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SALTEX 2021 a success for Ariens

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SALTEX 2021 a success for Ariens: AriensCo, an industry leader in outdoor power equipment, couldn’t be happier with its participation at this year’s SALTEX. Not only did it showcase its professional petrol and battery powered zero-turn mowers, it also connected with thousands of landscaping professionals and hosted an exclusive Lawn Care Legends booth takeover.

During the two-day event, Ariens met thousands of turf professionals, landscapers and local authority representatives and showed exactly how its fully commercial, heavy-duty line-up can support them at every stage of lawn care. From young, fledgling entrepreneurs to established businesses, Ariens was able to identify their needs and find the right mower and tools to get the job done.

SALTEX 2021 a success for Ariens

SALTEX 2021 a success for Ariens

Products on display included its upgraded ZENITH, an industry leading, fully commercial zero-turn with enhanced operator comfort options and rear discharge deck. Excitingly, the battery-operated ZENITH E was also on show, along with a concept stand-on mower, ARROW.

Additionally, Ariens’ also exhibited its powerful and precise APEX zero-turn as well as its IKON XD zero-turn, loaded with commercial-style features. Meeting the needs of its UK and European customer base, the APEX and ZENITH models now come with rear discharge deck options, while all Ariens petrol powered zero-turns are manufactured at its factory in Oxfordshire.

In an Ariens first, its stand was also taken over by the Lawn Care Legends, a community of aspiring and professional landscapers. More than 80 Legends came to see and hear about the star of the show, the ZENITH E and the rest of the Ariens line-up and left giving positive feedback.

Brad Stiles, Sales and Marketing Director, EMEAA said, “This year’s Saltex was hugely successful for us. Not only did we get to hear from some of the industry’s finest and get taken over by the famous Lawn Care Legends but reaction to our heavy duty, commercial line-up was truly fantastic. Our low noise, low emission ZENITH E was also a smash hit, so we know it’ll be driving change for years to come.”

To find out more about Ariens’ commercial line-up of battery and petrol powered zero-turn mowers visit ariens.eu. If you’d like to join the growing network of Ariens dealers, email: mwilson@ariensco.com

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Win a Turf Tank robot at SALTEX

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Win a Turf Tank robot at SALTEX: Leading robotic line marking company, Turf Tank is bringing the revolutionary Turf Tank One back to Saltex 2021.

Everyone who comes to the stand will have the chance to enter a draw to win a rent-free robot for:

First place – Turf Tank Robot for 6 months

Second place – Turf Tank Robot for 4 months

Third place – Turf Tank Robot for 2 months

The line marker will be on Stand G085 at the NEC in Birmingham for the two-day event, along with the Turf Tank UK team.

Win a Turf Tank robot at SALTEX

Win a Turf Tank robot at SALTEX

Throughout the past year, schools, contractors, and professional and amateur sports teams have transformed their line marking operation with the Turf Tank One. Exceptional accuracy using a base station, customisable templates for pitches, logos and numbers, and huge time savings have set the robot apart from alternative methods.

In August 2021, Bromsgrove School began marking their fifteen rugby pitches across three sites using the Turf Tank One, and for Head Grounds person Richard Hare, it has been a revelation.

“When I first saw the Turf Tank One at the demo, I was absolutely amazed, and having used it, it’s revolutionary,” Richard begins.

“It just makes the job a hundred times easier, all the lines are dead straight, and there’s no mess, that’s the other important thing, it’s clean, and it is good to use, it’s easy, and for us, it’s been really, really good.”

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A Major Step Forward

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A Major Step Forward: James Bonfield, the Course Manager at Hertfordshire Golf and Country Club, has revealed how utilising ICL’s range of ProSelect grass seed has resulted in vastly improved fairways and greens. 

James has been at the Hertfordshire Golf and Country Club for just over 12 years and claims that the new owners, Elysium Golf Limited, have signalled exciting times.

A Major Step Forward

A Major Step Forward

“We have new fleets of equipment, new budgets, new ways of working, new holes to build and it is a fascinating time to be here. The owners have really backed us and now the course is reaping the rewards.”

The 18-hole parkland course was designed by renowned course designer Jack Nicklaus II and has been in play since 1995. Membership has steadily risen over the years but has nearly doubled since the new owners came in.

