Opinion: removing grass from dirt in infield

[jervin]

What is the best way to remove grass from the dirt area on the baseball diamond, by best i mean effecient.

[g w mclintock]

Do you mean removing existing sod (such as cutting new base paths etc.) or killing stray grass and weeds?

[jervin]

killing stray grass in the dirt portion of the infield
....the dirt area is overtaken with grass where it hasnt been touched since may

[QBear]

Round-up

[g w mclintock]

killing stray grass in the dirt portion of the infield
....the dirt area is overtaken with grass where it hasnt been touched since may

Qbear is correct. Roundup. But here is a tip, drag the field like you would normally, then apply the round up. Dragging stresses the grass and weeds and makes the Roundup work better. Do it in the fall (attacks the roots) and again in the early spring if anything pops up.

Dragging is also the easy way to remove the dead stuff after the roundup does it's thing.

[baseball16]

NO!! Roundup is not the best way. It will likely bleed to your infield and outfield and then you are resodding grass.

Best way is maintenaince year round, however in your case, best way will now be to till up the infield, add dirt where needed, till up infield dirt again, then drag. It's more work but you will have better results.
Roundup should not even touch baseball fields. LOL!!

[jervin]

Thanks for the info..

[jervin]

Baseball16,

how is your field coming?

Did you have many turnout for your fall league?

[QBear]

Well, I have sprayed it on fields for close to two decades. I only do it after the summer ball schedule is over from late July on.
If you till it up, it will bring many, many rocks of all sizes to the top.
Like the one guy said, you need to drag it also about 2 or 3 times a week.
I always knew that you had bad aim baseball16.
I thought it was just when you hit fungos though.

[jervin]

I may end up leaving it as is, and when the season comes, play with a rock for a ball and hit with broom sticks.. get some trash can lids for bases, and admission will be free to anyone who rides to the game on their bicycle with a baseabll card in the spokes.

[g w mclintock]

I've never had any problems with roundup as long as used wisely. It's the best thing to kill weeds in the fall and it stunts their growth in the spring. When used properly roundup has little effect on actual sod grass. It is designed to kill weeds and broadleaf vegatation and I bet this time of year that's what Jervin is battling. As for tilling, (although it will damage the weed root system) I think that may actually spread the weed seed to other parts of the infield. Just my opinion....

Here is another tip: If you give your infield grass a shot of nitrogen in the fall, it will come back stronger and greener in the spring which will choke off some of the broadleaf problems that you probably have in your sod....

[baseball16]

I wonder if any major league teams use roundup? Or College teams for that matter? Yes, I know they have a field crew. But Hey, whose to say you can't have a field crew. Get your players involved. Get yourself involved. Keeping a field is a matter of pride and committment. So many high school fields go unattended because coaches don't want to mess with field.
I still say once a year tilling and 2-3 times a week dragging will keep infield in great shape.
Oak hill's field is getting better every year. New pressbox coming up soon.

Fall ball had 52 kids signed up. 5 teams. (BABY STEPS)

[jervin]

That's a pretty good turn out.. Especially for the first year..

[Ironman92]

I know a place that has won District Field of the Year about 5 times in 7 years and has a large container of RoundUp in the storage area. He was a Rio Grande baseball guy like you two.

[jervin]

Are you talking to me or Baseball16?

[Ironman92]

"like you two"

[jervin]

LOL. And who might this Coach be?

[baseball16]

yes, back in rio days and h.s. days we also poured gas on the field and lit it up to dry it. Do I do that now? I don't think so.

I worked with this guy and never remember roundup being used.

[Ironman92]

Same guy? The guy I'm speaking of was already coaching while we were preparing/coaching the special needs kids at Rio Grande for their olympics.


Gas costs are too high for that! lol

[jervin]

I remember good ol Derek Patrick lighting the field on fire....