Carol O'Meara CSU Cooperative Extension

There is a little secret about lawns: They grab attention. Passersby, neighbors and family look over yards, making judgments. If you've ever felt the pressure to step up your game, take a few tips from Chris Hathaway, turf manager at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The pro who keeps the field where the Denver Broncos plays knows firsthand the pressure of keeping a lawn looking good; thousands of fans judge his turf throughout a 16-week season. After leading the renovation of Sports Authority Field at Mile High, he took time to talk turf:

How did you know it was time to renovate? "We decided to move forward with the field renovation after the 2014 football season due to a couple factors. The first being the Grass Master system and the root zone were getting older and we were running into slight complications with both systems. Our soil heat system also required upgrades. The full-scale renovation will be complete in time for the beginning of the Denver Outlaws home opener" on May 3 in Major League Lacrosse.

Did you always know what type of turf you would install, or did you look at the merits and drawbacks of different kinds for the field?

"Sports turf industry employees make sure to talk frequently and exchange ideas and thoughts. Several consultations also took place with Graff's Turf farm (in Fort Morgan) on availability. HGT bluegrass was what was decided on. Our Dove Valley headquarters (in Englewod) uses HGT bluegrass on their practice field. It has held up well and proven to be durable during the Broncos in-season daily practice sessions."

Do you think an all-bluegrass field will require more maintenance than the Grass Master system? "I envision a couple of slight changes to our normal maintenance program, but nothing major. We intend to plant rye grass and bluegrass seed in to the playing surface to keep the playability at a high standard. We will also have the ability to re-sod any part of the field as needed. We didn't have the capability to re sod with Grass Master during the heavy use times of the year."

How will it compare to the Grass Master system for playability? "I think the playability of the new surface will be quite similar to the Grass Master system. The sod we install in April will be 1.5 inches thick and approximately 14 months old. The combination between the thick cut of and age of the sod gives us the strength and density to hold up to the heavy wear and tear of a NFL season."

How do you irrigate a field like this? "There are nine irrigation zones on the field. It looks similar to a residential lawn or irrigation at a park. The new field will contain four perimeter zones that run along the field service track. The other five zones are in the playing field. We have lowered the sprinkler heads below the surface. We fill in the gap with a product called Profile prior to games. We remove the Profile material postgame to prepare for our next irrigation cycle."

Do you have any advice for a homeowner who wants to renovate but doesn't know where to begin? "First ask yourself how you want to use the space and how it will be utilized. Think about maintenance and the time and expenses involved in maintaining it. Decide if you want turf grass, requiring regular maintenance, or do you prefer xeriscape, a system that will save both time and money? A combination of both is also a great option. There are ample landscaping options. Research on what works best for you and your space. You don't want to plant something that you will have to replace down the road due to poor planning. One other thing is if you live in an HOA-governed community, make sure to ask what they allow before planting anything.You don't want to renovate your landscape and later find out parts are not permissible and that it has to be removed."

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Lawn talk with Broncos' turf guru

Grassing with Celebration Bermudagrass began last month on the complete renovation of the historic River Oaks Country Club golf course in Houston.

Morris Johnson, Director of Golf Course Operations at River Oaks Country Club, said architects Tom and Logan Fazio are leading the complete renovation of the 18-hole golf course. Elements of the renovation include building three new golf holes, expansion of the driving range, development of a comprehensive short game area, new cart paths, an entirely new computerized irrigation system, new golf shop, removal of the old grass, reshaping of the golf course, and a complete regrassing of every playing surface. Greens surfaces will be grassed with MiniVerde Bermuda grass. All other surfaces including fairways, tees and roughs, encompassing some 113 acres, will be planted with certified Celebration Bermuda grass that will be installed as solid sod from January through June.

We determined that we wanted Celebration early on, Johnson said. We had it on our driving range and teaching facility tee for three years. We had success with it. Its a tighter grass with better cold tolerance than other Bermuda grasses that we tried.

