The past year and a half has been tough on everyone. Kids included—an unprecedented time for all, especially our school systems. Teachers and administrators in Michigan, Indiana, and all across the nation were in disarray. But hope is on the horizon, and the fall will begin a new path. Soon our teachers and kids will be back in school, ready to learn, play sports and participate in extracurricular activities. So while you probably haven’t given much thought to your school’s athletic field or landscape these last few months, now is the time to start preparing for next year.
Your school grounds are the first thing parents and kids see when they walk into your school. They and the community begin judging how efficient your educational system is when they step foot on your grounds. If this alone doesn’t prove the importance of hiring a professional company to maintain your school’s landscape, there are plenty of other reasons why you should. Today, we’re going to discuss a few of those.
Reasons Your School System Needs Landscape and Athletic Field Maintenance
Strong Appearance and Reputation
As we already mentioned, keeping your school grounds well-maintained and manicured will go a long way toward representing the superior education you provide. The same goes for your athletic fields and any grounds the students utilize for activities. Beautiful school grounds will contribute to school pride. Lush, green football, soccer, and baseball fields with natural turf will be more aesthetically appealing, safer, and contribute to your school pride. At RZ Sports Turf, we specialize in healthy playing fields, including and, if needed, renovation and repair.
Energy Savings with Natural Shade
When the weather is still warm here in Michigan and Indiana, like most of us, kids want to be outside. Providing them with adequate green fields to play upon during recess and breaks helps increase their physical activity and burn energy. Investing in a few trees outside your structures is a simple, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective way to provide shade. The temperature of your school will also decrease, saving on cooling and energy costs. In fact, the shade under a tree can be up to 25 degrees cooler than any man-made built material. Trees can provide shade for your students during recess and breaks and increase the appeal of your landscape.
Healthy Grass Means Less Disease and Pest Invasions
Hiring a professional campus lawn maintenance company takes the guesswork out of the equation. Fertilization treatments will help improve the roots of your campus’s lawn and ensure it thrives all season. The stronger your campus’s lawn, the more it will stand up to pest invaders and lawn disease. And your lawn will remain lush and beautiful all season long.
Safety of your Students and Teachers
When it comes time for your students to begin practicing or playing sports again, it’s important that you maintain safe athletic fields. Injuries often occur when athletic fields are not properly cared for or properly drained. Impact injuries and sprained ankles are common occurrences when a field is oversaturated. Because most fields were never designed with drainage systems capable of handling excess water, most end up suffering water damage. Common problems that can occur with an overly saturated field include:
- Uneven surface
- Low stability
Standing Water
- Standing water
Uneven or unstable surfaces can cause worn areas and bare soil, creating unsafe traction for players and coaches. In addition, having standing water on the field can develop a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects. The grass is also unable to grow where there is standing water.
Weed Eradication
The South Bend, Indiana, and Kalamazoo, Michigan areas are very similar in climate. When it warms up, out come the weeds. We have various weeds that can create landscaping sores and barriers when they grow in playing fields. No one wants to be playing soccer out on a field to stumble over uncontrollable growth or weeds. They look sloppy, are unsafe, and often induce annoying allergy symptoms for many.
Improve the Outer Appearance of Your School and Athletic Fields With RZ Sports Turf
At RZ Sports Turf, we provide many services to help our school district focus on what’s most important, education. We can improve the existing condition of your athletic fields and help maintain your landscapes with fertilization and weed control. We have over 30 years of experience installing, growing, and managing turfgrass, baseball infield skins, and conducting lawn renovations. We specialize in the following services:
- Lawn Installations
- Sports Turf Renovation and Repairs
- Complete Fertilization Program
- Weed Control Treatments
- Grub Control Treatments
- All Skinned Baseball Fields
- Laser Grading Technology
- Sub-surface Drainage System
- Proper Water Management Services
- Aeration and Overseeding
- Irrigation Installation
If you are a school administrator, athletic director, coach, or teacher looking to enhance the landscape of your school’s campus or interested in learning more about our services focused on sports playing fields, visit our website, give us a call at 574-674-5296, or contact us here.