Mother Nature giveth and she taketh away for locals who have been enjoying Wagner Park over the last few months.

The downtown park was again fenced off on Tuesday to allow sod that was laid last fall time to better establish its root system now that the winter blanket of snow has melted.

Chris Forman, operations manager for the citys parks department, said hes optimistic that the closure wont last more than a few weeks, but stressed that weather extremes could make that longer or shorter.

We dont anticipate that it will be that long of a closure, Forman said Tuesday. The new drainage system is working great, but we dont have as strong of a root system [as wed like right now.]

The popular downtown spot was closed to the public on Aug. 4 while $900,000 in upgrades to its irrigation and drainage systems were installed.

A new layer of sod was placed in October and the parks department at the time felt the new grass needed the winter and some of the spring to fully take root.

But after some early-season heavy snowfall, the fences were taken down on Dec. 23 and people again flocked to the park.

Forman said the field is pretty squishy right now, and with possible rain in the forecast, it was time to close it off.

Its really, really wet out there, he said.

Forman said that while the turf made it through the winter in great condition, they now need to make sure it survives the spring thaw.

The rest is here:
Warm weather leads to Wagner Park closure

How to Lay Sod - Houston Grass South - Sugar Land Katy Pearland

By: HoustonGrassSouth

The rest is here:
How to Lay Sod - Houston Grass South - Sugar Land Katy Pearland - Video

Press Release -- Although our lawns are still dormant this month, you can begin to plan your strategy to have an attractive, healthy lawn this summer. Because the grass is still dormant, most lawns look relatively bad now, so dont judge yours too harshly at this point.

You should go ahead and identify areas where grass has died out completely and only bare soil remains. These areas will have to be repaired in April or May. Otherwise, wait until late April or May to evaluate your lawn and make final decisions on any repair work that may be needed.

Lawn thinning can be caused by several common problems, including insects and diseases, heavy traffic, poor soil fertility and too much shade. Poor maintenance, such as improper mowing and watering, also can be a factor.

One or more of these problems may be affecting your lawn, and the cause may stretch back well into the past.

Winter weather does not stop the lush growth of winter weeds in lawns. Most annual cool-season weeds will not cause significant damage to a healthy lawn, so control is generally not critical.

I would, however, recommend that you mow your lawn now and occasionally hereafter to keep any cool-season weeds from flowering and setting seed. This will reduce annual cool-season weed problems next year.

You may apply a lawn weed killer now if you choose to. Control with herbicides is more important for cool-season perennial weeds, such as dollarweed and clover.

A number of commercial lawn weed killers are available to control a wide variety of weeds. Make sure you choose one that is labeled safe to use on the type of grass you have.

You should know what kind of weeds are growing in your lawn you might take some to the nursery for identification so you can check the herbicide label to make sure the product will control them. Follow label directions carefully to avoid damaging the turf or landscape plants. Two applications generally provide the best control.

Whatever weed killer you choose, do not use a weed and feed. It is too early now to fertilize your lawn, and it will still be too early in March when lawns begin to green up. Research shows that turfgrass does better if you wait until early to mid-April to make the first application of fertilizer. If you have a weed problem that you need to deal with now, use a weed killer without fertilizer in it.

Read more from the original source:
Lawns Require Late-Winter, Early-Spring Care

Harrison County BOE Discuss Proposals for RCB Track and Turf Harrison County BOE Discuss Proposals for RCB Track and Turf

Updated: Monday, March 16 2015 11:46 PM EDT2015-03-17 03:46:06 GMT

The BOE has been working with both Pro Grass and Field Turf Company to come up with estimated cost of fully replacing the track and redoing the football field with artificial turf.

The BOE has been working with both Pro Grass and Field Turf Company to come up with estimated cost of fully replacing the track and redoing the football field with artificial turf.

Updated: Monday, March 16 2015 11:42 PM EDT2015-03-17 03:42:21 GMT

The Guardians of the West Fork Watershed held a public meeting Monday at the West Milford Community Center to discuss the goal in making the West Fork River Water Trail.

