The Holganix Blog

As a contractor, it is hard to give homeowners the thick, green lawn they are looking for in the summer. It is also hard to properly deploy labor in the summer months when services have slowed to a crawl. So, how can lawn and landscape contractors provide value to homeowners while building revenue and keeping their labor force working?

In his tip of the month video, Holganix CEO & Founder, Barrett Ersek dives into 4 methods he incorporated in his previous lawn care business during the summer months to meet demands and generate revenue. If you are reading this blog via email, click here for Barrett’s video.

Barrett’s Lawn Care Tool Box

In the above video, Barrett mentions several tools he recommends lawn and landscapers utilize to market their services to homeowners. Access those tools in the resources below.

Holganix Tree & Shrub Box

The Holganix Tree & Shrub Box contains several tools to help lawn and landscape businesses generate a tree and shrub business to compliment their turf business. Tools enclosed include but are not limited to: pricing guide, postcard designs and a video for your website. 

>>Download The Tree & Shrub Box

Summer Weather Box

The Summer Weather Box contains tools to help lawn and landscape contractors communicate to homeowners how they can help take care of the lawn during the summer. Tools enclosed include but are not limited to: homeowner letter and social media graphics. 

>>Download The Summer Weather Box

Aeration Box

The Aeration Box contains tools to helps lawn and landscape contractors upsell aeration and overseeding services to their current customer base. Tools enclosed include but are not limited to: homeowner letter, postcards and a video for your website. 

>>Download The Aeration Box

What does it take to become a landscape and pest control powerhouse in the Birmingham, Alabama market? For Waynes Environmental Service in Birmingham, Alabama it is a winning mix of legacy, culture and great results.

Waynes Environmental Service has been operating for over 40 years and serves 50,000+ homes and families to meet their landscape and pest control needs. “Apply monthly pest control applications for a local elementary school was our first customer,” mentions Justin Brown, the Regional Lawn Services Leader at Waynes’, “today our business serves 60,000 families and businesses.”

But despite the growth, Waynes’ has always kept its family of team members, customers and community foremost in mind. “For our company, our family of team members and customers means everything, and you can really feel that when you work here.” Waynes also gives back to the community through several charitable organizations.

According to the team… erm - family -, “Charitable work isn’t just something we do. It’s something we GET to do because of YOU.”

And, when it comes to results, “every little thing matters a lot.” For their tree and shrub services, they harness the power of Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub to nourish healthier trees, shrubs and ornamentals.

Results with Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub

According to Justin, “We started using the product in the summer of 2016.” He tested the product on Crape Myrtles suffering from sooty mold and Indian Hawthornes suffering from leaf spot. Because Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub is focused on boosting plant resilience by building healthy soil, the Crape Myrtles and Indian Hawthorns have seen drastically less disease pressure. “That test is what convinced us to implement Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub  throughout our applications,” admits Justin.

Since implementing the product in their tree and shrub program, “we’ve seen a reduction in disease stress and just an overall healthier plant. The growth, vigor and color has all improved and the plants just look fuller.” Justin also notes that if the plants are hit by some sort of stress, he has seen a much faster recovery; “they bounce back faster,” explains Justin.

The fact that Wayne’s uses Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub also helps them differentiate from their competition. “Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub is one of the first things we mention when discussing our tree and shrub applications with customers and prospects. They love the fact that it is not only organic but provides amazing results.”

“Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub has really lived up to our expectations,” says Justin. “It’s created great results, provides a leg up on the competition and the Holganix team has been great to work with.”

Want to learn more about Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub

If you want to learn more about Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub, be sure to watch this 25 minute video featuring an interview between Holganix’s Rob McCoy and our horticulturist, Ed Karpyn.

>>Click here to watch the video

“We are excited to announce that Chris Knapp and Erick Alpizar have been hired to manage the Midwest and Northeast regions respectively,” states Holganix National Sales Manager, Rob McCoy. As Territory Managers, Knapp and Alpizar are tasked with managing client relations in their territories. “Both Chris and Erick are industry veterans with a lot of experience to offer Holganix customers,” notes McCoy.

