Tag Archive for: Is

Is there a crisis in golf greenkeeping?

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Is there a crisis in golf greenkeeping?: The British & International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) has launched an industry-wide survey that will quantify information relating to a perceived ‘crisis’ within the greenkeeping and wider golfing sector.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that golf clubs are struggling to fill available vacancies, particularly in the greenkeeping department. Reasons generally put forward for this include the requirement to work anti-social hours, lack of appreciation and a relatively low entry salary. However, for those who do embark upon a career in greenkeeping, the positives are many.

Is there a crisis in golf greenkeeping?

Is there a crisis in golf greenkeeping?

This survey is crucial as it is vital the scale of the challenge is quantified, as well as the key drivers for the issues. Effective golf club staff are critical to the health and growth of the sport as they strongly influence the experience of golfers on a day-to-day basis.

As BIGGA seeks to fulfil its overarching ambition of creating a more positive working environment for the UK’s greenkeepers, BIGGA hopes the hard data from the survey will enable the association to positively guide the broader golf industry.

Head greenkeepers, course managers and other members of the turf management team at golf clubs are invited to complete the survey. Only one response is required per golf club. The survey can be completed online at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2VZ52PH

BIGGA has requested the support of partner organisations with regards this research and will publish the results in full when the periods for submissions has closed.

BIGGA Chief Executive Officer Jim Croxton said: “With the ongoing cost of living crisis at the forefront of our minds and the COVID-19 pandemic having caused many people to consider their priorities, the golf industry faces a very real challenge to engage sufficient staff at club level, to effectively deliver the sport to the nation’s five million regular golfers. Participation in the sport is booming at just the time that recruiting and retaining greenkeeping staff is at its most challenging. It is vital the golf industry – utilising real data – considers positive solutions to the ongoing labour issues.

“We encourage all our members to respond to this survey, which we believe will benefit all greenkeepers and golf club staff.”

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The NEW Pellenc Helion 3 is here

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The NEW Pellenc Helion 3 is here: Pellenc, the world’s leading expert in battery-powered tools, has announced the launch of the new Helion 3 hedge trimmer.

Over recent years the Pellenc Helion hedge trimmer has been meeting and exceeding the needs of professionals in terms of power and trimming quality. Lightweight, quiet, and with odourless operation, it has allowed users to work comfortably when trimming hedges, ornamental trees or pruning.

The NEW Pellenc Helion 3 is here

The NEW Pellenc Helion 3 is here

This innovative trimmer has now just got better with the launch of the Helion 3.

Ultra-versatile with its three cutter blades which can be changed in under a minute, the new Helion 3 guarantees a perfect finish every time. Its exceptional cutting capacity allows operators to cut sections up to 3cm in diameter in complete safety. It can also be used all day no matter what the weather.

Here is a glimpse of some the key features of the new Helion 3:

Ultra-robust cutting blades

The Helion 3 boasts a blade guard, an aluminium stiffener, carbon steel blades and a stainless-steel anti-kickback guard.

Anti-locking blade system

The Helion 3 incorporates an exclusive device that reverses the direction of rotation if the cutting bar gets stuck in vegetation.

Speed select button

The four cutting speeds of the Helion 3 make it possible to adapt to the type of species to be trimmed or pruned.

Quick switch system for changing blades

The different sized hedge trimmer blades can be mounted and dismounted in under a minute.

New ergonomic design for safety

The new ergonomic design of the blade guard provides additional safety for the user against the risk of cuts.

Fast connector system

The Helion 3 allows quick connection and disconnection of the tool to the battery to get out of any risky situation fast.

Pellenc UK offers an industry leading four-year commercial warranty for all its batteries and a three-year warranty for all it tools.

Pellenc is distributed exclusively in the UK by Etesia UK.

