HomeMy WebLinkAboutGrassPave2MaintenanceGuide_03-04-21GrassGrasspave2
Maintenance Guide
for
Owners and Maintenance Staff
Invisible Structures, Inc.
Ph: 303-233-8383
www.invisiblestructures.com
Regular maintenance is required to maximize
traffic on grass paved areas with minimum
wear and tear problems. The following
maintenance and repair information,
compiled from more than a decade of client
experience with Grassrings and Grasspave2,
will enable staff to keep your grass paved
areas healthy and beautiful all year long.
For more information about basic maintenance, or for
answers to questions about a unique site, call
Invisible Structures, Inc., toll free, at 1-800-233-
1510.
Normal Maintenance
Grasspave2 paved areas require basically the
same care as other turf areas. Mow, irrigate,
and fertilize as necessary for selected grass
species for a healthy turf As levels and
frequency of traffic increase, greater stress is
placed on the turf, which requires careful
observation and response by maintenance
staff. Recommended fertilizers and
micronutrients:
•N,P,K Fertilizers - for other fertilizer
applications, use fertilizers best for grass
species used. As traffic frequency increases,
the need for additional nitrogen increase in
order to make the grass GROW faster and
replace damaged blades quickly. Take care to
use fertilizers that do not have poor materials
such as clay as "fillers." The best fertilizers
are:
-slow release (temperature activated)
-liquid concentrates (through irrigation
system)
• Micronutrients - apply fertilizer supplemented
with micronutrients, such as Humate, once a
year. Or, apply the micronutrient in a
seperate application.
•Other Chemicals - apply water, herbicide,
and insecticides as needed in response to site
specific needs/problems.
Aeration
IMPORTANT!! DO NOT AERATE
GRASSPAVE2 INSTALLATIONS!
Aeration is a treatment for compaction problems,
associated with poor percolation.
Grasspave2 paved areas do not need aeration
because, if properly installed, compaction will
not occur. Aeration equipment will damage
the Grasspave2 structure and could prevent
its long term function.
If compaction and poor water penetration
problems arise, they can be due to filling
rings with organic soils. (Many sod farms
grow sod in high organic soils, such as peat.)
When these soils dry out, there can be severe
shrinking. The use of dry fertilizers with clay
as a "filler" material (sometimes as much as
70% of the bag contents) can also contribute
to compaction and poor water penetration.
Organics (silt, clay, peat) can effectively seal
off the surface of the grass paved areas,
preventing entry of air and water to the roots.
Poor percolation can also be a result of chemical
change to soils of ionic charges that might
increase water repellency of soils. Solutions
include treatment with products or chemicals
such as wetting agents (diluted detergents),
gypsum, etc. Your local County Extension
agent can be an excellent source for advice on
local conditions.
Antifreeze Spills - See Oil/Antifreeze Spills
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Bare Spots - Causes and Solutions
It is important to determine the cause of bare
spots in order to select the most appropriate
solution. Some possible causes and solutions:
(Cause /Solution)
• Incorrect sod (sod grown in peat, silt, or clay)
for high traffic areas
Totally replace with sand grown sod and
rings, for low traffic areas; amend soil with
chemicals such as detergents and gypsum
and add sand to cracks for low traffic areas,
and reseed as needed.
• Poor quality seed
Reseed with fresh source.
• Erosion
Intercept source of water and redirect to
reduce impact.
• Lack of nutrient
Increase water and fertilizer.
• Shade
Reduce shade cover or change grass to more
shade tolerant species.
• High traffic
Increase fertilization and water, and/or
reduce traffic frequency by limiting or
alternating zones of access.
Bare Spots--Repair
1.Fill rings uniformly with clean sand
(concrete sand is preferable) to the top of all
rings. When seeding, lightly rake to disturb
and loosen surface.
2.Moisten area with a diluted detergent
solution to break the soil's surface tension.
3.Topdress small bare areas with a mixture
of sand and grass seed that either matches the
installed grass species or changes the species
for an environmental response (such as a
shade mix).
4.Mulch with a layer of cellulose (paper)
placed over the topdressing mix to speed
germination and prevent surface erosion by
irrigation or rainfall. Commercial mulch
materials should have a fine texture, such as
those used for hydromulching. If visually
acceptable, thin strips of newspaper (per
office shredders) can be used very effectively
as mulch.
