Year round use for Valdor Flex

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Year round use for Valdor Flex: The residual herbicide, Valdor Flex®, has received a label update, extending usage periods and application areas, providing contractors with an opportunity to adopt a flexible approach to weed control.

Lewis Blois, Bayer’s amenity specialist, says this updated authorisation will allow contractors to adapt their approach depending on weather conditions and weed growth, so they can manage weeds in public spaces effectively and efficiently.

Year round use for Valdor Flex

Year round use for Valdor Flex

“Valdor Flex® can now be used on amenity vegetation (around), permitting applications to be made around the base of trees, shrubs and other plants in amenity areas, allowing this herbicide to be used in a wider range of situations,” he adds.

In addition, this product could previously only be used from February to June, however the application window extension allows Valdor Flex® to be used year-round.

“The new year-round application period allows users to take a different approach and adapt their herbicide programme depending on the weather conditions and weed growth.

“For example, this may mean using Valdor Flex® as a residual control in August to prevent weed growth in the autumn, rather than a spring application of the product in conjunction with Roundup® earlier in the season,” says Lewis.

Valdor Flex® is also a great tool to help with resistance management, as it contains two active ingredients with different modes of action.

“This herbicide prevents the emergence of a broad spectrum of weeds for up to four months, reducing the frequency of traditional applications. It provides residual control of the hardest to manage weeds on a wide range of surfaces, allowing contractors to keep public spaces weed free,” he explains.

Valdor Flex® can be used as a pre or post emergence application “It can be applied alone on bare ground before weeds emerge or if weeds are already present, it can be mixed with Roundup® ProActive or ProVantage which provides the initial knockdown.”

To benefit from these extensions of use, contractors must be using the new product with the updated label.

“These changes to the use of Valdor Flex® will allow amenity contractors to take a flexible approach to weed control, by adapting their herbicide programme to suit weather conditions and weed growth, ensuring they keep weeds at bay in public spaces,” concludes Lewis.

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EGO partners with Lantra

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EGO partners with Lantra: EGO has partnered with training provider Lantra to deliver professional courses for battery-powered outdoor power equipment.

Lantra is one of the UK and Ireland’s leading awarding bodies for land-based industries, developing training courses and nationally recognised qualifications that are delivered through a network of 384 Training Provider Partners.

EGO partners with Lantra

EGO partners with Lantra

With the industry seeing unprecedented demand for alternatives to petrol powered equipment, Lantra has launched the course which teaches students how to productively use battery-powered equipment. The course will also cover the safe maintenance and use of hand-held battery-powered equipment such as mowers, chainsaws, pole saws, hedge trimmers, brush cutters, line trimmers and leaf blowers.

As part of the partnership, EGO is providing Lantra’s training partners with a range of battery-powered equipment including lawnmowers, leaf blowers and chainsaws. These tools will be used as part of the course to teach users about safe operation and maintenance of battery equipment and satisfy the hands-on nature of Lantra’s courses.

David Fisher, Head of Industry Partnerships at Lantra: “Battery-powered equipment is undoubtedly growing in its usage and appeal. This is why we felt it important to deliver a course that ensures users feel confident in using and maintaining these tools efficiently and safely. We’re delighted to partner with EGO and the equipment that has been provided will be of great use to our training partners when delivering these courses.

Peter Melrose, Managing Director EMEA at EGO, said: “With the industry’s attitudes to petrol changing rapidly, we are proud to announce this partnership with Lantra as they aim to increase education on battery-powered equipment. The switch to battery-powered equipment naturally comes with a level of anxiety for many users, particularly those who have used petrol long term. This course enables both industry newcomers and seasoned industry professionals to gain a better understanding of the next generation of products.”

Find out more at egopowerplus.co.uk

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Donate Your PPE

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Donate Your PPE: We talk about how the worst situations bring out the best in people – how a problem is just something awaiting a solution.

The current immense strain on the Health and Social care services has seen front line workers going into work without sufficient or approved kit, and while we can all shout about how wrong it is few us do more than just that – shout.

Donate Your PPE

Donate Your PPE

Some, however, look for those solutions. Michael Buick, for example. Michael, a furniture maker with a partner on the front line working as an intensive care nurse, set up Donate your PPE in an effort to ensure no spare stocks of equipment were left sitting in cupboards in work places that were no longer at work. Brilliant!

Peter Craig, Grounds and Gardens Manager at The Lensbury Teddington, was also thinking about what his industry could do.

