Lawn talk with Broncos' turf guru

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