Remove the bases before dragging the infield. Alternate the direction of dragging each day. For example: drag the field from first base to third base on Monday, from third base to first base on Tuesday, start from the second base area on Wednesday, etc.

When edging, use a string line pulled as tight as possible to use as a guide for your edger. Run the edger blade next to the string. If you've pulled the string good and tight and the string has no knots in it, your blade will "hop over" the string rather than cutting it as you edge. Secure the string line into the ground using large spikes or nails, something that is at least 8" in length. That will keep the line secured as you pull it tight!

My favorite way to mow turf is to stand it up. With a reel mower, drive the length of the field, then turn around and mow the same pass in the opposite direction. By doing this when the team is out of town, we can keep the turf from laying over and reduce any buildup of grain in the field.

Understand the implications of your frequency of cut. You do not have to always adjust the height on your reel mower to make small adjustments in the speed of your turf for baseball or soccer. By mowing in multiple directions with greater frequency, you can speed up the field. By skipping a day or mowing in only one direction, your field will play slower.

Watch your turns. Abrupt turns not only look bad, they can stress your turf. On Bermuda/rye fields in the spring, excessive tire traffic from turns will slow the emergence of the Bermuda from dormancy, and make for a later than expected transition from cool season to warm season turf.

Pay attention to the turf when you are riding on the mower. As an operator you need to learn to evaluate the turf while mowing; look for drought stress or anything unusual that could be an indication of disease. Keep an eye on your results so you are aware of any problems with reels and quality of cut.

It is always critical for the mower operator, and the turf manager, to keep the mower adjusted with proper reel to bedknife contact. When doing a quick check for contact in the field, I like to listen for a specific sound when I flick the reels; this tells me whether I have too much or not enough contact.

Remember the One-Third Rule: Never cut more than a third of the grass plant during a mowing. Cutting more than a third severely shocks the plant and harms its ability to support it own root growth. If a week of rain or lack of mowing staff has resulted in grass that is too tall, stick to the One-Third Rule. After the first mowing, wait several days and mow again. Repeat this process until the grass is at the desired length.

When in doubt of the appropriate mowing length, lean toward long. Taller grass plants are more stress and heat tolerant and have the ability to shade the surface of the soil which reduces weed growth, especially crabgrass.

Don't mow when the grass is wet. Don't mow during the heat of the day.

Maintain the mower by hosing down the blades and deck after each use and by keeping the blades sharp.

During times of drought, mow as high as possible to reduce stress on the grass. Brown grass caused by a severe drought will generally turn green again after a few good soakings of rain.

Soil samples are important because they show the nutrient levels, pH, and cation exchange capacity of your soil. This information is important in building a customized fertilization program for your turfgrass. You can get better results from your fertilization program by knowing what your soil needs and what is already has. This also saves money in the long run.

Contact your local county cooperative extension office for assistance in getting a soil sample test. Also landscaping suppliers sometimes perform this test (Lesco, for example).

If you can only afford to fertilize once a year, September is the time to do it. However, if you can fertilize more than once a year, determine when to fertilize based on the type of grass. In general, fertilizing will be most beneficial before the period of active growth of the grass. For cool season grasses, this is usually in the spring and fall. Warm season grasses will benefit from fertilizing in the late spring through the summer.

The best time of the day to fertilize is when the grass is dry. Fertilize the field, then water it to knock the fertilizer off the blades of grass and activate it into the soil. Don't fertilize when the grass is wet. As the grass dries, the fertilizer left of the blades can actually burn the grass in the hot sun.

When I apply granular fertilizer to my outfield, I always use two orange five-gallon buckets to help me walk straight. After determining my pacing and width, I set a bucket in place for each return pass as a visual target. As I walk I have an easy-to-see finish point (the bucket) that allows me to apply fertilizer in an accurate manner.

Before deciding to renovate the entire field, give the existing grass a chance to improve by aerating (punching holes into the ground) and dethatching (removing the brownish layer of organic material that sits between the grass leaves and the soil). These techniques will give the grass the ability to get the most out of watering and fertilizing.

If renovation is necessary, take the time to plan ahead. In cooler climates, renovate in the fall. Warmer climates require that you renovate in the spring.

Some things to consider when sodding: • If there is any indication of bugs, disease or weeds in the sod, don't use it. • Don't buy or take delivery of sod if it is browning or curling at the edges. • Sodding can cost 20-30% more than seeding. • Newly laid sod should be watered to a depth of at least 3 to 4 inches. Watering as you lay the sod is suggested. After the sod is laid, watering every day for the first week is recommended. Pay particular attention to the edges. After the first week, water every other day for two weeks. Assuming the sod is responding well after three weeks, water a couple of times a week. • After laying new sod, allow a few months before heavy use. • To avoid the need for new sod on high-traffic areas, try preventive therapy by overseeding the high-traffic areas often with a little seed at a time.

