Dubsdread Golf Course Superintendent Alan Lichter, of Orlando, Fla., was faced with a compacted fairway. Not being able to get water moving through the depth of the soil caused hard pan and other turf problems on one of his fairways following a recent reconstruction of the entire golf course.
Licther shared how he overcame these challenges with Geoponics, and averted the negative affects of decreased oxygen in the soil posed by cooler winter weather, through using Penterra, Agriox, HydraHawk and MEGAMAX.
Geoponics Earth Chemistries caught up with Superintendent Alan Lichter to ask him a few questions about how he did it:
Question: How did you first hear about Geoponics products?
Superintendent Alan Lichter: I actually got it through an email blast… I called (Geoponics) and talked for about a half an hour about all the products they offered and I’m actually using Penterra at the moment and loving every bit of it.
Question: When about was it that you learned about Geoponics and thought about giving it a try?
Superintendent Alan Lichter:April or May of this year.
Question: What pushed you to try it?
Superintendent Alan Lichter:I saw the other testimonials on your website, GeoponicsCorp.com and after talking with (Geoponics) I thought, ‘try it.’ So I tried it and I was amazed at how it works. It’s incredible the results I’m seeing.
Question: Were you experiencing some particular challenges at the time?
Superintendent Alan Lichter: Yeah. We just completed going through a major renovation in 2008. We had the whole entire golf course redone– new irrigation, new drainage… We were running into some hard pan so I was looking for a surface tension reliever. We were having some issues not moving water through the profile.
Question: How common of a challenge is that for golf courses, superintendent, managers?
Superintendent Alan Lichter:Here it is common just because the soil is very silty (in Orlando) and water does not percolate very well through our soils.
We had compaction from the equipment and we never had a true fairway aerifier so I was looking for a solution through wetting agents and Penterra was my choice.
We had compaction from the equipment and we never had a true fairway aerifier so I was looking for a solution through wetting agents and Penterra was my choice.
Question: Have you been using other Geoponics products?
Superintendent Alan Lichter:I just started using Agriox two months ago as we’re getting into the cooler weather, I’m looking to get a little more oxygen in the soil.
I’ve also used HydraHawk, which I think is very good as well.
The MEGAMAX I have used as well and I like it as well.
I’ve also used HydraHawk, which I think is very good as well.
The MEGAMAX I have used as well and I like it as well.
Question: How did the Geoponics products work for you?
Superintendent Alan Lichter:With the Penterra on number 8 fairway, which was my most troubled, compacted fairway, it worked really well. There is nothing better that I have encountered for dew supression. I like it so much I bought a 55 gallon drum to get through the winter for frost prevention.
Question: How about environmentally and cost savings with Geoponics products?
Superintendent Alan Lichter:We are watering less, so that’s always a good thing. The turf, the quality, has improved immensely.
Question: Are you finding you can use less synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and fungicides?
Superintendent Alan Lichter:Yes because at one time I was throwing almost everything under the sun at number 8 fairway– as far as fertilizers and liquids… Then when I started spraying the Penterra, it broke the surface tension and now I have cut back.
Through using the Penterra, I think what we’ve been able to do, because the water is able to percolate, we are able to get oxygen through the root as well.
Through using the Penterra, I think what we’ve been able to do, because the water is able to percolate, we are able to get oxygen through the root as well.