Liquid vs granular, an agronomic viewpoint BY JOHN R. STREET, PH.D., Some fallacies about nit-rogen fertilizers just won't go away. Highly reputable and pro-fessional lawn care companies and fertilizer manufacturers McClure: PLCAA will serve LCOs ATLANTA, GAŠAnne Mc-Clure leads the Professional Lawn Care Association into the 1990s. She's only the second exec-utive vice president PLCAA has ever had. She succeeds James A. Brooks who helped direct PLCAA for over seven years. This past summer Brooks announced he was concentrating on the Green Industry Expo and asked to be relieved of many of the admin-istrative tasks of PLCAA. In 
August, Brooks said he was 
leaving PLCAA. He tells Lawn Care Industry magazine he's investigating several busi-
ness opportunities. On October 1, McClure, a tall graceful woman with an easy smile and warm blue eyes, 
exchanged an office in Arlington, VA, overlooking 
the Potomac River and Wash-ington D.C. for one at PLCAA 
headquarters in Marietta, GA, an upscale and growing com-munity about 30 minutes 
north of Atlanta. She came to PLCAA from the Irrigation Association (IA) where she was the second ranking mana-ger. She was with IA for four years. "As I looked at the two or-ganizations (PLCAA and IA), I was surprised about how much they had in common," 
she told Lawn Care Industry in an exclusive interview just days after officially joining PLCAA. "Both associations have about the same size staff and a similar budget. Maybe 
the Irrigation Association has a little bit larger membership sometimes tout incorrect and/ or misleading information 
about fertilizers and fertilizer 
technology, apparently dis-regarding the laws of plant sci-ence as we've come to know it. This confuses profession-als, so imagine what it's doing to the homeowner. It's also caused many LCOs to change 
their fertilizer delivery sys-
tems in an attempt to deal 
with the misconceptions of their customers. Fertilizer delivery systems are primarily either dry/gran-ular or liquid. Both have ad-
vantages and disadvantages. 
The agronomic differences among similar fertilizers, ap-plied liquid versus granular, are usually small. Operational 
considerations are usually more important in selecting one or the other. Today, public prefer-enceŠ although not based on sound scien-tific informationŠis probably 
playing a bigger role in many See DRY on page 34 plaint and held a press conference at Market Square Park here in September where it targeted ChemLawn Ser-vices Corp., Spring Green Lawncare and All American Turf Beauty. The admittedly anti-pesticide group said these companies (and others which See IOWA on page 17 Y Y Ms. DeAngelo to lead PLCAA MWN ORE INDUSTRY Serving the needs of the professional lawn care operator NOVEMBER 1990 VOLUME 14 NUMBER 11 " 5- . T m Anne McClure became PLCAA's executive vp on Oct. 1 right now." McClure's experience in as-sociation management began 
as the director of meetings and membership for the Associ-ated Landscape Contractors 
of America (ALCA). She 
broadened her experience in 
the IA and also with a 40-week Association Manage -See LCOS on page 28 NF ************* 3-piGIT 46fl JlS? n04fiBl32 IC T3 Ł. "library y-iGi rr'JSGA TURFGRASS INFO FILE MICHIGAN STATE UNIV frGAST LANSING fll 4Sñ24-104a 3DG Welcome! PLCAA, Nashville receive lawn pros NASHVILLE, TNŠLawn Care Industry magazine and its sister publication, Landscape Management, are sponsoring a recep-tion You're invited. The magazines, in behalf of their November advertisers, are sponsoring the Green Industry Expo (GIE) Reception at the Nashville Convention Center at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 12. The hour-long affair gives GIE attendees an opportunity to meet with industry leaders and suppliers. There is no charge. This is one of many highlights for this first-ever joint effort involving the Professional Lawn Care Association (PLCAA), the Professional Grounds Maintenance Society (PGMS) and 
the Association of Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA). They joined their annual shows for the largest trade show of its kind. Actually, says GIE coordinator James A. Brooks, the show 
should break two recordsŠjust over 53,000 square feet of floor 
space and as many as 2,500 qualified buyers. There could be as many as 250 exhibitors. "I think we'll open on November 13 with a fullhouse and probably a waiting list," Brooks tells LCI. A nine-person steering committee, representing industry and the three organizations, is overseeing the GIE in cooperation See GIE on page 17 There's trouble in Iowa City IOWA CITY, IOWAŠSteve Moline, of the Iowa Attorney General's office, says it may take weeks to investigate a 
complaint of misleading ad-
vertising by several lawn care companies. The Urban Pesticide Com-mittee of Environmental Ad-vocates, Inc., filed the com-PLCAA prez a workingman from a workingman's town BY RON HALL editor It hasn't been many years since Neal DeAngelo 
cleaned the black dirt of Hazleton from under his fin-gernails each evening. He's got some of the grit of this eastern Pennsylvania 
town in his soulŠif not on his hands. Hazleton used to be a coal-mining town. There's still coal here but industry is 
more diversified now. Even so, residents here like Neal's workingman style. This month in Nashville, DeAngelo, 29, becomes the youngest ever president of the Professional Lawn Care Asso-ciation of America (PLCAA). "I didn't want to become See PREZ on page 32 . V. v- '^v.-V ^ Cushman Front Line Mower with Grass Caddy and Ryan Lawnaire® 28 Aerator. We'll help expand your business. Ryan Lawnaire® IV Aerator. We'll increase your productivity. No other manufacturer has the products. No other dealer network has the know-how. No one can help you increase your income from existing customers today, and put you in a better position to compete for comm-ercial clients tomor-
row, as efficiently and expertly as Cushman-Ryan. Ryan Mataway® Overseeder. Contact your Cushman-Ryan dealer for a demonstration, and ask about our special lease on as little as $1,000 worth of equip-ment. Or call toll-free 1-800-228-4444 for more information today. aeration. Add over-Ryan jr. Sod Cutter. seeding. Move up to bigger mowing jobs. You'll not only get the best piece of lawn maintenance equipment for each task, you'll also get a dealer who's more 
like a business partner with proven ideas on how to sell and price your new services. Nobody's been in the business as long as Cushman-Ryan. Our products are proven performers that simply do each job better and stay up and running longer than anything else on the market. Period. You'll increase productivity by reducing down-time and increasing the ease and speed of operation. You'll reduce operating expenses from fewer repairs and lower main-tenance costs. Cushman-Ryan equipment doesn't come back to the shop until the job's done, ensuring you get a full day's work for a full day's profit. Start with your basic service. Add / Sr^Ool ot Oood Prmcfc* #' ' RANSOMES MEMBER OF PLCAA PLEASE SEE US IN BOOTH #801 9085 Cushman, P.O. Box 82409, Lincoln, NE 68501 © Cushman Inc. 1990. A Ransomes Company. All rights reserved. WWN OIRE INDUSTR/ RON HALL Editor JERRY ROCHE Executive Editor JON MIDUCKI Publisher ROBERT EARLEY Group Vice President LINDA O'HARA Production Manager ROSY BRADLEY Production Supervisor BRYAN VOLLMAN Graphic Design MARILYN COPP Circulation Supervisor GAIL PARENTEAU Reader Service Manager THEODORE C. MATHEWS Promotion Director JOHN PRESSELLO Graphics 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 SWANK, Chairman ROBERT L. E DO ELL, Vice Chairman RICHARD MOELLER, President LARS FLADMARK, Executive V. Pres ARLAND HIRMAN, Vice Pres./Treasurer THOMAS ORENEY, Senior V. Pres. EZRA RINCUS, Senior Vice President JOE BILDERBACH, Vice President DAVID T. MAYER, Vice President LCI ADVISORY COUNCIL El BARRY TROUTMAN Massey Services Orlando. FL ÜL A. J. POWELL U. of Kentucky Lexington, KY 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 
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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 © 1990 by Edgell Communications. Inc. All rights re-served No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by 
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Duluth. Minnesota 55806 \M> VBPA MARTY ERBAUQH Erba ugh Corp. Peninsula, OH JACK ROBERTSON Robertson Lawn Care Springfield. IL 4 MEMOS J LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 MEMOS J I J 1 S ;R IN IL M ' »V M * WêêX wÊÈÊà ¡NMRNNNI Ë 1 MFE NÉIWÉ * . , . An "Environtron" is an enclosed structure for the study of turfgrass. One is planned on University of Florida property in Gainesville. The Florida Turfgrass Research Foundation is funding the 3,172-
square-foot structure. It will cost 
about $700,000, half of which the foundation hopes to raise by March 15,1991. Contributions to the Anne Seamen Memorial Fund to improve and beautify The International Peace Garden: PGMS, 10402 Ridgland Road, Suite 4, Cockeysville, MD 21030. Anne Seamen, a longtime PGMS member and a horticulturist, was chairman of the Peace Garden Committee for 
years. The Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET) approved official accreditation for continuing education programs offered by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). ACCET is the official accrediting agency for non-collegiate continuing education. Dr. Pat McGinnity, vp of research & development at Ringer Corp., Minneapolis, offers these definitions. Natural organicŠmust have plant or animal origins. Synthetic organicŠ material with organic (carbon) molecules that is not plant or animal. Congratulations to Weed ManŠ 20 years old this year, says Des Rice. The Canadian lawn care firm marks 
the anniversary by offering 
compostersŠ "at a very attractive 
price"Što its customers. Ohio Professional Lawncare Association organizes Jan. 9, Columbus. Sponsored by Lesco, Inc. People will always want lush, green, healthy-looking lawns. But these days, what they don't want are the unhealthy environmental risks that can go along with achieving that lush, green look. At Harmony Products, we offer a viable alter-native. We've developed a revolutionary new process 
that finally combines the environmental safety of organic fertilizers with the high performance traditionally 
found in synthetic products. That's why Harmony fertilizers give you the dual advantage of rich green-up with a natural, long-term release of nutrients. This long-term release not only feeds the turf better, it even makes the soil root zone healthier - virtually eliminating the dangers of 5 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 UPFRONT Atlanta's role in turfgrass industry growing With apologies to Nashville, host of the Green Industry Expo and a marvelous city in its own right, Atlanta is where it's at in the South, particularly in the turfgrass world. This will become increasingly evident as 1996 rears. That summer Atlanta 
hosts the Olympic Games. The selection was somewhat surprising. The odds-on favorite was Athens, Greece, 
site of the first modern Olympic Games almost 100 years ago. Atlantans were understandibly elated with the September announcement, though you'd search long and hard to find a 
native Atlantan. Businesses 
from across the United States and, increasingly, the world see Atlanta as the key to Southern markets and RON HALL EDITOR established offices there. Nevertheless the people of this metro area, whose suburbs and freeways already 
spread into 18 surrounding 
counties, displayed remarkable determination in convincing the International Olympic Committee to allow the games to return to the 
United States. This determination will accelerate as Atlantans begin preparing the city for the thousands of athletes in 1996. It's especially exciting for the turfgrass industry here. We'll certainly be asked to help because world-class athletes demand world-class facilities (although you can certainly argue that any 
athlete, young or old, 
deserves as safe and pleasant a playing area as possible). 
Also, television coverage will be worldwide. Georgia turf experts, I'm convinced, will help Atlanta put on a remarkable show. In an unrelated matter, the 
University of Georgia recently published the results of a survey of the lawn care industry in metropolitan Atlanta. Though data from 
the survey represents the 1987 calendar year, it shows a vibrant and growing lawn care market. Of the 271 known lawn care firms in that area, 68 responded. Some of the findings reported by Tim R. Murphy 
in the Georgia Turfgrass Association News: Ł lawn professionals took care of almost 27,000 acres in residential properties and another 27,000 in commercial; Ł the top five turfgrass-related problems were weeds (82%), water restrictions (70%), labor (52%), soil problems (39%), disease and operating budgets (tied for fifth at 36%); Ł tall fescue (52%), hybrid Bermudagrass , and common 
Bermudgrass (20%) were the top three turfgrasses maintained by lawn pros; Ł services offered by lawn pros include fertilizing (96%), renovation/reseeding (93%), pre-emergence weed control (91%), post-emergence weed control (90%) and core aeration (85%) The survey estimated gross revenues of the Atlanta-
area LCOs at $116 million. Lawn care counted 4,000 fulltime and 2,000 part-time employees here with a payroll 
of $53 million. It's likely these figures were even greater for this past application season. Atlanta's growth has 
continued at a faster clip 
than cities in the Northeast 
or Midwest. LCI And EvenThis System. leeching and groundwater contamination. And because our organic fertilizers spread on evenly with no dust and no odor, they're as easy on you and your customers as they are on our ecosystem. To find out more about Harmony fertilizers, and how to order them, talk to one of our representatives at 804-523-2849. Or see us at the 1990 Green Industry Expo in Nashville, November 12-15, at booth #1524. Harmony. With over 160 years of experience in the fertilizer industry, we're the source for products in tune with you. Your customers. And nature. InTuneWith Nature Circle No. 141 on Reader Inquiry Card 6 Here's how endophytes will help lawn care pros BY STEVE POITRAS More and more people see lawn chemicals as health or environmental dangers. Yet, many of these same people don't make the connection be-tween turfgrass and a healthy, relaxing living environment. Do they realize how much dif-ferent their lives would be without lawns or parks? Even so, as concerns grow about the effects of chemicals on our lives and our environ-ment, it becomes harder to ar-gue against the need to reduce 
the amount of chemicals we're 
using on lawngrass. This 
places the lawn care expert in a dilemma. The public wants pest-free, disease-free quality turf, yet the lawn pro is being forced to reduce the use of the very chemical tools that can deliver this result. Help on way But the picture isn't as bleak as it might seem. Other 
products and approaches are gaining in importance and helping the lawn professional 
serve customers, examples 
such as slow-release nitrogen 
that reduces the potential of nitrate leaching into the 
groundwater; biostimulants 
that help grass plants remain healthy at lower fertility rates; and turfgrasses with high en-
dophyte levels. Many lawn pros don't un-derstand what endophytes are or what they do. But they should. Endophytes will help them grow and maintain healthier turf and use less 
chemicals too! Helpful fungus Endophytes are a type of fungus symbiotic with certain 
species of grass, and specific varieties within species. The endophytes get their food and protection by living inside the grass plant, but don't harm the plant. In fact, endophytes pro-duce and release substances into the leaves of grass plants that make them resistant to insect pests such as billbugs, WHEN YOU TREAT YOUR CUSTOMER S LAWN IKE YOUR OWN ... YOU'VE GOT ACUSTOMER FOR LIFE Getting a new customer can be a whole lot harderŠand a lot more costlyŠthan doing the kind of good job that keeps an existing customer. And keeping 
a single customer can mean 
thousands of dollars over the life of your business. We're in it for the long haul, too. For over 25 years, The Andersons has provided the kind of proven product line-up and results-getting perfor-mance that has helped hun-dreds of lawn care operators 
grow their businesses in healthy ways. Our broad range of fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides and combination products have helped us win over many a customer. And our product quality, consistency, excep-
tional service and reliability have helped us keep them. the professional's partner The Ci» Andersons We'd like the chance to prove 
ourselves to you. We think you'll find we're good people to do business with. Call us toll free, 1-800-225-ANDY for a comprehensive full-line Selection Guide or 
for the name of your nearest distributor. Personal service. Consistently high product quality. Technical service. Proven performance. All backed by a genuine integrity that is all too uncommon in today's business world. That's The Andersons. © 1989 The Andersons Circle No. 103 on Reader Inquiry Card chinch bugs, armyworms and sod webworms. To date, only certain varieties of tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and fine-leaf fescues contain endo-phytes. The endophyte was dis-covered in the late 1800s, but little significance was at-tached to it until it became known that livestock grazing on pasture grasses containing high levels of the fungus weren't as robust or healthy as animals feeding on endo-phyte-free grasses. It wasn't until 1982 that their potential importance to turfgrass cul-ture became evident. The good guys The main endophytic fungus that protects 
turfgrasses from insects are from the genera Acremonium with different endophyte spe-cies for different grasses. For example, Acremonium loliae infect perennial ryegrasses and Acremonium co-
enphialum tall fescues. The by-products produced by the endophyte include a wide range of chemicals including various alkaloids. These chemicals provide a natural insecticide in the plant. Researchers are document-ing the effectiveness of these endophytes. For example, Johnson, Cicalese and White, in a study earlier this year, 
found an 80 percent mortality 
rate of billbugs on infected tall fescue plants and only 42 per-
cent on endophyte-free plants. When comparing chinch bug populations on endophytic and endophytic-free fine fes-
cues it was found that varieties high in viable endophyte, SR 3000 hard fescue and Long-fellow chewings fescue, had only 42.4 and 55.7 chinch bugs respectively per square meter. 
Varieties of fine fescue low in 
endophytes had 185.7 and 132.6 chinch bugs per square meter. There are similar stud-ies dealing with sod webworm, 
armyworm, Argentine stem weevil and other turfgrass pests. In the leaf Distribution of the endo-phyte within the plant varies. The highest concentration oc-curs in the leaf sheath and seed, followed by the stem and 
crown regions of the plant. Re-
cent studies indicate that the roots have the lowest concen-
tration, probably explaining why endophyte-enhanced grasses are more resistant to 
surface feeding insects than subsurface feeders. There also 
appears to be seasonal varia-tion of endophyte concentra-
tion within the plant. The highest concentration of in-
fection occurs in the leaf tissue during the summer and fall. Once turfgrass scientists and managers started to key in 
on endophytes they dis-
covered other benefits. Evi-dence suggests that endo-phyte-infected plants are more vigorous, particularly 7 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 Fuller, Packer offering buyers co-op for LCOs LOUISVILLE, KYŠGreen Industry Cooperative (GIC) is a new buyers co-op for the green industry, say originators Dave Fuller and Mike Packer. Fuller is former owner of FullCare Inc., and a director for the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA), and Packer is a former vice president of sales of the Bunton Company. GIC's target is the medium to small lawn care or landscape company that traditionally doesn't benefit from volume dis-counts from manufacturers, says Fuller. GIC members will purchase products locally at market prices, using their present dealers and distributors, then inform GIC of 
their selections for cash rebates from participating manufactur-
ers. "At this point the response from most manufacturers has been very positive," Packer tells Lawn Care Industry magazine. GIC, PO Box 6954, Louisville, KY 40206. 502/895-0222. LCI miïZ > The presence of endophytes can be dramatic. The plants in the lower left and upper right have them, during periods of stress. In a fine-leaf fescue trial, scientists 
reported no significant dif-ference in turf quality when the plots were maintained at high maintenance levels but, when irrigation and fertility were reduced, the fescues with 
endophytes had a significantly 
better quality than did non-infected varieties. Also field experiments have documented better summer survival for plants containing 
high levels of endophytes, bet-ter fall recovery and reduced weed invasion. Plants healthier Heartening also, it appears that the percentage of plants containing endophytes in-creases while the endophyte-free plants die off. This phe-
nomenon ensures that once you plant endophyte-infected turf it will remain infected and 
the benefits will be long last-ing. There is only one way to get the endophyte into your turf, you must start with seed that is already infected. Endo-phytes can not be "applied" to 
turf in any way. Be advised, 
also, that only certain vari-
eties of tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and fine-leaf fescues contain high levels of viable 
endophyte. This word viable is impor-tant. The amount of live endo-phyte in the seed will decline over time. This is especially 
true if the seed is not stored in 
cool dry conditions. Your only 
guarantee that the endophyte in your seed is still viable is to buy fresh seed. Seed that is over two years old will more 
than likely have less viable en-
dophyte. Buy the freshest seed 
available. The endophyte is not the total answer to the environ-mental issues facing LCOs, but it's likely their presence in 
the new species and varieties 
of turfseed coming on the mar-ket will significantly reduce the amount of pesticides needed to control insect pests while also providing the turf with more vigor. LCI About the Author Steve Poitras is marketing manager of Seed Research of Oregon, Inc., P.O. Box 1416, Corvallis, OR 97339. turf performers. t First-rate disease and weed control demands a professional's touch. And here are the T\irf Care products that have what it takes. Daconil 2787.® The cornerstone of a professional spray program. Daconil 2787 is economical to use and the most 
effective, broadest-spectrum turf fungicide on the market. 
Controls 12 major turfgrass diseases. Available as a flowable or wettable powder formulation. Daconil 2787® WDG. A new water-dispersible granular formulation that is virtually dust-free. Pouring and mixing are fast and easy. The 5-lb. reclosable container means better handling, storage and disposal. Dacthal? The preemergence herbicide that consistently delivers superior broad-spectrum control of crabgrass, 
spurge and 22 other tough annual grasses and broadleaf 
weeds. Available as a flowable or wettable powder formulation. Daconate® 6. The proven postemergent herbicide. Highly effective against pesky weeds such as crabgrass. (Sold as Bueno® 6 in western states only.) 2 Plus 2 (MCPP -I- 2,4-D Amine). As effective as it is economical against more than 20 hard-to-kill broadleaf weeds such as clover and dandelions. Contains no dicamba. FYigate® adjuvant. The only product specifically formulated to enhance the performance of Roundup* for control of perennial and annual weeds. Fbr turf renovations and non-cropland use, too. When it comes to turf care, you'll see the difference in the professional's touch. Fermenta ASC Corporation, 5966 Heisley Road, P.O. Box 8000, Mentor, OH 44061-8000. 'Roundup is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company. Always follow label directions carefully when using turf chemicals, i Circle No. 141 on Reader Inquiry Card 8 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 First general membership meeting of LCAP. (I. to r.) Christine King, Patricia Raffaele, Bill DeHaven, Mark Phipps, Jim Walters, Michael Kravitsky, Jamie Brueninger, Neal DeAngelo, and John Carson. Pennsylvania LCOs get LCAP off to strong start STATE COLLEGE, PAŠThe Lawn Care Association of Pennsylvania (LCAP) got off to a strong start at its first gen-eral membership meeting here August 30. Ł Bill DeHaven, Govern-ment Affairs Committee, re-ported on LCAP's actions concerning the communities of Plum Creek Borough (Bucks County) and the city of Bethlehem where anti-pesticide regulations are being considered. Ł Jamie Breuniniger, Increase the range and profit-ability of your lawn and garden care operations with Hannay Reels. Hannay hose reels enhance your spray equipment's mobility, while increasing the life of the hoses. And with our 
CR 16-14-16 portable cable reel, you can take the cable for power equipment with you easily and efficiently. Hannay makes over 2700 different reels, and if we don't already have one that's perfect for your needs, we can custom-
design one that is. So ask us for our free spray hose catalog, or get more information on our Model CR 16-14-16 cable reel. And see how much 
farther you can go with 
Hannay Reels. Circle No. 141 on Reader Inquiry Card Hannay Reels 600 East Main Street Westerlo, New York 12193-0076 Telephone 518-797-3791 For the name of your nearest Hannay Reels dealer, call toll-free 1-800-982-0030. Hannay Reels Made with reel pride in the USA. Training and Education Com-mittee, said the first draft of a technician training manual has been completed. Penn State University personnel helped. Ł Neal DeAngelo, LCAP president, reported on the de-velopment of LCAP position statements on such issues as prenotification and posting, integrated pest management, use of written contracts in lawn care, etc. Draft position statements are to be circulated to LCAP members for com-ment. Ł Mike Kravitsky, Ethics and Standards Committee, 
said a code of ethics has been 
adopted by the Board of Direc-tors and will be distributed to members. Of the 80 member lawn care companies in LCAP, 45 were represented at the meeting, 
held in conjunction, with the 1990 Pennsylvania Turfgrass Field Days, reports John A. Carson, of J.C. Ehrlich and an officer in LCAP. LCI Siegfried started Oct. 1 Siegfried is new ChemLawn pres. ST. PAUL, MNŠDavid Sieg-fried became president of ChemLawn Services Corpora-tion, a subsidiary of Ecolab Inc. on Oct. 1. He had served as executive vice president, stra-
tegic development with Chem-Lawn. Siegfried will be reporting to Michael E. Shannon, Eco-lab executive vice president 
and chief financial officer, who has overall responsibility for the company's residential ser-
vices. Siegfried joined Chem-Lawn in March 1990. Prior to that he was president of Bur-lington Airline Express, Ir-vine, CA. He received his B.S. in political science from Brown University, Provi-dence, RI. LCI u "The first year we used TURFLON, we realized a $1,200 savings on service call costs:-Tim Doppel, president Atwood Lawncare, Inc. Sterling Heights, MI Keeping a lid on expenses be-comes more and more important as your business continues to grow. Do things right, and pro-fits will rise while the cost of 
servicing each new customer falls. If that's the kind of lawn care firm you want to run, maybe it's time you moved 
up to TURFLON* herbicide. When more is less. "Even though the product costs more, I still end up saving money 
by using TURFLON," explains Tim Doppel. And he has three 
years' worth of documented results to prove it pays to broadcast spray TURFLON at about $9.50 per acre. "The first and foremost advantage of using TURFLON is its effec-tiveness. It works." Reducing callbacks and cancellations is the key. "The first year we used TURFLON, we had a 20 percent reduction in callbacks and that has held steady over the years," Tim 
says. "We've also seen an in-
crease in customer retention in the three years we've been using TURFLON." And using TURFLON has one more advantage, Tim adds. It's the reason he's been able to reduce callbacks and cancel-lations: "My customers are happier." Isn't it time you moved up to a better herbicide for better weed 
control? Call us to find out more. 1-800-352-6776. Move up to TURFLON ŁTfademark of The Dow Chemical Company Circle No. 116 on Reader Inquiry Card 8006 12 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 Reynolds LC: a tight, bright operation Frank Reynolds, in the lawn care business 20 years, says it's time industry and activists opened a dialogue Owner feels LCOs must stress factors other than green and lush BY RON HALL editor Frank Reynolds, slender and well-spoken, runs one of the brightest, tightest lawn care companies in New England. Reynolds Lawn Care Inc. is, in some respects, a model chemical application com-panyŠfrom its neat, comfort-able offices to its polished tank trucks (even the seven- and eight-year-old trucks look new) to its advanced pesticide storage/mixing/containment 
system. "It's kind of like the saying, take care of the pennies, and the dollars take care of them-selves," says Reynolds of his business philosophy. His com-ment takes on obvious mean-
ing in the well-scrubbed appearance of his company, located in a small commercial complex of low-slung, modern metal buildings about a 20-
minute drive out of New Haven, CT. It's a pleasant, rural area. Reynolds began his profes-sional lawn care career 20 
years ago as one of the first franchisees for Lawn Medic. 
