STMA inAction

Gettinginto the Game

ForSTMA chapters, winter wasa busy time. Most chaptersheld their annual elections,

the new officers and board membersheld their initial planning meetings,and the wheels are rolling for 1997events.For those events, the behind-the-

scenes activities take lots of time.Coming up with ideas, making theright contacts, and coordinating all thedetails must happen long before theevent takes place. Then comes theactual work for the event itself.

If you can help, it would be a way ofgiving something back to "your indus-try." It's also a great way to get to knowyour peers better and gain a sense ofaccomplishment. Most of the time, it'sfun, too! So, if you've been standing onthe sidelines wondering if the game isworth playing, now is the time to askthe coach to get you into the game.Besides planning events, your chap-

ters have also used the winter seasonto increase the visibility of sports turfmanagers.Now there are sports turf sessions

at most state and regional turfgrassconferences. Those sessions are oftenplanned with the help of STMA mem-bers and provide worthwhile informa-tion for other turf managers.STMA chapters are offering scholar-

ships and internship programs tosports turf students, and are contribut-ing funds to university turf researchprograms to advance industry technol-ogy.Besides those intra-industry efforts,

STMA chapters are developing serviceprojects to bring community sports

Iowa Chapter's president, Kevin Vos(right), presents a check for researchon behalf of the chapter to Iowa StateUniversity's Dr. David Minner.

turf facilities to the best possible con-dition. Those hands-on work sessionsinclude donations of materials andlabor hours and often instruction forthose who will maintain the improvedfields.Several recipients of STMA's Field

of the Year Award have been honoredby their communities during publicceremonies at sports events. Thishelps increase community awarenessof what sports turf managers do andwhy it matters.STMA Chapter NewsFlorida Chapter #1: The Florida

Chapter's next meeting will be an aer-ification seminar - with demonstra-tions - held in June in conjunctionwith the Dade County ExtensionService.For more information, contact John

Mascaro at (954) 938-7477.Minnesota Chapter: The

Minnesota Chapter's events schedulefor 1997 is in the planning stages.For information, contact Connie

Rudolph at (612) 644-0639.Colorado Chapter: The Colorado

Chapter is developing plans for its1997 special events.For information, call the 24-Hour

CSTMA Chapter Hotline/FAX: (303)438-9645.Iowa STMA: The Iowa Sports Turf

Managers Association is working onthe events schedule for 1997.For more information, contact Lori

Westrum at The Turf Office: (515) 232-8222 (phone) or (515) 232-8228 (fax).Southern California Chapter:

The Southern California Chapterboard is wrapping up plans for its1997 special events.For information, contact Chris

Bunnell at (619) 432-2421.Midwest Chapter: The Midwest

Chapter is putting together the 1997schedule of events.

For information, call. The ChapterHotline: (847) 439-4727.STMA Chapters on the GrowKAFMO: The Keystone Athletic

Field Managers Organization(KAFMO) is currently working towardSTMA affiliation.Their next event, "A Field Day with

Floyd Perry," will include members ofthe Pennsylvania Recreation and ParkSociety. One field day will take placeon May 15 in central Pennsylvania, asecond on May 16 in westernPennsylvania. For more details onthese field days, contact Don Fowler at(717) 485-4709.For more information about

KAFMO or other events, contact DanDouglas, Reading Phillies BaseballClub, at (610) 375-8469, extension212.MAFMO: The Mid-Atlantic

Athletic Field Managers Organization(MAFMO) is currently workingtoward STMA affiliation.MAFM 0 will hold a dinner meeting

beginning at 6:30 p.m. on April 17 atthe Fireside Beef House in Greenbelt,Md. The featured speaker, Dr. PeteDernoden of the University ofMaryland, will give a presentation onbroadleafed weeds.MAFMO's next meeting is tenta-

tively scheduled for May 15. This"Irrigation Troubleshooting" seminarwill be held at Cedar Lane Park inColumbia, Md., from 8:30 a.m. to 3p.m. A confirmed date and furtherdetails will be announced soon.For more information, contact The

Hotline: (410) 290-5652.Arizona: On April 25, the Sports

Turf Managers Association of Arizonawill meet at Grand Canyon College,home of the NAIA Division I Soccerchampions. Educational sessions willrun from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The after-noon portion of the meeting will focuson field renovation with demonstra-tions on aeration, sprinkler systems,topdressing and renovation of soccergoals. For information on this meet-ing, contact Lonnie Danials at (602)589-2888 or Bill Murphy.For information on the STMA of

Arizona or other upcoming events,contact Bill Murphy, City of ScottsdaleParks and Recreation Department, at(602) 994-7954.Great Plains STMA: Attendance

at this forming chapter's Februarymeeting was over 50, despite a snowstorm, and plans are in the works fora summer event. Want more informa-tion? Contact Mark Schimming, Cityof Wichita, at (316) 337-9123.