The Guardians of the West Fork Watershed held a public meeting Monday at the West Milford Community Center to discuss the goal in making the West Fork River Water Trail.

Updated: Monday, March 16 2015 6:37 PM EDT2015-03-16 22:37:44 GMT

Last week Harrison County Superintendent Mark Manchin sent out a memo regarding the employee-led prayer ban.

Last week Harrison County Superintendent Mark Manchin sent out a memo regarding the employee-led prayer ban.

See the original post here:
Harrison County BOE Discuss Proposals for RCB Track and Turf

After several Yankees groused over New York City FC potentially tearing up their field, and concerns arose this past week about the already questionable conditions at Yankee Stadium, at least for Sundays home debut, those worries proved to be much ado about nothing.

NYCFC passed its first home test with a 2-0 win over New England, and the Yankee Stadium pitch passed its test with flying colors. No, it wasnt lush and green the way the Bombers would expect center field to be by midseason, but considering it was frozen a week ago and sod was still being put down midweek, it was an amazing turnaround.

Its the winter right now, so its just going to get better and better. If we keep winning on it, Im not going to have any problems with it, laughed Mix Diskerud.

Coach Jason Kreis said: This was a tremendous challenge that was placed in front of the groundskeepers here at Yankee Stadium in order to get the field prepared after all the very difficult weather weve had this winter. And for me it was fantastic. The fact they were able to put that together for us on such a short time, Im really pleased.

Photo: Ray Stubblebine

And its to understand their worries, with all the griping the Bombers had done, Mark Teixeira saying, Itll definitely cause an issue. Its terrible for a field. Grass, dirt, everything gets messed up.

But it sure didnt mess up David Villa, who had a goal and an assist and a dominant performance.

The pitch was fine today, Villa said. You have to bear in mind the cold weather weve had to endure the last month, and the team thats been working on it worked extremely hard. We should thank them for it and hopefully in the next few months with nicer weather the pitch will be in even better condition. As players we have to adapt on a weekly basis to the conditions. Id like to thank the team that worked on the pitch, because it was in a very good shape today.

Granted, there are 16 more MLS home dates, barring playoffs. But at least the first came off without a hitch. Sporting director Claudio Reyna admitting he breathed a sigh of relief.

Yes, I walked it on Friday and all I can say is credit to the Yankees ground crew, Reyna said. They did an amazing job. The coaches were pleased with it, the players were happy with it; amazing work by the Yankee grounds crew.

Excerpt from:
NYCFC players on first Stadium run: Thats some good grass

PEA RIDGE -- Bobwhites once filled fields in the south, but their numbers have dropped. A new partnership and plan at Pea Ridge National Military Park aim to boost their numbers.

Ten years ago, people might have seen a bobwhite or two on the park land, said Kevin Eads, park superintendent. In recent years, park managers have seen an increase, Eads said.

A new vegetation plan meant to return the battlefield land to a state closer to what it was during the battle could further help the bobwhite population. The plan calls for about two-thirds of the park's fields to be converted to native grasses, Eads said.

"Those native grasses will look similar to some of the crops that would have been there," Eads said.

Research for the new vegetation plan started in 2012, and park staff members took their landscape cues from 1836 and 1837 survey records.

The plan calls for thinning the forests and removing invasive species such as cedar trees, which will be cut and reused in fences around the battlefield or for mulch.

The plan set the stage for a partnership of the park, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative.

Bobwhite hunting used to be a pastime on par with eating fried catfish or barbecue or watching Southeastern Conference football, said Don McKenzie, National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative director.

The tradition "slipped away on our generation's watch," he said.

But at the same time, farming practices and residential development replaced habitat where bobwhites once thrived.

Read more:
Pea Ridge altering vegetation to attract dwindling bobwhites

When Kennen Huck puts his backhoe digger in park and begins to break the sod in a rectangle shape of eight feet long, 36 inches wide and 5 feet deep, he tries not to put a face to the person placed inside the casket which will soon to be lowered into the ground.

Its just too tough.

