Hatfield House finds relief for its grass maintenance challenge
Hatfield House finds relief for its grass maintenance challenge
This October, with the House closed to visitors, he tried a new machine for the annual routine of grass maintenance. It has, he says, done the job superbly well, without the usual problem of leaving the surface strewn with unsightly debris.
The machine in question is the American-made Soil Reliever on hire from David Jenkins Turfcare.
"It's done an excellent job," says David Beaumont. "It is very easy to operate without a lot of technical refinement. Because the tractor is only needed to tow the aerator there are no ground speed calculations to be made. Furthermore we were able to use our own tractor and driver which saved on cost."
Aerator hire is a new service which DJ Turfcare launched at Saltex this year. Unlike other deep tine aerators, the Soil Reliever penetrates and fractures the subsoil without disrupting the surface. However, according to David Jenkins, the sole UK importer of the Soil Reliever, its unique design means it avoids handicaps associated with its competitors.
"Most aerators on the market require tractors with creep gears", he points out. "On amenity tractors this feature is frequently omitted. In addition many aerators have to be close coupled to the tractor, a configuration that makes turns difficult and requires costly modification to the pto shaft.
"The Soil Reliever, on the other hand, can be drawn by almost any tractor over 35hp with standard linkage and double-acting hydraulics. This lowers the cost and avoids complications, as David Beaumont has found."
For Hatfield House the Soil Reliever has coped well with the challenge of compaction and left the grass surfaces in immaculate condition.
The DJ Turfcare aerator hire services offers the SRF60 model of the Soil Reliever at £25 per hour for the first four hours and just £15 for each subsequent hour.
Photo: The SRF60 in operation at Hatfield House where David Beaumont is responsible for 60 acres of formal gardens and 400 acres of parkland much of which is grass and which attracts thousands of visitors every month. One recent event drew 25,000 people and aeration was a priority for the areas where marquees were erected.
For more information contact:
David Jenkins
DJ Turfcare Equipment
Tel: 44 (0) 1483 200976
e-mail: sales@djturfcare.co.uk