About eight years later he struck out on his own and tar-geted the growing number of 
business and affluent residen-tial properties emerging along the 1-95 corridor. His market area is concentrated in a ra-
dius of about 35 miles from his offices. But some of the eco-nomic bloom has faded from the area as it has in many parts 
of New England. Some of Re-
ynolds' most steady custom-ers, the high-income-earning business commutors, are look-ing to cut corners. "My white collar routes are Doug Jensen, manager with excellent diagnostic ability soft," says Reynolds, "typ-ically the $500,000 to $600,000 properties with the $2500-a-month mortgage payment. This person is looking for 
ways to reduce expenses." This change is driven by economics, says Frank, but the public's percep-tion of LCOsŠand the chemi-cal products they useŠis 
causing a more profound 
change in his business. This shift has caused Reynolds to focus more on the benefits of 
maintaining healthy turf and stressing such factors as safety, erosion control, dust reduction, etc., and not ex-clusively on the "lush, look good" approach. "Don't show me a market-ing piece that says that you 
should hire Reynolds Lawn 
Care because it's going to give you a greener, thicker lawn," says Frank. "Show me how I can provide a family with something it really needs like a safe place for its children to play." And this safety issue, by definition almost, revolves around the pesticide issue, WASHINGTON, D.C. ŠSuC-cesses and slumps. That's what the National Landscape Association (NLA) described the 1989 business year in its 14th an-nual Economic Survey of member firms. The NLA also kept a close eye on The National Associa-
tion of Home Builders which reported stagnant or falling prices in some former real es-tate hot spots on the east and particularly in New England. But, unlike some of its neigh-bor states, the "environ-mental" community and pesticide-using industries in Connecticut have been able to compromise. Reynolds has been a part of these compromises. He was one of three industry people 
who, representing 18 user groups in the Professional Pesticide Users of Connecti-cut (PPUC), met with three 
activists to hammer out the language of a state law outlin-
ing posting and pre-notifica-tion requirements for profes-sional pesticide users (exclud-ing agriculture). But industry and activists also agreed that homeowners should be re-quired to post and notify abut-
ting neighbors when they use pesticides. This is significant. It hasn't happened in any other state. (The Connecticut law passed Oct. 1, 1988, is ex-pected by go into effect later this year.) "We believe that pesticides can be applied safely by 
trained commercial ap-
plicators and, potentially, abused by the untrained user; west coasts. Members of that group were somewhat pessi-mistic about future homes 
sales, but this didn't totally dampen the NLA's outlook. It reasoned that if people stay in the same house longer, they'll be more apt to upgrade their landscaping. The NLA survey according to region: Ł Northeast. An economic slowdown. Total landscape 
sales for 1989, "by far" the and we as a group insisted that if we were going to post then, by gosh, the homeowner was going to post too," says Rey-nolds. In fact, training is probably at the heart of the pesticide issue, Reynolds feels, which includes both agronomic and public relations training. He says his supervisors are ex-worst reported with an aver-age 6 percent growth. Overall, sales, including maintenance, were up only 2.3 percent. New residential landscaping was down 0.3 percent, while new 
commercial projects were 
down 1.8 percent. Renovation 
barely fared better with resi-dential work up just 5.5 per-cent. The NLA pointed to sev-eral factors for the slowdown: 
Wall Street fluctuations that tremely capable in both diag-nosing turf problems and dealing with property owners. "We're a quality-driven com-pany. We want to prove that 
we can grow and manage qual-ity turf. And if a client has questions, we're more than 
willing to sit down with them and discuss their property," says Reynolds. LCI caused many layoffs, contin-
ued high unemployment in some areas, early winter 1989 freezes. Ł Southeast. Slowing growth everywhere but Flor-ida. NLA's survey reports an overall growth of 29.1 percent in total landscape sales for 1989. Overall, sales, including maintenance, were up 16.3 percent. New residential and commercial projects were the See NLA on page 25 Connecticut firm has spotless product loading/mixing area. NLA says 1989 was up and down When Rick Steinau moved up to theperformance of TURFLON, his customers gave him a big thumbs-up. I s *» . \ "TURFLON* herbicides give us about 95% control of problem weeds. The standard three-way products give control in the 80-85% ranger-Rick Steinau, president Greenlon Lawn Care Services 
Cincinnati, OH In the lawn care business, vou know that exceptional perfor-mance reduces callbacks and cancellations-and costs less in the long run. Less callbacks. "We started using TURFLON three years ago," explains Rick Steinau. "TURFLON simply does a better job on the hard-to-control weeds like spurge, oxalis, ground ivy and wild violets. These are the problem weeds that customers usually complain about most. With TURFLON, 
we've seen a 25% reduction in 
weed-related callbacks and a 15% drop in cancellations." More savings. "We are definitely saving money by using a premium herbicide," continues Rick. "We know that 
a treatment with TURFLON costs 
about 50C more per lawn than 
a standard three-way herbicide, but we actually realize a 30% savings in our herbicide program." Rick Steinau knows that the performance of TURFLON herbi-
cide has made a big, big dif-ference in his business. Just 
think what it can do for yours. 
Call us to find out more. 1-800-352-6776. Move up to TURFLON ŁTrademark of The Dow Chemical Company Circle No. 115 on Reader Inquiry Card anco 14 Prepare a business plan before implementing IPM BY DWAYNE MOLL Starting an integrated pest management (IPM) program may seem like quite an under-taking but it can be done if you 
do it a step at a time. Actually 
the agronomic techniques are fairly simple and easily under-
stood, given that you have a working knowledge of hor-
ticulture. But, you must also have a business plan. Elements of a business plan should contain: Ł Proposed products and servicesŠDetermine the precise services you will provide. Pruning? Aeration? Thatch reduction? You must also decide how these tech-nical services will be delivered, and what control products you'll be using. Ł Program goalsŠDon't make profits the only goal of your operation. Is your goal to keep up with the competition? Do you want to simply add on 
another service upgrade (why)? Do you have some key employees that you would like to see develop professionally so they can become star assets 
for your business? Ł OpportunitiesŠWhat are the benefits of the pro-gram? Will it give you poten-tial for growth? Although you're reading a lot about the nation's environmental con-cern, that doesn't mean your region will automatically be a good market for IPM. Or maybe it is. Good market re-
search may be necessary. Ł Competitive edgeŠIs your operation more tech-nically proficient than others in your market area? Maybe your customer servicing rec-ord outshines the competi-
tion. Identify your strengths. Capitalize on them. Ł Financial status/posi-tionŠWill your balance sheet and relationship with the bank allow the startup and fi-nancing needed to implement this new service? Ł Financial projec-tionsŠDetermine your bud-get and pricing structure. LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 700-800 Park Avenue Ł Beatrice, Nebraska 68310 U.S.A. Ł Phone: 402-223-2391 Ł FAX: 402-228-2258 F.D. KEES MANUFACTURING COMPANY SINCE 1874 A SNAPPER EQUIPMENT COMPANY I Circle No. 141 on Reader Inquiry Card Pinpoint those areas of addi-tional costs both for startup and for continued operation. 
Don't let your budget become your business plan. Ł Marketing plan-Know where you're going and how you'll get there. Identify your target market. Package 
your message. Get the word out. Close the sale. Ł Management and staffŠResearch what posi-tions and systems will be needed to service the customer and provide support for the field personnel. Ł Equipment and sup-port systemsŠWill a com-puter be necessary? What will your IPM specialists be taking into the field with them? Ł Implementation scheduleŠDetermine which phases will be finalized when. You obviously don't want to be putting together your market-ing plan in March, when the 
selling season is already slip-ping away. Ł Research and develop-mentŠBe able to evaluate new materials and techniques. This will help you improve your service and keep the com-
petitive edge. This may also allow you to continue offering certain services if other mate-rials are removed from the 
market. Ł Future plansŠWhat will you operation be like in five years and how can you prepare for it? Maybe you don't have a computer but are planning to purchase one in two years. It would be prudent 
to structure your IPM service so it can easily fold into a com-puter down the road. Ł PitfallsŠWe all like to brag a little from time to time 
about our strengths but we need to take an honest look at our operation to discover our 
weaknesses so that they can be minimized. Also, will the mar-ket change? How about em-ployee turnover? Equipment longevity? The business plan outlines the service, the marketing ap-
proach, how the servicing will 
be done and who will be in-
volved in the company. This may sound like nothing more than Business 101. That's be-cause it is. These are sound principles. Given that, it makes sense that the neces-
sary time be spent fleshing out the business plan. Plant your top-flight IPM program on a sound business footing, and chances for suc-cess increase. LCI About the Author Duane Moll is president of 
Horticulture Concepts, Aurora, CO, a landscape management 
consulting 
firm specializing in IPM, chemical use and evaluation and training for 
turf and ornamental management. IJUHIHI Ł Ł M SEE US AT GREEN INDUSTRY EXPO BOOTH #1243 STEP INTO THE r^ininir^iH ^a *awn ^tur*care Vyl businessman, you need an efficient, comfortable work environment. You need Snapper/Kees Pro Series mowers - the most user-friendly commercial walk-behind you can buy. We build these tough, gear-driven mowers to please tough customers. We know the demands turf care pros place on their equipment. The Pro Series unique handle design adjusts easily to operator height, and allows true finger-tip control, regardless of operator hand size. And, Pro Series offers a choice of power unit options (14 hp and 18 hp Kohler engines) and mower deck sizes (36", 48", 52" and 61") to custom fit a Pro Series mower to match your needs. Key features include: Ł Shift-on-the-go capability with a special Peerless transmission that's exclusively designed for Snapper/Kees. Ł Five forward speeds from 1.5 to 5.9 mph, plus positive reverse drive. Ł Five-gallon capacity polyethylene fuel tank. Ł On-the-go brake adjustment. Ł Handle-mounted headlights. Snapper/Kees dependable equipment, easy lease plans and commercial user Snap-Credit make your business look good, on the job and on the bottom line. For the name of the Snapper/Kees dealer nearest you, 
call or write: 1 sweet mo "Our customers expect and demand quality -and we deliver. If it costs an extra 50C a lawn to keep customers, it's well worth it."Š Bob Kapp, President and CEO Kapp's Green Lawn Munster, IN How much is customer satis-faction worth? For Bob Kapp of Kapp's Green Lawn, it's worth the performance difference that TURFLON* herbicide can provide. What price customer satisfaction? "We switched to TURFLON two years ago because we weren't pleased with our previous her-bicide," says Bob Kapp. "Cost has never been a deciding factor 
in the products we use. The extra 
50C per lawn for a treatment with TURFLON herbicide doesn't make a bit of difference. In this day and age, you simply have to retain customers-it costs 
too much money and time to replace them." Its rewards. "TURFLON did a much better 
job, particularly on our problem weeds like wild violets, ground ivy and spurge," Bob continues. "Since switching to TURFLON, we've reduced our weed related callbacks and service cancella-
tions by 50% from a year ago." With performance like that, you'll be able to add some sweet-ness to your bottom line. Call us to find out more. 1-800-352-6776. Move up to TURFLON "Rademark of The Dow Chemical Company Circle No. 114 on Reader Inquiry Card 9003 16 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 Pes Rice thinks the world is ready for lawn care "Weed Man": LCOs will defeat slowdown Take heart LCOs. Even if the economy worsens, the public will buy pro-fessional lawn care. So says Des Rice and maybe he should know. He's been in the business 20 years and built 
and operates the highly suc-cessful Weed Man network in Canada (soon to be interna-tional, but more on that later in the story). Rice says he won't describe the lawn care business as re-cession-proof, but his com-pany has grown each time the economy sagged. "I hope it stays that way," he says. "We're up about 20 percent this year," says the 42-year-
old Rice, who founded Weed Man in 1970, and began selling franchisesŠhe prefers calling them dealershipsŠin 1976. "That's not quite the sales in-crease we had forecast for this 
year, and it's a little below our average growth over the last few years, about 25 percent, but we're very pleased with our growth this year. It's a respec-
table increase, particularly un-
der the current economic 
conditions." Unlike many businesses, Rice says the lawn care busi-ness "has a definite tendency to improve when the economy gets a little tougher. Under the kind of economic conditions we're currently experiencing, 
people seem to travel less, which means that they spend more time at home. They want their homes to look better, and 
a good-looking lawn contrib-
utes a great deal to the overall appearance of a home. "There's another reason for our current growth: most peo-
ple don't like to do what we do. They also realize that we can do their lawn care work for what it costs them to do it themselves, and we'll probably 
do a much better job," says Rice, adding that the average The lawn care business tends to improve when the economy slowsŠ Des Rice, founder of Weed Man. cost of the Weed Man's service is $160-$175 a year for five treatments. He says Weed Man is forecasting another year of growth and ex-pansion in 1991 despite con-cerns about the Canadian 
economy. "We're projecting a 20 percent increase in our dealer group, with another 20 joining us during 1991. There will be some new dealerships opened; in other cases, the big-ger dealers will be splitting their territories into more manageable areas. We help them to do this," he explains, "because of our expertise in this businesses. We have sev-eral large dealers who have 
achieved their personal goals, and don't want to continue 
working as hard as they have, so a sub-dividing of their ter-
ritories is the ideal solution to their situation." Rice says his company's sales have continued to grow 
for several other reasons. "We provide Weed Man dealers with a great deal of training, 
both in technical areas and in management skills. We bring them (the dealers) together 
twice each year, and we work very hard at giving them the 
best training available. We bring in top speakers, like Stan Brown, who has written a great book on service excel-lence. When Stan spoke at our 
dealer seminar, we spent an 
additional $2,000 to give ev-
eryone in attendance a copy of his book. We don't cut corners on dealer training, and the 
dealers seem to appreciate these seminars. We have a 75 percent attendance rate, which is one of the highest in the industry." Rice says there's another important reason for the com-pany's continued growth: the availability of new products for the dealer network. "Take our latest product. It's called Wizz-Away, and is a chemical product that was developed in the United States to heal lawn damaged caused by dogs and salt. We have the Canadian rights for this new product, which is comprised of non-
toxic, natural organic ingre-dients that speed up the heal-ing of grass damaged by dog urine and other salt sub-stances. This product is avail-
able through our dealers, and is selling very well for its first year in the Canadian mar-ketplace." He says his goal is a "world-wide lawn care organization." Weed Man has already opened its first dealership in the United States. "We'd have more but the state laws on franchising and chemicals vary so much 
that we have to move slowly." Des Rice says "the world" wants professional lawn care. He's hoping his familiar green and yellow trucks are there to provide it, particularly Europe and the Far East. Rice also plans to expand into the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia over the next three or four years. Recently he headed a Cana-dian trade mission organized by the Canadian Franchising Association, with support from the Canadian govern-
ment. Rice and the other 
seven Canadian franchisers took part in a major franchise show in Melbourne, Australia under the auspices of the Aus-tralian Franchising Associa-
tion. He wants to develop a master plan for Australia and New Zealand. Some of the European countries are also potential markets."There's a little dif-ferent mind-set in every coun-try, and in every region, it 
takes time and experience to develop that local knowledge 
that you need to be successful in that marketplace." says Rice. Rice admits that the suc-cess of Weed ManŠwhich he started with a $500 truck, a used pump, and a couple of oil drums to hold chemicalsŠhas "exceeded even my most op-timistic expectations." But he says he still has one complaint 
about the business: "Why is it 
that every successful franchise becomes known as something else Š like an automobile dealer, or an associate store. You don't hear a McDonald's 
outlet called a franchise, but 
that's really what it is. It seems that franchise is more of a 
catch-word than anything else. Personally, I much prefer 
the word dealer. It's like I tell people: We're in the franchise business, but we sell deal-erships." LCI CPDA behind recycle push WASHINGTON, D.C. ŠThe Chemical Producers and Dis-tributors Association says it's time to recycle all agricultural plastic pesticide containers. (Can a similar push for related industries be far behind?) Warren Stickle, president of the CPDA, called for the 
creation of a national collec-
tion program for plastic con-tainers (especially 1-, 2xfi- and 5-gallon containers) sup-ported by an industry-funded program similar to Superfund. "Containers could be pro-cessed for recycling at a county or multi-county site, under state supervision and regula-tion, with equipment pur-chased through a federal grant 
system," he said. "The entire process could be supported by fees paid by pesticide regis-trants." He proposed that those re-turning the pesticide plastic containers be paid a fee for 
each returned. Stickle said the program would: Ł establish a workable na-tional plastic recycling pro-gram. Ł help recycle as much as 40 million pounds of plastic per year. Ł reduce the waste pres-ently heading toward landfills. Ł assist farmers and other users in finding safe and work-able solutions to disposal. LCI PGMS edition being offered COCKE Y S VILLE, MD ŠThe Professional Grounds Mainte-
nance Society's 6th edition of the Grounds Maintenance Es-timating Guidelines is avail-able. It includes charts to help cost a job, including the "hid-den costs" in projects. Also available are the Grounds Maintenance Man-
agement Guidelines and the 
Grounds Management Forms and Job Descriptions Guide. Each manual costs $12 if check is sent with order and $15 if billed. They're free for PGMS members. The 1990 PGMS Mem-bership Director is also avail-able and can be obtained by non-members for $30 (free to 
members). PGMS, 10402 Ridgland Road, Suite 4, Cockeysville, Maryland 21030. Telephone: 301/667-1833. LCI Lesco reports top 3rd quarter ROCKY RIVER, OHIOŠA sales increase of 18 percent over 1989 boosted Lesco, Inc., to its best third quarter ever. James I. FitzGibbon, chair-man and chief executive offi-cer, reported Lesco's sales at $32,765,100 in the third 
quarter ending August 31. He put the company's net income at $1,162,200. "Our second quarter this year also established record sales and earnings," said 
FitzGibbon. "Taken together, 
the two periods reflect the 
benefits of capital investments which have broadened our product line and increased the capacity, productivity and efficiency of our nationwide marketing and manufacturing activities." FitzGibbon said Lesco is eye-ing new service centers, in part because of the opening of a new fertilizer production plant in Martins Ferry, Ohio. LCI Green industry video now ready SUTTON, MAŠThe Green In-dustry Council says its video "Growing Futures" examines careers in the green industry. $49.95 per video, color poster and booklet. Contact: Green In-
dustry Council, PO Box 171, Sutton, MA 01590. LCI Contamination risk small with intelligent applications PLCAA guidelines to avoid runoff 17 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 IOWA from page 1 it didn't name) had mislead the public by claiming lawn pesticides are safe. Contacted by Lawn Care Industry magazine in mid Oc-
tober, Moline said he had just begun gathering information from the three lawn care com-panies. "It will preceed from here like any other civil com-plaint," he said. "We will eval-uate the complaint and break it down into its important points. Then it's likely we'll 
present what weVe found to an expert. "I think it's safe to say that a decision one way or the other isn't imminent." The complaint itself repor-tedly runs about 500 pages, many of which are not central to the misrepresentation is-sue, added Moline. Daryle Johnson of Ail-American told Landscape 
Management magazine that his company was apparently 
singled out because its liter-ature says that, "These prod-ucts selectively control weeds and insects. Once properly di-luted and applied according to label directions, they pose no unreasonable health or safety risk to people, pets or the envi-
ronment." The complaint prompted news stories in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, The Daily Iowan, the Iowa City Press-Citizen and other local and state newspapers. In one of the news stories, John Chaney, owner of the Corralville Spring Green fran-
chise said he would supply the 
attorney general's office with 
every piece of advertising he has ever used. Indeed, Moline said all the lawn care operators said they would cooperate. "The lawn care industry has an unparalleled record of safety," All-American's Johnson was quoted in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. LCI 6IE from page 1 with PLCAA, the designated show management organiza-tion. Show schedule: Ł Monday, Nov. 12, 6:30-8 p.m., Convention Center. Ł Tuesday, Nov. 13, 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Convention Center. Ł Wednesday, Nov. 14, 10-30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Conven-tion Center. On Thursday, Nov. 15, there will be an Outdoor Equipment Demonstration at Centennial Park. LCI J make ¡1 1 Mié (Ml MARIETTA, GAŠThe Pro-fessional Lawn Care Associa-tion of America says the risk of pesticide contamination in wells, streams and ponds is minimal when moderate amounts of fertilizer are ap-plied to actively growing turf. Pesticides should be spar-ingly and according to label in-structions. The PLCAA guidelines: 
Ł Avoid heavy applications of nitrogen fertilizer, espe-
cially during seasons when 
turf is not actively growing. Ł Use slow-release nitrogen sources as much as possible on and may not be capable of lim-
iting runoff. For example, 
grass cultivated around new 
construction should not be heavily fertilized. Ł Never apply lawn care materials within ten feet of a 
stream, brook or pond. Wider 
setbacks should be used if re-quested by the customer or re-quired by state or local law. Ł Always follow the rate di-rections listed on pesticide la-bels, and calibrate equipment often. Ł Avoid applications around wells with cracked cas-ings and over shallow, gravel-packed wells. Robert E. Bushouse, owner of Green King of Kalamazoo, Mich., says a few years ago he began offering phosphorus-free lawn fertilization to cus-tomers who lived near lakes. "Because we mix our own fertilizers, we can avoid using phosphorus, which is not good for lakes," says Bushouse, who eventually stopped using phosphorus altogether. To promote root growth, he mixes potash into his formulas in-stead. LCI RM Turf Show DENVER, coŠRocky Moun-
tain Turf Conference, Dec. 
