LANDSCAPING SERVICES
BERTHOUD KNAPSACKS
DELIVER CONSISTENCY
IN PROFESSIONAL AND DOMESTIC TURFCARE
The standards and precision of professional turfcare are being applied increasingly in the domestic setting .
Will Dunger , owner of Will ’ s Norfolk Lawns , has a foot in both camps , delivering high-end services to gardens and sports clubs across much of the county .
“ I ’ ve played cricket and football all my life ,” says Will , 27 , “ and worked in lawncare and grounds maintenance for several years .
“ Garden lawncare can be seen as the bottom of the food chain and I aimed to change that when I set up the business in 2018 by bringing the methods and machinery of the professional sector into the domestic setting .”
That includes the type of scarifiers , aerators and sprayers his dad Paul employs at Fakenham Cricket Club , where he and fellow local residents help maintain the square and outfield .
“ The group of volunteers has been shrinking for some time ,” Will explains , “ so I help out preparing the ground for the new season , renovating the square in autumn and providing winter maintenance .”
The same is true at Horning Bowls Club . “ I lived there and helped maintain the green for them when they were short of volunteers . They liked what I did and they ’ ve grown into one of my sportsground customers .”
Common to both his domestic and professional service delivery are the Berthoud Vermorel 2000 knapsack sprayers Will and assistant Alex rely on to apply turf treatment liquids , whatever the surface . “ The whole industry is moving to an environmentally more sensitive stance ,” states Will , “ and I fully support the change . We strive to avoid spraying chemicals such as herbicides and fungicides and now use more organic nutrients .
“ I ’ ve used the 16l Vermorel 2000s since I started the business and cannot remember having any issues with them at all . Straightforward to maintain , they are sturdy , convenient to calibrate and use , easy to fill and clean , and deliver a high level of consistency of spray .
“ When you can spend much of your time with a knapsack on your back , it ’ s important the kit is comfortable . The Vermorels ’ cushioned straps help minimise body stresses and strains so that you can spray in optimum safety .”
Armed with electric hand tools , Will is keen to see battery technology pulse through landscapers ’ kit . “ Professional grade electric mowers , blowers and cutters are all available ,” notes , “ but no battery powered scarifiers and aerators have emerged yet .”
Will tailors turfcare to soil profiles and ground conditions . “ They can be vastly different , even across a county ,” he states . “ North Norfolk soils are mostly sandy , while other areas are heavy clay .”
Gardens of new build properties can be tricky , he adds . “ The soil can be unprepared and compacted by lorries working on site . Sometimes it ’ s better to star again from scratch rather than trying to improve a lawn struggling with poor conditions below .
Will visits regular clients five times a year on average , rotating solid and hollow tining and slitting , with sand dressing to help build higher quality soil over time .
“ There are so many brilliant seed mixes available now that we can match supply to clients ’ lawn types and are introducing more bent cultivars into what have been ryebased surfaces traditionally .”
Grass types is a particularly interesting aspect of turfcare for Will , who studied it on the Grounds Management Association ’ s Level 2 Technical Certificate in Turf Surface Maintenance .
Armed with a distinction in the qualification , Will is climbing the ladder of achievement in both professional and domestic turfcare . “ I ’ m keen to further develop my turfcare knowledge and plan to complete more courses to fulfil that aim ,” he states . One to watch .
Follow Will on :
Twitter : @ willsnrfklawns Facebook : @ willsnorfolklawns Instagram : @ willsnorfolklawns
www . berthoud . fr / en /
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