Tag Archive for: J

DLF launch J Sustain-Fairway

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DLF launch J Sustain-Fairway: Market demand for a blend of resilient Fescue cultivars and high percentages of native Hard Fescue has seen the introduction of J Sustain-Fairway from DLF.

J Sustain-Fairway is the latest in a strong line up of fairway mixtures from Johnsons Sports Seed which already includes J Fairway, J Rye Fairway and J Premier Fairway, offering a range of sustainable options to suit all needs and budgets.

DLF launch J Sustain-Fairway

DLF launch J Sustain-Fairway

J Sustain-Fairway has been designed to suit golf clubs looking to significantly boost the population of more resilient Hard and Sheeps Fescues – known for their increased tolerance to a broad range of turf stresses. With a natural foundation of strength, this fairway mix allows for reduced nutrient, water and chemical inputs all while maintaining exceptional turf quality.

Ideal for links and heathland venues, J Sustain-Fairway contains 20% Dumas and 20% Crystal Hard Fescue, together with 15% Quatro Sheeps Fescue. Hard & Sheeps Fescue provide exceptional drought recovery, salt tolerance and natural support against some common turf pests & diseases – with anecdotal evidence highlighting the benefits of Hard Fescue in an integrated pest management (IPM) programme. Found naturally on shallow infertile soils, these varieties are perfect for sustainable turf management, requiring very little in the form of artificial inputs to maintain an outstanding playing surface.

Crystal and Quatro are two of four number one rated cultivars from the BSPB list included in this blend. Adding further sward strength and density the formulation is 20% Rossinante Strong Creeping Red Fescue and 15% Nigella Slender Creeping Red Fescue, both renowned for their unmatched salt, Dollar Spot and Red-Thread tolerance, as well as 10% Orionette Chewings Fescue which demonstrates excellent spring growth and contributes to a robust and hard-wearing turf even under heavy traffic.

Commenting on its introduction, Amenity Sales and Marketing Manager for DLF Derek Smith said, “The team at DLF have worked very closely with a number of turf managers and some of the industry’s leading advisors to develop the optimal formulation for J Sustain-Fairway. This new mixture is perfect for course managers looking for a high performance, fine-turf fairway formulation equipped to withstand the environmental challenges of the future.”

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It’s J Premier Wicket time and again

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It’s J Premier Wicket time and again: When it comes to a cricket pitch, there’s not much that Richie Woodmason, owner of Willow Turf Care, doesn’t know about them – whether it’s playing on them or maintaining them!

One thing he is certain of, is that when he needs a grass seed that is going to germinate quickly and deliver hard-wearing results capable of withstanding the demands of the modern season, he turns to Johnsons Sports Seed. Following his own extensive research, it’s Johnsons J Premier Wicket that ticks all the boxes for Richie, seeing it employed on 41 of the 42 renovations he completed last season.

It’s J Premier Wicket time and again

It’s J Premier Wicket time and again

After moving to Australia to play cricket, Richie became involved in the grounds maintenance at the Perth club, swiftly taking on the role of Head Groundsman. On his return to the UK, he then adopted a similar role at his home club before a return trip to Oz saw him gain further experience of management in warmer climes. Back again, and positions at Gloucestershire Country Cricket Club and Trent Bridge were held, alongside the establishment of Willow Turf Care – conducting end of season renovations for facilities in and around the Gloucestershire area.

It was during his time at Trent Bridge that Richie took it upon himself to conduct some trials to establish the germination of various mixtures and assess the performance of various cultivars. He explains, “When we were conducting repairs, I’d line up four or five different mixtures and then look at things like the speed of germination, coverage and plant strength, and found that in our attempts to get a wicket back in six or eight weeks, that J Premier Wicket repeatedly outperformed the others.”

This knowledge has served Richie well, since he went full time with Willow Turf Care in March 2021. “I was armed with my go-to grass seed and found that, as new clients came on board, they were happy to take my recommendation. I’m now Head Groundsman at seven clubs and use J Premier Wicket at all of these, along with the numerous other sites at which I’m contracted. It continues to offer brilliant wear tolerance, disease resistance and coped well with the challenges of the hot and dry weather last summer.”

It’s J Premier Wicket time and again

It’s J Premier Wicket time and again

J Premier Wicket is formulated from four top-rated perennial rye cultivars that deliver proven, reliable performance and outstanding camera appeal. “We used it on all of our 42 square renovations except one last year, with the other one also using seed from another DLF brand, and couldn’t fault the results.” He adds, “Time is becoming the most important commodity due to the expectations on county club grounds staff. This means that finding something that works well, and works quickly, is crucial. For me, the J Premier Wicket mix backed up with fantastic technical support from DLF’s Ian Barnett and priced as it is, makes it unrivalled.”

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Johnsons J Green helps Wantage BC

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Johnsons J Green helps Wantage BC: Wantage Bowling Club are celebrating their centenary year with a green that is denser and healthier than it has ever been, thanks to the switch to Johnsons Sports Seed.

Volunteer Greenkeeper Dean Gibbons has praised the combination of Johnsons J Green and J Rye Green for delivering exceptional germination and a smooth playing surface that is fit for a series of special events marking the club’s 100-year anniversary.

Johnsons J Green helps Wantage BC

Johnsons J Green helps Wantage BC

Since Dean took charge 10 years ago, he has successfully adapted a number of mechanical and nutritional programmes to achieve a pesticide and fungicide-free approach to his green’s maintenance. To assist with that, specifically to help prevent weed ingress, Dean reviewed his choice of seed three years ago after suffering several seasons of sparse coverage. “I knew we needed to introduce some different high-quality cultivars to improve the density of the green so I referred to the BSPB guide and spoke to some other greenkeepers who all highly recommended the J Green mixture from Johnsons.”