Johnson also visited several high-end country club golf courses in Florida with a similar climate as Houston a year prior to the start of the project. They have all had the grass for varying lengths of time and all are very happy with the playability and performance of the Celebration.

Celebration Bermuda grass is installed as the playing surface for golf courses from the Carolinas to Florida to Texas, and at high profile sports fields including the stadiums at the University of Florida and Louisiana State University. The grass is known for its deep blue-green color, drought tolerance, wear tolerance and aggressive repair from divots.

Johnson said the club membership decided to install the grass as solid sod, rather than as sprigs, for two reasons: the speed of reopening and the decreased possibility of contamination. Solid sod grows in faster than sprigs and, he said a healthy, uniform, certified stand of sod is less likely to contain weeds or off-type grasses.

All Seasons Turf Grass, based in Brookshire, a licensed producer of Celebration Bermuda grass through licensing company Sod Solutions, was selected as the sod farm to grow the grass for the renovation.

All Seasons Turf Grass has a reputation for being one of the premier sod farms in Texas, regardless of cultivar, Johnson said. The fact that All Seasons grows their grass on a sand base is extremely important. We worked hard over the years to improve our soil profile. The natural soil is a heavy clay. Using heavy top dressing, Johnson said the golf course maintenance crew had achieved a top three-to-four inches of sand that drained well. Installing sod that was grown on sand would help maintain the sand cap on the golf course.

Scott Sipes, sales manager for All Seasons Turf Grass, said it will take approximately 550 truckloads of sod to complete the project.

This is one of the biggest jobs All Seasons Turf Grass has ever done, Sipes said. Most farms wouldnt be able to supply that much of a sand-based single product because of the sheer volume. Its all coming from the same farm, more than 100 acres of land. Morris Johnson and Agronomist Consultant, Dave McIntosh came out and selected where they wanted the grass to come from, and they inspected it and had it tested throughout the entire growing process.

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Grassing with Celebration Bermudagrass began last month on the renovation of historic River Oaks Country Club

How Much Does Sod Cost - Houston Grass South Missouri City Katy
Call 281-431-7441 and visit http://houstonturfgrass.com. In this video, Houston Grass South Owner Michael Romine answers a question about how much grass sod costs. Michael was raised in the...

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Call 281-431-7441 and visit http://houstonturfgrass.com. In this video, Houston Grass South Owner Michael Romine answers a question about how our grass sod prices compare to other sod dealers...

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The pitch

The Earthquakes don't expect to suffer the embarrassment of Levi's Stadium and its shoddy sod. They had a big advantage after successfully building grass fields at Buck Shaw Stadium and their practice facility adjacent to Avaya Stadium.

The team has used West Coast Turf's Bandera Bermuda grass that also is installed at AT&T Park, O.co Coliseum and Stanford Stadium.

The team conducted sun studies to figure out which areas of the field would be most affected by shadows during growing season. Builders changed the stadium's roof design based on the studies to allow for more sun during winter months.

"Bermuda fields only germinate at a certain temperature," team president Dave Kaval said. "If it is too cold, they lie dormant."

Layout

Designers shifted the stadium's configuration to take into account effects of the sun during games. Avaya Stadium faces northeast by southwest to ensure goalkeepers aren't blinded by glare like they were at Buck Shaw Stadium during sunset. The canopy and stadium walls also protect fans from sun exposure.

Seats and sightlines

The Quakes tested almost a dozen varieties of seats before settling on the Quantum from Camatic Seating. The seats are coordinated with team colors to enhance the home aura inside the stadium. The steep bowl-shaped seating structure and canopy have given Avaya intimacy. The top row is much closer to the field than almost any other stadium of its size. "If you sit in the 'nosebleed,' you're only 50 feet above the ground," Kaval said.

Parking and transportation

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Avaya Stadium: Breaking down Earthquakes' new digs

Frank Crofts receiving a medal from Sir Herman Black of the University of Sydney in 1968. Photo: Supplied

FRANK CROFTS 19252014

Frank Crofts was a distinguished agricultural scientist and an inspiring university teacher. His career resulted in huge savings in fuel and water for Australian crops, while improving soil fertility and increasing productivity.

