After several Yankees groused over New York City FC potentially tearing up their field, and concerns arose this past week about the already questionable conditions at Yankee Stadium, at least for Sundays home debut, those worries proved to be much ado about nothing.

NYCFC passed its first home test with a 2-0 win over New England, and the Yankee Stadium pitch passed its test with flying colors. No, it wasnt lush and green the way the Bombers would expect center field to be by midseason, but considering it was frozen a week ago and sod was still being put down midweek, it was an amazing turnaround.

Its the winter right now, so its just going to get better and better. If we keep winning on it, Im not going to have any problems with it, laughed Mix Diskerud.

Coach Jason Kreis said: This was a tremendous challenge that was placed in front of the groundskeepers here at Yankee Stadium in order to get the field prepared after all the very difficult weather weve had this winter. And for me it was fantastic. The fact they were able to put that together for us on such a short time, Im really pleased.

Photo: Ray Stubblebine

And its to understand their worries, with all the griping the Bombers had done, Mark Teixeira saying, Itll definitely cause an issue. Its terrible for a field. Grass, dirt, everything gets messed up.

But it sure didnt mess up David Villa, who had a goal and an assist and a dominant performance.

The pitch was fine today, Villa said. You have to bear in mind the cold weather weve had to endure the last month, and the team thats been working on it worked extremely hard. We should thank them for it and hopefully in the next few months with nicer weather the pitch will be in even better condition. As players we have to adapt on a weekly basis to the conditions. Id like to thank the team that worked on the pitch, because it was in a very good shape today.

Granted, there are 16 more MLS home dates, barring playoffs. But at least the first came off without a hitch. Sporting director Claudio Reyna admitting he breathed a sigh of relief.

Yes, I walked it on Friday and all I can say is credit to the Yankees ground crew, Reyna said. They did an amazing job. The coaches were pleased with it, the players were happy with it; amazing work by the Yankee grounds crew.

Excerpt from:
NYCFC players on first Stadium run: Thats some good grass

PEA RIDGE -- Bobwhites once filled fields in the south, but their numbers have dropped. A new partnership and plan at Pea Ridge National Military Park aim to boost their numbers.

Ten years ago, people might have seen a bobwhite or two on the park land, said Kevin Eads, park superintendent. In recent years, park managers have seen an increase, Eads said.

A new vegetation plan meant to return the battlefield land to a state closer to what it was during the battle could further help the bobwhite population. The plan calls for about two-thirds of the park's fields to be converted to native grasses, Eads said.

"Those native grasses will look similar to some of the crops that would have been there," Eads said.

Research for the new vegetation plan started in 2012, and park staff members took their landscape cues from 1836 and 1837 survey records.

The plan calls for thinning the forests and removing invasive species such as cedar trees, which will be cut and reused in fences around the battlefield or for mulch.

The plan set the stage for a partnership of the park, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative.

Bobwhite hunting used to be a pastime on par with eating fried catfish or barbecue or watching Southeastern Conference football, said Don McKenzie, National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative director.

The tradition "slipped away on our generation's watch," he said.

But at the same time, farming practices and residential development replaced habitat where bobwhites once thrived.

Read more:
Pea Ridge altering vegetation to attract dwindling bobwhites

When Kennen Huck puts his backhoe digger in park and begins to break the sod in a rectangle shape of eight feet long, 36 inches wide and 5 feet deep, he tries not to put a face to the person placed inside the casket which will soon to be lowered into the ground.

Its just too tough.

Huck is the grounds manager at St. Marys Cemetery in Bismarck, and, for the past 15 years, he has mowed and trimmed the grass around the 8,600 gravesites and plowed the narrow, winding roads at the 40-acre site overlooking much of the city.

At the time he was hired by the St. Marys Catholic Church parish, Huck was working at a local beverage distributor. But being raised on a farm in the New Salem area, Huck enjoyed working in the outdoors.

Huck said he knew a sister at St. Marys Catholic Church who remembered he liked to work outdoors. When she knew of the job opening at the cemetery, she recommended him to Deacon Rex McDowell, the cemetery manager.

His work is done behind the scenes, typically a day or two before the burial.

Using a bucket designed for the dimensions of a grave and with unique shaped claws to puncture the hardest of soil, Huck can sit in the cab of the backhoe and quickly and efficiently dig a gravesite with walls clean, straight and a precise depth in less than an hour.

Huck also subcontracts with other area cemeteries in the area.

Ive been to cemeteries where there are hundreds or thousands and to family plots where there is one person buried," he said.

