JFX ti Jared Arminger and his mother said chemical safeguards needed to protect the public. They say they're victims WASHINGTON D.c.ŠThey claim to be victims of the irre-sponsible use of lawn care chemicals. They told their stories to a U.S. senate subcommittee here May 9. Christina Locek, River Grove, IL, said she was sprayed in the face by a non- English speaking lawn ap-plicator near her Illinois home. Since then she's been so ill she's been unable to per- form as a concert pianist. She says pre-notification is a joke. LCOs don't use it. Katherine Shannon, a stu-dent at Colorado State Uni- versity, Boulder, CO, said iradvertant exposures cause her to miss classes. Thomas Latimer, Dallas, described how a lawn chemical he applied to his yard reacted in his body with a presription drug he needed. It destroyed his health. Garnering the most atten-tion at the hearing, however, was grade-schooler Jared Ar-minger who claimed to be a virtual prisoner in his Bal-timore-area home because of chemical poisoning. LCI More PHOTOS on page 6 WWN ORE INDUSTRY Serving the needs of the professional lawn care operator JUNE 1991 VOLUME 15 NUMBER 6 PLCAA: give us 'reasonable' regulation BY RON HALL editor WASHINGTON, D.C.Š The Professional Lawn Care Asso-ciation of America brought a message of compromise here May 9. Its forum was the senate subcommittee hearing on the safety of professional lawn care and pest control. "PLCAA endorses the con-cept of reasonable and respon-sible national S. 849, pro-posed lawn care bill, in total on page 22 regulation of the lawn ser-vices indus-try," Ann McClure, executive vice presi-dent of PLCAA, told the standing-room-only audience in a room in the Dirksen Sen-ate Office Building. She spoke directly to U.S. Senators John Warner (R-VA), Harry Reid (D-Utah), and Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), members of the Subcom- mittee on Toxic Substances. She spoke after several wit-nesses testified bitterly about the lawn care industry and its disregard for customer safety. These witnesses supported Senator Lieberman's pro-posed bill S. 849 that calls for See PLCAA on page 13 ************* 3-DIGIT 4âô là? 0QHòLìia iü ÌJ PETE COOKINGHAfl LIüKArtY ul-iai ÜS6A TURFGRASS INFO FILE MICHIGAN STATE UNIV J1AST LANSING MI 40054-1046 PLCAA Executive VP Ann McClure addressed senate subcommittee. Thomas Delaney, PLCAA government affairs, provided support. Supreme Court decision is expected soon ii>G WASHINGTON D.C. ŠToo close to call. Industry representatives j sitting through the hour-long oral arguments of the case Mortier v. Town of Casey wouldn't speculate on a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. The ruling is expected sometime this month. The outcome of the caseŠ the last heard on the last day of the session by the justicesŠ could have a profound affect on professional pesticide users, particularly LCOs. "We've had a real hard time See COURT on page 12 Dependable, economical Plus the broadleaves Read how three turf professionals with totally different situations are using Trimec® Plus Herbicide to help them cope with nut-sedge, grassy and broadleaf weeds in today's environ-mental age. Everett Mealman, President PBI/Gordon Corporation If you think that controlling yellow nutsedge and goosegrass in turf is a tough assignment, you should have Tom Hilferty's challenge: Hilferty is superintendent of the Tatum Ridge Golf Links in Sarosota, Florida and he has to control these pests with his hands tied behind his back. "At least that's the way it feels sometimes," laughs Hilferty. Tatum Ridge is a semi-private course that also caters to affluent, discerning, fee-paying guests. The layout must be immaculate and the environmental constraints are monumental. The course comprises 111 acres of bermuda turf, 30 acres of water, 54 acres of protected wetlands and is a refuge for wildlife and endangered species. Further-more, it is only seven miles from the gulf shore, so excessive winds and high temperatures mean that there are very few days when suitable spraying condi-tions exist. "Nutsedge and goosegrass and broad-leaves love those protected wetlands," says Hilferty, "so we're going to have them in our turf and, of course, that's unaccept-able." Hilferty goes on to say that he watches for that special day when the wind is down and the weeds are coming up, and it's then that he delivers his one and only wall-to-wall broadcast spray treatment of the year Š a tank-mix of Trimec Plus and Ferromec® AC Liquid Sprayable Iron. "If you can only do it once, you better do it right the first time," insists Hilferty. If any nutsedge or broadleaves ever show up after the broadcast Š and they do show up Š Hilferty goes after them with his trusty spot sprayer, loaded with Trimec Plus. Does the program work? "Count the golfers and take an inventory of the wildlife," challenges Hilferty. #1 for crabgrass control If Trimec Plus is now the number one post-emerge for economical control of nutsedge and goosegrass, it is also number one for crabgrass. Just ask Paul Branon, who owns two Lawn Doctor franchises in the Acton, Mass. area, an upscale suburb of Boston. "Crabgrass used to be our number one problem in bluegrass," says Branon, "but since we discovered Trimec Plus several years ago, crabgrass has become our favorite grassy weed. Our ability to control it and to guarantee a crabgrass-free lawn has been a factor in our growth." Branon's customer base consists primarily of affluent, environmentally-aware homeowners who want immacu-late lawns Š no crabgrass, and a minimum usage of chemical. "Our goal is to create turf that is so thick and healthy there is little room for weeds to germinate or disease to get established," says Branon. "Con-sequently, we want to treat those lawns at least five times a year to properly space out the feeding and monitor for disease. We also need the revenue from five treatments to generate enough cash flow to maintain our level of service." Branon goes on to say that before he discovered Trimec Plus several years ago, he was limited in the number of custo-mers he could serve because his first treatment consisted of fertilizer, Trimec Classic, and a pre-emerge herbicide. Consequently, it was confined to the window after the broadleaves start to grow and before the crabgrass germi-nates. So if the crabgrass germinated before we finished our first round," says Branon, "we simply lost the treatment because we had never found a post-emerge for crabgrass that was economical enough and sufficiently reliable to justify our no-crabgrass guarantee. Today, if the crabgrass is there before we complete our first round, we simply change the post-emergent herbicide to Trimec Plus. With one gallon covering an entire acre, the price is right." How well does the Trimec Plus post-emerge control of crabgrass work? There is no room in Branon's office for any more Performance Evaluation trophies from Lawn Doctor, and these trophies not only reflect the quality of his work, but also the profitability of his franchise. Ideal spot treatment When you read about the experiences of turf professionals like Tom Hilferty and Paul Branon, don't you have an urgent desire to give Trimec Plus a trial? Obviously, most of your peers do, because Trimec Plus is surely the most exciting and fastest-growing herbicide to enter the field in many years. Tom Hilferty, Supt. of Tatum Ridge Golf Links in Sarosota, Florida has extreme environmental problems and is restricted to one broadcast post-emerge spray per year to get goosegrass, nutsedge and broadleaves. Trimec Plus has proven to be the answer. ATUM KUX V*\> ONNS in ornamental turf Jim Deiman of Metro Airports Commission, Minneapolis-St. Paul, bought a jug of Trimec Plus last year so he could order an SP1E back pack sprayer for only $49.95. Today he insists that the back pack sprayer loaded with Trimec Plus is the ideal combination for spot-spraying crabgrass, nutsedge and broadleaf weeds. Paul Branon, a Lawn Doctor franchisee in Acton, Mass., used to lose business when crabgrass germinated before he was able to put down his pre-emerge. Today, he couldn't care less when crabgrass germi-nates because now he knows he can get it economically and depend-ably with post-emerge Trimec Plus. "You can count me as one of those who wanted to test Trimec Plus," says Jim Deiman. "But I'll admit my yen for a back pack sprayer was every bit as urgent as my curiosity about Trimec Plus." Deiman is in field maintenance for the Metro Airports Commission (MAC), based at Minneapolis-St. Paul Inter-national Airport. The MAC is not only responsible for the restricted 3,200 acres in Minneapolis, but also the six reliever airports in the seven-county metro area. The landscape maintenance in the highly visible non-restricted areas which comprise the public entryways to the airports is handled by subcontractors appointed by MAC. "We've been using a broadcast of Classic Trimec in our low-visibility restricted areas for a number of years," says Deiman, "but we've never been especially interested in Trimec Plus because we're not too concerned about crabgrass in low-visibility turf. "But my home lawn is different," continues Deiman. "Crabgrass is a major problem for me." Needless to say, Jim Deiman is one of the thousands of landscapers who has bought a jug of Trimec Plus and sent in for a back pack sprayer. So what does Deiman have to say about it now? "We are very definitely going to recom-mend Trimec Plus and the back pack sprayer to our subcontractors who main-tain the highly-visible turf in front of our airports," says Deiman. "Nothing makes as much sense in this environmental age as spot-spraying ornamental turf with Trimec Plus." Toll-free 1-800-821-7925 pbi/GQRdon Special Get-Acquainted BACK PACK SPRAYER OFFER $100 Value $4095 Sealed diaphragm up to 70 psi pressure Four-gallon capacity Large 6-in. fill opening Built-in carrying handle Check valve in lid TO GET YOUR SPRAYER buy at least 21/a gallons of Trimec Plus before Sept. 30, 1991. Send proof of purchase (sales receipt or invoice) to PBI/Gordon, 1217 W. 12th, P.O. Box 4090, Kansas City, MO 64101, with your name, address, and check for $54.95 ($49.95 plus $5 shipping/handling). Orders must be post-marked no later than Oct. 31, 1991. Offer limited to one sprayer per customer. 