3-5, Holiday Inn at 1-70. LCI PRESERVATION-PLAN ON IT National Trust for Historic Preservation Dept. PA, 1785 Massachusetts Ave., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Insecticides, In The Battle Against Weeds & Bugs, WeVe Got Your % Cides Covered. And your fertilizers and adjuvants. You can depend on Special Products for an extensive line of turf and ornamental care products, all backed by our reputation for quick, reliable service. Call Special Products today for everything you need for healthy, green victory. We invite you to stop by and see us at Booth #1324 at the Green Industry Exposition in Nashville. SPECIAL PRODUCTS COMPANY P.O. Box 1467 Fremont, NE 68025,1-800-833-4UAP Circle No. 141 on Reader Inquiry Card 18 UÊÊÊÊM 16 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 Is attending the PLCAA confab tax deductible? Although the rules covering deductions have been changed by recent tax laws you can still write off a lot of costs. BY BESS RITTER MAY You may be wondering whether you can afford to go to the Pro-fessional Lawn Care Associa-tion Conference. You can probably afford the trip and 111 tell you whyŠmany of your ex-penses will be tax deductible. That is, if you keep careful records to prove your deduc-tions. And it's an important 
"if". The 1RS uses what it calls a primary purpose test to decide whether expenses for attend-ing a convention are deduct-ible. This test simply means that the primary purpose of 
the business trip must be busi-ness related. A good example is the cost of traveling to and from a convention siteŠ plane, train, bus, auto or by any other suitable means. They're only deductible if the primary purpose of your trip is business. You can't write off the travel if it's to visit Uncle Joe and Aunt Minnie who live near the convention site. Deductible expenses Other expenses you can de-duct if your trip is primarily for business purposes: Ł taxi and bus fares for traveling between terminals and your hotel transportation from the hotel to the conven-tion center; Ł reasonable amounts for handling baggage, samples and display materials, other display expenses as the cost of sample rooms and convention 
hospitality suites; Ł non-extravagant lodging; Ł parking and registration fees; Ł a portion of food and bev-erage costs; Ł tips and telephone ex-penses incurred in connection with the business meeting or convention. Some business entertain-ment expenses are also de-ductible. The IRS even 
considers evenings spent at 
the movies, sporting events and nights out on the town as 
associated entertainment 
costs, plus meetings with cli-ents, customers and business 
associates if you have a general business reason for getting to-gether. The rule also applies if you are a rep for regional prod-uct lines, own or represent a 
wholesale business or are a dis-
tributor. Discuss business Get togethers may be held between convention events or in the evening at their con-clusion. But none are allowa-ble unless only business matters are actually discussed. How about a short vacation to a nearby resort after attend-ing the PLCAA show? Is that 
income tax deductible? Not if the main purpose of the trip is 
personal. The IRS determines whether any given trip is pri-marily for business or personal 
reasons by determining how 
much time is spent on per-
sonal activities compared to that directly relating to the 
convention, trade show, or business meeting. If you spend one week attending the PLCAA convention in an out-of-state location and the fol-lowing five visiting a relative who lives nearby, expect the IRS to view your trip as pri-
marily personal. But regardless of it's pri-mary purpose you may deduct any business expenses you in-
cur while you're in the area. Example: Your business is in Philadelphia and you attend the Nashville convention. You stay there for six days and your total expense, including round-trip transportation, meals and lodging, is $1,000. This may be deducted. If, on your way home, you spend three days in th Virginia to 
visit relatives and spend $100 Fall Fertili Use Par Ex® TUrf Fertilizers contain- % ing IBDU® slow release nitrogen ' Exclusive IBDU® slow release nitrogen is not dependent on ^ microbial activity li^and it is formulated to meet your regional nutritional requirements. For more information contact: Vigoro Industries, Inc. Ł RO. Box 512 - Winter Haven, FL 33882 (813) 294-2567 Par Ex* and IBDU' are registered trademarks of Vigoro Industries, Inc. Circle No. 141 on Reader Inquiry Card per day in travel and related costs your deduction is still limited to only the $1,000 you spent getting to and from (and in) Nashville. Be careful when claiming deductions if the convention is in a resort area because most 
attendees usually combine business with pleasure when listing deductions. The IRA is very well aware of this its agents really scrutinize claims 
concerning conventions in such sites, especially when the attendee is accompanied by a spouse and children. Wife and kids? Concerning the wife and kids. Generally, their expenses aren't tax deductible. The ex-ception, however, is when the wife is present for business reasons. But this is even "iffy". Nevertheless, you can cut family-attending convention costs. When your spouse and 
other members of your family 
accompany you your bills will show costs for all, especially 
accommodations and trans-portation. These usually are less than twice the cost for a single person. So to determine 
what you may deduct don't di-vide the bill in half. Figure what it would have cost you to have gone alone since only the excess over your costs isn't de-
ductible. You and your wife 
travel by car to a convention and her presence is social. You pay $110 a day for a double room but a single room would cost you $100. You may deduct 
$100 a day for your room, but insist that the hotel note the 
single rate on your bill when you check out. Deducting the total cost of 19 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 operating your car to and from the convention is also allowa-
ble since it would be the same if you traveled alone. If you travel by plane or train or 
other means you may deduct only your own fare. Amounts for taxis, rental cars, bus fares, luggage handling and the like 
are fully deductible when your 
spouse and other members of your family travel with you if their presence doesn't signifi-cantly add to the total costs. Expenses concerning mak-ing a stopover to a vacation 
site with the family aren't de-ductible but can be minimal if you drive since all auto ex-penses for everyone in the car (as above) are allowable. You might also schedule a business call or meeting in the area (in 
addition to the convention) to 
coincide with your sidetrip. Now, part of this pleasurable excursion will be deductible. You must attend Be aware of the term "closed video loophole". It means that convention ex-penses will not be tax deduct-ible if incurred at educational events if you don't actually participate in seminars, dis-cussions and workshops, but 
are simply given (or sold) 
video tapes of lectures on top-ics related to your business which can be viewed at your 
convenience. Now the trip is 
considered to be a vacation. But the expense is allowable if you personally attend a con-
vention session in order to view such videos, and do so 
before they are presented to you. How about employees? What is tax deductible con-cerning my employees who 
attend conventions and trade shows for my lawn care busi-
ness? The show or convention (as above) must be primarily for business purposes. Rele-vant factors for determining 
this include the amount of 
time devoted to business at the show, as compared with the time devoted to recreational and social activities, the loca-tion of the convention (i.e., whether it will be held at a re-sort hotel), whether the trip has been given to the employee as a bonus or award, and whether the trip is for training purposes. If you are an employee or sales rep of a company, you 
cannot take tax deductions for travel expenses to attend a convention if the company re-imburses you for such costs. 
When this is the case you must keep a diary to submit to your boss plus supporting paid 
vouchers and bills. Your com-
pany, in turn, should have them verified. If your firm doesn't provide such a check, keep your rec-
ords available for a possible IRS audit. If you won't be re-imbursed for convention-at-tending expenses you can deduct everything allowable on your return as long as you can prove what you spent, 
were not reimbursed for them by your boss and can prove you were away from home on busi-ness. Obviously, the best way to claim all of the deductions you're entitled to is to keep careful records. You'll be very glad you did if your return is 
ever examined. At that time your deductions will depend on whether you can prove to an examining IRS agent that your trip, despite any vaca-tioning, was made primarily for transacting lawn care busi-
ness. Keep a diary One strategy is to keep a small pocket diary to record all costs, ideally as soon as they're incurred. Set aside the same time every day to update your records because it's easier to make daily notes than to try to figure out what you did later. Paste an envelope inside the back cover for storing all re-ceipts. Note when you arrive 
at the convention and when you leave. Include all expenses con-cerning where you went, who you talked with, what you talked about and the date as well as the amounts you spent. Include the name, title and name of the company con-cerning people you discussed business matters with during the convention. In other 
words, always record the five W's: who you were with, what you discussed, when the event took place, where, and why for 
each item you claim. Carefully segregate ex-penses directly connected 
with your business dealings at 
the convention from those 
which relate to personal activ-ity as sightseeing, social visit-
ing and entertaining, because recreation costs are not de-ductible even though they're a part of your overall conven-
tion costs. Example: You attend a business convention in a cos-
tal resort city primarily for business reasons. During the convention period you do some local sightseeing, social entertaining and visiting all 
unrelated to your business. You may deduct your travel expenses to and from the re-sort, your living expenses at the resort and other expenses 
as business entertaining. But 
don't deduct the cost of sight-seeing, personal entertaining and social visiting. Get a receipt for every bill you pay. Include tips. When discussing business matters with customers and friends at the covention keep good notes by writing down everything 
you discussed, or use a small tape recorder. Keep the stubs See TAX on page 22 Fla. Turf PLCAA OHIO New Jersey 
NOTE Parks & Ree. Texas S. Carolina Virginia Rochester Maryland Purdue Nebraska Outstanding Solo Performances LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT is written for golf course and landscape professionals, while LAWN CARE INDUSTRY satisfies the information needs of chemical lawn care professionals. Together, they provide total show and industry news coverage. You could call their editorial and marketing teams "roadies," because they spend 50% of their time traveling to shows, tracking stories and getting candid perspectives from suppliers. Listed here is just a portion of the shows they'll be attending this year. Frankly, it's the only way to stay on top of late-breaking news and keep both books fresh and on the cutting edge of their market segments. This dedication makes them the authoritative voices on industry problems and opportunities readers need to be aware of...and explains why their competitors look like warm-up acts. Play to a Sellout Crowd When your product message appears in either LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT or LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, your ad plays exclusively to loyal fans and earns rave reviews that will improve your bottom line. Call your LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT or LAWN CARE INDUSTRY representative today to reserve space in the superstars of the industry. mm 7500 Old Oak Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44130 (216)243-8100 Iowa Irrigation Show Colorado Southwest Desert East. PA West. PA Michigan STMA GCSAA OPEI GMA/NAC KOLN-MESSE There is some turf even DURSBAN can't protect V , 9 'A Ł W ' V / 'Ho T i mm \ 'i / / / x / V\ / Granted, DURSBAN* TUrf Insec-ticide won't do you much good 
in a dark alley. But when it's 
time to get tough on surface-feeding insects, it doesn't make any sense to take chances. 
What makes sense is using the industry standard-DURSBAN 
insecticide. More muscle for your money Nothing's meaner on 
Chinch Bugs, Billbugs, Sod Webworms and other surface-feeding thugs. Nothing. And there's simply no better value 
for liquid lawn care applications. One tough insecticide. What's more, DURSBAN TUrf Insecticide offers excellent resi-
dual, low odor and superb broad spectrum control. The kind of fcV control you've come to expect-and customers demand. So arm yourself with DURSBAN TUrf Insecticide. And keep surface feeders off your turf. Wearing a black leather jacket during application is, of course, not recommended. DURSBAN TUrf Insecticide. The Professional Choice. Circle No. 116 on Reader Inquiry Card DURSBAN-i^lfer; ŁTrademark of The Dow Chemical Company 22 s ä ; is E LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 "Organic" lawn care's goal to enhance soil biological action BY DR. ELIOT C. ROBERTS The value of organic processes is well understood in main-taining soil productivity. These processes are beneficial on grassland agriculture, that segment which includes 
turfgrass management. It's natural that we should use 
slow-release "organic" fertil-izers so as to take greatest pos-sible advantage of the 
biological system already functioning within the root ill 20 3 5 zone. And what a system it is! There are some 900 billion 
bacteria, fungi, actinomyces and protozoa in each pound of 
soil. (There are close to 2 mil-lion pounds of soil in the root zone for each acre of turf.) This amounts to about 70 pounds of micro-organisms per 1000 square feet of turf grown on soil that would weigh close to 50,000 pounds. That's not all. Large num-bers of small animals enrich the soil by decomposing organic matter. For example, earthworms increase fertility of the soil by producing casts often containing 40 percent more calcium, 200 percent 
more magnesium, 350 percent more nitrate, 650 percent 
more phosphorus and 1000 percent more potassium than surrounding soil. Recognizing these realities, the new definition of "organic" turf management 
should meet the following three criteria: Ł "Organic" turf manage-ment is a complete mainte-nance program featuring the application of organic (con-
taining carbon) products ei-ther natural or synthetic with slow-release and/or decom-position properties that pro-mote lawngrass growth and 
also enhance natural soil macro- and micro-biological processes. Ł "Organic" lawn care uses natural or synthetic inorganic products that break down slowly and have slow-release properties as long as natural soil macro- and micro-biolog-ical populations are enhanced. Ł "Organic" lawn care may require applications of in-organic plant nutrients in very small quantities necessary to 
sustain natural soil macro-
and micro-organisms, and de-
velop vigorous healthy 
turfgrass. "Organic" is not new. Actu-ally the advent of chemical ag-riculture is relatively new. Research 50 to 100 years ago 
had mostly to do with organic matter as of critical impor-tance in soil fertility. LCI About the Author Dr. Eliot C. Roberts is executive director of The Lawn Institute, Pleasant Hill, TN. TAX from page 19 of all tickets purchased for so-
cial-business convention 
events to show where you went and what it cost. If you drive, write down your beginning and ending odometer readings. Collet and keep credit card receipts for gas, oil and other automotive 
costs. Collect and keep all credit card receipts con-
cerning all other convention-related purchases paid by credit card. Keep copies of all show and convention liter-
ature. Keep a record of all busi-ness sessions attended. If the convention provides a sign-in 
book, be sure to sign it. Bear in mind that every receipted bill or voucher must show the amount of the expense, the date it was incurred, where it was incurred and its purpose. A hotel bill must show the name, location, date and sepa-
rate amounts for charges such as lodgings, meals and tele-phone calls. A restaurant bill must show the name and loca-tion of the restaurant, the date and amount of the expense and whether a charge was made for items other than 
meals or beverages, and, if so, details concerning it. Your records must also show the names of those you enter-tained, the business purpose served by the entertainment, the business relationship be-
tween you and your guests and the place of entertainment. Keep your diary and sup-porting records of business re-lated expenses for at least three years after the date for the return. For more informa-
tion contact your local IRS of-fice or your personal tax ad-visor. This article, because it must be general, can only touch on general points relat-ing to tax deductible conven-tion expenses. It does not substitute for the help of a pro-fessional tax advisor. LCI About the Author Bess Ritter May is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. She specializes in business topics. Have a SPILL? Call Chemtrec 1-800-424-9300 Keep all your turf problems in line with one of the most diverse SCU fertilizer lines availableŠLebanon Pro. From straight granular fertilizers to combination products that contain today's leading control chemicals, Lebanon's high quality blends deliver the performance you needŠpredictable growth, even green-up and consistent color. Our SCU products are carefully selected to be uniform in size, to flow freely and evenly, and provide the best possible nutrient distribution. Plus they're supported by a full line of granular control products for straight application. Every standard formulation in the Lebanon Pro SCU line is stocked and ready, assuring you of product availabilityŠwhatever the season. And with our nation-wide distribution network you can get the products you need, when you need them most. For more information on Lebanon Pro SCU fertil-izers, contact your local Lebanon sales representative, Lebanon distributor or call 1-800-233-0628. CAfl-) # # ' Lebanon Pro The Season-To-Season SCU LelDcfnon TURF PRODUCTS © 1990 Lebanon Turf Products Circle No. 141 on Reader Inquiry Card IF THIS YEAR S PROBLEMS YOUR SCU FERTILIZATION PROGRAM SHOULD LOOK LIKE THIS: E3 Ł LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 23 Better packaging sought by manufacturers BY LISA GITLIN Research and develop-ment experts are ag-gressively examining new ways of packaging and de-livering herbicides and pesticides to lawn care profes-sionals. "It's a given that these chemicals are only so safe," says Greg Gergen, Turf and Ornamental Product Manager at ICI Americas, Wilmington, DE. "That's the way nature made them. Any technology to render them safer can involve changes in three areas: the product itself, the formula-
tion, and the packaging. Pack-aging is what the industry is 
concentrating on right now." The market has made sub-stantial progress in respond-ing to LCO concerns about 
lawn chemical exposure. Al-though most chemicals are 
still delivered in plastic or metal drums that must be tri-ple-rinsed and permit expo-sure through mixing, suppliers 
are rapidly taking measures to 
eliminate these problems. Recently, Ciba-Geigy's 
Turf and Ornamental Department in Green-sboro, NC, reported on a 1988 
survey by the Golf Course Su-perintendents Association of America on packaging, formulation and delivery of turfgrass pesticides. Although 
only 10 out of 17 companies answered the survey, all re-
spondents reported new prod-uct developments. The most frequently reported improve-
ments included water-soluble packaging, easy-opening con-tainers and closed mixing sys-
tems. Researchers continue to pursue better ways to market herbicides and pesticides. Monsanto's Expedite delivery system minimizes applicator exposure. "We're devoting four to five times as much research to 
packaging as we did two years ago," Gergen continues. "There are so many factors to consider. For instance, we 
tested a water-soluble bag made from a material that ac-tually rendered the pesticide less effective." Although most suppliers now offer certain lawn chemi-cals in water-soluble, dose-sized packages, LCOs still face the old problems with many 
products. "We're still looking for ways to minimize worker ex-
posure and disposal prob-lems," says Deb Strohmaier, public relations manager at ChemLawn, Columbus, Ohio. "You know those tiny, vac-uum-sealed plastic containers used mostly for tree-injection? 
That state says they have to be triple-rinsed just like any other container." Richard Deering, owner and president of Soft 'N Green, with offices in Colum-bus and Cleveland, praised the dose-sized, water-soluble packages of the insecticide Dursban that his company re-
ceives from Dow. "You can't get any better than that. If you need 10 pounds you just put 
four packages in and they dis-solve. You don't have to worry 
about disposal or breathing the stuff in. Of course we'd like 
to see more of that kind of packaging." Suppliers are examining 
ways to refine the whole system of product ap-plication. Monsanto, St. Louis, for example markets two of its products, a grass/ weed herbicide and a broadleaf Used By Lawn Care Professionals BATA POLYBLEND BOOT® Two-stage injection moulded, one-piece construction for complete waterproof protection. Constructed for environments where severe conditions require a high degree of chemical resistance Features include: Ł Non-slip, self-cleaning soles for safety Ł Pull-up and kick-of lugs for ease in entry and removal Ł Removable cushion insole allows hygienic cleaning of boot interior Ł footbed® insole available for added comfort and support Ł Steel safety toe in selected styles All steel toe items meet or exceed ANSI STANDARD Z41 Class 75 foi impact and compression BATA POLYBLEND® Boots are specially formulated for a wide variety of applications. MEN 16" Knee Boot - Full sizes 4-13 6" Work Boot - Full sizes 6-13 Black/Grey. Cleated Sole, Full Steel Shank Standard WOMEN 14" Knee Boot - Full sizes 4-11 Black/ Grey Cleated Sole. Without Steel Shank The jacket in the above photograph is the BATA TUFTEX 30 SERIES made of PVC/nylon/PVC material. It is Ughtweight and extremely tear and abrasion resistant with attached or snap on hood, raglan sleeves and storm fly front. Permeation test results are available upon request. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 1-800-365-2282 Matching Quality with Value & Service BATA SHOE COMPANY, INC., INDUSTRIALS DIVISION Ł BELCAMP. MD 21017 r# 24 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 herbicide, with a special, low-volume spray system. Pre-packaged, five-liter herbicide boxes fit into a foil-lined 
pouch equipped with speed and spray pattern controls. 
The boxes are connected to the pouch's lance hose. "It's all concentrated so there's no mixing," says Maureen O'Sullivan, market-ing and communications man-ager. "You don't have to handle the product at allŠ that's the beauty of it. It even 
comes with a special cleaner 
that you can run through the system when you're done." Many suppliers are in-"Water dissolvable packets in pre-measured doses almost eliminate worker exposure,99 Andy Seckinger, Rhone-Poulenc. vestigating new formulations and delivery methods. Andy Seckinger, product manager at 
Rhone-Poulenc Ag Company, Research Triangle, NC, re-ports that in many cases 
powdered chemicals are being converted to water-soluble granules. "It dissolves in water 
similar to powder but it's much easier to handle," he says. "Powder generates dust." Seckinger adds, however, that the most far-sighted solu-
tions are emerging from pack-
aging rather than formulation research. "Water dissolvable packets in pre-measured doses almost eliminate worker expo-
sure," he says. Suppliers report that the 
agricultural market is 
forging the way for changes in product delivery systems. "We're sort of at the beginning of delivery research for the (lawn care) market," Seckinger says. "To use the re-cyclable mini-bulk containers, you're going to require a lot of volume." Recently DowElanco began experimentally distributing 
Turflon II Amine herbicide to LCOs in Ohio and Michigan in 
200-gallon, mini-bulk portable tanks. The mini-bulk tank is 
placed on pallets 18 inches off 
the ground, allowing the her-
bicide to be discharged out of 
the bottom. After use, the con-tainers are picked up by an au-
thorized distributor. (See August issue of LCI.) LCOs re-port substantial satisfaction with the recycling system. But until all lawn chemicals are distributed either in pre-mixed, dissolvable packets or closed delivery systems, LCOs will have to triple rinse con-
tainers. Jim Altemus, public relations manager at Mon-
santo's Industrial Greens de-partment, says "it's only a matter of time" before Mon-
santo's triple-rinse siphoning system moves from the agri-
culture to the greens market. "It's very easy to operate," he says. "You don't even have to tip the container." Other market develop-ments include product color coding to eliminate applica-tion errors, self-contained measuring, closed mixing sys-tems, and turf diagnostic kits. "We're looking at inte-grated pest management," says Jose Milan, marketing 
support manager for the Turf and Ornamental Department 
at Ciba-Geigy. "We not only sell chemicals, but we want to 
give users a chance to ac-curately diagnose their needs." To assist the process, Ciba-Geigy furnishes a diagnostic kit con-taining such products as a "macroscope" which allows detection of turf diseases and Moisture sensors should help ease effects of water restrictions Water restrictions are becoming more common in many com-munities, most notably in Southern California and South 
Florida. They could become an issue elsewhere. Often among the first target of these restrictions is the water-ing of turf and landscaping. One answer may be an automatic 
irrigation system equipped with a soil moisture device or rain sensor. "Many South Florida commercial and residential property owners are already aware of the benefits of sprinkler systems. Because of the quantities of water used, a sprinkler system 
represents an effective way to conserve water and dollars," says Paul Klinefelter, president of Glen-Hilton Products, a Virginia manufacturer of rain sensors and other controls for sprinkler systems. Soil moisture systems and rain sensors permit automatic irrigation as required to maintain proper moisture levels. They can be a valuable addition to new or existing irrigations systems, particularly in areas with sporadic, intense rainfalls. These irri-gation aids can be added to an irrigation system to shut it off when it rains and keep them off until the ground has dried out and needs water again. It's wasteful for a sprinkler system, because it's set to come on automatically, to operate during a morning downpour or an See EASE on page 49 99 "You don't have to worry about disposal or breathing the stuff in,1 Richard Peering, president, Soft *N Green, Cleveland insects. Milan points out that proper product application re-duces the risk of both turf 
damage and product over ex-posure. "The time isn't too far away when nobody will have to touch pesticides," Gergen says. "The trends are going even beyond granular prod-ucts to those that are more ready to use. Lesco (Rocky River, Ohio) now offers a product in capsulated form." LCI About the Author Lisa Gitlin is a freelance writer living in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Isn't it time to deal with delinquent accounts? BY THOMAS A. COOPER How much economic change lies ahead? 
