A time to sow in Wilder Bowl

Lawn is now being reseeded

The grassy area situated southeast of Wilder Hall has been damaged from use, creating the need for the lawn to be re-seeded.

Wilder Bowl has had continuous grounds problems in recent years.

The uneven lawn caused water to run into the tents set up during last Commencement Week. Though drains were incorporated to prevent the problem from recurring, workers recognized that the lawn would eventually have to be evened out.

"The area was low and it needed to be raised in time for Commencement," one landscaper said.

The recent Orientation events, many of which led to large numbers of people congregating on Wilder Bowl, did not improve the situation.

"We found that the grass was dead after Orientation," the landscaper said. Now the workers have only a short window of time in which to plant the seeds for new grass.

According to the landscaper August would have been the ideal time to begin re-seeding, but the College made the decision to delay the process until after the Orientation picnics had ended.

Now workers must hurry to beat the cold that will set in soon and endanger the growth of the grass.

In a week to 10 days, new grass will probably be visible through the straw that has been placed on it to keep the ground moist. However, it is still uncertain whether the grass can grow in the six weeks or so before the weather turns colder and frost sets in.

According to the landscaper, if Mother Nature does not come through with the rain, then sprinklers and hoses will be set to get the germination process underway.

News editor Abby Person contributed to this story.

The green grass will grow all around: Groundsworkers lay straw to ensure the best possible grass growth before the arrival of winter. (photo by Mike Oleson)