SEARCH RESULTS

Nuestro equipo técnico de Green Garden Corp. llevó a cabo la preparación de este evento tan importante para México y especialmente para Tulum Country Club. Golf course preparation BUPA TOURNAMENT 2021 - PGA TOUR Our Green Garden technical team carried out the preparation of this important event for Mexico and especially for Tulum Country Club. It all started four weeks before the week of the championship when we were informed from the club's management that the championship was going to be held. The first thought was, "what a joy to be able to show our work worldwide" and the second thought was, "what a challenge we have" , since we only had four weeks to present the course in perfect conditions and a championship of this caliber is usually started to prepare a year in advance, so we couldn’t lose a single second. The first thing we had to do, was to mentalize and motivate the entire maintenance team of the importance of an event like this for the club and for Green Garden, and from here we want to thank them for their professionalism and dedication, because without them it would not have been possible to present the course in such conditions the week of the championship. Then, we thought of the situation that we found ourselves in with most of the golf courses worldwide due to COVID: reduced budgets, reduced staff or limited machinery. We understood that this was not going to be a problem to carry out our goal. The course greenkeeper and his assistants prepared a very specific agronomic and playability plan to be able to finish on time, and above all, to take care of every last detail since that is what makes the difference in this type of championships. "The weeks leading up to the championship were very passionate, working without rest and with very extreme schedules." The big advantage we had was, the course was in very good playable condition, but we had to give it a little push to make it a guaranteed success. The main objective was to have the greens firm, uniform and with a minimum speed of 11.6 Ft. and that between the fastest and slowest green there was no more than a 0.6" difference. The firmness, humidity, speed and clipping remains of each of the greens were monitored daily and we made daily decisions to meet the objective. As for the Tees, Fairways and Approach, we only wanted to keep them firm. The Fairways and Approach, apart from the firmness, we wanted the ball to have a perfect lie. This required controlling the irrigation very well to avoid dry or very wet areas, so the irrigation team had to check each of the areas with moisture meters to maintain values between 18% and 22%. As for the mowing of each of these areas, we progressively increased the frequency of mowing to such an extent that, fifteen days after the first training day, we were mowing the greens in the morning and afternoon and the rest of the areas every day, gaining an incredible definition and quality of mowing. We must highlight the work of the mechanics during these weeks because they had to have the cutting units in perfect condition every day. What we did not cut since we were informed of the championship, was the Rough, as we had to leave it above 2.5". The Bunkers we had to have the same amount of sand on all surfaces to prevent the club from bouncing when taking the ball out and most importantly to prevent the ball from getting fried egg when entering the Bunkers. Finally, to leave all the landscaping areas spotless, we pruned all the palms and trees, and the paths and island areas were outlined. Championship week began with all areas of the course in perfect condition. The coordination of the entire team was ensured so that all the work was executed without any setback to present the course each day before the first game and in the afternoon when they were finishing playing. We would like to thank the PGA Riviera Maya golf course and Tulum Country Club for trusting us. Author: Andrés Novo - Greenkeeper Green Garden en campo PGA Tulum Country Club

VERTICAL GARDENS: TYPOLOGIES AND CHARACTERISTICS In a context where environmental concerns and improving the habitability of increasingly congested urban spaces are current issues, vertical gardens emerge as an alternative to integrate vegetation into buildings. There are numerous advantages that a vegetative envelope brings, both in the internal energy functionality of the building and spatially in the environments it occupies. This is why in recent times, various typologies of vertical gardens and technical solutions have been developed, offering a wide range of possibilities. However, gardens on facades and rooftops have always existed in traditional architecture, in both cold and warm climates, due to their excellent insulating qualities. Today, some of the most commonly used vertical gardens include: Green facades These consist of climbing plants that attach themselves to the facades of buildings by their own means, without auxiliary support. Thus, only the necessary environmental conditions for the plants' life (water, light, and soil) need to be provided to implement this system. Sphagnum vertical garden In this system, plants grow in an organic substrate made of Sphagnum moss placed inside steel mesh gabions. Depending on the garden's dimensions and the conditions of the wall to cover, it may or may not require an auxiliary structure for fixation. A drip irrigation system releases water from the top of the wall, soaking the substrate until it finally drips onto a collecting channel that directs excess water to a drain. While nutrients can be provided through irrigation, they are not essential in the short term. Hydroponic Vertical Garden The hydroponic vertical garden system involves the installation of an inert material layer (felt, rock wool, foams, etc.) that enables plant growth, fixed on an auxiliary structure typically made of steel profiles. It's coupled with an automated irrigation system that allows water recirculation. Water falls from the top of the wall, moistening the phytotextile layer where the plant species are placed. Finally, the excess water drips into a collecting channel, directing it to a tank with recirculation. This tank is supplemented with nutrients and fertilizers for irrigation. Modular Vertical Garden Modular vertical gardens consist of prefabricated panels, their main advantage being the speed of installation, but they have greater limitations in terms of shape. Preservad Vertical Garden Preserved vertical gardens consist of natural preserved moss, maintaining the same texture and appearance as living moss. Their advantage lies in not requiring special light or watering conditions. It's a 100% natural and biodegradable product, particularly suitable for spaces where conditions don't allow for natural plant life, such as certain interiors. Vertical gardens are a modern and versatile solution to address sustainability in dense urban environments. They offer advantages such as improving energy efficiency and enhancing spaces' aesthetics. There are various typologies, from green facades to hydroponic and modular systems. The preserved vertical garden, featuring natural moss that requires neither natural light nor watering, stands out as a biodegradable option for indoor spaces. These gardens blend nature and architecture, contributing to well-being and the environment in cities.

