Tag Archive for: Suståne

Suståne delivers perfect bill of health

/in , /by

Suståne delivers perfect bill of health: A year-round programme from Suståne® Natural Fertilizers has been effectively managing moisture and turf stresses to keep the 27-hole course at Wellow Golf Club disease-free.

Course Manager Lee Payne describes how the ‘perfect combination’ of Suståne® products including 5-2-10+Fe and 6-2-4 Turf Revival® has seen a drastic reduction in the frequency and severity of a variety of turf diseases, lowering fungicide applications and delivering long-lasting visual appeal.

Suståne delivers perfect bill of health

Suståne delivers perfect bill of health

Steeped in history, Hampshire’s Wellow Golf Club is set among 200 acres of parkland surrounding Embley Park – once occupied by King Alfred and later the family home of Florence Nightingale. Skip forward a couple of centuries, the site now boasts a beautiful 27-hole course maintained by Lee and his team of five. Privately owned and broken down into three 9-hole courses; the rotation of the Ryedown, Blackwater and Embley courses enable a ‘TLC week’ to take place one in every three… or at least that’s the idea!

“We’re constantly busy!” exclaims Lee. “We conduct a lot of in-house drainage projects as we’re quite a heavy site meaning that for most of the winter months, we can’t get a sprayer out. That leads me nicely onto how good the Suståne product really is, an annual programme from whom keeps us ticking over superbly well.”

“It was the organic aspect that led me to Suståne® initially. We were looking for something that would boost the good bacteria in the profile and not be harmful to the environment or our aquatic life, while also keeping on top of the variety of turf diseases that appear.” The programme, drawn up by Suståne’s Russell Riley and Neil Rogers from AGS consists of 4-6-4 slow-release fertiliser, 5-2-4+Fe for a boost of colour during December, January and February before a switch to 5-2-10+FE during spring and autumn. Lee also uses Bolster™ Liquid Biostimulant and Suståne 6-2-4 Turf Revival® which he claims provides instant recovery following heavy renovations in March and August.

“Recovery is one of the biggest factors for us, with tight turnarounds in maintenance windows and this is where Suståne® has been fantastic. The extended slow-release nitrogen within the 6-2-4 product gives us an instant boost followed by a month or two of consistent recovery.” Lee continues, “We also have a couple of greens particularly susceptible to Anthracnose. If this starts to appear we simply put down a half rate of the 5-2-10 which provides enough goodness back into the soil to effectively control any outbreaks.”

A noticeable consistency to overall plant health has meant that Lee doesn’t feel the need to try anything else. “We know our programme, we know it works for us and we know that advice is always available from Russell or Neil to tweak things if required. Not only that, but it’s also reassuring to know that we’re running the course in a way that is sympathetic to the environment we’re in to protect what we have here now and into the future.”

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Suståne gets top marks from Farleigh School

/in , /by

Suståne gets top marks from Farleigh School: More than a decade on from the switch to an organic feeding programme, the grounds team at Farleigh School in Hampshire are receiving more praise than ever before!

Staff, parents and pupils alike have cited how surfaces across the 70-acre site are providing consistent presentation and performance, despite the challenging climatic conditions, which Grounds Manager and Sports Coach Shaun Crowley attributes to the reliable results from 18-1-8+Fe and 5-2-4+Fe from Suståne.

Suståne gets top marks from Farleigh School

Suståne gets top marks from Farleigh School

“While we weren’t initially pressured to explore the organic route, it was something my predecessor and I were keen on – not just for the environmental benefits but considering the safety element for the children and the flexibility it provided on application rates. We have a packed schedule both during and between term-times so getting feed down without pupils around was challenging” explains Shaun, who has been Sports Coach at Farleigh School since 2011 and took over the role of Grounds Manager three years ago. “Russell Riley from Suståne came in 12 years ago and it became clear that as long as we could catch a bit of favourable weather, we would be able to apply the product more flexibly which has been a great benefit ever since.”

