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ICL Cure Greens At Blackwell GC

April 10, 2018/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

ICL Cure Greens At Blackwell GC: After some shading issues were resolved at the exclusive Blackwell Golf Club located in Worcestershire, Head Greenkeeper Rhys Thomas has since restored the greens back to their full health thanks to a range of fertilizers from ICL. Blackwell Golf Club may well be the most exclusive club in the […]

Eden Project’s Robotic Gardener

April 10, 2018/in Machinery, Press Release/by Alex Halls

Eden Project’s Robotic Gardener: The Eden Project, a popular visitor destination, has added a new member to its horticultural team this spring. Husqvarna Automower®, a robotic lawnmower which works unassisted throughout the day and night, has been installed at the Cornwall site to maintain the grounds surrounding the famous iconic bubble-like Biomes. Nestled in a huge […]

ICL Cure Greens At Blackwell GC

April 10, 2018/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Eden Project’s Robotic Gardener

April 10, 2018/in Machinery, Press Release/by Alex Halls

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ICL Cure Greens At Blackwell GC

April 10, 2018/in News, Press Release/by Lucy Nicholls

Blackwell Golf Club may well be the most exclusive club in the Midlands. With approximately 170 members, but despite the club always having a small membership, it has never stopped the club from achieving. In fact, Blackwell has been ranked in the top 100 UK courses for a number of years, boasts three English Amateur Champions, has hosted the Open Championship Regional Qualifying Event six times and was home to the Midland Boys Championship, won one year by a 14 year old Sandy Lyle.

Blackwell Golf Club will be celebrating its 125th centenary and throughout that time the course hasn’t changed much from the original 18 hole design. The truth is – it hasn’t really needed to, which is perhaps testament to the vision of Herbert Fowler and Tom Simpson who designed the course in 1923.

“Following a ecology report from the STRI (Sports Turf Research Institute), we decided to remove the trees around the greens and tees that had been planted 50 years ago,” says Rhys. “The trees had had little maintenance and the greens were in the shade and we’d struggle to get growth through the winter. Obviously, they would have a lot of wear during the summer and they never had an opportunity to recover.”

After the trees were removed, it was apparent that the greens would need a lot of attention after being in the shade for such a long time. Disease had crept in, which had resulted in a few scars and damage, and in Rhys’ own words – “If someone has a cold or is ill and they don’t take any medicine, then they don’t get any better. It’s the same with the greens – they need good products to keep them healthy.”

“ICL’s Greenmaster Pro-Lite Cold Start is great for the spring,” Rhys continues. “We know that the greens will kick-off immediately once we get it applied in March. Previously, members used to say the greens were not playing well until June. The right products are being used now and the members have certainly noticed the difference.”

Rhys was also quick to highlight Sierraform GT K-STEP 6-0-27+2MgO+TE, which has a high potassium content to harden the turf in particularly stressful winter conditions.

“In January or February, we turn to Sierraform GT K-STEP which trickles along nicely and we normally get a good amount of growth following application. We may also re-apply it in March if we are doing some renovation work just to give us a bit of recovery.

“Because of the microclimate we have here at Blackwell, it does make it hard to have a strict programme in place – we just have to judge it as and when. But I’ve been using ICL products for a long time and I use them because I know how they work and I can judge the timing of the fertilizers.

“The ICL fertilizers have significantly improved the greens because they are a lot healthier now.

On hand to offer Rhys all-year-round assistance is ICL’s Emma Kilby and he revealed that she has been instrumental in helping him bring the greens back to the standard expected by Blackwell members.

“I have a great relationship with Emma and she is always available if I need her.

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

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Eden Project’s Robotic Gardener

April 10, 2018/in Machinery, Press Release/by Alex Halls

Eden Project’s Robotic Gardener: The Eden Project, a popular visitor destination, has added a new member to its horticultural team this spring.

Husqvarna Automower®, a robotic lawnmower which works unassisted throughout the day and night, has been installed at the Cornwall site to maintain the grounds surrounding the famous iconic bubble-like Biomes.

Nestled in a huge crater the size of 30 football pitches, the Eden Project Horticultural team have a job on their hands keeping the lawns in immaculate condition all year round. To help save time, the team turned to Husqvarna for an eco-friendly solution.

Kevin Ashmore, Husqvarna Professional UK Manager said: “With sustainability at the heart of the Eden Project it was important that whatever solution we provided was as eco-friendly as possible and Husqvarna Automower® fits the bill.”

With over one million visitors a year, the Eden Project was impressed with Husqvarna’s battery ranges and the low noise and zero-emission features of Husqvarna Automower®.

Kevin added: “One of the key decision makers for the Eden Project was that Automower® could be programmed to run through the night so as not to impact on any visitors during the day.”

Niki Hall, Specialist Horticulturist at the Eden Project said: “Husqvarna Automower® brings fantastic benefits to our team. The arena is now in top condition and this allows more time for the horticulture team to spend in other areas rather than cutting the lawns. It is quiet and unobtrusive, though very funky – like a Formula One mower. It has no emissions and low energy consumption. It can also be used in all weathers.”

How does it work?

Husqvarna Automower® works via the installation of an electrical boundary wire around the desired cutting area. With a range of models capable of managing lawn sizes up to 5,000m² in any weather, Husqvarna Automower® can tackle even the most complex of lawns, including those with rough terrain and slopes up to 45%. For areas above 5,000m² more than one machine can be used to increase area coverage.

Cutting just a few millimetres of grass at a time, Automower® keeps lawns neat and healthy by distributing small grass clippings back into the lawn to act as a natural fertiliser. This means there is no need for the collection and disposal of grass clippings.

Husqvarna has been the world leader in robotic lawnmowers since it pioneered the technology in 1995, constantly refining and improving its machines to fit the needs of consumers. Today’s Automower® can work in rain or shine, day or night. Its clever system allows it to cut the lawn in random directions, making sure that each square foot is covered. When the mower’s charge runs low, it returns to its charging bay unassisted, meaning lawns become a hassle-free environment, affording you spare time to do other things.

To learn more about the Husqvarna Automower® range, visit: http://www.husqvarna.com/uk/products/robotic-lawn-mowers/

For the latest industry news visit turfmatters.co.uk/news

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

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You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

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ICL Cure Greens At Blackwell GC

Eden Project’s Robotic Gardener

ICL Cure Greens At Blackwell GC

Eden Project’s Robotic Gardener

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ICL Cure Greens At Blackwell GC

Eden Project’s Robotic Gardener

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