Now well into our national UK Covid -19 lockdown, we are now starting to get the message to STAY AT HOME - which can only be a good thing for the long-term recovery of our nation.

The last two weeks has given me time to reflect, during this unprecedented emergency, on what it means to us as human beings.

It has without doubt brought about a significant change in our behaviour. We are now going about our business with a different mental attitude and are showing a lot of compassion to our fellow human beings.
The hustle and bustle of how we used to be has almost vanished. I, like most of us, have got into a totally different routine, finding the time to speak and check on friends and family and where possible, offer support to neighbours and friends if they need it.

Our pace of life has changed dramatically during these last few weeks. The roads are far quieter with little or no traffic, far less people milling around and high streets are deserted. There almost feels like an everlasting calm before the storm?

I suspect I am not alone in wondering what the final outcome of all this will be and how long it'll be before normality as we knew it, creeps back into our lives?

The "Clap for Carers" tribute, saluting NHS and key workers dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, was an defining moment for me in that we as a nation showed our respects and valued the work all these frontline people are offering to stop this virus and help save lives.

I don’t think anybody in this country or around the world can comprehend the devastation this virus has and will cause if we do not adhere to the experts’ advice. I sure it is going to take some time to eradicate the destructive nature of this virus and we will have to learn to live with it until a successful vaccine is produced.

I also think, that once we get into larger scale testing for this virus, we will be in a better position to prevent the spread and reduce the impact.

We may also be facing further measures if required, but in the meantime, life must go on in terms of keeping people safe and services running. There is now talk of the lockdown continuing for up to six months or longer. This will no doubt have a dramatic effect on our national sporting calendar.

Rugby

The RFU have confirmed that the season will not be completed and have confirmed league positions for all clubs along with an offer of a support package directly funded from the RFU worth £7m to provide support for community clubs in England.

Cricket

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have announced a delay to the professional cricket season with the Board agreeing that no professional cricket will be played in England and Wales before 28 May. Along with a major announcement that the ECB is providing a £61 million package to help cricket withstand the financial impact of COVID-19, with financial assistance available at every level of the game – across counties, boards and clubs.  Also in an article in The Times, cricket groundsmen have suggested that the season could continue on into October this year if need be.

Football

In Spain Lionel Messi and the rest of his Barcelona team are facing 70% pay cuts to help keep wage and salary payments to non-sporting club staff during the crisis. A lot of British clubs are now following suit with managers and players offering to take pay reviews to help the situation. The FA have also announced an update on non-league, women’s and grass roots football seasons.

Tennis

The LTA, in conjunction with the All England Club, the ITF, ATP and WTA, has regrettably announced the cancellation of its summer Grass Court events and the British Open Wheelchair Tennis Championships following the latest advice from the UK Government and the suspension of professional tennis due to the escalating pandemic.

Bowls

Clubs, County Associations and Bowls England are facing a period where there is the loss of regular income whilst there are overheads and bills to be paid. Sport England and the Government has put in place a number of initiatives to assist clubs and small companies during this period of uncertainty.

We have also seen the postponement of several large sporting events, with the Olympic games being one of the main ones to be affected. Other major tournaments affected include Euro 2020, the London Marathon and Wimbledon deciding to postpone to next year. It would seem we are going to have a very busy 2021?

As mentioned in last week’s blog, many groundsmen will be still trying to continue to work, getting the essential basic maintenance tasks completed such as mowing, feeding and watering.

I would imagine, most end of season renovations, major drainage jobs and any new pitch builds will be put on hold, based on the fact that many contractors and suppliers are in shutdown mode at present and may have a shortage of staff and resources to undertake the work anyway?

I also do feel sorry for many of our machinery dealers and manufacturers who at this time of the year expect a surge in sales. This virus however, has put a complete stop on many of their trading for the foreseeable future and may even have longer term effects on their business if we do not see an end to this by late summer.

Many grassroots sports clubs will be facing uncertainty, with little or no income generation coming in during the period of lockdown. I firmly believe bowling clubs will face the most difficult time. This is mainly due to the fact that over many years we have seen a general decline in club memberships and the fact these members generally pay a low annual membership fee of anything between £30-£50 which for a club with say a 100 members would only raise between £3,000-£5000 pounds - barely enough to cover the maintenance and renovation of the clubs green. I know of a lot a clubs in Shropshire that only have 60 members. So the future for some bowls clubs will no doubt be in jeopardy.