Starting on the cricket squares, before finding uses on the outfields and lawned areas, Shaun and his team of five have found the combination of 18-1-8+Fe and 5-2-4+Fe delivers exactly what they need – namely a kickstart in spring, followed by consistent health, colour and growth without flushes. “We’ll apply the 18-1-8+Fe when the temperatures rise, ideally March or April, to get the cricket surfaces ready for the summer season. We’ll then carry out three to four applications of the 5-2-4+Fe annually which we see as a ‘maintainer’, again on our cricket squares and on our Headmaster’s lawn area.”

Suståne 18-1-8+Fe is a two-part blend combining Suståne organic with urea nitrogen for enhanced and long-lasting colour, ideal for fine turf and sports turf applications, lawns and landscaping. Combining four forms of Nitrogen, including three types of slow-release, 18-1-8+Fe provides economical results over a 12-16 week period. 5-2-4+Fe is the original Suståne formula, providing a mix of nutrients for greater root development, increased soil porosity and stability and even colour and growth. Fully compostable, 5-2-4+Fe has also demonstrated outstanding disease suppression on wide variety of turfgrass diseases, including Red Thread, in trials.

“We know what we need from the Suståne products, we know when and where to apply them, and we know that they work. Russell is also a great person to have on the end of the phone. He pops in to make sure we’re on track and has given us some great advice for improving growth on some of our more problematic heavy-clay areas.” Shaun concludes, “I know it’s a phrase that gets used a lot, but these Suståne fertilisers do exactly what they say on the tin!”

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Start spring the Suståne way!

/in , /by

Start spring the Suståne way!: In the pursuit of rapid root development, superior growth and ongoing plant protection from drought, pathogens and stress factors, Bolster Granular 4-4-4 + 3Fe has proven itself to be the perfect partner for recovery from spring renovations.

Ideal for application following aeration, hollow coring or tining to incorporate the product into the profile, Bolster Granular forms part of a collection of soil builders and spring starters from Suståne – the world’s most comprehensively researched organic fertiliser range.

Start spring the Suståne way!

Start spring the Suståne way!

Bolster Granular 4-4-4 + Iron provides a formulation of organic nutrients, beneficial microbiology, plant bio-stimulants and a powerful blend of mycorrhizae to promote greater root access to soil nutrients and water. The addition of 3% chelated iron enhances colour and rapid root development, while seaweed extract, humic acid and compost-based microorganisms deliver plant health and strength for all turf grass situations including fine turf and golf green renovations.

Derived from biologically stable ingredients and containing both water soluble and slow-release sources of nitrogen, Bolster Granular has a near-neutral pH level, low salt index and low ammonium nitrogen percentage so can be safely applied without risk of burn or discolouration. Following quick green-up, even growth and performance can be expected for six to eight weeks.

Specifically for greens, tees and low-cut fairways, Suståne 10-1-4 granular is a spring turf starter, rich in quick-release water-soluble nitrogen for fast uptake and green up when soil temperatures are cooler than optimal. 75% of the total nitrogen being water soluble means nutrients are readily available, while the renowned Suståne organic base carrier will help to build up carbohydrate reserves in the soil for increased plant metabolism and supply all essential elements necessary for enhanced photosynthesis during the crucial early part of the season.

Thanks to the N in 10-1-14 granular being in ammonium sulphate form, this is also known to lower soil pH and thereby aid in suppressing certain types of turf grass diseases and – as with Bolster – 10-1-14 will not cause fertiliser ‘burn’ or seedling stress.

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Suståne delivers strong and sustainable greens

/in , /by

Suståne delivers strong and sustainable greens: A greens programme from Suståne® has been praised for delivering sustainable, steady and healthy growth at Wildernesse Golf Club. After making the switch six years ago, Course Manager Mark Todd cites that the combination of bi-monthly granular feeds and regular liquid applications has actively encouraged the natural soil biology, helping to reduce disease occurrence and in turn costly fungicide applications.

Wildernesse is widely recognised as one of the finest courses in Kent, with tree-lined fairways and fast-paced push-up greens regularly playing host to a number of England Golf and Kent County events. On the maintenance, Mark is supported by a team of ten. “For us, sustainability begins with working with what we have, looking at ways of encouraging both the biology and the species we want for our greens” explains Mark. “We chose the organic route to be more in-keeping with the older-style construction and straight away spoke to Suståne® after hearing great feedback from other clubs.”

