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New fleet gives The Blackwood a boost

New fleet gives The Blackwood a boost: A switch in management policies at one of Northern Ireland’s leading golf clubs has resulted in a major £160,000 investment in new John Deere course maintenance equipment.

The Blackwood Golf Centre is situated in the heart of the Clandeboye Estate’s beautiful parklands, just at the top of the Ards Peninsula in County Down. Extending to 240ha, the club runs two 18-hole courses including the par 54 Temple and the par 71 championship Hamilton, plus a 26-bay floodlit driving range, putting green and short game area.

New fleet gives The Blackwood a boost

New fleet gives The Blackwood a boost

Historically the club has predominantly used John Deere machines, but some of the fleet had been faithful workhorses for the past 18 years and so were becoming quite aged. Last August the club underwent some fundamental changes, which included enlisting the help of independent golf management consultant Paul Gray, who has taken on the contract to manage the club.

One of Paul’s first changes was to upgrade the John Deere equipment fleet, directly liaising with course manager Jonny Eager and Ricky Neill, sales manager at the local John Deere turf dealer Johnston Gilpin & Co Ltd.

With the help of a five-year John Deere Financial package, the club bought a John Deere 8900A PrecisionCut fairway mower, 2500E hybrid electric greens triplex mower, 2653B PrecisionCut tees & surrounds triplex mower and two TH 6×4 Gator utility vehicles. Also included in the purchase were a Trimax Snake articulating rotary mower and a Buffalo debris blower.

Course manager Jonny Eager is very pleased with the new fleet and says the machines have boosted production and efficiency. “We have been using John Deere machines at The Blackwood since 2003 and have always found them very reliable and easy to use.

“With this new deal we replaced two of our older Gators with the TH 6x4s, while the rest of the machines are additions to the fleet, which now consists of 12 John Deere machines in total. They do a great job and the backup we receive from the dealer is first class. All round we think they represent longevity and good value for money.”

Blackwood Golf Centre consultant manager Paul Gray adds: “Machinery replacement in the past had been fairly neglected here, so one of the first changes I made was to embark on a new replacement programme, starting with this financed machinery purchase deal.

“Since changing to the new machines this season, members have been full of praise for how the courses look and play. Given the really difficult spring we had in terms of weather, the members have really complimented the staff for the excellent conditions the courses are in.”

“Part of the deal included full training for The Blackwood’s own mechanic, who came up to the dealership and spent some time with one of our technicians to learn how all the machines are assembled, used and operated,” explains Ricky Neill.

“We are very keen for the greenkeeping team to carry out all their own regular servicing and maintenance, with support from our expert technicians should they require it. Our dealership at Lisburn has had a good relationship over the years with The Blackwood Golf Centre, and we are here to assist them with any future machinery requirements as the club develops.”

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Technology for a cleaner cut

Technology for a cleaner cut: In order to create the best quality lawn for your customers, turf health is paramount and one of the key things that can help ensure the best turf condition possible is technology in the form of an electronic fuel injection (EFI) engine from Kawasaki.

Mowing is one of the most important aspects of maintaining a good quality lawn and having the right technology can largely determine the success or failure of it, says Lee Skinner, head of sales, Kawasaki Motors Europe: “We’re so often asked what the main thing professional gardeners, landscapers and groundsmen can do to ensure the best possible condition of their turf and the simple answer is to invest in technology.”

Technology for a cleaner cut

Technology for a cleaner cut

Kawasaki now offer five EFI models in their line-up from the FS730V EFI, part of their mid-range commercial series, right up to the FX1000V EFI, the most powerful in Kawasaki’s line-up. These have earned unrivalled support from mowing professionals for their ability to maintain optimal blade tip speed regardless of lawn conditions.

An electronic fuel injection system is a key component to achieving clean-cut mowing. It works with the control system of the electronic throttle to inject fuel in a highly precise manner to maximise output and fuel efficiency. As a result, the engine’s rpm remains unchanged and good operational efficiency is maintained even if the load fluctuates.