Perhaps an idea to help clubs get back on track would be for them to invite schools to come and use their facilities on a regular basis? To initiate the opportunity for children to come and enjoy the bowling experience. If done regularly, maybe both the parents and children would become interested and later support the club?

Rugby and cricket clubs should, I hope, be better able to cope, as in the main, many of them are well supported with over 300 plus members (both juniors and seniors) and should be able to withstand the financial pressures during the temporary closure.

As for golf clubs, they too will no doubt be suffering hardship from this lockdown, however, like many other top end sports facilities, they will still need to maintain there playing surfaces to retain playability.

The newly named, Grounds Management Association, has been working with sports governing bodies and agencies to put together some advice for the sports turf industry on Covid -19 

I also manged to speak to a number of local authority officers last week, who said that their councils are re-deploying many of their grounds staff to other service aeras - notably food deliveries, bins collections and cemetery duties.

Chris Worman MBE. FLI Parks & Grounds Manager for Rugby Borough Council said, “With all grounds maintenance activities suspended as non-essential work, our gardeners and grounds staff are supporting the most vulnerable members of our community via the distributing and sorting of food and essential items via the foodbank or local community hubs.”

There seems to be a mix of views on what is essential maintenance work and what is not. Some local authorities are only doing what is deemed essential, while others are still maintaining their parks and grass verges to ensure they remain viable and open to the public.

With some many of us working from home or indeed laid off temporally, it seems that a lot of jobs around the house and garden are being completed. I don’t think my house has ever been cleaned so much plus the garden is having a makeover.

I read with interest a recent report from the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) that states there is a lot of scientific evidence that shows how gardening and being in the garden will help to keep you well. 

However, with most garden centres closed, it brings a another set of problems for this retail industry. Millions of plants, shrubs and trees could be binned in the coming days and weeks, meaning ruin for UK growers.

The closure of 2,000 garden centres and nurseries mean makers of what's called "ornamental horticulture" have no outlet for their plants. 

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) is asking the government for financial assistance of up to £250m to help the industry avoid collapse. It warned that up to a third of producers could go bust. 

I do sincerely hope you all are keeping safe and abiding by our government’s advice. The only way we are going to beat this virus is by heeding to the advice of staying home and social distancing.

Yes, we are facing difficult times, however I firmly believe we will overcome this pandemic and we will have a totally new attitude and way we go about our daily lives in the coming years.

The newly named Grounds Management Association have been working closely with various National Governing Bodies to offer advice and guidance on what works may be possible to be carried out throughout this period, and, what works may be required once sport resumes.

These ‘interim works’ documents are free to access for members and non-members of the GMA and cover a range sports played on natural turf and will be updated as and when the climate or current situation dictates.

A statement from the association says they "recognise and appreciate that each sport, facility and the people that work hard to maintain these surfaces have very different circumstances and whilst these documents are comprehensive they are in place to suggest and highlight only the effective but minimal works to keep surfaces ‘ticking over’".

They also stress that professionals always ensure they follow up to date government guidelines.

Interim works documents are available for football, cricket, rugby union, rugby league, horse racing, bowling and croquet. Click here.

BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton has asked golf clubs and greenkeepers to consider their responsibilities to the wider industry and to the health of their staff if they disregard guidelines regarding essential maintenance during the period of current restrictions.

Following representation from the golf industry including BIGGA, the UK Government has permitted ‘essential maintenance’ to take place on golf courses so that they can be returned to a playable condition in a timely fashion when COVID-19 restrictions are eased.

Following this announcement, BIGGA and The R&A worked to define what constitutes ‘essential maintenance’ and last week published a document that gave an indication of what work can take place.

In a statement on the BIGGA website, the association stresses that the guidance is not intended to allow greenkeepers to maintain an immaculate playable course. Instead, it is intended to allow a level of maintenance that will enable the course to be returned into a playable condition very quickly, rather than the months it could take if no work was to take place for an extended period.

