At Kubota, we don’t just build equipment. We build the right equipment to provide our customers with the solutions they need to keep their businesses running, their properties looking good and the pride in their work stronger than ever. We recently sat down with John Torres, director of grounds at WSFS Bank Sportsplex and Subaru Park (home to the Philadelphia Union Professional Soccer Club), to talk about those equipment solutions in action and learn what it takes to thrive in sports turf management.
Whether you’re a professional looking for some refreshers, or a homeowner wanting to incorporate professional-grade landscaping practices into your own lawn, we’ve summarized key insights from John and his experience, below.
You can also watch the full conversation on Kubota’s YouTube channel.
Equipment Mix & Maintenance
Anyone who works in landscaping or cares for their home lawn should understand the different terrains and grass types that they will be maintaining. This will affect your equipment mix and determine what Kubota equipment will help you achieve your turf goals. John and his team bring a mix of compact tractors and implements for heavy duty work on the grounds - like aerating the field - while a fleet of Kubota zero-turn and stand-on mowers keep the Sportsplex manicured to perfection.
Just as important as the equipment mix is machine maintenance. To help get started, the operator’s manual for your Kubota equipment is a helpful resource, but there are also visual guides – like this one - on YouTube. Staying on top of a maintenance routine will help ensure your equipment is running in tip-top shape. Advice from pros like John? Create a spreadsheet that you can access, and log the tasks performed to better track routine maintenance and stay on schedule. Or use the maintenance tracking tool available in the myKubota app.
Pre-season Prep & Soil Testing
For the professional: Soil testing is a critical step in prepping for the busy AND slower seasons. The data revealed from a test informs the entire care approach, especially in choosing the right nutrients and how much to apply. To that end, a soil test helps your bottom line by allowing you to more carefully understand the amount of nutrients to apply vs. wasting them. John and his team test a field at least once a quarter due to ever changing environmental conditions.
For the homeowner: Likewise, soil testing can be greatly beneficial to the homeowner, giving a more accurate picture of how to care for your lawn. For homeowners, once or twice a year is sufficient. Consider testing about four plugs of soil from your front and back yard. Your local extension service is a great resource for conducting the actual soil analysis and helping you understand the results.
Nutrients and Applications
For the professional: Much like Subaru Park, a large property will require a diverse blend of nutrients, advised by results of the soil test. It’s very important to understand your soil pH level and how you should apply other micro and macro nutrients.
For the homeowner: Begin with the end in mind. If you plan to overseed some areas of the property, for example, know that you should not use a pre-emergent, as the two practices contradict each other. If you do overseed, you will need to spot treat areas with herbicide when you notice unwanted weeds.
Aeration
John and his Subaru Park team works with a field that sees a lot of foot traffic and abuse over the playing season, thus, aerating on a bi-weekly basis is necessary. Consider this approach and frequency depending on how easily your job’s ground compacts. Selecting the type of aeration you use (e.g., solid tine, core or slicing) will depend on the amount of recovery time the ground needs and if you have that time available. John’s team uses the slicing method, as it is the quickest and easiest solution for their needs, and they deploy the right implement to their Kubota tractor to complete the job.
Mowing
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a home lawn care enthusiast consider these three essential mowing tips to maintain a healthy, lush lawn:
Vary the mowing direction each time you mow to prevent soil compaction and encourage even growth – especially if you mow often, like at Subaru Park.
Abide by the 1/3 rule. Avoid cutting more than one-third of the grass height at a time to mitigate stress on the grass and promote deeper roots.
Keep your mowing blades sharp to ensure a clean and efficient cut; this helps maintain the lawn’s appearance and condition, alike. For more tips on keeping your blades sharp, check out our Machine and Blade Maintenance Guide.
For more guidance on the best equipment solutions to bring your landscaping goals to life, contact your local Kubota dealer.