Cover St ory
Getting Your
Bermudagrass Field ready for Fall Starts Soon! By Tom Samples, Ph.D., and John Sorochan, Ph.D., Plant Sciences Department, The University of Tennessee; with Scott McElroy, Ph.D., Auburn University
Managing
a healthy and high-quality bermudagrass sports field requires year-round efforts but especially in late spring and summer, as you’re trying to get your fields in their best possible shape for upcoming fall sports. During the slower pace of late winter, it’s the perfect time to start planning the cultural practices that will optimize your field’s growth and density.
Irrigating
It is nearly impossible to maintain a healthy and dense bermudagrass field without irrigating. In summer, actively growing bermudagrass fields use from 1/10" to 3/10" of water each day, typi-
18
cally requiring 1" of water or more each week (about 27,000 gallons per acre). A key to irrigating is to moisten the entire rootzone with deep irrigation each time the field is watered. Watering fields too often with too little water results in
TENNESSEE TURFGRASS February/march 2012 Email TTA at: tnturfgrassassn@aol.com
very shallowly rooted plants that are more subject to drought stress. (However, newly seeded, sprigged or plugged areas require light, frequent watering and should be irrigated independent of the rest of the field.) A properly designed sprinkler system can uniformly apply water to the entire field surface. Below-ground moisture sensors can be installed and set to activate the system before the first signs of drought stress (e.g., foot printing and/ or a bluish-gray color) and to turn off the system before the soil becomes saturated and water begins to move off-site or below turfgrass roots. A well-main-