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We Care, That You Care

We Care, That You Care: As we approach STIGA‘s 90th anniversary, the gardening mower and tool company stands at a unique intersection of rich heritage and exciting possibilities.

The ‘We Care, That You Care’ campaign embodies the STIGA passion for nature and the pledge towards a more sustainable future.  The goal? To support 90 community garden groups throughout the UK, honouring each year of the 90th anniversary, by empowering others with innovative, eco-friendly garden products.

We Care, That You Care

We Care, That You Care

Become one of the Stiga 90!

STIGA believes that everyone deserves the chance to cultivate beautiful spaces responsibly, and during 2024 the team are giving away their eco-friendly garden products to community garden groups, up and down the UK, for free! ‘We care that you care’, and this is our way of showing you we care.

Cultivating Connections

The campaign is aimed at a diverse array of community groups, from schools and hospital gardens to urban gardens, food bank gardens, community gardens and guerrilla gardeners. Each one of these groups represents a unique opportunity for STIGA to engage, help and empower local communities.

Growing together

Communities and individuals associated with the community group can engage with STIGA through a dedicated web page, where information about their project will be collected and products selected that will benefit their project. This process ensures every aspiring group has an equal opportunity to bloom with STIGA.

How to get involved

If you are responsible for any non-profit, community group or charity that looks after a green space and would like to receive products from STIGA’s innovative, eco-friendly garden product range…for free, then simply register on the wecare.stigauk.com website.

The STIGA judging panel will assess your application along with your social engagement tokens. You will be notified if you are successful, stating the free products that will be donated to your community group.

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Worm casts causing you a problem?

Worm casts causing you a problem?: Earthworms are vital for maintaining healthy soil. By continuously moving soil, worms loosen and aerate it, aiding water infiltration. And, when earthworms feed on nutrients in the soil, the waste products they leave provide valuable fertilisation.

But despite the benefits, earthworms create big problems for greenkeepers.

Worm casts causing you a problem?

Worm casts causing you a problem?

As they expel waste, earthworms leave small worm casts on the soil’s surface. These tiny mounds affect ball movement on golf courses and look unsightly. During milder months, worms are more active near the surface, and these soil casts can mount up, creating more work for greenkeepers.

Up until 2019, greenkeepers had a simple way to tackle worm casts. However, since Carbendazim was banned due to the potentially toxic effects it has on the human reproductive system, no clear chemical solution has emerged to replace it.

How Worm Casts Affect Cylinder Mowers

Worm casts are not just an inconvenience. As a greenkeeper, worm casts cause several other issues, particularly when using cylinder mowers.

Due to their wet, sticky nature, worm casts clog mower rollers, eventually causing them to lock up. When this happens, the mower skids over the turf causing costly damage to both the turf and the machine.

Additionally, worm casts cause an abrasive grinding paste to form between the bottom blade and cylinder. This blunts the cylinders so that regular and costly sharpening is required. If the sharpening is not completed the blunt cylinders affect the overall cut quality and presentation of the course. For many Greenkeepers, this means their cylinder mowers spend more time in the workshop than out on the course.

While strategies like delaying the cut until the middle of the day to reduce stickiness, brushing the turf prior to cutting, or using an older mower when cast levels are high can help, these are not practical solutions as they add time and expense to the ongoing task of turf maintenance.

Using a Trailed Rotary Mower

Until a solution is developed to control worm casts on turf, one time-saving way of tackling them is to use a rotary mower. Trailed rotary mowers do not encounter the same problems as cylinder mowers, as they have been engineered to perform in a wider range of conditions with unwavering reliability.

Most trailed rotary mowers have 5” diameter smooth rollers which are nearly three times larger than a cylinder mower, providing strength when it’s needed most. These rollers are fitted with scraper wires (either a thin metal wire hugging the roller or a solid steel bar running across the length of the roller) which provide constant pressure across the roller, for keeping it free of debris and worm casts.

