EGO urge gardeners to go green

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EGO urge gardeners to go green: Calling for a change to make battery-powered equipment the preferred choice over tools that emit noxious fumes and damaging noise pollution by 2025, EGO has launched a hard-hitting manifesto which highlights the dangers of petrol gardening equipment.

As one of the world’s biggest outdoor power tool manufacturers, EGO is no stranger to the demands of the gardening and outdoor tools market. Pitting petrol against battery-powered tools, the company’s Challenge 2025 manifesto tackles the issues head-on in a bid to educate users to move away from petrol, issuing a rallying cry for like-minded organisations to join them and bring the issue in front of parliament.

EGO urge gardeners to go green

EGO urge gardeners to go green

Steve Roskell, Marketing Director EMEA at EGO explains “There’s a baffling irony in the fact that the majority of the tools created to beautify our gardens are actually destroying our environment. Air pollution, noise pollution and sustainability are all clearly huge issues in today’s society. People are waking up to the dangers posed by petrol-guzzling cars. Yet, when it comes to gardening and landscaping equipment, the momentum for change simply doesn’t seem to be gathering pace in the same way. Petrol tools are known for being incredibly noisy, worryingly dirty and downright dangerous to our health – we’re keen to educate users that there is a viable, strong, powerful and cheaper long-term alternative.”

In years gone by, petrol was the only option for gardeners looking for cordless garden tools. EGO’s commitment to research and development has helped to change that. The company is now able to produce garden tools which challenge preconceptions about battery life, power and charging time which might previously have put people off making the switch. EGO’s ARC Lithium battery offers unrivalled charging time and power, and exceptional weight to energy ratio, making it among the top-performing portable batteries on the market and an ideal alternative to petrol equipment in the garden.

Roskell continues, “Cities up and down the country are making moves to reduce and discourage car usage. Yet while councils are doing their utmost to hit new emissions targets and car manufacturers are evolving to help meet the demand for eco-friendly alternatives, the nation is busy pumping pollutants into our green spaces. Research suggests that operating a commercial leaf-blower for one hour emits as much smog-forming pollution as driving a 2.5-litre passenger car around 1100 miles! Something has to change – and we’re happy to lead that change by urging like-minded businesses to join us in our quest.”

Find out more about EGO’s pledge and how you can be part of the movement to make the world of gardening greener, visit challenge2025.eu.

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Valdor® Flex available from Agrovista

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Valdor® Flex available from Agrovista: UNIQUE residual turf herbicide, Valdor® Flex, is now available from Agrovista Amenity.

Valdor Flex was introduced to the UK turf and amenity market last year and has been widely praised for providing excellent residual control for even the hardest to manage weeds.

Valdor® Flex available from Agrovista

Valdor® Flex available from Agrovista

Turf and amenity managers are encouraged to improve the efficiency of their herbicide programmes by using the product, which is active on a wide range of surfaces including open soil, gravel and industrial areas.

Its success is attributed to its two synergistic active ingredients, diflufenican and iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium, which help to minimise the risk of resistance through two complementary modes of action.

In fact, Valdor Flex keeps the soil weed free for up to four months with just one single application, providing cleaner surfaces for longer, and helping to target herbicide use more effectivity.

Agrovista Amenity’s John Marland believes that the product is a great addition to the company’s ever-expanding portfolio.

“The long-term activity of Valdor Flex keeps soil weed-free for up to four months, which reduces the frequency of applications throughout the season,” he said.

“This makes it a cost-effective solution for our amenity customers, as well as offering other benefits such as contributing to resistance management, something that our industry needs to keep on top of.”

Valdor Flex controls a range of common weeds and can be used standalone prior to germination or before weed emergence. If weeds are present, it can be mixed with glyphosate or a fatty acid, which helps to provide the initial knockdown.

Manufactured by Bayer, it uses the latest generation of wettable granule (WG) to ensure the product remains stable in water for at least 24 hours, meaning any remaining solution in the tank can be used the following day.

