New Kit for Organic Matter Management
Golf Clubs looking for deep linear scarification and sand injection are taking advantage of the first tractor -mounted machine available in the UK . Ecosolve Ltd and Blec Global have just introduced The Sand-Filler for immediate sale or contract hire from Ecosol Turfcare and are demonstrating it around the country and exhibiting at Saltex 2011.
Deep scarification and sand injection is a proven frontline technique for achieving better fine turf surfaces and the new Sand Filler gives the golf course manager the opportunity to tackle the increasingly important task of organic matter management in a much more convenient way.
Current pedestrian equipment for the task is heavily labour -intensive and time-consuming. Ecosol Turfcare's new Sand Filler takes the scarification/injection concept to a new level. It extracts and collects the arisings into an on-board hopper that can then be tipped into a utility vehicle for disposal. Simultaneous sand injection completes the operation as a large capacity hopper feeds the injection spouts. Surface debris is removed by the rotor's wind paddles that blow it into the hopper, preventing the need for specialist debris collection equipment.
Mid-Herts and Minchinhampton Golf Clubs have already seen the benefits of the Sand-Filler. They were keen to introduce it as part of their organic matter management to deal with the build-up from grasses growing and dying. "We preferred it to hollow tining on our 19 greens as it hit a larger surface area of green, removed the organic matter and replaced it with DA30 kiln-dried sand, the same as we use in our top-dressing programme," said Mid-Herts' Jodie Wilson. The addition of sand to the rootzone dilutes thatch, introduces pore space and speeds the migration of water into and through the rootzone.
Afterwards, putting surfaces were immediately playable and both clubs found the clean-up much easier and quicker than after a pedestrian machine. The operation involved fewer man-hours and greens were back in play in 20 minutes. At Minchinhampton, Paul Worster had 16 greens treated to good effect. "The Sand Filler required a far less input of time and staff than a pedestrian machine would and having the two operations performed in one saves wear and tear around the greens. I'd thoroughly endorse it and I'd think it would be even better on greens that are larger, newer, more open and flatter than ours!"
The Sand-Filler is unique in that it can scarify and fill at greater depths than has previously been possible. " Pedestrian-based equipment starts to encounter problems once it goes beyond 20mm deep," says Ecosolve's technical director, Bretton King. "The Sand Filler can scarify and fill to a depth of up to 40mm, regardless of the amount of debris and thatch its 3mm wide blades extract, because the material is removed from the surface before the injection spouts follow."
Ecosolve Ltd and Blec Global Ltd are in partnership to offer golf clubs the opportunity to see and hire this innovative machine. It has already attracted great interest and working demonstrations are in progress across the UK. If you are interested in watching a Sand Filler in action, need more information or a no-obligation quote ,contact Ecosolve today on 01666 861250 or BLEC Global on 01778 346222.
The Sand Filler will be on the Blec stand at Saltex in Windsor, early September 2011 .