SOIL WETTING AGENT › page › 1986jul41-50.pdf · spreadable granular formulations from your...

10
® SOIL WETTING AGENT AQUA-GRO@soil wetting agents have become the best selling wetting agents for turf and landscape simply because they work. For more than 30 years AQUA-GRO has helped you solve the toughest water related problems-compaction, localized dry-spots, puddling, thatch and disease- while saving you labor, money and water. Saves labor by alleviating localized dry spots and compaction and reducing the need for aerifying, syringing and rebuilding. Saves money by increasing fertilizer and pesticide effectiveness because chemicals are distributed uniformly in the root zone. Saves water costs by 30-50% because more water uniformly penetrates the root zone...so plants get more and you waste less. A patented blend of non-ionic organic wetting agents, AQUA-GRO is the only 100% active blend of wetting agents available. We don't believe you should pay for water. AQUA-GRO works by reducing water's natural tensions, ensuring more uniform penetration and drainage through all types of soils and thatch. AQUA-GRO lasts because it won't leach. AQUA-GRO is available in liquid concentrate and spreadable granular formulations from your local distributor. The # 1 Solution To Your Water Management Problems. .. ~~~ad~ AQUATROLS CORP. ~~~pq~~~ OF AMERICA, INC. 1432 Union Avenue, Pennsauken, NJ 08110 The Water Management People For a free, illustrated brochure call: 1-800-257-7797 In NJ (609) 665-1130 Circle 131 on Reader Service Card

Transcript of SOIL WETTING AGENT › page › 1986jul41-50.pdf · spreadable granular formulations from your...

Page 1: SOIL WETTING AGENT › page › 1986jul41-50.pdf · spreadable granular formulations from your local distributor. The #1 Solution To Your Water Management Problems. .. ~~~ad~AQUATROLS

®

SOIL WETTING AGENT

AQUA-GRO@soil wetting agents have becomethe best selling wetting agents for turf andlandscape simply because they work. For morethan 30 years AQUA-GRO has helped you solvethe toughest water related problems-compaction,localized dry-spots, puddling, thatch and disease-while saving you labor, money and water.

• Saves labor by alleviating localized dry spotsand compaction and reducing the need foraerifying, syringing and rebuilding.

• Saves money by increasing fertilizer and pesticideeffectiveness because chemicals are distributeduniformly in the root zone.

• Saves water costs by 30-50% because morewater uniformly penetrates the root zone ...soplants get more and you waste less.

A patented blend of non-ionic organic wettingagents, AQUA-GRO is the only 100% active blendof wetting agents available. We don't believe youshould pay for water. AQUA-GRO works by reducingwater's natural tensions, ensuring more uniformpenetration and drainage through all types of soilsand thatch. AQUA-GRO lasts because it won'tleach.

AQUA-GRO is available in liquid concentrate andspreadable granular formulations from your localdistributor.

The #1 SolutionTo YourWater ManagementProblems. ..

~~~ad~AQUATROLS CORP.~~~pq~~~ OF AMERICA, INC.1432 Union Avenue, Pennsauken, NJ 08110

The Water Management People

For a free, illustrated brochure call:1-800-257-7797 In NJ (609) 665-1130

Circle 131 on Reader Service Card

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Circle 111 on Reader Service Card

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CHALKBOARD

Budget-Oriented AthleticField Care

Dr. William Daniel, professor emeritus ofsoils and crops, Purdue University, IN, hasdeveloped a three-tiered athletic-field careprogram designed to fit any budget. His hopeis to get fields that aren't currently main-tained onto an economy program. As thebenefits of maintenance are realized,managers of these fields can move up toan improved care program or, the ultimate,best care program.

Daniel says for best performance athleticfields should meet three requirements:suface water must not accumulate; the sur-face should be smooth and stable; and turfshould be in good condition for safety andappearance.

Timing of maintenance practices is themost significant element in any turf care pro-gram, according to Daniel. He says it's betterto start early than to put athletic field main-tenance off until the last moment. A fixedroutine can help prevent problems with tim-ing and maintenance frequency.

