We’re excited to introduce the very first GroundsFest Innovation Awards – delivered in partnership with Hort Week – celebrating standout innovation and ingenuity across the industry. With nearly 100 entries received, the standard has been nothing short of exceptional, and the judges had a real challenge on their hands.
Make sure you’re there at 3pm on 9 September in the Hort Week Theatre, located in The Landscape Zone, to find out which of the following innovations will take the spotlight!
STOOD THE TEST OF TIME AWARD SHORTLIST
GRASS CUTTING
- Etesia Hydro 100 – born in 1989, and now seen in the MK III version, the Hydro 100 is famed for its ability to mow and collect in challenging conditions
- Trimax Pegasus tractor-mounted, tri-deck rotary mower was launched at the Institute of Groundsmanship exhibition in 2001 and remains a serious player in the municipal grass-cutting market.
TURF MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT
- Redexim Verti-Drain – dating from 1980, the Verti-Drain has long been synonymous with deep tine aeration.
- Tracmaster CAMON Lawn scarifier first appeared in 1986 as the LS17 but refinement work sees it presented today as the LS 42 cartridge system with six interchangeable reels for lawn tasks.
TURF CONSUMABLES
- Clover Grow peat and peat-free products, with blended Irish Sphagnum moss and seaweed extract – rich in magnesium, potassium and trace elements, first came to market in 1975 and remains a favourite with gardeners.
- DLF Pro Flora Wild Flower Mixtures were introduced in 1992 and offer a comprehensive selection of wildflower and flower/grass mixes beneficial to the environment, insects and pollinators as well as being attractive.
- Harrowden Meadowmat Birds & Bees Wildflower Turf is a decade old and provides a ready-grown mix of 41 native British wildflowers and four grasses to encourage a wide variety of wildlife.
LANDSCAPE
- PMP Surfacing Flexipave was designed in 2010 as a porous, flexible, rubber-aggregate surfacing for use on trails, cycle paths and around trees where is provides a crack- and tear-resistant surface that moves and flexes with root movement
- Solar Gate Systems solar powered gate automation has opened, closed and locked gates automatically, thanks to natural solar power, since 2016.
- The Professional Sprayers People Mankar ULV sprayers have offered the benefits of ultra-low volume herbicide application since 1974
TRANSPORT
- Clearwater Water Recycling Systems have provided a below ground, biological washpad water recycling process since 2000, using harmless micro-organisms to clean contaminated water
- Air-Seal Products has supplied the Air-Seal tyre sealant since 2000, providing quick puncture repair
NEW PRODUCT AWARD SHORTLIST
GRASS CUTTING EQUIPMENT
- Ariens company Ltd – AS 920 Sherpa-E fully electric ride-on mower for high grass and challenging terrain
- Husqvarna – Automower 580 EPOS large-area, wire-free, AI-ready robotic mower
- Mammotion UK – Yuka 3000 plus sweeper kit robotic mower with sweeping and self-emptying
- PSD Groundscare – SABO 54-ER Vario battery roller mower with Vario drive and SABO TurboStar collection
- Segway – Navimow X3 Robotic Mower Series of wire-free mowers with cameras and AI, plus voice control
- STIGA – NEXUS professional robotic mower with 110in deck LiDAR cameras, gyroscopics and AGS technology
- STIGA – ePark Pro fully electric front mower with digital intelligence
- TH White Machinery Imports – Ferris IS6200 72in zero-turn mower with 48hp Cat engine compatible with HVO fuel
- Toro UK – Hayter Harrier 56 Pro with Crank-Safe Blade Brake Clutch and 3-speed transmission
- Wessex International – RoviMo 100% electric autonomous mower for arrow-straight mowing lines and selectable cutting patterns
- Yarbo International – Yard Robot for mowing, leaf blowing and snow clearance, using AI and GPS-technology
