Top Mistakes to Avoid When Caring for Your Infield

Are you tired of starting over with the maintenance of your infield when the baseball season comes around? Do you want to maintain your infield in good condition all year through?

Having to start from scratch when doing maintenance for your infield can be expensive and time consuming.

The following are the top mistakes that people often make when caring for their infields and how you can avoid them:

1. Folding infield tarps

Infield tarps are extremely useful when it comes to managing the skin moisture in the infield. They are designed to ensure that no soil moisture is lost and damage to the grass is avoided. They are therefore a common feature on baseball fields.

Tarps are made from strong but lightweight material. What many people don't know is that when you fold infield tarps, they form creases. These creases are points of weakening that will reduce the durability of the tarp.

For proper storage of the tarp, simply roll it up using a PVC pipe or tube and store it by hanging it away. This method of storage prevents the formation of creases.

2. Raking across the baseline

This method of maintenance results in pulling materials off the field and onto the baseline edges. This creates raised edges as well as gullies that run through the center of the field. These gullies will hold water in wet weather.

Instead of raking across the baseline, you should rake down the baseline. This will increase the surface area for drying and prevent lips.

3. Dragging incorrectly

There are two common mistakes made when it comes to dragging: 

Dragging in the 12" area of the turf:

This will result in the drag being swept onto the grass. Mix will be deposited on the turf as a result and build up over time to form a lip. You can avoid this by using a hand rake over the 12" strip closest to your infield grass. This should be done after dragging the rest of the field.

Stopping and starting in the same place every time you drag:

This results in an uneven field. The equipment used in dragging usually carries and moves the mix on the infield. This is quite heavy. You'll find that the 1st base will be a couple of inches below the other bases by the end of the season. You can avoid this by choosing different locations to begin and stop when dragging. You should also try changing your dragging pattern.

4. Using Sure Dry on wet fields as a drying agent

This is a common trick of the trade. It is often used to absorb excess moisture on baseball fields. This will improve the quality of your field.

You should also use soil conditioners. There are also specific drying agents available in the market that will work well for your field.