The economy program concentrates onthe basics. Daniel recommends an appli-cation in mid-August of a minimum of 50pounds of actual nitrogen per standard foot-ball field. If the entire area inside an ovaltrack is fertilized, then 100 pounds arenecessary. This amounts to 100-200 poundsof 45-0-0 fertilizer or 300-500 pounds of 16-4-8. A second application of fertilizer shouldbe made in mid-season.

The field must be watered if at all possi-ble, Daniel urges those managers withoutirrigation systems to consider a travelingtype of irrigator with automatic cutoff. Thesesprinklers travel along a 400-foot cable. Aone-inch hose, 200 feet long, is attachedto a water source near the 50-yard-line onthe side of the field. The hose can then reachthe entire length of the spray pattern.

Mow as high as practical, says Daniel,rather than as low as possible. It is impor-tant to maintain as much leaf surface aspractical to provide maximum protectionagainst wear and cushion. The extra leafsurface also encourages deeper rooting andprovides energy within the plants. Mowingheight of two inches is considered averagefor Kentucky bluegrass or tall fescue. Raisethe cutting h'eight 1/2-inch during thesummer.

Sharpen mower blades frequently. If atall possible, use a lightweight rotary or reelmower instead of a flail mower on athleticturf. Heavy tractors will cause compaction.If you must use a tractor mower, make sureit has turf type tires,

....TIPS FROM THE PROS

Overseed lightly before each home game.Spread five pounds of seed over thin areaswith a cyclone spreader. Allow cleats to pushthe seed into the soil.

After the last home game, mulch thinareas with an organic topdressing or oneton of crushed corncobs. Fertilize again inlate winter or early spring to force early grassgrowth.

Before June, kill broadleaf weeds andknotweed with an application of 2,4-0 anddicamba.

As summer practice begins, protect keywear areas of the field from unnecessarytraffic. Encourage the coaches and banddirector to use other areas wheneverpossible.

The improved care program utilizes turffertilizers high in nitrogen, low in phosphorusand medium in potassium. Daniel suggestsa portion of the nitrogen be in slow-releaseform. He says apply two to three poundsof nitrogen per 1,000 square feet as a 16-4-8 fertilizer in mid-August.

Until August 15, water only when wilt startsto show. If in doubt, says Daniel, don't water.After August 15, water more frequently asneeded to keep the field healthy.

Mow the field in the summer at fwo inchesand lower it to 1112 inches at the beginningof the season. Overseed before every homegame with improved, more disease-resistantKentucky bluegrasses and perennialryegrasses. Fertilize in mid-fall to help theturf recover from game damage. Immedi-ately after the playing season ends, mulchworn areas with organic material.

In early spring fertilize with a soluble nitro-gen source. Apply one of the preemergenceherbicides in April to prevent crabgrass fromgerminating. Mow the turf before applica-tion since these materials must enter thesoil to be effective. Water them in soon af-ter application.

In June or late May kill broadleaf weedsas mentioned in the economy program.

The best care program includes a closerlook at soil. Take samples for testing. Cor-rect pH and nutrient deficiencies indicat-ed by the test results. Use lime and gyp-sum only if needed.

Install an automatic irrigation system afterconsulting with a reliable irrigation suppli-er. Many football fields have irrigation sys-tems spaced in a triangular pattern in threerows of full-circle heads or four rows withpart-circle heads on the edges. Resist thetemptation to overwater. Use the systemonly as needed.

Repair any divots following each game.Overseed before wet games with ten poundsof improved seed varieties. If large areas

of turf are damaged, consider resodding toimproved varieties of Kentucky bluegrass.Sod should be grown on mineral soil.

In addition to following the improved pro-gram, mow frequently and spray for leaf-spot disease four times per year as wet, hu-mid weather dictates. Consult the Cooper-ative Extension Service for applicablefungicides. Deep power slice (verticut) withthe slope from sideline to sideline once peryear before or after the playing season.

The end of the season is a good time tocorrect problems with surface smoothnessby spreading sandy topsoil on problemareas. Use a harrow to break up any dirtridges, then overseeded repaired areas.

Selecting Field ColorantsThere are times when colorants are need-

ed to improve the appearance of sportsfields. Sports turf managers should not beembarrassed when they need to usecolorants, says Bill Rhymes of Mallinckrodt.The appearance of a field is often as im-portant as its general condition.

