How harmful are pesticides to non-target species: birds, fish? BY WHITNEY CRANSHAW / One public and visible issue of pesticide use on turfgrass and in landscape plant protection involves harm to desirable 'non-target' species such as birds, fish, earthworms, and other wildlife. Pesticide applications can harm these organ-isms as they control the intended target pest speciesŠgrubs, webworms, billbugs, etc/ Inadvertent wildlife kills can draw intense scrutiny to the applicator of pesticides. Federal laws protecting wildlife have caused further reg-ulation of this issue. At the same time, land-scape practices such as gardening to attract wildlife to yards and the expanding popularity of fish ponds increasingly bring fish and birds in close contact with landscape plantings which may need pest protection. Potential hazards to fish and birds are some-times not well communicated on the label direc- tions. Often some generic warning exists which doesn't give much appreciation of the relative hazard amongst the many other label warnings that tend to wash over the reader after time. How toxicity is determined. However, it's in the interest of the turf care professional to become aware of potential special hazards associated with products so that prob- lems can be minimized. The relative toxicity of various chemicals, including pesticides, is often evaluated in terms of their LDcq value. This is the lethal dose of the chemical which kills See HARMFUL on page 16 WWN ORE INDUSTRY Serving the needs of the professional lawn care operator AUGUST 1991 VOLUME 15 NUMBER 8 Where there's smoke, there's fire? There will be less of both in Oregon's Wilamette Valley where thousands of acres of turf seed are harvested annually. The turfseed industry, which burns its fields annually to prepare for the coming season, and state lawmakers reached an agreement which will reduce the acreage turfseed producers will be allowed to burn. This dramatic scene was captured by Larry Kassell. Industry/lawmakers agree to reduce turfseed acreage burned in Wilamette Valley To burn or not to burn issue resolved SALEM, ORŠThis is the summer when the often-times heated field-burning controversy here finally flickers out. In late June negotiators found common ground between an industry-backed House bill and a more-restrictive Senate bill con- cerning the burning of grass seed fields each summer and fall. Turfseed growersŠmain-stay of a $280-million industry in Oregon's Wilamette ValleyŠsay that field burning is the most I Com| I So, v man< ************* 3-iIGlT 46fl IS? CûMùbi3d ¿0 PETE COOKINGHAfl LIBRARY iii-lEl USGA TURFGRASS INFO FILE 30G niCHIGAN STATE UNIV EAST LANSING ni MdöEM-lQHd effective way to clear their fields of unwanted straw. They insist that burning improves crop yields of many varieties of turfseed; indeed some varieties can- not be grown economically without burning. But the big clouds of smoke annually attract criticism. And when seven people died in a 23-vehicle crash in the smoke which drifted over 1-5 from a burn- ing field near Albany, OR, in 1988 anti-burning forces suddently found themselves with lots of new friends. Actually, Oregon law-makers voted to outlaw burning in the mid 1970s but backed off under indus- try pressure. Even so, in 1979 the acreage limit was set at 250,000 acres, where it's stayed since. The new compromiseŠ expected to become law this summerŠraises about $1 million a year (half from state lottery money, half from fees imposed on burns) to find new ways to use up straw and clean seed fields. See BURN on page 4 9-0! LCOs Lose Top court unanimous that FIFRA gives berg pesticide authority Within days of a June U.S. Supreme Court ruling, citi-zens within some communi-ties revitalized their efforts to leash LCO use of pesti- cides. In Mayfield, Ohio, for instance, councilman Santo Basile said the decision will now allow that village, just east of Cleveland, to enforce a pesticide notification law it adopted in 1987. "I'd stop these lawn care trucks and tell them about the law. They told me to blow it out my you know what," he said. "Now, we can start enforcing it." The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 9-0 ruling, determined in late June that local political subdivisions can make their own rules con- cerning pesticide use. The ruling is unwelcome by the agrichemical indus- try and by the majority of professional pesticide appli-cators Groups representing chemical suppliers and See 9-0 on page 3 BOOKSTORE THE SHRUB IDENTIFICATION BOOK ú,.tif. K" » Stfmituh THE TREE IDENTIFICATION BOOK ütstkff H D $ym. 665 ARBORICULTURE: THE CARE OF TREES. SHRUBS AND VINES IN THE LANDSCAPE by Richard W. Harris Provides comprehensive coverage of complete planting, site analysis, preparation and special planting methods, fully detailed coverage of fertilization, irrigation and pruning guidelines on preventative mainte-nance. repair and chemical control, how-tos of diagnosing plant prob- lems. practical data on non- infectious disorders, diseases, in- sects and related pests and pest management. $63.00 430 Ł DISEASES OF TREES AND SHRUBS By Wayne Sinclair, Howard Lyon and Warren Johnson A comprehensive pictorial survey of the diseases of. as well as the environmental damage to. forest and shade trees and woody orna-mental plants in the United States and Canada. Reflects the most important developments in fungal biology and taxonomy, plant bac-teriology, virology, and environmentally induced stress in plants. Summarizes information about newly discovered diseases and provides up-do-date accounts of old ones $52.50 690 - INSECTS THAT FEED ON TREES AND SHRUBS by Johnson and Lyon Essential information for identifying more than 650 insect pests and the injuries they cause. More than 200 color illustrations. $49.95 720 Ł SHRUB IDENTIFICATION by George Symonds Pictorial key to identify shrubs. Contains more than 3.500 illustra-tions to check specimens. Popular and botanical names are given for each shrub and handy index tabs for quick reference. $17.95 750 - TREE IDENTIFICATION by George Symonds Pictorial reference to identifying trees by checking leaves, buds, branches, fruit and bark. Like its sister publication. SHRUB IDENTI-FICATION. popular and botanical names are listed with index tabs for easy reference. easy rei $17.95 760 Ł TREE MAINTENANCE by Pascal Pirone The sixth edition of this guide for anyone involved in the care and treatment of trees. Special sections on tree abnormalities, diagnosing tree troubles, non-parasitic injuries and assessing the suitability of different trees. $49.95 345 - KERR'S COST DATA FOR LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION 1991 By Norman L. Dietrich Eleventh edition. Provides all the pricing data you need in one con-venient source. 28 major sections cover site, recreation and land-scape development. 65 subsections provide specific data on materials, equipment and labor. Will save you hours on time-consuming research and calcula-tions. Organized in easy-to-use CSI format. $44.95 ¥ * LAM3SOW OPERATIONS nvthxi. a> hm O < HŠ O ff) Łg 100 co (0 3 O JO 180,000 140,000 100,000 ,000 UPFRONT We're so darn good I can hardly BY RON HALL editor So many long faces. So much uncertainty. What's to keep an LCO from curling up in a ball in a corner. Then acquain-tances can say things likeŠ "Ain't it a shame. " Or. "His therapist says he's making progress" So, who's giving too much attention to all the criticism aimed at professional lawn care? We are, that's who. LAWN CARE INDUSTRY magazine mailed question- naires to 1,000 of its readers earlier this year and 270 returned them. Many LCOs, the returns tell us, are questioning their industry, maybe even themselves. We wrote about this in June's LCI. And some LCOsŠaccord-ing to the advertising done by a few companies this springŠare apologizing for all the horrible things industry does to the envi-ronment, but offering a "new" type of lawn care, which is horse manureŠthe marketing that is. Who knows what's in the fertiliz- er they're peddling. Others (not in the busi-ness) say we better find a new line of work. We're spraying poi-sons all over the place; they're mad as hell; they're not going to take it any-more. That would be laugh- able except for the attention they attract. I know most of what they're saying is malarky because the proof is all around me, even as I write this. Edgell Communications headquarters, the building in which I work, is located on several acres of the most intensively managed turf in the Cleveland area (outside of a golf course anyway). It's a showcase of turf and col-orful annuals. If somebody is harming the environment because we love all this green grass and beautiful flowers, they bet-ter inform the geese that take up residence here each spring. Or the three young foxes that spend an hour early each morning wrestling and tumbling just outside our windows. Or the hummingbirds. This place is awash in hum-mingbirds, the shiney green ones about half as big as a sparrow, and tiny dark green and yellow ones. These are so tiny and fear-less that, without close examination (you can walk right up on them) you'd swear they're hornets. If what we're doing is so terrible, why don't all these critters go across the street in the brush and weeds instead of hanging around our place? What's been created here with the grass and the ponds and the flowers is marvelous. We should pat ourselves on the backs every morning for the positive things we, stand it! as an industry, do for the environment and cus-tomers's lives. All this worrying and fretting keeps us from focusing on what we should be doing: ŁProviding real service and building healthy lawns. ŁReceiving a fair price for what we do. ŁMaking a profit. ChemLawn to post a profit? MINNEAPOLISŠ David Siegfried, president of Ecolab Inc.'s ChemLawn Services Corp. said the nation's largest lawn care company should post a prof- it this year. He made the statement in a story appearing in the MinneapoliŠSt. Paul Tribune this summer. ChemLawn recorded losses in 1987, 89 and 90 totaling $56 million. The company posted a $13.9 million profit in 1988. LCI TURCAM®'s advanced carbamate chemistry goes to work fastŠand offers effectiveness that lastsŠagainst white grubs as well as mole crickets, chinch bugs, sod webworms and other destructive pests. This hard-working insecticide is odorless.. .cost-effective.. .easy Jl It M to apply. What's more, TURCAM Vf iMOK'AIVI won't tie up in thatch or damage turf and ornamentals. NOR-AM CHEMICAL COMPANY A Schering Berlin Company 3509 Silverside Road. P O. Box 7495. Wilmington. DE, 19803 Now available in two convenient formsŠTURCAM WP a wettable powder and TURCAM 2V2G granularŠthis versatile insecticide can take care of your toughest pest control problems. For more information on TURCAM, contact the NOR-AM Communications Department or your local distributor. CAUTION: TURCAM® is a restricted use pesticide. Copyright i 1968 NOR-AM Cheimcal Company All rights reserved IMPORTANT: Please remember always to read and follow carefully all label directions when applying any chemical. FROM THE FIELD BY CHRISTOPHER SANN The unprecedented high heat and dryness this summer caused many LCOs to put their concerns about summer dis- ease control in the back- ground. Their efforts cen-tered on keeping the turf they managed watered and alive. As this dry spell ends, we as turf managers will have to determine if some of the lawn problems we're battling are drought dam-age or disease damage. Which came first, the chick-en or the egg? Here are some simple indicators that you can use to help you determine which, in fact, came first. Drought-damaged turf Drought-damaged turf has some telltale indicators: ŁIf the damaged turf is a constant brown or light brown with little or no live turf visible. ŁThe area exhibits any signs of mechanical damage such as stripes from tire marks from mowers or other vehicle or foot traffic. ŁThe damaged area has not increased in size since the resumption of watering. ŁThe leaves in the dam-aged area have taken on a dark gray or blackish cast since the resumption of watering. This color comes from the spores of minor opportunistic disease that only effects severely drought-stressed turf. If these conditions exist, you almost certainly are dealing with drought-dam- aged turf. If, on the other hand, the damaged area is not consis- tent, with many areas of live turf, or the damage is diffuse and not well defined, and the damaged area has actually increased in size or has only appeared since the resumption of watering, then it's likely that you had or have an active summer disease problem. Summer Patch Summer patch is the Were our problems caused by drought or summer diseases? classic summer "patch dis- ease" that, at various times over the past 25 years, has been called Fusarium Roseum, Fusarium Blight, Fusarium Blight syndrome, etc. Diagnosing Summer Patch is relatively easy. The patches start at about 6" in diameter up to about 24". They range in shape from roughly circular to U-shaped or occasionally cres-cent-shaped and frequently have an apparently healthy green growing center, fre-quently giving the patch a donut -shaped appearance. The dead turf within the patch will remain upright for up to several weeks until mechanically crushed or pushed down by rainfall or watering. The patches most often appear when a very hot dry spell immediately follows a very wet spell. The onset of new patches stops with a good watering or with the application of a fungicide that has demon-strated good control of the disease. Controlling Patch The primary host of Summer Patch is bluegrass, usually