Terrain Aeration News Feed

Trouble shooting bowls rink problems

Deep Drill Queenborough close up Last winter was one of the harshest winters in living memory and with the new season in full swing, we've been alerted to many compaction and drainage problems.

From Wales to Sunderland, the last three months have kept our fleet extremely busy, writes David Green.

We treated a number of bowling greens in Caerphilly because problems with water retention had gradually returned after our initial treatments some 8 years ago. Some greens reported that they had been able to bowl on as few as five days during the entire 2009 season because of incessant rainfall in what was the wettest summer for a very long time.

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Relieving compaction from revellers at the Isle of Wight Festival

Isle of wight festival compaction releif
With up to sixty thousand people walking all over the venue of the Isle of Wight festival show ground, it is no wonder that careful attention must be paid to the grass root-zone to protect against the ravages of compaction.

Following a report and recommendations by the STRI’s Alison King, grounds maintenance and development officer for the Isle of Wight Council, Nigel Leppard - who oversees Medina High School where part of the festival is held - called us in in March to treat 26,000 sq metres of severely compacted sports field, prior to fertilising and over-seeding.

Speaking of the venue, Nigel Leppard commented, “These school playing fields are known as ’The Strawberry Fields’ during the festival weekend,” he continued, “The first Isle of Wight festivals were held between 1968 and 1970 on other parts of the island, the 1970 event rivalling Woodstock for size.

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'Close Season' Probing to eliminate compaction

It may be sunny and hot now, but remember your games which were called off because of waterlogging!

The narrowing ‘close season’ in football presents a challenge to all sportsturf managers and groundscare personnel. The resultant effects of the harsh winter followed by a dry spring have combined to create surface management problems ahead of next season. Compaction continues to be a major problem which we can help to assuage.

Our ‘close season’ remedial techniques include the Deep Drill machine which is ideal where drainage is good but an improved root growth profile is required. This de-compaction equipment drills to a depth of 10“ and can be used where undersoil heating pipes exist, without damage to the underground system.

The legendary Terralift will penetrate to a depth of one metre and is ideal for goalmouths, centre circle and touchlines, where much ‘warming-up’ takes place. It is also the ideal machine to prevent future waterlogging because of its ‘one metre’ potential.


Treating a permafrost pan layer in golf greens

Sittingborne 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.”

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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.

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Calling all turf professionals on the Isle of Wight

I'm giving a little advance notice to all groundsmen and greenkeepers that Terrain Aeration will be coming over to the Isle of Wight in March to carry out turf aeration in various places.

If you have a need to break up a pan layer, at depths of up to one metre below the rootzone, why not give us a call or send and email - as always, we are happy to share the travel expenses and keep costs down.


Rewarding turfcare's 'Unsung Heroes' at BTME Harrogate

Winners with Linda and David Green We had a busy time at BTME Harrogate Week and it was with pleasure to hand out our Unsung Hero Awards to Keri Jarman, Deputy Head Groundsman at Moor Park, and Hugh Murray, Head Greenkeeper at Bridgwater College for their outstanding commitment to the industry.

Keri Jarman was nominated by Stuart Bertram, the Course Manager of Moor Park Golf Course. Stuart told us that Keri took only four days leave (although he was entitled to more) having tragically lost both parents to illness in quick succession.

Sadly, Keri was left with his disabled brother to care for, while continuing to work full time. Keri finally made the very difficult decision to put him into a home: if his poor luck and recent difficulties weren't enough, Keri slipped on the ice and broke his leg - despite being in plaster, Keri hobbled in to work to check that all was well.

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Launch of our Total Turf Aeration System

otal turf aeration system "In 1987, for the first time in their lives [the greens], I put the Vertidrain through the greens this was after the October hurricane. I used 1” tines at full depth (14”) and the soil just smeared, there was no chance to ‘shatter and fracture’ to create some structure."

Golf Consultant, Kevin Munt was the course manager at the Wentworth Club in the late 1980s and is describing on his blog, the challenge of breaking through a deep pan layer on the greens on the famous West 'Burma Road' Course - these conditions existed for him, those who preceded him and those who subsequently took over until present day.

Today, using our technology, any putting green, football pitch, bowling rink or indeed any natural grass playing surface, can benefit from treatment at depths that conventional specialist equipment cannot achieve.

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Happy Christmas and New Year to everyone who knows us

Christmas
Thanks for popping in. We are winding down now; not through choice but because the weather has temporarily beaten us. So, now that you are here - have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The New Year threatens bad weather for the first week or two (the UK usually gets a dump two or three weeks after USA so we are expecting snow), so once this has cleared, we will be up and running again, but keep in touch - your weather might differ from our Suffolk base so if you have the need and we can get there, we will.

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Golf greens kept playable after autumn rains

aeration of golf greens at basingstoke golf greens The heavy rain which followed the late summer dry spell has helped to highlight compacted ground and potential drainage problems on golf courses throughout the UK.

It has meant a bust time for us as we travel extensively throughout the United Kingdom as turf managers call in our services.

Back in the days before irrigation became commonplace on golf course, clay was used to provide an impermeable barrier to retain water for the grass roots.

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