Capillary Concrete has launched a Hydroponic Turf System, offering course managers the opportunity to make reductions in the amount of water needed to maintain high quality turfgrass, while at the same time promising increases in turf health.

The system uses the capillary properties of Capillary Concrete to enable both drainage and irrigation from below and to precisely regulate the moisture content of the turf’s rootzone.

“The system divides the turf into two areas of equal size,” Capillary Concrete inventor and CEO Martin Sternberg said. “A control basin automatically oxygenates and pumps or drains water between the two areas on a regular schedule. The system is powered by a small solar panel and the water levels in the turf profile can easily be adjusted.”

The Hydroponic Turf System enables massive increases in gas exchange below the top 4 inches of the rootzone – the area which conventional aeration methods do not adequately service. Because carbon dioxide molecules are heavier than those of oxygen, the system pushes out the heavier molecules and sucks oxygen into the turf profile by raising and lowering the water table. It also delivers optimal levels of nutrients directly to the rootzone.

“We have been researching this application of our technology for five years, and the results are remarkable,” Sternberg said. “Irrigating from below virtually eliminates evaporation, and our tests show up to 85 percent savings in total water used under our Hydroponic Turf System. Irrigation costs can be lowered by up to 30 percent, and the level of gas exchange in the rootzone can be increased by an almost unbelievable 6,000 percent. Using hydroponics in this way will increase the lifespan of tees and greens, it will help superintendents deliver superior turf from dryer surfaces with lower maintenance costs and a much smaller environmental footprint.”