Into The 1990s Ł Ł ŁŁ The art of application for maximum germination. POUNDS OF SEED PER 1000 S SEED TYPE 3ENTGRASS w Š ^ w % e,we make product » i * practical, real life application confirm that pendi- a pre-emergent control program for your turf, methalin is unsurpassed for the number of weeds Ł We think it's time you started enjoying the it controls, the level of control and the duration finer things in life. of control. 4 PPTl(1lTTlftthRliTl Call 1-800-543-0006 for more information. Or y^ y^ -i- Ł 1 Ł contact your Scott's Tech Rep for help designing iTlLLo jl Llll/jv^l Circle No. 128 on Reader Inquiry Card * # Beverly Hills, Calif, is market- ing its new Micropure ma-chine to municipalities seek-ing a gray water program. The device recycles raw sewage wastewater for irrigation pur-poses. A Micropure system suit-able for a five-member house-hold would cost about $6,500, says Craig Rhoades, company president. "We're trying to get the word out to communities where it would make a dif-ference," says Rhoades. As Southern California's population continues to explode, even build-ing new reservoirs is virtually impossible, Berta points out, because "all the good spots got used up first" years ago. Berta says that removal of the salt in ocean water is being considered, but that, too, has drawbacks. Mainly money. Currently the wholesale price of fresh water is $25 to $30 per acre foot. To take salt from seawater would drive that fee up to $1,500 to $2,000 per acre foot. As for now, "They're sink-ing wells here fast," Berta ex-plains as he describes the latest efforts being undertaken by local municipalities. "I think we'll see more wells drilled solely for irrigation," predicts Lehr at the Water Well Association. He's calling for "more intel-ligent irrigation" techniques to be used. Irrigation systems in the United States are only 40 per-cent efficient, while those in Israel have an 85 percent effi-ciency rate, says Lehr. Irrigation programs should be adjusted to match plant growth cycles, weather, soil moisture and time of day. Turf managers need to edu-cate themselves on the specific aspects of irrigation, adds Lehr, who is promoting green industry attendance at next year's Conserve '90 conven-tion Aug. 11-14 in Phoenix, Ariz. (The event is scheduled to be a national clearinghouse on water issues.) "You need to be responsi-ble" when programming irri- gation systems, says June D. Dobbins, district sales and specification manager for the Toro Co. "Just being cautious and observing what's on your job-site can go a long way toward saving water," Dobbins points out. Journalist Berta notes that residents in his community become annoyed at neighbors who waste such a valuable re- source by "watering their driveways" or irrigating dur-ing a rainstorm. A number of firms are mar-keting devices that meter the amount of moisture in the soil for more accurate sprinkling. Toro's new Soil Moisture Control System reportedly re-duces water consumption by See WATER Page 14 10 INDUSTRY NEWS LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 PLCAA, Green Team agree on joint show next year Kujawa: United front needed. NASHVILLE, TENN.ŠThree of the larger green industry as-sociations have agreed to hold a joint national convention next year. The Professional Lawn Care Association of America, the Associated Landscape Contractors of America and the Professional Grounds Management Society will unite to sponsor the 1990 Green Industry Expo in Nashville. "I think this is a real milestone in the industry," says Ron Kujawa, president of the ALCA organization. "This thing has fantastic potential," Kujawa predicts. "This could become the defin-itive show in the industry." Kujawa recalls that he has been pushing the joint con-vention idea for close to a de-cade. "It's so obvious that we should cooperate on a trade show. It's a real milestone in the industry as far as getting people together." Exhibitors are likely to ap-preciate the idea, because so often the venders are "beaten up" by having to attend so many conventions in the late fall. "Over the years there have been lots of demands placed on the suppliers," says David Fuller, a PLCAA director. "They have to make some hard choices about which shows to attend. Hopefully, with the consolidation, they can all be in one place." "Consolidation is the best solution," comments Earl Wilson of PGMS. "Exhibitors have so much demand on their time from various organiza- tions that it is impossible from Add Chipco26019toyour spray program, andyou may add a new truck to your fleet. The best way to build bigger profits into your existing customer base is to add CHIPCO® brand 26019 fungicide to your regular spray program. ^ Here's why! CHIPCO® 26019 provides more effec- " tive control of more damaging diseases than any other fungicide you can use. So, your customers ^ ^ get greener healthier, more beautiful lawns. Second, CHIPCO® 26019 delivers this broad-spectrum control for a long timeŠup to a full month from a single application. That means it fits perfectly into your regular spray schedule. Third, CHIPCO® 26019 is imiDxaw dependable. Aoplied in a preventative pro-gram, CHIPCO®26019 provides the kind of reli-able disease control that eliminates customer complaints and costly call-backs. Best of all, by upgrading your service with CHIPCO® 26019, you keep your current customers satisfied and build additional busi-ness through word-of-mouth. Add CHIPCO® brand 26019 fungicide to your spray schedule today, and you may just have to make room for a new truck in your fleet. Chipco26019 .JL. Fungicide if RHONE-POULENC As with any crop protection chemical, always read and follow instructions on the label. CHIPCO is a registered trademark of Rhone-ft)ulenc. © 1990 Rhone-ftxilenc Ag Company Circle No. 135 on Reader Inquiry Card a time and expense standpoint to attend or exhibit at all shows." Each of the participating organizations will be present-ing their own educational pro-grams at the Expo. "The only thing we're really cooperating on is the trade exposition," says Kujawa, to insure that each association retains its own identity. "We're just better off work-ing together," Kujawa adds. "In our industry there's a lot of smaller organizations," and perhaps the trade show can be a springboard for a united front to tackle pesticide legislation and other issues facing turf managers, he ex-plains. "The only way we're going to get any clout is to work to-gether on certain things," says Kujawa. The newly-formed Green Industry Exposition Board has hired PLCAA to manage the Expo for two years, after which there will be a review of the situation, Kujawa says. Other organizations in the industry are welcome to join the effort by contacting the groups involved. "They should start to talk to us now," Kujawa says. Each year's event is ex-pected to be held in a city within "America's Heart-land." The sites are expected to contain reasonably priced hotels and suitable convention facilities, Kujawa says. LCI Meyer: Heading the OSTA. Turf-Seed's Meyer elected to industry post BEND, ORE.ŠDr. William A. Meyer, vice president of re-search for Turf-Seed, Inc. in Hubbard, Ore., has been elec-ted president of the Oregon Seed Trade Association. The OSTA is an alliance of Oregon seed companies work-ing to improve standards and promote the state's grass seed industry. A noted turfgrass breeder, Meyer has patented more than 55 varieties. He has been a featured speaker at numerous turfgrass conferences. LCI For the long run. year 'round. Choose a 3 or 4 wheel design with 60- or 72-inch side or rear discharge mower deck. Or add the exclusive Cushman Grass Caddy® system, which lets you cut, catch, and hydraulically dump 16 bushels of clippings without leaving the seat. For a convincing demon-stration contact your Cushman dealer today. Or call toll-free: 1-800-228-4444. CUSHMAN1 Introducing a powerful new force in riding rotary mowers. Now there's more to Cushman® Front Line® Mowers than top cutting performance. More power. More operator comfort. More endurance. Now there's the new diesel-powered model Cushman 807. Its totally integrated power train and new hydraulically-powered steering gives you un-matched performance over the long run. The 807 dispatches thick, wet grass on tricky maneuvers around obstacles without losing ground speed. No other rotary mower gives you a cleaner cut. At the heart of the new, four-wheel 807 is a powerful 21.5 horsepower, 3-cylinder Kubota 950 diesel engine. We've also included a heavy-duty Donaldson air cleaner and a new, heavy-duty Cushman PTO clutch to keep your new Cushman Front Line running longer. A complete family of Cushman Front Lines and a wide range of accessories are avail-able to meet all your needs all BUILT TO LAST 4001 Ryan, P.O. Box 82409, Lincoln, NE 68501 "Cushman, Inc. 1989. All rights reserved" <7 Circle No. 122 on Reader Inquiry Card INDUSTRY NEWS LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 Ransomes buys Cushman, Brouwer, Salseo lines JOHNSON CREEK, WIS. Ransomes America is increas-ing its investment in the North American green indus-try with the purchase of Cushman, Ryan, Brouwer Turf Equipment, Ltd. and a portion of Salsco. Ransomes America, a divi-sion of Ransomes pic, of Ipswich, England, paid Out-board Marine Corp. $150 mil-lion for the Cushman Group. The Cushman Group in-cludes Cushman turf vehicles and mowers; Ryan aerators and sod cutters; and Brouwer mowers, vacuums and sod har-vesting equipment. It will remain a separate en-tity under Ransomes America. "Cushman will operate as before," said Helmut Adam, president of Ransomes Amer-ica. "It is a well-run company with a good name. We are not going to change something that runs as well as Cushman." Manufacturing and mar-keting of Cushman products will continue to be based in Lincoln, Neb. Stuart Rafos, president of Cushman, said the sale aligns Cushman with a business partner that is close to its core business. Rafos also said Ransomes has the worldwide marketing expertise and organization to substantially extend Cush-man's growing international business and enhance its pos- tion in the domestic market. The partnership now offers the most complete product line in the turf equipment in-dustry, according to Rafos. Rafos also said Cushman's sales growth plan will quicken. The company estimates its annual sales of $100 million will double in the near future, and it is already making plans for increased production facil- ities. In August Ransomes Amer-ica bought a portion of Salsco, located in Cheshire, Conn., for an undisclosed sum. The Salsco turf line in-cludes walk-behind, tow and riding core aerators; a slicer/ seeder; a walk-behind de- thatcher; self-propelled drop spreaders; tailgate and towed truck loaders and a walk-be-hind leaf blower. WHEN TURF IS READY TO GROW, N IS READY! ROFORM TOGO Consistent 38% nitrogen Nitrogen released slowly for sustained turf feeding daring active growth periods Nonbtirning and nonleaching Decreased thatch build-up Available in Blue Chip, Gray ChipŽ and new Blue GranularŽ for dry application; Powder Blue1 and Powder GrayŽ for spray application. Odorless and pathogenfree Always look for the NITROFORM" logo. It's your assurance of high-quality nitrogen. WNOR-AM NOR-AM CHEMICAL COMPANY 3509 Silverside Road, P.O. Box 7495, Wilmington, DE 19803 Circle No. 126 on Reader Inquiry Card Adam said the turf renova-tion line will enable the com-pany to better serve its green industry customers. Sal Rizzo, Salsco's presi-dent, said the company will be introducing new products at the November Professional Lawn Care Association of America convention in Las Vegas, Nev. LCI i fr Adam: Cushman to remain. ALCA looks to replace Dir. Peters FALLS CHURCH, VA. The Associated Landscape Con-tractors of America is seeking a new executive director to head the organization. Terry Peters has left to join the Society for Marketing Professional Services. "He got a very nice job of-fer," said Ron Kujawa, ALCA president. "It was an amiable part-ing," he added. ALCA, which has 1,200 member companies, is looking for someone with good inter-personal skills and experience in sales and marketing. A background in the green industry would be helpful, but not mandatory, Kujawa said. "Our search will be wide open," he said. The replacement effort will last for as long as it takes to find the right candidate. "We have an extremely competent staff. They're going to run everything without in- terruption," Kujawa said. LCI Peters: Accepts new job. "TURFLON is more effective on the broadleaves that the competition is missing."-Russ Frith, president Lawn Doctor, Matawan, NJ If "easy" weeds were the only ones cropping up in customers' lawns, 2,4-D would handle the job. But that's not the case. You need a tough product to keep tough weeds down. Maybe that's why you should move up to TURFLON* herbicide. The real problem with lawn care. "Weed control is the most im-portant problem," explains Russ Frith. And as president of one of the nation's most successful lawn care franchisers, he ought to know. In explaining how TURFLON has worked for Lawn Doctor, Russ says, "It does a better job on the tough to con- trol weeds." Prove it for yourself. How do franchisers who use it justify broadcast spraying TURFLON at about $9.50 per acre? "Reduced callbacks," Russ says. He adds that inde-pendent Lawn Doctor operators select their own products. Most are skeptical of TURFLON until they prove for themselves that it does a better job of control- ling tough weeds. "Many who use it full service started with spot (spraying)." Finally, Russ says one word describes the experience Lawn Doctor franchises have had us-ing TURFLON: "Excellent." Isn't it time you moved up to a better herbicide for better weed control? Call us to find out more. 1-800-3 73-4DOW (4369). Move up to TURFLON 'Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company Circle No. 110 on Reader Inquiry Card 8004 14 J SPECIAL REPORT ^ J LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 SPECIAL REPORT ^ J f Xeriscapes seen as alternative for ornamental plots BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Editor Xeriscapes should no longer strike fear into the hearts of turf mana-gers concerned that the use of water-efficient ornamentals will eliminate interest in lawns. Contrary to what people might think, a homeowner who saves water by installing a xeriscaped garden will have more resources left over to maintain a turf plot, according to J. Randall Ismay, owner of Landscape and Water Man-agement Consultants in Los Angeles, Calif. Also, a business owner who does tree and shrub care should see plenty of oppor-tunities for offering additional service. Smaller lawns may be on tap for drought-stricken areas, but people will not give them up completely, says Ismay. And clients still want their lawns to look green and be weed-free, he adds. Ismay believes that warm season grasses should be used as far north as possible be-cause of their water-saving properties. Customers who object to the annual winter brown-out associated with such grasses can be sold overseeding ser-vices, applications of green dye, or, perhaps, they can be convinced that a brown lawn supplies a winter-like feel to a yard. The last option is particu-larly appropriate for a trans-planted client in a warm climate who expresses nostalgia for the snowy win-ters that he or she left behind. The use of xeriscape plant materials continues to gather increased interest as a viable alternative in drought-stressed areas. For many people, though, a xeriscape carries a negative connotation of rocks and cacti. Ismay prefers using the term "water-thrifty" when de-scribing the plantings. A water-thrifty plant will make the most use of the water it's given. Certain materials, then, Fine Lawn Research proves... not all Turf-Type Tall Fescues are created equal. FmelaummM TURF TYPE TALL FESCUE When you want a tall fescue turf that you can be proud of, Finelawn 1 Turf-Type Tall Fescue is the one. Its bountiful green color and attractive narrow tapering leaves are quick to green up in the spring and maintain density throughout the summer and into the fall. Plus, Finelawn 1 has demonstrated superior tolerance to heat, drought, and some of the nastiest turf diseases. I i Thoroughly tested beauty, quality and performance, yet ^ economical Š Finelawn 1 is the choice when you demand the best in home and professional M/ turfgrass! Top Rated Finelawn 1 Hirf-iype Tall Fescue Türf Quality NATIONAL TURFGRASS EVALUATION PROGRAM COLUMBIA, MO 1988-89 VARIETY AVG. SCORE Finelawn 1 Apache Rebel Bonanza Mustang Jaguar Rated 1-9; 6.1 5.5 5.5 5.3 4.9 4.6 : Best Spring Greenup NATIONAL TURFGRASS EVALUATION PROGRAM 1984-87 VARIETY AVG. SCORE Finelawn 1 Bonanza Apache Rebel Arid Jaguar Rated 1-9; 5.7 5.6 5.6 5.5 5.5 5.1 Fall Density NATIONAL TURFGRASS EVALUATION PROGRAM 1984-87 VARIETY AVG. SCORE 7.1 7.0 7.0 6.8 6.7 9 - Best Shade Performance NATIONAL TURFGRASS EVALUATION PROGRAM 1984-87 Finelawn 1 Apache Jaguar Mustang Bonanza Rebel Falcon Rated 