Golf Course Superintendent Brian Beckner of La Playa Golf and Beach Resort discusses how he and his team obtain even distribution of water on greens, tees and fairways with great success.

Bob Vaughey, Director of Agronomy at TPC Valencia in South California discusses how he and his team have addressed the use of water in extreme conditions.

We sprayed ENDURANT in mid-March (2011) as part of our preparation for a tournament we hosted earlier this spring. We were very pleased with the sprayability of the product and the stunning contrast the application provided. Perhaps most notable was the growth response we saw from the turf as a result of the enhanced canopy temperatures. We are at least 2 to 3 weeks ahead of our normal greenup and growth pattern, the effect was superior to an early season fertilizer application. I feel confident we will paint fairways next winter with ENDURANT.

Kevin Smith CGCS
V.P. / Director of Agronomy
Pinnacle Golf  Properties

If you are ever in Florida, make sure to visit Sanibel Island and visit this beautiful Sanctuary.

Sometimes it is about enjoying the world around us. All fish are catch and release. Music by the Doobie Brothers.

Geoponics SoilSurfactant.com was developed for turf managers, landscape professionals, lawn care and agriculture as a domain for quick reference to leading brands of Professional Grade Soil Surfactants, Penetrants and Wetting Agents to manage localized dry spots, drought relief, aggregate clay soils, drain waterlogged soils, aeration, manage soil moisture, reduce black layer, increase foliar absorption and assist with reducing fertilizer run off, pesticides and fungicides.

Visit SoilSurfactant.com

Penterra.net HydraHawk.com Humawet.com ProfaSorb.com

Effective moisture management has always been a critical part of any turfgrass maintenance professional’s success. Whether you want to hold water in dry times or need to move it when it’s wet, the desired result is always the same: even distribution of moisture throughout the root zone. Achieving this balanced state is an ongoing challenge, but without the proper tools it is a practical impossibility. Geoponics believes that the price of the surfactants used in this pursuit should not preclude anyone from being able to use them, which is why our cost per acre is so far below the industry average. Our customers’ savings are often used for treating more area than ever before, making our products like Penterra, HydraHawk, Humawet and Profasorb found at SoilSurfactant.com value-adding tools no chemical room should be without.

MOVE WATER THROUGH A PROFILE

Penterra (Penterra.net)

Penterra is a high grade soil penetrant designed to move irrigation and rain water off the surface and deep into the ground. As with any wetting agent, Penterra decreases the surface tension between water, soil and plant to overcome hydrophobic soil conditions. Where this proprietary formula sets itself apart from the other surfactants on the market today is in its extraordinarily high activity (Anionic vs. Non-Ionic). By surrounding soil particles with a strong negative charge, Penterra literally pulls water down and through the profile with unrivaled speed and effectiveness. This allows the turfgrass manager to prevent an excess of accumulation from heavy or long lasting rain events, as well as to quickly and easily wet areas like slopes and mounds which often develop LDS and require a disproportionately large amount of water.

Penterra’s beneficial effects are noticed rapidly, in many cases after a single application. It helps reduce crusting, loosens up hard clay soils, aggregates sandy soil, and allows water and oxygen to better reach plant roots. Regular treatments improve the activity of microbes necessary for a healthy soil environment for the improvement of the turf, making it healthier and increasing its disease and insect tolerance.

Reported Uses of Penterra

• Affordably treat entire course
• Dew reduction for earlier starts
• Treat slow draining bunkers
• Enhances speed of glyphosate
• Protect against frost damage
• Prepare greens for heavy rain
• Dry out problem wet areas
• Open sealed-off soils

HydraHawk (HydraHawk.com)

All Natural is key when one considers how products influence the environment and using HydraHawk as a tool for moisture management in soils is taking the industry by storm. HydraHawk is made from all natural materials being derived from fruits, vegetables and essential oils. Secondary to its formulation, HydraHawk is mositly used for penetration into areas are challenged by hydrophobic variables, yet subtle enough to add some holding capacity with the root zone. It is widely considered “nature’s powerhouse moisture management product” amongst the Geoponics surfactant line being that it keeps water penetrating into the soil while holding viable water in the root zone for sustainability. When challenged with moisture issues and the environment is top of your priority list of things to consider and moisture management performance is key, HydraHawk is the product for the job.