As the UK moves into summer, bringing warmer weather and increased growth, BIGGA and The R&A have pledged to revisit these guidelines on a regular basis for as long as restrictions remain in place.

However BIGGA say it has come to their attention that some golf clubs are choosing to disregard these guidelines, even posting the work they’ve completed on social media, and BIGGA CEO Jim Croxton has moved to warn them of the potential consequences that could result.

Speaking on the Continue to Learn Extra: HR in the Coronavirus Crisis webinar, Jim said, “We feel very strongly that anyone who is flouting the essential maintenance guidelines should be brought to task.

“Some golf clubs are putting staff members at risk by ignoring the guidance so we’re working with the other governing bodies in golf to ensure that the guidelines are adhered to.

“We’ve been asked whether we should be enforcing the situation, but as a members’ association we have no control over facilities. I’m hopeful that the rest of the sport will help us work with other clubs that are not playing by the rules, firstly for the safety of those involved and secondly because we are relatively privileged as a sport that the Government has allowed maintenance to continue. It hasn’t happened in other countries and I’m worried that permission could be removed if the Government perceives that the guidance is being abused.

“Every employer’s first duty of care is to its employees and if you are in an unsafe situation you should contact our HR Helpline for advice on how to proceed.”

For more information and guidance about COVID-19 and what BIGGA is doing to help its members, they have created a COVID-19 Hub.

The independent chairman of the Amenity Forum, Professor John Moverley OBE, has issued a video statement on the coronavirus outbreak.

In it he mentions how the Forum has been in discussion with government and how they have a statement on safe working available.

Watch the video below:

STIHL GB, with its head office in Camberley, Surrey, has supported its local NHS Trust by donating essential PPE to key workers.

With forestry and landscaping professionals utilising transferable PPE gear, STIHL were on hand to donate 500 pairs of safety glasses and 40 face visors to NHS workers battling the Covid-19 pandemic on the front lines.

A message on the company's official Twitter feed said, "Thank you to all of the NHS who are working so hard to save lives at this time."

Honey Brothers, the dealership established in 1955 who specialise in forestry and arboricultural equipment, have opened a new, purpose-built premises in Peasmarsh near Guildford, Surrey.

In early March they held an Open Day to celebrate the occasion and to show off the new facility to customers old and new.

Director Martyn Day said, “The open day was a chance for us to share our brand new shop with our customers and to thank them for supporting us over the years. We created almost a mini trade show with exhibitors set up with stands outside and running demos such as chainsaw trouser tests and a climbing forum.

“Everyone who came enjoyed a burger and a beer and were able to speak to key suppliers such as Petzl, Husqvarna, Outwear and Stihl, see new products and share ideas.”

The new climbing area

Fellow director, Stu Girdler, added, “The new premises allows us to display a huge amount more of our product range and with the space it has given us the chance to create a climbing area for customers to test out ropes, hardware and harnesses. We also have a much larger serving counter to keep up with the increase in customer footfall and a fantastic new workshop so that we can service and repair machinery a lot more efficiently.

“In the future we are looking forward to hosting events, product demo days and climber meet ups, as our shop and outdoor areas now provide the ideal space. Here’s to the next 65 years!”

The residual herbicide, Valdor Flex, has received a label update, extending usage periods and application areas, which Bayer says provides contractors with an opportunity to adopt a flexible approach to weed control.

Lewis Blois, Bayer’s amenity specialist, says this updated authorisation will allow contractors to adapt their approach depending on weather conditions and weed growth, so they can manage weeds in public spaces effectively and efficiently.

“Valdor Flex can now be used on amenity vegetation (around), permitting applications to be made around the base of trees, shrubs and other plants in amenity areas, allowing this herbicide to be used in a wider range of situations,” he adds.

In addition, this product could previously only be used from February to June, however the application window extension allows it to be used year-round.

“The new year-round application period allows users to take a different approach and adapt their herbicide programme depending on the weather conditions and weed growth.

“For example, this may mean using Valdor Flex as a residual control in August to prevent weed growth in the autumn, rather than a spring application of the product in conjunction with Roundup earlier in the season,” says Lewis.

