Geoponics Blog

Carbotein (CARBOTEIN.COM) was first introduced to me when trials were begun at the greenhouse where I work. The salesperson asked me to bring some home to try on my bonsai, which I did. Of course they don’t like anything heavy, and when feeding them you aren’t looking for growth, so we settled on a very low rate. What I observed over time was a denser canopy developing with a deeper green foliage, but with very little size increase, which is just what one looks for. So it has turned out to be the best fertility product I’ve used over the years.

I’ve also been treating my Meyer lemon tree with good results. Like with other plants I’ve seen the Carbotein used on, it just seems healthier and more robust as a result. In fact, its hardiness was recently (summer 2011) put to the test when I was unexpectedly away for two weeks during a wicked heat wave of +100° days, over which it received no water. When I returned home, I was not surprised to see the soil in the planter was dry as a bone, and the leaves had all begun to curl. I’ve been cultivating that tree for ten years now and was very upset that it seemed to be beyond saving. There was nothing to be done but to start back watering and hope. Amazingly enough, by the end of the week it was back to looking fine; it lost maybe 20 leaves, at most, when I had been expecting to lose the whole thing. I attribute its quick recovery and survival to Carbotein (Carbotein.com). We’ve all been really impressed by what we’ve seen it do, and we really appreciate that it is all-natural as well.

Fred Davis
City of Raleigh Greenhouses
Assistant Greenhouse Worker

Interview with Reem’s Creek CountryClub Superintendent Aaron Cape

So how did you first learn of Geoponics?

I was working as an assistant at a course in Myrtle Beach that was trialing Agriox (Agriox.com). A number of superintendents around the area were trying out the new product which you kept hearing was “liquid aerification.” (SoilOxygen.com) I was intrigued by the concept and was very interested to see what effect it would have, especially if it could give stressed out bentgrass any help during the heat of summer. I’m a big believer that you build a healthy plant from the bottom up, so a company that was talking about the value of increasing soil oxygen levels got my attention right away.

And what did you think of the results?

Agriox became an important part of my management program when I took my first head superintendent job in Southern Pines, and it is here in the mountains as well. In each case we’ve seen increased root mass, improved disease resistance and more efficient water uptake. I can tell you straight out that I wouldn’t manage greens anywhere without it. No way.

Sounds like you feel it’s been worth it.

With the peaks and valleys of the economy in recent years, you have to be willing to look outside of the box. I’ve cast aside that old attitude of “You Get What You Pa yFor” because cost effectiveness is about more than that, so you can’t afford to overlook any products just because they aren’t familiar. Now my motto is “Make Every Application Count.” My responsibility as a manager is to get every last bit of value I can out of every budget dollar, and that means instead of getting more for less you have to figure out ways to get A LOT MORE for less.

When it comes to buying Agriox, I know that I’m getting the bang for my buck that I need. When you account for all it does for you, helping you to get better results from all the other things you are doing, it turns out to be very economical.

It’s great to hear that you find the return on your investment to be worthwhile. Can you talk some about your personal experience with the product?

Sure. When I made the move to Hyland Golf Club they told me they wanted to limit core aerification to a single time in June. Summers can get pretty rough in Pinehurst, but I told them I didn’t have a problem with that because there are other things you can do to work on the root system. I felt comfortable saying that largely because I was intending to use Agriox to get extra oxygen into the soil anyway.

So we got the program up and running, and then there was a string of days where the temps were in the 90?s with low humidity and the greens were showing signs of stress. I had been making regular Agriox applications, but decided to go out before I was due to see if I could give them some relief. Well, by that afternoon they were actually looking perky like they do the day after they’ve gotten a flush from a nice rain. That was the moment I knew the product does exactly what Geoponics says it will.

I’m at a different course now, growing a different variety, but the results are still there. In fact, it’s been over a month since I’ve sprayed a fungicide on my greens, so you know I’m confident they are healthy, and that product is a big part of the reason why.

As you know, one of our main goals as a company is to reduce the need for chemical inputs, so that is exactly the sort of feedback we are looking for. Any time we hear success stories like that, where our customers see how powerful an efficiently running soil ecology can be, there’s really no greater reward.

I agree completely. Like I said before, I really feel that a healthy soil grows a stronger plant, and in my mind that is by far the best defense against all kinds of stress. It’s basic agronomics really: if you work from the bottom up, your tops will be enhanced. I have to give my crew the chance to succeed no matter what the conditions are, and the way you do that is by cultivating a resistant and resilient stand of turf.

The other major goal of our company is to improve water use efficiency. How has working with Geoponics impacted your moisture management program?

At the time when I first started using the Agriox product I was putting it out with another popular surfactant mix which was a part of my normal program. Like most guys, I wasn’t looking to change wetting agents, but in talking to my Geoponics reps they kept coming back to the Penterra (Penterra.net) product because of how it was critical to get Agriox into the root zone where it needs to be in order to do its job.

