Tag Archive for: Seed

MM Seed – Fit for a King

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MM Seed – Fit for a King: The market leading MM grass seed is working wonders for the King’s Bruton Foundation according to Director of Grounds, Graham Kitley.

The King’s Bruton Foundation, in Somerset, comprises three schools – King’s Bruton, Hazlegrove Preparatory and Bruton School for Girls. The three boarding schools are united by a common set of values and principles and bound by a shared history that stretches back five hundred years to the foundation of King’s in 1519.

MM Seed - Fit for a King

MM Seed – Fit for a King

Standards are everything to the Foundation and that also applies to the extensive twenty-two acres of grounds which are managed by Graham Kitley. With twenty years’ experience of working in independent schools, it is safe to say that the grounds and sports facilities are in good hands.

Before being promoted to the position of Director of Grounds in July 2021, Graham spent just over four years working solely on the Hazlegrove site. He now oversees the King’s Bruton and Hazlegrove sites the two separate grounds teams.

“How the schools are presented is incredibly important,” said Graham. “We take pride in the grounds because it is the first thing you see when you arrive, and first impressions are everything. Furthermore, both of the Headmasters are very sport minded people, and it is important that the pupils are out playing as much sport as they can on the very best facilities.

“As a grounds team we are backed by the School and the Bursar in terms of budget for products and machinery.”

Graham admits to being in a fortunate position and insists on using only the finest products. This was certainly the case when it came to choosing a grass seed.

“I speak to many people in the industry about products and it became apparent that a lot were using MM seed. Because everyone was raving about the benefits of MM, I thought I’d try it. It did exactly what everybody said it would do and it has been phenomenal ever since.”

MM is one of the most respected brands in the UK amenity industry, with over 40 years of experience and knowledge. The extensive product portfolio is second to none with performance proven mixtures that are used at many leading venues in the UK and Europe.

All the varieties have an excellent breeding pedigree and have been selected and bred for their ability to deliver a range of quality turf characteristics.

Graham uses MM50 – a hard-wearing ryegrass mix and MM7 – a mix of fine leaved ryegrass, fescue and bent which is suitable for fine turf.

“Across both schools, we use MM50 on all our cricket pitches and all our formal lawns, and then we use MM7 on our golf greens.

“We have such a short turnaround period between terms, and I need to have faith in the products,” he continued. “MM seed has excellent germination and is up and growing strong within days. This is particularly beneficial because it allows us to get on with other jobs while having confidence in the seed to be working away.

MM Seed - Fit for a King

MM Seed – Fit for a King

“It also responds well over the winter, and we have very little disease. The recovery is good, the colour is good, and it has never let me down.

Graham purchases MM seed from David Bevan of Agrovista Amenity and was quick to praise the support he receives.

“David and Matt Gresty (MM and Designer Sales and Brand Manager for DLF UK) are both brilliant in looking after me in terms of what I need. They are both very knowledgeable and are always available to talk to, and I’ve never had any problems with MM seed. Quite simply, I order what I need, it arrives on time, and it always works.”

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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MM seed ensures great start for Wycliffe

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MM seed ensures great start for Wycliffe: With a new season just around the corner, the green at Wycliffe Bowls Club has never been in such good condition, and greenkeeper Keith Freakley believes that is thanks to MM Sports Seed.

Formed in 1956 and located on the outskirts of Lutterworth in Leicestershire, Wycliffe Bowls Club is very much a friendly members club. It has something to offer players of all ages and abilities and the excellent club house often brings together the local community.

MM seed ensures great start for Wycliffe

MM seed ensures great start for Wycliffe

Wycliffe is managed and run solely by volunteer members, who deeply care about the club. One look at the green will underline the dedication of the members.

For an incredible 12 years, Keith Freakley has been looking after the greens in his spare time. He, along with two other members, carry out regular maintenance throughout the year but have relied on outside contractors for the end of season renovation. Last year Keith made a bold decision to put a stop to that.

“Rather than use a contractor we thought we would have a go ourselves,” he said. “It was expensive, and I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the work. Personally, I don’t think enough seed was used, or it was not of a great quality because it didn’t cover the green – there were lots of patches.”

While Keith began to put plans in place for the club’s first in-house renovation, he didn’t have to look far to find a solution to his seed dilemma. In association with Dennis and SISIS, Wycliffe Bowls Club hosted a bowling green maintenance seminar, and it was at this event that he met Matt Gresty, MM and Designer Sales and Brand Manager for DLF UK.

“We had a really good chat and discussed what the best seed to use would be,” said Keith.

“Matt had a close look at the green, identified what was growing naturally on the green and then matched a mix which he thought would be most suitable.”

The mix Matt recommended was MM10 grass seed – which is perfect for construction, overseeding, renovating and repairing high quality greens. Part of the renowned MM range of seed mixtures, MM10 produces a fine, dense sward, is tolerant to close mowing and as well as providing all year-round colour it is also disease resistant and hard wearing.