Lee continues: “If an engine gets overloaded and blade tip rotation slows when trimming overgrown grass or working on a slope, the mower will fail to produce a sharp cut, no matter how sharp the actual blades are. If a mower’s speed and blade rotation are unaffected by changes in load ー that is, if the engine’s rpm remains stable ー the grass will be cut cleanly.

“The instant throttle response of a Kawasaki EFI engine eliminates engine speed ‘drop’ and allows constant machine operation for a more consistent cut over heavy turf, tall grass and up steep hills. Plus, blade speed holds steady giving a cleaner cut on the first pass.”

In practise how does the technology of the engine affect turf health? Lee says: “Keeping a smooth consistent pace when cutting is key, applicable to all mowing equipment, walk-behind mowers and ride-ons. Start-stop and faltering that lingers over areas is not desirable. This is where good engine governing benefits like the EFI engine, electronically governed for instant reaction to throttle input, drastically reduces engine speed slow-down and in extreme cases, stalling.”

It’s not just the EFI technology that brings a better cut from a Kawasaki engine though as Lee concludes: “The premium build quality of Kawasaki engines lends itself to a strong, robust performance in a wide range of environments. We have an engine range that covers almost every aspect of equipment needs for an operator to maintain turf to the highest level, whatever the landscape and wherever they are in Europe.”

To find out more about Kawasaki’s full engine range, including EFI visit https://www.kawasaki-engines.eu/en/

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Book a demo with Makita

Book a demo with Makita: Makita has relaunched its popular product demonstrations of its 40VMax and 80VMax XGT power tool range and for the first time, users are also able to get hands on with the range of cordless garden machinery products.

This fantastic opportunity allows professionals to trial a wide range of Makita tools to test how they perform when users are considering new equipment.

Book a demo with Makita

Book a demo with Makita

Professionals are now able to arrange COVID-Secure appointments locally with an experienced Makita team member to get the most out of its wide range of cordless power equipment. Demos are available for either its 40VMax or 80VMax XGT range or the cordless Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) range, with both offering guidance on tool and accessory selection, as well as hands-on testing with the tools of your choice.

OPE

With summer ahead it is the ideal time to test out Makita’s outdoor equipment. Cordless 18V and 36V LXT and 40VMax and 80VMax XGT garden tools, lawnmowers, linetrimmers, hedge trimmers, blowers, chainsaws, will all be available to test, as well as many more. With many people considering the change from petrol engine machines to cordless equivalents, this is a perfect opportunity for contractors to see first-hand how the range performs.

XGT

Launched in 2020, the 40VMax and 80VMax XGT system of cordless tools have been designed to offer the power and performance needed to tackle high-demand applications without compromising battery run times. With extensions to the range coming in 2021, these cordless tools are the most durable and powerful of the Makita line-up that are available to test. This hassle-free opportunity is the perfect time to test out the Makita tools you need before they get put to work.

The product demonstrations will be organised locally with COVID safety protocols in place, so Makita staff will arrange to visit you on a mutually convenient date where you can test selected machines. Each tool will be cleaned before and after use and our staff will be wearing masks and implementing social distancing.

On the demonstration days, Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita UK said: “We are pleased to reignite our hands-on product demonstration service after a year of restrictions imposed by COVID-19. As part of our ongoing commitment to training, the product demo’s offer end users the opportunity to stay up to date with the latest product innovations, put our products to the test and discover the possibilities that cordless offers.”

To book a demo, fill out the on-line form available on: www.makitauk.com.

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A charter for excellence

A charter for excellence: James Pope took on his dream job in the middle of a pandemic but, as he explained to Scott MacCallum, after a difficult start he now truly appreciates the wonders of Charterhouse School.

James Pope is looking out over the stunning, immaculately maintained, sports grounds of Charterhouse School and thinking back to 2020 and a year when he was pushed to his very limits.

