Tag Archive for: Success

Sherriff A Hit At Budleigh Salterton

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Sherriff A Hit At Budleigh Salterton: Richard Quelch, groundsman at Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club, has seen an improvement in the health of the eleven fantastic lawns at the club in East Devon, thanks to a tank mixture from Sherriff Amenity.

Founded in the late 1860s, Budleigh Salterton is one of the premier croquet clubs in Europe and is situated in a beautiful location with wonderful views looking over the town of Budleigh Salterton.

Sherriff Success At Budleigh Salterton

Richard maintains the lawns to a very high standard, so much so that the club is regularly chosen to host major British and International Tournaments, including the European Golf Croquet Championships.

Although the venue is considered by many to be the ‘Wembley of Croquet’, that doesn’t stop Richard from continuing to make improvements and finding new ways to take the lawns to another level.

“I’m trying to boost the overall health of the lawns and I would like to get more roots into the ground,” he said. “The more roots I have, then the better the lawns can withstand a dry season and stresses. Plus, we are recently starting to have a few issues with leatherjackets and there are not many chemicals available on the market to solve this.

“Ultimately it is a case of trying to make the grass as strong as possible to combat the hot summers and any disease.”

Richard felt that he needed a nice ‘cocktail’ of nutrients which he could apply to the lawns on a regular basis and after speaking to Sherriff Amenity’s David Chammings, he found the ideal solution.

He now applies a monthly tank mix consisting of E2Pro Liquid 12.0.12 (at 60 l/ha), E2Pro PhosRite (at 10 l/ha) and SeaVolution seaweed liquid (at 20 l/ha) and noticed an immediate improvement.

“I trialled a few different products to see which would be the best for this site,” said Richard. “I felt that these products from Sherriff Amenity were the best for me and I was particularly keen to include the PhosRite, because it encourages a deeper, healthier root and relieves stress.”

As Richard says, Sherriff Amenity’s E2 Pro PhosRite can bring dramatic improvements to turf. Results from trials have shown improved turf quality and enhanced rooting. The benefits come from the plant’s improved ability to withstand stress conditions, allowing stronger, healthier grass to develop.

It is rapidly absorbed into the plant leaves where it translocates as phosphite within the plant cells. This stimulates strong, healthy growth and plants with a better root structure that are more able to withstand stress. The phosphite in E2 Pro PhosRite is rapidly distributed throughout the plant using both upward and downward transport systems (xylem and phloem) ensuring that all parts of the plant are quickly affected.

The addition of E2Pro Liquid in the tank-mix works to provide rapid leaf penetration and quickly relieves nutrient deficiency symptoms while Seavolution encourages disease infected areas to recover, optimising turf quality.

“It appears to be the perfect tank mix for me and it has already created a good thickness of grass,” said Richard. “Very soon, we are set to host the European Championships and I’m confident that the lawns will be of a good enough standard to cater for some of the very best players in this sport.”

For further information, please contact Sherriff Amenity on 01638 721 888 or visit www.sherriffamenity.com

For more news and insightful views, you can follow Sherriff Amenity on Twitter @SherriffAmenity.

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Carbon Gold Success At Mullion GC

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Carbon Gold Success At Mullion GC: With more and more chemical fungicides getting banned, how can Greenkeepers keep their turf healthy?  A chance encounter at the 2018 BTME conference in Harrogate led Mullion Golf Club to the answer…  

Mullion Golf Club is the most southernly course in the country, just a few miles north of Lizard Point in Cornwall.  Being right on the coast, it’s under constant barrage from the Atlantic winds and, as such, often suffers salt damage, irrigation issues and disease outbreaks, particularly on the 14th green which is considered the club’s problematic green, sited on a cliff and constantly being awashed with salty air from the Atlantic Ocean. The green was built with a fine sand and has always struggled to get good rooting.   

Carbon Gold Success At Mullion GC

Head Greenkeeper, Gordon Tamblyn, happened upon Carbon Gold’s enriched biochar Turf Improver at the Sherriff Amenity stand at the BIGGA’s annual exhibition BTME at the start of 2018 and was intrigued. 