showing the great- est damage in areas or restricted root structures or areas that are subject to substantial reflected heat. Stopping the emergence of new patches can be as simple as just thoroughly watering the affected areas or occasionally applying an effective fungicide at cura-tive rates. It might be better It only takes one insecticide to protect your customers from top to bottom. By using TEMPO" 2 Ornamental Insecticide, you can treat home lawns, flowers, plants, shrubs, even trees with unmatched effectiveness. Reduce exposure. TEMPO uses 80% less active ingredient than the leading insec-ticide, so there's 80% less chemical to impact the environment. And that reduces the potential for exposure to your cus-tomers and their pets. Since TEMPO is a broad-spectrum, advanced generation pyrethroid, it gives excellent control at low dosage rates. This allows you to control tough surface-feeding pests like sod web- worms, cutworms, armyworms, even ticks without yellowing the grass or interfering with fertilizers or fungicides. TEMPO reduces exposure to your customers, your employees and the environment. A LittleTempoWill On top of all that, TEMPO is practically odorless. No phytotoxicity on ornamentals. Using TEMPO on all your customers' flowers, plants and shrubs is an excellent way to control leaf-feeding insects without burning the leaves or blooms. Plus, the fast knockdown and long residual of TEMPO make it effective on tough pests like pine shoot moths, web-worms and sawflies. And again, 80% less chemical means less handling, mixing and disposal hassles, as well as less impact on the environment. Less chemical needed to spray trees. Nothing is better on trees than TEMPO. Because not only are you spraying less TEMPO effectively controls surface and leaf-feeding pests like tent caterpillars, Japanese beetles and bagworms. «1991 Mobay Corporation TEMPO i» a Rag TMo< Bayer AG . Garmany 911S34 to attempt to prevent patch formation in areas that have a disease history by convincing the property owner of a thorough and timely watering program into the cooler fall months. Where regular irrigation is a problem, monthly pre-ventive applications of a fungicide such as triadimed- fon starting in late May and continuing through August have recently shown to pro- vide acceptable control. The application rates will range from light to heavy depending on the availabili-ty of water and the history of the location. Foliar Pythium is proba-bly the most misunderstood and misdiagnosed of all the summer diseases. It's also likely the most damaging. Pythium symptoms Unlike Summer Patch, the symptoms of Pythium are much less distinct. It can have rings similar to Brown Patch or circular patches like Summer Patch but without the live centers. It can exhibit a diffuse off-color gray-green cast in its very early stages. The three things most consistent about Pythium are: an almost complete col- lapse of the affected leaves often with a "slimy" appear-ance in the final stages; a disheveled appearance of collapsing leaves in the mid-dle stages; and it often appears during wet and humid periods following hot weather. It gets worse with watering and irrigation. Pythium control Control of Pythium can be difficult. It's active over a wide range of tempera- turesŠfrom 55 F. on up It has been isolated from about 90% of all samples submitted to a major turf products manufacturer but it only exhibits symptoms over a relatively narrow set of environmental circum-stancesŠhigh heat, humidi-ty and wetness. Preventive applications of the appropriate fungi- cides may be effective when applied 15 to 30 days before the anticipated onset of symptoms, but if conditions favor the onset of symp-toms, the light rates gener-ally used in preventive applications can easily be overwhelmed. Curative applications of fungicides at high rates are usually effective at control-ling the symptoms, but the tremendously disruptive nature of Pythium usually causes lots of damage. Luckily, the narrow set of conditions that favor this disease are usually short lived. Best defense The best defense against drought and summer dis-eases are good cultural practices: consistent water-ing that avoids saturation or dryness, maintaining a balanced high-quality fertil-ity program, increasing air circulation where needed and learning the early warning signs. About the author Christopher Sann is owner of Complete Lawn Service, Wilmington, DE. LCI ALCA OFFERS PUBS CATALOG FALLS CHURCH, VAŠ The Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) recently revised the ALCA Publications Catalog, which contains a complete listing of all the publica-tions ALCA has available. The following new publi-cations are included: Ł"Designing Your Accounting System"; Ł"Crystal Ball Report XŠManaging Information Systems"; Ł"Crystal Ball Report XIŠPersonnel"; Ł"Safe Tractor-Loader Operation"; and Ł"Safe Truck and Trailer Operation". For a free copy of the cat-alog: ALCA Publications Department, 405 N. Washington St., Suite 104, Falls Church, VA 22046. LCI ITODA is new WASHINGTON D.C.Š ITODA is the name of a new association of distribu-tors who market products to the professional turf and ornamental trades. ITODA stands for Independent Turf & Ornamental Distributors Association. Members (there were 29 in June) meet twice a year to discuss industry issues. The next meeting is the ITODA Conference in Hilton Head, SC, Oct. 23-27. For more information contact ITODA President Herb Hea (301/899-3535) or Membership Chairman Don Hepler (217-352-0591). LCI Promark move BRILLION, WIŠAriens Company says it's moved all operations of its Promark subidiary to Ariens headquarters. Ariens will focus on Promark chippers/shred- ders and turf/pavement vacuum products. LCI CoverlheWhole Lot. chemical into the air, TEMPO also costs less than other leading insecticides. In addition, TEMPO is compatible with all types of spray equipment and won't cause downtime due to clogging. And it's effective on such leaf-chewing and leaf-skeletonizing insects as gypsy moth larvae, oakworm caterpillars, leafrollers, bagworms and cankerworms. With 80% less active ingredient, it only takes a little TEMPO to cover a lot of ground. And that has big advantages for you and your customers. For more information, contact the Mobay Corporation, Specialty Products Group, Box 4913, Kansas City, MO 64120 (800) 842-8020. Mobay A Bayer USA INC COMPANY Turf grass: stands tall (like trees) An environmental overview on turfgrass BY ELIOT C. ROBERTS Much of the public believes trees are better for the environment than turfgrass. This is inaccurate. And unfortu-nate. Lawn grasses and trees both create and maintain environmental quality. But, obviously they differ on the degree they do this. ŁTrees use more water from the soil per unit land area than turf. ŁTrees are not involved in long term carbon dioxide storage. ŁNeither turf nor trees are major sources of atmospheric oxygen, although oxygen is produced from their leaves, as a by-product of pho- tosynthesis. ŁTurf through its active fibrous root system enriches the soil and improves biological processes, help- ing decompose all sorts of pollu-tants. ŁTurf cover over the ground pro-motes the intake of water from rainfall more effectively than any other type of vegetation and is greatly superior to non-living organic accumulations and mulches. Leaf characteristics Great variation has been noted in leaf size and number and in over-all structure of the tree above the ground. A free standing beech tree that is 80 to 100 years old and 80 feet in height may have a crown that is some 50 feet wide and covers 1,700 square feet.This beech tree may have a crown volume of 97,000 cubic feet. There are close to 800,000. leaves on the tree, with a surface area of 17,000 square feet. The pho-tosynthetic surface (inner leaf sur-faces where cell walls are active in assimilation) The inner leaf sur-faces (cell walls active in assimila-tion of carbon dioxide) may be as great as 1,700,000 square feet. The dry weight of all the wood (roots, trunk, branches and twigs) of this tree is about 24,000 pounds. About 12,000 pounds of this is car-bon. This tree transforms about 5 pounds of carbon dioxide and 2 pounds of water to make 3 1/2 pounds of glucose each hour during the growth season. As this hap-pens, 6.075 calories of sunlight are used and 3.8 pounds of oxygen are released back to the atmosphere. Turfgrasses do not have as large a foliar canopy as trees and although equally complex, leaf characteristics have a greater degree of similarity. Turfgrasses vary in canopy struc-ture, leaf area and growth habit depending on genetics within the cultivar, environmental conditions and cultural practices, such as clip-ping height. Leaf area index can be used in the assessment of canopy density, plant growth characteris- tics and physiological responses. The narrow leaves of red fescue contribute to a low leaf area index, a reduced transpiration rate, a lower demand for available soil moisture and a greater potential for drought survival. Drought resistant grasses fre-quently have a higher root to shoot ratio. Some species have a reduced leaf area but show no reduction in transpiration because of an increase in the size and number of stomata. In 'general, a higher cutting height increases the leaf area index, thus providing a greater capability to absorb light and synthesize car- bohydrates. Trees with much larger leaf areas per unit of ground surface take more carbon dioxide from the air and release more oxygen back to the air during photosynthesis. They also use much larger quantities of water in this process than turf. Since turf is green for a longer time during the year than deciduous trees (from 2 to 6 months longer), some equalization of photosynthetic capability can be expected. Also, tree leaves may be green and wilted under moisture stress and at these times limited photo-synthesis takes place. Whereas any time severe moisture stress is imposed on turf, it turns brown and Turfy through its fibrous root system enriches the soil and improves biological processŠEliot RobertSy The Lawn Institute becomes dormant. In the instance of turf, it is obvious that carbon dioxide assimilation, oxygen release and transpirational cooling have ceased; in the instance of woody vegetation, the cessation of these benefits may not be obvious. Atmospheric Composition With current concern for global warming, much emphasis need be placed on an understanding of atmospheric composition - past, pre-sent and future projections: The atmosphere has a mass of 5,610,000,000,000,000 tons (quadrillion) The carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere amounts to 1,870,000,000,000 tons (trillion). Since carbon atoms make up 0.273 of the total mass of the carbon diox- ide molecule, the total mass of car-bon in the atmosphere is 682,000,000,000 tons (billion)) The atmosphere consists mostly of nitrogen (79 percent) and oxy-gen (21 percent) with small amounts of argon (less than one percent), carbon dioxide (0.03 per-cent) and methane (1.7 parts per million) Should there not be a regu- lar release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere through the oxidation of carbon, the relatively few years supply would become depleted. This would be disastrous for plants that rely on carbon dioxide for photosyn- thesis. Carbon dioxide in the air at a concentration of 0.03 percent by volume would amount to 3 parts in 10,000 parts air or 300 parts per million. In the year 1750, the earth's atmosphere contained 280 parts per million carbon dioxide. Now, the atmosphere contains 346 parts per million. Combustion of fossil fuels has amounted to an increase of carbon dioxide emissions from 93 million tons per year in 1860 to about five billion tons per year in 1988. As forest lands are cleared to crop land, more carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere. CO? levels rising Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are increasing. This is a function of our oxidation of carbon from fossil fuels and from the clear-ing of forest lands for agriculture and development. As populations increase world wide and as people aspire to higher standards of living, the use of these energy rich resources will continue. Although computer models pre-dict future global warming, there is no firm evidence of this to date. Larger computers with greater capacities for analyzing global vari-ables are needed before this can be predicted with accuracy. Water use by turf and trees Turfgrass irrigation is conspicu-ous; tree irrigation is not. Whenever a lawn is watered, associated trees and shrubs benefit as much as the lawn grasses. We also know that a plant requires from 60 to 70 gallons of water to produce one pound of dry matter. All additional water is used to transport nutrients, main- tain proper levels of hydration for growth and to cool plant tissue. Turf water use An acre of turf on a cool summer day will lose about 2,400 gallons of water through evaporation and transpiration. On a hot, sunny, dry, windy day, an acre of turf can lose in excess of 10,000 gallons of water. This amounts to about 1/3 of an inch of water. During the growth season, fine turf uses on an average 1 inch of water a week. This amounts to 625 gallons per 1,000 square feet. On an average day, this would amount to close to 90 gallons. Turf that is to be kept green and growing will require this amount of water from a combination of natu-ral rainfall and irrigation. Soil and climatic variables may require the adjustment of these needs up or down throughout the growth sea- son. Tree water use A free