Posted by Tim Vanini on Wed, Mar 10, 2010 @ 01:51 PM
What does soil pH really mean? Well if you were to search for it on a website or book, it means the concentration of hydrogen ions in soil solution, and as pH increases, the concentration gets less and less. As hydrogen ions decrease, hydroxide ions increase. Now, I know much has been said in these two sentences so let's break it down.
The pH scale ranges from 0 - 14, and the relationship is established with the concentration of hydrogen ions in soil solution. Pretty simple. Also, an inverse relationship exists between pH and pOH or the concentration of hydroxide ions in soil solution, too. So if soil pH is reported to be a 5 then pOH is a 9. One goes up, the other goes down. Simple enough.
What I believe many people misunderstand though is that the pH scale operates on a log scale similar to numbers reported about earthquakes on the Richter Scale. The scale moves along multiples of 10, and in the case of pH, it is an inverse scale. So, if there is a pH of 5, the concentration of hydrogen ions in solution is 1 x10 ^-5 or 0.00001 per unit, and if the pH were to jump to 7, then the concentration would be 1 x10^-7 or 0.0000001 per unit. At first, I was confused about the pH number as it increased. I thought as the number increased, more hydrogen ions would be solution, but that inverse scale actually flips it around. Also, the difference between these numbers is not 2, but 0.0000099. That is a significant difference even being at this miniscule scale! Still don't get it? Let me reverse it around. What is the difference between 7 and 5 in regards to pH (Hint: 1 x 10^7 and 1 x 10^5)? The difference is not 2...it is 990,000. See what I mean, Vern?
If this pH thing is too weird, it's closer to our daily lives than you think. Let's look at items we consume or use and compare this to pH classifications in the soil along the same range. See above. We'll save terminology for now (ie - calcareous or sodic), but you get the picture.
So why is the pH scale important to soil management? It is important because pH can affect many factors including soil nutrient availability. Depending where soil pH is on the scale, some nutrients are more available in solution than others. For instance, phosphorous availability starts to decline below a pH of 6.0, but micronutrients, such as, copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) become increasingly available in soil solution. Understanding this scale should be considered for designing a fertility startegy as part of your turfgrass management strategies. If the pH is 6.0 them I may think about using fertilizers with concentrations of calcium, magnesium and sulfur, and not be too concerned about micronutrients. In other words, your fertilizer startegy will depend on the results you receive from the soils laboratory.
Optimally, you want to the soil pH be in the range of 6.5 - 7.0 because this is where the highest number of nutrients are most available in soil solution.
So having said all this, when is the last time you have taken a soil test on your lawn? As a rule of thumb, two separate samples should be taken; one for the front lawn and one for the backyard. I will continue this discussion with the next blog posting later this week.
Tim Vanini, PhD - tim@ndturf.com
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Posted by Tim Vanini on Tue, Mar 09, 2010 @ 10:44 AM
Just wanted to get this video clip out to everybody. It's a brief announcement in two regards. First, I will be the Educational Coordinator of the Sports Turf Managers of New York (STMONY) in the upcoming year, and it is quite the honor. Second, I discuss why it is important in becoming a member. Nothing fancy and yet it is a first step. You can learn on how to become a member at www.stmony.org.
This is also my first, small step into video blogging. Well it's not so much blogging as it is a brief video announcement, but you get the picture. As the year progresses, you will see video about different turfgrass management tips from the lawn to the sports and golf course arenas. Stay tuned!
Tim Vanini, PhD - tim@ndturf.com
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Posted by Tim Vanini on Thu, Mar 04, 2010 @ 08:59 AM
I remember the time I was working on the 1994 World Cup Project in the Pontiac
Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. We successfully installed a portable turfgrass system in the Silverdome for the 1994 World Cup. It was amazing to be part of the construction and maintanance of the field over the 2.5 year period. However, the lingering question always remained after it was over, "Was this a one-shot deal or could this REALLY be implemented?" One of the immediate concerns was the man-power and time to import or export it out of the stadium; it took 30 laborers and over 1,000 man hours to move 1994 modules (a total coinincidence that it worked out that way) to move it one way. A couple other concerns were the modules themselves. One module alone was ~50 sq. ft., weighted 3,000 pounds and shaped into a hexagon. Quite cumbersome. Also, air circulation in the stadium was an issue. The matches took place in the summer, and the HVAC system pulled hot, humid air in from outside thus creating a greenhouse effect - not ideal conditions for play due to a moist, slick surface...and it was inside.
