An improved, more-soluble formulation of a proven silicon product is now available to sports field managers looking to enhance their turf’s resilience and resistance to stress.
SILI-CAL SS (Super Soluble), a new formulation designed to enhance turf resilience and upright growth, is now being offered through Silico Turf LLC. The company was launched January 1, 2010 by longtime turf industry marketer Sheree Scarbrough to fill the need for high quality silicon-based supplements for greens, fairways and sports turf. Scarbrough plans to reinvigorate and grow the product line by aggressively expanding distribution of SILI-CAL SS and reaching out to key customers who’ve had success using silicon products in the past.
“The new SS formulation has been improved so that the pellets dissolve much more rapidly,” said Scarbrough. “We’re using a silicon source that is quite simply the most soluble form in the market. That means more is available to the plant more quickly. Our customers will really notice a big difference.”
SILI-CAL SS is a 29-23-3 (Si-Ca-Mg) blend created to strengthen turf cell walls and improve nutrient uptake. In golf, superintendents are increasingly relying on it to enhance and maintain fast and firm conditions, particularly on greens under stress from low cutting heights, weather and disease. On sports turf, SILI-CAL SS significantly increases wear tolerance, one of the toughest challenges for sports turf managers.
A typical SS greens program consists of a 25-lbs/1,000 springtime application followed by two 10-lbs/1,000 applications at 30-day intervals. The product is easily mixed with a fertilizer application and the calcium in the formulation both increases uptake and replaces the need for a separate Ca application.
Scarbrough was most recently with Excell Minerals where she spearheaded introduction of another silicon-based product and gained experience in both the production and distribution aspects of that segment. Prior to that, she was sales and marketing manager for EarthWorks, Inc., and held other sales positions in turf distribution in Ohio.
“I’m delighted to be aligned with someone as energetic and experienced as Sheree to put our products into the hands of turf managers around the country,” said Mark Elizer, the developer of SILI-CAL. “We’ve always wanted to bring the benefits of silicon to golf and sports fields and now we have the right partner to do it.”
“After twelve years of working with superintendents who struggle with building resilient turf, I’ve learned just how critical it is to replenish silicon on a regular basis,” said Scarbrough. “There are volumes of research from places like the University of Florida, Penn State and Cal Poly that support the concept, but we just haven’t had the right product in the market to do it quickly and effectively until now.”