Huck is the grounds manager at St. Marys Cemetery in Bismarck, and, for the past 15 years, he has mowed and trimmed the grass around the 8,600 gravesites and plowed the narrow, winding roads at the 40-acre site overlooking much of the city.

At the time he was hired by the St. Marys Catholic Church parish, Huck was working at a local beverage distributor. But being raised on a farm in the New Salem area, Huck enjoyed working in the outdoors.

Huck said he knew a sister at St. Marys Catholic Church who remembered he liked to work outdoors. When she knew of the job opening at the cemetery, she recommended him to Deacon Rex McDowell, the cemetery manager.

His work is done behind the scenes, typically a day or two before the burial.

Using a bucket designed for the dimensions of a grave and with unique shaped claws to puncture the hardest of soil, Huck can sit in the cab of the backhoe and quickly and efficiently dig a gravesite with walls clean, straight and a precise depth in less than an hour.

Huck also subcontracts with other area cemeteries in the area.

Ive been to cemeteries where there are hundreds or thousands and to family plots where there is one person buried," he said.

When he is not in his backhoe, Huck and a seasonal part-time employee keep the cemetery grounds mowed and trimmed. Huck said it can take up to six days manicuring the plots and maintaining the sprinkler system.

Read more here:
NEIGHBORS: Grave digger offers respect to families

Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romeros radio show with questions about everything from preventing fires in their chimneys to getting rid of tree roots invading their sewer system. His goal is to provide answers that suit the specific lifestyle wherever someone lives in Arizona.

Q: We are planning to build a 2,366 square-foot home in a new home community located in Green Valley. Is it worth paying $3,000 to use two-by-sixes in outer wall construction instead of two-by-fours?

A: Yes, it is desirable to build the exterior wall using 2x6 studs. That extra dimension will hopefully allow for about a 30 percent increase in thickness for the batts of insulation that the builder installs in exterior walls as a result. While 2x4 construction is perfectly acceptable from a structural standpoint, those smaller studs will only allow for a 3.5-inch thickness in insulation. On the other hand, the 2x6s will accommodate a 5.5-inch thickness.

That increase in insulation may or may not reward you with an equivalent decrease in your heating and cooling utility bills. However, it most definitely will save more money than if you used the thinner insulating material.

Of course, lots of factors enter into calculating energy savings, including the number, size and quality of your windows; the efficiency rating of your heating and cooling equipment; ductwork design and installation; the attic insulation (be sure to opt for a minimum of R38 there); the geographic orientation of your home; the number of recessed light fixtures (each one of them puts a big hole in your ceiling allowing conditioned air to escape into the attic); and the size, number and quality of exterior doors as well as their weather stripping.

Q: We have a smoke detector that is driving us crazy. It started chirping and we put in a new battery, but it kept on chirping. Whats going on?

A: You might try another replacement battery. Perhaps the one you used is old or defective. But its also possible that your smoke detector has worn out due to its age. Most detectors need to be replaced every 10 years.

Q: Last summer around the Fourth of July, I had some Bermuda sod laid in my front yard. Then, in winter, I over-seeded the lawn with rye grass. But unfortunately, the rye ended up dying out because I had a broken water line. So now that spring is coming, I want to get my Bermuda to come back. How and when do I do that?

A: First thing to do is fix that water line so you dont have trouble again. Then as the weather warms up, its going to be pretty easy to tell if the Bermuda is coming back because it will start greening up a little bit. At that point, its time to start watering, and youll be able to get the grass going pretty quickly. Keep watering throughout the spring. Whenever it starts to get a little dry outside, you should water again. And of course, water regularly in the summer.

Q: I bought my wife five miniature roses in pots in January. Now, of course, the flowers are all gone, but can I transplant these minis into a pot to put outside on the patio? And how do I do it?

See the rest here:
Is Two-by-Six Construction Worth the Extra Expense?

With so much attention paid to the frozen tundra of Yankee Stadium, the man responsible for the ballpark told the Post its unfair to judge the fields playability before a single game has been played there this season, and vowed it would be ready by opening day both New York City FCs on Sunday and the Yankees three weeks later.

