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TriSmart technology takes Fairhaven to another level

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TriSmart technology takes Fairhaven to another level: The Course Manager at Fairhaven Golf Club claims that the advanced technology behind ICL’s H2Pro TriSmart wetting agent, has worked wonders on the dry, sand dominated course.

For nineteen years Joe Barnes has been progressing through the greenkeeping industry. In 2021, he saw an opportunity to become a Course Manager, but it had to match his ambitions.

TriSmart technology takes Fairhaven to another level

TriSmart technology takes Fairhaven to another level

“I wanted to be a Course Manager, but I wanted to maintain a level of greenkeeping that I had been used to and I felt that I would be able to achieve that at Fairhaven Golf Club,” he said. “The club is well placed within the rankings, has a thriving membership, and can provide me with the tools required to do the job.

“My aim is to take Fairhaven to the next level.”

Joe was offered the job at the start of 2021 but had to work a three-month notice period before starting at Fairhaven. In starting work at such a crucial period in the greenkeeping calendar, Joe felt it was important to hit the ground running.

“In my first year I wanted products that I could trust completely,” he said. “I felt that ICL were leading the way in terms of products, innovation, and research. I have always found that no other brand gives the end user as much information about their products. That is what really drew me towards them.

“When I first started, I sent Phil Collinson (North West Key Account Manager for ICL), my ideas behind what I wanted to achieve, what I wanted to use and where I wanted to use them. Phil then started working behind the scenes and sent me back a full planner including products he felt would deliver what I set out.”

Fairhaven Golf Course has all the characteristics of a traditional links course and being a sand dominated course can make moisture management particularly challenging. Therefore, one such product which Joe reported excellent results from using was H2Pro TriSmart which is a high-quality wetter and water conservation agent. It is formulated with three water management surfactant technologies to provide great water penetration, even water spread through the rootzone and to improve the water holding capacity of sandy rootzones.

Joe had previous experience of using the product as he explained.

“At my last course, we were using a wetting agent from another brand, and I felt that the technology was slightly showing its age. We had a particularly bad season where it didn’t perform – so we switched to ICL’s H2Pro TriSmart. I saw first-hand the improvements it made and so it was a no-brainer for me to use it here.”

Joe and his team apply TriSmart monthly on the greens and tees through the growing season but must work with Mother Nature when it comes to applying it on the fairways.

“It is a very strong product in terms of helping me maintain consistent moisture levels across the surfaces and we don’t see greens showing localised dry spot,” he said. “I also like the varying application rates that we can use. Generally, we start with a low application rate of 10 L/ha, but if I feel like I need to put a bit more on then I’ve got no qualms in going up to 20 litres.

“On fairways we rely on rainfall,” he continued. “We are not blessed with fairway irrigation, so we must wait on a weather window that allows us to apply TriSmart when the rain is coming.

“The technology behind the product is excellent – it really is a premium wetting agent, but you have come to expect that from ICL.

“Everyone I speak to says the same. As well as Phil you have the likes of Henry Bechelet and Dr Andy Owen, who are driving forward some great research. Providing all this data for everyone to see just gives you even more confidence in the products.”

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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Progressive key to consistent cutting

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Progressive key to consistent cutting: When it comes to optimum heights of cut for fairways, there isn’t a ‘one-height-fits-all’ approach – but one thing all Turf Managers will be aiming for is consistency, which can be easier said than done when dealing with potentially uneven or undulating ground.

The Progressive range of multi-deck mowers have been carefully designed with this in mind, offering unrivalled contour-following ability for an accurate quality of cut.

Progressive key to consistent cutting

Progressive key to consistent cutting

While a multi-deck mower may not be required in every situation, it can offer a broader scope of use with its ability to accommodate both flat and undulating turf equally. This flexibility delivers a quality cut without the risk of scalping or shredding the plant, helping to retain plant health and reducing potential entry points for pathogens and turf diseases to take hold. Their versatility sees them suited to operation around the golf course, alongside other applications such as sports fields, turf farms and mowing tasks undertaken by local authorities.