1217 WEST 12th STREET P. O. BOX 409Ü KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 6-4101 JB> Trimec® and Ferromec® are registered trademarks of PBI/Gordon Corporation. © 1991, PBI/Gordon Corporation Circle No. 111 on Reader Inquiry Card HERBICIDE 752-591 4 MEMOS LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JUNE 1991 MEMOS "Politicians will follow opinions widely held by their constituents. On the other hand I've never seen a politician run from a fact. If there are facts, they would always rather face the issue with facts and not opinions. But opinion drives politics in the absence of fact." So said turfgrass expert Dr. Tom Watschke, Penn State, at the recent Ohio Pesticide Applicators for Responsible Regulation (OPARR) meeting. The 1990 Georgia Turfgrass Conference attracted 1,229 attendees, up six percent over 1989. About 165 of the attendees were LCOs. The 1991 conference is set for Dec. 9-11. Michigan LCOs should read an excellent article about that state's proposals concerning storing large quantities of pesticides or fertilizers. Tim Doppel, president Atwood LawnCare, Inc., wrote the piece in the March issue of The Landsculptor magazine, Southfield, MI. In January 1993, all yard waste will be banned from Wisconsin Landfills. On May 4 Milwaukee held its second annual Yardfest to educate homeowners about taking care of their lawns and disposing of yard wastes. LCOs should seek to participate in these types of events. The Federal Trade Commission will hold public hearings to examine environmental advertising issues. The Chemical Specialities Manufacturers Association has been pushing the FTC to take the lead on this issue because it doesn't want every state to make up its own rules about what it will allow and what it won't in regards to such terms as "environmentally safe" or "ozone friendly," etc. American Association of Nurserymen Convention is July 11-15 at Disney World, Orlando. LCI OFTANOL USERS KNOW THE BEST WAY TO OUTSMART GRUBS IS WITH A LITTLE EXTRA HOMEWORK. WWN ORE INDUSTRY RON HALL Editor In Chief MAUREEN HREHOCIK Group Editor JON MIDUCKI Publisher ROBERT E. EARLEY Group Vice President TERRIE FREAR Production Manager ROSY BRADLEY Senior Production Manager JUDY ALLEN Group Marketing Manager KEN MCSHANE Production Director PHIL RUSSELL Graphic Design MARILYN COPP Senior Circulation Clerk GAIL PARENTEAU Reader Service Manager BUSINESS STAFF Midwest Office: JON MIDUCKI (216) 826-2855 Publisher ANNE LANGHENRY Regional Sales Manager (216) 891-2739 7500 Old Oak Blvd. Cleveland, Oh 44130 (216) 891-2739 FAX (216) 891-2675 Southern Office: DICK GORE (404) 233-1817 FAX (404) 261-7022 3475 Lenox Road, N.E., Ste. 665 Atlanta, GA 30326 Western Office: BOB MIEROW (206) 783-0549 FAX (206) 784-5545 1515 N.W. 51 Street Seattle, WA 98107 Classified DAWN NILSEN (218) 723-9349 1 E. First St., Duluth, MN 55802 Please send advertising materials to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY 120 W Second St. Duluth, MN 55802 218-723-9465 RICHARD B. SWANK, Chairman RICHARD MOELLER, President LARS FLADMARK, Executive Vice Pres ARLAND HIRMAN, Vice Pres ./Treasurer JAMES A. ADLER, Vice President JOE BILDERBACH, Vice President DAVID T. MAYER, Vice President BRIAN NAIRN, Vice President PHIL STOCKER, Vice President LCI ADVISORY COUNCIL Fl BARRY TROUTMAN Massey Services Orlando. FL A. J. POWELL JACK ROBERTSON U. of Kentucky Robertson Lawn Care Lexington, KY Springfield. IL LAWN CARE INDUSTRY (ISSN 0160-6042) is published monthly by Edgell Communica-tions. Inc. Corporate and Editorial offices: 7500 Old Oak Boulevard. Cleveland. Ohio 44130. Advertising Offices: 7500 Old Oak Boulevard. Cleveland. Ohio 44130,233 North Michigan Avenue. 24th Floor, Chicago, Illi-nois 60601 and 3475 Lenox Road, N.E. Suite 665 Atlanta, Georgia 30326. Accounting. Ad- vertising Production and Circulation offices 1 East First Street, Duluth. Minnesota 55802. Subscription rates: $30 per year in the United States; $55 per year in Canada. All other countries: $100 per year. Current issue single copies (pre-paid only): $3.00 in the U.S.; $6.00 in Canada; elsewhere $10.; add $3.50 for shipping and handling per order. Back issues, if available $10; add $3.50 per order for shipping and handling (pre-paid orders only). Office of publication Edgell Communi- cations. Inc., 1 East First Street, Duluth, Min-nesota 55802 Second class postage paid at Duluth, Minnesota 55806 Copyright © 1991 by Edgell Communications, Inc. All rights re- served No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical includ- ing photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without per-mission in writing from the publisher. Cana-dian G.S.T. number: R-124213133 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. P.O. Box 6200. Duluth. Minnesota 55806 Circle No. 107 on Reader Inquiry Card ABP VBPA 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 preparationŠfinding 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 47% 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 ©1991 Mobay Corporation OFTANOL is a Reg TM of Bayer AG. Germany Sevin is a Reg TM of Rhone-POulenc Ag Company 912690 5 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JUNE 1991 UPFRONT We can help solve solid waste mess BY RON HALL editor Within two years Ohio landfills will be off limits to landscape waste. By that time few landfills anywhere in the United States will accept them. If they do the costs are likely to be steep. It's already starting in my small corner of Ohio. When the local landfill raised the rates on land- scape wastes my small city said it couldn't afford to dis- pose of piles of weeds and grass clippings anymore. My wife wasn't con-vinced. She dragged a bushel basket of weeds, twigs and leaves out to the curb. It sat there a week, seven days of warm rain and sunshine. The pile coalesced into a brown blob. Editor: "Dear, the city isn't going to pick up this stuff anymore. They say it's costing too much to take to the landfill." Editor's wife: "But they took the big limbs. They shredded them in their shredder thing. Just leave the weeds there. They'll pick them up. Editor: "But it's killing the grass. We're going to have a big bare spot." Editor's wife: "So, what do you want me to do?" Editor (scratching his head): "We...uhm..." We've got a small prob-lem. Small yard. The green industry has a BIG problem. It's a big industry, a multi-billion dol- lar industry. Actually we've several problems in the solid waste arena, and some we probably haven't even thought about yet. The most immediate is probably grass clippings even though some of us don't mow. If you've picked up a copy of LCI anytime in 1990 or 1991 you've likely read about the Professional Lawn Care Association of America's Grasscycling campaign. (Read Lynn Novelli's story about Grasscycling in this issue.) But Grasscycling obvi-ously isn't the total answer. It's just one partial solution to a bigger problem. New equipment, like the new mulching mowers, is another step in the right direction. Chemistry may help too. Turf growth regulators have been around for a decade or so. Maybe they're ready to be taken to home lawns. With all of this, lawn care pros are still going to be faced with the problem of clippings. The nature of healthy grass is, after all, to grow, repair and regenerate itself. And many homeowners aren't going to want clippings left on their lawns, particularly if you haven't been able to mow that property for a couple of days after the lost soft, drenching rain. You don't offer mowing? You will have some tough decisions to make too. LCOs are telling me that some of their customers are wondering aloud if, per- haps, LCOs aren't part of the problem. If, maybe, pro- fessional fertilizations aren't adding to the clipping problem. The message we should be giving our customers is that we're aware of the problem and we can help solve it. We fertilize lawns to make them healthy and attractive. We apply the correct types and amounts of nutrients to maintain turfgrass health without generating unnecessary leaf growth. That's why our fall fertilizations, after the grass blades have quit growing but the roots are still active, is so beneficial to the lawns. We're going to have to have the right answersŠ maybe even get these answers to our customers before they ask. LCI 1 iNOR-AM NOR-AM CHEMICAL COMPANY A Schering Berlin Company 3509 Silverside Road, P.O. Box 7495. Wilmington. DE 19803 Circle No. 110 on Reader Inquiry Card The New Na^ in NITROGEN! This advanced controlled-release material derived from methylene urea polymers is the ideal nitrogen source for all your turf needs. That's because NUTRALENEŽ works two ways. First, it provides a quick-release nitrogen through hydrolysis. Second NUTRALENE releases nitrogen more slowly through microbial action for sustained feeding. This dual action (the result of its unique molecular structure) makes NUTRALENE the superior controlled release nitrogen source. The following points show that NUTRALENE meets all the professional's requirements for a broad-use nitrogen. i ^ This quality nitrogen source offers... Ł Quick greenup Ł Controlled-release nitrogen feeding for up to 16 weeks Ł Both hydrolysis and microbial actionŠ not dependent on coating or particle size for release Ł Minimal leaching and volatilization Consistent release of all nitrogen in one growing season, under all conditions, even during cool soil tem-perature situations Ł Low salt and low burning potentials Ł 40-0-0 guaranteed analysis IMPORTANT; Please remember always to read and follow carefully all label directions when applying any chemical. Copyright © 1989 NOR-AM Chemical Company. All rights reserved 6 COVER STORY LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JUNE 1991 U.S. Senators Harry Reid (DŠNV), left, and Joseph Lieberman (DŠCT) skeptical of LCOs' efforts. Our harshest critics Deja vu. All over again. (Apol-ogies to Yogi Berra or whoever said it first.) The senate subcommittee hearings on lawn care chemi-cals May 9 were a replay of 1990. With a vengance. There were more people this go aroundŠat least there seemed like more, but maybe that was because the hearing room was about half the size it was last year. More media, both the sound bite types and the pencil pushers. Definitely more press. By 9:30 a.m. on that warm drizzly Thursday in Wash-ington D.C. there was hardly enough space left in Room 468 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to squeeze in another solumn face. There were few smiles. LCI Press row was filled to capacity, and the media had plenty to keep them busy. Dr. Janette Sherman, Alexandria, VA, linked pesticides to illness and plugged her book. Looking on Robert Abrams, Attorney General of the State of New York, a critic of LCO advertising. Łvtv\ », vs* M »et» VHS im« «X *V*fc%t>VVK tkwu 01 OUOVHU «llMkOVWW kl 01*1* %OQ-< \\\l\ Vi v^t» \vwiiMm Thomas Latimer's testimony alleging pesticide poisoning included detailed charts and chemical diagrams. Longtime industry critic Jay Feldman attacked EPA. Thomas Latimer says health was ruined by chemicals. Christina Locek, River Grove, IL says her careers as a pianist and skater died when an applicator sprayed chemicals on her. College student Katherine Shannon of Boulder, CO, claims she often has to miss school because of exposures to pesticides. LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JUNE 1991 7 Measuring and pricing tree and shrub services h H H H I-i « 1 Ł . v . . . %/M Ł m . Ł ' v Shrubs close together can be measured outside of bed. LENGTH [ 7'] Typical shrub is 1 foot by 1 foot or 1 square foot times six shrubs. BY PHIL CHRISTIAN Have you noticed the growing importance of non-turf areas to your customers? If not, take a closer look be-cause customers are increas-ingly dissatisfied with a land-scape with excellent turf and average everything else. That's why some enterprising LCOs are helping clients up-grade their non-turf areas in-cluding tree, shrub, and flower beds. Non-turf areas have always been the most expensive part of the landscape and may rep-resent the customer's largest uninsured asset. Even so, maintenance of these areas has lagged behind turf. This is changing. RADIUS CHART RADIUS CANOPY 1 =3 2 =12 3 =28 4 =60 5 =78 6 =113 7 =154 8 =201 9 =254 10 =314 11 =380 12 =452 13 =531 14 =616 15 =707 16 =804 17 =908 18 =1 Ol 8 19 =1134 20 =1257 21 =1385 22 =1520 23 =1662 24 =1809 25 =1963 26 =2124 27 =2290 28 =2463 29, =2642 30 =2827 How do you begin? One of the first steps is to develop a solid measuring and pricing procedure. Traditionally tree and shrub services consist of one or