standing beech tree loses from 75 to 100 gallons of water during a summer day. An apple tree loses about 300 gallons of water a day during active growth An acre of apple trees will take up some 15,000 gallons of water per day. This amounts to a little over 1/2 inch of water. Some mature orchard trees tran-spire as much as 600 tons of water per acre per day (1,200,000 pounds of water, 144,000 gallons or as much as 5 inches of water). One large tree in full leaf may lift as much as a ton of water a day from the soil (240 gallons or 0.4 inch of water if roots involve a soil volume beneath the tree with 1,000 square feet of soil surface). The formation of 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of wood cellulose requires 55 grams (2.0 ounces) of water. But while the tree increases its weight by only 100 grams, it loses through transpiration nearly 100,000 grams (about 26 gallons) of water. Large trees may form up to 50,000 cubic feet of organic matter, mostly wood. Turf is efficient Turfgrasses, because of smaller leaf areas and production of a smaller biomass and a more limited root system within the soil, use less water than trees. At times when there is a mois-ture deficit within a region, trees will draw down moisture reserves in the topsoil to a greater extent than turf. Turf irrigation may make it seem that lawns are using too much water and in many instances lawns are over watered. Much biomass produced Both trees and turf use carbon dioxide in photosynthesis. It's a difficult process to evaluate fo either. A tree is able to use about 10 per cent of the carbon dioxide in the air at any given time. Only about one percent of the solar energy that falls on a leaf is used with the carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. Also, many of the interior leaves receive only one percent or even less of the sunlight received by peripheral leaves. These low light intensities often favor stomatal clo-sure. High light intensity often raises transpiration rates and a reduced water content of leaf cells. Under these conditions, photosynthetic rates may drop. Photosynthesis is most efficient when wet cell sur- faces are in contact with the air so that exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen can take place. A square inch of leaf may have thousands of stomata (some Eliot Roberts, who will be retiring as director of The Lawn Institute, this year, and Jerry Roche, right, editor of Landscape Management magazine. The two toured turfseed production areas in the Pacific Northwest in June. For excellent shade performance Û KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS Most turf experts agree Š tn* good natural resistance to powdery mildew is an important factor in a blue-grass' adaptability to shade. Tests and use show Ram I to have excellent resistance to powdery mildew, lending to its outstanding shade performance. Reaction of Kentucky bluegrass cultivars and selections to powdery mildew in a spaced-plant nursery at Adelphia, New Jersey. m Powdery Mildew Rating 9 most disease Cultivar or Selection* RAM I 0.0 Glade 0.0 Nugget 0.0 Mystic 0.0 Touchdown 0.0 Sydsport 0.5 Plush 2.0 Baron 3.0 Cheri 3.5 Victa 3.5 Geronimo 4.0 Majestic 5.0 Bonnieblue 6.0 Adelphi 6.5 Vantage 6.5 Rugby 7.0 Parade 7.0 Pennstar 7.0 Fylking 7.0 Merion 8.0 Windsor 9.0 'Commercially available Kentucky bluegrass varieties Whatever your bluegrass specifica-tions, remember... what you seed is what you get... sow Ram I. !Ł Ram I is a release of the U.S. Golf Association Greens Section/Rutgers University/Lofts Seed Inc. Jacklin Seed Company Post Falls ID 83854/(208) 773-7581 1 ** _ (800) 635-8726 Lofts Seed Inc. Bound Brook, New Jersey 08805 (201) 356-8700 Ł (800) 526-3890 ThxtA m ^ * \ Iff yr * V- Ł ryTX-'^ÏUGKY BÜlgÉ ffi J KENTUCKY BLL'gJ^^ LOFTS Circle No. 104 on Reader Inquiry Card MNF VARIETY PROTECTION .,:/ p- No. 7800069 LiCA Authorized seed multipl' ^0HI3ITED BY LAW. ,T10N SVj fcWs&Wlsfi 35,000 per square inch of oak leaf). With year round growth, tropical forests can produce as much as 36 tons of car-bon- containing plant mate-rial per acre per year. This is about twice that of a tem-perate forest. In contrast, a hybrid corn crop grown in fertile soil can produce only 6 to 8 tons of plant material per acre each year. Less growth is better Compared to biomass production of 36 tons per acre for a tropical forest and 18 tons per year for a tem-perate forest and 8 tons per year for a hybrid corn crop, turfgrass production is insignificant. In fact, the less growth of turf, the bet- ter, within limits of normal health and vigor. What organic matter that is produced by turf when returned through "Grasscycling" is used by soil organisms to enrich the soil. Oxygen consideration Since we breathe oxygen, we're concerned about oxy- gen levels and air quality wherever we are - outdoors, at home or at work. Atmospheric oxygen is vital to our health and well- being. The average adult breathes in more than 400 cubic feet of air a day. About 1/5 of the volume of this is oxygen. Eighteen percent of the human body is carbon. A 165 pounds individual con-tains about 30 pounds of carbon. Of some 400 cubic feet of air taken in each day, the body absorbs about 20 cubic feet- of oxygen. Expired air still contains about 3/4 of the oxygen it had when it was inhaled. Thus, air which has been breathed once is still suit-able for re-breathing as it mixes with fresh air on exhalation. Oxygen in expired air will have decreased from 20 to 16 percent and carbon dioxide will have been increased from 0.04 to 4.0 percent .Although oxygen is the breath of life for all humankind, 20 times more is used each day per person for various combustion ser- vices. These include gener-ation of energy for light and heat, as well as for cooking and transportation. A delicate balance Should too much oxygen accumulate in the atmo-sphere, danger from spon-taneous combustion would increase. Should oxygen levels drop much below 20 percent, burning and biodégradation would become more difficult. A leaf surface of about 270 square feet can emit, on a sunny day, as much oxy-gen as a person requires in that same period. But, since we breathe at night and in the winter and at other times when there is limited photosynthesis taking place, at least six times this amount of leaf surface is required for a whole year. This would amount to about 1700 square feet of leaf surface. A combination of tree leaves, shrub leaves and grass leaves in the land-scape can help provide this. Approximately 1000 to 1500 cubic feet of green plant canopy are required per person to provide this amount of leaf surface. If this canopy were lawn grass with a two inch thick-ness, then 6,000 to 9,000 square feet of lawn would be required to provide this much oxygen. If this canopy were one tree with a dripline covering 64 square feet of ground, the crown of the tree would have to be from 20 to 30 feet in the air. In more practical terms, a landscape of slight- ly less than 2000 square feet will generate the oxy-gen required for one person for an entire year. Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere has an aquatic origin. Land plants con- tribute oxygen too, but this is not thought to be critical to our survival. Nevertheless, it's better to have green oxygen-produc- ing plants in the landscape than the alternative of con- crete, asphalt, and dust. Soil Biology The greatest benefits of turf and trees come in their protection and enrichment of the soil. It's a matter of how well they support soil biological processes that maintain soil systems as dynamic and living in nature. All carbon fixed in organ-ic matter (biomass) not sub-mersed in water is in time subject to oxidation. This may be in an accelerated form, such as burning, or as slow biodégradation (decomposition or rotting). In the latter instance, microorganisms are involved in processes that ultimately form humus that enriches the soil. About the author Eliot Roberts is director of The Lawn Institute, Pleasant Hill, TN. He was aided in the research of this story by Beverly C. and Tara L. Roberts. Discover the fine art of broadleaf weed control. Look closely. This may be the last time you'll see these broadleaves on display. Only one herbicide lets you paint your turf without broadleaves all season long. Gallery* 75DFpre-emergence herbicide. It's an original work of art. And science. With a chem-istry so advanced, it outdates post-emergents, saving you time and labor costs. Our free brochure has all the details. ; 4 m% 5BLBS "Ti Wt^ cX^*^ »TOKArajr ^ ^ \ Grasscycling welcomed near Memphis Greg Waters (left) and Tim Clark, employees of Beauty Lawn Spray, Memphis, TN, at a grasscycling demonstration lawn in Germantown, TN. PLCAA's Grasscycling program showed homeowners how to reduce landscape wastes in the Memphis area. Prospects urged to ask questions PLCAA guidelines for potential lawn clients MARIETTA, GAŠYou can help prospective customers choose a lawn care compa-nyŠpreferably yoursŠby supplying them with these guidelines: (The Professional Lawn Care Association of America developed these suggestions and distributed them to the media in selected markets this past May.) 1. Determine what you want from a lawn service. White Clover No Reproductions • 1990 DowElanco You'll see how to brush away 44 of your toughest broadleaves before they start. Chick weed, spurge and white clover, for example. With no repro-ductions allowed. And no injury to turfgrass, either. Gallery is actually more tolerant to all major turf species of cool and warm season turfŠeven bent- grassŠthan other herbicides. And there's little risk of off-site damage to nearby ornamentals. Find out how to make your broad-leaf weed control a fine art. Send for your free brochure on Gallery. Just call toll-free: 1-800-729-3693, ext. 4672. DowElanco ŁTrademark of DowElanco Lawn companies fertilize, control weeds and other lawn-damaging pests, seed, aerate, mow and maintain small trees and shrubs. 2. Find out which compa-nies provide service in your neighborhood. Before look-ing in the yellow pages or answering an ad, ask your neighbors for a recommen-dation. It's a solid way to determine the reputation of a company and the quality service it provides. 3. Ask for a lawn inspec-tion and an estimate for ser-vice. Beware of companies who quote a guaranteed annual price without seeing your lawn, since they're only guessing what your lawn might need. Deal with a company which has estab-lished the cost based on your specific lawn rather than the average lawn in your neighborhood. 4. Ask about the price system and what services are included. The lawn care company may require a yearly contract or a simple verbal agreement giving the customer the right to dis- continue service at any time. Find out what hap-pens if you have a problem between applications. Will the service calls be free or is there a service call? 5. Consider annual costs on a service call as well as cost per application. Many companies allow you to pay after each treatmen t and may offer a discount if you pay the annual cost up front. 6. Have a complete understanding with the company before work starts. Get an explanation of what the service can and cannot do. Find out what treat-ments are included in the proposed program, about when they will be applied, and what results can be expected. 7. Find out what is, and is not, guaranteed. Some services may offer a guaran-tee of performance. Others may offer refunds if they fail to meet your expecta-tions. 8. Make sure the lawn care service is licensed for application of lawn care products as required by state law. 9. Membership in a national, state, or local lawn care association indicates the company has access to the latest technical informa- tion and is pledged to a code of ethics. 