“Our main goal is to give members great value for money,” said James. “Our targets have changed rapidly under the new management – we want to break into the top 10 clubs in Hertfordshire and then, in time, make it into the top 100 in the UK.”

With more resources at his disposal James was insistent on first targeting the fairways: “The fairways were always lacking behind everything else, so that was our main priority. Choosing the correct seed was imperative,” he said.

Working alongside Matt Nutter from ICL, James decided on the ProSelect Classic – a multi-purpose seed blend which contains Torsion TRT Perennial ryegrass offering the unique Turf Repairing Tiller growth habit.

He overseeded the fairways with this mixture in late April and explained that the sowing rate was adjusted dependent on the condition: “Some areas were weaker than others, so they needed more seed; others were stronger so needed less – each fairway got exactly what I thought was required,” he said.

Once the overseeding had been completed, James maximised the results of the seed by applying a granular feed to the fairways. The fertiliser he used, ICL’s Sierrablen Plus Spring & Summer CalMag 23-0-5, has proven to be extremely popular with many greenkeepers and course managers this year.

“The seed and the granular feed went hand in hand to give the full effect,” he said. “Sierrablen Plus allowed us to get nutrient into the soil to give the seed something to kick off and it came through beautifully. We now have a nice, uniformed consistent growth whereas before we had a lot of patches.

“This approach has resulted in much improved fairways that are far more tolerant to heat, stress and disease. The combination of the seed working with the granular nutrition has seen the fairways holding the colour a lot better, and they have great definition.

“In the space of six months we have gone from fairways that were really struggling to some of the most envied in Hertfordshire. That is a major step forward.”

Following his work on the fairways, James’ attention turned to the greens and alongside Matt, the two of them worked together to identify the most suitable seed.

“Based on the pH levels we have round here, which are between 6.5 and 7.5, we felt that creeping bent was going to be the best for the greens. Anthracnose is also an issue, and with this in mind, we felt that the ProSelect Piranha creeping bent would be the best option.”

A Major Step Forward

A Major Step Forward

As James says, due to the genetics of the seed, Piranha has been proven to be excellent in combatting the likes of Anthracnose, Dollar spot and Brown patch disease. It is the latest creeping bent grass mixture to be added to the ICL seed portfolio and recently gained EU registration.

“The plan was to move away from fungicides where possible and to instead try and get more creeping bents into the greens because they will help with playability and ease the stresses that Poa can cause,” said James.

“We’ve seen great results from the Piranha already, but it is going to be a long-term commitment in which we overseed the greens twice a year. Matt and I have already discussed the possibility of sowing ProSelect Riptide creeping bent, at the start of the year and then continuing with ProSelect Piranha in September. The two of us will monitor the situation and will fine tune where needed.”

“That is the beauty of working with ICL – you get the whole package,” continued James. “Everything Matt and I have discussed and have applied has worked. His recommendations have always been spot-on, and his on-going advice has always helped to get the best out of the products.”

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

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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GKB Combinator a star attraction

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GKB Combinator a star attraction: GKB Machines, leading providers of innovative machinery for the maintenance of natural and artificial sports surfaces, are returning to SALTEX this November with an even bigger stand to showcase even more equipment!

Visitors to stand H051 can expect to see a number of new developments, including the newly re-designed GKB Combinator, which will be on show in the UK for the very first time.

GKB Combinator a star attraction

GKB Combinator a star attraction

The Combinator has established itself as one of the most reliable fraise mowers available – removing up to 50mm from the surface in a single pass. To further improve the cleanliness of finish, the cross conveyor on the re-designed Combinator has been moved closer to both the rotor and blade tips, to cleanly transfer more of the removed material up and away into an awaiting collector. The elevator will also now be partly covered to protect the material from wind as it makes its way to the trailer.

The drive system on the re-designed model has been enhanced and features a solid direct drive from the gearbox over a PTO-style yolk. Inside, a stainless-steel hood protects against abrasive sands and delivers an improved flow of material. Available in four working widths ranging from 1.2m to 2.4m, there’s a Combinator to suit all sports surfaces including hybrid pitches, where an optional ‘hold down plate’ can be specified to protect hybrid fibres while scarification takes place.