TURF MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT
- Auto-Roller – Electric Auto-Roller battery-powered roller for cricket pitch preparation
- Foley Company – 642 Quick Spin Reel Grinder floor-mounted grinder for walk-behind mowers
- PSD Groundscare – ELIET EcoCure Topdresser self-propelled, professional-grade machine for spreading
- Redexim – Scarivator turf renovation machine combining scarification and cultivation in one pass
- Traqnology UK – Sportstraq / Turftraq GPS-guided line marking system for mounting to utility vehicles
TURF CONSUMABLES
- Agrovista Amenity – Fossil advanced liquid silicon-based plant nutrition
- Fargro – DCM Vital Green professional-grade fertilisers for sports turf and lawns
- Fargro – DCM Intro 2.0 organic wetting agent and soil improver
- Fargro – Bactiva biostimulant with beneficial bacteria to fix nitrogen
- Wildflower Turf Ltd – Enhance Wildflower Biodiversity Range (seed and growing medium) to revitalise/enrich wildflower meadows
LANDSCAPE MACHINERY
- Azpects Ltd – EASYTileAlign solution for ensuring perfectly level patios
- Herbst Machinery Ltd – GP28 Screener for screening soils and sands etc and turning waste material into topdressing etc
- Kersten UK – Zasso Zap Weeder world’s first battery-powered, walk-behind electric weeding device
- Kersten UK – ElectroLance for spot treating weeds using high-voltage current
- Kersten UK – FS Watering Arm vehicle-mounted arm for watering plants on streets and in parks
- Kirogen – THA270 tracked, self-propelled, hedge trimmer with rotating blades
- Westermann UK – WR870 EGO Battery Moss Brush for removing moss, weeds and debris in commercial settings
LANDSCAPE CONSUMABLES
- Fentex – Spill Trapper oil mat for absorbing leaks and spills under machinery
- Fentex – Virus Trapper foot and wheel disinfectant system
- Lumena Lights Ltd – Pro Solar Litecharga Rusty Solar Bollard Lights with Corten Steel for rust-like patina
- Monty Miracle – Outdoor Cleaner for cleaning hard, outdoor surfaces
- Monty Miracle – Artificial Grass Cleaner to clean and sanitise artificial grass
- Monty Miracle – Sealer to seal and protect outdoor surfaces
- Polybound Ltd – Pebble Glue water-based adhesive binder to hold stones, bark, mulch or pebbles in place
- Venture Play (UK) Ltd – One-DNA artificial grass made from one single material (PE), enabling recycling
- Sustane Naturel Fertilisers Inc – 4-6-4 Flower and Vegetable multi-purpose organic fertiliser made from renewable agricultural sources
ARBORICULTURE
- CMCLift UK – CMC S20 platform with maximum working height of 20m, outreach 10.4m and 90deg basket rotation
- Husqvarna – 550i XP cordless chainsaw delivering power comparable to a 50cc petrol model
TRACTORS, IMPLEMENT CARRIERS AND TRANSPORT
- Aebi Schmidt UK Ltd – TT282 Terratrac implement carrier offers increased productivity when working on slopes
- CFMOTO – UFORCE U10 Pro 998cc side-by-side utility vehicle with 450kg capacity cargo bed
- Green Plant UK Ltd – Norcar Mini Loaders – range of compact, pivot-steer loaders for multiple attachments
- LCVT Ltd – Side Tipping Beavertail designed to fit mainstream 3,500kg chassis cabs
- PSD Groundscare – Koppl Multi-Talent Implement Carrier for mowing, sweeping, tilling, snow blowing, weed brushing
- Wayrobo Pte Ltd – Autonomous Golf Ball Picking Robot to collect and dump balls
SERVICES
- BAGMA – Culverdocs partnership with BAGMA for paperless completing Record of Machine installation forms
- Chappell Enterprises UK – Advertising Packages – a 3-tier solution to advertise jobs and attract top talent across grounds maintenance, landscaping, horticulture and sports turf sectors
- Origin Amenity Solutions – MachineKeeper app for managing and recording machinery and hand tools in the turf, landscape and grounds sectors
- Steady Consulting – Steady Consulting provides business consulting and coaching services to small businesses