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.pellencuk.com

You can also follow Pellenc on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @PellencUK for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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Ferro is Top choice for Jordans

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Ferro is Top choice for Jordans: Jordans Sports Ground Solutions has reported excellent results from using Compo Expert’s Ferro Top specialty fertiliser, after applying it at several top-class sports venues.

From day-to-day maintenance to end of season renovations to new constructions; Jordans Sports Grounds Solutions provides a range of sports turf services throughout the South East and down to the South Coast. The business has rapidly expanded over the past few years and currently employs 11 highly skilled members of staff.

Ferro is Top choice for Jordans

Ferro is Top choice for Jordans

Owner Ian Jordan carefully selects the products and equipment to be used by the team: “As a contractor we always do the best we can for the client and choosing the correct products for their turf within budget is crucial,” he said.

Last year, with a harsh winter approaching, Ian started searching for a suitable product and he knew exactly what he was looking for.

“I was on the hunt for an iron-based product which would harden the sward and give us some colour through the winter,” he said. “I came across Ferro Top on the Agrovista Amenity website and spoke in more detail about the product with Andrew Norman (Amenity Specialist). We are gradually increasing the number of products we are using from Agrovista Amenity and Andrew gave his opinion on Ferro Top. Based on his feedback, I decided to give it a go.”

Agrovista Amenity is the exclusive national distributor of Compo Expert’s turf products in the UK and is seeing an increasing demand for the innovative fertilisers. A popular choice with many turf managers is Ferro Top, which is an iron specialty fertiliser with high levels of potash and magnesium as well as manganese to promote quality, resistance, and colour. The fine granulation ensures perfect sward penetration.

Ferro Top also ensures quick greening without a flush of growth, displaces moss, and protects against new settlements which is particularly important in winter to spring.

Ian decided to use Ferro Top on a range of sports turf surfaces including the stadium pitches at Gillingham FC, Dartford FC, Ebbsfleet FC and on three croquet lawns, two tennis courts, and a cricket square at Dulwich Sports Club.

Ferro Top was applied to all the sites at the start of December and Ian revealed that he plans on using it more extensively going forward.

Cosmetic appeal at this sort of level is key and approximately 7-10 days after we applied it, we thought wow! The grass went whoosh and the colour it produced was fantastic. This was the biggest impact; it made the grass look very healthy.

“What I also like about this product is that it seems to kick back into life when the turf has been cut – it just seems to really bring the colour out each time. We have all been very impressed with Ferro Top.

“Now we know its capabilities we will certainly be using it more,” continued Ian. “I think next winter we will look to apply it, depending on weather, in November and go with a second application in January.”

Ian was also quick to praise the assistance and technical knowledge he receives from Andrew Norman: “Both the delivery and customer service are very good from Agrovista Amenity, and Andrew has always been available if I need to talk to him about any of our requirements.”

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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What is it about Durham?

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What is it about Durham?:Scott MacCallum talks cricket with Durham School’s Head of Grounds Barry Boustead, learns how a merger with the city’s Chorister School has brought together 600 years of heritage, and muses about THAT song…

One of renowned singer song-writer (and whistler) Roger Whittaker’s most famous pieces of work was Durham Town, in which he sang “I’m going to leave old Durham town.” It’s a lovely song, but having been to Durham recently, I can’t see any reason why anyone would wish to leave.

What is it about Durham?

What is it about Durham?

There can be few more beautiful places in the country in which to earn a crust than Durham – named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. The sheer beauty of the famous cathedral, which sits majestically above the historic buildings, give it a mystic which would be hard to replicate anywhere. Oh, and it’s a City despite what Roger says. Probably “city” didn’t scan as well as “town”!

One man who has no intention of leaving Durham any time soon is Barry Boustead, Head of Grounds at Durham School, for whom gazing over his view after a full day’s graft is very much balm for the soul.

“My place of work really is quite spectacular. There are not many better settings than this,” said Barry.

“Like many jobs you can occasionally get a bit fed up, but then I just look out over our main rugby pitch to the cathedral and everything seems a little bit better.”