A charter for excellence

A charter for excellence

He might smile at how he managed to move on from a workable doggie paddle to a more than serviceable butterfly in what was the essence of a sink or swim situation. To stretch the swimming analogy, he might now see it as a springboard to what he and his team is achieving going forward.

James applied for his dream job early last year. Interviews were held during early stages of Covid complete with the embarrassed, almost jokey, non-hand shaking protocols, but by the time he rolled into the spectacular grounds, for his first day in the job on May 26, we were in the depths of the first lockdown.

“The opportunity to take the job at Charterhouse was far too immense to turn down. The grounds are unbelievable, just like a film set, and there was a blueprint there which meant that it could be the best site you’ve ever walked on. It’s got that sort of capability,” said James, who had previously been Head of Grounds at St Paul’s School, in central London.

Perhaps one of the films he might have been thinking about was Mission Impossible because there is a fair chance that was the theme going around his head that first day.

“Maybe I naively took on the job thinking that it would all have blown over by July or August. We’d be out of the woods by September, and that everything would be fine by the new academic year. But it wasn’t to be, was it?”

James did have a full day’s handover with his predecessor, Lee Marshallsay (now at Eton), but had it been a month the chances are elements would still have not sunk in. However, Covid put pay to the opportunity of a longer handover process.

“I arrived at 7am and we had 11 hours together and Lee, who I knew from our time at Harrow together, said we should walk the site. Half an hour later we hadn’t completed the tour. All the time Lee was passing on so much information and knowledge then, at the end, he handed me a ring binder, so full it couldn’t be closed. But even then, that didn’t cover everything.”

Five weeks later having digested as much of the handover document as he could, he started.

Eleven months on, and looking back, James can’t help but wince, as, with lockdown, it meant he arrived with half of his team on furlough, including his Admin Assistant.

“I didn’t know any of the staff and I really didn’t know where anything was kept.” recalled James.

Fortunately his Deputy, Liam McKendry, had not been furloughed and, at the same time as getting to know each other, he was able to pass on what he knew.

“Liam was an absolute rock because he knew the site, although he hadn’t been here two years himself, and he knew the team and the types of situation we would be likely to expect. Without him in those first few weeks I’d have been lost as it’s a huge site full of complexities.

“However, Liam had only been on staff for a couple of years himself so there was quite a bit he didn’t’ know either. So, in many ways, we have been learning much of the site together,” said James.

“I spend the first three or four weeks trying not to be overawed, getting to know everyone and building up trust between myself and the team.”

A charter for excellence

A charter for excellence

Having arrived from St Paul’s, to a site that was five times bigger with a large forestry area to maintain, as well as a nine hole golf course and all the sports pitches it was a genuine task – made worse by the fact that James’ first few months coincided with a hot dry spell.

“It was verging on 30 degrees and our site is near enough 100% sand so it looked like a dust bowl for two months., There was nothing we could do unless it poured with rain, which wasn’t looking likely,” recalled James.

“I was concerned. I’d only just started and it’s a dust bowl. People were going to think that I couldn’t do the job. I really wanted to get stuck in, but what could I do. I’m giving myself a headache just thinking back,” said James, who added into the mix the fact that the Director of Sport was also newly appointed and, like James, learning a new job in the middle of a pandemic.

With the weather not doing him any favours and James genuinely concerned about having everything ready for September he got his first break.

“We took a bit of a gamble and started to do everything we needed to do, as if the weather was favourable, and hope that the weather would change for us. And lo and behold, it did! Someone was looking down on me. In August it rained.”

Since that early trauma, James has gone on to appreciate fully the wonderful environment in which he is now working.

“St Paul’s wasn’t a small school by any means but in terms of status and stature boarding schools like Charterhouse are the crown jewels. Ourselves, Harrow and Eton are all on the same page. Charterhouse is huge.”

