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EDITOR'S BLOG

SPRING AWAKENING
March tasks for turf professionals
by TurfPro Editor, Laurence Gale MSC, MBPR

March is a busy time for greenkeepers and turf professionals across all sports facilities - especially following such a challenging, wet winter.

March is a busy time for greenkeepers and turf professionals across all sports facilities - with perhaps those working in golf the busiest, trying to get their courses up to speed after such a challenging, wet winter.

Not only are they having to complete their winter works that often encompass woodland work, clearing out ditches, drainage or minor reconstruction works, they are also busy planning for the opportune weather window to complete their spring renovation works to greens, tees, fairways and approaches.

The weather in March usually improves significantly with the increase in daylight hours and a rise in soil and air temperatures. These climatic changes raise soil temperatures increasing them into double figures thus stimulating a flush in grass growth.

However, weather conditions invariably change quickly in the UK, and no doubt some warmer weather is just around the corner to initiate the spring spurt of growth. Once temperatures have risen above 8 degrees the grass plant will begin to photosynthesise making use of any available plant nutrients in the soil.

A dose of spring or a slow-release fertiliser can be applied to the tees to give them an early start. Some greenkeepers may well have already applied slow-release products, something like a 30.8.8 which will activate when soil and air temperatures rise.

An application of a liquid iron fertiliser may be applied to the greens to give them some early season colour and harden them up a bit. Some seaweed meal can also be applied. Take care when applying fertilisers, ensure you have calibrated your spreaders / sprayers to ensure they are applying the designated rate of product. Also ensure you do not overlap when applying, thus double dosing your sward.

The recent spell of wet weather may have also disrupted your winter works programme out on the course. Transporting materials and working whilst ground conditions are poor will lead to compaction and surface damage.

Many clubs will have implemented some control on the use of trolleys out on the course. The use of temporary fencing or banning the use of trolleys during wet weather will prevent unnecessary turf damage especially around tees and greens.

Greenkeepers will be gearing themselves for their spring renovation works and preparing the course for the coming playing season. Hollow coring, solid tine spiking and top dressing will be the order of the day.

Mowing operations will now have begun in earnest, however, the frequency and height of cut will be dependent on the areas being mown and the type of sward composition you have and maintain.

March is also the time to recommission your watering systems, make sure you have trimmed around all sprinkler heads removing any grass growth that may affect their operation. Also, there may be some heads that have sunk and will require re-leveling.

It is also important to ensure you have all your serviced machinery back ready for the new season.

Spring renovations for most natural turf playing surfaces are centred around the following practices:

Light scarification/ verticutting to remove some lateral growth and any dead material, including moss.

Aeration. When conditions allow, the type of aeration undertaken in March (solid or hollow tine) will be dependent on the condition of the sward. It is essential to keep the greens aerated to maintain air and gas exchange in the soil profile, thus improving the drainage capabilities of the greens.

Light top dressing - be careful not to smother the grass plant, just enough to restore levels.

Fertilising with a spring fertiliser product. We now have a vast range of products to choose from, usually a soil test will accurately dictate what NPK ratios you will require to stimulate the desired growth rate you need.

As for football and rugby clubs it will be essential to plan your end of season renovations. The rigours of this tough winter will no doubt have a bearing on the work you will be required to do. If you are not able to undertake the work yourself, it is important you investigate and get quotes from reputable sports turf contractors, who are geared up to undertake this work.

Generally, a basic renovation will involve scarifying in two directions, Verti-draining with solid tines to a depth of 220mm at the appropriate spacing, top dressing with a minimum of 60 tonnes of sand, overseeding and fertilising.

Depending on the choice of products and the transport requirements you may be looking at a cost between £7000-£10,000. Quite a substantial investment for many clubs.

In recent years via sports’ governing bodies, there has been some money made available to help clubs invest in renovation / drainage and re construction works.

Major funding sources for pitch renovations

The Football Foundation is the primary funder for natural grass pitch improvements in England. It is jointly funded by the Premier League, The FA and the UK Government. They support:

End of season renovations
Machinery grants
Drainage improvements
Full pitch reconstruction
Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund (annual support)

Recent government announcements confirm £100m–£400m+ is being channelled into grassroots facilities, including natural grass pitches, through partnerships with the Football Foundation.

