Pressures on the industry mounting during "Decade of the Environment BY LISA GITLIN It wouldn't be practical to list all the pres-sures weighing on owners of professional lawn Strongly Optimistic Optimistic Uncertain Pessimistic 55 application businesses. As you list them, the number grows. In spite of this, LCOs as a group, had a solid, if not spectacular , 1990. Their outlook for 1991 is guarded. Some of the problems gnaw-ing on the industry in 1990 and into 1991? Growing public anxiety about lawn chemicals, mounting regulations, and a slowdown in the home building industryŠ 
these topped LCOs list of con-
cerns.. Some complain of the increasing costs of complying with regu-lations. Others are upset by media's seeming-ly ceaseless warnings about chemical 
contamination and pollution, about the safety of lawn care products. Increasingly LCOs are being asked questions about the safety of their prod-Strongly Pessimistic ucts. This they don't have a problem with. But, 
is anybody listening to their answers? Everyone interviewed by LAWN CARE INDUSTRY magazine agreed on one overriding 
point: as the years go on, LCOs will need more expertise (technical, business, even public rela-
tions) to wring fair profits from an ever- See LCOS on page 6 WWNGREIN Serving the needs of the professional lawn care operator » JULY 1991 VOLUME 15 NUMBER 7 Still growing but LCOs uneasy BY RON HALL We never asked the question so bluntly before but we're still surprised at the 
response. Fully 40 percent of the LCOs answering our 1990 
State of the Industry ques-tionaire (mailed to 1,000 readers, 264 completed and 
returned) say they're "uncertain" about the future of their industry. Another 10 percent are either "pessimistic" or "strongly pessimistic". That leaves slightly under half 
feeling good about their 
futures in the chemical 
application business. The responsesŠoffered by readers prior to the start 
of the 1991 application sea-son (at least in the cool-sea-
son turfgrass market)Šsig-nifies, we think, an indus-try, searching for answers. The questions certainly are there: ŁIs the American public as concerned about pesti-cide use as the media? ŁIs the chemical applica-tion market mature, even in secondary and small-town America? ŁWill the regulatory cli-mate continue to tighten on professional pesticide users? ŁHow much will the pub-lic pay for professional lawn care? There is no one answer to any of the above questions. 
Indeed, answers vary 
according to regions of the country. Obviously the busi-
ness climate in New England is much different than it is in, say, Florida. Overall though we can confidently say that the 
industry is still expanding. In spite of the uncertain-ty, 73 percent of the LCI respondents say their busi-nesses grew in 1990 and they expect them to grow this season. Since 40 per-cent of the respondents indicate they grossed $50,000 or less in 1990, we don't can't pretend that the 
23 percent growth they expect (averaged) means a proportionate number of 
new customers. The responsible, mostly n**>Mr5fi******** _ ^ PETt COòKINGHAfl LItirtAKY ul-i¿l USGA TURFGRASS INFO FILE 30 mCHIGAN STATEjUtfXV w t kST-^AuZJj^^ 4 flÖ24-AÜ4ö independent, LCOs we've interviewed these past sev-
eral months, say new cus-
tomers are harder to come 
by, but that they've boosted revenue per customer. They say they're adding ancillary servicesŠroadside vegetation, small 
tree/shrub, etc. Some also now charge for services they previously provided as part of their basic service. Pressed to estimate the size of the chemical lawn care industry from our sur-vey, we put the total at $2 
billion. We serve 10 million Americans. Again, this is not as homogeneous a market as 
perhaps it was even five See UNEASY on page 7 GrassCycling , an industry success. Read about it at the Georgia Governor's Mansion, page 4. Donnea NO SHOW at the ONE SHOW! GREEN INDUSTRY Elm The Largest Lawn,/Landscape Show EVER! ! IN THE NEW TAMPA CONVENTION CENTER Š NOV. 19-21,1991 SPONSORED BY: Associated Landscape Contractors of America / Symbol ol Good Practica ^^ \ niruiiMu utm UM UMCUTIN if nmu / v ŠI Professional Lawn Care Association of America mis Professional Grounds Management Society Two Great Educational Conferences Register and attend the program that targets the specific needs of your business. PLCAA EDUCATIONAL CONFERENCE ALCA/PGMS LANDSCAPE AND GROUNDS MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE 'Meet The Challenge" "Network With Industry Leaders EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS Keynote Address by Special Guest "LAWN CARE INDUSTRY CHALLENGES" PRECONFERENCE WORKSHOPS SUNDAY NOV. 17 EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS Keynote address by Jay Levinson. Author of "Guerilla Marketing Attack" WINNING BIG PROFITS FROM YOUR SMALL BUSINESS CONFERENCE INFORMATION (404) 977-5222 CONFERENCE INFORMATION (703) 241 -4004 Get Details Now... complete and return this form or Call (404) 973-2019 Send more details on: Ł I'm interested in attending the show Ł PLCAA Educational Conference Ł ALCA/PGMS Landscape and Grounds Management Conference Ł I'm interested in exhibiting NAME COMPANY ADDRESS (STREET, CITY, ZIP) PHONE( ) FAX( ) L Mail to: GREEN INDUSTRY EXPO. 1000 Johnson Ferry Rd., NE, Suite C 135, Marietta, GA 30068-2112 WWN OIRE INDUSIRY RON HALL Editor-in-Chief MAUREEN HREHOCIK Group Editor JON MIDUCKI Publisher ROBERT. E. EARLEY Group Vice President TERRIE FREAR Production Manager ROSY BRADLEY Senior Production Manager JUDY ALLEN Group Marketing Manager KEN McSHANE Production Director PHIL RUSSELL Graphic Designer MARILYN COPP Senior Circulation Clerk QAIL PARENTEAU Reader Service Manager BUSINESS STAFF Midwest Office JON MIDUCKI (216) 826-2855 Publisher ANNE LANGHENRY (216) 891-2739 Regional Sales Manager 7500 Old Oak Blvd. Cleveland, OH 44130 FAX (216) 891-2683 Southern Office: DICK GORE (404) 233-1817 FAX (404) 261-7022 3475 Lenox Road, N.E., Ste. 665 Atlanta, GA 30326 Western Office: BOB MIEROW (206) 783-0549 FAX (206) 784-5545 1515 N.W. 51 Street Seattle WA 98107 Classified: DAWN NILSEN (218) 723-9349 1 E. First St.. Duluth, MN 55802 Please send advertising material to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY 120 W. Second St Duluth, MN 55802 (218) 723-9465 RICHARD B. SWANK, Chairman RICHARD MOELLER, President LARS FLADMARK, Executive Vice Pres ARLAND HIRMAN, Vice Pres ./Treasurer 
JAMES A. ADLER, Vice President 
JOE BILDERBACH, Vice President DAVID T. MAYER, Vice President 
BRIAN NAIRN, Vice President 
PHIL STOCKER, Vice President LCI ADVISORY COUNCIL LAWN CARE INDUSTRY (ISSN 0160-6042) is published monthly by Edgell Communica-
tions, Inc. Corporate and Editorial Offices: 7500 Old Oak Boulevard. Cleveland, Ohio BARRY TR0UTMAN Massey Services Orlando, a A. J. P0WELL JACK ROBERTSON U. of Kentucky Robertson Lawn Care Lexington, KY Springfield, IL 44130. Advertising offices: 7500 Old Oak Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44130. 233 North Michigan Avenue, 24th Floor, Chicago, Illinois 60601 and 3475 Lenox Road. N.E. Suite 665 Atlanta. Georgia 30326 
Accounting. Advertisina Production and Circulation offices: 1 East First Street, Duluth, Minnesota 55802 Subscnption rates: $30 per year in the United States: $55 per year in Canada All other countries: $100 per year Current single issue copies (pre-paid 
only): $3.00 in the U.S.: $6 00 in Canada; elsewhere $10 : add $3 50 for shipping and handling per order. Back issues, it available 
$10: add $3.50 per order for shipping and 
handling (pre-paid orders only). Office of 
publication: Edgell Communications. Inc., 1 East First Street. Duluth, Minnesota 55802. 
Second class postage paid at Duluth, Minnesota 55806. Copyright <D 1991 by 
Edgell Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be 
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical includ-ing photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permis-sion in writing from the publisher POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. P.O. Box 6200, Duluth, Minnesota 55806 ABP VBPA LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 "Very disappointing," that's how Senator Richard Lugar (R-IU) described the 1988 FIFRA amendments. He told a breakfast audience of the CSMA the pesticide reregistration process is working way too slow. The Florida Legislature considers a bill requiring the use of rain sensors for all sprinkler systems after Oct.. 1, 1991. The intent is to save water. Also in Florida, beginning January 1992 you cannot haul organic debris to a landfill in that state. In an unrelated matter, 
legislation is pending there that would require only licensed irrigation contractors be used to install, repair or maintain a sprinkler system. Bob Tracinski, John Deere's accomplished public relations specialist thinks PLCAA's 
Grasscycling program will 
continue to be news for another two or three years. uWe have a very, very strong and positive message with Grasscycling," he told PLCAA board members in May. Steve Derrick, Orkin Lawn Care, at the same board meeting, said the lawn care industry should expect negative press each spring and should prepare a first-strike 
public relations effort to counter it. "We know it's going to come 
and every year they (industry 
critics) get better at it," said Derrick. This spring Du Pont issued a stop sale and recall of Benlate 50 DF, Benlate 1991 DF, and Tersan 1991 DRF fungicides because small amounts of atrazine herbicide were found in some samples. Tersan 1991 Wettable Powder isn't affected and remains on the market. A battle for young minds? Anti-pesticide activists have taken their views to the nation's youngsters. Most people in the specialty chemical and professional application businesses think they're intentionally misinforming the public. Whatever, they're getting their message out. The May issue of Ranger Rick Magazine blasted 
LCOs while a March showing of 3-2-1 Contact (Children's Television Workshop) extolled organic farming while taking shots at chemicals. Both messages were targeted at young Americans. The Rutgers June 1990 3 Ornamental IPM newsletter recommended that homeowners 
not use Japanese Beetle pheromone traps. It seems they actually bring more beetles into ail area than would otherwise be there. Dr. Tim R. Murphy, extension agronomistŠweed science, The University of Georgia, reports in the PGMS Grounds Management Forum that three new herbicides will be available for use in ornamentals in 1991. BASF has introduced Vantage (sethoxydim) 
for use in broadleaf ornamentals. Sethoxydim was previously 
marketed in ornamentals under the trade name of Poast but there are differences between 
Vantage and Poast, says Murphy. Vantage is a 1.0 lb./gal. formulation of sethoxydim and contains a surfactant. Ohio reported several confirmed 
cases of Lyme disease this past spring. "It would not surprise me 
at all to get a documented case of Lyme disease anywhere in the state," says David Shetlar, entomologist at Ohio State University. Oregon has had one of its coolest and wettest springs ever. Another strong turf seed year? LCI NLA survey doesn't see 1991 as being top year Northeast the hardest hit region WASHINGTON, D.C.Š Landscapers don't expect 
much from 1991, reports the National Landscape Association (NLA). NLA members, respond-ing to that organization's 16th annual Economic Survey, predicted modest 
growth for the remainder of the year. The NLA breaks its sur-vey into geographical regions. NLA members from the Southeast predicted 4.7 percent growth, those from the Northeast 4.3 percent 
growth and the Great Lakes region just 2.7 percent 
increase. (The NLA says it received too few responses 
from members in the Plain States and the Southwest to make projections for those areas.) The survey said 1990 was a mixed bag with Northeast landscape professionals struggling and those in the 
Southeast having a fine year. Northeast NLA members reported a -0.7 percent falloff in landscape sales, while their industry cousins 
in the Southeast chalked up a 24 percent jump. LCI If nil L/U TT7H ^/^L ^ LI ¡¿HJ |A.|_ E Li'ilil Zd3= 1 1987 ^tÊ/ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊmÊÊÊÊKtmÊKmmi 1988 1989 1990 1991 m REGION Expected Actual Expected Actual Expected Actual Expected Actual Expected Northeast +17.9 +21.9 +15.0 +13.8 +12.1 +6.0 +13.0 -.7 +4.3 Southeast +26.3 +21.9 +14.0 +12.8 +16.9 +29.1 +26.5 +24.2 +4.7 Great Lakes +16.4 +24.3 +14.0 +16.6 +16.7 +20.3 +16.9 +2.4 +2.7 Other +6.4 +11.3 +11.5 +8.2 +10.6 +18.6 +16.8 +20.2 +6.4 Survey Avg. +16.5% +20.5% +13.7 13.9 +14.3 +16.1 +16.7 +9.6 +4.4 GCSAA asks homeowners to read label before applications LAWRENCE, KSŠGolf course super-intendents are now helping education homeowners on lawn care. The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) says it's co-sponsoring television public ser-
vice announcements on the proper use of lawn care chemicals. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is also a co-sponsor. The 30 and 10-second commercials ask homeowners to "read the direc-tions and use only the amount needed to do the job," when using lawn care chemicals. Both spots list a toll-free number (1-800-858-7378) that viewers 
may call to receive more information 
on proper usage of and possible alter-natives to lawn chemicals. A release from the GCSAA says the commercials were released in 40 top 
U.S. television markets and should reach an audience of millions. "We hope these commercials will create more awareness of the need to use lawn care chemicals judiciously," said Lewis S.W. Crampton, EPA asso-ciate administrator for communica-
tions and public affairs. Added Stephen G. Cadenelli, GCSAA president: "It is our pleasure to offer expertise to help America's homeowners maintain great home 
lawns in an environmentally responsi-
ble manner." For more information on the "Think Before You Apply" campaign contact the GCSAA communications depart-ment 913/832-4470. LCI mmm UPFRONT LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 4 Grass lays where it falls at the Guvnah's mansion BY RON HALL editor About 20 minutes from PLCAA headquarters is Georgia's Grasscycling lawn. "The Guvnah was havin' some ambassadas or someone for dinna ," says the groundsman. The 
worker is 50ish, dressed in khaki slacks (neatly creased), a short-sleeve shirt open to the top of his chest, and a baseball cap, 
the edges already damp 
with sweat. "An, whooeee that compost suh did stink," he says wiping his sun-
reddened forehead. "The next day he had us move it. We took it a long ways from hea, way out back" We're at the Georgia Governor's Mansion in an 
exclusive neighborhood just north of Atlanta. It's a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. We're in the area anyway with a couple of hours before an appointment in a north Atlanta suburb. Why not? "You can't miss it," says the clerk at the 7-Eleven just off 1-75. We'd heard that Georgia Governor Zell Miller is big 
on the Professional Lawn 
Care Association's 
Grasscycling program. Apparently heŠor someone on his staffŠproclaimed the Governor's Mansion the official Grasscycling lawn in Georgia. We're curious. The late morning sun fights its way through the haze. The sun is tough enough to throw shadows, 
barely. But, with the heat, even the shadows, weak as 
they are, seem to be sweating. The morning is pumping itself up into a big, warm 
clapper of a thunderstorm,. "You've only got about a half hour," says the state 
trooper, stepping smartly 
from a small guard house just behind the entrance's iron gates."The mansion 
closes early today." With a crisp snap of his right arm he 
waves the tour busses onto the winding driveway toward the man-sion perched about 200 yards off Ferry Paces Road. The busses are loaded with older folks, white-haired and balding men in colorful 
print shirts and silver-haired women in loose cot-
ton dresses. The busses leave choking clouds of blue/black exhaust. "Let me see a license please," the trooper says.. 