MM seed ensures great start for Wycliffe

MM seed ensures great start for Wycliffe

Keith incorporated the MM10 mixture into the renovation work in September last year and believes he has never seen the green in such good condition.

“It germinated very quickly, even in fairly dry weather,” said Keith. “The comments have been unbelievable. It has never been so green in colour, not just in places but all over. It gave us a very uniformed germination, and I think it will bowl incredibly well.

“It’s great to have Matt on board and we will continue to use the MM seed. We’re in a strong position and I’m looking forward to the season ahead.”

Commenting on the success of the seed, Matt said: “The green at Wycliffe has an excellent population of fescues and bents, and the amount of annual meadow-grass as a percentage is low. There is a very happy sward of desirable grasses – it is healthy, it is green, and it is growing well, which will ultimately provide a great surface for when the season starts.

“Keith and his team’s hard work and dedication is paying off.”

For further information, please contact MM Sports Seed on 01386 791102 or visit the company’s new website www.mm-seeds.co.uk. You can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed

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New mixture from Johnsons Sports Seed

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New mixture from Johnsons Sports Seed: A number of new and updated formulations have been announced with the launch of the Johnsons Sports Seed guide for 2022.

Particular highlights include the introduction of new highly rated cultivars into the Johnsons J Links and J Rye Fairway fine turf mixtures, and a brand-new, first-of-its-kind mixture for sports turf – Johnsons J Premier 4Turf – delivering proven Brown Patch tolerance.

New mixture from Johnsons Sports Seed

New mixture from Johnsons Sports Seed

The 2022 formulation of Johnsons J Links is set to deliver even better salt and drought tolerance to those courses under links conditions thanks to the introduction of Absolom Slender Creeping Red Fescue. Absolom is a highly rated cultivar, offering exceptional disease resistance and tolerance for close mown management. Absolom joins Cezanne and Nigella in this pure Slender blend – backed by DLF’s 4Salt® research, creating mixtures optimised for performance in saline conditions. New formulations of Johnsons J Fairway and J Rye Fairway are also available this year, with the inclusion of Esparina Chewings Fescue and Aniston Perennial Ryegrass respectively.

Also backed by research is the brand-new Johnsons J Premier 4Turf mixture. Following two years of trials into Brown Patch tolerant varieties, J Premier 4Turf takes full advantage of the findings – combining the outstanding wear tolerance and visual merit of the original J Premier Pitch mixture with 20% 4turf® and the most tolerant diploid varieties identified in the study. Featuring 10% Fabian and 10% Tetragame tetraploid perennial ryegrass, J Premier 4Turf promises to become the ultimate football and rugby renovation mixture for disease-resistance, rapid establishment and exceptional wear tolerance.

The larger seed and root system of DLF’s 4turf® varieties deliver strong, fast establishment at temperatures as low as 4oc, as well as healthy plant development. Its improved tolerance of drought and disease means the sward retains better colour and recovers quickly from periods of stress. Because of their tolerance to challenging conditions and lower reliance on inputs, 4turf® mixtures have become a popular choice with sports turf managers, with new formulations of both Johnsons J 4Turf and J 4Turf 100 available for 2022.

Details of all the new and updated formulations across the golf and sports turf range can be found in the 2022 Johnsons Sports Seed catalogue, or by visiting www.johnsonsportsseed.co.uk.

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Barenbrug announces top-scoring seed range

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Barenbrug announces top-scoring seed range: Hot on the heels of taking the very top positions in the new *BSPB/STRI Turfgrass Seed 2022 booklet, with its new sport varieties, Barenbrug has announced their inclusion in its upgraded product range for 2022, with the release of its annual catalogue.

Barzico and Barbasten, the number one and two varieties in table S1, released on 25 January, will feature in all three of Barenbrug’s primary sports products. The highly respected BSPB tables are the result of intensive trials in Bingley, West Yorkshire by the STRI.

Barenbrug announces top-scoring seed range

Barenbrug announces top-scoring seed range

“With our revitalised sports range, we now have the best performing products on the market,” says Dr David Greenshields, Barenbrug’s Commercial Amenity Manager. “Our long-term investment in developing good looking, hard wearing, strong recovering grasses is now paying off – for our customers and for us”.

Elite Sport, the leading grass seed mix for winter sport stadiums and pitches, will now contain both chart-topping varieties, offering the highest score in the market of 7.8 from the S1 table. It promises exceptional levels of both winter wear tolerance and early spring growth for rapid recovery, with a recovery score of 7.3*.

Barzico, with a table-topping Mean score of 8.1*, is 35% of the Elite Sport blend, closely followed by Barbasten with 7.9* (25%). Stalwarts Barcristalla, with 7.4*, and Europitch, with 7.8*, each take 20% of the new mixture. All four varieties feature in the top 14 of the new S1 table.