The latest addition to the Progressive range is the TDR-X – featuring three independently floating decks which provide a combined cutting width of 3.2m. It all begins with an adaptive swivel hitch at the front, making the TDR-X more agile and ensuring it works with the tractor to follow undulating ground. The cutting height range of 9.5mm to 84.5mm is easy to adjust, with their industry-leading rotary blade overlap ensuring a precise and even cut. Full width rollers on both the front and rear of each deck completes the specification, leaving a professional finish for both golf and sports surfaces.

The TDR-X sits in the portfolio of ‘finishing mowers’ alongside the ProFlex 120 – the most widely used trailed contour mower. The ProFlex features a 3m cutting width across five decks, each of which can be quickly and easily adjusted to give the operator complete flexibility to make a stepped or transitioned first-cut in a single pass.

Along with other machines in the Progressive range, both the TDR-X and ProFlex 120 take advantage of Progressive’s Pro Lift-N-Turn™ technology, allowing the operator to temporarily raise the decks, with the PTO still engaged, making turning and transportation easier to increase overall productivity.

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UK grass about to get greener

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UK grass about to get greener: Each year gardeners up and down the UK throw tonnes of powerful herbicides onto their lawns to try and kill weeds. But David Hedges-Gower, Lawn Association Chairman, explains why this is often a waste of time and money – and dangerous!

“Let’s be clear; a herbicide – that ‘harmless’ addition to many commercial or retail lawn fertilisers for apparently killing weeds – is a powerful and toxic chemical. Despite this, thanks to a shameful lack of regulation in lawn care and incredibly poor advice, our gardeners have for decades been encouraged to buy and spread these ‘convenience’ products. They are promised the benefits but are not told of the environmental impacts.

UK grass about to get greener

UK grass about to get greener

“However, grass isn’t just the most widespread and diverse plant group on the planet – it’s also one of the greenest, being perfectly able to adapt to the most extreme of conditions all by itself.

“So our lawns should be one of the most natural parts of the garden – all that’s needed is to maintain healthy grass the way nature intended. A good native sward, nurtured through basic modern lawn care, simply won’t leave enough room for a serious lawn weed problem.

And using herbicides is not just wasteful – it’s risky too, as David explains:

“In other sectors, all kinds of potentially dangerous chemicals have been removed from general sale. Here at the LA (Lawn Association) we believe it is time to ban the sale of lawn herbicides to the general public. Asking gardeners to use these chemicals responsibly is like asking all motorists to be able to service their own cars safely. Herbicides should be a last resort – and only used by those with professional training and regulation(for the moment)

So, what’s changing?

Until now there simply hasn’t been adequate training – for gardeners or for lawn professionals. Even with proper City and Guilds certification many professionals remain confused about vital precision spraying. Fortunately training lies at the heart of the Lawn Association, which is helping to reduce unnecessary and reckless herbicide use on two fronts

First, through its online lawn care course, gardeners can learn how to create and maintain healthy lawns without resorting to dangerous chemicals. And second, the Association’s new Level 2 Training (coming soon) will help ensure lawn professionals can use herbicides efficiently, when necessary, with confidence, knowledge and skill.

For more information or images please contact Francijn Suermondt at rabbitattackpr@gmail.com or on 07895184395.

Our core mission at the Lawn Association is to make accurate lawn care information readily available via our website and through our Free Membership Scheme for gardening enthusiasts. Go to the @LawnAssociation Facebook page to join the Lawn Enthusiasts Group, and get free association membership via the website, www.lawnassociation.org.uk

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Bourne to ride ISEKI world record attempt

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Bourne to ride ISEKI world record attempt: Working on ride-on mowers is part of the job for Colin North, owner of Bourne to Garden, a grounds maintenance business based in Kent, UK.