He pulls a tiny notebook from a back pocket and leisurely strolls to the back 
of the rental car and duti-fully records the plate num-ber. "Can we kinda walk around and take a look at 
the grounds," we ask. "No, either stay on the sidewalk or go into the 
mansion." He seems to 
mean business. "Is there a sign on the grounds? It should say Grasscycling. or something like that," we ask. "Sign?" The officer puz-zles, his forehead wrinkles. "No, there are no signs on these lawns. They're real strict about that kind of thing. "Remember, you've only got about a half hour or so." Actually, a half hour is about as much time as any-body would need at a man-sion, any mansion. In a half hour you can learn that the Georgia man-sion, in the Greek Revival style, was built in the mid 1960s. It's located on 18 acres of grounds. Dogwoods. 
Magnolias. Some of those 
droopy, reddish oriental maples or something. This morning a middle-aged man is bumping over the massive front lawn on a riding mower. With thunderstorms every afternoon this week (and 
some far off rumblings sug-gesting another just over 
the tree line) the grass is ankle high but the tractor is 
near full throttle and throb-bing . True to form, the clippingsŠthere are some pretty sizable chunksŠlay where they fall. Then the conversation F m ^WÊ ^ « ~ w I JHOHMB» Georgia Governor's Mansion is state's official Grasscycling lawn. with the man I take to be a 
grounds supervisor. He's directing three younger men 
in the planting of flats of yellow marigolds along the walkway to the mansion. He speaks in a decid-
edly southern accent. He's polite, and delighted that anyone 
would forsake the relative 
coolness of the Governor's Mansion (the bottom floor is open for tours almost daily. Governor Miller and his 
wife Shirley live on the 
upper floor.) to talk about 
grass and flowers. Sure, he's familiar with the concept of leaving the 
grass clippings on the lawn, although he's not sure exactly what it's called. Or 
where the idea came front. "The Guvnah knows the importance of savin' the envament," he says like the loyal soldier he is. And then he tells me about the compost pileŠin more detail than I can write 
here. And how he moved it away from the Mansion. It just smelled something awful, says the groundsman 
and he grins. LCI PA NURSERYMEN ACT TO SAVE H2O HARRISBURG, PAŠProtecting water is a big concern of members of the Pennsylvania Nurserymen's Association (PNA). More than half (57%) of the PNA members answering a survey said they're already using water preservation prac-tices. Another seven percent say they intend to begin. The mulching of growing areas to save water was reported by 53% of the respondees, while 27% said they're 
using drip irrigation or similar water-saving techniques. Other programs used by members include retention ponds (25%); filter strips for surface runoff and altering growing medium (14%) and using gusing gray water (8%). Composting of organic wastes is being done by 64% of the respondents and 50% use compost and/or sludge as soil amendments. LCI More Lawns Greener Greens Fewer Callbacks Thaf s a promise we can prove! With N-SURE ,®a triazone nitrogen source with low urea, the benefits are significant. Ł A controlled, slow release, non-burning nitrogen means greener, healthier turf. Ł Faster and easier application with less water, less waste and less downtime for more jobs per day. (Can be applied concentrated in the hottest weather.) Ł Less volatilization means more N in the turf. Ł No more clogged nozzles and screens. Ł Compatible with the most commonly used herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. For more information on remarkable N-SURE, write or give us a call. Arcadian Corporation Triazone Division 6750 Poplar Avenue, Suite 600, Memphis, TN 38138-7419 Phone: 1-800-654-4514 C1991 Arcadian Corporation Circle No. 108 on Reader Inquiry Card TORO SUES FUQUA OVER "RECYCLING" MINNEAPOLIS, MNŠThe Toro Company filed a lawsuit against Fuqua Industries, Inc., (Snapper Power Equipment). The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of 
Minnesota centers on the use of the word "Recycling" in the advertising and sales of Snapper power mow-ers. Toro alleges that Recycler® is a Toro trademark. LCI GA EVENT is JULY 3 GRIFFIN, GAŠThe Georgia Experiment Station here is holding a turfgrass field day here Wednesday, July 31, 8:30 a.m.Š 3:30 p.m. Contact The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service, Conference Office, 
Landrum Box 8112, Georgia 
Southern University, Statesboro, 
GA 30460. LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 5 FROM THE FIELD A look at turfgrass diseases of summer BY CHRISTOPHER SANN Now that you're still confused from trying to deal with all the diseases of springtime, let's 
introduce diseases common to early summer. These diseases are either foliar or root damaging. 
They usually make their first appearance in the late spring or early summer. They have similar symp-toms and frequently show up with some of the dis-eases of early spring. This makes diagnosis harder. Foliar damaging diseases This group of diseases is distinguished by two char-acteristics. First, as the name implies, they initially 
attack the leaf portion of 
the turfgrass plant. Second, as a group, they're success-
fully treated with the appro-priate fungicide(s) after the onset of the various visual symptoms. The speed at which the-grass recovers from the disease will vary widely and 
depends on the species of 
turgrass, the severity of the 
infection, the turfgrass health prior to the attack and the fungicide(s) used to control the disease. Dollar spot Dollar spot, with it's small silver dollar-sized cir-cles of light-brown or off-white turf, may be the most recognized of all turfgrass 
diseases. From an LCO's point of view, dollar spot doesn't seem to be that much of a problem, especially on the 
newer varieties of blue-grasses, ryegrasses and tall fescues. It can however be a prob-lem on older varieties like 
common bluegrasses and red fescues. It can also be a 
persistent secondary prob-lem on turf that is suffering 
from one or more of the root-damaging diseases. Dollar spot damage can be unsightly but is usually not permanent on otherwise healthy turf. Light infesta-tions may not need to be treated and usually disap-pear with a light fertiliza-tion and a couple of mow-ings. Where it is a persistent problem, there are both sys-temic and contact fungicides that work well. There is 
even some evidence that 
benomyl-resistant dollar spot can be treated with benomyl-based fungicides after waiting two years. The incidence of dollar spot is usually greatly 
reduced by the use earlier 
in the spring of fungicides for the control of leaf spot. Also its incidence seems to diminish as the turfs health and density increases. Brown patch Although brown patch is a major problem on short-cut golf course turf, tradi-tionally it has not been a problem on taller-cut resi-dential turf. That is not to say that it does not occasionally appear as light infestations under 
the right set of environmen-tal circumstances, but it's rarely of enough signifi-cance to be treated. With the increased use of tall fescue and ryegrass 
varieties particularly in monostands the incidence of brown patch infestations is on the rise If the infesta-
tion is light then treatment will probably not be neces-sary. If it develops into the characteristic smoke ring, 
then at least one application and probably two applica-tions of fungicide will be necessary. Leaf spot This late in the season leaf spot is usually not a problem unless it has pro-gressed to the melt out phase where the disease has progressed down into the crown area and causes the collapse of the turf. Once 
the disease has progressed 
to this phase there is little that can be done other than See TURF on page 6 TURCAM®'s advanced carbamate chemistry goes to work fastŠand offers effectiveness that lastsŠagainst white grubs as well as mole 
crickets, chinch bugs, sod webworms and other destructive pests. This hard-working insecticide is odorless.. .cost-effective.. .easy to apply. What's more, TURCAM fu.f.u ' NOR-AM CHEMICAL COMPANY won t tie up m thatch or damage A samhn9 ^ ^^ turf and ornamentals. 3509 Silverside Road. P.O BOX 7495. Wilmington. DE.19803 Now available in two convenient formsŠTURCAM WP a wettable powder and TURCAM 2V2G granularŠthis versatile insecticide can take care of your toughest pest control problems. For more information on TURCAM, contact the NOR-AM ¿¿lit. It A Communications Department t fnl\IUrVB/\IVL or your local distributor. CAUTION: TURCAM® is a restricted use pesticide. Copyright© 1968 NOR-AM Chemcal Company All rights reserved. IMPORTANT: Please remember always to read and follow carefully all label directions when applying any chemical. Circle No. 108 on Reader Inquiry Card LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 6 LCOS from page 1 more-demanding market-place. Don Keller, president Keller's Turf and Shrub Care, Independence, MO, is amazed at the changes he's seen in his 21 years in busi-ness. "It used to be that you just needed an occupation license to open a lawn care business, and back when I was starting up I think it cost $15," says Keller. "Since then everything's changed. Now you need a 
license to use pesticides. You need a special permit to generate waste and oil. You staff needs special permits to drive your trucks, and 
the permits have to be re-
issued every two years." Adds Keller, "not only that but now you have 
employee right-to-know laws, so you need material data sheets. And you have community right-to-know laws, so you have to notify 
members of the community 
about the materials you use. "For a company just starting up, all of this has to be overwhelming," says Keller. Thomas Jessen, presi-dent Perma-Green Supreme 
Inc., Crown Point, IN, echoes Keller's concerns about the difficulties of 
starting a new business these days, let alone keep-
ing one going. Fewer startups? "There seems to be a trend to reduce new busi-ness startups. Fewer people 
are entering the market, 
and I find that disturbing. Some of these laws being passed seem very restrictive for new operators." Jessen questions the fair-ness of Indiana's licensing 
laws. "You have to have a license to own and operate, but the only way to get it is 
to work for an operator who already has a license," he says. "You have to work for 
a period of time to convince the operator you're worthy of getting a license. In a lot 
of cases, that's really tough 
to do, because the operator 
is dealing with a lot of peo-ple. Once you finally man-Mm mgì Liquid ISiSOBIIEEii .j^jjjiij-^jji-U]]: 11.9% Labor Fertilizer Equipment Fuel Insurance Advertising & Pesticides Purchase & Insurance age to get your license, you have to be nasty and quit. "It's a Catch-22." Jessen says tightening standards may threaten the existence of small, mom-and-pop type outfits who 
pride themselves on their love of greenery and their personal relations with cus-tomers. But many operators have come to accept the 
onslaught of regulations, and even to regard them as allies in the industry's struggle for public trust. "Here in Florida," says Joe Williams, president, Lawn Master in Pensacola, "you have to either have a degree and 20 hours of hor-ticulture education to sit for a certified operator test, or you need to work for some-one for at least two years. I 
think the certification laws are good. They show that 
not just anyone off the 
street can come in and start a lawn care business." All the professionals interviewed said, without 
reservation, that complying with environmental stan-dards and obeying the law 
are essential components for success in the lawn care business. But they also say 
that LCOs will be climbing 
uphill in the pursuit of cred-
ibility, if not dollars, if the 
industry doesn't step up its public relations efforts. Branching out "All the media hype has not helped us," says Neal 
DeAngelo, president., Lawn 
Specialities, Hazleton, PA. 