When he is not in his backhoe, Huck and a seasonal part-time employee keep the cemetery grounds mowed and trimmed. Huck said it can take up to six days manicuring the plots and maintaining the sprinkler system.

Read more here:
NEIGHBORS: Grave digger offers respect to families

Each year, thousands of Arizona residents email or call Rosie Romeros radio show with questions about everything from preventing fires in their chimneys to getting rid of tree roots invading their sewer system. His goal is to provide answers that suit the specific lifestyle wherever someone lives in Arizona.

Q: We are planning to build a 2,366 square-foot home in a new home community located in Green Valley. Is it worth paying $3,000 to use two-by-sixes in outer wall construction instead of two-by-fours?

A: Yes, it is desirable to build the exterior wall using 2x6 studs. That extra dimension will hopefully allow for about a 30 percent increase in thickness for the batts of insulation that the builder installs in exterior walls as a result. While 2x4 construction is perfectly acceptable from a structural standpoint, those smaller studs will only allow for a 3.5-inch thickness in insulation. On the other hand, the 2x6s will accommodate a 5.5-inch thickness.

That increase in insulation may or may not reward you with an equivalent decrease in your heating and cooling utility bills. However, it most definitely will save more money than if you used the thinner insulating material.

Of course, lots of factors enter into calculating energy savings, including the number, size and quality of your windows; the efficiency rating of your heating and cooling equipment; ductwork design and installation; the attic insulation (be sure to opt for a minimum of R38 there); the geographic orientation of your home; the number of recessed light fixtures (each one of them puts a big hole in your ceiling allowing conditioned air to escape into the attic); and the size, number and quality of exterior doors as well as their weather stripping.

Q: We have a smoke detector that is driving us crazy. It started chirping and we put in a new battery, but it kept on chirping. Whats going on?

A: You might try another replacement battery. Perhaps the one you used is old or defective. But its also possible that your smoke detector has worn out due to its age. Most detectors need to be replaced every 10 years.

Q: Last summer around the Fourth of July, I had some Bermuda sod laid in my front yard. Then, in winter, I over-seeded the lawn with rye grass. But unfortunately, the rye ended up dying out because I had a broken water line. So now that spring is coming, I want to get my Bermuda to come back. How and when do I do that?

A: First thing to do is fix that water line so you dont have trouble again. Then as the weather warms up, its going to be pretty easy to tell if the Bermuda is coming back because it will start greening up a little bit. At that point, its time to start watering, and youll be able to get the grass going pretty quickly. Keep watering throughout the spring. Whenever it starts to get a little dry outside, you should water again. And of course, water regularly in the summer.

Q: I bought my wife five miniature roses in pots in January. Now, of course, the flowers are all gone, but can I transplant these minis into a pot to put outside on the patio? And how do I do it?

See the rest here:
Is Two-by-Six Construction Worth the Extra Expense?

With so much attention paid to the frozen tundra of Yankee Stadium, the man responsible for the ballpark told the Post its unfair to judge the fields playability before a single game has been played there this season, and vowed it would be ready by opening day both New York City FCs on Sunday and the Yankees three weeks later.

On Wednesday, several Yankees including Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner and Mark Teixeira fretted over NYCFC potentially tearing up the field. But on Friday, senior VP of stadium operations Doug Behar said not to assume the worst just yet, and took The Post on a tour of the grounds that are night-and-day from a few days ago or more aptly, winter-and-spring.

Its a little early to judge us on the playability of the field. A day-and-a half later, were in a much different position, and come Sunday youll see a beautiful field and pitch everybody will be proud of, Behar said while strolling in an outfield that has gone from dirt to brown re-sodded grass in just three or four days. To do that, crews have worked late into the night and even slept at the Stadium.

The winter was tough, Behar said. It was colder than its been in 50 or 60 years in the month of February. We dealt with snow snow that was expected and snow that was unexpected. Weve had ice. The crew worked incredibly hard, as they always do.

Theyve worked longer than anticipated, theyve worked harder. While they always work hard, theyve had to work a lot harder this time. Straight-up, the guys have worked tirelessly; theyve slept on couches when they can. Theyve put in a tremendous effort. Were turning on the lights [to work at night]. The days have gotten a lot longer, and the works gotten a lot harder. But theyre up to the task.

Yankee Stadium senior VP of Stadium Operations Doug BeharPhoto: Matthew McDermott

They have had little choice. The Yankee Stadium crew usually maxes out at 35 workers, and they didnt hire extra ones, simply worked longer hours. They used two separate kinds of heaters to melt the ice and snow on the field and thaw the ground.

