Consider chipper maintenance this nesting season

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Consider chipper maintenance this nesting season: After a busy winters work, operating in all weathers and ground conditions, nesting season provides the ideal opportunity to consider giving your woodchipper some well-needed TLC!

GreenMech offer operators some top tips on simple, routine maintenance to consider conducting over the summer months to prevent costly repairs and downtime.

Consider chipper maintenance this nesting season

Consider chipper maintenance this nesting season

Looking firstly at towed woodchippers. If you’ve been working in dusty environments, check and clean radiators and filters to ensure water-cooled engines retain adequate airflow to perform effectively. If your engine is air-cooled, the engine inspection panels and any debris should be removed to prevent any ‘hot spotting’ of the cylinders. Like a vehicle, fluid levels should be monitored to maintain the operational integrity of your chipper. If the radiator has a header tank, check the level in the radiator and change the fluids/filters as instructed in the machine manual.

Grease the chipper as per the manufacturer’s instructions and inspect all safety features such as the control bar and cut-out switches to ensure these are working as intended. Sharpen the blades to avoid the transfer of shock loads into the bearings – a good edge on the shear bar/anvil is also needed for efficient chipping. As obvious as it may seem, give the chipper a wash down! Keeping your investment clean will help to prevent degradation of the paint from residual dirt and salt.

While inspecting your towed chipper, don’t forget the trailer. Ensure the brakes, lights, floor, ramps, securing points and tyres (including the jockey wheel) are all in good, road-legal condition.

For tracked woodchippers, all of the above tips also apply. In addition, ensure that the tracks are in good order, with no visible signs of damage and that tracking components and controls are operating as intended. Next, double check the toolbox – if you needed to refit a lost track as per the manufacturer’s instructions, would you have the right tools to do so? Finally, check the condition of any additional accessories, particularly winches which should be equipped with quality rope in good condition.

Those operating a tractor mounted/powered woodchipper will note that many of the pointers already listed will be applicable to both the chipper and the tractor. In this scenario, you’ll also want to ensure that the correct specification PTO shaft is fitted, in good order and with the correct guarding. Some have a ‘slip clutch’ which will need to be set at the correct torque settings. Others may need a ‘shear bolt lobe’, so check you have some spare bolts in the toolbox.

Check the hydraulic hoses are correctly fitted and that the in-cab controls are working as they should. If a 12v supply is needed to run the ‘No Stress’ device or beacon, ensure that the correct light cable is refitted if the tractor is intended for highway use. Finally, grease as required – not forgetting the UJ spiders and plastic guards covering the shaft.

More details can be found within GreenMech operator manuals or by speaking to your local approved dealer. To find your nearest GreenMech expert, visit www.greenmech.co.uk 

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Sustainable relationship and machinery for Gullane

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Sustainable relationship and machinery for Gullane: A sustainable relationship is one that is easy to maintain and doesn’t feel like hard work – and that’s certainly something Gullane Golf Club, one of Scotland’s most prestigious members clubs, and Toro know something about as their relationship nears its third decade. 

The reason for this enduring and continued success is, according to the club, down to the attention to detail the machinery provides in creating the best possible conditions for the fast-draining Scottish links microclimate.

Sustainable relationship and machinery for Gullane

Sustainable relationship and machinery for Gullane

Course Manager Paul Armour, who has been at the club for 20 months but is aware of the ‘Toro effect’ from his time as Supervisor on the Old Course at St Andrews, explains why the relationship has stood the test of time: “The quality of product and the brand’s obvious role as the market leader are instrumental. But it’s as much the relationship with Reesink Scotland too which has been built up over time and works well for both Toro and Gullane.”

As the club receives its latest fleet order there’s an obvious focus on sustainable machinery to align with the club’s overall ethos says Paul: “Gullane as a club strives to be as sustainable as possible, whether that is reducing diesel use or recycling materials onsite. The plan is to have as many electric machines as possible and for all our hand mowers, utility vehicles and triplexes to be electric in the next couple of years.”