Biochar is a high-carbon, purified form of charcoal that improves the structure, aeration and water-holding capacity of soil.  Its chemical stability means it doesn’t break down, making it a one-time application, and its porous structure provides a permanent refuge for beneficial microbiology.  

Carbon Gold’s biochar is enriched with mycorrhizae, Trichoderma, seaweed and wormcasts and has been shown to improve the health and vitality of turf, improve grass rooting, reduce irrigation costs, eliminate the need for fungicides and dramatically reduce the need to put down fertiliser in trials by Sherriff Amenity.  

In March, during the Clubs greens renovations, Mullion’s 14th green had been hollow-tined ready to have Carbon Gold’s enriched biochar Turf Improver swept into the Rootzone.   

“I was intrigued by Carbon Gold’s Turf Improver because the science around biology made a lot of intuitive sense and the trial results were impressive, plus the fact that it reduces costs and is a one-time application, it was definitely worth a shot.  I’m always looking for new ways of improving soil structure, preventing disease and promoting the Fescue grasses, due to the nature of our environment at Mullion owing to how exposed to the elements we are.” 

Gordon Tamblyn, Head Green Keeper, Mullion Golf Club 

The biochar was used in conjunction with mycorrhizae inoculants and, eight months on, despite an outbreak of Fusarium this Autumn, the 14th green is completely disease free, the grass is showing better rooting, feels firmer and is looking much healthier.  

“I’m really impressed by the fact that our biggest problem-green is a lot healthier, firmer and is disease free.  And the rooting is impressive, I noticed there’s absolutely no break-off when changing holes.” 

Gordon Tamblyn, Head Green Keeper, Mullion Golf Club 

As a result of the trial, Gordon is applying Turf Improver to its putting green and would like to incorporate it to the rest of the course, permanently improving the health of Mullion Golf Club’s turf. 

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Jensen Success At Arb Show

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Jensen Success At Arb Show: The team behind the UK distribution of Jensen woodchippers, the world’s first and original woodchippers developed in 1884, were delighted to host a stand at the 2019 Arb Show this month.

With a prominent stand overlooking the entrance, Jensen woodchippers were on full display to several thousand visitors that attended over the course of the two-day event, drawing in crowds of interested people and resulting in a large number of demonstration bookings throughout the country.

Jensen Success At Arb Show

Jensen are known for supplying the widest range of woodchippers in the industry, from 6” to 12” capacity; towed, PTO, tracked and hydraulically-adjustable ‘Spider’ tracks; as well as turntable functionality on all 8” and above machines.

A wide variety of Jensen machinery was available to see at the show, including towed and tracked machines, having both petrol and diesel models on display.

The 6” capacity, diesel A530L woodchipper is road-towable at less than 750kg, which made it one of the most popular machines on the stand from interested tree surgeons and arborists looking for a powerful but lightweight all-round chipper.

Similarly, the 6” A530L, petrol version, at under 700kg fully braked attracted much attention on the stand. With a 35hp Briggs & Stratton Vanguard engine, and electronic safety touch-sensors fitted as standard, the A530L offers power, performance and safety in a practical sized machine.

Always one of the machines to draw a crowd is the Jensen A540 Spider, and at this year’s Arb Show it was no different.

Capable of tackling timber up to 190mm effortlessly, the A540 with Spider tracks is designed for embankments and awkward terrain.

Agile and manoeuvrable, visitors to the stand were impressed to learn about the stability benefits of the A540 Spider, which features independently adjustable hydraulic tracks both horizontally and vertically.

Visitors to the stand were varied with hugely interesting careers and equipment requirements, from independent tree surgeons looking for a single woodchipper for daily tasks through to large, crane-fed machines for highway and railway maintenance.

“This is the third year we’ve attended the Arb Show with Jensen and we were delighted with not only the turn out to the event but the huge level of interest in the brand”, says Bill Johnston, Head of Machinery Imports division and Business Manager for Jensen in the UK.

