Sod growers throughout the U.S. are sharing how they are getting green turf faster than ever this spring. The top selling sod growers in the U.S. are experiencing one of the most successful springs yet with Endurant organic turf colorants.

Endurant turf colorants are authentically vibrant green pigments made with binders and surfactants chosen specifically for excellent adherence to turfgrass. This ensures the color remains full, rich, consistent and long-lasting for a natural looking green. Endurant’s visual appeal is unmatched by any other brand on the market.

The reduction of chemical usage, decrease in watering and fewer transition related problems have combined to make this management strategy increasingly appealing for financial and agronomic reasons.

Endurant enhances turf color while looking natural. Endurant comes in multiple shades and concentration levels appropriate for use during all four seasons and on a wide variety of turfgrass species.

Learn more about the nation’s top sod growers choice to use Endurant here.

Benefits of Endurant organic turf colorants:

• Natural green color
• Will not fade to blue
• Safe on pumps
• Long lasting
• Faster transition to actively growing
• Economical

Here is what sod growers have to say about Endurant: 

“Endurant paint definitely sticks to the plant better and creates a noticeable difference with fewer passes.  We cut our passes down by half over the previous products used.  We are very pleased with the natural green color we achieve with Endurant while coming out of dormancy.” 

Keith Wittig

Houston, TX

www.WittigGrass.com 

“I am very pleased with the Endurant turf colorants. We have never sold Bermuda sod in March before this year in the Atlanta area. Not only are we selling it weeks earlier but the retail customers are purchasing all that we put in the stores. This is creating revenue that we have not had previously at this time of year.“

Logan Smith

Harmony Outdoor Brands

“I like this Endurant much better than the product we were using before. There is no comparison!”

Lindy Murff

Murff Turf Farm 

“I have been very pleased with the Endurant products offered by Geoponics in Texas.  The colorants have as natural a turf appearance as I’ve ever seen.  Also the customer service and turn-a-round times with our growers has been excellent which has assisted with on time deliveries to the end customer.” 

Tom Crespin

Harmony Outdoor Brands

“Endurant – it’s just a better product…We’ve had really great success with the Endurant FW and PR – just their overall color, the spray, their consistency and it saves money in our program.”

Jamie Tedder 

Bethel Farms

“I am surprised at how well the Endurant product held up over time when compared to the product we were previously using.  Color really held up well.”

Willie Gavranovic 

Horizon Turf Farms

“This was the first time we have painted at our farm. The folks at Geoponics were helpful and available when we needed their assistance. The Endurant FW looked great and assisted in attaining a natural green color to our partially dormant St. Augustine. Really looked nice.”

Harvey Salazar

Superior Turf

As spring comes breezing in, it’s time to spruce up the lawn. Winter turfgrass recovery can be made easier with these tips. Follow these easy guidelines for a faster spring time greenup.

During late spring, turfgrass, depending on the type, is either on its way to its prime or on its way to decline. Geoponics compiled several tips from professional turfgrass managers. These professionals include golf course superintendents, sod growers and landscapers. Here are some of the top recommendations from the most experienced professionals for obtaining the fastest spring time greenup possible.

Tips for the fastest spring time greenup for cool season or warm season grasses

Lawns pounded by record snowfall and subzero temperatures may need revival or may even be dead upon arrival this spring. Depending upon your conditions, some lawns will green-up while others may need to be replaced.

Grass hit by ice will likely lead to frozen plant cells, crushed turf blades, and, ultimately, to turfgrass death. Winter’s icy conditions can make spring time green up unlikely. If this is the case, it’s time for replacement. Geoponics’ partners, Harmony Growers, offer the best sod. (Here are a couple of links for more about this high quality network of sod growers:  Geoponics and Harmony; top sod producers in the U.S.: Harmony Outdoor Brands.)

Particularly harmful is the freeze-thaw-freeze cycle where changing temperatures can cause turf roots to become brittle and die.

Areas of lawn that are close to roads or pathways may be damaged by salt was used for ice removal. Particular care or even replacement may be needed.

Dead or dormant grass?

