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General Maintenance Tasks for Turf Adjacent to Trails <br /> <br />There are general tasks that relate to turf management along trails, but what do the tasks involve? The <br />following are tasks that are associated with turf maintenance. These tasks will be performed to varying <br />degrees depending on the level of maintenance required or assigned to the given trail. Section D describes <br />the "Maintenance Variable" and how that affects O& M. .' <br /> <br />Task <br /> <br />Soil Testing <br /> <br />Fertility <br /> <br />Aeradon <br /> <br />General Description <br /> <br />Rdates to doing a complete soil analysis on individual sites to determine <br />the soil structure md fertility. Both major and minor elements sho41d-be <br />reviewed during the analysis. Ideally, 15 to 20 cores should be tested'per <br />mile of turf adjacent to trails for high use areas. Where dine and budget <br />are limited, 10 or so soil samples per mile of turf adjacent to trails can be <br />combined together to ~ve an average soil analysis reading for the length <br />of traJ_t. In either case, the samples ~hould be random to ensure an <br />accurate soil analysis. The results of the soil test serve as the baseline for <br />determining fertility needs. Soil testing on a routine basis allows for <br />prescriptive maintenance to take place on a trail by trail basis. <br /> <br />Rdates to the levd of essential compounds and nutrients within the soil <br />structure that foster groxvth and increase durability, of turf grasses. The <br />primat3, components in fertilizer indude: <br />· Nitrogen (N) - is the kc3, element in the production of turf ~ass. It <br /> affects turf~eenness, abilSty to recover fi:om damage, root and shoot <br /> ~owth and density, resistance to disease, md &ought tolerance. <br />· Phosphate (P) - is the workhorse of the nutrition team and fosters <br /> ener~, transformation. It is extremely important in new seedling <br /> development. Since it is cold sensitive, the most severe defidency of <br /> phosphate usually occurs in the spring and fall. <br /> <br />Aeradon fragments or loosens compacted soils to alloxv for the free flow <br />of ,air, water, and soil nutrients within the soil structure. It is an <br />extremdy important maintenance function that cannot be overlooked if <br />qualit7 turf adjacent to the trail is to be achieved. <br /> <br />36 <br /> <br /> <br />