News
Before Sod After Sod
After spending over $5,000,000.00 on the renovation of the Courthouse facilities in Hampton County South Carolina, there was no money left for sod and the county was planning to seed the grounds with a ryegrass and centipede mix in October. Green Acres Turf Farm, located in Hampton County knew that this would not be a satifactory long term solution for the courthouse grounds. Green Acres decided to help out the local community by donating and installing TifBlair Centipede sod. This is a great place for the public to experience the many benefits of using turfgrass sod. The asthetic value of installing sod is obvious, however there are many other benefits provided by turfgrass. Sod certainly cuts down on the cost of cleaning and maintaining the floors of buildings due to much less dirt and dust entering the buildings. Sod also eliminates most soil erosion as well problems associated with storm water runoff. Sod cools and cleans the atmosphere by reflecting the sun's heat and absorbing noises, carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants. It releases valuable oxygen and moisture into the air we breath. As it grows, sod silently contributes to a healthier enviroment from which everyone benefits. For more information about the benefits of turfgrass visit www.thelawninstitute.com. For more information about Hampton County visit www.lowcountryus.net.
The Green Acres Turf Farm staff and management is proudly producing and marketing Platinum TE Paspalum. Platinum TE is an exciting new eco-friendly seashore paspalum developed by Dr. Ron R. Duncan. With unparalleled characteristics that make it an excellent choice for any area of play on the golf course, Platinum TE offers golf and sports turf managers a reasonable solution to a variety of enviromental challenges. The arrival of Platinum TE at Green Acres Turf Farm demonstates our continued commitment to offer exceptional turf varieties that allow for long term enviromental sustainability. For techinical information about Paspalum TE go to www.platinumte.com or www.turfecosystems.com.
EMPIRE Turf was recently featured on ABC's Good Morning America television program in a segment about drought-fighting lawns. To view the segment, click the link below.
Captiva™ St. Augustine is ready for the spotlight in Canada. The new St. Augustine will be displayed at the TPI Field Day in Calgary at the end of July. Captiva was developed by Dr. Russell Nagata of the University of Florida and has exhibited resistance to all chinch bugs in the state of Florida. It also has resistance to the Planthopper insect and to the Sod Webworm. Captiva features slow leaf blade growth which equates to less mowing for the end-user. In fact, in one study Captiva was shorter after twenty one days of growth than Floratam was after seven.
“Captiva has many improved qualities,” said Dr. Nagata. “The top priority has been to find the next chinch bug resistant St. Augustine grass. That has been a long time in the making. I was also personally looking for a grass that did not bind me down to weekly mowing. Now I can go away on a two week vacation without having to worry about what my lawn will look like when I get home. Captiva’s slow leaf growth habit also reduces my gasoline use.”
The release of Captiva involves a unique three-way agreement with the Florida Sod Growers Cooperative (FSGC), the University of Florida and Sod Solutions. This partnership is unique in that it combines the research capability of the University of Florida, the hands-on turfgrass knowledge of the FSGC and its member growers and the marketing experience and technical support of Sod Solutions. The agreement is designed to support the FSGC’s organizational goals and provides for the release of Captiva St. Augustine to licensed turfgrass producers worldwide. Through the agreement, the FSGC and University of Florida will participate in marketing and program oversight. FSGC members will be afforded exclusive opportunity to produce this improved warm-season grass in Florida.
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| Celebration after 60 days of drought | Celebration after 60 day recovery period |
In past university research studies, Celebration Bermudagrass has proven the best turfgrass among studied varieties for athletic traffic simulation, surface hardness, divot injury and wear recovery. San Antonio Water System (SAWS) has now reaffirmed perhaps its top attribute: Celebration's tenacity to survive and grow in low-water environments.
The aim of the SAWS drought simulation was to "weed-out" excessive water-using turf varieties while identifying top drought performing cultivars. The research became prudent because of a new ordinance in the San Antonio, Texas market requiring residential and commercial builders to install only approved turf varieties that featured summer dormancy capabilities for new construction in the city.
25 different turfgrass varieties were used in the study, including St. Augustine grasses, Zoysia grasses, Buffalo grasses and Bermudagrasses. 60 days of drought was simulated from July 23 to September 20, 2006. That two and a half month period was the hottest on record for the San Antonio area. After 60 days without water, Celebration was still green and growing. Following the initial 60 day stretch, the water was turned back on. After 60 more days of irrigation, Celebration recovered 100%; better that 23 other varieties. Only one other grass was able to equal that feat.
Constant research and testing reaffirms Celebration Bermudagrass as one of the most resilient turfgrass cultivars in the world. From golf courses and sports fields to home lawns and commercial applications, Celebration is quickly becoming "America's grass."
Homebuilders across the state of Florida now have even more incentive to "think green." EMPIRE TurfTM, Florida's first greatly improved zoysiagrass, meets the Florida Green Building Coalition "Green Building" standards. This allows Florida builders seeking "Green Home Certification" to specify EMPIRE for the yard and receive certifying credits (Category Two: Water / Drought Tolerant Turf [2 points]). EMPIRE was designated because of its ability to reduce landscape water usage, its inherent pest resistance and its requirements for minimal fertilizer.