10. For further informa-tion on the company's ser-vice record, contact your Better Business Bureau. LCI The late-summer feeding supplies small, readily available amounts of phosphorus. Photos courtesy of O.M. Scott & Sons Company Feed the grass in the fall for healthier, greener spring lawn BY DR. GEORGE MCVEY Fertilizing in the fall helps turf-grass make it through the winter. This is not, however, vital to the turfs survival as it has lived through winter cold and other stresses for millions of years with-out extra help. Why, then, is fall fertilization so important? Late-season fertilizing eases turf maintenance and improves turf density. Other benefits include bet-ter fall and winter color, along with enhanced early spring green-up. There is an additional reason for a late-fall feeding: turf subjected to high traffic as well as high mainte-nance stress needs more nourish- ment to remain healthy. A late-fall feeding can even be enhanced by fertilizing in late sum-mer. This "sets up" the turf for the fall feeding, by increasing turf den-sity and increasing it ability to absorb nitrogen Apply it late but not too late For cool-season grasses, apply fertilizer as late in the season as possible for best resultsŠlate September to early November. This usually coincides with the last regu-lar mowing, depending upon your area of the country and weather. There is more efficient use of nutri-ents when fertilizer is applied at the same time as the natural slow-down of turfgrass growth. The application should not be so late in the year the ground is frozen, or close to freezing because nutrients will not be available to the plant in sufficient quantities. In the South, a late-fall applica-tion should be before the first frost. Then, Bermudagrass usually stops growing and becomes dormant, remains so until the soil tempera-ture reaches 60F. It should be noted, Bermudagrass roots do remain active about 30 days after the top growth is dormant. A nitrogen feed-ing then is as effective as on cool-season grasses. The goal is to sup-ply enough of a feeding for winter storage, but not enough to encour- age the Bermuda to start growing. Timing varies from August to December, depending upon climate. Difficulties can arise on Bermuda turf overseeded with perennial rye-grasses or other cool-season turf. In general, fertilizer rates of 0.5 lbs. nitrogen/1000 sq. ft. and 1.5 lbs. K2O/IOOO sq. ft. will maintain opti-mum turf quality and enhance win- ter hardiness. In the southernmost regions of the country, a nitrogen rate between 0.9 and 1.0 lbs. N/M is needed to maintain healthy turf. This feeding should also include an equivalent amount of potassium. Understanding the process After rapid vegetative growth slows in the fall, the plant increases food production (carbohydrates and proteins) for storage in the crown and root system of the plant. These carbohydrates and proteins are energy sources and are either absorbed by the root system for immediate use or saved for use dur- ing the winter. The nutrition build-up in the plant's roots and rhizomes is, per-haps, the most significant benefit of fall fertilization. With a proper fall fertilizing program, these energy sources provide nutrients for main-tenance. This leads to good fall and winter color, an improved, early spring green-up and a healthy, vig-orous turf stand next spring. A complete fertilizerŠone with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassi- umŠis the best type for late-sum-mer feeding. For late-fall applica-tions, fertilizers with a high-analy-sis, controlled-release nitrogen source are ideal for good winter/early spring color and encouraging root system develop-ment without excessive top growth. Nitrogen also increases shoot growth and density; tillering; stolon and rhizome growth; heat, cold and drought hardiness; and recovery. Don't apply too much nitrogen in late fall. Too much can divert ener-gy meant to enhance root growth to the production of lush top growth, making plants more susceptible to turf diseases and freezing damage to the crown. Controlled-release nitrogen sources usually eliminate these problems. The late-summer feeding sup-plies small, readily available amounts of phosphorus to meet plant needs. Its effects can be seen in enhanced shoot density; increased tillering; shoot, root and rhizome growth; and enhanced seedling establishment. Generally, if routine fertilization during the season has supplied 0.6 to 1.0 P2O5/IOOO sq. ft., a high analysis feeding of phosphorus isn't needed. Apply potassium to soil that has less than 75 and 150 ppm exchangeable potassium in sandy and clay loam soils, respectively. Nitrogen-to-potassium fertilizer ratios in the 3:1 to 2:1 range are fine under these conditions. Generally, it's important to apply potassium when the turf is growing, like late summer, for best uptake. Secondary elements and micronutrientsŠcalcium, magne-sium, sulfur, boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, zincŠare important to the turfgrass plant. Some or all are often available in many fertilizers. Importance of pH The soil's pH level is almost as important as proper nutrition. The optimum pH range is from 5.6 to 6.6. Centipedegrass, carpetgrass, bentgrass, and red fescue prefer the lower end of the range; tall fescue, annual bluegrass, Bermudagrass, perennial ryegrass, zoysia, bahia, St. Augustinegrass, and Kentucky bluegrass prefer the upper end. "Know" the turfgrass that's being fed. Soil testing can divulge the specific needs of the plants. Each turf area is individual. About the author: Dr. George McVey is a senior technical associ-ate with the O.M. Scott & Sons Company. This is the third in a series of articles concerning turf fer-tilizing he's written for LCI. Late-season fertilizing improves turf density, improves winter color and enhances early spring green-up Ohio green industry hit by sneaky tax COLUMBUS, OHIOŠThis month Ohio consumers began paying sales tax on professional landscape and lawn care services. The sales tax proposal was to have been signed by Governor George V. Voinovich prior to Aug. 1. (This was written the last week of July and there was still a possibilityŠa remote possibilityŠthat Voinovich would line-item veto the tax.) LCOs, mowers, profes-sional landscape providers, etc. will be charging cus- tomers an additional five percent, the state's cut, plus applicable county and municipal sales taxes The green industry is one C-G'S NEMATODE PRODUCT READY GREENSBORO, NCŠThe Ciba-Geigy nematode-based larvicide, Exhibit®, can now be used by lawn care operators. The company says the product controls surface-feeding turf pests such as sod webworms, billbugs, and cutworms. The nematodes in Exhibit are third-stage infective juveniles (Steinernema carpocapsae, strain 25) that seek out and parasitize target pests. The juveniles carry a bacteria (Xenorhabdus spp.). Nematodes enter a tar-get pest through a body opening and release the bacteria into the pest. The host pest dies within 48 hours, and nematodes develop rapidly into first-generation adults and reproduce. Shortly after this, sec-ond-generation adults appear and reproduce. The cadaver fills with juvenile nematodes, which then leave and seek out a new host. If they cannot find a host within 14 days, the juvenile nematodes die. Application rates differ for turf and ornamentals, says Ciba Geigy. For surface feeders on turf, one container should be applied to 10,000 square feet. Applications should be made when small larvae are first detected. Each jug of Exhibit con-tains 250 million entomoge-nous nematodes preserved in gel. The gel dissolves and nematodes are released when an activating agent and water are added. After approximately 30 minutes, this mixture is added to more water in a spray tank. After these preparations, Exhibit can be sprayed. LCI of three service industries being newly required to col-lect the taxes from cus- tomers. The other two are the security industry (bur-glar alarms, protection and private investigators' ser-vices), and 1-900 telephone services. The new taxes arise from a compromise $27.2 billion two-year state budget. The bipartisan Senate-House panel that put together the compromise came up with $292.4 million in new taxes to support the budget. The negotiation was hammered out behind closed doors. The sales tax on green industry services is expected to gen-erate $19.2 million A spokesman at the Ohio Department of Taxation admitted not all green ser-vices providers may as yet be aware of the new sales tax, and, in some cases, they may have to back bill customers. The spokesman said any LCOs doing over $5,000 in business a year would have to obtain a service provider's license and col-lect the tax. The tax proposal caught the industry by surprise. Neal DeAngelo, president of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America, and Phil Fogarty, president of the Ohio Lawn Care Association, fired off immediate protests to the Governor's office. Some LCOs in Ohio feel the tax puts them at an even greater disadvantage in the competition for con-sumers' dollars. Green industry profes-sionals seeking further information concerning the sales tax can contact their nearest regional State of Ohio Department of Taxation regional office. They are: Cleveland, 216/787-3130; Columbus, 614-895-6250; Cincinnati, 513-852-3311; Toledo, 419/245-2881. There are also offices in Zanesville, Canton, Youngstown, Stubenville, Lima, and Dayton. LCI Are Chemicals KillingThe Chemistry Between You And Your Customers? It may not be entirely fair, but the media and consumers are in an uproar over lawn care chemicals and any potential negative effects on families, pets, and the environment. Whether or not you think there are potential dangers, undoubtedly some of your customers da What's the best answer? Converting to or adding a NaturaLawn franchise, the pioneer and leader in organic-based lawn care. NaturaLawn uses a natural, organic-based fertilizer instead of high-salt chemical fertilizers. Our Integrated Pfest Management (IPM) system requires far fewer synthetic controls than traditional chemical spray systems. Of those control materials we do use, 80% are biologically based* NaturaLawn care costs customers no more than chemical lawn care, often less. And our customers are extremely satisfied with their lush green lawns that the healthy soil supports, resulting in a cancel rate far lower than the industry average. Convert your present business to the lawn care service the world is turning toward... NaturaLawn. Our proven training program will enable your staff to quickly learn the safer NaturaLawn system. We offer reduced franchise fees for existing businesses with at least $50,000 annual lawn care revenue. Call Mike Catron, Vice President of Franchise Development. He'll answer your questions and send full information. OFAMERICA THE LEADER IN ORGANIC-BASED LAWN CARE. 1-301-6945440 5704 Industry Lane, Suite H Frederick, MD 21701 ŁWe also offer a 100% pesticide free program. Copyright by © NaturaLawn of America, Inc. 1991. All rights reserved. Each office ia independently owned and operated. Table i Acute avian (bird) toxicity of insecticides and miticides used in tree and turf care. LD50 values for single feed acute toxcity of mallard ducks are given unless otherwise indicated. Pesticide (Trade name) LC50 value Pesticide class Highly toxic to birds (equivalent to Category 1 -Danger/Poison label-pesticides for human exposure, oral LD50O-5O) bendiocarb (Turcam, Dycarb, Ficam) 3.1 mg/kg diazinon 3.5 mg/kg ethoprop (Mocap) 4.2-61 mg/kg propoxur(Baygon) Carbamate Organophosphate Organophosphate Moderatly toxic to birds (equivalent to Category ll-Warning label-pesticides for human exposure, oral LD50 51-500) Organophosphate Organophosphate Avermectins Organophosphate isazophos (Triumph) chlorpyrifos (Pageant, Dursban) avermictin (Avid) acephate (Orthene) 61 mg/kg 76.6mg/kg 84.6mg/kg 350 mg/kg Lower toxicity to birds (equivalent to Category I exposure, oral LD50 501+) fenpropathrin (Tame) 1089 mg/kg maiathion 1485 mg/kg biphenthrin (Talstar) 2150 mg/kg carbaryl (Sevin, Chipco Sevimol) 2179 mg/kg cyfluthrin (Tempo) 5000 mg/kg fluvalinate (Mavrik) 2510 mg/kg l-Caution label-pesticides for human Pyrethroid Organophosphate Pyrethroid Carbamate Pyrethroid Pyrethroid HARM from page 1 50 percent of the test animals. The figure is adjusted for body weight of the animal and expressed as a num- ber based on milligrams (mg) of pesticide required per kilograms (kg) of body weight. (This is equiva- lent to parts per million of body weight.) In this scheme, lower LD50 val-ues indicate higher toxicity. LD50 values can be developed for various measures of pesticide expo-sure. The most easily developedŠ and most widely availableŠare val-ues based on a single exposure applied either orally (ingestion) or to the skin (dermal). These are often called acute exposure values. Effects of pesticides to fish and other aquatic organisms are mea-sured somewhat differently. Instead, an LC50 value is given, based on the lethal concentration of the pesticide diluted in water. Studies on fish are usually run over a 4-day period (96 hour) and LC50 values are expressed in parts per million (or parts per billion) of the pesticide in water. For both LD50 and LC50 values, the technical (i.e. unformulated) pesticide is almost always tested. The values given in Tables 1 and 2 reflect this. Formulated pesticides may have different values, since the other ingredients added during for-mulation can affect uptake by fish or birds. Toxicity of pesticides to earth-worms, an important group of ani-mals in lawn health, is not routine-ly determined in laboratory trials. Information on this subject is based on some field trials that have been conducted by turfgrass researchers, often entomologists. Earthworms Earthworms are essential to lawn health,. They're macrodecom-posers that help recycle organic matter such as thatch. They also naturally aerate soils. Destruction of earthworms can disrupt a healthy soil ecosystem, contributing to other problems, notably build-up of thatch layers. Older insecticides in the chlori-nated hydrocarbon group, such as Table 2 Acute toxicity of insecticides and miticides used in tree and turf care to rainbow trout. LC50 (lethal concentration in water) values for 96 hour exposure. Pesticide (Trade name) LC50 value Pesticide class biphenthrin (Talstar) 0.15 ppb Pyrethroid cyfluthrin (Tempo) 0.68 ppb Pyrethroid fluvalinate (Mavrik) 2.9 ppb Pyrethroid avermectin (Avid) 3.6 ppb Avermictins isazophos (Triumph) 6.3 ppb Organohosphate hexakis (Vendex) 6.6 ppb Organo-tin fenpropathrin (Tame) 10.3 ppb Pyrethroid dienochlor (Pentac) 50 ppb Chlorinated hydrocarbon dicofol (Kelthane) 53-86 ppb Clorinated hydrocarbon diazinon 635 ppb Organophosphate ethoprop (Mocap) 1.02-1.85 ppm Organophosphate bendiocarb (Turcam. Ficam, Dycarb) 1.55 ppm Carbamate carbaryl (Sevin, Chipco Sevimol) 1.95 ppm Carbamate maiathion 2.00 ppm Organophosphate chlorpyrifos (Dursban, Pageant) 3.0 ppm Organophosphate acephate (Orthene) KMX) ppm Organophosphate ppb = parts per billion; ppm = parts per million Talstar has an LC50 value equiva-lent to 1 teaspoon per 8,680,560 gal-lons of water. It's regularly pointed out by manufacturers of pyrethroid insec-ticides that organic matter in natu-ral ponds binds to most of the insec-ticide. This greatly reduces risk hazards of these products, although they remain inherently toxic to fish and need