Try to aerify two times per year. Pull cores at least three to four inches deep using a 5/8" - 3/4" hollow tine. Hole spacing should be two to three inches across entire field. When finished remove cores. By doing this on a regular basis it will make it easier for nutrients and water to get down to the roots, it will relieve compaction, and keep your oxygen levels up in your rootzone, in the end making healthier, happier, Turfgrass plant.

When evaluating your turf after lunch, be sure to look into the direction of the sun. By doing so you will be able to easily identify dry spots or drought stress. If you are unsure of an area, take a soil probe and sample a spot to see if your root zone is dry and needs a shot of water.

In addition to chemical and organic weed control products, some weeds can be addressed with easy-to-use weed-digging tools (i.e. fishtail or briar hook weeders) or with a screwdriver. Dig out weeds such as dandelions and white clover a few times, getting as much of the root as possible each time. Eventually, the weed will lose its energy to survive. This type of work would be good for volunteers.

Q: We are in the process of building a new field. Our discussions seem to be focused on what type of grass and what mix we should use for the dirt infield, or should we have a grass infield? We are located in Pittsburgh, PA.
- Bob Warnock, Carrick Community Athletic Association, Pittsburgh, PA

A: Depending on your ability to water your grass will depend on what type of grass you should use. I would suggest a 50/50 Kentucky Bluegrass/Ryegrass mixture. Depending on the ability to maintain an all dirt infield would depend on what type of mix for your dirt.

Q: What advice can you offer to help repair the grass and the dirt?
- Michael Harris, Inner City Sports Little League, Brooklyn, NY

A: Michael, obviously the cost of the repair and where you want it to be has a lot to do with the answer. For a quick and somewhat easy repair to the area in front of the mound and plate you should remove the turf with a sod cutter and re-sod the area. You will need to water it for a few weeks but then you can be assured of a stable surface next spring. A pallet of sod is about 400 sq ft and it looks like you could use about 3 pallets based on the photo. This is probably a 1 day project once you have all the items together. Here are the steps:

• 1. Remove existing turf with sod cutter
• 2. Lightly roto-till area where you will be installing new grass
• 3. Apply a pre-plant fertilizer and rake in
• 4. Roll out the grass and tamp down

I would also suggest you aerate the infield and overseed with a bluegrass/fine fescue blend in the next couple weeks. This will help the field look uniform for the spring.

The other option is to seed the area which is a possible solution and less expensive. The down side of seeding is germination between now and winter and what will survive through the winter. Applying seed and straw works but probably not for this project.

Q: What extra maintenance efforts are needed when fields are used for other non-baseball/softball activities (i.e. soccer, football, etc.)?

A: Focus the time, money and materials that you do have on the areas that incur the most damage from the other sports. Always keep your infield dirt, mounds and home plates safe and playable and try to keep your dirt to grass edges clean and level.

Q: We have a very small field maintenance budget and cannot afford to buy a lot of field maintenance equipment. What are the three most important tools for maintaining a baseball field?
- Pete Schell, Brighton Heights Athletic Association, Pittsburgh, PA

A: Pete, you should try to get your fields roto tilled and graded to incorporate some of the new dirt into your existing dirt. Once that is done you should maintain them on a daily basis if allowable by dragging them and making sure they stay level.

Q: For field lights, how often should the foot-candles be measured?

A: We (Musco) help Little League Baseball establish and update their lighting standards and we recommend most youth baseball and softball programs use the standards as a benchmark for safety, playability, and fan experience... We recommend leagues [test light levels] annually before each season.

Q: Our field serves both the high school in the spring and the Babe Ruth League in the summer. Between practices and games, it is used almost seven days per week. What would be an example of a sufficient field maintenance schedule?

A: A sufficient maintenance schedule would consist of doing as much to the field between games/practices as you can. Also, let the teams know if they want a better field to let you get some maintenance time. You should be trying to drag the dirt between games as well as repairing the pitchers mound and home plate so you don't get to large holes built up. Also you should be mowing your grass once a week or so to maintain that.

