Spring is here, so field rebuilding underway

By Barclay Kruse, NSC Chief Communications Officer

If you're reading this from warmer climes that Minnesota, this has been the winter that seemingly will never end. And if you live in Minnesota, you know what I'm talking about. Every time we think spring is here, the temperatures drop and the snow flies again. In fact, just a week ago, we were facing blizzard warnings. In the end, the storm tracked just to the north of the NSC, but we did get two days of slushy snow, wind and below-freezing temperatures.

But four days ago, suddenly, the temperatures climbed into the 50's, then 60's, and now we think that, finally, spring has sprung.

With the ground thawing, it means is that we now can begin to work on conditioning our outdoor turf fields in earnest. This year we will be rehabilitating four fields on the north side of our campus -- M1, M2, I1 and I3. Two days ago we started regrading the fields. Irrigation will be added, soil correction made to eliminate holes and crevices, and new seed planted and sod layed.

Photo: Graders are moving dirt as part of the rebuilding project on fields M1, M2, I1 and I3.

"This year we are trying to be more proactive about turf care, doing all the little things to make our fields as safe as possible," said the NSC's Director of Turf Maintenance Neil Ladd. "In addition to the four fields under major reconstruction, we're working hard on all our other fields, doing what we call 'cultural practices' -- fertilizing, top-dressing, airification, and overseeding."

Ladd expects the four rebuilt fields will be ready for play by Schwan's USA CUP, July 11.