Fall Summary: Bermudagrass Performance Test

Welcome to 2014! SoccerPlex Grounds & Envrionmental Management is updating you on the fall results of the Bermuda Performance Test taking place on Fields 14 & 17.  Announcement: Bermudagrass Performance Test gives a few more details.

SoccerPlex Fields 14 & 17 were re-constructed from their native soil/ heavy clay base into sand soil rootzones in August, 2013.  The sand rootzone allows the fields to never close during rain and to sustain more use from matches, trainings, events, etc.  Late summer heat during the field installation and heavy traffic being put on the fields only 6 days after installation made bermudagrass the grass of choice for the fields.

1st Loads of Sand Arrive for Field 17. 100 Loads of Sand Are Required for Each Field

The challenging question to answer was which variety of bermudagrass fit the challenge of high traffic fields to be maintained at a professional quality?  Four varieties of bermudagrass are viable for heavy traffic and cold winters in the Washington, DC region; Patriot, Riviera, Latitude 36, and Northbridge.  Because was no solid head to head data that SocccerPlex GEM management could find established which was best for the situation… we instead instituted our own test.

Test:
The two fields had two grass installed on each half, with the varieties being split directly down the middle.  Splitting down the middle was important, as the end of the field closest to the parking lot always gets the most use.

The fields broke down to:

Field 14:  Northbridge on 1/2, Patriot on 1/2

Field 17: Latitude 36 on 1/2, Riviera on 1/2

Grow-In/ Establishment of Each Variety
The sod quality of the varieties was completely different.  But the inconsistency added an additional dimension to the observation and test, especially during grow-in and establishment:

Riviera:  Riviera bermudagrass is a seeded variety.  Being that seedlings may not have the established stolon and rhizome network of vegetative varieties, there was an initial concern about what the sod quality of Riviera.  That concern proved wrong.  The Riviera sod quality was nearly perfect and establishment was immediate.  Not a single piece of sod came apart and 4″ roots were into the sand within 5 days.  The Riviera sod was some of the best ever seen at SoccerPlex.  From an establishment perspective, Riviera was fantastic.

Latitude 36: Latitude 36 is a new variety only available in the last 18-24 months for use.  Due to the sod being a very young age, the quality was poor.  But instead of the quality being a detriment, it actually turned into an important piece to understand Latitude 36’s ability to grow and recover.  Still within 7 days, the Latitude was rooted.  Within 14 days any thin/ broken sod pieces were re-estblished.  And within 21 days, there no longer could be seen any quality issues.  The sod quality was weak, but from an establishment perspective, Latitude 36 was fantastic even still.

Day 7 After Installation: Riviera Left, Latitude 36 Right

Day 14: Latitude 36 Left, Riviera Right

Patriot: Patriot bermudagrass is well known at SoccerPlex.  With 7 total Patriot bermudagrass fields in the park, SoccerPlex GEM is a huge fan of Patriot bermudagrass for high traffic.  It is a grass always up for any challenge.  The sod quality of the Patriot was good and the establishment of the Patriot was even better.  Being a known quantity, the Patriot sod quality and grow-in performance was exactly as expected.  Excellent all around.

Northbridge:  Northbridge bermudagrass was the least known to SoccerPlex GEM of the 4 bermudagrasses used.  But Northbridge also had the most “upside” to all the bermuda varieties being that is was somewhat unknown.  The sod quality of the Northbridge provided a challenge though.  Because of heavy rains and a lack of time for mowing in the field, the Northbridge had been scalped down with little remaining green leaf tissue to create aggressive growth quickly. Similar to the Latitude 36, this could have been a negative for the grass.  But again, the initial set back provided perspective to the possibilities of Northbridge.  The sod rolls still head together completely and rooted within 7 days.  28 days later, the initial issues with Northbridge were unknown.  Sod quality was not great.  Establishment of Northbridge was fantastic.

Field 14 5 Days After Install: Northbridge Right, Patriot Left

Field 14 5 Days After Installation: Northbridge Right, Patriot Left

Fall Usage
Both fields went into play immediately.  Starting 6 full days after final installation, the fields sustained traffic through Thanksgiving.   In that time period, Field 14 hosted 93 matches/ trainings and Field 17 hosted 105 matches/ trainings.  The heavy traffic provided quite an interesting perspective of the durability of the different varieties.