But the fact that Barry has been at the school for 13 years suggests that those days when a “fix” of the view is very much required are few and far between.

“It is a good place to work. I wouldn’t have stayed so long otherwise,” he said, before admitting that his original Plan A had been to remain for around four years and then emigrate to New Zealand!

The job Barry started out with has changed since he began as Head of Grounds, however. He has added the Gardens portfolio too, while a merger with The Chorister School in the city, just last September, bringing together a shared heritage of over 600 years, has increased the number of children using his beautifully prepared pitches and grounds, while adding to the complexity of his role.

“We have inherited two playing fields, one of which has three junior rugby pitches, while I don’t know what the plans are for the other as yet. Personally, I’d like to be a training area to keep them off my rugby pitch, but it will bedown to the sports department at the end of the day,” he laughed.

As part of the merger Barry has acquired one new part-time member of staff, Jon Bland, who had been working at The Chorister School, but with Barry himself and two other staff, Damian Merrigan and Darren Keeler, they are certainly kept extremely busy.

“Even visiting the new fields can be a challenge as they are on a busy road and at peak times, or as was recently the case, when a bridge was closed and traffic diverted, it can take 10 to 15 minutes just to make the right turn before we can get back. That sort of time can add up and over a week can be quite significant.”

What is it about Durham?

What is it about Durham?

And time is one thing the team can’t really afford to lose. Particularly over the autumn period when, on a site with so many mature trees, clearing leaves is the Durham School equivalent of painting the Forth Rail Bridge.

“It’s a daily job from October through to January and we clear every leaf off the site pretty much.

We collect them and put them in a pile behind our shed which just builds up and then rots down.”

How many man hours a week are devoted to the task?

“This week for example two of us have been on the job and all we have done is leaves so it’s anywhere upwards of 50 hours a week. Other jobs do take priority but so much time is devoted to leaf clearance. I always have a target of getting every leaf cleared by Christmas, but I’ve not done it yet!”

The other on-going issue, also tree related, is the school’s artificial hockey pitch, which sits in a lovely, secluded site surrounded by trees.

“Being surround by trees means that silt – dust or sap – has collected within the profile. Then when we get a heavy downpour the silt rises to the top and it gets very slippy – not something you would want on an artificial pitch.

“We’ve tried different brushing machines and it has improved slightly but we are going to see how this winter goes before we see what our next step is. We are using a SISIS Twinplay with stiff brushes and it seems to do a good job. Ideally, we’d like to do it twice a week but pressure of work means that we can only fit it in once a week. It’s an on-going problem.

“One solution would be to take out the existing sand and replace it but that is costly.”

With leaves taking up a significant part of the year it is grass cutting which occupies the rest and with cricket, in particular, it is an intense fixture list.

“We can have three or four fixtures a week and we have 12 match strips on our main cricket ground and three down on the bottom ground,” explained Barry, adding that the main cricket pitch shares its space with the first team rugby pitch – which boasts sets of posts which reach a remarkable 17 metres – the same height as those found at top grounds such as Twickenham.

To prepare the cricket wickets Barry and the team rely on a single Allett C20 wicket mower, which makes advanced planning an essential part of the job and leans heavily on the reliability of the mower.

“I get the fixtures in at the beginning of the season and then fit in the Cup fixtures as the teams progress through the tournament. I do have a good relationship with the Director of Cricket so he has a good idea of what we are capable of producing.

We can hold three fixtures at once – two on our upper field and one down in the other field.”

On the reliability? Well, that’s not always down to the machine itself.

“I did clip a stud and bent the bottom blade on our Allett,” confessed Barry.

“Fortunately, we do have a good relationship with the University. I started my career there and was at school with the Head Man, Paul Derek’s, kids, and we do help each other out. They helped me with a wicket mower after the bent bottom blade incident, and last summer they had a problem with their tractor, which they use to cut their big fields with gang mowers, so they were able to use our Kioti.”

