Poundbury revisited

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Poundbury revisited: During 2020, they undertook significant work on the green space at Poundbury, Dorchester. Situated on Duchy of Cornwall land, the area saw the planting of over 400 trees and 26,000 shrubs and hedging plants.

This was very much a part of Poundbury’s ongoing Great Field development. The project began in 2014 with the building of sports pitches, an outdoor gym, a multi-use games area and the planting of wildflower meadows. The Duchy worked with the People Need Nature charity and local seed supplier, Heritage Seeds, to sow another wildflower meadow in 2020. However, unusually dry periods and exceptionally wet conditions left the new area with problems of compaction and waterlogging. It meant ground conditions had to be improved before any planting and establishment of shrubs, hedging and trees could be done. The meadow had also got off to a slow start.

Poundbury revisited

Poundbury revisited

 

Deep aeration specialists Terrain Aeration were called upon to relieve the compaction and panning on the top half of the field. They brought in their Terralift machines, which work on the principle of hammering a hollow probe one metre deep into the soil, using a JCB road breaker gun; the soil is compact at depth and requires the hammer to break through. At one metre depth, a hydraulic blast of compressed air is released at up to 20Bar (280psi). This fractures the soil, creating fissures. The process is repeated at two-metre intervals on a grid pattern with the fissures interlinking to create a system of aeration and drainage. The Terralift is the only machine which uses such high pressure to enable the process to work. On the tail end of the blast, dried seaweed is injected and this sticks to the walls of the fissures, expanding and contracting with the moisture content in the soil. The probe holes are backfilled with aggregate to maintain the aeration process.

In July 2023, Terrain Aeration revisited Poundbury to see how the Great Field meadows were faring. They found a flourishing panorama of colourful meadows, maturing trees and hedges. The wildflower seed was collected from existing meadows in Purbeck with the local sourcing helping to protect local populations of wildflowers. Ladies’ and Hedge bedstraw, common knapweed, Quaking-grass, Bird’s-foot Trefoil and Kidney Vetch are among the many meadow flowers growing along with Viper’s bugloss in the new field.

Terrain Aeration 01449 673783 www.terrainaeration.co.uk

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A Day of Learning and Networking at Leicester City FC

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A Day of Learning and Networking at Leicester City FC: Leicester City FC Training Ground recently played host to a fantastic gathering of turf professionals.

Turf Science Live, an event organised jointly by ICL and Syngenta, offers a platform for greenkeepers and groundsmen to dive deep into the latest in turf management. The incredible surroundings of Leicester City Football Club’s training facilities made for the perfect backdrop. With over 100 attendees from sporting venues all over the UK, the day was ripe for sharing insights and experiences.

A Day of Learning and Networking at Leicester City FC

A Day of Learning and Networking at Leicester City FC

The day commenced in the impressive press room, setting the tone for the informative sessions that were to follow. Attendees were divided into four groups, ensuring an intimate and comprehensive learning experience. Each group would experience all four designed stations – two in the morning, followed by two post-lunch.

Speaking of lunch, it wasn’t just about satiating hunger. Attendees had the opportunity to showcase their golfing skills, with a “longest drive” and “nearest the pin” putting competition on the site’s golf course, adding a touch of camaraderie and friendly competition to the day.

The seminar’s core, however, was undeniably the four stations:

Station 1: From Research to Results

Dr Andy Owen, International Technical Manager for ICL Growing Solutions, Turf and Landscape Division, and Dr Jonathan Knowles, Head of the Sports Turf Academy at Leicester City Football Club, explained the intricate process of turf research, exploring its nuances and the journey from laboratory findings to real-world applications

Station 2: Environmentally Friendly Outfield Nutrition

In this session, Henry Bechelet, ICL’s Technical Sales Manager for UK and Ireland’s turf and landscape business, discussed the shift towards eco-friendly solutions, highlighting the importance and efficacy of sustainable nutrition for outfield areas.

Station 3: Integrated Turf Pest Management

Glenn Kirby, the Syngenta EAME Technical Services Manager for Turf & Landscape, enlightened attendees on holistic approaches to turf pest control, emphasizing the integration of multiple tactics to achieve optimal results.

Station 4: Biological Tools for Turf Management

Eric Chen, the Syngenta EAME Biologicals Technical Manager for Turf & Ornamentals, presented on the potential of biological tools in turf management.

As the day wrapped up, Ed Carter offered heartfelt gratitude to the team at Leicester City FC for their partnership and for hosting the event. Prizes were awarded to the competition winners and attendees had the opportunity to walk on one of the football pitches.

This marked a memorable end to a day filled with learning and networking. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees is a testament to the event’s success and the relevance of the topics discussed.

As the industry continues to evolve, gatherings like Turf Science Live ensure that professionals stay abreast of the latest developments and best practices in turf management

For more information, please visit www.icl-growingsolutions.uk

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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Six months work experience on Ryder Cup course

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Six months work experience on Ryder Cup course: Four young greenkeepers from around Europe are coming to the end of a unique six-month work experience placement at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, the host of this year’s Ryder Cup. And their stay will culminate in golf’s biggest spectacle, the Cup itself, being held in the last week of September.

The placement scheme was organised by FEGGA, the Federation of European Golf Greenkeeping Associations, and sponsored by CapillaryFlow, the leader in water, carbon dioxide and oxygen management techniques for golf courses and other sports fields, and equipment giant Toro. It is the second time Capillary and FEGGA have combined to give greenkeepers work experience at a Ryder Cup site, but this scheme is very different to the one run at Le Golf National in Paris in 2018.