VERTEBRATE PESTS ON GOLF COURSES Those of us who are dedicated to maintaining golf courses are used to dealing with pests that damage the lawn and, normally, are more or less visible insects. But from time to time, we come across less common pests, vertebrate pests. A vertebrate pest is contrasted with the concept of pest condition, by assuming that no vertebrate species is a permanent pest, but rather that a certain population can acquire that condition at a specific time and place. A useful definition to understand what a vertebrate pest is is the following: “A species of mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian or fish that directly or indirectly affects the human species, either because it causes damage to production areas, consumes or contaminates stored food, causes damage to infrastructure, transmits disease, or causes death to people or pets.” It depends a lot on where the golf course is located to know the type of pests that one can find, dogs, groundhogs, moles, alligators, rats, cattle, alligators, birds, and others. In this case, the pest affects the production areas and causes damage to the infrastructure. These events are not new, wild boars are usually one of the most common pests and cause the most damage on golf courses, because they are capable of raising large areas of grass in one night's work, although luckily, never within a putting green Dogs and ducks love the course greens; these animals are fond of urinating and defecating on greens. Rats usually like to gnaw on wires which causes damaged on the irrigation systems. Sometimes we see alligators, which apart from a few scares to some clueless golfers, these creatures do not create major problems. On the picture above, we see the damage caused to the green's surface by the hooves of a group of cows, which have taken a liking to ride over a green on their way to graze on the almost unlimited food they have found on the roughs at this time of year. It will take hours to manually repair the damage to leave a decent playing surface and a week or more for it to go unnoticed. And finally, in case anyone was wondering, two-legged vertebrates (humans) tend to cause the most damage, but we'll leave that for another time... Author: Antonio Márquez , Panama Director of Green Garden Corp.

ANTIGUA & BARBUDA PROJECTS HOTEL ROYALTON ANTIGUA, AN AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORTS ROYALTON CHIC ANTIGUA, AN AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION ALL-INCLUSIVE RESORTS