Chris Knapp - Territory Sales Manager for Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas

Chris Knapp has over 10 years of experience in the landscape industry. He began his career as the project lead for Blue Ribbon Lawn Care, after which he became the Branch Manager for Ewing Irrigation and Landscape Supply. Knapp has a Bachelor's degree in Education from the University of Oregon. According to Knapp, “I’m looking forward to helping contractors reach their sustainability, agronomic and sales goals through the use of Holganix products.”

Watch our video interview with Chris Knapp below for additional information about Chris’ background and why he is excited about joining team Holganix! If you are reading this blog via email, click here to watch his video.

Erick Alpizar - Territory Sales Manager for the Northeast

Erick Alpizar is now the Territory Manager for the Northeast Region. Alpizar brings over 30 years of experience in the landscape industry and over 10 years of experience in sustainability. He began his career in 1983 as a crew supervisor for The Brickman Group (Now known as Brightview), eventually rising through the ranks to become the Regional Manager for the Delaware Valley Region in 2006. Following his tenure with The Brickman Group, Erick became Director of Operations at Sharp’s Landscaping Inc and Director of Marketing and Sales at Elements Lawn Care. He has an Associates degree in Agriculture Science and Forestry from the Agricultural Technical Institute of Costa Rica.

Watch our video interview with Erick Alpizar below for additional information about Erick’s background and why he is excited about joining team Holganix! If you are reading this blog via email, click here to watch his video. 

Get in Touch!

As Territory Managers, Knapp and Alpizar are responsible for managing and strengthening distributor and end-user relations, educating distributor teams about Holganix products, and growing the business in their respective territories.

If you are a distributor, customer or prospect and would like to get in touch with your new territory managers, see their contact information below!

Chris Knapp

Email: Cknapp@Holganix.com

Erick Alpizar

Email: Ealpizar@Holganix.com

Summer is a tough season for all plants and turf is no exception. During the summer months, the turf is often stressed from heat, insects and diseases. Brown patches appear that look unsightly or if conditions are too hot and dry, the turf may go into dormancy as a protective measure. If one of your lawns is suffering use the below 3.5 signs below to determine if the stress is caused from too much heat or drought.

1. The “Tug” Test 

Even during a drought, established turf will still have extensive root systems. Conduct a “Tug” Test by locating a brown patch and pulling on the turf. If the turf doesn’t pull easily from the soil, chances are good that your turf is browning due to drought. If it does pull easily, insects or disease could be an issue. 

2. The Screwdriver Test

Push a screwdriver into the soil in both a brown and green turf area. If the screwdriver pushes easily in the green lawn but won’t penetrate the brown patch, the soil is dry and heat is the problem. Credit for this test goes to Bayer’s blog! 

3. Random or Uniform

When drought is a culprit, the brown patches appear randomly. If the pattern is more uniform, it could be a different underlying issue.

3.5 Early Signs

Prepare for summer stress by keeping an eye out for wilted grass blades and by checking to see if footprints remain on the grass after it is walked on. 

Heat and drought stress can be a headache for lawn and landscape contractors but once the moisture returns, established turf will recover. Depending on your region, it may take three-to-four weeks for the turf to come out of dormancy and begin to green up again; providing extra water won’t speed up the process. If you are dealing with a new, young lawn, don’t let it go into dormancy. Without the extensive root growth, the lawn may not survive dormancy without injury.

To learn more about dealing with drought and summer related stress on turf, watch our 5.5 minute video below featuring Holganix CEO, Barrett Ersek.

Just because the lawn and landscape world tends to slow down in the summer doesn’t mean your business should. Use the upcoming summer slow season to sell your services to prospects or to upsell current customers. Below are 3.5 tools to help you push lawn and landscape sales during the slow summer months.

