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Green Life Turf | Industry Turf Blog

The Best Time to Re-turf Busy Sports Fields & School Ovals

Posted by Joshua Muscat on Aug 13, 2019 8:55:00 AM
Joshua Muscat
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Turf for Busy Sports Fields | TifTuf Bermuda Couch

It's not always possible to repair or rejuvenate a damaged sports field or school oval; some fields will simply need re-turfing.

With environmental, economical and social factors, it's hard to know when the best time is to re-turf a busy sports field or school oval. Timing is going to be everything. Here are our tips.

1. Usage

  • Consider when the area will either not be in use, or will be least in use.
  • Spring is most commonly the best choice as most winter sports have concluded their season by then and on some complexes this gives enough time for the field to establish ready for any summer sport activities.

 

2. Weather

The best season to re-turf a sports field is early spring: around September and October.

  • The weather is warmer at this time of the year, but not too hot.
  • The typical climate makes it more efficient to get your new turf established.
  • Reduced risk of turf drying out than in hotter weather.
  • Cooler weather means a less aggressive watering establishment program is required: ideal in the current water restrictions put in place for Sydney and surrounding suburbs.

 

3. Downtime

Depending on the variety, weather and conditions, most sports fields will need 4-8 weeks to establish after being laid with turf rolls.

However, if you're patching areas by re-sprigging or cultivating, establishment times increase to over 18 weeks before ground cover.

Alternatively, you can use a the Bullseye Instant Lawn System that allows the area to be instantly played on without needing water to get established. Learn more... 

 

4. Planning

Give yourself time to plan your project out. Reverse engineer it so that if you want to be up and running by (say) December:

  • December - reopen sports field
  • (8 weeks establishment) Early October - lay new turf
  • (6 weeks planning & preparation) Mid August - start planning and making arrangements for re-turfing project

 

What Are The First Signs of Wear to Look Out For?

So how do you know if your sports field or school oval needs a complete re-turf makeover?

  • The very first sign of wear is brown, yellowing leaf. This is generally caused by excessive wear and compaction of hard soil.
  • Bare patches where there is no grass left.
  • Areas becoming infested with weeds.
  • Surfaces becoming uneven and unsafe.

 

Do I Have to Replace the Entire Sports Field / School Oval or Just Patches?

Re-Turfed Sports FieldDepending on the conditions, sometimes re-turfing worn out areas will be adequate to resurface the area. See our tips on repairing sports fields here.

In some cases replacing and rejuvenating ovals will be more cost effective for the area.

For areas where the surface is uneven due to the wear, we recommend resurfacing these areas as they may become a trip hazard causing the oval to be unsafe for use.

 

How to Repair Your Sports Field / School Oval

There are a few ways to re-turf your sports field or school oval, depending on the time you have and your budget. See our tips on Rejuvenating Lawns for Large Areas.

Re-Turfing a Sports Oval FieldWhich Turf Variety is Best For My Sports Field / School Oval?

It's crucial to really consider the variety of turf you will need for the area when thinking about re-turfing or resurfacing: wear and tear, shade, drought, aesthetics, just to name a few.

There are a lot of outdated doctrines and misconceptions about turf varieties on the Australian market.

Sir Walter Buffalo GrassSir Grange Zoysia GrassTifTuf Bermuda GrassNullarbor Couch GrassEureka Kikuyu Grass

Find out more about modern practices and the latest research and best turf varieties for sports fields and school ovals in our Returfing Lawn Best Practices Guide - click the image below to get yours:

Returfing Sports Fields & School Ovals Best Practices Guide

 

Topics: Lawn Care, Turf for Industry, Sports Fields & Ovals, School Sports Fields & Ovals

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Returfing Sports Fields & School Ovals Best Practices Guide