For a fast spring time greenup, it’s crucial to know if your grass is just dead or if it’s dormant. As snow and ice melt away and temperatures rise, turfgrass will awaken from its hibernation dormancy stage and change from brown grass to green grass. If it’s not changing color, your lawn may have died.

Here’s the test: Tug on the brown sections of lawn. If it comes out of the ground effortlessly, the roots have failed. In this case, the grass died. If the roots are holding their ground and hard to tug from the earth, it’s likely alive with hope.

If the grass has died, replace turf after the last chance of frost. Also, replacement should occur when soil temperatures reach approximately 60 degrees (or between 50 and 65 degrees) and when night temperatures are 35 degrees or higher.

Tips to help dormant turf with faster spring time greenup:

• Soil needs oxygen with physical aeration techniques complemented by increased soil oxygen from Agriox.
• Decrease salt in the soil with Soil Detox.
• Reduce soil compaction with Penterra, which is the fastest-acting soil surfactant on the market. HydraHawk can add even more benefits for a quick green up this spring.
• Encourage growth and vitality with Carbotein, which is organic and veganic.
• Use Endurant TC when grass is dormant. Transition to Endurant TE organic turf colorant with turf enhancer as the turfgrass exits dormancy and is actively growing. Using Endurant helps maintain consistent color throughout the seasons.
• Reduce thatch by raking.

Other tips for faster spring time greenup

• Trim trees to reduce overly shaded areas.
• Allow grass to grow longer and higher in highly shaded areas, mowing at a higher height underneath trees to allow the blades to grow more surface area for sunlight absorption.
• Use Endurant turf colorant as the darker turf color increases soil temperature leading to faster greenup both in the short-term with the organic green pigments and in the longterm due to the slight temperature increases.

Want more tips on faster spring time greenup? How about consistent advice from professionals leading to healthy turfgrass, ponds, plants and trees?

Follow us on Twitter and like our Facebook page. 

Proper watering and irrigation are key to maintaining a healthy, green lawn

If you’ve got a brown, dry lawn, proper watering and lawn irrigation tips may provide the solution. If you are following these guidelines below and still have a brown lawn or dry patches (LDS Localized Dry Spots), you could use a soil surfactant or Endurant organic turf colorant.

As water becomes a scarce resource and costs increase, conservation and management also become crucial to efficiently maintaining a healthy green lawn and landscape while protecting the environment. Proper watering of home lawns alone would have a dramatic effect on water conservation.

Collectively, home lawns have a dramatic impact on water usage. Here you can learn tips for proper watering to ensure healthy plants, while also preserving this valuable resource.

The One-Inch Guideline to Proper Watering and Irrigation

Specific water requirements can vary depending on the species of your grass, condition of the soil, climate of your area, as well as your desired aesthetic appeal. Nonetheless, a general rule is that turfgrass generally needs about one inch of water a week while growing to stay green. Proper watering means not overwatering.

Drought resistant varieties of cool season grasses can thrive with less water and many warm season grass varieties may also survive with much less than one-inch of water per week. Grass should not need more than an inch per week to maintain proper watering. If it’s taking more water than that to keep soil moist, or you’re using more than that and still have a brown, dry lawn, check out www.DryLawn.com, read more below &/or consider a soil surfactant.

The healthiest turf is somewhat thirsty turf. Turf grass that is not overwatered will encourage the roots to grow deeper, leading to lasting health and water conservation.

Hopefully, rain is the main source of water for your lawn, and then you supplement with lawn sprinklers or an irrigation system for consistent proper watering.

However, due to drought and water restrictions, many lawns are essentially forced to brown out. In these cases, dry, brown and dormant lawns will remain that way until the rain returns. Unless you choose Endurant organic turf colorant to turn your brown, drought-stricken lawn into a green lawn.

As a lawn that is dormant due to drought is not actively growing, or at least not quickly, Endurant is long lasting, making it the most environmentally friendly solution and the greatest economic and aesthetic solution available in areas of drought, such as California. Select from an array of Endurant organic turf colorants.