He continues, “It was excellent to meet a large number of existing Jensen owners who were pleased to share their experience of Jensen machinery with us, as well as a whole host of new customers booking on-site demonstrations.”

“We’re looking forward to seeing lots of those visitors again over the coming weeks, giving them the opportunity to try a Jensen for themselves and experience the power and performance of the world’s original woodchippers.”

The Jensen dealer for Wales, Riverlea, supported the stand at the show and was represented by Sales Manager Paul Austin.

“This was my first time at the Arb Show and I found it very interested. We were pleased to speak to visitors and leave at the end of the show with some leads, which I hope will generate some more sales for Jensen over the coming months.”

To find out more about the wide range of Jensen woodchippers available, and to locate your local Jensen dealer, visit www.jensenchippers.co.uk

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Lead Success For SALTEX Exhibitors

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Lead Success For SALTEX Exhibitors: Five months on from SALTEX 2018, exhibitors are continuing to report a high conversion rate from leads they generated at the NEC last year.

SALTEX 2018 served up a show to remember at the NEC, Birmingham, with exhibitors hailing it as the most rewarding exhibition to date. Sales teams have since been working on converting a high volume of leads into new customers and many companies have reported hugely successful results.

Lead Success For SALTEX Exhibitors

Net World Sports, a sporting equipment designer and manufacturer, made its first appearance at SALTEX 2018 and it was an excellent debut, according to specialist sales and development lead Robbie Hayter.

“SALTEX 2018 has been a phenomenal platform for us, so much so that we’ve already booked our stand for 2019 and have secured an even bigger space.

“At the show we unveiled our new FORZA Alu110 360° football goal wheels which attracted huge interest from football clubs. We have since sold a large number to Premier League and leading international clubs.

“SALTEX allowed for the introduction to many established pitch contractors and we are now working on one project which includes supplying FORZA Alu110 goals and two-tier shelters to Colliers Park, Wrexham (FAW National Training Centre) in collaboration with CLS Sport.

“We also had the opportunity to network with many top grounds people and have already supplied and installed indoor football protection netting for West Ham United FC’s indoor academy training centre – a lead that came from SALTEX.”

Net World Sports was not the only exhibitor to gain valuable connections with Premier League clubs at SALTEX 2018. Fivesquared, a brand of Earlsmere, is a vibration management provider, and director Jeremy Hoyle claims that the company has benefited from engaging with such a diverse audience.

“The quality of visitor seems to be better than ever and there was a great mix covering all avenues of grounds and sports turf. As a result of SALTEX we have picked up some fantastic work within the Premier League as well as from a large number of schools and colleges.”

Garden & Hire Spares has also reported an increase in sales since exhibiting at SALTEX 2018 according to sales and marketing director Malcom Mullender.

“We picked up a couple of major national accounts as a direct result of having a stand at SALTEX and have seen an increase in sales from a number of accounts. We have already committed to have the same stand at SALTEX 2019.”

Laurie Davies, director of SPA Power Machinery, revealed that the company is placing more orders with suppliers just to keep up with the demand for the products that were launched at SALTEX 2018.

“At SALTEX we launched our new range of Westermann weed and moss brushes which has been highly successful. We are now placing regular orders with the German suppliers and have received great feedback from customers who have purchased since the show.”

Overton UK increased its presence at SALTEX 2018 by taking three stands and that decision has already been justified according to director Guy Overton.

“SALTEX was an exceptionally busy and successful exhibition for Overton UK, especially for the Mean Green electric commercial mowers, which attracted new dealers and led to many demonstration enquiries. We also launched the new Overton battery powered vacuum litter collectors and as always, the NIMOS WeedRippers got a lot of attention.

“Since SALTEX we have also received a large number of orders for the electric mowers, litter vacuums and the WeedRippers.”

Commenting on the success of the SALTEX exhibitors, Charles Neale, event sales manager, said: “We understand that exhibitions are all about brand awareness and gaining a return on investment. Exhibiting at SALTEX provides the platform for success in all areas.

