Search on for better watering practices BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Managing Editor As last year's drought threatens to carry over into this sea-son, policymakers at all lev-
els of government are considering additional wa-tering restrictions. The turf industry, in re-sponse, is considering ways to better economize its water use. Water will be a major focus of this year's Professional Lawn Care Association of America 
convention in Las Vegas. California currently pro-vides a capsule view of what changes could be in store. Chronic water shortages there have forced turf man-agers to apply alternative technical and business techniques. It has also motivated them to become organized in an effort to stem the tide of local and state water re-strictions that could dam-
age the economic health of 
the green industry. At the recent California Landscape Contractors As-sociation convention in Long Beach, nine organiza-tions offically united to form the Green Industry Council. "The goals of it are to come together and develop a position on landscape 
water management and conservation," explains Scott McGilvray, vice pres-ident/owner of Jensen Corp. Landscape Con-Donitz: Fight restrictions. tractors in Cupertino. He is co-chair of the San Fran-See WATER Page 24 L4WN ORE NDUSTKY Serving commercial mowing and chemical lawn care professionals VOLUME 13 NUMBER 6 JUNE 1989 Price increases, renovations helped offset drought 1989 STATE 8F THE INDUSTRY evenues climbed, pro-fits slipped and com-panies got a crash course in customer communi-
cation. Such were the ramifications of the pro-tracted drought that scathed millions of lawns in 1988. Chemical lawn care firms, whose customers are concen-trated in the Midwest, billed 20 percent more in 1988 than 1987 through price increases and additional renovation and 
aeration services. Real cus-
tomer growth was about 5 per-centŠsimilar to 1987 and sig-nificantly less than in previous years. Information was provided by 346 companies that re-sponded to LAWN CARE IN-DUSTRY'S annual State of the Industry Survey. The survey's reported net 11.4 percent customer gain (Customer loss subtracted from customer gain) among LCOs is flawed. Many LCOs counted customers twice that canceled during the drought and later returned. Additional revenues from price increases and mechan-ical services did not quite off-See SURVEY Page 16 CHEMICAL MOWING/ LAWN CARE MANAGEMENT (IN BILLIONS) (IN BILLIONS) COMBINED TOTAL: $4.0 BILLION TODAY'S TURF Prof. Houston Couch notes importance of pH when mixing fungicides with other materials; other tips. 10 8I0-C0NTR0L 28 Column addresses new interest in alternative methods. CLASSIFIED See what's for sale, miscellaneous items. 84 Fast action mutes Nader report's impact BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Managing Editor Q uick action by the lawn 
care industry helped reduce negative pub-licity following the release of a report critical of LCOs and the products they use. However, the reportŠis-sued by the Ralph Nader 
group, Public Citizen's Con-
gress WatchŠprobably will surface again as various politi-
cians and anti-lawn care activ-ists are expected to use it as 
ammunition for future legis-lative battles. "This report is going to come back and haunt us in state governments this year," predicts Barry C. Troutman, Ph.D., director of education for the Professional Lawn Care Association of America. He urges LCOs to get in-volved in efforts to stem the tide of overly restrictive legis-lative proposals that could re-sult from the report. "I think we need to get out there in the state govern-NFVT MONTH ALL FOR STATE 157 00486132 10 93 PETE COOK INGHAM LIBRARY W-121 LIS G A TURFGRASS INFO FILE STA MICHIGAN STATE UNIV EAST LANSING MI 48824-1048 >ular? Troutman: Get Involved. ments," he says. "We need to 
get ahead of them (anti-lawn care activists) and stay ahead See ACTION Page 33 LATE NEWS Orkln buys Yearound Lawn Care CALIFORNIAŠOrkin Lawn Care has entered the 
West Coast with its purchase of Yearound Lawn Care from Western Farm Service, Inc. for an 
undisclosed sum. Orkin becomes the only lawn care firm besides ChemLawn to operate coast-to-coast. Based in Ventura, Calif., Yearound has eight locations in the Seattle, Portland, Sacramento, 
Oakland, San Diego and Los Angeles areas. With 
annual sales in excess of $5 million, Yearound was the West's largest lawn care firm. All Yearound employees will remain with the company. Yearound was formed in 1984 as a division of Western Farm Service, which was owned by the Shell Oil Co. Shell sold Western Farm to Texas businessman Herman T. Wilson early in 1989. "We're an agricultural company," says Robert See ORKIN Page 33 Ryan keeps your business growing strong. tines penetrate the soil evenly every 33/4 inches across a 19-inch path. A convenient lift handle raises and lowers the machine for easy maneu-verability in tight spots. A single clutch-throttle lever on the han-dlebar makes operation a snap. Add Ryan's durable, low-maintenance, chain-drive design, and you've got an aerator that will 
keep you on the job and out of the 
repair shop for years to come. Ryan equipment is a great addi-tion to your business. Because with 
the Ryan line, you can do more jobs 
faster at less cost. There's less 