Barenbrug’s RPR Sport is also given a new look, with the addition of Barzico. The Regenerating Perennial Ryegrass blend already offers unparalleled capacity for recovery, thanks to Barlibro’s regenerative stoloniferous growth. Barorlando’s unique combination of wear tolerance and dark green genetic colour rounds out the team.

The mixture is ideal for areas of intensive traffic and heavily used pitches that do not get a complete annual renovation, providing both top wear tolerance and good aesthetics. RPR Sport contains 40% Barlibro, 40% Barorlando and 20% Barzico.

Year-round blend Multi Sport also gets a new generation upgrade. This mixture is formulated for flexible, through-the-year performance and sustainability for multi-use sport fields, grounds and pitches such as winter sports pitches used for cricket in the summer. Barbasten will now represent 40% of the Multi Sport blend.

Based on the BSPB S1 table, the mixture gets a strong score of 7.5. Showing its flexibility into the summer months, it also hits 7.3 for shoot density at the lower mowing height of 15mm on the BSPB L1 table.

Multi Sport also contains 30% Baradona, 20% Barorlando and 10% Baromario, all products of Barenbrug’s own breeding programmes in Holland and France, Barenbrug’s new 2022 catalogue contains full details of its sports products, together with a wide range for golf, cricket, tennis, bowling green and equestrian applications. The 52 page volume also contains sowing data, and takes a look at Barenbrug’s breeding systems and unique technologies. It is available via the company’s website – barenbrug.co.uk.

Specialising entirely on developing innovative UK grass seed solutions, Barenbrug UK is now recognised as the leading grass seed breeder and grower in the UK. As part of the wider Barenbrug Group, grass experts since 1904, their worldwide research and plant genetics network includes dedicated UK trials of amenity varieties and mixtures, providing a solid testing ground while drawing on knowledge and expertise from across the globe.

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MM seed making waves

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MM seed making waves: Newquay Golf Club is reaping the rewards from using three mixtures belonging to the market-leading MM grass seed portfolio.

Newquay may well be known more for its surfing and sandy beaches, but it also boasts a truly superb golf course. Located in the heart of the town, the picturesque 18-hole Newquay Golf Club is a challenging yet rewarding links course.

MM seed making waves

MM seed making waves

Dan Kendle, who has been a greenkeeper for the entirety of his career, moved to the Southwest seven years ago to take on the head greenkeeper role at Newquay Golf Club. It was his first managerial position in golf, and with a thriving membership and renowned for having some of the best greens in the county, it’s safe to say that Dan has made his mark.

His attention to detail and his insistence on using only the best products certainly has helped Dan to maximise results.

“I’ve never insisted on using one particular brand or manufacturer,” he said. “The most important thing is to use the products that work best on the course.”

Dan understands the importance of having a grass seed he can rely on and for the past two years he has been impressed with a range of MM grass seed mixtures.

“David Bevan from Agrovista Amenity recommended the MM brand to me, and I’m glad he did,” said Dan. “I started by using MM13 on fairways and tees, and a little bit of MM50 on some high-wear areas, such as walkways. They have performed really well. It is a small compact course, so the tees and walkways tend to get a lot of wear, and these mixtures have given us a lot more wear tolerance.”

As Dan says, MM13 is a high-quality traditional mixture for overseeding or renovating fine dense tees, fairways and roughs, particularly where maintenance and input levels are low. It has good winter colour and high disease resistance. MM50, one of the UK’s biggest selling grass mixtures, is also ideal for use on extreme wear areas and is fast establishing and resilient.

Dan and the team overseed the fairways and tees with these two mixtures twice a year in the spring and autumn but will also target specific areas as and when needed.

Based on the success of those mixtures, David decided to investigate which MM mixture would be beneficial to his greens. After consultation with Matt Gresty from MM Seeds and David Bevan from Agrovista Amenity, he decided that the all-new MM Coastal mixture would be the way forward.

“We actually did some trial plots with the MM Coastal mixture and based on the results we decided to overseed the greens with it,” he said. “It is a 100% slender creeping red fescue mixture which has a high salt tolerance. This is perfect for us because we are very exposed here. It is a dry site too so the fact that MM Coastal is drought tolerant, works very well for us.

“My plan is to start overseeding the greens and surrounds with MM Coastal on a more regular basis now,” continued Dan. “I’ll probably apply it at a lower rate every 5-6 weeks just to keep pumping the fescues into them to try and out-compete the areas of less desirable species such as Poa.”

“Germination is excellent and that is across all three seed varieties. You also get great colour from the mixtures all year round. On top of that, I get good support and backup from both Matt and David. I can always bounce ideas around with them and we enjoy discussing different overseeding techniques.

“With MM – it’s the whole package.”

For further information, please contact MM Sports Seed on 01386 791102 or visit the company’s new website www.mm-seeds.co.uk. You can also follow the company on Twitter: @MM_Seed

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