PUBLIC PLACES


Because of the heavy footfall across the lawns, we selected cultivars


”


resistant to wear and tear and also drought that would produce an attractive, rich green sward


regime, regularly feeding with Sea Action liquid seaweed and granular feed.” Mowing with the Allett Buffalo 34 up to three times a week throughout April and May to a 20-25mm cut height, after overseeding with an LM2 rye and fescue mix, transformed the health of the turf.” “Because of the heavy footfall across the lawns, we selected cultivars resistant to wear and tear and also drought that would produce an attractive, rich green sward,” Michael adds.


The programme under Michael’s care has certainly left a lasting legacy and the team continue to work to the same schedule of turf management. Fancying another fine turf challenge, Michael, still only 26, departed Wakehurst to take up a greenkeeping post at Slinfold Golf & Country Club, near Horsham, West Sussex. Armed with a Level 3 in Sportsturf, he is well qualified to make a major contribution to the proprietary, family-run site. We’ll pick


up his story again there in the next issue. Lawncare is now Nick’s baby. “The grass just has to be stripey,” he says. “I cut once a week at 19mm in hot weather - a first-cut with the Honda gets the seed heads the cylinders miss. Any shorter and the turf browns off, which is a no no because the lawns are used for weddings, so we need an attractive green backdrop for those events.” We return to arboriculture. Aside from much ancient woodland, Wakehurst is the custodian of the national birch collection and nurtures important collections of rhododendrons and skimmias. Clearance work is also a key element of balancing flora and fauna populations, Chris explains. “Strip injection of Ponticum (purple flowering variety of rhododendron) is carried out regularly with grants from Natural England as the plant is extremely invasive. Trust properties across the country have undertaken similar work.” Yew trees are suffering from soil-borne


112 PC August/September 2018


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