It may have only been a year, but James has already seen at first hand what marks Charterhouse out as special.

“What really impresses me about Charterhouse is that when they do something they do it properly. It is not done with any element of compromise, no stone is left unturned. Every detail is covered and they want it to be the best it can be. They don’t want mediocrity and that spurs me on to produce the best as well.”

James is interesting on the subject of the day-to-day differences between his current job and his previous one.

“At St Paul’s where there is over 1,000 pupils but only 30 boarders, while there are 800 pupils at Charterhouse. At St Paul’s, from the moment you got there at 6.45am for a 7am start there were children already coming in and it was getting busy. Sport started at 9am and would go on to after 6, and there was sport being played six days a week.

“At Charterhouse there is breakfast, then classes before any sport and then it is only played on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.

It doesn’t feel so busy, but it is much more geared up to producing quality surfaces because there is time available to work on them. The window of opportunity to get things done is much bigger. That said there are many more surfaces to produce.”

The school has a strong reputation for having sports surfaces which rival the very best.

“That goes back to when Dave Roberts was here, and look what he’s gone on to do (Head of Grounds at Liverpool FC). He made a huge mark here and guys on the team still talk about him now. A really nice bloke who brought that professional football and sport ethos into the school environment.”

While not treating his first year as a false start, priorities were certainly different than they would have been had Covid not struck, and James is certainly looking forward to tackling his new job under more conventional circumstances.

“I’d like to think in six months’ time we’ll be in a position to say this is the start. We’ll have come through a period of not knowing; of toing and froing, of preparing for sport, of not preparing for sport; should we spend money on that or not as we don’t know what is going to be happening.

“Going forward the Director of Sport will know how he wants to work and mould his department and that will have a direct impact upon us as a team.”

And from his own perspective James will be looking at what products work on the Charterhouse site.

“The great thing here is that the size of the site lends itself to trialling products which makes us far more competitive when it comes to negotiating prices. Because we have so many pitches we can dial down on what is going to work for us.

A charter for excellence

A charter for excellence

“We will be constantly trialling to see what works, and even if it does work, we will then ask if we still do better. We don’t want to be short changed. It also makes us popular with the trade as it shows that we are open minded.”

His current core group of companies are ICL; Turf Care, Limagrain and AGS while machinery wise Baroness cylinder mowers are used for the outfield cutting and Dennis as well.

“I used them at St Paul’s and I’m used to it, know that it doesn’t break and that it has good back-up.”

Another huge plus for James at Charterhouse is his 14-strong team plus himself. “I think the world of them all. If it wasn’t for them, in the middle of Covid I don’t know where I would have been. They have all worked here a long time and know what they are doing and at the beginning I told them that they don’t need me to tell them what to do but just to go out do their job and that I wouldn’t be chasing them around.

“I think it gave them a new lease of life from knowing that I trust them.” So, given the difficulties of the last year what are James’ ambitions for three years down the line?

“If the team are coming into work and seeing the difference and that we are better than we were when I turned up that would make me happy. It is as much their site as it is mine, I’m just the custodian, but I’d like them to be taking pride in what they have achieved.”

After coming through a period as challenging as 2020 and the first half of 2021, and that springboard boost, no-one would bet against it.

EVO 165D a great investment

EVO 165D a great investment: Almost a year on from taking delivery, Peter Greathead of PWG Tree Surgery is still being surprised by the seemingly ‘unstoppable’ performance of his GreenMech EVO 165D woodchipper.

From the very first demonstration, Peter was impressed by the design and build quality of the EVO 165D – which has proven to be a solid investment for the family-run business.

EVO 165D a great investment

EVO 165D a great investment

Peter along with his two brothers mainly undertake domestic tree works, along with assisting in larger-scale, commercial sub-contracting projects. “Over the years we hired various makes and models of chipper, before we decided to purchase our first machine – a second hand GreenMech Arborist 15-23. When the time came to replace our 15-23, we’d been so impressed with the support we had received from the GreenMech dealer network, particularly from Ashley Stevens at GA Groundcare Ltd, that we went straight to them to compare the options available.”