Technology changes everything!
Well over the next 15 years, turfgrass and technology have been coming together. First, the idea came as far as moving the field, "What would would happen if we moved the field as one big sports field from outside to inside...quickly?" Well that first started to happen with a soccer stadium in The Netherlands. In the U.S., it came full-circle a few years ago when the Arizona Cardinals built a stadium to move the field inside in over an hour.
Also GreenTech modules, made of special plastic, were invented (only 16 sq. ft., weighed ~ 900 pounds with soil and
shaped into asquare) to make the load easier and workable. These modules have other utilities including portable turf areas or rooftop gardening which is very big in Europe.
What I am getting at here is that innovations in technology are taking place (Thanks to the Green Movement taking place in this country) that are allowing us to "bring nature indoors". For the most part, I would say we understand the fundamentals of how plants grow and can stay healthy. Now the engineering is advancing so we may manipulate the environment to fit our situations. Look at what the Minnesota Twins engineered for their new stadium set to open this spring. Lest we forget, there have been other engineering marvels, like retractable stadium roofs, as well that have changed our outlook.
We have just scratched the surface on how turfgrass and technology are coming together. You'll read more articles on this topic in this blog because New Dimensions Turf rests on this premise. We problem solve, ask questions and Think Differently About Turfgrass. Keep coming back.
Tim Vanini, PhD - tim@ndturf.com
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Posted by Tim Vanini on Mon, Mar 01, 2010 @ 02:06 PM
Recently I read an article in World Environment News about the Minnesota Twins 
building a new, outdoor baseball stadium in the Twin Cities. What was interesting about the article was not that they would be using natural grass around their baseball skin (as opposed to artificial turf). But it was the fact that they were applying for LEED credits, and as part of this certification, they were implementing a rainwater harvesting system so they could capture water and "recycle" it for natural turfgrass management in the stadium.
This is impressive and noteworthy.
Advancing environmental sustainability via technology can transform turfgrass areas into environmental jewels which raises awareness and serves its primary purpose...and in this case performance under traffic conditions and an aesthitically-pleasing park. However, I am speaking about the 4 R's in regards to sustainability...Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and RETHINK. Rainwater harvesting is nothing new to the homeowner. This has been implemented with rain barrels for years. It's small scale and unfortunately, has been executed minimally. However, when the Minnesota Twins made decisions to implement this idea and potentially attain LEED credit, their RETHINKING of saving money and improving turfgrass management via technology will hopefully have people take notice due to it being executed on a large scale. Awareness of this concept or shall I say RETHINKING water management, allows the homeowner to re-consider REDUCING, or RECYCLING water on their property via rainwater harvesting. When excuted on a large scale, it tends to get explained why it is important and is more visible. An actively growing lawn and landscape is good for all of us. I applaud the Minnesota Twins for their leadership.
In addition to harvesting rainwater, did I mention how turfgrass will be an excellent filter and is quite functional even under sports field conditions?
Stay tuned as we will be discussing how turfgrass management and technology are coming together to turn a golf course, sports field or home lawn into an environmental asset.
All pictures are Copyright 2010, New Dimensions Turf. Picture provided by Dr. John N. Rogers, III
Tim Vanini, PhD - tim@ndturf.com
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Posted by Tim Vanini on Sat, Feb 20, 2010 @ 04:14 PM
In 2009, I went full time with New Dimensions Turf. 
Here is an article that was written by Business First in Buffalo, NY. My hope was to convey to the reporter that turfgrass ecosystems, albeit golf courses, sports fields or homelawns, are environmental assets. The purpose of the company was to educate consumers, professionals managers and decision-makers about turfgrass via consulting and research. In essence, we live in an ever-changing environment and New Dimensions Turf can provide solutions which reveal the benefits of turfgrass as an environmental asset versus a maintenance nightmare.