It’s a plan already well in play. Three years ago, the club invested in five Toro Workman GTX Lithium utility vehicles and has been so impressed with their performance it has invested in another four bringing it to a total of nine.

Paul explains how they have proved themselves so thoroughly in that time: “The GTX machines have been a massive success here at Gullane. They have coped well with the terrain, and we have found them useful for most tasks thanks to being able to load the back and tow. That covers most jobs we throw at them such as transporting raking bunkers, changing holes, pulling greens and tees mower trailers, divoting fairways and building bunkers – and they have an impressive longevity of charge.”

Similarly, the club’s five all-electric Toro Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 greensmowers collection is about to become eight. Paul says the obvious answer as to why he’s almost doubling the numbers of this machine is the minimal noise.

“With the golf course bordering the village these machines have meant we can be more efficient earlier in the morning,” he says. “Plus, we save on fuel, but still get the same quality of cut as a diesel mower.”

Neil Mackenzie from Toro distributor Reesink Scotland says: “The Toro’s Greensmaster eTriFlex 3370 with its lithium-ion battery was first to market and we’re seeing its popularity increasing year on year as clubs embrace the benefits of running a much quieter greens mower with zero exhaust emissions and no hydraulic fluid. With these mowers a burst hose is a thing of the past and lower maintenance costs come as standard.”

Despite the increase in fleet numbers of battery powered equipment, there’s little infrastructure accommodations that have had to be made confirms Paul: “We haven’t had to change too much in the shed. We’ve added individual charging points for each machine just in case we have any points trip, but that’s just a contingency.”

These sustainable machinery choices form part of a bigger sustainability plan as Paul explains: “The long-term plan is to cover as much of our electric costs as possible with the installation of solar panels on the equipment shed. We’re in discussions about that now.”

It appears the long-term plan is to continue sustaining its relationship with Reesink too, as Paul concludes: “I’ve really enjoyed building a relationship with Reesink. Our sales representative Neil Mackenzie has been great to deal with, he keeps in touch with any queries or issues that may arise, and the servicing and parts teams are great too, always available when I need them and on the other end of the phone.”

That certainly defines a sustainable relationship!

Discover how choosing Toro could benefit your course by calling distributor Reesink Turfcare at 01480 226800, emailing info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk or visiting reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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How to Stop Surface Compaction Killing Your Turf

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How to Stop Surface Compaction Killing Your Turf: In drought conditions, compacted turf is your worst enemy. It seals the surface, blocking irrigation water from reaching roots, and accelerating turf stress. Then when it does rain, you get a surface full of puddles that eventually evaporate off with little benefit to the turf roots. 

Regular surface aeration is therefore crucial, and GreenTek has a wide range of specialised equipment to help with this.  Here we will look at the various options in detail.

How to Stop Surface Compaction Killing Your Turf

How to Stop Surface Compaction Killing Your Turf

Sarel Rolling

This is a long-proven technique, using spiked rollers to prick through the turf surface and enable entry of air, water, wetting agents, and nutrients into the root-zone.  GreenTek offers three Sarel-Roller options:

Triplex mounted

The Thatch-Away Supa-System units take a wide range of interchangeable turf maintenance attachments including Sarel-Roller Cassettes.  The three separate units give a working width of 1.5m, which combined with the greensmower’s speed and manoeuvrability makes this the most popular option for the majority of golf clubs.

Tractor mounted

Some golf clubs, and also other sports clubs, prefer to operate their Sarel-Roller on the back of a compact tractor or utility vehicle like the Pro Gator or Workman.  The popular 1.6m Tractor Mounted Sarel-Roller is ideal for greens and tees.

However, for larger areas such as golf fairways, and sports complexes with multiple pitches, the Multi-Sarel is ideal.  Its three hydraulically folding units give a massive 5.4m working width, enabling 18 fairways or multiple pitches to be sarel-rolled in just a matter of hours.

Alternatives for extreme conditions

If your golf greens have got so hard that not even sarel-rollers will penetrate, there are two further options from GreenTek’s Dynamics range to help solve your problem.