CLIMATE CHANGE action: BIO-FERTILIZER BASED ON SARGASSUM At Green Garden Corp., we have always been committed to transparent corporate social responsibility. For this reason, we want to take advantage of this medium to share that we have begun to use Sargassum-based fertilizer in different hotels that we care for and maintain. In recent years, we have experienced an increase in sargassum on many beaches around the world. In addition to its high cost of removal, this algae gives off an unpleasant odor when it begins its putrefaction process, which causes a bad image and a lot of inconvenience for tourists. In addition, the largest economic source of many of these Caribbean countries is tourism, so Sargassum ends up affecting the country's economic growth. A study by the Superior Technological Institute of Misantla obtained the following results during the preparation and use of this type of fertilizer: “By applying this biofertilizer to agricultural crops, the use of “synthetic fertilizers” (Finck, 1998), and the cost of “agricultural production” (INEGI, 2007) are significantly reduced. The quality of the "crops" is increased (INEGI, 2007), maintaining soil moisture and offering greater availability of nutrients. The beaches are kept free of visual pollution. National business opportunity for mulch, a useful input for landscape design and gardening, leachate, alginate, etc.” In Figure 1 we can observe the process for the elaboration of this type of fertilizer based on Sargassum (Cuxim Suaste & Balam Cen). At Green Garden Corp. we collaborate with Dianco México , a company made up of environmentalists, engineers, biotechnologists, agronomists and scientists specialized in Phycology. We also share values as they are passionate about technology, sustainability, innovation and the use of natural resources. With a sustainable, innovative, automated process with "0" waste, 100% of the sargassum collected by governments, hotels, sargaceras and transporters is used to transform it into organic fertilizers. The damage to the ecology, to the image of the beaches in the face of tourism, to the filtration of leachate into the subsoil and the damage that these cause to the health of the population is avoided, by preventing the sargassum from continuing to deposit in the jungle. This process also offers a real solution to the problem of erosion, since up to 95% of the sand is recovered to be returned to its beaches. The process they follow is based on the ISO 9001-2015 standard and is as follows: Storage - Treatment - Sand extraction - Salt extraction - Heavy metal removal - Nutrient extraction - Bagasse processing - Bacterial enrichment - Packing and packaging - Storage - Delivery Figures always help put things in perspective: 150,000 tons of sargassum will be transformed per year (1 ton in 5 minutes) 100% of the sargassum (wet and dry) will be used 0% waste generated 95% of the sand contained in the sargassum will be recovered 2,600 tons a year of sand will be able to return to its beaches 300 tons of PET, glass, aluminum and garbage will be separated and recycled every year 70% of our process water will be reused 1,500 tons will have the capacity of our Collection Center 6,000 tons of Biofertilizers will be packaged monthly 4,800 tons of Soil Improver will be packaged per month 2,000,000 small agricultural producers may be benefited per month 5,000,000 hectares will be able to replace agrochemicals with organic fertilizers Millions of trees will not be felled with our pulp production (2nd stage). We are proud to collaborate with Dianco México to continue helping to keep our world healthy and in continuous evolution. References: Cuxim Suaste, M. E., & Balam Cen, R. V. (n.d.). Proceso para la elaboración de un biofertilizante a base de Sargassum. CITT. Retrieved August 18, 2022, from https://citt.itsm.edu.mx/ Dianco México. Nuestra innovación. (n.d.). Retrieved August 18, 2022, from http://diancomexico.com/dianco/nosotros

En 2015 se inició el proyecto de mantenimiento del campo de golf profesional, así como también de la jardinería y paisajismo del hotel. Este campo de golf fue diseñado por los reconocidos arquitectos de golf George and Tom Fazio dando forma al campo en 60 hectáreas de terreno, teniendo un recorrido de 18 hoyos, par 72, con 7.116 yardas de juego. CORONADO LUXURY CLUB & SUITES PLAYA CORONADO, PANAMÁ CLIENT: YEAR: Coronado Luxury Club & Suites LOCATION: SHARE: Playa Coronado, Panamá 2015 In 2015, the professional golf course maintenance project began, as well as the hotel's gardening and landscaping. This golf course was designed by renowned golf architects George and Tom Fazio shaping the course on 60 hectares of land , having an 18-hole, par 72, course with 7,116 yards of play. In addition, the golf complex has 9 Executive holes and a Drive Range. It holds the qualifiers for all categories of the country's golf open as well as the Panama Open. Considered, according to Forbes magazine, as one of the best professional golf courses in Central America and the Dominican Republic, and the best in Panama.

TRANSPLANT OF A mature CEIBA Speciosa specimen Ceiba Speciosa, or Palo borracho is a deciduous tree that loses its leaves with the arrival of cold (mid-autumn or winter). Its planting in city parks and gardens is quite common in the Dominican Republic and other parts of Latin America. On this occasion, we present the transplant of a mature Ceiba Speciosa tree, a tree native to the tropical forests of the Dominican Republic. Given the height and thickness of the tree, specifically requested by our client, we selected a specimen that was in an area that was difficult to access for the machinery necessary for its extraction, given that said specimen was also in very good health. The transplant began with training pruning on the upper branches in order to prepare the tree to meet the demands of road transport in the Dom. Rep. With the use of heavy machinery, the direction and coordination of our team and collaborators, we were able to successfully extract it and mount it on the truck to achieve a transplant and sprout from the tree. An enveloping mesh was placed to protect the root ball during transport. Then, we prepared the hole where the tree would be placed. Its origin is tropical so it does not tolerate low temperatures. Its planting is recommended in areas with mild winters, typical of the Mediterranean or coastal areas (where it is commonly used). It is a demanding tree in lighting. Given its rapid growth and the great height it reaches, it likes to be in an isolated and spacious space in the garden with high light input, free of walls and obstacles that generate shade. Finally, this great specimen was allowed to sprout in its new location, so we are proud to give this beautiful tree a new home to thrive and flourish. Curious fact: I n the Dominican Republic, the trunk of the Ceiba was used, since the time of the indigenous people, to make cayucos, which were one-piece boats, due to the lightness of their wood. Historically, tradition indicates that the moorings of Christopher Columbus' ships were tied to a Ceiba tree in the Ozama River and that there is still an old trunk of that Ceiba, already petrified, in the old Santo Domingo dock.

