One thing Aussies truly love is a bit of winter sports out on the field, and it’s this time of year that we begin to notice how much damage this can cause our sports oval turf. For a variety of reasons, the primary being that the goalmouth is the area with the most concentrated foot traffic, it’s no wonder the damage is usually first seen at the goalmouth.
It’s worth saying up front, repairing your sports or school oval doesn’t need to be expensive or leave your field unusable for excessive lengths of time. Here are some options that will depend on time, budget, and the condition of the area you’re repairing:
Ever wondered why a sports field’s goalmouth is the first thing to show signs of damage?
Let’s start at the top (literally). There are many different varieties of turf on the market to sift though. A lot are very similar to each other. A project to investigate and field-test potentially hundreds of shortlisted turf varieties would be a mammoth task that would take years and a lot of ongoing analysis.
Luckily, that’s exactly what Lawn Solutions Australia (LSA) has done for us. Here are the two top varieties we and LSA recommend for sports and school fields:
TifTuf Bermuda is relatively new to the Australian market (though it has been here all over Australia being tested for many years). It is a fantastic all-rounder grass, particularly great for:
Aesthetically, TifTuf has a bright, unique colour. It is becoming a favourite grass for Australian sports fields and used in a number of schools, parks, council sports ovals, and more.
One of the most recent sports fields turfed using TifTuf is Campbelltown Sports Stadium where TifTuf was chosen to resurface the entire field.
Find out more about TifTuf:
2. Eureka Kikuyu.
Eureka Kikuyu is and has been a popular choice for school ovals and council parks for many years. It’s a great turf choice for:
Whats the difference between Eureka Kikuyu and Kikuyu? Check out LSA's case study when an inferior Kikuyu was installed:
3. Nullarbor Couch.
Nullarbor Couch is another popular choice for sports and school fields, great for:
Nullarbor Couch is AusGap Standard, so you can be sure you’re getting the genuine, 100%-pure, weed-free product, with a 10 year product warranty.
Once again, there are many different soil types and structures with different properties and specifications. They can be categorised into the following segments:
1. Sandy Loam Types - The ideal soil type is an organic, sandy loam soil. This allows for good drainage as well as organic elements holding the nutrients and enough moisture to keep the grass plant healthy, strong and active. You can easily achieve this soil type if your soil is sandy enough, without the need to bring in new soil.
2. Sandy Soil Types – Ideal for drainage, however, they don’t hold moisture and nutrients as well as other soil types.
3. Clay Soil Types – Usually not recommended as they don’t provide any drainage; the ground becomes very hard and the soil begins to struggle with the wear and tear. This soil will require more fertiliser to keep maintained.
Without the correct soil type for the area, you will find the lawn struggling, causing it to eventually fail. It is important that the playing surface has the correct soil type as a foundation for your lawn, as this allows the turf to perform at its best, using less water, fertiliser and weed controllers to keep the lawn looking lush and green.
Synthetic turf in these areas seems to be an obvious choice, as no watering is required and it can withstand, wear and tear. Artificial turf has its place in the market but shouldn't be used sports fields. There are greater benefits in using natural turf for sporting fields such as the fact that it will remain cool during the summer months and provide a natural fire barrier. It will also provide oxygen that reduces pollution. It is self-replenishing and cost-effective and known to be naturally calming and self-sanitising. All of these benefits combined make natural turf a safe sporting surface.
For more information, take a look at Turf Australia press release and case study:
It is important that when considering to resurface a sports field, that you use and select the right materials and products that will be suitable for the longevity of the area. Soil conditions and preparation is crucial to the success of any type of lawn as it gives the lawn a solid foundation for it to thrive, making it more efficient and easier to maintain.
We are a family business who are passionate about all things turf and love to see more open green spaces within parks and schools. We aim to take the confusion out of turf industry by only growing varieties that have greater benefits to the environment. We have farms strategically located in the Hawkesbury and Hunter Region growing on sandy loam soil bases, which is the optimum foundation for any new lawn.
We can supply turf in small rolls, maxi rolls and now, new to the market, an all new patented system that will revolutionise the way turf is installed, Bullseye Instant Lawn System. Bullseye is a turf + soil paver. Bullseye can be grown with any turf type, and has a 75mm organic base of sandy loam soil, that can be placed in any area and instantly be played on without any establishment times. Bullseye can also be easily removed and replaced mid-season, without having to close the field, making it the perfect choice for goalmouths.
We also can contract grow any lawn variety for large-scale projects. Find our more here: Bullseye Instant Lawn System.