The Käpylä sports park in Helsinki will be completed in July with Finland’s first and, as far as we know, the world’s northernmost hybrid grass, which is a mixture of natural grass and artificial grass.
Sun jogging in the Käpylä sports park and a rainbow appears in the sprinkler’s water jet.
Sadetin waters Finland’s first hybrid grass, i.e. the soccer field, which is a mixture of natural grass and artificial grass.
The stadiums of Europe’s top clubs have been playing on similar platforms for years. For example, FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou, FC Internazionale’s and AC Milan’s San Siro and London’s legendary Wembley play on hybrid grass. The stadiums of Manchester City, Real Madrid and PSG, among others, also have a similar game platform.
The field being completed in Käpylä is probably the northernmost hybrid grass in the world. There are several similar fields in Sweden, but they are located in the southern parts of our western neighbor.
Due to the weather conditions in Finland, the composition of Käpylä’s hybrid grass is different from that of Europe’s top stadiums.
Käpylä’s field has roughly the same amount of natural grass and artificial grass, while Europe’s top clubs play on fields where the proportion of artificial grass is only a few percent.
I’m visiting hybrid grass consists of an artificial grass mat, through which the natural grass grows through the mesh at the bottom. The natural grass was sown on the Käpylä field at the beginning of June, and the field will be ready for use at the end of July.
First, the natural grass must take root and become stronger. During the first weeks, it has grown well, and if you look further, you won’t notice that the field is not yet ready for use.
“These days, the lawn is watered three times a day. The conditions are a bit harsh for the growth of grass when it’s too warm and too much sun”, the head of Helsinki’s sports services Teijo Korva tells.
The base of the hybrid grass is an artificial grass mat, through which the natural grass grows. Teijo Korva, head of Helsinki’s sports services, is holding the artificial grass mat.
In the future, the humidity of the field will be measured and it will be watered as needed. The lawn is cut approximately every other day, sometimes even daily.
The treatment procedures are therefore mostly very similar to those on a natural grass field. However, there is one difference.
“Cleaning the field is really important, because it cannot handle clippings. Otherwise, we have pretty much the same lawn care equipment as on normal natural grass, but here the clippings are collected more precisely,” says Korva.
Hybrid grass is a more sustainable alternative to natural grass for a football field. The season of use of natural grass in Helsinki lasts about 18 weeks, i.e. four months, and the field can be used 20–25 hours a week.
With hybrid grass, the number of hours of use doubles, i.e. it is about 40–50 hours a week.
Also, the usage period is longer compared to natural grass by an estimated month, both at the beginning and end of the season. Korva estimates that the hybrid grass can be used annually for about half a year.
“Maybe from May to the beginning of November. However, there was still snow on the field in April, but it depends on the year.”
The hybrid grass at the Käpylä sports park is currently watered three times a day.
Hybrid grass offers very similar playing conditions to natural grass. It can even be a safer surface than natural grass, as it is smoother and does not react as sensitively to, for example, rain or heat.
“Hybrid grass passes water better and stays green,” says Korva.
Compared to artificial grass, the advantage is environmental friendliness. The rubber crumb used on artificial grass is transported from the fields into nature, and the substance classified as microplastic does not break down.
“The field is also more user-friendly. It is perhaps a rockier surface to play on than artificial grass.”
#Football #football #field #similar #Wembley #Camp #Nou #completed #Helsinki
