Suståne gets top marks from Farleigh School

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Suståne gets top marks from Farleigh School: More than a decade on from the switch to an organic feeding programme, the grounds team at Farleigh School in Hampshire are receiving more praise than ever before!

Staff, parents and pupils alike have cited how surfaces across the 70-acre site are providing consistent presentation and performance, despite the challenging climatic conditions, which Grounds Manager and Sports Coach Shaun Crowley attributes to the reliable results from 18-1-8+Fe and 5-2-4+Fe from Suståne.

Suståne gets top marks from Farleigh School

Suståne gets top marks from Farleigh School

“While we weren’t initially pressured to explore the organic route, it was something my predecessor and I were keen on – not just for the environmental benefits but considering the safety element for the children and the flexibility it provided on application rates. We have a packed schedule both during and between term-times so getting feed down without pupils around was challenging” explains Shaun, who has been Sports Coach at Farleigh School since 2011 and took over the role of Grounds Manager three years ago. “Russell Riley from Suståne came in 12 years ago and it became clear that as long as we could catch a bit of favourable weather, we would be able to apply the product more flexibly which has been a great benefit ever since.”

Starting on the cricket squares, before finding uses on the outfields and lawned areas, Shaun and his team of five have found the combination of 18-1-8+Fe and 5-2-4+Fe delivers exactly what they need – namely a kickstart in spring, followed by consistent health, colour and growth without flushes. “We’ll apply the 18-1-8+Fe when the temperatures rise, ideally March or April, to get the cricket surfaces ready for the summer season. We’ll then carry out three to four applications of the 5-2-4+Fe annually which we see as a ‘maintainer’, again on our cricket squares and on our Headmaster’s lawn area.”

Suståne 18-1-8+Fe is a two-part blend combining Suståne organic with urea nitrogen for enhanced and long-lasting colour, ideal for fine turf and sports turf applications, lawns and landscaping. Combining four forms of Nitrogen, including three types of slow-release, 18-1-8+Fe provides economical results over a 12-16 week period. 5-2-4+Fe is the original Suståne formula, providing a mix of nutrients for greater root development, increased soil porosity and stability and even colour and growth. Fully compostable, 5-2-4+Fe has also demonstrated outstanding disease suppression on wide variety of turfgrass diseases, including Red Thread, in trials.

“We know what we need from the Suståne products, we know when and where to apply them, and we know that they work. Russell is also a great person to have on the end of the phone. He pops in to make sure we’re on track and has given us some great advice for improving growth on some of our more problematic heavy-clay areas.” Shaun concludes, “I know it’s a phrase that gets used a lot, but these Suståne fertilisers do exactly what they say on the tin!”

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Cramer 82TBX20 Professional Brush Cutter

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Cramer 82TBX20 Professional Brush Cutter: The Cramer 82TBX20 is an 82V class leading battery brush cutter designed specifically for the professional market, and is the most powerful professional brush cutter Cramer have ever produced.

Offering strong durability thanks to its robust design and use of magnesium components, and unrivalled power and torque from its digital 82V 2.0kW brushless motor, with the Cramer 82TBX20 even the most demanding jobs can be carried out quickly, efficiently and safely.

Cramer 82TBX20 Professional Brush Cutter

Cramer 82TBX20 Professional Brush Cutter

Cramer’s 82V technology rivals an equivalent 40cc petrol trimmer yet has significantly lower running and ownership costs, making it a viable option for any professional user or business.

As well as the cost and performance benefits, the Cramer 82V range offers additional safety in the workplace, with low vibration, low noise, and zero emissions or harmful fumes for the operator when trimming. Additionally, the 82TBX20 features a fully adjustable bike handle and includes an ergonomic harness to ensure operator comfort while working in larger areas.

As part of the Cramer 82V professional line-up, the battery is interchangeable in any of the 82V range from lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, blowers, and even power cutters.