“We had a demonstration of the petrol EVO 165 initially, and as soon as it turned up, my brothers and I were dumbfounded by the build quality of it! Everything from the steel bonnet to the paintwork was much heavier-duty than we’d seen on competitor machines, which gave us the peace of mind we needed to invest.” The option for a foldable discharge chute meant that Peter ended up going for the EVO 165 diesel model – combining a 165mm chipping capacity with a 25hp Kubota diesel engine.

Having been used on projects both large and small over the last 12 months, one of the features that has really impressed Peter is the adjustable roller speed. “If we’re dealing with bigger timber, we slow the rollers down and the machine works with us to process the timber without stressing the engine. Conversely, if we’re dealing with bramble or ivy, we can up the roller speed and it’ll almost ‘suck’ the material in. This powerful pull through also means we’re not having to sned material prior to processing, dramatically reducing our chainsaw usage and improving our efficiency.”

Peter concludes, “The thought that GreenMech have put into the EVO series is clear to see, pulling together some of the features and benefits of their other machines all into one design. Our EVO 165D is constantly surprising us with the types and volumes of material it can process. As yet, we’ve yet to find anything that it can’t handle!”

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A lighter utility vehicle

A lighter utility vehicle: Hardest working. Smoothest riding. The Polaris Ranger is one of the bestselling utility side-by-sides across the globe, and has earned its reputation as the ultimate utility vehicle with over one million vehicles built and counting.

To showcase the versatility of the Ranger, Polaris has embarked on a journey across Europe, Middle East and Africa to discover and film how customers are using the Polaris Ranger in their day-to-day lives. The initiative, called Ranger Stories, is set to demonstrate the many ways in which the RANGER line-up is servicing customer lives worldwide.

A lighter utility vehicle

A lighter utility vehicle

Episode 8 – MW Agri Ltd., Hertfordshire, UK

Heavy machinery and specialist equipment are a must for agricultural and grounds maintenance work, but what happens when a utility vehicle is needed for lighter duties? Longstanding agricultural business, MW Agri Ltd., found a solution in the Polaris Ranger.

Working across a large part of Hertfordshire in the UK, MW Agri Ltd. covers a wide range of agricultural duties, public and private grass management and maintenance tasks. Beautiful landscapes surround this South East region, a number of which are maintained by the team at MW Agri Ltd.

Originally purchasing a Polaris Ranger 900 five years ago, MW Agri has since owned a Polaris Ranger XP 1000 and more recently, bought a 2021 Ranger 1000 from local Polaris dealer Taylors Tools to help out across their many duties.

For the eighth episode of RANGER Stories, Polaris joins MW Agri Owner and Managing Director, Malcolm Weaver, to see exactly what aspects of the Polaris Ranger make it so versatile for ground management. Homologated for road use in the UK, and with the addition of the larger alloy wheels for increased road speed, the Ranger 1000 is perfect for transporting the team across different locations; especially as time management plays such an important role in this line of work. The Ranger 1000 boasts class-leading 1,134kg towing capacity and smooth low-speed drivability, which allows the team to tow all kinds of heavy fencing equipment and implements, and paired with its 30.5cm of ground clearance, the team can access all areas for every client.

Reliability also played a large part when choosing the Polaris Ranger; it’s essential that the company’s equipment doesn’t fail on a job for its clients. The Polaris Ranger 1000 is built to last with a heavy-duty steel front bumper, full body skid plate, longer-lasting sealed suspension bushings and the new Pro-PVTi clutching system which has been engineered with large internal wear components to deliver enhanced drivability, reliability and control.

