Park Maintenance Standard: Turf Management - Level 3

Management Summary: 3 Levels of Maintenance

• Level 1 - 372 acres Rough Cut areas

• Level 2 - 554 acres of parkland areas are maintained

• Level 3 - 46 acres of Athletic Fields

Mowing and Trim

• Turf will be mowed and trimmed as needed and no less than twice weekly to maintain a HOC between ¾” to 2” to be determined by the Grounds Manager

• Clippings will be side discharged or mulched into the turf canopy

Seeding

• Seeding will be done as needed to maintain an acceptable turf stand.

• The preference will be a full‐scale, fall overseeding in conjunction with hollow tine aerification.

• Spring and summer seeding will be as needed and will be paired with some form of cultivation to maximize the efficacy of the seeding operation.

• Thinning or bare areas will be treated as a priority. Sod will be utilized as a last resort in areas where excessive use prevents establishment of turf from seed.

Herbicides

• Pre‐emergent herbicides will be applied in the spring as dictated by soil temperatures and germination characteristics of crabgrass and other grassy weeds. Broadleaf weeds will be treated 1 or 2 times annually as weather and labor permit.

• The 3 year plan is to reduce broadleaf weeds to an aesthetically acceptable level and reduce herbicide inputs to one annual “spot treatment” type application.

• Obstructions requiring hand trim work (such as: fences, permanent structures, and other immovable objects) will be assessed and treated with non‐selective herbicides to reduce labor inputs.

PGR’s

• PGR’s will be utilized to enhance color, density and lateral shoot growth with an overall emphasis on reducing vertical growth.

Cultivation

• Aerification will be performed at least 6 times yearly with a ground driven aerifier. A ¾” dual hollow or solid tone set‐up and 2X pattern will achieve 12% surface disruption per operation. Aerification and seeding should be combined whenever possible

Fertilization

• Fertilizer will be applied to achieve a minimum annual input of 4 pounds of actual nitrogen per thousand square feet. Fertilizer products having 30% to 50%+ slow release properties will be favored with the intention of building a “bank” of available nutrients.

• Macro and micro nutrient inputs will be based in part on soil and water test results. Additional fertility inputs will be driven by labor and resources. Will be scheduled between late Winter to late Spring and in September.

Irrigation

• Level 3 areas have in‐ground irrigation systems run by central controllers. Water will be applied as needed to achieve 1” of water per week with an emphasis placed on maintaining the driest conditions possible to support the Turf grass stand

Fungicides

• Application of fungicides will be assessed by the Grounds Manager and applied preventatively as labor and resources allow

Insecticides

• One application annually to prevent all species of white grubs.

• Additional inputs needed to control surface feeding insects will be evaluated to assess potential damage and treated accordingly

Soil and Water Testing

• Soil tests will be taken at a reasonable interval to be determined by the Grounds Manager

• Immobile nutrients such as phosphorous, calcium and magnesium will be applied at the time of aerification and rates will be driven by soil and water test results.

• Soluble products like gypsum, potassium, sulfur and any recommended micronutrients will be applied during the course of normal fertilization operations

Topdressing Cultivation

• Topdressing will be implemented as aggressively as possible. Targeted annual depth will be ½” of a sand based material applied incrementally not to exceed 1/8” per application.

• Sand particle size should fall within the medium specifications not to exceed 1mm in size.

• Organic matter should compose at least 20% of the mix. Topdressing will be combined with cultivation operations whenever possible.