Tiny mite often overlooked as the source of turfgrass injury BY WHITNEY CRANSHAW Mite damage is an easily overlooked and misdiagnosed cause of turfgrass injury. Mites are miniscule, making them difficult to seeŠor to take seriously. Further-more, almost all mites which damage turfgrass are "cool-season" species that thrive in the cool temperatures when insect activity is quiet and the grass may still be dormant. Mite injury also mimics winter drying and is associated with hot spots in the lawn where drying also occurs. Mites feed on plant sap, but injury is less subtle than greenbugs or chinch bugs which have piercing-sucking mouthparts. Spider mites instead whip the upper cell layers with their flail-like mouthpartsŠsort of a rototill and suck actionŠthat kills the injured cells. Also, some mites, such as the Banks grass mite, inject saliva that appears to further dam- age adjacent cells, causing symptoms of plant scorching during outbreaks. The clover mite (Bryobia praetiosa) is widely distributed throughout the northern United States and Canada. It's most often a nuisance species that may enter homes in spring and fall. See MITES page 21 Ł HA VHHIVl ' ^^MMMr ŁŁ Banks grass mites gathering on bluegrass blade tips WWN OIRE MDUSTRV Serving the needs of the professional lawn care operator APRIL 1991 VOLUME 15 NUMBER 4 ChemLawn vets 'healthy' group COLUMBUS, OHIO ŠAs a I 100 veteran company ap- j ceived an overview of the group, long-term ChemLawn plicators indicate. health study, and a synopsis of specialists are healthy, com- Six reporters and about 50 its results, at a morning-long prehensive examinations of I ChemLawn employees re- I news conference at company Dogs, chemicals: a volatile mixture BY LISA GITLIN The jury is still out on whether lawn care prod-ucts can harm dogs. While experts debate and the media stir up dog owners who used to take lawn treat-ments for granted, lawn care professionals can take prac-tical steps to stay out of the fray and keep their clients happy. In spite of increased public concern about substances such as 2-4D and insecticides, most experts agree that dogs are not endangered by lawn treatments that have dried, es-pecially when they have been watered in. Nonetheless, some animal health experts warn of the possibility of an "at risk" population of dogs that could suffer acute or long-term af- fects from over-exposure to chemicals such as those sprayed on lawns. Taking special precautions, experts agree, can minimize problems when pets are pres-ent. Some animal specialists point out that, al-though fertilizers and See DOGS page 6 headquarters here in March. Douglas Linz, M.D., M.S., summarized the findings for both press and ChemLawn of-ficials. Reporters were later given free rein to question Linz, Raymond R. Suskind, M.D., and company officials, pri-marily Roger A. Yeary, Chem-Lawn's vice president of Health, Safety and Environ- mental Affairs. Suskind is di- rector of The Institute of Environmental Health and Kettering Laboratory at the FTC supports LC Month in a statewide PR campaign ORLANDO, FLŠApril is Na-tional Lawn Care Month. The Florida Turfgrass Council (FTC), at the urging of one of its members, is doing it right. FTC's involvementŠto this date at leastŠis the most ambitious promotion yet of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America's (PLCAA) program. Con-sequently, millions of Flor-idians are learning of the very real benefits of healthy lawn grass. Nick Dennis, Pro Lawn Plus, Jacksonville, got the ball rolling several months ago when he approached FTC Ex-ecutive Director Bob Yount. "It was just an idea. I was just fishing but I knew I wanted to do something with National Lawn Care Month," University of Cincinnati. Linz is assistant professor Environ-mental Health, University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Years on the job The study concentrated on the health of 100 ChemLawn employees, each of whom had worked at least nine years as a specialist. One had worked 17 years. The goals of the study: Ł to provide a comprehen-sive assessment of the state of See STUDY page 12 said Dennis. "Bob's response was totally positive. "We felt this was an oppor-tunity for the Florida Turfgrass Association to step out. Although some people feel it's strictly a golf course orga-nization, it's not. It's a turfgrass organization." After gathering support material from PLCAA's Sandy Marting, Dennis and Yount met with repre-sentatives from Mitchell Lambert, an advertising and public relations agency based in Tampa. "We felt we needed some professional help in letting the See FTC page 7 NFXT MONTH 157 DDi«fibl32 10 13^ ~ PTTt COOr. I.JGIIAn x ? USGA TUF?T^T«-fTfTiFILE 3DG niCHIGAN STATE UNIV EAST .ANSINS fll 4fla24-104a Dependable, economical post-emerge control Plus the broadleaves in ornamental turf Take advantage of our special get-acquainted offer to find out for yourself why Trimec® Plus is the fastest growing new product in professional turf management... You're in for a pleasant surprise. Everett Mealman, President PBI/Gordon Corporation Yellow nutsedge can be devas-tating if it gets out of hand because of the way it spreads from its roots. Just ask Lentz Wheeler, superintendent of the Hidden Creek Country Club in Reston, Virginia, which is recognized as one of the better maintained courses in the Washington D.C. area. "We had two years of drought," says Wheeler, "followed