Rhymes says there are several differenttypes of colorants, including wettable pow-ders, ready-ta-apply liquids and concentratedflowables to be diluted with water beforespraying. These products are classified intothree groups, organic dyes, inorganic dyesand paints.

Generally, organic dyes are short-livedand are used primarily as spray indicators.Inorganic dyes last several days. Paints lastseveral months.

Probably the widest use of colorants ison dormant grass. For years, superinten-dents of major sports stadiums have usedcolorants to touch up dormant or off-colorturf. However, these materials also can beused on actively growing grass.

In addition to improving the overall ap-pearance of an existing field, colorants helpconceal some of the edges or soiled areasof newly installed sod. They can also bemixed with topdressing materials such assand to make divot repairs blend in with theexisting turf.

Rhymes says be sure to use only thosecolorants made specifically for turf. Seekproducts that, when dry, do not rub off orstain uniforms. Note any variations in colorbetween products and select the colorantthat matches your turf most closely. Ask yourdistributor if you can have samples to dotest areas next to your field.

July/August 1986 43

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Circle 109 on Reader Service Card44 sportsTURF

Surface damage was kept to a minimum while installing heads and valves sincethe field would be used by the Green Bay Packers in less than ten days.

Milwaukee Stadiumcontinued from page 18

The sand used at Milwaukee County Stadi-um was about 1/4 mm in diameter-a veryuniform sand, pre-engineered to meet cer-tain standards.

The narrow columns of sand that are usedin sand-slit drainage act with a wicking ac-tion that actually pulls the water down withgravitational force. Because the columnsare narrow, they eliminate any overdrain-ing of the soil. If they were too wide, theywould drain but would be too dry, and grasswould not grow in them, says Heiss.

Like any baseball field manager, Gill isvery picky about the infield and base paths.Gill says his job is made easier by a materialcalled TerraGreen, a calcined clay from Oil-Dri Company, which he uses on the infieldquite extensively. "It keeps the infield looseand playable at all times. It keeps it dryerduring wet periods and moister during dryperiods, because it holds water."

The only provision made for the yearlychangeover to football is to take out thepitcher's mound and put sod over theskinned areas. All of the diamond lies wi-thin the perimeter of the football field, whichbarely fits into the stadium, according to GaryVandenberg, assistant superintendent ofgrounds and maintenance for the Brewers.Nor is there any special watering schedulewhen the football season begins, theweather generally being foul and wintry bythen.

During the baseball season, Vandenbergtimes irrigation dependent upon whether the

. team has a day game or a night game. Ifit's a day game, they don't irrigate at all.If it's a night game, they irrigate for aboutten minutes.

"Basically we're still watering the skinnedarea mostly by hand when the team is here,"Vandenberg reveals. "That's because eachplayer wants it watered differently. So it'seasier to do it by hand and not worry aboutwhether it will puddle or not, and whetherthe wind's going to catch it."

Just what are the players' preferences asfar as watering the skinned area? Vanden-berg confides, "Some players like it a littleharder than the others-but Jim Gantner,our second baseman, likes it real wet. Er-nie Riles, the shortstop, likes to havemoisture there, but not as much as Jim. CecilCooper, at first base, is not real fussy eitherway. He likes to have it pretty moist rightin front of him, but otherwise he's not realparticular."

There are no sensors on the field, becauseit is a closely watched field, and the condi-tions are always known to the people incharge. Despite this, Vandenberg revealsthat sensors are being considered as a fu-ture possibility.

Gill reacts to his new irrigation systemwith all the zest and delight of a youngsterwith a new toy. "My track is completely wa-tered," he points out. "If it's a dusty day,I can water the track individually. Aroundthe infield I have five heads that water from

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the edge of the infield to the outfieldgrass ... and I have about five heads thatwill water the infield skinned area. I also havefour of them that water the infield grass. SoI can water the infield and outfield grass-allthe grass areas- without touching theskinned, or I can turn around and just waterthe skinned."

The computer has a printer that enablesGill to print out whatever programs he's run-ning, allowing him to keep an accuraterecord as the field is being watered. "SoI know every day what I've done. I can al-so indicate weather, temperature, the con-dition of the field and what I'm doing to cor-rect it. I keep the printed records."