1-9; Another quality product from., m U^cum For additional information, See your distributor or dealer, or Write to Fine Lawn Research, Inc. P.O. Box 290, Madison, GA 30650 R E S E A R C Circle No. 131 on Reader Inquiry Card Ismay: Water-thrifty saves turf. will thrive in drier areas, while wet spots can be planted with other selections. Ismay believes that any type of plant can be applied in a xeriscape situation. Turf managers need not fear the concept as something that may threaten to put them out of business, says Ismay, because a water-thrifty garden WATER from Page 9 30 to 70 percent. A sensor au-tomatically adjusts to climate changes. "In actual practice, we've found that controllers are sel-dom adjusted because many managers lack the personnel or expertise to reprogram them to follow precise changes in plant water use," says Steve Swenerton, Toro director of sales and customer satisfac-tion. "In most cases the tend-ency is to over-irrigate since green industry managers are judged more on plant appear-ance than water savings," Swenerton adds. "Our system will change this wasteful habit." According to Dobbins, "These types of water man-agement tools are sometimes able to pay for themselves in one year. They really pay for themselves in a hurry." Proper programming of irrigation systems could help stem the tide of re-quests to reduce turf areas in favor of drought-tolerant plants. "There are ways that peo-ple can save water and still maintain the landscapes that they have," says Bob Sears, executive vice president of the Irrigation Association. Irrigation-conscious turf managers can gain extra in-come (and better stands of grass) if they can program their customers' controllers. "It ought to be a $5 to $10 a month service to add on," says Sears. But, Sears warns, a turf manager attempting such a move should be properly edu-cated. "The average lawn care contractor needs to know a lot more information than he (or she) can get out of a brochure," he urges. LCI "Our resprays have decreased by almost 50%r-Jim Gourley, owner Lawn Masters, Kenosha, WI If you're like most LCOs using standard three-way herbicides, there are days when you wish the phone wouldn't ring again. Callbacks and cancellations can really get you down. Well, maybe it's time you moved up to TURFLON* herbicide. One good reason to switch. "We switched to TURFLON be-cause we were having too many resprays," explains Jim Gourley. And after 22 years in the busi-ness, he's happy with the results: "Our records show that we do have much better weed control and many fewer resprays this year than we've ever had." You'll save money in the long run. "Yes, we pay more for TURFLON," Jim says. "But when I figure how much it costs us per respray, it's saving us lots of money. And that justifies the extra cost." Jim adds that there's another reason he can't afford to make too many callbacks. "When you have to go out and do a respray, you're taking a chance on losing that customer." Isn't it time you moved up to a better herbicide for better weed control? Call us to find out more. 1-800-3 73-4DOW (4369). Move up to TURFLON 'Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company Circle No. 111 on Reader Inquiry Card 8005 16 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 Xeriscape: A water-thrifty garden sets an example for water conservation in Montecito, Calif. will free up water resources that can then be applied to the lawn. And advances in grass plant breeding are expected to result in varieties that use even less water. "The évapotranspiration losses of turfgrasses are almost twice as great in the blues, bents, ryes and tall fescue when compared to buffalograss under the same conditions," says Consultant Dr. Douglas T. Hawes of Piano, Texas. "The bermudas, zoysias and centipede have almost as low a water loss as the buf-falo," he adds. "Researchers are finding up to a 20 percent difference be-tween cultivars of any one spe cies, which suggests consider-able improvements can be ex-pected from the numerous turfgrass breeding projects pro-jects across the country," ac-cording to Hawes, who authors the Turfcomms newsletter. Shortages of ornamen-talsŠwater-thrifty or otherwiseŠare another offshoot of drought conditions. Lack of available xeriscape materials has been cited as a concern in the Southwest, and the Great Drought of 1988 re-sulted in ornamental short-ages elsewhere. Business operators seeking to replace dead materials for Why The Grass Is Always Greener At ServiceMaster. 77% Iast year, revenues for the lawn care ^ industry as a whole grew 15%. Revenues for ServiceMaster LawnCare grew a whopping 77%! Over five times the industry rate. Obviously, we j ' must be doing some- D c c . w , 1 . . t °, Revenues for ServiceMaster LawnCare thing right. And we are. grew o\er five times the industry rate. for return on equity in their ratings of the 500 top service companies in America. So if you're looking for the right opportunity to start your i5% own lawn care business, you simply can't find a company with a more consistent record for success. For one tiling, ServiceMaster is one of the few lawn care companies able to provide truly cus-tomized treatment to every customer. We speciali}7 design our own trucks and equipment so you can individually tailor your treatment to each lawn. For another, we pro-vide complete training and back-up support. Pro-grams like discount pur-chasing. A 1-800 hot line for special agronomic questions. Year-round marketing support that will help you get busi-ness even in winter. youœ^dgT^' F°RTUNEl RcFc^On Equity* J** 1989 started in a ServiceMaster LawnCare franchise for as Utile as $7,000 plus additional working capital. You can start out while still keeping your regular job if you wish. For more information, call Stan Guy toll-free at 1-800-635-SERVE. ( Customized treatment. Over 90% of our ServiceMaster franchises are still going strong after three years.This year, in fact, Fortune magazine named us No. 1 Partners in the ServiceMaster Quality Service Network -ServiceMASTER. TtRMINIX merry maids. ServiceMaster, LawnCare C 198V The ScmccMa-Mcf Company I P Circle No. 137 on Reader Inquiry Card \ \j mm.- i sbomNC2M19Alw^mitlandfollmlaMJirectwns forrrtail LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 SPECIAL REPORT 21 Lawn chemical runoff unlikely to pollute water table BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Editor Groundwater supplies are unlikely to be pol-luted by runoff from turf treated with lawn care chemicals, according to uni-versity research. In fact, a nice lawn may ac-tually help filter any water running through it. "The impact of well-man-aged turfgrass on water quality appears to be positive in nature," says Dr. Thomas L. Watschke of Penn State Uni-versity. After studying the issue "the results indicate that dense, high-quality turfgrass stands, regardless of establish-ment method, affect the over- land flow process to such a de-gree that runoff is insignifi-cant," Watschke maintains. "The threat toward groundwater supplies should be neutral or none," says Dr. A. Martin Petrovic of Cornell University. Both men have studied water runoff issues. Any effort by a local gov-ernment to restrict the use of lawn care chemicals in the hopes of preventing ground-water pollution would appear to be misguided. "The No. 1 culprit is failing septic tanks," says Watschke. Also, instead of being wor-ried about lawn care chemi-cals, "a bigger concern is stormwater runoff," he ob-serves. Heavy metals, lead, pe-trochemicals and asbestos from automobile brake linings are some of the nasty sub-stances that drain from streets during a rain, Watschke re-ports. Leaves piled in gutters can generate harmful organic wastes. Anti-lawn care activists and others may seek to exploit the water runoff issue through the news media, rather than appreciate the purifying properties of a well-tended lawn. "They're so caught up in the notion that something's wrong that they don't think about what's right," Watschke DateŠ r^JOÇj£_ while You were out Phone. st turf pests, including these. 90 percent control of white grubs within just 2-3 days of application. And, unlike other insecti-cides,Triumph consistently provides lasting control for a full 8-10 weeks. So one your clients, late summer or early fall Just that application is all you need they'll more for effective turf protection, often be the Which doesn't mean you green, nego-worft still collect notes from tiable variety sale to and use only by certified applicators or persons under their direct supervision, and only for those uses covered by the applicator certification. Circle No. 140 on Reader Inquiry Card Watschke: Road waste worse. maintains. "If you're disap-pointed in good news then you're probably not looking for it." While there have been con-cerns with chemical runoff from farm lands, lawn care is in a different category. Watschke and Ralph 0. Mumma address the issue in the introduction to a Penn State study for the U.S. De-partment of the Interior Geo-logical Survey: "Hydrological models for urban-suburban watersheds currently use in-formation acquired from pas-ture research as a source of data for runoff from lawn areas. Use of such information may be misleading and inap-propriate because dense, thatchy, well-managed lawns are not analogous to pas- tures." (The 64-page report, en-titled, The Effect of Nutrients and Pesticides Applied to Turf on the Quality of Runoff and Percolating Water, (ER 8904) is available from the university.) According to Petrovic at Cornell, any leaching of fertil- izers and pesticides can be controlled by using good turfgrass management tech-niques. His nitrogen studies have determined that a fertilization program in the late fall should be avoided. On Long Island's sandy soils, 70 percent of the ground-water leaves the surface be-tween November and April. A too-cold soil temperature is likely to reduce effec-tiveness. An early fall fertilization program is fine, but if the ma-terial is applied too late there is less chance of plant uptake of nitrogen, less chance of or-ganisms picking up nitrogen, and less chance for denitrifica-tion and ammoniam vol-atilization. The reactions tend to vary according to the brands and application rates being used on the lawn. LCI I Petrovic: Apply early. 22 SPRAY from Page 18 The quality of the turf on treated plots did not exceed that of the untreated control in this study. The results of these two studies indicated that fertil-izer and herbicide treatments on dormant lawns were un-likely to cause damage to the turf, and may even be bene-ficial as the turf emerges from dormancy. As is usually the case in re-search, however, more ques-tions were raised than were answered. What would the effect of these treatments be on irri-gated turf? Would the beneficial effects of the lower application rates observed in the demonstration occur on turf that has been dormant for a shorter period of time? Could the results be dupli-cated in more extensive trials? On July 13,1989, at the Iowa State University Turfgrass Re-search Field Day, another more extensive trial was established to observe the effects of sum-mer lawn care treatments on both irrigated and nonirrigated Kentucky bluegrass. All American Turf Beauty again supplied the equipment and materials. The single application treatment included 0.95 lbs. nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. (0.54 lbs. N from Powder Blue and 0.41 lbs. N from urea), 3 pts. Mecamine D per acre, 1.3 lbs Pendimethalin per acre, 0.15 lbs. K per acre (K2S04), and 1.7 oz of iron celate per 1,000 sq. ft. As before, the treatment was applied in 3 gal. total solu- tion per 1,000 sq. ft. The treatments, which were replicated three times, included a control (no treat- ment), 1 X, 2 X, 4 X, and 8 X. The study was established on a dormant Vantage Ken-tucky bluegrass and in an adja-cent area on an irrigated, 4- cultivar blend of Kentucky bluegrass. As would be expected, the excessively high treatments burned the irrigated turf (Fig- ure 1), although the effects of the highest treatments were not as serious as might be ex-pected given the high rates of fertilizer and herbicides that were applied at these rates. By the fifteenth day after treatment, most of the visible damage had subsided and the grass had begun to respond to the nitrogen (Figure 2). The nonirrigated area re-mained dormant through July and most of August. At no time did any of the treatments have any visible detrimental effect on any of PROFESSIONAL LAWN CARE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA SPECIAL 10TH ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE & SHOW NOVEMBER 6-9,1989 NEW DIRECTIONS! NEW OPPORTUNITIES! WHAT TO EXPECT THE 90s Don't let the future be a gamble! Plan for your company's growth into the next decade by being part of THE EVENT of the lawn care season: the 10th Anniversary Conference and Show of the Profes-sional Lawn Care Association of America. Bet on a sure winner Š PLCAA/Las Vegas '89! Š four unforgettable days in the enter-tainment capital of the world. Non-stop excitement, education, cele-bration and jubilation await you November 6-9! HtES! I'M INTERESTED IN PLCAA/LAS VEGAS '89^ SEND ME MORE INFORMATION ON: Q REGISTRATION U EXHIBITING NAME TITLE Ł MEMBERSHIP IN PLCAA COMPANY ADDRESS CITY STATE JIP TELEPHONE CLIP AND MAIL TO: Professional Lawn Care Association of America, Suite CI35 1000 Johnson Ferry Rd NE, Marietta, GA 30068-2112 L J Ł CELEBRATE! PLCAA's Conference and Show is always the lawn care industry's event of the year, but PLCAA/ LasVegas '89 will be something special Š the official 10th Anniversary celebra-tion of the founding of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America. You won't want to miss the exciting 4-day round of special events planned to mark this milestone in lawn care history. Ł EDUCATE! Three tracks of education will help you "Plan Your Business" into the '90's, with discussions of employment, water, finances, government regulations, and pesticide safety. Ample opportunities will allow for informal information exchange among colleagues. Ł EVALUATE! The latest in lawn care products and technology await your inspection. Over 160 manufacturers, suppliers and dis-tributors will be on hand, eager to answer your questions and dem-onstrate the tools you need to keep a competitive edge. Each morning of the Conference and Show we will present a New Product Expo. Learn what will be state-of-the-art in the 1990s and how your business can profit from new technology and new chem-istry. Ł PARTICIPATE! This 10 year celebration of lawn care comes around only once, so don't miss it! Don't wait to hear about it from your friends, be there to experience for yourself what all the excite-ment is about. Experience Las Vegas, spectacular showplace of America where the Stars come out to play every night. Watch your mail in early sum-mer for registration information, or call PLCAA for information 1-800-458-3466, and mark your calendar for a trip to Las Vegas! Circle No. 133 on Reader Inquiry Card LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 the treated plots. As the area began to emerge from dormancy following rains in August, it became ap-parent that the grass was ben-efiting from the nitrogen on the treated areas. I am by no means advocat-ing the use of any of these fer-tilizers or herbicides above those included in the 1X treat-ment. The higher rates were in-cluded only to determine the margin of safety that exists when these products are used. All of the work that has been conducted in the last two years on dormant Kentucky bluegrass indicates that there is a significant margin of safety, and that there is no rea- son to believe that standard lawn care treatments on dor-mant turf will damage the lawn. There is also evidence that the turf will benefit from the treatment when it emerges from dormancy. Are treatments on dormant turf agronomically necessary? The answer to that ques-tion is clearly no. Waiting to apply fertilizer and herbicide treatments to Kentucky bluegrass at the end of a drought as it emerges from dormancy would still be the recommended procedure. But for a company with a large number of customers that must make treatments over a several-week period, these applications may be an economic necessity. In that situation, there is nothing wrong with the prac-tice. LCI PLCAA from Page 1 It's a sure bet that PLCAA members will be gaining some valuable business knowledge amid the glitz, glamour and excitement of the Gambling Capital of the World. "They're going to get a very good conference," Brooks promises. "This industry is con-stantly changing, and we're going to be talking about these changes," he adds. "Water will be a primary is-sue," Brooks reports. Other topics will address govern-ment regulations, pesticide safety and business manage-ment concerns. "We've scoured the country for top faculty so you can hear their ideas." Don Aslett, "the nation's top janitor," will give a moti- vational presentation. Dr. Jay