Malcolm Weaver said, “…the Ranger, with its light footprint and maneuverability, comes into its own taking equipment and materials to remote locations even when the conditions are boggy. With its two-wheel drive and all-wheel-drive options the Ranger gets us through the toughest of conditions. The Ranger also has Turf Mode, which is absolutely essential and one of the main reasons why we bought it which is ideal when working on delicate areas.”

There are no days off when it comes to the upkeep of land, so MW Agri have made full use of the Polaris Engineered accessories for the Ranger 1000, including a full cab kit with a windscreen, full doors, roof and rear panel, as well as an in-cab heater to stay warm on colder winter days. Not only that, they have also added a Polaris fitted winch which comes with a number of benefits when working in woodland – such as retrieving fallen limbs or for some extra pulling power when removing dead branches – as well as tensioning fencing wire.

With its versatility to suit a vast array of jobs, Malcolm and the team at MW Agri rely on the Polaris Ranger as an essential part of their workforce, day-in, day-out.

Catch the eighth episode of RANGER Stories in the UK on the Polaris Off-Road International YouTube channel here.

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BLEC delivery a ‘Good Friday’

BLEC delivery a ‘Good Friday’: Covering hundreds of acres every year, life for machinery on Congleton Lawn Turf Farm is tough! For the last ten years, equipment from BLEC has been fundamental in their operation so, after a bumper busy year in 2020, the time was right for Owner Matthew Worth to upgrade to a duo of new units.

Delivered on Good Friday, a Blecavator 300HD and Turf Seeder 3000 from Redexim were swiftly put to work and were quick to make a strong first impression.

BLEC delivery a ‘Good Friday’

BLEC delivery a ‘Good Friday’

Matthew, along with his brother Roger, have been looking after the 140-acre family turf farm in Cheshire since 2003. “We’re taking a turf crop off roughly every 12-15 months, and then a lot of work goes into preparing the bed ready for new seed to go in” he explains. “Once we’ve broken up compaction, ploughed the area and cultivated it a couple of times, we’ll then go on with the Blecavator to bury all the stones deep enough to be safely clear of the blades when it comes to harvesting the turf. It also levels the ground and provides a nice tilth for the seed to go in.”

“Having used a few different BLEC stone buriers over the years, we’ve seen a couple of major improvements in our new BV300HD model. Firstly, it deals with larger stones better – the bigger spaces between the rotors and the cover, and the new blade configuration reduces issues with clogging and jamming up. It also has a three-speed gearbox which is ideal for us as we’ve got three different soil types on our site – peat, sand and clay. With the Blecavator in top gear, it loosens the soil on even our firmest and driest clay areas, leaving a nicely conditioned bed.”

With the ground prepared, the Turf-Seeder 3000 is then utilised to deliver the seed in two different directions. The Turf-Seeder features front notched ring rollers that create small pockets, ready to accept the seeds evenly into the top 12mm of the soil, before the rear roller splits the shallow ridges formed by the front roller and safely covers the seed. “Again, we’ve noticed the improvements in this machine compared to the previous model – particularly in the ease of adjustment and seed calibration system which gives us the required accuracy in delivery.”

Following the delivery of the brace of BLEC units in April 2021, the new Blecavator was in use for the first time less than an hour later! “Demand for turf is so high currently that our investment in new equipment was made at just the right time. We’ve already used the Blecavator and Turf-Seeder on over 65 acres and have been seriously impressed with the results.”

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Baroness a new AgriMetal distributor

Baroness a new AgriMetal distributor: Baroness U.K. are pleased to announce they are the new sole importer and distributor for AgriMetal rollers for the U.K.

Adam Butler Sales Director for Baroness U.K adds: “We are extremely pleased and excited to be working with such a well-made and respected brand. We already produce market leading cutting technology for a wide range of mowing equipment but now we have added to our portfolio, in my option, one of the most affordable and well-made rollers on the market. To add the icing on the cake they will be rolling off the production line sprayed in the fantastic Baroness Red.

