It has been an incredibly challenging spring for most grounds professionals and volunteers up and down the country.

With soil and air temperatures mainly remaining in single figures, coupled with the fact we have received little over 7mm of rain throughout March and April, it has made it one of the coldest and driest springs for a number of years. Grass growth and seed germination has been extremely slow to get going. Once these cold easterly winds die down and the likelihood of frosts start to diminish in May, we then should start seeing some much-needed grass growth and recovery.

The above weather graph (courtesy of Mark Hunt, Headland Amenity) clearly shows the slow growth recorded this April at their Great Dunmow weather station. Clink here to access Mark's informative weekly weather report - it's always a good read.

This timely change in the weather will certain help many of the football clubs who soon will be undertaking their end of season renovation works. With many contractors starting to get busy, it is imperative you contact them as soon as possible to book your work.
 
A typical end of season renovation for many grass roots clubs usually sees the pitch scarified in 2/3 directions, vertidrained, top-dressed with 60 tonnes of sand / rootzone, overseeded and fertilised. This work is vital to help clean out unwanted lateral and dead growth, whilst at the same time introducing some new grass materials into the pitch. Once this work has been completed and the regular maintenance regimes start again (feeding, spiking and mowing), you should see a transformation in pitch quality. 

May- June time is also the time to consider pest control methods to prevent future infestations of chafer and cranefly. I read with interest that Syngenta have been given Emergency Authorisation to supply Acelepryn to target chafer grubs for the 2021 season. This authorisation permits use of Acelepryn on affected greens, tees and fairways, along with horseracing courses and airfields. The sale of Acelepryn for chafer grubs is permitted up to 4th August 2021, with the treatment period up until 31st August. 

A further Emergency Authorisation has also been submitted by ICL on behalf of the turf industry for the treatment of leatherjacket infestations later in the season. The regulatory authorisation system only permits a 120-day use period, which requires a separate submission for leatherjackets to target later application at peak pest timing.
 
The Emergency Authorisation permits Acelepryn use in situations where there is an acknowledged instance of economic damage, or risk of bird strike on airfields, and where the product has been recommended by a BASIS qualified agronomist.

On the parks front 

This week on the Parks Management Forum's website there is an interesting article written by Matthew Appleby of Horticulture Week magazine about Peter Fawcett, a professional award-winning gardener of 52 years experience who has written to local politicians to highlight the value of parks ahead of council elections on 6 May.

Fawcett, who worked for 32 years for Kirklees Council Parks Department, asked four questions to West Yorkshire Mayoral candidates and says they should be asked to every MP and councilor in the country.

"During the pandemic, parks became more popular than they have been for over five decades and were there for people to enjoy and keep their spirits up in the difficult times,” says Peter. “There was a big increase in public interest and visitors to the parks and horticulture. This is set to continue. Parks and their gardeners have never been more important in these difficult times. 

"The park's staff has been reduced year after year. For instance, 10 years ago my own parks area in Spenborough had a total of 18 gardeners now it has but 7. It has become impossible for them to do their work to the high standards of yesteryear.”

Peter asked politicians if they support the work that the public parks departments do and their value to tourism, whether they agree that parks bring in visitors to towns, and whether they regard parks as being important to the everyday lives and wellbeing of the general public? Finally he asked will they support and work to champion the reinvestment and revitalisation of our public parks?

These are ,any of the same core issues that I, and many other parks managers and professionals. have been asking for years Let hope his questions do not fall on deaf ears.

These principals have also been indorsed by Richard Mckeever from the Fields in Trust charity, who said colleagues may be interested to see the Fields in Trust Parks Protectors Pledge  campaign around the May elections. “We are encouraging Members of  the Scottish Parliament, Members of the Senedd, London Assembly Members and all elected Mayors throughout England to commit to the six points of the Pledge and champion, support and protect Parks and Green Spaces,” said Richard. “We have had around 60 candidate pledges so  far which are mapped against their constituency maps on our website.
 
“We have prepared a manifesto detailing the value of our green spaces and the role  they play in delivering health, wellbeing and community benefits. We’d be very grateful for any support in spreading the word and persuading your election candidates to take the pledge.”

And finally, I saw advertised on the GMA website two newly created roles of key account managers, one for Rugby League and the other for Rugby Union to join the existing team in supporting the delivery of the Pitch Advisory Service Programme (formerly the Grounds and Natural Turf Improvement Programme – GaNTIP).

Both roles will encompass liaison with their respective national sports governing body as well as the other national sports governing bodies who are partners in the Pitch Advisory Service Programme along with other stakeholders. 