5.Inject Hydrogrow. Hydrogrow's
advantage is that it is able to store moisture
and dissolved nutrients within the root zone,
making them directly available to plant roots.
Check local dealers or equipment rental
sources for machines (such as Olathe) to inject
dry polymers by compressed air into existing
installations.
Irrigation
Regular irrigation is necessary for grass subjected
to the stress of daily traffic, even in areas with
"historically high average rainfall." The
combination of daily traffic and even a week
of without rainfall can quickly destroy a
quality grass paved area. Repaired areas also
usually require supplemental water to
establish grass.
The irrigation system can be a hose and sprinkler,
a simple manual valve system, or an
automatic pop-up system as appropriate for
the owner's maintenance program and
budget. Automatic irrigation systems are low
in labor costs, provide quick response to
usage, conserve water, and allow for easy and
rapid fertilizer applications. Standard large
diameter spray heads will keep the irrigation
cost per square foot to a minimum. Manual
systems have higher labor and water costs,
and variable response to water needs.
Buried low-pressure porous pipe irrigation
systems have also been used with success.
This type of irrigation can work during
daylight hours without wasteful spray
damaging people or objects above the
ground. However, grass leaves do not
receive cleansing from water falling from
above.
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Oil/Antifreeze Spills
Small Spills - Naturally occuring micro-
organisms in turf can break down oil and
"clean" spills prior to their reaching the water
table below. Thus, turf is capable of accepting
oil drippings without harm to grass plants.
Small amounts of diluted detergent
(dishwashing concentrates) applied to minor
spills will also help to reduce oil particles to
manageable size and speed recovery.
Large Spills - Large oil or antifreeze spills will
effectively sterilize affected soils for years and
prevent growth of most vegetation. Thus,
affected soil, base course, rings, and grass
should be replaced and soil disposed of
according to local codes relating to hazardous
materials.
To create a uniform edge for repair, use a sod
cutter or circular saw with masonry blade to
cut the upper 2" of soil and Grasspave2
structure. Be sure to wear appropriate eye
and body protection when cutting into rings,
soil, and gravel. The disturbed base can be
dug by shovel or backhoe depending on the
size of the area. Replace materials per
Grasspave2 Installation Guide .
Rings--Repair When Exposed
When properly installed, Grasspave2 units are
protected from damaging ultraviolet (UV)
rays, which make plastics brittle, because they
lie just below the soil surface. When
impressions of the rings are visible as creases
in grass blades (during the growing season),
or when actual rings are visible to the eye,
immediately cover the exposed rings with
sand topdressing to a depth of between 1/8"
to 1/4" above the top of the rings. This is
easily done by spreader equipment or with a
shovel and rake.
Ruts
The appearance of ruts in grass paving is a sign
of improper installation. Possible errors
include:
1.Improper depth of base, or inadequate
compaction
2."Topsoil" placed between base and
Grasspave2
3.More than 1/2" of soil above top of rings
Contact the original contractor to repair and re-
install to specifications.
Shade
As trees mature in the landscape, grass paved
areas (especially those carrying daily traffic)
can experience a loss of grass vigor due to
increased levels of shade. Some grasses are
more tolerant of shade than others and may
have to be seeded into the affected area.
This can be done without removing the existing
grass because a shade tolerant mix will
overcome a weaker grass. For a more rapid
and complete conversion, however, an
application of a short-term herbicide such as
Roundup can be applied according to
manufacturer's recommendations in
preparation for reseeding. Use reseeding
steps in "Bare Spots--Repair" described on
Page 3.
Grass paved areas not subject to daily traffic
(such as firelanes) will probably not show any
stress from shading.
Snow Removal
Grasspave2 paved areas can be easily plowed of
snow using standard truck-mounted snow
plow blades with small skids on the corners
to keep the bottom of the blade off grass
surface by approximately 1". This minimizes
surface skinning. This apparatus should be
used regardless of the pavement surface type.
The Grasspave2 paved area surface should be at,
or slightly below, that of adjacent hard
surfaces to avoid gouging. Grass plants are
dormant in the winter and damage to grass
blades will be replaced with new growth in
the spring. Damage to grass crowns can be
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repaired by topdressing as described in "Bare
Spot--Repair" on Page 3.
