Posted by Rainbow on Aug 17th 2023
Dave Greenfield’s Secret to Stunning Bougainvillea at Pelican Bay: Trimtect™
Meet Dave Greenfield, and discover his secret for creating miles of smiles at Pelican Bay using Trimtect plant growth regulator.
In the prestigious community of Pelican Bay, visitors are encouraged to experience the breathtaking common grounds, meticulously managed by a team of professionals under the guidance of “Big Dave” Greenfield, Field Supervisor II. An integral part of his strategy in creating beautiful grounds includes utilizing cutting-edge technology to reduce labor and deliver more consistency in the miles of Bougainvillea, requiring ongoing maintenance at Pelican Bay.
Dave’s agronomy journey began at 14 when he took on a summer job at a golf course in Palm Coast, FL. During this time, his passion for science and nature ignited, which has remained with him throughout his life. Dave obtained a degree in Golf Course Operations from Edison College. He spent numerous years refining his skills at renowned establishments like Bonita Bay, Gateway Country Club, and Truly Nolan before finally landing in the beautiful surroundings of Pelican Bay’ where he was appointed as Field Supervisor II in February 2023.
"Our success is not just measured by the final product but by the positive impact it has on the environment and the community,” said Dave. This prestigious community has many landscaped beds, but if you ask Dave to pick favorites, he'll say it's the Bogies! The stunning Bougainvillea beds of Pelican Bay are crowd-pleasing favorites. They are healthy, colorful, and very well-kept. Most of these beauties are planted in high-visibility areas like traffic intersections and medians which helps to soften roadway aesthetics and dazzle passers-by.
The Problem
Seeing them now, it's crazy to think that only a few years ago, Dave was considering removing these jewels. He said they never seemed to do that great and since they are such fast-growers, the labor needed to constantly maintain them weighed heavily on his resources. "My greatest joy comes from seeing the smiles on people's faces as they experience the beauty and tranquility of Pelican Bay. That's what makes it all worthwhile."
Bogies that do not color-up are usually on a high-frequency trim cycle. This removes most of the bracts (colored leaflets) too often and robs the plants of the radiant canopy color they were originally installed for. In fact, the frequent trimming of any plant species will accelerate hormonal responses to trigger new growth. This constant re-activation of the foliage recovery process increases plant stress and ramps up the need for additional nutrients and water. Far too often it's this repetitive trimming that causes plants to become sickly specimens, showing thin, chlorotic, and unattractive appearances.
Plant healthcare challenges and the excessive drain on labor resources weren't the only concerns Dave was working through at the time. Most of the beds are in high-traffic areas, so the ongoing safety of the maintenance team was of additional concern. Dave wanted a solution that kept the Bogies shaped for much longer so his team could spend less time in harm's way trimming them, and more time working on higher-priority jobs. He started incorporating Trimtect™ plant growth regulator (PGR) into the workflow and the results have been spectacular.
Trimtect™ safely interacts with plant growth hormones causing buds, branches, and foliage to stack more tightly together, instead of growing farther apart. The result is a more dense, full, and healthy plant that holds the freshly pruned look for much longer, so less trimming is needed (averaging 8 to 12+ weeks).
The Solution: Trimtect
Before using Trimtect™, Dave was budgeting 3,300 annual labor hours to properly maintain the Bogies. Now that he uses this PGR technology, it only takes 330 hours. That's an impressive 90% reduction in maintenance time needed per year, and the plants look fantastic. In addition to gaining more flexibility with his labor resources, Dave's also thrilled with all of the plant healthcare benefits. Trimtect™ increases fine-root development, structural integrity, self-defense compounds, drought tolerance, and chlorophyll production.
When Trimtect ™ is used on plants that produce flowers or bracts, a more showy, dense, and radiant canopy of color will emerge–just like Dave's amazing Bogies. Now he's maximizing curb appeal while minimizing the time, effort, bio-waste, and safety concerns to manage it. We say job well done!
*Rainbow Ecoscience is the manufacturer of Trimtect™ PGR, and a proud partner of Collier County services at Pelican Bay. Trimtect is a registered trademark of Rainbow Ecoscience.
