GROUNDS MANAGEMENT
Slopes often limit the capacity to mow and regularly care for turfgrass , resulting appearances such as this .
Groundcovers offer the opportunity to introduce texture , leaf shape and color appeal to the landscape . being managed tend to get a little impatient if they see too much non-plant surface . On the other side of things , a 4- to 6-inch spacing will allow plants to fill in more quickly , but require a lot more budget to get it done .
Groundcovers will establish well if the soil is loosened and amended before planting . A 4-pronged pitchfork is a good tool for this purpose as it breaks the surface crust without destroying soil structure .
Testing the soil beforehand is always a good idea , with a keen eye on pH , organic matter content , cation exchange capacity , salinity and micronutrients . Deficiencies in these categories are best corrected before the plants are stuck in the ground . Loosening is also important for the roots of the plant as well . If they are tangled in the cell pack or pot , take a couple of minutes to simply pull them apart — much like you would before eating a cinnamon roll — to prevent them from continuing to encircle and limit water / nutrient movement in the plant .
Once plants are installed , it ’ s important to keep them moist , not soggy or dry ( at least for most species ). Consider the instructions on the plant care tags for groundcovers that prefer “ dry shade ” and “ hot and sunny ” conditions . A simple screwdriver test routine will serve well in the days after planting . The force required to push a screwdriver into the soil is very telling ; very little is required if the soil is moist , lots is needed if the soil is dry . In addition to how hard you need to push , feeling the blade after it is pulled out is a good indicator as well . If the blade is muddy , the soil and roots are moist and no watering is required ; if it ’ s powdery dry , then it ’ s time to water .
Death and taxes are two things you can count on ; but as a sports field or grounds manager , one more thing needs to be added to that list — weeds . Weeds are inevitable , and , depending on the seed bank , can be overwhelming . The
30 SportsField Management | July 2023 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com