T 37urf
Grass will always be a core raw material for landscapers, that’s a given. There is much more to know about it these days though, so being wise to the array of features and benefits is essential. Neville Johnson reports.
seed producers has raised standards enormously, and expectations from home owners, local authorities and amenity management generally keep on rising.
T A good first port-of-call when looking for turf
supply is the Turf Grass Growers Association (TGA). It represents many of the main producers – though not all - and its website www.
turfgrass.co.uk will give you links to turf companies up and down the country, and therefore details of the turf types and grades available. Sustainability, low maintenance, and ease of installation are the overriding emphases right now and there have been a number of significant developments here.
Big roll production and delivery by growers is a huge plus, especially for larger projects. Areas as large as 40m2 can be laid in one go. The main bonus here is that turf weight is cut by half because of the soil- free growing medium. It’s a much lighter material to transport and lay. Fine mesh material keeps the root system together, ensuring damage-free laying and rapid establishment. Plenty of suppliers offer such turf and it really does make installation a much tidier and quicker business.
INSTANT USAGE Re-inforced turf, like Lindum’s Lokturf, has come on to market in recent times aimed specifically at high impact areas. This has a 40mm thick rootzone impregnated with polypropylene fibre to give instant usage in testing situations. It is said to create a load- baring surface virtually free from devoting. Another advance has been the introduction of
RTF (rhizomatous tall fescue) bred by one of the big grass seed companies, Barenbrug. This ticks a lot of boxes for lawns and amenity grass because its deep-rooted nature – it goes down as much as five feet - means far less watering and fertiliser is needed for maintenance. It has a self-repair quality as well. Don’t confuse it with traditional tall fescue, which
www.pro-landscaper.co.uk
urf producers have in recent years made it a much more installer and end-user friendly product. Research and technology by grass
SWARD GETTING MORE TRUSTY
The renovation of Derby Arboretum by English Landscapes included 750 square metres of Lindum’s Lokturf to restore worn mounds. These were stripped down, a layer of geotextile placed on top then built up with sand reinforced with crimped polypropylene fibres, and the turf layed on the crown. Inset:Growers Inturf report successful participation at The Landscaping Show at Stoneliegh in June, the first such event organised by BALI.
tends to be clumpy and unattractive. RTF does most of its shoot growing underground and produces a pretty dense sward. The grass is broad- leafed, tough and resilient to wear and tear, perfect for most situations but not really a show lawn ingredient. It is now quite widely available. First available this spring and perhaps worthy of
an environmental pat on the back is ‘carbon capture turf ’, the result of a joint venture between Inturf, Paynes Turf and turf product supplier Rigby Taylor. It is said to ‘lock up’ Co2 at a phenomenally faster rate than deciduous woodland and grows at a slower rate than normal grass, so cutting and maintenance is a less costly exercise. Early days, but it could play a part in sustainable landscaping, very much a buzz approach these days. The aforementioned Rigby Taylor has also come up with a means of coating its range of Mascot seed mixtures with nutrients which it claims boosts root development, stress resistance, sward density and colour, so if seeding rather than turf laying is preferred for a project an ESP (enhanced seed performance) mixture could be worth investigating. Incorporating wild flowers into turf is growing in
popularity and another box-ticker for the environ- mental lobby. There are a number of options on the market, one such is Meadowmat from Q Lawns. It has 34 species of native wild flowers and grasses
and provides a delightful means of attracting and supporting bees, butterflies and birds from spring to autumn. Once established only two cuts a year are required, so it’s firmly in the low maintenance category. Check
www.meadowmat.blog
spot.com for details.
PATENTED SYSTEM It’s worth taking note that according to one of the largest turf producers, Rolawn, prices are set to rise later this year because of rising costs, notably of fuel and fertiliser: the former having an impact on haulage and distribution. It’s never been more important to shop around for the best turf supply deals therefore. The same company has a patented system called Profresh, which is said to extend the ‘shelf life’ of turf once it has been cut and lifted. For landscapers this means there is less deterioration en route.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neville Johnson is a freelance journalist based near Sevenoaks and for 20 years has been working as a writer and magazine editor. Recently he has
been involved in the world of sports turf, but for 14 years also handled the PR for the Horticultural Trades Association
He is also
a Member of the Garden Media Guild, but has worked with – and in –many industries.
nevillejohnson@btconnect.com
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