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High Standards From MM Seed

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High Standards From MM Seed: Cheltenham College’s Christian Brain has praised Limagrain UK’s range of MM grass seed mixtures for their role in helping him to maintain the high standard of pitches in his role as head of grounds at the prestigious school.

Located in the heart of the Cotswolds, Cheltenham College is a leading independent boarding school which dates back to 1841. Well known for its classical, military and sporting traditions, Cheltenham has approximately 700 pupils between the ages of 13 and 18 with many of whom go onto world-class universities such as Cambridge and Oxford. The College also features a prep school with pupils aged between 3 and 18.

High Standards From MM Seed

Christian is the man responsible for maintaining the grounds at both the main site and the prep school, and was initially drawn into the world of groundsmanship through his involvement with club cricket. He went on to work in a number of deputy roles in public schools before getting his opportunity at Cheltenham College.

Christian now oversees a team of four and ensures that the sports and surrounding grounds are at a consistent quality all year round.

“As you would expect, we have cricket in the summer term and then we change into rugby which lasts pretty much up until Christmas,” he says. “After Christmas, it is mainly football and rugby sevens until Easter with hockey which is played on our artificial surfaces.”

Christian relies on both Limagrain’s MM50 and MM60 grass seed mixtures which he uses on the winter pitches, outfields and cricket squares.

“We overseed our winter pitches with MM60 and this is done twice a year,” he says. “Once in August so we are ready for rugby and then we apply again in the spring. We overseed with MM60 after we’ve scarified the smaller cricket squares during the renovation period – purely because it is a stronger mix and can withstand winter sport.”

As Christian says, Limagrain’s MM60 grass seed is renowned for performing incredibly well on winter pitches and produces an excellent playing surface. It is a 100% Ryegrass formula which is perfect for renovation and divot repair, has a high disease resistance, fantastic aesthetic qualities and offers extremely fast germination. MM50, is arguably a more popular choice for cricket groundsmen. This superior mix contains the perennial ryegrass cultivars, Venice, Alison and Malibu, which are renowned for providing a great sward. It features excellent shoot density along with tolerance to close mowing making it particularly suitable for cricket squares.

High Standards From MM Seed

“I’ve been using MM mixtures throughout most of my groundsmanship career and I don’t have any reason at all to change. Both MM50 and MM60 are very strong mixtures, we’ve never had any problems with them, the recovery is very good and they withstand a lot of wear.”

Both MM50 and MM60 are boosted by the inclusion of Headstart GOLD®. Developed using the latest scientific findings and field experience, Headstart GOLD® is a natural revolutionary grass seed treatment that ensures rapid germination and is perfect for enhancing performance on grass seed coatings for sports fields, golf courses, lawns and amenity turf.

“The seed is always quick to establish – it is strong and has good rooting. They are just great products which perform well and provide great colour all year round. The mixtures are always available and are easy to get hold of which is another benefit.

“I also have a good relationship with Matt Gresty who is always on the other end of the phone if I need him. He is also quick to offer technical advice as and when it’s required.”

For further information, please contact Limagrain UK on 01472 371471 or visit the company’s website www.lgseeds.co.uk/mm

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An Update From Scott MacCallum

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An Update From Scott MacCallum: Most of the major sporting events for the year have concluded, the schools are back and the universities are preparing to welcome back their students.

So what to make of 2018? Well, from a sporting perspective it’s been pretty exciting. The World Cup was exciting, or being a Scot, I’m told it was exciting, with Gareth’s boys exceeding expectations. As it progressed through the knock-out stages, those expectations had shot up again and many thought the 52 years of hurt were going to end.

An Update From Scott MacCallum

Glasgow’s European Championships were a success while I don’t recall any of the regular sporting calendar highlights letting the side down in the football, rugby, tennis, golf, cricket, horse racing. That said, Andy Murray’s non appearance at Wimbledon did reduce excitement at SW19, but we are going to have to get used a life post-Andy going forward I’m afraid to say.

But the point I was going to make was that, as far as I can recall, there were no negative headlines from a turf management side of things.

No complaints from disgruntled losers, no injuries directly attributable to a surface, no Head Groundsman or Course Manager being named and shamed in public. That’s not to say that everything went perfectly in every instance.