Q: Pre-season is filled with raking and adding new agra-lime to the infield to smooth the playing field out. We over-seed patchy areas; power-rake the field on a light setting; fertilize with a spring mix recommended by the City; and then water between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. We mow the grass with a push mower to not pack the infield and keep the grass at 2-3". Is there something else we should be doing to get the fields ready for the season?
- Gary Pigney, Yankton, South Dakota

A: Believe it or not, your maintenance schedule sounds awesome! Others should take note of how you prepare your field for the season. You are doing everything you need to be doing. If it ain't broke don't fix it!

Q: I work with an organization in the City of Pittsburgh that operates six fields in a single complex. We have a great relationship with the maintenance director for the city, and he was able to get us several truckloads of field loam from PNC Park this past fall. The Pirates were tearing up the infield in order to rebuild it and now we have the "dirt." When spring rolls around, what should be our plan for getting the best use of this wonderful gift? It has been spread already on the fields, but I need to know what I should be doing next.
- Pete Schell, Brighton Heights Athletic Association, Pittsburgh, PA

A: Pete, you should try to get your fields roto tilled and graded to incorporate some of the new dirt into your existing dirt. Once that is done you should maintain them on a daily basis if allowable by dragging them and making sure they stay level.

Q: What is the easiest, most effective way to keep clean, sharp edges?

A: These edges pictured would either need to be cut back 5 or 6 inches or have a fresh strip of sod placed around the infield dirt area. To keep them clean once you have an established edge you need to remove all the dirt from the edges everytime the field is used with a rake or broom, wash them out very gently with a hose once every couple of weeks and cut them back with a lawn edger or something similar every couple of weeks.

Q: What is the best procedure to keep your outfield grass healthy all year long?
- Brandon Ponce, Guadalupe Youth League, San Bernardino, CA

A: If your schedule and weather permits, I would aerate the field as much as possible or try to give it a rest for a day or two by staying off of it. It's a plant so it will stress out from excessive use; even at the major league level, we constantly fight to give the turf a rest.

Q: When constructing a field, how do you decide between seeding or sprigging if sod is cost-prohibitive?

A: Sprigging involves a lot of logistics but, for a sports field, it is the better option. Some things to consider in terms of sprigging include weather, climate, irrigation and the soil base. Also, if you have an existing field, it will need to be killed and stripped and possibly fumigated in order to spring. You will also need to take into consideration turf knowledge and event schedules. Taking all of this into consideration, f you have the ability to sprig your field, it will be much healthier and sustain more use. Your location also may effect your decision to sprig. For example, in North Carolina you can sprig in June and have full coverage by the end of August (although I would suggest no activity until the following year). If you are in Florida, you have a larger springing window. Selecting the turf type is another issue. Again, depending on your geographic location, certain Bermudas do better than others. As far as seeding goes, I have heard of some pretty good outcomes with seed. Again, it depends on the rootzone material you are planting the seed in. We planted Riverea Bermuda seed in Beijing and it came up pretty well. You need probably another month of growing time, but the end result is similar to sprigs.

Q: What is the best way to reduce persistent weeds like dandelion and clover?

A: A strong, thick, healthy stand of turf will choke out most weeds. Most people think they have a weed problem on their field, but instead, they really have a thin grass problem on the field. Focus your efforts on improving the health of your turf first. Meet with a local expert to get a good fertility program in place for your turf. Plan to have your field aerated as often as possible. Make sure you are watering your turf properly (in the early morning hours.) Plan to mow your field 2-3 times per week or more if possible.Clover is a weed that thrives in soils that are low in Nitrogen. Simply increasing the amount of fertilizer you apply to your field will help strengthen your turfgrass and also create a less-favorable environment for clover.

Q: I am a volunteer field maintainer for our summer Babe Ruth league. We play on school fields that get no maintenance from the town other than weekly mowing. How can I control crabgrass and other weeds in the infield using organic methods?
- Jerry

A: Jerry, probably the best method of a "green" IPM program is pulling weeds. Depending on the type of weed, you can control through mowing and using an aggressive dethatching/verticutting program. We have had success with using a sod cutter to remove areas of weeds and just planting new grass. Keeping your mower sharp and adjust mowing heights will also control weed growth. If you are sure its crabgrass they do make some natural/organic based herbicides. The website www.cleanairgardening.com has a great product that controls growth of crabgrass. Let us know how it turns out.

Q: How do you become a grounds keeper for the major league? Are there special classes in college or a specific area of study after high school?
- Patrick, Age 15

A: I would recommend taking Turfgrass Management or Horticulture classes while in college and try and become an intern with Major League and Minor League teams while in college. While an intern try and learn as much as you can about managing the infield dirt and once you gradutate from college look for a minor league groundskeeping job. It takes a lot of hard work and you need to pay your dues in the minor leagues.