Lehr of the National Water Well Association will address water conservation issues, as will irrigation expert Larry Keeson. Dr. Larry Kokkelenberg will be on hand to deliver tips on how to better operate a business enterprise. Management Consultant Al Calibria will discuss corpo-See PLCAA Page 50 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 SPECIAL REPORT L J [ 1 SPECIAL REPORT L J r 23 Turfgrass survives stress when properly prepared BY MICHAEL L. AGNEW The drought of 1988 brought with it dam-aged lawns and dis-couraged customers for the professional lawn care indus-try. Turfgrass areas that were once thought to be able to sur- vive prolonged periods of dor-mancy were damaged by the lack of rainfall coupled with excessively high tem- peratures. In addition, many lawns were damaged because water-ing bans were implemented without warning. These situations, plus poor soil conditions, improper mowing practices and a lack of stress conditioning, cost thou- sands of dollars in damage re-pair. As reported in the August LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, much of the country successfully es-caped the grasp of the drought with adequate rainfall in 1989. Unfortunately, these rains have not occured in much of the Great Plains. While 1989 temperatures were not as high as those re-corded in 1988, a lack of sub- soil moisture has prevented turfgasss plants from sending their root systems downward. In most cases, cooler springtime temperatures and timely rains have kept most crowns and rhizomes alive, thus plant survival has been greater in 1989. Lawns have not totally es-caped the summer of 1989 un-scathed. Insect injury due to sod webworm and bluegrass billbug is reported to be more severe than in past years. Annual weeds, such as pros-tate spurge and crabgrass, have become more abundant, especially where no lawn care treatments were given this spring. When reflecting back on the past two years of drought, it is important to first under- stand the politics involved with community watering sys-tems. Then it is important to change management practices About the Author Dr. Michael L. Agnew is an extension turfgrass specialist at Iowa State University in Ames. to develop stress tolerant turfgrasses. Water restrictions The continuing drought created numerous situations in the form of rationing and bans. In the Great Plains, muni-cipal watering systems were not created with lawn water-ing in mind. In many cases, the water supply facilities are more than 20 years old. Thus, it was not surprising to see water ration-ing or bans issued by munici-palities. The purpose of most water restrictions were to re-tain adequate water for drink-ing and and for emergencies such as fighting fires. Urban watering bans can be described as the complete cut- off of water for lawn irrigation. Often stiff fines are imposed for people caught irrigating lawns. This has occurred fre-quently in rural communities where the water supply has not been recharged with rains. For example, in south cen-tral Iowa, the city of Lamoni, with a population of 2,700, had Broadleaf invasion: Weeds have sprouted on this dormant lawn. Milorganite FERTILIZER America's Number One Natural Organic Fertilizer Ł Many of the finest parks and grounds in America are fertilized with Milorganite. m Non-burning cost-effective, turf fertilizer. m Rich in organic iron Š 4% minimum guaranteed. m 90% Water Insoluble Nitrogen (W.I.N.), slow release nitrogen promotes vigorous growth. Ł Supplies humus and improves water holding capacity of soils. Ł The golf course choice. Circle No. 123 on Reader Inquiry Card FREE LITERATURE Mail in the coupon below for further information or call 414-225-2222. Please send me further information Ł Milorgan ite's Specialty Fertilizer Program LCI-0 Ł Milorganite's Iron Š Technical Bulletin PHOSF* Mail to: Milorganite Ł 735 N. Water St. ŁMilwaukee. Wl 53202 24 WÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 to ban any use of water for lawn irrigation because the city water source had gone dry. Now in the third straight year of drought, Lamoni has to haul water 30 miles to provide for drinking and bathing water. In situations like this, no one gives their lawn a second thought. Urban water rationing is the selective cutback of water use when adequate water ex-ists. It occurs when more water is needed than the stor-age supply can handle. As long as the water source is adequate, lawn watering is allowed on a limited basis. In eastern Iowa, the city of Cedar Rapids, with a popula-tion of 110,000, implemented a water restriction program in 1988. A water shortage had oc-curred because a developing housing industry plus an un-dersized water storage facility were taxing the city water sup-ply. In 1988, Cedar Rapids im-posed a total watering ban to avoid a water shortage. After several months of discussions, Cedar Rapids then imple-mented an odd/even method of rationing the watering of lawns. Houses with odd street numbers watered on odd dates, while houses with even street numbers irrigated on even dates. A good water rationing pro-gram should begin with water conservation. Municipalities are less likely to completely cut off all lawn irrigation if homeowners cut back their consumption. It is important to remember that the primary purpose of ir-rigation during a drought is to insure survival of the turfgrass, not to have a lush, dark green lawn. Thus water conservation should begin with less fre-quent irrigation. Stress tolerance During periods of extended environmental stress, it is im-portant to develop lawns that are properly acclimated to the adverse situation. Lawns that are prepared for stress can withstand a wide variety of stresses better than lawns that are not prepared. When properly prepared, the turfgrass plant will have a deep, extensive root system, low water content in the plant tissue and more carbohydrates within the plant. This acclimation process can be accomplished through proper irrigation, mowing and fertilization. Proper irrigation can de-velop a deep, extensive root system. This is accom-plished by allowing the turfgrass plant to show signs of wilting before irrigation is How to make your career grow. Join PGMS. GROUNDS MANAGER: The Pro fessional Grounds Management Society treats your career with lov-ing care. Ł SHARE KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS at the Annual Conference and Trade Show. This yearly forum brings together grounds mana-gers, top speakers and suppliers to give you ideas to grow on. Ł DISCOVER NEW IDEAS EVERY MONTH through the newsletter mailed to members. Ł RECEIVE PROFESSIONAL CER-TIFICATION: A peer review earn you the title of Certified Grounds Manager. It should be worth money in your pocket. Ł GET SMARTER. The Society conducts surveys on operational practices. These surveys are made available to members only. Ł GET ADDITIONAL INSURANCE AT NO ADDITIONAL COST. Your membership entitles you to $5,000.00 accident and dismem-berment insurance. Ł GET RECOGNIZED. Be one of those good enough to receive an award for outstanding achieve-ment in grounds management. Ł LEARN. Workshops all over the country give you management skills covering all aspects of grounds management. Ł SAVE MONEY. Members receive discounts on Hertz, Avis and Alamo rental cars and on the hor-ticultural publications you need to grow. Ł MAKE YOUR PERFORMANCE SUPERIOR with Ł the Grounds Maintenance Estimating Guide Ł the Grounds Maintenance Management Guidelines Ł the Grounds Management Forms and Job Descriptions Guide. They're free to members. Join today. Your career will take root and qrow. and mail to PROFESSIONAL GROUNDS NANAGEN ENT SOCIETY. J2 Galloway Avenue. Suite IE. Cockeysville. MD 21030or phone (301) 667 1833. Professional Grounds Management Society TO: PROFESSIONAL GROUNDS MANAGEMENT SOCIETY 12 Galloway Avenue Suite IE, Cockeysville, MD 21030 YES! I want to give my career a green thumb. Please send more information on what PGMS can do for me. Name Ł Company Street City & State Zip Area Code and Telephone Number applied. The key is to apply enough water to rewet the soil in the rootzone. Subsequent irrigations should be withheld until the next signs of wilt. Research has shown that Kentucky bluegrass plants that are allowed to wilt be-tween irrigations show less signs of stress than plants that are allowed to grow in a well-watered situation when water is withheld. Proper mowing practices can also help develop a deeper root system and cooler tem-peratures near the crown of the plant. It is important to raise the mowing height prior to the onset of high temperatures. A higher mowing height not only leads to a deeper root system, but the increased leaf tissue helps in the production of car-bohydrates and provides in-sulation to keep the crown of the plant cool. The addition of potassium fertilizers, especially on sandy soils, can help promote stress tolerance in turfgrass plants. Potassium is utilized by the plant to increase root growth and to provide thicker cell walls. Both conditions pro-mote better stress tolerance. Many lessons have been learned from 1988 and 1989, and it is important not to for- get them. Turfgrass can sur-vive adverse conditions if it is properly prepared for the sit- uation. LCI ALCA will meet in Mexico FALLS CHURCH, VA. The Associated Landscape Con-tractors of America will hold its 1990 convention in Pu-erto Vallarta, Mexico, Feb. 4-7. The convention will be held at the Krystal Vallarta Hotel. Michael Gerber, author of The E. Myth: Why Most Busi-nesses Don't Work and What to do about it, will be keynote speaker. Gerber is founder and chief executive officer of the Michael Thomas Corp. Gerber offers consulting to small businesses, the develop-ment of which are the focus of his studies. Bruce Wilkinson, president of Workplace Consultants, Inc., Gretna, La., will speak on drug abuse in the workplace. Frank Ross, co-founder of Ross-Payne Associates, Inc., will give a presentation on the recent ALCA Operating Cost Study. The study offers a com-prehensive collection of finan-cial data on the landscape industry. For information, contact ALCA at 405 N. Washington St., Suite 104, Falls Church, Va. 22046. The phone number is: (703) 241-4004. LCI LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 SPECIAL REPORT 25 Polymers allow lawn to survive on 300 gal. a week BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Editor CARPINTERIA, CALIF. With proper preparation, a 2,000 square-foot lawn can be kept green with just 300 gal-lons of water a week, according to a contractor in drought-stricken Santa Barbara County, Calif. A combination of old-time farming practices and space-age technology does the trick, says Dr. Walter S. Barrows, Sr. He owns Landscapes by Barrows in Carpinteria, and is "Dr. Dirt" on a local radio gar-dening show. By using a technique that includes water-absorbing polymers, Barrows maintains that indeed a 2,000 square- foot lawn can be kept green with just 300 gallons of water a week. That equals the waste water generated by three loads in his wife's Speed Queen washer. First, Barrows aerates the property and rakes up the cores. A mixture of mulch and polymers is broad-casted and spread into the aeration holes so that "the water that gets in there stays in there." The yard is dragged with a piece of chain link fence or the back of a rake. It is then cov-ered with a half-inch layer of clean plaster sand topdressing. "It acts as an insulating barrier to keep the moisture in underneath it," Barrows ex- plains. The raking process is cru-cial with the polymers. "If you don't spread it evenly you get these gel pockets. All they're doing is holding water, but they (other polymer users) don't realize they're going to get into disease problems and fertilizer burn problems." The polymers are applied with a mixture of sewer sludge products and other ingre-dients to keep out bad bacte-ria, control thatch, add good fungi and insure a suitable organic content. Barrows has invented a word for his turf mixture: "We innoculate it with these humectium acids." He backs off with the fertil-izer and uses deep, infrequent, watering. The light fertiliza- tion of the turf involves "keep-ing it on a cheap drunk" while avoiding "a crop of hay." With his preparation pro-cess "you've cut your water re- quirements by at least 30 to 50 percent." The aeration and raking harkens back to harrowing, which is basically shallow plowing with those big-wheeled clawed devices that are often seen at rural roadside yard sales. "The guy that harrowed his land had moisture all year round," Barrows recalls. The space-age angle is sup-plied by the polymers. Bar-rows uses MATSCI MS-5, which is a corn starch-based product made by Material Sci-ence in Santa Barbara. (A polymer is a general term meaning a chain of molecules.) Polymers expand as they absorb moisture for future use. "As the plant dehydrates it sucks up that water," explains Rich Records, branch mana-ger at Target Specialty Prod- ucts in Cerritos, Calif. Dr. W.M. Doan of the United States Department of Agriculture is generally cred-ited with inventing the corn starch-based polymer in 1974. Thinking of a roast might help someone understand the idea. "Have you ever eaten gravy?" Doan asks. Polymers are targeted for use in bandages, breast im- plants, foot powder and cat box filler. The use of polymers on turf remains in the early stages, but it could mean gravy for many a turf manager in drought-plagued areas. "It's just emerging. We're just at the beginning of this thing," says George Blumel, chairman of the board at J RM Holdings in Cleveland, Ohio. Thé company makes Soil Moist, which is a "crosslinked modified acrylic polymer" similar to the material used in contact lenses. Soil Moist is being used at some golf courses, and it is ex-pected to spread to residential lawns. "We've got to educate," says Blumel. "A lot of people are going to spend the extra moneyŠit's an investment in the home," See GRAVY Page 26 Barrows: Rake them in. Carl Aebersold, harvesting crew foreman at Pacific Sod, Camarillo, CA, is pleased with the above-, and below-surface performance of dwarfer Monarch turf-type tall fescue. Quality Turf-Seed varieties developed and produced for turf professionals. Species Variety Improved Challenger turf-type Columbia Kentucky Midnight Bluegrass Galaxy blend Imp. Common Ky. Voyager Improved Birdie II turf-type Charger perennial Citation II ryegrass Manhattan II Omega II Remington Saturn Alliance blend CBS II blend Improved Aurora hard fescue Improved Shadow Chewings fescue Improved Bighorn Sheeps fescue Improved Flyer creeping fescue Fortress Shademaster Improved Apache tall fescue Bonanza Eldorado Monarch Murietta Olympic Silverado Triathalawn blend Improved Penncross creeping Penneagle bentgrass PennLinks Creeping Pennway bentgrass blend TURFSEED PO Box 250, Hubbard, OR 97032 503/981-9571 FAX 503/981-5626 1-800-247-6910 Circle No. 140 on Reader Inquiry Card 26 SPECIAL REPORT LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 Industry taps resources to inform citizens, officials Green industry organi-zations throughout the United States are tak-ing a more active role in formulating government water management policies on the state and federal levels. The American Association of Nurserymen notes that it assisted in the preparation of the U.S. Senate version of the Municipal and Industrial Water Conservation Act of 1989. Written to respond to the "water crisis of the 1980s and beyond by making wiser use of our water resources," the bill proposes establishment of the Office of Water Conservation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Included in the bill's lan-guage is emphasis on the water-efficiency of landscap-ing and vegetative cover. Says AAN official Ben Bolusky, "This is one more step toward recognition of the nursery industry as an advo-cate of prudent water use in the U.S." He also observes, "This leg-islation will send an important message to the American peo-ple: That landscaping is a vital Included in the bill's language is emphasis on the water-efficiency of landscaping and vegetative cover. way to participate in water conservation activities, over and above the fact that it adds beauty and value to one's property." A coalition of groups in Cal-ifornia is busy educating cit-izens and state officials as the Golden State wrestles with se-rious water shortages in some areas. The California Landscape Contractors Association has pitched in with a cooperative advertising campaign for the print media. Entitled, "Water is a Grow-ing Concern," the ad empha-sizes the importance of saving water and it urges readers to hire an association member to construct a water-efficient Gateway to the Join the landscape professionals at the 1989 Green Team Conference and Trade Show, "Gateway to the '90s." This four-day event is your entree to a two-day exhi-bition of the industry's finest products and services. "Gateway to the '90s" is sponsored by the Associated Land-scape Contractors of America and the Professional Grounds Manage-ment Society and features three fiali days of educational programs that: Ł give you the most up-to-date information on horticultural prac-tices, management techniques and business matters. Ł examine in detail subjects ranging from landscape design/ build and hydroseeding to sales and contract techniques. It's four days filled with opportunities to learn Š to socialize Š to exchange ideas Š to see and enjoy. Plan to attend. Green Team Conference and Trade Show November 9-12, 1989 Ł St. Louis , Missouri St. Louis Sheraton and Cervantes Convention Center Need more information on the 1989 Green Team Conference and Trade Show? MÁA Contact Associated Landscape Contractors of America 405 N. Washington St. #104 Falls Church, Va. 22046 (703) 241-4004 Professional Grounds Management Society Suite IE, 12 Galloway Avenue Cockeysville, Maryland 21030 (301) 667 1833 See tyoct St. ¿ouUf Circle No. 118 on Reader Inquiry Card landscape. The Desert Turfgrass/ Landscape Conference Com- mittee is seeking nominations for the first-ever Southwest Regional Award. "The award will recognize an individual or group of indi- viduals who have made signifi- cant contributions to the turfgrass or landscape indus-tries in the desert South-western United States," says Linn Mills, a Nevada exten-sion agent. The winner will be an-nounced at the group's Dec. 13-15 convention in Las Vegas, Nev. Other organizations are re-cognizing the need for water education programs, and op-tions are being discussed. LCI Water is a Growing Concern. i C*«M*N I ŁŁ ÉM .. >1« »! >.r fcrsp i» iTttUV i «ik-rfc. rrt MMfcn ¡ .