Educational Establishments
undertake strimmer, tractor, ride-on and pedestrian mower training.” Jason confirms that they are in a “much better place than two years ago” in regard to current legislation. “I am in the process of rewriting all the risk assessments and safe systems at work. We have ensured that all the goals and sports equipment is safe and replaced those which were unsafe. All chemicals and petrol are now stored in dedicated units, and we have created a washdown pad for machinery clean-ups.” Asked to describe the soil
profile, Jason confirms that it is primarily sandy loams across the site that have become destructured due to the low pH values. “We are correcting the soil profile to create better flocculation and environ for active rhizosphere microbiome, microbial functions and overall plant nutrient availability.” “Cultivation by aeration is a
must to avoid saturated ‘anaerobic conditions’ and to support the microbial communities with a regular supply of their food stock (carbon, nitrogen, calcium, etc).” “With help and advice from
Mark Atkins, we have developed a programme to improve the pH. I take soil samples at least four times a year. It’s imperative to know what is going on with your soil.” Jason says that the team
strive for high presentation within the timescales allowed and within budget. To that end, in January each year, he prepares a month by month schedule of work for the year, detailing what task is to be undertaken and by whom. “But that, in itself, has to be
flexible, because we never know what Mother Nature will throw at us. For example, this
January’s snow clearance and salting simply wasn’t required. At the end of the day, we get what we are given. If it’s raining, we put on a rain suit; if it’s sunny, we put on sun screen. We just get on with it, and handle any problems as they occur.” Jason explains that
renovations are included in his budgets and the fruits of the investments over the past two years are starting to show. This includes full scarification, soil amendments and improvements and overseeding. “We don’t generally have any outside pressures during our renovations. Good communication with the various stakeholders allows us to programme in our work.” Jason has instigated a number
of projects since coming to the school. Amongst them has been the complete refurbishment of a set of Lloyds Leda gangmowers and a Stothert & Pitt cricket roller. Both now look absolutely pristine. “As well as continuing with our pH improvement programme, we are thinning out some of the trees along the main drive as they were planted too close together. We are carrying on with the works identified in our tree survey, improving the planting in the gardens and creating new garden beds.” “We are also developing a
new green waste processing area in the woodland, where we will be able to mulch, screen and store our compost, soils, and woodchip mulch.” And, as if that wasn’t enough,
respraying the tennis courts, removing diseased horse chestnuts, planting a new lime avenue, the replanting of the upper Brookham valley and the removal of banks and filling in
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The now pristine Lloyds Leda gangmowers PC JUNE/JULY 2016 I 47
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