AN ISLAND, A RESORT, A RHYTHM, A UNIQUE PROJECT We are happy to share that Green Garden Corp. is executing the landscaping work at Cayo Levantado Resort on Isla Cayo Levantado in Samaná. This project is in complete harmony with the island and its biodiversity, since we work and promote the natural regeneration of the ecosystem, of autochthonous and native plants of the Los Haitises Natural Park. At the resort you can enjoy plants in danger of extinction, epiphytic plants, native orchids, ferns, mosses, lichens, tillances, centennial Ceibas and other wonders of this unique enclave of the Samaná Bay. In addition, visitors can enjoy an organic garden with many varieties of fruits and aromatic herbs from the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean. The concept of design and selection of species is carried out in coordination with Pablo del Toro (Technical Advisor for the Environment of Piñero Group), with the collaboration of the Botanical Garden of Santo Domingo and Bosques Urbanos.

LOW WATER CONSUMPTION GARDENING: CONTRIBUTING TO THE CARE OF THE WORLD The increase in water consumption in agriculture and green areas has raised concerns about its consequences on aquifers and water reserves worldwide. Coupled with the rise in global temperatures, evapotranspiration levels are decreasing the availability of freshwater alarmingly. Faced with this issue, at Green Garden Corp., we have committed ourselves to environmental responsibility and have been developing garden designs with a reduced or low water requirement for their proper maintenance. Evapotranspiraci-n. (n.d.). https://www.recursosaguapuertorico.com/Evapotranspiraci-n.html?no_redirect=true The primary focus of our work is to conduct a detailed analysis of native species in each region where we operate. In this way, we can select the most suitable species adapted to the specific climatic and soil conditions of each area. This allows gardens to survive and thrive sustainably without requiring large amounts of water for maintenance. Water-efficient gardening not only helps conserve this vital resource but also presents other benefits. By reducing irrigation, the risk of floods and excess soil moisture is decreased, thus preventing potential damage to structures and drainage systems. Additionally, by employing native and adapted species, we promote local biodiversity and contribute to the balance of the ecosystem. Low-water gardening not only helps conserve this vital resource, but has other benefits as well. By reducing irrigation, the risk of flooding and excess moisture in the soil is reduced, thus avoiding possible damage to structures and drainage systems. Furthermore, by using native and adapted species, we promote local biodiversity and contribute to the balance of the ecosystem. It is important to emphasize that the implementation of water-efficient gardens does not mean sacrificing beautiful and attractive green spaces. On the contrary, with the right knowledge and intelligent design, it is possible to create aesthetically pleasing environments that harmoniously integrate with the surroundings.

En artículos anteriores hemos hablado sobre qué es el pinchado de greens, las razones por las que se realiza y sus ventajas e inconvenientes. A partir de este post profundizaremos en las distintas opciones que tenemos y cómo se llevan a cabo los distintos tipos de pinchado de greens. AERATION IN GOLf COURSES - PART III In previous articles, we've talked about what green aerification is, why it's done, and its advantages and disadvantages. Starting from this post, we'll delve into the different options available and how the various types of green aerification are carried out. Traditionally, green aerification is done twice a year using hollow tines, employing different diameters, with one of the most common being half an inch. This type of aerification is usually done just before significant temperature and/or weather changes. In Spain, it's common after summer and winter, while in tropical areas, it's typical to focus on doing it before the rainy season and once the rainy season is over. But in recent years, due to the technical possibility of using much finer tines, we have the option to opt for what we call micro-aerification, which involves aeration using small-diameter hollow tines. However, with this "micro" aerification, multiple aerations with small hollow tines need to be performed to achieve a similar effect. We can basically distinguish between two types of tines: solid and hollow. Depending on our objectives (or the golf course's capabilities), we plan a program where we "play" with different variables to consider, such as the type of tine, tine diameter, tine length, and the frequency of aerification. Aeration with solid or solid-core tines: Solid tines 18x250 mm The first question to ask ourselves would be whether aeration with solid tines is a viable option, and the answer, as almost always, is "it depends." The solution to managing organic matter content is its dilution. If a sufficient amount of sand can be added with topdressing and used to fill the aeration holes made with solid tines, programs with solid tines could be a viable option (Gross, 2019). However, there are several factors to consider, including soil conditions. In principle, we would all desire this type of program because aeration is less disruptive and requires less work than aeration with hollow tines. However, since aeration with solid tines doesn't remove any material from the soil profile, it won't yield desirable results in golf courses that don't regularly apply topdressing or need to address soil issues such as high organic matter content or stratification. A normal green compared to one that has undergone solid tine aerification. Solid tines 19x140x8mm Therefore, these programs would be more suitable for sand-based green profiles without stratification issues. Moreover, with this type of program, it's crucial for sand topdressing to be applied frequently to dilute organic matter as it accumulates near the surface. Golf courses adopting this program typically topdress with sand every week during the growing season and implement a minimalist nitrogen fertility program to curb excessive growth and reduce the organic matter production rate. The image above shows a green aerated with solid tines and without sand, serving to "ventilate" the green. However, if the decision is made to apply sand, there's a noteworthy operational variation with this type of aerification. It has been demonstrated that applying the sand to the green before solid tine aerification yields better results, minimizing the "stress" on the green. This is because if the sand is dry, it requires less brushing than if the sand is applied afterward. Less brushing equals less stress on the turf. Additionally, it avoids introducing a heavy machine filled with sand onto a freshly aerated surface, preventing wheel marks on the green's surface, which would otherwise hinder subsequent sand brushing. Application of sand (Topdressing) before carrying out solid tine aerification. Looking forward to the next post where we'll delve into the dreaded hollow tine aerification! Author: Antonio Márquez (Superintendent and Director of Green Garden Corp. Panamá).

