Wildflower Provide ‘Living Green Roof’ To Leeds Skelton Lake Services

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Wildflower Provide ‘Living Green Roof’ To Leeds Skelton Lake Services: The UK’s most prominent wildflower experts, Wildflower Turf Ltd, will be helping to enhance the biodiversity of the £60M Leeds Skelton Lake Services when the ‘new concept’ Motorway Service Area (MSA) opens on the M1 later this year.

Leeds Skelton Lake Services will include a 100-bedroom Hotel and a Food Court Building providing a wide range of Food & Beverage and ancillary retail outlets, a Wildlife Centre and a dedicated Business Centre.

Wildflower Provide ‘Living Green Roof’ To Leeds Skelton Lake Services

With the new MSA occupying a lakeside environment, the integration of the Hotel and Food Court Building in a way that is sympathetic to its surroundings has been of the utmost importance. Wildflower Turf Ltd are working closely with the Landscape Architect, Smeeden Foreman, and Wetherby-based Brambledown Landscapes Ltd to deliver an enhanced landscape that fits seamlessly into the local environment.

The innovative design of the main building showcases a unique and eye-catching undulating roof that will utilise wildflowers, supplied by the team at Wildflower Turf Ltd and installed by ABG Ltd.

The ‘Living Roof’ will be soil-less and consist of up to 41 native UK wildflower species that will provide a haven for bees and other invertebrates while delivering significant aesthetic appeal and ensuring that the building blends into its lakeside location.

Managing Director of Wildflower Turf Ltd, James Hewetson-Brown, said, “We are delighted that one of our wildflower roofs will be showcased at Leeds Skelton Lake Services. As awareness of the importance of biodiverse habitats increase, this new concept in MSA shows that the built environment can exist harmoniously with, and indeed give back to, the natural landscape.”

Andrew Long, CEO of Extra MSA said: “Throughout the detailed planning phase of Leeds Skelton Lake Services, we were acutely aware of our responsibility to the site’s natural surroundings. This new MSA will be a truly revolutionary design in the UK, providing critical safety infrastructure for this part of the motorway network, in a sustainable and visually appealing way.”

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Germinal Launch Organic Based Fertiliser

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Germinal Launch Organic Based Fertiliser: Germinal has launched an organic based phased-release fertiliser which provides up to five months’ worth of nutrients and trace elements from a single application at a budget-friendly price point.

GSR Tri-Phase is an 18-3.5-8 NPK fertiliser which also supplies one unit of MgO plus trace elements including copper, zinc, boron, manganese and molybdenum. *

Germinal Launch Organic Based Fertiliser

Recommended for use on all fine grass swards including golf greens, tees and fairways, sports pitches and all amenity areas, GSR Tri-Phase’s mini-granular (1-2mm) formulation delivers a cost-effective and consistent supply of nitrogen and potash over a period of 16-20 weeks.

Richard Brown, Germinal Amenity Sales Manager explains: “We recognise that, for many landscapers, local authorities and golf, rugby and football clubs, grass and groundcare budgets can be very tight.  We have therefore developed our own phased-release fertiliser which is as good as anything else on the market but at a more affordable price.  It can be used either as a base feed as part of a wider fertiliser programme, or, where budgets are severely restricted, as a standalone, single application product.”

GSR Tri-Phase contains three forms of nitrogen to provide three phases of nutrient release into the rootzone: an initial hit of quick release nitrogen gives way to methylene urea which is subsequently followed by a final release of organic based nitrogen.  In addition, potash is also released slowly throughout the growing season to regulate water uptake and to ensure nutrients and trace elements remain mobile and available for uptake.

“This not only reduces plant stress throughout the growing season, but also enhances the sward’s ability to withstand drought conditions,” Mr Brown adds.  “A single application of 25-35g/m2 in the spring – typically in late March or early April – will instigate good early season growth and recovery and provide the necessary nutrients required by high performance grass swards for the majority of the growing season and certainly through until August or September.  During this time GSR Tri-Phase will release a slow and steady supply of available nitrogen ensuring a consistent rate of grass growth with no intense bursts of activity.”

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ICL Expand SierrablenPlus Range

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ICL Expand SierrablenPlus Range: ICL has announced the addition of two new analyses to its leading range of SierrablenPlus fertilizers. 

The new products – “Renovator” 11-11-5 + 4CaO + 8MgO and “Turf Starter” 5-28-0 + 16MgO both contain Pearl® Technology, which has been proven to greatly enhance root development.

ICL Expand SierrablenPlus Range

The mini-granular range of SierrablenPlus fertilizers have for many years been a popular choice for those looking to achieve even coverage at low rates for their sports or amenity turf. This is due to the micro-granular formulation containing Poly-S and resin-coated PACE technology with conventional nitrogen sources to provide the best long-term nutrient release patterns.

Depending on the requirement, there are a wide range of solutions in the SierrablenPlus range to supporting healthy turf growth though the season. The latest products to be added to the portfolio, “Renovator” and “Turf Starter”, have been specifically added because of their ability to greatly enhance root development due to the inclusion of Pearl® Technology.