UK Government Grassroots Facilities Investment

The UK Government has committed large-scale funding to improve local sports facilities, including football pitches. Examples include:

£400m boost for grassroots sports infrastructure (2025)
£100m programme to upgrade pitches, changing rooms, floodlights and more, delivered with the Football Foundation and home-nation FAs (2025)
Nearly 1,000 community projects supported across the UK through new and upgraded facilities (2026)

These funds often prioritise:

Deprived areas
Clubs serving women & girls
Ethnic minority communities
Disability inclusive programmes

What support typically covers

End of season renovations (scarifying, overseeding, topdressing)
Drainage repairs or new drainage
Machinery (mowers, slitters, seeders, tractors)
Pitch side infrastructure (goals, fencing, dugouts)
Long term pitch improvement plans (e.g., PitchPower assessments)

PitchPower is the Football Foundation’s digital pitch assessment tool.

Using it:

You submit a pitch inspection via the app
Grounds specialists review your pitch condition
You receive a tailored improvement plan
Your PitchPower report becomes the evidence needed to apply for Football Foundation funding

This is now the standard route for natural grass pitch funding applications.

Complete a PitchPower assessment for your senior pitch.
Use the report to apply for the Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund or Premier League Stadium Fund (if applicable).
Check if your club qualifies for priority funding (deprivation index, participation growth, women & girls).
Combine Football Foundation support with local authority or Sport England small grants if needed.

NEWS

MICK HUNT
Middlesex Cricket pays tribute to ex-Lord's groundsman

In our first WEB ONLY it has been announced that Mick Hunt - the former MCC head groundsman of 49 years - has passed away.

ROBOTIC MOWING AT THE WOMEN'S OPEN NOMINATED
For two major awards

Royal Porthcawl course manager Ian Kinley (centre), who passed away earlier this year, with Husqvarna’s Jonathan Snowball and the robotic mower fleet used at the AIG Women’s Open.

In our next WEB ONLY story the pioneering autonomous mowing use is up for two of the sports industry’s most respected awards programmes.

STIGA PARTNER WITH PHYSICAL A.I COMPANY
To bring AI-powered solutions to robotic lawnmowers

The manufacturer says the new partnership will allow them to "push the boundaries of what autonomous machinery can achieve".

STIGA S.p.A. has announced a strategic partnership with US-based technology firm SiMa.ai to integrate advanced artificial intelligence into its robotic lawnmower range.

The agreement will see STIGA adopt SiMa.ai’s low-power machine-learning system-on-chip (MLSoC) platform across its domestic and commercial robotic mower line-up. The aim is to enable real-time decision-making on a platform designed to deliver ultra-low latency (meaning the machine can think and act in near real time) and reduced power consumption.

The manufacturer said the collaboration will provide a "scalable architecture" for its robotic products, supporting more intelligent and adaptive operation without significantly increasing battery demand - a key consideration for consumer and professional machines alike.

SiMa.ai specialises in what it describes as ‘Physical AI’, embedding machine intelligence directly into devices so they can perceive, decide and act independently in real-world environments. Its low-power hardware and software platforms are designed to allow edge devices (self-contained, intelligent machines) to run advanced AI workloads efficiently, without the high energy requirements typically associated with such processing.

Sean Robinson, CEO of STIGA S.p.A., said the partnership would allow the company to “push the boundaries” of autonomous machinery. He added that while STIGA retains control over how its robots sense, decide and operate, SiMa.ai’s technology enables those functions to be delivered with significantly lower power consumption.

According to the companies, the result will be lighter, more efficient robotic mowers capable of delivering greater performance from the available battery capacity. They also claim the approach will improve precision, responsiveness and overall operational efficiency.

Krishna Rangasayee, founder and CEO of SiMa.ai, described the agreement as a major step forward in bringing practical AI capability to edge devices, removing much of the complexity traditionally associated with deploying AI in consumer products.

