Tag Archive for: Delivers

Aspen delivers clean and convenient power

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Aspen delivers clean and convenient power: More than a decade since he first started using Aspen Alkylate fuel in his tree surgery business, The Arborist Ltd, Owner Tony Gascoyne says he’s never looked back.

Having originally switched for the health & safety benefits for him and his team of operatives, he notes the reduction in mechanical failures and simplicity of bulk delivery and invoicing has brought a new efficiency and convenience to his operation.

Aspen delivers clean and convenient power

Aspen delivers clean and convenient power

Tony founded the Mansfield-based business 23 years ago after a period spent working in Stockholm, with the majority of his day-to-day workload made up of domestic tree and hedge maintenance. “Everyone in this industry knows the unpleasantries of working with 2-stroke fuel – the haze, the smell and the overarching health concerns of breathing in those hazardous emissions everyday” he explains. “Despite it being a Swedish brand, I didn’t actually come across Aspen during my time in Sweden, but instead got into conversation with them at a trade show roughly 10 years ago.”

“It was really the health benefits for the operator that appealed to me, but based on the other claimed USP’s such as reduced engine component failure and the extended shelf life I gave it a go and it has really delivered on every front.” Being free from ethanol and most of the other hazardous hydrocarbons traditionally found in unleaded petrol from the pump, Aspen Alkylate fuel burns cleaner, reducing the negative impact on the operator, machinery and surrounding environment.

“One thing that became apparent very early on was the reduction in problems we were having with carburettors. And with Aspen being pre-mixed, you eliminate the variability of having to mix in 2-stroke oil so you get guaranteed consistency in every can.”

Tony explains that Aspen is used in all their 2-stroke engine equipment, primarily chainsaws – some of which, at the larger end of the scale, are used fairly infrequently. “Our 088 chainsaw for example might only come out once a month, and it doesn’t seem to matter how long it’s been sitting in storage, it’ll always start first time with Aspen.”

Further labour savings are also found with the safe and simple bulk delivery of Aspen to site. “We get one delivery and one bill a year which keeps everything simple and means we’re not repeatedly making trips to the forecourt. The fireproof Transbank storage container holds 60 five litre cans so we pop one in the truck, and a spare, and off you go.” He concludes, “When you start to add up the savings from fewer servicing bills combined with the convenience angle, it starts to stack up in a commercial sense as well as a safety one.”

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15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on

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15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on: DLF’s continued focus on breeding environmentally responsible varieties has seen the introduction of a number of exceptional cultivars, helping facilities and turf managers achieve their own objectives for more sustainable management.

In trials for the Chewings Fescue category, DLF’s Orionette demonstrated a high-quality sward that is more drought tolerant and resistant to disease, reducing the reliance on inputs. It is therefore no surprise to see its inclusion in a number of top-performing DLF golf mixtures and find it ranked as number one in the 2023 BSPB Seed Guide!

15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on

15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on

Chewings Fescue grass (Festuca rubra commutata) is a popular cool-season grass, valued for its fine texture, early growth habit, attractive green colour and ability to thrive in a range of soil conditions. Its upright growth results in dense tufts without rhizomes, so it doesn’t spread like it’s Slender or Strong Creeping cousins. Over the years, Chewings Fescue has been extensively bred and developed to offer a hardier and even more adaptable turf, tolerant of close mowing and typically blended with other fescues to create a golf mixture with exceptional ball roll and playability.

In recent years, breeding efforts – including those by DLF – have focussed on developing Chewings Fescue cultivars that require less water and fertiliser and be naturally more resistant to pests and disease, reducing the need for chemical inputs and therefore improving environmental sustainability. Orionette is the result of more than 15 years of research and development, created by combining plants of the very best germplasm available in DLF breeding. Extensive screening across DLF’s European trials network followed, including for drought tolerance in France, winter tolerance in the Czech Republic as well as green trials conducted in Denmark.

The results showed superior performance in all aspects and thanks to its high tiller density, Orionette is more tolerant to winter diseases such as Red Thread and highly resilient to wear and tear.

