After the Good Luck Beijing Open competition, the field required some minor repairs to get it back in shape. We did this after the field was moved back to the nursery site. We used cup cutters (tools used to make putting green holes) to replace the spots that were damaged by the shot-put, javelin and hammer-throw. We also had to use a number of cultural practices to get the field back into tip-top shape for the Olympics. We sliced the turf to disrupt the thatch layer and improve drainage, and topdressed and rolled it to smooth the playing surface. We also regularly fertilize, irrigate and mow the turf to keep the grass looking good.
-- Alec Kowalewski
Seeding the field
Putting down the Kentucky bluegrass seed on the portable turf for the summer Olympics in Beijing
MSU Gurus of Grass
Alec Kowalewski, a PhD student, and professor John "Trey" Rogers will chronicle the adventures of growing Olympic grass