by a year of exces-sive rain, and it brought on an undesir-able infestation of yellow nutsedge" Š totally unacceptable for a course like Hidden Creek. Wheeler goes on to say that he tried several post-emerge herbicides but, in his words, "the main thing we got from them was a lot of phyto, which I wish had been on the nutsedge rather than on our fairway grass. "Trimec Plus turned out to be the product that came to our rescue. One treatment with Trimec Plus," says Wheeler, "gave us back the type of fairways we could be proud of." So Trimec Plus gets yellow nutsedge, and it is economical. But how about crabgrass? "If you want to talk about crabgrass, talk to us," say Ted Davenport and Gerald Krohn, of Bay Landscaping, Inc., Essexville, Michigan (Saginaw, Midland, Bay City). To fully appreciate what they have to say about Trimec Plus and crab-grass, you need to know that the residential division of Bay Landscap-ing mainly services upscale homes, most of which they originally land- scaped. They have their own pride in those lawns, and they can't abide even the slightest blemish. "We nearly always have excessive spring moisture," says Davenport. "It tends to leach out the pre-emerge and when the hot weather hits, so does the crabgrass, right along with the sum-mer annual broadleaves. To be on the safe side, our program consists of a broadcast treatment of Trimec Plus for the second and third applications. "This will be our fourth year with Trimec Plus," continues Krohn, "so you know what we think of it... It does a beautiful job of controlling crabgrass and other course grasses, along with every conceivable type of broadleaf." So Trimec Plus gets yellow nut-sedge; it gets crabgrass; it gets broad-leaves; it's economical. But how fast does it work? Lentz Wheeler, superintendent of Hidden Creek Country Club in Reston, Virginia, savors his handiwork on an immaculate fairway that once was plagued with yellow nutsedge. Wheeler says that Trimec Plus did a thorough job of cleaning out the nutsedge, and the cost was surprisingly low. Wheeler was equally impressed by the fact that Trimec Plus also did an excellent job on the few tough broadleaves that were present. DSCAPING Ted Davenport, left, lawn care applicator of Bay Landscaping, Essexville, Michigan, and Gerald Krohn, in charge of lawn service. They always carry an SP1E Back Pack Sprayer loaded with Trimec Plus. They have found that the SP1E and Trimec Plus are the ideal combination for spot weeding. Not only does Trimec Plus get grassy weeds and nutsedge, but broadleaves as well. The SP1E Back Pack Sprayer is a $100.00 value, but you can receive one for only $49.95 when you buy Trimec Plus. Reed Hull, left, president of Vita Lawn Corp., Rancho Cordova, California, and Bradley Belcher, general manager, say that Trimec Plus often knocks out crabgrass in one application without any phyto or discoloration to their Bermudagrass turf. Before the advent of Trimec Plus, Vita Lawn used 6-lb. MSMA, which usually required three or even four treatments to get crabgrass without phyto. They are also very pleasantly surprised by the control of dallisgrass they are getting with Trimec Plus. You want fast results Š you want to talk to Reed Hull and Bradley Belcher of Vita Lawn Corp., located in the Rancho Cordova surburb of Sacramento. Vita Lawn is a very highly regarded lawn service company, and when the crabgrass hits in Sacramento, Vita Lawn's phone rings off the wall with homeowners who want to become new customers .. . right now! "We've traditionally sold these new customers a three-application rescue program for their grassy weeds," says general manager Belcher. "In the past, using 6-lb. MSMA, we had to spread it out over three treatments or more to get the crabgrass without phyto. Trimec Plus often will do the job with just one application and, if we're back two or three times, it is usually because we're after dallisgrass." What is Trimec Plus? Trimec Plus is a Complex that was designed by PBI/Gordon research to solve the problem of grassy weeds like crabgrass, dallisgrass and barnyard- grass, as well as nutsedge, in ornamen-tal turf. In terms of cost and effectiveness, MSMA used to be the herbicide for nutsedge and grassy weeds .. . but it has a major flaw when used in orna-mental turf. To get enough of it into grassy weeds requires rates of applica- tion that can result in burning and discoloration of the turf. When MSMA is locked into a Complex with Trimec, you have the ultimate post-emergence herbicide for ornamental turf.. . excellent control of grassy and broadleaf weeds, plus yellow nutsedge, plus maximum safety to Kentucky bluegrass and Bermuda- grass. Plus unmatched economy. We are so eager to get you to try Trimec Plus that we are making you an offer you just can't Š or at least shouldn't Š refuse. We're offering to send you a SP1E Back Pack Sprayer for half price Š only $49.95 (plus $5 shipping and handling) when you buy 2V2 gallons or more of Trimec Plus. It is also packed in a gallon size which treats up to one acre of turf. We sent out hundreds and hundreds of these sprayers last year to people who bought Trimec Plus and we have never experienced such a flood of appreciation Š for both Trimec Plus and the sprayer. This year it's your turn to do yourself a favor. Toll-free 1-800-821-7925 pbi /condon /1217 west 12th street / P. O. BOX 4090 CORpORatiOn / KANSAS CITY. MISSOURI 6.4101 Special Get-Acquainted BACK PACK SPRAYER OFFER Sealed diaphragm, up to 70 psi pressure. Four-gallon capacity. Large 6-in. fill opening. Built-in carrying handle. Check valve in lid. $100 Value $4Q95 Plus $5 shipping, handling. Delivered via UPS. How to get your sprayer: Buy at least 2V2 gallons of Trimec Plus between January 1 and September 30, 1991. Send proof of purchase (sales receipt or invoice) to PBI/Gordon, 1217 West 12th St., P.O. Box 4090, Kansas City MO 64101, along with your name and address and your check for $54.95 ($49.95 plus $5.00 shipping and han-dling). Sprayer orders must be postmarked no later than October 31, 1991. Offer is limited to one sprayer per cus-tomer. 