Back to work with ECHO

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Back to work with ECHO: As the virus lockdown restrictions are gradually lifted and the groundscare, landscaping and arboricultural businesses return to work it’s a good time to review the tools you’re using. Over the past few months, air pollution has been substantially reduced and it’s not just because there have been fewer vehicles on the roads.

Any form of internal combustion engine contributes to pollution including two-stroke power tools. A round-up of ECHO outdoor power tools introduced this year reflect the move to low and zero pollution solutions for all types of work from forestry to groundscare and gardening, both professional and domestic.

Back to work with ECHO

Back to work with ECHO

Early in the year saw the introduction of the CS-621SX, the latest chainsaw in the ECHO X Series of ‘Best in Class’ products which aim to be industry-leading in terms of power and performance. The CS-621SX boasts a new 59.8cc low emission, professional-grade 2-stroke ECHO engine, designed and manufactured in Japan. The saw is packed with advanced features to help the commercial operator power through their work. For a heavy-duty saw, it is surprisingly lightweight at only 6.3kg (dry weight) but that doesn’t take anything away from its cutting performance, which exceeds that of many higher capacity machines.

ECHO also launched the world’s first chainsaw with Auto Choke this year, the CS-352AC, an all-round rear handle chainsaw with the patented Auto Choke feature enabling quicker, easier and safer starting. All that’s needed is one pull, regardless of the engine temperature, and the chainsaw starts first time – without the risk of flooding the engine.

Taking low emissions to another level is the ECHO range of three domestic and semi-professional double-sided hedgetrimmers: the HC-2020, the HC-2020R and the HC-2320. Each features the latest ECHO low emission engine, improved ergonomics with better balance and lighter weight, ideal for tackling small to medium-size domestic and professional jobs.

For the tree care professionals and arborists, there is the ECHO DCS-2500T, the first battery-powered top handle chainsaw with its 50V Lithium-ion battery generating the same power and cutting performance as its equivalent petrol packing chainsaw. All with low vibration and without the noise and emissions. The DCS-2500T is part of a range of ECHO 50V battery-powered tools where one battery fits all.

All in all, there’s a lot of innovation from ECHO and much of it, they point out, at very competitive prices so it’s worth a good look to get you back to work with new eco-friendly alternatives. You can find out more from your local authorised ECHO dealer. You can also visit www.echo-tools.co.uk or call 01844 278800 for more information.

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Air2G2 proves to be a ‘game changer’

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Air2G2 proves to be a ‘game changer’: The Air2G2 GT Air Inject from Campey Turf Care Systems has played a significant role in transforming the greens at the La Grande Mare Golf Club in Guernsey.

When he arrived at his new job two-years ago, course manager, Rick Hamilton, spoke to the members about their main concerns and the quality and playability of the greens was top of the list.

Air2G2 proves to be a ‘game changer’

Air2G2 proves to be a ‘game changer’

Because the course is built on marshland, the soil is very silty heavy clay, making it a problematic soil profile to produce a healthy root zone. The dense profile was causing the greens to hold moisture in the winter and hardpan in the summer, meaning there was little control of how they performed throughout the year. From his previous experience in Asia, Rick knew the Air2G2 was precisely what was needed to open up the soil profile and bring life back into the greens.

“When I first analysed the greens, I knew we had to take action,” Rick explained. “It was at the point that when we tried to change the holes, we would sometimes snap the blades in the hole cutter because the greens were that hard. The greens are old, they are 25 to 30-year-old push-up greens, so there is no drainage, and the soil type doesn’t help with that.

“For me, the Air2G2 is a game changer. Every now and then over the years, different machines come into the industry, and I would say it is one of those game changing machines. I brought it over on hire from a dealer in Jersey and went out, and I could hardly get the probes to inject at first because the surface was that hard. But I managed to do it with the deep probe and close spacing to really get through into the greens and loosen them up to get water and wetting agent in.

“The first afternoon after we did it, the members came out and played and couldn’t believe there was no disruption to the surface at all, and they were surprised with how clean it was. A few weeks later on we had a bit of rain, and we had a competition and the good golfers couldn’t believe how receptive the greens were with the ball holding.

“The difference in the greens is massive in terms of playability, root development, the health in the root zone and getting the water to penetrate. And in the winter when it’s a bit wetter and softer, it helps to release some of the water and get the greens to drain.”

For Rick, the impact of the Air2G2 was immediate, and after using his own machine for a year, the difference is obvious for everyone who plays La Grande Mare. Because of the course construction and location, there is an extensive aeration programme in place that sees the Air2G2 used regularly along with needle tining, a combination that has made members the happiest they’ve ever been with the greens.

For more information about the Air2G2 or the new Air2 Hand Probe visit www.campeyturfcare.com.