Another advantage of a trailed rotary mower is their high spindle speeds and airflow, this helps keep the blades clean of worm casts, improving the cut quality and reducing maintenance costs. The other consideration is cleaning. This process is made much easier with a trailed machine as the decks can be folded vertically giving clear access and removing the need to crawl under or bend over the machine.

If you want to see how a trailed rotary mower will perform on your worm casts, give Trimax a call on 01933 652235 or visit their website https://trimaxmowers.co.uk/book-a-demo/

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Performance that will blow you away

Performance that will blow you away: A new EGO cordless backpack blower with improved power, performance and productivity is now available for both domestic and professional use.

EGO Power Plus, a technology leader in high-performance battery-powered equipment, is introducing the LBP8000E Backpack Blower. Featuring EGO’s PeakPower™ technology and a more powerful motor, it offers extra runtime and better performance.

Performance that will blow you away

Performance that will blow you away

Vince Brauns, Group Product Manager at EGO, said: “The new LBP8000E ensures that clearing work is quicker and more efficient than ever before, without any of the noise or fumes of petrol tools. Our PeakPower™ system fully harnesses the potential of using two EGO batteries at once, making it possible to provide extra runtime and power.

“Designed with an improved user interface, control system and newer, more powerful motor, the LBP8000E represents a step change in comfortable, efficient working.”

PeakPower™ combines the power of two EGO batteries for maximum output and up to two and a half hours of runtime. The new motor enhances air speed and delivers class-leading cordless equipment air volume of 1360m³/h. Upgraded PCBA cooling further improves durability, while the integrated tool stand helps keep the harness and batteries clean and dry.

The LBP8000E is part of EGO’s Professional range, designed for larger gardens and for everyday use by contractors. For domestic use it has a five-year warranty on the tool and three years on the batteries, while professional users benefit from a two-year warranty on both the tool and the batteries.

EGO is a true pioneer in battery powered outdoor power equipment. Like all EGO products, the new backpack blower uses EGO’s 56V ARC Lithium™ battery, that works across the entire EGO range. EGO’s batteries deliver the industry’s highest energy capacity. Their performance surpasses the competition mechanically, chemically, and electrically. Each battery features EGO’s unique KeepCool™ technology, intelligent power management, fast recharge and a host of other innovations designed to deliver convenience, quality, and reliability.

For the user, battery slots on either side of the backpack ensure that the tool is centrally balanced on their back, while an improved harness provides greater comfort. Other productivity-boosting features include tool-free handle adjustment and an ergonomic handle with variable speed trigger and trigger lock. Furthermore, an LCD display ensures the operator has quick access to real-time battery and tool status.

The LBP8000E retails at £429 including VAT and further details can be found at https://egopowerplus.co.uk/products/blowers/lbp8000e-backpack-blower.

Discover the full range at www.egopowerplus.co.uk

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15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on

15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on: DLF’s continued focus on breeding environmentally responsible varieties has seen the introduction of a number of exceptional cultivars, helping facilities and turf managers achieve their own objectives for more sustainable management.

In trials for the Chewings Fescue category, DLF’s Orionette demonstrated a high-quality sward that is more drought tolerant and resistant to disease, reducing the reliance on inputs. It is therefore no surprise to see its inclusion in a number of top-performing DLF golf mixtures and find it ranked as number one in the 2023 BSPB Seed Guide!

15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on

15 years of DLF R&D delivers sustainability you can rely on

Chewings Fescue grass (Festuca rubra commutata) is a popular cool-season grass, valued for its fine texture, early growth habit, attractive green colour and ability to thrive in a range of soil conditions. Its upright growth results in dense tufts without rhizomes, so it doesn’t spread like it’s Slender or Strong Creeping cousins. Over the years, Chewings Fescue has been extensively bred and developed to offer a hardier and even more adaptable turf, tolerant of close mowing and typically blended with other fescues to create a golf mixture with exceptional ball roll and playability.