«4fc*tV (IX . ;:iAt> IV 'Ł(&><* Pjv - u» i^ijv Jf. » nm.-Ät- r' m W CALIFORNIA F LANDSCAPE f CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION Ad campaign: Members of the California Landscape Contractors Association are being urged to run this ad in the consumer media. GRAVY from Page 25 adds Dave Czehut, vice presi-dent at JRM Chemical. "There's a great move to-ward the use of polymers in the turf industry," agrees Richard Dean Culbertson, president of RainSaver, Inc. in Walla Walla, Wash. The new RainSaver devices inject polymers and other ma-terials below the grass surface. "We can go out with our machines and do lawns and hardly disturb the turf," Culbertson says. He believes that an LCO could charge a customer $100 to $150 for an annual treat-ment using Polysorb polymers on a 5,000 square-foot lawn. "It's the first machine that will treat a mature (grass) crop at the root level," says James C. Marshall II, chief executive officer at Polysorb, Inc. in Smelterville, Idaho. He sees a great future in the two products for areas under drought pressure. "If you want green grass you're going to have to go to polymer injec-tions on the lawns," Marshall says. Polymers can be slippery when applied to the surface of the turf, he adds. "All a poly-mer does is create an under-ground reservior." LCI DECADE OF THE ENVIRONMENT c o N T E N T S 3Decade of increased regulations Industry experts discuss kev issues [Learning from the past Looking at 2.4-D's case Industry experts discuss key issues and how they're being dealt with. Looking at 2,4-D's case history prepares us for future issues. 7 Two approaches to an important task I The issues-management style of two Ohio LCOs provides valuable insight. »Products for the 1990s The Dow Chemical Company creates new products, redesigns existing ones and offers support with the environment in mind. 11 Supplying ammunition to our allies I Dow Public Affairs is an ally LCOs can depend on now and in the future. INTRODUCTION "We're committed to the lawn care industry and you'll see that commitment expand during the next decade. As another decade comes to an end, the "me" generation of the 1980s is shifting its attention to the environment. A number of events illustrate this trend ŠAlar on apples, the annual "attack" on lawn care products, concern about 2,4-D, groundwater and pesticide residue on our food supply. On the following pages we address some of the key issues facing the lawn care industry. As a leader in the industry, The Dow Chemical Company is strongly committed to the responsible and effective use of chemi- cals and the protection of our environment. Awareness of envi-ronmental issues and concerns dictates our development of new products and the enhan-cement of existing ones. Our prod- ucts for the 1990s will further reflect that awareness and concern. We realize issues management is a serious task for lawn care firms, that's why our staffŠfrom the sales and technical specialists to the government and public affairs departmentŠis there to assist you. Dow is a good friend to have during a time of increased legislation and regulation. Consider us a resource when it comes to issues management. To prepare you for the coming years, read "The 1990s. Decade of the Environment" for valuable insight on the issues, and the products and resources Dow has to offer. We're committed to the lawn care industry and you'll see that commitment expand during the next decade. i(jhfJL, Rob Peterson Product Marketing Manager Turf & Ornamental Products The Dow Chemical Company 10 KEY ISSUES Decade of increased regulations Posting and Prenotification Signs cautioning customers and passersby of a pesticide application are popping up on lawns all around the country. Posting is the law in Maryland, Massachusetts, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Rhode Island. Florida and Connecticut will require it in the very near future, and Washington, Indiana, Oregon, Colorado and Georgia are currently discussing the issue. A couple of states make notifying pesticide-sensitive people easier for LCOs. Pennsylvania and Maryland have a central registry system which lists such individuals. A registry was created in Pennsylvania after the 17-member Pesticide Advisory Board heard from citizens who claimed to have experienced allergic reactions to pesticide applications made in compliance. The list, which now totals 175, is kept on a data base, updated on a regular basis and sent to com-mercial and public applicators in the state. Appli-cators provide advance notification to individuals when spraying within 500 feet of their homes. Right now, notification in Pennsylvania is voluntary. Next year, it could be a regulation as it is in Maryland. "If a Maryland applicator doesn't notify individuals on the list he will first be warned. After "You have to be aware of the issues, whether they be environmental or legislative." - Bob Parmley awn care operators today must not only possess lawn care skills and business savvy, but also must be aware of the issues facing their industry. "You can't be in the industry without VBi being aware of the forces acting upon it," says Mike Shannon, president of ChemLawn. And those forces include issues that will only intensify in the oh-so-near next decade. "A good manager plans for the future," says Bob Parmley, president of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA). "You have to be aware of the issues, whether they be environmental or legislative. No matter what size of company you have, you will be affected." As much as the 1990s will be the decade of the environment, for LCOs it could also be called the decade of increased Posting: More states are making it the law. regulations. "There's a trend toward more regulations on local, state and federal levels." Parmley says. "Media attention towards pesticide-fear issues has grown greater this year. This attention has a direct relation to the legislative and regulatory issues facing our industry," points out Joe Winland, group vice president of support for Tru Green. Tom Delaney, PLCAA state regulatory affairs specialist, says the regulatory climate is one of change. "Everything is in turmoil right now. The only certainty is that LCOs who don't know what's happening will be left behind." Here, according to industry experts, are some of the key issues facing the lawn care industry and how they're being dealt with. An LCO's only worry used to be making a lawn green and weed-free. Today, issues affect the business. that there's a possible revocation of his license and a fine of $25 - $1000," explains Dennis Howard, of the Maryland Department of Agriculture Pest Regulation Section. There have only been a couple of incidences of applicators not contacting the individuals since its inception in February. Training As training becomes more regulated, LCOs are asking, "How do I find the time to give my employees documentable training?" Richard Jalette has come up with an answer. Once an LCO himself, Jalette is now co-owner and director of a correspondent training program he helped found almost a year ago. The program is designed specifically for lawn care companies. "LCOs don't have time to research the material, write quizzes and then document the training. We do the preparation, background research, typing, copying of all materials, and documentation. All the company needs to do is get the employees together and present the material," explains Jalette. New York, Maryland and California have regula-tions requiring verifiable training for employees. Similar requirements are pending in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Missouri. "As regulations clamp down on us, LCOs will have to go to training programs like this," says Jim Smith, general manager of Hydro Lawn, one of 17 companies using the program. "It's good because we end up with better-trained technicians doing a better job, and that leads to more business." Groundwater The key to this issue and the regulations that will be formulated depend on research that's being done. Some studies are finding that under certain circumstances, healthy turf may actually protect groundwater. "Groundwater is a big issue. Questions are easy to ask, but not easy to answer," says Marty Petrovic, associate professor of Turfgrass Science at Cornell University. Groundwater research being done by Petrovic and his colleagues includes evaluating pesticide leaching models. Existing models that predict movement and leaching into groundwater focus more on the soil and its condition, and not on the thatch layers and above-ground part of the plant, and how this turf ecosystem interacts with the pesticide. At the University of Rhode Island, the Department of Plant Sciences is conducting research on turf, home lawn care and water quality. Professor Michael Sullivan says he and his colleagues haven't studied groundwater, but rather the water quality just above the saturated zone. "We've looked at the quality of water that ran off the surface and through the root zone and deter-mined the pathways and losses of turfgrass products," he says. "Our basic conclusion was that turf managers have far more control than we thought. A predominant factor lies in how attentive they are to watering practices," Sullivan explains. "Unless you overwater, you don't see the potential for great movement of pesticides and nutrients. This means LCOs need to better educate their clients on watering practices," he advises. Worker Safety "When it comes to worker safety regulations, California is one of the toughest," says Dave Hanson, manager of technical support for Environmental Care Communicating with customers is an important first step LCOs should take toward handling the issues. Rubber boots and gloves are required wear. Goggles, respirators and protective pants could be next. "Groundwater is a big issue. Questions are easy to ask, but not easy to answer." -Marty Petrovic Inc. The firm specializes in all phases of lawn and landscape maintenance, has branch offices in California and five other states and employs 1,125. At one time, only the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) regulated pesticide use and storage in the lawn care industry. No longer, says Hanson. "We're at the point where so many agencies are involved that there needs to be a clearinghouse that lets us know the regulations. Right now most LCOs are learning by being cited." Hanson briefly outlines some of California's worker safety regulations and how his company adheres to them: Protective clothing - Firms are required to provide any employee who makes chemical applications with a disposable suit such as TyvekŽ, or a uniform which is laundered after it's worn. Branch offices of Environmental Care Inc. do both. Protective gear - All safety equipment must be provided by the company. Goggles, boots, face shields and respirators are given to all spray operators. Training - All employees must go through yearly, documentable training on work hazards, safety procedures, clothing and equipment requirements, and the application laws and labels for each product, etc. Chemical storage - An enclosed area, separate from offices and warehouses, is required. The area must be posted, ventilated, lighted, and fenced in. Some fire departments require a one-hour fire wall. Container labels - Everything must be labeledŠfrom the tank and backpack sprayers to the handcans and tip and pour containers. Pesticide Usage Reports - Monthly pesticide usage reports are submitted to county agriculture commissioners documenting the product and amount used. Those are just a few of the compliances Environmental Care Inc. must adhere to in California. "It all adds to the cost of doing business," Hanson says. "On the horizon, we see costs escalating even more with increased regulations." Pesticide Disposal Disposing of outdated or unusable pesticides can be a big hassle. But in Connecticut, environmentalists, pesticide applicators and state agencies worked together to solve the disposal problem and set a precedent in cooperation. A 1987 bill appropriating state funds for the disposal of old or unwanted pesticides was spearheaded by the Professional Pesticide Users of Connecticut (PPUC), a group representing all com-mercial pesticide applicators in the state. PPUC worked with the Clean Water Coalition; the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP); the Agricultural Extension Service; and Farm Bureau. DEP sent out surveys to five of the state's eight counties to discover what and where the pesticides were and condition of the containers they were in. DEP arranged for the collection and disposal of the pesticides in two counties thus far and paid 50 -100 percent of the n a survey conducted by Lawn Care Industry Magazine, LCOs were asked, "What issues are of greatest concern to you?" Here's their reply: I Health risks/product safety 1 Application restrictions 3 Pollution problems, especially groundwater contamination How to Handle These Issues Jim Wilkinson, director of the Pesticide Public Policy Foundation offers advice on how to best be prepared to handle the issues: Ł Train your applicators. Many of the issues facing the industry could've been easily avoided if the applicator had been properly trained. Ł Communicate with your cus-tomers. Provide them with information about the products you use. Ł Involve yourself in associations, coalitions and the political process. The fight for reasonable pesticide public policy must be won through the com-bined efforts of all applicators. disposal costs. Over 50 people brought in a total of 737 gallons of liquid and 4,564 pounds of solid material for disposal. As for the future, Don Kiley, PPUC executive director, believes, "This is a disappearing program. We'll hopefully dispose of all the outdated pesticides in the state over the next few years." He adds that the cooperative spirit that began with the program has grown into a positive relationship between the industry and the environmental community. The result has been a number of innovative solutions to pesticide issues. Ł 2 , 4 - D CASE HISTORY Learning from the past ooking at how the 2,4-D issue has evolved can tell us a lot. As we move into the next decade, we will likely witness additional scrutiny of 2,4-D and other compounds. "2,4-D has a long history going back to the mid-1940s," explains Wendell Mullison, a consultant who has over 40 years of experience in agrichemical scienceŠ32 of which were at Dow. When the environmental movement blossomed during the '60s and 70s and some of the safest, most useful chemicals were attacked, 2,4-D wasn't spared. In 1980, EPA announced that studies of 2,4-D in the scientific data files didn't meet current toxicology standards. Although most of the studies were valid and showed the use of 2,4-D didn't pose unreasonable risk, EPA felt new data were needed. Dow was the first to lead in 2,4-D's defense by forming an Industry Task Force on 2,4-D Research Data. Still active today, the Task Force, consisting of companies that manufacture and sell 2,4-D, developed the requested data. In 1986, 2,4-D received widespread attention when a National Cancer Institute (NCI) study claimed to link Kansas farm workers using 2,4-D with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. In the following months, a number of independent reviews found that the study had overstated its case and no link between 2,4-D and cancer had been