He was born on February 27, 1925, the son of farming parents, Arthur and Lila Crofts. He grew up in the town of Blayney, an area well-known for severe extended winters and tough farming conditions. He went to Blayney Primary School then Kinross Wolaroi School in Orange. He joined the RAAF in 1942 and served in Townsville and New Guinea. As a returned serviceman, he got a Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scholarship.

He started at the University of Sydney in 1947. There he met Lucinda Wyndham, a demonstrator in agricultural botany and genetics. In 1950 and 1951, Crofts took the Pawlett Scholarship. His honours year was seminal: he was invited to attend the First Australian Agristology Conference, where he listened to the leaders in pasture research from all states of Australia formulate plans.

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Crofts graduated with a bachelor of science in agriculture with first class honours in 1951 and, the following year, he and Lucinda were married. From 1951 to 1954, Crofts worked on pasture decline on the far north coast of NSW as a research agronomist with the Department of Agriculture, on secondment to the University of Sydney.

During this time he became interested in conservation agriculture and no-tillage, and in this was at least 20 years ahead of his time. Together with pasture agronomist Ernest Breakwell and Harold Jenkins, he was largely responsible for developing the practice of sowing legumes into uncultivated pastures to increase pasture productivity a practice known as sod-seeding. This led to the university's patent of the sod-seeder, a machine widely used as the basis of conservation.

In the 1950s, Crofts developed a pasture management system to enable a consistent supply of forage for dairy cows throughout the year, reducing feed costs by up to 75 per cent. In 1954, Crofts was appointed lecturer in agronomy at the University of Sydney.

In 1960, Crofts was a Rockefeller Foundation Fellow at Oregon State University. There, he was awarded a Master of Science with honours for his work on the effects of nitrogen on the growth patterns of a range of grass species.

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Frank Crofts, agricultural scientist who pioneered farm conservation practices, dies

Carol O'Meara CSU Cooperative Extension

Editor's note: This is the first of a two-part series. Next week, Chris Hathaway, turf manager of the Denver Broncos' Sports Authority Field at Mile High, will give his take on turf cultivation.

Now that the season is over, the Denver Broncos are changing things up. But a new coach and changes to the roster aren't the only thing getting a makeover for next year's run at the Superbowl. To step up their game, the Broncos are giving their field a face-lift.

"All things have a lifespan, and the field the Broncos play on was designed for 10 years. Through good management, it was extended to 13 years; it served the team well," said James Graff, co-owner of Graff's Turf Farms in Fort Morgan. "What people don't realize is the stadium is used more heavily and differently today than it was in its first year, and it's hard to repair."

The combination of grass with synthetic fibers had to be hand-stitched whenever new sod was laid to repair worn spots. Whenever possible, repairs were made by over-seeding instead of with sod to avoid having staff serve as seamstresses for the field. Now at the end of its lifespan, the field is being completely renovated. An all-bluegrass field is going in, which allows the turf manager flexibility and ease of management.

What it won't do is take a lot of water, said Graff. "Bluegrass doesn't have to be the water hog homeowners make it out to be. You can count on sports turf managers to manage their resources wisely. The Broncos spend smart; they're wise in what they do and won't blow through water with this new field."

They're also using this time when the turf is removed to make repairs and upgrades to the heating and irrigation system.

Homeowners wanting to renovate their yards should be using this time too, says Graff, to plan and prepare the yard for renovation. While the Broncos have the advantage of heated soil, homeowners still have frozen ground. But you can plan for success and be ready for the ideal time of March into April to begin your project.

Focus on what is needed by asking the experts which type of grass is best for the area, if the irrigation system needs upgrading or how much maintenance you want to invest. In all cases, soil preparation must be on the to-do list.

Good soil is crucial to healthy turf; if yours has too much clay or is compacted, air and water aren't available to the roots. If there's too much sand, water and nutrients won't stay in the root zone. Have a soil test done to determine what your soil is like, including pH and existing nutrients.

