Keeping His Eyes Opened for Better, Safer Solutions

When Tom Stone, superintendent of Indian Pond Country Club first learned about W.O.W. from EcoMIGHT, he wasn’t seeking a new herbicide.

“Truth be told, I wasn’t looking for a replacement for RoundUp at the time,” Stone said. “But I’m always keeping my eyes open for safer solutions that work better. We try to be environmentally sensitive at Indian Pond and with the recent uproar, you really don’t know how long you’ll have that product in the future. I’m happy to have an alternative in the barrel.”

Responsible for this 18-hole championship golf course in Kingston, Mass., Stone must keep his greens looking good for his membership. Taking care of unwanted weed growth is simply part of his daily responsibilities. Like many golf courses, Stone relied on a glyphosate-based herbicide to do the job.

“I tested W.O.W. against RoundUp on a sample piece of land at our club,” Stone explained. “W.O.W. has a much quicker burn down rate than RoundUp. You see results almost immediately; within days. With RoundUp, it takes five to seven days. I’ve found W.O.W. to be just as effective. It means pure death to the weeds; it kills to the roots.”

As golf courses, landscapers, municipalities and other businesses evaluate glyphosate alternatives, two important factors rise to the top of the selection criteria. The alternative must be effectively kill weeds, and it must be cost-effective to use for the long-term.

The EcoMIGHT product is sold in a liquid concentrate and should be diluted before use. At six ounces per gallon, one gallon of W.O.W. will become 21 gallons of herbicide. The effective cost of W.O.W. is as low as $2.21 per gallon.

“We have found that the low-rate specified by EcoMIGHT is effective at killing weeds,” Stone said. “We have no need to use the higher rate of application at our club. As far as cost, W.O.W. and RoundUp are comparable in terms of cost per gallon. W.O.W. may be slightly more expensive because the rate of application is a little higher than RoundUp. However, I’m still waiting to see how the products compare in reapplication rates.”

Other golf course superintendents have noticed that treated areas stay clear of weeds for up to six weeks using EcoMIGHT. In their experience, glyphosate-based herbicides must be reapplied every three to four weeks. As a result, less product is used in the long-run, saving money as well as labor.

Indian Pond Country Club joins a growing list of golf courses, municipalities, landscapers, and private businesses that have found a safer, effective herbicide that can do the job without damaging the environment.

“We try to be responsible,” Stone said. “It goes with the territory of being responsible for a golf course. I always try to do my due diligence when it comes to chemical applications and reduce as much as possible. That helps everyone in the long run.”