The article below sheds light on this philosophy and my background.
http://tiny.cc/fvirq
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Tim Vanini, PhD - tim@ndturf.com
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Posted by Tim Vanini on Tue, Feb 16, 2010 @ 02:19 PM
The Golf Industry Show (GIS) hosted by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA - www.gcsaa.org) in San Diego, CA, on Feb. 8 - 12, 2010, gave practioners an opportunity to gather, and learn from each other and about the latest
new technologies for the turfgrass industry. There were a slew of educational programs in the beginning of the week and then the (GIS) on Wednesday and Thursday. I attended the show knowing there would be over 20,000 people in attendance, and at least from my perspective, it did not disappoint. Stepping into the Trade Show, it is just acres of new equipment, products and expertise assembled together. Anywhere you turned, companies strived to show potential customers their latest innovations to provide a healthier plant and turfgrass ecosystem, reduce budgets and work harmoniously with the environment and golfer to provide the best playing conditions possible.
Here are a few of examples.
First, Speedroller a product manufactured in Buffalo, NY, gives golf course superintendents a tool (which incidentally has started to become ubiqutous in golf course management due to research from Dr. Thom Nikolai at Michigan State University) that will increase greens speed while reducing mowing frequency, increasing mowing height and improving overall turfgrass health. Click here to see a demonstration.
Second, I believe robotic mowing will be a huge innovation for not just the golf course industry, but for the turfgrass industry as a whole.
At least the first one to present at the GIS in the last couple of years, Precise Path has developed a robotic mower which can mow and roll at the same time. It can also mow at night time. Although a few years away before being available industry wide, they are still working a few of the bugs out and also accruing superintendents for feedback. Needless to say, this innovation could have implications on long-term costs savings for labor and management purposes.
And third, the Toro Company has developed an excellent digital system that will aid golf course superintendents (and other professional turf managers) in site-specific turfgrass management. With a combination of sensor equipment, algorithms and computer graphics, the golf course superintendent will be able to assess, for instance, stressed areas (ie - drought or compaction) on a fairway and address them accordingly versus managing the whole fairway the same way. It's a high tech concept and highlights how turfgrass management is in an ever-changing environment.
All pictures are Copyright 2010, New Dimensions Turf.
Tim Vanini, PhD - tim@ndturf.com
Posted by Tim Vanini on Fri, Feb 12, 2010 @ 03:53 PM
"Alright Vanini", as he spoke in his southern tone, "So you have 70 days to get a sports field ready, what do you do?" This was my question from Dr. Rogers, my advisor at Michigan State University, as I commenced my PhD experience. It had been awhile since I graduated from Michigan State University in 1995 with my Masters of Science, and now it was 2001. Six years had passed. Life was different and now I was on my own solving a problem for sports field managers. Golf course superinetendents rarely deal with this issueof re-establsihement scrunched inside a minimal time window, but sports field managers MUST deal with this and usually on a limited budget. Now "turfgrass speed" becomes a factor as well as "Bigger Stronger, Faster" in days not months.
What to do?
So I set up a variety of experiments to start addressing this issue. For now, I am 
only going to talk about the 70 day experiment. There are other strategies for the sports field manager to consider in his/her arsenal, but we'll stick to this for now. The slides will give you an idea of some of my research at the Masters level, starting my business, and how we took this sports field re-establishment concept from theory to practice. We justify the strategies with data and statistical analysis. Truth be known, I probably had more money with the research project than I did with the real-world scenario. The point...regardless of executing this concept under the best conditions, it was also executed under "poor" conditions...limited budget and less than ideal conditions to grow grass. You'll get the picture as you go through the slides and see a summary towards the end.
To learn more about this, you can click on the link below to download the presentation and learn more about this story.
70 Days To Get A Sports Field Ready - From Theory to Practice
All pictures are Copyright 2010, New Dimensions Turf.