To find your nearest Cramer retailer, go to: www.cramertools.com/gb/en/dealers

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Course manager achieves Master Greenkeeper status

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Course manager achieves Master Greenkeeper status: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) has revealed that Janne Lehto, course manager at Hirsala Golf, has become Finland’s first certified Master Greenkeeper.

Janne, 30, is chairperson of the Finnish Greenkeepers Association and is an agronomist for the Finnish Golf Union. He began his career at Hirsala, before spells at Loch Lomond Golf Club in Scotland and Woodlands Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia. He returned to Hirsala in 2016, before taking on the course manager role in 2017.

Course manager achieves Master Greenkeeper status

Course manager achieves Master Greenkeeper status

Hirsala hosted the Finnish Open in 2011 and 2015, but is also considered one of the most forward-thinking and environmentally conscious golf clubs anywhere. The club is GEO Certified and has worked alongside WWF Finland on a number of projects including wetland management, waterway restoration and marine conservation. Additionally, the club powers machinery using biofuel rather than fossil fuels and both the clubhouse and maintenance facility have solar panels that means all of Hirsala’s electricity needs are fulfilled by the club itself. Fairways and rough are mown by autonomous mowers, each powered by clean energy drawn from the Hirsala’s solar power system.

The Master Greenkeeper Certificate is awarded to those members of BIGGA who have reached the highest standards of greenkeeping and golf course management. Candidates must pass three stages to achieve the certification, including an assessment of golf course operations and a case study and technical examination. They must also have 10 years’ experience as a greenkeeper with at least three years spent in a course manager, head greenkeeper or superintendent position.

“I was pretty thrilled,” said Janne of the moment he received a phone call from BIGGA’s Deb Burnett telling him he had become BIGGA’s 89th Master Greenkeeper. “It was a great feeling to get the process done because I started it over two years ago, but was held up by the COVID-19 pandemic that meant I could not have a course inspection, there being no other Master Greenkeepers in Finland. I started greenkeeping in 2011 and I’m always looking to develop myself and progress my career, so this was the natural next step.”

Head to the BIGGA website for more information about Master Greenkeeper and the other professional qualifications available to greenkeepers.

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Should greenkeepers have priority

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Should greenkeepers have priority: Who should yield first – greenkeepers or players?

Read the full article from National Club Golfer here

Should greenkeepers have priority

Should greenkeepers have priority

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Makita’s hottest new product

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Makita’s hottest new product: Leading tool manufacturer Makita has launched its eagerly anticipated cordless microwave oven. Driven by the company’s powerful 40VMax XGT battery, the new MW001GZ is designed for portability, allowing users to enjoy hot, microwaved meals in minutes, whether on site, on the road, or at leisure.

The 8-litre capacity MW001GZ is powered by one or two 40VMax XGT batteries and is designed to utilise the power sequentially for continuous power when it’s needed.

Makita's hottest new product

Makita’s hottest new product

With two output settings – 500W or 350W, the inner heating area is large enough to fit most microwave containers and provides a continuous heating time of up to 37 minutes (when used with two BL4080F batteries at 500W output).

To withstand tough conditions such as building sites, this compact and durable microwave has been manufactured with a tempered door glass and is dust and water resistant. The appliance also features large carry handles for easy transportation and is also supplied with a carry strap. A USB port is also built-in for charging devices such as mobile phones.

As part of Makita’s XGT battery platform, this exciting product fits in seamlessly with Makita’s expanding XGT power tool collection, enabling users to swap batteries between tasks and switch to the microwave when required.

“As a world-first for Makita, we are thrilled to launch this outstanding new cordless appliance,” said Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita UK. “The new MW001GZ is the perfect jobsite or leisure companion, affording users with a hot, microwaved meal or drink in minutes without the need for sourcing an AC supply or power generators. Thanks to Makita’s powerful XGT battery technology, the microwave delivers great runtimes, so users can heat up food and drinks over a full working day.”

For more information about Makita’s cordless range, visit www.makitauk.com.

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