Natural Pitch Maintenance

Natural pitches

Domed Stadiums

There are some differences between the maintenance of an outdoor field and one inside a stadium. The latter is deprived of a specific natural climate, which means that it will need special maintenance, so that the turf benefits of all the factors it needs for a proper vegetation . Moreover, there are other factors that lead to the personalization of the maintenance of a sports field, such as:

soil pH
humidity level
climate
amount of light
air circulation

Sportsfields, supervised by S.T.R.I (Sports Turf Research Institute) from the United Kingdom, performed the maintenance on the National Arena Stadium in Bucharest for the UEFA Europa League Final in 2012.

Essential maintenance operations for natural pitches

1. Mowing

Keeps the grass healthy and dense. The equipment used for this operation impacts the quality of the final result and this is why our team only works with top mowing machinery.

2. Aeration

Creates a proper environment for the turf to develop at the root level and prevents compactation. Essential in creating an optimal playing surface.

3. Scarification

Scarifying is the physical process of removing dead organic matter from the surface of the pitch. The scarifying machine will be chosen depending on the amount of dead organic matter. In severe cases, the scarifyer’s can be set at various heights, being more or less aggressive and take out various amounts of organic matter. The presence of dead organic matter at turf level has as effect:- Keeping moisture at a high level which subsequently leads to diseases.- Diminishing turf’s density and vigour- Slippery layer of thatch that affects the quality of the game.

4. Fertilization

It is important in order to provide the turf with all the nutrients it needs for optimal growth and development.

5. Phytosanitary treatments

Prevent disease evolution right from the first symptoms. The treating plan should be correlated with the environmental factors.

6. Topdressing application

Topdressing is the application of a uniform thin layer of diverse components over the turf surface. This operation brings the following benefits: - Levels the surface- Helps to amend soil properties- Better environment for seed germination- Stabilizes channels created by aeration works