GKB To Top All At SALTEX

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GKB To Top All At SALTEX: The GKB Top-Clean is a full mechanic, self-driven machine that removes all kind of dirt from the top of a synthetic pitch, from cigarettes, leaves and papers to plastic bottles.

This machine can easily be connected to almost every tractor by using a standard three-point hitch or electric drawbar. Using a high driving speed (around 10 km/h) will result in a perfect looking artificial pitch that you can be proud of!

GKB To Top All At SALTEX

Designed as a full self-driven machine, the Top-Clean features two rubber wheels at the front ensure that the machine will roll softly across the artificial pitch. Not only this, but a rotary brush is connected with the wheels by a chain drive. You can determine the speed of the brushes with the driving speed.

During operation debris and infill will come on a vibrating sieve. This sieve will separate infill material from the debris and thanks to the vibration of the sieve, all pollution moves to the bins at the end. Containing two separate bins, after use, the bins can easily be removed to get emptied in a regular waste container.

GKB is proud to be showcasing this new to range model at the 2019 SALTEX show. Visit stand H051 to discover more.

For more on GKB Machines and their reliable and robust range of machinery for natural, hybrid and synthetic turf, please visit www.gkbmachines.com or contact Tom Shinkins on 07495 883617 to enquire about the GKB Top Clean ready for next season.

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Campey To Launch AllTrec Tool Carrier

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Campey To Launch AllTrec Tool Carrier: Campey Turf Care Systems will be exhibiting the new AllTrec Tool Carrier for the first time on stand C050 at SALTEX 2019.

The Dutch made machine is 100% electric and can be used with either the cutting deck, weed brush, hedge trimmer or weed killer attachments. Because it is fully electric there are zero CO2 emissions and very low operating costs. During operation the machine makes barely any noise, making It is very well suited for use in busy urban environments.

Campey To Launch AllTrec Tool Carrier

Also on display will be the recently released Campey Uni-Scratch. This machine is the ideal solution for professional and effective maintenance of natural grass and can also be used for the final organic matter removal on natural grass hybrid carpet pitches when carrying out annual renovations.

Away from turf grooming, Campey will also be exhibiting the Air2G2 Air Inject and Air2hp. The pedestrian aeration machine has become a recognised figure in the turf industry by allowing users to aerate as and when they need to with no disruption. This has been taken a step further with the Air2hp. The hand probe is ideal for sand bunkers, small spaces and hard to reach places and can quickly treat areas of standing water using the hand-operated valve to inject air below the surface in a diameter of up to 3ft (0.9m).

Renovations will also play a part on stand C050 with the 1.6m Koro FIELDTOPMAKER. Since the introduction of the machine to market, fraise mowing has become a standard practice, and as the technology has become more refined, it has been used on new sports surfaces, with cricket the latest to adopt the practice. The accuracy on multiple surfaces comes from using the UniverseÒ rotor with 3mm and 5mm blades. With the 3mm blades on four spirals, you can remove 30% of the surface with 3mm removed and 7mm remaining. There is also the option of removing 15% using two spirals with 3mm removed and 17mm remaining. Having these options available means each job can be tailored to what the surface requires.

Campey To Launch AllTrec Tool Carrier

A machine that is equally variable is the Dakota 310. This compact and very manoeuvrable dual spinner topdresser can spread up to 6m wide, with the width and amount of topdressing infinitely variable using the individual hand controls on the handlebar. It is ideal for spreading sand, rubber crumb and other topdressings on surfaces that require lightweight machines to be used or are difficult to access with larger spreaders.

Completing the line-up will be a Vredo Overseeder along with a team of Campey product specialists, who will be available to answer any questions related to the machines and turf maintenance.

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Cricket Groundcare Award Winners

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Cricket Groundcare Award Winners: A fabulous presentation day, at Lord’s, was enjoyed by all the winners of the Cricket World and Turf Matters Cricket Groundcare Awards 2019.

The group gathered in the Tavern Stand for the Presentation, which was attended by Chris Wood ECB Pitch Advisor, – Karl McDermott MCC Head Groundsman at Lord’s (a previous Cricket GroundCare Award winner, whilst at Clontarf CC in Ireland), Alastair Symondson (Cricket World) and Scott MacCallum (Turf Matters).

Cricket Groundcare Award Winners

There were also representatives from the sponsors of the Awards – Richard Fry and Marcus Hewitt (Rigby Taylor), Robert Jack (Dennis and SISIS), Simon Hedley (Boughton Loam) and John Clifford (ISEKI)

The Awards had been introduced by Cricket World to recognise the dedication and hard work that groundcare individuals put into maintaining and producing cricket squares and outfields, for reactional clubs, schools and universities, in the UK and Ireland without whom there would be no cricket.