Pearl® Technology blends a unique, recycled, slow-release phosphorus into these 2 new analysesto provide significantly increased rooting and more efficient nutrient use over traditional phosphorus sources.

As with all ICL products, both the “Renovator” and “Turf Starter” have been rigorously tested through independent trials. Data has revealed significantly increased rooting when SierrablenPlus with Pearl® Technology is used  as part of a seedbed preparation and during turf-laying. Furthermore, there was a 2.5 x increase in rooting when compared to another existing high-performing product.

Key features

  • Controlled-release Poly-S nitrogen with 3+ month longevity for strong turf response.
  • Root-activated Pearl® Technology, slow-release phosphorus for increased rooting.
  • Contains Polyhalite with K, CaO and MgO.
  • Includes recycled nutrients N, P and MgO.
  • Earlier harvest time demonstrated when used for turf production.

Both Renovator and Turf Starter are ideal for use in turf production and laying as well as incorporating into the seedbed when renovating stadium pitches, sports fields, tees and fairways.

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

Please contact ICL on +44 (0)1473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie.

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Powerline Services Purchase GreenMech Chippers

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Powerline Services Purchase GreenMech Chippers: Running GreenMech woodchippers since 1999, Powerline Services MLJ Ltd and Director Ben Jones have recently taken delivery of their latest additions, two ArbTrak 150’s. A loyal customer to the tracked units since GreenMech launched their first model in 2003, the new machines on their fleet effortlessly traverse all terrains reducing transport time and increasing productivity.

Herefordshire based Powerline Services offer safe, effective and efficient removal of trees and vegetation from powerlines – serving as a sub-contractor on the Scottish and Southern Energy, National Grid and Western Power contracts. “Our woodchippers are our core piece of machinery” explains Ben, “and for the majority of sites we’re operating on, the work calls for a tracked chipper. We’ve always had tracked units from GreenMech but as requirements and the type of materials we’re handling change, we’re constantly reviewing that our fleet is fit for purpose.” So impressed with the Arborist 150 road-tow chipper already on the fleet, the delivery of the two ArbTrak 150’s from Tallis Amos at the end of 2018 came without the need for a demonstration.

Powerline Services Purchase GreenMech Chippers

“The ArbTrak 150’s are a perfect size to handle the brashy material that makes up a large percentage of our projects. We can quickly and conveniently track them to the area of work meaning no time is spent transporting material to the chipper, therefore improving efficiency for my teams.” The highly manoeuvrable tracked chassis of the ArbTrak 150 provides high ground clearance of 274mm and a tracking speed of 3kph. Fitted with a 34hp diesel engine, it is a popular choice with contractors and those maintaining difficult terrain, requiring maximum traction and minimal ground pressure.

Not only are Ben and his teams on the road hugely impressed with the quality and performance of the woodchippers, they’re also reassured by the after-sales service. “We’ve had experiences with other manufacturers in the past where they offered us a good deal, but the support we received after we’d taken delivery was very poor. In my opinion the back-up support from GreenMech is unbeatable, and when you’ve got contracts to deliver on, that’s invaluable.”

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Headland Deliver Strong Fairways At Abridge GC

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Headland Deliver Strong Fairways At Abridge GC: In what was a challenging year for Greenkeepers up and down and the country, Course Manager at Abridge Golf Club Geoff Smith had no complaints with the way the course emerged from the prolonged period of hot weather. The fairways, in particular, came out looking better than ever, which he puts down to the timely installation of a new Perrot irrigation system, and his tried and tested nutritional programme from Headland Amenity. 

Geoff joined Abridge, a Regional Open Qualifier 2009-2013, as an assistant greenkeeper 17 years ago, on the back of learning his trade at The London Golf Club. “When I took charge 12 years ago in the autumn of 2006, I found out within my first 3 months at the helm that we were going to be hosting a large national tournament in the summer of 2007, which was a daunting challenge to say the least! I decided to call on the expertise of some trusted industry contacts – one of whom was Claire Harley of Headland Amenity.”

Headland Deliver Strong Fairways At Abridge GC

“All those years ago she recommended we apply Multigreen® 28-3-15 temperature-controlled release fertiliser on the fairways, a programme we still follow to this day.” Multigreen® is the only long-term fertiliser where nutrient release is governed by soil temperature only and not affected by other factors such as moisture, pH or microbial activity. Ideal for use on fairways, coarse turf or winter sports pitches, the prills contain their nutrients within a permeable resin-coating to prevent severe leaching loss.

“Abridge can be a bit of a grass factory but with the controlled release of Multigreen®, we get a consistent, healthy growth on the fairways that continues for months. Last year was a great test for our nutritional programme and we’ve emerged with flying colours!” Geoff applies Multigreen® once a year, and compliments this with a tank mix of TriCure and Elevate Fe, applied in September/October, to help in the management of Dollar Spot – another recommendation from Claire.

Geoff adds, “I have a great working relationship with Claire and know she’s always on the end of the phone if I need help or guidance. Undeniably, the Multigreen® feeds, together with a verti-drain and scarification programme, has helped me to produce fairways that our visitors and members describe as carpets! They love to play on them and that’s really what counts.”

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