On Wednesday, several Yankees including Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner and Mark Teixeira fretted over NYCFC potentially tearing up the field. But on Friday, senior VP of stadium operations Doug Behar said not to assume the worst just yet, and took The Post on a tour of the grounds that are night-and-day from a few days ago or more aptly, winter-and-spring.

Its a little early to judge us on the playability of the field. A day-and-a half later, were in a much different position, and come Sunday youll see a beautiful field and pitch everybody will be proud of, Behar said while strolling in an outfield that has gone from dirt to brown re-sodded grass in just three or four days. To do that, crews have worked late into the night and even slept at the Stadium.

The winter was tough, Behar said. It was colder than its been in 50 or 60 years in the month of February. We dealt with snow snow that was expected and snow that was unexpected. Weve had ice. The crew worked incredibly hard, as they always do.

Theyve worked longer than anticipated, theyve worked harder. While they always work hard, theyve had to work a lot harder this time. Straight-up, the guys have worked tirelessly; theyve slept on couches when they can. Theyve put in a tremendous effort. Were turning on the lights [to work at night]. The days have gotten a lot longer, and the works gotten a lot harder. But theyre up to the task.

Yankee Stadium senior VP of Stadium Operations Doug BeharPhoto: Matthew McDermott

They have had little choice. The Yankee Stadium crew usually maxes out at 35 workers, and they didnt hire extra ones, simply worked longer hours. They used two separate kinds of heaters to melt the ice and snow on the field and thaw the ground.

A week ago, we had a lot of work ahead of us, Behar said. We had hoses running glycol like an antifreeze about 6,000 feet [of hose]. We run it about 180 degrees to melt the ice and snow up top, and thaw the ground underneath to be able to work the sod and get it out. We had an enclosed tent on our [infield], with propane heaters running to keep it in a condition that was best for the transition. [It ran] from first base to second base.

The crew worked incredibly hard in terrible conditions. As we came out of the weekend, we were able to get the sod out, do all the important things to do to install the new stuff. The other day, we had two-thirds of the new material down, but it wasnt worked yet. Now we have all the sod down.

Behar insisted the field will be ready by NYCFCs home debut against New England on Sunday, as well as the Yankees home opener April 6. But he knows a 17-game MLS slate adds wear and tear, and the first time a ball takes a funny bounce or the outfield looks a mess, eyebrows will arch, fingers will point and questions will be asked beginning with, How long is NYCFC for the Stadium?

Read this article:
Yankee Stadium turf guru: Grass will hold up for NYCFC opener

Can love bloom on a baseball/soccer field? Early signs point to no: the Yankees have already started complaining about sharing their precious, precious grass with NYCFC.

The Yankees planted the narrative at spring training yesterday, with Mark Teixeira telling the Wall Street Journal that the ground-share will definitely cause an issue, but its nothing that we can control, so we cant worry about it. Its terrible for a field. Infielder Brendan Ryan detailed how he'd have to change his fielding style to avoid "trying to read some hop thats unpredictable" - and he loves soccer!

Back in the Bronx, as NYCFC held their first ever media day, coach Jason Kreis tried to uproot the concerns:

But some nefarious sports reporter dared to look behind the strategically placed curtains at Yankee Stadium. And then the NYDN sent a damn helicopter (sports journalism: SERIOUS BUSINESS) over Yankee Stadium, showing the field is an incomplete mess.

Of course, the field is a mess. Perhaps it's lost on some that we only just stopped being Siberia a few days ago. We're less worried about the Yankees dealing with unpredictable hops and more about David Villa's ankles. Is whatever sod they slap down going to set properly in time for Sunday's Historic Home Opener, especially with rain forecast for Friday and Saturday?

If you'd like to engage in some wild horticultural observationor just watch some soccertickets are still available for the NYCFC home opener, as the club opened all of Yankee Stadium for the match.

Read more from the original source:
Turf Wars: Yankees and NYCFC Bicker Over Stadium Field