Of course, things went wrong. You don’t need highly talented people in position if everything were to go swimmingly on every occasion. You guys are paid to resolve problems, but to do it, more often than not, quietly, efficiently, without fuss and without headlines.

Looking forward it’s hard to see how the quality bar can be raised much more but we can probably look to attain the same standards with fewer chemical applications – both for environmental reasons and the fact that it is likely that we will see costs rise as we stumble through Brexit.

On an artificial turf perspective the Rubber Crumb issue will continue to run. A six month consultation process on reducing acceptable levels of carcinogens has just started and I just hope that the safety of the end user – groundsman and sportsman – is placed before cost when a final decision is made.

So as greenkeepers start planning their winter programmes and groundsmen continue to turn out super surfaces in all conditions I wish you all well going forward.

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Places For People Benefit From Pellenc

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Places For People Benefit From Pellenc: Places for People, one of the UK’s largest property management companies, have seen several significant benefits since purchasing a large of battery powered equipment from Pellenc.

Places for People has over 50 years’ experience in delivering and maintaining large-scale, multi-phased, mixed-tenure developments and regeneration projects. Their ethos is to create sustainable communities which people are proud to call home and that applies to every aspect – whether it be housing, green spaces or communal areas.

Places For People Benefit From Pellenc

Places for People Landscapes responsible for the maintenance of properties and grounds from Newcastle in the North to Portsmouth in the South, Lowestoft in the East to Taunton in the West. The Landscapes team employ approximately 240 members of staff and the work is split equally between grounds maintenance and cleaning.

For the grounds maintenance side of the business, the landscapes team recently purchased a fleet of Pellenc battery powered equipment which included a range of Excelion 2000 brushcutters, Helion 2 Compact hedge trimmers, Helion Telescopic hedge trimmers, Airion 2 hand blowers, Selion polesaws powered by 1100 ultra-lithium batteries.

Gary Slater (North East), Julian Chapman (South) and Paul Hodgson (North West) are the three regional operations managers for Places for People Landscapes and they explained their reasons for choosing the Pelllenc equipment.

“I think there was probably three main driving factors in us choosing the Pellenc equipment,” says Julian. “There were the environmental benefits, the health and safety benefits, and the reduction in servicing and fuel costs.”

The exclusive Pellenc technology allows for a drastic reduction in the production of greenhouse gases and noise pollution. It is also comfortable for users, meets new sustainable development demands and offers excellent economic profitability. With a record capacity of up to one day’s use on a single charge, these quality products are a perfect fit for Places for People – according to Gary.

Places For People Benefit From Pellenc

“I think for what we do – grounds, estate and garden maintenance, the Pellenc equipment is a great replacement for the petrol equipment. There are so many benefits to using battery powered products from an environmental and well-being point of view and it makes sense to move in that direction rather than stand still. In using the Pellenc equipment we are eliminating so many issues – there are no fumes which is great for our staff, we no longer have to carry fuel in our vans or be concerned with fuel leaks or spill kits and the equipment is extremely quiet. The kit is also nice and lightweight which is a huge benefit for manual handling,” he said.

“Then of course there is the enhanced productivity,” added Gary. “Firstly, we are saving time on not having to fill up the fuel cans and there are no problems or delays with having to start machinery – it folds away quickly and easily too. Also, the quietness of the equipment is great for some of our noise sensitive sites – so there is no stopping and starting and theoretically it means that our guys could start earlier on some sites. The rain doesn’t stop us either because the equipment is IP54 rated. In fact we’ve had them out in torrential rain and never had any problems.”

Commenting on the notable reduction in servicing costs, Paul said: “The traditional service and maintenance costs associated with petrol based products are far more than what you pay for the Pellenc equipment over a similar period of time. There is no doubt about it – running costs are substantially lower and it is something we have worked out very carefully, additionally we see minimal repair or servicing costs coming in and we don’t have any fuel costs. Yes, we use a bit of electricity to charge the battery but it has no impact at all.”

