Many high performance putting greens and athletic fields are designed and built based on the USGA recommendations which call for placement of a 12 inch deep uniform root zone mixture over a gravel drainage blanket. The root zone mixtures are carefully chosen mixtures of sand and organic amendment designed to have a specific particle size distribution, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and pore space distribution. These properties are chosen to provide resistance to compaction plus excellent drainage and aeration to promote optimal turf growth. For these systems to perform correctly, it is important that the root zone mixture be as uniform as possible from top to bottom since the presence of layers of differing materials will interfere with the desired water and air movement through the root zone.

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