Gabe Paul Jr., vice president of opera-tions for the Milwaukee Brewers and Mil-waukee Stadium, says appreciatively, "HarryGill is the best groundskeeper in baseball."With his work earning that kind of praise,it's not surprising that Gill's influence has.been spreading through the ranks of sportsturf professionals all over the country.

One of his proudest achievements is hiswork with the Sports Turf Managers Associ-ation (STMA). "I started STMA years ago,"he recalls. "When I got into this business,only a few teams who were near each otherhad a dialogue going in which they trans-mitted ideas about sports turf. A lot ofmanagers were individualists who thoughttheir way was the only way. So I organizedSTMA by myself.

"I got a bit of dialogue going between ma-

ny different clubs. Then Dr. Bill Daniels, theinventor of the PAT system, allowed me tohave a room and speakers at Purdue Univer-sity in conjunction with his spring turf semi-nar. He was professor of soils and cropsthere, but is retired now.

"We spent two years there," Gill continues."Then we tied on with the parks and groundsmaintenance department of Appleton, WI.They gave us an opportunity to test equip-ment and materials. They also provided uswith a vehicle for the transmission of ideasin the form of a magazine. That enabledus to form an organization, and now we'rebecoming a rather large influence on themaintenance of athletic turf.

"From Appleton we moved to Ontario, CA,where we have our own office, I definitelybelieve that sports turf managers should or-ganize," Gill says.

Joining the organization Gill founded pro-vides a valuable benefit not afforded by othergroups: access to the innovative ideas ofthe founder. These in turn are abundantlyevident at Milwaukee County Stadium, whichis still the focus of his day-to-day activities.

All of his thoughts are directed towardprotecting and enhancing the field. Protec-tion ranges from the standard tarpaulin thatcovers the entire infield when it rains to thenet he spreads from foul line to foul line atpre-game time, when hitters practice by us-ing the fungo-smashing the ball into thecarefully landscaped ground.

Most importantly, he hasn't missed a detail

in redesigning the field's irrigation anddrainage systems. The fact that the fieldis mainly used by a baseball team is reflectedin the drainage system's design. "We putthe sand slits in with baseball in mind," Gillconfirms. Rather than going cross-field, theylaid all the slits in the direction the ball wouldplay, so that the batters wouldn't be hittingthe ball across them. That would have madeit bounce erratically across the slits.

"We've got to get the ball to playas per-fectly as possible," Gill reminds you.

His work at Milwaukee was rewarded thispast spring when the Brewers managementasked Gill to construct three new fields anda clubhouse at the team's new spring train-

. ing facility in Chandler, AZ.. Gill found himselfdealing with warm-season turfgrasses fora change. "It was a thrilling and educationalexperience for me," says Gill. "We had torush to get the fields in play before campstarted. On top of that, a natural gas ex-plosion gutted the clubhouse just days be-fore the team was to arrive."

"I never stop learning," Gill states."Managers, coaches, players and fans havetaught me many of the things that make asports turf manager valuable to the team.It's time for sports turf managers to gettogether and share their knowledge so every-one can benefit, including field maintenancepeople at colleges, parks and schools. Weall can make ourselves more valuable andmore professional by sharing our ex-periences." ~

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Circle 133 on Reader Service Card

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July/August 1986 45

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some of the wet spots. Some day I'd liketo tie these into one central irrigationcomputer."

A Naiad injection system was installeoto add wetting agent to the irrigation sys-tem. Auxer credits the wetting agent, reno-vation of the irrigation system and thatchreduction for big savings in water. Eventhough rainfall in Aurora in 1985 was twoinches less than 1984 and the temperaturesaveraged two degrees higher, the golfcourse saved 40 percent on water. The golfcourse's main water source is a well, eventhough a major raw water pipeline cross-es underneath the course. Auxer predictsthis well will run dry within 15 years. Anotherpossible source of water in the future issecondary effluent from the city or a watertreatment facility that has been mentionedto the association board.

Fast from Turf Irrigation Supply points out,"The Denver area is on a continuous waterrationing program. Some suburbs only al-low homeowners to irrigate every third day.Golf course superintendents have to be verysensitive to water use."

