HED: A REVOLUTION IN Growing Turfgrass

Water is a matter of life and death for the golf industry, literally.

Very few people today are aware of the positive effects of green natural turf in urban areas, and how the golf industry has developed ways to effectively grow and manage this grass. Instead, recent years have seen a shift in political messaging, with all sides targeting the industry over its water consumption based on incorrect and false claims. Today, the industry is being blamed for the widespread water crisis, and it has not been very good at making its case for the future. Until now.

is comparing Capillary Hydroponics to Variable-Depth Rootzones, the latest in USGA technology, at Michigan State University’s Hancock Turfgrass Research Center. The research, which started in June 2022, is comparing the two systems for economic and environmental impacts, but the focus as it goes. When the water moves and enters or exits the pores of the root-zone material, the gas exchange increases by up to 6.000%.

The level of the water table is completely controllable and the water moves between each cavity at a fully adjustable rate too. This system minimizes the amount of water required and promotes strong root growth.

Capillary Material ensures a perfectly flat and level base beneath the rootzone, which is crucial for the functioning of a hydroponic system.

Benefits of Capillary Hydroponics

“CapillaryFlow and its founder Martin Sternberg, CGCS, has invented the first ever hydroponic system to grow turfgrass, and it will change the way we build and manage turf in the future.” These are the words of Dr Thom Nikolai, one of the world’s leading scientists in turfgrass.

Capillary Hydroponics is a radical new irrigation system that uses an oxygenated and fertilized moving underground water table to grow turfgrass. In doing so, it decreases water loss and consumption by up to 85% while ensuring that the turfgrass grown is stronger and more durable with significantly less maintenance and environmental impact.

Dr Nikolai is spearheading a study that in the first two years is water consumption. Preliminary results will be out later this year.

Capillary Hydroponics: A revolution in turfgrass

At the core of Capillary Hydroponics is Capillary Material, formerly known as Capillary Concrete. This patented and engineered polymer-based pervious concrete is the only building material that can rapidly drain water while also moving water up. Invented in 2009, it is also behind one of CapillaryFlow’s most successful solutions, Capillary Bunkers, which has transformed the way the golf industry constructs and maintains bunkers.

The Capillary Hydroponics system comprises several layers: an impermeable liner that sits on the soil, drainage pipes, drainage gravel, a layer of Capillary Material, washed sand and finally grass. The area under the surface is split into two equally large parts. A control basin filled with water is placed on the outside and has pipes that feed into the middle of each cavity. It automatically oxygenates and pumps fertilized water back and forth between the two sections several times a day, watering the roots

The benefits of using the Capillary Hydroponics system are many:

1. The surface performance and moisture levels can be designed purely for purpose of user or sports application.

2. Ensures consistent ground conditions due to inorganic root-zone materials and subsurface irrigation.

3. Watering from below leads to less weed and disease pressure.

4. By irrigating from below, there is reduced surface evaporation decreasing water loss and consumption by up to 85%.

5. Distribution of fertilizers and pesticides through the water in circulation allows for lower total consumption and near zero leaching.

6. A constant change of water table allows for better oxygen exchange, up to 6,000% which increases root growth.

About:

CapillaryFlow is a technology company whose patented innovations are enabling golf courses, sports grounds, and other leisure spaces like city parks to build long-lasting and low maintenance greens, bunkers and grounds. Controlling the water, carbon dioxide and oxygen levels for various soil profiles in these spaces is a major challenge. Our proprietary CapillaryFlow technology offers a simple solution that ensures optimal moisture levels and good drainage regardless of the weather conditions.