J Green incorporates top-rated fine fescues and bent grass cultivars to deliver fast, sustainable and disease-resistant greens suitable for bowls and golf. Dean has used J Green for the club’s end of season renovations, together with localised seeding of rink ends and other high-wear areas throughout the playing period. For some particularly problematic areas, he’s used Johnsons J Rye Green – combining perennial rye, slender creeping red fescue and browntop bent for fast establishment, exceptional recovery and tolerance of wear.

“The first and main thing I’ve noticed is the quality of germination achieved with J Green and, importantly, the survival rates of the seedlings. While several inputs will of course influence this, the quality and purity of the Johnsons mix, together with the fact the seed is coated with GroMax biostimulant seed treatment, appears to be a massive factor and has resulted in a visibly denser, thicker and healthier sward.” Dean continues, “Since we switched to Johnsons, I have also had regular visits from DLF’s Regional Technical Manager Ian Barnett, that always bring insightful and helpful advice to help in the objective of improving the green.”

He adds, “The work to date hasn’t gone unnoticed. The improvements in our bowling surface have been recognised around the county and beyond, with lots of positive feedback and requests to use our green to host prestigious games so we must be doing something right!”

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Johnsons J Tee helps Wenvoe Castle GC

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Johnsons J Tee helps Wenvoe Castle GC: The unique blend of cultivars in Johnsons Sports Seeds J Tee mixture is delivering the magic combination of rapid establishment and high wear tolerance required at Cardiff’s Wenvoe Castle Golf Club.

Head Greenkeeper Lucy Sellick cites the small tees and the sustained high levels of play as a major maintenance challenge, overcome with this mix incorporating tetraploids and a little extra spring ‘kick-start’ with DLF’s ProNitro® seed coating.

Johnsons J Tee helps Wenvoe Castle GC

Johnsons J Tee helps Wenvoe Castle GC

A team of four assists Lucy with the maintenance of the 18-hole parkland course, labelled as ‘one of the finest challenges of golf in Wales’. “The big challenge for us is finding seed that can germinate and establish quick enough to cope with the high number of rounds! I’ve been greenkeeping for a long time, and for our site, I’m yet to find anything that can compete with the establishment and consistency we get with the Johnsons mixtures.”

Johnsons J Tee incorporates 40% tetraploid ryegrass, in the form of Fabian and Tetragame, delivering significantly improved disease tolerance, shoot density and recovery, even under close mown conditions. It also incorporates Sabrena RSMG – which germinates like a ryegrass, has the fine leaf and density of a bent grass and delivers outstanding wear tolerance, even in shady conditions. “We’ve been using J Tee for the last few years now and continue to see germination in under two weeks, even in the cooler conditions with the J Nitro Tee option.” Featuring both fast and slow-release nitrogen, ProNitro improves nutrient utilisation during the early stages of plant growth for each developing seedling.

“We sow J Nitro Tee at the start of the season, when everything is a bit slower to give the seed a bit of a head start. We then switch to the regular J Tee in the middle of the season, and have achieved fantastic results.” Lucy adds, “We also use Johnsons J All Bent on our greens which, again, is great for high wear tolerance. The high wear areas around the perimeters of the greens are predominately Poa, but the combination of Arrowtown and Manor outcompetes that and helps us to achieve faster greens with improved disease resistance.”

“Another great thing about the Johnsons range from DLF is the fact that it’s backed by science. You know that behind every formulation are years of research and trials which for me is a big advantage.” She concludes, “The team, including my Regional Technical Manager Ian Barnett, are always on hand with the latest information and findings which reassures me that I’m always making the right choice.”

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J Premier Pitch delivers resilience

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J Premier Pitch delivers resilience: While they’ve been using J Premier Pitch at the Lamex Stadium for the last three years, the grounds team at Stevenage Football Club cite this season as the best they’ve ever had in terms of plant strength and surface performance.

After germinating in just five days earlier this year, Head Groundsman James Fennessy also notes the fantastic resilience demonstrated by the Johnsons Sports Seed mixture, which has meant they’ve seen no disease on the stadium pitch this year.

J Premier Pitch delivers resilience

J Premier Pitch delivers resilience

Overseeing a team of five, across the stadium, training ground and an academy site, James began using Johnsons J Premier Pitch after seeing the results at other clubs. “Every stadium environment is different and, because of that, you can never be sure how a seed is going to take. Our corners are open, meaning the pitch is exposed to the elements and we have some areas that don’t get any sunlight during the day so it’s about finding a seed that suits the setting – J Premier Pitch has performed fantastically!”

“We had a seven-week window to complete our renovation this year and started by putting 20 bags of Premier Pitch down at the end of June. We couldn’t believe it when we started to see germination within just five days, which then gave us the maximum time to get the pitch ready for play.”

The combination of highly rated perennial ryegrass cultivars in J Premier Pitch not only deliver rapid establishment, but exceptional wear tolerance, disease resistance and a camera-friendly finish – something that James also praised. “The plant is extremely well rooted and gives us great colour year-round which has been ideal for presentation. In addition, the sward is incredibly dense which means we don’t think we’ll need to do any pre-winter overseeding this year – reducing both workload and cost.”

Seed from across the DLF portfolio, specifically the Masterline range, is used at the training ground and academy site where James again comments on the importance of resilience. “The demands on the surfaces here are actually far greater than at the stadium so it’s absolutely crucial the seed we put in the ground is going to be hard wearing. This year they are good and strong, still performing well as we head towards winter.”

“All of the seed we get from DLF is backed up with fantastic technical support from our Regional Technical Manager Craig Spooner, who keeps us up to speed with updates to formulations.” He concludes, “It’s always good to learn about the work going on behind the scenes, which keeps us reassured that what we’re putting in the ground is always being improved to perform at its very best.”

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