Reported Uses HydraHawk

• Economical for use in Tees, Greens, Fairways and Roughs
• All Natural
• Treat slow draining bunkers
• Enhances speed of glyphosate and foliar fertilizer applications
• Prepare greens for heavy rain
• Dry out problem wet areas
• Open sealed-off soils
• Pleasant smell natural smell
• Holds enough water in the root zone without disrupting aerobic balance
• Provides a natural food source for soil microorganisms

Humawet (Humawet.com)
Humawet is a unique soil surfactant with incorporated high-grade humates designed to enhance water holding capacity. By prolonging the retention of moisture within the root zone, this formulation allows turfgrass managers to reduce irrigation volume and hand watering when faced with hot, dry or excessively windy situations. Its beneficial effects when used to combat LDS are noticed rapidly, and when used as a preventative measure it can keep such unsightly issues from developing in the first place. Especially helpful when used on sandy soils or those low in organic content, Humawet is both easy to use and economical.

Reported Uses of Humawet

• Affordably treat entire course
• Holds moisture in the root zone
• Assist with drought conditions
• Will not burn
• Contains high grade humate
• Open sealed-off soils

ProfaSorb (Profasorb.com)

Profasorb is a unique soil surfactant designed specifically to enhance water holding capacity when used through irrigation systems. By prolonging the retention of moisture within the root zone, this formulation allows turfgrass managers to reduce irrigation volume and hand watering when faced with hot, dry or excessively windy situations. Its beneficial effects when used to combat LDS are noticed rapidly, and when used as a preventative measure it can keep such unsightly issues from developing in the first place. Especially helpful when used on sandy soils or those low in organic content, Profasorb is both easy to use and economical.

Reported Uses of ProfaSorb

• Affordably treat entire course
• Holds moisture in the root zone
• Assist with drought conditions
• Will not burn
• Economical for use through Fertigation
• Open sealed-off soils

Growing a Robust Plant with Carbotein Provided Elisabeth Fry’s Heirloom Tomatoes the Vitality to Survive Weeks of Severe Drought Stress

Grow Better Tomatoes with Carbotein.com

I am a hobby gardener that keeps a small backyard patch with everything from lettuce to potatoes. After learning about Carbotein, I was pleased to have the chance to experiment with a truly environmentally friendly, natural fertilizer. I selected heirloom tomato plants for the test, and potted them in separate containers. The test plant received a root drench of Carbotein, and the control was not treated with anything other than the fertilizer in the potting soil, which I used for both. The plants received normal waterings.

During the time of growth, the infused plant was more compact, greener and fuller than the untreated plant which grew taller and had fewer buds. Unfortunately, in the middle of the trial I had to unexpectedly leave town, and when I returned home discovered the plants had been neglected almost to the point of no return. Without much hope, I began watering them regularly again, and lo and behold the one treated with <a href=”http://www.carbotein.com”>Carbotein</a> (which I now call The Wonder Plant) recovered quicker and more completely than the other plant which has almost no regrowth. Since then I’ve been lucky enough to get the opportunity to eat them before having to go on location for work again. Compared to the control plant, the root drenched tomatoes were redder, juicier and more tasty, and there were bunches more of them!

I am so very happy with the product, and will continue to use it. In fact, I have already infused my newly tilled beds with Carbotein, and I’m excited to see what it will do for my summer plantings.

Elisabeth Fry
Orange County, CA

Methodist University Golf Course Superintendent Steven Dockery Insists on Providing His Students Premium Conditions But Has to Stretch A Dollar; Using Geoponics Products Allows Him to Do Both

Thank you for taking time to meet with us today. I’d like to start out by asking how you found out about Geoponics and why you decided to trial our products.

I first learned about the company through my Geoponics technical representative. I already had a personal relationship with him from his previous job, and I also knew he had been a superintendent. I know Sam Green down at Eagle Point from when he was in the mountains, and saw he was a customer. Because of those two things, I was comfortable enough to give the Geoponics products a try.

Which product did you decide to try first and why?

My previous golf course down in SC had a $1.3 million budget; my first year at Methodist it was $180 thousand. Obviously I knew going in that it wouldn’t be feasible to use my old program here, but I wasn’t just going to go and jump on the cheapest stuff out there. I wanted to find a company with a complete line that offered a happy medium between quality and price, which is what I was evaluating when we first used the Agriox, Carbotien and Terrain on our greens.

What was your initial impression of their effectiveness?

Well, we got good results right away, so we knew the products worked, but to be honest I didn’t expect it would last. I thought, “How can this stuff be cheaper than the rest of the premium brands and still give better results?” But it didn’t peter out quickly like I thought it would; we got 3 to 3 1/2 weeks of good strong color from that single application.