two rounds of fertilization and three or four rounds of in-sect and disease applications. Let's save pruning, mulch, weed control, and other "total bed maintenance" activities for another time. The theory of measuring and pricing of non-turf areas is almost identical to the theory of tree and shrub measure-ment and pricing. Accurate measurements Trees and shrubs are mea-sured in canopy square feet. The canopy area is defined as the area inside the drip line of the tree or shrub. Canopy area is also referred to as the footprint or shaded area if the plant is looked at from a plan view. Most tree canopy areas are round, and the area can easily be calculated by measuring the radius, or R factor, the dis-tance from the outside of the canopy to the center of the trunk. By using the canopy radius chart you can calculate the square footage quickly and ac-curately without the use of formulas. Shrubs are easy to measure because you can look down on them to determine the exact size of the canopy. You may measure a typical shrub and multiply that number by all shrubs similar in size to estab- lish the total area. For shrubs planted close to-gether, measure the outline of the bed. Length times width equals total area in square feet. Hedges, or hedge rows, may be easily measured by multi-plying the entire length of the hedge by the average width. This will equal total square feet. Measure plants and trees in containers as though they're not in containers. A tree in an island, hanging over a paved area, is also measured as though it were in the landscape without the paved area. There are some exceptions. We don't measure or treat ma-ture trees for insect and dis- ease control or fertilize them unless there is a visible life- threatening problem. We don't treat any trees over 25 feet in height unless there's a special problem. Take-Off Sheet The Quantity Take-off Sheet helps you measure and price. (Page 11)L First, fill in the top of the page including the date mea-sured and the person measur- ing the property. The description of the area can be brief and abbreviated, such as front yard, rear yard, side yard, area adjacent to drainage ditch, etc. The object is to identify the areas so you can modify the program during negotiation with the property manager. The design of the sheet al-lows the measurer to record all dimensions. Begin by entering the dimension (length times width, l/2 length times width, or r) in column 6 of the Take-off Sheet. If you're working with turf area, fill in the appropriate space on the left side of the sheet. If it's a non-turf area, fill in the columns to the right of column 6. Write the area description or special notes on the lines to the left or the right of the length times width entry in column 6. The non-turf area is the re-maining area of the softscape and includes tree and shrub beds, flower beds, ground cover beds, and mulch only areas. There could also be some large bare areas under trees or in the shaded corners of the landscape. Wildscape areas aren't usu-ally measured unless they re- quire special maintenance. In this case, they should be mea-sured and used on a separate See PRICE on page 8 More Lawns Greener Greens Fewer Callbacks Thafs a promise we can prove! With N-SURE ,®a triazone nitrogen source with low urea, the benefits are significant. Ł A controlled, slow release, non-burning nitrogen means greener, healthier turf. Ł Faster and easier application with less water, less waste and less downtime for more jobs per day. (Can be applied concentrated in the hottest weather.) Ł Less volatilization means more N in the turf. Ł No more clogged nozzles and screens. Ł Compatible with the most commonly used herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. For more information on remarkable N-SURE, write or give us a call. Arcadian Corporation Triazone Division 6750 Poplar Avenue, Suite 600, Memphis, TN 38138-7419 Phone: 1-800-654-4514 C1991 Arcadian Corporation Circle No. 109 on Reader Inquiry Card 8 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JUNE 1991 8 PRICE from page 7 Quantity Take-off Sheet. (Please note that this is a dou-ble entry Quantity Take-off Sheet. The quantity must be first entered in column 7 be-cause it is non-turf area, then in column 8, 9, or 10, depend-ing on what is being mea- sured.) What columns mean Ł Column 6 is is the col-umn of original entry and always contains length times width, */2 length times width for triangles, or a radius for circular areas. Area descrip-tions or special notes can be written on the right-hand side of column 6 for turf areas, and on the left-hand side of col- umn 6 for non-turf areas. Ł Column 7 is is the result of multiplying the dimensions in column 6 for non-turf areas. Ł Column 8 is the portion of the non-turf area that has to be mulched. In an immature landscape, 100 percent of the area measured could require mulch. In a more mature land- scape where the shrubs take up most of the room, the mulch could be limited to a thin ring around the outside of the bed. Please note that the quan-tities from column 8 are used to estimate the labor and ma-terial for weed control in the beds. Ł Column 9 is the canopy area in square feet to be pruned. This includes shrubs, trees, and groundcover. Please note that the pruning area in column 9 will also be used to calculate the labor and mate-rial for fertilization, insect, and disease control. Ł Column 10 is for other non-turf areas, or special ac-tivities in the non-turf area. Why square footage? Why does canopy square footage work for estimating purposes? In short, it's pro-portionate to the time re-quired to serve that area. This short answer works for the fer-ORTHENETurf,Tree & Ornamental Spray keeps pests out of your dub. Stop pests from playing a round on your course with ORTHENE Turf, Tree & Ornamental Spray. One treatment provides a broad spectrum of protection for turf as well as a wide variety of trees and ornamentals. ORTHENE kills quickly on contact, then by systemic action. So you'll keep hard-to-kill pests like mole crickets, armyworms and leafhoppers under control. ORTHENE supplies long-lasting residual action against other insects including tent caterpillars, aphidsand thrips. ORTHENE Turf Jree& Orna-mental Spray. It's more than enough to drive unwanted pests right off your course. ORTHENE* Turf, Tree & Ornamental Spray Avoid accidents. For safety, read the entire label including precautions. Use all chemicals only as directed Copyright © 1990 Valent U.S.A. Corporation. All rights reserved. ORTHtNt is a registered trademark of Chevron Chemical Co. VALENT. tilization rounds because fer-tilization is only applied to the canopy area. But what about insect and disease rounds? The canopy area, or footprint, does not take into account the height of the plant. The height, up to twenty feet, must have some effect on the time required to treat it. It does, of course, but not as much as you might think. In the 1970s, the early days of tree and shrub service, we sprayed 100 percent of the plant material each round. We established production rate in square feet per minute. Years later the industry adopted the policy of inspecting each plant and applying insect and dis- ease control chemicals only as needed. This didn't effect produc-tion rates because it took the same amount of time for a "look and see" selective appli-cation as it took for a blanket application of the entire can-opy area. A time and motion study would confirm that the amount of time spent with the trigger down on the spray gun is relatively unimportant com-pared to the time required to get to the property, take the hose off the reel, drag it around the property, and inspect the plant material. The only time height is rel-evant to time is during the ac- tual application, and that's a small percentage of total time spent. The low, almost insignifi-cant, cost of material also con-tributes to the lack of importance of plant height. When exceptions to the gen-eral rules occur, either in im-mature plant material or very mature, tall, thick plant mate- rial, the measurer/estimator can take these exceptions into account by changing the pro- duction rates to fit the exact situation. Tree/shrub services The tree and shrub pricing model, or formula should be familiar to most readers. It's very similar to the turf pricing model. The formula may be used to price any activity we ask our crews to perform. Look at line 7. The mea-sured canopy area is 1,400 square feet, and the produc-tion factor is 200 square feet per minute. The production factor must come from your experience and field tests. It should fit the conditions of the specific property. An immature 1,400 square foot property, consisting of small one and two gallon plant material, could have a produc-tion factor of up to 250 square feet per minute. A mature overgrown property could re- duce the production factor to 150 square feet per minute. Don't think of the produc-tion factor as a "difficulty fac- tor." Difficulty factors are symptoms of negative or de- fensive pricing and encourage your people to look only for problems. Difficulty factors, properly used, must be bal-anced by using "simplicity factors." So, let's just call it what it really is, a production (real-ity?) factor. Pricing Model for Tree & Shrub Services 14000 Sq. Ft. Residential Canopy Area 1. INCOME PER DAY..720.00 + 38 , 15 . . . 758.15 2. MATERIAL COSTS 01.25 per 1,000 sq. ft $38.15 3. REVENUE PER DAY.(No material included) $720.00 4. TIME PER DAY 8 hrs X 60 min per hr 480 minutes 5. COST PER MINUTE 720,00 per day/480 mins ....1.50 6. AVG TRAVEL TIME.(from test results) 15 minutes 7. AVG PRODUCTION TIME 1400 sq. ft./200 sq. ft. per min 7 min-utes 8. TIME PER STOP...15 mins plus 7 mins 22 minutes 9. STOPS PER DAY...480 mins per day/22 mins per stop $21.8 each 10. PRICE W/O MATERIAL 22 mins X 1.50 per min $33 .00 11. MATERIAL COST PER STOP 1.4000s sq. ft. x 1.25 per 1000 sq. ft $1.75 12. PRICE PER STOP ..33.00 plus 1.75 ..