GREENKEEPING
What ’ s new in fairway and outfield turf maintenance ?
This achievement has been in the face of some very extreme weather conditions which we have experienced in recent years . Add to that , the ever lengthening list of banned chemicals , and the progress in turf quality is even more impressive .
What has become apparent is that fairway and outfield turf is now receiving a degree of attention that was previously reserved only for fine turf . No longer is just mowing and aerating sufficient to achieve the desired playing standards .
Turf professionals are now wanting to do the cultural practices that have been used for decades on golf greens , such as grooming , rolling , brushing and sarel rolling , for their fairway and outfield turf . And thanks to an impressive array of innovative equipment from GreenTek , it is now viable to do these tasks on large areas .
THATCH REMOVAL FOR LARGE AREAS The latest launch from GreenTek is the new turf grooming rake called the Turf- Conditioner 12 . Covering a 3.6m wide working width it is ideal for removing
thatch from fairways and sports pitches . Three rows of adjustable rakes give a very fine raking pattern , with adjustable intensity to suit all types of turf including synthetic 3G pitches .
Other innovative equipment for wide area turf maintenance includes the Multi- Sarel , which is the world ’ s widest Sarel Roller . This hydraulically folds out to a massive 5.4m working width and peppers the surface with thousands of neat round holes to prevent surface sealing , and provide entry for air , water , and nutrients .
FUSARIUM AND WORMCAST CONTROL WITHOUT CHEMICALS Also available in the same 5.4m format is the Multi-Brush , ideal for dispersing dew to reduce fusarium risk , and also for removing wormcasts . The chemicals for treating both of these problems are now very limited which is why cultural methods have become so important .
The final product in this group is the 5.4m Multi-Roller , ideal for regular light rolling of golf fairways , and to true up divots between training sessions at football academies .
So whilst the weather and chemical legislations present their challenges , GreenTek are helping greenkeepers and groundsmen to forge ahead in their quest to provide perfect playing surfaces .
12 GroundskeepingJournal . co . uk . co | April . uk | / April May 2021