ARCHIVE FOR: September, 2008
I have always taken the “tried and true” approach to plant health, which is probably why I’m a little hesitant to try newer products. The fundamentals tend to be fairly elementary, of course, it’s just that in some ways “oxygen in a bag” seems TOO simple to be true. But it makes sense that healthier soil will grow healthier grass, and since Agriox was introduced to me by a sales representative that I respect a lot, and who really knows his chemistry, I decided to use it.
I was very impressed with the response I saw from a single application. We have some sealed off, high traffic areas which I always watch closely that made dramatic improvement in July and August. To make a recovery in those months is always a plus. The Agriox product was not a budgeted item, but it was well worth it. It will be a product that is part of my plan in the future.
Chris Simon
Signal Mountain Golf and Country Club
Chattanooga, TN
September 24th, 2008
I like to do what I can for the environment, and that’s what stuck with me the most since first learning about Geoponics at the CGCSA trade show, that they’re setting out to make a difference. I kept getting the testimonial emails, and then I saw some of my friends were using their products. Once I contacted them and heard what they were seeing, I felt comfortable giving Agriox a try. After a few applications I’ve seen a more efficient uptake of our granular, even when we’ve put out a growth regulator, and a longer residual from many of our other chemical applications.
But what I’m really hooked on is Penterra. The other day I was hand watering our putting green and got distracted for a minute. When I turned back around, I thought for a second I’d missed a spot because it was already dry. I have never seen a surfactant pull water so quickly off the canopy, and I’ve used them all. I’ll give them credit, it really does what they say it will do.
I’m not big on why or how a product works; if it improves my situation, that’s all that matters to me. Last month (August) I came in $2000 under budget, the first time I didn’t go over this year. I can’t say for sure why, but I know the only thing I’m doing different is using Agriox and Penterra. I believe Earth Chemistries can be the cornerstone of a program, and that Geoponics is in this business for the right reasons.
We have also used the aquatic products AquaKler and Accelerator. With the dry summer we’ve had, there’s been little if any natural water flowing into our front-side irrigation pond. When the temperatures went up, it became dead and stagnant with a horrific odor. Immediately after treatment, we noticed the release of dead organic matter and debris from the bottom. (A funny thing happened as we were applying the Accelerator; fish actually jumped out of the water as if they were saying “Thank You!” for the oxygen.) To this day, more than 45 days later, we have had NO PROBLEMS with this pond; it’s much more clear and has no odor.
Robby Henderson, Superintendent
Maggie Valley Club
Maggie Valley, NC
September 20th, 2008
Around this time last year (early August) I began to hear about a soil oxygen product being used in the area. Then the testimonials started coming in, and I decide to take a closer look. If it was making that big of a difference for courses dealing with bad soils, I wondered what it would do for my greens which were in pretty good condition already. Once I saw signs they were starting to get a little heavy – darkening some, with impeded water movement – I decided to get on the program and began applying Agriox mixed with Penterra. After just a few applications I can say my greens have been easier to maintain this season than at any point since I came here 4 years ago.
Specifically, July and August have been difficult with water management issues in the past. The Agriox program has simplified things and cut down on the amount of hand watering we’ve had to do by at least 80 percent. The greens that we usually have trouble keeping moisture in haven’t been nearly as bad with LDS, and I haven’t had the labor cost of chasing them 4 or 5 days a week either, which adds up pretty quick. More importantly, the grass just looks healthier, and I haven’t changed anything else in my program. I believe it is the oxygen getting down into the soil and alleviating the anaerobic conditions that is making the difference.
Clayton A. DuBose, CGCS
The Tradition Golf Club
Pawleys Island, SC
September 5th, 2008
We first applied Carbotein to our vegetable garden, and you could definitely tell a difference in color compared to previous years. The green was much darker, and the plants seemed to get established quicker. After seeing that, we sprayed a number of potted plants that were in pretty bad shape – half dead really – and they immediately started coming back beautifully with lots of dark green new growth. Carbotein was the only thing we put on them, so the product definitely works. Next we will be doing some applications in the greenhouse, and we’re looking forward to seeing what results we’ll get under more controlled conditions.
Kevin & Melanie Whitten, Owners
Gunther’s Greenhouse
Durham, NC
September 5th, 2008
Most superintendents don’t get to aerate as often as they would like, and that was something I have worked around for years, so I’m always looking to find other ways to raise my soil oxygen levels. Cultural practices help, but before learning about Agriox I wasn’t aware of a chemical product that would do the trick. I’m very happy with the conditions of my greens since we started using it, they look as good as they ever have, and I’ve noticed they recover from stress better than ever before. I sure am glad that it came along.
Mike Ray, Superintendent
Brevofield Golf Links
Wake Forest, NC
September 5th, 2008