found. Controversy was resurrected last summer when the primary author of the Kansas study presented preliminary data from a Nebraska farm workers study claiming findings supported earlier work. Many believe the data are equivocal and could equally suggest the risks posed by 2,4-D are considerably less than those reported by the Kansas study and are said to be statistically insignificant. Political ramifications concerning 2,4-D still exist. Dow and the 2,4-D Task Force will continue to address the issue and disseminate scientific evidence which the media may otherwise ignore. The current status of 2,4-D could be considered a positive oneŠfor now the hype has died down. However, trouble still looms on the horizon. The graph on this page shows the response to a survey gauging the feelings of LCOs on the use of phenoxy herbicides, such as 2,4-D. Fifty-nine percent feel the intensity of this issue will increase. Manufacturers have begun to look at alternative products for broadleaf weed control in turf. Dow has developed and registered a new chemistryŠa combination of triclopyr amine and clopyralidŠcalled CONFRONT * herbicide. Even though 2,4-D is on solid ground, Dow wants to provide the industry with a choice. Customers may think that because Dow has developed a product alternative, it no longer supports 2,4-D. That's not true; Dow has been the mainstay in supporting phenoxy herbicides, and will continue to support them. Issues like this could arise again, zeroing in on a different compound. It's important to learn from this example and be prepared for what could be ahead. Ł LCO Broadleaf Phenoxy-Herbicide Study Survey conducted by Lawn Care Industry Magazine Sample selected from magazine's circulation list. ISSUES MANAGEMENT S3 H Two approaches!» an important task ssues management is a skill that needs to be added to the job description of an LCO. There are several ways to approach the important task. Two Ohio LCOs are issues management-oriented and their approaches offer insight. Rick Steinau, president, Greenlon Inc. Steinau describes his approach to issues management as proactive. "You need to take the bull by the horns. There's a huge zero-risk contingency that wants to see no pesticides," he cautions. Because of his proactive efforts, Steinau is bringing attention to his industry. Legislators and regulators listen to him through his involvement in the Ohio Pesticide Applicators for Responsible Regulation (OPARR), a coalition of pesticide users who support responsible regulations. He says, "Dealing with the media is the toughest Well-trained employees can enhance an LCO's issues management program, says Rick Steinau, right, with a Greenlon employee. thing I do." He's a reliable source to local reporters, writes his own press releases and a monthly, 500- word editorial for the Cincinnati Business Courier. As chairman of PLCAA's public relations com-mittee, Steinau helped set up a nationwide network of media contacts. Sixty LCOs send out PLCAA press releases that address various lawn care issues. He educates his customers on products and practices by sending a newsletter five times a year. To fight "chemophobia," he utilizes pamphlets available through PLCAA and manufacturers, and speaks to community groups. He believes, "These days you have to stay well-read and caught up on the issues and act upon them." Doug Halterman, vice president, Leisure Lawn Halterman, too, mentions the word "proactive" when discussing issues management but says his approach is one of "cautious concern". Issues management at Leisure Lawn begins with the employees. "They need to understand our policies and safety precautions concerning the environment," says Halterman. "When approached by a homeowner, they can answer questions with confidence and dispel fear." The company becomes cautious when dealing with the media. "In prior years we were receptive. Recently, we've been less open because we're being misquoted." He believes LCOs need to find a way to get the point across in a short, precise fashion that won't be taken out of context. Halterman, a past president of the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation (OTF), helped initiate a Legislative Breakfast which gives members of OTF, OPARR and the Ohio Nurserymen Association a chance to meet with state legislators. He's also a PLCAA committee member on the Council for Lawn Care Information which studies issues facing the industry. "If LCOs are on the leading edge of formulating policy and guiding the issues, it's easier and less costly to do business," he says. Ł Doug Halterman approaches issues with caution. "If LCOs are on the leading edge of formulating policy and guiding the issues, do business." -Doug Halterman 10 ADDRESSING T H E ISSUES Productsof Die 1990s Mm^^T he Dow Chemical Company is committed to the responsible use of chemicals and chemical products designed to improve the quality of life everywhere." That mission statement reflects the company's strong belief in product stewardship, firm commitment to end-user customers and consumers alike, and thoughtful awareness of current environmental and industry issues. As it pursues its growth objectives for the 1990s Š The Decade of the Environment Š Dow works hard to support its basic chemical lawn care business. By developing specialty products and enhancing process improvements, Dow strives to build its industry leadership potential. "To achieve this leadership status, we continuously evaluate industry trends and needs, in addition to the many aspects of our products and services," says Marketing Manager Ken Ablard. He says these facets include customer and applicator safety, packaging, container disposal, accurate dosage, ease of application, environmental impact, reduced rates of application, reduced odor, and training efforts. R&D Program Dow's extensive R&D program endeavors to create and improve high quality insecticides and herbicides. The company's Formu- lations Group has cited safety and outstanding efficacy as two impor- tant goals; others include long-term residuality and low-odor products. "We look at worker, consumer and environmental safety as top priorities," says Kevin Burns, formulations research chemist. He explains that the company is becoming a leader in dry solid formulation technology to minimize chemical exposure to applicators, their customers and the environment. "We've been studying this for about four years," says Malcolm Jones, development director for R&D. The Dow team includes five formulations and analytical chemists and chemical engineers, each with about twenty years of experience with Dow. Dry Formulations "Dry technology was responsible for the development of DURSBAN* 50W in water soluble packets, which has been on the market for about three years, and may move us to other formulations which are easy on sensitive plants, and easier to use and clean up than solvent-based insecticides," he says. "Dry formulations can also be put into dose packs and can take the form of water-dispersable granules, which can be dust-free and volumetrically measured," says Jones. Because solvents are not included in dry formulations, they could significantly reduce the possibility of phytotoxicity to ornamental plants, reduce the possibility of odor problems and eliminate flash point and combustibility potential. Fran Hamburg, project leader in the Formulations Group, says that the move away from Turf and ornamental products for the 1990s from the Dow Chemical Company. aromatic solvents is the "wave of the future." "A significant number of our odor complaints aren't due to active ingredients, but to the odor of the solvents that are part of our liquid formulations. "There are two methods of reducing odor," she says, "and removing the solvents is one. The other involves cleaning up the active ingredient-for example to make chlorpyrifos (the active ingredient in DURSBAN, and EMPIRE* 20 insecticides) as pure as possible, minute impurities which are the main causes of odor are eliminated. We've been working very hard on that at our production plant." Hamburg says that this has required developing analytical techniques for measuring the impurities present at extremely low levels. "You can have a 99 percent pure technical ingredient and have an extraordinary odor because all you need is a few parts per million of an odor body in order for the smell to be noticeable," she explains. Water Soluble Packets Another non-solvent insecticide, DURSBAN 50W in water soluble packaging, is an idea whose time has come, according to Peterson. "And industry acceptance over the past few years has been remarkable." This type of packaging helps reduce applicator exposure, provides an easy and accurate way to measure dosage and helps solve container disposal problems. Here is how it works: A measured, plastic pouch containing chlorpyrifos in wettable powder form is added to a spray tank. About 15 seconds later, the pouch begins to disintegrate and releases the formulation, which then disperses into the water. After about a minute, the pouch completely dissolves. Water Soluble Packaging in action. No container disposal problems or tricky measuring. Dr. Mike Shaw, Dow's product technical manager for turf, describes one of the new formulations that the company has been developingŠCONFRONT herbicide. The product was recently registered by the EPA. "It's an example of state of the art broadleaf herbicide chemistry. CONFRONT is an amine solution composed of one part clopyralid to three parts of triclopyr per gallon." Triclopyr is an active ingredient in TURFLON* herbicides, while clopyralid is a new molecule to the turf market. This product has significant advantages over current three-way mixes on the market. Shaw says, "CONFRONT uses substantially less active ingredient per acre to provide control over broadleaf weeds in cool season grasses than presently used products on the market. It has excellent clover knockdown ability, and superior efficacy on hard-to-control weeds." Dr. Joseph Neal, associate professor of Weed Science at Cornell University has studied CONFRONT in test trials for three years. "CONFRONT herbicide has performed equally to standard herbicides on the three major weeds: dandelion, clovers and broadleaf plantain," he says. "In fact, CONFRONT is the only non-phenoxy herbicide that has controlled broadleaf plantain in our trials." Shaw says Dow is aware of an industry need for a granular grubicide that doesn't leach, present avian problems, nor require high application rates and possesses reduced microbial degradation properties. All Dow products go through extensive testing in the Mam-malian & Environmental Toxicology Research Laboratory. 10 "Dursban WW in water soluble packaging is an idea whose time has come." -Rob Peterson "Dow is designing small volume returnable containers (SVRs) that will help solve waste disposal problems..." -Dolores Garrett "We're currently studying technology that should give us a clay granular material optimized for activity as a soil insecticide," Shaw reports. Doug Halterman, vice president of Leisure Lawn in Dayton, Ohio, says the most significant problem his company has with current grubicides are microorganisms in the soil that breakdown the product. "This gets worse the more you use the product and retreats become costly," he says. Another concern to Halterman, are current grubicides' toxicity to birds. "We have to make sure the product is properly watered-in so there's no potential for avian exposure," he adds. Complementing the work of the Formulation Group, the Packaging Group at Dow works to improve how the company's pesticide products are packaged for sale and use. Dolores Garrett, packaging designer, says that among the group's achievements are several dose packaging and portion control devices which have reduced the need for measuring and handling, and the chance for spillage and waste. "We've made great strides by developing water soluble packages, child-resistant packaging improvements for some of our products, and most recently a sturdy, leak-resistant, plastic dose container." Delivery Systems Within the Packaging Group, a Delivery Systems Group has been established. "It's dedicated to improving our delivery systems and packaging, and works closely with our Formulations Group as we come up with new, complete systems that will take product from storage to final application. We see this as an integrated system." According to Garrett, Dow is currently designing small volume returnable containers (SVRs) that will help solve waste disposal problems and facilitate the "totally enclosed transfer of chemicals" as another way of reducing chemical exposure to LCOs. "We're looking at small, stainless steel containers of seven, 15 or 30 gallons. The LCO, after applying the pesticide, would return the empty SVR to us for re-filling," says Dow Research Leader Dave Valcore. Garrett says Dow is committed to enhancing the safety of all active ingredients by changing their physical and chemical properties, if necessary, so that groundwater and other environmental properties won't be adversely affected. "Our technology has made great strides over the past few years to meet and even surpass the needs of LCOs and PCOs," she says. TS&D Specialists In addition to the Formulations, Packaging, Delivery Systems and Laboratory groups and technical managers who work so diligently to develop and strengthen pesticide products at Dow, the company employs 10 Technical Service and Development (TS&D) specialists around the country. Most have earned advanced degrees, including Ph.D.s, in entomology and pest management. These people provide research and application advice to customers in addition to conducting continuing studies on Dow products and how they work in actual field conditions. They relay the findings of their research to the industry and also provide an important two-way link between company headquarters and its field personnel. They are also experts on insects and weeds, and are well versed in integrated pest management. TS&D specialists work closely with Dow field sellers, reflecting the company's commitment to provide pertinent information to the industry. Ł LCOs and Dow field sellers examine Confront test plots during a recent turf tour. 10 D O W PUBLIC AFFAIRS E* Ł Supplying ammunition to our allies s a decade that's sure to bring increased public policy and regulations quickly approaches, The Dow Chemical Company Government and Public Affairs Department is a good ally to have on your side. Emery Conyers, (left) Fred Langley and Sam Barrick are part of the Dow Public Affairs team ready to assist lawn care operators with public policy and issues management. Sam Barrick, Dow Public Affairs specialist, says the easiest way to describe what his department does is: "We supply ammunition to our allies." "The main message we're trying to get across is that the benefits of using our products far outweigh the risks," Barrick says. "We need to communicate those benefits to customers, homeowners, the media, legislators and regulators in terms they can easily understand." One way Dow helps the industry is through its legislative efforts. "We've been active in the public policy debate over the use of chemicals for the last 10 years," says Emery Conyers, director of Dow Government & Public Affairs. His staff of nine works with U.S. Congress and state legislatures in all 50 states. Tracking legislation that impacts the industry and alerting LCOs of that legislation is the job of Fred Langley, issues manager for Industrial Specialties. Because he can't impact public policy alone, one of his key responsibilities is building coalitions that can. "LCOs aren't alone in the issues facing them. We help them get together with other key groups in their state," Langley says. Dow supports and works alongside PLCCA, serving the needs and best interests of the industry. Dow Turf Products Marketing Manager Rob Peterson, recently relinquished his seat on the PLCAA Board of Directors. He served as an associate director for two years. Through donations which thus far total $35,000, Dow actively supports PLCAA's public affairs efforts. Dow's state involvement includes work with the Ohio Pesticide Applicators for Responsible Regulations (OPARR). Dow Account Manager George Gossett, is one of nine founding members on the OPARR board. Dow's issues management involvement also benefits LCOs on a personal level. Training is offered on how to deal with issues impacting business and how to develop a strategy. For LCOs who need to face news reporters, Dow provides media training. A few of the other ways Dow indirectly helps LCOs is by publishing the The Bottom Line, a newsletter which addresses public issues of importance to the agrichemical business. It's a source of scientific facts and information about pesticides and their benefits that's sent to persons who influence the use of pesticides. In cooperation with PLCAA, Dow is developing brochures which address the many benefits of lawn care to homeowners. Entitled, "A