That's a key question for small business owners 
since they're neither as diver-
sified nor as deep-pocketed as larger companies. Unexpected drops in revenue-producing 
sources can leave them 
trapped with few pleasant op-tions to consider. While the onset of an eco-nomic slowdown can't be con-trolled, its effect on individual 
businesses can be managed. A good place to begin is by ag-
gressively pursuing delinquent 
accounts receivable. In times of sustained growth, companies often fall into bad collection habits. For example, business owners are more prone to let collect time-tables slide when profits are high. But when times get tough, those uncollected bills squeeze profit margins and the cost of doing business. With-out well-designed credit and 
collection safeguards, it's al-most impossible to plug bad debt leaks under the added pressure of a recession. You can take command of your accounts re-
ceivable situation . Start by analyzing the finan-cial strengths and weaknesses of your existing customers. Then follow up by organizing 
and implementing a com-prehensive credit and collec-tion plan for all new business. Ł Analyze and identify ma-jor customers. According to collection industry estimates, 
80 percent of receivables are usually generated by 20 per-
cent of customers. Business 
owners can use this "80-20" rule to identify major custom-ers and separate them into a 
top priority category. Ł Know their business. What do you really know about your major customers' billing cycles? What about their invoice cutoff dates? By keeping communications lines open and asking appropriate business questions, you can often solve a collection prob-lem quickly and amicably. It also makes sense to keep up to 
date on a customer's financial 
condition to anticipate cash flow problems and plan solu-tions before problems occur. Ł Watch unsecured debts. In a sluggish economy, some businesses and individuals may be forced to seek bank-
ruptcy protection. That's why it's a good idea to secure as many major debts as possible. Remember that a secured debtor is the first paid when a 
debtor enters bankruptcy pro-tection. Ł For all new business, or-ganize a written credit policy. 
This is not as difficult as it may seem. In fact, the best credit policies are easily un-derstood guides outlining re-
quirements for extending 
credit, stating credit limits in 
time and dollars, and identify-ing the person in the business 
responsible for enforcing the policy. A written credit policy clar-ifies when accounts are con-sidered overdue. It also spells out how debtors will be con-
tacted (by letter, phone or per-sonally), at what point an account will be turned over for third-party collection, and at 
what point and what size debt your company will consider litigation. To go along with the pol-icy, it's a good idea to creat a standard credit application form, which would be completed by all new credit customers. There are legal re-
quirements for this document, which should be read and ap-proved by your company's at-torney before implementa-tion. Ł Implement a collection calendar. When the credit pol-
icy identifies a customer's ac-count as past due, a collection 
calendar becomes a useful tool for systematically pursuing deliquencies. A basic five-step 
approach for this device in-
cludes: 1 First billing at the time of service, or mailing to cus-
tomers immediately there-
after. Process billings more 
than once a month, since col-
lection industry surveys in-
dicate that most people pay 
after receiving the first 
notice. 2A second billing sent no more than 30 days later. This 
approach makes it easier for business and individual See AC on page 49 25 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 Gibeault says soil temperature triggers Bermuda dormancy RIVERSIDE, CAŠWhat one environmental factor is most responsible for Bermudagrass going into dormancy? Soil temperature, says Dr. Victor A. Gibeault, University of Cal-ifornia Cooperative Extension NLA from page 12 big winners with 21.9 and 19.1 percent growths repectively. Renovation projects, how-ever, fell 2.7 percent and com-mercial installations fell 0.8 percent. Outlook: Hurricane Hugo devastated the Charleston, SC, area. Demand for land-scaping there should be high but it will takes years for the area to recover. Ł Midwest (Great Lakes). A resurgence. Facto-
ries are making a comeback. The farmbelt got an economic boost with worldwide demand for U.S. grain up more than 35 percent last year. Total land-scape sales reflect the bright-ening economic picture in this 
areaŠup 20.3 percent overall. Commercial growth of 14.6 percent was particularly en-couraging. Ł Great Plains. Total landscape sales up 18.6 percent with 11.7 percent overall growth (including mainte-nance). New projects didn't exactly catch fire last year 
though with just a 5 percent increase in commercial ac-counts and new housing pro-jects rising just 3.5 percent. Residential renovation was the big winner, up 20 percent. The NLA reports that not enough responses were re-
ceived from the West and Southwest to provide accurate survey information, although 
scattered reports indicate that the California market is still strong in spite of a softening housing market. Some of the California sales are apparently 
heading north to the North-west where housing prices are escalating rapidly. 1990 sales? The Northeast, on average, predicted growth of 9.7 percent, the Southeast 15 percent. LCI EPA needs cash; will fees rise? WASHINGTON, D.C. ŠThe U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency is $160 million off its initial estimates for the costs of implmenting FIFRA '88. EPA has asked Congress for authority to increase regis-tration fees and remove the statutory cap on maintenance fees, reports Executive News-watch of the Chemical Spe-cialties Manufacturers Asso-ciation. LCI YOUR SEED SOURCE V ! Ł ShV? Service. "We found that soil tem-perature was the factor most closely associated with dor-mancy and solar radiation to be the least closely associated one," Gibeault reports. "Once soil temperatures dropped be-low 50 F for one to two weeks, all Bermudagrasses lost all of 
their color." That was just one of the findings Gibeault and staff re-
search associate Richard Au-tio uncovered in a three-year field study of 32 commercially available and experimental Bermudagrasses for winter color. Bermudagrasses are popular in California and widely used in home lawns here because they're water efficient and can take heavy 
traffic during warm months. Their big drawback: they go into dormancy during winter. Gibeault and Autio say the hybrid Bermudagrasses Santa 
Ana, Tifway II and Tifway had the least dormancy. LCI Calif. geneticist is high on kikuyugrass for turf RIVERSIDE, CAŠ"We believe that the outlook for improved varieties of kikuyugrass is quite promising," says geneticist Ruth G.Shaw. She and Matthew K. Leonard, both of the University of California Riverside, are attempting to improve the species genetically for turf use. Kikuyugrass is considered a weed by many California turf professionals, but the species does have good drought tolerance and good color retention during 
winter months, prompting Shaw and Leonard's work. "Our primary goal," said Shaw, "is to improve the texture of kikuyugrass by reducing the width of its leaf blade and the 
thickness of its stolons and by increasing its shoot density." Kikuyugrass is a serious weed problem in turf along the coastal and intermountain valleys of California from San Fran-
cisco to San Diego. It invades both cool- and warm-season 
turfgrasses. The invasion is usually rapid and complete. LCI Quality Turf-Seed varieties developed and produced for turf professionals. Species Variety Improved turf-type Kentucky Bluegrass Challenger Columbia Midnight Galaxy blend Imp. Common Ky. Voyager Circle No. 141 on Reader Inquiry Card Improved Birdie II turf-type Charger perennial Citation II ryegrass Manhattan II Omega II Remington Saturn Alliance blend CBS II blend Improved Aurora hard fescue Improved Shadow Chewings fescue Improved Bighorn Sheeps fescue Improved Flyer creeping fescue Fortress Shademaster Improved Apache tall fescue Bonanza Eldorado Monarch 
Murietta Olympic Silverado Triathalawn blend Improved Penncross creeping Penneagle bentgrass PennLinks Creeping Pennway bentgrass blend TURFSEED PO Box 250, Hubbard, OR 97032 503/981-9571 FAX 503/981-5626 1-800-247-6910 Carl Aebersold, harvesting crew foreman at Pacific Sod, Camarillo, CA, is pleased with the above-, and below-surface performance of dwarfer Monarch turf-type tall fescue. 26 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 Company emphasizes safety, not punishment Davey Tree feels its drug effort reducing mishaps KENT, OHIOŠTwo years ago the Davey Tree Expert Com-pany started a drug testing program to combat a rising employee accident rate. Com-pany management didn't know how many accidents were caused by drug and alco-hol use, but it was determined to reverse the trend. "As a company, we can no longer bury our heads in the sand and hope that the prob-lem will go awayŠit won't," R. Douglas Cowan, president and CEO, wrote in a letter to 
employees. "We care about our employees and our cus-
tomers and it's time that we face the problem head-on and 
implement measures that will significantly reduce drug and alcohol abuse in the Davey Company." Davey's program has three phases. The first involves em-
ployee education. "When it comes to drugs, our employees just don't know what they're dealing with," says Ron Cole, 
corporate risk manager. "Edu-cation is important." Phase two, the company tests all prospective hires and anyone involved in a serious, preventable accident. Any job applicant who tests positive is not hired. Phase three is the testing of employees "for cause," where 
there is a strong belief that drug or alcohol abuse is affect-ing safety and performance. Any employee who tests posi-tive is removed from the job, 
placed on a medical leave of absence without pay and re-
quired to seek treatment for drug and alcohol abuse. A Davey employee assistance of-ficer helps the worker find counseling. If the employee 
tests positive for drugs after four weeks, he or she is subject to discharge unless enrolled in a certified rehabilitation pro-
gram. If the test is negative, he or she can return to work if fit for duty. If a subsequent test is positive, however, the em-
ployee is discharged. Davey's drug policy has made hiring people more diffi-cult because many applicants leave as soon as they find out about the pre-employment 
drug screen. Others partici-pate in the drug screen but test 
positive. Ron Cole says the 
program is worth it, however. "We're hiring a better group of people, with fewer ac-
cidents, and another impor-tant result of the program has 
been employees' positive re-
sponse," says Cole. "The si-lent majority's fears have been quelled. I used to get calls 
where someone would say, 'I'm 
afraid. My foreman uses drugs, 
and I'm afraid he's going to hurt someone.'" Cole stresses that the tests are designed to help employ-ees. Anyone who tests positive is given a chance to receive treatment and go back to 
work. If employees recognize that they have a drug or alco-hol problem before they take a 
drug test, they can come for-ward for help without worry-ing about losing their job. "It is not the purpose of Davey to conduct a 'witch hunt' on this problem," says 
Cole. "We have a genuine con-cern for our employees and we 
wish to educate and assist any employee who has a problem in this area. Safety is our No. 1 concern. "The whole purpose of the program is a safety issue." LCI "We can no longer bury our heads in the sand,99 R. Douglas Cowan, CEO and president of Davey Tree. 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. 27 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 how may I help? Here are some tips on how to make every call have value BY NANCY J. FRIEDMAN A person calling your office forms an opinion about your company in the first four to six seconds. The person who picks up the phone represents the company to the caller. Anyone who has a phone on their desk can maximize the telephone's powerful poten-tial. The following tips can help: 1 When making a call, be prepared for the called party not to be there. Have a con-
cise message ready. The Wall Street Journal reports only 30 percent of all business calls 
get completed on the first try. Learn to get value out of every call. 2 Avoid "emotional leak-age". That's getting mad at 
Peter and taking it out on Paul. Don't leak negative 
emotions from one situation IF TRIUMPH CAN STOPONE OF THESE IN ITS TRACKS, IMAGINE WHAT IT CAN DOTO SOME LITTLE INSECT. Compared to other in-secticides, Triumph' can put the brakes to a good fifty percent or more of your callbacks. And with the cost per trip averaging around $75, that's no small savings we are talking about. It's also no great mys-tery how Triumph makes this possible. It simply controls turf insects (even not so little ones) better than anything else on the market. fi Circle No. 141 on Reader Inquiry Card into another. The caller wasn't involved with your last conversation. If you're in a bad mood, take a deep 
breath and regain your pro-fessional composure before you pick up the phone. 3 Answer the phone with your name. Everyone likes to know who they're talking 
with. This holds true for in-ternal as well as external calls. Use a a friendly greet-ing before you say your 
name; it indicates a warm re-ception. ("Good morning, 
this is Bill Jones." Or, "Hi, 
this is Bill Jones.") 4 Don't be too busy to be nice. Being busy does not mean you can be rude. (The 
caller doesn't know you're 
on a tight deadline.) If it's an inopportune time, tell the 
caller just that and suggest a 
call back time (from you or caller) that's more conven-ient. 5 Return all phone calls or have them returned in your behalf. Not returning a call is rude. Someone can make 
that call for you and get the 
ball rolling. 6 Tell vendors you don't want to hear from again the 
truth. Sales people need di-rection, and a weak, "he's 
not interested now" from a 
secretary won't deter a good 
salesperson. They need to hear it from you. If delivered properly and in the right tone, it will only take about 30 seconds of your time and, in most cases, will take care 
of the situation once and for all. 7 We are customers to each other. Treat internal 
calls as well as you do exter-nal calls. 8 If your party isn't avail-able, try stating the nature of your call. Three out of four 
people can normally assist 
you in most cases. They just need a chance. Again, get 
value out of every call. 9 Don't miss the message at your office when receiving calls. If your people are using, "Can I take a mes-sage," when you're not in, 
you're probably missing po-
tential business oppor-
tunities. It's too easy to say no. Try this instead: "Mr. or 
Mrs. Jones is out of the build-
ing right now. Let me have your name and number and I'll see that they get your 
message." Remember, the job is to get the message, not 
swear in court they'll return 
the call. That's the called 
party's responsibility. 10 Smile. This applies to everyone from CEO to ap-plicator. It can be heard. 
Smile before you answer the 
phone. LCI About the Author Nancy J. Friedman created the audio series on telephone skills 
and customer service, "How to Manage Your Telephone for 
Bigger Profits". For information, write to P.O. Box 777, St. Louis, MO 63044. 28 COVER STORY LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 fessional Grounds Manage-ment Society) are taking the lead in this effort." McClure describes herself as a "generalist". As a student at Washington State Univer-sity, Pullman, WA (she gradu-
ated from high school in Paris, France), she concentrated on social studies and journalism. She's worked as both a news editor and in radio. She says her first task with PLCAA will be to learn as much as possible about PLCAA, its staff, and mem-bership. "You need informa-
tion gathering first," she says. "I'm trying to absorb as much as I can so that I can learn what the staff anticipates, what the industry leaders are committed to, what our mem-bers need and want. "Any association should be member driven and it must de-termine what it has to do to fulfill the needs of its members and the people in the industry also. If the industry changes, the association must perceive that. Industries aren't static and associations can't be 
static either." McClure says she and her husband will live in the Atlanta area. They have two grown sons, one living in Virginia, the 
other in Texas. The family, she says, enjoys tennis. LCI Great speakers, timely topics ready at PLCAA Nashville fete LeBoeuf, author of How to Win Customers and Keep Them for Life and Working Smart, keynotes the Profes-sional Lawn Care Associa-tion's (PLCAA) 1990 Con-ference. (Although the GIE is a joint affair with the Professional Grounds Maintenance Soci-ety and the Associated Land-scape Contractors of America, each group will have its sepa-rate educational seminars.) PLCAA's '90 Conference, entitled "Practical Business Solutions for the '90s," runs Monday-Thursday, Nov. 
12-15. Sessions will include 
hands-on workshops, training 
sessions and roundtable dis-cussions. Sessions begin 8:30 a.m. Monday with three sets of "Early Bird Workshops"Š 
Business featuring busi-
nessmen Ed Coaia, Ed 
Wandtke and Patrick Norton; Pesticide Training with ex-perts Dr. Robert Sherman, Dr. A. J. Powell, Dr. Patricia Cobb, and Sheila Darr; and Landscape Issues with William Nelson, Dr. Gary Wade, Robert Baier, and Phi-
lip Christian III. Rounding out Monday, of course, is keynote speaker Michael LeBoeuf at 1:30 p.m., and the Green Industry Expo Reception 6:30-7:30 p.m. sponsored by Lawn Care In-
dustry magazine and its sister publication Landscape Man-agement. Tuesday, 8 a.m., concurrent sessions: Ł Chemical Lawn Care with Richard Bare, Brent Flory, James Rogers. Ł Landscape & Mowing, Robert Baier. Ł Full Service, Robert Kapp. Tuesday 3:30 p.m. work-shops: Ł Customer Issues, Dr. Larry Kokkelenberg. Ł Company Issues, Rich-ard Lehr, Esq. Ł Regulatory/Govern-mental, Dr. Stuart Cohen. LCOS from page 1 ment course which entitles her to use the designation C.A.E.ŠCertified Association Executive. "There's an awful lot I can bring from my experiences in the other green industry asso-ciations to PLCAA. I realize we all have our unique con-cerns but we also share many 
concerns," says McClure. "Cooperation, I think, will grow among these associa-tions. I think the three associ-ations involved with the Green Industry Expo (PLCAA, ALCA, and the Pro-Anne McClure describes herself as a 'generalist". She foresees more cooperation between green industry associations. NASHVILLE, TN ŠWhen you're described as the "most savvy salesman in America" you better be convincing. Green Industry Expo (GIE) attendees will find out Mon-day, Nov. 12, at 1:30 p.m. when super salesman Michael LeBoeuf takes the stage at the 
Nashville Convention Center. Circle No. 119 on Reader Inquiry Card Michael LeBoeuf, keynoter Service workshops for the repair/maintenance of pumps, 
2-cycle and 4-cycle engine be-gin at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Tuesday 4:15 p.m. work-shops: Ł Customer Issues, Kok-kelenberg. Ł Company Issues, Voy-stock. Ł EPA Update, Arty Williams. Wednesday 8 a.m. Business Roundtables: Ł IPM, Dr. James Wilkin-son, Dr. David Shetler. Ł Grasscycling, Dr. William Knoop, Sandy Mail-ing. Ł Containment Systems, Dr. Kirk Hurto. Ł Ethics & Business Ad-vertising. Dan Gardner, Richard Lehr. Wednesday 3:30 p.m. Workshops: Ł Value of Service, Kok-kelenberg. Ł Reducing Service Calls, Larry Blackburn. Ł Effective Training, Robert Andrews. Wednesay 4:15 p.m. Work-shops: Ł Lawn Chemical Con-cerns, Dr. Barry Troutman. Ł Risk Management, Lloyd Benedict. Ł DOT and SARA Title Updates, Sarah Bundschuh. Special note for prospective PLCAA members: Be sure to attend the "Speakeasy" Re-
ception Tuesday 5 p.m. at the Convention Center. Free re-
freshments. LCI 29 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 Landscapes and turf extremely important to homeowners AAN says watering bans aren't the answer The American Association of Nurserymen (AAN) says less than one percent of our na-tion's daily water consump-
tion goes to watering the landscape, and watering bans are not the solution to water shortages. Imposing watering bans only causes a new problemŠ damage to our environmentŠ 
while doing very little for the 
existing problem: a shortage of 
water, says the AAN. Plants need water to sur-vive. People need plants for the benefits they offer. For ex-ample, plants help purify the air, stabilize the soil, conserve energy, clean the water and re-
duce noise. Plants also con-
tribute to our mental and 
emotional well being. Killing landscape plants by withholding water would have a negative impact on the envi-ronment, the average property owner, and the nursery and landscape industry, says AAN. In losing trees, grass and other vegetation, the environ-ment loses more than beauty and color. It loses the cleans-ing role that vegetation plays 
in absorbing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. The nursery and landscape industry, which employs over 
half a million people and sells 
nearly $17 billion annually in products and services, would stand to lose its economic 
viability. This would result in lost jobs, tax revenues and en-vironmentally essential 
plants. How would watering bans affect you as a homeowner? Most of the economic value in the average residential land-scape has been invested in de-ciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. One study pub-
lished by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service shows the presence of trees and other living plants can increase a property's value by up to 30 percent. Living plants in the land-scape are a major financial in-vestment for property owners, according to AAN. This in-vestment is at risk of needless loss with watering bans. As long as you use water wisely, you can engage in envi-ronmentally conscious liv-
ingŠand refrain from sarific-ing the beauty of the it means A, SLOW MOVING« M ft VEHICLE SnB landscape. To save water when you're establishing a landscape: Ł water slowly, deeply and infrequently; Ł reduce steep slopes in the design; Ł test your soil and fertilize or lime according to test re-sults; Ł install an irrigation sys-tem set to provide about one soaking per week (in most areas); Ł select drought-tolerant varieties of grass, trees, shrubs and groundcovers; Ł use sod rather than seed when establishing a lawn; Ł use a soil probe or screw-driver to test soil moistureŠif 
the probe is easily inserted into the soil, you may not need to water; Ł water in the early morn-ing or evening; Ł stop watering if runoff oc-curs; Ł mow your lawn higher than normal with a sharp 
blade, as dull mower blades in-crease moisture loss from the plant; Ł consider a less than "lush" lawnŠmany types of grass allowed to go dormant 
during droughts will "green 
up" when rains return; Ł spot-water areas which dry out more quickly; Ł aerify grass to increase water penetration in the soil; Ł match fertilizer to plant requirements; Ł increase disease and in-sect control with care. With planning and overall education, we can find a way to reduce our consumption of water without depriving the living landscape. LCI IT'S 8:37 A.M. AND YOUR GRASS IS ON THE LINE. If your greens look more like browns, or if your fair-ways are anything but the fairest, golfers can get really teed-off. And the last person you want to upset, is the 
first person who's going to complain to management. Save your grass with Turf TerraŽ Fertilizers from Koos/Shore® Formulated to release slowly, Turf Terra creates a lush blanket of grass that grows slowly and evenly. Meaning no excessive growth. Or excessive mowing. You see, each granule of Turf Terra is a homogeneous blend of the essential elements grass needs... including 
nitrogen, phosphorous and potash. This insures an even distribution of nutrients... and a golf course with 
consistent growth and color. Available in Tee and Green, Weed Control, and Fair-way Food formulas, Turf Terra Fertilizers are the best 
way to get out of the rough. For more information, call your local ^ jk Koos/Shore pro. Ł Ł Ł Ł KOOS Inc., 4500 13th Ct.( Kenosha, Wl 53141 Ł 1-800-558-5667 Ł 1-414-654-5301 Shore Fertilizer Co., 307 S. Evers St., Plant City, FL 33566 Ł 1-800-329-2203 Ł 1-813-754-3577 Circle No. 141 on Reader Inquiry Card See us at the Green Industry Expo Booth #1101 and 1103 30 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 Exclusive Lawn Cam Industix coverage of Turfgrass Paradise sessions Focus on ground water in Florida Florida professor tells industry to be more careful with containers, rinsate BY RON HALL editor ORLANDO, FLŠTesting for the presence of pesticides, par-
ticularly in ground water, will accelerate during the 1990s. Applicators must become more sophisticated in the dis-posal of pesticide containers. "One of our big problems in pesticide use is triple rinsing containers," Dr. Daniel L. Colvin, told turf managers at the Turfgrass Paradise Con-
vention here this fall. Colvin, an assistant professor at the University of Florida, Gaines-ville, said regulators have the capability of detecting one 
part per trillion of some com-
pounds. 4 4 That's something pesticide users must think about," he says, adding that industry, as a whole, spends a 
lot of time discussing new compounds on the market, 
what they'll do, how they can be used, "but we spend very little time discussing the right way to get rid of the containers and the rinsate." Another factor in the pesticide-use picture in Flor-ida, Colvin added, is ground water. It's the source of almost all of Florida's drinking water and, for the most part, this 
ground water is no deeper than 
eight to 15 feet from the soil's surface. Also, most soils in 
Florida are either sandy or sandy /loam. Pesticides users "Guides" will help applicators avoid ground water problems Dr. Arthur guides for WÊ Hornsby developing applicators ORLANDO, FL ŠTurfgrass managers may soon have a 
"Growers Guide" to deter-
mine the potential for leaching or runoff for particular chemi-cals at particular job sites. Dr. Arthur Hornsby, speak-ing at the Turfgrass Paradise Convention here, said guides are in the works for row crops 
and for turf. The guides out-line the properties of pesticides, soils and manage-ment practices (irrigation, ap-plication rate and frequency), and how the three are inter-related. The guides will allow an applicator "to select the 
chemicals that control a par-
ticular pest, using information about how they (pesticides) move in the soil, how per-
sistent they are and what the properties of the soils are," said Hornsby, professor of soil physics and extension spe-cialist at the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. Hornsby described the Growers Guides (several should be available by year's 
end) as "decision aids, a Employees must learn of all hazards in work place, says right-to-know law ORLANDO, FLŠ"My super-visor told me." Burt McKee called those four words "golden words" and "dynamite words" and told turf managers at Turfgrass Paradise they may save their jobs or businesses 
some day. McKee, environmental manager for United Agri-Products/Florida, spoke about 
"right to know"Šinforming employees about hazards in their work areas. "Your employees aren't re-sponsible to know what MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) are. You are," said McKee. "Your employees See WORK on page 31 Work. Work. Work. Relaxation is for your customers. If it*s work you want, Americalist* direct marketing services will keep you busy. We know where your best prospects live and exactly 
how to reach them. What's more, we have everything you need at one convenient source: names and numbers of 25 million single-family homes that can afford your services, instant mailers or customized direct mail packages, and a complete telemarketing bureau with 120 outbound stations, including predictive dialers. So if you want to get busy and stay busy, just call Americalist today and ask about our NeighborSelex program. We'll do the rest. Now, you can relax. # americalist OmSION OF HAINES t tOMFANY, IH C 1.800.321.0448 USA 1.800.962.7881 OH 216.494.0226 Fax Americalist is a division of Haines & Co., Inc.Špublisher of the Cmi +Cross* Directory since 1932. straight-forward screening method." This information will help turf managers avoid con-taminating ground water with turf pesticides. For example, LCOs can check with their lo-cal Soil Conservation Service to determine the nature of the soil they're treating (sandy, 
clay, etc.), then they can check 
the "grower guide" to see just 
which pesticides are least likely to leach or be carried off by rain water, based on the 
products' sorptivity, its per-sistance, etc. This informa-tion helps generate relative leaching or relative runoff po-tentials for each pesticide on each soil type. "Presently, pesticide users are expected not to cause any 
water quality problems, but they're not told just how to do 
this," Hornsby told Lawn Care Industry. "If you under-stand the processes that lead to leaching or runoff...then 
you can choose pesticides that are less likely to run off or less likely to leach," said Hornsby. "There is no way we can stop all leaching or all runoff. The alternative is no pesticides 
and I don't think that's ac-ceptable." Hornsby said the "Growers Guide" for turfgrass may be broken into separate guides for golf, sod production and lawn care. Hornsby said the response he's received from the chemical 
industry has been positive. LCI Dr. Daniel Colvin says ground water testing to accelerate. who mix chemical products at the same site year after year (particularly if it's near a well head or other water source) or dispose of excess product im-properly can easily pollute ground water. Once a pesticide is in the ground water it breaks down very very slowly. Trends? Colvin (his exam-ple focused on a compound used exclusively in agri-
culture) said pesticide sup-
pliers may reduce the labeled rates of some products to keep them from posing a ground water contamination problem. Also, new pesticide delivery 
systems are on the way. 
