We’ve come to the time of year where your fields have seen quite a bit of wear and tear.  There are a couple things that we feel are important to think about this time of year:

• Scheduling any renovations or projects.
  • Many contractors (including our Homefield installers) usually are booking up for fall renovation season by this time, so it’s very important to not get left behind.
• Evaluating what you did well and what you can improve upon from a field maintenance point of view.
  • Were you happy with the performance of your field all season?
  • If not, what actionable items can you enact moving forward, in order to achieve the desired results?

In this article, we’ll be discussing our Do’s and Don’ts for field care.

Pregame Do’s

• Mound and Batter’s Box
  • Sweep out loose material from the wear areas
  • Scarify (scratch up) the area you will be adding clay to
    • This can a knife, a nail, or anything of the like.
  • Premoisten areas that will be repaired
  • Add moistened clay like DuraPitch Premium mound clay to the areas being repaired and tamp thoroughly
  • Rake a thin layer of topdressing ⅛-¼” over the entire clay areas
  • Water the area to help maintain proper moisture content in the clay
• Mowing Tips
  • Mow the field to a standard height as often as possible during the growing season
  • Never cut more than ⅓ of the top growth
  • Avoid mowing in wet conditions
  • Keep mower blades sharp – dull mower blades damage turf
• Rain Strategies
  • Remove puddles immediately on game days
  • Use method that will not displace infield mix
  • Lightly rake damp areas to help drying
  • Sun, wind and low humidity are your friends
  • Use a drying agent like ProDry only when necessary
  • Drag and roll infield skin to help drainage when rain is expected
• Dragging the Infield
  • Drag or rake basepaths parallel to edges – never side to side
  • Remove bases before dragging the infield
  • Vary drag patterns to maintain surface grade
  • Keep nail dragging depth between ¼”-½”
    • Scratches not trenches
  • Screen drag a dry field, cocoa mat a damp field

Post-Game Do’s

• Infield skin leveling
  • Remove and plug all bases and rake the base area level
  • Rake or level board excess loose materials back into wear areas and low spots
  • Drag infield and use a level board tool to redistribute heavy concentrations of topdressing
• Additional infield care
  • Fan rake, sweep, or blow loose infield materials from turf edges to prevent lips
  • Heavily soak infield at the end of the day for better performance, if resources allow for it
  • Water clay areas around home plate and the mound to replace what has evaporated
  • Cover and secure tarps to mound and home plate areas to manage moisture

Field Maintenance Don’ts

• DO NOT sweep, rake, or squeegee excess water off your infield skin
• DO NOT ever use cat litter or oil dry to absorb excess water on your infield
• DO NOT enter a field immediately after significant rain, allow natural drainage first
• DO NOT use a bolt drag on your infield
• DO NOT drive maintenance equipment on infield skin after rain until it is firm enough to walk on
• DO NOT deeply nail drag an infield after a rain — ever!
• DO NOT ever leave tarps on grass for any length of time when the sun is out

When you build or maintain a ballfield that you are happy with, it’s an investment.  It’s an investment in not only the field, but with the kids and adults that play on them.  The whole community benefits.  Take care of it properly and it will continue to take care you those using your field for a long time to come.