Often we discuss steps to repairing your lawn in the fall using simple lawn care techniques. Depending on the situation, your lawn may not need a tremendous amount of work to get it looking great. However, sports fields often represent the worse case scenario, combining stressed turf with a great deal of wear-and-tear from athletes. Using the techniques in our "Five Step Lawn Recovery Guide" and a Top Dressing application, we tackled Cleveland's Donauschwaben German-American Cultural Center and their soccer fields. The results were pretty amazing...

Heavily Used, Stressed Turf

During the summer, your lawn takes quite a beating from activity. Playing in your lawn during times of lawn stress can have a significant negative impact. That's why athletic fields can become so heavily damaged from a full season of play. The Donauschwaben German-American Center's fields were in pretty bad shape after hosting a big soccer tournament this past August. Cleats marks, tackling damage, and overall wear and tear took it's toll on the fields. That's when Weed Pro sprung into action to help repair the main playing fields.

The Process to Turn it Around

A simple fertilization program can help thicken turf and facilitate growth. However, after a week long soccer tournament that damaged the fields, Weed Pro had to do something a little more radical.

• Weed Pro started treatment of the fields with a lawn core aeration that helped relieve compaction caused by rigorous play. Thousands of holes were created so that roots could freely grow and spread. 
   
• Next, a soil sample was taken to determine both the types of soil present, and what nutrients were missing. A top dressing was then spread over the field which helped return valuable nutrients to the soil, and also smoothed the overall playing surface.
   
• Finally grass seed and fertilizer were applied to the area to help replace barren areas. The variety of grass seed was chosen based on the current type of turf.

The After Care Program

After completion of the top dressing treatment, proper watering was key to triggering germination and a healthy growth pattern. 2-3" of water was applied to the area weekly, providing most conditions favorable to seed germination. Additionally, the field was "roped off" preventing people from playing on the field and damaging it. 

The Results? Pretty Amazing.

As you can see from the photos in the article, the transformation of the soccer fields was nothing short of amazing. Within a week and a half, germination of the newly planted seed started and within four weeks, the field was thick and healthy once again. 

Want to Transform Your Lawn? Here's How:

The results at Donauschwaben's soccer field was indeed pretty amazing, but nothing too difficult for you to achieve with your own lawn. Now's the perfect time to get started turning around your lawn, and we're here to help! The best turf minds here at Weed Pro have come together to outline a "5 Step Lawn Recovery Guide" that explains how you can achieve these results. The best part is that the guide is yours, absolutely free by just clicking on the button below! This guide explains each step in detail, giving you exactly what you need to get your lawn to look great! So why wait? Get started NOW! 

  Shaun Kanary has been a part of the Green Industry for the past 15 years. As the Director of Marketing for Weed Pro Lawn Care, a Cleveland and Columbus Lawn Care Service Provider, Shaun is a regular contributor to the Weed Pro Blog, and other industry magazine and blogs. 

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