A challenging job which I believe will be important for the development, management and maintenance of rugby club pitches.

The title for the 2021 Amenity Forum Annual Conference has been announced as ‘Facing the Future’.

What will the new normal bring? How will amenity organisations need to adapt and change? What will be the impact of proposed policy changes in how the work is undertaken? The Forum say all these topics and more will be covered.

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In 2021, the conference will commence with policy updates from a senior UK government representative, the chemicals Regulation Department of HSE and from the Environment Agency. This will be followed by presentations drawn from different aspects of amenity addressing the issue of integrated approaches and how they are applying them in their day-to-day amenity management approaches. Following these will be presentations on the very important area of education and training, talking about opportunities for continuous professional development and how new advances in digital technology can help. 

The penultimate section of the programme will comprise two presentations. The first will focus on managing parks safely and sustainably and the second, an expert view on assessing the full life cycle implications of different methods of amenity management, including taking into account effectiveness, economics and carbon foot printing. The conference will conclude with a presentation by the head groundsman at Lords', Karl McDermott, providing his take on the challenges ahead.

During the event the category winners for the 2021 Amenity Sprayer Operator of the Year Awards will be announced and presented.

The conference is being held at the Kettering Conference Centre in Northampton on October 21st. The conference will also be available online.

For further information and to book your place, contact admin@amenityforum.net

Delegate rates are £95 + VAT and there is an early bird discount of £10 for bookings completed before September 1st.

DLF Seeds have announced the recent appointment of Stuart Yarwood MG.

Stuart's role as regional technical sales manager will see him working closely with both customers and distributors across the North West of the UK, providing advice and support on the Masterline and Johnsons Sports Seed ranges.     

After completing his HND in Golf Course Management at Reaseheath College, Stuart spent two years in golf course construction before taking up his first greenkeeping role as deputy course manager at Delamere Forest Golf Club. Following this, he spent 17 years as course manager at Lymm Golf Club where he specialised in traditional and sustainable turf management.

Along with practical experience, Stuart also achieved his Master Greenkeeper certificate in 2010 and is one of only seven people in the world to have gained the R&A Gold Scholar Award for his role in the facilitation of the R&A Scholars programme. 

Stuart’s years of practical experience and technical know-how set him up for a role in sales, where he provided agronomic support to customers across all sporting disciplines, before further developing this with some time spent in sports turf contracting & consulting. He joined DLF in February 2021.

Commenting on his appointment, Stuart said, “Joining DLF was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. I am very passionate about sharing my knowledge and am looking forward to being able to do that in my new role, helping others to deliver the best surfaces possible.” 

Amenity sales & marketing manager Derek Smith added, “We are very excited to have someone with Stuart’s level of knowledge, experience and passion joining the technical team. Stuart spent the first few weeks in his role working closely with John Hughes to get a thorough understanding of both the product range and the specific needs of accounts in his territory.” 

The #MyKubota photo competition is back, and the manufacturer is inviting all operators of their machinery to take part, with the chance to win a £200 retail voucher and a number of runner-up prizes.

Running from the 3rd to the 31st of May, operators are invited to submit an image of their Kubota machine to the company's Twitter or Facebook page, using the hashtag #MyKubota, along with a few words on why it's their machine of choice.

Crucially, say the company, this year’s competition will be judged by a group of independent panellists, so entrants are encouraged to be as ambitious and creative as they like. They do stress however, that entrants follow all relevant safety guidelines, when getting their shot.

The winner will be presented with a £200 retail voucher, while eight runners-up will receive a collection of Kubota merchandise. 

David Hart, managing director of Kubota UK, said, “#MyKubota is a great opportunity for Kubota users of every stripe to show off and celebrate their machines alongside the entire Kubota community. Having such a diverse and versatile portfolio within agriculture, ground care and construction machinery, used in diverse environments and situations, we are looking forward to seeing what our customers come up with.”

To mark the Commonwealth War Graves Foundation’s first-ever War Graves Week (21-28 May 2021), Hayter has partnered with the Foundation to honour the Commonwealth’s war dead.

The partnership has launched the Best in Bloom competition, which invites people to create their very own wildflower memorial to remember those who died in the world wars. The Commonwealth War Graves Foundation (CWGF) will be sending out free packets of wildflower seeds, which have been chosen to reflect the plants that would have grown on the battlefields of the First World War, to all that apply for some.

The competition encourages people to plant the seeds now and the patch of wildflowers will be ready by War Graves Week. People can then enter the competition between 21-28 May by sharing their wildflower memorials on Twitter or Instagram using #WarGravesWeek. The winner will be selected by a panel of horticultural experts and they will take home a prize of up to £200 to spend in a garden centre.