DeAngelo and his co-owner brother, Paul, have branched out into industrial weed control and street 
sweeping to keep their 
receipts up. "We put together an information packet for our customers, and update it 
every year," DeAngelo 
explains. "It contains copies 
of articles on groundwater 
contamination, pet safety, employee safety, and public perceptions versus realities. When customers call with 
concerns about these issues, 
we send them the informa-tion packet and they cancel 
our service anyway." Home turf toughest By and large, profession-als with mostly residential clients are running into more flack about their oper-ations than commercial lawn care people. Some commercial operators say 
they keep a low profile 
when treating lawns in pub-
lic view. Businesses, as well as government agencies, will always need well mani-cured lawns for image. "In Atlanta, flower instal-lation has become a pretty big thing," says Terry Walton, president, Greenscape Environmental Service, a 10-year-old lawn care service in Atlanta with 
mostly commercial clients. "Color is very important here." Walton, who reports $1.2 million in receipts last year, 
a 20 percent increase over 1989, says he anticipates an end to Atlanta's business slump soon. "We're overbuilt and we have a lot of vacant office space," he says. "It will take 
a couple of years before things become like they 
were in the mid-80s. Atlanta won't stay still for long. Already the economy 
is picking up a little. Walton says the only ner-vous inquiries he receives about lawn care products come from condos which constitute a tiny percentage of his accounts. TV publicity has hurt "TV (publicity on chemi-cals) has hurt us in that See LCOS on page 7 TURF from page 5 to reseed and apply preventive fungicides in the future. Pythium The name of pythium is used to describe four or five dif-ferent fungi. These different fungi have different symp-toms and intensity of damage. Most attack either the crown areas or roots and if not initially fatal can cause the 
turf to collapse under summer's heat. Pythium's usually a problem from mid to late summer when high heat and humidity provide an ideal environ-
ment for this disease. Recent work indicates that pythium can become a major problem starting at temperatures as low as 55-60 degrees. Pythium is a major problem in any turf area where the soil moisture level remains high for periods of time as 
short as 48 hours. It's a major problem in shaded turf, in 
areas of standing water or drainage areas and in monos-tands of ryegrass and or tall fescue. The extent of pythium damage in residential turf is not fully appreciated and is probably often misdiagnosed as patch disease. Pythium in the foliar- affecting stage is highly conta-gious and needs treatment with several applications of 
fungicide. Preventing pythium is the preferred method of treat-ment. The use of wetting agents to control excessive mois-ture in the root zone and root-growth stimulating materi-als to aid in recovery from root damage can be helpful in managing it. Root damaging diseases When the visual symptoms of root damaging diseases do finally appear there is frequently massive turf lose despite curative rate applications of fungicides. This occurs because the damage to the root structure has often been so substantial by the time treatments are made that any moisture or heat stress can quickly result in turf death. In cases where the infected turf has been able to survive the first stress periods of early summer, turf will often die back during the more stressful periods of middle to late summer. Necrotic ring spot Despite its' apparent rapid onset of symptoms, necrotic ring spot is a slow-moving disease. The period of greatest 
infection is in the cool wet periods of the spring and fall. The infected turf often survives for years in non-symp-tomatic conditions but can show small round areas of col-
lapsed turf under heat and moisture stress. These areas of damage frequently go undiagnosed and untreated, leading to further infections and further damage. Untreated turf frequently develops excessive thatch further exaggerating the problem. The problem also seems to deteriorate as the turf density increases with maturity. Frequently the effects of the disease are most prominent in wet areas or under trees. It will occasionally manifest itself in a general yellowing of the turf despite apparently sufficient moisture and fertilizer. Fungicides containing fenarimol at high rates will stop any further root damage from necrotic ring spot. Pythium root rot Pythium root rot often shows up as roughly circular yel-lowing areas in late spring at the first sign of heat or mois-ture stress. Even when successfully treated with no apparent major damage, the effected areas will reappear in the summer months because the root structures have not 
had sufficient time to regenerate. High heat and moisture stress may actually cause the turf to collapse. Pythium root rot is best treated with fungicides contain-ing phosethyl A1 or banol on a preventive basis. A Special Note-Turf that is producing seed head and stalk growth is particularly vulnerable to many of the weaker pathogens. Because the elongation of the stem tis-sue is occurring at such a rapid rate, the leaves on the 
stalks frequently show symptoms in an exaggerated man-ner. This usually does not require treatment. LCI LOUISVILLE, KYŠBriggs & Stratton hosts its fourth annual run/walk at Expo '91 here Monday July 29th (day 2) The run begins at 7 a.m. and is open to all show atten-dees. It will be held on the Expo grounds. There is a $10 entry fee ($5 of which will be donated to the Special Olympics LCI LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 7 MHtfHiiiifíiiítiif mm^ WÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ Chemical Lawn Care 42.9% Other 3.4% Snow Removal 1 Ł 8% / . Seeding & Reseeding 3.6% Sodding 1.8% Renovation l Ł 3% Dethatching 1.1% Aeration 4.3% Tree Care 5.3% Ornamental Installation and Care 9% LCOS from page 6 respect," says Walton. He adds that perceptions about hazardous materials have created another liability by boosting his worker com-pensation rates. He has 40 employees. Cindy Poore, owner Perfection Landscape Maintenance, Cucamonga, 
CA, must be extremely care-
ful about following regula-
tions since her clients are mostly government agen-cies. "I don't think you run into too many problems as 
long as you're cautious and play by the rules," says Poore. "But it gets irritating sometimes. We find our-selves in a watchdog posi-tion. We need to make sure if we follow the rules other 
companies do too." Poore says companies that cut corners in their ser-
vice can place lower con-tract bids. "All the cus-tomers see is the dollar signs," she says. Finding workers Poore says finding quali-fied employees has become 
harder. "A lot of people who apply for jobs don't imagine this as a professional 
career. We need to teach people that a member of this industry is not just a fellow with a truck and a lawn mower or sprayer." Some of the applicants she's interviewed can barely read. In essence, most con-cerns expressed by LCOs were all linked in some way to public perception. To combat fears about turf chemicals, many opera-
tors say they keep a low profile. Poore and Walton say they often treat commercial and government lawns early in the morning to min-
imize exposure to pedestri-ans.. But LCOs agree that low-ered profiles don't offer long-term solutions to lawn care issues. Keeping up with new research and products, and 
educating the public about 
lawn care will sustain the 
industry in the long run, 
they insist. John Bria, manager Apline Lawn Care, Chappaqua, NY, used an 
integrated management 
approach to maintain growth in his seven-year-old 
company. He says his 25 percent pace is aided by a management staff that deals with nothing but 
sales, customer concerns, and assembling package deals to improve business in 199 l's uncertain economy. They're options now "All the services we used to call standardized are now projected as options. People 
are getting bare bones lawn care. They don't get grub control. They may have to 
live with a few more weeds." Bria says he does more with less by keeping abreast 
of current issues. He main-
tains a balance of commer-
cial and residential clients. His staff communicates 
with real estate agents and 
building superintendents about lawn care operations. Residential operations are carried out during work 
and school hours, and two 
management assistants are available to respond to inquiries about any service 
or product. Industry members who just want to do their job, who keep up with develop-ments, know their business, 
and don't want to function 
as public relations satellites are banking on industry 
associations to help them. "Here in California we're not as well organized as they are in the east," says Poore. "Our associations are 
out to improve our image but they charge high fees." United effort In Missouri and Kansas, Keller reports, LCOs work well together to meet state and regional challenges. "Here, when lawn care trucks pass one another, people give one another the thumbs up," says Keller. "I hear it's different in some 
other parts of the country. I 
think we've got to realize 
there's plenty (of business) for everyone if we do it right." Olivia Golden, executive direction of the Professional Lawn Care Association of MidAmerica (about 150 
members), says education 
inside and outside the 
industry will improve the 
industry's standing with the public. "We haven't done as good a job as the environmental-ists in getting our message 
out," says Golden. "There are so many peo-ple out there who got into this business because they 
love to be outdoors, and now 
they're spending all their time indoors, dealing with regulations. Higher startup costs "And startup costs are getting higher and higher for the fellow who wants to 
go out there and start a business." The association holds seminars to help people get certified, and to teach veter-ans about new rules, trends and products. It also net-works with new lawn care 
certification programs in 
two junior colleges in the region, one in Kansas and one in Missouri. "People must be able to read and follow directions," says Golden. Lawn care 
associations can uplift industry members and pro-mote the industry as well 
help educate it. Keller, active in the asso-ciation, says the press of day-to-day challenges cuts 
into LCOs time to devote to 
the industry as a whole. "But a lot of people are realizing that we have to organize ourselves to keep this industry alive," says Keller. LCI UNEASY from page 1 years ago. It's become increasingly regional. Customized. In some areas, micro-markets are developing, (natural/organic markets?) With the industry still growing in terms of revenues and the number of LCOs uncertain about the future, the chem-
ical lawn application industry is in a transitional period. The key is the American public's perception of LCOs themselves. Though the public continues to value land-scapes and lawns, and continues to demand top-quality turfgrass (and is willing to pay for it), there remains siz-able numbers of homeowners not yet convinced that chemi-cal lawn care is for them. Apparently the green revolution that turned the United States into the greatest food producing nation the world 
has ever seen is being discounted. Or forgotten. The last generation to fear starvation, the Depression-era generation, is going or gone. The generation that received its first (and perhaps) only education to pesticides with Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring is today's decision makers. The word pesticide is anathema to them. They hold it in the same light as, say, the word cholesterol. But where the huge fast food industry has been quick to respond to shifts in the marketplace with leaner hamburg-
ers and recycled paper bags (and multi-million dollar mar-
keting campaigns), LCOs haven't been as adept at generat-
ing the very correct perception that they're also environ-ment's friends. LCI mSSEJ -ÏÏSm 44% 56% jMSEMliiJl 66.4% B 33.6% Attend the Workshop LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE "PRICING FOR PROFIT" Boston, Mass. - August 14 & 15 Philip Christian Spend two days with management expert Philip D. Christian, III in an interactive, fast-paced workshop learning the skills of estimating and pricing for profit. * Quantifying the Landscape * Dependable Pricing Formulas * Time-based Estimating Techniques For Expanded Services Take Home Specific Skills To Increase Your Profit Margins Immediately. WHO SHOULD ATTEND: * Landscape Maintenance Contractors * Tree and Shrub Specialists * Irrigation Service and Installation Specialists For reservations and information about workshops in your area, CALL 1-800-763-7603 extention 7077 for a toll free recorded message. 8 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 8 Getting rid of grubs that attack your cus-tomers' lawns can be pretty tricky some-times. Unfortunately, simply treating against these destructive pests doesn't always guar-antee success. But many lawn care oper-ators have learned that all it takes to outsmart grubs is a little preparation Šfinding the right product and the right time of year for appli-cation. The product is 
OFTANOL® Insecticide. Studies show that time after time, OFTANOL provides consis-tent grub control. And delivers superior control over widely used products 
such as Sevin® and Diazinon Insecticides. The right time to apply it? That will vary from region to region. But a good rule of thumb is ©1991 Mobay Corporation PERCENTAGE OF CONTROL OFTANOL Sevin Diazinon Insecticide Insecticide SOURCE: 18 trials conducted by Mobay in 1990. to treat with OFTANOL when grubs are at 
the surface. An easy way to check is by just pulling back a bit of sod and looking for infestation. Or call your local Extension office to determine peak periods of grub feeding in your area. These are, of course, just the basics of effective grub control. If you'd like to 
learn more about OFTANOL and its proper usage, contact your local Mobay representative. Or just give us a call at (800) 842-8020. One of our trained pro-fessionals will be standing by to answer your ques-tions. Mobay Corporation, Specialty Products Group, Box 4913, Kansas City, MO 64120. 1 So why let grubs continue to test your patience when the easy answer is OFTANOL Mobay A Bayer USA INC COMPANY OFTANOL is a Reg TM of Bayer AG. Germany Sevin is a Reg TM of Rhone-Poulenc Ag Company Controlled-release N not as likely to leach to H2O Turfgrass plants, like humans, need a well-balanced nutritional program to survive. Grass needs the nutrients nitro-gen, potassium and phos-phorus in greater amounts than other nutrients. Of these three, nitrogen is required in the largest amounts and is most effec-tive in stimulating a turf response. In plant cells, nitrogen-containing compounds make up approximately one half 
of the living and reproduc-
tive substances, and are key components in forming pro-
teins. Nitrogen is also asso-
ciated with vegetative 
growth and density of turf, as well as its deep green color. Nitrogen deficiency can be detected when the turf becomes light green or yel-low. This change in color begins with the older blades, which start dying at 
the tip. This progresses down the center until the 
leaf dies. Although the amount 
of nitrogen in the 
environment is virtu-ally limitless, it is, however, rarely present in plant-available forms. Because of this, fertilization is the key 
to keeping turfgrass healthy and well maintained. When fertilizing turf-grass areas, there are two general types of "food" to 
consider. Quick-release fer-
tilizers and controlled-release nitrogen fertilizers. Quick-release nitrogen sources are usually classi-fied as highly water soluble. 
This means the nutrients will become available to plants as soon as they're 
dissolved in water. While this type of fertiliz-er might give good initial 
green-up, it can also burn 
the plant if applied in 
excess. Also, its positive effects are short-lived. Turfgrass has a good appetite, but can only 
absorb a limited amount of nutrients at any given time. 
For this reason it's impor-
tant to fertilize or feed 
lawns at a controlled rate so 
the nutrients can be absorbed. The second category, con-trolled-release nitrogen fer-
tilizers, is often more desir-able as a source of food for the turfgrass plant. Controlled-release nitro-gen sources have low water solubility, consequently all of the nitrogen is not imme-diately available to the turf-grass plant. Use of controlled-release nitrogen fertilizers signifi-
cantly reduces nitrogen leaching to groundwater. Using dry, granular fertiliz-er products that release nitrogen on an "as needed" basis is an effective means to ensure controlled release 
of the nitrogen. Leaching losses of fertil-izer nitrogen from turf-
grasses is highly influenced 
by fertilizer management OFTANOL USERS KNOW THE BEST WAY TO OUTSMART GRUBS IS WITH A LITTLE EXTRA HOMEWORK. Notice the big difference between fertilized and unfertilized turfgrass. Circle No. 108 on Reader Inquiry Card See N on page 11 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 11 from page 8 practices. Nitrogen source, rate and timing, soil texture and irrigation effect nitro-
gen leaching into the groundwater. Leaching loss-
es of fertilizer nitrogen from turf areas is generally well 
below 10 percent. However, under a worst case scenario (sandy soils, heavy irrigation or rainfall, over application of nitrogen, dor-mant turf as in late fall 
until spring green-up and application of highly soluble nitrogen sources) leaching of nitrogen can be signifi-cant (eight to 55 percent). Using slow-release nitrogen sources reduces the poten-tial of leaching to zero to 10 percent of the applied nitro-gen. 1. Initially, slow-release nitrogen fertilizers will pro-mote good green-up of the grass plant and lead to con-tinued, even growth with no starvation periods of growth spurts. Because it's absorbed by the turfgrass plants at a slow, more even 
rate as it's slowly released, 
nitrogen from controlled-
release fertilizers does not 
leach through well-main-
tained turf into groundwa-
ter under normal condi-
tions. For the turfgrass plant, a slow-release nitro-gen nutritional pro-gram improves plant color and increases underground growth, blade width and hardiness. It simultaneous-
ly reduces weed encroach-ment and diseases such as 
dollar spot, red thread and 
rust. In addition, slow and/or controlled-release nitrogen sources will reduce clipping removal from turf areas by 15 to 40 percent depending upon nitrogen sources, com-pared to quick-release 
sources. Environmentally, well-maintained turf offers a variety of benefits. It reduces surface water run-off and soil erosion. And, it has a cooling affect, often reducing surface tempera-tures by 30 to 40 degrees. 2. Turfgrass plants absorb noxious gasesŠsulphur 
dioxide, carbon dioxide, 
ozone, hydrogen and oth-
ersŠand release pure, life-sustaining oxygen. Dirt and dust from the atmosphere are trapped by turf, and impurities are cleansed from water. In addition, well-maintained turf helps diminish noise by absorbing and deflecting sound. Glare drops through deflection and absorption. NICE TOUCH Some people are in such a hurry to find to find a problemŠlike 
the misuse or overuse of lawn care chemi-calsŠthey haven't the 
time to enjoy scenes like this one. The prop-
er use of fertilizer and 
chemical control prod-ucts creates environ-ments that make us all 
healthier and happier. 