Did you know that you can expect 10-to-30% of your current customers to sign up for tree and shrub applications? For those offering or thinking of offering tree and shrub services, this is the eBook for you. In the eBook you’ll learn:

1. How to market your tree and shrub business to current customers… including access to several marketing tools we have developed to help you get started

2. How to price out tree and shrub applications

3. What materials you will need to get started

>>Download Your eBook Here

Marketing your current flower care program (or adding one if it is not a current service) can serve as an excellent source of high margin, additional revenue from current customers. Early summer is a great time to offer any type of plant health care services (whether they be tree and shrub or flower focused) because the rising temperatures combined with rain provides a breeding ground for insects and disease. Download your Flower Marketing Box and rip off an duplicate the following from us: 

1. Content - Steal our flower information copy to include on letters to current customers, your email newsletter and/or blog.

2. Social Media - Grab our visual social media posts to help advertise your flower program to fans and followers on social media networks.

3. Video - Include our video on your website, blog, email newsletter and social media efforts, explaining why flower applications are important to the overall look of a yard.

>>Download Your Marketing Box Here

If your region tends to conduct aeration and overseeding services in the fall, begin marketing that service to current customers and prospects in the late summer. In the Aeration Marketing Box, you will find several tools to help market your aeration program to current homeowners. Plus, aeration is not only a high margin revenue stream for your business, but also by aerating the turf, you provide a better soil ecosystem for the lawn and that means your homeowners will see better results. What’s in the box?

1. Two aeration postcards

2. Letter to send to current customers touting the benefits of including an aeration service

3. Video to upload onto your website and share in your social media efforts discussing aeration applications

4. Education materials on aeration and Holganix products

>>Download Your Aeration Marketing Box Here

3.5 Summer Weather Marketing Box

We made this tool number 3.5 because it’s not a sales tool, rather it’s a customer service tool. That’s because getting your homeowners prepared for summer weather can be tough, especially since homeowners have high expectations for their landscapes and little knowledge on how to properly care for them. Utilize our Summer Weather Marketing Box to help educate summer weather landscape care to your homeowners. What’s in the box?

1. Copy to use in a blog post, email newsletter, website or as a mailer to customers

2. Social Media posts to help spread the word about your summer weather education

>>Download Your Summer Weather Marketing Box

Want to learn more about summer and turf?

Attend our upcoming webinar on the 5 Ways To Prepare Turf For Summer Heat on June 21 at 2:00 PM EDT. One of the most challenging times to maintain a healthy lawn is during the hot summer months. A combination of scorching heat and lack of rainfall coupled with the need to apply product without potentially burning turf generates a tasty headache for all lawn and landscape contractors. Attend our webinar to learn 5 tips to help you prepare for the fight against summer!

The heat and lack of water typical for summers in the U.S. places trees and shrubs under a lot of pressure. We interviewed horticulturist, Ed Kapryn and Director of Plant Soil Science, Robert Neidermyer Ph.D. (Dr. Bob) on the top 4 problems facing tree and shrubs in the summer and solutions to help overcome summer problems.

Problem #1 - Watch Out For Disease and Insect Problems!

“The combination of rising temperatures and water often means disease and/or insect activity is nearby,” explains Ed. “Check the branch, trunk and foliage of your trees and shrubs, especially under the leaf. If you see orange, yellow or brown spotting, you may have a fungal disease or insect activity.” Leaf spot diseases can interrupt photosynthesis and may lead to leaf loss, that is also where a lot of insects like to hide before they start doing major damage (i.e. lace bug, aphids, etc).

According to Ed, “I’m hearing a lot about crape myrtle bark scale (CMBS) at the moment especially in the Southeast and Texas.” Check foliage and bark for tell-tale insect signs like bite marks, holes, white spots and sticky surfaces.

The below image is of CMBS from Clemson University Cooperative Extension.

Solution # 1

Combining Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub with a systemic insecticide will help contractors fight insects. Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub will improve the plants ability to deal with stress and build a healthy soil ecosystem to combat pathogens.

For insects like CMBS that have a tendency to “lump up on each other”, a systemic insecticide is important to reach insects that are not affected by a topical spray.

When choosing insecticides, Ed recommends contractors be choosey with their options. “Pollinator friendly insecticides like those with a cedar oil or neem oil derivative are the way to go.”