Alastair Symondson, Head of Media, Cricket World said: “We are delighted to be running these Awards again, with the support and assistance from our sponsors and partners. We also understand the dedication and hard work that goes into preparing cricket playing facilities and it is nice that we can recognize their hard work and endeavours in some small way.”

Roger Knight, former First Class cricketer and past CEO/Secretary of the MCC  sent a message of congratulations : ”These are the stalwarts of recreational cricket clubs and schools and we should thank them all – how gratifying it is to see a past winner now taking charge at the Home of Cricket as well.”

Kent  CGA – a special award was presented to the Kent Cricket Ground Association represented by  Peter Robinson, Tony Leach and Peter Aylott.

Chris Wood ECB Pitch Advisor added: “This Award is in recognition of their outstanding work as an organisation in assisting clubs, in Kent, with maintaining their cricket playing facilities”

Other Quotes

“I was delighted to see so many committed and talented groundcare volunteers and professionals, at Lord’s, and to see them recognised for the wonderful work they do to ensure that cricket is played on excellent pitches, at all levels of the recreational game”

Scott MacCallum, Editor of Turf Matters magazine.

“We are proud and excited to support these awards! Congratulations to all the hard-working nominees and winners”

Rigby Taylor on supporting the Cricket Groundcare Awards 2019.

“Congratulations to all the worthy winners but not forgetting all the other hardworking groundsman out there. Recognition well deserved! Proud supporters!”

Iseki on supporting the Cricket Groundcare Awards 2019.

“ It was a great day for all the winners to enjoy and we are very happy to support this grassroots initiative”

Boughton Loam – Cricket Groundcare Awards 2019 – Sponsors

“Dennis and SISIS are delighted to be part of these Awards. Raising the profile of the grassroots volunteer and professional groundsmen, and the fantastic work that they do to ensure the game of cricket is played, will also help to attract the next generation of groundsmen. Congratulations to all the Award winners.”

Dennis and SISIS – Cricket Groundcare Awards 2019 – Sponsors

Club and School Winners (with small nomination bio)

Pete Clark – Alcester & Ragley Park CC Pete has been volunteering his time to the club for more than 50 years as Head Groundsman and without his commitment and passion for the ground and the club, the club would not exist to this day. Pete was unable to attend through illness but was presented with his Award at his club, in Warwickshire.

Andy Harris – Buckingham Town CC Andy has been the groundsman at Buckingham Town for 10 years. In that time the pitches and the ground in general have been prepared to the highest standard. He takes great pride in his work and the quality of the ground is often commented upon by players and spectators alike. Andy was taking a well-earned break in the sun in Greece after toiling all summer at his club Buckingham Town CC

Laurie Turner – New Ifield CC – Laurie is in his late 60’s and has been involved with New Ifield CC for nearly 52 years initially as a player (slow bowler) then following retirement from actively playing in 1990 he became involved with the maintenance of the playing surface, pavilion and outbuildings as the sole incumbent. Mr Turner had been a volunteer with grounds maintenance from 1982 when New Ifield CC originally moved to the ground in Priestwood Road, Gravesend.

Graham White –  Sissinghurst CC – Graham White is a 71 year old ‘volunteer’ groundsman with Sissinghurst CC.  Mr White started with the club as a 15 year old bowler/batsman and helping out with cricket pitch preparation and maintenance. At 21 years of age Mr White took on the role of full-time groundsman and also became a committee member.  Mr White played for the club for 34 years and at the age of 55 he retired from playing and became even more involved with club life; along with a past club chairman (deceased in 2013) Mr White (and other club members) built, at that time, the new cricket pavilion.  Mr White continued as groundsman but also took on other roles such as barman. At the tender age of 71 Mr White continues as Head Groundsman and is also the ‘Club Welfare Officer’ and ‘Bar Purchasing Officer’, he has been an active member of Sissinghurst Cricket Club for 50 years.

Cliff  Clark Harlow CC –  Joined the club in the late 1970’s as a player then took over groundsmanship over twenty five or thirty years ago. During that time as well as improving the wicket, he is enlarging it, ground maintenance he also managed and help build our second cricket ground ten years ago in the adjacent Spicers Field being the other side of our club pavilion. During last winter he also helped build an equipment building and it always finding other bits to do to improve not just the playing area but also the club facilities as well.

Nick Bull North Leeds CC – Nick has tirelessly looked after the ground at North Leeds for several years now, and handles the ever-increasing workload, alongside his day job, impressively. As the volume of junior cricket increases at our club annually, he manages to make sure that wickets are prepared, marked, cut, rolled and the surrounding areas are kept tidy by his team of, mostly retired, volunteers. His efforts have led to our club being awarded the honour of hosting the final of our league’s Waddilove Cup competition for the first time in our 125 year history this season. He’s also instrumental in the creation of a new small ground we’re developing in our old nets area for Under 5, 7 & 9 cricket in memory of an Under 17 cricketer who sadly passed away last year. The Tom Coupe Oval will be our legacy for such a promising youngster who lost his life far too soon.