Heather Gardens has two acres of lakes.These required regular treatment with cop-per sulphate to prevent algae blooms. Thisbothered Auxer because the grandchildrenof the residents often play near the lakesand watch the ducks that make the lakestheir home. Being the experimenter he is,he wanted to replace chemicals with weed-eating white amurs, a member of the carp

Auxer's crew restores a sand trap to its original shape and size. Turf had overgrownsome traps by more than three feet.

Heather Gardenscontinued from page 30

When the system was installed, low costcontrollers were used instead of commer-cial grade. When Auxer arrived, many ofthe 18 controllers on the course would mal-function when temperatures exceeded 80degrees. It was not unusual to lose half ofthem each year to heat, line voltage sur-ges and lightning.

In 1985, Auxer replaced eight of the oldcontrollers with Irri-Trol Me-8s. The control

boxes were painted light tan to reflect theheat and fitted with devices to protect themagainst voltage surges and lightning. "It wasa case of being penny wise and pound fool-ish," states Auxer. "Eventually, we willreplace all the controllers."

Auxer is experimenting with moisture sen-sors. "We have installed one Irrometer ten-siometer and one Water Conservation Serv-ices Hydrovisor on the top of berms to helpus water those areas separately. By spotirrigating we save water and have eliminated

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I[!E!JI46 sportsTURF Circle 106 on Reader Service Card Circle 107 on Reader Service Card

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family. "We stocked the lake with amurs lastfall and so far this summer have no traceof algae," says Auxer. "I'd like to install aer-ator fountains to oxygenate the water andprovide another feature to the lakes."

Trees are another feature Auxer wantsto increase on the course. A look at the origi-nal plans showed him that only 250 out of1,200 trees on the plan had ever been plant-ed. The cost of 800 specimen trees for thecourse was out of the question. He heardthat the state provides seedlings for wind-breaks at very low cost. For $325 ,he ob-tained 825 seedlings, including spruce,pines, ash, locust and Russian olive. Thesewere planted on the perimeter of the courseas a windbreak. "We may move them toother locations as they mature," Auxer rev-ealed. In the meantime, $5,000 had to bespent to replace trees that died last yearwith larger trees. Auxer hopes that withinfive years the course will appear as the ar-chitect had planned.

In a recent survey,the residents said thegolf course is the

central amenity thatdistinguishes HeatherGardens from other

condominiumcommunities.

Auxer approached the planting of flow-ers on the course in the same creative way.Faced with limited labor, he wanted toreduce the amount of maintenance requiredby flower beds without losing the color. Hedecided to plant perennial flowers insteadof annuals and has since replaced all an-nuals with perennials. "They cost the sameor less than annuals, and don't require pur-chasing and replanting every year," hestates.

A landscape architect helped Auxer selecta mix of species that would bloom through-out the entire season. The beds are coveredwith shredded cedar bark mulch and fedwith foliar fertilizers. Periodically, the deadflower heads are knocked off withweed eaters.

Auxer also discovered, while reviewingthe old plans, that some sand traps wereas much as six feet smaller than they weresupposed to be. Over the last two years,his crew has rebuilt these bunkers to theirproper dimensions. "We removed the sand,widened and reshaped the traps to fit the

plan, installed new drainage and put in new,clean sand," outlines Auxer. The golfers no-ticed this change right away!"

It may sound like Heather Garden's budg-et has increased substantially and it has.By justifying each improvement to the boardhe has increased the course's budget from$90,000 to $150,000. "It may be the largestbudqet for a nine-hole course in the state,"says Auxer. In the first five months of thisyear, rounds played have doubled. At thisrate, the course will exceed 45,000 roundsfor the first time.

"Eighty percent of the rounds are playedby residents of Heather Gardens," pointsout general manager Myers. "In a recentsurvey, the residents said the golf course

is the central amenity that distinguishesHeather Gardens from other condominiumcommunities. Also, non-golfers are as con-cerned with the condition of the course asgolfers since their condominiums overlookit. There is no question that the golf coursemakes this a more desirable place to live."

"There is no reason why nine-hole coursescan't compete with bigger courses if theytake course maintenance seriously," Aux-er believes. "You have to watch expendi-tures closely and keep track of labor. It'swhen you let maintenance and repairs getbacked up that you face problems. Keepon top of things and be frugal, and you canserve a large portion of the growing golfbusiness." ~

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cii-de 135 on Reader Service Card

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Circle 136 on Reader Service Card July/August 1986 47

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Landscape Pro Mix School grounds, cemeteries, Establishes fast. Adapts to broad range of conditions andgolf course roughs, home lawns. management levels. Low to moderate fertility needs.