Wear Tolerance
All four varieties showed equal and strong wear tolerance during the 1st 7 weeks of use.  Then a weekend tournament on Oct. 12 & 13 changed everything.  In mid-September the fields were overseeded with 6 lbs of Barenbrug SOS ryegrass, making a nice mix of bermudagrass and rye grass.  Going into the tournament, there was no reason visible difference from any of the varieties.

During the tournament weekend, 16 matches were play on each field during a consistent rainfall that totally nearly 6″.  All varieties performed very well.  But the Latitude 36 and the Northbridge set themselves apart in shear strength and over all durability.  The pictures are very obvious:

Field 14: Northbridge Left, Patriot Right

Field 14: Northbridge Left, Patriot Right

Field 17: Riviera Left, Latitude 36 Right

Field 17: Latitude 36 Left, Riviera Right

WHY DID WE SEE SUCH A DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE???
Immediately the question to answer was WHY is the difference so dramatic, so quickly?? During the weekend tournament, SoccerPlex GEM had the privilege to have Mr. Roberto Gurgel and Ms. Erin Boyd Wilder of Sod Solutions in to observe the Latitude 36 and Northbridge.  Mr. Alexandre Santos of Green Leaf in Brazil was also visiting with them.  With such a group of experienced and bright turfgrass minds present, our conclusion was:

Over all density

Latitude 36 and Northbridge are both very fine leafed. The stolons and rhizomes are very small with short internodes.  With those 2 factors, the Latitude 36 and Northbridge “weave together” and create a more dense and tight surface that is harder for players and their cleats to break through.  

The wet conditions during the tournament left the sod layer wet, causing the Patriot and Riviera to thin out more because they weren’t “weaved together” as tightly as the Latitude 36 and the Northbridge.

All varieties performed well still under such traffic demand and in terrible weather.  But the Latitude 36 and Northbridge for the 1st time illustrated a visible difference during the tournament.

Wear Tolerance Cont: 
Another example of the difference in wear tolerance came on Field 17.  But even more interesting, there became an example between the far end of the Riviera v the closest end to the parking lot.  SoccerPlex GEM works closely with the scheduling specialists for SoccerPlex fields to “balance” play on the fields.  However the closest end of a field to parking lots always gets the most use.  Field 17 gave a black and white example of how important balance on a field is:

Note Difference From Left to Right… Traffic Not Even on Both Sides (Left Closer to Parking Lot)

Note in the picture how much more worn the left small sided field is compared to the right side.  Both fields are Riviera w/ SOS ryegrass overseeded into it.

Late Season Color
Latitude 36 and Northbridge again set themselves apart in holding color late into the season.  All four varieties held their color well into the 1st week of November, even with consistent frost and low temperatures in the 20’s and 30’s.  On Nov. 15, the average low temperature for November at SoccerPlex was 35.9 degrees F. The lowest temperature recorded had been 23.  Yet sustained green was still in the Latitude 36 and Northbridge.  Patriot also was holding some color, about 1/2 of the amount of the Northbridge (that color was consistent on all 7 other Patriot bermudagrass fields at SoccerPlex)

Nov. 15 w/ No Overseeding:  Northbridge Left, Patriot Right

Nov. 15 w/ No Overseeding:  Riviera Left, Latitude 36 Right

Summary: 
To use one word to summarize the initial results of the SoccerPlex Bermudagrass Performance Test:  WOW! The possibility of ALL these genetics is so exciting!

Riviera:  Performed consistently.  Sod quality was fantastic.  Establishment was fast.  Wear tolerance was good.  Late season growth and color was good.  Because it comes from seed, spring and summer 2014 will allow the Riviera to mature and show us more characteristics.  

Patriot:  Performed consistently and strong.  Sod quality was great.  Establishment was fast.  Wear tolerance was excellent.  Late season growth and color were excellent.  We got exactly what we expected from the Patriot, showing why it is used on 7 other fields at SoccerPlex able to host over 1000 hours of play per season.  

