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EGO powers up with new professional chainsaw

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EGO powers up with new professional chainsaw: Leading battery-powered outdoor power equipment specialist, EGO Power Plus, has added a high-performance professional chainsaw to its range for forestry and garden professionals.

The CSX5000 is the first in a new generation of rear-handle chainsaws designed for demanding work. With a 30m/s chain speed, it provides comparable performance to established petrol saws; but brings all the benefits of battery power.

EGO powers up with new professional chainsaw

EGO powers up with new professional chainsaw

Chris Buck, Product Manager at EGO, said: “The most demanding ground saw applications require precision, power, and good ergonomics. The CSX5000 delivers all three in a saw that matches or exceeds the performance of petrol saws.”

Ideal for bar lengths of 40cm – 50cm, the CSX5000 has a 50cm full chisel chain for fast and efficient cutting and metal bumper spikes for extra stability when cross-cutting. Perfect for light forestry work, it copes comfortably with felling and cross-cutting tasks. An integrated felling line enhances safety by ensuring the user can see in which direction the tree or branches will fall.

Weight distribution is integral to the saw’s performance and safety, so EGO’s product development team have ensured the CSX5000 has a centralised battery position to provide optimal tool balance. The handle positions also ensure comfort when both cross-cutting and felling.

The saw also features a new display screen that enables the user to quickly check all the key parameters of the saw, such as oil level, battery capacity and set speed. The operator can use the LCD control panel to change the chain speed down to 25 or 20m per second and control the oil rate to ensure the most efficient cutting possible. In addition, there is a translucent oil tank for easy level viewing and a flat filling position to minimise the risk of spills.

“The CSX5000 is a truly powerful and robust chainsaw that is specifically designed for forestry and garden professionals as well as landscapers and grounds care specialists,” added Chris. “With zero emissions as well as far lower operating overheads and maintenance costs, it offers a great return on investment.”

The CSX5000 is part of the new PRO X series of hard-wearing and powerful tools for professionals, which also includes a lawn mower, hedge trimmers, brush cutters, and grass trimmers.

For more information on the new PRO X series from EGO, visit; www.egopowerplus.co.uk

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Celebrating ‘Organic September’ With Sustainable Lawn Care

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Celebrating ‘Organic September’ With Sustainable Lawn Care: With Sustainable Lawn Care: ‘Organic September’ is here and the Lawn Association team firmly believes that aligning with nature, rather than battling it, is always the pivotal factor in achieving successful, sensible, and sustainable lawn care!

Sustainable and organic gardening go hand in hand, representing more than just passing trends, they are responsible practices that cultivate plants while preserving our environment. By embracing eco-conscious methods such as composting, natural pest control, and rejecting harmful products like synthetic polymer-coated fertilizers, we can actively reduce our negative impact on the ecosystem. So what should we think about lawn care wise this Organic September?

Celebrating ‘Organic September’ With Sustainable Lawn Care

Celebrating ‘Organic September’ With Sustainable Lawn Care

Keep your eye on thatch!

Are you concerned about excess thatch in your lawn? The solution lies in scarification, and there’s no better time to tackle it than September. Scarifying your lawn will give you better control over thatch levels. Furthermore, as we approach autumn and winter, we should also consider the potential issue of moss. Don’t underestimate its ability to thrive in saturated soils with reduced air space. This leads to slower water movement through the soil, keeping the surface wet for longer periods.

Thatch, a spongy material consisting of clippings, shoots, and organic matter, can exacerbate the problem by creating a moist environment for moss spores to germinate. Regular scarification provides an effective solution, promoting better water drainage and reducing the chances of moss spores taking hold. Additionally, extra aeration will be essential this autumn to maintain a healthy lawn.

Feed your lawn well and naturally, it will thank you for it!

If you are scarifying your lawn this month to control thatch, then a good balanced feed afterwards is a must!  True Grass fertilizer is crafted from recycled food waste, breaking down into essential minerals and vitamins. Packed with humic, fulvic, and amino acids, along with seaweed, mycorrhiza, and an organic wetter, it’s the sustainable, organic solution that provides all the vital elements for luscious grass and healthy soil, making it the savvy choice for conscientious lawn care!

If it keeps growing, keep mowing!

Growth should be starting to slowdown so you can begin to reduce the regularity of mowing, whilst at the same time gradually increasing the cutting height.  You can aim for 2 to 5 cuts in September.  It is most important that you check that your mower blade is sharp…the job will only be as good as the tools you use!

Sustainable lawn care promotes responsible land stewardship, educating us on the importance of long-term harmony between human cultivation and the natural world. Let’s make a positive impact on our environment, one garden at a time.

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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Agrovista Amenity Partners with Worcestershire FA

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Agrovista Amenity Partners with Worcestershire FA: Agrovista Amenity is proud to announce a new 12-month partnership with Worcestershire Football Association (FA) aimed at supporting the grassroots football community by providing comprehensive grass pitch care solutions.

