Helping Small Town Football
The high school football field in Joaquin Texas is their Holy Grail of turfgrass. A small rural town in East Texas with a population of 824 and only 240 students enrolled; however, the field has serious turfgrass problems caused poor well water quality.
Joaquin High School has a great stadium and has had the field totally rebuilt, but they have not been successful at growing grass on the field. The well water used for irrigation has high sodium and bicarbonates, and the poor water quality builds in the soil to a toxiclevel each year. The turfgrass is stressed and bare by football season, and the more they fertilize and irrigate, the worse the field looks.
Sodium is an invisible poison in many water wells in western states. Even low levels – 300 ppm to 500ppm can build up in the soil to toxic levels by irrigation. Sodium is locked into the soil by cation linkage and builds up month after month by irrigation use. Even seasonal rain will not flush the sodium from the soil.
We are now focused on a special project with Joaquin High School to treat the sodium and bicarbonate that has built up on the soil.
We installed a L500C fertigation system on their football field irrigation system for Mark Bonner, the field manager. Mark also started applying a special blend of plant and soil nutrients as well as our Sodium Blocker. Our nutrient program will release the sodium as well as start rebuilding the soil by building the soil health. This will build the soil engine to open the soil, start decomposition of organics in the soil to increase root growth and plant health.
Additionally, we are including special Growth Products, low salt fertilizer with sulfur to work on the bicarbonates.
The field has recovered and the quality is at the top of the game, and all the players and fans love the field and the team.
Soil health is the secret and once the soil engine is working properly, sodium and bicarbonates will become manageable and not issues.
We are dedicated to Mark Bonner at Joaquin High School because he is at the heart of rural America and their football field is the most important turfgrass in the community. I told Mark,” I will help you grow the thickest, dense green grass for your football players to safely play on, and I guarantee it”.
I really enjoy working with schools like Joaquin HS and people like Mark Bonner. I will help Mark create one of the best high school football fields in Texas.
Now, to any of my distributors reading this story, there are hundreds of high school sports fields across rural America that need help. So don’t be order takers waiting for them to call you for help, become proactive offering assistance to the many needing help.