$34.75 13. PRICE PER 1000 SQ. FT 34.75/1.4 $24.82 Circle No. 109 on Reader Inquiry Card LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JUNE 1991 11 Those who believe that standard production has wild variances, from 50 square feet per minute to 500 square feet per minute, misunderstand the dynamics of time-related production. The window is small but consistent. Don't use the example factorsŠrun your own tests. Line 3 is the revenue per day required to pay all costs, overhead and profit, except materials. This must be calculated by each LCO to reflect specific accurate operating costs, over-head recovery, and profit re-quirements. What if the production fac-tor of 200 square feet per min- ute, you note on line 7, was reduced by site conditions to 150 square feet per minute? Ł 1400 sq ft/150 sq ft per minute equals 9.33 minutes Ł 9.33 minutes plus 15 min-utes travel time equals 24.33 minutes total stop time Ł 24.33 minutes times $1.50 per minute equals $36.50 Ł $36.50 plus $1.75 material equals $38.25 stop price. Interestingly, the 25 per-cent variance in production rate only produced a price variance of $3.50 per stop. LCI About the Author Philip D. Christian III of Alpharetta, GA, is a consultant with All-Green Management Associates, Columbus, Ohio, Dues adjustment brings members to PLCAA'S roll MARIETTA, GAŠWhen the Professional Lawn Care Asso-ciation of America (PLCAA) lowered its dues for smaller companies, more of them joined. PLCAA took the action for companies grossing less than $600,000 annually this past winter. "Response has been excel-lent," says Ann E. McClure, executive vice president of PLCAA. "Many LCOs are re-sponding favorably to the change in dues, and the associ- ation hopes this means PLCAA will have far broader national representation." The dues rates were ad-justed to reflect dues of com-parable national associations, says PLCAA. By early May as- sociation membership had in-creased two percent with another 10 percent taking ad-vantage of PLC AA's early dis-count payment plan. PLCAA membership in-cluded 978 companies in 1990. The association membership committee hopes to add an-other 400 in 1991. In an unrelated matter, PLCAA reports that 46 of its members attended the associa-tion's 1991 Legislative Day-Ón-The-Hill in March. Senate Mi-nority Leader Bob Dole (RŠ KS) welcomed the group. LCI QUANTITY TAKE-OFF SHEET NAME: Mr. Bob Alpha MEASURED BY: PDC, III DATE: 4-10-91 TURF AREA LENGTH X WIDTH NON-TURF AREA - MULCH/TREES/SHRUBS EDGE OTHER 21" PUSH MOWER 36-60" MOWER SQ.FT. LXW SQ.FT. MULCH SQ.FT. CANOPY SQ.FT. OTHER REMARKS 1. Beds in front of house 80x4 320 320 Z. Front yard - 3 x 28 3 ea R - 3 84 84 3. Shrub at mailbox 6x6 36 36 4. Hedge - side yard 45x2 90 90 5. Beds - left side 50x4 200 200 6. Crab in front 1 ea R - 6 113 113 7. Pine trees - Rt side - 6 x 50 6 ea R - 4 300 300 8. Beds - back yard 85x3 257 257 When it comes to grubs, it's not enough just to sup-press them. insects combined. Better yet, once Triumph® applied to the soil, is changing all that. Unlike Triumph keeps on working for up to grub damage. And protect you from losing what profits you have 10 weeks, depend- made to callbacks. You want mostinsec- ing on the target to squash them, ticides, which are Pulverize them, unpredictable at Grind them into best, Triumph dust. Send the lit- has been tie buggers to the root zone eternal And who could blame you? After all,this one creature has prob- tently rid ably baffled more turf of over turf professionals, 90 percent made a mockery of more chemical of grubs pres-ent. And within i&apz * -i * ' -Ł r ÎS- V .... company claims, just 2-3 days of than all other turf application. HOW TO SQUASH A GRUB. So one pre-ventive application in late summer or To find out more, contact your turf products distribu-early fall is all that's tor or Ciba-Geigy needed to protect representative, turf from costly TRIUMPH ©1990 CIBA-GEIGY Corporation. Turf and Ornamental Products, Box 18300, Greensboro, NC 27419. Always read and follow label directions. For retail sale to and use only by certified applicators or persons under their direct supervision, and only for those uses covered by the applicator certification. Circle No. 109 on Reader Inquiry Card 12 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JUNE 1991 12 Robert Andrews, PLCAA, signs GIE agreement. Teddi Davis, left, is with PGMS; Tom Garber, ALCA. PLCAA to remain show manager through 1994 PLCAA, ALCA, PGMS reach GIE consensus CLEVELAND, OHIOŠThree industry groups will continue to co-sponsor the Green In-dustry Expo (GIE) at least through 1995. Representatives from the Professional Lawn Care Asso-ciation of America (PLCAA), Associated Landscape Con-tractors of America (ALCA) and the Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) signed the agreement here in mid May. Last year's GIE in Nashville, TN, was well at-tended, and exhibitors appre-DYNAMIC DUO. Lebanon Pro 20-3-5 with What two products have teamed up to lead the crusade against insect pests? It's Lebanon Pro 20-3-5 with 1% DURSBAN-anewand improved fertilizer/insecticide formulation. We've taken our 20-3-5 fertilizer base, with four units of sulfur-coated urea, and added a higher concentra-tion of DURSBAN, a time-tested and effective insecticide. So you can get early green-up and sustained feeding while controlling surface and soil insects - without the time-consuming efforts of two applications. And for straight gran-ular insect control, try Lebanon DURSBAN 2.32%. From your source for premium quality turf products. Lebanon Pro The Season-To-Season SCU Lebanon Pro is a product of Lebanon Chemical Corporation. Lefijnon 'DURSBAN is a registered trademark TURF PRODUCTS Qf DowE|anca 800-233-0628 <0 1991 Lebanon Chemical Corporation Marting leaves PLCAA staff MARIETTA, GAŠSandy Marting resigned from the staff of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America. She served as PLCAA's public relations specialist for V/2 years, and is the fourth key staff member to leave PLCAA within the past year. Last spring Dr. Barry Troutman, PLCAA education direc-tor, returned to private industry. Several months later James Brooks stepped down as executive vice president to pursue other career goals. And, late in 1990, Doug Moody, deputy executive director, was dropped in a cost-cutting move. Neither Troutman's nor Moody's posts were filled again. Marting told LAWN CARE INDUSTRY that the PLCAA public relations budget ($40,000) is too small for the projects demanded of it. She said she has no immediate plans for the future but will remain in public relations. LCI Fire destroys Gro Tec plant EATONTON, GA ŠFire de-stroyed the recently built Gro Tec plant here early April 7. Gro Tec is a manufacturer of lawn and garden fertilizer, in-cluding organic-type fertil-izers. Dan Pennington, vice pres-ident of Gro Tec, Inc., said he was relieved that no one was injured during the fire. He said he was also pleased that the fire did not create pollution problems. "The plant was designed to protect the environment in the event of a major catastro-phe and it worked," said Pen-nington. Results of EPA air quality samples taken during the fire did not reveal any measurable level of toxic materials re-leased into the air. Subsequent testing both on and off the site confirmed these findings. Construction is underway to rebuild the plant. It should be complete and on line by November 1991 in time to pre-manufacture desired inven-tory levels for the 1992 season. Pennington said a new line of lawn and garden chemicals will be introduced in the fall of 1991. LCI dated the opportunity to show their wares to members of the three different groups at one location. The 1991 GIE is in Tampa. According to terms of the agreement, PLCAA remains show manager through 1994. Then ALCA and PGMS can decide if they want to bring in a third party manager for 1995. The allocation of gross pro-fit is on a sliding scale with PLCAA getting 55 percent on gross profits up to $400,000 and 54 percent on anything over $450,000; ALCA 25.3 per- cent up to $400,000 and 24 percent over $450,000; PGMS 19.7 percent up to $400,000 and 22 percent over $450,000. "The discussions have been spirited," said Robert An- drews, the owner of a lawn care company near Indianapolis and PLCAA's signer. "The turning point was when the organizations agreed to appoint three principles to discuss the agreement instead of working through commit- tees," added Andrews. "We hit it off right away and could talk about some of the issues that had to be talked about." Tom Garber, a landscape contractor in Denver, said he put in hours each day for the last eight weeks to represent ALCA's interests in the nego-tiations. Said Garber, "the show will develop a life of its own as 1995 approaches. The industry as a whole can relax and count on this show through 1995." PGMS representative Tom Smith was unable to fly to Cleveland for the signing but added his name to the agree-ment days later. There was some pressure to finalize the agreement so that arrangements could be started for the 1992 GIE planned for Indianapolis. Negotiations had been un-derway for several months prior to the signing. Last fall was the first GIE. LCI COURT from page 1 getting people in the industry to realize how significant this case is," said Steve Hardy-mon, ChemLawn's govern- ment affairs specialist. Hardymon and Thomas Delaney of the Professional Lawn Care Industry were a part of the small industry con-tingent finding seats in the courtroom for the oral argu-ments. The case hinges on the Wisconsin Town of Casey's claim that it can pass and en-force its own pesticide-use reg-ulations. From 1981 through 1985 it had enacted five sepa-rate pieces of pesticide law. Industry insists if commu-nities are allowed to pass their own pesticide regulations, it may result in a patchwork of laws that would all but stran-gle the professional pesticide- using community, particularly companies doing business in different communities. Pesticide use, industry claims, is covered by the Fed- eral Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act. "It's pretty much a guess about how this will go," said PLCAA's Delaney. "The judges were asking a lot of common sense, a lot of everyday-type questions." Delaney said it didn't ap-pear that either the Justices or counsel for either side of the case knew FIFRA in any great detail. "It's a complicated law and people just don't understand it very well apparently," said Delaney. Whatever way the decision falls, ripples will be felt by LCOs. PLCAA is battling the community of Milford, MI, over basically the same issue. "Basically when they (Su-preme Court) rule on this case {Morder), they'll be ruling on our case," said Delaney. "It's wait-and-see until the decision is here," said Chem-Lawn's Hardymon. He said that if communities can draft any pesticide law..."let your imagination run free." LCI Circle No. 109 on Reader Inquiry Card LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JUNE 1991 COVER STORY 13 LCOs mobilize fop a proactive strike PLCAA endorses issues management group for continuing say in anagt D.C. BY RON HALL editor WASHINGTON D.C.ŠAn 11th-hour industry effort took some of the sting from the U.S. Sen-ate subcommittee hearing on lawn chemical safety here on May 9. More importantly it may have lessened the chances for restrictive federal legislation aimed at professional, non-ag-ricultural chemical users. The lawn care industry here took a unique approach to the hearing and the expected me-dia carnival surrounding it: they agreed with its critics on matters like posting, pre-noti-fication, applicator licensing and training, etc. That was its message in a pre-emptive news conference the day before the hearing. Disagreements remain fun-damentalŠimplimentation mainlyŠbut an important di-alogue may have been estab-lished, say industry figures, perhaps even grounds for fu-ture compromise. A united effort? Beyond that, several in-volved in the industry lobbying/education assault on Capital Hill seemed buoyed by a new alliance of industry lead- ers now focusing on federal is-sues. (Several industry mem-bers arrived in Washington D.C. and began establishing contacts two weeks before the hearing.) This alliance, working un-der the umbrella of the Profes-sional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA), began taking shape in March and April. Late March, that's when Steve Hardymon, ChemLawn, and Pat Norton, Barefoot Grass, contacted PLCAA President Neal DeAngelo for a meeting to discuss industry's role in Washington D.C. On April 10 representatives from 10 of the nation's largest applicator companies met in Chicago to develop a pre-emp-tive program. Immediate concerns focused on the subcommittee hearing and proposed legisla-tion by U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-CT). Lieberman's proposal (S. 849) wouldŠif it became lawŠamend the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986. Among other provisions, the Lieberman bill calls for contracts between customers and application companies prior to any (emphasis ours) application of chemicals. It outlines stringent posting and pre-notification require-ments. These requirements would be virtually unworkable and would strangle the chemi-cal lawn care industry, say in- dustry representatives. S. 849 won't fly Even though Senator Ha-rry Reid (D-Utah) lent his name to the bill, sources in Washington D.C. tell LAWN CARE INDUSTRY the proposal has little chance of making it out of Reid's Subcommittee on Toxic Substances, Com-mittee on Environment and Public Works. Senator John Warner (R-VA), also a mem-ber of the subcommittee, didn't endorse the proposal as it was written. Lieberman's bill will likely die a quiet death now that it's reaped its prerequisite media coverage. That, of course, does not rule out future legislation for federally mandated posting or pre-notification. LCOs, with their new is-sues management group (That was the name given the coali- tion at the PLCAA board of directors meeting the week after the hearing.) want a say the next time. The hastily organized in-dustry response took shape when about about 10 of the na- tion's largest lawn care com- panies contributed from $5,000 to $40,000 each, with representatives of several of them agreeing to take a per-sonal role in the nation's cap-ital. The group, working under the umbrella of the Profes-sional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA), enlisted the aid of the Washington D.C.