Tiger Stadium playing surface

The turf is embarrassing. We either need an artificial surface or somebody needs to do a better job with the real grass.

 

As stated in the above article, they are experimenting with this new Mississippi Bermuda grass and trying to do it cost effectively. In other words, trying to go cheap by plugging and not sodding. They say it needs a full year to grow but won't rule out synthetic grass if they can't get real grass to grow well.

 

Here's a quick turf lesson for all of you interested. Sprigged grass takes a long time to fill in and root. Sprigs are just sliced runners of grass thrown on the ground and then slit in to provide soil to plant contact. The grass is extremely weak and this point and takes time to recover to begin to root. After rooting (about ten days) the grass will begin to fill in. Now every minute of sunlight is critical and if something is blocking the sunlight the process is slowed that much more. Sod is more expensive, but would have grown in much faster and there would have been no need to overseed with the ryegrass. So if you sprig to save money then have to waste money to overseed and then have no grass at the end of the season you just spent more money than the cost of the original sod because now (if your smart) you will resod to fill in the bare areas.
Now back to the overseeding process. Ryegrass grows well this time of the year because it is a cool season grass. The rygrass will outcompete the bermuda causing the bermuda to be that much weaker. The ryegrass looks awesome, but in not durable for the stresses of football. So you weaken the bermuda and rye, then the only way to recover for the next game is to throw down more rye seed further weaking the bermuda (downward spiral) . And for all of you not sleeping after reading this you can not seed a hybrid bermuda such as Mississippi choice. Now where is that job listing.

 

Absolutely not. Only natural grass in Tiger Stadium.

 

they should plant some of that stuff that spouted up in my yard after the flood.

yeah it looks like hell, and grows way too fast, but you can't kill the sh!t.
.

 

Met a guy yesterday who installs stadium fields nationally - based out of Raleigh, NC. Said he will be in Baton Rouge next week to give estimates on Tiger Stadium, and a soccer field, and one other field. Did not clarify whether he "installs" natural or synthetic, FWIW, but this sounds like a process that is still in the evaluation phase.

 

or cheaper tickets.:thumb:

 

I saw on espn this morning....UL Laf 86---Louisiana 75
not sure if that was the correct score and most cajun fans won't care about the score...but i bet they are FURIOUS :angryfire about not being the one called Louisiana!
haha,

 

I know we dig tradition, but turf is also safety-related and not just aesthetic.