“We all have a lot of PPE in our facilities and many of us are not working to full capacity at the moment. My thought was that this resource could be put to immediate use to help the greater cause. I felt that we could look to see how much of it we could donate to people in need of it now,” explained Peter.

“I’m thinking mainly of face masks and the plastic gloves that we use when applying chemicals but some of us may have other PPE which would be appropriate in certain situations.”

Peter is well aware that “it is not ours to give away” and that approval must be sought from line managers before making a donation.

“We see on television and read in the press  that many social carers are having to make home visits without suitable PPE and perhaps some of what we have in our store rooms could be of real help,” said Peter.

You must also ensure that when we are back, once again, operating at full capacity you are not having to wait until new supplies of PPE are delivered to be able to carry out certain tasks.

So let’s show our industry in a positive light in these less than positive times and check to see what can be donated to the cause.

www.donateyourppe.uk

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82V Cramer cordless commercial range

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82V Cramer cordless commercial range: 2020 sees the official launch of the Cramer 82V Commercial range of machinery, with over 30 commercial garden products designed specifically for the professional user and one of the most comprehensive and competitive ranges in today’s market.

The new range offers market leading performance, with innovative features such as Magnesium components, Fleet connectivity, and ultra-high torque motors to offer true petrol rivalling performance for a fraction of the running costs and with no emissions.

82V Cramer cordless commercial range

82V Cramer cordless commercial range

 

‘Cramer has built a strong reputation in Europe for producing high quality commercial horticultural products. Following the development of the 82V range we can now offer

a complete solution for commercial users in the U.K. that are looking for a cordless range, where emissions, performance, affordability and choice are important.’ said Alan Wilson, Handy Distributions Cramer Specialist, UK distributor for Cramer.

The range includes both on-board and backpack battery solutions, and a comprehensive range of handheld equipment including chainsaws, blowers, hedge trimmers, grass trimmers, brush cutters, multi-tools, and hand pruners. Walk behind products include sweepers, utility carts, and lawnmowers up to 61cm (twin blade).

For more information on the range or to find your nearest stockist, call us now on 01793 333220 or visit www.cramertools.com

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Groundsman’s sense of normality

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Groundsman’s sense of normality: Amid all the uncertainty brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, it is reassuring to know that some routines have hardly changed.

“The grass doesn’t stop for coronavirus,” Scott Humphries, groundsman at Oxford United’s training ground says.

This is the start of the third week without players working on the pitches at the club’s headquarters near Horspath.

But while the squad are cooped up, Humphries cannot work from home.

Instead, he is isolated in his tractor, trundling up and down the vast expanse of green, keeping it in shape for when the season can restart.

He said: “It’s just about giving the pitches some tender loving care.

“Grass is like a human, it requires food, drink and oxygen.

“People don’t see it like that, but to me it’s my second baby.”

Other than not marking out the pitches, his job has barely changed in the last fortnight.

The lack of wear and tear, coupled with the sudden burst of sunshine, has helped restore the pitches to pristine condition.

But there is a snag to this unscheduled break, which is centred around just how long life will be on hold.

Groundstaff count on the long summer break to give them enough time to undertake essential major pitch renovation works.

But with the current campaign set to be extended, it is likely the gap between seasons will be shorter.

Humphries said: “We all need a holiday now and again because otherwise we burn out – and pitches are no different.

“You would normally rip the surface off and then it’s about six weeks to grow.

“The training pitch is vital, especially with the way our boys want to play.

“The community use the facilities as well and you want them to have a good surface when they’re allowed to come out.

“It’s so frustrating because we can’t plan anything – and it needs to be ready for Championship players next season.”

A lifelong United fan, Humphries has lived the dream since arriving in August 2017.

And although he is working separately to the rest of the club at the moment, the connection is still there.

“Derek Fazackerley (first team coach) rang me up the other night, just to see how things were,” he said.

“That’s brilliant and it just makes you feel part of it.

“Faz is a football legend and he’s taken ten minutes out to give me a ring.

“It’s the club I love and you are always going to go the extra mile in that situation.

“It’s brilliant to see it on the Saturday. At 5pm you can say ‘I’ve played a little part in that’.”

In that context, the current situation – surrounded by pitches, but without any football – is torture.

“I can’t wait for football to be back,” he said.

“I just keep thinking about that first game and how much we’ll all be looking forward to it.

“We took a Tuesday night in Rochdale for granted, but everyone will be buzzing to go now.”

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