Proper watering and irrigation tips for a healthy lawn and landscape:

• Watering deeply once or twice per week is better than watering a little every day. This will mimic natural weather patterns and lead to deep root growth and increased drought, pest and disease tolerance.
• The ideal time to water the grass is between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Watering at night may promote turf grass diseases. Watering in the day causes water to be lost to evaporation.
• Apply any fertilizers, soil conditioners or other treatments prior to rainfall.
• Manage thatch to ensure water penetration. Soil surfactants that improve microbial activity and microorganisms can help manage thatch.
• Mow high for increased moisture reserves in the leaf blades and roots.
• Equip sprinkler systems with rain sensors.
• Check there are no leaks.
• Ensure coverage is even across the lawn.
• Grass stressed from lack of water will go dormant, not die.
• Mow less frequently during drought and heat stresses on the lawn.
• Consider drip irrigation for a garden or when practical, water the soil not the plant leaves or tree trunks.
• For trees and shrubs, water away from the trunk, several feet in circumference beyond the canopy of the tree or shrub.
• Surfactants and wetting agents, including Penterra to get water to penetrate and move through the soil, as well as Humawet or SoiPlex to retain water, offer the fastest solution to water management.
• Longterm, mulching can help to improve soil and plant health, improving water management, water conservation and drought resistance of plants in addition to fast results with soil surfactants.

What type of soil do you have?

• Sandy soil: Have lots of air spaces between the particles. Allows for good drainage, but sometimes too good of drainage.
• Clay and compacted soil: Soil that does not drain well, leaving water sitting on the surface and having few air spaces between soil particles.
• Loam: Middle ground between sand and clay. Loam absorbs water well and dries at a nice moderate rate. It is high in organic matter.

Now that you know your soil type, which surfactant is best to turn your brown dry lawn to a green healthy lawn while using less water?

Sandy soil:

You need your soil to retain more water. SoilPlex is the organic solution for an organic garden, lawn or landscape that is not retaining water. Humawet is the other earth-friendly soil surfactant solution for sandy soils where water is draining too quickly. Get your green grass now.

Clay and compacted soil:

Water is sitting on the surface of your clay or compacted soil. You need Penterra, the fastest-acting soil surfactant, to keep water moving deep through the soil rather than sitting on the surface. Get green grass here.

Loam:

If you’re properly watering, not in a drought and aren’t under strict water restrictions, your loam soil type should yield a green lawn. If you are experiencing drought and water restrictions, consider Endurant organic turf colorant to turn your brown lawn to a green lawn.

Learn more at www.DryLawn.com 

Geoponics is grateful for the USGA turf colorant seminar held today, Monday, Feb. 9. The USGA Turf Colorant Seminar featured pioneers in turf colorant while showcasing best golf course maintenance practices with turfgrass painting professionals during the event held at Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, NC.

Speakers at the USGA-sponsored event included Tom Reardon sharing the organic chemistry behind Geoponics Endurant organic turf paint; Rob Vaughan, the very first in the world to use Endurant turf paint on his fairways at Brunskwick Plantation many, many years ago and gaining so much turf paint experience that he is now dubbed “Dr. Paint“; Pinehurst Resorts’ Kevin Robinson, who uses Endurant turf colorant on all nine golf courses at Pinehurst, and other amazing turf and golf leaders at the event.

(Read Robinson’s take on the benefits of Endurant as of several years ago here and how Endurant got Pinehurst through a tough winter to remain TV ready for the U.S. Open here.)

Country Club of Landfall currently uses Endurant and took the chance at the USGA Turf Colorant Seminar today to demonstrate to attendees the use of Endurant on a golf course fairway.

USGA Turf Colorant Seminar: From all overseed to all turf paint

Interestingly, Pinehurst Resorts, as of five years ago, overseeded wall to wall on their properties. This year, there will be zero overseeding. Instead, Pinehurst, home of the U.S. Open and other major events, is painting all nine courses using Endurant organic turf colorant. The switch makes sense economically, agronomically and in every other way, Pinehurst officials have shared.

Geoponics is grateful for the USGA hosting this event. The USGA Turf Colorant Seminar assists in raising awareness about the benefits and alternatives offered by turf colorant in this powerful series of speakers and presenters. Geoponics was proud to have the opportunity to demonstrate how to apply turf colorant, and, specifically, to demonstrate Endurant organic turf colorant at the USGA Turf Colorant Seminar.