It’s ability to perform under a lower Nitrogen-input programme is another reason why Orionette excels in a number of popular Johnsons Sports Seed mixtures for fine turf – both as a drought-tolerant fairway cultivar in J Premier Fairway or in a disease and weed resistant capacity in a greens mix such as J Fescue and J Green. J Premier Fairway is a high-performance blend of seven fescue cultivars for the sustainable management of non-rye tees and fairways. Orionette makes up 15% of both J Fescue and J Green, requiring less water and fertiliser and contributing to fast and sustainable surfaces.

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Ecodresser delivers sustainable solution to topdressing

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Ecodresser delivers sustainable solution to topdressing: Contractors W R Sandow have praised their recent purchase of an Ecodresser from GKB Machines as they join industry associations in encouraging more sustainable management of winter sports pitches.

The Ecodresser recycles material from the profile to improve drainage and play characteristics while reducing reliance on imported sands and dressing material – offering a solution that is both practical and cost effective.

Ecodresser delivers sustainable solution to topdressing

Ecodresser delivers sustainable solution to topdressing

Specialising in sports pitch construction and maintenance, W R Sandow work with facilities across Cornwall and West Devon and have been a Pitch Contracting Partner to the RFU since 2005. “Sustainability is really coming to the fore in our sector as we all look at our impact on the environment” explains Director Andrew Sandow. “We’ve been looking at recycling dressers for many years but specifically wanted one with a stone screen which comes into its own when working on grass roots pitches. The GKB Ecodresser ticked all of the boxes for us.”

When matches are played on wet ground, the action can disturb the profile and cause the soil to go into suspension. As it settles, the heavier particles like sand, settle faster while lighter particles like silt and clay will settle more slowly – capping the sand underneath the top layer which, over time, can destabilise the surface and reduce its natural ability to drain. The blades of the Ecodresser cut through the ground to depths of up to 200mm, breaking through the ‘crust’ and bringing the finer soil back to the surface.

“The linear aeration in itself brings multiple benefits to the surface, but for those venues with naturally sandy soils, the Ecodresser can hugely reduce the need for imported sports sand topdressing which is not only more environmentally-friendly, but better for the budget too!”

Together with Simon Johnson, GMA Regional Pitch Advisor for Rugby in the West, Andrew recently visited Redruth Rugby Club, where the Ecodresser left a lasting impression! “Redruth was the second venue we’d used the Ecodresser at and everyone who was watching it work was amazed by the results. Another great feature of this machine is its ability to store material which can then be redistributed into goal mouths or pitch hollows, eliminating the need to buy in non-native soils.”

“Alongside football and rugby, we can see demand for this type of machine on cricket outfields, even running tracks where it could be used to level and produce a more even surface.” Andrew adds, “The Ecodresser is already booked up for work at venues and we look forward to introducing it to more people at various educational events throughout the summer.”

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DLF delivers carnival of colour

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DLF delivers carnival of colour: The green, green grass of Chipping Sodbury Golf Club in Bristol is now complimented with a carnival of colours including reds, pinks and purples thanks to the introduction of wildflower seed from DLF.

The project is now into its third year and was the brainchild of Deputy Head Greenkeeper Craig Swindells who, together with support from the membership, has successfully introduced 800sq.M of outstanding visual impact together with all-important food and habitat for pollinators and wildlife.

DLF delivers carnival of colour

DLF delivers carnival of colour

Craig has been at the 18-hole parkland course, situated on the outskirts of the Cotswolds, for the last 12 years and works as part of a greens team of seven including one trainee and two member volunteers. He explains, “While the trees add great definition to the course, it means we’re very ‘green’ so I presented the idea of planting two new wildflower areas to the committee and they gave us their full support. One member in particular, Geoff McFarland, who shares my passion for ecology was generous enough to fund the project.”

The first seed went into the ground in May 2021 – a combination of Pro Flora 8, comprising of 80% grasses and 20% robust wild flowering species, and Colour Boost 1 (Carnival) for hight-impact annuals. “The weather hadn’t been kind up to that point, but we went from seed to full bloom in under two months and what a bloom we had! Bold bright colours and an abundance of bees and butterflies enjoying the rich food source it provided. We had a wealth of lovely messages and members of the public coming in to have a look.”