to be used with special caution in and around fish-bearing waters. Concerns about these com-pounds has greatly affected regis-tration progress in recent years, particularly where endangered Applicators should always attempt to make applications chlordane, devastated earthworms creating unhealthy lawn environ-ments. Currently used pesticides apparently have considerably lesser effects on lawn decomposers. However, even among current prod-ucts some can have potentially great impact on earthworms. The most recent data on lawn care pesticide impact on earth- worms was produced by Dr. Dan Potter at the University of Kentucky. In field trials (Table 3), only a few of the tested products significantly impacted populations two weeks after treatment. These primarily included the carbamate insecticides (carbaryl, bendiocarb) and fungicides (beno-myl), along with the organophosphate insec t^at ¡>est avoids exposure to any ticide ethoprop (Mocap) Most other non-target species. commonly used insecti-cides and fungicides had little, if any, impact on earth-worm populations. Birds at extra risk The insecticides most toxic to birds (Table 1) are primarily organophosphate insecticides such as diazinon, Dursban, and Mocap. Bendiocarb (Dycarb, Turcam) is the lone carbamate among the higher risk insecticides. Most of these insecticides are considerably more toxic to birds than to mammals. Diazinon, for instance, is 100 times more toxic to birds (LC50 value 3.5 mg/kg) than for mammals (about 350 mg/kg), a few granules of the 14G formulation being a lethal dose to many birds. This insecticide typi- cally carries a label indicating only moderate toxicity (Warning) where- as it would be in the highest risk category if risk to birds was the basis for label direction warnings. (Concerns about toxicity have recently resulted in more restrictive diazinon-product labels.) Fish, a different pattern Fish show a very different pat-tern of susceptibility to insecticides and miticides. The newer insecti-cides, pyrethroids (Talstar, Mavrik, Tempo) and avermectins (Avid), dominate the high risk insecticides to fish (Table 2). Most are extreme- ly toxic to fish, at least in the clear water tanks in which these studies are conducted. For example, bifen-thrin, the active ingredient in aquatic species occur. Many of the miticides (Pentac, Kelthane, Vendex) also show con-siderable toxicity to fish, whereas they are of much lesser risk as a group to mammals and birds. Organophosphates, so highly toxic to birds, generally fall towards the bottom among insecticides toxic to fish. Be aware of risks These data indicate the variable effects that pesticides can have on different types of organisms. Becoming aware of these differ-ences can allow the applicator to use them with greatest care and avoid harming susceptible species. This can allow avoidance of haz-ardous materials in areas where highly sensitive species occur. This also shows you're knowledgeable. However, the most important factor in determining hazard of a pesticide use is how the pesticide is applied. Applicators should always attempt to make applications in a manner that best avoids exposure to any non-target species. Time of application, limiting the area treat-ed, control of drift, rates and formu-lation are all important factors lim- iting unintended effects. The pesticide applicator under-stands and controls these variables at the job site if there are concerns about non-target species. LCI mm 3 Effects of pesticides on earthworm populations (Based on data from Dr. Dan Potter, University of Kentucky.) Pesticides which affected earthworm populations two weeks after treatment (% population reduction) Dursban 4E(-32.3) Triumph 4E (-59.4%) Sevin SL (-89.8)* Turcam 2.5G (-99.0)* Diazinon I4G (-58.4) Benomyl (Tersan 1991) (-60.0)* Mocap I0G (-96.8)* Pesticides which did not have significant effects on earthworm populations 2.4D Dicamba Triademephon (Bayleton) Pendemithalin (Pre-M, etc.) Chlorothalonil (Daconil 2787) Triclopyr Senariol (Bubigan) Isofenphos (Oftanol) Trichlorfon (Proxol) Propaconazol (Banner) 'Pesticides which had significant effects on earthworm populations 20 weeks after application. Reduction of earthworm populations at 20 weeks ranged from 79%-40%. PLCAA event coming Theme of 12th annual conference Nov. 18-21 is "Meet the Challenge" TAMPA, FLŠThe Professional Lawn Care Association of America's 12th annual conference is Nov. 18-21 here. The theme is "Meet the Challenge." "PLCAA members have every opportunity to get the competitive edge over their non-member competitors through education sessions covering topics of vital importance," says Dale Lybarger, conference educa-tion chairman. Working with Lybarger is conference committee chairman Daryle Johnson. Conference sessions They've scheduled ses-sions on the following top-ics: ŁBasic business. What's the true cost of equipment, tracking business expenses, managing cash flow, financ-ing information your banker needs. ŁMarketing in the 1990s. Developing a marketing program, value-added sell-ing, marketing aeration. ŁFacility management. Mixing pesticides and fertil- izer products, management of recycling systems. ŁFertilizer technology. What is organic nitrogen fertilizer, new fertilizer technology, biostimulants. ŁTechnical problem solv-ing. Broadleaf weed control, hand sprayer usage, nozzle selection, growth regula-tors, employment manage-ment, drug free workplace, effective use of employees. ŁEnvironmental. Composting yard waste, product development, nitro-gen/pesticide movement. ŁGovernment relations. State pesticide issues. ŁInsurance. Liability insurance. ŁCompany issues. Diversification in business (pros and cons of irrigation, pest control, etc.) , direct and indirect costs, Grasscycling. Conference registration includes entry to the Green Industry Expo 91 which will include over 250 com-panies exhibiting Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 19- 20. On Thursday, Nov. 21, an Outdoor Equipment Demonstration are set. For more information: call PLCAA at 404/977- 5222. LCI Sad reminder A copy of this photograph sits on the desk of Neal DeAngelo, president of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America. It shows, 1. to r., Dave White, Coron Corp., Mike Kravitsky III, Grasshopper Lawns, Senator John Heinz (R-PA), DeAngelo, Lawn Specialities, and Lawrence Ellmaker, Deiter Bros. Lawn Care. The four repre- sentatives of lawn care met with Senator Heinz and posed for this photo just days before Heinz's untime- ly death in a plane crash late this spring. LCI WHEN YOU'VE GOT GRUB CONTROL THAT'S THIS GOOD, WHY NOT SPREAD IT AROUND? When it comes to grub control, there's nothing faster or more effective than DYLOX® Insecticide from Mobay. Now, thanks to DYLOX 6.2 Granular Insecticide, there are two great formulations of DYLOX to tackle tough grub problems. DYLOX gives you the fast-acting protection you've come to depend on, and now the new granular formulation makes it even easier to use. So find out more about DYLOX 80 Turf and Ornamental Insecticide and DYLOX 6.2 Granular today. Mobay A Bayer USA INC COMPANY Because the only thing faster than DYLOX at work, is the way its reputation for grub control has been spreading. Mobay Corpora-tion, Specialty Products Group, Box 4913, Kansas City, MO 64120. (800) 842-8020. DYLOX is a Reg TM of Bayer AG. Germany ©1991 Mobay Corporation 9113551 Reach out, touch someone? Mobile communication systems allow some LCOs to solve each clay's prob-lems; others aren't sure it's worth it BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Looking after a lawn care operation is more efficient if the crews in the field can be reached with a telephone or radio. LCOs are also learning that having mobile commu-nication equipment means better customer relations. Which is better, two-way radios or cellular tele-phones? LCOs contacted by LAWN CARE INDUSTRY said both. One thing is certain, those using either of the two communication systems are sold on their value. Some use both. "I have a cellular phone and a 2-way (radio)," says Sean A. Bennett, president of Bennett Enterprises, Lomita, CA. Bennett has a phone in his own truck, and the other 15 company trucks are equipped with radios. "If I were starting off now I'd go with cellular," says Bennett. "I made an invest- ment in the equipment" that powers the radio links. Still, "There's been many a time" when money is saved by being able to dis-cuss problems and assign-ments with workers in the field. They use hand-held radios to stay in contact. "They put them on their belts and carry them with them," says Bennett. Regional problems In the hilly neighbor-hoods of Bennett's market area radio signals some-times get lost. This is reduced with the phone, and you can call virtually anywhere you want. "Cellular doesn't just go to your baseŠit goes all over the world," adds Bennett. Bennett is becoming increasingly annoyed with yearly raises in radio-use rates, and a "forestry fee" gets tacked on when anten-nas are located in wooded park areas. At Super Lawns, Gaithersburg, MD, the tight geographic area surround-ing Washington D.C. means that radio antenna "repeater fees" aren't required. That makes radios a better buy, says Mike Bailey, president. He paid $5,000 to outfit his six trucks. "I know they paid for themselves in one year," he says. "I don't know what I would have done without them." He recalls one recent event: "Mrs. Garcia on Secluded Way called and said she wanted a lawn treatment, and I knew my man was in the area." Bailey radioed the employee and he was there in less than five minutes. Even while Bailey's employees are on lawns Attend the Workshop LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE "PRICING FOR PROFIT Boston, Mass. - August 14 & 15 Philip Christian Spend two days with management expert Philip D. Christian, III in an interactive, fast-paced workshop learning the skills of estimating and pricing for profit. * Quantifying the Landscape * Dependable Pricing Formulas * Time-based Estimating Techniques For Expanded Services Take Home Specific Skills To Increase Your Profit Margins Immediately. WHO SHOULD ATTEND: * Landscape Maintenance Contractors * Tree and Shrub Specialists * Irrigation Service and Installation Specialists For reservations and information about workshops in your area, CALL 1-800-763-7603 extention 7077 for a toll free recorded message. they can be reached via the public address speakers on company vehicles. "You can equip your trucks with external speak-ers, but watch the office chatter," he cautions. Bailey has a phone in his truck but views it as a luxu- ry item. "Air time here isn't cheap," he says. For LCOs considering radios, "you don't have to jump in all the way right away," says Bailey. "You can get used radios." A mobile unit hooked up to a linear amplifierŠ known as a "foot warmer" to citizens band radio buffsŠ can fill the need of a stan-dard base station, says Bailey. The buyer's market for radios has been fueled by the popularity of phones, especially among LCOs, says James L. Guyette, president of Cellular Service Industries, Kingston, PA. (Not related to the author of this story.) They check into the 2-way and then they're find-ing that the coverage isn't as good as the cellular," says Guyette. Some of his clients have customers spread out over wide areas. With a phone, "If these lawn care guys work in other states they're finding that they get the coverage that they need." Privacy a concern Another advantage offered by the phone is that "your conversation is pri-vate." With a radio, "other lawn care people with radios could be listening in" on your business. "I've had people put radios in and then take them out for that reason," says Guyette. To reach crew members on the job site, most LCOs have their phones hooked up to their truck horns, he adds. "Just about anyone who is in that business has horn alerts." In Kalamazoo, MI, Motorola radios are the way to go, says Robert E. Bushouse, president of G&L Distributing Inc. "They're definitely cheaper than phones. In one year they paid for the whole system," he says. It reduces errors The company's Green King lawn care division has Help!! Field personnel say radios are useful when problems arise reaped savings by everyone being in constant contact. With a lawn treatment in progress, "they might run out on a big place and then we can send another truck to finish the job," says Bushouse. "It's better than going back there another day." Keeping in communica-tion avoids having to chase people down, and it reduces the chances of making expensive errors, says Mike Rider, Rider Enterprises of Racine Inc. The Wisconsin firm offers both lawn care and tree care. "Rather than guessing and doing it wrong we can just ask," says Rider. Everyone carries pagers. "I've got beepers now, and my new truck will have a cellular phone. In the long run all the workers will have cellular phones." Rider has explored 2-way radios, but found them too expensive for his needs. He's thought about CB radios, but feels they're too difficult to monitor in a work setting. More affordable now? Phones are looking like a good deal as prices continue to come down, says Gary Cooper, president of Cooper's Lawn Aeration Service in the Tidewater region of Virginia. "You can buy them for as low as $90." Cooper considered radios but figures it would cost about $5,000 to get started. By using the phone only for important business Cooper estimates it costs about $2 a day. The phone comes in handy if a crew can't make it to a scheduled treatment. It reduces inconvenience to clients. "There's just a lot