-based issues manage-ment firm of Capitoline Inter- national Group, LTD. This arrangement will be con-tinuing. LCOs fund effort PLC AA's board of directors accepted a check of $97,000 on behalf of the new issues man- agement coalition which will be headed by a separate group of trustees. PLCAA contrib- uted $5,000 to the fund with the proviso that it be given the authority to review the group's efforts and progress. Any PLCAA member can contribute to the fund which will be used primarily for fed-eral issues, says ChemLawn's Steve Hardymon, also chair- man of PLCAA's government affairs committee. "We're working with a handshake and if we've got a problem let's go after it," adds Hardymon. One of the new issue man-agement groups biggest and immediate tasks, however, may not be on Capital Hill but within the specialty chemical industry itself. This month members of the group will meet with repre-sentatives from other industry groups such as Responsible In- dustry for a Sound Environ-ment (RISE), Speciality Chemicals Manufacturers As- sociation (SCMA), etc. to forge a united assault on anti-chemical interests in Wash-ington. The new PLCAA group will also try to sooth the fears of these other groups, most of whom represent manufactur-ers and distributors. Product manufacturers and distribu-tors understandibly don't want anti-chemical sentiment to grow any more than it al-ready has. And they certainly don't want the situation to de- teriorate into applicator ver-sus product safety issues. Most provide products for both the professional and the much larger do-it-yourself market. LCI PLCAA from page 1 stringent federal regulation of commercial (non-agricultural) chemical applicators. (Lieberman's S. 849, an amendment to the Emergency Plan-ning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, has little chance of becoming law, sources in Washington D.C. tell LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. Other legislators show little support.) McClure's statement was conciliatory but firm. If Wash-ington wants tighter regulation of the lawn care industry, it must develop a more workable plan. She firmly suggested that any federal law address both com-mercial and non-commercial users of lawn care products. Here are the six primary areas McClure covered: Ł Customer's right to know; Ł Pre-notification; Ł The establishment of a registry of sensitive persons; Ł Posting; Ł Applicator licensing and training; Ł Preemption of local requirements. Right to know PLCAA, said McClure, supports customers' right to know about the lawn care services they receive: brand names of prod-ucts, types of products, reason for product's use, concentration of end-use products and rates, special instructions, and labels. Pre-notification McClure said PLCAA supports pre-notification a day ahead of intended applications to customers who wish to be pre-noti-fied, persons whose property abuts treated property who indi-cate they wish to be pre-notified, and any chemically sensitive individual whose property abuts a treated customer's property. Registry McClure said PLCAA supports a national registry of sen-sitive persons. However, people wanting to be on the list would need to submit a doctor's certificate. These people should pay a one-time registration fee and an annual renewal fee (waivable in cases of financial hardship) to have their names on the list. Posting PLCAA supports posting requirements but urges that they be extended to do-it-yourself lawn chemical users too. "Any reg- ulatory plan which neglects an overwhelming majority of lawn care product users may not meet its aims," said McClure. Verifiable licensing and training PLCAA recommended that Congress mandate state or EPA-certified verifiable training for all commercial pesticide ap-plicators, regardless of whether the pesticies are classified for general or restricted use. She added that state enforcement personnel should be re-quired to undergo the same training and meet the same stan-dards as certified applicators, and that Congress adopt a "volun- tary training or information program" for do-it-yourselfers. Preemption McClure reiterated industry's stand that any regulation di-rected at commercial applicators be at the federal and state level and not through local laws. "Preemption is not only vital to the continued well being of PLCAA's members, but will assure their customers that the full weight of federal and state authority and expertise is behind the regulations that are on the books," said McClure. LCI Steve Hardymon, driving force in issues management group. Don't let THATCH suffocate your turf! Thatch that exceeds Vi-inch in depth helps support serious lawn and turf problems. The reason: Thatch is composed mainly of living and dead roots, stolons and rhizomesŠplants high in lignin, a fiber slow to decompose. Excessive thatch (more than V2-inch in depth) : Ł Prevents moisture and fertilizers from penetrating soil Ł Provides habitat to harbor diseases Ł Establishes breeding ground for insects Use the non-toxic thatch reducer Bio-Groundskeeper® liquid thatch reducers contain biological extracts and bio-catalysts that aid and acceler-ate natural decomposition of thatch. Thatch reducer helps: Ł Improve uptake of moisture and fertilizers Ł Eliminate disease habitat Ł Generate higher drought resistance Work in harmony with Nature using BIO GEDUMDS JiiMiW For *»* J Thatch Reduction KLM Bio Systems, Inc. 10700 Normandale Blvd. Bloomington, MN 55437 Circle No. 109 on Reader Inquiry Card I 14 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JUNE 1991 Ideas for chasing away those old summer technician blues BY ED WANDTKE Now's the time to take action against a summer letdown. Fatigue, heat, customer complaints (hopefully not many), production pressure, etc. can beat down your em-ployees. Even monotony can lower the morale of your work-force. But what do you do to head off falling morale, maybe even employee turnover, for the rest of the year? Psychologists tell us there are things we, as business managers or owners, can do to relieve some of the strain of the day-to-day grind for our employees. There are tech-niques we can use to keep mor-ale and productivity up. During the 20 years I've been involved with the lawn indus-try I've seen some successful programs and others that didn't work as well. Some companies find the solution for a while, then move to something else while others never uncover the formula. How about a contest? Employees respond to con-tests. They really seem to like contests that offer tangible re- wards. Developing various contests could be a simple way to relieve some of the stress and pressure they're feeling. The key to a successful mo-tivational contest is to make it easily understood, that win-ning's clearly determinable, and there's a payoff, either for an individual, a team, or an undetermined number of em-ployees. As I've worked and con-sulted with service companies I've become convinced that contests that are shorter in du-ration motivate employees best. The contest it seems should run two to three weeks. This isn't chiseled in stone somewhere and you may want to extend the time of the con- test, particularly if it's having a noticably positive effect in keeping employees focused on their duties. Keep running results As a successful business person you're unquestionably a competitive person. You may not have thought of your employees as competing also but they do, against each other daily. Post the daily status of your employee contest. This is im-portant to many of them and can spur the results you're seeking. You should, of course, develop your own posting sys- tem to highlight the good re- sults without discouraging other employees. You might consider: Ł Periodic sales leads Your goal is to generate new customers. Your employee's goal is to generate as many le- gitimate sales leads as possible to earn a reward. Pay off for the employee who submits the most leads which become cli-ents. Ł Production effi-ciencyŠYou goal is to in-crease the bottom-line effi-ciency of your company. Your employee's goal is to most ef-fectively and efficiently use his time to earn the reward. You can keep score by number of stops, time needed to mow a property, etc. The reward might be nothing more com-plicated than extra time off for the employee that improves his efficiency. (You must be careful to emphasize your goal of quality service hasn't changed and can't be sacri-ficed at the expense of effi-ciency.) Ł Best looking vehicle-See IDEAS on page 15 "You may not have thought of your employees as competing against each other but they do"ŠEd Wandtke, senior partner All Green Management 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 « a Rag TM o< Bayer AG. Germany 911534 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JUNE 1991 15 IDEAS from page 14 You want the public to see a company that sparkles. It starts with what the public sees the most ofŠyour vehi-cles. Clean vehicles often carry over to improved self image for your employees. Ł AppearanceŠAre you proud of your employees? Do you hold them in high regard? If they look sharp your cus-tomers are more apt to value their service too. Ł Most organized vehi-cleŠHas anyone in your orga-nization ever gotten to a job site either missing an impor-tant tool or with inappropriate product? This is a real time and profit killer. An offshoot of this ideaŠWhich employee can design the most effective system or checklist to make sure that service vehicles are outfitted properly? Ł Material efficiencyŠ Your goal is to maximize the effectiveness of the materials you use by applying them properly and at the proper times. A contest along these lines seeks to improve docu- mentation on the real sizes of properties and employees abil-ity to account for the materials they use. Ł Change order sell-ingŠDo your employees ac-curately track customer