Eventually I decided to evaluate it by putting it into a tough situation and see what it could do, so I did a trial on a fairway which had drainage issues and tended to stay wet. Again, it did just what I was told it would and pulled the water off the top quickly and down through the profile more effectively than any other surfactant.

I’ve used it regularly since then, and its helped me to get a consistency of play across the whole course at a fraction of the cost of what I was using before. It’s really unbelievable how much less it is; Geoponics obliterates the competition on price and rate. There’s a fine line between having too much or too little moisture in your root zone, whether it’s for plant hydration or for nutrient solubility when you apply a fertilizer. Penterra lets me make the adjustments I need to strike the right balance.

I’ll tell you what product is one of my favorites ever: Carbotein (Carbotein.com). And I ain’t lying. It’s part of both my greens and tee program. In fact, I double apply my driving range tee, and with regular top dressing it recovers in no time even with tons of play. The turf density is excellent everywhere I spray it, which provides all sorts of benefits. I treat my fairways with it monthly, and now I don’t need lots of growth regulators, plus I’m seeing savings on gas and cutting back on time spent mowing, which means less personnel down time.

The Carbotein is a full spectrum of amino acids really gets the biodiversity of the microbes in the soil working for you, so we are constantly hearing from customers about how many amazing results they’ve seen as a resultof using it. On every kind of plant imaginable, from roses to row crops, on flowers and ornamental grasses, if it grows in the ground, it responds to Carbotein.

It’s those basic agronomics again, working from the bottom up to build a healthy soil which makes for a more robust plant. I’ll be a Carbotein buyer for life.

We’ve covered quite a bit, and it goes without saying we are so grateful to have been given the chance to earn your business. Is there anything else you’d like to mention about the company or product line before we call it a day?

I’ve been reallypleased with everything I’ve used, but one of the things I’ve liked most about the whole line from the get go is how it allows you to put a program together in a way that fits with the goals you have at a given time, and how adaptable it is to when those goals change. As I’ve played with the products and continued to learn, I keep discovering ways to get more out of them.

It’s exciting really. If you break down those walls of the Old School thought we mentioned earlier, you can get out of some ruts you don’t even realize you’re in. People like myself who have given Geoponics a chance have really seen a lot of good things as a result.

Thank you for saying that. I know you have made recommendations to people to try our products and have gone out of your way to talk to other superintendents about the company and what we are working towards, and we truly appreciate that a great deal.

Well, you’re more than welcome. I’m glad to help spread the word, and if there is any way that I may be of assistance in the future, please let me know.

Geoponics sits down with Superintendent Tim Haskins of The Quarry in North Naples, Florida to discuss the fast results he experienced with the Geganics Program. Geganics gets its name from combining the words organic and Geoponics. The Geganics Program provides sustainable turf fertility with moisture management, nutrients and several other benefits.

Learn about Geoponics products with this one-page product guide to get started.

Geoponics: Tim, can you tell us a bit about The Quarry?

Tim Haskins: The Quarry is nestled in about 830 acres of preserves. We have about 320 acres of lakes out here—the big thing being the 275-acre stone lake, which is kind of our center piece of the property. It was actually a working Quarry back in the day. So we actually have a crane that was left on one of our holes in the back that kind of pays homage to what was here in the past.
We have a great amenities center. We have our own beach. We built our own beach here on that lake. So we actually have a beach club on the other side of our club house, which houses all our tennis facilities, fitness and a restaurant over there. It’s a great amenity for the members that live here. All the members, all the residents that are connected to that lake have boat docks. So, they have the ability to boat out here.

The golf course is designed by Hurdzan-Fry. We’ve hosted the past two years of the ACE Group Classic.

Geoponics: What type of turf does the course have?

Tim: We are wall-to-wall SeaDwarf Seashore Paspalum.

A bit about SeaDwarf Seashore Paspalum:
• SeaDwarf® Seashore Paspalum needs low fertilizer, low nitrogen and can be treated for weeds with table salt. This saves time and money and helps the environment by putting much fewer chemicals into the ecosystem.
• Requires up to 50 percent less water than bermudagrass.
• Can be irrigated with recycled water.
• Has much less nitrogen run-off than many other turfgrasses because less nitrogen is used for fertilization.

Geoponics: Has the turf always been this way or was that a change?

Tim: That was from the get-go. The developer looked at it as a great tool for environmental sensibility. The attributes of Paspalum, requiring less water, less fertility really hit home with the theme they wanted to go with by trying to be as sustainable as we could be. So, that was the first step, choosing that turf.

Geoponics: How did you first discover Geoponics?

Tim: Really it was just a cold call. Somebody came in. We sat down. Certainly I liked the products. I liked what the sales representative had to say. He had really good information, great back up. It was really nice because at that time it was a situation where he said, “Ya know, I’m not trying to sell you anything today, but let’s try some products out here.”
I’ve got a lot of products out here that I try and I just never got to see the results that I’ve seen with Geoponics products.