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March into lawn renovation

A controversial county project that involves removing seven of the 18 trees at Courthouse Square in downtown Sonora is expected to run about $23,000 over budget, according to a revised estimate released by the county Tuesday.

The Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors received an update on the progress of the project from County Administrator Craig Pedro, who said the cost for specialists to perform the tree removal and trimming work is expected to be more than double what was originally estimated.

Work is currently well underway at the park, with an expected completion date of March 6. The tree trimming and removal was initially estimated to cost only about $20,000, but the only bid received from the seven local contractors who were notified was for $42,845.

Given that increase and various project additions and chages, the price could grow to $66,000.

The Modesto-based contractor, Grover Landscape Services Inc., has an arborist on site at all times who has personally completed some of the work, Pedro said.

Theyre really paying attention to make sure this is done correctly, he said.

There have also been some additions and subtractions to the scope of the project since it began.

Pedro said the old wooden trash receptacles at the park will be replaced with nice, new metal ones at a total additional cost of $4,000, because part of the idea behind the project was to clean up the park.

A $15,000 plan to install security cameras on the surrounding buildings to document any illegal activities at the park will be funded by a grant through the Tuolumne County Transportation Council.

The board also made the suggestion of installing a sod lawn, rather than grass seeding. That will cost an extra $5,000, Pedro said.

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Tree removal pricetag growing

Concern for burrowing owls living in the unstable sand under the sidewalk outside Cooper City's Forest Lake Park recently prompted 80 volunteers to create six safe artificial nests.

Utilizing a $2,000 grant from the Captain Planet Foundation, students and parents from Griffin Elementary School, members of the South Florida Audubon Society's Project Perch program, Cooper City's Green Advisory Board and city staff teamed up for the project.

Volunteers dug into abandoned nests to create artificial nesting chambers and tunnels with PVC piping. White sand was spread at the entrance to attract owls. They surrounded the area with wooden fencing to protect the nests, and a sign was secured to the fence explaining what the owls eat, how they nest and their importance to the ecosystem.

"These were once active burrows, but sometimes they were in compromised areas," said Diana Guidry, chairwoman of the city's green board who works for NatureScape Broward. "The PVC doesn't collapse if a mower or a car goes over it. Hopefully, (the owls) choose these spots."

Residents expressed concern about the owls living underneath the sidewalk. Cars park in the swale, bicyclists, joggers and strollers use the sidewalk, and pesticides are sprayed along the concrete.

"We want to entice the owls to move where they'll be better protected," said city arborist Jeanette Wofford. "We want them to feel secure in their nests."

Kelly Heffernan, avian biologist and founder of Project Perch, which works to protect burrowing owls, was thrilled with the volunteer turnout.

"It's great when an event can draw this many volunteers," she said. " Almost all of our owls live in parks, schools or airports because it's the last green space."

Dawn Pitti wanted her son, kindergartner Aiden Pitti-Short, 6, to gain a greater sense of responsibility for the environment.

"He learned about (burrowing owls) at school," Pitti said. "Now when we come to this park, he'll see he was part of building the owls' habitats."

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Creating a safer owl habitat

News 12 First at Five / March 3, 2015

EVANS, Ga. (WRDW) -- As a retired insurance agent, Tom Sorrells never imagined that he would be the one at risk.

"You don't realize how devastating a storm is until the aftereffects," he said.

Last year's ice storm brought down three of his white oak trees.

"It killed the root system because of the severity of the winter storm. The trees literally just blew over because the roots died," he said.

A year later, he says his grass has drowned because of excessive rain.

"What used to be a nice back yard, a third of it eroded away," said Sorrells.

While his front yard is unscathed, his side yard is completely barren.

"What a difference 12 months makes. You've gone from a beautiful landscaped yard to total erosion of any grass," he noted.

His house is about 20 years old with trees decades older, so building standards to prevent erosion were not there, and at the time were not necessary.

Continue reading here:
Erosion patterns increase one year after ice storm