more flexibility with it," says Cooper. The people at Happy Lawns Inc., Milwaukee,WI, also avoid using their phones except when abso-lutely necessary. The man-ager and assistant manager have telephones. If other workers need to reach them they use pay phones. "When one of our men has a problem with the trucks we're able to reach the manager," reports Carolyn Knaub, vice presi- dent. The phones get more traffic in the winter. "Now we're not using them that muchŠthey worked better during snowplowing sea-son," says Knaub. "In lawn care it can always wait 24 hours." A similar strategy is in place at Lawn Master Inc., Missoula, MT. President John Bass says his crews are given assigned routes. "When I was a lawn care operator in the field I didn't want Mrs. Jones calling the office and having me come back that day. It can wait until tomorrow." Instead someone in the company office will call cus-tomers several days ahead of a scheduled treatment. "If there's a problem it gives us another chance to; solve it before they cancel," says Bass. VA TURF SHOW BLACKSBURG, VAŠThe Virginia Tech Turf and Landscape Field Days is Sept 17-19 at the Virginia Tech Campus here. Contact J.R. Hall III, 703/231-5797. The 32nd Virginia Turf & Landscape Conference and Trade Show will be January 13-16, 1992, at the Richmond Centre and Richmond Marriott, Richmond, VA. Contact Randeen Tharp 804/340- 3473. LCI TREE SHOW SET COLUMBUS, OHIOŠThe second annual trade show of TREE CARE INDUSTRY magazine will be at the Ohio Center here Dec. 5-7. The seminar program for TCI Expo 91 focuses on management and field per- sonnel too. There will be recertification seminars for certified commercial appli- cators. Contact Tom Clancy 800-733-2622. LCI Grant for trees HARRISBURG, PAŠA $466,700 grant for new tree plantings will give Pennsylvania its first full-time urban forestry exten-sion instructor. Receiving the money is Pennsylvania's Urban and Community Forestry Council. Besides the forestry extension instructor, the money will fund four regional urban forestry coordinators. They will help communities develop tree planting projects and local shade tree ordinances. The remaining money will be distributed to three grant programs. LCI ASPA INTERNS ROLLING MEADOWS, ILŠ The American Sod Producers Association (ASPA) started a student internship program. mployers are provided with a pool of interested and educated men and women, Students get hands-on experience. Students can get applica-tions and information from ASPA, Attention Thomas Ford, 1855-A Hicks Road, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008. 708/705-9898. LCI Calling ahead also helps guarantee that the lawn will be watered as needed before or after a treatment. Beyond that, Bass feels his customers like the extra attention. Phones in the trucks of Grasshopper Lawns Inc., Edwardsville, PA, keeps key people in the office from being tied up, says Michael Kravitsky III, company president. His two sons run the business for him and they each have mobile phones. "They make the calls on the way in. They don't have to sit here in the office," says Kravitsky. LCI Cellular phones and 2-way radios allow the office to stay in touch with technicians Motorola photo "Where else could you find a truck that saves enough to make its own payments?" On top of that, Scott Nolen of Truly Nolen says "In total operating costs, my economical Isuzu trucks save an additional three and a half percent. They deliver fuel and maintenance savings that are unbelievable. "We're the nation's largest family-owned lawn care and pest control company Four years ago we began switching over our fleet of lawn care trucks. Ifs now 97% Isuzu Truck. "The Isuzu low-cab-forward trucks have outstanding visibility and turning radius. Driving the other trucks was very tiring. Now it's not as much a physical job as it once was. So any of our drivers can handle it. "We're not the only lawn care business using Isuzu NPRs. In this competitive market, about seven out of ten trucks are Isuzus. "And now we're beginning to use Isuzu trucks for fumigation, too. Our new 13,250 lb. GVW fume truck with its all-aluminum bed is the best match of truck and body I've ever seen in the pest control industry." To find out where you can get a truck that saves you money and performs like this, call (800) 255-2550 for the location of your local Isuzu Truck dealer Works for Scott. BUSINESS SENSE Fall brings seasonal sales opportunities BY ED WANDTKE Spring sales are long over and most LCOs report more customers. The recession that began last fall and wors-ened through the winter hasn't harmed the lawn care industry as much as other industries. Or, as much as we'd feared Now's the time to take advantage of the gains we've made and plan for the second most effec- tive selling period of the yearŠlate summer and early fall. This is a proven time of the year to sell ser-vices. There are several points, however, we must address to do an effective second market-ing effort for our companies. Who should get our advertising message? What's our message ? When should we advertise? How much should we spend? Targeted customers Fall is the time to focus on prospective cus-tomers who have a greater need of professional lawn care. These are: 1. Customers who held off buying in the spring. 2. Customers who canceled your service in the spring may now be ready to repurchase if they're not being serviced by another company. 3. Customers not satisfied with the service they're receiving will be ready to switch to another company. 4. Turf stress will make some properties look like they need more care thus opening up this segment of the market to renewed advertising. 5. The economic conditions of the United States should improve so customers will be will-ing to spend more money. Advertising message The message in our fall advertising should focus on the need for the prospective client to act this fall to assure an attractive property next spring. This reminder may cause some customers not satisfied with the appearance of their property to act. Remind them of the value of their property and how a well-maintained lawn increases their investment value. When to advertise Timing of fall advertising is even more critical than the spring. Your message should reach cus-tomers at the time of peak property stress, as an extended period of drought is in process, or after a lawn has experienced a serious bout with insects or disease. Point to future benefits to a client's property as a result of your company's service. Beware, however, of over advertising An error many companies make is spending too much for advertising in the fall. This can bring in too many inquiries which never get run. Beware of allowing service on your current customers to slip because you're focusing so heavily on newer prospects generated by your advertising. Limit the amount of money you're spending on fall advertising and target your message to specific neighborhoods or types of customers. A practical suggestion is to spend about 25-30 percent of the amount you spent on your spring advertising on your fall campaign. Summary The second major market time of the year for most lawn care firms, is the late summer or fall. Developing a plan, targeting the potential cus-tomers better, keeping your advertising message simpler, and limiting the number and amount of advertising you do will build your customer base. Don't overlook the continued opportunity to market additional services to your customers this fall. They may have said no to your advertising in the spring, but economic conditions may have changed. Go back tactfully and repromote additional services to these current customers. They're cus-tomers who already know your services and will require less selling. LCI Are any of your technicians discouraged, tired, fed up? BY ED WANDTKE Awarm spring and early summer put the heat on professional lawn care technicians in 1991. When summer arrived, it arrived in a hurry in much of the Midwest and Mideast. And it increased the pressure to get the work done faster. Because of thisŠand for other reasonsŠmost of us can probably identify an employee or two who's thinking about hanging up his spray hose or parking his spreader. As the owner/manager of a lawn care business, you can probably survive this. But, what if it becomes con-tagious and several employ- ees leave? Are you focusing on the dollar amount of production of each individual? Are you trying to increase the daily amount? Now is the time to start monitoring the num-ber of hours a lawn care technician is working. How many calls? How many service calls have the employees been running each day? How many leads? How is the route layout of production? It's often revealing to see how long it takes an employee to service an aver-age property. The number of service calls or sales leads a technician performs daily affects the time an individual spends working. Many lawn care compa-nies have a 24 to 48-hour response time on service calls or sales leads but you need to watch how many hours per day employees work. Often one route becomes so hot with sales leads that the serviceman gets disorganized in servic-ing his regular route. Who's doing the work? Who has been running the most new sales leads? What are their work hours compared to other lawn care technicians in your firm? At the start of round three and round four deter-mine your total production days with a 10 percent reserve. After you know the number of total production days for the round make sure your lawn care techni-cians schedule their produc- tion to be completed at the calculated daily rate. Then implement a plan to send employees home early if they return to the office with their daily production completed. Go home Send them home as soon as their office work, truck cleanup, and next day preparation are complete. It's amazing how many employees suddenly find their daily production speed increasing when they learn you're serious about sending them home sooner. This employee morale booster will help reduce employee turnover and increase cus- tomer satisfaction due to quicker service. Be careful: make sure your servicemen deliver the same quality service. Stop the bleeding So you were too late in relieving the stress on your employees and one or two have already quit? Stopping the bleeding and replacing the departed employees is critical. ŁDon't spread the cur-rent customer work load over the remaining employ- ees. You will burn them out too and they will quit. ŁHire one more employee than you need now and train that employee. ŁAdd a second person to a route temporarily to make up for the lost production due to the lost employee(s). ŁHire an employee who fits into the company, not the next breathing body that walks in. Timing in the hiring of replacements is critical, but hiring the wrong employee can be deadly. Hire the quality and per-sonality which will help your company both now, and later. Employee turnover is uncontrollable, but morale is. Simple guidelines that focus on reducing hours and maintaining quality service will help your company keep customers and quality employees too. Train now so you employ-ees won't strain later! LCI Attn. Small Landscape»: Little Investment, Big Business Finn now presents the most efficient and reliable small HydroSeeder in the industry. Ł Both paddle agitation and liquid recirculation Ł 300 gallon liquid capacity, for small jobs and spot work Ł 18 HP Briggs and Stratton gas engine Ł Spray distance of up to 60 feet from end of hose Ł Includes 50 ft. hose and remote operation Ideal machine for golf courses, park districts, cemeteries, sports fields and residential applications. TL30 HydroSeeder FINN CORPORATION Phone (513) 874-2818 Toll Free (800) 543-7166 FAX (513) 874-2914 9281 LeSaint Drive, Fairfield, Ohio 45014 SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT Monsanto's new herbicide gets EPA registration: BASF product in tests Monsanto, St. Louis, MO, and BASF, Research Triangle, NC, say they've developed new chemistry for the next generation of herbicides. Monsanto says its turf herbicide Dimension® has received full registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The active ingredient in Dimension is dithiopyr which Monsanto describes as a new class of chemistry. "Dimension is unique because it offers both pre-emergence and early post emergence control of crab-grass," says Jim Budzynski, product manager. "This gives the lawn care operator the widest possible application window avail-able today for controlling this significant pest." Typically, says Monsanto, LCOs have a seven-week window within which to apply a pre-emer-Lesco chalked up big sales in second quarter CLEVELAND, OHIOŠ Lesco, Inc., reported record sales of $41,645,000 in the second quarter ended May 31, 1991, up nearly 20 per-cent from the year-ago sales, reported James I FitzGibbon, chairman and chief executive officer. Earnings for the quarter were $1,715,000, or 42 cents a shre, down from the 46 cents a share for the same quarter last year. FitzGibbon said earnings reflected lower profit mar- gins resulting from compet- itive pressures to reduce prices for some products. He said the company remains on target to open 20 to 25 new stores this fis-cal year. LCI MAGIC Feb 3-5 in Kansas City KANSAS CITY, MOŠThe 1992 Mid-America Green Industry Convention (MAGIC) is set for the Hilton Plaza Inn here February 3-5. MAGIC is sponsored by the Professional Lawn Care Association of Mid- America (PLCAMA). For more information contact Olivia Golden, exec-utive director, PLCAMA, P.O. Box 35184, Kansas City, MO 65134 gent crabgrass