Grass at Parkview Field getting replaced at the start of Oct.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - New grass will be laid out at Parkview Field next month.  According to the field's head groundskeeper, Keith Winter, the process of laying down new sod will begin on October 1.

The grass at the downtown ball field is the original grass that was laid down in the fall of 2008.  When it was installed, a weed, called poa annua was in it.  The weed gives the grass a yellowish or light green color.

In the past four years, the weed has spread over the outfield.  Winter said Saturday the infestation now covers more than 50 percent of the field.

"The sod came from Michigan," Winter said.  "It was supposed to be poa-free."

Winter and his crew has tried to slow down the spread of the weed, and the Fort Wayne TinCaps have considered replacing the grass after previous seasons, most recently after the 2011 season.

"Since it was installed, we knew that at some point, it was going to need to be replaced," Michael Limmer, the team's vice president of marketing and promotions, said.

The new grass is expected to be rolled out and in place by mid-October.

The company providing the sod is based on Colorado.  According to Winter, the company has provided sod to major stadiums, such as Target Field, in Minneapolis, and the University of Notre Dame's football stadium.

Winter said the fall is the best time to lay down sod because it gives the roots the most time to get deeper into the ground.  He added Fort Wayne would have to see an extremely harsh winter for the grass to not be ready in time for the start of the TinCaps 2013 season.

The team will begin its next season in April.

Since the grass is being replaced, the Fort Wayne Tin Caps staff invited WANE-TV employees and their families to play a softball game on the field. For photos from the game, click here .