4 MEMOS ^ J LAWN CARE INDUSTRY APRIL 1991 MEMOS ^ J AAN and ALCA cooperating in D.C. As of January 1,1991, the American Association of Nurserymen began providing legislative consulting services to the Associated Landscape Contractors of America. More than 16,400 people attended the 1991 International Golf Course Conference and Show in Las Vegas in February. The Show attracted 591 exhibitors. The 1991 Show: Feb. 10-17 in New Orleans. LCOs, disease carriers? Noel Jackson, an authority on turfgrass diseases from the University of Rhode Island, speculates LCOs might be transporting turfgrass diseases from lawn to lawn, particularly during aeration or renovation. Also heard at Western Pennsylvania Turfgrass Conference. Sod buyers in recession areas, where building has been slow, check new turfgrass sod purchases carefully for disease problems: some sod may be several seasons old. The revised pesticide applicators act in Colorado calls for posting in that state. A Denver source tells LCI registered technician training approaches there. Going, going, gone? Of the 389 companies exhibiting at the Mid-America Horticultural Trade Show last January, over 200 of them (plus about 50 new exhibitors) have already requested space for '92 Show also to be held in Chicago, says Show organizers. $30,000ŠThat's how much the Rocky Mountain Turfgrass Conference & Trade Show raised for that region's turfgrass research foundation. Over 1,000 people and 170 exhibitors attended the three-day event in Denver. U.S. sales of biopesticides to American farmers reached $1 billion a year and are growing almost 30 percent a year, claims Joseph Fordham of Novo Nordisk, a Denmark-based company heavily into biological research. Home lawn two months after mrseeding with Turf-Seed ryegrass and bluegrass products. Quality Turf Products Green-Up Your Bottom Line Lawn renovation can be a profitable addition to an LCO's services, but like other programs, satisfied customers are the key to continued success. Along with professional tech-nicians, proper equipment and timely sendee, the grass seed used make the long lasting impression that creates referrals. And Turf-Seed, Inc. has the premium quality seed for your program ... in your region. Ask for these products by variety name ... because it's really your name that's on the line. Northern Turf Renovation Perennial Ryegrasses Citation II Ł Birdie II Ł Omega II Ł Manhattan II Ł CBS II Blend Ł 246 Ł 2DD 2HH 'Charger5 Kentucky Bluegrass Midnight Ł Challenger Ł Columbia Ł Galaxv Blend Southern Turf Renovation Tall Fescues Olympic Ł Apache Ł Monarch Ł Silverado Ł Eldorado Ł Triathalawn Blend Perennial Ryegrasses Citation II Ł Birdie II Ł Omega II Ł Manhattan II Ł CBS II Blend Ł 246 Ł 2DD Ł 2HH 'Charger5 TURF-SEED, INC. PO Box 250, Hubbard, OR 97032 FAX 503-981-5626 TWX 510-590-0957 1-800-247-6910 Use ROUNDUP® herbicide to kill undesired turf. ROUNDUP® is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company. Circle No. 118 on Reader Inquiry Card WWN ORE INDUSTRY 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 Design MARILYN COPP Senior Circulation Clerk GAIL PARENTEAU Reader Service Manager BUSINESS STAFF Midwest Office: JON MIDUCKI (216) 826-2855 Publisher ANNE LANGHENRY (216) 891-2739 Regional Sales Manager PAUL GARRIS (216) 891-2729 Regional Sales Manager 7500 Old Oak Blvd. Cleveland, OH 44130 FAX (216)826-2832 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 materials 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 BARRY TROUTMAN MARTY ERBAUGH Massey Services Erbaugh Corp. Orlando. PL Peninsula. OH A. J. POWELL JACK ROBERTSON U. of Kentucky Robertson Lawn Care Lexington. KY Springfield. IL LAWN CARE INDUSTRY (ISSN 0160-6042) is published monthly by Edgell Communica-tions. Inc. Corporate and Editorial offices: 7500 Old Oak Boulevard. Cleveland. Ohio 44130. Advertising Offices: 7500 Old Oak Boulevard. Cleveland. Ohio 44130.233 North Michigan Avenue, 24th Floor. Chicago. Illi- nois 60601 and 3475 Lenox Road. N.E. Suite 665 Atlanta. Georgia 30326. Accounting, Ad- vertising Production and Circulation offices: 1 East First Street. Duluth, Minnesota 55802 Subscription rates: $30 per year in the United States; $55 per year in Canada. All other countries: $100 per year. Current issue single 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, if available $10; add $3.50 per order for shipping and handling (pre-paid orders only). Office of publication Edgell Communi-cations, Inc.. 1 East First Street. Duluth. Min-nesota 55802. Second class postage paid at Duluth. Minnesota 55806 Copyright © 1991 by Edgell Communications. Inc. All rights re-served 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 per- mission in writing from the publisher. Cana- dian G.S.T. number: R-124213133. