By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

It’s no secret that our playing fields are in high demand here in Somerville. In a recent Data Download column, I noted that while our Recreation Department permitted more than 9,000 hours of field use last year, there were still more than 3,000 hours of unmet demand. In an ideal world, we’d have at least several more fields. We’d be able to accommodate all requests for permits and still have field space for unpermitted, casual use and for our furry four-legged friends.

The reality, however, is that we live in a city of only 4.1 square miles – one of the most densely populated in New England – so we have unique challenges when it comes to fields and open space. For one, because of the intensive use our fields see, it’s imperative that we maintain them more aggressively than communities that see lighter use. Fortunately, we’ve introduced expanded strategies to do that.

In October 2016, the City began working with a consulting group to regularly test the health and condition of our field surfaces and soil. Initial results from 2016 indicated that one of the biggest challenges for our fields was that they were overly compacted and unable to fully absorb water and take in nutrients and oxygen. Not only does that weaken grass but low absorption means that even moderate weather events can leave standing water and puddling in our fields.

The overly compacted soil beneath our fields is a direct impact of the high usage levels. So we needed to get creative and look at what changes we could make to our maintenance practices to better care for our fields without limiting their use.

In May 2017, we began implementing an aggressive aeration program. During the growing season (typically April-May and October-November), a contractor visits our fields about once per month. To put it simply, they use a tractor to poke holes in the ground (aeration) and add top dressing sand to the soil to promote better drainage, which is intended to alleviate some of those standing water issues. For perspective, in the past, this process was typically done only once in the spring and once in the fall, which is the industry standard for most community fields. Last year, it was completed five times.

Rest assured that the more frequent aeration isn’t reducing available time on the fields. Our fields see their greatest use during after-school hours, so we start early with the maintenance and complete the 4- to 6-hour process during school hours. While the work is noticeable on the surface of the field, it’s safe to play on that same day. In fact, playing on the fields is actually helpful as it helps more quickly break down the cores that were removed when the holes were poked.

The good news is that we’re starting to see improvements in the infiltration rates as a direct result of the aggressive aeration work we’re doing: that means less puddling. Testing shows that all fields saw an increase in infiltration rates in 2017 compared to 2016. For example, in 2016 Trum Field posted a soil infiltration rate of 1.85 inches per hour. In 2017, that rate increased (by a whopping 178 percent) to 5.14 inches per hour. And then there’s Dilboy Auxiliary, which saw its infiltration rate climb from only 0.35 inches per hour in 2016 to 9.20 inches per hour in 2017, representing a 2,529 percent increase.

Improvements are great to see, but it doesn’t mean the work is over. We’ll continue with the aeration efforts this spring, but the 2016 study also indicated our field soil is deficient in micronutrients. To promote positive soil chemistry, the city now uses organic fertilizer in an effort to feed the soil first and provide a healthy growing medium for our turfgrass. We’re also aggressively over seeding when soil temperatures are most favorable. This means that we incorporate seed directly into the soil to create a larger “seed bank” for our soil reserves. Because we don’t use pesticides on our fields, this is an important step to give our turf the best chance to fill in bare spots/high wear areas and out-compete weeds.

Our community has placed a priority on ensuring residents of all ages have access to recreational opportunities and spaces – including fields. We are, of course, actively seeking opportunities to expand the number of fields in the City through projects such as the new field that will be built as part of the renovation of the high school. But as we work toward those longer-term goals, we must also use every best practice available to increase the longevity and safety of our existing fields.

Community feedback, ideas, and support helped get these efforts underway, and I look forward to working with and hearing from all our field users as we continue to tackle the next steps in striving for the quality playing fields our residents need and deserve.