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COMAND® All Natural Compost
Keeping turfgrass in great condition is a year-round challenge for superintendents. Weather, soil quality, a shrinking selection of pesticides, irrigation restrictions, fertilizer bans, and tightening maintenance budgets, can all significantly affect the look and playability of a golf course or sports fields.
COMAND provides a natural, cost effective way of sustaining quality playing surfaces, that become easier to maintain.
What is COMAND?
COMAND is a unique compost product produced with precise proprietary blends of enzyme-producing microbes, some unique composting methodology, and inventive techniques of maximizing beneficial microorganisms in the finished product. Comand is truly a bio-engineered, yet completely natural product.
COMAND can be utilized straight, or alternatively, can be custom blended with varying amounts of high quality sand to create topdressings and rootzone mixes.
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New Greens Grade COMAND
What Makes COMAND So Unique?
Through many years of research, Harvest Quest developed an inoculum, which accelerates and uniquely enhances the natural biological process of composting.
The use of the inoculum reverses the physics of composting, with initial temperatures being generated on the outside of the piles and the heat front moving inwards. This unique phenomenon allows microbes to increase optimally and results in the creation of very mature and biologically diverse compost. Furthermore, carefully controlled curing procedures and re-inoculation with mesophilic (ambient temperature) microbiology is implemented known to improve populations of beneficial microbes.
COMAND is screened to a very fine consistency, which removes woody particles, making it suitable for applying to even the most closely mown turf.
Benefits of Using COMAND
COMAND adds high quality organic matter to the rootzone.
- Supplies stabilized organic matter
- Increases moisture infiltration and permeability
- Improved water holding in light soils, providing greater drought resistance and more efficient water utilization
- Improves the soils ability to hold nutrients
- Aids the proliferation of soil microbes, which assist in Thatch reduction
- Contains humus, making nutrients more available to plants
- Improved wear tolerance
Complimentary to other management programs, provides for more efficient utilization of fertilizers
COMAND can be incorporated into your turf establishment and maintenance programs all season long and will typically show results within a few days
Improved Soil Structure
Organic matter plays a key role in the structural stability of the rootzone. Many experiments have shown that compost improves the aggregate strength of soils. A rootzone without organic matter compacts very easily and suffers from poor aggregation. Conversely, healthy soil maintains pore spaces and has much improved oxygen transfer and water infiltration rates. The addition of Comand improves friability, porosity, and water permeability meaning roots can penetrate more easily and find nutrients and water. Reduced compaction and surface hardness, coupled with the benefit of a smooth and level surface from topdressing, can lead to reduced injury risks on sports fields.
Better Water Management
Percolation rates are maintained, making COMAND an important water conservation tool for turfgrass management. The addition of COMAND can provide greater drought resistance and more efficient water utilization, allowing the frequency and intensity of irrigation to be reduced.
Provides Soil Biota / Thatch Reduction
COMAND provdes Actinomycetes (enzyme-producing bacteria) and fungi. These groups of living organisms play an important role in turfgrass.
Thatch forms a layer in the upper root zone and restricts the percolation of water and movement of air. This coupled with compaction, can result in anaerobic conditions, leading to very shallow root systems, drought stresses, and disease pressures.
The microbial colonists in COMAND can consume thatch, converting it to humus. Strictly speaking, Thatch is ‘organic material’ (largely undecomposed), whereas COMAND is ‘organic matter’ (decomposed, stabilized and partially mineralized). In practical terms, the degradation of thatch (organic material) and its conversion to humus (organic matter) providing the turf manager work time and expense whilst improving the playing surface.
Beneficial Microorganisms
COMAND is not a pesticide. However, it contains naturally - occurring microorganisms, which may help to suppress soil-borne populations of some plant diseases. Research has shown that increased populations of certain microorganisms can suppress plant diseases in turfgrass, such as Dollar Spot and Brown Patch, as well as being antagonistic to nematodes.
Product Applications
New Construction: Comand can be utilized to replace peat as the organic component of a sand-based rootzone media for golf course and sports field construction. The product can also be incorporated into existing soils for parks and home lawns.
Maintenance: Comand can be utilized for topdressing fairways, tees, greens, sports fields, lawns, and as a component of divot mixes.
Take COMAND of Your Soil Health
100% natural materials are used in COMAND. Manufacturing process ensures chemical and weed free, consistent product. Specific Comand topdressinig blends are available for golf course fairways, golf course greens, sports turf and athletic fields. Comand is the aerification topdressing that makes a difference.
Sand Topdressing Formulas, by volume and weight.
Sand: 1 yard = 1.35 Tons
Comand: 1 yard = .5 Tons
A truckload (25 tons) of 80/20 topdressing contains 5.25 yards of Comand and 17 yards of sand.
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Product Materials
Convert Thatch to Plant Food
COMAND Bermudagrass Micro-Plot Trials Supervised by Dr. Billy Crow
Golf Course Greens Topdressing
Apply approximately 1/16 to 1/8in layer of COMAND 80-20 (up to 50-50) to greens for topdressing. Repeat according to percolation and greens management strategy. Fall topdressing with overseeding of winter rye – 70-30 blend recommended. Regular topdressing to maintain playing surface – 90-10, 85-15, 80-20, 70-30 depending on soil characteristics. Use as winter topdressing to promote warmer soil temperatures.
Golf Course Fairways Topdressing
Apply approximately 1/16 to 1/8in layer of COMAND 80-20, 85-15, or 90-10 to fairways for topdressing. Repeat 1 -2 time additionally per year as desired. Treat individual turfgrass hot spots as necessary.
Golf Course Tee Boxes
Apply approximately 1/16 to 1/8in layer of COMAND 80-20 (up to 50:50) after aerification. Use 70-30, 85-15, or 90-10 for regular topdressing. Apply winter topdressing to promote warmer soil temperatures.
Golf Course Greens Topdressing after Aerification
Core-areate the area to be treated. Apply approximately 1/8 to 1/4 layer of COMAND 80-20 (up to 50-50) topdressing. Brush or drag the area with chain link fence or rake to break up cores and blend with COMAND product, filling in aeration holes.
Golf Course Rescue Treatment
Apply approximately 1/8 to 1/4in layer of Command to hotspots as topdressing. Repeat every 4-6 weeks until turfgrass is restored. Use with higher blends such as 50-50 or 80-20 for best results.
Golf Course Construction / Rebuilding Greens
The high-quality compost component of Comand can be used as the ‘organic’ portion of sand-based golf media, replacing peat and/or soil. Use 80-20 Comand to create an approved medium for greens and tees. Apply a 12 inch later of Comand, smooth and roll surface.
Golf Course Bunker Repair
Apply 1/2in layer of pure Command around bunkers for amazing visual and structural improvements.
Sports Turf Topdressing / Athletic Field Topdressing
Core-areate the area to be treated. Apply approximately 1/8 to 1/4 layer of Command 80-20, 85-15, or 90-10 athletic field topdressing. Brush or drag the area with chain link fence or rake to break up cores and blend with Comand product, filling in aeration holes.
Athletic Field Construction
The high-quality compost component of COMAND 80-20 can be used as the ‘organic’ portion of sand-based sports turf media, replacing peat and/or soil. Apply a 12 inch later of COMAND, smooth and roll surface.
COMAND
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Looking for Command Topdressing or Command Compost?
You have come to the right place - our product is spelled Comand Topdressing, but Command Topdressing will do. Ditto with Command compost or Command organic compost. Take command of your soil health.