That's what the profes-sional turf provider 
seeks, and what he/she can provide. When it comes to grubs, it's not enough just to sup-press them. PERCENT OF GRUBS CONTROLLED insects combined. Better yet,once Triumph® applied to the soil, 50 2 DA 10 WK is changing Triumph keeps on all that. Unlike working for up to grub damage. And protect you from losing what profits you have 10 weeks, depend- made to callbacks. .. . Compiled from 18 _ . . ., You want mostinsec- ing on the target jM to squash them, ticides, which are Pulverize them, unpredictable at Grind them into best, Triumph dust. Send the lit- has been tie buggers to the proven in root zone eternal, over ten And who could years of Ik., * < \ yj v .VT¿V *V ^ blame you? After all,this one creature has prob-
ably baffled more testing to consis-tently rid turf of over turf professionals, 90 percent made a mockery of grubs pres-of more chemical ent. And within company claims, just 2-3 days of than all other turf application. HOW TO SQUASH A GRUB. So one pre-ventive application in late summer or To f ind out more, contact your turf products distribu-early fall is all that's tor or Ciba-Geigy needed to protect representative, turf from costly TRIUMPH G1990 CIBA-GEIGY Corporation, Turf and Ornamental Products, Box 18300, Greensboro, NC 27419. Always read and follow label directions For retail sale to and use only by certified applicators or persons under their direct supervision, and only for those uses covered by the applicator certification. See N on page 13 Circle No. 103 on Reader Inquiry Card Mobay Corporation has literature on its full line of turf and ornamental products. Brochures contain technical data and information on handling, application and storage of each product. Mobay manufactures turf and ornamental fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. Mobay Corporation Specialty Products Group P.O. Box 4913 
Kansas City, MO 64120 (800) 842-8020 Circle No. 125 on Reader Inquiry Card mmm NoburN Natural Wetting Agent and Soil Penetrant is a steroid saponin 
extract from the desert Yucca plant. NoburN does not have to be watered 
in and will not burn or discolor 
turfgrass when applied in hot or dry weather. ROOTS Inc. 25 Science Park 
New Haven, CT 06511 (800) 342-6173 Circle No. 126 on Reader Inquiry Card PAR EX® Specialty Products, 
Division of Vigoro Industries, Inc. introduces a new line of sprayable turf 
fertilizers featuring exclusive environmentally responsible IBDU® slow release nitrogen. The newly developed line features 4 ready to mix NPK plus micronutrient mixes and 
straight IBDU 31-0-0 for your own custom mixing. PAR EX Specialty Products P.O. Box 512 Winter Haven, FL 33882-0512 (813) 294-2567 Circle No. 122 on Reader Inquiry Card Chipco 260!? The proven w® lobigger lawncare pnilits. CHIPCO® brand 26019 fungicide provides proven control of most damaging turf diseases. Its long-lasting residual action delivers this broad-
spectrum control for up to a full month Š so it fits well with your 
spray schedule. (CHIPCO is a registered trademark of Rhone-Poulenc Ag Company) Rhone-Poulenc Ag Company 2 T.W. Alexander Drive Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 (800) 334-9745 Circle No. 127 on Reader Inquiry Card mmm A natural organic fertilizer; non-burning, non-toxic, odor-free. Provides quick green-up, plus long-lasting slow nutrient release. Proven performance in professional and residential application, it is backed by extensive testing in leading institutions. SUSTANE is approved for certified organic food production. Suatana Corporation 1107 Hazeltine Blvd. Chaska, MN 55318 (612) 448-8828 Circle No. 123 on Reader Inquiry Card Ringer Commercial _ Fertilizer For ^ Ł I-awn Service Brochure of natural products for lawn services and landscapes. Includes 
sample program outlines applicable to both commercial and residential lawn 
care. Company maintains a research 
and service staff to assist operators who have questions or need help in formulating programs. Ringer Corporation 9959 Valley View Road Minneapolis, MN 55344 (612) 941-4180 Circle No. 124 on Reader Inquiry Card Turf Iron 15%N-6%Fe. Turf Iron Special 6%N-6%Fe-2%Mn. Overnight green up at the most cost effective prices on the market. Mixes with anything. Turf Iron Granular chelates. Designed to give full summer control on trees, 
shrubs and etc. Ruffin Inc. P.O. Box 940 Dodge City, KS 67801 (800) 535-7479 Circle No. 128 on Reader Inquiry Card Homelite offers a 52-page catalog featuring their complete line of outdoor power products. The catalog covers lawn 
mowers, hedge trimmers, trimmers & bmshcutters (25 cc to 40 cc), blowers, edgers, generators, pumps, chain saws, snow throwers, pressure washers, and air 
compressors. Homelite Divieion of Textron Inc. 14401 Carowinds Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28273 (704) 588-3200 Circle No. 129 on Reader Inquiry Card LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 13 from page 11 In addition to using dry, granular, controlled-release nitrogen fertilizers, the fol-lowing practices will dimin-
ish the amount of unused nitrogen that could damage 
the plant and/or leach into 
the groundwater: Recommendations Apply fertilizer only at the recommended rate (gen-
erally 0.5 to 2.0 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet). Rates vary with the season of the year and source of nitrogen. Know your soil type. Leaching is more prevalent in sandy soils and runoff is greater on clay soils,, so the amount and frequency of watering must be regulated On clay loam soils, apply an inch of water per week using 1/4-1/2 inch per hour; 
on sandy soils, water twice a week using 3/4 inch per hour. Apply fertilizer to; active-ly growing grass only. Don't apply fertilizer to grass that 
has gone dormant in sum-mer or winter. Return grass clippings to; the turf area. This will help recycle nutrients already captured by the grass and may reduce total nutrient 
requirements. In contrast to quick-release fertilizers, con-
trolled-release fertilizers are more desirable in the 
production of well-main-tained turfgrass plants. 
This is true for the sake of the plant as well as the environment. Just applying 
the fertilizer, however, is not always enough. Get to know the turfgrass that is being fedŠthe type, 
the soil, the amounts of nutrients required. All these factors play a role in 
the specific type of con-trolled-release fertilizer the grass needs. Well-main-tained turf is protected against future problems and protects the environment. Source: Petrovic, A. Martin (1990). The Fate of Nitrogenous Fertilizer Applied to Turfgrass. J. Envir. Qual. 19:114. Source: The Journal of Environmental Turfgrass. American Sod Producers 
Association, Vol. II No. 1, Spring, 1990. ASPA MEETS ROLLING MEADOWS, ILŠ The American Sod Producers Association's (ASPA) Convention July 31-Aug 2, Red Lion Hotel/Lloyd Center, 
Portland, OR. ASP A, 1855 
Hicks Road, Rolling 
Meadows, IL 60008. 708/705-8347. Wisconsin Lawn Care Month poster winners Natalie Osowski, a 7th grader from South Milwaukee, won the "Benefits of Turf poster contest sponsored by the Grounds Management Association of Wisconsin 
(GMAW). She and her family were treated to a night on the town in Milwaukee and a Milwaukee Brewer baseball game. Natalie is shown here with (left) GMAW President Terry Kurth and Lou Wierichs, GMAW VP. Other winners in the contest receiving $200 
savings bonds were 6th grader Beth Duglinski, Cudahy, and Jeremy Montpas, South Milwaukee. "It's important for us to keep the positive image up in our everyday contacts and gain the public trust for our industry," said Wierichs. CORNELL FIELD DAY IS JULY 29 PLAINVIEW, NYŠThe Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County's Green Industry Field Day, July 29. Extension office/field research facility, 1425 Old 
Country Road, Plainview, 
NY. (Rain date Tuesday, July 30). Maria Cinque at Cornell Cooperative Extension of 
Nassau County, 1425 Old 
Country Road, Bldg. J., Plainview, NY 11803. 
516/454-0900. LCI ARE YOU OPEN TOA NEW WAY TO PROFIT FROM CRABGRASS CONTROL? PUT DOWN ACCLAIM WITH YOUR PRE. The old ways die hard. LCOs have traditionally used a pre to fight crabgrass. And it works. But there's a better, more profitable way to get effective crabgrass control. This season, break with tradition. Use an application of postemergence Acclaim* 1EC Herbicide plus a pre-suchasBalan* Dacthal* Pre-M^ Betasan* orothers-It's a crabgrass ^ control strategy that really works. L0tV With Acclaim plus a pre, you can control crabgrass effectively and efficiently with just one trip across the lawn. You'll keep your customers satisfied and eliminate costly callbacks. And that means more profit. This spring, try a new approach to crabgrass control. Use postemergence Acclaim plus a pre. It's the most m effective, most economical way to beat crabgrass. . ; Read and bUo» label direct*Ž carefully tedaun and the name and logo HOECHST are registered trademarks of Hoechst AG The name and logo ROCSSEL are c-i registered trademarks of Roussell'dafS A Balan is a registered U/virhci [H 'rademark cf DowBana. DaithaJ is a registered trademark <<i »1 It-J ftrmentaASC Corporation Pre-Misa registered trademark of _Š I JL Lesco.lnc Betasan isa registered trademark oflCl Anurias Corp FlOUSSGI Marketed by Hoechst RousselAgri-Vrt Company. Scmw^^ ACCLAIM. Because your turf is always on display. Circle No. 108 on Reader Inquiry Card 14 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 14 PLCAA finalizing advertising guidelines so LCOs can better inform customers Problem not as widespread as critics contend. Joint FTC/EPA effort turns up just five complaints this past year BY RON HALL What can LCOs advertise or even say to clients and potential clients regarding their services? The question is an increasingly hard one to answer because of com-plaints from the public and public officials. They insist that some LCOs misrepre-sent the safety of products they use. The most vocal critic is New York State Attorney 
General Robert Abrams. He's been doggedly criti-cal of the lawn care indus-
try. In both the 1990 and 1991 in the 1990 senate subcommittee lawn care hearings he hammered away on LCO advertising. Even so, government agencies, at least on the fed-eral level, can't seem to find any widespread abuses by the lawn care industry. Is there a problem? Indeed, there hasn't even been a determination of just how large a problem this is. Lee Peeler, with the Federal Trade Commission, told a 1991 senate subcom-mittee that the FTC shares jurisdiction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the advertising of pesticide 
products. He said the FTC and the EPA set up formal referral procedures in the spring of 1990 to monitor ads for lawn care pesticides . The emphasis, he said, was on health and safety 
claims. EPA would refer 
questionable advertising and marketing claims made by LCOs to the FTC region-al offices for evaluation. In the year since then, the EPA made five referrals 
to the FTC. All involved claims that the serviceds or products are "safe" or "non-toxic" or safter than other 
types of lawn care services 
or products. Three came from Yellow Pages advertising, one from 
a consumer brochure, and one from local newspaper advertising. Organic claims disputed Four of the five investiga-tions involved claims made by companies offering 
"organic" alternatives to chemical lawn care ser-
vices,. said Peeler. The criticism and result-ing attention from the FTC and EPA prompted the 
Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA) to update and revise its adv ertising rec-
ommendations to LCOs. PLCAA's suggestions apply to all communications with the public, written and verbal. Health and safety claims, those are the damager areas in LCO advertising. LCOs can say that the products they use have been reviewed by EPA and have met criteria for the regis-tered use(s), says PLCAA's new guidelines. EPA doesn't approve However, the EPA does not officially "approve" a product. LCOs should avoid any statement that character-izes any pesticide as safe, non-poisonous, low in toxici-ty, biodegradable, nontoxic 
or harmless. In legal circles the word safe indicates the absolute 
absence of risk.Never say that "a material is safe," says PLCAA. Avoid safety compar-isons between liquid and dry applications, or organic, 
natural and synthetic prod-ucts. The guidelines futher advise that before LCOs 
reachi an agreement with customers, they state what services are included. 
