Rich Watson is Grounds Supervisor for the Pine Hill (NJ) School District. He won an STMA Founders Award last January when he was named recipient of the 2013 Dick Ericson Award for his contributions

June 2014 | SportsTurf 11 This year we have purchased a Woods seeder that we will use to renovate the center of the field throughout the season. The combination of all of these things is what allows us to provide the best surface possible on a tight budget. Post-game repairs and rest are what really holds the field together from week to week. In the beginning of the season when it is hot, we will irrigate the field as soon as everyone is off after a game. This helps the recuperation process begin. We may also lightly roll the field to push down any loose turf. This allows that turf to re-root if given enough moisture. In addition, we also remove all loose divots that are not still attached. The divots then are filled with a pre-made divot mix consisting of mushroom compost soil and seed. Sometimes this doesn’t happen until Monday depending on manpower and time of the game. However, it is better to get as much repair work done as soon as possible to give the field maximum recovery time.