Beacon BallieldDimensionsGuide-2024-WEB - Flipbook - Page 31
TESTING INFIELD SOILS
An infield skin can be the source of unlimited frustration for a professional groundskeeper. Identifying the composition of the infield mix will allow you
to more accurately predict how the infield skin will perform when weather is less than ideal.
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Managing your infield soil is a science
It’s not guesswork. That’s why knowing your infield soil composition
is a must before taking any action to amend it. Soil testing provides
quantitative data that helps identify the shortcomings of an infield mix.
After testing, you will be able to make an educated decision about which
amendment material you should use.
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Many facilities can perform a soil test, but very few are able to interpret
how the results can translate into the playability of an infield. Be sure
to choose a soil testing company that understands how the composition
of an infield soil affects game day performance. DuraEdge has more
than two decades of experience analyzing and interpreting soil tests.
Our team of soil scientists and former Major League groundskeepers
partner with one of the top soil testing firms in the country to get
accurate analysis.
Infield soil testing protocol
1
Choose eight to twelve locations around the infield skin to sample
from in order to compile a good representation.
2
If your infield has a topdressing material on it, completely scrape or
sweep it away from the areas you will sample to prevent contamination.
3
Using a small gardening shovel, collect a 3" x 3" sample from each
location (no deeper than 3") into a box or plastic bucket.
4
Pulverize the soil as much as possible, mixing all samples together.
Transfer soil to a quart size zip-lock storage bag until it is nearly full
and seal it. Be sure to label the sample bag with the name of the
field or complex.
5
Send your soil sample to a trusted lab for testing. Typically, you
should expect to see results from your test in 7 to 10 days. If your
soil lab does not analyze results, we can help. Call DuraEdge and
send us your test results. We’ll help analyze your soil test results.
Proper analysis of the data is critical
INFIELD SOILS
How & Why to Test Your Soil |
BeaconAthletics.com
|
DuraEdge.com
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