Problem #2 - Overcoming Drought

As summer matures, heat and lack of water will become more of an issue. Check for signs of wilted or curled leaves, yellow leaves and early leaf drop for signs that your trees and shrubs are under-watered.

The below image shows leaves wilting due to summer heat.

Solution #2

“If your landscapes have non-drought tolerant plants, be sure you are watering your trees and shrubs 2-to-3 times per week,” explains Dr. Bob. A deeper watering is always going to be more beneficial than more frequent, shallow watering. Whenever possible, try to steer towards drought-friendly plants and native plants in your landscapes.

Problem #3 - Pruners Take Care!

When spring flowering subsides, it’s often time to prune. In much of the country, pruning time is just starting but be careful with how you prune your trees and shrubs.

Solution #3

“Don’t hack and wack,” cautions Ed. He recommends hand pruning whenever possible. It's also important that you don't prune away the growing points of next year's flowering stems or wood. While it would be unusual for trees and shrubs to die from over pruning, it does weaken the plant making it more susceptible to insect and disease problems. Also, Ed notes “No flush cuts! And remember to sanitize any pruning equipment to cut down on disease transfer like Dogwood Anthracnose. To sanitize your pruning equipment, spray a 409 or other household disinfectant.” 

“Applying an application of Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub after a good prune will help the plant heal properly,” explains Dr. Bob. For more information on pruning and How Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub can help, visit this blog article.

Problem #4 - Installing Landscapes

During installation, trees and shrubs are often stressed as it gets used to its new environment. At times, stress can be so great that the plant will go into shock or potentially die after installation.

Solution #4

Applying Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub as a Plant Start Application will ensure the perfect installation. In specific, Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub will improve the healing process, plant survival, and increase the root architecture. For directions on how to conduct a Holganix Plant Start Application, watch this video.

Plant Health Care Problems Comes Down to Soil

“Most problems facing your plants begin with poor soil, void of the life found in a natural forest environment,” states Dr. Bob. “Healthy soils are teeming with beneficial soil microbes that naturally fortify plant strength from stress caused by disease, insect and drought. Healthy soils also hold water and nutrients longer than poor soils and are porous, allowing plant roots to develop.”

Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub is focused on building soil health by harnessing the power of over 800 species of soil microbes. Ultimately, using Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub will build stronger plants, develop root architecture, maximize plant color and offset the need for large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides.

Want to dig in deeper? Check out this video on results seen with Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree & Shrub in the field, then click the button below to set up an appointment with a Holganix specialist.

Is your company currently providing plant health care services or do you install plant material? Are you looking to ensure that your plants don't just survive, but thrive? Holganix’s unique programs may be the answer you’re looking for. Throughout this post we will discuss how Holganix products help contractors create thriving plants, see real results from contractors using Holganix in the field, and see how to best use these products with trees, shrubs, and flowers. You can also skip the article and simply watch the webinar recording below! If you are reading this blog via email, click here to access the video. 

No matter the product or program, Holganix focuses on soil biology as the solution to plant health. At Holganix we believe that the best way to have full, colorful, disease-free plants, is to first take care of their health.  At Holganix we have a variety of products, but what ties them all together is that they ALWAYS start with biology in mind.

Holganix products are used to treat trees, shrubs and flowers using two methods: (1) Plant Start Applications and (2) Soil Smart Program.

Plant Start Applications - Using Holganix Bio 800⁺ products at Planting

Often, the problem with traditional plant installations is that you take a perfectly satisfied plant and install him in an environment with poor soil quality. As a result, the plant becomes stressed and transplant shock often occurs. However, when you install a plant and water it in with Holganix Bio 800⁺ Tree and Shrub or Holganix Bio 800⁺ Bloom during the installation, you ensure your plant not only survives in its new habitat, but it thrives. It’s like insurance for your installation!

Holganix Bio 800⁺  products are used in plant start applications to:

• Reduce transplant shock
• Grow strong plant roots
• Boost color

The Plant Start installation is easy, and there are a variety of ways to apply your product to your plants. Watch our video below for a demonstration or click here to watch the video if reading this blog via email.