That kind of mutual back scratching can help solve immediate problems, but also ease the budgetary strain on hire fees which can, with the now longer lead times on spare parts, mount up quickly.

If pushed, Barry would say that his first love is cricket and his aim is always to produce the best surface possible.

“I’m a big believer that a good cricketer will be able to react to any situation and while I do talk with the Director of Cricket I’m never under pressure to produce a wicket to suit our own team. What they see is what they get,” said Barry, who while he didn’t ever play the game, has a real passion for preparing cricket wickets.

So much so, in fact, that he spent a week with Vic Demain and his team at Chester-le-Street working at a Durham county match.

What is it about Durham?

What is it about Durham?

“The week I had was really good. I learned so much, mainly from seeing how the team all operate and come together to work towards the same goal. Vic and I are still in touch and he helps run the Durham Groundsman Association. He is a great communicator and having come from grass roots level has a real affinity with guys in our position – those working with one wicket mower!”

Barry’s arrival in the industry came about very much by chance. He’d begun a degree course in business management at Sunderland which involved a placement working for a year at a local council.

“It was working in the marketing department, but I soon learned that being stuck behind a computer just wasn’t for me. I left and found a position on a summer contract working on the grounds’ team at Durham University.

“When a full time contract came up I got the job and loved it.

They put me through my NVQs at Haughall College, which was just across the road. I did my NVQ 2 in sports turf and my NVQ 3 in sports turf management. I knew at that stage that it was the career for me,” said Barry, whose previous experience had amounted to cutting his dad’s lawn on a weekly basis!

After four and a half years the Durham School position came up and Barry got the job.

As he looks out at the fabulous view of the Cathedral, he has never had any doubts that he chose the right career and is very happy at Durham. Roger Whittaker on the other hand…

EQUIPMENT INVENTORY

JCB 354 tractor
JCB Workmax
Major tractor mounted
roller mower
Toro 6500d
Kioti WD 1260 ride
on mower
3 x STIHL battery
pack blowers
STIHLl BR 600 petrol blower
Billy Goat blower
2 x STIHL strimmers
2x Honda rotary mowers
Ferris FW25 mower
SISIS Twin play
SISIS Rotorake
Allett c20
Dennis 36inch cylinder mower
And my most important and favourite tool in the shed, says Barry, the SISIS Combi Rake.

Etesia is the way for wet grass

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Etesia is the way for wet grass: Adam Patterson, owner of Patterson’s Gardening Services in Northern Ireland, needed a mower that would perform in the wet, and in his opinion, there was only one brand which was comfortably up to the job.

Over the past 30 years, Etesia ride-on and pedestrian mowers have become world renowned for being able to cut and collect – in all ALL weathers. Even in long and wet grass conditions, the mowers provide a quality finish with outstanding collection performance.

Etesia is the way for wet grass

Etesia is the way for wet grass

“We chose Etesia because it has a reputation for being the best at cutting and collecting wet grass,” said Adam. “When it comes to the design and build, Etesia has thought about all the things that other manufacturers simply have not.”

Adam set the company up ten years ago after revealing that it was always his ambition: “It was always going to be the career for me – grass cutting was my summer job and I absolutely loved it,” he said.

Patterson’s Gardening Services, now employs four members of staff, and is highly regarded throughout Lisburn and surrounding areas.

With a glowing reputation to maintain, Adam takes it incredibly seriously when it comes to purchasing new equipment. Therefore, when his pedestrian mowers needed upgrading, he phoned Etesia and had a lengthy conversation with the company to discuss what he was looking for.

He was recommended two models from the PRO 46 range; the PHTS3 – a single speed self-propelled mower and the PHE3 – a push variant.

