Customer guidelines shared In the debate over whether to contract a lawn care company to treat their lawns or do it them-selves, many homeowners who choose the latter option do so because of a growing perception that lawn care companies are kil-ling their lawns. "But," according to Dr. A. J. Powell, extension turf specialist at the University of Kentucky, "lawn care companies do not kill lawns. Rather, their high maintenance programs make lawns more sus-ceptible to weather and pests." Dr. Powell wrote the following advice to Kentucky homeowners, titled "Living With Commercial Lawn Care," in a circular sent out by the Extension Service. The editors of LAWN CARE INDUS-TRY thought it would be a good idea to share this information with their readers, to give them an idea of how they are perceived by the Extension Service and homeown-ers, at least in Kentucky. Lawn care cycles follow a typi-cal pattern in which lawn care companies greatly improve the lawn for the first two to four years and then, as the high maintenance program causes other problems over the next two to three years, the lawn tends to degenerate. High to page 15 Dr. A. J. Powell A Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publication Serving lawn maintenance and chemical lawn care professionals OFF-SEASON BLUES When business is slow... One necessary evil of the lawn care business is cutting back during the winter months. Putting this time to productive use remains one of the industry's biggest problems. Warns Allen Wagner of A. Wagner Lawn Care in North Versailles, PA, "If you're going to get into the business, you better understand it's a seasonal one." Many companies fill the gap by plowing snow, cutting firewood, or supplying home heating oil; but few of those interviewed seemed especially committed to the alter-natives they've chosen. There are three reasons why PESTICIDES, PEOPLE, POLITICS snow plowing has become less attractive: dependence on the weather, increased competition, and damage to equipment. Understandably, a businessman whose livelihood is dependent on the good graces of the climate during spring, summer, and fall is not eager to subject himself to the same capricious situation in the winter. Don Dondoneau of Don's Sod-ding and Landscape in Grand Forks, ND, told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY that there has not been enough snow during the past few seasons to make plowing economically feasible. Many snow plowing moonlighters observed that this puts them in the con-tradictory position of hoping for more severe weather while also counting on an early spring to help cash flow in the early part of the lawn care season. Rising unemployment has also deterred many lawn care businessmen from considering snow removal. "The field is just getting more competitive," said Dale Wagatha of Perf-A-Lawn in Orchard Park, NY. "I'm getting underbid and just to page 10 EPAA Experts Spell Out Major Problems Pesticides, People, Politics. That "terrible trio" was the main theme of the 1982 International Pesticide Applicators Annual Convention held in Seattle, Washington this Sept. 29 through Oct. 1. Lawn care managers and many others involved in pest control heard top experts spelling out the problems Š and suggesting some solutions Š of the stormy national pesticide debate during this well-attended I.P.A.A. meeting. Guest speaker Dr. J. Gordon Edwards, entomologist at San Jose (o page 29 "NT oiTVWflf IF!r