As a recommended provider for all Worcestershire FA clubs and organisations, Agrovista Amenity will deliver a range of services designed to improve grass pitch care and maintenance. This includes detailed soil agronomy work, which involves testing soil content in Agrovista’s state-of-the-art laboratory. Based on these insights, tailored pitch care packages will be recommended to optimise turf health and pitch presentation.

Agrovista Amenity Partners with Worcestershire FA

Agrovista Amenity Partners with Worcestershire FA

Agrovista Amenity offers a wide array of expertise and products, including fertilisers, grass seed, and soil agronomy services. These resources are designed to address the unique needs of each pitch, ensuring that every club benefits from superior playing surfaces.

Jack Handsaker, the Lead Football Development Officer for Facilities and Partnerships at Worcestershire FA, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership: “I am delighted to work with Agrovista to further enhance our offering to improve Worcestershire’s grass pitches. Our clubs and organisations will benefit from the great products and services offered this season.”

Dan Hughes, Head of Commercial for Agrovista Amenity, highlighted the significance of this collaboration: “Partnering with Worcestershire FA perfectly complements our #ForOurSports campaign, reflecting our dedication to supporting our customers at every stage. This collaboration is focused on improving football pitch standards throughout the county, ensuring clubs have access to top-quality agronomic advice and products for their players and communities.”

Worcestershire FA’s Chief Operating Officer, Ollie Williams, emphasised the strategic importance of partnering with local companies: “We want to work with Worcestershire companies to support Worcestershire football. This is a key part of our new 4-year strategy for 2024-28, and we would love to hear from organisations who can contribute to the growth and development of local football.”

Through this partnership, Agrovista Amenity and Worcestershire FA are committed to driving the growth of grassroots football by ensuring that clubs have the resources and support they need to maintain outstanding playing surfaces.

For more information about Agrovista UK, visit www.agrovista.co.uk/amenity

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Data Access is Just a Click Away with Turfkeeper

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Data Access is Just a Click Away with Turfkeeper: For the last 18 years Course Manager Geoff Smith has been spending hours meticulously setting up and inputting into an array of spreadsheets to help him manage the greenkeeping staff and grounds at the beautiful Abridge Golf Club in Romford, Essex.

‘All my spreadsheets were stored on a USB stick which I guarded with my life. It recorded everything I needed to manage all areas of the golf course including budgets and provided the necessary evidence and reports to justify everything we did. It didn’t bear thinking about if it was to ever get lost!”

Data Access is Just a Click Away with Turfkeeper

Data Access is Just a Click Away with Turfkeeper

Geoff joined the Abridge 18-hole, par 72 Championship golf course in 1996 and knows the greens better than anyone. He was a customer of Rigby Taylor, Headland Amenity and Symbio for around 12 years before they merged in 2021 to form Origin Amenity Solutions (OAS). “I love working with Origin, it’s been around 15 years now, and can’t praise them highly enough. They have great reps and some fantastic products. I put nearly all of my business through them.”

The course was first designed, in 1962 by renowned maestro of English Golf, Henry Cotton, whose outstanding feature was that both loops of nine holes started and finished at the clubhouse. It is considered one of the finest in the county and is an Open Regional Qualifying Course. It has held various Essex tournaments and was host to the PDC EuroPro Tour event in 2022. Geoff uses a combination of non-biological and biological products as part of an Integrated Turf Management programme. “The OAS reps work with me to choose products that complement each other well and ensure the very best outcome.  We have around 750 members and our course and greens are expected to be in the best possible condition free of disease”, adds Geoff.

In 2023 Geoff was persuaded to trial the OAS TurfKeeper web-based digital platform which is designed to replace all manual spreadsheets and ledgers. He had a demonstration from Kevin Scarce, Turf Keepers Product Manager and whilst impressed was reluctant to move away from his trusted spreadsheets.

With greenkeepers and turf professionals facing mounting pressure to justify every decision they make, from equipment purchases to project proposals, and with costs soaring and resources dwindling, the need for data-driven insights is critical. TurfKeeper is being used in many golf and sports clubs across the UK and is equipping turf managers and greenkeepers with the tools they need to maximise resources, streamline decision-making, and manage turf maintenance.

Geoff implemented Turfkeeper in July 2023 and after a couple of hours of training set about entering his information into the system. Geoff considers himself “Old school” and wanted to try it alongside his existing spreadsheets. “I shouldn’t have worried, it’s such a user-friendly system and works brilliantly. I love it and dropped my spreadsheets at the end of 2023. I now use Turfkeeper exclusively for all my data.”

At the heart of TurfKeeper lies a robust suite, from staff management to inventory control, task planning to budgeting. TurfKeeper provides greenkeepers with a central hub to oversee every aspect of their operations. “I use it for everything”, adds Geoff, “It’s only as good as the information you put into it though, so I spent a few days inputting – staff wages, hours, stock information, budgets, maintenance programme, etc and now it’s so easy to pull off the information I want.  That’s the beauty of Turfkeeper. It gives you graphics and pie charts to show to management or the Greens Committee – everyone loves a picture – it’s so easy to understand and takes no time to produce.”