Apri/1997 21

Low-BudgetWater

Removal

By Floyd Perry

Today, many major conferencesrequire full infield tarps to savewasted weekends and departmental

travel expenses. That's fine for the big boys,but what about the rest of us? How do wecreate an opportunity to play after someserious rain?

Illustrated here are methods thatwill help. They include three tricksthat have proven themselves success-ful for removing standing water: (1)blow-packs, (2) sponges and (3) pumps.Also included here are methods fordrying clay surfaces and preventingstanding water by installing Frenchdrains.

The high-powered blow-pack, whichspreads water to dry areas withoutdisturbing the clay, is an easy way tohandle shallow bodies of water.

Large sponges can be made frommattresses and emptied in a turfarea.

Hand pumps (or small gas-poweredpumps) work in puddles one to twoinches deep or deeper and can drainwater into a turf area, a bucket or acart. Photo courtesy: Kuranda U.S.A.

Calcined clay (and other drying agents) can soak up pud-dles that are less than two inches deep.

After calcined clay has been raked smooth, a field shouldbe ready within about 20 minutes.

22 sporfsTURF· http.l/www.sporsturfonline.com

I • - .. .

Drying the SurfaceThe biggest problem that occurs is

how to dry the clay surface afterremoving the water, especially ondays when it is cloudy or overcast. Ifyour surface is something likeStabilizer Red - which dries excep-tionally fast - then you shouldn't beconcerned. But if your surface has ahigh clay content, then a drying agentsuch as a Turface calcined clay shouldbe added.Two particle sizes of calcined clay

are on the market, and both offer highquality results. The fine-ground ismore of a puddle removing particle,whereas the larger size is for dryingand reducing slippage. With a littleraking of the new additive to the exist-ing clay material, your field should beacceptable to any umpire within 20minutes after the rain.As coaches and groundskeepers, we

all know rain is coming. It's a matter of"when" and not "if." The biggest time-saving part of the "wet field scenario"is having the correct materials andsupplies on hand and within close

continued on page 24

French Drain - Step One. Use afence-post auger (which can be rent-ed) and dig multiple holes into theheavily compacted soil. For largerareas, a telephone-pole auger can beused.

French Drain - Step Two. Attempt togo as deep as you can to remove allexcess compacted sub-surface materi-al.

Apri/1997 23

FOR PRODUCT INFO FAXED T Y N.: .

Rem.oving Watercontinued from page 23

proximity to the field. Besides calcined clay, other dryingagents include calcined diatomaceous earth (such as PlayBall!) and corn-husk bypro ducts (such as Diamond-Dry).

French Drain - Step Three. Fill holes with less densematerial, such as sand, pea gravel or small rocks.

French Drain - Step Four. Tamp approximately two inchesof loose clay over the opening for consistent and even play-ing surfaces.

French Drains and Severe Standing WaterOn certain sections of infield clay, due to extreme com-

paction or a hard-soil make-up, puddles of water will remain

Raine0verPtea ™ is the ultimate infield protection cover. Developedby Covermaster's technical research, test results* show that its special colorcombination reduces potential heat build up under the cover better than any

other cover. It's also stronger,lightweight and easy to handle.Call us for a sample and full details ofthe latest in raincover technology.* Available upon request. .~,.-...

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long after other surface water has per-colated. The "French drain" techniqueshown here is effective for both claysurfaces and outfield turf areas. Somefield managers have reported usingtelephone-pole augers to dig largeholding holes in outfields - whichhave saved games by removing largeamounts of rain water from the play-ing field.Try this technique first on a small

section of a field to see how well itworks in your area. Then, if it worksfor you, try it in larger areas.Whatever the outcome, you should

evaluate your individual water prob-lem and chart a course of action, sinceprolonged standing water is a seriousproblem.

The above article comes fromChapter 10, "Water Removal andFrench Drains," of Floyd Perry'sPictorial Guide to Quali tyGroundskeeping - Covering All theBases. For more information call (800)227-9381.

French Drain - Step Five. Rake smooth and finish drag. Apply large amountsof water to check your drainage. Then wait for the first big rain to reaprewards.