Disclaimers, if any, should be in type size no more than one point smaller than the 
body of the text in print advertising. When no body text is incorporated, disclaimers 
will be no smaller than 9-point type. Disclaimers for broadcast media will be made at the same decibel level and speed as the majority of the commercial. Disclose price When discussed, price of the service should be fully disclosed. The existence of taxes, surcharges or other applicable service charges, if any, will be revealed. The name and logo of the company should be clearly 
visible in print. The compa-ny name should be audible in broadcast messages. By August confusion sur-rounding what's natural and what's not, particularly 
regarding turf fertilizer, 
may clear up. LCI Professional Lawn Care GREEN ON GREEN LAWNCARE COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL Lawn Fertilizing & Weed Control Program We use only Safe Natural Organic Fertilizers Weekly Mowing & Trimming Lawn Dethatching & Aeration 835-2647 Chicago Heights What is natural? What isn't natural? Industry could have answer by Aug. August is when membership of the Plant Food Control Officers (APFCO) meets. It will vote on definitions particularly hard to pin down, both in agriculture and in lawn care. These involve the definitions of fertiliz-ers, specifically what is natural, organic, 
etc. These terms are already being freely used in various marketing campaigns yet 
confusion surrounds their meanings. APFCO membership reportedly is not all in agreement about the definitions. There may be changes, but they may not be sig-nificant.. This past May the directors of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA) provisionally agreed to recognize the APFCO definitions. About 35 states already do. "As long as we know what the rules are that puts us in better sted," said Steve Hardymon, at PLCAA's May meeting. He's chairman of PLCAA's Government Affairs Committee and also ChemLawn's represen-
tative on the board. Hardymon said the public's perception of natural versus synthetic "is clearly becom-
ing a huge issue." The lawn care industry must have some-thing rational to base its advertising and marketing on "to avoid some of the outra-geous claims that are being made out 
there," added Hardymon. Thomas Delaney of the PLCAA staff said that should APFCO alter its defini-tions in August, the PLCAA board can fol-low suit. "But we've got to have some-
thing," he said. The PLCAA board tentatively approved the following definitions as part of its revised advertising guidelines: Organic fertilizerŠA material con-taining carbon and one or more elements other than hydrogen and oxygen essential 
for for plant growth. Natural organic fertilizerŠMaterials derived from either plant or animal prod-
ucts containing one or more elements (other than carbon, hydrogen and oxygen) which are essential for plant growth. These materials may be subjected to biological degradation processes under nor-mal conditions of aging, rainfall, sun-cur-ing, air drying, composting, rotting, enzy-matic, or anaerobic/aerobic bacterial 
action, or any combination of these. These materials shall not be mixed with synthetic materials or changed in any physical or chemical manner from their ini-tial state except by manipulations such as 
drying, cooking, chopping, grinding, shred-ding, (ashing, hydrolysis) or pelleting. Natural inorganic fertilizerŠA min-eral nutrient source that exists in or is pro-duced by nature and may be altered from its original state only by physical manipu-
lation. Natural fertilizerŠA substance com-posed only of natural organic and/or natu-ral inorganic fertilizer materials and natu-ral fillers. Natural baseŠA fertilizer containing a minimum of 50 percent by weight of natu-ral fertilizer materials. Organic baseŠA fertilizer containing a minimum of 50 percent by weight of nat-ural fertilizer materials and 50 precent by 
weight of primary nutrients which are derived from natural fertilizer materials. Organic base fertilizerŠA fertilizer containing a minimum of 50 percent by weight of organic fertilizer materials and 50 percent by weight of primary nutrients which are derived from organic fertilizer materials. Avoid safety comparisons between organic, natural and synthetic products. Such comparisons include but are not lim-ited to, references to toxicity, drift, odor, and exposure. When referring to organic or natural fer-tilizers and/or pesticides analysis should be 
given. LCI LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 15 More LCOs get 'natural' with dawn of the 90s But skepticism remains as many in industry call for data showing the ability of the new products and programs to deliver the kinds of quality lawns customers demand BY LYNN NOVELLI Few issues in lawn care stir as much debate, confusion and speculation as natural turf management. LCI's recent mail survey of 270 lawn care companies indicates that more than 34 percent use organic/natural fertilizers 
and 24 percent use some biological pest control products. Another 59 percent are considering using natural or organic products; 45 percent are looking at biological products. But many LCOs, even some of those already offering natural programs, aren't convinced natural lawn care can provide 
the level of quality most lawn care cus-
tomers want. Definitions for "organic" and "natural" would resolve a lot of confusion, says Steve Leisring, vice president of Greenlon, Inc., Cincinnati. "Without standardized terminology throughout the industry, advertising can unintentionally mislead or confuse cus-tomers," he tells LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. Standard definitions would also identify customer demand and allow customers to meaningfully compare costs. Most lawn care professionals share Leisring's feelings that the industry needs to define the terms. "It's the customer who needs to clearly understand the difference between natural and organic," says Hal Zeve, marketing director for Lawn Doctor, Inc. "Unless the customer understands this, the door is open for deception." Regardless of definitions, customer demand in some areas of the country has 
LCOs scrambling to develop alternatives to traditional chemical programs. Green Machine, Inc., a small Bloomfield, CT operation has 15Š20 percent of its cus-tomers on natural programs, says chief executive officer Joel Caplin. "Natural turf programs are definitely a growing part of the business in this market," he tells LCI. He expects to eventually build natural lawn 
care to 50 percent of this business. In other areas of the country the self-styled environmental movement hasn't yet caught up to organic lawn care. LCOs in 
these areas are taking a wait and see atti-
tude. At Greenlon, one of the larger compa-nies in its market, only about one percent of the customers have chosen an organic program. Leisring says the company has no 
plans to aggressively market that program this year. Nick Dennis, owner of Pro-Lawn Plus, Jacksonville, FL, reports no requests in his area for natural lawn care programs. He's doubtful many customers will demand it. "All the hoopla and I haven't seen any customer interest at all," says Dennis. Beyond that, he's not convinced natural 
pest control would work in Florida. "It would last about three hours in Florida, so forget it," he says. Even in California the movement to nat-ural turf management has been slow to 
gain momentum, says Hal Edmonds, gen-eral manager at Lawn Green in Sacramento. Edmonds thinks consumer education about turf management in general is more the issue than zeroing in on the use of all natural products. The marketing experts at the major lawn care franchisors are as unsure as everyone else about how significant a market will 
exist for organic and natural products. Lawn Doctor, for example, doesn't offer a natural or organic program this spring. They do offer pesticide-free lawn care, says Zeve, emphasizing their IPM program. Meanwhile, ChemLawn, with sales over $200 million annually, is in the middle of a 
national rollout of their organic-based fer-tilizer program, says Steve Hardymon, vice president public affairs. Competitors are quick to point out that the product may be organic-based but is spiked with ureaŠmeaning, in the strictest 
sense it doesn't qualify as a natural or organic product. Hardymon has no quarrel with that. ChemLawn calls the product "organ-ic-based," he points out. "That means it isn't all natural and we are not 
marketing it as such." Like everyone else, he adds, ChemLawn would like to see standardized definitions 
for these types of products. Organic and organic-based fertilizers seem to be further along in development than are natural pesticides. Few are on the market, leaving no one sure how to approach environmental pest control. For now at least, the answer seems to be some version of IPM. The catch in using true biological pest control, such as nematodes or milky spore disease, is that most customers want quick, effective treatment. And, as Glenn Schuelke, Nitro-Green, Pocatello, ID, says: "People aren't willing to pay a higher price and wait for results." A few companies, like Natural Lawns, Inc., Arlington, VA, offer a natural fertiliz-er/pesticide-free turf management program. 
Natural Lawns' Daniel Henneberg says about 10 percent of his customers are on this plan. But when a customer opts for an IPM program "we do use pesticides," says Henneberg in Virginia. NaturaLawn, a relative newcomer to the franchise game offers several levels of IPM service says officer Phil Catron. "First choice is no pesticides, 
second is biologic pest control, and last resort is chemicals. "Catron started the company with the philosophy that lawn care can and should be "completely natural." But he, and others attempting to tap into the American pub-lic's new found interest in the environment are finding that easier to advertise than to deliver. Predictably there are strong differences of opinion. Larry Hoover, production manager for Bio Green, Manassas, VA, thinks compa-nies that market natural lawn care at the expense of the traditional companies harm 
the entire industry. He also says the media 
uproar over the safety of lawn care chemi-
cals is just that, a lot of noise. "What we need is better training and tighter control over lawn care technicians. Under-trained operators are more the prob-lem than the materials," he tells LCI. In the final analysis it's the customer who has the final say anyway, adds Hoover. "Is the customer willing to pay a premi-um price and allow time for such a program to work?" Most LCOs say natural programs 
cost more to give to customers, in some cases as much as 100 percent more, than traditional programs. (NaturaLawn's Catron disputes this and says his program is competitively priced.) Can natural/organic turf management work? Believers and critics alike say the ques-tion must be addressed by carefully docu-mented, unbiased research. Then, many LCOs say they still need to be convinced customers will accept it at the 
levels that will be profitable to them. LCI 16 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 16 Ringer official: no need for chemically addicted lawns in U.S. anymore WASHINGTON, D.C.Š What do you think about the idea of using two differ-ent lawn application warn-ing flags? One would represent lawns treated with synthet-ic fertilizers and pesticides. The other would indicate lawns treated with natural 
or organic products. How about a red warning tag or tape across the mouth or opening of con-
tainers of synthetic lawn and garden products sold to consumers? Fred Hundt of the Ringer Corporation, Minneapolis, made these suggestions during the U.S. Senate Subcommittee hearing on 
lawn care in May. Hundt is Ringer's vice president of retail marketing. Did his testimony under-line the deepening rift 
between proponents of so-
called natural/organic lawn care products and makers 
(users too) of traditional chemical products? (Here's where we get into a seman-
tic tangle inasmuch as nat-ural/organic products are basically chemical in nature as well.) The controversy, simmer-ing for years, flared anew in April with a new Ringer television commercial star-ring British comedian John Cleese, former member of 
the Monty Python series. Cleese, describing chemi-cal lawn products in the TV spot, says: "These are the chemicals that go into the lawn that go into the rain 
water that goes into the streams that go into the lakes that go into the fish that go into people who put the chemicals in the lawn in the first place." The commercial drew immediate protests from 
ChemLawn and O.M. Scotts & Sons Company who 
termed the advertisement's message as "false" and "mis-leading" But if Ringer intends to soften its aggressive mar-
keting stance, it wasn't apparent in Hundt's state-
ments to the senate sub-committee. "You can't just spray your problems away," said Hundt. "The social and environmental cost of chem-ically addicted lawns and 
gardens is something we 
can't afford to pay any more." Hundt said conventional chemical fertilizers have 
been linked to groundwater contamination, "many of the commercial herbicide prod-ucts are linked to health risks," and insecticides? "There are technologies which can control pests 
without killing wildlife, or 
causing cancer or nerve dis-
orders," he said. Hundt told the hearing audience that: ŁIndustry should set standards for what's natu-
ral and what's not. ŁEPA should be encour-aged to make conversion to 
alternatives a strong agency policy. ŁGovernment should establish a system of label-ing that distinguises natu-ral organic products "cur-
rantly safe alternatives must be labled with the 
same warnings as toxic chemical products, and that does nothing to help con-sumers," Hundt said. LCI Fred Hundt, Ringer Corporation vice president of marketing, urged a senate subcommittee to consider different regulations for synthetic and natural lawn care products. It only takes one insecticide to protect your customers from top to bottom. By using TEMPO" 2 Ornamental Insecticide, you can treat home lawns, flowers, plants, shrubs, even trees with unmatched effectiveness. Reduce exposure. TEMPO uses 80% less active ingredient than the leading insec-ticide, so there's 80% less chemical to impact the environment. And that reduces the potential for exposure to your cus-tomers and their pets. Since TEMPO is a broad-spectrum, advanced generation pyrethroid, it gives excellent control at low dosage rates. This allows you to control tough surface-feeding pests like sod web-worms, cutworms, armyworms, even ticks without yellowing the grass or interfering 
with fertilizers or fungicides. TEMPO reduces exposure to your customers, your employees and the environment. A IittleTempo Will On top of all that, TEMPO is practically odorless. No phytotoxicity on ornamentals. Using TEMPO on all your customers' flowers, plants and shrubs is an excellent way to control leaf-feeding insects 
without burning the leaves or blooms. Plus, the fast knockdown and long residual of TEMPO make it effective on tough pests like pine shoot moths, web-worms and sawflies. And again, 80% less chemical means less handling, mixing and disposal hassles, as well as less impact on the environment. Less chemical needed to spray trees. Nothing is better on trees than TEMPO. Because not only are you spraying less TEMPO effectively controls surface and leaf-feeding pests like tent caterpillars, Japanese beetles and bagworms. 1991 MobayCorporation TEMPO «a Rag TMolBayer AC. Germany 911534 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 17 Fesperman: prescription fertilization to grow with LCOs Koos VP: natural market grows BY TERRY MCIVER Here's an idea that can't miss: sell both natural organic and synthetic fertilizer. Koos, Inc. manufactures both types in plants in Kenosha, WI, and Plant City, FL, says its vice presi-dent Steve Fesperman. The company sells 70 percent of its product to agricultural, but also retails fertilizers in thousands of retail outlets in the United States. But Fesperman says that more and more, the profes-
sional market is taking 
notice, especially when it 
realizes that customers 
want "natural" products. When comparing the two, Fesperman says customers often feel they get biased information from companies selling either synthetic or 
natural fertilizers. "Our point is to try and sort through the prejudice and get down to what is 
most beneficial," he says. For LCOs this means giv-ing customers rich green 
turf without excessive plant leaf growth. But Fesperman admits that it will take a few weeks for natural fertilizer cus-tomers to see improvement in their lawns because of 
the low nutritional value of 
the raw materials used. The all natural organics CoverTheWhole Lot. chemical into the air, TEMPO also costs less than other leading insecticides. In addition, TEMPO is compatible with all types of spray equipment and won't cause downtime due to clogging. And it's effective on such leaf-chewing and leaf-skeletonizing insects as gypsy moth larvae, oakworm caterpillars, leafrollers, 
