Landscape & Urban Design Issue 56 2022 | Page 96

GROUNDSKEEPING

SPRAYING IN THE COMFORT ZONE

Head groundsman Jason O ’ Keefe and his six-strong Epsom College team are all dab hands with knapsack sprayers .
“ Everyone has their PA6 certificate so they can use them whenever we need to weed and feed ,” says Jason .
The team manage an 85-acre estate , 12 hectares devoted to sport , including five cricket squares , 12 turf pitches , two synthetics and plenty of planted-up borders lining college staff and pupil accommodation at the 1,200-head co-educational independent school , so there ’ s plenty of opportunity for them to hone their spray skills .
Part of Commercial Groundscare Services ’ team of professionals who tend school sports facilities throughout Surrey , the Epsom College contingent are based on site .
The sporting calendar is vast . “ We can have as many as 10 cricket fixtures here on a Saturday for example ,” he adds , “ while local and league football clubs also train here ,” says Jason , who delivers across football , rugby , hockey , tennis and athletics .
“ I vary team members ’ jobs as that creates more interest so we all take a hand at knapsack spraying . I wanted a couple more so we could speed up the efficiency of our spraying programme .
“ I trialled the 16l capacity Berthoud Vermorel Pro Comfort 2000 , liked it , and have just bought another one . What impressed me were the chest and back strap supports . Ergonomically designed , they make spraying comfortable - important if you are out there for a day non stop .
“ The zip bag of spare nozzles and accessories is handy and the extendable lance lets us reach into corners and the back of borders .”
Jason keeps weed and feed programmes separate , using each Vermorel for discrete duties . “ In spring and summer we ’ re out every fortnight for a couple of days , applying liquid iron across the ornamental lawns with one of the knapsacks while using a mix of systemic herbicide and liquid nitrogen with the other .
“ Growth retardant applied to banks reduces the need for strimming , and we can use it in the same knapsack as that for feed .” Winter sees the team applying moss and algae treatment liquid monthly to the two synthetic pitches .
The team runs pre-start checks before every outing . “ I haven ’ t replaced anything yet . They are certainly robust and the piston and pump operation work really well , delivering a consistent , continuous spray .”
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