A week ago, we had a lot of work ahead of us, Behar said. We had hoses running glycol like an antifreeze about 6,000 feet [of hose]. We run it about 180 degrees to melt the ice and snow up top, and thaw the ground underneath to be able to work the sod and get it out. We had an enclosed tent on our [infield], with propane heaters running to keep it in a condition that was best for the transition. [It ran] from first base to second base.

The crew worked incredibly hard in terrible conditions. As we came out of the weekend, we were able to get the sod out, do all the important things to do to install the new stuff. The other day, we had two-thirds of the new material down, but it wasnt worked yet. Now we have all the sod down.

Behar insisted the field will be ready by NYCFCs home debut against New England on Sunday, as well as the Yankees home opener April 6. But he knows a 17-game MLS slate adds wear and tear, and the first time a ball takes a funny bounce or the outfield looks a mess, eyebrows will arch, fingers will point and questions will be asked beginning with, How long is NYCFC for the Stadium?

Read this article:
Yankee Stadium turf guru: Grass will hold up for NYCFC opener

Can love bloom on a baseball/soccer field? Early signs point to no: the Yankees have already started complaining about sharing their precious, precious grass with NYCFC.

The Yankees planted the narrative at spring training yesterday, with Mark Teixeira telling the Wall Street Journal that the ground-share will definitely cause an issue, but its nothing that we can control, so we cant worry about it. Its terrible for a field. Infielder Brendan Ryan detailed how he'd have to change his fielding style to avoid "trying to read some hop thats unpredictable" - and he loves soccer!

Back in the Bronx, as NYCFC held their first ever media day, coach Jason Kreis tried to uproot the concerns:

But some nefarious sports reporter dared to look behind the strategically placed curtains at Yankee Stadium. And then the NYDN sent a damn helicopter (sports journalism: SERIOUS BUSINESS) over Yankee Stadium, showing the field is an incomplete mess.

Of course, the field is a mess. Perhaps it's lost on some that we only just stopped being Siberia a few days ago. We're less worried about the Yankees dealing with unpredictable hops and more about David Villa's ankles. Is whatever sod they slap down going to set properly in time for Sunday's Historic Home Opener, especially with rain forecast for Friday and Saturday?

If you'd like to engage in some wild horticultural observationor just watch some soccertickets are still available for the NYCFC home opener, as the club opened all of Yankee Stadium for the match.

Read more from the original source:
Turf Wars: Yankees and NYCFC Bicker Over Stadium Field

Carol O'Meara CSU Cooperative Extension

There is a little secret about lawns: They grab attention. Passersby, neighbors and family look over yards, making judgments. If you've ever felt the pressure to step up your game, take a few tips from Chris Hathaway, turf manager at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The pro who keeps the field where the Denver Broncos plays knows firsthand the pressure of keeping a lawn looking good; thousands of fans judge his turf throughout a 16-week season. After leading the renovation of Sports Authority Field at Mile High, he took time to talk turf:

How did you know it was time to renovate? "We decided to move forward with the field renovation after the 2014 football season due to a couple factors. The first being the Grass Master system and the root zone were getting older and we were running into slight complications with both systems. Our soil heat system also required upgrades. The full-scale renovation will be complete in time for the beginning of the Denver Outlaws home opener" on May 3 in Major League Lacrosse.

Did you always know what type of turf you would install, or did you look at the merits and drawbacks of different kinds for the field?

"Sports turf industry employees make sure to talk frequently and exchange ideas and thoughts. Several consultations also took place with Graff's Turf farm (in Fort Morgan) on availability. HGT bluegrass was what was decided on. Our Dove Valley headquarters (in Englewod) uses HGT bluegrass on their practice field. It has held up well and proven to be durable during the Broncos in-season daily practice sessions."

Do you think an all-bluegrass field will require more maintenance than the Grass Master system? "I envision a couple of slight changes to our normal maintenance program, but nothing major. We intend to plant rye grass and bluegrass seed in to the playing surface to keep the playability at a high standard. We will also have the ability to re-sod any part of the field as needed. We didn't have the capability to re sod with Grass Master during the heavy use times of the year."

How will it compare to the Grass Master system for playability? "I think the playability of the new surface will be quite similar to the Grass Master system. The sod we install in April will be 1.5 inches thick and approximately 14 months old. The combination between the thick cut of and age of the sod gives us the strength and density to hold up to the heavy wear and tear of a NFL season."

