This lawn is green in more than just color.

It is no secret that there is a large movement of consumers who want to be as environmentally responsible as possible, or at least introduce some form of "being green" into their lives. Majestic Green is one way home and business owners can ensure their lawns meet their own environmental standards, as well as that of their communities. This is because the company's perfectly uniform rolls of sod create no waste, need no chemicals and provide erosion control.

"Everyone wants to get green right now, and our product fits in with that goal," says Josh Polz, co-owner. "Majestic Green doesn't need chemicals, is light weight and prevents erosion. Our customers are extremely satisfied because of how much better our product is than traditional sod."

Majestic Green is custom, greenhouse-grown turf. The Jackson, Minn.-based company notes many cities are mandating the use of sod in lawns to limit erosion problems, but conventional sod has a variety of problems. It is hard to keep it uniform in appearance, uses a lot of water, requires the use of chemicals and fertilizers and takes top soil from the land each time it is harvested. Majestic Green significantly improves upon all of these issues, Polz maintains.

Grown in a climate-controlled greenhouse environment, Majestic Green requires much less water because it does not have to be soaked like traditional turf and is produced free of chemicals and fertilizers because there are no weeds or insects. The mesh on which the turf is grown doubles as an erosion-control blanket, the company says, and is biodegradable because it takes only about a year to decompose.

In addition to its environmental benefits, Majestic Green is superior aesthetically, the company notes. The greenhouse-grown sod is ready to install just seven to 10 days after it was seeded, as opposed to conventional sod, which needs four to five weeks to establish roots. Majestic Green is free of thatch, can be perfectly matched to any blend of grass and thrives in shady areas, which have been problematic for owners in the past. Because it is produced in a controlled environment, Majestic Green can be installed on schedule.

"We started by doing residential turf and customers really liked that our product was light weight, controlled erosion and could be custom blended," Polz says. "Now we are doing more niche and specialty lawns, like athletic fields, custom matching for golf courses and lakeshore restoration.

"We operate a grow-to-order facility, so everything is custom produced and customers get whatever they want. For example, golf courses like a more high-end grass. We can make the sod a little bluer so homeowners can distinguish it from their neighbors and we can use much more varied seed mixtures. The lawns in this area get ruined when the salt from snow removers is washed into the grass, so we can use salt-resistant grass seed, or even seed that is more drought-resistant."

New Growth
Majestic Green evolved from Polz's father's business, Dave's Lawn Care & Landscaping, when Dave and Josh Polz built the greenhouse in 2005. They began taking their first orders in 2006, and the co-owners anticipate much growth for their new business as more people realize the benefits of Majestic Green's greenhouse-grown sod.

"We started by producing just turf for homeowners, but now we have expanded to include native grasses and wildflowers," Dave Polz says. "We are even doing more green roofs because our product works well for those projects. We are still in the early stages of the business, so we continue to find out what works and what doesn't. However, we know we will grow because this is a revolutionary product."

Majestic Green can plant 1,333 square yards in a week, but it plans to establish more greenhouses and move to new locations so it can be closer to the needs of the market. The company says franchising is a possibility and it will definitely develop more products to serve the needs of green roofs.

"We plan to grow with our customers, develop strong relationships and continually provide clients with new products," Josh Polz says. "We are in on the ground floor and getting a lot of attention, so we want to use this opportunity to grow. People are amazed by our operation and many more people are getting involved, so we expect to be around for a long time."