They'll better pinpoint appli-cations. Colvin defined the term "pesticide stewardship" for the 75 turfgrass managers at his discussion: managing pesticides and pesticide usage with proper regard to the rights of others. LCI Toro explains loss in first quarter MINNEAPOLIS, MN ŠTORO Co. said softness in the irriga-tion market and lower sales of its snow thrower machines 
contributed to a loss of 40 to 50 
cents a share in its first 
quarter, ending Oct. 26. Also, higher-than-antici-pated expenses related to the new distribution strategy for its Lawn-Boy Inc. subsidiary contributed to the loss. Toro is 
emphasizing direct-to-dealer marketing for Lawn-Boy products. Even so, reports the Wall Street Journal, Toro expects net to exceed $2 a share in fiscal 1991, up from $1.55 in 1990. LCI Comprehensive Insurance Programs for Lawn Care Operations We currently have three Property and Casualty Programs for Lawn Care Operators underwritten by A + rated insurance companies. Coverage is available in all states except Hawaii and Alaska. Herbicide/Pesticide Applicators coverages, General Liability, Property, Inland Marine, Commercial Fleet, Workers Compensation and Umbrellas are available. These programs offer competitive rates for L.C.O.'s with an excellent loss history. Self insured retentions and retrospective alternatives are available for larger risks. M.F.P. Insurance Agency, Inc. 42 E. Gay Street, Suite 904 Columbus, OH 43215 614-221-2398 Attn: Richard P. Bersnak, President Circle No. 102 on Reader Inquiry Card Circle No. 129 on Reader Inquiry Card 31 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 Amer. Cyanamid creates new three-person team WAYNE, NJ ŠAmerican Cyanamid Company consoli-dated business units and cre-
ated a new ventures team to develop niche markets. Targeted was AC's Vegeta-tion and Pest Control (VPC) Department which now has three business groupsŠTurf and Ornamentals, Industrial 
Vegetation, and Public Health 
products. Previously Turf and Lawn & Garden were two sep-arate groups. In a related matter, the new three-person ventures team 
will be directed by Terrance L. Baker, formerly a herbicide products director with BASF. Its purpose is to create addi-tional niche businesses, par-ticularly in biopesticides, horticulture and public health products. "The changes represent a long-term commitment to Cyanamid's development of 
new products," said Howard SL. Minigh, general manager of VPC. Under the reorganization, Basagran T/O gets EPA reg RALEIGH, NCŠThe Specialty 
Business Group of BASF Cor-poration says Basagran T/O herbicide is now registered by the Environmental Protection Agency and labeled for use on 
turf and ornamentals. "By creating Basagran T/ O, a product directed to the turf and ornamental markets, 
we can concentrate our re-search efforts and refine the product's label better than one that is also used in agricultural markets," says Terry Hanson, business manager for the BASF Specialty Group. Basagran controls nutsedge and broadleaf weeds like this-
tles, mustards and purslane. 
The product can be applied to 
established bluegrass, fescue, 
bentgrass, Bermudagrass, 
bahiagrass, centipedegrass, zoysiagrass, ryegrass and St. Augustine grass, says the com-pany which recommends that applicators avoid going over-the-top with the product on shrubs and ornamentals. Spraying near trees, shrubs and flowers is possible. LCI FGNA show big ORLANDO, FLŠA record 273 landscape architects, con-tractors and maintenance firms attended the Florida Nursery and Allied Trades Show here in October. During the Show, Katy Moss Warner of Walt Disney World presented 38 Florida Nurserymen and Growers As-sociation Landscape Awards 
at the Stouffer Resort. LCI Randy G. Boomgaarden be-comes manager of Industrial 
Vegetation Products; John Rabby manager of Turf and 
Ornamentals; and Charles 
Galley remains business man-ager Public Health products. "We've moved people among departments to facilitate cross 
training and we've changed the organizational structure to bet-ter serve existing business," said Minigh. LCI WORK from page 30 must know what the hazards are. In fact, employers are now required by law to inform em-ployees of any potentially haz-ardous materials in the workplace, to develop a Haz-ard Communication Program. "You can teach your people pesticide symptoms," said McKee. "You can teach them things like what to do if they get pesticides in their eyes or on their bodies. Under the Hazard Communication Act, you must try to teach them." McKee told employers and supervisors to build a photo-
graphic record of training ses-sions and have employees sign documents like pesticide la-
bels etc., in case there's any dispute over who received 
what training. And, should an OSHA in-spector ever tour your busi-ness or facility, the best words you'll here from your employ-ees are "my supervisor told me. That shows that you took the time to train them," said McKee. "You must train them." LCI Burt McKee: employers must inform employees of hazards Why this magazine ami more than 900others le tus go over their books once a year. Some magazines, we're sorry to say, keep their readers undercover. They steadfastly refuse to let BPA (Business Publications Audit of Circulation, Inc.) or any other independent, not-for-profit organization audit their circulation records. On the other hand, over 900 publications (like this one) belong to BPA. Once a year, BPA auditors examine and verify the accuracy of our circulation records. This audit provides the name, company, industry and job title of every reader each publication reaches. The information helps advertisers to determine if they are saying the right thing to the right people in the right place. It also helps somebody else important: you. Because the more a publication and its advertisers know about you, the better they can provide you with articles and advertisements that meet your informational needs. BPA. For readers it stands for meaningful information. For advertisers it stands for meaningful readers. Business 
Publications Audit of Circulation, Inc. T9/DDA 360 Park Ave. So., New York, NY 10010. V Drrt X\k count, so your ads ivilL 32 COVER STORY LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 MH1 CHOICE OF l\ ^ I TOP OPERATORS Model JD9-CT SPRAY GUN with Gauge Port Residential service al-lows a lawn care busi-ness owner to build net worth, says DeAngelo. Com-mercial/industrial work, al-thougth potentially profit-ableŠand a segment of the market the DeAngelo brothers have been particularly suc-cessful inŠcan give an LCO an inaccurate picture of his 
company's strength. "Residential work is still our largest money maker and it's still what builds net worth. My goal is to build my net worth," says DeAngelo. "In the commercial/industrial market, it's low bid. Every ac-count you have to resell almost every year just to get back to 
where you were. All a com-petitor has to do is beat your price and they get the work." The two keys to a profitable base of residential clients, ac-
cording to Lawn Specialties: deliver quality service and market, market, market. "We have satisfied custom-ers," says DeAngelo. "You can lowball and you can come in with a different program but we're confident in our market-ing and our service and you couldn't take those customers." DeAngelo says his company showed dramatic new cus-tomer growth in new custom-ers until 1986. Since then he and his brother Paul have been increasing the services 
they're offering in addition to lawn applications. "By mar-
keting these services heavily Partners and brothers. Paul, left, we've been able to increase our receipts and our dollars per customer," he says. DeAngelo believes LCOs, in general, will offer clients more services such as liming, tree 
and shrub care, renovation 
and reseeding, arefication, etc. Only in certain marketsŠper-
haps where the season is par-ticularly long, or the market area is particularly affluent, or there's a heavy concentration of industrial/commercial ac-
countsŠwill LCOs marry 
chemical applications with mowing and maintenance. You've Paid Your Dues. Now Pä Y)urse A ServiceMastcr LawnCare Franchise lets you be your own boss and get the payback 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. TERM/MIX merry maids. AMERICAN HOME SHIELD' SEE US AT QREEN INDUSTRY EXPO, BOOTHS 1410/1412 Circle No. 135 on Reader Inquiry Card and Neal DeAngelo. "It's (mowing) an unregulated business," he says. "Pricewise you can't price where you need to make any money." Also, he says, if the U.S. economy 
slows more, there will be a fresh influx of "people back 
out there with pickup trucks 
and lawn mowers on weekends 
to supplement their incomes." Another trend DeAngelo sees is more "dialogue" between application and mowing/maintenance firms. Lawn Specialities sub-contracts for three such busi-nesses. "I think there's going to be more cooperation be-tween lawn care companies and maintenance firms," he predicts. As for his election as presi-dent of PLCAA, "I'm hon-
ored," he says. "There have 
only been a dozen or so presi-dents of PLCAA and now I'm 
going to be one. I see it as a helluva opportunity because I'm going to be surrounded by a lot of good people." Neal's first order of busi-ness as president will be to sit down with lawn care industry leaders, brainstorm and deter-
mine just where the industry 
is, where it's going and what PLCAA's role should be. "There are a lot of ques-tions. Do we need 2,000 mem-bers? Do we want to represent just the chemical lawn care in-dustry or do we also want to include the mowing/mainte-nance, irrigation firms, land-scape firms?" asks DeAngelo. "We're going to try to de-velop a viable, overall, long-
term strategic plan." One exciting prospect that DeAngelo's already touched is promises opportunity. "Even if the economy turns bad there'll be a need for our services," he says. "Once peo-ple have a service, they want to keep it. People are used to manicured lawns and I don't 
see them going back to land-
scapes that are sparse and full of weeds." PREZ from page 1 company person and I had no interest in continuing in 
school," says DeAngelo of his decision fresh out of the local catholic high school to work for nobody but himself. He borrowed money from his fa-ther and the bank to buy a pickup truck and mower in 1978. Today, he and his brother Paul, 25, are partners in a prosperous lawn care busi-ness in the Pocono Mountain area (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton) of Pennsyl-vania, Lawn Specialities. In less than a decade they parlayed what they'd built from scratch, a 280-customer 
mowing/maintenance com-pany into a 2,000-customer application company. Neal credits equal doses 
of service-oriented phi-losophy, hard work and good timing. "We hit the lawn care industry and the fertiliz-ing business in this area as it was taking off," he admits. As the 1980s began he was driving a 2400-gallon oil de-livery truck in winters. ChemLawn was just gaining 
attention in Hazleton. When 
the owner of the oil company suggested that DeAngelo modify the tank truck and use it a summer for lawn ap-
plications, DeAngelo thought why not? "In the first year the guy in the spray truck came back 
with more receipts than a crew of three with maintenance," says DeAngelo. "When I ana-lyzed the financial picture I saw that lawn care was the place to be." It's still the place to be, and he's rededicating Lawn Spe-cialties to the people responsi-
ble for its growth and successŠhis residential cus-tomers. DeAngelo is con-vinced the public continues to 
want lawn care. The market, if not expanding like it did in the 
early and mid 1980s, still Lawn Specialties active in the Pocono Mountain area of eastern Pennsylvania. DeAngelo is refocusing it to residential markets. See us at booths 1210 & 1212 in Nashville \ Ł Tapped at top for optional gauge to calibrate pressure settings at gun. Ł Reliable, fully adjustable, built-to-last. At Your Distributor or Call Us at (312)644-2830 ENCAP PRODUCTS COMPANY A subsidiary of H.D. Hudson Manufacturing Co. 500 North Michigan Avenue Chicago, II 60611 Circle No. 119 on Reader Inquiry Card 33 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 ŁŁŁŁŁ Charge more! DeAngelo says customers should pay extra to get their lawns in shape Neal DeAngelo says lawn care professionals (including him-self) cheat themselves as much as 20 percent of their potential revenues. LCOs, he says, don't charge enough to solve cus-tomers' initial lawn problems. "We provide real value with our application programs yet we haven't done a good job in 
creating a preceived value 
with our customers," he tells 
Lawn Care Industry. In this regard, he says, LCOs can learn from pest control. For example, he says he re-cently hired a pest control spe-
cialist to rid his home of 
carpenter ants. The PCO ad-
vised him to sign up for a quar-
terly pest program at $65 a 
visit. "I said, Tine, put me on 
the program,' but the pest con-
trol guy said, 'Whoa, first you have to pay me $150 to get rid of the carpenter ants you al-ready have.' "Now, at the end of the year I ask my wife why we're spend-ing $260 a year for pest con-trol. 'Let's cancel it,' I say. But my wife says we might get ants again, then we're going to have 
to pay another $150 just get rid 
of them again," explains De-
Angelo. "We might as well stay on the program and pay the $260 and be done with it." Most lawn care companies, however, instead of charging more to beautify and strengthen a sorry lawnŠusu-
ally when product costs are 
greatest and callbacks most 
likely Š offer services at "maintenance prices," the 
same prices they charge for when the lawn is vigorous and relatively easy to maintain. Worse yet, some LCOs dis-
count or half-price initial ap-plications. This, claims DeAngelo, gives lawn care customers the wrong message: that once a problem lawn is brought up to 
par, they can skip applica-tions. Or even forego applica-
tions for a season, save the recent germination of state lawn care associations. Neal is president and a found-ing member of the Lawn Care Association of Pennsylvania. "We're (PLCAA lead-ership) going to sit down with 
all the state presidents and ask what do the state organiza-
tions need from PLCAA? What will our relationship be? If it's not ever discussed or considered, every state is 
going to do its own thing and we want this opportunity to 
build a good relationship with the state associations." PLCAA, a working per-son's association, has for its president in 1991, a young, en-ergetic workingman. LCI themselves $250 or so and re-join at the same maintenance rate (perhaps, even at a dis-counted rate) later. Because they've been off a program, their lawn will need extra at-
tention at that time. DeAngelo says LCOs now have a good opportunity to sell the continued value of their services because of the public's concern over control products and LCOs' shift to integrated pest management (IPM) tech-niques to reduce pesticide usage. "Once a customer has been skipping applications or sea-
sons, it limits what kind of IPM I can offer," he says. "If a customer stays with a program 
at the maintenance level, we 
can give them a good IPM pro-gram and limit chemical usage on their lawn." "It'll take time, but if every-body is aware of the problem 
and starts working to build 
this market back up, a few years from today, we'll take the market that we've shrunk and start increasing it again," he says LCI ¿awa *pec/a/t/es SPECIALISTSJFES5I0NAL LAWN CARE Lawn Specialties manager Phil Voystock, helps success. EASY GOING DOWN Site factors can wreck a job: whether they are gusty winds, slippery areas, heavy mulch materials, or even work crews. That's why we've designed DeWitt Pro 5 Weed Barrier the way we did. Its heavier weight keeps installation time downŠcrews aren't spending extra time trying to hold down a lighter material during windy times. 
Pro 5's special "fuzzy side" helps the fabric stay 
put on more slippery areasŠand, when placed "fuzzy side" up, even holds the mulch on sloped sites. Its heavy weight and woven pattern mean that Pro 5 won't tear or puncture from mulches such as gravel. ZH&t&t Easy to handle Easy to install - Easy on time schedules VA/GGU EaSy 0n the mind Barrier. Contact your local Lawn & Garden or Nursery Distributor For one nearest you call . . . 1-800-888-9669 (USA) 1-314-472-0048 (International) FAX #1-314-471-6715 ^DeTPitt COMPANY See what's going down with us at these trade shows: Penn-allied, SNA, TAN, and The National Hardware Show 34 COVER STORY LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 Dry or liquid, does it matter? DRY from page 1 LCOs' choice. There is more diversity in liquid-applied fer-tilizers, but many can be used 
by either delivery system. Quick- or slow-release Years ago, the main nitro-gen fertilizers were granular. More recently, a variety of liq-uid nitrogen fertilizers have become commercially avail-able. Some LCOs suggest in 
their advertisements and non-
technical literature that liquid nitrogen fertilizers are quick-release and lack slow-release characteristics because of 
their dissolution or suspen-sion in water. In truth, however, liquid fertilizers can be slow release. The majority of the liquid nitrogen fertilizers on the 
market today are UF (ureafor-maldehyde)-type fertilizers formed by reacting urea with formaldehyde. In the reaction process, an organic (carbon) compound called mono-methylol urea (MMU) is ini-tially formed. As the reaction 
continues, short-chain methy-lene urea polymersŠwhich are water solubleŠare formed. Later in the reaction, long-chain methylene urea poly-mersŠwhich are insoluble in water Š are formed. The amount of water-soluble and water-insoluble products in the UF-reaction process can 
be changed by altering reac-
tion variables. The final prod-
uct is a mixture of urea, methylol urea and various chain-length methylene ureas with different solubilities. The nitrogen release or availability characteristics of UF-type fertilizers are classi-fied by the solubility of the products in water: Fraction I. Cold water solu-ble nitrogen (CWSN) * consists of free urea and short-chain methylene urea * methylene diurea and di-methylene triurea * soluble component of so-lutions and suspensions * nitrogen release is rapid and similar to quickly-avail-able sources Fraction II. Cold water in-soluble nitrogen (CWIN) * consists of slowly-avail-able nitrogen and intermedi-
ate length methylene urea polymers * trimethylene tetraurea and tetramethylene urea poly-mers * solid component of sus-pensions * nitrogen release is slow and over a period of several weeks Fraction III. Hot water in-soluble nitrogen (HWIN) * consists of slowly-avail-able nitrogen and long-chain methylene urea polymers * pentamethylene hexaurea and longer-chain polymers * solid component of sus-pensions * nitrogen release is very slow and over a period of sev-eral years True or clear solution fertil-izers (like Formolene, Resi-Grow 4340 and 4341, Nitro-26 and Morral NBN) do provide lower burn potential than urea. They all contain a fair percentage of free urea ranging from 25 to 50 percent. Turfgrass residual response from these solution fertilizers 
in field studies has usually not been found to be significantly different from urea. N-Sure is a solution that differs from the previously-mentioned solutions; it con-tains nitrogen primarily in the form of triazones and free 
urea. Triazones are cyclic ni-
trogen compounds that form when the fertilizer is manufac-
tured by reacting urea, formal-dehyde and ammonia. Fluf, Homogesol-27, U-Win, Slo-Release, Nutralene, 
and Resi-Grow 4318 are flowa-
ble urea-formaldehyde reac-
tion products that contain 
both water-insoluble and water-soluble methylene ureas. Quick response is ob-
tained with these materials from the soluble fraction, but the intensity of response is not 
as great as with urea and solu-tion fertilizers. These nitrogen suspension fertilizers have a 
significantly lower burn po-tential and a better residual than urea. Yes, liquid fertilizers can be slow release! Nitrogen leaching Leaching is the process whereby nitrogen moves 
through the soil profile with water to lower soil depths. This nitrogen can become un-available for turfgrass use once it leaves the plant rootzone and, also, can potentially in-crease nitrate levels in under-
ground water. Some lawn care companies have dwelled on these nega-tives in their advertisements, stating that liquid fertilizers leach nitrogen more readily than granular fertilizers since 
they are already dissolved in 
water. Our industry wants the public and the press to believe that leaching of pesticides and nutrients in the turfgrass sys-tem is minimal. How can they expect credibility from the public when this type of er-roneous information is being presented? The soluble and insoluble nitrogen portions of liquid and granular fertilizers react sim-ilarly once they reach the soil surface. Leaching, therefore, will be no more or less with liquids compared to granules with similar fertilizer sources. So lawn care companies that claim otherwise are openly suggesting to the public that our industry is damaging the 
environment. Liquid nitrogen fertilizers do not leach more readily 
than granular nitrogen fer-
tilizers! Turfgrass burn High salt concentrations are potentially injurious to plant tissue. Nitrogen fertil-izers can cause plant burn in two basic ways: 1 A high salt concentra-tion in the soil solution sur-rounding the turfgrass roots is caused by dissolving fertil-izer in the root vicinity. This 
causes a decrease in water availability, essentially plac-
ing the plant under water stress. 2 Soluble salts are de-posed on the surface of turfgrass leaves and stems. A high concentration of salt particles in direct contact with the leaves and stems 
causes movement of water from the plant tissue to the salt particle. Desiccation and eventual death of the tissue 
adjacent to the salt particle 
thusly occurs. Moderate burn usually re-sults in whiter or bleached leaf blades and their tips. Se-
vere burn usually results in 
a fairly rapid desiccation and 
browning of the entire plant. Plant burn from fertilizers 
normally occurs within sev-eral days following fertilizer 
application. Lower soil 
moisture and higher soil 
temperatures usually in-
crease the potential for fer-
tilizer burn. The salt index is used to differentiate the relative burn potential. It is based on sodium nitrate being equal to 100. The higher the value, 
the greater the tendency for fertilizer burn. Water soluble or quickly-available nitrogen sources, like urea and ammonium ni-
trate, have a high salt index, 
thus a high burn potential. Solutions containing meth-ylol urea and short-chain methylene ureas have a lower burn potential. For ex-ample, Formolene (rating 1.5) exhibits a significantly lower burn rating than liq-uid urea (rating 5.5). Water insoluble or slowly-available nitrogen sources like intermediate- to 
long-chain methylene ureas 
and IBDU have a low water 
solubility, low salt index and low burn potential. In gen-
eral, nitrogen sources ap-plied as liquids have a higher 
burn potential than the same nitrogen sources applied in a granular or dry form. The granular source has a greater tendency to fall from the plant surface to the thatch or soil, reducing the potential for direct foliar 
burn. Plant burn from gran-ular sources will increase, 
however, on wet or moist fo-
liage compared to dry fo-
liage. In contrast, liquid fertilizer sources tend to coat 
the turf plant, increasing fo-
liar burn potential. Liquid urea has a greater tendency to burn than gran-ular urea. In Ohio State Uni-versity tests, granular urea 
was five to six times safer 
than liquid urea under con-ditions conducive to plant burn. A lower application vol-ume will increase the poten-tial for plant burn with liquid sources. The lower 
volume simply results in a 
greater physical placement 
or entrapment of the fertil-izer (salt) on the plant sur-
faces. Many lawn care com-panies have considered lower application volumes 
to reduce the costs of liquid 
application. Economically, 
this is sound, but agron-omically it increases the likelihood of turf burn. A re-
duction in application vol-35 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 ume during cool weather would be safest. Some liquid lawn care companies have changed to granular fertilizers during hot weather to lower the po-
tential for turfgrass burn 
and injury. Late-season fertilization Late-season fertilization is a program used by lawn care companies on cool-season 
turfgrasses. Nitrogen is ap-plied in the late fall when top-growth ceases but when 
turfgrass is still green and not 
dormant. Claimed advantages to late-season fertilization in-clude better root growth, en-hanced spring and fall color, 
less disease, improved heat 
and drought tolerance, and overall a physiologically healthier plant. Nitrogen sources that are most efficient late-season fer-tilizers do not rely on tem-
perature for nitrogen release, like urea, IBDU, nitrogen so-lutions and urea/short-chain methylene ureas. There are more and better choices among the granular fertilizer group for late-season 
fertilization. In addition, lawn care firms find granular appli-cations more acceptable to ap-ply in the cold, late fall period. Many lawn care com-panies have moved to the use of granular fertilizers in 
late-season fertilization for agronomic and operational reasons. Liquid fertilization and nitrogen Some non-technical liter-ature has claimed that liquid 
turfgrass fertilization provides nutrients to the tops and not to the roots and other plant 
parts. Fertilization with liquid ni-trogen, specifically urea, does result in a significant absorp-tion of nitrogen into the leaves. Nitrogen and many other elements are, however, 
quite mobile within the plant. It is incorrect to assume that nitrogen absorbed by the leaves remains static in the 
leaf tissue. Nitrogen and sev-eral other elements have been shown to move from leaves to roots and back again several times. Nitrogen mobility can 
be considered to be just as dy-namic in the plant as in the soil. Liquid nitrogen fertilizers do not feed only the tops and not the roots. Ammonia volatilization Ammonia volatilization is up to 30 to 50 percent nitrogen loss as ammonia from nitrogen fertilizers. Most people con-
sider liquid nitrogen sources to have a greater potential for volatilization than granular sources. Several researchers have measured ammonia losses 
from granular and liquid urea: Ł Torello reported quite low ammonia losses of 4.6 and 1.6 percent from liquid and Generally, the agronomic differences between granular and liquid nitrogen sources that have similar chemical characteristics are smallŠDr. John Street, The Ohio State University. granular urea, respectively. Ł Shearman et. al. found ammonia losses from liquid 
and granular urea to be sim-ilar. Ł Titko and Street deter-mined ammonia losses to be consistently greater from granular urea than liquid urea. 