Soil Smart Program - Using Holganix Products During Maintenance Program

The traditional method for a program incorporates fertilizer and pest control aspects that are synthetic-based. We do get results from these but it seems that we end up using more and more chemicals to get the job done, and in the end, do not necessarily help stabilize the plant’s health.

Holganix Soil Smart Program consists of all the products needed for a fertilization program including fertilizer, pesticides and of course, your Holganix plant probiotics. However, unlike a traditional fertilizer program, the Holganix Soil Smart Program requires fewer fertilizers and pesticides to create lush, healthy plants. Furthermore, the Soil Smart Program focuses on building strong, resilient plants that is better able to deal with stress.

>>For details regarding your tree and Shrub Soil Smart Program, contact Ed Karpyn at ekarpyn@holganix.com.

Do Holganix Products Really Work?

We have several case studies from contractors using Holganix products on trees, shrubs and flowers. Review some of the highlights from our case studies and click on the article link to read the full story.

The Shrubbery Specialist

“We are passionate about Holganix and after the thorough testing we conducted on the product; we know it’s awesome.” - Stephanie Whitehead, The Shrubbery Specialist

• Roses - 25-30% larger, less disease and pest
• Boxwoods - less disease (blight)
• Gardenia - ferer insecticides despite problems in the area with white fly.

>>Click to read more

Benerget Greenhouse

“Holganix places me in a better position to sell something lush.” - Denny Benerget, Benerget Greenhouse

• Reduce fertilizer by 10-15%
• Reduce fungicides by 30%

>>Click to read more

Zehrs Garden Center

“I would recommend Holganix Bloom to any growe. There’s a tremendous amount of science behind Holganix products and at the end of the day, the proof is in the plants!” - Mark Van Buren, Zehrs Garden Center

• Healthier overall plants
• Less problems with insect and disease

>>Click to read more

Red Diamond INC

“I won’t plant anything without Holganix products!” - Brandon Haley, Red Diamond Inc

• Fewer fertilizer needed
• Less disease problems
• Improved root depth
• Installs grow in quickly and healthy

>>Watch his interview here

Incredible Edible Community Gardens

“IECG would definitely recommend Holganix to other growers.” - Mary E. Petite, Incredible Edible Community Gardens.

• Increased flowering on Orchard trees
• Improved quality of plantings/installs

>>Click to read more

Want to dig into Holganix?

Holganix offers a variety of products that ALL put plant health first. With our easy to use programs, contractors are able to see improvements with installations, year round growth and color. If you would like to learn more on how to incorporate Holganix into your company watch the full webinar recording or reach out to Holganix Horticulturist Ed Karpyn at ekarpyn@holganix.com.

Article by Leah O'Neill

Repeatedly recognized as one of the most beautiful U.S. college campuses by Buzzfeed, College Magazine, Travel Channel and USA Today, Furman University in South Carolina takes the maintenance and planning of their green spaces and sports fields seriously. Aside from the traditional beautiful landscaping beds seen at other college campuses, Furman also has a 25,000 square foot rose garden home to 30-to-40 different varieties of roses and a 2,000 square foot upper garden solely dedicated to growing Givenchy roses.

The team tasked with nurturing Furman’s greenspaces is led by David Manning, Superintendent of Grounds and Sports Turf. According to David, “I love that what we do brings joy to the students, visitors and other staff. We are giving people a place to come and smile.”

David is armed with several tools in order to be successful at his mission to keep Furman looking its best, some of those tools include Holganix products like, Holganix Lawn, Bloom, PB1 LTO 4-0-2 and Blue Sky 21-0-0.

“We’ve been using Holganix products for about a year now,” explains David. “We’ve reduced our chemical inputs with Holganix products which has helped us reach sustainability goals for Furman’s grounds management.”

Results on the Grounds

“I come from a golf course background and when I was first introduced to Holganix products, I wrote them off as snake oil,” admits David. “They seemed too good to be true.” But, when David heard about the results seen on other sports fields, he decided he needed to give the product a try.