Following the same concept of the PRO 46 range of pedestrian mowers first launched in the early 1990’s, both models feature Xenoy cutting decks for increased strength, shear washer crank protection, individual height of cut adjusters, a new 22mm handlebar design, the latest Honda GCV170 engine and are supplied complete with 80 litre grass box and rear deflector as standard.

One main feature of these models is the ‘one cut’ principle. This means the grass is only cut once before being sent to the grass box. The benefits of this are reduced power consumption from fast deck material ejection and secondly, as it is not multi chopped, the grass does not stick to the cutting deck in the same way as multi-cut grass does prevent unwanted blockages. The grass box is manufactured out of the same Xenoy compound as the cutting deck for maximum strength and comes complete with fill indicator.

Adam ended up buying two of each model from his local dealer RD Mechanical and hasn’t looked back since.

“They have an excellent build quality and the weight of them really appealed to me. They are just perfect for all our small amenity lawns. However, we find ourselves using them on the bigger lawns too, especially if it has been raining or there is a lot of dew. In these circumstances the Etesia’s are so much quicker because you are not stopping to unclog the cute after every stripe.

“The PRO 46’s are very reliable and user friendly,” he continued. “From a personal point of view, I really like the way the handles bend slightly down as well – it feels more natural to work with as opposed to your hands being in an upright position.

“We have received an excellent service from our dealer RD Mechanical throughout the process – from advising the correct model, to the delivery, so It’s safe to say I am one happy customer.”

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

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

You can also view the latest Etesia videos by visiting www.youtube.com/EtesiaUK

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A Cordless Hover that is less bother

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A Cordless Hover that is less bother: New to Mountfield for 2022, we introduce the Typhoon – a cordless hover mower which will allow you to mow with the flow!

The Typhoon is powered by 2 x 4Ah (20V) smart Stiga e-power batteries that provide ample power to cut lawns up to 100sqm from one charge.

A Cordless Hover that is less bother

A Cordless Hover that is less bother

Easy to use and Easy to manoeuvre the Typhoon will glide across the grass with ease, forwards, backwards and side to side…. And with no cord to get tangled in bushes, hedges, or garden furniture!

The unique patented cutting deck traps the air creating the right amount of energy to produce the cushioning effect that lifts the mower from the ground similar to a hovercraft.  The blade has been specially designed for maximum cutting efficiency without disturbing air flow.

This mower is extremely lightweight, just 7kg so very easy to transport to areas around the garden that require cutting.  It is also easy to store in any garden shed or garage, flat against the wall from a single hook.

The mower comes with 2 x 20V 4Ah batteries and a dual charger, the batteries are interchangeable within other products in the Freedom100 cordless range such as a grass trimmer, blower, vacuum shredder, hedge trimmer and multi-tool as well as a selection of 3 collecting mowers.

The Typhoon is a must-have for those who have stepped gardens or sloped grassed banks and will be available from Amazon UK, selected B&Q stores and online at B&Q and Screwfix from March 2022.

Easy Mows it!

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Two is company when it comes to ISEKI

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Two is company when it comes to ISEKI: ISEKI UK & Ireland, distributors of ISEKI compact tractors and mowers alongside their local dealer Rickerby based in Carlisle, recently sold a TLE3410 following an initial TG6490 IQ to Richmond (Yorks) Golf Club.

Established in 1892 Richmond Golf Club in North Yorkshire holds a 18 hole golf course, carefully maintained and constantly improved by a team of three greenkeepers headed up by Rob Spaven, Head Greenkeeper, Iain Leversuch and Daniel Dean.  With the course’s long history, the team are passionate about continuing to refine the course bringing it back to its natural habitat. Over-looking a valley it is perfectly positioned for stunning views at every hole no matter what the Yorkshire weather throws at it.

Two is company when it comes to ISEKI

Two is company when it comes to ISEKI

Having purchased its first TG6490 IQ tractor from local dealer Rickerby based in Hexham four years ago the club has since grown in popularity and memberships, which in turn means more pressure on the greenkeeping team to keep developing the course.