changes requested at job sites. If they do this it will lift billa-ble time for improved pro-fitability. Ł Daily attendanceŠ When an employee misses a day somebody, sometime is going to have to make up that production. If this is a problem for your company (tardiness too), you better be thinking of a way, maybe even a contest, to solve it. The above suggestions are just that, suggestions. You might have better ideas or, at least, ideas better suited to your business philosophy. Contest rules No matter what type of contest you put into place, make sure all the participants know the rules. Write them out. Have them on a single page with the method being used to determine the rewards. Keep it simple and clear. Seeking out new ways to keep employees alert and ready to do their jobs may not be a particularly easy task for any manager or owner, but it can be worthwhile. When an program or tech-nique clicks and employees re-spond, managers may find out that performance has in- creased agove what the com-pany expected. This is admittedly a chal-lenge and may require some 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°7o 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 Mobay $ A Bayer USA INC COMPANY (800) 842-8020. CoverlheWhole Lot. Circle No. 109 on Reader Inquiry Card experimentation but the re-wards for the company may be far larger than anyone could have anticipated. LCI Ciba-Geigy says it will market Biosys product GREENSBORO, NCŠCiba-Geigy will market nematode-based insecticides to turf pro-fessionals. In April the company an-nounced a marketing agree- ment with Biosys, a producer of biological insect-control products. Ciba-Geigy is to market all current and future products developed for com-mercial turf and ornamental markets by Biosys, Palo Alto, CA. Says Scott Moffitt, Ciba-Geigy insecticide product manager: "We think this new agreement is a win-win situa- tion for both companies. Bio- sys has strong formulation, manufacturing and research capabilities. Ciba-Geigy adds years of experience with devel-oping and marketing commer-cial products to professional turf and ornamental mar-kets." Exhibit® is the first prod-uct resulting from the agree-ment. The insecticide controls a variety of pests, including surface feeders on turf, says the company. It can be applied with standard spray equip-ment, says Ciba-Geigy. LCI ChemLawn to aid a big celebration COLUMBUS, OHIOŠChem-Lawn Services Corporation is the official supplier of lawn, tree and shrub care for Amer-iFlora '92, the 1991 interna-tional exposition commem-orating the Christopher Columbus Quincentennial. ChemLawn is contributing core aeration services to high-traffic areas; lawn application to promote dense, healthy turf; and tree/shrub fertiliza-tions in 1991 and 1992. AmeriFlora is set for April 20-0ctober 12,1992, here. The City of Columbus is ex-pecting several million extra visitors during the season-long celebration of America's discovery. LCI Ohio Nurserymen sets a lofty goal WASHINGTON, D.C. Š The Ohio Nurserymen's Associa-tion (ONA) says it will raise $500,000 for the Ohio Re- search Endowment Fund to benefit the Horticultural Re-search Institute. Presently the Ohio Fund is at $145,000. The nursery in- dustry is a $1.25 billion indus- try in Ohio. The ONA has 1,120 member firms. LCI 16 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JUNE 1991 LCOs fire up community support for Grasscycling These lawn pros tell how you can help your town ease it's solid waste blues BY LYNN NOVELLI Landfill bans on grass clip-pings coupled with sky-rocketing waste disposal costs are turning consumer at-tention to Grasscycling. This is an opportunity for LCOs to take the lead as ex-perts in turf management, says Sandy Marting, Profes- sional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA) public relations director. Grasscycling, the natural recycling of clippings by leav-ing them on the lawn, is PLCAA's catchy new name for a familiar concept. "Basically, it promotes ev-erything we've been trying to get our customers to do for years," says Marting. Waste management experts are all for the idea. With clip-pings accounting for an esti-mated 12 percent of landfill material, Grasscycling can sig- nificantly reduce landfill loads. "It's a winning situation for everyone involved," says Lar-ry Ellmaker, lawn care mana-ger for Deiter Brothers in Allentown, PA. An active PLCAA member, he was asked to serve on the commu-nity's Grasscycling startup committee. "Grasscycling is helping consumers become more edu-cated about healthy lawns and promotes proper cultural prac- tices," Ellmaker says. "When attention is focused on healthy lawns, everyone in the industry ultimately benefits." In addition to serving as technical advisor for the Beth-lehem-Allentown project, Ellmaker is promoting Grasscycling among his cus-tomers by distributing bro-chures and newsletters. It was also through PLCAA that Larry Shields, of Memphis-based Beauty Lawn Spray Inc., got involved in Germantown, TN's Grasscycling program. When the city and local trash hauling company realized the impact clippings could have on their landfill problems, they turned to the Memphis affiliate chap- ter for help. Shields, already a Grasscycling advocate, volun-teered to help with literature distribution, serve as tech-nical advisor and provide com-plimentary fertilization for demonstration lawns. A cooperative effort be-tween area PLCAA members, the city and the cooperative extension service, the program is a major publicity/education campaign that includes bro- chures, neighborhood meet-ings and a cable TV show. "Our goal," says Shields, "is for everyone in German-town to hear about Grasscyc-ling." It's great when communi-ties get interested in Grasscyc-ling, but if you're enthusiastic about it, don't wait for some- one to come to you," recom-mends Denny Lennell, vice president of Salt Lake City's Lawn Life Corp. Lennell believed the PLCAA program was a good, environmentally sound pro-ject, and he approached the city about starting a Grasscyc-ling campaign. After six weeks of knock-ing on city hall doors without results, Len-nell called the local landfill company. "They were immediately interested and were invaluable in getting the right people in city government to listen," he reports. As a result of Lennell's per-sistence, the newly created Salt Lake City and County Yard Waste Management Task Force kicked off a coun- tywide pilot Grasscycling pro-gram April 13. Like the Germantown effort, the Salt Lake program focuses on pub-lic education, targeting both commercial and residential property owners. They plan 31 demonstra-tion lawns, selected with the assistance of the cooperative extension service. Georgia's statewide pro-gram is also a joint venture be- tween PLCAA, headquartered in Atlanta, and the cooper-ative extension service. Every county has activities and dem- onstration lawns planned. The Governor's mansion is the of-ficial Georgia Grasscycling lawn. Gil Landry, University of Georgia turfgrass specialist, reports county agents have easily found volunteers for i i It's an opportunity to let people know our business services the environment"ŠDenny Lennell, Lawn Life Corp., Salt Lake City. demonstration lawns. He feels this is an indication of public interest. "The landfill situation has created an opportunity to pro-mote principles of sound turf management that we and PLCAA have been trying to encourage for years," says Landry. In California, the landfill problem has been brought to a head by the passage of state law 939. Cities must reduce their waste 25 percent by 1995 and 50 percent by 2000. As a result, Los Angeles, Long Beach and Pas-adena are targeting re-duction of green waste, which makes up about 30 percent of their solid waste, reports Joan Edwards, solid waste manager for Los Angeles. She anticipates voluntary Grasscycling will put a signifi-cant dent in that figure. The California tri-city Grasscycling program, em-phasizing good turf manage-ment, got underway this spring. Area PLCAA members are working with residential and commercial property owners to provide technical assistance and information for the project. Utah's Denny Lennell rHE COMMERCIAL APPEAL MEMPHIS. Tilt RSDAY, APRIL 4. 1991 Keep-the-clippings plan touts waste savings Citing surveys that show grass Š * * mntforupto e solid wast«-high income areas, the city Ibis week kicked off a "grasscycling" Ł * da«the first cityi ling program in West Ten Łe The goal of the program is to teach residents to "change old habits and help conserve landfill space A grasscycling kickoff meet ing is planned for 7 p m April 2S at the Germantown Community Center on Pickering Tom Os-walt a horticultural specialist with the Shelby County Agricul-tural Extension Service, will speak and residents can learn about lawn care equipment Also, articles on how to recy-cle grass are planned for distri button to the media, and a spe clal edition of the Spotlight On GfrtnMDiowo cable television show will focus on grasscycling The term grasscycling was coined by the ProfessionalLawn Care Association of America to describe the natural recycling of grass clippings by simply leav ing them on the lawn after mow ing In addition to reducing the large amount of clippings that are usually bagged for collection and end up in landfills, nutri provided by the decaying »fags * 1 ' help make lawns ents clippf _ healthier Grasscycling is a simple and effective opportunity to make a contribution to the protection of our environment, while saving time, work and monev. said Barbara Armstrong, who has re searched the issue and helped spearhead the Ge. minlown ef fort She is chairman of the edu cation subcommittee of the city s task force on ecology "11 ft leave an unsightly t when the grass is more than one-third' of its height, she said She said the city began working on the project about six weeks ago Ms Armstrong said she thinks the effort will be well received by residents of the East Shelby County suburb, where plans for a city-operated solid waste recy-cling program were delayed re- cently City officials said they thought recycling should be dealt with at the same time as a new contract for solid waste col lection The city's is in the final year of a five-year contract The .»-minute Spotlight On Germantown segment on grass cycling can be seen on German town cable channel 7 today. 12 JO p m . Friday S p m . and Sat urday. 