From summer camps to school departments we work on all types of natural turf. Our professional staff, including several Maine State licensed pesticide applicators, are capable of fixing your turf problems.

We offer a variety of aeration services:

  • Core Tine Aeration: hollow tines remove plugs of turf.
  • Spiking: Solid tines used to punch holes in the turf.
  • Shatter Tine: A twisted, slicing tine that penetrates and shatters the soil.
  • Slicing: Slicing blades open slits in the turf, done in conjunction with overseeding.
  • Verti Drain Aeration: A deeper combination of slicing and shattering.

Aeration helps:

  • Create denser turf growth,
  • Create denser root growth and deeper root depth,
  • Promote the decomposition of the thatch layer,
  • Reduce the likelihood of damage from pests,
  • Create a safer playing surface.

Fertilizer applications supply the turf with nutrients needed to maintain healthy, dense turf stands that better support heavy use, and maintain a desirable deep color. We can apply liquid or granular fertilizer products to any fine turf area.

  • Clean up/Preparation: infield clean up and preparation work is usually done in the fall or spring. What’s Involved?
    • removing unwanted weed growth and turf encroachment from the infield,
    • measuring, marking and cutting back edges and base paths to keep the lines of the field true and to help remove lips,
    • installation of infield mix as needed to level the skinned portion of the infield and fill holes,
    • leveling of the playing surface with a York rake and hand raking, to create a smooth playable surface,
    • installation of Turface, or other infield conditioners to improve the material’s moisture control, texture and/or color.
  • Infield Conditioner Application: infield conditioners, such as Turface MVP or Pro’s Choice Select are pelletized clay products that help with moisture control, rapidly absorbing moisture after rain and slowly releasing it back. They help maintain the playability of fields and also add nice color. We can apply conditioners to the top of the infield or integrate it into the infield material.
  • Base, Plate and Rubber Installation: we install, home plates, pitching rubbers and bases including anchor systems. As part of a standard infield cleanup we check measurements and move existing bases, anchors and pitching rubbers to true the field’s dimensions.
  • Mound Cleanup or Renovation:
    • mound cleanup involves removing unwanted growth, adding clay as needed to fill holes directly in front of the rubber, and in the landing area as well as a reshaping of the mound plateau and trimming back the edge to keep the mound area circular. We do this as an included service with our infield cleanup/preparation service.
    • mound renovation involves removing the old mound, installing and shaping new native clay, setting the rubber at the proper height and distance from the plate, and applying a layer of infield material to create a completely new mound.
  • Brick Work & Installation: unbaked clay bricks provide a firmer sub surface in high use areas. Most commonly they are installed in pitching mounds and batter’s boxes to help prevent holes from forming where players tend to dig with their feet.
  • Renovation: infield renovations involve removing existing turf, mound, bases, plate and infield material. The stripped surface is then power raked to level the surface. Once the field is leveled the surface is marked out with the proper infield dimensions. Infield material is added as needed, a new mound is installed, bases and anchors are reinstalled. Finally, the turf areas will be reseeded or sodded. The final product is an aesthetically pleasing, smooth and dimensionally correct infield.

We offer a variety of control solutions for turf grass pests, including:

  • Broad Leaf Weed Control in liquid, granular and “Fert Plus”
  • Grassy Weed Control, in liquid, granular and “Fert Plus”
  • Grub Control, in liquid, granular and “Fert Plus”
  • Infield Weed Control in liquid
  • Fungus Control in liquid and granular
  • Tick Control in liquid
    Liquid pesticides offer a more rapid and thorough control than other methods.
    Granular pesticides offer easier applications and access to hard to reach areas.
    “Fert Plus” solutions include a granular pesticide blended with fertilizer, accomplishing control, and helping any damaged turf recover.

Our operators and master applicators are Maine State Board of Pesticide Control certified in 3B: Turf, 6B: General Vegetation Management and 7E: Biting Fly and Tick, allowing us to safely, legally and professionally assess your turf pest problems. We can help you develop an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan and can apply pesticides as needed.

A power box rake is used to prepare seedbeds for planting. The rake has the ability to break up hard soils, and help settle loose soil, while removing rocks and debris from the soil. It leaves behind a smooth plantable surface, ready for seeding.

Seeding of new or renovated fields of turf can be done in 3 ways, broadcast, mechanical or hydro.

  • Broadcast seeding is used to supplement mechanical or hydro seeding on larger areas, or to cover small patches of damage, such as holes in goal areas, done by hand or over large areas with a rotary spreader.
  • Mechanical seeding, done with a Brillion Turfmaker, covers large areas of prepared seedbed quickly and evenly. All in one motion, it applies seed and rolls the surface to create better seed-soil contact.
  • Hydroseed is applied in a slurry form, with water, seed, mulch, tacking agent, and fertilizer components. The mulch helps with moisture control and the tackifier helps with erosion control while the seed germinates and the root layer develops.
  • Hydromulch is slurry of water, tackifier and mulch. Applied to areas that have been seeded with either broadcast or mechanical seeders, hydromulch helps control soil erosion and moisture levels to help the applied seed germinate and develop.
  • Overseeding is the process of supplementing existing turf with additional seed. Overseeding helps create denser, healthier turf. Overseeding with a slicer/seeder also helps break up the thatch layer and aerate the top layer of soil.

While we offer a variety of services that blend seed application methods, we recommend that mechanical and broadcast seeding of new turf stands be blended with either hydroseed or hydromulch.

Working with Maine Turf Company, we offer sod installation service with either Kentucky Bluegrass sod or Fescue Blend sod.

Sod leaves a finished appearance when installed, providing an established turf layer and 1 inch of top soil/root zone. While it looks done, sod requires heavy watering for 7 days, then regular watering through its establishment period. A starter fertilizer and a soft layer of soil under the sod will encourage root growth down, and help the sod establish itself.

Soil acidity or alkalinity can negatively effect plant growth. The ideal range of soil pH is 6.0-6.5.

For acidic soils with a low pH we offer applications of Calcitic and Dolometic Lime applications to raise pH levels.

Topdressing involves application a layer of new topsoil is applied over existing turf. The depth of the application layer can be adjusted up to help fill holes or down to lightly skim a new layer of topsoil across an entire field. Top dressing is most effective if it follows aeration, usually core tine, and is followed by dragging. If the field is going to be fertilized, or overseeded that work should also be done after the topdressing has been applied.
Topdressing helps in:

  • Controlling the thatch layer,
  • Promoting recovery of turf from injury or disease,
  • Changing the physical characteristics of the root zone soil mix, if done as part of a longer term program.