Martyn Crowther Bradshaw CC – Since taking on the role 4 years ago Martyn has made vast improvements to the ground, especially on the pitch. Martyn has also carried out other invisible improvements, such as replacing drains (saving the club the £1000 quoted for repairs), and aimed to help the environment by planting willow trees along one side to help drainage and improve the aesthetics. He is willing to listen to other team’s groundsmen and act upon their advice. He also puts in many hours that nobody sees, going straight to the ground after work (full time) for several hours, often skipping tea. He gets very little help from the rest of the club.

Martin Woods Wargrave CC – with 30 years of service and overseeing the relaying of the old square 6 years ago the club are now hosting minor counties matches for t20, 50 overs and 4 day games. The guy is a legend for practice wickets on the square to making sure the 70 plus games we host in a season from girls, colts, league, rep matches and sundays

Bob Carder  Stamford School – Bob and his team do an outstanding job on a very limited budget. The dedication and attention to detail Bob sets are extremely high professional standards. The cricket square and outfields are pristine and are mesmerising to look at. It’s groundsmanship taken back to basics and the basics done well.

Craig Keast  Wells Cathedral School Craig has done a truly outstanding job as Head Groundsman at Wells Cathedral School. He is in his 32 year of service and continues to produce superb cricket wickets. Our main cricket pitch, Cedars has 22 cricket strips with the middle 10, which were laid in 1995, built on a stone raft, when the council decided to drive a road through the school playing fields. We now host representative cricket on a regular basis. With views of Wells Cathedral, the pitch is widely regarded as one of the finest in the County. Craig also assisted with the design of the cricket pavilion as well, but that’s another story.

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Groundsman Exhibit At SALTEX 2019

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Groundsman Exhibit At SALTEX 2019: GROUNDSMAN INDUSTRIES were established in 1990, based in Co. Antrim N. Ireland they specialise in the Design and Manufacture of Turf Aerators, Turf-sod Multi Cutters and Sub-surface Irrigation Pipe Insertion Machines distributing around the world.

Groundsman will be presenting this unique range of products on Stand K078 at the SALTEX Exhibition in the NEC Birmingham

Groundsman Exhibit At SALTEX 2019

TURF CUTTING

Three models are available in the new Groundsman TMC range of Two and Four Wheel Drive Turf Cutters. These versatile machines are available for general landscaping or fine turf applications. They have the traction and ability to cut in the extremely tough hard conditions or with precision on fine turf for relaying purposes at Golf Clubs or Turf Farms. The machines are compact, we balanced and easy to operate, the counter-balanced single crank blade-drive system transmit the lowest operator hand arm vibrations (HAV) levels on the market.

The Model TMC26 has two drive-wheels with a caster tail-wheel lockable for straight or curve cutting. The drive wheels are 30cm (12”) diameter for extra traction in compacted conditions, this and the durable simplistic design and ease of operation make this machine a popular choice with Landscape Contractors and Hire Shops.

The Model TMC46 four wheel drive Turf Cutter with rear mounted blade cuts fine turf with precision leaving it unmarked by wheel tracking for relaying purposes at Golf Clubs and Turf Farms. Four wheel drive give this machine exceptional traction and cutting ability to cut in all types of extreme conditions.

A wide range of blades are available for Sod-cutting from 30cm (12″) to 60cm (24″) wide adjustable down to 7cm (3”) depth as well as other blades and attachments including Mole-draining, De-compacting, Trench-cutting to 13cm (5”) depth plus Pipe and Cable Insertion down to 13cm (5”) depth.

IRRIGATION PIPE INSERTION

Groundsman Industries have developed an Irrigation Pipe Insertion machine to insert Dripper-line Irrigation Pipe down to 15cm deep in a one pass operation to provide water directly to the root zone of any grass surface. The trench into which the pipe is inserted is created without removing any soil thereby leaving very little trace on the surface or disruption.

The new model TIM13 Trench Insertion Machine will be on display at SALTEX, it is powered by a 13HP Honda engine and can be fitted with reels of pipe up to 200 meters long.

TURF AERATION

Groundsman offer four models of Pedestrian Turf Aerators and two Tractor Mounting machines plus a wide range of Quick Change Tines, Holders and Accessories including the incredible Flexblade Core Collector which gathers the cores as they are being produced. All the Aerator Machines use Groundsman’s time proven Elliptical Plunge Action, Sealed Bearing Low Maintenance Aeration Mechanism.

