Fall season in Texas...when the first cold front of the season arrives in Texas bringing with it new low temperatures in the 50's and 60's. As a turfgrass manager, this means you need to get your baseball, softball, and soccer fields prepared for overseeding in the next few weeks as your bermudagrass approaches dormancy and your new ryegrass seed is put down.

I know what you are thinking - "football season is barely at the halfway point and I'm supposed to be thinking about my baseball field?" Yes! Some of our customers in West Texas have already over seeded their fields. Now is the time to begin preparing your fields for the spring season.

Sports Field Overseeding Checklist

Aerate 3-6 Weeks In Advance

Aerating 3 to 6 weeks in advance of overseeding will improve seed to soil contact and aid in overall seed germination. Aerating several weeks ahead of overseeding will allow any surface holes to fill in/cover up and prevent the overseeded ryegrass from collecting in the aeration holes causing an uneven "polka dot" pattern on the field.

Mow Low & Super Rake

verticut and vacuum tmc super rake baseball field softball field ryegrass — tmc super rake (verticut and vacuum)

Mow your turfgrass lower than the normal maintenance height. Verticut, vacuum, rake, or sweep clippings to clean up the surface. We provide a ‘Super Rake’ service with a machine that verticuts and vacuums in one pass. Remember, any layer of debris between your rye seed and the soil will hurt seed germination. Clean up your turfgrass by mowing lower.

Irrigation

Now is the time to check out the irrigation systems on your fields. Go through each zone and raise, lower, straighten, or replace sprinkler heads as needed. Check spray radius on part circle heads as well.

Insect Control

Treat for fire ants and/or grub worms, if needed, while these pests are still active.

Topdress

If you are going to topdress your grass seed with a thin layer of sand to improve germination, get your sand delivery lined up now. There can be delays in some parts of Texas this time of year.

Infield Lips

Your baseball field or softball field may have developed lips since last spring. Do not go out and buy more infield mix until you have dealt with any infield lip problems. After fixing the lip problem - with something like a TMC Infield Power Rake service - you can then make a sound judgement as to whether you need to add infield mix to your skinned areas. The worst thing you can do is add infield mix when the real problem was infield lips. Take care of the lip problem before overseeding.

Not sure and want some help analyzing your infield situation? Call TMC today at 1-800-292-1214 to schedule a free consultation!

TMC can get your athletic fields ready for the spring season

Contact Texas Multi-Chem at 1-800-292-1214 and let us help you prepare your sports fields for the spring season today!

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Time To Overseed In Texas