John Kiefer of E3 Building Sciences, a member of the coalition, is a strong proponent of EMPIRE's benefits. "Since its introduction to the market eight years ago, EMPIRE Turf has proven itself to be drought tolerant and pest resistant," said Kiefer. "As a green and EnergyStar rater, I have inspected thousands of homes and I believe that EMPIRE is the logical choice for any ‘green' project."
"As a green and EnergyStar rater, I have inspected thousands of homes and I believe that EMPIRE is the logical choice for any ‘green' project." - John Kiefer, E3 Building Sciences
EMPIRE Turf was developed specifically for the unique southeastern environment. It is the only zoysiagrass to meet the F.G.B.C. "Green Building" standards that has a proven track record in the state of Florida. There are over 20,000 Florida homes already using EMPIRE with thousands more expected while water conservation remains a top priority in the Sunshine State. That's why the Green Builder Vision House Orlando 2008, a model of natural resource preservation, specified EMPIRE Turf for its lawn.
EMPIRE Turf is a medium-bladed, dark green zoysiagrass that features excellent wear tolerance, requires less mowing and chemical applications and is chinch bug resistant. More importantly, EMPIRE Turf allows the water supply to be shut off in severe periods of drought without the danger of permanently harming the lawn.
EMPIRE's water-saving qualities are being backed up by independent research. In a recent study done by the San Antonio Water System (SAWS), EMPIRE Turf was put into a 60 day drought simulator with other turf grasses and was rated the top zoysiagrass for drought recovery.
While research stands behind EMPIRE's performance, often times the best test is real-world applications. EMPIRE Turf has been specified in major developments across the state of Florida for its practical advantages. The Villages, Ginn Reunion Resort and Lakewood Ranch chose to go with EMPIRE in an effort to stay on the forefront of environmentally friendly landscaping. With Florida leading the way, EMPIRE Turf is steadily becoming the most viable option for drought-stricken areas of the country.
Conserving water starts in the front yard.
The Green Builder VISION House Orlando 2008, built as a model of natural resource preservation, installed drought-tolerant EMPIRE Turf™ throughout the property. EMPIRE was selected because of its ability to reduce landscape water usage.
“Water conservation has become priority number one in Florida and really the entire Southeastern United States,” said Keith Truenow, owner of Lake Jem Farms in Mt. Dora, Florida. “VISION House needed a turf variety that was environmentally friendly; a grass that could handle itself in drought conditions. It needed to look good and have all the other properties a homeowner wants, like less mowing and less overall maintenance. EMPIRE Turf was a perfect fit.”
EMPIRE Turf is a medium-bladed, dark-green zoysiagrass with a much lower water consumption rate than Florida’s common St. Augustinegrass. It features excellent wear tolerance, requires less mowing and chemical applications and is chinch bug resistant. More importantly, EMPIRE Turf allows the water supply to be shut off in severe periods of drought without the danger of permanently harming the lawn.
These traits made EMPIRE Turf a perfect companion for the Orlando VISION House. The purpose of the house is to demonstrate green building design, inside and out. From natural products and materials to renewable resources, the house is a model of environmental awareness following the National Association of Home Builders’ Green Building ideals.
EMPIRE’s water-saving qualities are being backed up by independent research. In a resent study done by the San Antonio Water System (SAWS), EMPIRE Turf was put into a 60 day drought simulator with other turfgrasses and was rated the top zoysiagrass for drought recovery.
While research stands behind EMPIRE’s performance, often times the best test is real-world applications. EMPIRE Turf has been specified in major developments across the state of Florida for its practical advantages. The Villages and Ginn Reunion Resort chose to go with EMPIRE in an effort to stay on the forefront on environmentally friendly landscaping.
Sod Solutions, Inc., the developer of EMPIRE Turf, is an international turfgrass development company incorporated in the early 90s. The company’s primary research facility and headquarters is located near Charleston, S.C. Sod Solutions TM has developed and released Palmetto St. Augustine®, EMPIRE Turf TM, Celebration BermudagrassTM, Sapphire St. AugustineTM and Bella BluegrassTM. For more information, visit www.sodsolutions.com or call 843.849.1288.
From reel mowers and chemical distributors to turf rollers and harvesters, the Field Day showcased turf industry equipment from around the world. Demonstrations gave even better insight into the latest technology the industry has to offer. The day under the South Florida sun was not only informative, but as usual, the event was a great chance for the movers and shakers in the Florida turf business to talk face to face about the issues facing the industry today.
The big news of the day was the unveiling of the logo for the new St. Augustine, CaptivaTM. Captiva is resistant to chinch bugs and to the sod web worm. The release of the grass itself is expected in the near future.
An exceptional barbeque lunch wrapped up the afternoon and brought the field day to a close. Congratulations on another successful exposition in 2008. Special thanks to Bethel Farms and to the board of the FSGC for all of their hard work and dedication.
