kubotaproducts manager. "Some sports fieldshave actually hired golf course super-intendents, and that's pulled the golfcourse mentality into the sports turfmentality.

"The sports turf area, I think, is mov-ing toward better quality, in both prac-tice and playing fields, where they have

36 sports TURF

the budget. That may create a tenden-cy to go with more reel equipment."

National Mower: Standing BySimplicity

"In sports fields and parks, I seepeople going with incredibly expensiveand sophisticated equipment, and Iquestion whether it's needed," says StanKinkead, secretary/treasurer for NationalMower. "Who would have thought thatpeople would be mowing grass withmachines that cost $50,000? Wishfullythinking, I would love to see people get-ting back into reel mowers and gangreels, but I don't see that happening.

"Cost-conscious people who appreci-ate simplicity and don't think they needall the technological sophistication tendto be the users of our products. All of ourreels gangs are PID-driven, which is whateverybody wants in this day and age. Wedon't even make friction drive reel gangsanymore, but as far as I'm concerned, theywere easiest, simplest, cheapest, andbest way to cut large areas. And theywould last so long-that may have beentheir strongest feature. They provided agood return on investment."

Walker Manufacturing: Mid-SizeVersatility

like ours, are primarily used as com-panions to large field mowers, whichcan be limited in the areas they canenter," says Bob Walker, president ofWalker Manufacturing. "In areas involv-ing intricate landscaping, the useful-ness of a mid-size mower ties right in. Forexample; I've been told that now ourmachines are being used to mow theentrance way at Pinehurst golf course inNorth Carolina."

"Recently, a magazine publisher pre-dicted to me that five years from nowthere wouldn't be any vacuum decks-they'd all be replaced by recyclers. Butwe've seen no decline in the sales of ourvacuuming machines."

Gravely International: Going Big"If there's anything that comes to

mind from talking with parks and recre-ation departments, people that takecare of really serious areas of quality turf,it's that bigger is better," says CraigNeuhardt, Gravely customer servicemanager. ''Years ago, 60-inch mowerswere considered huge. Now, with thewing-deck units, you can cut 10 feetand beyond.

"In the actual mowing end of largeareas, grass collection has never been a

big issue, but safety is. Side-dischargedecks, even with chutes, have the pos-sibility of throwing objects. What we'refinding, almost universally, is that peo-ple are asking for rear-discharge ormulching type decks. They reduce the inci-dence of thrown objects. In many mar-kets, like New Orleans, we couldn't evenconsider presenting our product if wedidn't offer rear-discharge decks. Safetyis a big issue. We just flat cannot let any-thing out the door if there's even the begin-ning of a question mark on safety.

John Deere: Diamond Focus"In the baseball market, we defi-

nitely see some changing trends, par-ticularly if it's a professional field. In aprofessional sports complex, one thatwill appear on television, a very clean,striped appearance is becoming a require-ment," says Bill Chestnut, marketing coor-dinator for the golf and turf division ofthe John Deere Company. "Even from theinfield to the outfield, you see differentmowing patterns and different widths,depending on what the park wants theattending and television audience tosee.

"Another thing you see in profes-sional baseball fields or complexes areteam managers and grounds care man-agers strategizing for upcoming games.They look down the road at the teamthat's coming in-look at its hitting andfield characteristics- and decide how highthey want to cut the grass to controlthe speed of the roll of the ball."

Ransomes America Corporation:Middle Weight Possibilities

"For larger areas such as golf coursefairways, I believe people are goingaway from 'ultra-light' mowers, depend-ing on what part of the country you're in,"says Peter Whurr, director of sales anddistribution for turf products for RansomesAmerica. "Some are still going withultra-light mowers and others are usinghydraulic reel gangs. But there seems tobe an area of need between the two-sortof a mid-weight mower that is light interms of ground compaction, but moredurable than an ultra-lightweightmachine.

''We will continue to build our machinesto what our customer base requires. Ofcourse, legislation also governs a lot ofwhat we can do. But we're a market-driv-en company. What comes out of thefocus groups we conduct will determinemuch of what we do. We depend on endusers." 0

EXPLORING EQUIPMENT"...

THE KEY TO ENGINE TROUBLE-SHOOTING

For turf maintenance professionals,limiting equipment downtime iscrucial. The less time a piece of

equipment spends being repaired, themore time it can be at work in the field.A systematic approach to engine trou-bleshooting will help sports turf managersaccurately diagnose and solve engineproblems efficiently.

Ifyou can't get your mower's engineto start, don't start tearing into the car-buretor or ignition system until you'vemade a few basic checks.

Check for fuel in the tank or see if thefuel shut-off valve is open. Then, see ifthe engine spins over normally. If itdoes, you know the engine is not lockedup and you can discount lubricationand compression as a problem. By quick-

By Paul Scholten

ly eliminating these factors, you'vealready narrowed your troubleshootingefforts to the areas ofcarburetion and igni-tion. Keep in mind that a four-cycle,air-cooled engine has five requirementsin order to start and run properly. Itneeds:

"Carburetion-c-clean, fresh fuel deliv-ered in the correct proportion to com-bustion air.

*Ignition-good ignition spark, pre-cisely timed for best performance.

*Lubrication-proper amount andquality of lubricating oil.

*Cooling-sufficient quantity of cool-ing air, no more than 20 degrees F hot-ter than outside ambient air.