herbicide. Dimension, says the compa- ny, can stretch the window to 13 weeks. Monsanto claims its new herbicide provides season-long control of crabgrass with only one application, and also controls a broad spectrum of annual grasses and broadleaf weeds, including tough species like goosegrass, foxtail, spurge and oxalis. The product will be avail-able in one-gallon contain-ers. BAS 514, an experimen-tal product that controls annual grasses and broadleaf weeds with one application, has received federal Experimental Use Permit (EUP) for more than 4,000 acres in 1991, says Terry Hanson of BASF Corporation. A limited amount of prod-uct will be sold to cooperat- ing researchers and com-mercial turf specialists for trials in selected states, says the BASF Specialty Products manager. The experimental herbi-cide is based on a new active ingredient, proposed common name quinclorac. An application for full regis-tration has been submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Tank-mix studies indi-cate BAS 514 combined with a grass herbicide will provide a complete weed control program. During the seven years the product has been stud-ied it's displayed excellent postemergence control of crabgrass, dandelions, clover and other broadleaf weeds. "Our studies indicate applicators will be able to use a rate lower than many other turf herbicides as well," says Hanson. "This may provide an answer to some homeowners' environ- mental concerns." Cool-season grasses as well as Bermudagrass and zoysiagrass have been determined to be tolerant to BAS 514 application, says Hanson. OFTANOL USERS KNOW THE BEST WAY TO OUTSMART GRUBS IS WITH A LITTLE EXTRA HOMEWORK. Getting rid of grubs that attack your cus-tomers' lawns can be pretty tricky some-times. Unfortunately, simply treating against these destructive pests doesn't always guar-antee success. But many lawn care oper-ators have learned that all it takes to outsmart grubs is a little preparation Šfinding the right product and the right time of year for appli-cation. The product is OFTANOL® Insecticide. Studies show that time after time, OFTANOL provides consis- tent grub control. And delivers superior control over widely used products such as Sevin® and Diazinon Insecticides. The right time to apply it? That will vary from region to region. But a good rule of thumb is PERCENTAGE OF CONTROL OFTANOL Sevin Diazinon Insecticide Insecticide SOURCE 18 trials conducted by Mobay in 1990. to treat with OFTANOL when grubs are at the surface. An easy way to check is by just pulling back a bit of sod and looking for infestation. Or call your local Extension office to determine peak periods of grub feeding in your area. These are, of course, just the basics of effective grub control. If you'd like to learn more about OFTANOL and its proper usage, contact your local Mobay representative. Or just give us a call at (800) 842-8020. One of our trained pro-fessionals will be standing by to answer your ques-tions. Mobay Corporation, Specialty Products Group, Box 4913, Kansas City, MO 64120. So why let grubs continue to test your patience when the easy answer is OFTANOL. Mobay A Bayer USA INC COMPANY Bill, left, and Steve Cooper's company Lawn Connection, Palmyra, NJ, stresses aeration. Aeration, fertility testing help 'little guys' deliver custom lawn message BY DEBORAH S. CLAYTON During the four years he worked for a national lawn care company Jeff Cooper saw a business niche. Five years ago he started Lawn Connection in Palmyra, NJ.The company, he and his brother, Bill, operates specializes in aeration and seeding. Though it's labor-intensive for a small operation, aeration maxi- mizes all other lawn treatments, says Cooper. Fewer applications may be necessary. "Lawn care companies cannot just ignore these environmental issues," notes Cooper. "People are happier getting fewer chemical applications. If we work to mini-mize treatments, lawn care compa- nies can show their concern about the environment." Cooper is finding listeners in his market area. His business grows Steve Waybrant, left, and Dorian Burnstad of Waybrant's Landscaping and Lawn Care, Gettysburg, PÄ, test soil fertility often about 25 percent a year. Lawn Connection now offers both basic and deluxe programs to a cus-tomer base covering three southern New Jersey counties. Bill and a part-time employee deliver LC's basic program, which includes seven visits per season. The customers on the deluxe pro-gram receive Jeffs complete atten- tion for the year. Free service calls "We scale our programs to our customers' needs and provide all the service necessary," explains Jeff Cooper. "We clean all our sidewalks and leave handwritten notes explaining all procedures. We also have a free service-call policy if a customer has a question or prob-lem." For & package price, deluxe cus-tomers receive whatever it takes to maintain a nice lawn throughout the growing season. As part of that package, Cooper's deluxe cus-tomers have received springtime applications of Nutralene® 40-0-0 fertilizer for the past two years. A controlled-release granular nitro- gen product, it releases nitrogen both by hydrolysis and through microbial activity. Cooper first tried the product on the advice of his distributor, Fisher & Son Co., Inc., Malvern, PA. The dual release of the con-trolled-release product gives a twofold advantage, says Frank Fisher, president of Fisher & Son. "Some of the nitrogen is quickly released, giving lawns a boost at the beginning of the season, while the rest is gradually released over a period of eight to 12 weeks,:" he says. This source of nitrogen also isn't as likely to leach, it doesn't burn when used properly, and it's non-phytotoxic to grass and plants." Cooper uses one blend for spring applications because it doesn't interfere with seed- ing. Controlled-release fertilizer fits in well with his envi-ronmental approach because he can keep lawns greener with-out feeding them as often. Also, Cooper can keep his cus-tomers' lawns healthi- er so he can minimize insect and disease treatments,, Fewer treatments, better results "I felt if I could get better quality materi-als for my customers, I'd have better results with fewer applica-tions. That way, everyone is happier," he says. "We still use some fast-release nitrogen, but we're moving away from it." Another small lawn care company serviced by Fisher & Son, Waybrant's Landscaping and Lawn Care, Gettysburg, PA, also relies on controlled-release as a basis for fertility treatments. General Manager Steve Waybrant uses the product in each part of his five-step program for residential lawn ser-vice. Waybrant takes a custom approach to his fertility programs. He takes some 30 random soil tests and readjusts his program year to year. Also, he usually aerates every three years and limes every other year for the 900,000 square feet of residential lawns his company ser- vices. Conditions unique to the Gettysburg area include high acidi- ty and low phosphorus. "We've designed our program to bring up phosphorus levels and keep nitrogen levels down in spring applications," says Waybrant, who started the business as an offshoot of his family's fuel/heating and air conditioning compa-ny seven years ago. "Since high nitro-gen levels promote disease occurrence early in the year, we stay away from high levels until our fall feeding." Accordingly, Waybrant uses only four lbs. nitrogen per 1000 square feet for his five-step program. He went to all granular products this year for several reasons: ease of application, ability to treat dur-ing less-than-opti-mum weather con- ditions, and because the public perceives granular products to be more environmentally safe. Waybrant fol-lows an initial crab-grass control/fertility treatment in March with a weed 'n feed applica-tion in April. Weed control is "impregnated" onto fertilizer gran-ules and spread as a single treat-ment of 25-5-10 plus triamine. A midsummer application is straight 40-0-0, while a fall treatment is 25-5-10 plus triamine. A late-fall feed- ing is a 25-15-15 (60 percent Nutralene product) specially for-mulated for southern Pennsylvania. Waybrant thinks his program gives customers lawns a longer green-up,. A gradual green-up, however, can present some difficulties the first year when neighbors start comparing lawns, says Jeff Cooper. "If you don't sell it right, you could have some minor problems. You have to build up a reserve of Nutralene first, so the first year the lawns may not be as dark green as their neighbors using a quick-release nitrogen. But by the second year...lawns stay greener longer and look fantastic." Like Jeff Cooper, Waybrant's provides personalized service for its customers, leaving handwritten notes explaining problems and pro-cedures. If Waybrant or his lawn care consultant, Dorian Burnstad, cannot solve a problem, they seek help from Penn State University specialists or from Larry Herchberger, their representative for Fisher & Son. "This is the way of the future for lawn care companies," says Waybrant. "Customers are demand- ing more personal attention. The national companies may use the same program for the whole north-east. But what's good for Virginia or Ohio may not be good for Adams County, Pennsylvania." Cooper feels the national compa-nies have served a positive function by bringing the lawn care industry to where it is today. "But they can't do everything. There comes a point where you have to start fine-tuning opera- tions.," he says. By offering core aeration as a speciality business, Cooper hopes to work side-by-side with national lawn care companies. LCI The public perceives aeration to be environmentally correct, says Jeff Cooper. Proper aeration lesses pesticide use. NEW PRODUCTS Terracare unveils summertime tines Terracare introduces a spiking tine for summer-time use. These tines can be adapted to any Terra aera-tor. The tine is 4" long and has a spacing of 1 3/4" X 4", and will feature a rubber turf hold down. The turf hold down will allow the operator to get exceptionally smooth results, particularly on a putting green. Circle No. 151 on service card Dispense fertilizer with FertiLawn attachment FertilLawn Landscape Products offers a liquid fer-tilizer dispenser for under-ground sprinkler and drip irrigation systems. Just fill the fully control-lable FertilLawn® dis-penser with liquid or water- soluble fertilizer. The plant food dispenser is easily installed. The product, made of PVC, waters and fertilizes the lawn at the same time. . FertilLawn says one dispenser should be installed at each sprin-kler valve. Circle No. 152 on service card Riverdale: this herbi-cide dissolves Riverdale Chemical Company says its Dissolve is the first truly water solu-ble phenoxy herbicide com- bination. Dissolve is a high-ly concentrated, dry formu-lation of 2,4-D, mecoprop, and dichloprop packaged in convenient pre-measured water soluble packages. Dissove offers economical weed control at low use rates with minimal risk of exposure to the concentrate during handling and mix- ing, says Riverdale. Circle No. 153 on service card Acclaim offered in bigger container Acclaim® 1EC Herbicide is now available in 2 1/2 -gallon containers as well as the gallon and quart sizes. The manufacturer, Hoechst-Roussel Agri-Vet Company, says this will give turf care professionals an even more convenient packaging option. Acclaim is a poste-mergence grass herbicide for the control of grassy weeds such as crabgrass and goosegrass in turf. Circle No 154 on service card True Temper gives rebate for spreader True Temper is offering a $50 rebate to each commer-cial professional who buys a Cyclone CB 5000® broad- cast spreader. The promo- tion, details of which are in every CB 5000 shipping container, runs until Dec. 31, 1991. The CB 5000 has a 3,000 cu. in. capacity hopper that can hold up to 100 lbs. of seeds, granular pesticides or fertilizer. The operator pushes it on two pneumatic tires linked to a heavy gauge epoxy painted tubu-lar steel frame. Circle No. 155 on service card Handbook is ready Pepco's Water Conservation Handbook tells how to install land-scape irrigation systems. Circle No. 156 on service card Quality Turf Products Green-Up Your Bottom Line Lawn renovation can be a profitable addition to an LCO's sendees, but like other programs, satisfied customers are the key to continued success. Along with professional tech-nicians, proper equipment and timely service, the grass seed used make the long lasting impression that creates referrals. And Turf-Seed, Inc. has the premium quality seed for your program ... in your region. Ask for these products by variety name ... because it's really yotir name that's on the line. Northern Turf Renovation Perennial Ryegrasses Citation II Ł Birdie II Ł Omega II Ł Manhattan II Ł CBS II Blend Ł 246 Ł 2DD 2HH 'Charger5 Kentucky Bluegrass Midnight Ł Challenger Ł Columbia Ł Galaxv Blend Southern Turf Renovation Tall Fescues Olympic Ł Apache Ł Monarch Ł Silverado Ł Eldorado Ł Triathalawn Blend Perennial Ryegrasses Citation II Ł Birdie II Ł Omega II Ł Manhattan II Ł CBS II Blend Ł 246 Ł 2DD Ł 2HH 'Charger5 TURF-SEED, INC. PO Box 250, Hubbard, OR 97032 FAX 503-981-5626 TWX 510-590-0957 1-800-247-6910 Use ROUNDUP® herbicide to kill undesired turf. ROUNDUP® is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company. Circle No. 110 on Reader Inquiry Card Home lam two months after overseeding with Turf-Seed ryegrass and bluegrass products. NEWSMAKERS Incredible Huizenga success story continues as Major League selects Miami, FL Professional baseball's decision to locate one of two new franchises in Miami (Denver gets the other) is another