2 30 p m This Memphis newspaper article let the public know about PLCAA's Grasscycling thinks more LCOs should get involved with Grasscycling. It's a wonderful community service, he says, but LCOs should be careful to present their efforts as an environ-mentally concerned PLCAA member. "It's an opportunity to let people know our busi-ness services the environ- ment," he says. What's the first step in pro-moting a Grasscycling pro-gram in your community? "Call PLCAA and get their packet," say Lennnell, Ellmaker and Shields. Next develop a contact with the lo- cal landfill company who can help you approach the city. Lennell and other LCOs who have become involved with community Grasscycling A TYPICAL UTAH LAW* PRODOCES ABOUT A TOR OP GRASS CUPPIB8S BACH TEAK THAT BAO. HAUL AMD SWEAT 07EB! GRASSCYCLE! LEAVE YOUR GRASS CLIPPINGS ON THE LAWN! Yardwaste takes up 20 percent* of our landfill space! Grasscycling is good for your lawn and the environment-do your part, start grasscyclinfi TODAY! TEU. YOUR NEIGHBORS« GRASSCYCLE AT HOME. WORK. SCHOOL AND AT CHURCHI I Sail Lake Valley Solid Wast* Management Council I I Earth frpçhur» »2 | Brochures, like this one from Utah, explain program programs have found exten-sion service personnel as sup-portive allies. "County agents are invalu-able for getting information to the public," says Lennell. "As an added bonus, they fre-quently appear on local radio and television gardening showsŠthe perfect oppor-tunity to get the word out." Other suggestions from Lennell for starting a program: invite someone with appropri-ate media contacts to be on the committee; enlist the support of product suppliers (particu-larly turf fertilizer and mowers); and build a quan-titative evaluation process into the demonstration lawn program. For more information about developing a Grasscyc-ling program in your commu-nity, contact PLCAA at 1-800-458-3466. LCI Moss in lawn is correctable COLLEGE PARK, MDŠMOSS in a lawn? It often invades thin or bare areas of the lawn and generally will not grow in a strong, vigorous lawn. The University of Mary-land Cooperative Extension Service says moss growth is encouraged by poor fertiliza- tion, poor drainage, com-pacted soil, shade and an acid pH. To remove any unwanted moss you may have to hand- rake it, then improve the site to discourage its return. A bulletin from extension says you may want to reduce the shade by pruning trees, have the soil tested and add the recommended fertilizer and lime to improve the soil. Soil aeration is helpful also. Moss is a primitive low-grow-ing plant that is actually made up of thousands of tiny individual plants. They grow from spores and attach themselves to a suita- ble substrate with tiny root-like structures. LCI Some Sandoz labels bilingual DES PLAINES, ILŠSandoz Corp Protection says it will begin providing bilingual la- bels on Mavrik, Pentac and Enstar. "In many parts of the coun-try, the primary language of applicators in the greenhouse, nursery and landscape main-tenance industries is Span-ish," said Ron Fister, director of specialty sales for Sandoz. This should be particularly welcome in California where since January 1991 all ap-plicators must be certified. LCI 17 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JUNE 1991 Pennsylvania tests measure clippings; monitor turf health KUTZTOWN, PAŠA half-acre lawn can gener-ate nearly 5,500 pounds of grass clippings, about 465 bags of yard waste each season. Dr. Terry M. Schettini, horticulture coordi-nator at the Rodale Research Center, arrived at these numbers by mowing a 1,078-square-foot area of turf with a bagging mower from June to October 1990. After the mowings he collected 292 pounds (23 bushels) of grass clippings, and projected these findings to the typical half-acre sized lawn (21,780 square feet). Meanwhile a similarly sized plot was mowed with a mulching mower (a Bolens walk-behind model) and the clippings were allowed to return to the turf. Although Schetini said it was "too early after only two cutting seasons to receive defini- tive data from soil core samples," he did indi- cate that grass cut with the mulching mower had a healthy appearance with no clumps of grass or visible thatch buildup. The tests are being held at the research cen-ter's 305-acre facility in Kutztown, PA. They will continue to be monitored through the 1991 growing seaason by Schettini and his research staff of the Rodale Institute, and by Mike Fer-rara, senior product/equipment editor for Organic Gardening magazine, Emmaus, PA. For each year of the three-year program, the same two identical grass-covered plots will con-tinue to be mowed on a weekly basisŠone with a walk-behind mulching mower and the other with a walk-behind side-discharge model with a collection bag. The grass on each plot will be cut the same way, and at the same time, each week, at two- to-three-inch heights, and intermediate and deep-soil cores will continue to be taken. The cores will be analyzed by the Pennsyl-vania State University Soil Analysis Lab for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium and other mineral activity. LCI Here's how COLUMBUS, OHIOŠJust add-ing a new mower blade to a standard mower doesn't turn it into a mulching mower. "These blades will chop some clippings, so that's good," says Bill Pound, a lawn care spe-cialist at Ohio State University. "But without adding the other features of a mulching mower, a cutting blade alone does rela- tively little mulching." Pound says a mulching mower relies on a bigger en-gine to power cutting and mulching and a taller mowing chamber to keep clippings sus-pended long enough to be chopped up. Some have a se-ries of deflectors to send clip-pings back into the blade. Others have blades with spe-cial edges that both chop up and deflect cut grass. In the chamber of a mulch-ing mower, cut grass will rise Ohio Confab is in Cincy again CINCINNATI, OHIOŠThe 1991 Ohio Turfgrass Conference and Show will return to the Cincin- nati Convention-Exposition Center Dec. 2-5. Over 4,000 peo-ple from 35 different states at-tended in 1990. LCI ANN Leadership Conference Sept. WASHINGTON D.C. Š The American Association of Nur-serymen's first Legislative Leadership Conference here is Sept. 23-24. State and national leaders of AAN and Associated Land-scape Contractors of America are invited for a firsthand look at the issues and challenges facing the nursery industry. AAN, 202/789-2900. LCI mulching mower differs Governor recognizes Lawn Care in MA BOSTONŠMasschusetts Governor William Weld (fourth from left) presents LCO Ed McGuire with a proclamation recognizing Na-tional Lawn Care Month this past April. McGuire is past president of the Massachusetts Association of Lawn Care Professionals (MALCP). Also pictured, from left: Repre-sentative Tim Clark, MALCP Executive Direc-tor Karen Connelly, MALCP President Paul Harder, and Representative Ed Teague. LCI Brooks aids associations in seminar BOSTONŠRepresentatives from throughout New England attended a seminar March 14 to strengthen their respective industry associa-tions. James Brooks, former executive director of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America, ran the day-long program and work-shop. The theme of the seminar was "Building and Promoting Your Association." Brooks (Lawn Care Industry magazine's "Person of the Year" in 1990) stressed that each green industry asso-ciation should survey both members and non-members to determine their needs. "Participants left the session with a greater sense of mission and the realization that their efforts can lead to even greater achievements for their associations," said Karen Connelly of the Massachusetts Association of Lawn Care Professionals. MALCP sponsored the event. Joining MALCP were green industry people from throughout New England. LCI Malathion to receive support from task force WAYNE, NJŠMalathion is a low-toxicity organophosphate insecticide widely used around the world. In April the Malathion Re-registration Task Force said it would support many of its la- beled uses for reregistration before the U.S. Environ-mental Protection Agency (EPA), including its turf uses. The task force is comprised of the two worldwide manu-facturers of malathion insec-ticide: American Cyanamid Company, Wayne, NJ, and Cheminova A/S of Lemvig, Denmark. "In deciding which uses to support, we concentrated on what our customers demanded and on the largest uses," said Charles J. Galley, Jr., business manager of Malathion and Public Health Products for American Cyanamid Com-pany. "Excessive cost" was the deciding factor in dropping some uses (none related to turf), said the company. Data generated to support mal- athion's continued use in the U.S. market will cost over $12 million. LCI and fall over a cutting blade several times in one second, being transformed into hun-dreds of tiny pieces that are returned to the lawn. The tiny grass pieces help the grass and soil retain moisture, and put back nutrients. And there's no clippings to bag or throw away. Mulching mowers come in push and riding models. Most major manufacturers now offer mulching mowers and market them aggressively. Their use will lessen the need to bag clippings. However, in spite of the use of a mulching mower, most homeowners will have to mow their lawns more often (per-haps once a month more often) to reduce clippings. LCI To mulch or not to mulch. Dorothy Murray, left, and Cyane Gresham mow similarly sized turf areas as part of research on grass clippings at the Rodale Center. Murray is using a mulching mower and Gresham a bagging model. 18 LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JUNE 1991 Do you know where they're going? Intelligent routing allows technicians to spend more time on lawns and less in trucks BY JAMES E. GUYETTE The more time your tech-nicians spend on the road, the more expenses they pile up and less money they make for the company. And themselves. "Whether it's mowing or lawn care, there's nothing more unproductive than un- necessary drive time," says Mike Bailey, president Super Lawns, Gaithersburg, MD. "One of the most effective methods of losing money is the poorly organized route or rout-ing system," he says. He feels most LCOs could improve production eight to 15 percent with sharper routing. Because Gaithersburg, MD, is just outside Wash-ington, D.C., Bailey knows something about traffic. That city is awash in one-way streets, kamikaze taxi drivers and vicious rush hours. Surprisingly, sometimes LCOs don't take their market area's particularŠand some- times peculiarŠtraffic pat-terns into account when building service routes. Super Lawns runs on zip codes refined and made under-standable to technicians by color codingŠ10 base colors, then combinations of colors for specific locations. Asimilar concept works well in Wisconsin, where Rider Enter-prises of Racine Inc. sharp- ened its zip code-based routes with actual behind-the-wheel research, says company presi-dent Mike Rider. When developing a routing sequence don't overlook the importance of geography and climate. In Racine, a city hugging Lake Michigan, Rider knows his technicians can attend to lakefront customers late in the treatment cycles. The lakefront area warms last in spring, and cools last in fall. The lake has a moderating in-fluence on weather. "There's about a one week difference in the growing sea- sons here," says Rider. The Tidewater region of Virginia presents another unique routing problem, dif-ferent types of turfgrass, says Gary Cooper, president of Cooper's Lawn Aeration. Mike Rider must take into account a difference in climate in making his routing efficient in Racine, Wisconsin. Most of Cooper's clients have turf-type tall fescue lawns, while a few have warm-season grasses such as Bermu-dagrass, zoysia or St. Au- gustine. For the most part, though, says Cooper, his company breaks the city into geographic areas. Divi-sions are recognizable by pen-ninsulas, highways, "The Beach" and armed forces in-stallations. "It's a logical sequence. It may take four days to finish," says Cooper. At Grasshopper Lawns Inc., Edwardsville, PA, "we have our maps divided into three sections. It's refined down to three to five streets," reports Michael Kravitsky III. "We have a computer and we also work from a card," Kravitsky notes. Comput-erization is particularly help-ful to the technicians who perform jobs in at least five different Pennsylvania com-munities. "When the guy is out there he has a three-year history of