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Green-tech a partner for Recycling Scheme

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Green-tech a partner for Recycling Scheme: Rainbow Professional has recently launched the Rainbow Recycling Scheme in partnership with Green-tech and its other wholesalers and recycling partners to recycle any old PVC spiral or PVC vole guard.

Head of Green-tech Sales, Dean Jackson comments, “Green-tech has been proactive in their stance to reduce plastic in the landscaping and forestry industries, and we have an extensive portfolio of biodegradable and environmentally friendly tree protection materials to offer our customers choice.  It is not currently feasible to eradicate plastic totally, but we can do the next best thing – we can use recycled plastic and in partnership with Rainbow Professional, we can collect and recycle old tree spirals and give them a new life rather than leave in the environment or commit to landfill.”

Green-tech a partner for Recycling Scheme

Green-tech a partner for Recycling Scheme

For the past 25 years, Rainbow Professional has been the only tree guard manufacturer using 100% recycled materials. This is estimated to have saved at least 2 million kgs of carbon every year, 50million kg in total to-date and they have avoided virgin plastics from entering the environment.

The Rainbow Spiral Recycling Scheme is available to any professional end-user. It is simple to administer and affordable. Bags can be ordered from Green-tech or direct from Rainbow.  Once full they will be collected and transported to Rainbow’s manufacturing facility in Hull where they will be shredded and washed if needed. Depending on the quality, they may be immediately usable to process into new spirals, processed further into pellets, or used as in-fill for window frames. As Rainbow use 100% recycled materials, they have a local network of recycling partners that find the best possible outlet for each waste material.

PVC is one of the most recyclable polymers in the world; it can be used up to 9 times. Even in cases where the spiral has lost some of its properties, it can still be useful for some applications and in cases where further recycling isn’t possible, the waste materials are used to turn into energy.

Jackson continues, “We are delighted to be working with Rainbow Professional to deliver this scheme. It is recommended to remove hedge spirals between September and March when hedge plants are bare of leaves and the bird nesting season has finished. For collections of 6-15 bags (each bag will hold approximately 700 spirals), the scheme will run from April to September, outside of the planting season. However, for collection of over 15 bags, the scheme will run all year round.

Pierre Talpe from Rainbow adds,” As a manufacturer we are taking a responsible approach to protecting trees and for trying to reduce carbon in the environment by encouraging recycling and use of recycled products.  We are delighted to have Green-tech onboard with us. They are a major supplier of tree protection materials and are well respected in the industry. Their values to sustainability are aligned with our own and we are proud to be able to ‘close the loop’ from supply to collection to recycling to supply once more.”

Green-tech is running a number of webinars to explain the scheme and the process in detail.  They will be free to attend and will take around 30 minutes. The first is being held on Tuesday 25th April webinar. To reserve your place use the following link – https://bit.ly/41iMvPh

For further information or to order recycling bags call Green-tech on 01423 332100 or email at sales@green-tech.co.uk

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MM – a grass seed that rocks!

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MM – a grass seed that rocks!: From the very first day that legendary guitarist KK Downing decided to establish a golf course, Astbury Hall Golf Club in Shropshire has only ever used MM grass seed.

Course Manager Sean Jarvis has long relied on the market leading MM grass seed, ever since working at Bournemouth’s Iford Golf Club and then to the Open Golf Centre in Leicester where he managed the establishment of a new 9-hole golf course. In 2004, Sean again turned to MM seed when he took on the role of Course Manager at Astbury Hall and oversaw the complete construction of the championship course.

MM – a grass seed that rocks!

MM – a grass seed that rocks!

“I’ve been using MM seed for 22 years and counting. It is still as good now as it was when I first started using it all those years ago,” he said.

Astbury Hall Estate was formerly owned by KK Downing, the lead guitarist for heavy metal band Judas Priest, who purchased the estate, just outside Bridgnorth in Shropshire in 1985. A keen golfer, KK bought the estate to establish a top-quality elite golf course. His design was largely influenced by his experiences of playing golf around the world.

For the construction of the Astbury course Sean used MM22 for all fairways, tees and roughs with the greens being sown with a mix of Creeping Bent, Browntop Bent and Fescue.

KK may not own the stately home anymore, but the course continues to go from strength to strength under the watchful eye of Sean – who persists to use products from the MM range.

“We now use MM50 100% Ryegrass for tees and fairways as we need more wear tolerance,” he said. “This is because the tees are quite small compared with the amount of golf we have, plus the Ryegrass varieties in the mix are very fine leaved so it gives a nice fine sward.

“The greens are oversown with MM9 – a 100% Browntop Bent plus Cobra Nova Creeping Bent. We tend to overseed the greens towards the end of the summer while there is still a reasonable soil temperature to get a good germination rate.