Commenting on the initial purchase Rob Spaven explained; “One of the main reasons we purchased the TG6490 IQ was because of the tractors low ground pressure ensuring minimal damage on the greens, we are a wet course thanks to the local Yorkshire weather so this is very important to us.”

“Another invaluable tool of this particular tractor is the Headland management system when verti-draining. Instead of acting like an octopus having to constantly keep lifting and lowering the implement, starting and stopping the PTO whilst turning and realigning, the headland management system cuts out the PTO when lifted and re-engages on return down all with one simple lever making these repetitive tasks so much easier and safer.”

“There is a big selection of 24 gears for the ultimate control, 1,580kg lift capacity perfect for operating implements, moving logs and towing trailers, and most importantly the air con cab is a god send when working in Yorkshire inclement weather!”

With the increased maintenance that was now required due to the club’s success, it was decided another tractor was needed to keep up with the workload.  This is where the new TLE3410 comes in, commenting on the decision Rob Spaven explained; “again with its low ground pressure and minimal damage on the greens the 40hp TLE3410 with 1000kg lift capacity was chosen for spraying and slitting fairways.  A really good, simple tractor that’s bomb proof and perfect for operators to just jump on and use.”

“As greenkeepers we are all worried about taking tractors on the greens, but when you’ve got two tractors that barely leave any marks, what more could you ask for! The TG’s reliability has been faultless, club’s don’t have as much excess money anymore, we can’t afford big repair bills but we have had no problems with this tractor.”

“After the excellent service and back up received from our first ISEKI tractor from local dealer Rickerby, we didn’t hesitate to contact them again for the purchase of our TLE3410.  The staff at ISEKI UK have also been brilliant, they are a friendly bunch to deal with, happy to answer any questions and there is really good communication from them.  I cannot speak highly enough of them to be honest and would highly recommend ISEKI products.”

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Grass is greener at AZ Alkmaar

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Grass is greener at AZ Alkmaar: The AQUA4D® system rented by Lescrauwaet BV has contributed significantly to solving turf issues at the AFAS Training Complex in Wijdewormer, home of AZ Alkmaar football club (Eredivisie). “We now have no more dead grass spots,” says groundsman Wouter Uitentuis. “That’s because the AQUA4D® water system creates smaller water clusters, so they get into the smallest pores.”

“In the first year when the training pitches were delivered, five years ago now, nobody could have foreseen how badly the grass would grow. There were a lot of bare patches of grass, especially near the overlap of the sprinklers,” explains says the groundsman, who manages the training fields. After the first season, 2 cm of the grass layer was milled off with a fieldtop maker, reseeded and fertilised. Due to the hot and dry summer the following year, the emerging grass burned immediately. Uitentuis: “We wondered what was causing this and started looking. We found out that it had to do with the salinity in the irrigation water. With this knowledge, we started spraying the fields much more to push away the salt, sometimes as much as 40 to 50 ml/m2 per night. Normally we give between 10 and 15 ml/m2 depending on the time of year.”

Grass is greener at AZ Alkmaar

Grass is greener at AZ Alkmaar

Getting the ball to roll faster

After a large amount of water, there was no watering for a few days until the turf dried out. That was the moment to start watering again. “As a result, it took longer than desired, also from the club’s point of view, before there was a reasonable grass surface. But at the overlap spots of the sprinklers we saw that the grass didn’t want to grow because of the salinized soil,” explains Uitentuis.

AZ Alkmaar turf, before AQUA4D

There was a second problem: AZ requested that the pitches should also be wet during the day, to help the ball speed. “In order to make the grass wet, we had to spray water in small doses even on a sunny summer day. This keeps the salty water on the blades of grass. The result was that the salt residue in particular burned into the leaves, causing the grass to turn yellow and die.” Later in the season, more rain did turn the grass green again. “As soon as the grass received fresh rainwater, the grass was back to its normal green colour within a week.”