At 70°F, ammonia losses from 
granular and liquid urea were 35.1 and 13.5 percent, respec-tively. Higher temperatures increased ammonia losses while irrigation following fer-
tilizer application reduced losses. The greater volatilization losses from granular urea com-pared to liquid urea in Ohio State research were unex-pected. They can, however, be easily explained by the tend-ency for the urea granule to be hydroscopic (absorb water) and maintain a high microen-vironment pH (8.5 to 9.0) around the granule, favoring 
ammonia volitalization. In contrast to granular ap-plications, liquid urea applica-
tions dilute the urea concentration over the plant See DRY on page 36 Circle No. 141 on Reader Inquiry Card 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-
at the time crabgrass germinates. It's a crabgrass control strategy that really works. 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 effective, most economical way to beat crabgrass. Read and faikw label directions carefully Acdami and the name and k£oHOECHST are registered trademarkscfHoechst AG The name and logo ROCSSEL are pg-3 regBteredtrademarksrfRoussell'chfS.A Baiane a registered U^wnrHct LH 'radifnart (/DIM Hanoi ItacthalBan,gi.sti,P'dtr<Ml«-riurk(if Ł l**^" IO E IK^d temerla ASC Corporation Pre-M Ba registered trademark of ^ 1 Leaco,Ine BetasanBaregsUredtrademarkcflCIAmencasCorp KOUSSBI Marketed by Hoechst RoussH Apt-Vet Company. SomerviUe. SJ08876-1258 36 DRY WÊÊÊÊÊÊÊKÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊH from page 35 and thatch/soil surfaces, which minimizes the alkaline environment effect. Much of the applied liquid urea is ab-sorbed by the turfgrass foliage, which may further attribute to 
a lower volatilization of liquid. The use of granular nitro-gen to reduce nitrogen vol-atilization losses in the 
summer is not supported by OSU research. Physical placement and nitrogen loss Nitrogen loss by clipping removal has been reported to be different between liquid and granular urea applica-tions. Much of the nitrogen ap-plied with a liquid delivery system physically remains on the foliage. A single mowing shortly after a liquid nitrogen application (i.e. within 24 hours) has resulted in up to 47 percent loss of the applied ni-trogen. Granular nitrogen, however, falls below the mow-ing height, resulting in a rela-tively small nitrogen loss during the first 24 hours after application. During the second and third days after fertilizer ap-plication, nitrogen losses via clipping removal were re-ported to be high for both liq-uid and granular urea. This suggests that clipping return for two to three mowings fol-
lowing nitrogen fertilization would be desirable. Mowing 
within 24 hours of a liquid ap-
plication would not be recom-mended unless clippings were 
returned. Powder Blue applied through a liquid system was found to have a greater stick-ing tendency to foliage than urea, resulting in a greater ni-trogen loss with clipping re-moval. Other UF-type suspen-sions most likely would adhere more to the foliage than urea. Summary Many choices of nitrogen fertilizers can be used in gran-ular and liquid lawn care pro-grams. Misleading informa-tion has usually unfairly portrayed liquid fertilization, resulting in some lawn care companies switching all or in part to the granular fertiliza-
tion approach. In addition, rules and regulations regard-ing bulk storage, rinsing and recycling, and disposal of liq-uids have prompted many lawn care firms to make or consider an operational switch to granular programs. Generally, the agronomic differences between granular 
and liquid nitrogen sources that have similar chemical 
characteristics are small. Liq-uid nitrogen fertilizers pro-duce a faster initial color response lasting three to five days. There is, however, a real 
difference agronomically in 
the burn potential with liquids 
exhibiting higher burn. The more positive image perceived by the public for granular fertilizers, and their lower burn potential are the most dominant factors influ-encing a slight trend to gran-ular fertilization in the lawn care industry. The bottom line, however, is that turfgrass quality from liquid versus granular fertilization usually 
shows few significant dif-ferences. More emphasis 
needs to be placed on the spe-cific fertilizer selected and ap-plication timing for maximum efficiency. LCI About the Author Dr. John Street is a member of The Ohio State University Agronomy Department, Columbus, Ohio. DATES LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 Nov. Ł 12-14 Penn State Golf Turf Conference. Keller 
Conference Center, Univer-sity Park, PA. Contact: Dr. Joseph Duich, Dept. of Agron-omy, 16 Tyson Building, Uni-versity Park, PA 16802. 814/865-9853 or Pennsylvania Turfgrass Council, Landscape Management Research Cen-ter, Orchard Road, University Park, PA 16802. 814/863-3475. Ł 12-15 Green Industry Expo (including the 
PLCAA Convention). Nashville Convention Center. Contact: PLCAA, 1000 Johnson Ferry Road, NE Suite C135, Marietta, GA 30068. 800/458-3466. Ł 13-16 New York Turfgrass Association 
Turf & Grounds Expo. Rochester Riverside Conven-tion Center. Contact: NYSTA 800/873-8873. Ł 27-29 Turfgrass & Or-namental Chemical Semi-
nar. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Contact: Jo Horn 317/494-8039. Dec. Ł 4-5 Rocky Mountain Turf Conference. Holiday Inn. 1-70 & Chambers Road, Denver. Contact: Rocky Mountain Regional Turfgrass Association, P.O. Box 903, Parker, CO 80134. Ł 7-9 Northeastern Weed Science Society Annual Meeting. Stouffer Har-borplace Hotel, Baltimore. Contact: Bradley A. Majek, 609/455-3100. Ł 4-6 Mid-America Green Industry Convention. Kan-
sas City (MO) Market Center and Park Place Hotel. Con-tact: Olivia Golden, PLCAMA, PO Box 35184, 
Kansas City, MO 64134. 816/765-7616. Questions about Pesticides? Call 1-800-858-7378 Ł — C 1988 The ( ).M. Scott & Sorts ( <xnpany X « V É \ i t % « V V * As you can s quite a fin By the square inch, nobody gives you more for inch for more complete, uniform coverage. And your money than O.M. Scott. the more even release of pendimethalin means That's because the particles of Scotts fertilizer- even more consistent control and fewer appli-based pendimethalin are much finer, more con- cation breaks. sistently sized than typical competitive products. Our own greenhouse and field testing, as well So you get a higher particle count per square as independent university tests and five years of 37 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 Start looking now for 1990 tax deductions The fall is a good time to plan for springŠspecifically, for April 15,1991, when taxes will be due for this year. That's because next April will probably be too late for most taxpayers to substan-tially reduce their 1990 taxes, said Frank J. O'Connell, na-tional tax partner for Lav-enthol & Horwath. "The typical taxpayer's tax strategy is to find as many de-
ductions as possible when fill-ing out the return," he said. "But sound planning now, be-fore the end of the year, often has a larger effect on income taxes than anything that can 
be done when a return is pre-
pared." Small business owners should maximize deductible business purchases such as of-fice supplies. The end of the year is also a good time to buy major equipment, such as a computer, because they will be able to begin taking deduc-
tions for the expense. Business owners can both depreciate the value of the 
equipment and take deduc-
tions over a number of years. Business owners who buy less than $200,000 worth of equip-ment a year can immediately write off up to $10,000 of such a purchase. Self-employed persons should also pay as much of 
their health insurance as pos-
sible this year because they 
can deduct 25 percent of their health insurance premiums. Maximize tax-deductible retirement contributions, said O'Connell, who listed 
three primary options: Ł Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Ł 401(k)s. 
Ł Keogh plans. Taxpayers not covered by a pension plan at work can make a tax-deductible contribution 
of as much as $2,000 into an Individual Retirement Ac-countŠplus another $250 for 
a non-working spouse. Taxpayers who don't qual-ify for a tax-deductible IRA should ask their employer 
about a 401(k) plans. In 1990, 
as much as $7,979 of pre-tax income can be shifted into such a plan. Establish a Keogh plan if * ê « ^ V 1 t -». « ee,we make e product » V ft practical, real life application confirm that pendi- a pre-emergent control program for your turf, methalin is unsurpassed for the number of weeds We think it's time you started ery oying the it controls, the level of control and the duration finer things in life. Call 1-800-543-0006 for more information. Or P^ndl^Gt^^ 11H contact your Scott's Tech Rep for help designing XlLlo Jl V^X Llll you're self-employed, said O'Connell. Doing so before the end of the year allows the self-employed taxpayer to contrib-ute as much as 20 percent of his income Š as much as $30,000Šinto a defined-con-tribution Keogh. "Taxpayers can contribute to some retirement plans next 
year and still get a deduction this year," said O'Connell. "But they have to plan now so that they can afford to use this strategy." Laventhol & Horwath is a national accounting and business consulting firm headquartered in Phila-delphia. LCI Cyanamid buying a biological firm WAYNE, NJ Š American Cyanamid Company is buying a biological control research company, IGB Products, Ltd, San Leandro, CA. "We acquired the IGB Products business to strengthen our ongoing com-mitment to biotechnology and to continue our work towards introducing species-specific biological insect control prod-ucts," said Howard L. Minigh, general manager of Cyanamid's Vegetation and Pest Control Ventures De-partment. "Some of the ad-vances IGB has demonstrated, especially in the area of gypsy moth control, make us op-timistic about the company's ultimate potential." Cyanamid will maintain the IGB business under its current name and at its cur-rent location. LCI PGMS edition being offered COCKE YS VILLE, MD ŠThe Professional Grounds Mainte-nance Society's 6th edition of the Grounds Maintenance Es-timating Guidelines is avail-able. It includes charts to help cost a job, including the "hid-
den costs" in projects. Also available are the Grounds Maintenance Man-
agement Guidelines and the 
Grounds Management Forms 
and Job Descriptions Guide. 
Each manual costs $12 if check 
is sent with order and $15 if billed. They're free for PGMS members. The 1990 PGMS Mem-bership Director is also avail-
able and can be obtained by non-members for $30 (free to members). PGMS, 10402 Ridgland Road, Suite 4, Cockeysville, 
Maryland 21030. Telephone: 301/667-1833. LCI 38 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 Deicers A review of the four most commonly used and how they compare against each other in snow and ice removal. Almost any material can be used as a deicer if it's soluble in 
water and can lower the freez-ing point of water. There are, 
however, only four chemicals in widespread use today: cal-cium chloride (CaCl2), sodium 
chloride (rock salt, NaCl), po-tassium chloride (KCl) and 
urea. Calcium chloride (CaCl2) and sodium chloride (NaCl) are the most widely used. All deicers work in about the same manner. They must first attract or come into con-tact with sufficient moisture to form a liquid brine. Since 
these brines have lower freez-ing temperatures than water, they cause ice and snow to melt on contact. The solution 
formed by urea is not tech-nically a brine, but its function is essentially the same. Spread onto icy surfaces, deicers begin the melting pro-cess by penetrating downward 
to the pavement. Here, the ac-cumulation of brine spreads 
out under the ice, "undercuts" 
the ice, and breaks the bond between the ice and pavement. After sufficient loosening, the ice or snow can be easily re-
moved by shoveling or plow-
ing. Deicers should only be used to make the job of removing ice and snow easier, not to completely melt a given area. 
The lower the temperature, 
the harder it is to break the 
bond between ice and pave-ment. In situations where the temperature is near freezing (30 to 32 F) and snow is falling lightly, deicing agents should 
be used sparingly. When ice 
adheres to concrete or asphalt surfaces, the task of removing the ice and snow becomes ex-tremely difficultŠregardless of the temperature. This is when effective deicing agents are needed most. Use right amount The best procedure is to spread the deicing chemical 
according to the manufac-
turer's instructions, wait for 
the actual melting to take place, and then remove the disbonded ice and snow me-chanically. This procedure re-duces the amount of deicer required for safe removal of ice and snow and makes the job of plowing and shoveling easier and faster. Deicer performance is de-termined by factors like tem-
perature, traffic conditions, 
the time it takes for a deicer to form a brine, the shape of the 
individual deicer particles, and the duration of the de-icer's melting action. The chemical behavior of the four deicers is very dif-ferent. There are significant disparities in how quickly they 
dissolve and how they behave 
while dissolving. These dif-ferences affect their perfor-mance at varying tem-peratures. When deicing performance is compared at 15 F (see Figure 1), it's apparent 
that calcium chloride pellets melt the most ice. This perfor-
mance difference becomes even more dramatic as the 
temperature drops to 5 F. Why does calcium chloride perform better than other ma-terials, especially at lower temperatures? It has a greater capacity to attract moisture from its surroundings, which 
enables it to dissolve faster 
and begin to melt ice faster. Another reason is that CaCl2 actually releases heat as 
it meltsŠan exothermic reac-tion. The other three chemi-
calsŠeither alone or in 
blendsŠabsorb heat as they meltŠan endothermic reac-tion. One pound of CaCl2 liber-ates 290 BTUs as it dissolves. 
A pound of rock salt, on the 
other hand, draws 39 BTUs from the environment as it dissolves. Similarly, potas-sium chloride draws 170 BTUs and urea absorbs 106 BTUs while dissolving. Works at lower temps What do these differences mean to ice and snow control operations? Generally, rock salt, potassium chloride, and urea begin to lose their deicing effectiveness at temperatures below 25 F. On the other hand, Calcium chloride retains its 
effectiveness to temperatures 
as low as -25 F. This difference is most important when a cold 
front moves in, often after a 
snowstorm, causing the tem-perature to drop quickly and solidly freeze the accumulated moisture. Heat generated by the fric-tion of moving trafffic on roadways (especially inters-tates) can make rock salt effec-temperatures below 25 F, but this effect is less pronounced in a parking lot and is absent on sidewalks and store front 
entrances. Therefore, in these 
areas it's important to use a 
deicer that's effective at lower 
temperatures. Many deicer manufactur-ers' claims of low temperature effectiveness are based on the lowest theoretical tem-perature at which the deicer can depress the freezing point of water. This theoretical (eu-tectic) temperature can only 
be achieved at the ideal per-cent concentration of the ma-
terial in water under ideal 
conditions. All other concen-
trations have higher freezing 
points. Since all deicers become in-creasingly diluted as they melt more ice and snow, they only very briefly attain and remain at their ideal concentration for ice melting. Claims that rock 
salt, potassium chloride, and urea are effective at tem-
peratures well below freezing are based on theoretical tem-perature, which has little bear-ing on actual outside deicing conditions. A more realistic measure of low temperature performance 
is the "practical temperature 
limit," the lowest temperature r Melt volume in 20 minutes at 15 °F i8 Sr » - =-» - =r» "2M -ŁEM Calcium Chloride Mets (9.92 ml) Rock Salt Combination Product (5.17 ml) (50% rock salt, 50% potassium chloride) (4.67 ml) Urea (2.00 ml) Potassium Chloride (1.03 ml) Melt volume in 20 minutes at 5® F r T m* -1ST M ~em :|M a EM ~EM 1 W Calcium Chloride Rock Salt Combination Product Pellets (1.53 ml) (50% rock salt. (8.67 ml) 50% potassium chloride) (1.23 ml) Urea (0.00 ml) Figure 1. How well do various deicing chemicals really work at 15 F and 5 F? Potassium Chloride (0.00 ml) Ideal Material Concentration Theoretical Low TemD. Practical Low Temo. Calcium Chloride pellets 29.6% -59#F -25*F Sodium Chloride (rock salt) 23.3% -6#F +20*F to +25*F Potassium Chloride 19.8% +12#F +20#F to +25*F Urea NA +1TF +20*F to +25*F Combination Product (sodium chloride, approx. 20% +0.5*F +20#F to +25*F at which sufficient deicing ac-tion is evident within a rea-sonable period of time with a reasonable amount of deicer applied to the surface. Figure 2 compares the theoretical and 
practical low temperature lim-its of the various deicing chemicals. Note that calcium 
chloride is the only one that remains "practically" effec-tive below 20 F. Round is better? In 1986, an independent laboratory demonstrated that the shape of deicing particles affects the speed of their pen-etration through ice. Subse-
quent independent research in 1989 demonstrated that pen-potassium chloride, urea) Figure 2. Theoretical vs. practical temperature limits of deicers. AL Tieco, Inc. (205) 942-4800 Birmingham (205) 834-3705 Montgomery AR Agra Turf (501)268-7036 Searcy Quail Valley Farm (501)221-0432 Little Rock AZ Snyder Turf Supply, Inc. (602) 948-9107 Scottsdale Target Specialty Products (602) 437-4642 Phoenix CA Target Specialty Products (800) 352-3870 Wilbur-Ellis Company (800) 359-7949 CT East Haven Landscape Products (203) 467-6260 East Haven Shemin Nurseries, Inc. (203) 531-6700 Greenwich FL Colonial Products Inc. (407) 585-2112 Lake Worth Harrell's Inc. (813) 687-2774 Lakeland Industrial Services Int., Inc. 800 227-6728 Bradenton Southeastern Turf Grass Supply (904) 731 -8565 Jacksonville Woodbury Chemical (305) 258-0421 Princeton (305) 970-0535 Pompano GA Ramar Laboratories Inc. (803)651-1451 Murrells Inlet Shemin Nurseries Inc. (404) 934-5210 Norcross HI H. G. P., Inc. (800) 841-3305 Honolulu IA Wilbur-Ellis Company (800) 553-0554 IL Professional Turf Specialties (217) 352-0591 Champaign Turf Products, Inc. (708) 668-5537 West Chicago Wilbur-Ellis Company (800) 553-0554 IN Allen County Coop (219) 749-5139 New Haven Cannon Turf Supply (317) 845-1987 Indianapolis Huber Ranch, Inc. (800) 553-0552 Schneider KY Tieco (502) 499-9300 Louisville G. W. Hill & Company, Inc. (606) 371-8423 Florence LA Chembro Inc. (504) 340-3930 Marrero MA Shemin Nurseries, Inc. (508) 562-6988 Hudson Tom Irwin Company (617) 273-0143 Burlington Tuckahoe Turf Farms, Inc. (617) 828-0800 Canton Valley Green Center, Inc. (413) 533-0726 Chicopee MD Lea's Green Meadows, Inc. (301) 899-3535 Temple Hills Ml J. Mollema & Son (616) 940-1441 Grand Rapids Shemin Nurseries (313) 291-1200 Taylor Turfgrass, Inc. (313) 437-1427 South Lyon MN Turf Supply Company (612) 454-3106 Eagan Wilbur-Ellis Company (800) 553-0554 MO Professional Turf Specialties (314) 997-6640 St. Louis (816) 228-6999 Sugar Creek Wilbur-Ellis Company (800) 553-0554 NE Greenskeeper Company, Inc. (402) 592-4800 Omaha 39 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 etration efficiency in turn af-fects a delicer's undercutting and disbondment perfor-mance. Faster, vertical melt-ing and penetration action provides greater quantities of brine for undercutting the ice and breaking the bond be-
tween ice and pavement. The research also demon-strated that uniformly shaped 
spherical pellets of about to 3Ae" penetrate ice faster and more efficiently than other shapes, since they dissolve 
evenly and vertically. Irreg-
ularly shaped crystal materials have a tendency to produce thin tentacles of melting, causing the deicer to to skew in 
all directions. Flake particles are the worst performers; they spend as much time melting horizontally as they do ver-tically. By the time the flake 
particles reach the pavement, they're often too diluted to ef-fectively undercut and dis-bond the ice. After 30 minutes at 20 F, CaCl2 and rock salt work well 
in penetrating ice, but CaCl2 pellets undercut 95 percent of the ice, compared with 88 per-cent for rock salt, the next best performer. When the tem-perature is lowered to 5 F, only calcium chloride pellets con-
tinue to be effective in pen-etrating and undercutting ice. In addition, calcium chloride pellets, on the average, allow users to remove eight percent more ice than sodium chlo-
ride, and require nearly 45 per-cent less force to do so. The effects of deicing chemicals on concrete are 
often misunderstood. None of 
the common deicers chemi-cally attack the concrete. However, by depressing the freezing point of water, all de-
icers can affect the number of 
freeze/thaw cycles on a con-crete surface. It's the expan-sion pressure caused by the freezing of water that causes concrete to spall. For example, if the tem-perature is hovering between 25 F and 35 F, plain water on a concrete surface will freeze when the temperature crosses the 32 F mark, and it will again 
thaw when the temperature rises, exposing the concrete to one freeze/thaw cycle. Freeze/thaw cycles On the other hand, if the temperature varies between 15 F and 25 F, plain water will remain frozen, while a salt brine with a freezing point of 20 F will go through a freeze/ thaw cycle each time the tem-perature rises and falls. Each of the various deicing chemi-cals affects the freeze/thaw cy-cle, and therefore the concrete, in a different way. Independent laboratory tests performed in accordance with the "Standard Test for Scaling Resistance of Con-crete Surfaces Exposed to Chemical Deicers," estab-lished by the American Soci-ety for Testing Materials (ASTM Standard C-672) indi-cate that calcium chloride pel-lets pose the least threat of damage to concrete of any chemical deicer tested. In addition, research con-ducted by the Portland Ce-ment Association indicates that good quality, air-en-trained concrete that is prop-
erly cured is much more resistant to freeze/thaw scal-ing than improperly cured and/or non-air-entrained con-
crete. Manufacturer's recom-mendations should always be 
followed to prevent over-ap-plication of deicers, and once the ice bond is broken, the slush and residual deicer should be removed to prevent 
refreezing. These cautions as-
sist in allowing the cement to remain in good service con-dition. Calcium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride 
and urea all have the potential for damaging plant life if their concentration in the soil is un-
usually high. It's the chloride ion from any of the first three chemicals that causes the most damage. Sodium from 
rock salt can also be harmful, while calcium and potassium are actually beneficial to soil. 
Urea, since it's also used as a fertilizer, can be beneficial, al-though excessive fertilizer can also damage plant life. However, when chemical deicers are used in recom-mended amounts for side-walks, parking lot, or entrance drive deicing, there is little 
chance of damage to grass, 
trees, and shrubs by residual deicer accumulations. This is 
especially true if the chemical is used sparinglyŠonly to un-dercut ice and snowŠand the slush is not plowed or shoveled onto planted areas. Why corrosion? The corrosive effects of de-icers on metals have also been the subject of considerable at-
tention and research. The con-
clusions are that deicers in the salt family (sodium chloride, 
calcium chloride, and potas-
sium chloride) can accelerate 
corrosion of unpainted iron 
and unprotected steel by hold-ing moisture against exposed 
metal surfaces. There is no sig-
nificant difference among 
salts in their effect on corro-
sion. Ordinarily, if the surface paint, chrome or undercoating is not damaged or broken, cor-
rosion will not occur under sa-
line conditions. Another concern of many businesses is the visible deicer residue that gets tracked into shops and buildings. The big-
gest culprits are urea, rock salt, and potassium chloride. 