In recent years, breeding efforts – including those by DLF – have focussed on developing Chewings Fescue cultivars that require less water and fertiliser and be naturally more resistant to pests and disease, reducing the need for chemical inputs and therefore improving environmental sustainability. Orionette is the result of more than 15 years of research and development, created by combining plants of the very best germplasm available in DLF breeding. Extensive screening across DLF’s European trials network followed, including for drought tolerance in France, winter tolerance in the Czech Republic as well as green trials conducted in Denmark.

The results showed superior performance in all aspects and thanks to its high tiller density, Orionette is more tolerant to winter diseases such as Red Thread and highly resilient to wear and tear.

It’s ability to perform under a lower Nitrogen-input programme is another reason why Orionette excels in a number of popular Johnsons Sports Seed mixtures for fine turf – both as a drought-tolerant fairway cultivar in J Premier Fairway or in a disease and weed resistant capacity in a greens mix such as J Fescue and J Green. J Premier Fairway is a high-performance blend of seven fescue cultivars for the sustainable management of non-rye tees and fairways. Orionette makes up 15% of both J Fescue and J Green, requiring less water and fertiliser and contributing to fast and sustainable surfaces.

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DLF want to hear from you

DLF want to hear from you: As part of their extensive research and sustainable seed programme, DLF are inviting Turf Managers around the country to participate in a short survey to identify the variety and prevalence of fungal turf disease activity.

Input is required from all areas of fine and sports turf management, with the results helping to shape future developments of more tolerant seed varieties.

DLF want to hear from you

DLF want to hear from you

With the altering climate and changes to maintenance practices, there is a fear that new fungal diseases could appear or that known ones could become a more serious threat to turf quality. Therefore, to fully understand the current situation and provide solutions to the new challenges on the horizon, DLF would like to hear from you on your experience of recent disease activity. Feedback is sought from golf courses, winter sports facilities, schools/community surfaces, racecourses, polo grounds, amenity spaces and turf producers.

The link to the survey can be accessed here and should take no more than five minutes to complete: https://forms.office.com/r/XCHEfvmxT3

The fungal disease survey is just one of several research programmes currently underway across DLF’s global network, looking to create high performance, sustainable seed mixtures. Thanks to the incorporation of cultivars that improve turf quality and are kinder to budgets and the environment, without reliance on water and chemical inputs, DLF are providing solutions that deliver a sustainable surface without a compromise in visual merit or performance.

Findings from previous DLF trials are already proving pivotal in the field, including the identification of 4turf® and diploid perennial ryegrass varieties with enhanced tolerance to Brown Patch.

Incorporated into the Johnsons J Premier 4Turf 25 mixture, Head Groundsman at Reading Football Club Chris Last said, “July through to the end of September is our main disease pressure season and I could not be happier with how J Premier 4Turf 25 dealt with both Brown Patch and Grey Leaf Spot. We applied only one fungicide throughout the summer, when the GLS started to gain some momentum in early September, and while we unfortunately lost some diploids in the affected areas, the tetraploids held on and meant that to the untrained eye it was difficult to see where we had the fatal disease. Throughout the rest of the window, the enhanced plant health and strength meant I could treat disease with biologically friendly and cost-effective measures such as citric acid, phosphite’s and turf hardening fertilisers instead of using fungicide.”

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Redexim will help you be ‘renovation ready’

Redexim will help you be ‘renovation ready’: Aerators, seeders, topdressers and more will all take centre stage on the Redexim stand as they return to BTME in 2023.

Proven to be one of the most accurate dimple seeders on the market, the Redexim Multi-Seeder promises to be a particular highlight on stand 532 – where visitors can also find out about a brand-new promotion which will be a must-have for those looking to overseed as part of their spring renovations!