Tim Vanini, PhD - tim@ndturf.com
Posted by Tim Vanini on Fri, Feb 05, 2010 @ 09:42 AM
I have assembled these facts about turfgrass because many people canno
t comprehend the importance a well-managed turfgrass serves our society. It is an environmental asset. There are three functions that turfgrass serves; functional, aesthetical and recreational. Now realize I said, "Turfgrass". Why? Well, there are many different grasses out there. Did you know wheat, rye and oats are grasses too? Did you know corn is a grass?
So what? What's the difference?
The difference between oats and wheat versus turfgrass (what you see on a golf course, sports field or home lawn) are three-fold. First, you can eat the former. Just kidding. You actually could eat both, but that is not what I am getting at.
First, turfgrass can withstand traffic. You can walk on it or play sports on it and
Kentucky bluegrass or bermudagrass can withstand a substantial amount of traffic compared to wheat or corn. Second, turfgrass can tolerate being mowed. Corn and wheat cannot. Little known fact, you can eliminate 90% of your weeds with proper mowing techniques (More on that in another blog posting). And third, Kentucky bluegrass and bermudagrass can form contiguous or tight-knit communties. Corn or wheat cannot.
So having said all this I wanted to leave you with some AMAZING facts about turfgrass. Even though, we can take it for granted in our home lawn, turfgrass is a huge "functional breathing biologic". Like our bodies, the better we take care of it, the better it takes care of us.
1) A mowed turfgrass area can have anywhere from 30 million to over 8 billion
shoots (the green stuff) per acre thus providing the effective turfgrass cover.
2) A growing bermudagrass lawn was 38 F cooler than dormant (brown) turf and 70 F cooler than a synthetic surface.
3) Depending on different variables, turfgrass ecosystems can produce anywhere from approximately 900 to 27000 lbs/acre of leaves and stems.
4) Bacterial populations in moist clippings and thatch (can be dead and living turfgrass debris) can produce populations of a BILLION organisms per sq centimeter. This can translate to the wonderful ability of turfgrass to degrade trapped organic chemicals and pesticides.
5) The root system biomass of a Kentucky bluegrass lawn ranges from 9800 to 14300 lbs/acre.
6) If you were able to take the top 6 inches, it is estimated there is 122,000 roots and 61 million roots hars in a litter of soil which has a combined length of roughly 45 miles! Wow!
More AMAZING facts about turfgrass coming soon! Stay tuned!
Source - James B. Beard and Robert L. Green. The Role of Turfgrass in Environmental Protection and Their Benefits to Humans. Journal of Environmental Quality. 23:3.
All pictures are Copyright 2010, New Dimensions Turf.
Tim Vanini, PhD - tim@ndturf.com
Posted by Tim Vanini on Mon, Feb 01, 2010 @ 11:30 AM
3) Core Cultivation - Core cultivation is a process of amelio
rating soil compaction by, in most cases, physically removing soil plugs. This process improves air and water movement and breaks up the hardpan that has formed at the surface. Typically, core cultivation can be done in the spring and fall. By core cultivating, new roots develop and proper turfgrass health can ensue.
4) Use of crumb rubber - Crumb rubber is using old car tires, chopping them up into smaller, sand-like particles (1/4" or smaller) and applying it
to the turfgrass community as a topdressing. By topdressing crumb rubber, the turfgrass manager is providing a layer of cushioning (3/4" - 1") around the crown tissue of the plant. As mentioned earlier, by protecting the crown tissue, the longevity and aesthetics of the turfgrass improves plus a reduction in soil compaction results. A two for one shot; improved turfgrass health and improved soil conditions for proper turfgrass health. You can contact http://www.acugreen.com for a local distributor near you.
5) Re-route high traffic areas to other areas - If you don't have access to the tools mentioned earlier, the turfgrass manager could re-route traffic away from the area that has been worn out. The area maybe so compacted (bare soil) that the turfgrass manager would have to address the area at the current time and not wait for ideal weather conditions in the spring or fall. Also by re-routing traffic before it gets to the point of bare soil, you might be able to nurse it along with a little fertilizer and water and save labor.
