Tag Archive for: Repton

Mansfield Sand’s Impact on Repton School’s Clay-Based Grounds

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Mansfield Sand’s Impact on Repton School’s Clay-Based Grounds: Navigating the challenges of turf management on heavy clay soil presents a unique set of obstacles. Andrew Butler, Head of Grounds and Gardens at Repton School in Derbyshire, understands this all too well.

Tasked with maintaining Repton’s extensive grounds, Andrew has turned to Mansfield Sand’s MM40 to address the specific needs of the school’s clay-based terrain.

Mansfield Sand's Impact on Repton School's Clay-Based Grounds

Mansfield Sand’s Impact on Repton School’s Clay-Based Grounds

At Repton School, the soil’s heavy clay composition poses challenges to turf health and drainage. Andrew explains, “We are such a heavy clay soil-based site…the clay has got compressed, and it is so heavily compacted.” Recognising the importance of improving soil quality, Andrew sought solutions to enhance the medium and facilitate better water movement through the profile.

Enter MM40 from Mansfield Sand, a product renowned for its ability to improve soil structure and promote drainage. MM40 is sourced directly from the Two Oaks Quarry in Mansfield where the company produces its renowned Mansil range of Silica Sands. MM40 is a moist, medium sand which is predominantly used in the construction and maintenance of a wide range of sports surfaces.

MM40 serves as a vital tool in Repton’s efforts to combat compaction and enhance turf resilience.

The implementation of MM40 extends beyond addressing surface issues. Repton School is in the midst of a comprehensive drainage programme, aiming to alleviate waterlogging and improve turf health across the entire site. Andrew emphasises the importance of this initiative, stating, “We are trying to help get that water away from the surface. It is all about improving the soil medium and getting it through the profile quicker.”

The short renovation window of opportunity during Easter poses a logistical challenge for Andrew and his team. However, the application of MM40 during this period is essential to maximising its impact. Andrew explains, “We only have a short window during Easter to get as much sand in as we can. We use MM40 across all the pitches, across the whole site. It has massively helped with the drainage and improved playability.”

As Repton School continues its commitment to providing top-tier facilities for its students, the role of products like MM40 in improving turf quality and resilience cannot be overstated. With Mansfield Sand’s MM40 as a key ally, Andrew is ensuring that the grounds at Repton School remain a source of pride and excellence for years to come.

For more information visit www.mansfield-sand.co.uk

You can also follow the company on Twitter – @MansfieldSand and Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MansfieldSandSportSurfaces/

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Transforming Repton School’s Grounds with MM Seed

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Transforming Repton School’s Grounds with MM Seed: Repton School in Derbyshire is a well-known institution which mixes tradition with new ideas.

Behind the scenes, Andrew Butler, the Head of Grounds and Gardens, is the man responsible for ensuring the grounds are not just aesthetically pleasing but also resilient to the rigours of year-round sporting activities. That’s where MM Seed comes in.

Transforming Repton School's Grounds with MM Seed

Transforming Repton School’s Grounds with MM Seed

After working at Repton for twelve years Andrew became the Head of Grounds and Gardens in 2022. Upon assuming his role, he faced a daunting challenge: the need for a grass seed capable of withstanding the constant onslaught of sporting activities across Repton’s extensive grounds.

Repton’s vast expanse, spanning over 100 acres, hosts a variety of sporting fields, including football pitches, rugby pitches, hockey pitches, athletic tracks, and cricket squares, each demanding its own maintenance. Additionally, the school boasts formal gardens and orchards, adding further complexity.

Reflecting on this challenge, Andrew says, “We are on such a heavy clay-based site, and with it being a multi-sport site, it is pretty much used 12 months a year…so therefore we needed a seed with a lot of durability.”

Enter MM Seed, a name synonymous with excellence in the UK sports turf and amenity industries.

“I didn’t feel that the seed which was being previously used was giving us the durability we needed,” says Andrew. “I started looking at different options, did a lot of research and we gave MM Seed a trial on our first-team football pitch. It just showed us what we were missing. Firstly, the take-up was fantastic, secondly, the durability of it was great, and the fact that it got growing well in the heavy clay-based soils we have here was very impressive.”

Andrew’s decision to switch to MM Seed, particularly utilising MM Tetra Sport and MM50, proved to be a pivotal moment.

MM Tetra Sport, a versatile blend of Diploid and Tetraploid Ryegrass, emerged as the solution for Repton’s winter pitches and cricket outfield. Its ability to improve sward composition and recover from scarring perfectly complemented the school’s diverse sporting calendar.

The inclusion of Tetraploids also improved drought resistance during the summer months which is important on the cricket outfields. Meanwhile, MM50, with its fast germination, establishment and ability to withstand heavy wear plus its ability to recover quickly after use found its role on Repton’s cricket squares, ensuring optimal playing conditions season after season.

Transforming Repton School's Grounds with MM Seed

Transforming Repton School’s Grounds with MM Seed

Andrew elaborates further on the durability of MM Seed, “With us going from different sports throughout the year, it means we have to give the grass different heights of cut – so when you go from the height of cut on a rugby pitch down to a football pitch, down to a cricket pitch and then back up again, you are putting a lot of stress on it, but the seed copes incredibly well.”

What sets MM Seed apart is not just its performance on the field but also its commitment to innovation. Treated with HEADSTART® GOLD, a unique seaweed-based seed treatment, MM Seed ensures rapid and even germination, laying the foundation for a resilient and vibrant turf. Andrew confirms this, stating, “I think it is down to HeadStart in the mixture which gives it that extra boost.”

Transitioning to a new seed variety is not without its challenges, yet Andrew found support in Agrovista Amenity, a trusted distributor of MM Seed. “Agrovista Amenity are great – I know I can ring up and have a pallet of seed here in 48 hours,” he remarks, underlining the importance of reliable partnerships. He also praised the advice he received from Matt Gresty, MM Sales and Marketing Manager, “Matt came in and explained everything about the seed. I have been carrying out exactly what he said to do, and the results have been superb ever since.”

The results do indeed speak for themselves. Repton’s grounds now boast not only durability but also supreme aesthetics. “The definition of stripe the seed gives us is first-class,” Andrew proudly states.

Andrew’s success story highlights the importance of strategic decision-making in the turf management industry. With MM Seed, he has improved the quality of the grounds, and will continue to do so for years to come.

For further information, please contact MM Sports Seed on 01386 791102 or visit the company’s website www.mm-seeds.co.uk.

You can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed.

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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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