Professional Cares...", each will list ways a professional LCO cares about your lawn, environment, family and community. They'll be made available to LCOs through PLCAA. As "issues management" becomes the industry buzzword of 1990s, Dow Public Affairs is an ally LCOs can depend on now and in the future. Ł As "issues management" becomes the industry buzzword of the 1990s, Dow Public Affairs is an ally LCOs can depend on... Circle No. 108 on Reader Inquiry Card 10 For more information on Dow Turf Products contact your local Dow sales representative or call our toll-free number 1-800-373-2DOW Form #135-1367-889-BR ŁTrademark of The Dow Chemical Company 39 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 1 CONVENTION REPORT Weird hours and hot temps mark Vegas lawn care LAS VEGAS, NEV. An LCO in Las Vegas needs to be on the job before the crack of dawn when serving lawn care cli-ents. In the Gambling Capital of the World, local residents have unusual work hours, and beastly hot temperatures make afternoons a good time to stay insideŠor out on the golf course. "We go to work early and we quit early," says Paul Moore, owner of Lawn Green, Inc. His seven employees begin their work day at 5 a.m., and "we try to have them out of here by 11:30." The heat makes afternoon hours unacceptable. "In June, July and August we average 107 degrees," Moore reports. During the day, customers are likely to be sleeping or run-ning errands. "Our whole town is basically built around the gaming industry," Moore Ex-plains. "Our major shift in town is the graveyard shift." There's even a high school in Vegas where classes start in the evening and continue into the wee hours of the morning. "There's so many families working at that time. Most of them go to bed at six o'clock in the morning. The town's pretty active at 5 a.m." Moore's been in business for close to a decade, and he notes that he's yet to have a complaint about his crews being noisy enough to disturb anyone's sleep. The work force is stable. "We've had all our employees for three or four years," says Moore as he chuckles, "I like to think it's because I'm a good boss." The salaried workers "make better than the indus-try as a whole. The guys make $400 to $500 a week and they get little bonuses and stuff. They have a routeŠand they get it doneŠand we don't worry much about the hours." During a year's time the sun is shining on 85 percent of the days. In January you can go snow ski-ing in the morning at Mount Charleston, about 35 miles away, come back to Las Vegas for lunch, and then during the afternoon go water skiing on Lake Mead, about 30 miles away in the opposite direction. Winter daytime temperatures are a balmy 60 degrees. The average yearly rainfall in Las Vegas is 3.65 inches spread over 19 days. (Compare that with St. Louis, which has 35.89 inches of rain over 112 days, plus 19.5 inches of snow.) Built-in sprinkling systems are the rule in Las Vegas. "Ev- erything is 100 percent irriga- tion," Moore points out, noting that "it takes a lot of water, and water's expensive here." A household with 5,000 square feet of land is likely to spend $200 a month for water, which includes maintaining a swimming pool. And just about everyone has a pool. The desert climate means that a lot of water is required to keep a lawn green. At Moore's own house "the water's running on the place for 18 hours a day." Lawn care "is really not that big in Las Vegas" because the properties are not as large as what might be found in other cities. "The lot sizes are very small in this town," says Moore, "75 percent of the homes have a swimming pool, so that takes care of the back yards." Customers often have just 1,500 square feet of grass. Lawn Green does a good amount of subcontracting. As for turfgrass selection, "most of it is cool season grasses." About 80 percent of the yards are planted with bluegrasses or fescues, and the remaining 20 percent are bermudagrass, he says. LCI LCI MARKETPLACE Las Vegas, Nevada Weekly Technician Wages $400-500 July-Aug. Temp. 107° Annual Rainfall Ohio Turfgrass Conference And Show DECEMBER 4-7, 1989 THE OHIO CENTER COLUMBUS, OHIO Ł Featuring Workshops, Educational Sessions and over 200 Exibitors Ł For Golf Turf, Lawncare, Grounds Maintenance and Sports Turf Managers. Detach and mail to: OHIO TURFGRASS FOUNDATION 2021 Coffey Road Columbus, Ohio 43201 614-292-2601 PLEASE SEND INFORMATION ABOUT Ł 1989 CONFERENCE AND SHOW Ł OTF MEMBERSHIP Name Company Address City State Zip Phone Circle No. 138 on Reader Inquiry Card 40 CONVENTION REPORT LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 St. Louis turf managers meeting challenges galore ST. LOUIS, MO.ŠVarying soil conditions, a tricky transi-tion zone climate, summer heat, outbreaks of fungi and high customer expectations all combine to make the Gateway to the West a "fairly crazy" market for turf managers. "It's scratch-your-head-time in St. Louis from one week to the next," according to Keith Hasenfratz, owner of KMH Turf and Landscaping. He also is superintendent at Tower Tee Golf Course. "The problem is keeping customers happy. They expect a lot for the money they're spending." Hasenfratz estimates that 15 to 20 percent of the people in St. Louis opt for profes-sional landscape services. The transition zone loca-tionŠnot quite in the North and not quite in the SouthŠ creates difficulties in regard to turf management. The weather is strongly in-fluenced by continental air masses from the north and warm maritime air masses from the south. These fre-quently converge near St. Louis. Summer heat and humidity are particularly nasty culprits. "I think the fungi is the big thing," Hasenfratz observes. "You can spend hundreds of dollars on fungicides trying to control it." Soil conditions play a role, too. "Some people have really good topsoil and their neigh-bor could have clay." Temperatures of 90 degrees or above occur about 35 to 40 days a year, and extremely hot days of more than 100 degrees happen about five days a year. Hasenfratz notes that "bluegrass doesn't like that." He adds that "some blue-grasses across the street do fine and some are dying and there's nothing the lawn care company can do with it." Planting Southern grasses is not the ideal solution either, according to Hasenfratz. "I tell everyone to grow ber-muda if they want a good lawn," he says. "The problem is that it turns brown in the winter and a great amount of people don't like it." About 10 percent of the St. Louis lawns consist of zoysia or bermuda, says John Loyet, president of Greenscape Lawns, Inc. He points out that "being in the transition zone it's hard to get a lawn that stays green all year. A lot of times people go with the warm season grasses because of the fungal problems with the cool season grasses. "We never recommend that anyone plant warm season grasses," Loyet maintains, "We can have better stands of grass with cool season than warm season." Loyet says he urges custom-ers to plant tall fescue vari- eties. The drought hit hard in 1988. "Last year it was terri-ble. This year we're paying the price with these problems." Loyet adds that there was plenty of renovation work available, and "we probably got more questions on irriga- tion than we've ever had be-fore." About 5 to 10 percent of the lawns are irrigated. A number of residents, when faced with drought con- ditions, prefer to just let the lawns go dormant. Some St. Louis lawns still harbor the results of a situa-tion three years ago when a firmŠwhich was up for saleŠ dropped its fees to boost its customer list. Loyet declines to discuss the issue, except to note that "we lost a sizeable amount of customers because of the low prices." He adds that people soon realized that "you get what you pay for" when it comes to bargain turf care rates. "In the long run the lawns suffered. In the short run they didn't." The price war in St. Louis "never bothered me," says Hasenfratz at KMH, because "most of my jobs I get from referrals" and the rates are based on costsŠnot on the competition. LCI G-TEAM from Page 1 United States, Canada, Eu-rope and Australia. Recently retired from the U.S. Forest Service, he is an internationally recognized re-searcher credited with the de-velopment of expanded interpretations of decay based on new concepts of compart -mentalization and microbal succession. Shigo's research includes more than 15,000 tree disec-tions and is referenced in more than 15 textbooks used at uni-versities throughout the globe. He recently published a book entitled Tree Pruning: A Worldwide Photo Guide. Dr. Dayna Waitley, a nomi-nee to the President's Council See G-TEAM Page 55 NQ1 MCHOICE OF TOP OPERATORS Replacement HOSE REEL SWIVELS Ł Installs as replacement on Hannay and most other brand reels with little or no modification. Ł Utilizes space-age materials and Viton® O-rings for heavy-duty operation. ®9§arde At Your Distributor or Call Us at (312) 593-6464. ENCAP PRODUCTS COMPANY P.O. Box 278, Mt. Prospect, IL 60056 Circle No. 115 on Reader Inquiry Card The A New Computer System for the Lawn and Tree Care Industry which Provides a Competitive Advantage where it Counts-Marketing, Customer Service and Production Management Developed by PLCAA® Š 89 PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS INC. 500 W. WILSON BRIDGE RD. WORTHINGTON, OH 43085 (513) 323-5982 Scheduling Solutions for the Service Industry Circle No. 132 on Reader Inquiry Card RIDE A WALKER ^bidœw&i tf-oAÎ, Gcmppœiiiim, ßwptable Mowing Most commercial mowing operations are using walk-behind mowers because they have concluded no rider mower is compact or maneuverable enough to mow landscaped areas. Now maintenance operators all across the country are discovering the compact, maneuverable Mid-Size Walker Mower fits their job and saves labor (usually cuts labor 112). The labor saving Walker looks good whether your business is trying to produce profit or is operating on a budget. Write or call for a free brochure. Ask for a demonstration. Walker Manufacturing Company. 1839 East Harmony Road. Ft. Collins. CO 80525 . 1-800-777-0356 Circle No. 138 on Reader Inquiry Card LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 CONVENTION REPORT Individual service is the key in Rocky Mtn. region BY MEGAN HARDING The rugged pioneer spirit that tamed the Ameri-can West is still evident in the way LCOs do business in the Rocky Mountain re-gion. Lawn care customers in western states such as Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Nebraska are more likely to choose a small, locally-run LCO than a large chain, says Cindy Potter, who runs Year- round Landscapes with her husband in Cheyenne, Wyo. "People like to know who they're dealing with," Potter says. For example, two years ago when the Potters began using an Iowa-based billing service, their customers had to be as- sured that the company hadn't been bought out by an out-sider. And when they converted their Nitro-Green franchise to an independent firm, people kept asking, "Is this Bruce Potter's company?" "They want to look the guy in the eye," Zeke Zebroski says of his customers in Gillette, Wyo. People often insist on meet-ing the man who will come out to work on their property, Zebroski says, so he schedules crews to work evening hours when they go out and do esti-mates for Zeke's Yard & Garden Service. "They expect a certain amount of one-on-one," he says. Potter agrees that it's im-portant to stop and talk with the individuals on their route. "They like to visit, and that generates a lot of extra jobs for us, too." About 60 percent of her cus-tomers are senior citizens, many of whom will deal only in cash. People know the truck is in town when the crew makes a trip 60 miles east to Kimbell, Neb.Šthey're even stopped occasionally for a roadside consultation. It's all in a day's work for the Potters' 16 em- ployees. When the Potters began the business in 1984, they knew the industry standard: Each truck sprays 30 lawns per day. They soon realized the standards weren't devised for their area, where the popula- tion is relatively sparse. As Zebroski puts it, "It's a hundred miles to anywhere." When he gets a call from a far-flung area, he first has to decide whether it's worth About the Author Megan Harding is a freelance journalist who lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio. She recently returned from a camping trip to Idaho and Utah. going out there. "A lot of them don't have addresses," Potter explained. Difficult climactic condi-tions are another factor that makes western lawn care so challenging. Michael King of the Lawn-Magic division of Reno Green says lawn sprinkling was lim-ited to two days a week last summer in Reno, Nev. Crews had to be carefully scheduled to visit homes that could use water on that partic- ular day; citations would be given out for illegal watering. During the Great Drought of 1988, watering was limited to one day a week. "There were a lot of people who skipped the service for a while," King says. Potter still finds it hard to believe there are places where a lawn will grow without daily watering. "In the East, they don't water their lawns, period. That's so foreign to us." In keeping with the inde-pendent spirit of the West, Potter says, there are a lot of do-it-yourselfers in Cheyenne. However, even the most re-sourceful people give up and call a professional lawn care company when their yards be- come infested with the weed seeds that blow in from the open prairie. "Most people that call us do it because they can't keep the weeds under control. It's not because the lawn isn't green," she says. Zebroski says the town of Gillette roughly tripled its population during a coal boom in the 1970s. See ROCKIES Page 50 * t »« King: Dry clients cancelled. ATA POLYBLEND mis» re Used By Lawn Care Professionals BATA POLYBLEND BOOT Two-stage injection moulded, one-piece construction for complete waterproof protection. Constructed for environments where severe conditions require a high degree of chemical resistance. Features include: Ł Non-slip soles for safety Ł Pull-up and kick-off lugs for ease in entry and removal Ł Removable cushion insole allows hygienic cleansing of boot interior Ł footbedB insole available for added comfort and support Ł Steel safety toe in selected styles All steel toe items meet or exceed ANSI STANDARD Z41 Class 75 /or Impact and compression BATA POLYBLEND BOOTS are specially formulated for a wide variety of applications. MEN Full sizes 16" Knee Boot 4-13. Full sizes 6" Work Boot 6-13. Black/Grey, Cleated Sole, Full Steel Shank Standard. WOMEN Full sizes 4-11. Black/Grey, Cleated Sole, Without Steel Shank. The jacket in the above photograph is the BATA TUFTEX 30 SERIES made of PVC/nylon/PVC material. It is lightweight and extremely tear and abrasion resistant with attached or snap on hood, raglan sleeves and storm fly front Permeation test results are available upon request. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 1-800-372-2282 r* BATA SHOE COMPANY, INC., INDUSTRIALS DIVISION Ł Belcamp, MD 21017 Circle No. 101 on Reader Inquiry Card 42 INNOVATIONS LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 42 Monsanto introduces Expedite to lawn care market BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Editor ST. LOUIS, MO.