Latitude 36:  Performed intriguingly well.  Sod quality was poor do to immaturity.  But the plant population was still strong and lush.  Establishment was still fast.  Wear tolerance was excellent, even amazing with how it set itself apart in October.  Late season growth and color were amazing.  The possibilities of Latitude 36 are endless if spring green up and aggressive growth happen early after such heavy traffic in the fall.  

Northbridge:  Perform intriguingly as well.  Sod quality was good in the aspect it held together nicely, but the scalped plants hurt badly.  Yet it was able to completely recover and catch up to the other varieties.  Wear tolerance was excellent, even amazing with how it set itself apart from Patriot, a fantastic grass.  Late season growth and color were amazing.  The possibilities of Northbridge are endless if spring green up and aggressive growth happen early after such heavy traffic in the fall.  

Pick a winner (so far)?

Nope! Can’t be done.  Spring green up and recovery from late fall heavy traffic will make or break each of the varieties in this trial.  Stay tuned… the possibilities really are exciting!!

Riviera Roots After 3 Days

1/4″ of Sand Being Applied to Riviera Side of Field 17

Verticutting Field 17

Field 14 Sod Installation Begins W/ Patriot

Field 14 Sod Installation Compete

Latitude 36

Weathering the storms: How Md. SoccerPlex stayed open last weekend amid six inches of rain

From SoccerWire.com on Oct. 18:  

Weathering the Storm: How SoccerPlex Fields Stayed Open

By Charles Boehm / October 18, 2013

By Charles Boehm

WASHINGTON – Some call it the “curse of Columbus Day weekend soccer,” and it was back with a vengeance this year: Last week more rain fell on the Washington, D.C. area in a five-day period than had fallen throughout the previous three months combined.

Fuelled in large part by the remnants of Tropical Storm Karen as it stalled in the Atlantic Ocean just offshore from the Mid-Atlantic coast, the heavy, sustained precipitation inflicted havoc on the region’s scheduled soccer events.

With several field complexes closed due to saturated playing surfaces, tournaments had to be cancelled or curtailed. Even D.C. United were affected, as their match against the Philadelphia Union at RFK Stadium became a soggy mess in monsoon-like conditions on Saturday night.

But at the Maryland SoccerPlex, it was almost business as usual: The vast majority of the Discovery Cup youth tournament went ahead as scheduled on eight of the facility’s natural-grass fields despite more than six inches of rain in some areas.

“We played on [Fields] 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 17 and [synthetic]turf [Fields] 18, 19, 20,” said SoccerPlex executive director Trish Heffelfinger in an email to SoccerWire.com. “We cancelled our younger age groups so that we could give every team in U-12 (11v11) to U-19 [age groups] two 60-minute games.

“It is remarkable in view of the amount of rain, 5.85 [inches] in five days…From a historic standpoint this was one of the most challenging situations. Not only did we have a significant accumulation of rain but we also had no drying. It was cloudy, cool and continued to drizzle or mist the entire weekend.”

It seems that the first phase of a five-year, multi-million-dollar fields renovation process has reaped immediate benefits.

[ +Read more about Md. SoccerPlex’s five-year improvement project here ]

“We’re not there completely, but we’re getting there,” SoccerPlex sports turf managerJerad Minnick told SoccerWire.com. “We’ve made major progress even from summer of last year. If this was last October, we would’ve had one grass field open. So to have eight, that’s a dramatic improvement.”

Previously, only Maureen Hendricks Field, the SoccerPlex’s showcase stadium, had a grass surface capable of all-weather use, thanks to sand-based soil that allows it to drain rainfall at a rate comparable to artificial turf. The rest of the complex’s fields were “native-soil,” alluding to a heavy clay composition underneath the grass that tends to hold water and sometimes leads to rainouts after less than an inch of precipitation.

But over the summer Minnick and his staff converted Fields No. 14 and No. 17 to a sand base and laid down four new varieties of Bermuda to test their performance side-by-side. Elsewhere, five other native-soil fields were equipped with an innovative system of underground drainage channels to speed water away from the playing surface so play could continue under a wider variety of weather conditions.

And the Discovery Cup showed just what a difference it all made.