tree donation for reforestation in commemoration of world environment day We are proud to inform that for World Environment Day 2022 we collaborated with Bahía Príncipe Riviera Maya and Grand Riviera Princess in order to enrich the Mexican ecosystem. Additionally, Green Garden Corp. team at the Dreams Jade Resort & Spa carried out adaptation and reforestation techniques on the coastal dunes to prevent their erosion and deterioration. Dreams Jade Resort & Spa This work was carried out on the beachfront of Puerto Morelos using native plants in order to conserve the coastal dune at the Dreams Jade Resort & Spa hotel. The plants that were used were reproduced by our team, in the nursery of the same hotel, reaching about 4.000 reproduced plants. We also donated trees for the Bahía Príncipe Riviera Maya hotels: Bahía Príncipe Grand Coba, Grand Bahía Príncipe Tulum, Bahía Príncipe Luxury Akumal and Bahía Príncipe Luxury Sian Ka'an. We are proud to have participated in the Bahía Pr í ncipe Hotels challenge of planting 14,000 trees and the 360 actions of Princess Hotels in the Caribbean on the occasion of World Environment Day 2022. "Earth is facing a triple planetary emergency: the climate is warming at a rate too fast for people and nature to adapt; habitat loss and other pressures on nature have led to an estimated 1 million species being endangered, and pollution continues to poison our air, land, and water. #OneEarth is the World Environment Day 2022 campaign that aims to raise awareness of these three crises, while encouraging and promoting the celebration, protection and restoration of our planet through various activities." Source: https ://www.un.org/en/observances/environment-day

sustainable development in iberostar playa paraiso At the Iberostar Hotels & Resorts Group, they are aware that to become a leader in responsible tourism, they need to contribute to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals proposed by the United Nations. In Green Garden Corp. we collaborate with the composting initiative of the "Wave of Change" movement, with objectives such as: reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, reducing the amount of garbage in landfills and providing nutrients to the earth. Through this movement, the use of plastics is minimized to prevent their accumulation in the seas, the responsible consumption of fish and shellfish is encouraged, alliances are made with the scientific community and other actions are implemented to promote coastal health. At Iberostar Playa Paraíso they assure that "it is essential to adopt a regenerative and restorative economy in all operations to ensure the health of the oceans around the world and to improve the resilience of the company." Their goal is to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by 100% in reference to the year 2021. To do this, one of the actions being taken is the implementation of a composting program, in line with the European Strategy on a circular economy . Through composting, we can reuse organic waste (gardening and food) to use them as biofertilizers, without creating waste. Proceso de compostaje en Iberostar Playa Paraíso At Green Garden Corp. we collaborate in the composting process, with our client Iberostar in the Playa Paraíso complex, Riviera Maya in Mexico, with organic garden waste and with leftover food from restaurants and kitchens of the 3 hotels in the complex. The final result of the composting is used to incorporate the gardens and in the production of plants in the nursery. Thus, we contribute to the improvement of green areas through waste recycling and reuse processes, avoiding its hauling to landfill. References: 1. Fluxá Rosselló, M. (n.d.). Grupo Iberostar. Memoria de sostenibilidad. Retrieved September 5, 2022, from https://www.grupoiberostar.com/downloads/Iberostar-Memoria-ES-2020.pdf 2. United Nations. (n.d.). Océanos - Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS). Naciones Unidas. Retrieved September 5, 2022, from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/es/oceans/