Natural Turf Maintenance Services for Sports Fields
Aerification
Natural grass sports fields become overly hard and compact from continued athletic use. This subsurface soil compaction stunts natural grass growth from lack of oxygen supply and increases athletic field injuries, especially concussions. Aerifying your sports field reduces costly and dangerous subsurface soil compaction, instead enabling a growing, healthy playing surface. A G-Max test (made popular by the NFL) can evaluate your sports field’s compaction, and need for aerification. River Region Sports Fields is Alabama’s leading sports field aerification specialist, with expertise in both sports field aerification and G-Max testing.
Chemical Application
Your sports fields need specialized weed and pest control services to maintain a healthy and safe playing surface. River Region Sports Fields is fully trained and licensed to perform weed diagnosis and chemical application for sports fields and follows the Integrated Pest Management (IMP) applicator framework to ensure proper pest control assessments and product applications.
Core Harvesting
Core harvesting is typically performed in conjunction with aerification. The trained professionals at River Region Sports Fields use a core harvester to seamlessly collect the left over aeration cores from the aeration process, as well as thatch, clippings, and leaves. This allows for a significantly faster turn around time and a return to full use of the field within a day.
Fertilization
The primary goal of sports fields management programs is to produce healthy grass that is able to withstand the rigors of its intended use. Fertilization is one of the most important components of a successful sports field management program. River Regions Sports Fields fertilization program is tailored to the specific needs of each playing surface. Our trained technicians perform soil tests that enable us to monitor the nutrient level of the soil and develop a specialized fertilization program to optimize the health of your grass.
Overseeding
Overseeding is the periodic application of seed to an existing turf grass field to improve turf density. A widely accepted industry practice is that 25 events on a native soil football field is the limit for optimum turf grass recovery. The grass cannot fully recuperate when used for games, practices, gym class, and other school activities. It is important to perform overseeding on a routine basis on high-use fields in order to provide a more uniform, dense, and safe playing surface.
Vertical Mowing
Vertical mowing is the process of using special machinery to remove thatch. Thatch is the accumulation of undecomposed or partially decomposed organic material that is found at the soil surface below the grass blades. Excessive thatch levels make it difficult for water, fertilizer, and pesticides to reach the soil, which increases the likelihood of patch diseases. Vertical mowing is essential to remove thatch and maintain top playing conditions for any type of natural grass athletic fields.
Reel Mowing
Our mowing practices provide a dense, fast playing surface that produces a turf that is both wear-tolerant and resilient. Our mowing unit minimizes ground pressure by using high flotation turf tires and produces the highest quality cut. We use top quality equipment to ensure your natural turf maintenance receives the proper treatment it needs.
Top-Dressing
Top dressing is an important part of a healthy turf maintenance program. It is the process of applying a uniform thin layer of soil or organic materials over the turf surface. Top dressing is used reduce soil compaction, level the playing field when minor variations or depressions are apparent, change the soil profile, and reduce thatch.