Overseeder II Mix Fairways, tees, ad: letic fields. Rapid germination and establishment. Withstands heavytraffic and resists diseases. Penetrates compacted soils.

Medalist North Mix Fairways, tees, cart paths, wear Quality turf for high traffic areas. Clean mowing andareas. disease resistant.

Premium Sod Blend Commercial sod production. Exceptional dark green color. Tolerates light shade. Superiordisease resistance. Rapid sod producer.

Problem solver for heavy traffic Penetrates compacted soils and combats Poa annua.Renovator Pro Mix areas (athletic fields, golf tees, Adaptable to most geographic regions.

and fairways).

Medalist Brand Winter overseeding of dormant Establishes rapidly and evenly. Tolerates traffic

Overseeding Products bermudagrass. while providing a superior putting surface. Smoothspring transition.

Ask your Northrup King distributor about Medalist Turf Products to solve your turf problems.Or write Northrup King Medalist Turf Products} EO. Box 959} Minneapolis} MN 55440.

Circle 155 on Reader Service Card

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ROOKIES,..---------------

PRODUCT UPDATEHIGH SPEED AERATOR

?peed, fewer moving parts and quick fieldadjustment were the main goals set byGreenCare International for its Core Master12 hollow-tine aerator system. Powered bya small tractor PTO system, the unit canbe used for aeration and thatch control ongreens, tees, fairways and all types of sportsfields.

Core depth can be changed simply bythe turn of a handle while the coring pat-tern can be changed with a 'stop and go'procedure. The 49-inch-wide Core Master12 uses case-hardened steel tines from 1/4-in~h to 1112-inch in diameter. Core depth isadjustable from one to four inches.

A.n optional core windrowing system isavailable. A core pickup system will bereleased soon says the manufacturer. Otherattachments to provide a flexible tractor sys-tem are under development.GREENCARE INT.Circle 158 on Reader Service Card

,----------------1---- Circle 137 on Reader Service Card --

3-Point Powerfast, easy hook-up, rugged,dependable A-E-R-A- T -I-O-N!The "big job" aerator that smart super-

visors depend on. Patented, hinged tines forclean plug removal. 2-3-4 or 5 drum units with36-60 or I20 tines per drum. Heavy-dutysolid steel construction utilizes low-costcement blocks for weight.

Ask about our full line of Aerators.

HIGH-DUMPING SWEEPERS

Mr. Air Sweepers has recently added fournew sweepers to its landscape maintenancevehicle line. Each model features separa.testorage lockers, a lockable cage, flat bedspace and the ability to dump debris andtrimmings into dumpsters and other recep-tacles.

The Model 1600 has a three cubic yardhopper. It offers easy access to the hop-per t~rough a back door for loading largedebris and for checking the removeablescreen for easy maintenance. The unit per-forms well with debris, bottles, rocks andlitter.

Model 2000 is a truckster-type, parkinglot sweeper. The two cubic yard hopper andentire sweeping unit is removable. It sweepsrocks, cans, bottles and debris.

The Trident 300 Sweeper is a parking lotand street sweeper with a two cubic yardcapacity. It is also removable from the truckand sweeps rock, gravel, cans, bottles anddebris: All units have been designed for high-dumping and ease of maintenance.MR. AIR SWEEPERSCircle 156 on Reader Service Card

SERVICE TIMERA new timer for all kinds of equipment

and vehicles reminds the operator that theperiod of time is up for servicing the unit.It is called Service Minder I.

The timer has been field-tested on indus-trial ~nd ~arm eq~ipment, earth-movingmachines In coal-mining areas, and inboardmotors, to mention but a few. It may be usedon trucks, utility company vehicles and backhoes-wherever recording hours for servic-ing is important.

~he Service Minder I attaches to the keySWitch and counts the hours of operationas a reminder to service the machine. Whenxou start a piece of equipment, it starts thetimer and the hours are clearly displayed.