These materials dry to form a 
white powdery residue which is unsightly and can cause complaints. LCI NJ Ivan L. Garrison Company (609) 358-2656 Elmer Lebanon Chemical Corporation (201)329-4011 Dayton Plant Food Company, Inc. (609) 448-0935 Cranbury Shemin Nurseries, Inc. (201)529-0099 Mahwah NM Albuquerque Chemical (505) 247-2321 Albuquerque NV Las Vegas Fertilizer (702) 649-1551 North Las Vegas NY Bissett Nursery Corporation (516) 289-3508 Holtsville Ed Worthington Corporation (518) 891-1830 Saranac Lake Gardner's Utica Seed Co. (518)434-6521 Albany Gro Green (716) 826-3300 Buffalo Lebanon Total Turf Care (516) 722-4200 Jamesport Maxwell Turf & All County Sup. (516) 242-9720 Dix Hills Naturally Green, Inc. (716) 442-2210 Rochester Westchester Turf Supply (914) 248-7476 Lincolndale OH C. O. Lowe, Inc. (614) 771-0486 Columbus Turf & Nursery Supply (216) 456-4114 Canton OK Estes Chemicals Inc. 800 234-9794 Okla. City 800 234-9795 Tulsa PA Allegheny Lawn Products (412) 935-2290 Wexford Fisher & Son Company, Inc. (717) 426-1857 Bainbndge (215) 644-3300 Malverne Lebanon Chemical Corp. (717) 273-1685 Lebanon NC Smith Turf & Irrigation (704) 393-8873 Charlotte (919) 781-0788 Raleigh Ramar Labs (919) 876-0400 Raleigh SC Smith Turf & Irrigation (803) 448-0231 Myrtle Beach Ramar Laboratories Inc. (803) 543-2250 Greenwood TN Agra Turf (901)363-9675 Memphis Cortese Tree Specialists, Inc. (615) 522-0533 Knoxville Tieco (615)244-9871 Nashville TX ESCO Ltd. (512) 478-3205 Austin (713)864-7771 Houston (409) 743-4141 Schulenburg Estes Chemical 800 234-9793 Dallas 800 234-9791 Wichita Falls (512) 590-1012 San Antonio 800 234-9792 Waco Great Plains Chemical 800 822-0341 Lubbock Sports Turf Supply Inc. (214) 647-8195 Grand Prairie Turf World, Inc. (713) 498-1570 Alief VA Landscape Supply Company (703) 344-2699 Roanoke Turf & Garden, Div. of Todd (804)543-2071 Chesapeake Wilson Seed & Feed Company (804) 231-9118 Richmond VT Gardeners Supply Company (802) 863-4535 Burlington WA Environmental Turf Products (206) 365-6778 Redmond Wl Reinders Brothers, Inc. (414)786-3301 Elm Grove SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST Increasing root growth is the best way to make sure your plantings survive. ROOTS*, the Root Growth Enhancer, stimulates new root growth in transplants, new seedings and sod installations. 1. TRANSPLANTS-ROOTS promotes fast root regrowth in transplanted trees, shrubs and ground cover plants so that loss and dieback are minimized. Dilute 50 to 1 in water (2 oz. ROOTS per gallon). Water into root zone after planting. Trees/Shrubs-Apply 2 oz. ROOTS per inch caliper. For bare root planting, use a70 to 1 diluted solution as a root dip oefore planting. 2. SOD INSTALLATIONS-ROOTS quickly knits down newly installed sod so it doesn't have to be replaced. Dilute 50 to 1 in water 2 oz./ gal.) and spray 6 oz. ROOTS per 1,000 sq. ft. on the sod after installation. In stressed conditions apply again 2-4 weeks later. 3. NEW SEEDINGS - ROOTS stimulates initial root growth for fast, aggressive establishment. Dilute 50 to 1 in water and apply 6 oz. per 1,000 sq. ft. after germination. Hydroseeding-Apply 2 gallons per acre to the tank mix oefore seeding. Call us on our toll-free line 1-800-342-6173 for any technical information you may need. We have national distribution and will provide detailed application instructions on projects. *R00TS and ironROOTS are trademarks of Soilizer Corporation. rook inc. r*' t « ^ . Ł ~25^Science Park, New Haven, CT Circle No. 133 on Reader Inquiry Card Tàll ones. Short ones. Thin ones. Fat ones. All shapes and sizes qualify for our PAGEANT. Nothing's worse than slimy worms crawling on your shrubs, ugly beetles munching on your pines and nasty borers blemishing your birches. That's why you need new PAGEANT* DF in your tank. Any other insecticide has to settle for first runner-up. PAGEANT DF is the only tree and shrub insecticide that gives you the active ingredient chlorpyrifos in a dry, flowable formu-lation. Its long residual keeps protecting the beauty of trees and shrubs long after other 
insecticides have left the scene. And studies show that chlorpyrifos is gentle to both applicator and environment. What's even more attractive is its broad spectrum of control. You can control everything from beetles to borers to worms-all with a 
single insecticide. Since it's a dry, flowable formulation, PAGEANT DF also 
has minimal odor and less chance of phytotoxicity. Plus, it goes into solution beautifully- no more clogged nozzles, or undissolved clumps. Your applicators can mix without dust. And without the splashing caused by liquid insecticides. So much talent in such a beautiful package. Almost seems unfair. PAGEANT DF not only works better than the competition, it also looks better. But that cube-shaped container 
offers more than good looks- it's specially designed for easier handling and disposal. Each container holds five full pounds of insecticide. At a mixing ratio of 1-2 pounds per 100 gallons of water, PAGEANT DF is ideally packaged for larger spray tanks. Why not judge for yourself how well PAGEANT DF protects the beauty ^ of trees and shrubs? Then send a clear message to the insecticide you're presently using: hand over the crown. To find out more, call 1-800-352-6776. "Itademark of The Dow Chemical Company. 42 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 Mulch, more than a soil cover Mulching beneath ornamental plants is an established prac-tice in today's landscapes. It's even used as an ornamental feature by itself without the addition of plants. In that sit-uation there are few, if any, 
guidelines necessary for the application and use of mulch. But there are specific rules to follow when mulching plants to maximize their growth and health. Mulching around ornamen-tal plants involves covering a portion or all of the root zone with shredded hardwood bark, 
bark nuggets, wood chips, or other materials. Select a mate-rial that features: Ł consistent color and tex-ture, Ł compaction resistance, 
Ł wind and water erosion resistance, Ł fire resistance, Ł slow rate of decomposi-tion, Ł ability to reduce weed growth. 17,000 expected LAS VEGAS, NVŠAttendance may top 17,000 at the 62nd In-ternational Golf Course Con-ference and Trade Show, Feb. 5-12, 1991, here. The show is hosted by the GCSAA. LCI The mulch that you select has to do more than just cover up bare soil. From the plant's stand-point, mulch must allow for an exchange of gases (oxygen into the soil, carbon dioxide out of 
the soil) and the penetration and the slow evaporation of water. If mulch slows or stops these processes, plants will de-cline and eventually die, says David Whitworth, hor-ticulturist at the Davey Human and Technical Re-sources Center. Conserves water The most important bene-fit of mulching plants is the 
conservation of soil moisture. When mulching is done cor-rectly, soil water evaporates 
slowly and provides plants with a consistent source of water. Over a few years, as organic mulches decompose, 
the underlying soil's ability to hold water may be improved. In most cases, mulched trees and shrubs survived the drought of 1988 better than those that did not have mulch. Mulch can actually improve water infiltration into the soil. Raindrops falling on bare soil not only cause erosion but also cause soil surface compaction. Mulch reduces or eliminates erosion and cushions the im-pact of raindrops. Water can then penetrate to a greater depth, as well as can plant roots. Don't mound mulch Two common mistakes in using mulch are applying it too deeply and mounding it up 
against tree and shrub trunks. Most mulches should be only two to four inches deep; use the low range for heavy, clay soils and the high range for lighter, sandy soils. It is not 
unusual to find landscapes 
with mulches that are six to eight inches deep or more. Air 
and water exchange are dra-matically reduced and the soil becomes an inhospital envi-ronment for roots. Mulch that buries the base of a trunk en-courages the development of 
decay fungi. The annual re-application of mulch to a planting bed cer-tainly improves the initial ap-pearance of the landscape, but it can also lead to unattractive, 
sick plants. Annual mulching 
causes a build-up that exceeds 
the maximum recommended depth. One to two inches of mulch applied every two to three years is adequate to maintain the beneficial as-pects of the mulch. New mulch should not be applied until the 
existing mulch is nearly de-composed and has been lightly incorporated into the soil. To 
renew the appearance of mulch in the intervening years, consider using one of the new mulch colorant sprays. Simply raking the ex-isting mulch can be a dramatic 
improvement. Mulches will not eliminate the headaches of weed compe-
tition, but can reduce the den-sity of undesirable grasses and broadleaf weeds. Maximum weed control can be achieved by applying a pre-emergent herbicide and/or landscape fabric (not sheet plastic!) be-
fore spreading the mulch. Mulches are an integral part of landscaping. Use them the wrong way and expensive plants will die. Use them cor-rectly and your plants will re-ward you with years of beauty. The Davey Tree Expert Company is America's oldest and largest tree care company. Davey is an employee-owned company with 4,500 employ-ees coast to coast and in Can-
ada. LCI New From LESCO Fertilizer Plus PRE-M ® The Standard Has Just Been Raised. Fertilizer Plus PRE-M® is a high performing, ^^ cost-effective preemergent weed control containing pendimethalin (*). uKural DMtion It's the new standard in grassy weed control. sESSL Call now and check our prices before you place an order. M product ofcyanamid Toll Free (800) 825-3726 LESCO, Inc. 1&cTn7u'resivision In Cleveland (216) 333-9250 20005 Lake Road W*Ž »«V Jersey 07470 fQr ^/g fo ^^ ¡jfiQ fry prOfeSSiOTial 0W° 44116 lawn care applicators onty. 45 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 NEWSMAKERS Sandoz's Hargett says chemicals will be needed in ag for years to come Dr. Lou Hargett, of Sandoz Crop Protection Corp., said chemicals will remain important for agriculture for 
many years to come. "While I'm a firm believer in biologicals, I am equally re-
alistic about the continuing need for 
environmentally sound, highly effec-
tive chemical or biochemical prod-ucts," Hargett told attendees at the National Sustainable Agriculture and 
Natural Resources Conference in Lin-coln, NB, in August. Hargett said he doesn't see biolog-ical tools replacing modern agri-ìn chemicals. (Sandoz is a leader biological agricultural research.) Richard E. Fedigan be-comes manager of Purchasing/Cus-tomer Service for Lebanon Turf Products, Lebanon, PA. Fedigan was pre-viously Crop Pro-
tection Manager for Lebanon Fedigan which he joined in June 1989. Prior to that he worked for Monsanto Agri-cultural Company. Dr. Donna Fitzpatrick became the leader of the environmental chem-istry group of Agri-Diagnostics Associ-ates, Cinnaminson, NJ. Dr. Bharat Kikani is the group's newest research 
scientist. The company promoted Dr. Sally A. Miller to senior manager of plant pathology research and develop-ment. Dr. James H. Rittenburg be-came manager of environmental chemistry. Robert Yar-borough is Lesco's new vice president, control 
products. Yar-borough joined Lesco in 1984 and 
served initially as a project leader for research and 
development of 
special products. Yarborough Carl R. Meermans was promoted to vice president, operations for Lesco, Inc. He joined the company in 1987 as a systems analyst and was promoted to 
operations manager in 1988. 
The Andersons Lawn Fertilizer Division named Paul Jac-
quemin as sales rep in central and southern Ohio, Kentucky, Ten-
nessee, West Vir-ginia, Arkansas 
and Mississippi. Previously he's Jacquemin worked with Morral Chemical, Chem-Lawn and O.M. Scott and Sons Co. ChemLawn Services Corporation Wis. studies atrazine regs MADISON, wiŠRecent tests by the Wisconsin Agriculture Department indicate the weed killer atrazine might be pres-ent in 20 percent of the state's rural drinking water. The Milwaukee Sentinel reported this fall that state of-
ficials tested water from 2,200 wells, and that atrazine was detected in 40 percent or more 
of the rural well samples from 18 counties, and over 20 per-cent in 22 more counties. Atrazine has been widely used by corn farmers over the past 20 years to kill quack grass and other problem weeds. Public hearings on pro-posed regulations to limit atrazine began in seven 
Wisconsin cities in October. LCI Dyanap finally taken to Texas PORT CLINTON, OHIOŠFour years after it arrived, over a million gallons of the her-bicide Dyanap began to be re-moved from a warehouse here. The presence of 1.7 million gallons of the herbicide, banned since 1986 by the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, had become a sore spot between government of-
ficials and the Uniroyal Chem-
ical Co. in this small northwestern Ohio commu-
nity. The Dyanap had been stored in steel drums in a warehouse. In late September 
the first truck containing 3,300 gallons of the material 
left for a two-day trip to Port 
Arthur, TX, where the Dyanap will be burned. Com-pany officials said removal of all the herbicide will require 500 trips and take almost two years. LCI Have a SPILL? Call Chemtrec 1-800-424-9300 The first turf fertilizers so specialized, they make the competition see red. Distributor's Own Turf Supplies" It's understandable, because no other dis-tributor offers what we do. Some suppliers may pass their pre-packaged fertilizers off as custom blends, but when it comes right down to it, their products simply aren't formulated to meet your specific needs. As a result, your expertise and input are ignored which turns into frustration for you. % At DOTS (Distributor's Own Turf Supplies), we do things differently. Our fertilizer/pesticide products are designed so you can develop your program professionally with specialized formulas for your specific needs. With a DOTS dis-tributor, you're treated individually-not clumped together with others and sold "off-the-shelf" blends. We test the soil before we make the formula. We realize that the markets you serve have 
different turf, climate, and soil conditions. 
You tell us your specialized needs and problems, we'll provide soil testing when Circle No. 141 on Reader Inquiry Card needed, and then work with you to prepare an individual solution. It's easy on your part, thorough on ours. All DOTS products are designed to meet the highest industry standards in uni-formity and performance. In-house quality control means that each order delivered to you complies with our rigid specifica-tions, assuring you the quality you expect. Just look for the red dot to know you're getting the best... from the best distributor. For more information, call l-800-345-D()TS. 46 NEWSMAKERS LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 named: Ł David Siegfried Executive Vice PresidentŠStrategic Develop-ment. He's a graduate of Brown University. Ł Tom Murrill Vice President-Human Resources. Formerly he had a law practice in Tustin, CA. Ł Kirk A. Hurto, Ph. D, as Direc-tor of Technical Services. He was the company's senior research scientist. He joined ChemLawn in 1981. The International Society of Ar-boriculture installs four new officers: Dr. Donald Ham, president; Roger Garrigue, president elect; John Moran, vice president; and Dr. Michael Walterscheidt, immediate past president. Terry Ward joined Milorganite as manager of advertising, promotion and training. Northrup King hired Fred Bosch as turf specialist, Med-alist Turf Divi-sion. He will be selling in Michi-gan, Ohio, west-
ern New York and western Pennsylvania. A former golf course Bosch superintendent, Bosch was recently a rep for W.A. Cleary Chemical Corp. Cecil Collings, Green Valey Turf Farms, Inc., Canfield, Ohio, becomes the American Sod Producers Associa-tion's 20th president. Also elected to Also, Kenneth Mills Jr. was pro-moted to vp of the new Commercial Division to target landscape architects 
and irrigation consultants. Mills has been with Rain Bird Glendora, CA, since 1964. Michael Baron is RB's new director of the Contractor Divi-sion. He's been with Rain Bird since 1980. Tom Thompson was promoted to director of sales for Rain Bird Na-tional Sales Corporation. He joined the 
company in 1983. He lives in Corona del Mar, CA. Don Parker, a 25-year 
employee of Rain Bird died in August. He was the company's first Golf Prod-uct Application Engineer. Clifford D. Feldmann, new vice president of marketing for Feldmann Engineering & Manufacturing Co., Sheboygan Falls, WI. LCI Ł NEW PRODUCTS B&S engine features overhead valve setup Briggs & Stratton Corp. offers 
an 18-hp, 570-cc model to its 
Vanguard engine line. The 
overhead valve construction allows the engine to run cooler, cleaner and more efficiently. It also permits less carbon build up, longer valve life and im-
proved fuel economy. Full-pressure lubrication provides a controlled flow of oil to all moving parts for less wear. A spin-on automotive-like oil filter keeps oil clean and extends time between oil changes. Circle No. 150 on service card. True Temper spreader now more user friendly Yard Stick An All Purpose Lawn and Garden Posting Marker. Ydrd Stick is the lawn marker you will be proud to present to i your customers tor i their future use in ,' the garden and around the home Meets all state regulations. Sturdy and extremely functional. Includes m a state approved message card with your company name, telephone number, and < entry line for time and date of application. Pat Pend Łses Customized 4" X 5" message board. Handy at-a-glance rain gauge _ Note holder area for extra message Made in USA Built-in grass "height gauge 7 Quick foot step for "planting". Call for quantity discount prices. 1-800-747-5211 or 1-800-255-2255 ext. 1047 Green Genie Products, Inc. 9601 N.Allen Rd- Peoria, IL 61615 True Temper's Cyclone® Commercial Broadcast Spreader, model CB5000, has a 100-lb. capacity, heavy-duty poly hopper with an adjustable feed gate for even spreading. A semi-permanent, clear-acrylic hopper cover allows the user to 
fill the hopper without remov-ing the cover. The axle, impel-
ler shaft, fasteners, agitator, 
ground prop feet and control rod are all made of stainless 
steel. An adjustable handle al-lows the user to customize the 
spreader to the desired handle height and the ground props adjust for varying terrain or 
user preference. Circle No. 151 on service card. Turf spray indicator now comes in tablets Turf Mark, a blue spray pat-tern indicator, is now available in tablet form. The Becker-Underwood, Inc., product can be used with any standard backpack sprayer. Each tablet treats one or two gallons of spray solution. The tablets are made from food-grade material. Decorative 
fountain and pond water may 
also be colored and beautified with these tablets, says the company. Circle No. 152 on service card. Hannay reel now comes with detachable handle Hannay Reels makes a com-pact, portable hose reel with a detachable handle. This makes reel storage more com-pact and also results in signifi-cant shipping savings to the 
user because the reel is now UPS-shippable. Hannay de-scribes the reel as rugged and 
durable. Circle No. 153 on service card. / '""»wSB New Kraft rake built for heavy-duty work The Kraft Tool Company says its Landscape Rake and As-phalt Leveler is built for heavy-duty use. It has a 36-inch aluminum head with a 
66-inch magnesium handle. 
The teeth are 2^-inch long with ball point tips to ensure the tool's long life. Circle No. 154 on service card. Koos ferilizer is an all-natural product Koos Inc. says its two all-nat-ural organic fertilizers are 
composed of all-natural organic nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. The lawn fer-tilizer is a 10-1-4 mixture and 
the garden mix is a 5-5-5 com-
bination. Both products con-tain 80 percent water insoluble nitrogen that slowly releases 
nutrients into the soil. Be-cause of the slow-release pro-cess, the granulized fertilizers are non-burning and do not need to be watered in. The 
lawn fertilizer nutrients come from bone phosphate, sun-flower seed hull ash and natu-ral animal organic ammoni-
ates. Circle No. 155 on service card. Extend your reach with E-Z Reacher tool No more stopping your riding mower to pick up debris that could damage the mower 
blades. Arcoa Industries offers 
the E-Z Reacher pick up tool. It grabs and holds everything up to 4 pounds and 41A" wide. It's lightweight and rustproof and available in three lengths. Circle No. 156 on service card. Soluble Kelp Extract Ł A natural source of micronutrients and properties enhancing root and turf development, vigor, and resistance. Ł An all-natural base for foliar nutrition formulations. A Acadian Seaplants Limited Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada Tel: (902) 468 2840 Fax: (902) 468 3474 North America's largest manufacturer of seaweed products for fertilizer. 
Harvesting, processing and cultivation of high quality marine plants for over 20 years. Circle No. 122 on Reader Inquiry f^nrri Circle No. 141 on Reader Inquiry Card the 1990-91 ASPA board of trustees: Darwin McKay, Turfco, Meridian, ID; Mike Holmes, Warren's Turf, Crystal Lake, IL; Tim Boyer, South-ern Turf, Norcross, GA; Doug Barbe-rry, Aldino Sod Farms, Churchville, 
MD; Bill Huber, Huber Ranch Sod 
Nursery, Schneider, IN. James Shear-er became vp of 
operations for Rain Bird Sprin-
kler Mfg. Corp., 
Glendora, CA. He 
most recently 
served as vp of en-
gineering for Lynton Engi-neering, Inc, con-
sultants to RB. Shearer LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 NEW PRODUCTS 47 Right-To-Know Kit helps employers comply The Right To Know Com-pliance Kit is useful for employers who buy, sell or use hazardous substances in their businesses. It contains the OSHA 1910.1200 ruling which is required to be made avail-
able to employees. It also pro-vides a special index form for listing up to 40 hazardous sub-stances and work areas in which they are located, and in-cludes a form letter for re-
questing Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to be filed in the binder. Circle No. 160 on service card. Lesco wetting agent eliminates dry spots Lesco-Wet non-ionic turf wet-ting agent comes in 4-ounce tablets. Lesco-Wet increases 
the ability of water to pene-trate compacted soil or dense 
thatch. Use it to eliminate lo-calized dry spots, help drain standing water, enhance pesticide penetration and en-courage deeper plant rooting. Spray directly on turf without burning fine turfgrass. Circle No. 161 on service card. New update kit keeps 
Lawnaire IV operating Ryan Lawnaire IV aerators now have a new "update kit" with a new axle, complete with needle bearings, seals and thrust washers. It can be used to rebuild all Lawnaire IV aerators built through 1990. Bob Brophy, lawn care prod-uct manager for Cushman, said heavily used Lawnaire IV 
aerators and those used in ab-rasive soils may benefit from this maintenance. When re-
placing axle assemblies, owners should also replace the felt washers. Part number for the kit is 547855. Circle No. 162 on service card. //// Foam grips make tools easier on your hands UnionTools offers long-wear-ing, high-density foam grips on four popular tools: a heavy-duty round-point shovel, a 14-
tooth bow rake, a garden hoe, and a 27-inch poly leaf rake. 
These Cushion Grip tools are easier on the hands. Circle No. 163 on service card. Attachments can make Hustler more versatile Excel Industries, Inc. offers a 
wide array of attachments for its out-front rotary mower: 
dozer blade, snow thrower, ro-
tary broom and cab heater. Ac-cessories such as tire chains, 
wheel weights and rear weight kits are also available. Attach-ments allow owners to take full advantage of their investment making the Hustler an out-
standing cost-effective choice. 
