Masterline Mixtures from DLF make the grade for Kingston Grammar School

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Matt Parry, head groundsman at Kingston Grammar School has praised mixtures from DLF for delivering great results at a great price, all backed up with great support from his local technical manager Craig Spooner. With the whole 22-acre site sown with seed from across the DLF portfolio, this season the focus has been on the outfields and four cricket squares, where a combination of ProMaster 79, ProMaster 80 and ProMaster 36 from the Masterline range has delivered a first-class finish.

DLF seed has been Matt’s choice for the last five years, creating the perfect playing surfaces for winter sports, tennis and cricket – used by pupils alongside teams from the local community. “Over time, we’ve sown mixtures from both the Johnsons Sports Seed and Masterline ranges, with an unwavering confidence that whatever we use is going to perform” explains Matt, who heads up a team of three.

“We conduct a full renovation on the football surfaces in spring to prepare for the cricket season, with overseeding roughly every six weeks throughout the season where it’s needed. For this we selected ProMaster 80 Renovator, purchased from Core Amenity, which gives us strong, equal establishment and a resistant and hard-wearing sward to cope with the pressures of a high wear season.” As the name suggests, PM80 Renovator is ideal for the renovation of worn playing surfaces – featuring 25 percent Tetragame 4turf tetraploid and 75 percent diploid perennial ryegrass for a disease resistant, drought tolerant and nitrogen efficient mix.

As the temperatures cool, Matt then switches to ProMaster 79 as a 50 percent tetraploid mixture for more effective autumn/winter overseeding. “PM79 has proven to deliver great colour and great recovery on our outfields through the colder months. Completing the programme is ProMaster 36 Wicket which establishes quickly and gives us a dense, resistant sward on our squares.”

“The service we get is as equally important as the quality of the product for me” Matt adds. “I speak regularly to our DLF Regional Technical Manager Craig Spooner, who will update me on what research is taking place and what’s new and upcoming in regard to mixtures. This means I am always able to make an informed choice and gives us the confidence and trust to trial new formulations.”