MAKING TURF MATTER
www.turfmatters.co.uk
Luxury lawns and great greens A
round the South East of Scotland, Luxury Lawns are the go-to company for bowling greens, and to keep play going during difficult weather, the company is the first in the UK to receive the new Foley Air2G2 336 in corporate grey, from Campey Turf Care Systems. Luxury Lawns Owner, Donald Campbell, started the company in 2009 with 20 years of greenkeeping experience behind him. In the 14 years that followed, the company has grown from providing impressive lawn transformations to completing contracting work on bowling greens and football pitches. Working closely with Richard Heywood, Area Manager for Campey Turf Care, Donald initially hire an Air2G2 from local machinery dealer Double A Trading Company, but with increasingly wet summers, common compaction issues among new bowling green contracts and the need for no disruption to play, he knew the time was right for his own Air2G2. “With the way the climate is changing, I knew I needed to be able to react to it, and the Air2G2 is the perfect tool for that,” Donald explained. “It operates with minimal disruption and is doing a lot of good underneath the
surface, and that’s what I really like about it. “In many areas we work the popularity of bowls is on the rise resulting in greens being extremely busy so we needed a machine we could use during the season to keep the surfaces healthy and draining without stopping play. “Some of the bowling and golf greens we work on are old, and they’ve developed black layer over time. In the borders, there’s been a lot of industry - with industry comes a lot of ash, and a lot of these greens have been built on it. That layer needs to be broken up so we can produce healthy routes which in turn will give us strong surfaces, and the Air2G2 does a good job of it.” Consistent use of the Air2G2 is proven to create healthy, firm, and free-draining surfaces. This happens over time because the pressurised air fractures the hardpan layers without disrupting roots while increasing pore space, promoting faster drainage and root development. This respiration forces oxygen in and pushes CO2 and other anaerobic gases out for root zone gas exchange. The optional probe lengths and fully customisable pressure setting to meet virtually any turf condition make
it perfect for multi-sport use, and it will be key in the continued growth of Luxury Lawns & Great Greens. With his own machine, Donald anticipates an increased amount of reactive aeration contracts on football pitches during the winter as well as preventative work on a weekly basis. n www.campeyturfcare.com
TURF MATTERS | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2024 | 31