Sports Ground Construction Material
HYGROMIX® Lawn Support Layer
Care tips for court owners
Care
Sports lawns are intensive cultures with accordingly higher fertilizer demand. Certain support layer mixtures, meaning sandy support layers, entail excessive consumption of nutrients and hence excessive irrigation. The cause for this is the low water storage capacity. HYGROMIX ® lawn support layers guarantee good exploitation of fertilizers on account of the coordinated values ”porosity and water storage capacity“. Uniform supply throughout the year with potash and nitrogen must be ensured as a matter of priority.
The following fertilization versions are available:
Traditional fertilization
Once per year in February / March with 20 - 30 g/m ² Patent Potash and, depending on precipitation, about 2-3 times per year with 25 - 30 g/m ² Calcium Ammonium Nitrate. Special warning against fertilization mistakes. Rule of thumb: Apply only on dry lawn. Approach: scattered in small amounts, with several, alternating transitions.
Use of composite fertilizers
The fertilizer rhythm can be extended to 2 - 4 months here. The spreading quantity should be determined according to soil analysis and fertilizer composition.
Slow-release fertilizers
Fertilizers released by soil biota are particularly successful in their application since the effects can last up to a full vegetation period. However, experience has shown that in most cases an additional measure is required in the spring, namely administration of 20 - 30 g / m² Patent Potash. The "winter fertilization", to be carried out in Oct. / Nov., is something we continue to recommend as it is particularly suitable for preserving turf density during the winter season.
Mowing
Any special considerations to be observed result from the respective type of sport and/or the utilisation degree of a given lawn area. In general, it applies that surfaces with high stress must be mowed down from 6 cm stalk length to no less than 3 cm. Less stressed surfaces are to be cut down from 8 cm to 4 cm mowing height. Hockey lawns must always be cut from 4 cm to 2 cm. Only use stripe-free mowers with roller drive and if possible with a collection appliance for the grass cuttings. In principle, the grass cuttings must always be removed. At the start of winter, the lawn height should not be more than 4 cm.
Irrigation
Owing to the big pore volume of the mixture, HYGROMIX ® courts, turf or sports grounds have a natural "reservoir", which is why, even with little precipitation, the lawn only needs to be irrigated within a regular range. The administration, with an already established lawn, is done in 1 - 2 irrigation sessions per week. New seeding grounds are irrigated at accordingly shorter intervals, e.g. 7 times per week with 3 l/m ².
Weed control
Weeds affect turf quality and must be fought immediately. Various weed species fail to develop properly in the event of regular mowing and die off instead. For stubborn cases, the chemical industry offers a range of effective pesticides. Here, it is necessary to proceed according to the application instructions of the manufacturer.
Preservation of the support layer functions
Over the course of time, the support layer undergoes a natural change owing to cut grass residues, dead grass and roots. The functions are impaired, but they can be restored by simple measures like vertical cutting, ventilation and sanding. However, one must advise against executing these maintenance programs on mere suspicion. In any case, they are dependent on the results of the soil sample and/or local inspection. The nearest HYGROMIX® representative office can be consulted for the free advice.
Other measures
These mainly include the fight against diseases and pests. After the first winter and the final end of the frost period, the surfaces must be lightly rolled. Adjustments to the maintenance schedule are sometimes necessary. Important information can be obtained through soil analysis that should be performed at regular intervals. For this purpose, a test laboratory requires approx. 1 l of supporting layer material.