CDC Contractors is based in Sizewell, Suffolk and has diversified from smallholding to landscaping and grounds maintenance work.
The family firm have a major contract for the local authority, cutting grass on public paths over a twelve week period split into two six week cuts with a flail mower.
The varied terrain, high workload and tough vegetation means that a tractor mounted flail is the most efficient combination for this job and Tim Blowers of CDC Contractors relies on a Kubota STV32 purchased last August for tractor power.
“We had a Kubota STA before and the STV32 is the latest version,” he explains. “The previous tractor lasted five years and did 2200 hours with no costs except servicing, so we knew we were getting a reliable, strong tractor, which is essential for this job.”
The new model gives more horsepower but is still narrow enough to work on footpaths.
“There is plenty of power to drive the flail through tall or rough grass – in some parts it can be up to 60cm high and cover the extensive areas that we work across,” Read more in Tractor News ..Next edition of The LAndscaper

The National Trust’s Wicken Fen is a National Nature Reserve with 650 acres of wetland of European importance offering primary habitats for a number of endangered species. Additionally, as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) it requires expert maintenance using specialist techniques.
Senior Warden James Selby has the complex task of specifying machinery which can be productive over the vast area of land while coping with its unique challenges.
Reliable, all-terrain transport is essential to cross the extensive tracts of land, and two Kubota RTV 900s fulfil this role ideally. James comments: “We trialled the RTV900 against two other leading makes and it was the only utility vehicle with the torque to pull itself out of the wet holes on this land. It is also considerably more robust than others on the market, which is vital in this harsh environment.”
Bench seats and an open cab have been specified to give the ease of access needed when operators need to frequently get in and out of the RTV. James works closely with local Kubota dealer, Thurlow Nunn (TNS), and the partnership has yielded some special adaptations for the RTVs. One is equipped with a canopy over the cargo box to keep tools, 2-stroke fuel, equipment and volunteers’ gear dry. The other has a cage to protect operators from the horns of the inquisitive Highland cattle which graze the Fen, while they are undertaking jobs such as ear tagging.
A 40hp Kubota STV40 compact tractor is used to power a Kuhn disc mower and to cut vegetation on the sedge fen, conserving two European designated habitat types by cutting on a one year and a three year rotation. James explained, “We need low impact tractors with big tyres as the peat fen is extremely soft – the consistency of full fat milk. But we can only cut from July to September as the ground is too wet otherwise, so a high output is crucial, and Kubota’s powerful range of machinery offers this.”
Mowing removes competitive plants and encourages favoured species such as milk parsley, the preferred diet of swallowtail butterfly larvae. The cut material is then turned before removal from the fen by a buckrake mounted on a 14 year old Kubota L3600. James again, “We take the cut material off the fen to remove nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) that would encourage competitive species and to allow germination. The STV40 was originally intended to take over the buckraking, but we have kept it for mowing as the ‘heel and toe’ action offered by its hydrostatic transmission is so efficient that we have been able to halve the time previously taken to cut the fen. Working with TNS, we have added wide rims, the largest possible tyres and added protection through a ‘belly pan’ and guards fitted to protect filters etc. The ‘bi-speed’ feature is a god-send especially when cutting and the hydrostatic heel and toe means no shuttle or changing gears which is why we save so much time. The L3600 is also extremely powerful for its size and has shaved a third off the time taken for buckraking by being able to handle larger loads. This not only cuts our fuel use, but more importantly enables us to get the job done in the short time period available.”
For topping of the larger areas, a 95hp Kubota M9540 and Agrimaster flail is used to tackle the dense, woody material, with the big tractor offering the extra ground clearance needed. TNS have also fitted winches to the front of both tractors so in the event of a tractor becoming bogged down, operators can carry out recoveries themselves.

Tel 01844216685
www.kubota.co.uk

Vauxhall Commercial Vehicles will be displaying its full model range at the CV Show 2012 including Movano, Vivaro, New Combo, Astravan and Corsavan.
New Combo will make its UK show debut and will be shown in all three wheelbase and roof height combinations. With a payload of up to one tonne and a driving range of up to 777 miles thanks to its frugal engines, New Combo has already proved that it is a great proposition for van operators.
Vauxhall is the number one van manufacturer in the UK and was also number one in the van retail sector in 2011. Underpinning its success has been Vivaro and to celebrate, a stylish new addition to the range will be on the CV Show stand.
The Movano range will also play a key role in Vauxhall’s display. On show will be panel vans, passenger carriers (in 9-seat Combi and 17-seat Minibus configurations) and the new factory-finished core conversions including Tipper and Dropside. All core conversions come with Vauxhall’s three-year or 100,000-mile warranty on both the chassis and conversion.
The Movano Tipper conversion comes with either a chassis or crew cab and features a five-stage under-floor ram and a 50-degree tipping angle, powered by a 2kW electro-hydraulic pack connected to a remote hand-held tipping control.
The versatile Movano Dropside also comes with either a chassis or crew cab and has a completely flat load platform, up to 4470mm in length. An optional large toolbox can be mounted behind the cab.
at the NEC in Birmingham from the 24th to 26th April on stand 1E50 in Hall 1,
www.vauxhall.co.uk

See the Vauxhall range stand 1E50 in Hall 1, CV show NEC in Birmingham 24th to 26th April 2012

Limagrain UK’s annual flower seed mixture, Douce France from its Colour Splash range, provided stunning colour to the grounds of Bath University, in south west England, last summer. To add more colour this year, the Jour de Fete mixture from the range will be sown at the site as well.
The Colour Splash flower seed mixtures provide outstanding colour to landscapes including golf courses and park flower beds and attract bees and insects. They are best sown in the spring and have the benefit of not requiring fertiliser or pesticides.
Dave Hunt grounds manager at Bath University said: “The Douce France mixture was sown at the end of April last year, and flowered from June, until the first frost in October. It is easy to use, you don’t need to be an expert.
“It is important to prepare the soil before the seed mixtures are sown, to make sure the soil bed is free from weeds, and to create a fine tilth on the surface. However, once the mixture has been sown, it is very simple to maintain. We watered the seeds two weeks after establishment and didn’t need to water or weed again. This year we’ll be adding more colour to the university grounds, by using the Jour de Fete mixture too.”
Jour De Fete contains five species of flower: Centaurea mixed, Cosmos Bipinnatus Sensation, Cosmos Sulfurates, Zinnia Sunbow and Tithonia Torch. It grows to a height of up to one metre and so is suitable for screening areas. It has good drought tolerance and attracts insects and butterflies and provides colour from July to October.
The Douce France grows to 0.5 metres in height, and contains five species: Centaurea Polka Dot, Zinnia Sunbow, Cosmos Trianon, Eschscholtzia, South Pacific Beauty. It competes well against weeds but requires better soil conditions than Jour de Fete, and flowers from June to October.
TEl 01472 371471
www.limagrain.co.uk

Watch out for Ground Control – next edition of The Landscaper