bagworms and cankerworms. With 80% less active ingredient, it only takes a little TEMPO to cover a lot of ground. And that has big advantages for 
you and your customers. For more information, contact the Mobay Corporation, Specialty Products Group, Box 4913, Kansas City, MO 64120 
(800) 842-8020. Ł»¡Ufr I ji Mobay A Bayer USA INC COMPANY are 80 percent water insolu-ble and have no salt. The down side is cost. They are low in nutritional value and are twice to three times as expensive as chemical fertil-
izers. More expensive "We can buy granular urea for $180 a ton that's 46 percent nitrogen," says 
Fesperman. "Leather tank-
age is $200 a ton with only 11.8 percent nitrogen." Fesperman says that the high price of current organic sources might force the market to find cheaper sources. Prescription fertilizer blends, although not a new idea, are becoming more popular in both do-it-your-
self and commercial mar-kets, he believes. "Different prescriptions depend on different soil and weather conditions," says Fesperman. "Out of the 80 
different fertilizer materi-als, we'll encourage cus-tomers to use as much pre-mium slow-release material as we can." In addition to weather and soil conditions, there 
are other questions to ask a customer interested in a prescribed mixture: Do you fertilizer four to five times a year? Do you advertise that 
you use totally natural organic fertilizer? What about weed control? "The all natural organic weed control method is to 
continue to feed the turf, following the theory that healthy turf crowds out the 
weeds," says Fesperman Reduces pesticides? Another benefit of the all natural organics is the 
microbial activity which helps decompose thatch. "We eliminate the thatch layer and hopefully reduce 
the amount of insecticides 
or/and fungicides that would be necessary. Organics still account for only about 10 percent of Koos' business, but demand is growing. "There's nothing wrong with chemical fertilizers," says Fesperman, "for the 
people who know how to use chemical fertilizers. If the 
homeowner is not going to; follow the label directions, 
no matter which product he 
uses, he needs to call 
ChemLawn, Barefoot Grass, Tru Green..." Fesperman agrees that product misuse is greatest in the hands of the do-it-yourselfer. "The homeowner is the worst culprit. The consumer is using more than is need-ed," says the Koos vp. LCI Circle No. 108 on Reader Inquiry Card 18 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 18 RISE complains... RUTH 700 thousand kids get anti-industry message veiled as conservation Blabbermouth birds and bunnies sabotage LCO in one-sided National Wildlife Federation children's story; BY RON HALL Reginald Robin had better chirp a differ-ent tune if he wants to be friends with the thou-sands of responsible appli-cators of chemical pest con-trol products. But RR is a bird brain. He's one of several feathered and furred blowhards in a children's story in the May 1991 issue of RANGER RICK mag-azine. Reggie, as you might guess, is pretty good at 
blabbing his beak about 
things he doesn't know much about. So says Allen James, executive director of RISE, a coalition of manufactur-ers, formulators and dis-tributors of specialty chem-
icals. He was among the 
first to respond to the strongly anti-chemical 
message in the story. See the text of his letter to the 
editor of the magazine and the editor's reply. Specialty chemicals are the very chemicals that Reggie and friends Casey 
Cottontail and Becky Hare badmouth in their four-page crusade against the big, bad lawn care guy. The blabbering bunnies are hopping (pardon the 
pun) mad because they're convinced that lawn chemi-
cals are killing all the worms in the "perfect-look-
ing lawns". And killing the 
fish in a nearby pond too. The villain in all this is Bo-Bob's Grow-Green 
Lawn Care Service ("We kill bugs. We kill weeds. We fix your lawn so you won't have to.") (Actually, Bo-Bob gets his comeuppance as Scarlett Fox chucks a fair-
sized rock into a wasp's 
nest. The waspsŠwouldn't you just know itŠsting the living bejesus out of Mr. LCO. Now, that's some-thing for all you kiddies to be whapping at with sticks and rocksŠwasp's nests.) The article, sprinkled with fanciful drawings of robins, bunnies and 
Ranger Rick himself, a rac-
coon, is in a magazine that 
goes to 700,000 homes 
each month. Ranger Rick magazine is written for children age 6 to 12, a woman at the magazine 
told Lawn Care Industry. The article, written by Sallie Luther, ends with this advice for all the little Rangers: "How dangerous are lawn chemicals to people, 
pets, and wildlife? No one knows for sure. So until we know they're completely safe, it's better not to use them at all. "The good news is that some lawn care companies will take care of your lawn without using chemicals. So if your parents want to use a lawn care company, ask them to try one of these 'natural' ones! "There are also lots of things you and your family 
can do to have a healthy, chemical-free lawn. For more information, write to: NCAMP (the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides); 701 
E Street SE; Washington, DC 2003: Attention: Lawn Care." LCI May 22, 1991, 
Gerald Bishop Editor, Ranger Rick National Wildlife Federation 8925 Leesburg Pike Vienna, VA 22184 Dear Mr. Bishop: As the Executive Director of RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment) representing manufacturers, formulators and 
distributors of specialty pesticide products, I would like to express our 
concern regardmgj an article appearing in the May 1991 issue of Ranger Rick titled "Adventures of Ranger Rick" written by Sallie Luther. The implications and misstatements in the article serve to induce the "fear factor" in children regarding chemicals used to protect and maintain our lawns and public areas. Ms. Luther would have our chil-dren believe that weeds and yellowjackets are better for lawns than a sufficiently developed turf growth. Yet, hundreds of children each year are stung by bees, bitten by ants, and react physically to weeds and other uncontrolled, wild and poisonous plants in unprotected lawns. Ms. Luther even advocates violence against lawn care companies through such diversionary "tactics" as Scarlett Fox's disturbing a wasp's nest (a very dangerous thing to advocate to children). Lawn care companies utilize trained applicators who carefully apply appropriate products according to label directions to protect against Noxious weeds, undesirable pests and harmful insects. In our opinion, Ms. Luther has unfortunately mislead your young readers 
into believing that these products are harmful to pets and people. The postlog note even discourages the use of our products RISE would be pleased to assist Ms. Luther in developing a more balanced story which demonstrates the beneficial value of lawn care products, and which avoids inciting unnecessary fear in our children. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely Allen James Ranger Rick replies... May 24, 1991 Allen James Executive Direction Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment 1155 15th St. N.W. Washington, DC 20005 Dear Mr. James: Thank you for your letter about our May 1991 "Adventures of Ranger Rick" story dealing with the use of lawn care chemicals. We appreciate your offer to help us develop a "more balanced" story about the use of these chemicals, but we are confident that what we presented is in the best interest of all children who may be exposed to such toxic products. We properly point out that while direct harmful effects on children and animals from lawn care chemicals have not yet been conclusively demonstrated, it makes sense to avoid their use through the choice of non-toxic alternatives. Given the many unfortunate "surprises" that supposedly benign toxics have sprung upon us over the past few decades, we feel our approach is far more responsible than advocating, as you seem to be doing, that the use of toxic lawn chemicals is actually good for chil-dren because it protects them from stinging bees, biting ants and "wild and poisonous plants." Statements such as these leave us with even more determination to help our readers understand the dangers in blindly accepting the assurances of the toxic chemical industry. Sincerely, Gerald Bishop Editor LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 NEWSMAKERS Łm 21 hmnmmr* Wichita lawn care firm earns contractor of year designation Larry Nichols' Nichols Lawn Service in Wichita, KS, was named 1991 U.S. Small Business Administration's Region VII Prime Contractor of the Year. Region VII encompasses Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Ed Harvell, McConnell Air Force Base, Wichita, nominated Nichols. "Larry Nichols is a performance-oriented professional contractor," said Harvell, deputy for small busi-ness at the base. Harvell says Nichols is particu-larly good at getting excellent sea-sonal help, and that his company offers competitive prices on mow-
ing, seeding, fertilizing, landscap-
ing, spraying and snow removal. Nichols Lawn Service was found-ed in 1957 by Chavous Nichols Sr. 
in his garage. His sons, Chavous Jr. and Larry now operated the compa-
ny which employs 30 people. The firm's client list includes McConnell Air Force Base, Bank IV, St. Ives Homeowners, Temple Emmanuel Cemetery. Nichols was honored during spe-cial ceremonies in Washington, D.C. in May. The award is based on per-
formance under federal contracts. 
There are 10 regional winners 
throughout the United States. Valerie A. Feliberti joined ISK Biotech Corporation as associate 
process engineer. She comes from Georgia Gulf Corporation. Roger Kaiser, formerly a research spe-cialist with Monsanto, is a commer-cial development representative 
with ISK Biotech, headquartered in 
Mentor, Ohio. Richard Skorepa joined Mobay Specialty 
Products as a sales representa-tive in Ohio, Kentucky, and 
southern 
Michigan. He 
worked in the Peace Corps in the mid 1970s prior to serving Richard Skorepa at the University of Missouri Extension Office. His positions in private industry include being pro-
duction manager for Evergreen Lawns, St. Louis, MO, turf patholo-gist for Horticultural Consultants, also in St. Louis, and finally turf 
supervisor at the Brickman Group. Willie H. Dowden is the new manager of information services for 
Environmental Industries, 
Calabasas, CA. He's a graduate of the University of South Florida. Rain Bird, Glendora, CA, pro-moted Frank 
Busam to vice president of quality, Kris 
Freudenthaler to director of human resources, and Pamela Kratzer. Randy Carter joined Frank Busam MacKissic, Inc., Parker Ford, PA. He will be organizing sales and marketing for the company's line of front tine tillers. Patrick S. Reinfried, a high school senior from Oakland, MJ, earned the 1991 Murray 
Glauberman Memorial Scholarship. The Chemical Specialties Manufacturers Association present-
ed the $2,000-a-year scholarship. He plans to attend Stanford LCI ATLANTA'S NEW TURF ATLANTA, GAŠThis past win-ter the playing field at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium got a face lift. Ed Mangan came over from the Kansas City Royals to help. About 112,000 square feet of Tifway 419 Bermudagrass wereo-verseeded with Laser Poa Trivialis. The stadium is home for the Atlanta Braves baseball club and the Falcons footballers. Mangan (left) with field man-ager Atlanta Braves Turner Gibson. LCI Butcher,baker, candlestick maker. Excellent specialized business publications serve virtually every industry and every job function in America. So if you want to sell butchers, bakers, candlestick makers, engi-
neers, electricians, bankers, broadcasters, doctors or dentists, you can reach them in publications that help them decide how, when, what and from whom to buy Important people in busi-nesses important to you regard these publications as required reading. They are the publica-tions that keep men and women knowledgeable about their business, their profession, their job. In a recent survey of 3,800 industry decision makers, 
94 percent said they were more likely to find technical information helpful in their job in specialized business publications than in general business publications. That's why twice as many decision makers read the editorial and advertising content of these specialized publications. Specialized business publications are the publications your customers read first. They are the publications you should advertise in first. For a complete list of our member publications, all independently audited, write \ "§3 Association of Business Publishers, 205 E.42nd St., NY, NY 10017/\rjJL Association of Business Publishers The publications your customers read first. 22 BUSINESS SENSE LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 Clients want better landscapes in addition to nice, green lawns BY PHIL CHRISTIAN i Łmm frw » ilÉffiP'sB^ryrn^B^rftf^^! Łyii'.j j Ł"frgi^ffi. yjfijM ¿g&RjEÈk 31 s \'M fit"' 'j&MAäoH HHir^^^^tt-LCOs in good position to offer service in expanding non-turf landscape services ncreased awareness in the aesthet-ic, environmental, and functional 
value of residential and commercial landscapes means more opportunities 
for the green industry. The public wants a healthier, clean-er, greener look. It's becoming aware of the importance 
of non-turf 
landscape areasŠtrees, 
shrubs, flow-ers, ground 
covers, mulched and container land-scape areas. (Non-turf areas are called bed areas, even 
though they may include 
standing trees.) Turf is no less important, but it's no longer enough. The rest of the land-scape is catching up. A marketing issue In both commercial and residential markets the appearance of the land-scape is a marketing issue. The land-scape helps to attract new customers, helps keep existing customers, and 
improves the quality of life for every-
body. The appearance of the landscape represents the owner/manager's value system and sends a message or makes 
a statement to anyone who sees (or enjoys) it. While home landscapes are getting smaller, commercial landscapes are getting larger, more expensive to design, install, and maintain. Also, enlightened designers are incorporating landscape into building 
interiors too. The value of the non-turf area is growing. The owner/manager is more inclined to spend the money to main-tain the non-turf portion of their asset. The non-turf portion of the land-scape is the most expensive on a 
square-foot basis, but offers the most potential in terms of communicating the owner/manager's message to the world. Bed areas are more flexible, and offer more choices in height, color, 
shape, texture and seasonal rotation of color. Who's to manage it? In the past, bed maintenance, including trees, shrubs and groundcov-
er and mulch areas, have been man-aged by a variety of people including the owner/managers. Bed maintenance activities typically aren't coordinated or performed within the correct sequence or time frame. Homeowners and property man-agers are not sure what must be done or when to do it. Even if they do know, they're not comfortable with their own technical skills .Beyond that, the increasing con-cern and uncertainty concerning chem-
icals and water management compli-
cates the task. The customer, homeowner, or prop-erty manager wants to improve quality 
in the bed area and understands the 
benefits. They're willing to pay for 
excellent beds just as they were willing to pay for excellent turf. Clients need help But, they don't know who to call. See the table titled Total Bed Maintenance concept. Use it only as an illustration of the theory of TBM. It probably isn't accurate to your busi-ness or area. Please note that the 20 activities in the example are performed in 10 trips, 
or one trip per month, from February 
to; November. Each trip includes 
inspections. Monitoring is crucial to TBM . Landscape professionals provide a valuable service by observing or inspecting plant material even if no 
immediate action is required. Time estimates, based on your actu-al tests, develop production factors for each activity. For example, dormant oil application can be applied at a rate of 
200 square feet per minute. A 1400 square foot canopy area would require seven minutes to produce. Each activity, including inspection, have a production factor in square feet per minute or hour. Fill your spray equipment with water and run the test. A production test is a simulation of real work. Include all related activities.Include loading and unloading of equipment, mixing, and the testing and calibration 
of applicators. Remember travel time Separate travel time so your pro-duction time will not be contaminated. Separate material costs as well. Consider a that includes spring fer-tilization, post-emergent weed control, and installing spring color. That trip could require 15 minutes travel, 7 min-