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Drive, determination and MM seed

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Drive, determination and MM seed: Broomfield Bowls Club is considered to have one of the best surfaces, if not the best in the Midlands. The immaculate green is thanks to the drive and determination of a volunteer greenkeeper and a little help from Limagrain UK’s MM range of grass seed. 

Jonathan Blakeman has a long affinity with his beloved bowls club dating back to when father Steve joined in 1985. Steve tended the green at Smethwick Cricket Club between 1988 and 2006 with Jonathan taking the reigns during the 2008 season, he then proceeded to continue to maintain the green to the high standards that the club had come to expect.

Drive, determination and MM seed

Drive, determination and MM seed

Two years later and the club was forced to start looking for a new home. After a lengthy search they eventually moved to the nearby Mitchells & Butlers Bowling Club, Portland Road – who were more than happy to accept their neighbours. The former Cape Hill Brewery Sports Ground was opened in August 1930 and once boasted three crown green bowling greens. Broomfield was given its own green for its members but unfortunately it was not exactly at the standards they were used to.

“I think it is fair to say that the green we were given had fallen into disrepair,” said Jonathan. “The members of the club had tried their best to maintain it but unfortunately it needed a lot of work.”

Jonathan, who was also working full-time, came up with a plan. Armed with the knowledge passed onto him by dad Steve, Jonathan began working round the clock to transform the green.

Ten years later and the green is regarded as one of the best with many players praising its immaculate surface. It’s no surprise to see why the green is so widely lauded when you consider how much time Jonathan puts into maintaining it.

“In the growing season it is cut four times a week and we do verticutting once a month depending on conditions. Then there are the usual treatments and taking the dew off in the mornings.

“Rather than leaving work and doing a hobby somewhere else my interest just happens to be looking after the green for Broomfield.”

Ever the perfectionist, Jonathan decided to start looking for a grass seed which would help the green stand up to such heavy usage, and that was when he first became acquainted with Limagrain UK.

“At Broomfield we have eight league teams so that amounts to about 80 or 90 visiting clubs and that’s just competitive use. On top of that, we have internal competitions and players practicing or playing socially. It’s safe to say that the green has a lot of use between April and September.

Drive, determination and MM seed

Drive, determination and MM seed

“Historically I had always used another brand, but I eventually started looking elsewhere. I knew Mark Allen from Agrovista Amenity and he highly recommended the seed mixtures from Limagrain. That was five years ago, and I have been using the MM range ever since.”

Jonathan relies on both the MM10 and the MM11 mixtures – both of which are traditional 80:20 Fescue and Bent mixtures ideal for overseeding, renovation and construction. The cultivars used in these mixtures have low nutrient and irrigation requirements but still produce a fine, dense sward which creates a superior playing surface. The mixtures are tolerant of close mowing and have excellent disease resistance. Good tolerance to wear makes both MM10 and MM11 suitable for use in high traffic areas.

Although similar mixtures, a variance in the formulation brings out the best in Broomfield’s green according to Jonathan.

“We are always trying to introduce different cultivars and finer species into the surface and the reason for rotating between MM10 and MM11 is because each mixture has a different make-up of cultivars. I just think that the more you have in your surface, the more resilient it can be against the challenges of disease, wear, and drought tolerance. They also produce a fantastic colour all year round.

“One application of either the MM10 or MM11 is all we need and that sees us through the season. We tend to overseed with the mixtures after end of season renovations which are normally within the first ten to fourteen days in October. We’ve got a routine which has worked incredibly well. Firstly, we will scarify heavily and then we overseed with MM10 or MM11. Finally, we top dress and then we don’t have to use any more seed throughout the season because we maintain a good coverage.”

Given the level of commitment and technical excellence Jonathan has demonstrated over the past twelve years, it is obvious that he needs little guidance. However, he was still keen to praise the service and support provided by both Agrovista Amenity and Limagrain UK.

“Their collaboration makes for a great team,” he said. “I frequently see Mark from Agrovista Amenity and then twice a year both him and Matt Gresty from Limagrain will visit me at Broomfield. They will look closely at how the greens are performing and will always offer sound advice. It’s great customer service and I always receive my delivery quickly and efficiently.

“I would absolutely recommend MM10 and MM11 to other crown green bowling clubs – because they really can make a difference.”

For further information, please contact Limagrain UK on 01472 371471 or visit the company’s website www.lgseeds.co.uk/mm – you can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed

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Grounds for concern at Barnsley

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Grounds for concern at Barnsley: The sight of footballers taking the field for league matches in June – a time when the sporting calendar is usually focused on cricket, the Queen’s Club Championships and the Epsom Derby – would be incongruous for many.

Not least for Barnsley’s head groundsman David Anderson and his counterparts at a number of stadiums across the country.

Grounds for concern at Barnsley

Grounds for concern at Barnsley

Traditionally, the close season – when most footballers are usually found on a sun-kissed beach in the Mediterranean, Florida or Dubai taking in some rest and recuperation at end of a long campaign – is the busiest time for groundsmen as they utilise the period to renovate playing surfaces and make them pristine for the start of the new campaign in August.