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. P.O. Box 6200. Duluth, Minnesota 55806 ABP VBPA NJ firm asks clients: will you pay $$$ for organic? CALIFON, NJŠWhat does a lawn care company do when it wants to know how it's serving its customers? It asks the cus-tomers. That's what Lawn Spray did in December 1990 and Jan-uary 1991 when it attempted to survey 2,500 of its lawn care customers. What it discovered from the 1,100 clients answer-ing the 11-question survey was encouragingŠ just over 90 percent expressed satisfaction with the company's service, 60 percent said "very satisfied". The survey also helped that company gauge interest in its market area for "organic" ser-vice. For example, 78 percent of Lawn Spray's clients said they were "interested" in a new program using organic fertil-izers and pest controls. However, when Lawn Spray asked these same cus-tomers if they would pay more for organic service, only 35 percent said yes. Another 37 percent said the price hike would depend on its size while the remaining 28 percent said no to a price increase. There were three primary purposes to the survey, ex- plained Matthew O'Malley of Lawn Spray: Ł to contact the company's clients prior to starting the 1991 application season, Ł to show concern for the opinions of the customers, Ł to determine if there's enough interest to develop an organic lawn care program and an extensive tree care program too. O'Malley said Lawn Spray went to some lengths (and ex-pense) to contact each and every customer, calling first at client homes in the afternoon, then in the evening or on Sat-urdays, and finally at their jobs. The data from the 1,100 re-sponses were entered into an IBM personal computer run-ning SPSS-PC* statistics compilation program. "We were able to achieve an exceptionally high degree of accuracy in our measure-ments," O'Malley told Lawn Care Industry magazine. "It was obvious that our cli-ents were interested in organics; however, only a mi-nority expressed a desire or ca-pacity to pay the extra amount necessary to make organics a reality," said O'Malley. Because of the survey re-sults, Lawn Spray decided to hold off on offering an organic program. "We may well formally sur-vey our client base again in the future," said O'Malley who was instrumental in putting together the survey and data. LCI Should we olfer this partially organic program as an option, or shift unilaterally into organic lawn care? 88.3% 11.7% CHAPTER I GROWTH Nurse Flo, has just opened Crowth Products Turf Crass Clinic. Meanwhile the guys at the PRODUCTS LTD. Blade Club have their hands full... OOOPS and the Weedy waskles are up to something devious. DOGS from page 1 pesticides aren't normally toxic to dogs, all it takes is one vulnerable pet to complicate an LCO's life. "You need to have a wider margin of safety than what the lab tests suggest," says Dr. Val Richard Beasley, DDM-PhD, toxicologist and Associate Di-rector for Education at the National Animal Poison Con-trol Center and Associate Pro-fessor of Veterinary Tox- icology at the University of Illinois. "Lawn care professionals have been doing a better job of selecting chemicals lower in toxicity. Nonetheless, I've heard of lawn chemicals being applied with the dog running around in the yard. This just is not a good idea." Beasley says that smaller dogs may be more at risk for suffering ill effects from lawn chemicals. "Smaller animals get more of a substance in their bodies in relation to their weight," he says. "Then they go and lick the subtance off. "If pets lick up water with nitrate in it or little piles of material from a spill, they can suffer vomiting, diarrhea or worse," Beasley says. He adds, however, that most vet-erinarians lack the equipment to accurately diagnose reac-tions from lawn chemicals. Because so much public suspicion about lawn treat-ments is based on media-nur-tured anxiety about the safety of chemicals rather than sci-entific data, many lawn care experts become frustrated when confronted with this is-sue. Roger Funk, vice presi- dent of Human and Technical Resources for Davey Tree Company, Kent, Ohio, was linked to an erroneous diagnoses last fall which still bothers him. "A veterinarian told a long-term client of ours that his dog probably had 2,4-D poison-ing," says Funk. "The dog had kidney failure, was vomiting and disoriented, and was obvi-ously ill. Then, unfortunately for the clientŠbut perhaps fortunately for usŠthe dog be-came so sick that the vet rec- ommended it be put to sleep." Funk insisted on an au-topsy which revealed that the dog had ingested antifreeze. Funk said he was "shocked" when the vet-erinarian told him antifreeze wasn't uncommon in dogs. "The vet told me he wasn't aware of any case of poisoning from lawn treatments, but he immediately thought of 2,4-D rather than the far-more- likely possibility the dog had consumed antifreeze," he re-members. The Davey Tree Company had a strong defense against the poisoning charge. "If we hadn't been using our Customizer, which reduces our use of herbicides by more than 50 percent, I probably wouldn't have had the con-fidence to pursue the matter as I did," Funk says. Tom Delaney, director of government affairs for the Professional Lawn Care Association of America, says an LCO's best protection against pet problems is to share clients' concerns about their pets, and