► The 7 Steps After Rain

The process for getting a field back open is fairly routine in most cases. These are the 7 steps to take for getting back on your field quickly and effectively.

1. DO NOT place equipment — or people — back onto the infield until it has firmed up. Make sure it is firm enough that you will not leave depressions on the skin. This can negatively affect ball bounce and surface drainage. Quality-balanced infield soils, such as the engineered infield soils produced by DuraEdge, will ensure that you can get back onto the infield skin depression-free immediately after the rain!


 

2. Remove any standing water on the skin. Do this using puddle pumps and/or puddle sponges. NEVER — EVER — sweep or squeegee the water off the infield, as you will move infield soil and topdressing material off with it, creating deeper low spots and bigger lips at the edge of the grass.
3. If your infield has a topdressing, back-rake the infield using a field rake or better yet, a lute rake. The process involves walking the infield while pushing the rake, which should only fluff the topdressing to help it dry quicker. This can be also tried on non-topdressed infields. Results will be mixed. Some fields will successfully fluff, but others with high silt, fine sand and/or clay will not and will have to wait much longer to dry enough to work.
4. Now you can add drying agent to any areas that seem to need additional help drying out and mix into the surface using a rake. However, use drying agent sparingly — too much of a good thing is ultimately not good for the infield. Open the mound and plate tarps to see if rain got underneath either of these; those areas may need to be addressed with drying agent.
5. IMPORTANT: DO NOT come out with a groomer and heavily nail-drag. You just want to scarify the top 1/4″ or so while keeping the rest of the infield beneath it firm. This prevents the infield from getting any worse, should it begin to rain again.
6. Continue to work the surface back-raking and eventually shifting to a steel drag mat with a leveling bar to ensure an even thickness of loose material on the surface.
7. The field is ready for play again, once lateral stability has returned to all portions of the infield. This typically happens away from bases and players’ positions first, with those wear areas firming up last. When you plant your foot and push off or pivot, you should not slip.

This process can only be pushed along so fast. Mother Nature is really in control. The foolish will try to push this process too quickly, spend a lot of money on drying agents, and likely do more harm to their infield skin than good.

Having a quality engineered soil on your infield will make all of this incredibly easier compared with most any other infield soil. Engineered soil or not, make sure you have the proper tools, drying agent, and know-how to keep you ready for these inevitable occasions that will keep you are prepared for Mother Nature’s intrusions. It’s the old “if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.” Learn more at Groundskeeper U: Module 108 Rainfall Rescues.