6) Avoid over-irrigating areas - Sometimes too much of a good thing is not a good thing. An often overlooked management practice that can cause problems is over-irrigating an area where foot or vehicle traffic persists. By having a high water amount persist in high traffic areas, soil particles are lubricated and when a force, such as foot or vehicle traffic is applied, the soil particles move closer together. By repeated over-irrigating and traffic, soil particles get closer together thus compaction results. A turfgrass manager should be mindful of the amount of water being applied to these areas. Having the turfgrass community on the "drier side" can be a good thing.
This is Part 2 of a two part series discussing turfgrass management in high traffic areas. This article originally appeared in Landsculptor Magazine, September 2009. All pictures are Copyright 2010, New Dimensions Turf.
Tim Vanini, PhD - tim@ndturf.com
Posted by Tim Vanini on Wed, Jan 27, 2010 @ 04:00 PM
It's not easy! Maintaining turfgrass in high traffic areas can be one of the bigger challenges any turfgrass manager or homeowner faces. These areas need constant attention. Whether it is a sports field, golf course or home lawn area where kids play, there are solutions that can promote turfgrass health and ameliorate soil conditions. The turfgrass manager is going to want to address two areas; wear tolerance and soil compaction.
Wear tolerance refers to the ability of the turfgrass to resist wear or traffic being applied to the plant. There are situations where the soil may have little compaction (ie - sand based profile for a putting green) as to not disturb soil physical properties, but the turfgrass may be damaged by the foot or vehicle traffic applied. The base of the plant or crown tissue becomes damaged by this repeated traffic process. The crown tissue is the "highway" for carbohydrates and water to move freely within the plant. Once this highway is damaged, plant health deteriorates and eventually causes death of the plant.
Soil compaction refers to the compression of soil particles (sand, silt and clay) packed tightly together. This in turn can have deleterious effects on the turfgrass via the roots by restricting oxygen and water movement. As mentioned sand profiles or profiles with a high sand content (70% or higher), can withstand a high degree of compaction as to still allow sufficient oxygen and water movement. However, soils high in silt and clay (loam soils) can easily compact thus restricting proper oxygen and water movement.
So what are the steps a turfgrass manager can take to either prevent or increase the chances of turfgrass staying around in these types of areas? Besides breaking up the affected area and sodding it, what can be done to minimize addressing this every season or year. The following are a few tips that address both plant health and soil conditions which minimize turfgrass wear and compaction so a turfgrass manager may not have to address these areas at all.
1) Proper turfgrass variety selection - Typically, turfgrasses used in high traffic situations in northern climates are perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass. Both grasses have the ability to withstand high traffic and soil compaction longer than other cool-season grasses. Perennial ryegrass is a bunch-type grass, germinates quickly and has a high lignin content which allows this grass to withstand traffic. Kentucky bluegrass is a rhizamontous grass (stems which grow below the surface to produce daughter plants) which forms a strong sod, but is slow to germinate. Breeding efforts are continually evaluating many attributes to identify the strongest characteristics. Seedling vigor (perennial ryegrass), lateral spread (Kentucky bluegrass), color, and density are just a few of the attributes being evaluated. A number of cultivars are available that would enhance a turfgrass manager's strategy. For more information, go to the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program's website (www.ntep.org) or contact your local seed distributor for the best cultivars for your area.
2) "Sand - cap" concept - This is a technique that would minimize disturbance and a process that could be phased in over time. A turfgrass manager could 
simply topdress sand to an area and "cap" the existing soil profile. If the sand was layered over time (1/4" every three weeks), the turfgrass community would be able to absorb it. Ideally, a turf manager would want to build up a 2 - 4" sand profile on top of the soil. This would allow the dispersion of water (provided the middle of the area was highest or crowned), and the new profile would be able to withstand compaction. It is an idea that has been implemented on golf courses and sports fields, and might be advantageous for the homeowner as well.
This is Part 1 of a two part series discussing turfgrass management in high traffic areas. This article originally appeared in Landsculptor Magazine, September 2009. All pictures are Copyright 2010, New Dimensions Turf.
Tim Vanini, PhD - tim@ndturf.com