“Given that it can be quite cool here in Bridgnorth in the early spring, oversowing the greens in late summer gives me a window of opportunity when carrying out general greens renovation. Plus cutting heights are not at the lowest during this time which gives the seedling grass a better chance of surviving. Fairways and tees are divoted over the course of the summer as part of the general course maintenance.”

MM is one of the most respected brands in the UK sportsturf and amenity industries. With a proven track record of producing the best possible swards, the MM range of grass seed offers an unrivalled performance and appearance. There is a reason why Sean has been using the mixtures for so long – as he explains.

“The different MM mixtures and varieties have always worked for me at the three different courses I have managed,” he said. “All three had different challenges with the climate and growing conditions from the dry south coast through to the wet Shropshire countryside.

Germination speed, establishment and seed quality are just three strengths of the products I have come to rely on. Furthermore, the seaweed based Headstart Gold seed treatment helps with seedling establishment.

“I have experimented with other blends in the past but never found them to deliver in the way that MM mixtures do.”

Aside from the performance of MM mixtures, Sean was quick to praise the support he receives from Matt Gresty, MM & Designer Sales and Brand Manager for DLF UK.

“I have known Matt since the year 2000 when he got involved with the project at Iford Park and I started using the MM mixtures. Since then, I have used Matt’s advice and seed knowledge on the courses I have managed. A strong relationship with my suppliers who can give good technical advice that I can trust, has always been important to me.”

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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Double A presented with dealer award

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Double A presented with dealer award: Campey Turf CareÔ Systems has announced The Double A Trading Company Ltd as their Dealer of the Year for 2022.

The Double A Trading Company Ltd (Double A) was formed in 1996 and is a leading equipment supplier to the Scottish groundcare industry and have grown from small beginnings to become the largest professional turf machinery dealer in Scotland employing 45 staff over 3 outlets from locations in Fife, Aberdeenshire and Glasgow giving customers a local service across Scotland.

Double A presented with dealer award

Double A presented with dealer award

Managing Director Sandy Armit was at the recent BTME exhibition in Harrogate to receive the award.  “Winning the Campey award of Best Dealer of the Year is a very welcome recognition of the hard work of the whole team that occurs on a daily basis, and this only happens if we are all performing, whether that is sales, administration, parts or service. Everyone plays their part in creating a business customers want to buy from, and we can be very proud of that achievement.”

Recognised as ‘Scotland’s Leading Supplier of Groundcare Equipment’, Double A has been a Campey dealer for some 20 years. Sandy explains “We were approached by the late David Briggs from Campeys to take on the Dakota in 2004, which became our best-selling product. This opened a new and expanding market for us which we have since developed with sales of many Vredo Seeders, Shockwaves, Field Top Makers, and Air2 G2 Air Injection machines. The Campey range is so diverse and allows us to offer to a wide range of golf, commercial and local authority sports applications.”

Campey Turf Care Systems is one of Europe’s largest independent grounds care machinery dealers, supplying equipment to countries in most parts of the world.  Over the years Campeys have earned a reputation for offering practical advice and superb aftercare service. The company acts as a new equipment dealer for some of the most respected grounds care machinery manufacturers including Dakota, Imants, Koro, Raycam, Vredo, Votex, GT Air 2G2 injector and Air 1 Injector aerator.

The company also has a thriving used machinery business and a subsidiary company, Tines Direct, which supplies replacement tines, blades, and replacement parts for a wide range of turf care machinery.

Responsibility for supplying Double A Trading Company is now in the capable hands of Campey product specialist Richard Heywood and the two companies continue to work together promoting Campey products across Scotland. “It is a pleasure to work with Sandy and the brilliant team at Double A.” said Richard “We strive to assimilate the customers’ needs with our product range and good communication is essential.”

“This direct support from Campey is key to our success and provides an invaluable benefit for the customer.” said Sandy “We have grown the business steadily since 1996 but have had growth in the last 5 years opening a new outlet in Aberdeenshire and taking over responsibility for John Deere Turf Equipment in the West of Scotland. Doing all of this through Covid and Brexit has had its challenges so now we are in a period of consolidation making investment in people and training to ensure each part of our business is working at optimum performance before we move on to the next stage of our journey.

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Is a fine finish from a cylinder mower down to luck?

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Is a fine finish from a cylinder mower down to luck?: Bedknives and cylinders are on par when it comes to creating a fine finish – both are equally important, and for the best results possible genuine, precision engineered parts from Toro means there’s no luck involved – a pristine finish is a sure thing.

As cutting season fast approaches, Reesink Turfcare is reminding customers why the proper set-up procedures with the proper parts is so essential in a cylinder mower’s performance.

Is a fine finish from a cylinder mower down to luck?

Is a fine finish from a cylinder mower down to luck?