to be highly ac-cessible should a pet become ill and information is sought. "If a dog gets sick, make sure the veterinarian gets all COVER STORY the information about prod-ucts used on the lawn," De-laney says. "If the worst happens and the dog dies, in- sist on an autopsy in a labora-tory at a local university, not in the veterinarian's office. Otherwise, a veterinarian can say an illness may have been caused by a lawn spray. Then the customer will go around saying a lawn care product killed his dog." Delaney noted a recent case in which a Detroit lawn care client alleged that a dog's death was caused by long-term exposure to 2,4-D. Even though a university laboratory did not corroborate the vet-erinarian's autopsy con- clusion, the client has not withdrawn a $10,000 suit against the lawn care com-pany. "You don't want to get into a situation where a customer calls and says, 'You never told us the pesticide you put on our lawn could affect our dog'," Delaney says. "You should always say to pet owners that you don't think your lawn care products can harm their pets, but you're going to take all possible pre- cautions. "The best advice is avoid all possible pet exposure," says Delaney. "Keep the animal off the lawn as long as possible and water in as much as the product allows." Although experts vig-orously debate the safety of lawn care chemicals, few dis- agree that general perceptions (misconceptions?) about these products overshadow any problems they may actu-ally cause. "There's a potential prob-lem when spills of liquid con-centrates pool and are not absorbed into the lawn," says Diane Gerken, veterinary tox- icologist and associate pro-fessor at Ohio State University and a toxicologist for ChemLawn. 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. fSince 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-TEMPO reduces exposure to WOITTIS, CUtWOrmS, your customers, your employees ,. . and the environment. armyworms, even ticks without yellowing the grass or interfering with fertilizers or fungicides. A LittleTempoWill On top of all that, TEMPO is practically odorless. No phytotoxicity on ornamentals. Using TEMPO on all your customers' flower^, 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 a TEMPO effectively controls surface and leaf-feeding pests like tent caterpillars, Japanese beetles and bagworms. C1991 Motoay Corporation TEMPO is a R«g TM ol Bayer AG. Germany 911534 "But most lawn care com-panies use diluted materials which pose little health risk to pets. I suggest that animals not be permitted to go onto the yard while products are dry-ing. Drying substantially re-duces exposure of animals to the diluted materials.,, The possibility of effects from long-term expo-sure to certain products has aroused the curiousity of some researchers. Dr. Larry Glickman, Professor at the School of Veterinary Medi-cine at Purdue University, says he found a correlation be- tween bladder cancer in dogs and skin immersion in pesticides, including flea dips, in a study he performed at the University of Pennsylvania a few years ago. "What's interesting is that the only thing all the products had in common were the sup-posedly inert ingredients, such as petroleum," he says. He noted the irony of pet owners shying away from lawn pesticides but immersing their animals in flea dips and sham-poos several times a year. One lawn care professional sums up the issue succinctly: "You just have to use common sense. If a dog gets sick, vet-erinarians are going to use the C.Y.A. (cover your a..) phi- losophy, and include any pos-sible cause in their diagnoses. "If a client comes up to me and says, 'Gee, I'm really con- cerned about my dog, Peppy, that we've had for 15 years,' and he goes out in the back-yard, I might say, 'Well, let's not do anything to the back-yard at this time'." LCI About the Author Lisa Gitlin is a freelance writer. She lives and works in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. GA field day GRIFFIN, GAŠUniversity of Georgia Field Day. July 31. 404/447-4985. LCI Bob O'Brien (left) presents John Fitzgerald with the prestigious Ohio Turfgrass Foundation "Professional of the Year" award. Fitzgerald is sales manager with Century Equipment, Cincinnati. LCI CoverlheWhole 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. A Bayer USA INC COMPANY Connecticut compromise became law SOUTH WINDSOR, CT ŠIn 1987 the Professional Pesticide Users of Connecti-cut (PPUC), and the Clean Water Coalition (CWC) met and agreed upon a posting and notification compromise that became Connecticut law. These laws went into effect at the end of 1990. The law reads: "Any person making a nonagricultural, out-door application shall at the time of application post a sign notifying the public of the ap-plication..." The term "any person" in-cludes homeowners and other unlicensed amateur users. The bill has another section of importance to LCOs. There will be a registry of people who request to be noti-fied in advance of the time and date of an outdoor pesticide application. To receive such information, the requester must abut the property to be treated within 100 yards of the boundary. LCI FTC from page 1 people know what we are and what we're doing," explained Yount. "There are strong environ-mental issues on the table to-day for all of us to work on. We want our message to be posi- tive and eye catching." The agency began a steady