home run in the incredible business saga of H. Wayne Huizenga. Huizenga, 53, owns 50 percent of Joe Robbie Stadium and 15 percent of the Miami Dolphins. He actively sought Major League baseball for the stadium which he considers under used. Some of the baseball writing fra-ternity, however, scoffs at playing pro ball in Miami in the summer. The rain, the humidity, etc. What are these guys, knuckleheads or something?. You can bet they'll be begging to cover Miami openers each April. Huizenga put together his first billion-dollar company when he bought dozens of garbage haulers to create Waste Management. Then he got into the portable-toilet rental business (Port-O-Let), followed by lawn care (Tru Green), and now he's building Blockbuster Entertainment. Richard Sandomir in an article in The Business World about Huizenga: "He has been attracted to companies that are part of a frag-mented industry filled with small, undercapitalized operators. What he adds is a determination to cobble together a company with a national presenceŠplus the capital and managerial muscle to make that happen." F. Leon (Le) Herron, Jr., retired chairman and president of O.M. Scott & Sons, Inc., was elected to the board of directors of Lesco, Inc., Rocky River, Ohio. The board is now at its authorized number of nine members. Herron joined O.M. Scott & Sons, now The Scott Companies, in 1965. He was elected president in 1966 and chairman in 1971. He retired as president and chairman in 1983. Dr. Melodee Kemp will head the new Pure Seed Testing research center and breeding sta-tion near Raleigh, NC. She's a recent graduate of Rutgers University and will study winter Dr. Melodee Kemp overseeding rye- grasses into Bermudagrass. , Also, turfgrass | test trials at the center will pre-sent tall fescue comparisons. Dr. Kemp joins Dr. William A. Meyer and Crystal Rose Mjros|av Jjranek Fricker in the turfgrass improvement and moni- toring efforts of Pure Seed Testing, Inc., Hubbard, OR. Turf Seed also says that Miroslav (Miro) Jiranek will be its marketing rep in the Upper Midwest and Northeastern United States, and internationally to Europe and Asia. Jiranek, who lives in Willoughby, Ohio, speaks seven languages, including Russian. The Davey Tree Expert Company, Kent, Ohio, awarded the third annual Davey Company Arboricultural Grant to David Fathauer, Seville, Ohio, a first-year student enrolled at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute, Wooster, Ohio. The grant totals $800. William G. Thornton Jr., pres-ident of Thornton Environmental Industries, Maineville, Ohio, was named to the board of directors of the National Federation of Independent Business. Founded in 1946 by Thornton's father, Thornton Environmental Industries employs more than 150 people dur- ing the peak landscaping sea-son. James J. Spindler and Rick Creamer joined the Enviro-Gro Technologies, Lancaster, PA. The two agronomists join J^ , James Spindler the company s product marketing division. Spindler becomes manager of mar-keting for retail and specialty prod- ucts and Creamer manag-er of bulk and ag products. Richard L. Corby joined The Brickman Group Ltd., Long Grove, IL, as an arborist and sales representa-tive. Corby is a L ^ graduate of Richard Corby Ohio's Marietta College and experi-enced in forest management includ- ing tree surveys, tagging and analy-sis. Previously he was the owner of his own landscape design/renova-tion company, Tadcor Enterprises, he founded in 1984. Steven C. Smith is the newest sales rep for Southern Turf Nurseries, Norcross, GA. Formerly he was a commercial sales rep for Pennington Seed of Virginia. He's Steven Smith a graduate of the University of Iowa. He will work out of Fredericksburg, VA. Nor-Am Chemical Company, Wilmington, DE, announced the following additions to its staff: ŁDonald F. Myers as project manager for the field development of products for field crops and turf and ornamentals. Formerly he was manager, wood protection research, with Maag Agrochemicals, Vero Beach, FL. ŁBrian N. Meyer as senior chemist to help in plant metabolism research. Most recently he was a research chemist with FMC Corporation, Princeton, NJ. ŁKent Rupprecht as a metabolism chemist. He is a regis-tered pharmacist in Indiana. ŁMark T. Christ as an aquatic biologist. He's worked for Monsanto Co., St. Louis, and most recently was a water analyst in Charleston, IL. ŁLee E. Williams as a group leader. Formerly with Ciba Geigy, Williams was most recently a pro-ject analytical chemist with Kerr-McGee Corp., Oklahoma City. ŁChristoper R. Leake was named group leader environmental sciences for Nor-Am. He's a native of Bristol, England, and comes from Schering Agrochemicals Ltd., Essex, England. ISK Biotech Corporation, Mentor, Ohio, named Doug V. Hoy as "Salesman of the Year." Hoy is senior sales supervisor in the Western area. Frank Wang, chemist at the Greens Bayou Plant, earned an "Excellence Recognition Award." He developed a modified analytical method that improved accuracy at the plant. Also at ISK, M. Howard Thomas was named North America commercial development manager. Previously he was south-ern area manager, commercial development. Brett Ellis is the Midwest regional sales manager for Pennington products. He's a Michigan State grad. LCI Turfgrass foundation helps CSU The Rocky Mountain Turfgrass Research Foundation awarded $23,000 to Colorado State University for turfgrass research from fund raising efforts by the Rocky Mountain Regional Turfgrass Association and the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association. From Colorado State University: left to right, Dr. Harrison Hughes, Dean Merle Niehaus, Dr. Tony Koski, Steve Hyland, Larry Mills, Dr. Ken Brink, Dr. Whitney Cranshaw, and Dan Voltz. LCI GCSAA appeals $1.46 million award TOPEKA, KSŠThe Golf Course Superitendents Association of America says it will "vigorously pursue" an appeal of a recent federal court jury award. On May 9 a jury here awarded $1.46 million to James McLoughlin, who served as executive director of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America from 1980-1983. The award arose from a breach of contract and libel suit McLoughlin filed against GCSAA.. LCI Mid-Am Hort Show adds more exhibit space CHICAGOŠThe Mid-America Horticultural Trade Show Jan. 16-18, 1992, here added 1,500 square feet of additional exhibit space. Over 400 booths will now be located on 66,743 square feet of space. Mid-Am is an exposition for hor-ticultural plant material, products, equipment and service. It's spon-sored by the Illinois Nurserymen's Association, the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association, Wisconsin Landscape Federation. LCI ALCA SETS KEYNOTE SPEAKER FALLS CHURCH, VAŠThe Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA) announced Jay Conrad Levinson as the keynote speaker of the Landscape and Grounds Management Conference Nov. 17-21 in Tampa, FL. Levinson wrote the books Guerrilla Marketing and Guerrilla Marketing Attack. LCI CLASSIFIED RATES: $1.05 per word (minimum charge, $40). Boldface words or words in all capital letters charged at $1.30 per word. Boxed or display ads charged at $90(1 X), $85(3X), $80(6X), $75(9X), $70(12X) per column inch (one inch minimum). (Frequencies based on calender year). Agency commission allowed only when camera ready art is provided by agency. For ads using blind box numbers add $20 to total cost of ad per issue. Send ad copy with payment to: DAWN NILSEN, LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, 1 E. First St., Duluth, MN 55802. 218-723-9179. Fax Number 218-723-9437. BOX NUMBER REPLIES: Mail box number replies to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, Classified Ad De-partment, 1 East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802. Please include box number in address. HELP WANTED LAWN CARE MANAGER: Full-time, year-round position for an aggressive career-minded individ- ual. 2 years minimum experience in chemical lawn care with supervisory experience. Re-sponsibilities will include crew training, supervi- sion, customer communications, new program development & equipment care. Send resume with photograph and salary requirements to: P.O. Box 7055 West Station, Huntsville, Alabama 35807. 8/91 LAWN CARE MANAGER: Exciting career oppor-tunity managing a growing mid-sized lawn and tree care operation. Branch Manager or Assistant Branch Manager experience required. Send re-sume in confidence to: LCI Box 233. 8/91 BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES CURB KING: Curbing machine that lays continu-ous concrete landscape borders. Financing available. Low investment, high returns. For infor-mation call 303-434-5337 or write P.O. Box 40567, Grand Junction, CO 81504. TF SERVICEMASTER LAWNCARE FRANCHISES IN INDIANA. FOR MORE INFO CALL 812-372-7803. 9/91 FOR SALE 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 Big savings on replacement parts for your com-mercial mowers. Blades, belts, tires, wheels, trim-mer line, air filters and more! Call LESCO to order or ask for a free catalog (800)321 -5325. 10/91 FREE PARTS CATALOG - If you own a 32-36-48-52-61" walk-behind or riding mower and feel you're paying too much for your parts and equipment call PRECO DISTRIBUTORS today. We have BELTS, BLADES, WHEELS, GRASS CATCHERS. Replacement parts that fit Bobcat, Bunton, Kees, Exmark, Scag & others. Engines and Parts for Honda, Kawasaki, Briggs & Stratton and more. Order your free catalog 24 hours a day. TOLL FREE 1-800-428-8004, US, in Mass. 1-800-421-3900. Preco Distributors, 97 Center St., Ludlow, MA 01056. TF dut, and ,on9 ìast'r'9 ,and ^m m M 11 MB ŁŁŁ Sri CHci»'!**"!^ Ł Ł Buy thru Sell thru TREE SPRAYING TRUCKS FOR SALE. Can also be used for lawn spraying. 2-1990 GMC 5000 Series (Isuzu), Cab Over, Power Steering, Diesel, 5 Speed, 14 Foot Flat Bed, 1,000 Gallon Tank, Hypro 44 Gallon Per Minute Pump, 30 Horse- power Wisconsin Industrial Engine, Hannay Hose Reel, 300 Foot 3/4" Hose, John Bean 785 Spray Gun. Also Second Pumping System Hypro 10 GPM Pump, 11 Horsepower Honda Engine, Small Hannay Hose Reel, 250 Foot y Hose, Deep Root Feeding Gun and JD9 Gun. $24,995 Each Truck (Cost $40,000 New). 1984 GMC 6000 Series, 350 V8, 4 Speed, Power Steering, 14 Foot Flat Bed, 6 New 8:25x20 Tires, 48,000 Original Miles (Original Owner), 1,000 Gallon Tank (New), 44 Gallon Per Minute Hypro Pump (New), 23 Horsepower Kohler Engine, Hannay Hose Reel (New), 300 Foot 3/4" Hose (New), Bean 785 Spray Gun, New Paint on Cab. Excellent Condition. $8,995.1982 Ford F600, 370 V8, 4 Speed, 2 Speed Rear Axle, 14 Foot Flat Bed, Power Steering, FMC Bean Tree Spraying Machine, 35 Gallon Per Minute, Wisconsin Indus-trial Engine, 600 Gallon Tank, Hannay Hose Reel, 300 Foot 3/4" Hose, Bean 785 Spray Gun. Ap-proximately 46,000 Miles. Excellent Condition. $8,995.2-1990 Dodge 0350 s 4 Speed, V8,12 Foot Flatbed, 500 Gallon Poly Tank, Hypro 44 Gallon Per Minute Pump, 30 HP Wisconsin Engine, Hannay Reel, 300 Ft 3/4" Hose, Bean Gun. Also Second Pumping System Hypro 10 GPM Pump, 11 Horsepower Honda Engine, Small Hannay Hose Reel, 250 Foot 1/2" Hose, Deep Root Feeding Gun and JD9 Gun. $16,995 Each Cost $30,000 New! CALL NOW! - PRICES NEGOTIABLE. Photos Available Upon Request. (516) 331-4713 Eve-nings & Weekends, (201) 785-0985 Monday-Fri-day Days. 9/91 SERVICES CO-OP DIRECT MAILING SERVICE: -Mail to 885,000 swimming pool addresses - or mail only to your area. -Mail with two other companies, and your price is only $80 per thousand. -Mailings lim-ited to three advertisers - so as not to diminish impact of mailer. -Compatible advertisers, share costs, save money, give you the best results and highest return for your advertising dollars. -All ads are in four colors. -$80 per thousand price in-cludes: one 8-1/2" x 11" ad with two other adver- tisers. For information: Co-Op Direct Mailing Service, (800)543-6603. 8/91 Classifieds Get Results ADVERTISERS INDEX NO. ADVERTISER PAGE 101 DowElanco 12-13 102 Finn 22 112 Isuzu 21 103 Lesco 28 104 Lofts 11 105 Mobay 6-7 106 Mobay 17 107 Mobay 23 108 Naturalawn 15 109 Nor Am 5 110 Turf Tech 25 This index provided as an additional service. The publisher assumes no liability for ommission or error. Let's not pollute our ocean of air like we polluted theirs. AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION * ® The Christmas Seal People® Space contributed by the publisher as a public servite. Í Ł ŁŁ send a .classified.advertising message ...write here. " (Please Print). 1. Number of insertions: (circle one) 1 2 3 6 9 12 TF (Til Forbid) 2. Start with (month) issue (Copy must be in by 1st of month preceding) 3. Amount enclosed: $ PAYMENT MUST ACCOMPANY ORDER. SIGNATURE DATE. NAME COMPANY STREET CITY STATE ZIP. PHONE NUMBER MAIL AD COPY TO: Dawn Nilsen, Lawn Care Industry, 1 East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802. RATES: 1.05 per word (minimum charge $40). Boldface words or words in all capital letters charged at $1.30 per word. Boxed or display ads: $90 per column Inch for 1x insertion (minimum one inch); $85 for 3x insertion; $80 for 6x insertion; $75 for 9x insertion; $70 for 12x insertion. (Frequencies based on a calendar year). Agency commissions will be given only when camera ready art is provided by agency. For ads using blind box number, add $20 to total cost of the ad per issue. Send ad copy with payment to Dawn Nilsen, Lawn Care Industry, 1 East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802. (218) 723 9179. FAX Number (218) 723-9615. 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 cHspersrtble granule for use g^^em weed contra, in *JVéíNG«EDIO