Pedestrian Aerators

A Groundsman 345 models are the smallest in the Groundsman pedestrian range, they have a 45cm (18”) swath and use the Groundsman Medium and Heavy Duty three arm aeration mechanisms driven by a 6.5HP engine. The 345MD is a Medium Duty machine is a popular choice with private Bowls Clubs. The 345HD Heavy Duty machine has a long proven record of durability second to none capable of coping with hard and stony ground conditions as well as fine turf. These compact professional machines have an overall width of 80cm (32”) enabling them to access most garden gates. The 345HD can aerate all types of grass surfaces including Gardens, Parklands, Pitches, Fine Lawns and Sports Greens. The crank driven plunge action mechanism will drive the tines into the most compacted of surfaces to a depth of 13cm (5”) with very little surface disruption. Quick change Hollow Core, Solid and Slitting Tines are available plus Cluster Tine Heads for thatch removal or surface preparation for over-seeding. A drop-seeder attachment can be fitted to the aerator machines and a drag-brush to work in conjunction with the Cluster Tines for over-seeding work.

Groundsman Exhibit At SALTEX 2019

The Model 460 is the same as the 346HD but with a 60cm (24”) swath width using a four arm heavy duty aeration mechanism and fitted with a 9HP engine.

Tractor Mounting Aerators

The model 8120CTM is a 120cm (48”) wide compact tractor mounting machine capable of aerating to 15cm (6”) deep. It is uitable for tractors over 18HP and can be fitted with the full range of Groundsman Tines and Quick Change Holders as well as the legendry FLEXBLADE Core Collector.

The Model 12180TM is a 180cm (72”) wide version of the 8120 suitable for tractors over 25HP

CORE COLLECTION

The new Groundsman FLEXBLADE Aeration Soil / Core Collector will be on displaying at SALTEX. The new universal FLEXBLADE range are light weight and available in widths from 60cm (24”) up to 230cm (90”) to fit many types of Pedestrian and Tractor Mounting Aerators to Core and Collect in One Pass as well as Three Point Linkage Compact Tractor or Turf Vehicle mounting for Follow-up Core and Linear Aeration Soil Collection.

GROUNDSMAN FLEXBLADE COLLECTORS are the most cost effective and efficient method of collecting aeration soil saving time and many hours of labour.

With no driven parts they have a Long Service Life with Very Little Maintenance.

For more information visit www.groundsmanindustries.com

Email: info@groundsmanindustries.com

Tel: 028 2766 7049

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Wildflower Turf To Debut Products

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Wildflower Turf To Debut Products: Two innovative new products have just been released by leading UK wild flower specialists, Wildflower Turf Ltd; Meadowscape Pro™ and Wildflower Turf® Finisher.

After several years of research and product testing the Hampshire-based business has announced the launch of Meadowscape Pro™, an enhanced growing medium used by landscape professionals for effective wild flower establishment which has also been used and approved by The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Wildflower Turf To Debut Products

Meadowscape Pro™ allows for the creation of dynamic and biodiverse wild flower spaces in a range of settings with minimal ground preparation, saving time and money.

Extensively tested and enriched with Hydropor™, this specially developed formula supports good water percolation and retention, stabilising the growing medium for much better seed germination compared to more conventional seeding methods.

Meadowscape Pro™ is suitable for a number of different sites and the product delivers optimal seed germination leading to quick, healthy seedling growth.

The Meadowscape Pro™ range will consist of Meadowscape Pro™ Landscape, Meadowscape Pro™ Shade Tolerant, Meadowscape Pro™ Native Enriched, Meadowscape Pro™ Annuals, and Meadowscape Pro™ Species Rich Lawn.

A tailored, bespoke version of Meadowscape Pro™ can also be made available to a more specified brief, in line with individual customer needs.

In conjunction with the launch of Meadowscape Pro™, Wildflower Turf Ltd has also released Wildflower Turf® Finisher after consultation with established landscape contractors.

Wildflower Turf® Finisher is designed to fill joins, edges and small gaps for Wildflower Turf® projects and will eradicate the need for wastage of the Wildflower Turf® product when laying complex areas.

Suitable for application during or after the installation of Wildflower Turf®, this complementary product can be used to dress small bare patches that may have been created within a wild flower meadow design.

Perfect for use around trees, plants and around areas of defined shapes where cutting the Wildflower Turf® becomes more complicated and could create expensive wastage, Wildflower Turf® Finisher will be supplied in convenient 20kg bags that will ensure the highest possible standard of finish to an area of Wildflower Turf®.

Managing Director of Wildflower Turf Ltd, James Hewetson-Brown said, “We are committed to continually improving and widening our product and service offering and supplying our customers with innovative, research-led wildflower solutions. Investment in our on-site Research & Development facility ensures that all our products are rigorously tested and we will continue to pioneer new products that provide guaranteed results.”

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