“At the end of the first season, we cut back and hand-picked unwanted growth as and when we saw it. Year two we left the areas alone and found we achieved great uptake with the perennials and, as you’d expect, fewer annuals though some did self-seed. It still looked good but like most plants, struggled with the ground being so dry through the summer of 2022. Now, we’re going into year three and we’re overseeding again, this time with Colour Boost’s Biodiversity mix to introduce a wide range of flowering varieties.”

Biodiversity from DLF’s Colour Boost collection blends seasonal annuals, biennials and perennials to appeal to a host of varied fauna, including pollinating insects. The composition of species is wide and ensures suitability to different growing conditions and strong colour, which changes depending on bloom, throughout the season.

“This project has brought so many benefits to the players, the wildlife and even the general public and we really couldn’t have wished for more. The support and guidance from DLF along the way has also been brilliant.” Craig adds, “Having tried other brands of wildflower, we can certainly say that Pro Flora and Colour Boost have given us the very best results, and there’s now great anticipation and excitement to see the outcome of this year’s work.”

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ShockWave delivers excellent surfaces at Repton School

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ShockWave delivers excellent surfaces at Repton School: Repton School in the heart of the Derbyshire countryside has an educational history spanning over 1000 years. Although outstanding on so many levels the school encourages pupils to adopt a healthy balance between their studies and sporting activities.

Parents and pupils seek out Repton because they know the school invests both in terms of pre-eminent coaches and world-class facilities to realise ability and sporting ambition.

ShockWave delivers excellent surfaces at Repton School

ShockWave delivers excellent surfaces at Repton School

Sports facilities at Repton School are of a superb standard and significant investments in recent years give pupils and the wider community access to state-of-the-art facilities including two floodlit water-based Astroturf hockey pitches and a sand-based Astroturf.

Alongside the 25m indoor swimming pool, fully equipped gym and fitness suite, are two multi-purpose indoor sports hall and tennis courts run activities such as tennis, netball, squash, and of course football, rugby, cricket and athletics.

It is these sports surfaces that Andy Butler, Head of Grounds and Gardens, is responsible for, covering an area of 66 acres at Repton and a further 44 acres at the preparatory school.

Already an experienced groundsman at Repton for 14 years, Andy took over 18 months ago as the man in charge. His priority was to review and re-structure the working days of the entire grounds team.

“We have a very experienced, and enthusiastic team of gardeners and grounds staff all willing to look at ways to improve our maintenance practices.” Explained Andy “Although in the past we have relied on outside contractors, our current objective is to bring as much as we can in-house and use our expertise to its full potential.

“When I considered how much equipment we already had available in the sheds, it was obvious that we could utilise them much more effectively with better organisation. I consulted all our suppliers regarding the timings of applying fertilisers, seeds, spraying, researching the available weather data and soil analysis, and organised a timetable for a new structured, planned approach to our grounds maintenance.”

Andy cited an example of the Imants ShockWave decompactor, supplied through Campey Turf Care Product Specialist Simon Holland.

“We have had the Imants ShockWave on-site now for over six years, using it intermittently for areas with excessive compaction or standing water issues. Now, in the new system, we schedule the ShockWave treatment for all turf pitches over the Autumn period when the conditions are perfect for this process, neither too cold nor too dry.”

The minimal surface disturbance of the ShockWave, results in no disruption or cancelled games following treatment and all of Repton School training sessions went ahead as planned. The timing allowed the turf to then lay dormant over the cold winter spell, while creating the perfect soil and root structure to encourage excellent turf growth in the Spring. This in turn created natural turf sports surfaces that were strong and resistant to the amount of wear and tear played out throughout the sporting fixtures.

Andy continued “Other practices such as spreading, seeding, fertilising, all follow a strict but not rigid pattern, as the weather plays a huge part in any professional groundsman’s day.

“We plan a complete renovation of our sports turf surfaces at Easter, using the Vredo Seeder and Dakota spreader to top dress after renovating, and the turf is back in full swing after three weeks.”

“There is no doubt that this approach has led to a huge improvement in our productivity without compromising on standards or requirements, and I would recommend that any establishment that is able to bring some if not all of their routine practices back under their own control, would benefit.”

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