Valdor Flex should be applied from February through to June, a single application required per season, and is available in 10g sachets or 500g bottles. The 10g sachets can be mixed in a knapsack sprayer with 6-10 litres of water, providing the operator with surface coverage of up to 200m2. For those looking to treat a larger area, the 500g bottle can be mixed with 300-500 litres of water and applied with a tractor mounted sprayer to achieve coverage of 1ha.

This unique product also has a low odour, eliminates the risk of stains on treated surfaces, and consists of an incredibly low dust formulation which helps to reduce operator exposure.

For more information, visit www.agrovista.co.uk

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SpeedSeed 1100 completes fairway recovery

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SpeedSeed 1100 completes fairway recovery: While the drought of the summer of 2018 may be a distant memory for some, other clubs are still feeling the effects of the damage caused.

One such club is Boat of Garten Golf Club in the Scottish Highlands, where Head Greenkeeper Michael Mann is still tending to some of the worst affected fairways. The overseeding of which is now much quicker and easier thanks to their new SpeedSeed 1100 from Charterhouse Turf Machinery.

SpeedSeed 1100 completes fairway recovery

SpeedSeed 1100 completes fairway recovery

The 18-hole, James Braid designed course is renowned for its challenging play and the cleverly shaped, undulating fairways. “The sharp undulations can pose quite a challenge when it comes to maintenance and finding machinery that can work with the challenging terrain” explains Michael, who has been at Boat of Garten for just under a year. “When we needed a new overseeder, we looked at three or four different makes and models, one of which was the new SpeedSeed from Charterhouse. Its compact size meant it could closely follow the uneven ground, so it worked out to be the best option for us.”

Offering a 1.1m working width, the SpeedSeed 1100 does not compromise when it comes to coverage and performance. Creating 990 holes per sq. metre, with an optional second spiked rear roller to double that, it can cover both large and small areas quickly, working at depths of up to 20mm. “After we took delivery of the SpeedSeed from MacGregor Industrial Supplies in July 2019, we were out with it pretty much straight away, overseeding the greens and some of the worst affected fairways. It’s such a great size, suitable for use site-wide.”

“The set-up and controls of the machine are all nice and user-friendly, and it’s accurate seed calibration system is easy to adjust and operate. It’s a very clean machine, that leaves minimal surface disruption and hardly anything to tidy up in its wake.”

By the back end of 2019, thankfully recovery work reached a conclusion, but Michael now looks forward to utilising the SpeedSeed to its full advantage as we enter the new growing season. “While we don’t have a set overseeding programme, now that we have the seeder at our disposal we can look to capitalise on any growth windows and start to work on other projects around the course – weather permitting of course!”

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Muck-Truck launch new electric wheelbarrow

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Muck-Truck launch new electric wheelbarrow: Muck-Truck have decided to launch their new battery powered wheelbarrow on the most perfect day of the year, National Battery Day (18th February).

The new addition to the Muck-Truck range is the Power Barrow 4WD which is an eco-friendly battery powered wheelbarrow. The innovative Power Barrow 4WD features a four wheel drive to manoeuvre with ease and the bucket tips electronically by a touch of a button which is a first for Muck-Truck!

Muck-Truck launch new electric wheelbarrow

Muck-Truck launch new electric wheelbarrow

“I am very proud of this new invention and excited for our Muck-Truck fans to try it. We have so many new developments in the making and excited to see what the future brings.” Terry Rowlands; owner and creator of Muck-Truck.

There are some amazing features to this Power Barrow 4WD such as its 5 hour running time and the ability to carry loads of up to 365kg.

The Muck-Truck range is extremely versatile. With the new Power Barrow 4WD, the unit can be converted into a vacuum or even a snow plough. It can also be fitted with a ball hitch and be used to tow trailers. The use of turf tyres offers protection from grass and the four wheels provides stability on uneven ground and up hills.

Muck-Truck is the market leader for powered wheelbarrows and is designed right here in the UK, if you would like more information please visit their newly designed website at https://www.mucktruck.com/power-barrow/

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