However, it wasn’t until a friend mentioned the current world record attempt for the fastest journey from Lands End to John O’Groats on a ride-on mower that he suddenly thought what a great challenge it would be to try and beat this whilst raising money for charity, after all he has plenty of experience driving them all day!

Bourne to ride ISEKI world record attempt

Bourne to ride ISEKI world record attempt

Colin explains further; “We are aiming to beat the current world record of 5 days, 8 hours and 36 minutes, completed by Andy Maxfield on the 30 July 2017.  We will be driving an ISEKI SF5 ride-on mower that has been kindly donated and supported by ISEKI UK, aiming for up to 20 hours driving each day.  All this, whilst most importantly for us, raising money for three charities that are close to our heart’s; Motor Neurone Disease Association, Kenward Trust who help those struggling with alcohol or drug addiction and The Masonic Charitable Foundation, with the target to raise £30,000 to be split equally between each of the charities.”

Starting off at Lands End on Monday 27th June they will be avoiding the motorways and traveling through the counties listed below in order to reach their final destination of John O’Groats, whilst hopefully beating the current World Record:

World Record attempt route:

  • Cornwall
  • Devon
  • Somerset
  • Gloucestershire
  • Worcestershire
  • Shropshire
  • Cheshire
  • Merseyside
  • Lancashire
  • Cumbria
  • Dumfriesshire
  • Lanarkshire
  • West Lothian
  • Stirlingshire
  • Perthshire
  • Inverness-shire
  • Ross & Cromarty
  • Sutherland
  • Caithness

“We can’t wait to get started, there is a lot of preparation involved and we could not have done this without the support of ISEKI UK who will be travelling with us all the way too.  We look forward to seeing people out on route, don’t forget to give us a beep and a wave!  Between ourselves and ISEKI UK we will be doing regular updates on social media, interviews on TV and local radio coverage throughout the journey so please keep a listen out for us.”

David Withers from ISEKI UK adds; “It is great that a customer of ours has chosen one of our mowers to attempt this world record!  We are so excited to support them on this challenge and look forward to supporting them throughout the journey then being with them at John O’Groats at the end of the race to celebrate their achievement!”

As part of the world record attempt stipulations, independent witness signatures and photos are required along the way, so keep a look out on ISEKI’s social media for details of where they will be on route and follow the tracker.   Encouragement along the journey and coming out to wave them past will no doubt be appreciated to help keep the morale high on what will be an extremely long, testing and tiring journey.

Details of how to donate can be found at www.bournetogarden.com.

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Government responds to GMA on Red Diesel

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Government responds to GMA on Red Diesel: HM Treasury has responded to the Grounds Management Association’s recent letter calling for a change to the guidance on rebated fuels entitlement.

Within two weeks of receiving the GMA’s letter, HMRC updated its guidance on Using rebated fuels in vehicles and machines, to add ‘land maintained by a community amateur sports’ to the list of those able to use red diesel following the regulatory change on 1 April 2022.

Government responds to GMA on Red Diesel

Government responds to GMA on Red Diesel

The GMA welcomes this clarification but has concerns that although this is good news for Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) registered with HMRC, it falls far short of benefitting the wider sporting community.

GMA CEO, Geoff Webb says:

“The HMRC’s policy reform paper made clear in its impact statement that there would not be a withdrawal of an entitlement to use red diesel in areas such as sports, yet the guidance does not reflect that commitment.

“We are delighted that the HMRC has updated its guidance to make clear that amateur sports clubs can continue to benefit from the fuel rebate. This will benefit over 7,300 clubs.

“But it doesn’t go far enough as education establishments, professional sports clubs, and the many contractors who maintain sports and leisure grounds across different settings will be hit hard in the pocket at a time when they are facing significant cost increases.

“We will continue to engage with policymakers to seek an exemption for all sports and not just the few. These businesses need sufficient lead time to phase out equipment that uses red diesel to power specialist vehicles and machinery, and we will continue to push the case across all sports at all levels for a reinstatement of the entitlement.”

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