Antwerp parks get a facelift every year

Maintenance of natural grass fields

Residents and tourists come here to relax, picnic, or sunbathe. Fairs, concerts, and events are organized here: city and municipal parks are used intensively from late spring to early fall. That is why the city of Antwerp signed a framework agreement with Krinkels. Every year, the landscaping contractor brings their parks back into top condition.

Visitors ask for and receive quality

Tobias Malfroy, regional manager at Krinkels: “Every year, more and more people are finding their way to parks, sunbathing areas, and recreational areas. This is not surprising, because what could be more enjoyable than relaxing in the countryside and having a picnic with the family? Or letting your children play on one of the playgrounds or soccer fields? And, of course, people want to do this in the best possible conditions: on a beautiful, soft, green lawn.”

Two maintenance periods per year

“In Antwerp, we give every park a makeover every year. The parks where no events take place are prepared for the high season in March and April. The parks where events do take place are maintained in September and October. The lawns are used much less intensively during those two periods. Together with the people from the parks department, we first inspect each site and map out the work that needs to be done. Based on our advice and expertise, we then draw up a proposal.”

Division into zones

“The damage to the grass in a park depends on how it is used and the weather conditions. The difference between location A and location B can be quite significant. That is why we divide each area into zones. To give an example: in places where stands are set up during events such as the Antwerp 10 Miles or in the backstage area of a festival such as Jazz Middelheim, you can literally count the blades of grass after the event. The damage there is much greater than in the zones in parks and sunbathing areas where people only lie or sit on the grass.”

Other maintenance per zone

“Each zone therefore receives different maintenance. In a zone where there is little damage, we only need to prick and overseed. Zones where, for example, many road plates have been laid, we will scarify, lightly level, and overseed. And heavily damaged zones will be completely regenerated, because that is the only thing you can do to repair the damage there. For reseeding and replanting, we always use a mixture of ryegrass and meadow grass. 

Ryegrass germinates quickly and is strong. Cocksfoot has strong, long roots and ensures that the turf is strong. This combination results in a dense, green carpet of grass that can withstand heavy foot traffic.”

Every lawn ready in just a few days

“We combine as many areas as possible each day. For example, as soon as an area has been mowed, aerated, or sanded, the machine moves on to another area. To ensure that no one walks on the lawns after sowing, we cordon them off with site fences or posts with rope. This means that the work in each park is completed after just a few days, giving the lawns time to recover fully. The end result: beautiful, green parks that people love to visit.”