BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

The following sustainable landscaping best management practices are excerpted from SFMA ’ s National BMP guide , Best Management Practices for the Sports Field Manager : A Professional Guide for Sports Field Management . The full guide , as well as a customizable BMP template , is available at https :// www . sportsfieldmanagement . org / knowledge _ center / bmps /. Part 1 of the sustainable landscaping BMPs section can also be found in the June issue of SportsField Management magazine .

PLANT SELECTION The fundamental principle for the environmentally sound management of landscapes is “ right plant , right place .” Proper plant selection is the most important step in designing a sustainable landscape planting . Use a detailed , completed site analysis to select appropriate plants for the site and ensure successful establishment based on sunlight requirements , soil conditions and water availability .

Native plants should be an integral component of the landscape design at key focal points and around the property periphery . The goal of species selection in a sustainable landscape is to maintain as close to a

natural ecosystem as practical . The majority of the nonsports field areas should be maintained with reduced inputs or left unmown during the growing season , where possible . Retaining as much natural vegetation as possible and supplemental planting of native trees , shrubs and herbaceous vegetation provides the highest quality wildlife habitat . For example , native species such as oak and aster best sustain species of native butterfly and moth caterpillars in a Mid-Atlantic location , while non-native species such as Ginkgo or Zelkova support none . Planting species that attract native insects is the most effective means to maintain and improve biological diversity , as it increases the complexity of the biota the native area can support . The native plant finder website ( https :// www . nwf . org / NativePlantFinder / Plants ) can provide the same kind of species information and rankings by ZIP code .

IRRIGATION Regardless of their ability to tolerate drought , all plants typically require supplemental irrigation during establishment . If supplemental irrigation is not available for larger expanses of native areas ,

36 SportsField Management | July 2023 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com