Winter Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar for the ... - STMA

Winter Athletic Field Maintenance Calendar forthe Transition Zone: December – FebruaryDisease TriangleDiseases occur when three factors are present and meet thecorrect conditions.1) A susceptible host – The grass plants are the hosts;choose resistant and/or tolerant varieties wheneverpossible.2) A virulent pathogen – The disease-incitingorganism is almost always present in the soiland not causing problems. However, conditionssometimes change and it can attack the turf.3) A suitable environment – When certainenvironmental conditions are present, disease mayoccur. For example, hot, humid weather oftencontributes to the appearance of some diseases.Pink snow mold• Symptoms – Circular areas of turf turn tan, lightgray, or orange-brown. Fluffy mycelium may bepresent that appears pink in sunlight. Snow doesnot need to be present for development.• Prevention – Avoid heavy applications of quickrelease nitrogen in late fall. Keep turf height lowto prevent leaves from matting. If the field hasa history of snow mold, a preventative fungicideapplication can be applied just before the firstsignificant snowfall.Chemical ControlProper mowing, irrigation, fertilization, and cultivationcan all lead to a healthy, dense field that is able towithstand moderate disease infestations. Unless fieldshave a history of poor disease tolerance, in order to abideby IPM standards, preventative fungicide applications areoften not necessary. If the field is affected by a disease, acurative application should be sufficient.If turf blankets are being used, carefully monitor the areafor disease. Warm, wet weather during the winter canincrease the likelihood for disease appearance. Fungicideapplications may be necessary depending on winterweather.Symptoms and Preventative MeasuresGray snow mold• Symptoms – Circular areas of turf turn yellow orgray/brown. Wet leaves become matted togetherand are covered with gray or white mycelium. Dryleaves are gray and brittle with no mycelium. Adefining characteristic is the small, hard, roundsclerotia on infected leaves. They can be white,pink, brown or black. Gray snow mold requiressnow for development..• Prevention – Avoid heavy applications of quickrelease nitrogen in late fall. Avoid excessivethatch and prevent compaction. Keep turf heightlow to prevent leaves from matting. Promote aircirculation in early spring by removing snow andensuring proper drainage.Off Season MaintenanceWinter is also a great time to devote to equipmentmaintenance and repair. Maintenance to prepare for theupcoming spring season can include, sharpening mowerblades, oil changes, routine inspection and safety checks,cleaning, and other major repairs. Proper equipmentmaintenance and care prolongs the life of equipmentand saves money in the long run. If equipment is notfunctioning properly, winter may be a good time to replaceand upgrade your inventory.Conducting routine field and facility safety checks areimportant throughout the year. However, busy sportsand maintenance schedules can sometimes compete withtasks on the priority list. Take this opportunity to checkyour fields and surrounding facility for any necessarymaintenance to prepare for the upcoming season.11Your Resource for Safer Fields • Brought to you by the Sports Turf Managers Associationand its charitable Foundation, The SAFE Foundation • ph. 1-800-323-3875 • www.stma.org