stream of publicity to the state's media. On another front, turfgrass repre- sentatives gathered the sig-natures on proclamations of Florida mayors and other pub-lic officials. "Our number one goal is show people how environ-mentally concerned the people at FTC and PLCAA really are. We want people in Florida to realize that their (FTC and PLCAA) goal is to maintain lawns and turfgrass in an envi- ronmentally safe way," said Moore. LCI FROM THE FIELD LAWN CARE INDUSTRY APRIL 1991 Ł How to use the new crabgrass preventers BY CHRISTOPHER SANN Unless you're a lawn care Rip Van Winkle, over the past five years you have to have been exposed to the new crabgrass preventers, Pendamethalin and Team. These two preventers are among a group of compounds that weed scientists call the "yellow preventers'', after their color. This group, chemi-cally known as the din-itroaniline, is composed of such preventers as Surflan, Balan, Treflan, Pen-damethalin and a yet to be named new material that has been rattling around the edge of registration for a while. In five short years, Pen-damethalin and Team (a com-bination of the two yellow preventers Balan and Treflan) have become popular preven-ters because both provide good to excellent broad-spectrum weedgrass prevention. They're flexible in their formulations and have been offered to LCOs in a wide vari- ety of forms. They're available as dispersible granular for liq-uid application, straight on granular carriers and in com-bination with several grades of fertilizer. Best of all, they offer all these advantages at a very rea-sonable price. Need for caution With all these positive as-pects, there are some i * ® Add Chipco26019toyour spray program, and you may add a new trucK to your fleet. The best way to build bigger profits into your existing customer base is to add fu CHIPCO® brand 26019 fungicide to your regular spray program. Here's why! CHIPCO® 26019 provides more effec-tive control of more damaging diseases than any other fungicide you can use. So, your customers get greener healthier, more beautiful lawns. Second, CHIPCO® 26019 delivers this broad-spectrum control for a long timeŠup to a full month from a single application. That means it fits perfectly into your laiifjmnaj FLO dependable. Applied in a preventative pro-gram, CHIPCO®26019 provides the kind of reli-able disease control that eliminates customer complaints and costly call-backs. regular spray schedule. Third, CHIPCO® 26019 is tf RHONE-POULENC Best of all, by upgrading your service with CHIPCO® 2601% you keep your current ^ customers satisfied and build additional busi-ness through word-of-mouth. Add CHIPCO® brand 26019 fungicide to your spray schedule today, and you may just have g to make room for a new truck in your fleet. Chipco26019 A Fungicide As with any crop protection chemical, always read and follow instructions on the label. CHIPCO is a registered trademark of Rhone-Rjulenc. C1990 Rhone-ftxilenc Ag Company limitations in their use that you as an LCO may want to take into consideration when planning their purchase and use. Dinitroaniline, the yellow preventers, as a group have a relatively low margin for ap-plication error. With this group, researchers have seen negative effects, primarily thinning of turf, at concentra-tions as low as 2X, a concen- tration relatively easy to obtain either by improper ap-plication by the technician or by improper calibration. Also, as a group, the yellow preventers can be more trou-blesome when applied as liq- uids. Emulsifiable concen-trates, primarily agricultural formulations, seem to be the worst offenders, but even the turf liquid formulations can be troublesome especially when they are applied to seedling turf as young as eight weeks. When applied at maximum recommended rates, the new-est preventers can persist in the soil longer than the four months generally recognized as the desirable effective range. In the case of Pen-damethalin, this persistence can be helpful in controlling the fall germination of Poa Annua, but it can pose some real headaches where a fall seeding is planned after a full-rate spring application. Also, the persistence prob-lem could extend into the next growing season where there has been a mis- or over-appli-cation. The yellow preventers effectively stop cell division and, hence, growth at the root tip. In the case of newly germi-nated seedlings of the various weedgrasses this prevents es-tablishment. The yellow preventers also can have the same effects on the root tips of established turf, but since they are not particularly mobile down through the soil structure, and because established turf has a large root structure that ex-tends down as deep as eight inches the overall effect on the plant is negligible. Possible limitations? When planning your appli-cation and personnel sched-ules, you may want to consider these suggestions when using the yellow preventers. Ł Make sure that the tech-nician that is applying these preventers is experienced, no matter what application tech- nique you use. Don't start out a trainee with this application. Ł Avoid making a liquid ap-plication in the spring on fall-seeded turf. Use Tupersan ini-tially with a follow-up full-strength preventer applica-tion 45 days later. Or, use a granular form of our usual pre-venter as late in the spring as Wet 1990 could have affected trees/ornamentals in Midwest Transplants suffer Most susceptible