Redexim will help you be ‘renovation ready’

Redexim will help you be ‘renovation ready’

Equally as suited to work on fine turf and amenity areas, the Multi-Seeder features twin spiked rollers which saturates the ground with up to 1890 holes per sq.m, creating the perfect dimple in which to deliver the seed. The Multi-Seeder 1600 model offers a 1.6m working width, the ability to have fixed or floating rollers to suit undulating ground and a rear-mounted brush which sweeps the surface to ensure not just optimal seed to soil contact, but leave a clean and tidy finish.

The Multi-Seeder is also one of a selection of models included in a brand-new promotion, launching ahead of renovation season. To help with the rising costs associated with overseeding, Redexim have proudly teamed up with Origin Amenity Solutions (OAS), to offer those that purchase a Redexim seeder an exclusive deal worth over £500!

Alongside the Multi-Seeder will be other machines from the Redexim range that are critical to successful fine turf maintenance. The Verti-Drain 2519 is widely recognised as the leading high-speed, high-productivity aerator – featuring a 1.9m working width and the ability to accept a wide range of tine options. Re-engineered to include a new draw-rod system and an easy-to-adjust heave lever, the 2519 offers a PTO speed of up to 540rpm – allowing it to cover almost 9000sq.m per hour when spaced at 165mm.

Also launching at BTME will be a new addition to their topdressing range, which promises to deliver accuracy, adjustability and a brand new user-friendly interface for maximum versatility and efficiency. For more information on this, or any of the products from across the Redexim range, be sure to speak to the technical team on stand 532 in January.

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If you mowed in May – that’s ok

If you mowed in May – that’s ok: If you didn’t follow the no-mow May advice don’t be alarmed.  One of Britain’s foremost lawn experts confirms that regular mowing is good for both the lawn and the environment. 

Richard Salmon (photographed below), the founder of ProLawnCareUK, is adamant that simply adjusting the mower and using it more frequently is good for both nature and the grass.

If you mowed in May - that's ok

If you mowed in May – that’s ok

“We have 20 million plus domestic lawns in the UK.  The vast majority are in inner city and urban areas where they are a vital green lung.   Anything we can do to keep them healthy is good for nature and humans, and regular mowing is key to this,” says Richard.

“I have no idea how many people continued to mow in May but they were doing no harm at all to the environment and really benefitting their lawns,” he added.

“Some wildlife feeding on lawns eat insects or seed, others prefer worms and other invertebrates.   Regular mowing will still allow clover and other flowering weeds to prosper but leave the grass longer and don’t scalp it.  Weekly mowing encourages the grass to tiller or thicken out.  This produces a greater green leaf area per m2 which, in turn, absorbs more Co2 during photosynthesis, keeping lawns green and releasing more oxygen to atmosphere.  The more dense the lawn the better for all food sources.”

“Not cutting the grass and simply leaving it to nature is not good for lawns or wildlife.  Leaving it is of value only to seed eating birds, although it takes several months of growth for the seeds to mature and, in any case, seed can be supplemented at the bird table.  As the uncut grass grows it discolours, significantly reducing photosynthesis which, in turn, results in less oxygen being produced.”

Richard promotes more regular cutting but not too short.  He also supports, where possible, instead of not mowing your lawn, why not dedicate an area for wildlife that benefits the insects and wildlife for 12 months of the year rather than a vain effort for 1 month ? Try leaving a small area of the garden to sow a wild flower mix which is bee friendly and can be left all year to provide a more valuable haven for a greater variety of fauna.

Richard Salmon has spent his entire career involved in lawncare and is one of the country’s leading authorities on the subject.  He is also a leading expert on the environmental value of grassland and is on record as confirming that: “Lawns lock-in carbon from the atmosphere, much like trees, and play a vital role in cleaning and cooling our environment.”

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Have you registered for SAGE yet?

Have you registered for SAGE yet?: SAGE 2022 takes place on 6-7 July at The Three Counties Showground in Malvern, and it is going to be a very valuable event for professionals in the sports, grounds and landscape industry this summer. The event is completely free to attend and there is a great deal on the agenda this year.