Circle No. 164 on service card. It's a Way of Life at Tyler. Mr. Bob Dore, President, Green Scene Lawn Care. "The quality of Tylerfe materials and service is the best in the industry". "I started with Tyler in 1984 and the quality of their products and service has never varied," says Mr. Bob Dore, President of Green Scene Lawn Care of Carol Stream, Illinois. "Knowing that we always have a good product, benefits our company and reflects on our reputation with our customers. Because we are only as good as the products we have." "When I need it, the product is always here and the orders are always correct as placed. Tyler is always competitive with their pricing, but I will spend a little more for the assurance of a quality product." The Tyler Sales Staff is committed to serving you with the best technical support available. We also have university support available to help us solve your individual turf problems. Tyler offers Greensward^ Custom Formulated Fertilizers in liquid or dry, large or small quantities, in bag or bulk. Ask us about our grass seed and chemical control products for your turfgrass program. If you want the very best in technical support, quality products and service, write or call us today. .Quality Products for Quality Turf raff GREENSWARD. FERTILIZER Tyler Enterprises, Inc. PO. Box 365 Ł Route 53 South Ł Elwood, Illinois Ł 60421 Telephone: (815) 423-5551 Ł FAX: (815) 423-6331 TOLL FREE 1-800-421-4740 (IN MILWAUKEE (414) 535-0466) Copyright 1990 Tyler Enterprises Inc. Circle No. 137 on Reader Inquiry Card 48 NEW PRODUCTS LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 Classen's spreader can fit in tightest corners Classen says its RS-30 Riding Fertilizer Spreader takes the work out of fertilizing lawns. It's designed to get into and around even small and heavily landscaped areas (a 12.5-inch turning radius), and fits easily 
through a 30-inch gate. The high-impact, rust-free hopper can be used with most fertil-WWNGHRE INDUSTRY Serving the needs of the professional lawn care operator arketplace A new monthly advertising opportunity spotlighting your product or service. CORON® 28-0-0 Controlled Release Nitrogen This clear liquid fertilizer provides long term release in a non-burning formulation. Suitable for turf, ornamentals, foliar and deep-root feeding of 
trees and shrubs. Mixes easily 
with fertilizer materials and other plant protection products. CORON Corporation P.O. Box 198 Souderton, PA 18964 800-338-0836, 215-723-5099 Fax:215-721-2800 Circle No. 106 on the Reader Service Card MARK/MS FLAGS 11 flag colors 7 ink colors 4 flag sizes Plastic or wire staff Custom print available Marking paint now available! ORDER FACTORY DIRECT TOLL-FREE ^ West ot Rockies East of Rockies P O Box 276 P O Box 86 Cambria. CA 93428 Neligh. NE 68756 800/552-FLAG 800/942-5816 Fax 805/927 1601 Fax 402/887 5171 BLACKBURN See us at Booth #240 Circle No. 104 on the Reader Sen/ice Card The section provides a high impact at low cost. For more information on Marketplace, or to reserve space, call: Cynthia Gladfelter 216-891-2658 or 1-800-225-4569 Ext. 658 izers and has a cover to protect the contents. The RS-30 is powered by an 8-hp Briggs & Stratton engine and has two speeds forward and one re-verse. Circle No. 165 on service card. Here's how to keep rust from spinklers For areas plagued by rust stains on buildings, driveways 
and shrubbery caused by 
sprinklers, American Hydro Systems offers Rid O'Rust to install on these systems. It consists of a chemical feed 
tank, a metering assembly and Formula 115 which prevents the iron in the water from be-
coming "rust". The system is 
easy to maintain, inexpensive, 
extends pump and sprinkler life and is non-toxic. 
Circle No. 166 on service card. This lawn spray gun has a trigger guard TeeJet's new Lawn Spray Gun has interchangeable shower 
head-type color-coded nozzles employing 48 solid-stream ori-fices in a full-cone pattern to 
minimize drift. The gun is available with optional ac-
cesories including a low vol-ume adapter and extension 
wand for spot spraying and touch-up work. An inlet swivel 
offers free swivelling action at 
the hose connection to elimi-nate twisting and knotting of the hose. The TeeJet Lawn Spray Gun also comes with a trigger guard. 
Circle No. 169 on service card. Bac-Vac helps in professional cleanup jobs Team your Hustler with the Excel Hi-Lift Bac-VacŽ Grass Vacuum for fall cleanup. Leaves and debris can be vac-uumed in one easy pass for a high-quality professional finish. The 15-bushel capacity hopper reduces the number of unloading stops, saving time and labor. The Bac-Vac can be mounted on any of five Hus-tler models. An 8-bushel Bac-Pac is available for the smaller models 251K and 260K. Circle No. 172 on service card. See a Complete Demonstration at: The plcaa Booth 1124-1126 Service OTF Booth 530 Solution The Complete Computer System for the Lawn and Tree Care Industry Marketing Store Thousands of Names & Addresses Send Targeted Marketing or Mass Mailings Print Next Door Neighbor Mailings Automated Scheduling Select Desired Services, ASAP, or Service Timing Print Detailed Work Orders with Prior Visit History Automated Routing By Territory, Route, and Stop Number Automated Billing Both Past Due and Monthly Statements Optional Service and/or Interest Charge Flexibility Multiple Programs, Services, and Estimates for Each Customer Hundreds of Industry Options Practical Solutions, Inc. 7100 North High Street Worthington, Ohio 43085 1-800-326-7032 Lesco adds dethatcher to pro turf equipment Lesco, Inc.'s new dethatcher features a recoil start, 5-hp gasoline-powered engine and 
V-belt drive. The deck is made of 11-gauge steel. Sixteen heat-treated, high-carbon steel blades are spaced on V2" centers for a dethatch-ing width of 19 inches. Four large, semi-pneumatic tires on steel wheels with bearings make it easy to push. Circle No. 170 on service card. m I KP «i*8" \ Ä. * fm ŁA -«J New Max Sprayer made for chemical products D.B. Smith & Co.'s Max Sprayer has an extra-thick poly tank, chemically resis-tant Viton "O" rings, chemi-cally resistant braided hose, a pressure relief valve, and a de-luxe brass adjustable nozzle plus a flat fan nozzle. Circle No. 167 on service card. Feldmann hitch adapter 
makes transport easier Feldmann says its three-point hitch adapter can be used with models 2340-32 and 2340-48 core plug pull-behind aerators. 
The hitch adapter enables use 
of the tractor's hydraulic 
power to lower and raise the aerator tines for coring or for over-the-road transport. Adapter sized for category "0"/"l". The steel adapter is fastened with four bolts to the aerator frame. Circle No. 168 on service card. 49 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 AC from page 24 debtors to priortize accounts payable in your favor. 3Inquire and trace by phone if you haven't re-ceived payment 45 to 60 days after the bill is past due. Ask why the bill hasn't been paid, and ask for payment in full. If that's impossible to ar-range, be prepared to negoti-ate an installment payment 
schedule. 4Follow up with addi-tional phone calls if neces-
sary. At this stage, don't rely on debtors who keep promis-
ing to pay at a future date. Realize that debtors often use delay as a tactic to dis-courage creditors. 5If the debtor still hasn't from page 24 evening drenching. Avoiding one unnecessary irrigation cy-cle can save up to 2,500 gallons 
of water on a half-acre of turf. The new water con-servation regulations are rightly causing some turf man-agers to fine-tune their irriga-tion practices. "People realize an irriga-tion system is the way to go, instead of wrestling with hoses and trying to deal with the cli-mate," says Dallas Heckman, branch manager of Florida Ir-rigation Supply, Inc., Fort Meyers. "Now with the new regulations, they also have to contend with hours of usage. It makes life a whole lot easier with a system that cuts on and off when it needs to." Heckman says the water saved with a rain sensor varies 
depending upon the locale, but "in a temperate climate, with average rainfall, savings are usually substantial." To determine the need for a rain sensor, a turf manager 
should consider such factors 
as: Ł How often does it rain? Ł How much water is ap-plied by the sprinkler system 
per cycle? Ł How much is the cost of the water? Answers to those questions allow a turf manager to calcu-late the amount of water and money being saved when a 
rain sensor shuts off a cycle because of rain, says Heckman. For more information about rain sensors: Ł Forestry Suppliers Inc., 205 W. Rankin St., P.O. Box 
8397, Jackson, MS 39284. Ł Glen-Hilton Products, P.O. Box 31614, Richmond, VA 23294. Ł Rain Bird Sprinkler Mfg, 145 N. Grand Ave., Glendora, CA 91740. Ł Spectrum Technologies, Inc., 12010 S. Aero Drive, Plainfield, IL 60544. Ł Toro Co. Irrigation Divi-sion, 5825 Jasmine St., River-side, CA 92504. LCI paid a delinquent bill in about 90 days, written credit 
policy should provide a clear 
set of options, including pro-
fessional collection, legal ac-
tion, or writing off the debt. 
Write-offs are a last resort. Every dollar a business loses from bad debt requires many 
times that amount in new 
business to replace. LCI About the Author Thomas A. Cooper is vp of I.C. System, Inc., a national collection management 
company based in St. Paul, MN. NK offers new tall fescue trio MINNEAPOLIS, MNŠAmigO and Arriba are two new, im-proved tall fescue varieties from the Medalist Turf Products Di-vision of Northrup King Lawn & Garden Co. They're being blended with Arid tall fescue and being offered to the market as "The A-Team." Company researcher Dr. Eric Nelson claims the fescues have excellent drought and 
heat tolerance, fine texture, and pleasing color. Amigo and Arriba are both dwarf cultivars, and Arid is a semi-dwarf fescue. Ample supplies 
of all three varieties and "The A-Team" are available this fall, says the company. LCI AEC: PC license need for tick jobs WANYE, NJŠThe Alliance 
for Environmental Concerns reports that certification cate-gories are based upon the pest for which applicators have been licensed to control. Not the area treated. It says fleas and ticks are cov-ered under structural pest con-trol in the state of New Jersey and require a 7A certification. So says NJ DEP, says AEC. LCI Sorry, crabgrass. Sorry, goose-grass. You won't be checking in here this season. Not on turf areas treated 
with Team preemergence herbicide. Only one group has reservations. Your turfgrass. Even bentgrass can relax, Team is that gentle. That means with a split applica-tion you can take an all-season vaca-tion from weeds. From upset golfers, callbacks and costly reapplications. Application is easy and accurate. Team gets to the ground where you 
want it. It won't leach out, even in heavy rainfall. Once activated, it forms a zone of protection that shuts the door on weeds for up to 20 weeks. Team is widely available on dry fertilizer from leading formulators, and in granular form from your distributor. So if weeds are planning to visit your turf this season, tell them sorry. You've booked Team for the season. 
See your Elanco distributor. Or call toll-free: 1-800-352-6776. Elanco Products Company A Division of Eli Lilly and Company Lilly Corporate Center Dept EM-455, Indianapolis, IN 46285. U S A. Team"Š (benefin+trifluralin, Elanco) Refer to the Team label for complete use directions With Team on your turf, weeds won't check in all season long, .i '7/ J, i . 'v Ł > WT* t-y ' VA , \ m v \ i -V > V < v 'n 50 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY NOVEMBER 1990 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 218-723-9615. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Learn how to make $1000+ a weekend, aerating lawns. My complete manual shows you how to make tons of cash. Send for free information. A 1 Lawn Aeration, 3403 Dorchester Dr., Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92123. 11/90 HOW TO EARN UP TO $300 PER HOUR WITH LAWN RENOVATION SERVICES. 200 pages, $39.95 postpaid. HOW TO EARN AT LEAST $60 PER HOUR MOWING GRASS...AND STILL BE THE LOW BIDDER! 195 pages, by contractor with 15 yrs. experience, $29.95 postpaid. GOMC, Rt. 1 Box 19-D, Sulphur, KY 40070. VISA/MC. (502)499-9031. TF FOR SALE: (4)TREE/LAWN SPRAYING TRUCKS. (2) 1990 GMC 5,000's (ISUZU WR 5 s). 4 months old, 5 speed, diesel, 14 ft. flatbed, power steering, 2 year unlimited mileage manufacturers warranty. IPM set-up, 4 tanks (2-300 gal./1-200 gal./1-100 gal.). Dual hose reels-large Hannay reel 300 ft. 31/i" hose, John Bean 785 spray gun, small Hannay reel 300 ft. V?" hose/JD-9 spray gun, dual spray systems, 30HP Wisconsin engine, hypro pump Model D50-12.7gpm. 18,000 lbs. GVW. Cost new $41,000 each, sell $31,000 each. ALSO (2) 1990 DODGE 350 s, 7 year 70,000 mile warranty, 4 speed, V-8 engine, power steering, 12 ft. flatbed, 3 tanks (2-300 gal./1-100 gal.). Dual hose reels-large Hannay reel 300 ft. 31/*" hose/Bean 785 gun, small Hannay reel 300 ft. 1/2" hose/JD-9 spray gun, dual spray systems, 30HP Wisconsin engine/hypro pump-D1504-39.6 gpm, Briggs & Stratton engine/ hypro pump-D50-12.7 gpm. Cost new $32,000 each, sell $21,500 each. Contact owner for details. 201-633-8398 days/516-331-4713 eves. Photos available for all trucks. 11 /90 One Lawn Truck - Mercedes Benz Diesel. Excel-lent condition-1981. 1,200 gallon 2 compartment stainless steel tank. Also holds 1,000 lbs. of dry fertilizer. Hydro-cell 25 gallons per minute pump. 2 hose reels with guns. $11,500.201-891-6035. 11/90 For Sale - 1977 Ford F-600 Spray Truck w/1200 gal. tank split axle-bean pump - Twin Hannay reels w/hose, PTO Cab just repainted. Excellent con-dition. $5,000. Jerry Rowe (313)292-7110. 11/90 ACHIEVERS WHERE IS YOUR SECURITY? We are an aggressive, growing lawn care company looking for franchisees and/or working managers - working to-wards ownership. Insure your personal future and stop worrying about layoffs. 
We are looking to open the Philadelphia-Camden-Trenton market this Winter-Early Spring, plus a few others to be determined by the individual involved. Stop and see us at the PLCCA show, Booth #1534 or call for an interview. Super Lawns 1 -800-44-LAWN1. Rock-
ville, MD. Ł For Truck Transport of Dry Chemical Compounds Ł Easy Access Design Ł 7 Bag Capacity Ł Rain Proof Ł Stainless Steel Hardware Ł Padlockable Latch ARROWHEAD PLASTIC ENGINEERING, INC. 2909 S. Hoyt Avenue, Muncie, IN 47302 Tel. 317-286-0533, ext. 40 FOR SALE FOR SALE: 1986 Ford F350 Diesel with 200, 400 split and dry storage. Hydracell pumps, Venturi fill. 78,000 miles. $9,000. Call (206)391-6488. 11/90 1985 ISUZU GMC CABOVER: Excellent condition. Two compartment. Completely stainless tank and bed. Hydro-cell 25 G.P.M. 2 hose reels with guns. Also holds 1000 lbs. of dry fertilizer. Ready to do production. Regular cost over $30,000 new. Ask-ing 14,500.201-891-6035. 11/90 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 USED CHIPPERS, BUCKET TRUCKS, BOOM TRUCKS: Stump grinders, stake bodies, tree trucks and dumps. New Morbark and Asplundh Chippers. Rayco stump grinders at discount prices. We also buy trucks and equipment. Op-dyke, Inc., Hatfield, PA(Phil. area) 215-721-4444. 8/91 Interested in Selling Your Green Industry 
Company? Contact the Professionals at A G M A, Inc. 614-891-3111 or write to Mr. Ed Wandtke AGMA, Inc. 2586 Oakstone Drive Columbus, Ohio 43231 Confidentiality Assured Super Lawn growing mat is imbedded with high quality grass seeds. Rolls 5' X 50' - 250 sq. ft., $45.50. Weight 30 pounds. Wild flower growing mat imbedded with 20 varieties of wild flower seeds. Rolls 21/2" X10' - 25 sq. ft., $9.95. Weight 3 pounds. Call 1-800-321-6888. 11/90 SERVICES Puzzled by IPM? Do you want to implement an IPM System but don't know where to start? Hor-ticulture Concepts specializes in on-site planning, development and implementation of IPM Manage-ment, Training and Technical Support Systems. Call or write Horticulture Concepts, 11105 E. Ada Place, Aurora, CO 80012, 303-361-9348. 11/90 Circle No. 141 on Reader Inquiry Card HELP WANTED ACHIEVERS - WHERE IS YOUR SECURITY? We are an aggressive, growing lawn care company looking for franchisees and/or working managers - working towards ownership. Insure your per-sonal future and stop worrying about layoffs. We are looking to open the Philadelphia-Camden-Trenton market this Winter-Early Spring, plus a few others to be determined by the individual in-volved. Stop and see us at the PLCCA Show, booth #1534 or call for an interview. Super Lawns. 1-800-44-LAWN1. Rockville, MD. 1/91 Tree and Shrub Man: Driving, dedicated self-starter to develop tree and shrub program. Must be people and detail oriented. Experience pre-ferred; plant identification, disease identification, spraying, deep root feeding, pruning knowledge helpful, life experience, tenacity, stability and nat-ural Inclination most important. Write to Rick Fronk, Nitro Green, 316 West California, #337, Reno, NV 89509. Or call (702)322-2882. 11/90 LANDSCAPE DIVISION MANAGER: well estab-lished, rapidly growing company seeks individual to take over for retiring manager. Individual must be able to run both a maintenance and a planting division simultaneously. Requires exceptional or-ganizational/management skills as well as com-plete command of plant materials and maintenance techniques. For consideration con-tact David Gorter, 855 Skokie Highway, Lake Bluff, IL 60044. 708-615-0800. 11/90 MANAGER Are you ready for a challenge? Michi-gan based lawn care company is looking for that right individual to be its manager. Salary commen-surate with experience, bonus and benefits. Please reply to LCI Box 231 with resume and sal-ary requirements. All replies held in strictest con-fidence. 12/90 "Consider all of your employment options in the irrigation and landscape industries. Call Floraper-sonnel, the international employee search firm for the ornamental horticulture industry. Completely confidential. Employer pays fee. Florapersonnel, Inc., P.O. Box 1732,1450 S. Woodland Blvd., Suite 201, DeLand, FL 32721-1732. (904)738-5151. Jeff Brower, Joe Dalton, Bob Zahra, CPC." TF WELL ESTABLISHED MAJOR COMPANY ex-panding in Midwest cities desires ambitious branch sales manager and a regional sales mana-ger. Must have successful telemarketing experi-ence in lawn care and be able to motivate. We care about our employees and offer high salaries and good benefits. Send resume to LCI Box 229. TF General Manager needed for established Long Island, NY chemical Lawn/Tree care firm. Suc-cessful candidate must possess strong business/ management abilities with a minimum 4 years greens industry background. Responsibilities in-clude: Motivating and delegating to staff of 25. Aggressive marketing/leadership abilities a must. Earnings to 60K plus generous benefits package. Send resume in confidence to: AMSCO in care of LCI Box 230. 11/90 DISTRIBUTORS NEEDED FOR ORGANIC LAWN AND GARDEN FERTILIZERS: NATURALL Lawn Food 8-1-3 and NATURALL Garden Food 2-4-4 are tested and proven products. Distributors are needed throughout the USA. For consideration contact: Hiram Lund, CFS Specialty Division, Box 24, Rt. 2, Cashton, Wl 54619. 800-822-6671. 11/90 Landscape Supervisor: Established Michigan Contractor looking for self-motivated individual with 5 years minimum experience to manage crews and oversee landscape installation. Send resume and salary requirements to: DeAngelis Landscape Incorporated, 22425 Van Horn Road, Woodhaven, Michigan 48183. EOE. 12/90 EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY GRAYSON COLLEGE, Denison, Texas. Two-year technical program in Golf Course and Turfgrass Management. 18-hole golf course on campus. Dormitories, placement assistance, financial aid and scholarships available. Contact: GCC, 6101 Grayson Drive, Denison, TX 75020.214-465-6030, extension 253. 12/90 SOFTWARE LAWN ASSISTANT The # 1 software for the lawn & tree care industry is now better than ever! Call for your free 100-page brochure COMPUTERS 3130 Crumb Rd. Walled Lake, Ml 48088 (800) 422-7478 -fes^flgSSsa b VA'" _ y^w _ Ł commen-ce and re-Sell Through Classifieds! AD INDEX NO. ADVERTISER PAGE 101 Acadian Seaplants Ltd 46 141 AGMA, Inc 50 102 Americalist 30 103 The Andersons (Regional) 6 105 Bata Shoe Co. Inc 23 104 Blackburn 48 108 Ciba-Geigy Corp 26-27 107 Clifford B. Hannay & Son 8 106 CoronCorp 48 118 Cushman-Ryan 2-3 110 DeWitt Co 33 
111 DowElanco 41 
112 DowElanco 20-21 113 DowElanco (Regional) 31 
114 DowElanco 15 115 DowElanco 13 116 DowElanco 11 109 DowElanco 49 
117 DowElanco 51 
119 Encap Products Co 32 121 Fermenta ASC Corp 7 122 Green Genie Products Inc. .46 
123 Harmony Products Inc. ... 4-5 124 Hoechst Roussel 35 
125 Howard Johnson (DOTS) .. 45 126 Kooslnc 29 127 Lebanon Chemical 22 128 Lesco, Inc 52 140 Lesco, Inc 42 129 MFP Insurance Agy .30 130 OM Scott & Sons Co. ...36-37 131 Oregon Tall Fescue Com. . .28 132 Practical Solutons, Inc 48 133 Roots Inc 38-39 134 Seed Research of Oregon (Regional) 19 135 ServiceMaster 32 120 Snapper/Kees 14. 136 Turf Seed 25 
137 Tyler Enterprises (Regional) 47 139 UAP Specialty Products ...17 
138 Vigoro Industries 18 This index provided as an additional ser-vice. The publisher assumes no liability for ommission or error. p if mmm m m 
m vh\ e k/ -^PPPOSS^ i t i f i f m VYi Ss^J Introducing Gallery." Nothing's more terrifying than to hear a customer say, "They're back." Dreaded broadleaves. Costly callbacks. You want to scream. Your nightmares are over at last. Elanco introduces the unique preemer-gence broadleaf weed control for turf-grassŠnew Gallery 75DF. Featuring an advanced new chemistry, it casts broad-wSV^v BSSKBS leaves into the dungeon and throws away the key all season long. Your customers won't be haunted by spurge. Or oxalis. Or white clover. Or 41 other tough broadleaves. And you'll be haunted less by costly callbacks. Yet turfgrass has nothing to fear. New Gallery is actually more tolerant on your turf than other herbicides. So there's no risk of off-site damage to nearby ornamentals, gardens and trees. Put an end to the horror of broadleaves. Instead of hearing "They're back," start saying, "They're gone." With new Gallery. See your Elanco distributor. Or call 
toll-free: 1-800-352-6776. Circle No. 116 on Reader Inquiry Card I Elanco Products Company A Division of Eli Lilly and Company Lilly Corporate Center Dept. EM-455, Indianapolis, IN 46285, U.S.A. GalleryŽŠ(isoxaben, Elanco) Still the Product of Choice for Preemergent Control. Turf managers keep choos-ing LESCO PRE-M® 60 DG preemergent herbicide because it's cost effective. They know from experience that it gives them control. Control over most major annual grassy weeds plus a variety 
of the most troublesome germinat-ing broadleaf weeds. PRE-M stops crabgrass, annual bluegrass, foxtail, goosegrass, 
barnyardgrass and fall panicum. And it's effective on these tough-to-control broadleaf weeds: oxalis, spurge, common and mouseear chickweed, henbit, evening primrose and hop clover. LESCO PRE-M contains pendimethalin, a proven per-former for PRE-M 60 DG Herbicide A60% water dispersée granule for use «^merjpen, weed con,roMn *JVEWGREDIENTS: J^^niN-li-ethyip.opyt).^ KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHLOREN CAUTION ^CAUT>QHAWYSwtMpfrs 6000% 4000% TOTAL 10000% Net 10 lb. "»O SO. #011965 ©1990, LESCO, Inc. LESCO, Inc. 20005 Lake Road Rocky River, Ohio 44116 Circle No. 116 on Reader Inquiry Card broad-spectrum weed control. Programmed applications 
of LESCO PRE-M control both early and late germinating weeds. Labeled for use on most northern and southern turfgrasses, 
PRE-M'swater-
dispersible 
formula can be tank mixed 
with most fertilizers and pestcides. For added convenience, 
try LESCO PRE-M 60 WP, a wettable powder that comes in easy-to-use water soluble packaging. Contact your LESCO Sales Representative, visit your 
nearest LESCO Service Center or call toll free (800) 825-3726. In Cleveland, call (216) 333-9250. Always read and follow label instructions before applying any herbicide product. PRE-M® is a registered trademark of LESCO, Inc. <7 CYJkNJUHiD Agricultural Division VPC Ventures Wayne. NJ 07470