The search for innovative irrigation technology

In order to remove the salt from the irrigation water (with an EC of 7.0), a Reverse Osmosis system was considered. But this system could not handle the amount of water from the pump, which has a capacity of 60 m3/hour. Tap water was not an option either, because there was no adequate connection to be made, and using drinking water would be expensive.

Two years ago, the groundsman called in Westhoven Agro Advies who put him in touch with AQUA4D® BeNeLuxDu importer Lescrauwaet BV in Hilversum for treatment of the surface water. With the AQUA4D® water system, the irrigation water is treated with resonance fields, which improves or refines the structure of water clusters.

The Swiss-based firm have more than 4,200 water systems operational in 40+ countries, in horticulture, sports fields, landscapes, and sustainable buildings.

A test was Conducted by connecting and disconnecting sprinklers to the AQUA4D® water system. “At first we were sceptical, because we thought that no system could do it properly,” explains Uitentuis. But we soon saw a difference with AQUA4D. With the sprinklers whose water had not been treated, the grass quickly burned.”

Smaller droplets roll off leaves

According to the groundsman, this watering system has the required capacity, is affordable, and has a positive effect on bare grass areas. “The water surface tension is lower, so the water droplets are smaller and less spherical. We can also see this in the water that is sprayed more when watering the grass. Due to the change in water clusters, the water droplets no longer remain on the leaf. Because they roll off, we also no longer have any salt residue. As a result, the grass no longer burns.”

A new approach to water management

The AQUA4D® system has made a significant difference to the grass patches that refused to grow. “Every year is different here – it can be warmer or colder, more or less sunlight and drier or wetter. Water is one facet of the whole picture, but the most important one. In summer, we now have a different fertilisation policy with more coated fertilisers, which are released slowly, and we spray urea fertiliser on the leaves,” says Uitentuis.

“We are pleased with the beautiful green turf this summer. It really is a picture,” he concludes.

Find out more about sustainable water management for football: https://www.aqua4d.com/news/sustainable-football-irrigation/

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Prevention is better than cure

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Prevention is better than cure: At a recent meeting of the Amenity Forum, Chris Faulkner of Kersten (UK) Limited spoke about the need for all involved in weed management in the sector to further increase the focus on weed prevention.

He said ‘’A common theme of the conversations we have with customers centre around removing, killing or controlling a weed that already exists. Prevention requires us to think about the causes of weeds on a particular surface and how we can make the environment as inhospitable for weeds as possible’’

Prevention is better than cure

Prevention is better than cure

In a recent presentation at a conference in Wales, the Independent Forum Chairman John Moverley, said ‘’prevention certainly on hard surfaces begins with the design of our environment. For example, designing the corner of a kerb with a nice wide radius, rather than a sharp corner allows a sweeper to easily follow the edge of the kerb and collect any detritus trapped there’’

Also at the conference, a representative from Newport Council commented about their success with improved preventative maintenance work. He said ‘’we have been using mechanical weed removal to minimise the soil build-up over winter and the team has seen a big reduction in the amount of weeds coming up in the spring. This has resulted in the diminished use of plant protection products around Newport’’

The amenity sector has been at the fore front of the development of integrated weed management and produces comprehensive guidance notes for the sector. It is important to recognise that integrated means choosing the right approach and choice of methods for weed management including plant protection products. The increased emphasis on moving to carbon zero also will significant impact on future approaches.

A new guidance note on weed prevention will shortly be available on the Amenity Forum website www.amenityforum.co.uk  and it will be just one of the topics to be addressed in Updating events across the UK organised by the Forum in early 2022. For more information contact admin@amenityforum.net

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Pellenc is ‘superior’ for Hard Graft

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Pellenc is ‘superior’ for Hard Graft: Hard Graft Garden Services, based in East Lothian, Scotland, believes that Pellenc is a ‘superior’ brand of battery-powered technology.