Also on show at SALTEX for the first time will be the Deep Tine Aerator (DTA). As the name suggests, the DTA delivers intensive aeration, with larger models in the range working to depths of up to 400mm (16”). Unique to the GKB DTA is the tine mounting system – the tines fit into a ‘block’ rather than individual mountings. This allows for more tines per head and improves the speed and efficiency of switching between tines, whilst also reducing the wear imposed on parts when changing tines in more traditional ‘tine holder’ set-ups.

Alongside equipment for natural surfaces, the team will be on hand to discuss the range of machinery available for synthetic surface maintenance. Stand H051 will also showcase the GKB Quick-Brush, the Top Clean and the deeper-working, more invasive GKB Quick Clean.

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

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A pitch fit for the Premiership

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A pitch fit for the Premiership: Formartine United Football Club boasts a pitch to match its ambitions thanks to an experienced groundsman and two Dennis mowers. 

The club from Pitmedden, Aberdeenshire is currently playing in the Highland Football League but has its sights set higher.

A pitch fit for the Premiership

A pitch fit for the Premiership

“It is a success story so far, but we’re not finished yet,” said Head Groundsman Paul Fiske.

“We were in the amateurs, then progressed through to juniors and are now in the Highland League. The ambition is to reach the Scottish Professional Football Leagues and I don’t think we are far off.”

It is safe to say that Paul already knows how to prepare a pitch worthy of the professional leagues after spending 22 years as the Head Groundsman at Aberdeen FC. His work at Formartine has already been widely recognised and most recently by another Scottish Premiership team.

“We played Motherwell FC in the Scottish Cup and they were really impressed with how good the surface was – the manager and a lot of the players were saying that the pitch was as good as anything they have played on in the Premier League.”

Aside from his groundsmanship skills, Paul also believes the success of the pitch is down to Atholl Cadger, the chairman and Sandy Sinclair vice-chairman, who he says are “key to the club’s ambition” and “backs me to the hilt” when it comes to pitch maintenance.

This certainly rings true when you consider that the club has recently invested in a new Dennis PRO 34R. This innovative rotary mower is ideal for sports pitches and lawns producing the enviable ‘Dennis Stripes’ whilst a powerful vacuum flow collects debris quickly and efficiently.

Paul claims that the PRO 34R has been an absolute “gamechanger” and has saved him an incredible amount of time.

“I previously had a 26-inch rotary mower and to clean-up after a game it would take me six hours,” he said. “When I found out Dennis had brought out a 34-inch rotary I just knew that it would be ideal, plus it has the brush on the front of it as well which is brilliant.

“I would say that the PRO 34R has cut those six hours in half – and therefore it allows me more time to get on with other jobs.”

To accompany his new PRO 34R, Paul also relies on his trusty Dennis G860 cylinder mower – which he was pleased to see was already in the shed when he first arrived.

“I’d used the G860 a lot at Aberdeen FC, so I was over the moon to see that machine already here,” he said. “It is so light yet powerful and, in my opinion, is the best cylinder mower out there.”

As Paul says, the G860 is lightweight at just 166kg and it is also easy to manoeuvre and comfortable to operate. The handlebar console houses the controls for the throttle, parking brake, roller drive and cutting cylinder drive.

The mower features a large diameter front roller with an adjustable scraper which has been designed for a precise height of cut control, giving an excellent finish on every occasion. The Dennis G860 also features an interchangeable cassette system to assist with a wide range of tasks such as including scarifying, verticutting, brushing, spiking, and slitting.

“We have pretty much all the cassettes which help with a wide range of tasks,” said Paul. “The Sorrel Roller cassette is fantastic to use in the winter as it helps to get some much-needed air into the surface.

“We cut to a height of somewhere between 26-28mm in the height of the summer, and then taking that up to maybe 30-32mm in winter. I’ll cut everyday with the G860 including a double cut on a Friday and then a final cut on the morning of a matchday.

“The 8-bladed cylinder provides the perfect finish,” he continued. “It is a great machine and ticks every box for the club.

“I would not hesitate to recommend both the G860 and the PRO 34R to anyone.”

For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact Dennis 01332 824 777 or visit www.dennisuk.com

For more news, reviews and insightful views, you can follow Dennis on Twitter and Instagram @DennisMowers and like the company’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/DennisMowersUK You can also view the latest Dennis videos by visiting www.youtube.com/DennisMowers

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

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