Places For People Benefit From Pellenc

Since the Pellenc group was created in 1973, the company has based its development on a policy of constant innovation. The group’s ability to be able to anticipate changes in its markets has led to the registering of 1081 patents – winning numerous awards for the excellence of its products. While the products do indeed contribute towards protecting the environment, these innovative tools also do not compromise on power.

“I would say they are equal in performance to their petrol counterparts,” said Paul. “I’ve trialled the hedge cutters myself and they are just as good as petrol driven ones. Admittedly, some of our operatives were sceptical as to whether they would last a day but in actual fact they tend to last a day and a half before they need a charge.

“What I like about Pellenc, is the investment that they are making in the battery technology. It is new, it is the future, and I think everyone has to embrace it – the manufacturers, the importers, the dealers and the end user.”

All Pellenc batteries and tools come with a three-year commercial warranty and are distributed in the UK and Ireland exclusively by Etesia UK.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.etesia.co.uk.

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An Update From Scott MacCallum

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We have just come from a tumultuous six weeks of sport – with the World Cup, Wimbledon and The Open Championship at Carnoustie and you know what – the fact that the groundsmen and greenkeepers didn’t create one headline between them makes my heart sing.

When it comes to turf maintenance and the media – no news is good news.

An Update From Scott MacCallum

But to a large degree that’s sad. Why shouldn’t the great work carried on by turf professionals in Russia, West London and the east coast of Scotland be acclaimed? It’s only when something goes pear shaped that turf professionals are named and shamed.

Had Harry Kane slipped on a loose bit of turf and missed one of his penalties; or Novak Djokovic missed a potential Championship winning point because of a dodgy bounce; or Tiger Woods saw one of his better drives land in a divot and cost him that elusive 15th Major, we would have known the names of every Head Groundsman or Course Manager involved.

Like a good referee – although I do believe the arrival of the celebrity referee is changing this – it has all gone well if no-one has noticed you.

I do know that that situation suits many turf professionals. In a previous guise I wanted to run a campaign to encourage golf club members to get to know their Course Manager, but it didn’t fly. Greenkeepers, and assume most groundsmen, don’t like their heads above the parapet.

What I would say, however, is that no matter how strong your agronomy knowledge the ability to communicate is just as important.

I remember something a friend of mine, who was Chairman of Green at Muirfield Village, in Ohio, told me. He said that their course, which plays host to Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament every year and hosted the 1987 Ryder Cup, was always in perfect condition. He also told me that their Superintendent’s degree was in politics, not agronomy.

So, face up to your biggest critic. If you can’t talk round someone who is bound to have much less subject knowledge than you maybe your next training course should be in communications not soil science.

Protect Your Veg Plot From Slugs

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Protect Your Veg Plot From Slugs: Slugs can be active throughout the year but cause the most damage when weather conditions are hot and humid. The slimy gastropods will make a meal of a huge variety of vegetables, even when you think that your plants are large enough to have escaped the threat. They will munch through peas, beans, lettuce leaves and tomatoes, and are partial to underground potato tubers; so even plants that you think are safely buried underground are at risk from the hungry beasties. This is because, at any one time, 95% of the slug population are living underground, feeding on plant roots and potatoes!

The answer to vegetable garden woes, though, is easy as watering on a simple, environmentally sound, pest control product – Nemaslug. Not only are nematodes extremely effective when they come into contact with slugs, but they can also reach the places that other slug control methods simply can’t. As nematodes are watered on, and don’t simply lay on the surface of the soil like pellets and other pest control options do, they can travel down through the soil to the pest and attack them before they get a chance to damage your plants.

Protect Your Veg Plot From Slugs

Unlike pellets, Nemaslug can be used as a preventative pest control, so even if you are lucky enough to have not seen any damage caused by slugs, treating the garden to a dose of Nemaslug will keep the critters at bay before they become a real problem.

The best time to target slugs is when they are newly hatched, so the period between March – October is ideal. A regular regime of using Nemaslug every six weeks is the most effective way to protect plants throughout the growing season and will help to ensure that your vegetables survive long enough for you to eat them!

All Nemasys products can be ordered online, with an entire season’s worth being ordered and sent out as and when needed. This means that all of your planning can be done now, and you can concentrate on planting and growing, safe in the knowledge that your pest control is taken care of.

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