Baroness a new AgriMetal distributor

Baroness a new AgriMetal distributor

The range available will consist of the GR-400 & GR-660. The GR-400 model is the most affordable, high specification roller on the market with the GR-660 model providing an industry leading 66” width roll.”

Some of the exciting key features are as follows:

Hydro-Gear hydrostatic pump

The Hydro-Gear hydrostatic pump has been mated with Honda’s reliable 13hp engine ensuring maximum torque and efficiency. Each head is power by its own hydraulic motor in series to distribute flow and torque evenly.

Baroness a new AgriMetal distributor

Baroness a new AgriMetal distributor

Automatic chain tightener system

Thanks to the automatic chain tightener system, the chains are located inside a closed box, so grass clipping, sand or any other residue cannot get into the drive mechanism.

Easy maintenance

Each floating head has openings on the top front & back, making clean up simple. The easier it is the more likely it will get done.

Floating steering head

The roller’s floating head design effortlessly follows the contours of the most severe undulations, providing a higher roll factor and a better putting surface with minimal compaction.

Hydraulic assisted steering

The hydraulic assisted steering drive system make it easy for the operator to operate the roller, with the floating steering head providing the industries tightest turning radius.

This unique design has built in guides to ensure minimal overlap with maximum productivity.

Heavy duty trailer bed

AgriMetal’s heavy duty trailer beds are covered in a rubber mat for maximum traction, allowing easy climbing even in wet conditions.

Baroness a new AgriMetal distributor

Baroness a new AgriMetal distributor

Ramp self locking mechanism

The ramp self-locking mechanism provides safe transportation. Thanks to the ramp spring assisted hinge system. It’s easy for the operator to lift it back up before driving to the next green.

To book a demo please contact one of our fantastic dealers on the “find a dealer” section of our website.

https://www.baronessuk.com/find-a-dealer/

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A Winning Combination

A Winning Combination: Stuart Lambert, Head Groundsman at Gloucester Rugby, says that a combination of two seed mixtures from Limagrain UK ensures that the pitch at the Kingsholm Stadium stands up to the rigours of training sessions and matchdays.

Having been in the turf industry all his career Stuart has been the Head Groundsman at Gloucester Rugby for nearly three years now. Prior to moving to the Kingsholm Stadium, he was already accustomed to the Limagrain range of grass seed.

A Winning Combination

A Winning Combination

“I had first used Limagrain’s MM50 seed in my previous role at Bromsgrove School,” said Stuart. “We used it on the cricket squares, and I was instantly impressed. When I first arrived at Gloucester, the club were already using Limagrain and I knew what it could do so I decided to stick with it.”

Stuart, who competes with up to three training sessions a week on top of matchdays, always starts the season with MM60; which is renowned for producing an excellent playing surface in a stadium environment. With the added benefit of being treated with Headstart® GOLD, a biological germination accelerator, MM60 delivers stronger more resilient seedling grass, giving turf the best possible start.

“We always use the MM60 mixture for our summer renovation and we will go with a rate of 50g per square metre – which is absolutely perfect,” said Stuart. “One of the biggest benefits of the seed is just how quickly it germinates. Last year, the grass was growing within five days of applying the seed and I couldn’t believe it.”

After his summer renovation, Stuart ensures that he has enough bags of MM60 left over so that he can overseed some of the high usage areas throughout the season. He will continue to overseed these areas with MM60 until October and it is at this point that Stuart switches to Limagrain’s Tetra Sport mixture to see him through the winter period.

“As soon as October comes, we switch to the Tetra Sport seed, because we find that it grows in a lot colder temperatures,” he said.

A traditional repair mixture, especially useful for overseeding of high quality sportsfields to improve sward composition and aid recovery from disease scarring, Tetra Sport consists of Tetraploid Ryegrasses and is ideal for when the cooler weather arrives.

Stuart undertakes a rather unique pre-germination process before even applying the seed mixture – as he explains.