Call 1(800) 817-1889 use Fast Fax #1120497 and/or Circle 112 on Postage Free CardApri/1997 25

SR!l!t~Qlurton'ine.comT----

Avoid laying PVC pipe close to the trunks of trees, which can crush pipe.

Reducing Irrigation MaintenanceBy John Blevens

Like most other decisions, featuresselected for irrigation systems arebased on the experiences of the

person making the choices. You shouldrealize very early in your career that atremendous amount of experience fromothers is available, and tap it.Over the years, I have sought out

opinions from people in different facetsof the irrigation industry to try torefine designs for better systems. I callon distributors for product reliability,for they are usually the first to knowabout a product problem and are verywilling to share the information, sothey have to deal with it as little aspossible. Maintenance people are agood source of longer-term productreliability and assembly methods. Thecontractor is a good source for practicalconstruction methods, includingassembly techniques.From these sources and my own

experience, I have gleaned the follow-ing desirable and undesirable featuresof the various components in irrigationsystems.PipingIn the West, PVC pipe predomi-

nates, except for drip systems, andeven then it is used for some drip/bub-bler systems.Since my experience is largely con-

fined to this type of system, I willrestrict my comments to PVC pipe.

1. Expansion. Most everyone hasseen the diagram showing piping

REMOTE CONTROL VALVEWATERPROOF WIRECONNECTORS

PVC SCHEDULE 8012" T.O.E. NIPPLE(LENGTH SUFFICIENTFOR VALVE REMOVALIF NEEDED)

RECTANGULAR PLASTIC VALVEBOX (AMPLE SIZE FOR VALVEACCESS)

PVC SCHEDULE 80 2"T.O.E. NIPPLE

FINISH GRADE ---,

SLIP FITTINGS --~'TO PREVENTSTRESS FROMOVERTIGHTENEDTHREADEDCONNECTIONSCONTROLWIRES

3" MIN.

INSTALL DRAIN ROCK 2"MIN. BEYOND PERIMETEROF VALVE BOX

PVC SCHEDULE 80TEE (SxSxS) OR 90°ELL (SxS)DRAIN ROCK -1

12" MIN. DEPTH FOR DRAINAND RODENT BARRIER

IRRIGATION SPRINKLERLINESUMP

Remote Control Valve Installation Detail

26 sporlsTURF· http://www.sporsturfonline.com

- p: www.sporsuronlne.com

"snaked" along a trench, to be used asa guide for the contractor to followwhen installing PVC pipe to allow forthermal expansion. I have yet to see apipe snaked in a manner that in anyway resembles that type of diagram.PVC material has a high thermal

expansion coefficient, potentially mak-ing it a critical factor. In temperateareas, the temperature change 12 to24 inches below grade is very minimal.Nonetheless, stresses can be createdfrom temperature variations in longruns of pipe.Large-sized main lines are almost

always used in projects requiring longruns. Therefore, we specify gasketedpipe for main lines of 3 inches andlarger to account for expansion. In sit-uations where 2- or 2 1/2-inch pipeshave abnormally long runs, gasketedpipe should also be considered. In mostsituations, lateral piping is not anissue.2. Threads. Threaded connections

should be avoided in most cases usingPVC pipe, particularly in main lineconnections. Sprinkler risers (exclud-ing valve-in-head) where leak-tight

connections are not critical is anexception.Plastic threaded connections create

a dilemma, because tightening theconnections to avoid leaks is highlydesirable: disassembling connections,adding sealant and re-assembling theconnection to stop leaks is a disagree-able, time-consuming hassle. But as aresult, threaded connections tend tobe over-tightened, creating stress.These connections are susceptible tocracking when additional stresses areintroduced by water flow or by turningvalves on and off.3. Differential. Lateral piping

should be sized for minimal pressuredifferential between the first headnearest the control valve and the lasthead at the end of the line. As a gen-eral rule, 10 percent is a maximumdifferential to improve uniformity andreduce coverage problems.4. Trees. Trees surrounding a

sports field can play havoc when PVCpipe is installed too close to theirtrunks. This problem seems to be morefrequent as tight plant spaces increase.Aggressive roots can crush pipe.