Abridge Golf Club is set in 240 acres of beautiful parkland with some of the finest views over the Essex countryside. It’s a close-knit club and its members and a Greens Committee are encouraged to interact, question, and offer their suggestions. Geoff has a wealth of knowledge and is held in high esteem, but he does enjoy knowing he has data at his fingertips that he can show to back up his decisions or support his capital requests. His members requested the tees be cut by hand for a better finish. In seconds Geoff had a report that showed the extra labour required to achieve this and the associated cost that management needed to sign off on additional staff recruitment.

Geoff is supported by a team of nine, there are currently 2 other people in his team with access permissions to the system, his deputy Ben Scrivener and first assistant Jamie Blagdon. They both assist Geoff with stock control, applications and help assist with planning tasks in Geoff’s absence. Geoff now spends 30-45 minutes to plan for the week and month ahead, rather than the couple of hours previously.  “I use TurfKeeper for everything but primarily organising tasks for the greenkeeping team, stock control, and budget control.”

One of the most significant benefits of TurfKeeper is its ability to save time and resources. By automating repetitive tasks and eliminating manual paperwork, Geoff can focus his efforts on strategic decision-making and turf maintenance. “I am delighted with TurfKeeper, it has saved me hours of labour and I only have one platform to enter information into and extract data from. The team likes it because they can view the full picture, they know what is planned for everyone for the weeks and months ahead. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”

If you would like a free no-obligation 30-minute demonstration, call 07850 638 508 or visit www.turfkeeper.com

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Let gardens flourish with Wilkinson Sword

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Let gardens flourish with Wilkinson Sword: In the summer, gardens are at their most beautiful, but it is also when they require the most attention.

Maintaining a vibrant and healthy garden during the hottest months of the year can be a fulfilling but challenging task and the right tools can make all the difference. Wilkinson Sword, a brand renowned for its precision and quality gardening tools, offers a range of products to help gardeners handle summer tasks with ease.

Let gardens flourish with Wilkinson Sword

Let gardens flourish with Wilkinson Sword

  1. Deadhead to encourage more blooms

Deadheading is a vital task for summer gardens. By removing faded flowers, you can stimulate your plants to produce more blooms instead of setting seed. This not only prolongs the flowering period but also keeps your garden looking neat.

Look for flowers that are wilting or have brown petals and use quality tools to make sharp, clean, and accurate cuts. The Wilkinson Sword Deadheading Snips are light, pocket-sized snips which make quick work of deadheading and are ideal for precise trimming, cutting herbs, flower collecting and arranging.

Trim off the faded flowers just above the first set of healthy leaves or buds being careful not to disturb the rest of the plant. Make deadheading a weekly routine to keep your plants blooming continuously. Summer heat can be harsh on your garden, making proper watering crucial. Ensure your plants receive enough water after deadheading, especially during dry spells.

  1. Prune to keep plants healthy

Summer is also the perfect time to trim and prune shrubs, climbing plants and perennials. Trimming helps in shaping the plants and promoting healthy regrowth by removing dead or diseased branches.

Identify areas for trimming such as overgrown stems or bushy sections. Use Wilkinson Sword’s Bypass Pruners to carefully cut lush new growth and unruly stems. The pruners feature precise and durable carbon blades and a soft grip handle, perfect for clean, comfortable cutting. Trim back overgrowth and shape the plants strategically to ensure better air circulation and sunlight penetration.

  1. Trim hedges to keep the garden tidy

Trimming hedges is an essential task to keep your garden looking tidy and well-maintained. Regular trimming not only shapes the hedges to enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of your outdoor space but also promotes healthy growth by removing dead or diseased branches. It prevents hedges from becoming overgrown and disorderly, which can overshadow other plants and reduce sunlight penetration.

Use Wilkinson Sword’s Telescopic Hedge Shears to cut and trim tall and difficult to reach hedges with ease. The lightweight aluminium handles can be independently adjusted through four stages to ensure a safe and comfortable cutting position and the non-stick coated blade provides a defined, crisp cut.

  1. Weed to keep garden bed’s looking pristine

Weeds can quickly overrun your garden, competing with your plants for nutrients and water. Regular weeding is crucial to maintain a healthy garden.

Wilkinson Sword’s Carbon Steel Dutch Hoe makes it simple to remove weeds without disturbing your plants. Expertly crafted from high-quality carbon steel, the tool is reinforced in key areas for maximum strength and durability. The smooth, natural weatherproofed wooden handle provides a comfortable grip, while the strong, traditional carbon steel head removes weeds with ease. It’s best to weed straight after rainfall as the soil is softer, making it easier to pull weeds out by the roots.

To find out more about Wilkinson Sword and to explore the product range visit www.wilkinsonsword-tools.co.uk.

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