TOP DRESSING
A LONG LASTING COLOUR BOOST
laukorn has been praised by
B the Head Groundsman at AFC Telford United for delivering a fast , but long-lasting , colour boost to their stadium pitch . A single application of the quick release fertiliser from Headland Amenity was put down in February and , in conjunction with Greentec , should deliver the nutrients required to see the pitch safely through to the end of the season .
The maintenance at the New Bucks Head Stadium is very much a family affair – with current Head Groundsman George Conway taking over the role following his father ’ s retirement in January 2022 , with additional support and match-day help from George ’ s brother , Andrew . Shortly after his appointment , George had a visit from Headland ’ s Regional Technical Manager for Sports Turf , Jack Hawkes , and the pair constructed a feeding programme for the remainder of the season and beyond .
“ We ’ d applied a fertiliser around New Year , but needed something to give the pitch a bit of a kick ” explains George . “ Jack suggested Blaukorn 15-3-20 , applied at 30g / m2 which went down middle of February and within four days the pitch was presenting beautifully , with a really enhanced and vivid colour ! We ’ re now four weeks on and the results are still visible .”
Blaukorn 15-3-20 is a homogenous granule with no carrier and a highly water-soluble phosphorous content that breaks down quickly when in contact with moisture . Containing ammonium and nitrate , Blaukorn provides a fast response even at low temperatures – something that impressed George . “ The temperatures we had in February were low but that didn ’ t hamper the response we received from the product . It gave the pitch the boost it needed with results that have lasted .”
“ We ’ re then going to be applying Greentec 14-2-6 to deliver a mix of nitrogen sources which should see us through to renovations .” In addition to AFC Telford United first-team matches , the pitch also hosts West Brom Under 23 ’ s and junior fixtures so as well as being a high-use surface , application and maintenance windows can be tight . “ I ’ ve had fantastic support from Jack . He pops in regularly to see how the pitch is holding up and is not afraid to suggest new things to maximise the results from the programme , respecting our resources and budget .”
“ Considering the number of games we ’ ve had , the Chairman and the players are delighted with how the pitch is holding up ” concludes George . “ We ’ ve had great success with the Headland programme to date and look forward to continuing that with a brand new one that will start as soon as the new seed goes down .”
Tel : + 44 ( 0 ) 1763 255550 www . headlandamenity . com
12 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | May 2022