To test the product, David blocked off two plots to compare a Holganix program against his traditional turf care program. On the Holganix plot, David incorporated Holganix Lawn, a 40% reduction in fertilizer and eliminated all blanket fungicide applications. “I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between the Holganix plot and the traditional fertilizer program plot. This was a win for us because it was important to continue guaranteeing great results while backing off of our chemical inputs.”

After seeing the results from his trial, David rolled out the Holganix program throughout the campus grounds. “We are using Holganix Lawn on both warm and cool season turf,” explains David. “Our cool season turf looks shiny, hardy and thick. We also haven’t had to supplement the turf with irrigation. It looks beautiful.” Traditionally, David has struggled to get his warm season centipede turf to perform. “We talked about changing out the grass variety but decided to try Holganix Lawn first. It has grown in beautifully, even crawling into shady areas. I really believe Holganix Lawn has helped the warm season turf.”

Ongoing Trials on Sports Turf

This year, David has designed an eight-acre trial on his soccer field to compare his traditional program containing a package of minors and iron against a combination of Holganix products including Holganix Lawn, PB1 LTO 4-0-2 and Blue Sky 21-0-0.

“Our soccer complex gets a lot of use and we are hoping to see an increase in root depth and damage recovery. We have already seen better color.” According to David, on the Holganix-treated field, he saw a six-week green up period whereas on his traditional program, David saw about a two-week green up before the color fell off.

In addition to trialing the product on the sports field, David will also be testing the product on the garden beds and Furman’s several rose garden.

About Holganix Lawn, Holganix Bloom, Holganix PB1 LTO 4-0-2 & Holganix Blue Sky 21-0-0

Holganix Lawn is part of the Bio 800⁺ family of products which is teeming with over 800 species of soil microbes, among other ingredients. Holganix Lawn improves rooting, reduces the need for chemical inputs and improves turf resilience so the turf can better withstand stresses.

Holganix Blue Sky 21-0-0 is a slow release nitrogen fertilizer that creates a steady growth and low color throughout the season. Lastly, Holganix PB1 LTO 4-0-2 is a targeted plant probiotic that increases nutrient utilization and plant resilience.

The Holganix Bio 800⁺ products, Blue Sky 21-0-0, PB1 LTO 4-0-2, among other products are used as part of the Soil Smart fertilizer programs that are regionally designed to provide predictable green, weed-free results. Contractors can download their region’s Soil Smart Programs by click the button below.

One of the most challenging times to maintain a healthy lawn is during the hot summer months. A combination of scorching heat and lack of rainfall coupled with the need to apply product without potentially burning turf, generates a nasty headache for all lawn and landscape contractors. Do you have a fertilizer program in place to deliver the results your homeowners require during the stressful summer months?

Download your region’s Holganix Soil Smart Program! The Holganix Soil Smart Program is turn-key and consists of all the products needed for a fertilization program including fertilizer, herbicides and of course, your Holganix plant probiotics.

>>Skip the rest of the article and download your program here

What is included in your Soil Smart Program during the summer months?

During the summer months, our top two goals are to provide continued green throughout the season, and to assist in summer stress recovery by incorporating (1) Holganix PB1 LTO 4-0-2, (2) Holganix Blue Sky 21-0-0 and (3) Holganix Bio 800 Lawn.

Holganix PB1 LTO 4-0-2 - Holganix PB1 LTO is a targeted plant probiotic that provides a small dose of nutrients (plant food) while also increasing the turf’s ability to uptake nutrients. Watch our 1.5 minute video on Holganix PB1 LTO below for more information. If you are reading this blog vial email, click here for the video.

Holganix Blue Sky 21-0-0 - Holganix Blue Sky is a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer which provides a steady feed of nutrients to the turf throughout the summer while minimizing burn potential. Watch our 45 second video testimonial featuring a contractor using Holganix Blue Sky during the summer months. If you are reading this blog via email. click here for the video. 

Holganix Bio 800⁺ Lawn - Holganix Lawn is an organic plant probiotic that provides an army of over 800 species of soil microbes. During the summer months, Holganix Lawn will be focused on providing stress recovery and fortifying plant strength. Watch our 1.5 minute video for additional information on Holganix Bio 800⁺ products including Holganix Lawn. If you are reading this blog via email, click here for the video.  