*Compression-30 to 45 psi mini-mum for starting and 90 psi minimum

for efficient operation and proper power.If the engine runs for 30 minutes

and then stalls, consider the perfor-mance of the engine first. Ask yourselfhow the engine started before the prob-lem arose. Relate it to the five enginerequirements. Does the engine restartimmediately after it stalls? If "yes," theproblem is probably an ignition compo-nent breaking down from the heat. If theengine needs to cool down before it willrestart, the problem may be vapor lockor a sticking valve. If you're hearing ametallic snap in the engine during thecool-down period, you know the valvesare the problem. 0

Editor's Note: Paul Scholten is themanager of the service and technicalpublication for Kohler Engines.

Rugged!Compact Design!

IlII~LI) IIARKINC.PAIN')'S

TEMP-STRIPE• Temporary field paint• Easy removal following

the game• Will hold up to

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Provides for: digging shallowtrenches in short periods oftime, digging in hard-to-reach

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durability. There's noother machine built,designed, or priced

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PRo-STRIPE• Long lasting field

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June, 1992 37Circle 139 on Postage Free Card

ROOKIEST

PRODUCT UPDATEFUELTANK

The ConVault above ground fuel stor-age tank rests four-inches above groundon a concrete slab for monitoring and visu-al inspection. The six-inch thick reinforcedconcrete shell of monolithic design pro-vides physical and ballistic protection anda two hour fire wall around the tank. Thethermal mass formed by the concrete exte-rior minimizes temperature changesand vaporization of the tank contents.

It is designed with a low center of grav-ity to withstand tipping during earth-quakes and other natural disasters.Earthquake-resistant hardware is avail-able.CONVAULTCircle 145 on Postage Free Card

MARKING PAINTTurf Coat athletic field marking paint

can be used for striping baseball dia-monds, football, soccer, lacrosse, andpolo fields. It can be used on virtually anynatural turf surface and comes in threedifferent price ranges.JS SPORTS TURFCircle 146 on Postage Free Card

AUTO-SEEDERThe SISIS Auto-Seeder is a highly

maneuverable, self-propelled machine forrapid overseeding of small areas of wornturf such as golf tees.

Tines cut shallow open grooves twoinches apart. In the same pass, grass seedis metered from a specially designed, pos-itive feed, seeding mechanism directlyinto the grooves. Disruption of the sur-face and disturbance of existing grass-es is minimal. Germination and re-establishment is rapid.

The Auto-Seeder has an I8-inch work-ing width and seeding rates are variablebetween .2 ounces per square yard and.75 ounces per square yard. Optionalseeder units are available to give ratesof .3 ounces per square yard to .86ounces per square yard for applyingfine seeds.SISIS, INC.Circle 147 on Postage Free Card

38 sports TURF

SCOREBOARDT

CLASSIFIEDSATHLETIC FIELDS REBUILT

Baseball,Football,Soccer Fields rebuiltand sod-ded with BLUEGRASS SOD. COST: a 160' x360' Football field is $20,000 plus or minus 20%depending on local conditions within 150 milesof Pittsburgh. CONSULTING on improvingand maintaining existing fields.

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PENNSYLVANIA GROWN SODPENNCROSS Bentgrass (available soil-free)shipped up to 1,000 miles via our trucks-fork-lift unloaded. Fourway blend of Bluegrass andBluegrass/Ryegrass shipped up to 300 miles.Quality products and prompt deliveries - Twentyfive years of experience.

VICNOR FARMS, INC.Connoquenessing, PA 16027

1-800-842-0461

Tulip Colorblends-Nature's Fireworks.Orchestrate Your Spring.

Carefully coordinated, cool season colorcollections, in quantities for 1992. New ideasand Competitive Prices. Pictures that help youconvince your customers. We guarantee ourbulbs to bloom.Three generations in thewholesale flowerbulb industry. Our Roots areBulbs. Top quality, Top size. No substitutions.Call Tim Schipper at 1-800-877-8637or write to: Schipper & Co., P.O. Box 7584,Dept. ST92, Greenwich, CT 06836-7584

TADVERTISER INDEX

Meet the Adams RuniIyof Green Industry Publications

Title: Landscape & IrrigationCtrculation:36,000 National Frequency: 12xMar~et: Full Service Landscape Contractors,Installation & MaintenanceOfficial~eof: The Irrigation Association

Title: Irrigation JournalCirculation: 19,000 Nati 0 naI Frequency: 7xMar~t:Agriculturallrrigation SpecialistsOfficiaI~ine of:The Irrigation Association

Title: Landscape DesignCtrculation: 15,000 NationalMar~et: Landscape Architects

Frequency: 10xTitle: Sports TURFCirculation, 22,500 National Frequency: 12xMar~et: Sports Turf Managers & Golf CourseSuperintendentsOfficial ~ine of:Sports Turf Manager'sAssociation

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ADAMS PUBLISHINGCORPORATION6913 Valjean, Van Nuys, CA 91406 P.O. Box 8420, Van Nuys, CA 91409 (818) 781-8300. FAX (818) 781-8517

Call or write for subscription information. Combination rates available on all APC Green Industry Publications. Contact your sales representative for details.

Title: Arbor AgeCtrculation: 17,000 National Frequency: 12xMar~et: Commercial, Municipal, & Utility Arborists