are trees and shrubs planted just a year or two ago. Youger-Comaty recom-mends giving plants weakened by excessive moisture at least one or two years to bounce COLUMBUS, OHIOŠSome areas of the Mideast, including parts of Ohio, received record amounts of rain during 1990. Some varieties of trees and shrubs may suffer as a result. Jeanne Youger-Comaty, home horticulture specialist at Ohio State University, said symptoms include needles dropping from pine trees and sickly rhododendrons. Saturated soil Too much rain can saturate the soil, preventing roots from getting the oxygen they need to survive. Although most plants are dormant through the winter and oxygen isn't as critical as during the growing season, some plants are showing dam-age. Coniferous evergreens (including pine and taxus) and broad-leaved evergreeens (azalea and rhodendendron) are more susceptible to this type of injury. ITS EASY TO SPOT A LAWN THAT HASN'T BEEN TREATED WITH DYRENE. back. In the spring, it may help to vertically mulch the area of affected trees or shrubs, she says. To vertically mulch drill or dig holes around the feeder root zone. The holes don't have to be wide, but should be 12 to 18 inches deep. Youger-Comaty says a piece of pipe can make the holes. Fill the holes with a mixture of gravel, clay particles, coarse pumice or vermiculite. Some peat moss may be added to the mixture to help hold moisture away from the roots. This technique opens up the soil and admits more oxy-gen, allowing water to drain from the root system during wet periods. It can also chan-nel water into the root zone when dry weather comes, she adds. County offices of the cooper-ative extension service can help identify the cause of plant prob- lems, including too much moisture in the soil, she adds. LCI Dennis Watkins, left, president of the Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council presents Dr. Joseph Duich of Penn State University a $140,000 grant. The money supports six researchers. LCI Impact gets EUP RALEIGH, NC ŠThe EPA granted BASF Agricultural Chemical Group an experi-mental use permit for an ex-perimental turf herbicide. The herbicide, Impact, to control broadleaf and annual grasses. LCI you possibly can. Where you plan to do a fall seeding don't use the new preventers in the spring. Either use two applica-tions of Tupersan, 45 days ap-art, or make no application at all. Ł Where rooting depth is a problem, because of excessive thatch, compacted soils or ex- cessive moisture retention in the root zone. Use a none yellow preventer such as Be-tasan or Dacthal to avoid in-hibiting root growth. Pluses outweigh minuses The new preventers, Pen-damethalin and Team, have tremendously increased LCOs' weed control efficiency because of their flexibility and broad spectrum of control. But, that said, LCOs must use these mate-rials intelligently. LCI About the Author Christopher Sann is owner/ operator of Complete Lawn Service, Wilmington, DE 19803. He's been involved in professional lawn care 17 years. Leaf spot is a dead give-away for any lawn that's been treated with something other than DYRENE® Fungicide. That's because only ; DYRENE can give you this kind of effective, long-lasting protection. In fact, DYRENE widens your window of application with as much as 28 full days of control. So you Dyrene4 9113541 DYRENE is a Reg TM of Mobary Corporation ©1991 Mobay Corporation Mobay $ have the time to reach all your customers before the leaf spot takes hold, or spreads out of control. Ask your distributor about DYRENE today Without it, you could find yourself in a pretty tight spot For more information, contact Mobay Corporation, Specialty Products Group, Box 4913, Missouri 64120. A Bayer USA INC COMPANY ChemLawn's Dr. Roger Yeary, center, said results encouraging at press conference. Dr. Suskind, left, Dr. Linz, right. Ground War On Your Turf? Here's Your Best Defense. Put Tee Time with DURSBAN in your turf care arsenal this year. You'll have the proven might to knock out a broad spectrum of invasive insects. The combination of The Andersons' Tee Time fertilizers with Dursban® provides added turf nourishment in the same application. Available straight or custom blended, we've got the formula for you. Ask us about: Ł Tee Time 2.5% Dursban: This granular 1 nis grani , chinchbues. insecticide controls ants, cnincntxigs, crickets, cutworms, sod webworms, sowbugs, billbugs, and others. Ł Tee Time 3&ack you deserve. As the industry leader, we offer all the training and support you need. So you're on your own, but with a lot of company behind you. If you're overdue for a promo-tion, call toll-free at 1-800-228-2814. Partners in the ServiceMaster Quality Service Network-ServiceMASTER. TERMINIX merry maids AMERICAN HOME SHIELD* Circle No. 117 on Reader Inquiry Card EXCESS INVENTORY it n Ł IS CHANGING HIS LIFE Anthoine has the chance to break the vicious cycle of poverty which strangles his neighborhood Up until now his best "career" opportunity would be gangs and drugs. That was before EAL. Even though he's still in 8th grade. Anthoine knows there's a college scholarship waiting for him. EAL's "Excess Inventory for Schojpr ships" program is giving him the hope and incentive he needs to finish high school. If your company has excess inventory, you can change a life by donating it to EAL For More Details Call 708/690-0010 Peter Roskam Executive Director P.O. BOX 3021 GLEN ELLYN, ILLINOIS 60138 FAX (708)690-0565 BOOKSTORE SB THE SHRUB IDENTIFICATION BOOK THE TREE IDENTIFICATION BOOK <«\iy« H D 5y»uW< 665 - ARBORICULTURE: THE CARE OF TREES. SHRUBS AND VINES IN THE LANOSCAPE by Richard W. Harris 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 - 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, popular and botanical names are listed with index tabs for easy reference $17.95 760 - 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 DATA FOR LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION 1991 By Norman L. Dietrich Eleventh edition. Provides all the pricing data you need in one con-venient source. 