The stunning location has been selected specifically so that there is plenty of room for live demos from all types of businesses from across the industry. Visitors also have the opportunity to register for free training courses delivered by Sampson Training and hear from the leading experts as they discuss hot topics for the season and the future.

Have you registered for SAGE yet?

Have you registered for SAGE yet?

Sustainability will be a key theme at the event, with the first ever Sustainability Solutions for Grounds Specialists Summit being hosted at the event in partnership with Bio-Circle. SAGE has also been named the home event for GRASS (Ground care Resources and Sustainability Solutions), which is a newly launched forum for ground care specialists who are passionate about driving a more sustainable future for the industry.

With sustainability becoming an increasingly important priority, attending SAGE 2022 will enable visitors to find out how to implement sustainable solutions into their business, and to help ensure they are able to meet future government targets.

What’s on at SAGE 2022?

Wednesday 6th July

9.30 – 10.00 Open Session with Sampson Training director Martin Sampson, Lantra trainer and assessor along with his colleague Geraint Jenkins, (Lantra trainer and assessor).

10.30 – 11.00: Appropriate Selection of Training Courses for your Team

11.15 – 11.45: Adam Sedgewick presents, “Gathering data, for better turfgrass decisions”.

12.00 – 12.45: Calibration of a Handheld Applicator (Knapsack) and Boom sprayer

Scheduled Demos: 13.00 – 14.15

TRIMAX, TH WHITE, REDEXIM, KERSTEN UK, TORO UK, CUB CADET & Many More

14.30 – 15.45: SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR GROUNDS SPECIALISTS SUMMIT in partnership with Bio-Circle. Join the experts as they discuss how to implement sustainability across the industry and wider sphere.

16.00 – 18.00: Networking event in partnership with Sponsors Fleet Line Markers, bar and live music

Thursday 7th July

Scheduled Demos: 9.30 – 11.00

TRIMAX, TH WHITE, REDEXIM, KERSTEN UK, TORO UK & CUB CADET Many More

11.15 – 11.40 Maintaining your marking equipment: Led by sponsors Fleet Line Markers Ltd

12.00 – 13.00 Sustainability Summit Open Workshop in partnership with Bio-Circle, come and meet the experts and discuss how to better your practices.

Scheduled Demos: 14.00 – 16.00

TRIMAX, TH WHITE, REDEXIM, KERSTEN UK, TORO UK & Many More

With several more speaking slots to confirm, there is an action-packed schedule over the two days, with lots of exciting opportunities and experiences on offer. The networking event is a unique chance to meet industry professionals and ask the experts any questions you have, while enjoying a more informal setting.

Fleet Line Markers are sponsoring the networking event, which will have an open bar and live music, so that’s one more reason to make sure you do not miss this event. Fleet are also offering a 10% discount on their products to all visitors, so you can also save money on any line marking equipment you require.

Have you registered for SAGE yet?

Have you registered for SAGE yet?

Registering today will also enter you into our prize draw for your chance to win the Sustainability Starter Kit, put together by our exhibitors from GRASS.

Register for the event today to book your place, www.sportsandgrounds.events, if you wish to exhibit this year there is still time for a last minute stand, limited space remaining, discounts available.

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Are you involved in amenity management?

Are you involved in amenity management?: The Amenity Forum is currently running its very popular series of Updating Events across the UK. One of these is to be held at Arsenal’s Football Ground on March 9th and will contain important briefing information on topical issues as well as forthcoming policy change. As well as being events to receive information, they also act as opportunities for those attending to contribute their views and influence matters.

The whole series of free events are made possible by sponsorship. The Forum is grateful to Weedfree who are core funding all the series and to individual host organisations for providing the venue and refreshments for each event. Being able to offer the London event is thanks to Belchim Amenity UK, strong supporters of the Amenity Forum and its objective of promoting best practice and high standards in amenity management.

Are you involved in amenity management?

Are you involved in amenity management?