Geoponics: When you learned about Geoponics products, given the type of turf you are using, did you think it was a good fit?

Tim: It wasn’t really about the turf. It was more about the soil and what was here before we put the turf on it. Because having been a quarry and sort of abandoned land, the soil really wasn’t sweetened so to speak. So, you know, we struggled for the first couple years with a lot of moisture management issues, disease issues. Paspalum is famous for disease pressure. So, it was more about how we can better the golf course as a whole, not just the turf. Obviously, at the end of the day, the turf benefits from it, but unless you have a good soil structure and you’re doing everything you need to do under the ground versus on top of the ground, you’re never going to win.

Geoponics: You said Paspalum is susceptible to disease, what are some of the diseases you’ve had to deal with?

Tim: For the first couple of years dollar spot was really bad. I worked really closely with the Geoponics rep. Paspalum, because of the density of the turf, really holds a lot of moisture. What was happening was we just couldn’t get that moisture to flush through and being able to work with Geoponics gave me the ability to flush it down so nothing was sitting up on top.

The other real big disease I have is Rhizoctonia (also called brown patch) and we’re still working on that one. Moisture management is a big part of everything.
Typically, it’s yellow rings. You start to see thinning of the turf. If you don’t catch it fast enough, obviously death to the turf.
Sometimes we get these wet, cloudy days with high humidity, high temperatures, you know, you’re just praying for sunlight. Anything we can do to alleviate those conditions and strengthen the turf, that’s what we’re trying to do.

Geoponics: You’re now using the Geganics Program on your fairways, right? As a superintendent, can you share with us what changes took place?

Tim: Again, I was a little leery at first about the whole program. When you’re sitting here talking to someone, it makes sense, but until you actually get out in the field and see it work. I can tell you that after spraying that I was on the phone going “Wow. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

The program, with the moisture management in there, I’ve seen less peaks and valleys with hot spots and that sort of thing. There are two products that I change, Penterra and HydraHawk. When it’s the summer and we’ve got heavy rains, I’ll stay with the Penterra to push water through. Versus, say in the winter time, when we’re in kind of dry conditions, I’m using HydraHawk to actually hold more moisture in there. So, it’s nice to have that flexibility, but the fertilizer part of it. I’ve used a lot of different products.
Paspalum is famous for its dark green color. I mean it looks like you’ve overseeded out here in the winter time and I’ve never seen too many products have an affect on color and this product did. It’s noticeable within an hour or two. My members see a noticeable change.
I’m in a much better spot this year from last year in terms of my color, my density, my moisture management.
When I do have situations where an irrigation head doesn’t come on and we don’t notice it right away—because really until it starts to brown out you really don’t know. It’s quicker to recover than it normally would be. So a lot of pluses with the Geganics program.
We’re getting three or four weeks out of the longevity of the color, which is fantastic. Last year, we actually used a pigment on the fairways just to add a little bit of color. We won’t have to use that this year because of the program. There’s no reason for it.

Geoponics: It seems like you’re very pleased with the Geganics Program. How do you feel about the service you’re receiving from Geoponics?

Tim: The service has been great. From day one, again, I’m not a big fan of cold calls, but for that representative to come in and give me the information that I needed, for me it’s nice. He’s available almost 24/7. There’s not a time where I’ve picked up the phone or shot an email or a text and haven’t gotten some kind of a response. Sometimes just stopping by. It’s been fantastic, just the information, the knowledge that the representative has is key when you’re out there looking at a problem. It’s not a situation where the representative will just spout out something if he doesn’t know. He’s very honest. He’ll say “give me a day let me research this. Let me find out because I’m not 100 percent sure. I know I’ve got a product for you, but I’m just not sure which one.” So, it’s not your typical “I’m just trying to sell you something.”
They’re more interested in making the product work to everyone’s advantage than just selling a product.

Geoponics:Anything I didn’t ask that you think might help other superintendents and turf managers in addressing their challenges or understanding this program?

Tim: Every golf course is different. Microclimates are really different from hole one to hole three. It’s just the way it is.
I think if superintendents are really looking into moisture management and the new sustainability issues that are out there with the issues we have with water restrictions it’s only going to get worse. Superintendents really have to start planning now instead of later and these products will work. There are tons of products out there. For me though, these products really work. I haven’t seen the results with other products that I’ve seen with this. So, it’s highly recommended. I don’t see me getting off it anytime soon. It’s not to say I won’t try other things to see if they may work, but why mess with something that works?
Sustainability and water management are just going to be huge and it’s not starting next year. It started two years ago so we have to be proactive and get on the proverbial band wagon if you may.

In two days, I was just like wow. Everything just looked vibrant. Wow. They just looked good. By the end of the week they just looked fuller. They just had a great healthy look to them. I put it in my program every two to three weeks.

Golf course superintendent Alan Lichter is amazed with the results he has seen from products found at SoilSurfactant.com
HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEW BELOW

SEE MORE VIDEOS AT GEOPONICS.TV