ŠA self-con-tained backpack spraying system is expected to reduce employee pesticide exposure and increase application effi-ciency. The Monsanto Agricultural Co. is marketing the Expedite system, which features design improvements to the former Nomix system previously demonstrated by the firm at several trade shows. "We're sure that (lawn care) professionals will be ex-cited about the advanced fea- tures and benefits of Expe- dite," says Dave Ducan, director of Monsanto's greens business. The product consists of premixed pesticides and a "user friendly" applicating wand. Operators can "program" precise low-volume spray ac-curacy through built-in con- trols on the lance. A pacing beeper helps avoid errors and waste by telling the employee how fast to walk. "We can take those workers and make them a lot more pro- ductive," says Jerry Steiner, a Monsanto district manager. "We're going to be spraying a lot fasterŠwe can make that worker a lot more efficient. You spend a lot more time spraying," Steiner says. Expedite has a closed sys-tem with ready-to-apply formulations that are pack-aged to fit directly into the backpack. It is designed to re- duce contact with the pesticides during mixing and handling. We don't recommend bull riding in the back of a stake body. Especially if it's not a Reading. You see, Reading stake bodies are built to take the kind of load that would break the spirit of other brands. Here's why... Our stakes and slats are made of tough 12,14 or 16-gauge steel, and all racks are treated with Lectro-LifeŽ - an exclusive Reading process where high-voltage electricity actually bonds special primer to metal. When combined with the Power CoatŽ electrostatic finish, you're assured of unsurpassed coverage and Vv-^ rust protection. Removable racks let you take loading chores by the horns. Rack sections are joined together by sturdy quick-release gate latches, and spring-loaded latches hold the stakes firmly in their pockets. Underneath, two reinforced steel girders run the full length of the body. All bed parts are electric-ally welded to form one solid integral unit. The platform is rugged 3/16" smooth or deck-plate steel, or 2" nominal pressure-treated dense southern yellow pine - your choice. Take stock of these bullish options: Ł Lift-up, swing-out hinges on any rack Ł Steel underboxes for tool storage ŁSolid steel front bulkhead for extra cab protection Ł Dense southern yellow pine wooden slats instead of steel Choose from our regular, heavy-duty, or extra heavy-duty models and you'll get from 9 to 24 feet of rawhide-tough stake body backed by our three-year limited warranty. Don't just follow the herd! Call or write today for more information on Reading products and the name of your local Reading distributor. Dial toll-free: 800-458-2226 (In PA 800-352-2206) At Reading, we pride ourselves on the quality of our products, and the quality of the people who buy and sell them. That's why we say.. Only the best carry the name lectro-life and FbuerCoat are trademarks of Reading Body Wbrks. Inc. c 1989 Heading Body Wforks. Inc. Reading Body Worte. Ine RQ Box 14 Reading, PA 19603 "It's simpler and there's less exposure," Steiner points out. A nonselective grass and weed killer containing the same active ingredient as Roundup and a selective broadleaf weed killer are avail-able with the kit. According to the company, one 5-liter pack of Expedite pesticide covers up to one acreŠthe equivalent of refill-ing a 3-gallon backpack sprayer 28 times. "Because Expedite requires no mixing, measuring, pump- ing or water hauling, down-time is substancially reduced, thus reducing application costs." Steiner notes that measur-ing cups are usually not found on the jobsite, and therefore workers often approach mix-ing by thinking, "Let's seeŠ it's four glugs to a gallon..." He adds: "You can waste a lot of material that way." Expedite is not supposed to replace the application guns used for large areas or boom sprayers, but it can be more effective for smaller jobs and for trimming and edging, ac-cording to the company. Monsanto maintains that it is better than using string trimmers because the control lasts longer, it's more labor-efficient, it provides more cost-effective vegetation man-agement, and it is just as easy to operate and to train the workers. The no-pumping aspect al-lows workers to be trained quicker and it is easier for the person to get started on the job at hand, plus the need for re-fills is significantly reduced, according to the company. The balanced lance weighs six pounds and the backpack weighs 13. The lance-backpack setup costs about $260, the weed and grass killer is priced at about $125, and the broadleaf weed control runs about $70. They cover 30,000 to 45,000 square feet. A package of cleaning solu-tion costs $30. LCI Steiner: Less worker exposure. Have a SPILL? Call Chemtrec 1-800-424-9300 Circle No. 113 on Reader Inquiry Card Reading Stake Bodies Built tough to take your meanest, most ornery load LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 ŁŁŁ¡Ł¡ŁHMMBIIM I . . mm *.»-ŁŁ in ¡mu . ) BUSINESS SENSE 43 «ŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁŁ[[M BUSINESS SENSE Converting your business to a franchise BY RUDD MCGARY Every year at we talk to people at the conven-tions who are interested in the possibility of going into a franchisee relationship in order to expand their business. There is no easy answer to the question of whether this is a good idea for you, but per- haps if you consider some of the following you can be helped in making your deci-sion. Most often, the reasons for exploring the possibility of be-coming a franchisee are busi-ness ones, not ones linked with the technical operations of a lawn care company. The owner/operator usu-ally has some idea about agronomic plans and some idea of vehicular care and usage, but often the idea of do-ing a budget or putting to-gether an advertising plan is something that isn't comfort-able for the LCO. It simply isn't in the back-ground of many of the LCOs, and because of this the idea of franchising has some appeal. Here are some of the con- siderations that you need to take in order to make intelligent decisions concerning your company and franchise conversion: 1. Why are you even consid-ering franchising? Do you have current problems that can be solved over time? Are you under immediate stress and making decisions in this condition that aren't the best ones for the future? If you haven't thought of this type of question, pause for a few minutes and think it over. Sometimes stress causes us to make choices that are un-wise. 2. What is the cost of be-coming a franchisee? Besides a start-up cost, a fixed sum of money, there is almost always a royalty fee of some sort. This generally ranges from 5 to 10 percent and may change from year to year or as you reach a certain revenue level. For example, some com-panies think that charging less in the first few years is better for the franchisee. Other fran-About the Author Dr. Rudd McGary is a senior partner with All Green Management Associates in Columbus, Ohio. chising companies feel that a higher percentage should be charged the first years with less being charged as more rev-enue is obtained. Be sure you understand not only the lump sum payment but also clearly understand the royalty structure. 3. What does the royalty structure do to your projected profitability? Many people think about converting to a franchise oper- ation because they are losing money. What will happen if you have to give another 5 to 10 percent of your money to the franchisor? Not only will you have to make up your current shortfall, you will have to make up the extra 5 to 10 per-cent you have to pay the fran- chisor. Can you show a projection where this scenario makes money? If not, don't do it. 4. What are you really going to get? Remember, we are talking about existing companies, not ones that are just starting out. This means you have at least one season's work completed. Can you define what you need to be successful? Let's look at some of the options in this area: A. Advertising help. Be sure you understand what this means. In fast food it can mean national exposure on the Super Bowl. In lawn care it means some help with bro-chures and mailing lists at the leastŠor sophisticated and with a true segmented market-ing plan at the most. People aren't going to flock to you because you converted into a franchise, there simply isn't any franchise now avail-able that already has a na- tional name. When ChemLawn was franchising the name was valuable because of their na-tional ad campaigns. Aside from that you're not receiving national exposure. Could you work with a local ad agency and get results that would be at least as good as going with a franchise situa- tion? Remember, you have some experience. If you did a good job you must have some satis-fied customers. Becoming a converted franchise won't Here you see our finest products. Our finest products are lush, green, and vigorous. Our best work is knowing we can stand behind them. Years of field experience. Continuous research. Nationwide testing. All these are hidden in every blade that sprouts from a Northrup King Medalist" Turfgrass Mixture. Mixtures such as Athletic ProK II, Northrup King Medalist Turf Products, P.O. Box 959, Medalist North, Premium Sod Blend, Landscape Pro, and the Medalist Winter Overseeding Products. And we never stop improving them. For help with your toughest turf problems, contact us. Then we can show you more of our best work. Listening. And answering with turfgrass mixtures that work. Minneapolis, MN 55440 ©1985 Northrup King Medalist <7 Circle No. 122 on Reader Inquiry Card 44 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 44 makes these customers think any better of you. B. Financial controls. Ac-counts receivable, accounts payable, customer lists, inven- tory, etc. All of these things need to be controled. If you're going to become a franchise, be sure your going to get help in these areas. And also be sure in what form. Will you get these areas of control on a computer, in written form, verbally? How are you going to learn to do these things so you can control your company? C. Operations. Do they have people who can help you with operations issues? With vehicular rental vs. buy issues. With preventive maintenance plans. With expectations on equipment usage. With equip-ment purchases. All of these are areas you need to examine when think-ing about converting. 5. Do you really want to be a part of another organization? This question is often over-looked, and then frustrating results occur. You are in business for yourself because you didn' t want others to tell you what to do. Franchising isn't truly working for someone else, but the good franchisors are cer- tainly going to have standards they expect to be met and ways of operating they believe to be good. Are you prepared to work with others on a partnership basis? If you aren't, don't be- come a franchise. 6. What are your expecta-tions? Many people have un-realistic expectations when considering converting. If your company is com-pletely out of control and you are a horrible manager, maybe you ought to condider some-thing other than lawn care. Certainly franchising isn't going to make you better if you have little or no talent for this type of work. Don't expect that becoming a franchisee will mean that your problems will all melt away. You need to understand that you will be working just as hardŠprobably harderŠonly you might be working smarter at the same time. 7. How do you know that the franchisor with whom you're talking is competent at all? You mast talk with others who have been franchisees of this particular franchisor. Don't just talk to one of the other franchisees, they may be the only one who was suc- cessful. You need to talk with several, and make sure you have your list of questions about what to expect ready be-fore you start talking. Just because someone pres-ents themselves as competent "Last spring we treated 300 acres of Kentucky bluegrass sod with ROOTSŽ Root Growth Enhancer, and we followed that with a second application in late July. Where the product was used, soil and plant pathology laboratory tests confirmed a 30 percent improvement in both top and root growth of turf. We estimate that our yield time will be reduced to just one year on mineral-type soils - compared to a normal production cycle of 18 months. We are also saving on fertilizer costs because of rapid root growth. And sod treated with ROOTSŽ should show improved stress resistance." - Tïuman Fisher, Manager Mueller Farms Sod Nursery When sod growers want better turf, they use ROOTSŽ, the organic root growth biostimulant. ROOTSŽ should be part of your full service lawn care program, to give your clients: 1. Enhanced color, quality, and stress resistance in established lawns. 2. Quick, aggressive establishment of new seedings, hydroseeding, and overseeding. Developed by scientists at leading universities. Send for research and distributor information. Booth 724 at PLCAA 89 in Las Vegas rooù,, 25 Science Park, New Haven, CT 06511 ROOTS is a trademark of Soilizer Corporation. Circle No. 113 on Reader Inquiry Card doesn't mean that they are. Beware before you leap. 8. How well does the fran-chisor respond to problems of the franchisee? Many com- panies say they will respond well, and always within a few hours, but this isn't always so. In talking to both the fran-chisor, and to other franchises that this company has helped, you need to find out just what to expect when you've got problems. Somebody who gives you good advice three weeks after you need it isn't a big help. 9. Finally, how are they going to help educate you in areas that you need? Do they have formal classes that you can attend? What types of classes? Are they all tech-nical? Are there business classes? Are the needs that you have, reasons you're considering con-verting to a franchise, taken care of by some formal plan? If you're going to be a franchisee you need to understand how the shortcomings you currently have are going to be attended to by the franchisor. If the franchisor can't tell you how your needs are going to be cared for, don't bother franchising. Conversion franchising is different from start-up fran- chising in some respects, and much the same in others. The big difference is that you are bringing some experi-ence to the table. It may be a bad experience, but it's experi-ence nonetheless. The question you need to ask is that classic: ''What's in this for me?" The key is to understand what the potential pro-fitability is, and then to make sure that the franchise fee and the royalty don't destroy any chance for you to make money. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand that if the royalty fee means very reduced profitability, or even loss, then franchising isn't for you. If the franchisor takes care of what you now lack, if adver- tising, administration and op- erational issues are going to be handled better by the fran-chisor, and if you will be able to make money even with the fees involved, consider fran-chise conversion. Make sure you ask a lot of important questions before you do. LCI Firm not part of ChemLawn EDITOR'S NOTEŠThe Lawn Care Co., Inc. of South Den- nis, Mass. was incorrectly identified as a ChemLawn franchise in this year's "1989 Million Dollar Lawn Care List." The firm is independently owned and operated. LAWN CARE INDUSTRY regrets the error. LCI LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 MAINTENANCE METHODS 45 Selection of proper equipment important BY PHILIP D. CHRISTIAN III Increasing the productivity of your mobile crewsŠby improving the manage-ment of production equip-mentŠhas a quality connec-tion. High quality and high production go hand-in-hand, and in some cases they are in-separable. For example, a sharp, bal-anced mower blade turning at the correct speed produces op-portunities for high produc-tion and high quality. If you are mowing on sched-ule at the specified height, quality becomes a part of the production process. Although the selection, maintenance and operation of production equipment is com- plicated by the need to main-tain high quality residential and commercial landscapes, the correct selection, mainte-nance and operation of land-scape maintenance equipment offers the greatest opportunity to increase productivity. Landscape maintenance equipment is generally divided into homeowner and commercial models. Com-mercial models may be further divided into light commercial, which are actually heavy duty homeowner models, and heavy duty commercial equipment. Heavy duty equipment works best for mobile crews. The equipment must be functional. If you maintain commercial properties, the equipment must be capable of climbing a six-inch curb with- out suffering damage to the tool, landscape or the oper-ator. The equipment should be easy and safe to load and un-load onto trucks and trailers. Fuel tanks should be large enough to run four hours be-tween fuel stops. The motors, suspension, deck and drive train must be durable enough to withstand eight hours of non-stop operation with no re-duction in efficiency. About the Author Philip D. Christian III of Alpharetta, Ga. is a consultant with All-Green Management Associates in Columbus, Ohio. Rear discharge mulching decks are preferred because there is seldom a real need to collect or windrow grass clip-pings. Mower blades should turn at an optimum speed for high production mowing. They should be accessible for the daily chore of changing blades. The maintenance equip-ment you select should come with a complete owner's man-ualŠincluding sections on op- eration, maintenance, safetyŠand parts lists with drawings. Figure 1 Production cost table 6 EQUIP ACTIVITY EQUIP LABOR TOTAL PRODUCTION TOTALS/ S/HR $/HR $/HR IN 1000 S 1000 SF/LF 1. NC TRIM TRIMMING 2.58 6.00 8.58 IN SF 1.0 8.58/1000SF 2. PUSH MOWER MOWING 1.28 6.00 7.28 21" IN SF 10.0 .73/1000SF 3. WALK BEHIND MOWING 2.24 6.00 8.24 20.0 36" DECK IN SF 41/1000SF 4. RIDE MOWER MOWING 4.50 6.00 10.50 60" DECK IN SF 32.0 .33/1000SF 5. EDGER EDGING IN 2.58 6.00 8.58 LF 1.0 8.50/1000LF Once the basic require-ments have been met, the se- lection process comes down to cost, equipment availability and your personal preference. Cost is the most compli-cated because it must be di- vided into capital, or initial purchase price cost, and into maintenance and operation cost, or the cost of operating and maintaining the equip-ment over a period of time. Both the initial cost and the operational cost must be com- pared to the equipment's po-tential productivity before a purchasing decision can be made. Look at figure 1. The pro-"Be a partner with Special Olympians A Special Program with