The full programme of events two of which have already run, together with individual host organisation is provided at the end of this release. So if you are involved in, or have an interest in, the amenity sector, please contact Kate at admin@amenityforum.net to book your place. Whilst free events, you do need to book your place with Kate, in advance. On registration, you will be sent a full copy of the programme for your event and location details or sign in links for the on line ones.

In terms of weed, pest and disease management, significant policy change is afoot. With our withdrawal from the EU, new regulations are emerging regarding the approval and use of plant protection products. In addition a new UK National Action Plan is soon to be issued setting out the requirements going forward. We already know that this will have a major focus on integrated management approaches and greater enforcement and standards. Then there is the implementation of the Official Controls (Plant Protection Products) Regulations 2020 (OCR). This has already legally required all suppliers of plant protection products (PPPs) to register their locations and stock carried. From June 2022, such a legal responsibility will also apply to all users of PPPs backed up by increased inspection and enforcement.

Representatives from UK and national governments will be in attendance and thus the events provide excellent opportunity for you to express your views and thoughts direct to them.

William Weld from Belchim Amenity UK said ‘’Belchim Amenity UK are delighted to support this event as part of a series being held across the UK. These events come at an important time for the sector and it is vital that all involved are kept fully up to date’’

ENGLAND                                                              DATE                                                   HOST

Yorkshire (on line)                                          9th February                                       Green-tech        

Manchester                                                       24th February                                     ICL

Leicester                                                             25th February                                     Agrigem

London                                                                 9th March                                             Belchem Amenity UK

Throws Farm, Essex                                        17th March                                          Origin Amenity

NORTHERN IRELAND

Belfast                                                                  23rd March                                          NI Government                

SCOTLAND

Edinburgh                                                           4th March                                             Scottish Government                    

WALES

Cardiff  (on line)                                              16th February                                     Complete Weed Control

The Forum is very grateful to Weedfree for their support in making this series of events possible.

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All you need to know about nematodes

All you need to know about nematodes: Spring is an important time of year for turf management. As the weather warms and preparations are made for the busy summer season, everything must be one to ensure that the turf is healthy – protecting the grass from soil-dwelling pests such as chafer grubs. Helpfully, nematodes can be used to control these unwelcome golf course visitors, which feed on the grass plants’ roots. 

Dr Colin Mumford, Technical Support Manager at Bayer Environmental Science, answers greenkeepers’ questions on how nematode-based products work.

All you need to know about nematodes

All you need to know about nematodes

DON’T NEMATODES KILL GRASS?

It depends. There are two types of nematodes – the ‘bad guys’ and the ‘good guys’. The ‘bad guys’ are plant parasitic nematodes that feed on plant tissue, stress the turf and often make it visually unappealing.

The ‘good guys’ are the entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) and these don’t harm humans, plants or vertebrates. They are, however, able to target and control turf pests such as chafer grubs and leatherjackets. In this article, I’ll refer to EPN (the ‘good guys’) simply as ‘nematodes’.

HOW DO NEMATODES CONTROL TURF PESTS?

When you apply the nematodes to turf, they travel down to the roots, where the chafer grubs and leatherjackets reside. These pests become the nematodes’ hosts and, once they’ve found them, each nematode enters its host through its natural openings. Once inside, they regurgitate a type of bacteria that paralyses the host and, ultimately, leads to its death.

The nematodes then produce offspring that feed on the inside of that host. Once they’ve exhausted all of the resources available to them, they exit the body. These new nematodes will then go off to seek a host for themselves to complete their lifecycle.

DO ALL EPN NEMATODES WORK IN THE SAME WAY?

This is one of those ‘yes’ and ‘no’ answers. ‘Yes’ once they are inside the host species, they all produce the bacteria, complete their lifecycle and control the pest. But ‘no’ in so far as different species use different strategies to target their host.

