The Grass Seed That Changed the Game: Managing the expansive grounds of Warwick Schools Foundation requires precision and dedication, and Grounds Manager Duncan Toon relies on trusted solutions to meet these demands.
Recently, he found that MM Tetra Sport grass seed has become an essential part of his maintenance toolkit; ensuring top tier playing conditions for the schools’ varied sports facilities.
The Grass Seed That Changed the Game
Duncan has overseen the grounds for just over six years, looking after Warwick Preparatory School, Warwick Junior School, The Kingsley School, King’s High School, and Warwick Senior School. These sites cover eight hectares of natural grass, a 3G pitch, two hockey pitches (with plans for a third), eight netball/tennis courts, three cricket squares, and various other sports surfaces.
He has long relied on high-quality grass seed mixes – particularly MM50 and MM60 – which he praises for their consistency and strong performance. However, a recent shift in his approach has led to the adoption of MM Tetra Sport – a mixture by MM Seed that has quickly become his go-to choice.
“I’ve always been a big fan and a long-term user of MM50 and MM60 grass seed”, Duncan shares. “However, more recently, I started using Tetra Sport by MM Seed because I was interested in the fact that tetraploids have deeper roots.” The MM Tetra Sport mixture, consisting of Tetraploid Ryegrasses, is designed for overseeding high-quality sports fields and caught Duncan’s attention for its many benefits – including strong root growth and enhanced drought tolerance.
Duncan first applied MM Tetra Sport to the main rugby pitches after an extensive renovation process: “We sprayed off the main rugby pitches, heavily fraise mowed, and removed most of the organic matter from the surface. We then seeded at 50g per square metre with the Tetra Sport”, he explains. “The seed germinated within four days, even though only one of the pitches had automated irrigation. On the pitch without automated irrigation, we used travelling sprinklers, but we still achieved the same germination.”
The results exceeded Duncan’s expectations: “I was really surprised because after about four weeks, we had a root down to about four inches, and I was really impressed with that. The vigour of the sward is incredible. Even when all the fixtures have taken place over the weekend, I come in on a Monday and the pitches still look immaculate.”
Duncan credits the success of MM Tetra Sport to recommendations from both Matt Gresty of MM Seed and Mark Allen of Agrovista Amenity. Reflecting on the qualities of the mixture, Duncan said “it became apparent that the Tetra Sport seed had everything I was looking for: good, deep rooting, drought tolerance, and a hardier look. It stands up very well to extreme weather conditions.”
He has since expanded the use of MM Tetra Sport across multiple pitches: “We’ve overseeded the middle of four heavily used pitches, and again, we had fast germination – even in colder temperatures. With the dry weather we’ve experienced recently, we still saw germination very quickly. The stand-up and vigour are impressive, and you can just see it standing strong.”
The Grass Seed That Changed the Game
Maintaining a large and busy site means that time efficiency is critical for Duncan and his team. One of the key advantages of MM Tetra Sport is its drought tolerance, which reduces the need for frequent watering – an essential benefit for areas without automated irrigation systems. “Running travelling sprinklers takes a lot of time, and our schedule is very tight for watering,” Duncan explains. “If we can have a drought-tolerant plant that aligns with our schedule, it saves us a lot of time.”
Duncan now makes it a routine to overseed with MM Tetra Sport during half-term breaks. “MM50 and MM60 have always been reliable for me, but Tetra Sport has taken these particular sites to another level”, he adds.
His relationship with MM Seed and Agrovista Amenity has also played a crucial role: “I get very good support from both Matt Gresty and Mark Allen. Their guidance directs me in the right way, and it really helps,” he says.
For Duncan, the ultimate reward is more than just aesthetic appeal: “Presentation is key, but for me, it’s not just about how it looks; the best thing is to see a high-end game of sport played on a pitch performing to the best of its ability because we’ve produced a good surface.”
With MM Tetra Sport now firmly integrated into his maintenance regime, Duncan is confident that he has found the ideal solution for maintaining the exceptional standards of Warwick Schools Foundation.
For further information, please contact MM Sports Seed on 01386 791102 or visit the company’s website www.mm-seeds.co.uk.
You can also follow the company on Twitter/X: @MM_Seed.
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