Six months work experience on Ryder Cup course

Six months work experience on Ryder Cup course

“In Paris, ten greenkeepers came from Europe and ten from the USA, but they were just there for tournament week,” says FEGGA executive officer Dean Cleaver. “Unlike all the other volunteers, who had to pay their own way to Paris, we took care of all our delegations costs for getting there and back. It worked really well, bringing greenkeepers from across the world together. But this programme is on a completely different level.”

The four scholars, Oscar Gummesson from Sweden, Ciaran Killeen from Ireland, Michele Lazzeri from Italy, and Mathis Reboullot from France, have been part of the greenkeeping team at Marco Simone since April, including for the Italian Open in May, and will remain there until the end of the Ryder Cup. “We’ve taken care of their accommodation, gave some help with flying in and out, and there has been regular education throughout the programme,” says Cleaver. “Toro has been and delivered a course on irrigation, Kneale Diamond from CapillaryFlow is going to do one on bunkers, and Alejandro Reyes, who is serving as director of agronomy for Marco Simone, has been educating them on the grass choices that were made for the golf course. It has been a really great experience for them, and I’m confident that what the four of them have learned during the placement will help them go on to become leaders of the greenkeeping community in their countries.”

CapillaryFlow chief executive Martin Sternberg, himself a qualified course superintendent, says: “We were really happy to be involved with the programme in Paris, and are even more so this year. As a company, our mission is to help improve the standard and economics of golf course – and other sports field – presentation, and improving the education of the greenkeepers who take care of those courses is a really important part of that. It’s been a fantastic programme, and I hope our scholars will go home afterwards and remember it as one of the highlights of their careers.”

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No sleepless nights with MM50

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No sleepless nights with MM50: Jamie Foyster, owner of Sportsturf Management, has revealed that he has been sleeping that little bit easier since using MM50 grass seed.

Jamie began maintaining cricket pitches at the age of fifteen and has done so his whole life. In the early years it started as a hobby but in 2012 he acquired Sportsturf Management and has worked full-time on cricket pitches ever since.

No sleepless nights with MM50

No sleepless nights with MM50

Sportsturf Management currently provides all year-round pitch management for four clubs as well as carrying out end of season renovations for approximately twelve more. When Jamie is not providing first class management, installation, and repair of cricket pitches, he somehow finds time to be the Chairman of the Essex County Groundsman Association.

Jamie first turned to MM50 ten years ago after trialling various brands of seed. It was the seed which impressed him the most and he has used it ever since.

MM50 possesses exceptional shoot density along with tolerance to close mowing making it particularly suitable for cricket squares. This superior mix contains the perennial ryegrass cultivars, Singapore, Venice, Alison and Malibu, which are renowned for providing a great sward for cricket use. Singapore is a fantastic cultivar for cricket partly due to its ability to recover from play and wear very quickly meaning that wickets can be back in play quicker after use.

“We use MM50 across all of the grounds we look after,” said Jamie. “For the end of season work we will generally overseed every square – and then during the season, there might be a few ends which need topping up a little bit just to thicken them out. We might also use it later in the season to get the grass back in the foot holes to repair them and level them off.

“In terms of the grass plant the MM50 produces, you get very good root depth and density, which gives it its brilliant wear tolerance. I have one pitch where they had six days of cricket and between the five-foot markers, the important bit in the middle of the pitch, it was still good grass coverage. This shows you how strong the plant is and that’s what you want, because sometimes the weather dictates that you must use a pitch more than you want to.”

MM50 is also treated with HEADSTART® GOLD – a unique seaweed-based seed treatment which helps to ensure rapid and even germination. This tried and tested grass seed treatment helps the seed get off to the best possible start – making it ideal to use in the less than favourable conditions that can sometimes be found on cricket pitches during renovations.

“When there is rain, I can get MM seed up to about an inch within a week and that is without a germination sheet or a pre-seed fertiliser,” continued Jamie. “MM50 germinates really quickly, and you don’t have any sleepless nights.

“We also get great customer service which helps, and Matt Gresty (MM Sales and Brand Manager) is so down to earth. I’m a small customer that doesn’t compare with some of the massive sites that use MM seed, but Matt often calls me to find out how everything is going and is always quick to offer his advice.”

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: @MM_Seed.

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Pioneering the Wildflower Turf Revolution

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Pioneering the Wildflower Turf Revolution: Wildflower Turf Ltd are delighted to celebrate their 20th birthday as the original innovators of Wildflower Turf. Their remarkable journey has seen Wildflower Turf Ltd expand from their Hampshire HQ to Shropshire and Yorkshire.  

This news comes in the wake of many groundbreaking initiatives and accomplishments of the company, including:

Pioneering the Wildflower Turf Revolution

Pioneering the Wildflower Turf Revolution

  • How their first square metre of wildflower turf was discarded, only for it to flourish in the yard one month later!
  • Their first RHS Chelsea Flower Show appearance in 2004.
  • How a green roof above a playhouse in 2004 is now eclipsed by huge projects such as Skelton Lake Services.
  • The highly acclaimed 256-page book ‘How to make a Wildflower Meadow’ by James Hewetson-Brown was released in 2016.
  • In 2023, Wildflower Turf Ltd James Hewetson-Brown was voted onto the GRO (The Green Roof Organisation) board.

To learn more about the 20 year milestone, click here.

About Wildflower Turf Ltd: Founded in 2003, Wildflower Turf Ltd pioneered and developed a soil less growing system which has transformed the concept of turf growing. As the original innovators of Wildflower Turf®, the research laboratory at their Ashe Warren Farm headquarters reinforces them as leading experts in Wildflower spaces, with unwavering commitment to promoting sustainable practices and biodiversity.

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