Hungry like the Wolves

Wayne Lumbard, Head Groundsman at the Molineux, tells us how Pitchcare, in conjunction with the Everris Sierraform GT range of fertilisers, supports him during the high intensity end of season renovation period

The Molineux Stadium, home to Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club, popularly known as Wolves, was named because the ground was built on land originally owned by a successful local merchant, Benjamin Molineux. The club has been graced by the likes of Sir Billy Wright, Bert Williams MBE, Steve Bull and Pitchcare's own John Richards.

As a local club, Pitchcare have been a strong supporter of their progress.

In the 10 years that Wayne has been at the club, renovation techniques have come a long way. The 2015 end of season renovation consists of eight different processes, from fraise mowing and aeration, to top dressing and then seeding in 5 directions with two different types of seeder. It is clear that the levels of detail and professionalism at the top are second to none.

Once the repair and preparations were completed Wayne wanted something to compliment his choice of the best available grass cultivars during the growing period. In making this choice he had no hesitation in turning to Everris products.

"They say you can spot an Everris pitch from a distance as the quality stands out and you certainly know what you get from the products," comments Wayne. "I know how an application will react every time, you quickly see a clear visual impression with consistent results and I know how long it will take for the fertiliser to both kick in and tail off, which gives me confidence in the pitches performance and therefore peace of mind."

Wayne feels the following is especially important in the short growing-in window following a renovation: "You quickly see a growth spurt and the fresh sward filling in, which is especially important in the first few weeks from seeding as you can't be waiting around for things to kick in."

In terms of specific products, years of experience have taught Wayne what he can rely on:"During the renovation we apply Everris SierraformGT Anti-Stress 15-0-26 Fertiliser and Everris SierraformGT Pre-Seeder 18-22-5 Fertiliser.

"The combination of the slow release and conventional release patterns provides us with that all important immediate hit followed by a nice consistent result in the following weeks, which helps to support the seedlings through to maturity."

"I then follow this up with Greenmaster Pro-Lite NK 12-0-12 +2Fe +3.3MgO every ten days at 25 grams per square meter. With this nurturing we are soon mowing the surface at 31mm, 7 days a week, which refines the sward ready for the first game just 6 weeks after sowing.

"I trust Pitchcare to tailor competitive account prices on all my Everris products and as I know they have high levels of Everris in stock, all orders are delivered accurately and exactly when I want them."

Pitchcare can help with bulk purchasing, agronomy programs and tailored account prices on a full range of Everris turf fertilisers.