Valves1. Transition. Valve assemblies

that crack at male adapters have beena persistent problem. This is a weakpoint in valve assemblies and shouldbe eliminated.Galvanized steel pipe is mechani-

cally strong but corrodes in many soilsand from elements carried in water.Brass is also a strong material, but isexpensive. With either material, thetransition from the plastic pipe to thethreaded connections is still an issue.The best solution is to use schedule

80 PVC nipples threaded one end(t.o.e.) - which increases the connec-tion's strength and also makes the slip-to-thread transition effectively. Theset.o.e. nipples are placed on either sideof the valve and connected to PVC pipeusing slip couplings. For larger pipes,of course, you should use an appropri-ate flange coupling adapter.2. Shut-Offs. Often, not enough

shut-off valves are installed in largeprojects. Maintenance is made easierwhen major sections can be isolatedwith these valves. In addition, theycan be helpful in shutting down sec-

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FOR PRODUCT INFO FAXED TO YOU NOW! DIAL: 1(800) 817-1889

tions in emergencies or if constructionis later done at a portion of the site.3. Pressure Regulators.

Sometimes pressure-regulating valvesare also not installed when they areneeded. Excessive pressure can signif-icantly reduce the life of a system,especially when water-flow rates arehigh. Under high pressure, flow ratesthrough sprinkler nozzles are oftenhigher than the design flow, which inturn means higher rates in the piping.High flow rates cause water hammerand induce extreme stresses that candamage pipe, fittings and other systemcomponents. Proper pressure regula-tion eliminates these problems.Partially closing gate valves or con-

trol valves is not the way to do it. In afew situations where the pressure isnot too great or never varies, this tech-nique can work, but generally is notrecommended.4. Quick Couplers. I suspect that

a great many quick-coupling valveshave been installed but never used, orhave only been used to water-in plantsduring establishment. Those valvesshould be installed only in situations

where they have a possible use.Place them in a round box, set

above grade by a minimum of an inch,to make them easier to find. Bracingthem with angle iron will providegreater stability than rebar or galva-nized stakes. When at the end of ahose and tugged, the angle iron willreduce the likelihood of joint looseningand leaking.Control Valves

1. Connectors and Wires. Thereshould no longer be any doubt as tothe value of waterproof connectors,especially now that several good, inex-pensive, easy-to-use brands are avail-able. The type using heat-shrinkabletubing with an inner wall sealant, inmy opinion, is superior to all the rest.But those types take a blowtorch toinstall.Coiling the control wires at the

valve makes finding the wires easierand is a compact way to store excesswire that may be needed if replacingsolenoids becomes necessary.2. Boxes. Valve boxes should be of

ample size and centered above thevalve for good repair access. Also,

valves should be raised from the mainline to within a few inches from top ofgrade for easy access.3. Ball Valves. Installing inexpen-

sive plastic ball valves in front of con-trol valves is very handy for servicingand/or replacing solenoids anddiaphragms. Some public agenciesrequire that one or two unions beinstalled with the control valves. Sincesolenoids and diaphragms are themost frequently serviced items, Iwould choose the ball valves overunionts). Very seldom does the entirebody of a valve have to be removed.4. Gravel. Installing gravel

beneath the valve not only provides asump during manual bleeding or whileservicing the valve, but also provides abarrier to gophers from getting to thevalve and filling up the valve box withdirt. The gravel should be a minimumdepth of 12 inches and at least twoinches beyond the perimeter of the bot-tom edge of the valve box.5. Threads. Just as you should

avoid threaded pipe connections, soshould you avoid threaded connectionson the control valve assembly. If

28 Call 1(800) 817-1889 use Fast Fax #1160497 and/or Circle 116 on Postage Free Card

SEE US ONLINE - ttp://www.sportsturonllne.com

threaded connections are necessary, Iurge that you make, at the minimum,a slip connection at the tee joining theassembly to the supply line. A brokentee is a major repair project.Sprinklers1. Height. Selecting the appropri-

ate pop-up height for the plant mate-rial being irrigated can avoid majorproblems as the material matures.This may include coordinating plant-ing and irrigation plans so heads andshrubs/trees are not too close to eachother. When this cannot be avoided,such as in tight areas with shrubmasses, flat sprays shooting underthe shrubs or bubblers to flood theroot areas can be appropriate options.2. Hose. Flexible hose with

thread/insert adapters (and maybeone or two street ells) or the tripleswing seem to be the most favored forriser assemblies. A quintriple swingassembly - mainly for part-circlerotor heads - allows the head to berotated to the desirable location onceit's set at the correct height. A goodway to keep PVC pipe away from treeswhen irrigating them with bubblers isto use flexible PVC hose from the PVClateral line to the rootball.Drip Vs, OverheadDrip irrigation is a good tool, but

should be used only when appropriate.There must be access as plant materi-al matures (except for temporary irri-gation during establishment only),and sub-grade drip should not be usedwith ground covers that have aggres-sive, invasive roots.