The company also says the product can also help with resistance management, as it contains two active ingredients with different modes of action.

“This herbicide prevents the emergence of a broad spectrum of weeds for up to four months, reducing the frequency of traditional applications. It provides residual control of the hardest to manage weeds on a wide range of surfaces, allowing contractors to keep public spaces weed free,” he explains.

It can be used as a pre or post emergence application “It can be applied alone on bare ground before weeds emerge or if weeds are already present, it can be mixed with Roundup ProActive or ProVantage which provides the initial knockdown.”

To benefit from these extensions of use, contractors must be using the new product with the updated label.

“These changes to the use of Valdor Flex will allow amenity contractors to take a flexible approach to weed control, by adapting their herbicide programme to suit weather conditions and weed growth, ensuring they keep weeds at bay in public spaces,” concludes Lewis.

Compo Expert, the European fertiliser producer, has appointed Matthew Williams as national account manager for turf to increase the company’s profile in the UK’s sports turf sector.

A BASIS-registered turf agronomist and a member of the European and International Turfgrass Society, Matt brings 15 years of sales and turf consultation experience at high-profile sports venues, landscape businesses and public green facilities to his new role.

He had previously worked at Spunhill Amenity where he was UK turf sales manager, having moved from Barenbrug UK in 2018 where, over a 10-year period, he held the roles of UK key account manager and new product development manager.

Within his national role at Compo Expert, Matt will be looking after the needs of the company’s current distributors and merchants throughout the UK and Ireland with raw material and branded material supply.

Intending to increase the brand's presence in the UK, Matt said, "I believe there is plenty of room for expansion in the UK & Ireland market.”

Commenting on Matthew’s appointment, Compo Expert managing director, Gerald Bonner said, “‘We are delighted to have recruited someone of the stature of Matt Williams. Matt has extensive experience in a wide range of turf environments and we look forward to achieving greater growth in this market."

Matt can be contacted on: 07392 976 748 or matt.williams@compo-expert.com

Providing groundskeepers and maintenance teams with an effective tool for grass and weed trimming, STIHL has launched its new RG-KM KombiTool and FS attachment.

Suitable for tackling grass and weeds on gravel, as well as tarmac and paved surfaces, the RG-KM and FS tool is designed so that its upper and lower blades move back and forth much like a hedge trimmer for a more efficient cut. This low rotational energy enables low-spin mowing along roads, curb edges and traffic islands, with a reduced safety distance of three metres to objects and vehicles and five metres to people.

Thanks to the intuitive design, the strenuous task of removing weeds is a thing of the past thanks to the powerful cutting performance. In addition, the new attachment minimises risk of clogging, providing professionals with more working time and reduced down time for essential tool maintenance.

With limitations on chemical weed control, the new RG cutting head is a suitable replacement for efficient control whilst maintaining safety of surrounding objects and people.

The RG-KM Kombi is £340 inc VAT and fits the KM 94 R, STIHL KM 111 R, KM 131, KM 131 R and cordless KMA 130 R, whilst the RG FS attachment is £330 inc VAT and fits the FS 91, FS 91 R, FS 94, 94 R, FS 111, FS 111 R, FS 131 and FSA 131 R.

For more information on STIHL’s range of KombiTool attachments, please visit www.stihl.co.uk

TESTING TIMES AHEAD
Grasping the effects on our industry

UNPRECEDENTED TIMES
Covid-19's impact on our sector

SWITCHED ON TRADE DAY
Makita launch 30 new products

WHO SAID WE ONLY CUT GRASS?!
It takes years to acquire all the turf professional skills

TIME MARCHES ON
New month to hopefully bring much needed sunshine and drying winds

RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY
Come again another day!

THE PLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE
What can we do to help?

SPRING HAS SPRUNG
Essential renovations

CELEBRATING 2020
Amenity Forum making plans

A DIVERSE & ENTERTAINING WEEK
Successful BTME 2020

TIME TO GET FIT
Our industry can help tackle the growing obesity crisis

WINTER WORKS AND SHOWS
Plenty to occupy in January

LOOKING AHEAD
What might 2020 hold in store?

View all of 2019's blogs here

View all of 2018's blogs here

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?