“Our goal was to be able to play in up to three inches [of rain]. We played after six,” said Minnick of the five adapted native-soil fields. “They did get worn, especially with the last half-inch on Saturday night, but it’s nothing that we can’t deal with.

“It’s amazing how our perception changes or our expectation level comes up because we’re able to increase the quality overall,” he added, noting that since their completion, none of the refurbished fields have been closed due to rainfall. “We didn’t even realize how well it was going to work – we knew it was going to work, but we just didn’t know yet to the extent that it was going to work.”

For Minnick and the rest of the SoccerPlex staff, it’s a rewarding signpost in their long-term journey towards a life without rainouts – and a vindication of their philosophy that grass fields, if properly managed and maintained, can handle almost as much use as synthetic turf, even in heavy rains, and at less cost.

“It’s exciting – it’s exciting not just for the industry but for clubs and players and parents – it saves money and it means we’re moving in the right direction,” said Minnick. “We have more options, we have better technologies, we have better [turfgrass] genetics.

“We just have to get away from the thought that grass fields can’t take more. Who decided that?” he added. “Nothing is impossible, it just hasn’t been done yet. We have the techniques, we just have to change the thinking…It’s awesome for our fields that we get to try out all these things – we’re really dedicated to trying to make fields better for our patrons.”

Or as Heffelfinger put it: “We have had one more opportunity to learn what is possible.”

Md. turf guru makes history as keynote at top European groundskeepers seminar

From Soccerwire.com:  By Charles Boehm / October 7, 2013  

By Charles Boehm

WASHINGTON – The U.S. soccer community often looks east to Europe for information and inspiration, and the game’s leading groundskeepers tend to do the same.

But this week an American turfgrass guru will be the star speaker at one of Europe’s biggest meetings of professional groundskeepers, sharing the philosophies and skills he’s developed over 15 years of managing sports fields in this country’s heartland.

On Wednesday, Maryland SoccerPlex sports turf manager Jerad Minnick will deliver the keynote address at the European Stadium and Safety Management Association’s head grounds manager seminar in Porto, Portugal.

ESSMA is a partner organization of UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations) and Minnick can expect a warm welcome as he discusses the “grass field revolution” he sees unfolding across the sports world amid new technologies for growing, maintaining and regenerating natural surfaces.

“We need to keep growing innovation and spreading a positive message about the possibilities of grass fields,” Minnick told SoccerWire.com via email over the weekend. “The more idea-sharing and technology we employ, the bigger the possibilities become.

“My keynote is taking that a bit further to encourage and illustrate the importance to ‘think different.’”

While such appearances tend to suggest peak mastery in one’s field, Minnick approaches his work from a humble, curious perspective, regularly praising his European counterparts’ high levels of expertise and ingenuity. So he’s making practical use of his trans-Atlantic trip by visiting a long list of top stadiums and sports facilities in England and Spain over the course of two weeks.

Minnick visited with his colleagues at London’s colossal Wembley Stadium, home of the English national team, and attended the NFL game that took place there on Sept. 29, then hustled through an ambitious itinerary that included the homes and/or training facilities of the Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday football clubs as well as the Headingley Carnegie and Twickenham rugby stadiums, the Sports Turf Research Institute and St. George’s Park, the chief training center of the English Football Association.

And on his way to Portugal, he also stopped in at Real Madrid to visit Paul Burgess, a friend who serves as “chief of pitch maintenance” at the Spanish powerhouse.

It’s a turf pilgrimage of sorts that’s become an annual practice for Minnick, who routinely works wonders on the SoccerPlex’s showcase stadium, Maureen Hendricks Field (home of the NWSL’s Washington Spirit), as well as the 21 high-quality fields that surround it.

“The best part of visiting colleagues is how warm and open they are,” he wrote to SoccerWire.com. “It’s just a lot to have an American come in and want to talk and share when they are in the heart of the season and winter preparation is taking place. For example: Mr. [Anthony] Stones at Wembley had just hosted American football the night before. Mr. [Paul] Ashcroft at Emirates [Stadium] was hosting training for the Italian team [Napoli] Arsenal was playing the next night in Champions League.

