Terrain Aeration

Long lasting effects of deep aeration in evidence at Gelligaer Bowls Club

It's always nice to be able to back up our marketing with some evidence and we thought you'd like to hear about our re-visit to Gelligaer Bowls Club in South Wales.

See our Scamper in action - view animation.

The last time we were there was eight years ago in 2002 having originally been called in mid-season because the green was not performing well. Poor grass growth, standing water and a strong smell of sulphur (rotten eggs) suggested that something was drastically wrong with the underlying drainage: failure of grass growth resulted in black areas forcing members to play from rubber mats for the first match of the season.

The green was built into the side of a valley with the green forming a terrace with the down slope end on well drained black soil. The down-slope wasn't a problem and was in excellent condition; it looked good and played well and the drainage was how you'd expect.

AERATION GETS TOP MARKS AT MERSEYSIDE SCHOOLS

It's fair to say that a lot of our day-to-day work tends to be on golf courses or bowling greens but we do actually treat a lot of recreational facilities in public open spaces and schools.

We've just returned from treating nine primary school fields across Merseyside and as a result of our efforts, the children and staff can look forward to a full winter of sports events unhindered by standing water under their feet.

Dave Connor, Construction and Development Officer for Knowsley Council in Liverpool brought us in during last spring to treat twelve winter sports pitches.

Treating a permafrost pan layer in golf greens

We've been back to Sittingbourne and Milton Regis Golf Club to rectify a pan layer caused by permafrost on nine of the eighteen greens.

Head Greenkeeper David Horne, who was one of the first turf managers to use the terralift machine when it arrived in the country in 1987, says that the frost affecting his older clay lined push-up greens was about 7 to 8 inches below the surface.

Speaking of the frost pan layer, David told us, “Once the thaw starts the surface softens but if you insert an 8 inch screwdriver into the turf it hits a frosted pan which isn’t going to let water permeate through. You’ve got to find something that will get through it.”

Decompaction of turf after winter snow and ice

Looking out of the window now, there is little by the way of a reminder that only a couple of months ago, most of the United Kingdom has been brought to a standstill by severe winter conditions: a blanket of deep snow and ice covered the countryside and as a result, public parks and sports pitches became unplayable.

Turf professionals, despite now having the sun on their backs, will still be working their magic on the rootzone to repair the ravages of the big freeze.

Most turf compaction problems are caused by man or beast walking or playing on the grass. However, sometimes there are other recreation activities that lead to severely compacted surfaces.

Animation of air being injected into the soil

They say that a picture paints a thousand words; well an animation can be even more useful.

Sometimes it's tricky explaining to potential clients how our machines get to the root of the problem but with our animation, everyone can see it for themselves.

Watch the Airforce Scamper in action.

Now that you've read the book and seen our film....why not give us a call and put it into action?

Terrain Aeration in South Wales

We will be despatching a team into South Wales in the week beginning 4th May 2009.

If you have a need for our de-compaction service treating turf or tree roots with compressed air to a depth of one metre then please email us asap.

Treating public parkland for soil compaction

Being a park manager is not an easy job at the best of times. Grass cutting and maintenance operations have to be carried out when park users are enjoying their surroundings.

Keeping the grass in tip top condition is always a challenge for grounds staff and with parks also getting a funding boost for restorations and improvements the facilities are seeing increased activity.

In August 2008, St James' Park in London held the Olympic handover ceremony concert. As a result the grass areas of the park were left with severe compaction caused by foot traffic, the stage area and vehicles used for delivering staging and outside broadcasting units.

Sitwell Park golf club open all year round

The winter is a difficult time for any business but it is especially difficult for any sports related business that utilises natural grass on which participants play.

Golf is a popular all year round pastime with all clubs becoming under increased pressure to maintain its greens to a high playable standard with many members showing little understanding of the challenges a greenkeeper and his staff face on a day to day basis, in order to achieve what are at times undeliverable targets.

Waterlogged green are a common problem, especially on older golf courses that were often constructed without any form of drainage systems to take water from saturated the soil structure.