Avoid long-term pileup of snow on grass paved
surfaces to minimize possible damage from
snow mold and other related diseases. Snow
melts from grass areas at about the same rate
as that of asphalt.
Thatch Removal
Over time, most grass installations, including
Grasspave2 areas, will develop layers of
thatch--usually defined as old leafless stems
of grass, or layers of grass clipping in various
state of decomposition. Thatch is a problem
because it can prevent percolation and, if
allowed to build layers over 1/2" in depth
above rings, can allow compaction to take pla
above the Grasspave2 structure. This layer of
thatch must be removed for the long-term
health of turf.
Different grasses require different techniques for
thatch removal. The two most common
methods are:
•Use of spring tines on rotary mower
blades (best for buildup from clippings)
•Use of sod cutter, set to shallow depth to
skim tops of rings (best for air/waterborne
soil deposits over long term)
Depending on the depth of thatch removed and
the condition of grass crowns remaining, it
may be necessary to topdress and reseed. (See
"Bare Spots--Repair," page 3.)
Utilities--Subsurface Access
Subsurface utilities can be installed or repaired
by cutting the Grasspave2 structure and turf
with a sod cutter (set to depth below the
Grasspave2), pulling/rolling up the section,
and setting it aside. To reinstall Grasspave2,
rebuild the base as in a new installation (See
Grasspave2 Installation Guide) and replace
the Grasspave2 and turf. Be sure to compact
the base course material to 95% Proctor (3 to 4
passes with vibrating roller).
In the case of a broken water or gas line below
Grasspave2 paved areas, use a standard
backhoe for rapid and easy emergency access.
Reinstall following instructions for a new
installation. If necessary, new Grasspave2
units can be delivered by UPS Next Day
anywhere in the country. The finish grade of
base course (usually Finish Grade Less 1 Inch)
can be used for temporary access until
Grasspave2 and grass are ready to complete
the finish surface.
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Grasspave2
Normal Maintenance Checklist
Function Frequency
Aeration
NEVER AERATE GRASSPAVE2 PAVED
AREA
Fertilizing
As appropriate for selected grass species.
Herbicides/Insecticides
As needed, following manufacturer’s
instructions.
Irrigation
As appropriate for selected grass species and
rainfall amounts in area.
Micronutrients
Apply l time year (or every 6 month growing
season in warm climate areas).
Mowing
As appropriate for selected grass species.
Thatch Removal
Remove when reaches 1/2" in depth above
rings.
Grasspave2
Installation Procedure
1.Ensure that sandy gravel base is porous.
• Run hose on base to make sure water flows into
base.
• If area has a low spot which collects water,
provide subsurface drainage to remove excess
water.
2.Apply Hydrogrow Soil Polymer to base.
• Apply Hydrogrow Soil Polymer over the area by
hand, or small fertilizer spreader, at a rate of 10
lbs per 1000 sf for use with sod, or seeding.
Warning - do not place any form of topsoil between
sandy gravel base and Grasspave2 unit!
3.Place Grasspave2 units over base, use
posts and rings to interlock. Cut with
pruning shears or knife if needed.
• Place Grasspave2 units (with rings up) directly
over the sandy gravel base. Use the posts and
rings provided to connect the units.
• If required, use pruning shears or sharp knife to
cut web between rings to shape units. "U" shaped
pins are not required, but can be used to secure
unit to base if there is a slope or rapid speed and
stopping involved.
4.Fill Grasspave2 units with grass -
• If seeding - fill mat area with clean sharp sand
(washed concrete sand) to top of rings, broom to
barely expose top of ring. Do not use "topsoil" to
fill rings. Apply seed and mulch via hydroseeder,
or similar. Topdress with concrete sand to depth
of 1/4" thick max., 4 to 6 weeks after seeding, to
cover tops of rings.
• If sodding use thin (.5 inch, or 13 mm) sod - fill
mat area with clean sharp sand (washed concrete
sand) to top of rings (1 inch, or 25 mm), then
place thin sod over sand with tight joints per
normal installation. Do not use "topsoil" to fill
rings.
• If sodding with thin sod, fill rings with
sand to allow sod soil to cover top of rings by
0.25"-0.5" (6 - 13 mm).
5. Irrigate, fertilize and maintain turf per
normal lawn. Protect from traffic until turf
root system is well established.
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