the lawn," he says. A water shortage in Mon-tana presents a challenge to John Bass, president of Lawn Master Inc. "We have odd and even watering days," he says for his market area, Missoula. This makes planning more complicated. "We have to go to that neighborhood twice a week," Bass explains. "We don't want to show up on the day when the sprinklers are set to come on," he points out. "To make things more effi-cient we've set up zones within the city. If you're driving all over town you're not making any money," he says. The routes are planned in the office ahead of time. "We give the drivers the route and they know where they're going to be during the day," says Bass. "When I give him 30 (lawns) I want 30 done." Drivers at the Green King division of G&L Distrbuting Inc. in Kalamazoo, MI, play a large role in the day's ac-tivities, according to Presi-dent Robert E. Bushouse. "They're responsible for their own routing. They have the cards all set. They're all color- coded." To prepare the cards, "We broke the areas into quarters and we went through zip codes. It's nothing fancy," comments Bushouse. At Bennett Enterprises in Lomita, CA, the location served is pretty much a dense neighborhood of beautiful lux-ury homes. "The majority of our work is in one area," says president Sean Bennett. "We're pretty area-con-scious," he continues. "We can hit a lot more places." With limited travel time to contend with, Bennett is more concerned with how many people it takes to com-plete a task. "It comes down to crew size. We wouldn't want to send a five-man crew to a two-person job," he explains. "Do we add another guy or set up See ROUTE on page 21 Sean Bennett serves a tight market area and he's glad. 21 Lesco eyes big 1991: service centers grow ROCKY RIVER, OHIOŠJames I FitzGibbon sees 1991 as a record year for Lesco Inc., according to a news item in the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Our service centers are on target, and one store in Orlando, FL, reached $2 million in sales this past year," the chairman and chief executive officer said in the story. The company operated 50 retail service centers at the time of the interview in April but plans to have 70 in operation by the end of 1991. The service centers reportedly account for almost 40 percent of business this year. Jeffrey S. Stein, an analyst at McDonald & Co. Securities in Cleveland said the company should prosper as the golf course industry continues to grow and demand more service. LCI Seeded Bermuda is now available DUBLIN, OHIOŠFine Lawn Research, Inc., says C2 Ber-mudagrass, an improved seeded turf-type Bermu-dagrass is available. Fine Lawn says it uses as much as l/3 less water than common Bermuda. This selec- tion was made from a popula-tion discovered along the banks of the Colorado River. LCI FL foliage up ORLANDO, FLŠSales of Flor-ida foliage at the producer level in 1990 totaled $280.8 million, up more than $9 million from 1989. Earl Wells, executive vice president of Florida Nur-serymen, said the figures proba-bly reflect increased wholesale prices. LCI LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JUNE 1991 Top planters! Houston Mayor Kathryn J. Whitmire and Charles Racusin (to her left), president of Environmental Landscape Services, Inc., with the win-ning "Environmental Team" that planted 25 trees in 19 minutes and 20 seconds in a tree planting contest during Houston's Spring TreeFest. LCI ROUTE from page 18 another crew?" Paying more attention to crew size than the small amount of travel time for ev- erybody is more important to the firm's bottom line: "You can't say, 'Sorry, we're booked.' You have to get the accounts when they're avail- able," Bennett observes. LCI Gary Cooper says routing should be logical. Circle No. 109 on Reader Inquiry Card ARE YOU OPEN TOA NEW WAYTO PROFIT FROM CRABGRASS CONTROL? PUT DOWN ACCLAIM WITH YOUR PRE. The old ways die hard. LCOs have traditionally used a pre to fight crabgrass. And it works. But there's a better, more profitable way to get effective crabgrass control. This season, break with tradition. Use an application of postemergence Acclaim® 1EC Herbicide plus a pre- suchasBalan® Dacthal* Pre-M* Betasan* orothers-a/^féwcmi^m^fl^mzT^zfes. It's a crabgrass * control strategy that really works. With Acclaim plus a pre, you can control crabgrass effectively and efficiently with just one trip across the lawn. You'll keep your customers satisfied and eliminate costly callbacks. And that means more profit. This spring, try a new approach to crabgrass control. Use postemergence Acclaim plus a pre. It's the most effective, most economical way to beat crabgrass. Read and Hlcw lahH dirwtms (artfully Ardaim and the name and logo HOECHST are registered trademarks(/Hf*ft H" O >ynu»iM 665 ARBORICULTURE: THE CARE OF TREES. SHRUBS AND VINES IN THE LANDSCAPE by Richard W Hams Provides comprehensive coverage of complete planting, site analysis, preparation and special planting methods, fully detailed coverage of fertilization, irrigation and pruning guidelines on preventative mainte-nance, repair and chemical control, how-tos of diagnosing plant prob-lems. practical data on non- infectious disorders, diseases, in- sects and related pests and pest management. $63.00 430 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 aiven 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 refi $17.95 760 - TREE MAINTENANCE by Pascal Pirone The sixth edition of this guide for anyone involved in the care and treatment of trees. 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Provides a basis for selecting the best plant materials for any particular use in landscape design. Contains detailed indexes that provide quick reference to particular design qualities and growing conditions. $69.95 305 - LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT by James R. Feucht and Jack D Butler Planting and Maintenance of Trees, Shrubs, and Turfgrasses. Describes the basic principles of cultural man-aoement of installed landscapes The important factors of plant growth, soils and fertilizers, im-proved planting techniques and new pruning techniques, integrated pest and disease management, and spray-equipment calibration and care are all featured. $35.95 375 - RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPES by Gregory M. Pierceall An excellent reference for individu-als involved in the design and development of plantings and con- structed features for residential sites. 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Includes findinas of current research com-piled from more than 12,000 sources $54.95 620 - TURF MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK by Howard Sprague Practical guide to turf care under both healthy and poor turf condi-tions. Chapters cover turf in cooler and warmer regions, fertilizer use, regular turf care, weed and disease control and special turf problems. Useful seasonal schedules for management of turf areas $26.60 125 - SCIENTIFIC GUIDE TO PEST CONTROL OPERATIONS byG.W Bennett, J.M. Owens, R.M. Corrigan Fourth Edition. New chapters on dlife.s fumigation, urban wildli facilities, plus updated, improved i, special chapters on pesticides, cock-roaches, birds, termites, equip-ment. sanitation, stored product pests and more. Don't be without this updated edition. $49.95 Domestic AN Others $60.00 410 DISEASES & PESTS OF ORNAMENTAL PLANTS Pascal Pirone lis standard reference discusses diagnosis and treatment of dis- eases and organisms affecting nearly 500 varieties of ornamental plants grown outdoors, under glass or in the home. Easy to understand explanations of when and how to use the most effective fungicides, insecticides and other control methods. $49.95 ADDITIONAL TITLES: 800 - THE GOLF COURSE $35.00 510 - HORTUS THIRD $135.00 500 - THE 1991 PESTICIDE DIRECTORY $75.00 225 - TURFGRASS MANAGEMENT REVISED $54.95 RETURN THIS COUPON TO: BOOK SALES, ONE EAST FIRST STREET, DULUTH, MN 55802 PLEASE SEND ME THE FOLLOWING BOOKS. MY PAYMENT* IS ENCLOSED. Book Number and Title Quantity Price Total Price DomesticŠ'Please add $3.50 per order plus $1.00 per additional copy for postage and handling. All othersŠ'Please add $5.00 per order and if ordering multiple copies, also add $2.00 per additional copy to cover postage and handling. Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. Prices subject to change. Quantity rates available on request. Questions? Call 218-723-9471 or 9472 Total. Postage & Handling. Total Enclosed. PAYMENT MUST ACCOMPANY ORDER Please charge to my Visa, MasterCard or American Express (circle one) Account Number Expiration Date Name Street Address. City State Zip Phone Number L Signature. Date WÉk M* ' i % i * ' Vjk> \ < Vi es 'Ł YOUR Premium Kentucky Bluegrasses A medium bright Kentucky Ł Bluegrass green, fine textured grass that greens up I early, keeps color late into fall and grows well = in moderate shade. Kentucky Ł Bluegrass A moderately dark green variety with early spring green up and excellent density and wear tolerance, even maintained at a shorter cutting height. Premium Turf-Type Perennial Ryegrasses Excellent dark green color, fine leaves, superior density, high endophyte content, insect and disease resis- tance distinguish this variety. A dark green, dense vari-ety with fine leaf texture, dwarf growth habit and high endophyte content Tolerant of heat, drought, and low mowing. LEGACY Premium turf-type perennial ryegrass Premium Turf-Type Tall Fescues A moderately low-growing turf-type tall fescue with rich, dark green color, moderate leaf texture, and reduced growth rate. A moderately low-growing turf-type tall fescue with rich, dark green color, good den- sity, and good adapt - ability. Premium Dwarf Turf-Type Tall Fescues A lower growing, dark-er green tall fescue with a slower leaf extension rate and a shorter mature plant height. Tmailelazek ELITE DWARF TURF-TYPE TALL FESCUE Darker green color, good shade tolerance, and dense, fine tex-tured turf that requires less mowing. Premium Creeping Red Fescue A rich, blue-green vari-ety with the ability to form a dense fine turf for a creeping fescue. TRAILBLAZERII Elite Dwarf Turf Type Tall Fescue SHADEMASTER Creeping Red Fescue MM MM yj AJirü&Sfü A rich dark varf-CWnmABUCK ety with high endophyte to fend off insects, and good disease resistance. Premium Intermediate Ryegrass TURF-TYPE PERENNIAL RYEGRASS An early-maturing, low-growing turf with bright green color, medium fine texture TURF TYPE PERENNIAL RYEGRASS and medium density. ... A iransrarj^ Excellent for over seeding dormant warm- season grasses and for temporary soil stabiliza-tion. This variety exhibits dark green color, moderate leaf tex-ture and reduced growth rate. ©1991 LESCO, Inc. Ł t \ / Turf professionals have come to know LESCO as The Seed Pro, because LESCO offers more varieties developed exclusively for professionals than any other seed company. / LESCO has more than 12 top quality varieties for turf pros to choose from. Each can be purchased separately or custom blended to your exacting speci- fications. So whatever your need, Your Seed Pro has the seed! Call your sales'representative, vifit your local LESCO Service Center of call toll free (800) 321-5325 LESCO Š Turf grass seed exclusively for professionals 0-1: Circle No. 106 on Reader Inquiry Card vrf ESTABLISHED 1962 20005 Lake Road \ Rocky River, Ohio 44116 Fertilizers, Seed, Control Products, Equipment, Parts <4* 'till » TURF-TYPE TALL FESCUE