How do you irrigate a field like this? "There are nine irrigation zones on the field. It looks similar to a residential lawn or irrigation at a park. The new field will contain four perimeter zones that run along the field service track. The other five zones are in the playing field. We have lowered the sprinkler heads below the surface. We fill in the gap with a product called Profile prior to games. We remove the Profile material postgame to prepare for our next irrigation cycle."

Do you have any advice for a homeowner who wants to renovate but doesn't know where to begin? "First ask yourself how you want to use the space and how it will be utilized. Think about maintenance and the time and expenses involved in maintaining it. Decide if you want turf grass, requiring regular maintenance, or do you prefer xeriscape, a system that will save both time and money? A combination of both is also a great option. There are ample landscaping options. Research on what works best for you and your space. You don't want to plant something that you will have to replace down the road due to poor planning. One other thing is if you live in an HOA-governed community, make sure to ask what they allow before planting anything.You don't want to renovate your landscape and later find out parts are not permissible and that it has to be removed."

More:
Lawn talk with Broncos' turf guru

Grassing with Celebration Bermudagrass began last month on the complete renovation of the historic River Oaks Country Club golf course in Houston.

Morris Johnson, Director of Golf Course Operations at River Oaks Country Club, said architects Tom and Logan Fazio are leading the complete renovation of the 18-hole golf course. Elements of the renovation include building three new golf holes, expansion of the driving range, development of a comprehensive short game area, new cart paths, an entirely new computerized irrigation system, new golf shop, removal of the old grass, reshaping of the golf course, and a complete regrassing of every playing surface. Greens surfaces will be grassed with MiniVerde Bermuda grass. All other surfaces including fairways, tees and roughs, encompassing some 113 acres, will be planted with certified Celebration Bermuda grass that will be installed as solid sod from January through June.

We determined that we wanted Celebration early on, Johnson said. We had it on our driving range and teaching facility tee for three years. We had success with it. Its a tighter grass with better cold tolerance than other Bermuda grasses that we tried.

Johnson also visited several high-end country club golf courses in Florida with a similar climate as Houston a year prior to the start of the project. They have all had the grass for varying lengths of time and all are very happy with the playability and performance of the Celebration.

Celebration Bermuda grass is installed as the playing surface for golf courses from the Carolinas to Florida to Texas, and at high profile sports fields including the stadiums at the University of Florida and Louisiana State University. The grass is known for its deep blue-green color, drought tolerance, wear tolerance and aggressive repair from divots.

Johnson said the club membership decided to install the grass as solid sod, rather than as sprigs, for two reasons: the speed of reopening and the decreased possibility of contamination. Solid sod grows in faster than sprigs and, he said a healthy, uniform, certified stand of sod is less likely to contain weeds or off-type grasses.

All Seasons Turf Grass, based in Brookshire, a licensed producer of Celebration Bermuda grass through licensing company Sod Solutions, was selected as the sod farm to grow the grass for the renovation.

All Seasons Turf Grass has a reputation for being one of the premier sod farms in Texas, regardless of cultivar, Johnson said. The fact that All Seasons grows their grass on a sand base is extremely important. We worked hard over the years to improve our soil profile. The natural soil is a heavy clay. Using heavy top dressing, Johnson said the golf course maintenance crew had achieved a top three-to-four inches of sand that drained well. Installing sod that was grown on sand would help maintain the sand cap on the golf course.

Scott Sipes, sales manager for All Seasons Turf Grass, said it will take approximately 550 truckloads of sod to complete the project.

This is one of the biggest jobs All Seasons Turf Grass has ever done, Sipes said. Most farms wouldnt be able to supply that much of a sand-based single product because of the sheer volume. Its all coming from the same farm, more than 100 acres of land. Morris Johnson and Agronomist Consultant, Dave McIntosh came out and selected where they wanted the grass to come from, and they inspected it and had it tested throughout the entire growing process.

The rest is here:
Grassing with Celebration Bermudagrass began last month on the renovation of historic River Oaks Country Club

How Much Does Sod Cost - Houston Grass South Missouri City Katy
Call 281-431-7441 and visit http://houstonturfgrass.com. In this video, Houston Grass South Owner Michael Romine answers a question about how much grass sod costs. Michael was raised in the...

By: HoustonGrassSouth

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How Much Does Sod Cost - Houston Grass South Missouri City Katy - Video

How Do Our Grass Sod Prices Compare - Houston Grass South - Pearland
Call 281-431-7441 and visit http://houstonturfgrass.com. In this video, Houston Grass South Owner Michael Romine answers a question about how our grass sod prices compare to other sod dealers...

By: HoustonGrassSouth

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How Do Our Grass Sod Prices Compare - Houston Grass South - Pearland - Video