Hayter will be supporting CWGF by stocking the seeds across the UK in its network of independent dealers.

On the partnership, Craig Hoare, sales and marketing manager for Hayter, said, “Gardening has been a great outlet for many of us during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a country we have come together to thank those who have put others before themselves. This follows in a great British tradition and shows that it’s just as relevant today as it’s always been to remember those who have given their lives for the greater good.”

While the seeds are free, donations to the CWGF are encouraged, as the foundation aims to engage and educate people in telling the stories of the 1.7 million fallen Commonwealth servicemen and women.

A recently published study conducted by Dr Sophie Lund Rasmussen, known as 'Dr Hedgehog', along with colleagues from Oxford University and Aalborg University has found that different models of robotic mowers vary substantially in their capability to detect and avoid hurting hedgehogs.

Dr Rasmussen's research involved testing 18 models of robotic mowers in collision tests with dead hedgehogs. The dead hedgehogs in the study were collected from hedgehog rehabilitation centres, where they had been too injured or unwell to save. Each robotic mower was tested 12 times; with four dead hedgehogs representing four different weight classes, each tested in three different positions.

The results from the study, which can be read in full here, showed that some models caused extensive damage to the dead hedgehogs in the tests, but there were noteworthy differences in the degree of harm inflicted, with some machines consistently causing no damage.

“The important next step is to present the results and insights from the research to the manufacturers and encourage a collaboration with them to develop more hedgehog and wildlife friendly robotic lawnmowers,” says Dr Rasmussen, who has already started these discussions.

In order to limit the potential for harm to hedgehogs from robotic mowers, the present recommendation is to restrict the running of the machines to daylight hours - however garden owners are advised to check in advance for any hedgehogs, or other potentially vulnerable wildlife such as leverets, amphibians or baby birds on the lawn.

The research project was undertaken in collaboration with Animal Protection Denmark and Pindsvine Plejerne and was funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.

SPORT IN CRISIS

DRYING OUT . .

RETURNING TO FULL SPEED

ROBOTS ON THE RISE

A GAME CHANGER FOR PARKS

WORKING PRACTICES CHANGED?

OPENING UP

ROADMAP TO NORMALITY

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

BEAST FROM THE EAST RETURNS

PLAYING OUR PART

WISHES GRANTED?

TIME TO REFLECT

SELLING OUR SECTOR

SPRING WITHIN OUR SIGHTS

LOOKING AHEAD INTO 2021

A FLOOD OF WATERLOGGING ADVICE

View all of 2020's blogs here

View all of 2019's blogs here

View all of 2018's blogs here

CELEBRATING 125 YEARS
Tullamore Golf Club

UNIVERSITY CHALLENGES
At Trinity College Dublin

BLENDING THE OLD WITH THE NEW
Bray Golf Club

A WELL POLISHED COURSE!
Ierne Social And Sports Club

IDENTIFYING THE TRUE VALUES
Of grounds maintenance

THE INDUSTRY WILL CHANGE & ADAPT
But it will survive

WIRRAL GOLF COURSES SAVED
Renewed hope and optimism for the future

GREEN SPACE CONTRIBUTION TO WELLBEING IS UNDERVALUED
Parks invisible on national agenda

A SHINING LIGHT IN IRELAND'S SUNNY SOUTHEAST
Wexford Golf Club

GREEN SPACES DO NOT LOOK AFTER THEMSELVES!
Keith Kent says we must invest in people

WE SHOULD TELL THE WORLD ABOUT THE UK INDUSTRY
Right time for all sides to come together

SOIL LIFE IS PRECIOUS
Good-quality soil can help save the planet

MORE THAN JUST CUTTING GRASS
Encouraging the next generation

A BUZZ FROM DOING THE JOB
Wide experience of the turf grass industry

PAYING THEIR WAY
Low wages is the bane of the industry

AMENITY MANAGEMENT IMPACTS US ALL
Professor John Moverley

CARING FOR PARKS OF ALL TYPES
Mary Worrall

TOP FIVE FRUSTRATIONS FOR CRICKET GROUNDSMEN
What causes you the most frustration in your role?