A player is not usually in sight, certainly not until the first week of July when pre-season normally commences.

But with Covid-19 having wholly changed the itinerary for football in 2020, this summer promises to be a strange time, not least for those who maintain playing surfaces and training arenas.

It also means that many planned major repairs may well have to be put on the back burner.

Anderson told The Yorkshire Post: “For players to actually be playing will be a strange one for everybody concerned.

“Everybody is used to doing things in the off-season and everything in that period.

“Summer football might not be too bad with nice weather, but from our side of things, it will be weird.”

On an uncertain time, he commented: “Not knowing what is going to happen this season and next season, it does affect everything.

“It is like with the renovations that we would like to do at the end of the season. We normally get to the end and are planning to do all those. It (usually) means completely stripping the pitches back and starting again.

“Dane (Murphy – Barnsley CEO) and Rob (Zuk – finance director) have allowed us to do some of the training ground, but with regard to Oakwell, we just don’t know yet as we don’t know what will happen with this season.

“We had big plans to try and improve things, especially the training pitches and Oakwell.

“Oakwell has struggled a little bit this year, especially with that bad weather we had. It has not been a good year for anybody. I speak to a lot of groundsmen and everyone is in the same boat.

“We were hoping to get the go-ahead to get our irrigation and drainage improved a little bit.

“But it is not the priority at the minute. There is no money coming into the club as such and the renovations are not cheap.

“I understand it and everyone understands it is a freak thing and this is not something we have dealt with before.”

For Barnsley and other clubs, it is a case of make do and mend with extended repairs scheduled for the summer being put on hold, with the focus being on safety and making surfaces playable if not perfect.

In training, that involves disinfecting surfaces and equipment, one of many protocols taking place to help make it as safe an environment as is possible.

Anderson continued: “The club have been good with me and allowed me to keep coming in and we social distance, which is fair enough and we clean the machines down after we have used them. We are trying to do the best we can with what we have got.

“When it comes to equipment, everything will have to be disinfected. Everything we are touching or using, machine-wise, we are trying our best to keep it clean as the best we can and wash our hands as they keep telling us.

“Before this got as bad as it did, the club were putting hand sanitiser everywhere and we have plenty of that when we come in and go out and everyone is keeping to the advice.

“On our training pitches, our academy are usually on the bottom pitches and it is quite intense and the pitches get a lot of hammer and don’t really get a rest.

“This gap with nobody being on the pitches has helped quite a lot, but, to be honest, you need to renovate them to get them back to 100 per cent. But needs must and we must try and make do the best we can.

“This time of year is probably our busiest. Keeping pitches up to a certain standard is difficult as at this time of year, you start to get foreign grasses in.

“To the untrained eye, the pitches might look alright and the covering is good. But to us, we can see where all the problems are.

“If they are left untreated for a long time, then pitches would not be in a brilliant state for next season.

“We have just got to do what we can with what we have got with the situation being as it is.”

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Weymouth GC greenkeeper retires

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Weymouth GC greenkeeper retires: Weymouth Golf Club will wish a fond farewell to their head greenkeeper this month, as he retires after 42 years working to keep the course in tip top shape.

Rob Bayliss, 64, was appointed head greenkeeper at the club in May 1978 and many at the club will know him from his monthly newsletters.

Weymouth GC greenkeeper retires

Weymouth GC greenkeeper retires

He will leave his role to retire at the end of this month, but looks back on his time there with fond memories: “Every golfer knows that golf courses have a magic about them, each one is unique in its own way and offers challenges both to golfer and to the greenkeepers that maintain them.

“Apart from the obvious beauty of a golf course as part of the wider landscape they offer safe haven for many forms of wildlife to thrive undisturbed in what is often an urban setting. So choosing a career where you spend your working life in such a wonderful surroundings is perhaps the envy of many who like to spend their leisure time out on the course.

“I even met my wife Tina at the club when she was working in the office. She enjoys volunteering to work on the course and every weekend that I have been on duty, without missing a day she comes along to help with setting up the course for play. Such is the magic of the course she will miss working here just as much as I will.”

Mr Bayliss has faced many challenges during his long career, most notably the building of the link road for the Granby estate, which involved a complete redesign of six holes across the course and construction of new tees and greens.

More recently, he has overseen the course during the coronavirus pandemic and has managed to keep it in perfect condition while golfers were banned from the site.

Colin Huckle, president of Weymouth Golf Club, said: “Rob is a highly skilled team leader and a longstanding and loyal employee working at Weymouth Golf Club, providing members and visitors with a first class facility.

“During his career he has been responsible for implementing a number of major improvements to the course.

“All of us at Weymouth Golf Club wish Rob a long, healthy and happy retirement.”

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