Sports Turf

We Can Renovate New Sports Turf

Perhaps your park lacks a proper baseball field or there is a sparse area in which a sports field used to be, but is now simply weeds and a dusty patchwork of lanes.. Our highly skilled designers are also experienced with the renovations of current overgrown and under maintained sports’ fields.

When renovating an area often the first step is to bring the grass back to life. We do this by first testing the soil to determine what applications are necessary to optimize the growth. Testing provides us with this knowledge, for instance if the soil is found it to be too acidic, we can apply lime to bring the Ph up to a healthy level. Soil testing also lets us know what kind of soil is present, which helps to determine what kind of grass would grow best in the area.

Organic Grub Control

Nematodes call Grub Guard can be applied to control grubs in the Fall, 2 Applications are needed in a 10-14 day period to kill the grubs. The turf must be wet before and after each application.

More often the fields are overrun with weeds and invasive, unwanted, plants such as bamboo or others. We can rid the grounds of weeds and these invasive plants, which can kill healthy, wanted, plants by starving them of nutrients and sunlight. There are many options for weed killing, including organic applications of natural chemicals that are completely safe for children and pets. However, rest easy that we at Alternative EarthCare really care for our Earth and our children and wildlife. We care so much so that we use extra care and precautions when applying any applications, always using the least toxic option and lowest effective dosage.

Why Use Natural Turf Vs. Synthetic Turf

Synthetic sports turf is created from used tires, which contain a high level of toxic substances, so much so the tires are prohibited from being disposed of in landfills. Recent studies conducted in New York and Connecticut confirmed the presence of hazardous materials on existing synthetic fields. Such toxins include: lead, arsenic, cadminum, chromium, cobalt, zinc, acetone, ethylbenzene, tetrachloroethene, toluene, xylene, and phthalates.

These chemicals currently present in the tires and now tested as present in the synthetic fields are known to cause health risks themselves. Side effects of exposure include: endocrine disruption, neurological impairment, and cancers. It has recently come to light that there may be a connection between childhood cancers and student athletes. However, it is not currently known as to whether playing on the turf definitively lead to these health issues and whether playing on synthetic turf actually constitutes exposure to the chemicals present.

Beyond the health aspect is the simply monetary aspect. Plain and simple: natural grass costs much less than the synthetic to install and maintain. Also consider the lifespan of these products: synthetic turf only lasts (according to the NYCDPR) five years, and according to the synthetic turf industry eight to ten years. Natural turf, however, can last forever when properly maintained.

Alternative EarthCare can help provide you with all of the information and resources to make your sports’ field last for many generations to come: providing a practical design, irrigation opinions and/or installations, and general maintenance. Our skilled landscape artists and irrigation specialists will work together to provide you with a beautiful natural grass sports’ field your community with be sure to enjoy!