MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. -- Empire Turf, Florida’s first greatly improved zoysiagrass, meets the Florida Green Building Coalition “Green Building” standards. This allows Florida builders seeking “Green Home Certification” to specify Empire and receive certifying credits (Category Two: Water / Drought Tolerant Turf [2 points]). Empire was designated because of its ability to reduce landscape water usage, its inherent pest resistance and its requirements for minimal fertilizer.
“Since Empire’s introduction to the market eight years ago, Empire Turf has proven itself to be drought tolerant and pest resistant,” said John Kiefer of E3 Building Sciences. “As a green and EnergyStar rater, I have inspected thousands of homes, and I believe that Empire is the logical choice for any ‘green’ project.”
Developed specifically for the unique southeastern environment, EMPIRE is the only zoysiagrass to meet the F.G.B.C. “Green Building” standards that has a proven track record in the state of Florida. There are over 20,000 Florida homes already using EMPIRE with thousands more expected while water conservation remains a top priority in the Sunshine State. That’s why the Green Builder Vision House Orlando 2008, a model of natural resource preservation, specified EMPIRE Turf for its lawn.
EMPIRE Turf is a medium-bladed, dark green zoysiagrass that features excellent wear tolerance, requires less mowing and chemical applications and is chinch bug resistant. More importantly, EMPIRE Turf allows the water supply to be shut off in severe periods of drought without the danger of permanently harming the lawn.
EMPIRE’s water-saving qualities are being backed up by independent research. In a recent study done by the San Antonio Water System (SAWS), EMPIRE Turf was put into a 60 day drought simulator with other turf grasses and was rated the top zoysiagrass for drought recovery.
While research stands behind EMPIRE’s performance, often times the best test is real-world applications. Empire Turf has been specified in major developments across the state of Florida for its practical advantages. The Villages and Ginn Reunion Resort both chose to go with Empire in an effort to stay on the forefront of environmentally friendly landscaping.
Sod Solutions, Inc., the developer of EMPIRE Turf, is an international turfgrass development company incorporated in the early 90s. The company’s primary research facility and headquarters is located near Charleston, S.C. Sod Solutions TM has developed and released Palmetto® St. Augustine, EMPIRE Turf TM, CelebrationTM Bermudagrass, SapphireTM St. Augustine and Bella™ Bluegrass. For more information, visit www.sodsolutions.com or call 843.849.1288.