When you have a small crew like I have, that’s huge because going out every seven days is not something you want to have to do. The compatibility of it is great too. Some of the more pricey products take forever to mix up, but in a real world situation you just don’t have time for that. We have a 175 gallon sprayer, and when we’re putting out the Geoponics products we don’t even have to cut the water down when filling the tank.

Besides the Grizzly Pro-Turf Program you are using on your greens, have you treated other areas of the course?

We have twelve acres of 419 sprigs that went out the second week of June, when we were in the middle of 100 degree heat. Needless to say, we really wanted to get them grown in as quickly as possible. They all were treated with Carbotein, and I believe it has helped the granular to do that. l plan on continuing to use it on the fairways, because the tees have really tightened up since we started spraying them, which is great because we get tons and tons of play. They are fairly small, so we’re really looking forward to improved wear tolerance.

Have the golfers noticed the improvements you’ve mentioned?

Well, we have been doing a major greens renovation here, so we aren’t getting play right now, but everyone is paying close attention to the course. My bosses are the President and Vice President of the university, and it’s my neck that’s on the line. If I didn’t trust the Geoponics products, if I didn’t believe in them, there would be no way I would buy it. Our sister course was about to go on a competing program when I told the superintendent there about the Geoponics products. He’s started using them and is really liking what he sees as well. I’m on the board of the Sand Hills association, and I’ve told those guys about it too.

That about covers it. Is there anything you’d like to add?

Most people don’t know this, but Methodist University has the largest PGA golf management program in the country. The neat thing about it is that the students take classes in every aspect of the industry, from food and beverage to golf shop operation. I teach the agronomy class their junior year, and I truly think it has been a win-win situation because the work study students and interns around the shop have been able to see improvements being made with just a few affordable products. With the way things are in golf now where the general manager sometimes has just as much say about which fertilizer or equipment is used as the superintendent, that will be valuable information for them to have once they become the decision makers.

We couldn’t agree more. Our belief at Geoponics is that an informed customer is a happy customer…

Right. The product is one thing, but the customer service is important also. Not only can the Geoponics’ Representatives answer a question without having to look in a binder, they come in and take a real interest. There are times when I feel like other chemical companies look past us, but that wasn’t the case with Geoponics. I was lucky that one of my mentors instilled in me the belief that to get the best results you have to keep everyone in the loop. I don’t keep anything from my crew, so they are all knowledgeable and very capable. They know the products, but more importantly my Geoponics representative knows them, where some salesmen won’t give them the time of day. I really think that makes a big difference.

Located in the Sandhills of North Carolina, Methodist University is one of a select group to offer PGA Golf Management accredited by the PGA of America

For Superintendent Jeremy Wilson, Geoponics Line of Premium Products Provides the Results Needed to Improve His Course at A Price It Can Afford

This course was getting ready to close before I took over, so it hadn’t really been maintained for some time. The greens had not been aerated in over three years, and the thatch build up was pretty bad, so my main issue was just getting water to move in. My Geoponics sales person suggested I try Penterra at the regular two quart rate, and within a couple of weeks we stopped having run off when watering. Once the weather turned hot, we switched over to Humawet, which has been working well for us. We used to be out by 12:00 or 1:00 every afternoon to water again, but we aren’t drying out as quick, so now we don’t have to except on the hottest days.

Once we added Agriox into our program, the over all look of the greens soon became much cleaner. It has really gotten them looking much better in the short time I’ve been here. I’ve always purchased according to what the grass is telling me it needs, and when it’s growing fine I don’t bother putting anything out. Before we were fertilizing every three weeks. Now we’re out to five weeks, which is a 40% savings, and I feel a lot better about both our growth and color. I’m really impressed with the products.

Jeremy Wilson, Superintendent
Cypress Bay Golf Club
Little River, SC

Turf Stress Reduction and an Overall Appearance Boost of Agriox Applications Are Worth the Price and More to Willow Point Golf Club

We started using Agriox this past July (2008) and have made monthly applications since then. We were just hoping that it would help us survive the heat and stress of our busy season, and we really weren’t expecting the type of benefits we’ve seen. We put it out the first time right before our big Invitational event, which is usually when we start to go south some from the increased traffic, and we quickly saw amazing results. The entire playing surface improved in color and appearance, and the walk-on areas we were close to losing before starting treatments ended up making it all the way through the summer. The greens responded much better from our big Fall aeration, and it was very noticeable where we had sprayed twice, to the point where you could have put chalk marks around them. We definitely believe in the product, and honestly the price could go up by 50% and it would still be worth it.

Brad Lacey,
Asst. Superintendent
Willow Point Golf Club
Alexander City, AL