28 maior 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 format. $44.95 % ^ f. ! fc LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS rranaywriai. methxfe arid materials LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT 300 Ł 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 & 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 plant: 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 - LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT by James R. Feucht and Jack D. Butler Planting and Maintenance of Trees. Shrubs, and Turfgrasses. Describes the basic principles of cultural man-agement of installed landscapes. The 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 LANDSCAPES by Gregory M. Pierceall An excellent reference for individu-als involved in the design and 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 - CONTROLLING TURFGRASS PESTS by Shurtletf, 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 Ł LAWN CARE: A HANDBOOK FOR PROFESSIONALS by H. Decker, J. Decker Written by turfgrass professionals, this handy auiae will be invaluable for playing field managers, golf course managers, or any lawn care practitioner. Covers all aspects of turfgrass management. $48.95 TUR-QRAS8: SCIENCE AND CULTURE s h v ŠX 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- ments in turf and landscape irrigation. Specific chapters devoted to rotary sprinkler design systems Golf course design systems and expanded engineering and refer- ence material $29.90 615 - 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. $74.00 110 -TURF MANAGERS' HANDBOOK 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. $54.95 620 - 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. $26.60 125 Ł SCIENTIFIC GUIDE TO PEST CONTROL OPERATIONS byG.W. Bennett, J.M. Owens. R.M. Corngan 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 Donmtlc AN Others $60.00 410 DISEASES & PESTS OF ORNAMENTAL PLANTS by 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. 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 , ^ * ^ A v i i V YOUR Kentucky Ł Bluegrass Kentucky Ł Bluegrass Premium Kentucky Bluegrasses A medium bright green, fine textured grass that greens up early, keeps color late into fall and grows well in moderate shade. A moderately dark green variety with early spring green up and excellent density and wear tolerance, even maintained at a shorter cutting height. Premium Turf-Type Perennial Ryegrasses Excellent dark green color, fine leaves, superior density, high endophyte content, insect and disease resis- tance distinguish this variety. A dark green, dense vari-ety with fine leaf texture, dwarf growth habit and high endophyte content Tolerant of heat, drought, and low mowing. TURF-TYPE TALL FESCUE Turf-Type Perennial Ryegrass LEGACY Premium turf-type perennial ryegrass Premium Turf-Type Tall Fescues A moderately low-growing turf-type tall fescue with rich, dark green color, moderate leaf texture, and reduced growth rate. A moderately low-growing turf-type tall fescue with rich, dark green color, good den- sity, and good adapt - ability. Premium Dwarf Turf-Type Tall Fescues A lower growing, dark-er green tall fescue with a slower leaf extension rate and a shorter mature plant height. Darker green color, good shade tolerance, and dense, fine tex- tured turf that requires less mowing. Tmailblazem ELITE DWARF TURF TYPE TALL FESCUE TRAILBLAZERII Elite Dwarf Turf Type Tall Fescue Premium Creeping Red Fescue SHADEMASTER Creeping Red Fescue A rich, blue-green vari-ety with the ability to form a dense fine turf for a creeping fescue. TURF-TYPE PERENNIAL RYEGRASS AMift^M* A rich dark green vari-ety With high endophyte to fend off insects, and good disease resistance. An early-maturing, low-growing turf with bright green color, medium fine texture TURF TYPE PERENNIAL RYEGRASS and medium density. Premium Intermediate Ryegrass ... A iransrarj^ Excellent for over seeding dormant warm- season grasses and for temporary soil stabiliza-tion. This variety exhibits dark green color, moderate leaf tex-ture and reduced growth rate. ©1991 LESCO, Inc. Turf professionals have come to know LESCO as The Seed Pro, because LESCO offers more varieties developed exclusively for professionals than any other seed company. LESCO has more than 12 top quality varieties for turf pros to choose from. Each can be purchased separately or custom blended to your exacting speci-fications. So whatever your need, Your Seed Pro has the seed! Call your sales representative, visit your local LESCO Service Center or call toll free (800) 321-5325 LESCO Š Turf grass seed exclusively for professionals V ESTABLISHED 1962 20005 Lake Road Rocky River, Ohio 44116 * Fertilizers, Seed, Control Products, Equipment, Parts -tv