PROFESSIONALS AT THE CUTTING EDGE
Vic Demain and Phil Sharples

BOWLS CLUBS IN PERIL
A sad decline

A VERY SPECIAL INDUSTRY
Loz looks back

SNEAK PEAK AT A ROBOTIC "GAME CHANGER"
Commercial model capable of covering 50,000 m2 teased

HALESOWEN PICK A BIG ROBOT UP FRONT
Invest in mowers

COMPRESSED AERATION
The new way

PARKS MATTER MORE THAN EVER
Recent sector developments

ON TEST
STIHL blowers

THREE CORE VALUES TO SHAPE OUR INDUSTRY
Real concerns for the future

ENGLAND'S GREEN SPACE GAP
A split along racial lines

ON TEST
EGO STX3800 strimmer with RTX2300 Rotocut head

A SECTOR FACING IMPORTANT TIMES
Review of the National Action Plan

PARKS MATTER
The role of public parks in the recovery: a discussion paper

A UNIQUE SPORTING VENUE
Wormsley private estate

A BTME OUTDOORS?
A good bet for the industry

PARKS NEED APPROPRIATE POLITICAL REPRESENTATION
Q&A with Philippa Reece, Parks and Foreshore Manager at Adur and Worthing Council

CRICKET LOAM
What does it mean?

A HERCULEAN EFFORT TO GET PARKS BACK TO NORMAL
Q&A with Chris Worman, Rugby Borough Council’s parks and ground manager

ON TEST
STIHL battery products

TURFGRASS STRESS MANAGEMENT
Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and antioxidants during biotic and abiotic stress in turfgrass plants

AUTUMN DISEASE MANAGEMENT
The coming months are going to prove very difficult

THE ABUSE OF PARKS . .
Is the abuse of society

WHY PARKS MATTER?
A statement from the Parks Management Forum to the Prime Minister

THE 21st CENTURY PARKS MANAGER
Innovative, creative and entrepreneurial

EAT, SLEEP, CUT, REPEAT!
Cricket under covid

TIME FOR A SINGLE SHOW?
Debate brought back into focus

A CHALLENGING TWO MONTHS
Running golf design projects from home

PRESSURE SITUATION
Cementing the reputation

A CLUB TO BE PROUD OF
10 years at the helm of Olton GC

GAME CHANGERS IN TURFCARE
The day the Lord's outfield reconstruction proved its worth

THE ESSENCE OF ESSENTIAL
Finding a sensible way forward on defining "essential maintenance"

THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS
2001

HOW TO LOOK AFTER A GOLF COURSE WITH NO GOLFERS
Fundamental to the survival of almost all courses, if not of the game itself

RAIN STOPPED PLAY WOULD BE WELCOME
. . along with ‘lunch is being taken early’

PHYSICAL CONTROL OF TURFGRASS PESTS
An urgent problem

A DIVERSE & ENTERTAINING WEEK
Successful BTME 2020

INTEGRATED PEST CONTROL
Opportunity to embrace new methods

ENVILLE ON THE UP
Major investments taking place

GREEN FLAG AWARDS 2019
A great success

U.S PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT SHOW EXCELS
Buoyant GIE+EXPO

LEGACY OF THE SOLHEIM CUP
At Gleneagles

A DAY OUT WITH THE LADIES
Behind the scenes at the Solheim Cup

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY'S EDIBLE GARDEN SUCCESS
2006 - present

HAIL THE GRASS MASTERS!
Boorish media comments about pitch quality are wide of the mark

CONTRACTOR SEES MULTI-DISCIPLINE SUCCESS
360 Ground Care serving professional facilities

BUSY TIMES
Judging the Green Flag Awards

TAKING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
What does it all mean in managing turf surfaces?

UNDER PRESSURE
Dry weather conditions continue to keep turf managers focused on moisture management

EDDIE SEAWARD
Death of Wimbledon’s influential grounds manager

MAJOR NEW IRRIGATION PROJECT
At Top 100 classic Berkhamsted Golf Club

NEW HORIZONS FOR THE HATTERS
Investment paying off at Kenilworth Road

ELIZABETHAN RESTORATION
At Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

WHAT IS BIOPHILIA?
The vital impact of parks and green spaces on health and well-being

WORM CONTROL
Without carbendazim

THE TRUE COST OF PETROL
Battery-powered outdoor power tools are now turning the heads of professionals

SANDS OF TIME
Sand-based pitches are now the norm in professional sports

WHY DO WE DO THE RIGHT THING?
We must maintain industry standards

CHASING GRASS PERFECTION?
11 things you need to know . . .

MAINTAINING STANDARDS
Q&A with BASIS ceo, Stephen Jacobs

STRI RESEARCH DAY 2018
Hosted at research trial grounds in Bingley

THE MECHANIC
Leicester City FC invest in new role

LORD'S 'GRASS-GUVNOR' TO RETIRE
Mick Hunt bows out after 49 years

HOLLOW CORING & DEEP SCARIFICATION
Is it really necessary?