“We start by tipping the seed into buckets; we then fill the buckets with water and leave the seed to soak for 24 hours,” he said. “The seed then goes from a light brown colour to a dark brown colour because it has absorbed all the water; and then we will drain the water off, leave it in a heated shed with a heat lamp, and it will stay there for two further days. We then apply the seed to the pitch immediately.

“Ultimately, this pre-germination process gives us a great head-start. I would say that it speeds the process up by about three weeks. On the particularly bad areas we will put the grow lights over the top and that helps in anchoring the seed and helping the grass to stand up.

“It is a process that not a lot of people do,” continued Stuart. “But a lot of lower league clubs could and should be doing it because it buys time and makes a big difference – particularly in the winter.

“Limagrain’s seed is the strongest seed I have come across and our soil samples prove that we get decent root growth as well. Quite simply, both MM60 and Tetra Sport tick every box for us. These two seed mixtures, combined with our feeding programme, certainly helps the pitch stand up to such heavy usage.”

For further information, please contact Limagrain UK on 01472 371471 or visit the company’s website www.lgseeds.co.uk/amenity – you can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed

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Search for a Star sprayer operator

Search for a Star sprayer operator: The Amenity Forum Sprayer Operator of the Year Awards are back, with the chance to win a weekend away for two, along with essential education and useful tools to further improve the performance of what you do.

Above all, it is the recognition that sprayer operators play an essential role in the effective management of turf, landscape and amenity areas. Sharing the industry’s best practice, knowledge and practical experiences will help to raise the standards of all involved.

Search for a Star sprayer operator

Search for a Star sprayer operator

Applications should be made on the ICL website through this link or via the Syngenta GreenCast website.

It’s not about having the latest equipment or the biggest budget. The Sprayer Operator of the Year looks to identify and reward all individuals operating to the highest standards or professionalism.

The Awards are managed by the Amenity Forum, sponsored by ICL and Syngenta.

There are two prize winning categories to enter: Landscape & Industrial and Sports Turf, with both tractor-mounted and handheld sprayer operators eligible for both categories. The category winners will be announced from a short-list of finalists at the Amenity Forum Conference. The overall winner is announced at the BTME event in Harrogate.

The overall AFSOOTY winner will receive:

  • A two-night break for two in a luxury country house break*
  • A place on the Syngenta Application Academy
  • Attendance of the Amenity Forum Conference

Launching the Awards, Professor John Moverley, Chairman of the Amenity Forum said: “Accurate application ensures the best possible results from every input, whilst protecting the environment from drift or off target loss.

“Sprayer operators across the amenity sector have made great strides in recent years. Every operator has something that will add to the experience and help others.

“If you can demonstrate the ability and ingenuity to consistently achieve safe and accurate application through the whole spraying process, then you are in with a chance of winning.”

ICL Turf & Landscape Business Development Manager, Mark Pyrah, added: “We are delighted to support such an important cross-sector industry initiative with a continued commitment to raise standards and improve results.

“Importantly it has identified and recognised the range of spray application techniques and the differing skills involved across the amenity sector. It will provide a unique and vitally important resource for all involved in spray application.”

Syngenta application specialist, Glenn Kirby, commented: “In previous years the Awards has identified some exceptional operators. They have all instigated ideas and practices to make the spraying process easier, more accurate and, ultimately, safer.

“The Sprayer Operator of the Year Awards are a welcome way to recognise and reward the leading individuals and to learn from their experience.”

The on-line entry form enables operators to apply, along with anyone to nominate operators they acknowledge are doing a great job – including other members of the team; staff or people within the industry who recognise good practice with the machinery or product they have supplied.

Entries and nominations close on 30 June 2021.

After submitting an initial application form, successful entrants will be invited to answer a short questionnaire. Selected category finalists are judged on best practice and innovative ideas to improve and enhance spraying operations.

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

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