SOUTH HERTS INVESTS
Strengthens mowing fleet

Club says investment comes as part of an ongoing programme to improve course presentation and playing conditions.

South Herts Golf Club has expanded its mowing fleet with Baroness equipment as part of an ongoing programme to improve course presentation and playing conditions.

The Hertfordshire club already operates two Baroness LM66 tee mowers, four LM56 pedestrian greens mowers and an LM331, alongside an Agrimetal GR400 greens roller, across its 18-hole Vardon Course and 9-hole Rees Course.

Further investment is on the way, with two Baroness LM311 triple greens mowers scheduled for delivery in spring 2026.

Course manager Sean Brocklehurst, who joined South Herts in March 2023, said the decision to continue investing in the brand was influenced by his previous experience with the machines. He pointed to the longevity of the cutting components as a key factor.

At South Herts, pedestrian mowers play an important role during the winter months when the club limits the use of ride-on machines to reduce ground pressure and tyre marking on the clay-based course.

Sean said the switch to pedestrian machines on the greens during this period has had a noticeable effect on presentation, with greens typically cut twice a week at around 6mm.

He added that the machines have also helped reduce maintenance demands and operating costs due to the durability of the cutting components.

The club sources its Baroness equipment through local dealer George Browns, with Sean highlighting the importance of dealer and manufacturer support when maintaining a fleet of specialist turf machinery.

DEALER MARKS 25th WITH NEW PARTNERSHIP
Signs with Polaris

Mark and Blair Garrick with Neil Pirie (centre) from Polaris

Dealer explained how they are always looking for different avenues to go down.

A specialist machinery dealer from the Scottish Highlands has marked its 25th year in business by joining the dealer network of Polaris.

Mark and Blair Garrick with Neil Pirie (centre) from Polaris

Mark Garrick started Mark Garrick Agricultural Engineers in Elgin, Moray in 2000 with just himself and a van. Since then, Mark, now joined by his son Blair who heads up the sales department, has developed and evolved the business and says Polaris will sit well alongside its current offering.

Mark said, “We are always looking for different avenues to go down and think Polaris will fit in nicely with our customers. We have got a good range of mixed customers and believe Polaris is a ‘go forward’ product. It will help enhance what we do with the rest of our customer base.

“This is our 25th year and we are looking forward to coming on board with Polaris.”

Neil Pirie, district sales manager for Polaris, added, "We are delighted to welcome Mark Garrick Agricultural Engineers to our national dealer network. It’s a company that’s now been around for 25 years and that helps to illustrate the quality of customer care they provide.

“They will be a valuable addition to Polaris and it ensures they can provide their customers in the Highlands with even more.”

ATV SERVICES SCOTLAND APPOINTED
For new utility vehicle brand

Although a newer brand to the UK, the dealership says they have watched its development over the years and feel this is a great time to get involved.

ATV Services Scotland Ltd. has been appointed as an Aodes dealership by UK distributor, Boss ORV.

The dealership was founded in 1989 by director John Yuille Snr., originally as a service operation. He was joined by his son less than two years later, and today the business is the largest supplier of utility ATVs in the UK. The company has four depots and thirty-seven operating staff and has recently been awarded the King’s Royal Warrant for ‘Supply and Servicing of All-Terrain Vehicles’. Their headquarters is a newly built premises at Whitefordhill, Ayr.

ATV Services Scotland Ltd. is now solely owned by the founder’s son, John Yuille, and his wife Janis, and they are joined by their son, Billy, as the business’s third-generation family. Initially, the Aodes range of ATVs and utility vehicles will be sold and supported by the Newton Stewart depot to cover Southwest Scotland.

John said, “Although a newer brand to the UK, we have watched its development over the years and feel this is a great time to get involved. Regardless of any brand we represent, our company is totally committed to providing our customers with the highest quality after-sales support, and this is exactly what we shall do with Aodes. We look forward to developing our company further with the brand.”

BOSS ORV national sales manager, Neil Everett added, “We’re so pleased to welcome ATV Services Scotland as an Aodes dealership for sales and support, and look forward to working with John and the team to offer Aodes to Scottish ATV and UTV users.”

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