Geoponics is also grateful for Golf Course Superintendent Jeff Mack at Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, NC for being the host.

More photos from the USGA Turf Colorant Seminar here and on Twitter:

Warm season grasses look vibrant in the cold winter months with Endurant organic turf colorants. Bermuda grass and other warm season grasses and turf grass varieties look great in places such as Tennessee most of the year, until temperatures dip periodically near or below freezing, sending the grass to brown dormancy.

Endurant organic turf paint keeps these warm season grasses popping with natural looking green grass, appealing to golfers and visitors.

Endurant organic turf colorant in Tennessee

Golf Course Superintendent Jason Sanderson of Cherokee Country Club and Golf Course in Knoxville, TN, discovered turf paint as the best solution for brown winter dormancy many years ago. Each year, he improves his techniques to create a golf course that members enjoy while managing water usage, time and finances.
“Private country club owners really like to be able to find their golf balls in the middle of the fairway,” said Sanderson.
Sanderson hasn’t overseeded his golf course in more than 12 years.
Sanderson shares his experience and techniques to offer advice to others managing warm season turf grass during colder weather:

General turf paint advice, whether a professional golf course superintendent, landscape professional or homeowner on warm season grasses and other turf grass varieties from Sanderson:

• Endurant mixes better than the four or five other paints Sanderson has tried in the past 6 to 12 years.
• Endurant lasts longer, goes on a more natural dark color and stays true to that color longer.
• Painting on frost actually works best. However, it has to be done fast and applied quickly, painting in about two hours.
• Spraying in multiple directions is a definite must for the best color and even coverage.
• Multiple applications is really important in my opinion, said Sanderson. We make two applications a week or two apart and so far don’t have to paint again until spring comes and the turf comes out of dormancy.
• Water volume is the most important thing that Cherokee Country Club has figured out over the years of turf paint applications on their warm season grasses.
• Sanderson prefers GreenLeaf nozzles made particularly for painting.
• This is a personal choice, but I prefer the look and color of the Endurant FW, the turf colorant for fairways. (there are several other colors. See more Endurant turf paint varieties here.)

Photos courtesy of Golf Course Superintendent Jason Sanderson, Knoxville, TN

Sanderson noted these particular benefits for warm season grasses using Endurant organic turf paint during the winter months:

• Painting helps the soil temperature by at least a degree or two. We noticed we didn’t lose any grass on areas that were painted. Even when temperatures were especially low, we had less damage.
• Besides the agronomic benefits, it just makes the turf much more appealing to the eye.
• “Endurant gives a great look to the expansive views of the golf course.”
• It’s dependent on weather conditions, but so far, we put on two applications a week or two apart and don’t have to paint it again before spring.
• Endurant helped the bermudagrass get an earlier greenup in spring by about two to three weeks.
• Endurant helps make spring clean up really nice and gets us going a little earlier.
• My membership thinks it’s well worth the cost even if just to be able to see their golf ball and golf game.
• “Endurant looks great. It’s very dramatic.”

Sanderson shared the particulars of his property and how he uses the Endurant organic turf paint on his warm season grasses:

• Of the warm season grasses, the turf grass variety at Cherokee Country Club is bermuda grass.
• He paints all tees, fairways and the green surrounds at the country club and golf course, using Endurant.
• The property is located in north western Tennessee, totaling about 35 acres.
• Cherokee Country Club is located in Knoxville and has 18 holes.
• He’s been painting his tees there for about six years.
• He started using Endurant on the tees and decided to use Endurant organic grass paint on fairways after seeing the agronomic benefits.
• Cherokee Country Club prefers Endurant FW on the fairways at rate of 6 gallons per acre.
• Sanderson sprays the fairways two times, applying 3 gallons per acre in two directions, anywhere from a couple days apart to a week or two apart, depending upon the weather.

Series of articles compiling turf tips from professionals in the field

Sanderson is one of several turf professionals sharing their turf tips on Twitter with Geoponics and other turf growers, lawn professionals, sod growers and homeowners looking for tips.

Follow Geoponics and check out recent blogs for similar turf tips from professionals in the field, including frost delay prevention and frost damage prevention here.

Buy Endurant organic turf paint now. Click here.