Suståne delivers strong and sustainable greens

Suståne delivers strong and sustainable greens

“Russell Riley from Suståne® came in and, following some soil analysis, created a programme which we first trialled on our chipping greens. After just six months we could see the good results it was achieving which was when we decided to roll the programme out across all of our 20 greens.”

The programme consists of Suståne’s 4-6-4 slow-release fertiliser, 5-2-4+Fe and Suståne® Turf Revival® 6-2-4 which is applied regularly, in addition to being Mark’s ‘go-to’ for post renovation recovery. Turf Revival® 6-2-4 combines sources of water-soluble nitrogen with Suståne’s unique organic compost base which supplies a range of nutrients to enhance recovery and replenish soil – including a rich supply of humus and mycorrhizal fungi which contribute to efficient nutrient uptake and overall plant health.

“We have definitely noticed an improvement in plant health, less disease activity and steady growth – not peaks and troughs which tend to be evident with other products. We have also seen an increase in our bent population which is obviously beneficial for a more sustainable management approach moving forwards.”

Mark continues, “In addition to our regular feeds, we’ve also had great success with Suståne®’s Bolster® liquid plant biostimulant.” Bolster® is specially formulated to prepare plants for stress conditions by increasing root mass and growth, and accelerating chlorophyll production, improving its tolerance to heat, cold & frost and minimising pressure from parasitic nematodes.

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.

Suståne keeps Rushmore Golf Club ‘green’

/in , /by

Suståne keeps Rushmore Golf Club ‘green’: While the course at Rushmore Golf Club may be a tale of two halves, the approach to nutrition is wholly focussed on sustainability – with Course Manager Jaime Acton very proud of the six years that the greens have now been completely chemical-free.

Alongside cultural practices and an overseeding programme, much of the success Jaime attributes to products from the Suståne range of organic fertilisers which have delivered outstanding plant health, strength and resilience.

Suståne keeps Rushmore Golf Club ‘green’

Suståne keeps Rushmore Golf Club ‘green’

With the county line between Wiltshire and Dorset cutting straight through the ancient estate within which Rushmore is situated, the course delivers mature parkland or a more modern challenge depending on which of the 18 holes you’re on! The estate has sustainability at its heart, an ethos which Jaime and his team share and put into practice with the Suståne products. “When I took over almost 10 years ago, I inherited quite a heavy feeding regime, largely based on synthetic fertilisers” explains Jaime.

“I had used formulations from Suståne in previous roles, and knowing what they could do, began ‘weening’ the greens away from the synthetic feeds and the additional chemicals this programme required, and onto a primarily organic regime.” Working closely alongside technical representatives from local distributor AGS, the Suståne programme has been refined over the years depending on the soil’s requirements – now consisting of 6-2-4 Turf Revival in the summer and 5-2-4+Fe for feeds throughout the cooler months.

Suståne 6-2-4 is specifically formulated to provide the right nutrients to assist with post-maintenance recovery and plant stress. In addition to water-soluble and organic sources of Nitrogen, 6-2-4 features Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizae which has been enhancing the germination of Jaime’s bent overseeding programme. “We apply 6-2-4 every six to eight weeks at 25g/m2 which tends to correlate with our overseeding work meaning the seed is sown straight into that nutrition. The plant is strong and resilient enough to cope with the pressures of that period, including disease, and specifically Anthracnose.”

Jaime continues, “In the autumn and winter we continue the dormant feeding with Suståne 5-2-4 which keeps microbial levels up, allowing us to protect against disease rather than having to react to it. The small amount of Iron in this formulation also helps to give us good winter colour.”

“While we haven’t used any herbicides or fungicides for six years, that’s not to say we haven’t had disease! But what we do get we can manage by reducing the stress and encouraging the plant to grow again.” He concludes, “With our Suståne programme, we are feeding the soil rather than the plant, getting the nutritional needs right from the ground up and allowing the plant to take everything it needs to remain strong and healthy.”

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

Get all of the big headlines, pictures, opinions and videos on stories that matter to you.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for fun, fresh and engaging content.

You can also find us on Facebook for more of your must-see news, features, videos and pictures from Turf Matters.