Ball field maintenance

[ICGREEN]

I've inherited the church ball diamond to maintain and really don't have a clue. We have a lot of crab grass on it so I used a box blade to pull most of it off. Now I can't get the field smooth again. It's not real bad but still has some of the tooth marks from the box blade. enough to make a ball bounce crooked. What's the best way to get it back in shape. Is there some type of drag or harrow type device made for this function?
Thanks

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

I've seen people use ATVs for dragging pcs. of chain link fence with cinder blocks on them. However, that's about all I know. I've always wondered myself.....

 

[JerryK]

Same thing here, chain link fence with timbers and cement blocks on them. Does a good job...

 

[CDsdad]

We have used chain link as well as a metal mesh? drag. The drag had 1 inch square holes in it and was heavier than the chain link. Both worked well, but if there were bad spots we raked by hand.

 

[emmy71]

We just used one of these to reclaim a neglected ballfield and then used a chain link drag.

Leinbach Machinery Catalog

Terry

 

[Reg]

Chain link fence with a triangle of old tires tied on it, the bigger the better.
5 tires in "Olympic Rings" pattern if you can pull the width and/or the tires are small (ish).

I've heard of people just tying the tires together and towing them with no chain link underneath, but have never actually seen that.

 

[cperky]

overseed with something that get gets green early in the season for your area,(do this in the fall of the year) then set field with burmuda or something similar that will get green in the summer keep it cut short until bermuda tales over. You might want to use a herbicide to kill weeds and unwanted crabgrass until bermurda sets up

Keep in mind I am in Tennessee not Indiana. Check with some of the local high schools or jr. college coaches they are usually pretty particular about their fields and also willing to be helpful.

 

[Rara Avis]

Infield groomer & land maintenance tool for Parks & Rec - Sports Turf - TR3 Rake

 

[ICGREEN]

You gotta love the look of the TR3 but I bet it's pricy. I've got to do it on the cheap so it looks like the fence will be the tool of choice. Thanks for the input.

 

[MossRoad]

I've inherited the church ball diamond to maintain and really don't have a clue. We have a lot of crab grass on it so I used a box blade to pull most of it off. Now I can't get the field smooth again. It's not real bad but still has some of the tooth marks from the box blade. enough to make a ball bounce crooked. What's the best way to get it back in shape. Is there some type of drag or harrow type device made for this function?
Thanks

Here's a link to a thread I did back in 2002 when I had to renovate a T-Ball diamond that was very neglected. Lots of pictures, but here are a few of my favorites...

First picture is after a couple hours work scraping with my buckets.

Picture two shows another angle.

This picture shows the results of only a half an hour of dragging a length of chain link fence with 6 concrete blocks on top of it. Pretty dramatic difference.

Not bad!

New fence. Play Ball!!!

 

[AchingBack]

One bit of advice would be to aquaint your pastor with the scripture wherein Paul instructs Timothy: now bodily exercise profits little.

I spent over 25 years dealing with turf, and have come to the conclusion - most of it wouldn't exist if each person who uses it had to pay to maintain it, and personally do the mowing, fertilizing, thatching, aerating, and spraying for fungi, weeds, and insects.

Back to your problem. Eventually, the ruts you created will fill in. The material you disturbed is still on the ballfield. Get some volunteers with leaf rakes to put it back into the ruts. Re-seed, fertilize, water, and keep people, and equipment off of it until the new grass is established, or the existing sod has recovered.

 

[MossRoad]

ICGREEN,
It appears that some folks think you have ruts in your grass, while others, myself included, think you have ruts in your infield dirt. Just to make it clear, which is it?