“It’s great to hear that over 90 per cent of our SALTEX 2018 exhibitors obtained new business at the show and re-bookings for SALTEX 2019 stands are already over 80 per cent.”

SALTEX 2019 takes place at the NEC, Birmingham on October 30 and 31.

For more information visit www.iogsaltex.com

Follow SALTEX on Twitter @IOG_SALTEX and Facebook – www.facebook.com/IOGSALTEX

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Prevention Success At Preston GC

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Prevention Success At Preston GC: Andrew Merry, Course Manager at Preston Golf Club, changed his mind-set regarding disease management after attending an ICL/Syngenta breakfast club meeting for Greenkeepers.

Andrew may well be unique in the fact that not only is he the Course Manager at Preston Golf Club but he is also the General Manager. It all started back in 2006 when he was appointed as the Deputy Course Manager but soon was promoted when the position of course manager became vacant.

Prevention Success At Preston GC

He admits that it was somewhat a baptism of fire but twelve years later Andrew has excelled in this dual role, and one look at the stunning course is certainly testament to this.

The superb 18 hole, 6,278 yard, par 71 course dates back to 1892 with the design influenced by such luminaries as James Braid, Harry Varden, Alistair Mackenzie and Sandy Herd. Preston also has a wonderful variety of holes and USGA constructed greens that offer a challenge to players of all abilities.

Andrew has to work hard at keeping the course in a consistently excellent condition and none more so than two years ago when the greens were unfortunately struck with disease.

“I went on my Christmas break, left on the Thursday and came back on a Monday to find disease on the greens and I was worried I wouldn’t get those back. But since then and since attending the breakfast clubs, my view on course management has changed. The ICL/Syngenta “Turf Science Lite” breakfast club has re-educated me and made me want to start looking at things more preventatively and so far that has worked for the second year running,” he said.

The breakfast clubs were arranged by ICL’s North West Technical Area Sales Manager Phil Collinson, who provided a little more background.

“The idea was to get Greenkeepers together, keep them up to date on legislation, and inform them about products or trial work and to provide a networking opportunity.

“The breakfast club which Andrew first attended was based around various hard-hitting fungicides leaving the market and educating them that successful turf management is going to have to be different in the future. It is not about waiting for disease and hitting it and reducing the damage it is doing – it is about understanding when the site is most at risk from a damaging disease outbreak and preventing that damage from occurring in the first place by being proactive with the management strategy.”

Andrew did exactly that and incorporated an early application of Medallion TL at a rate of 3L/ha prior to his annual renovation work.

“Our annual renovation period starts in the third week of September and so a preventative fungicide a week before is where we start with our preventative management. Following that first application, a preventative fungicide goes down around every four weeks as well as incorporating good cultural methods such as dew removal to lower the risk of an outbreak. It is difficult to get into the mind-set of applying a fungicide when your greens are clean but it is absolutely worth it.”

Prevention Success At Preston GC

To compliment Andrew’s preventative strategy and to assist in reducing disease pressure, he also embarked on a full H2Pro TriSmart programme. This unique wetting agent consists of a triple-active formulation which provides great control when it comes to moisture management.

“We apply TriSmart on the greens at 10 L/ha every 4 weeks from April through to September. 2018 was the year to find out which wetting agents really work and I can safely say that TriSmart has excelled.

“Since using the product I haven’t had any compromised greens even during the hottest and driest periods. It also worth bearing in mind that I have an irrigation system which perhaps isn’t the best and the greens dry out very quickly because they are sand based.

“However, I’ve managed my moisture levels incredibly well and TriSmart has done exactly what it says on the tin!”

Andrew claims that the research and trial work conducted by ICL and Syngenta was a big factor in him deciding to use the products.

“In my opinion ICL has that research and development which is proven and it is something that will always stand up in my opinion. The support I receive from Phil is also invaluable.”

Please contact ICL on 01473 237100 or visit www.icl-sf.co.uk or www.icl-sf.ie if you are in Ireland.

For more news and insightful views, you can follow ICL on Twitter @ICL_Turf

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