TOP DRESSING
Masterline Mixtures from DLF make the grade for Kingston Grammar School
att Parry , Head Groundsman at Kingston
M
Grammar School has praised mixtures from DLF for delivering great results at a great price , all backed up with great support from his local Technical Manager Craig Spooner . With the whole 22-acre site sown with seed from across the DLF portfolio , this season the focus has been on the outfields and four cricket squares , where a combination of ProMaster 79 , ProMaster 80 and ProMaster 36 from the Masterline range has delivered a first-class finish .
DLF seed has been Matt ’ s choice for the last five years , creating the perfect playing surfaces for winter sports , tennis and cricket – used by pupils alongside teams from the local community . “ Over time , we ’ ve sown mixtures from both the Johnsons Sports Seed and Masterline ranges , with an unwavering confidence that whatever we use is going to perform ” explains Matt , who heads up a team of three .
“ We conduct a full renovation on the football surfaces in spring to prepare for the cricket season , with overseeding roughly every six weeks throughout the season where it ’ s needed . For this we selected ProMaster 80 Renovator , purchased from Core Amenity , which gives us strong , equal establishment and a resistant and hard-wearing sward to cope with the pressures of a high wear season .” As the name suggests , PM80 Renovator is ideal for the renovation of worn playing surfaces – featuring 25 % Tetragame 4turf tetraploid and 75 % diploid perennial ryegrass for a disease resistant , drought tolerant and nitrogen efficient mix .
As the temperatures cool , Matt then switches to ProMaster 79 as a 50 % tetraploid mixture for more effective autumn / winter overseeding . “ PM79 has proven to deliver great colour and great recovery on our outfields through the colder months . Completing the programme is ProMaster 36 Wicket which establishes quickly and gives us a dense , resistant sward on our squares .”
“ The service we get is as equally important as the quality of the product for me ” Matt adds . “ I speak regularly to our DLF Regional Technical Manager Craig Spooner , who will update me on what research is taking place and what ’ s new and upcoming in regard to mixtures . This means I am always able to make an informed choice and gives us the confidence and trust to trial new formulations .”
To find out more about Makita visit : www . dlf . co . uk
56 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk | July 2022