Dyna-Spiker

The Dyna-Spiker units fit to your greens triplex and have extra long slitting spikes which are powerfully driven into the turf.  The mower’s hydraulic or electric motors drive an eccentric camshaft, causing the spikes to vibrate and penetrate deep into the surface, breaking open compaction and allowing entry for vital water, wetting agents, and nutrients.

Dyna-Corer

The other member of the Dynamics range, the Dyna-Corer units, also fit to your greens triplex, and these have a punch action with interchangeable tines.  Most commonly used with hollow core tines for year-round micro-coring and thatch removal, in dry weather these can be swapped for solid needle tines to open the surface up without disturbance.

Survival

The key to surviving drought conditions is to take action quickly!  Don’t wait till your grass is dying before you act.  Opening up the surface is an immediate priority.  Then when heavy rain does inevitably come, your surfaces will drain freely without puddles, and the turf roots will get maximum benefit form the precious water.

Maintaining an open surface through the summer protects your turf health, and saves the need for extensive remedial and reseeding work later in the season.

GreenTek provides a full range of aeration equipment which can be viewed here.

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‘The Subaru Cocoon’ Garden to be unveiled

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‘The Subaru Cocoon’ Garden to be unveiled: Subaru UK & Ireland is set to unveil ‘The Subaru Cocoon’ garden at the prestigious RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2025, which runs from 1st- 6th July.

The installation, created by award-winning designers Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews of Mike McMahon Studio, with the Subaru Cocoon Garden reflecting a sculptural, sensory refuge, inspired by the UK and Ireland’s vanishing temperate rainforests.

'The Subaru Cocoon' Garden to be unveiled

‘The Subaru Cocoon’ Garden to be unveiled

Once covering 20% of Britain, these lush, biodiverse ecosystems have now dwindled to less than 1%, making them one of the UK’s most threatened habitats. The Subaru Cocoon draws attention to this quiet crisis, reimagining the traditional walled garden as a sanctuary of both protection and ecological memory.

The display will sit in a prominent position within the historic grounds of Hampton Court Palace. The six-day festival is expected to welcome over 140,000 horticultural enthusiasts to the Palace gardens in west London for a celebration of garden designs, floral displays, and a wide range of other family-friendly activities.

Lorraine Bishton, Managing Director at Subaru UK & Ireland said: “The Subaru Cocoon’ garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival supports our commitments to safety and sustainability, whilst showcasing this beautiful, but threatened native habitat.

We know our customers also have a strong connection to nature and are engaged with initiatives that raise awareness of environmental responsibility.

We are delighted that following the show, the garden will provide a legacy supporting the inspirational charity Horatio’s Garden.”

The Cocoon garden reflects Subaru’s commitment to sustainability, care, and considered movement – values shared across both brand and garden installation. Just as Subaru supports responsible exploration through electric innovation, with the zero-tailpipe emission, all-wheel-drive Subaru Solterra, the garden offers a place of refuge that treads lightly on the land. Both prioritise harmony with the natural world. At their core, they both share a quiet belief in elegant, considered design to live better, prioritising awareness and beauty while simultaneously minimising unwanted impact.

The Subaru Cocoon Garden features a striking curved Jali wall – a perforated architectural screen that honours co-designer Jewlsy Mathews’ South Indian heritage – made from 4,500 innovative Kenoteq K-Briqs. These revolutionary building materials are manufactured from over 95% recycled construction waste and emit 95% less carbon than traditional fired bricks. The Jali wall doubles as a super-sized ‘insect hotel’, its porous structure supporting microhabitats across the site. By using sustainable bricks, the garden project has diverted 9.45 tonnes of construction waste from landfill and saved 1,972 kg of CO₂ emissions – equivalent to the amount of CO2 80 mature trees would absorb over a full year. This innovative approach to biodiversity follows Mike McMahon Studio’s RHS Chelsea Gold Medal-winning garden in 2024.