“Every training ground was either hosting training or preparing for training. The Leeds Rugby guys were preparing for a big game that night. Etc, etc. And for me, that’s what is most helpful; everyone being open and sharing ideas when under the highest demands. Every field I saw was in immaculate shape. And every head grounds manager had a positive and driven attitude.”

Though three of his his facility’s fields feature artificial turf, Minnick is a devoted advocate of natural surfaces and urges his industry to put aside old ideas about the levels of traffic and use that grass can bear.

“Several head grounds managers around the world are proving that so much more is possible, many times at LESS expense!!” Minnick explained.

“Ultimately, my keynote is about the bright future for our industry…Soon the answer to the questions about grass fields will turn from ‘Grass can’t take it’ to the question instead being, ‘How many more events can we manage this year?’”

With the phrase “Evolution is changing the answer. A revolution is changing the question,” as his mantra, Minnick hails the work of several European companies who are designing specialized new methods and equipment to maintain top-quality grass fields that allow for more hours of play – and under more demanding conditions – than ever.

“Any industry improves by sharing ideas and communicating,” he said. “Our industry is the same. And the field quality across the UK illustrates that.

“[Apple co-founder] Steve Jobs talked about how important it is for people to collect new experiences and learn other perspectives in order to create innovation. Well, when these guys open their time and share and show me around, it hopefully leads to more innovation for SoccerPlex and for American grass fields.”

[ +Learn more about Minnick’s trip by visiting his blog, growinggreengrass.net, where he’s posting travelogues, photos and observations from his European trip ]

Field 17 Grow-In Progression

After 20 matches for the August Cup youth soccer tournament, Fields 14 & 17 had Labor Day Weekend off to begin to establish.  The fields re-oepned for play this weekend, the 1st weekend of fall league play and will be in use until Thanksgiving Weekend.

Field 17 (Riviera and Latitude 36):  Field 17 is completely established and ready for heavy play.  Following the 1st weekend of play at 13 after sodding, the field was verticut and then topdressed for the 2nd time.  Recovery was quick and easy for both varieties.

Verticutting Field 17

Field 17 Verticut: Riviera Left, Latitude Right

One Week Later for League Weekend #1:

Riviera Right/ Latitude Left

Latitude Left/ Riviera Right

Field 14 Sod Installation Complete!

Field 14 Sod Installation Compete

The Patriot and NorthBridge sod installation on Field 14 was completed Friday evening.  Fields 14 & 17 are now installed with 1 week of grow-in time before August Cup 2013.  

 

Field 17 Topdressing

Field 17 received its 1st topdressing today.  Topdressing is important to not only fill in sod seems and smooth the surface, but the topdressing also creates better durability for the 20 matches that the field will host next weekend

1/4″ of Sand Being Applied to Riviera Side of Field 17

Riviera & Latitude 36 Begin to Grow

The Riviera bermudagrass installed 7 days ago has rooted in 5-6″ nicely.  It is now to the point where it can not be pulled up.  The Latitude 36 was installed 5 days ago, and is also rooting.. but is slightly behind.  Both were rolled today and will be topdressed tomorrow

Riviera on Left. Latitude 36 on Right

Sod Installation Begins on Field 14

Sod installation on Field 14 began today w/ Patriot bermudagrass.  NorthBridge bermudagrass will begin arriving tomorrow afternoon

Field 14 Sod Installation Begins

Field 14 Nearly Ready for Sod Installation

Field 14 sod installation will begin tomorrow, August 14 w/ Patriot bermudagrass to be installed on the west 1/2 of the field.  NorthBridge will follow on Thursday.

Installation of Sand Continues on Field 14

Field 14 Sand Watered and Prepared for Sod

Field 17 Sod Installation Nears Completion

The installation of the Riviera and Latitude 36 sod on SoccerPlex Field 17 is nearing completion.

The Riviera was installed Tues/ Wed:

Riviera Sod Installed On West 1/2 of Field 17

 

The Latitude 36 was installed Thurs/Fri:

Latitude 36 Sod Installed on East 1/2 of Field 17

 

Field 14 Patriot and NorthBridge will be installed next week in preparation for the fields to open on August 23.