Hard Graft Garden Services is a family-run business based in Longniddry, East Lothian. Founded by father Stuart, the day-to-day running of the business now largely falls his three sons Sam, Fraser and Lewis.

Pellenc is ‘superior’ for Hard Graft

Pellenc is ‘superior’ for Hard Graft

Over the years, the family has built a reputation for supporting the local community and providing an unrivalled customer service. Always looking to the future, Lewis revealed that green technology is integral to the company’s future plans.

“I would say that 90% of our equipment is now battery powered, and now that we have discovered Pellenc, we are planning on investing in a lot more of the products.”

Lewis admits that he only turned to Pellenc after being dissatisfied with a product from another manufacturer. It was at this point that he got in touch with Etesia – exclusive UK distributors of Pellenc products.

“We had an electric brushcutter from another manufacturer, but the battery just wasn’t lasting as long as we needed it to and there were a few other build quality issues,” he said. “I did some research, found Pellenc and watched some YouTube videos of the products in action and read some end-user reviews. I then got in contact with Etesia and a demonstration was quickly arranged with our local dealer Agrovista Amenity. As soon as I saw that brushcutter in action, I knew it was the one for us.”

The brushcutter Lewis saw being demonstrated was the powerful Excelion 2. With a rotational speed of 6,600rpm and a cutting diameter of 420mm, the Excelion 2 battery-powered brushcutter offers superior performance for professional intensive landscaping and forestry work.

Weighing 30% less than petrol-powered brushcutters, it also has a newly designed smart handle that enables agile manoeuvring and displays digital information in real-time including current speed, battery life (as a percentage and in minutes) and power indication.

“We are using the Excelion 2 every day,” said Lewis. “Sometimes there will be days when we are using it from morning till night. The battery life on it is fantastic and the run time is something that we just don’t have to worry about anymore. I also like the way the digital screen monitors the way you are working, and it provides you with information on your current speed and your battery life.

“To be honest, the Excelion can probably go longer than I can,” he continued. “The other day I was on 89% battery, and I still had seven hours of run time left and that is way beyond how long I would want to strim for!

“I also like the way there are four speed settings. Level one manages the small gardens perfectly, and if you come across a bigger section with larger grass, then a quick tap of the button and you are up to level 3 or 4 and away you go. You can use it no matter what the size of the garden.”

Lewis and the Hard Graft team power the Excellion 2 with the Pellenc ULiB 1500 backpack battery, which gives the user freedom of movement and optimal work quality.

“We thought we would go for the ULiB1500 battery because it is the biggest battery in the range and we plan to invest in more Pellenc equipment, which can all be used with this battery.

Pellenc is ‘superior’ for Hard Graft

Pellenc is ‘superior’ for Hard Graft

Everything feels great, it is very comfortable, and you have no issues with your back – because of the harness.

“It is a great design and very compact for something so powerful – it is not as big as some of its competitors, and it fits nicely in the van when you are storing it.”

Lewis is being looked after by Pellenc dealer Agrovista UK, and Allan Wright has been on hand to ensure Hard Graft are happy with their Pellenc purchase. From the product to support – it is safe to say that Lewis is a happy customer.

“Both Allan and Stephen Muir from Eteisa UK have been very helpful – both of their knowledge is fantastic – I simply cannot fault the service. They walked us through everything, explained everything thoroughly, and that is what you want because you are investing in premium products.

“For the more money you spend, you are getting battery powered technology which is far superior and a first-class service. The products are built to last, and this is backed by the four-year battery warranty.

“As I say, I did a lot of research and I looked at what other manufacturers had to offer. It was clear that Pellenc is a cut above the rest.”

For further information, please contact Etesia UK on 01295 680120 or visit www.pellencuk.com

You can also follow Pellenc on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @PellencUK for much more news, reviews and insightful views.

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

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