Cylinder mowers are precision machines and require precision engineered parts to achieve a pristine finish, as Michael Hampton, parts manager at Reesink Turfcare, explains: “The cylinder, frame and bedknife are the three main structural members in a cylinder cutting unit. For the mower to cut with a scissor-like shearing action, the bedknife and cylinder blades need to be sharp, matched and in close relationship with each other, and the bedknife sharpened to be flat and square so the sharp edge touches the cylinder blades across their entire length.

“If the bedknife is not perfectly flat, it is impossible to get the bedknife to touch the entire length of the cylinder. This is an essential part of the construction, making cylinder mowers precision cutting tools. Adjust any part of the construction process with, for example, ‘will-fit’ parts and the fit, form and function can be affected to leave a less attractive and less consistent after-cut appearance.”

It’s not luck that keeps turf looking fresh, rather bedknives made of high carbon steel that can retain that important edge for longer and Toro bedknives are superior in both durability and longevity meaning greenkeepers can get reliable cuts for longer without the need for frequent adjustment or replacement.

Only Toro cylinders are available in 5, 7, 8, 11, and 14 configurations to fit all mowers including the popular Greensmaster and Reelmaster ranges, and with 24-hour delivery across the UK, or 72 hours delivery from US factories at no extra cost, Reesink can ensure minimum downtime and maximum productivity.

There’s nothing lucky about achieving a superior quality of cut, it’s down to Toro and that’s a fact.

To continue the conversation, get in touch via reesinkturfcare.co.uk, by phone on 01480 226800 or by email at info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk.

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The Scots Turf Show a success

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The Scots Turf Show a success: The 1st of March 2023 was the date everything changed for Turf Professionals in Scotland. The first Scottish turf event for almost 15 years, opened its doors at Hamilton Park Racecourse, and the visitors began to pour in an hour before official registration had even opened.

Connecting the industry

The trial show was devised by 17 of the industry’s most influential companies, to give something back to the Scottish turf community and to connect with the Industry, by providing a local turf event, accessible to a vast swathe of groundsmen and greenkeepers from all areas of sport, that had never had the opportunity to attend a local industry event.

The Scots Turf Show a success

The Scots Turf Show a success

David Roxburgh – Head Groundsman – Rangers Football Club

“Something needed to happen here in Scotland, I think it’s been great. The fantastic turnout here hasn’t surprised me because I think Scotland has been desperate for something like this. It needs a big show, and I think this could possibly be the forerunner of something great.”

The number of registered visitors had risen above the target of200with 287 attending on the day.

The itinerary of early morning bacon rolls, and coffee was a welcome diversion while the visitors signed in and was followed by an introduction to the idea behind the show by Alan Thomson of AllGrass and Richard Heywood of Campey Turf Care Systems. The guests were immediately engaged with two 20 minute speakers, Gary Smith senior agronomist from the STRI, quickly followed by Joe Shaw from SIS Pitches, before heading out into the spring sunshine for the outdoor exhibition area.

After a couple of hours of interaction with the exhibitors, the group enjoyed a lunch in the hospitality suite overlooking the magnificent race track at Hamilton Park. Then it was back to the marquee for two more short seminars, one from Kelly Marie Clarke agronomist from Origin and finally an introduction to Hamilton Park itself by Ashley Moon, Managing Director of Hamilton Racecourse who said, “We are delighted to welcome the Scots Turf Show to Hamilton Racecourse and work alongside such excellent partners”.

It is important to the companies behind this event to gauge the response of the visitors going forward, with a view to expanding the event significantly next year.

Barry McCulloch – Course Manager Caldwell Golf Club commented “It’s something that I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time and hoping that it did happen. It’s been good to come along and support the event. The venue they have picked is probably one of the best areas in Scotland because it’s very easily accessible, you can come from all over the country. You just have to look at the numbers that showed up today to see why it’s a great venue. 50% of my workforce has never been to a turf show, so that is another reason we came along today. It’s good for the younger guys to come and see some of the machinery and get a different perspective of things.”

Jim Dawson – Head Groundsman – BT Murrayfield

We would usually have to travel to events down South to see machinery or even have a chat with other groundsmen. So, today has been good for networking. I’ve met a lot of people here, from football to rugby, golf and horse racing.

I think this could take off. We are all very positive about the event, and I’m very happy for them to be talking about expanding it. I like having the option to attend the seminars, then getting to see some of the machinery in action and meeting the reps as well.”

Alan Thomson from AllGrass is absolutely delighted with the response on the day. As one of the main drivers he explains “From a concept back in 2019 over a McDonald’s Coffee to seeing the reality of such a fantastic event. Don’t get me wrong we are not reinventing the wheel here but simply putting it on a different path and a path that can continue to build excitement for the Scottish and beyond markets. ‘Connecting the Industry’ this is something that Richard and I believe we can do and hopefully with the many ideas for the future we can achieve this.”

So, The Scots Turf Show appears to have been an overwhelming success and looks like it may be here to stay.

Save the date – 6th March 2024

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