The timer is resettable. After you haveserviced the machine at the end of thedesired interval-say, 75 hours-you pushthe reset button and the display goes backto 0 to track the next service interval.SERVICE BRAINS, INC.Circle 157 on Reader Service Card

313-624-7710 • 800-521-7086 Grounds Maintenance Division1060 W. West Maple Rd. • P.O. Box 575 • Walled Lake, MI 48088

VALVE BOXES

Irrigation valve boxes from the Harvardline of sprinkler/irrigation accessories are nowavailable from the American GranbyCompany.

They feature moisture- and temperature-resistant thermoplastic construction. Thevalve-box lids are impregnated with color-

moeooes.-

fast dark-green pigment and the box itselfis black.

Six-inch extensions are available whendeeper bury depth is needed. The extensionmay be used alone in areas of lower burydepth.

AMERICAN GRANBY CO.Circle 159 on Reader Service Card

YEAGER·TWOSETURF

CONDITIONERSNo more plugs!

Compaction relief!Commence play Immediately aftertreatment! 60" and 18" Models formedium and compact tractors3-point. 1" to 8" adjustable depth.

Thatch cutting disc allow hydraul·ic Vibrating blade and "Bullet" topenetrate without tearing turf sur-face, breaking up under-surfacecompaction. Pressure rollers firmthe slit edges.

YEAGER TRACTOREquipment Division

P.O. Box 545 Hillsboro, Ore.503-648-8506 97123

DedoesModel H

Circle 138 on Reader Service Card July/August 1986 49

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ROOKIES

GREENS MOWER

The trend toward "faster putting surfaceshas been recognized by Jacobsen with theintroduction of its ultra-fine-cutting greensmower. Nine-bladed reels are adjustablefrom 3/32 to 7/16-inch to enable superin-tendents to cut greens as low and assmoothly as possible. Adjustments are fixedto assure a consistent height of cut.

The mower features a more powerful andquieter engine than previous models. It cutsa 22-inch swath with a single five-inch di-ameter reel.JACOBSEN DIVISION, TEXTRONCircle 164 on Reader Service Card

BASEPATH CONDITIONER

Stade Rouge is a colored amendment toimprove the condition and appearance ofbaseball basepaths and clay tennis courts.The red material is made from pulverizedbrick. It is capable of holding up to ten per-cent of its weight in water for better con-trol of moisture in critical areas.50 sportsTURF

~PRODUCT UPDATE

The rouge helps the infield dirt maintaina uniform amount of moisture to reduce dustand slick spots. The color does not fade andcontrasts nicely with green turf. The tex-ture of the material provides sound footingand resists compaction.

Only occasional topdressings are need-ed to keep the material effective. The materi-al will not dry out or crack.BIGHAMPTON BLOCK CORP.Circle 166 on Reader Service Card

WALK-BEHINDSWEEPER

The Tennant Model 186 walk-behindsweeper can clean 18,000 square feet ofindoor or outdoor surface an hour, nearlysix times faster than hand methods. Theunit sweeps a 34-inch path and can be con-verted to a scrubber in minutes, withouttools.

The walk-behind unit is a flexible and fastcleaning device that takes up limited storagespace.TENNANT COMPANYCircle 165 on Reader Service Card

SOLID TINESSolid tines can open up soil without the

need to drag or pick up soil cores. Condescosays its solid tines will aerate more than 100

sand greens before they need to bereplaced.

The company has an assortment of solidtines in sizes from 1/4-inch to 5/8-inch indiameter. The tines are carbide-tipped andcome in a variety of shapes to do a varietyof tasks, from preparing a seedbed to break-ing up ice on greens.CONDESCO INC.

Circle 167 on Reader Service Card

SOIL SAMPLER

The task of obtaining soil samples hasbeen simplified by KHS with the introduc-tion of its Soil Probe. The eleven-gaugestainless-steel probe will not rust and fea-tures a hinge design. The opening of theprobe is adjustable and the enclosed receiv-ing tube prevents mixing of soil levels.

The hinged design permits easy accessand removal of the entire core. The probehas a one-inch diameter. Eight-inch and 12-inch core probes are available.

M&M SUPPL Y CO.Circle 168 on Reader Service Card