Geoponics Blog

Keeping the Landscaped Areas Around Her Golf  Course Looking Their Best Requires Less Time and Effort Now That Debbie Fitzgerald Utilizes Carbotein

My responsibilities at the course cover all of the non-playing natural areas, planters and flower beds. Across such a wide area there are a lot of different growing conditions, many outside of our ability to control, and of course the range of plant life is quite broad. I have applied Carbotein on everything from ornamental turfgrass to flowers, on bushes and shrubs, and even to trees, and in each case I have seen a noticeable positive impact. Plugs that were having difficulty getting established and were looking like weeds took off, even in shaded areas or in bad soils.  Annuals that typically would have begun fading are still looking great, and freshly transplanted areas are not showing the signs of stress you would ordinarily expect. The foliage has become so dense in certain places, we’ve had to remove entire sections to clear existing pathways, which allows us to develop new cultivated areas elsewhere. The results we’ve seen have been absolutely amazing!

There’s always more work to be done than hours in the day, so finding products that save time is really welcome. By switching from a granular application to a foliar product, we have reduced water use and are able to cover more ground more quickly. We need less space for storage, and what used to be backbreaking work is now simple and easy. As a horticulturist I place a high value on responsible management practices, and the fact that using Carbotein reduces the amount of nutrients lost to run off and leeching is very important to me. That it is less expensive is, of course, a huge plus as well. I am really thankful to have discovered this product.

Debbie Fitzgerald
Horticulturist
Raleigh Country Club
Raleigh, NC

I’ve been using Agriox with Penterra for a little over three years now;  it’s a regular part of my program. We find the products together give us the extra help we need to keep the turf as healthy as possible considering the stress that daily double cutting and rolling to less than an eighth creates. We are expected to stay as fast as possible, but it is still vital to be consistent. That is probably the best measure of the effect using these products has, but you have to stay on the program.</photo>

In this industry we often don’t give a product a chance unless we see a dramatic change right away. We tend to be visual people, which is  probably the reason, but not everything can work overnight. By releasing oxygen into the soil in the right mixture with the soil moisture, you can keep the balance between your capillary / non-capillary space right where you need it to be. Not only is our soil profile now more uniform, but we can also quickly get rid of hot spots. My clipping yield tells me the combination is effective as well; I’ve seen us go from being where we need to be for 10 days before putting fertilizer out to 15 or more, so it is definitely saving us money.

Scott Corwin, Superintendent
Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club (Marriott)
St. Petersburg, FL

Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) Poison to People, Poison to Plants

Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) is a colorless gas that smells like rotten eggs (from the sulphur). Often referred to as “sewer gas,” hydrogen sulfide is highly poisonous. Usually, the poisoning caused by hydrogen sulfide is through inhalation and has a toxicity similar to cyanide. Anaerobic conditions produce hydrogen sulfide (H2S), methane, ammonia and carbon dioxide. H2S is the most dangerous. In humans, one or two breaths of air, with as little as 600 parts permillion (ppm) H2S, can cause a person to lose consciousness. Deaths are not uncommon when people enter poorly ventilated spaces such as deep wells, underground tanks or sewer systems. Since H2S gas is heavier than air, its concentration is highest near the bottom of enclosed spaces.

What happens to hydrogen sulfide when it enters the environment?

• Hydrogen sulfide is released primarily as a gas and will spread in the air
• When released as a gas, it will form sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid in the atmosphere
• Sulfur dioxide can be broken down further and is a major component in acid rain
• Hydrogen sulfide remains in the atmosphere for about 18 hours
• In some instances, it may be released as a liquid waste from an industrial facility

Low Levels of H2S

The odor of hydrogen sulfide gas can be perceived at levels as low as 10 ppb (parts per billion). At levels of 50-100 ppm (parts per million), it may cause the human sense of smell to fail. Exposure to lower concentrations can result in eye irritation, a sore throat and cough, shortness of breath, and fluidin the lungs. These symptoms usually go away in a few weeks. Long-term, low-level exposure may result in fatigue, loss of appetite, headaches, irritability, poor memory, and dizziness.

High Levels of H2S

At high exposures (usually greater than 300 ppm), H2S has the amazing effect of causing the nose to stop perceiving its smell after a few inhalations, which may lead to the inhalation of a toxic or fatal dose (which can occur at 600 ppm). Breathing very high levels of hydrogen sulfide can cause death within just a few breaths. There could be loss of consciousness after one or more breaths. At high levels, hydrogen sulfide gas may paralyze the lungs, meaning that the victim may then be unable to escape from the toxic gas without assistance.

Continued exposure to H2S will kill you!

When released suddenly in large amounts of if allowed to build up in confined or poorly ventilated areas, toxic gases such as H2S are deadly. Every year people are killed or injured by poisonous H2S gas.

The hazard increases when:

• gases concentrate or build up in a confined space, or are suddenly release in a work environment
• delays in emptying pits or tanks cause manure levels to rise, bringing trapped gases closer to any workers examining a pit or tank
• hot weather speeds anaerobic conditions, thus increasing the amount of H2S being produced

Sources: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Atlanta, GA. 1999 Manning Safety Services, Inc., Jourdanton, TX

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

“We have been very pleased with the product quality and customer service we have received from Geoponics. As our business expands we look forward to exploring new avenues with other unique products this company has to offer.”

Paul Moriarty,
Vice President
Quality Enterprises