If a drip system is installed in anenvironment that prevents repair andmaintenance access, it will be a failure- at least in the longer term.On the other side of the coin, I have

seen overhead systems used in narrowstrips where drip would be much moreeffective.Since this is an article about sports

turf, I will not say any more about dripmaintenance except that it is an arti-cle in itself. I predict that drip willplay a larger role in irrigating sportsfields in the future. Eliminating pop-up sprinklers, sub-grade drip is a safersystem for athletic fields, and eventu-ally it will be proven reliable in thelong haul.SensorsSensors - especially flow sensors -

can obviously reduce maintenancework. I believe we will see, in the nearfuture, a large increase in the numberof stand-alone controllers that will be

able to interpret flow-sensing inputand react and report on exceptionalflow events.

Rain sensors, for the most part, areeasy to add and are a minor cost. Inthe spring and fall, they can savemany trips to controllers for adjust-ments.

Moisture sensors have their place,but in many situations they have not

been effective. Sports fields can be agood application, if scheduling issuescan be satisfactorily controlled.Moisture sensors in more complexlandscapes, from my observations,have not been successful.

John Blevens, a member of ASIC, isan irrigation consultant based in SanCarlos, Calif His phone number is(415) 802-8236.

YOU COULD BEHONORED BY THEPROS!Why not enter your baseball field in theBeam Clay®Baseball Diamond of the YearAwards contest? You need not be a cus-tomer, member, or subscriber; and there isno entry fee. You could be featured insportsTURF magazine and receive anofficial a\yards plaque.

The Awards are sponsored by BeamClay,® sportsTURF magazine, andthe Sports Turf Managers Assoc.,in recognition of excellence andprofessionalism in maintainingoutstanding, safe, professionalquality baseball diamonds.Entries will be judged in threecategories: professional diamonds; collegediamonds; and school, municipal or park diamonds.

Send the information below to enter:1. Age of baseball diamond (year of installation);2. Geographic location (city and state).3. Description of maintenance program.4. Operating budget for baseball diamond.5. Irrigation: None Manual Automatic _6. Total number of maintenance staff for field.7. Does baseball field have lighting for night garlJ€s?8. Number of events on baseball diamond per year.9. Types and number of events on diamond other than baseball?10. How many months during the year is the field used?11.Why,you think this field is one of the best?12. IMPORTANT: Send two sets of color slides or prints.

Deadline for entries: Entries must be postmarked.no lateri#~hanNovember 30. Selection of winners will be made by theAwards Committee of Four Major League Head Groundskeepers.

Mail entries to:Beam Clay AwardsKelsey ParkGreat Meadows, NJ07838 •r/E. PAOFESS10liAI:S:<>«E

.• :SlNCE1922

S/I'I'IsTUR'magazine

Apri/1997 29

Diamond Pro Infield Conditioner.

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Try our entire line of Diamond Pro Professional Groundskeeping Products:Infield Conditioner, Mound/Home Plate Clay, Marking Dust and Pro-Lite.

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Call 1(800) 817-1889 use Fast Fax #1180497 and/or Circle 118 on Postage Free Card

TIP 0' THEMONTH

T

De-Winterizing PumpsThe following are seven steps that willput "spring" in your pump after a longwinter.1. Check all mechanicals: (1)

Open all necessary valves. (2) Inspectfor freeze damage. (3) Equipmentshould rotate freely.2. Reconnect all components: (1)

Install valve trim. (2) Install sensinglines. (3) Install flush valve trim. (4)Install heating exchange lines.3. Tighten connections, electri-

cals and mechanicals: (1) First, turnoff all power. (2) Tighten connections.(3) Check voltage supply. (4) Inspectcontrol panel for foreign objects.4. Meg all motors: (1) Make sure

motors are clean and dry. (2) Makesure meg readings track manufacturerspecs.5. Visual Inspection: (1) Look for

moisture, rust, objects and other prob-lems. (2) Check condition of supportstructure for rust and cracks. (3)Schedule painting if required. (4)Make sure internal circuit breakersare not tripped.6. Power up station: (1) Safety

first - close all panels and doors. (2)Apply power to VFD station at least 8hours before starting. (3) Check opera-tor interface.7. Charge irrigation system: (1)

Open irrigation heads at highest pointto allow air to leave the system. (2) Fillsystem slowly to prevent water ham-mer damage. (3) After system ischarged, check auto operation by stag-ing flow.

The above was prepared byFlowtronex PSI. For more informa-tion, contact Melinda Taylor Swan at(614) 262-1443.

If you have a tip, send it tosportsTURF, 68860 Perez Rd.,Cathedral City, CA 92234.