Special Rewards Under a bright winter sun, an icy breeze brings roses to cheeks as skiers move along a trail, some smoothly, others struggling. It could be any cross- country skiing event. But soon differences appear. As the athletes cross the finish line, they are greeted with cheers of encouragement and congratulationsŠand hugs for every skier. The contest is a winter event of the Special OKmpics, patterned on the tra- ditional Olympic games and conducted for athletes of all ages who have mental retardation. And while their movements may not be those of polished athletes, there is no mistaking the intensity of their effort, or the joy of their achieve-ment, wherever they finish. Dow and Industry to Sponsor. In 1989, Dow and the lawn care indus-try, through PLCAA and state asso-ciations, are Official Bronze Medal sponsors of the International Winter Special Olympics Games, . , by contributing more \ tl than $100,000. To be held in April 1989 at Lake T&hoe, the games will attract more than 1400 athletes from around the world. Events will include Alpine and Nordic skiing, speed skating, figure skating and floor hockey. Special Olympics: a Special Program. The Special Olympics pro-gram, founded in the 1960s, is run by more than 600,000 volunteers. It provides year-round sports training and athletic competition for more than one million people with mental retardation. For many of these participants, the program is their only opportunity to take part in activities which most of us take for granted. To say that Special Olympics are a bright spot in their lives is an understatement. Special Volunteers. All types of volunteer helpers, from coaches and managers to trainers to fund raisers, pitch in to keep the program going. One unique group of volunteers are the "huggers." They see to it that all participants at every event get warm personal recognitionŠregardless of where thev finish. ComDetition is intense. If you'd like to be a hugger, or help some other way, contact your nearest Special Olympics office. Or see your Dow rep for lists of Special Olympics officials in your state, and ways you can support the year-round program in your area. The Partnership makes it possi-ble. DowS contribution, in the name of the lawn care industry, is made possi-ble by a program called The Partnership, Dow's commitment to you. The Partnership brings together all the things Dow offers you. It includes not only the products you use, but many other pluses: industry-leading research and development, training for your technicians, business manage-ment seminars, legislative lobbying and assistance at national, state and local levels, and industry-wide public relations programs. DowS underwriting of indus-try support for the 1989 Inter-' / já * national winter Special /1 Ł Olympics is one way of encouraging others . to become involved in worthwhile local activities. Circle No. 113 on Reader Inquiry Card 46 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 46 duction cost table is an exam-ple of a theoretical cost cal-culation designed to illustrate the process. The costs in column 3 are taken from the annual equip-ment cost chart as shown in figure 2. Column 6 is the production factor, or the number of square feet that one person can pro-duce in one hour under normal conditions. The only way to get the information in column 6 is by running your own test. Line 3 of figure 1 shows that a 36-inch walk-behind front deck mower costs $2.24 per hour for the equipment, plus $6 per hour labor. This equals a total cost of $8.24 per hour. Column 6 is the production factor in thousands of feet, and the cost per thousand in column 7 is calculated by di- viding column 5 by column 6. In the case of our 36-inch walk-behind, the total cost to mow 1,000 square feet of turf is 41 cents per 1,000 square feet. For a production test, se-lect an average land-scape in your market that is about 45,000 square feet in size, or a little over one acre. This test plot will allow you to test all of your produc-tion equipment on one prop- erty. Mow and edge the property and carefully note the square Figure 2 Annual Equipment Cost 1 _2_ _3_ 4 6 7 JO 11 Description: Size Type Capital Usable Life Capital Operation Total Est Annual Expected Cost In Hrs Cost Per Hour Cost Per Hr Cost Per Hr. Hrs Use Per Year Cost Life In Years Push Mower 21" Rotary 2 Cycle 420 1.200 0.35 0.93 1.28 800 788 2.00 Front Deck 36" Rotary 2.600 2.500 1.04 1.20 2.24 750 1.680 3.33 Walk Behind 4 Cycle Riding Mower 60" Rotary Hydrostatic Drive 6,000 3.000 2.00 2.50 4.50 750 3.375 400 Backpack Commercial 2 Cycle 350 800 0.44 1.12 1.56 400 623 2.00 Blower Model Nylon Cord Commercial 2 Cycle 325 300 1.08 1.50 2.58 300 775 1.00 Trimmer Model Edger Commercial Model 4 Cycle 380 500 0.76 1.82 258 300 774 1.67 Equipment 8" X 16" Open 2.600 4.800 0.54 0.21 0.75 1.200 902 400 Trailer w/Brakes Truck 3/4 Ton Pickup 10.000 2.000 5 6.12 11.12 500 5.560 14.457 4.00 feet of area produced by each piece of equipment, and the time required to produce it. Most people prefer to run the test several times to estab-lish correct production factors for your business. Look back at figure 1, col-See COST Page 43 FLAGS CAUTION PESTICIDE APPLICATION KEEP OFF CUSTOMER: PLEASE REMOVE AFTER 72 HRS Designed especially for the lawn care industry Ł 9 flag colors Ł 8 ink colors Ł 90° bend in staff Shipped straight. You bend when used. Ł 18" or 24" PVC staff (Vs" diam.) Ł Custom printed if you like Less than 60 ea. (Min. 1000) Actual Size: 4"x5" flag P.O. Box 86 Ł Neligh, NE 68756 FAX# 402-887-5171 BLACKBURN MANUFACTURING COMPANY/ TOLL-FREE / 800/942-5816 East of Rockies 800/552-3524 West of Rockies P.O. Box 276 Ł Cambria, CA 93428 FAX# 805-927-1601 Circle No. 102 on Reader Inquiry Card 304 S.S. 600 gallon tank ELP Ł dual stage centrifugal pump (100 GPM or 200 PSI) Ł sparger agitation Ł PTO drive Ł 12 volt electric reel Ł low to the ground work platform Ł Options: 5 gallon hand rinse tank & bracket Ł SOLO 425 (475) 435 485 Knapsack Sprayer and stand NEED A SKID UNIT? / WE GOT IT! Westheffer Westheffer Company, Inc. PO Box 363, Lawrence, KS 66044 1-800-332-0003 In KS 1-800-362-3110 USA 1-913-843-4486 FAX OVER 100 MODELS TO CHOOSE FROM. EACH BUILT TO MEET YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS. Ł Single or dual tanks Ł 50-600 gallonage Ł Mechanical or jet agitation Ł Diaphragm, piston or centrifugal pump Ł Electric or manual hose reel Ł Green Garde or Kuritec hose Ł Hypro, JD9CT or Chemlawn gun Circle No. 139 on Reader Inquiry Card The Brouwer difference... "dollar for dollar there is no better triplex mower on the market today" BROUWER TRIPLEX-376...designed from "the grass up" for the professional. Compare the high quality engineering, rugged reliable performance, and you will be convinced that in the long-run your equipment investment should include a Brouwer Triplex-376. It is the perfect mower for a wide range of applications where grass requires the best in routine maintenance. SOME OUTSTANDING FEATURES: Ł 5.8 m.p.h. (9.4 Km/h) transport speed Ł 74 in. (188 cm.) width of cut Ł Rear reel can be operated independently Ł Height of cut: 1/2 in. to 3 in. (1.3 cm. to 7.6 cm.) Ł Transport width only 69 in. (175 cm.) Ł Low center of gravity Ł Differential lock Call your Brouwer dealer for more information... TODAY Woodbine Ave., Keswick, Ont., Canada L4P 3E9 Tel. (416) 476-4311 Fax. (416) 476-5867 BROUWER TURF EQUIPMENT LIMITED An Outboard Marine Corporation Company 7320 Haggerty Rd., Canton, Ml. 48187 Tel. (313) 459-3700 Fax. (313) 459-8778 89-106P Copyright 1989 Brouwer Turf Equipment Limited. PRESERVATION PLAN ON IT Planning on restoring a house, saving a landmark, reviving your neighborhood? Write: Circle No. 113 on Reader Inquiry Card CATCH A RISING STAR with the best in components design and servicing. National Trust for Historic Preservation Department PA 1785 Massachusetts Ave., N.W Washington, D.C. 20036 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 47 Expert aid available for forming state organizations BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Editor Nuts and bolts advice is available for LCOs who are trying to form state associations. The Monsanto Co. and the Professional Lawn Care Asso-ciation of America have com-bined to spearhead organiza- tional efforts in individual states seeking such help. Robert E. Andrews, presi-dent of the successful Indiana State Lawn Care Association, has signed on as a consultant to tackle the project. He'll be speaking to inter-ested attendees at the Novem-ber PLCAA national conven-tion in Las Vegas, Nev., and later there will be a Dec. 12-13 workshop in Indianapolis, Ind. Other advice sessions will follow at specific locations. "We're ready and willing to meet with people on a state basis," says James R. Al- temus, Monsanto's public re-lations manager. (Monsanto is underwriting the program.) "We're putting together a lot of generic details that do the legwork" involved in form-ing an association. "You can get some organi-zations off and running fairly fast," Altemus explains, add- ing that "we want to see as much unity within the (lawn care) market as possible." He points out that "we're willing to come to your state and address local issues." Andrews observes that "the regulatory problems that are facing the industry today are at the local level, and the only or-ganizations that can react to that are the state organiza- tions." Altemus and Andrews note that many "Mom and Pop" lawn care companies are un-able to afford the dues for PLCAA, yet they are willing to COST from Page 46 umn 3, line 3. The cost to own and operate the 36-inch walk- behind is $2.24 per hour. By purchasing a more expensive mower that would last longerŠand have lower main-tenance costsŠyou could re- duce your total cost per 1,000 square feet. If you choose to pay a higher price for a mower that would produce more than 20,000 square feet per hour, you could lower the cost per square feet. Don't be confused by the manufacturer's published pro-duction factors. They are usu-ally theoretical acres per day based on the ground speed of the equipment and the width of the cut. Test the equipment under your own conditions, using your own people. LCI take on important issues. "There are a lot of com-panies in the industry that are small firms that will play an active role at the state level," says Andrews. These organizations have the option of maintaining an affiliation with PLCAA, or they can become full-fledged PLCAA chapters. "If these organizations want to become chapters, that's okay with us," Andrews says. "We just want to get them organized in the first place." For LCOs wishing to form regular state PLCAA chapters, PLCAA itself is offering similar organizational services. "The program," says Dave Murphy, chairman of PLC-AA's membership committee, "is designed to make the job of starting a local association much easier." Murphy, president of the Professional Lawn Care Asso-ciation of Mid-America in Missouri (the largest state chapter), says "PLCAA's pro- gram includes assistance in lo- cating like minded leaders in each state who might be inter- ested in forming a chapter. Once the local movers and shakers are ready, PLCAA can provide mail lists and other paper goods to help announce the first organizational meet-Ł — >» ing. Additional mailing lists and labels are available for the de-velopment of promotional newsletters and flyers. Some chapters may wish to use PLCAA's standard set of chapter by-laws verbatim, or in part, to make the prepara-tion for a chapter's incorpora- tion much easier, Murphy says. "On request, PLCAA may be able to assist in the prepara-Andrews: Get organized. tion of a chapter's first news letters, helping to create an ex-citing, professional image," Murphy explains. LCI Increase the range and profit-ability of your lawn and garden care operations with Hannay Reels. Hannay hose reels enhance your spray equipment's mobility, while increasing the life of the hoses. And with our CR 16-14-16 portable cable reel, you can take the cable for power equipment with you easily and efficiently. Hannay makes over 2700 different reels, and if we don't already have one that's perfect for your needs, we can custom- design one that is. So ask us for our free spray hose catalog, or get more information on our Model CR 16-14-16 cable reel. And see how much farther you can go with Hannay Reels. Hannay Reels 600 East Main Street Westerlo, New York 12193-0076 Telephone 518-797-3791 For the name of your nearest Hannay Reels dealer, call toll-free 1-800-982-0030. Hannay Reels Made with reel pride in the USA. Circle No. 113 on Reader Inquiry Card Granted, DURSBAN* TUrf Insec-ticide won't do you much good in a dark alley. But when it's time to get tough on surface-feeding insects, it doesn't make any sense to take chances. What makes sense is using the industry standard-DURSBAN insecticide. More muscle for your money. Nothing's meaner on Chinch Bugs, Billbugs, Sod Webworms and other surface-feeding thugs. Nothing. And there's simply no better value for liquid lawn care applications. One tough insecticide. What's more, DURSBAN TUrf Insecticide offers excellent resi- dual, low odor and superb broad spectrum control. The kind of control you've come to expect-and customers demand. So arm yourself with DURSBAN TUrf Insecticide. And keep surface feeders off your turf. Wearing a black leather jacket during application is, of course, not recommended. DURSBAN TUrf Insecticide. The Professional Choice. ŁTrademark of The Dow Chemical Company <7 Circle No. 122 on Reader Inquiry Card 50 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY OCTOBER 1989 ŁŁŁŁ SaSMSCBii A special event for turf managers of GOLF COURSES, LAWNS, ATHLETIC FIELDS, CEMETERIES, PARKS for more delo«s, contact nd Missouri W*" " Unwe 1 MO 652AA 3A4/882-4087 Ł^ee days po^ed Zeducational ** «nï workshops tirade Sho*. and «nsoeaKers ,e°rme Universi o< Itotn tne u s Mtssoun and a country MISSOURI VALLEY TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION. INC I Circle No. 124 on Reader Inquiry Card ROCKIES from Page 41 Many newcomers had no idea what to do with the heavy, clay soil of northeastern Wyoming, where the pH can be as high as 8 or 9. Some of the transplants ac-tually apply lime to soil des-perately in need of sulphur. "That's exactly why I'm able to maintain a business in a sparsely populated area," Zebroski says. A number of LCOs report that because of the short turf season, they rely on such ser-vices as snow removal to get them through the long win- ters. Tim Gregg's Nitro-Green of Las Vegas is able to work on lawns year round. But his three-man crew has a different type of problem: He can't spray herbicides for weed con- trol when the temperature is above 90 degreesŠabout four solid months of the year. He also loses four to five days per month due to high winds. In a close-knit community, favorable word-of-mouth is the best kind of advertising, so maintaining customer satis-faction is especially crucial. "Everybody in the state of Wyoming lives on their repu-tation. Because everyone knows you, you're not going to be able to duck under a bad job," Zebroski says. The way Potter sees it, "When you have someone from a large company spray your lawn, you don't get that kind of personal attention. All it is to them is a plot of grass to spray. In a small area, you can't have that attitude or you won't be in business." LCI PLCAA from Page 22 rate strategy, planning and implementation, and industry consultant Philip D. Christian III will offer fine-tuned advice. Robert L. Crudup has played a large role in minimiz-ing the impact of California's drought on the green industry, and he will share his experi- ences. Dr. Roger C. Funk of the Davey Tree Expert Co. is ac-tively involved in reducing Davey's use of traditional pesticides, and Dr. John R. Hall III of Virginia Tech will also make some points. Dr. Dave Hanson has ex-tensive experience in lawn care application systems and turf management, and Dr. Robert C. Shearman has built a nationally recognized turf program in Nebraska. Pesticide issues remain a concern, and Paul Skorupa of the Pesticide Public Policy Foundation will be bringing PLCAA members up to date with the latest information. Purdue's Jeff Lefton will be sharing some of his turfgrass knowledge, as will Dr. Harry Niemczyk, an entomologist at Ohio State University. Dr. A. Martin Petrovic of Cornell University is director of PLCAA's Education and Research Foundation, and Dr. Paul Lees-Haley is an expert in worker's compensation cases. Edwin D. McGuire of the Lawn Co. in South Dennis, Mass. will tell about the device they use to collect and reuse wash water from their trucks. Other scheduled speakers include Steven Davis, Phil Flood, Judy F. Lanier, Dr. John T. Law, Richard I. Lehr, Denis Liggins, Linn Mills, Glenn Patch, Perry Peterson and Frank J. Reynolds, Jr. LCI Have a SPILL? Call Chemtrec 1-800-424-9300 Don't panic Go Organic A rich green lawn, healthy shrubs and trees S Natural Food Grade Fertilizers