Download Your Soil Smart Program to Prepare for Summer

The Soil Smart Programs are:

• Turn-key and include any input needed to create a green, weed free lawn – this means herbicides, fertilizers and your Holganix plant probiotics are all included.
• Designed regionally to fit your soil and turf types.
• Reviewed by Holganix PhD agronomists.
• Provides both a quick plant response and long-term plant resilience.
• Reduces the need for chemicals so contractors are using a sustainable program.

What does your region’s Soil Smart Program look like? Click the button below to access your Soil Smart Program and start planning out your summer applications.

“Mike and I met over a bed of azaleas,” explains Stephanie Whitehead referring to her husband and co-founder of the Shrubbery Specialist in Huntsville, Alabama. Mr. and Mrs. Whitehead have been in business together since 1995, dedicating their careers to caring for trees, shrubs and ornamentals at some of Huntsville’s most beautiful estates and neighborhoods. They oversee 300 properties and in many cases, they have been taking care of the same plants for 20 to 25 years.

One year earlier, the Whiteheads started using Holganix Tree & Shrub – a Bio 800⁺ product teeming with over 800 species of beneficial soil microbes. According to the Whiteheads, they have seen increased flower production, improved plant strength and a dramatic reduction in the need for chemical inputs including fertilizers, fungicides and insecticides.

To learn more about the results Stephanie and Mike Whitehead experienced with Holganix Tree & Shrub, check out our infographic and read our interview with Stephanie below.

Holganix: How did you hear about Holganix Tree & Shrub and why did you decide to try it?

Stephanie: I was attending a two-day educational seminar for pesticide credits when a student started telling the class about his experience using Holganix products. He said he was able to reduce a lot of his chemical inputs like fertilizers and pesticides. I was incredibly skeptical but also intrigued and my husband Mike and I began pouring over the research. It sounded too good to be true, but we hoped that this would be our way of distancing ourselves and our customers from harsh chemicals.

Holganix: What results have you seen so far?

Stephanie: We put the product through the ringer! We decided to use Holganix Tree & Shrub as a stand-alone product and only treat with fungicides, insecticides and other products if we saw any problems occur. Surprisingly, our chemical inputs on several types of trees and shrubs dramatically decreased compared to previous years.

Holganix: What results did you see on roses?

Stephanie: We care for several rose gardens, some of which have been part of our portfolio for several years. This year the roses in our portfolio were healthier than in years past, and issues with disease and pests we dramatically reduced. In addition, the roses were 25 to 30% larger than in previous years and only started do drop leaves in November while the neighboring rose gardens lost leaves long before.

Check out some of the images below featuring some of the roses, boxwoods, petunias and other plants we care for.  

Holganix: What results have you seen on boxwoods?

Boxwoods are known as man’s earliest garden ornamental and were first planted in ancient Egypt as early as 4,000 BC. A new disease in the USA, boxwood blight, was first sited in the USA in Connecticut in 2011. Since then, this destructive disease caused by a fungus, has spread to Alabama

Stephanie: We care for a lot of boxwoods, some of which exceed 200 years old. Many boxwoods in our area have been struck by blight. Our goal is to keep the boxwoods as healthy as possible and to keep the blight from spreading to other boxwoods; Holganix Tree & Shrub has been a tool to help us do that. By boosting the plants’ strength and improving the soil health, Holganix Tree & Shrub has kept the boxwood at peak performance and has helped them resist the blight.

How has Holganix changed the way you care for plants?

Stephanie: Holganix has really changed the way we make our living, how we eat and how we care for our clients’ properties as well as our own. I don’t have to worry about harming animals or pollinators. We can use Holganix Tree & Shrub without fear. To sum it up, we are passionate about Holganix and after the thorough testing we conducted on the product; we know it’s awesome.

Want to learn more about Holganix Tree & Shrub? Attend our webinar!

• How Holganix products help contractors create thriving plants
• Results from contractors using Holganix products in the field
• How do you use the products with trees, shrubs and flowers
• Open Q&A between the hosts and the audience