utes for surface application of fertilizer, 5 minutes for post-emergent weed con-trol, and 23 minutes to install spring color. Measure each activity That total of 50 minutes is multi-plied by $1.50 per minute (use your own price). This will equal $75.00 per 
trip plus material costs. If the customer 
is not in a normal route, add extra travel time.. Every activity that can be performed can be measured and reduced to an average time. On some properties this 
activity will require more than one day. Add in another person or travel time for each day required. When three or four activities are performed in one trip the overall cost to the customer is reduced. The customer, 
however, is not accustomed to calculat-ing the total cost of bed maintenance, 
even though he or she has paid for it in the past. Monthly visits for 10 consecutive months may also confuse the customer. But selling benefits such as the increased number of activities, the sav-
ings in travel time, and having one per-son responsible for the non-turf area will be convincing to the customer. The Author, Philip D. Christian III of Alpharetta, GA, is a consultant with All-Green Management Associates, Columbus, Ohio LCI ACTIVITIES TOTAL BED MAINTENANCE j ACTIVITY TRIP FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. Pruning Directive 1 X Strip Beds 2 X Define Beds re-trench 2 X Apply pre-emergent 2 X Mulch 2 X Dormant oil 1 X Spring Fertilizer 3 X Insect & Disease (1) 4 X Weed control (1) 3 X Growth Regulator 4 X Install Spring color 3 X Insect & disease (2) 5 X Weed control (2) 4 X Insect & Disease (3) 6 X Weed control (3) 5 X j Fall Fertilizer 8 X Weed control (4) 6 X Re-mulch 6 X I Install Fall color 8 X Weed control 7 J X LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 23 How-to book shows LCOs how to build their own chemical containment system As the pesticide storage, containment and mixing regulations tighten, LCOs will have to improve their facilities. BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Chemical containment systems for lawn care companies are com-ing. Legislation to prevent chemical contamination is being considered for five states. More of this type of 
legislation is inevitable. LCOs faced with installing chemical contain-ment and mixing facilities 
may be aided by a book authored by Fredric Haskett How to Build Your 
Own Integrated Pesticide Storage / Containment / Recy cling System. In *1985 and 1986 Haskett, former owner of 
Green world Landscape Management, Dover, Ohio, designed, developed and 
installed an integrated sys-
tem for storage, mixing, 
handling, spill containment and residue recycling. He claims it's practical and affordable. Many benefits "In four years of opera-tion it has proven itself in several ways," Haskett reports: Łincreased employee safety; Łreduced insurance rate growth; Łit eliminated or signifi-cantly reduced the high cost * " Y Vast majority of pesticide users not ready for lawsŠFredric Haskett and liability of both the 
storage and disposal of waste residues. Haskett then set out to share some of his tips with other LCOs. "The system is flexible and can easily be used in both new construction and refitted into an existing structure," he says, noting that it has passed all feder-al, state and local health, and pollution authorities. Mistakes could cost "The cost could be catas-trophic if you are not pre-pared," he warns, citing the expense, bad publicity, 
criminal liability, civil law-suits and perhaps even bankruptcy that could befall an LCO should a spill occur 
at his headquarters. It's estimated that 80-90 percent of professional pes-ticide end users aren't yet prepared to implement con-tainment procedures or deal 
with the consequences should they fail to do so, believes Haskett. "We in the industry have done a good job of counter-ing the negative issues raised in the area of con-sumer safety, applicator 
safety and low risk versus the high benefits of our ser-
vices," he points out. "We , 
on the other hand, haven't 
done as good a job in the areas of internal operation." Two major sections Haskett's Green world facility (profiled in the August 1990 issue of Lawn Care Industry magazine) is divided into two major 
areas, primary containment and secondary containment. The interior of the build-ing is coated with a special sealant resistant to chemi-cals. Silicone fills the cracks 
in the concrete. Each sec-tion has self-contained pumps that catch all waste 
and spilled products so they can be recycled. The primary containment has a six-inch dike sur-rounding it. This can hold 
up to 1,000 gallons. All 
chemical concentrates are handled in this area. This 
area also contains an eye wash fountain, plus a show-
er and sink that drain into a sump that isolates all chem-icalsŠkeeping them from 
the water or sewer system. The secondary contain-ment area is surrounded by 
a four-inch dike that can 
hold up to 3,000 gallons. Daily operations take place here, where diluted materi-als are handled. Trucks are parked here, and dry chemi-cals such as fertilizers are stored here too. Contact Fredrick Haskett, P.O. Box 336, 
Dover, Ohio 44622. 216/364-
5235. LCI SCMA PREZ SAYS EPA NEEDS SOME PEP WASHINGTON, D.C.ŠThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) needs to get its act together in the registration of pesticides. That was the message Ralph Engel, president of the Chemical Specialties Manufacturers Association (CSMA) brought to the House Agriculture Subcommittee on 
Department Operations, Research and Foreign Agriculture late this spring. Engel called for improvements to the federal pesticide registration and review process. "Industry does not object to this scrutiny because we want the public to know that pes-ticides have been thoroughly tested and are safe and effective used in accordance to direc-
tions," said Engel. "But the process must be efficient." EPA is in bad shape, he told the panel headed by Representative Charles Rose (DŠ NC). Problems include loss of applications and data; inconsistent labeling directives; failure to communicate policy from one agency to another; and excessive delays in approval of 
label changes even for those changes mandated by new EPA registration standards. "Out of some 400 me-to-type applications submitted by our members last year, only six were turned around within the statutory 90-day period," claimed Engel. "For the agency 
to ignore its requirements under FIFRA is to create a very real anti-competitive situation 
in the marketplace." As far as boosting the fees companies pay to have their products reviewed, Engel said SCMA members are dead against it. LCI PLCAA ANNOUNCES SIX SUMMER SHORT COURSES MARIETTA, GAŠLawn care owners and managers are invited to one of a series of man-agement short courses. The Professional Lawn Care Association of America is sponsoring the following courses: ŁJuly 10, Wooster, Ohio, co-sponsor Ohio Lawn Care Association. ŁJuly 16, Louisville, KY, co-sponsor Kentucky Association of Lawn Care Professionals. ŁJuly 18, Indianapolis, IN, co-sponsor Indiana State Lawn Care Association. ŁJuly 22, Billings, Montana, co-sponsor Association of Montana Turf and Ornamental Professionals. ŁAugust 7, State College, PA, co-sponsor Lawn Care Association of Pennsylvania. 
ŁAugust 8, Rochester, NY, co-sponsor New York State Lawn Care Association. Topics to be covered in the short courses include personnel issues, DOT regulations, and media/customer relations. Cost of the one-day short courses is $40 for PLCAA members, $85 for non members. (Those joining PLCAA at the short courses can use the difference between member and 
non-member cost toward their membership fee.) For more information, contact PLCAA, 1000 Johnson Ferry Road, NE, Suite C-135, Marietta, GA 30068. LCI 24 NEW PRODUCTS LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 24 Worksaver shows two drop spreader models Worksaver Inc. says its two new drop spreaders provide accurate and uniform applica-tion of seed, granular fertilizer and chemical. Streaking is 
eliminated. The Model DS-36 is 36" wide, weighs 87 lb. and has a 180 lb. fertilizer capacity. 
Model DS-60 is 60" wide, weighs 108 lb. and has a 300 lb. fertilizer capacity. Both are ruggedly con-structed and have pneumatic 
4:00 X 8 tubeless 2-ply tires, says Worksaver. 
Circle No. 151 on service card. Nitrate levels measured easily in water samples Spectrum Technologies, Inc. says the Cardy Nitrate Meter provides a quick and accurate in-the-field test for well, irri-gation and surface water or field runoff and tile drainage. To use, place several drops of water on the sensor and read 
the results in ppm of nitrate. 
The meter comes with case, 
batteries, standardizing solu-
tions and deionized rinse 
water. Circle No. 152 on service card. Video tells how to get rid off crabgrass woes \ In today's economy any edge in efficiency is money in the bank." "To be competitive in this marketplace, you have to cut operating costs without cutting service. Our customers are cost-conscious, so we have to manage our business better" George and Patricia Morrell own and operate one of Atlanta's largest landscape maintenance firms. They have owned Isuzu trucks since 1985. "After the first two or three Isuzu trucks we were hooked. Our mechanics told us these trucks were simply built better Our Chevrolets are about the same age and they're literally falling apart. With Isuzu trucks we've had no major problems. The mileage is twice what we were getting with other trucks. And the employees aren't tearing them up.They're solid, quality trucks. The difference in initial cost is paid back ten times over during their life. "No matter what the competition does, we feel that as long as we keep buying Isuzu trucks and manag-ing our people well, we'll continue to grow" To find out where you can get the Isuzu Truck edge, 
call (800) 255-2550. " Works for the Morrells. ¿M § Hoechst-Roussel Agri-Vet Company offers a 10-minute video on dealing with crabgrass 
with Acclaim® 1EC Herbicide. "Crabgrass Control Strat-egies" is an informative video featuring LCOs using Acclaim in EPM programs, border pro-grams and as a rescue treatment. It's available at no charge to LCOs. Write: Crabgrass Con-trol Strategies, 3343 Pea-chtree Road, Suite 1220, East 
Tower, Atlanta, GA 30326. Circle No. 153 on service card. This UV-treated edging safe and easy to install Oly-Ola Sales, Inc., says its 
Slim-Edg polyethylene land-
scape edging offers a safe, dura-ble and low-profile alternative to round-top edging. It's made of 
flexible, UV-treated black poly-ethylene. The product's four horizontal grooves at the bottom, together with superior non-bending steel anchoring stakes, eliminate frost heave problems. Circle No. 154 on service card. Here's a faster way to hitch up snowplow Boss Products shows its Rapid-Tach quick hitch on its straight blade snowplow. The Rapid-Tach is a faster way to hook up a snowplow without crawling under the truck. Just drive into the plow, drop the cable controlled pins in place and you're ready to go. Circle No. 155 on service card. Water-soluble packet can color your ponds Want to color a lake or pond? Just toss a water-soluble packet into the water. Becker-Underwood offers Lake Colorant WSP, a highly concentrated colorant packaged in water soluble packets. Each packet colors one acre foot of water. The packet will dissolve in less than four minutes. The product won't harm fish or wild-life, claims the company. 
Circle No. 156 on service card. Circle No. 108 on Reader Inquiry Card LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 25 Image can now be used on certain ornamentals American Cyanamid Com-pany says Image® herbicide received EPA registration of an expanded turf label to in-clude use on selected land-scape ornamentals. Image, first introduced to lawn care in 1987, is used for the control of purple nut-sedge, wild onion and garlic and other weeds. It can now 
be used at labeled rates around and over the top of selected landscape ornamen-tals for control of certain weeds. Circle No. 157 on service card. Adapter gives Feldman aerators versatility The Feldman pull-behind aerator can now be used with 
tractors possessing 3-point hitches. Feldman Engineering 
& Manufacturing Co. offers an adapter that allows prompt adjustment of the aerator tines for soil penetration or 
transport. Four bolts, included in the adapter kit, attach the aerator frame to the adapter. Built of 
steel, the 3-point hitch 
adapter attaches to either the 2340-32 or 2340-48 models. 
Circle No. 158 on service card. Jacobsen says Aero King aerators rugged The Jacobsen Aero King aerators come in three models, a roll type and two reciprocating aerators, in widths from 19 to 30 inches for up to 30,000 square feet of capacity per hour. All three models come with a reliable, 4-cycle, OVH engine with electronic ignition and steel construction. All three models fit through a 30-inch gate. Circle No. 159 on service card. This product targeted for southern weeds O.M. Scott & Sons offers Southern Weedgrass Control. It provides pre-emergent control of six annual grassy 
weeds and 10 broadleaf weeds. The product, which contains 
pendimethalin, is effective on all established southern vari-
eties of turfgrasses. Southern Weedgrass Con-trol features an improved car-rier, says O.M. Scott. Circle No. 160 on service card. Southern Weedgrass Control cor*6« ol bro*l ****** »Ä^Oint^ Maxon introduces new 
pager with big memory Maxon Paging says its new POCSAG digital numeric dis-play pager has 12-message memory, an easy-to-read dis-play, tough Lexan housing, and comes with a case. It's powered by one "AA" battery and uses a single con-
trol for On/Off, Silent/Beep, and Read/Reset functions. 
Circle No. 161 on service card. Husqvarna booklet valuable tree guide Husqvarna's new brochure de-scribing proper techniques for tree felling and limbing is a handy reference for anyone doing tree work. The four-color, 32-page brochure covers items such as directional felling, sweep lim-bing and cross-cutting. The brochure is entitled "Husqvarna Work Technique 
for Felling and Limbing" and is available free of charge from Husqvarna Forest & Garden Co., 907 W. Irving Park Road, Itasca, IL 60143. 
708/773-2777. Circle No. 162 on service card. When it comes to grub control, there's nothing faster or more effective than DYLOX® Insecticide from Mobay. Now, thanks to DYLOX 6.2 Granular Insecticide, there are two great formulations of DYLOX to tackle tough grub problems. DYLOX gives you the fast-acting protection you've come to depend on, and now the new granular formulation 
makes it even easier to use. So find out more about DYLOX 80 Turf 
and Ornamental 
Insecticide and 
DYLOX 6.2 Granular today. WHEN YOU'VE GOT GRUB CONTROL THAT'S THIS GOOD, WHY NOT SPREAD IT AROUND? Mobay A Bayer USA INC COMPANY DYLOX is a Reg TM of Bayer AG. Germany ©1991 Mobay Corporation 9113551 Because the only thing faster than DYLOX at work, is the way its reputation for grub control has been spreading. Mobay Corpora-tion, Specialty Products Group, Box 4913, Kansas City, MO 64120. (800) 842-8020. Circle No. 108 on Reader Inquiry Card 26 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JULY 1991 26 mMHHHnHHHBHi Want more information abont a Simply circle the product corresponding yon see Reader Service advertised? Number on the postpaid cards at the back of the magazine. Let's not pollute our ocean of air like we polluted theirs. AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION* ® The Christmas Seal People* Space contributed by the publisher as a public service. t CLASSIFIED RATES: $1.05 per word (minimum charge, $40). Boldface words or words in all capital letters charged at $1.30 per word. Boxed or display ads charged at $90(1 X), $85(3X), $80(6X), $75(9X), 
$70(12X) per column inch (one inch minimum). (Frequencies based on calender year). Agency 
commission allowed only when camera ready art is provided by agency. For ads using blind box 
numbers add $20 to total cost of ad per issue. Send ad copy with payment to: DAWN NILSEN, LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, 1 E. First St., Duluth, MN 55802. 218-723-9179. Fax Number 218-723-9437. BOX NUMBER REPLIES: Mail box number replies to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, Classified Ad De-partment, 1 East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802. Please include box number in address. FOR SALE FOR SALE: Automated lawn service in Bergen County, NJ. Owner operated. For more informa-tion call 914-638-1259. 7/91 HANNAY HOSE REELS: New in the box. E1526's and E1530's - $359. We will ship and pay freight anywhere in the U.S.A. and Canada. Immediate delivery. Other size reels and parts available at fabulous savings! Call 313-543-2200, in Michigan. 