For example, Bayer’s Harmonix Tri-Nema product contains three different species. ‘The Hunter’ Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, is a ‘seek and destroy cruiser’ nematode that actively seeks out or hunts its prey before attaching itself to it. Meanwhile, Steinernema carpocapsae is known as ‘The Resident’ because it uses an ambushing strategy that sees it sitting and waiting for a host to come along before jumping onto it to complete its lifecycle. Furthermore, ‘The Explorer’, Steinernema feltiae, has an intermediate foraging strategy between the ‘ambusher’ and ‘cruiser’. It will actively seek out the host but, rather than attacking, it will wait for the host to come past and then it will ambush it.

Ideally, you want to use as many different species as possible so that you’re utilising those different modes of action and maximising the effectiveness of your nematode strategy to control chafer grubs.

HOW DO I STORE THEM?

Ideally, you should use the nematodes as soon as possible after receiving them. But if you can’t get to the golf course because the conditions aren’t right, then you’ll need to store them appropriately.

Don’t open the box in broad daylight/direct sunlight because this is extremely damaging to the nematodes and can kill them. What’s more, don’t expose the nematodes to extreme temperatures, so don’t freeze them or expose them to temperatures above 30°C.

The product will typically come in a cardboard box, but you will need to take the packets of nematodes out of that box and store them in the fridge at a temperature of 4-8°C. Otherwise, the cardboard box will act as insultation, meaning the product won’t be stored at the optimum temperature range.

You want to loosely distribute the packets in your fridge and don’t put them together in one big stack. This is because the weight of all the packs can cause crushing injuries on the nematodes in the bottom pack. Just loosely lay them out in your refrigerator and always use the nematodes before the end of the expiry date on the packet.

All you need to know about nematodes

All you need to know about nematodes

WHEN DO I APPLY THEM?

The timing of application should coincide with egg hatch, or soon after egg hatch. Chafer grubs are the larval stage of several adult beetle species, including Phyllopertha horticola. Therefore, you need to monitor the activity of the adult insects from mid-May until late June.

Leatherjackets are another grass root-loving pest that nematodes can target. These are the larvae of the cranefly, most commonly the European crane fly (Tipular paludosa) although the common cranefly (Tipular oleracea) can also be seen in turf.

Contrary to its name, it’s not the most common species but the difference between this and the European cranefly is that several generations can live throughout the year. So, if you spot a cranefly in springtime then it’s most likely the common cranefly.

You should apply nematodes three to four weeks after you observe a decline in the activity of the adult insects. That way, you know that the vast majority of eggs would have hatched by then. And any eggs that haven’t yet hatched will be attacked by future nematode generations.

DO I NEED TO PREPARE THE GROUND BEFORE APPLYING THEM?

Yes. If you’ve got high levels of thatch the nematodes can get held up in there. So, anything you can do to reduce this prior to applications is advisable.

Also, avoid using granular fertilisers for two weeks prior to, and post, the nematode application because granular fertilisers can do untold damage them.

Ideally, you want to aerate the surface of the turf before applying the product to improve surface infiltration rates and aid the efficiency of the nematodes getting into the soil or the rootzone. Irrigating the day before application should ensure that you have appropriate levels of water in your soil.

HOW DO I APPLY THEM?

Typically, you will be using a vehicle-mounted sprayer or a knapsack sprayer.

You may have to premix a solution if it’s a small capacity tank or a knapsack sprayer. But whichever system you use, try not to apply them using too great a pressure, keep the pressure below 5 bar. The more pressure you have the more force going through the nozzle which tends to produce a smaller droplet. The benefit of large droplets is that they bounce and roll off the turf canopy until they get to the rootzone itself and are able to transport the nematodes into the root system.

You’ll need to remove all filters from your sprayer because nematodes can get trapped. Also avoid using warm water as this could shock the nematodes.

The other point that’s really important to remember is that you don’t apply these nematodes prior to, or during, heavy rain.

In this type of weather, it’s possible for the nematodes to be flushed through the rootzone and down the drainage system.

Finally, avoid applying the nematodes in direct sunlight. The ideal timing is first thing in the morning when you’ve got low light levels.