In lieu of a traditional walled garden door, a reflective water threshold —a symbolic cleansing—leads into a cool, immersive landscape of texture and shadow. Cantilevered fallen tree trunks hover dramatically above the wall, planted with native epiphytes in a bold interpretation of the forest’s “chop-and-drop” cycle, where decaying wood returns nutrients to the soil. The planting scheme features exclusively native species from the UK and Ireland, including thirteen species of fern, Silver Birch, and Scots Pine, structured in forest-like layers to celebrate the rich biodiversity of Britain’s temperate rainforests.

Mike McMahon of Mike McMahon Studio said: “The UK and Ireland’s temperate rainforest is a landscape that’s both ecologically rich and tragically overlooked – something we wanted to highlight with the Subaru Cocoon Garden. This type of installation has never been created at Hampton Court Palace before; it felt like the right moment to highlight the fragile epiphytes and micro-ecosystems that thrive in these endangered environments.”

“The garden is enveloped by a circular brick jali wall that frames the plants, plays with light and shadow, and invites you to look through and around, like you’re glimpsing through trees. Sustainability isn’t an add-on, it’s embedded in every decision we’ve made, from using zero concrete to ensuring all elements are reusable or relocatable once the show ends.”

As part of Subaru’s commitment to sustainability, the garden will be given a second life after the festival with plans to repurpose it to Horatio’s Garden charity, ensuring the installation continues to inspire and provide a place to nurture the wellbeing of people beyond the event.

For more information on the Subaru range, including the all-electric Solterra, visit www.subaru.co.uk

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Agrigem drives profitability with Orderwise

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Agrigem drives profitability with Orderwise: Agrigem, one of the UK’s biggest distributors of plant protection products, has grown turnover by 80% and increased profit margins by 40% after adopting Forterro’s ERP and Warehouse Management Solution, Orderwise.

Agrigem offers thousands of products, including weed killer, moss killer, fertiliser, grass seed, biological controls, and equipment to homeowners, and those working in the horticulture, equine, forestry, sports and amenity sectors. Given the breadth and depth of its product range, Agrigem needed to streamline operations by managing these product lines, multiple payment methods and different customer requirements, which had previously been a significant challenge.

Agrigem drives profitability with Orderwise

Agrigem drives profitability with Orderwise

“We were in desperate need of greater efficiencies and to streamline our processes,” said Dave Best, Operations Director, Agrigem. “We had ambitious growth plans, and the set-up at the time was not going to support that growth. Not only is Orderwise inherently scalable but it has all the functionality we required to get on top of our operational organisation.”

Orderwise is an ERP solution deployed by wholesalers, distributors, retailers, manufacturers, and other businesses with complex requirements. It helps connect processes, optimise workflows, and revolutionise stock management.

It reduced the need for Agrigem to take on additional administrative resources as it grew by automating report generation, data imports, and other manual tasks. Furthermore, by having data presented automatically, Orderwise allowed them to make critical decisions faster and more efficiently, contributing to overall business growth.

“Investing in the right technology can set a business up for long-term success, and Orderwise undoubtedly falls into that category,” continued Dave Best, Agrigem. “It takes away unnecessary decision-making and reduces reliance on manual processes, both of which have been highly beneficial to our ongoing growth trajectory. It has also made it much easier for us to offer overnight delivery throughout the UK, which is critical for customers.”

Since implementing Orderwise, Agrigem has also benefited from complete visibility into its operational metrics. This allows the company to act quickly and effectively, such as adjusting pricing or changing product ranges, thereby avoiding delays that could impact the business negatively.

“When customers use our technology in this way, we feel like we have made a major contribution to their growth,” said Tom Price, Director, Forterro. “Orderwise is especially suited to retailers, manufacturers and wholesalers. It’s very much our core user base, and we are constantly and iteratively improving the product based on the ongoing feedback we get from customers. Agrigem is a leader in its field and precisely the type of business we love to work with.”

Read the full case study: https://orderwise.co.uk/en/resource/agrigem

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