Don’t forget Sport…

Distributed every two months to sports turf professionals, independent schools, universities, local authorities and buyers of turfcare machinery and products.

The last two months have been a nightmare for many people in certain parts of the country and my heart goes out to everyone dealing with the aftermath of unprecedented flooding and devastating erosion.

The best case scenario for many is months of temporary living. For others, lives will never return to what they were.

While the fate of sports grounds and golf clubs might seem inconsequential in the face of such hardship, we at Turf Matters have a particular empathy with everyone who has seen years of agronomic husbandry literally washed away in the space of a few weeks.

I’m writing this in mid-June and I haven’t seen a drop of rain in my part of the world for what seems like an age. Memories do play tricks, but I don’t think I can remember anything like this, at this time of year, for a while. What worries me is that if we get another mid to late summer like last year we will all be in trouble – particularly in the business of maintaining turf. Yes, we all know that grass is resilient and can go without water for as long as the average camel, but that is still going to put a huge strain on the grass plant.

Editor: Scott MacCallum scott@turfmatters.co.uk

Design/Production Editor: Tim Moat tim@turfmatters.co.uk

Distributed every two months to sports turf professionals, local authorities and buyers of turfcare machinery and products.

Sales Executive: Marie Anderson marie@turfmatters.co.uk

Editor: Scott MacCallum scott@turfmatters.co.uk

Design and Production Editor: Tim Moat tim@turfmatters.co.uk

Sales Manager: Pauline Thompson

Contributor: Summer Rogers

It must be hoped that banks – the financial institutions, not the things which edge overflown rivers – take an understanding approach to sporting facilities which have been unable to service loans as a result of them being unplayable and so unable to bring in revenue.

And let’s face it we know, at times like these, the spotlight falls on our industry and anywhere with a sprinkler operating, even if the water used has been harvested sustainably by the user, will be seen as an enemy of the state.

Huge advances have been made in water management, as it will have to, going forward and coupled with the seed producers coming up with ever more effective drought tolerance varieties we will get there. However, public perception is going to have to change, not just in being anti every golf course sprinkler system, but in thinking that every golf course or park has to have lush green grass to be seen as well maintained.

As we have seen with the recent Winter Olympics, sport has such a galvanising effect on society and can be the catalyst for so much good, that it is imperative sporting facilities are not forgotten when the promised assistance is being allocated.

On the issue of improving sporting facilities, we have been invited by Briggs & Stratton to become involved in its Pitch to Win competition, which provides a £3,000 makeover for what is judged to be the Under 18s football pitch in most need – find out more on pages 16-17. I am on the judging panel and visits will be made to a shortlist of deserving pitches soon. We will be looking not so much at the DESSO but the desperate!

On a final note, I am thrilled by the reception that the first issue of Turf Matters received. Many people have taken time to say how much they liked the look of the magazine and how they enjoyed the articles. We’re all pleased you found it to your liking and we will work hard to maintain the high standards. Thank you all very much.

Turf professionals are intelligent enough to maintain surfaces in whatever circumstance they find themselves, and sometimes that might be in severe drought conditions, so let them make the sensible decisions to cut back water usage, in the knowledge that whenever they do use irrigation it will be in a responsible manner.

Scott MacCallum, Editor

Scott MacCallum, Editor

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Turf Matters is published by Straight Down the Middle Communications Ltd.

All material © Turf Matters magazine 2023.

Turf Matters is published by Straight Down the Middle Communications Ltd.

Awarded Best Writing and Best Design in the Turf & Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) Awards 2019-2022 inclusive

All material © Turf Matters magazine 2014. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, either for sale or not, without the written permission of the publisher. Information contained in Turf Matters is published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Turf Matters can accept no responsibility for any error or misrepresentation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by reliance on information contained in Turf Matters or in the event of any bankruptcy or liquidation or cessation of trade of any company, individual or firm mentioned is hereby excluded.

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No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, either for sale or not, without the written permission of the publisher. Information contained in Turf Matters is published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Turf Matters can accept no responsibility for any error or misrepresentation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by reliance on information contained in Turf Matters or in the event of any bankruptcy or liquidation or cessation of trade of any company, individual or firm mentioned is hereby excluded. Printed by Warners Midlands PLC.

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Programme Is Top Of The Class

More than a decade on from the switch to an organic feeding programme, the grounds team at Farleigh School in Hampshire are receiving more praise than ever before.

Staff, parents and pupils alike have cited how surfaces across the 70-acre site are providing consistent presentation and performance, despite the challenging climatic conditions, which Grounds Manager and Sports Coach Shaun Crowley attributes to the reliable results from 18-1-8+Fe and 5-2-4+Fe from Suståne.

“While we weren’t initially pressured to explore the organic route, it was something my predecessor and I were keen on – not just for the environmental benefits but considering the safety element for the children and the flexibility it provided on application rates. We have a packed schedule both during and between term-times so getting feed down without pupils around was challenging” explained Shaun, Sports Coach at Farleigh since 2011 and took over the role of Grounds Manager three years ago.