Outside Michigan - 1-800-843-LAWN. TF HELP WANTED nH long las*,n9land h heawV *** *nd ° 9 Th. tough, w» Y barrai»- ^«rr ocap.ng ^ ^ t^SSr-«0"^ LAWN CARE MANAGER: Exciting career oppor-tunity managing a growing mid-sized lawn and 
tree care operation. Branch Manager or Assistant Branch Manager experience required. Send re-sume in confidence to: LCI Box 233. 8/91 SERVICES CO-OP DIRECT MAILING SERVICE: -Mail to 
885,000 swimming pool addresses - or mail only to your area. -Mail with two other companies, and your price is only $80 per thousand. -Mailings lim-ited to three advertisers - so as not to diminish impact of mailer. -Compatible advertisers, share costs, save money, give you the best results and highest return for your advertising dollars. -All ads 
are in four colors. -$80 per thousand price in-cludes: one 8-1/2" x 11" ad with two other adver-
tisers. For information: Co-Op Direct Mailing Service, (800)543-6603. 7/91 Training Programs: Effectively train your new and experienced employees in the least amount of time with minimal management involvement. Complete weekly lesson packages including handouts, quizzes and documentation forms. Train at your location, at your convenience. Topics include pesticide safety and handling, agronomic and horticultural issues, customer service and sales, driver safety and more. Both lawn and tree and shrub care programs available. Recertifica-tion credits often available. Pesticide Control Technology Services, Inc. Call Paul Skorupa at 
401-294-1384. 7/91 Buy thru ... Sell thru ... Classifieds Get Results Swingle Tree Company, Denver, Colorado, an in-dustry leader since 1947 is looking for a supervisor 
for our tree spraying department. *Min. 2-3 yrs. 
experience in diagnosis and recommendations. 'Working knowledge of tree spraying equipment. 
'Excellent communication skills combined with field and supervisory experience. *2-4 year related 
degree desired. 'Health, Dental and Pension Plan. 'Salary range: $21,000-$25,000. Call Tom or Greg (303)337-6200. 7/91 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES CURB KING: Curbing machine that lays continu-ous concrete landscape borders. Financing available. Low investment, high returns. For infor-mation call 303-434-5337 or write P.O. Box 40567, Grand Junction, CO 81504. TF Buy thru Sell thru ... Classifieds Get Results ADVERTISERS INDEX NO. ADVERTISER PAGE 101 Arcadian Corporation 4 102 Ciba-Geigy 11 103 Ciba-Geigy 11 104 Hoechst Roussel 13 111 Isuzu 24 105 Lesco, Ine 28 106 Mobay 8 
107 Mobay 16-17 108 Mobay 25 109 NorAm 5 This index provided as an additional service. The publisher assumes no liability for ommission or error. Ł ŁŁ send .classified_advertìsing message ...write here. " (Please Print). 1. Number of insertions: (circle one) 1 2 3 6 9 12 TF (Til Forbid) 2. Start with (month) issue (Copy must be in by 1st of month preceding) 3. Amount enclosed: $ PAYMENT MUST ACCOMPANY ORDER. SIGNATURE DATE NAME COMPANY STREET CITY STATE ZIP PHONE NUMBER MAIL AD COPY TO: Dawn Nilsen, Lawn Care Industry, 1 East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802. RATES: 1.05 per word (minimum charge $40). Boldface words or words in all capital letters charged at $1.30 per word. Boxed or display ads: $90 per column inch for 1x insertion (minimum one inch); $85 for 3x insertion; $80 for 6x insertion; $75 for 9x insertion; $70 for 12x insertion. (Frequencies based on a calendar year). Agency commissions will be given only when camera ready art is provided by agency. For ads using blind box number, add $20 to total cost of the ad per issue. Send ad copy with payment to Dawn Nilsen, Lawn Care Industry, 1 East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802. (218) 723 9179. FAX Number (218) 723-9615. BOOKSTORE THE TREE IDENTIFICATION BOOK OfSHfc H" O 5y»»uW. 665 ARBORICULTURE: THE CARE OF TREES. SHRUBS AND VINES IN THE LANDSCAPE by Richard W. Hams Provides comprehensive coverage of complete planting, site analysis, preparation and special planting 
methods, fully detailed coverage of fertilization, irrigation and pruning guidelines on preventative mainte-nance. repair and chemical control, 
how-tos of diagnosing plant prob-
lems. practical data on non-
infectious disorders, diseases, in-
sects and related pests and pest management $63.00 430 - DISEASES OF TREES AND SHRUBS By Wayne Sinclair, Howard Lyon and Warren Johnson A comprehensive pictorial survey of 
the diseases of. as well as the environmental damage to, forest 
and shade trees and woody orna-mental plants in the United States 
and Canada. Reflects the most important developments in fungal 
biology and taxonomy, plant bac-teriology, virology, and environmentally induced stress in plants. Summarizes information 
about newly discovered diseases 
and provides up-do-date accounts of old ones $52.50 690 - INSECTS THAT FEED ON TREES AND SHRUBS by Johnson and Lyon Essential information for identifying 
more than 650 insect pests and the 
injuries they cause. More than 200 color illustrations. $49.95 720 - SHRUB IDENTIFICATION by George Symonds Pictorial key to identify shrubs. Contains more than 3,500 illustra-tions to check specimens. Popular and botanical names are given for 
each shrub and handy index tabs for quick reference $17.95 750 Ł TREE IDENTIFICATION by George Symonds Pictorial reference to identifying trees by checking leaves, buds, branches, fruit and bark. Like its sister publication, SHRUB IDENTI-
FICATION. p names are ' easy reference. $17.95 popular and botanical listed with index tabs for 760 - TREE MAINTENANCE by Pascal Pirone The sixth edition of this guide for anyone involved in the care and treatment of trees. Special sections on tree abnormalities, diagnosing 
tree troubles, non-parasitic injuries and assessing the suitability of different trees. $49.95 345 - KERR'S COST OATA FOR LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION 1991 By Norman L. Dietrich Eleventh edition. Provides all the pricing data you need in one con-
venient source. 28 major sections cover site, recreation and land-scape development. 65 subsections provide specific data on materials, equipment and labor. 
Will save you hours on time-consuming research and calcula-tions. Organized in easy-to-use CSI $4495 ¿ : # ir Ł . LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS rreriagermi nvthud. and n**Ttìk LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT 300 LANDSCAPE DESIGN: A 
PRACTICAL APPROACH by Leroy Hannebaum Geared for the commercial de-
signer/salesperson. this is a one-
stop guide to the landscape design process. Covers the entire highly 
competitive field including design analysis techniques, pointers on land forms, specialized business 
landscaping methods, environ-mental design guidelines, specifications, estimations, 
bids. $54.95 370 LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS: MANAGEMENT. METHODS i 
MATERIALS by Leroy Hannebaum An in-depth examination that com-bines technical training in landscape science with methods of accounting, business management, marketing and sales. Discusses effective methods for performing lawn installations, landscape plant-ing and maintenance Step-by-step accounting calculations are ex-
plained in simple terms. $54.95 365 - LANDSCAPE PUNTS IN DESIGN by Edward C. Martin An annotated black & white photo-graphic guide to the design qualities of ornamental plants and their aesthetic and functional use in landscape designing. Over 600 trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers and turfgrasses are described in non-technical language. Over 1900 
photographs Provides a basis for selecting the best plant materials for any particular use in landscape 
design. Contains detailed indexes that provide quick reference to particular design qualities and growing conditions $69.95 305 Ł UNDSCAPE MANAGEMENT by James R. Feucht and Jack D. Butler Planting and Maintenance of Trees. 
Shrubs, and Turfgrasses. Describes the basic principles of cultural man-rnent of installed landscapes 
important factors of plant growth, soils and fertilizers, im-proved planting techniques and new pruning techniques, integrated pest and disease management, and 
spray-equipment calibration and care are all featured $35.95 375 - RESIDENTIAL UNDSCAPES by Gregory M. Pierceall An excellent reference for individu-
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development of plantings and con-structed features for residential 
sites. Illustrations and actual resi-dential case study examples are used to communicate graphic, plan-
ning and design concepts which are the focus of this text. $55.95 220 Ł CONTROLLING TURFGRASS PESTS by Shurtleff, Fermanian, Randell New comprehensive guide provides the most up-to-date information available on the identification, biol-
ogy. control and management of every type of turfgrass pest. $48.95 235 - UWN CARE: A HANDBOOK FOR PROFESSIONALS by H. Decker, J. Decker Written by turfgrass professionals, this handy guide will be invaluable for playing field managers, golf course managers, or any lawn care 
practitioner. Covers all aspects of turfgrass management $48.95 Pest Control Operations 640 - TURF IRRIGATION MANUAL by James Watkms A guidebook for engineers, archi-
tects. designers and contractors. Keeps pace with the latest develop-
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Golf course design systems and 
expanded engineering and refer-ence material $29.90 615 Ł TURF MANAGEMENT FOR GOLF COURSES by James Beard Written by an eminent turfgrass researcher, this USGA sponsored text is an ideal reference and how 
to' guide. Details all phases of golf 
course design and construction, turf management, course adminis-tration. irrigation, equipment and disease and pest control. Fully illustrated. $74.10 110 TURF MANAGERS' Second Edition ENTIRELY UPDATED. A practical guide for the turf practitioner Chap-ters on grasses, growth regulators and diseases have had extensive modification. Innovations resulting from research and practice have been added to reflect the current techniques available for turf managers $32.95 630 - TURFGRASS: SCIENCE AND 
CULTURE by James Beard Comprehensive basic text and ref-erence source used in many leading 
university turf programs. Includes findings of current research com-piled from more than 12,000 
sources S54.9S 620 Ł TURF MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK by Howard Sprague Practical guide to turf care under 
both healthy and poor turf condi-tions. Chapters cover turf in cooler and warmer regions, fertilizer use, regular turf care, weed and disease control and special turf problems. Useful seasonal schedules for 
management of turf areas 126.60 125 Ł SCIENTIFIC GUIDE TO PEST CONTROL OPERATIONS byG.W Bennett. J.M. Owens, 
R.M. Comgan Fourth Edition. New chapters on fumigation, urban wildlife, special 
facilities, plus updated, improved chapters on pesticides, cock-
roaches, birds, termites, equip-
ment. sanitation, stored product 
pests and more. Don't be without this updated edition 
$49.95 DmmMc AM Mhert $60.00 410 DISUSES 6 PESTS OF ORNAMENTAL PUNTS bv Pascal Pirone Tnis standard reference discusses diagnosis and treatment of dis-
eases and organisms affecting nearly 500 varieties of ornamental plants grown outdoors, under glass or in the home. Easy to understand 
explanations of when and how to use the most effective fungicides, 
insecticides and other control 
methods. $49.95 ADDITIONAL TITLES: 800 - THE GOLF COURSE $35.00 510 - H0RTUS THIRD $135.00 500 - THE 1991 PESTICIDE DIRECTORY $75.00 225 - TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT REVISED $54.95 RETURN THIS COUPON TO: BOOK SALES, ONE EAST FIRST STREET, DULUTH, MN 55802 PLEASE SEND ME THE FOLLOWING BOOKS. MY PAYMENT* IS ENCLOSED. Book Number and Title Quantity Price Total Price DomesticŠ"Please add $3.50 per order plus $1.00 per additional copy for postage and handling. All othersŠ"Please add $5.00 per order and if ordering multiple copies, also add $2.00 per additional copy to cover postage and handling. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Prices subject to change. Quantity rates available on request. Questions? Call 218-723-9471 or 9472 Total. Postage & Handling. Total Enclosed. PAYMENT MUST ACCOMPANY ORDER Please charge to my Visa, MasterCard or American Express (circle one) Account Number Expiration Date Name Street Address. City State Zip Phone Number L Signature. Date Simply the best professional spreaders available True over-center on/off assembly helps prevent spills Carbon steel epoxy finish or optional stainless steel frame Polyethylene 80 lb. capacity hopper, strong yet flexible Adjustable metering slide for more even distribution Adjustable third hole allows for more target accuracy Stainless steel impeller, shaft, axle and shut-off, assembly Optional hi-wheels available for increased clearance, stability For almost a decade, LESCO has been manufacturing the industry's top rotary spreaders, always modifying and improving our designs to ensure the most accurate, even coverage possible. Today our spreaders are regarded as the standard of the industry. They're simply the best profes-sional spreaders available. Consider some of the features of LESCO's rotary spreaders: 80 lb. ŠŁ 
polyethylene hoppers, which are more durable than fiberglass, demonstrating 
strength and flexibility. An adjustable third hole for left to right distribution and 
improved accuracy. Bumper/lift handle protects impeller, makes lifting easier Corrosion-resistant light weight plastic rims and bushings Corrosion-resistant gears and impeller assembly Options include a patented deflector, which allows straight spreading along sidewalks, drive-ways, and ornamentals; Hopper Cover, which protects product, allows transport 
without emptying the hopper first, and helps prevent spills; and a gear cover, which pro-vides additional protection to the gears. For larger commercial areas consider LESCO's truckster, pullbehind or the newly redesigned hydraulic spreader now 
available with a Honda engine option. To find out more about the best spreaders available today, contact your LESCO sales representative, visit a nearby LESCO Service Center, or call (800) 321-5325. In 
Cleveland, 333-9250. / ESTABLISHED 1962 20005 Lake Road Rocky River, Ohio 44116 Fertilizers, Seed, Control Products, Equipment, Parts LESCO - Simply The Best Professional Spreaders Available. Circle No. 129 on Reader Inquiry Card