downtime and more worktime. And the more work you can do, the more business you'll take on. With competitive equipment, what you save on the purchase price you'll pay in replacement costs. But Ryan is designed to go the distance. So when you're considering Ryan, consider what Ryan can do for you in the long run. The long-term value of the Lawnaire IV.® The Lawnaire IV is the highest-quality, roll-type aerator on the market today. It combines speed 
and precision for fast and effective 
core aeration. Self-propelled by a rugged 3-hp. industrial engine, the Lawn-aire IV features a 38 lb. removable weight bar and a 55 lb. water drum, made of durable, corrosion-resis-tant polyethylene for tine penetra-
tion up to 2% inches. The 30 coring Increase your customer base with the new Mataway® Overseeder. Nothing is as versatile and ef-fective for turf renovation as Ryan's new Mataway Overseeder. A pow-erful 10-hp. engine and extra wide 19-inch swath lets you dethatch or deep slice up to 10,000 square feet per hour. Snap out reels make it easy to change the type of blade and spacing you want. An Overseeder accessory can also be added, giving you the flexibility to power rake, overseed, or to do both at the same time with a single piece of equipment. It's a cost-effective way to stay one step ahead of your competition. A full line of Ryan reliability. The proven Ryan Ren-O-Thin® power rakes with interchangeable reels; the industry standard Jr. Sod Cutter with Tote Trailer; and the 
Tow Lawnaire for really large turf areas put you in a position for 
additional business. Because 
they're what you need to provide professional quality turf care. Prove it to yourself. The best test of Ryan's reliability is in your own back yard. So ask the dealer nearest you for a free demon-stration today. Or call toll-free: 1-800-228-4444. RYAN BUILT TO LAST 6484 Cushman, OMC-Lincoln, P.O. Box 82409, Lincoln, NE 68501 © Outboard Marine Corporation, 1987. All rights reserved. The National Pesticide Telecommunications Network, a pesticide information hotline available to consumers, can be a big help to lawn care firms. All LawnMark offices have given the toll free number (1-800-858-7378) to customers who want third party information about pesticides. 
Questions get answered in a forthright, scientific manner. "Once they give that number to people, oftentimes it's the end 
of the issue," says Marty 
Erbaugh, LawnMark president. 
LawnMark officials have called 
for information themselves to see how questions are answered. The Council of State Governments will not recommend California's Proposition 68 in its 1989 publication for suggested state legislation. The council, a joint agency that conducts research on state programs, voted not to include the controversial law. The Chemical Specialty Manufacturers Association worked with industry and state officials to prevent inclusion of 
Prop. 65 in the CSG's Suggested State Legislation Guide. Household pesticides are poorly regulated, according to the May/June issue of Harrowsmith, an 
environmentalist magazine. A feature article, "Bug Bomb Fallout," summarizes required 
testing that has been done for 
the 10 most widely used 
household pesticides; the products fare from bad to worse. Don't expect environmentalist attacks on pesticides to subside. Eight years of frustration caused by President Reagan's indifference to environmental 
issues is just letting loose, warns Jack Engel, chairman of the Chemical Specialty Manufacturers Association. LCI Personal service. Consistently high product quality. Technical innovation. Proven performance. All backed by a genuine integrity that is all too uncommon in today's business world. That's The Andersons. £1988 The Andersons TurFactŽ and Tee Time* are trademarks of The Andersons. Diazinon* is a trademark of Ciba-Geigy. Dursban* is a trademark of Dow Chemical Co. Dylox* is a trademark of Mobay Corp.. Agricultural Chemicals Division. Oftanol® is a trademark of the Parent Company of Farbenfabriken Bayer GmbH. Leverkusen. the professional's partner The-SSSS* Andersons 1-800-225-ANDY Circle No. 103 on Reader Inquiry Card "> # ' L4WN GFLRE INDUSTRY Cover photo courtesy of Elanco Co. ELLIOT MARAS Editor JAMES E. GUYETTE Managing Editor ROBERT EARLEY Group Vice President KIM SESSER Production Manager CAROL LANDSTROM Production Supervisor BRYAN VOLLMAN Graphic Design JOAN SCHUMACHER Circulation Supervisor GAIL PARENTEAU Reader Service Manager THEODORE C. MATHEWS Promotion Director JOHN PRESSELLO Graphics Manager MARKETING/SALES Midwest Office: JON MIDUCKI (216) 243-8100 ext 422 FAX (216) 826-2832 National Sales Manager 7500 Old Oak Blvd. Cleveland. OH 44130 MARSHA DOVER GLORIA COSBY (216) 243-8100 FAX (216) 826-2832 Regional Sales Managers 7500 Old Oak Blvd. Cleveland. OH 44130 Southern Office: DICK GORE (404) 233-1817 FAX (404) 261-7022 3475 Lenox Road. N.E., Suite 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 218-723-9192 EDGELL COMMUNICATIONS. INC PUBLICATIONS RICHARD MOELLER, President LARS FLADMARK, Executive V. Pres ARLAND HIRMAN, Vice Pres./Treasurer THOMAS QREHEY, Senior V. Pres. EZRA PINCUS, Senior Vice President JOE BILDERBACH, Vice President JAMES GHERNA, Vice President 
GEORGE GLENN, Vice President HARRY RAMALEY, Vice President LCI ADVISORY COUNCIL MARTY ERBAUGH RON KUJAWA Erbaugh Corp. KEI Enterprises Peninsula. OH Cudahy. Wl A. J. POWELL U. of Kentucky Lexington. KY JACK ROBERTSON Robertson Lawn Care Springfield. IL LAWN CARE INDUSTRY (ISSN 0160-6042) is published monthly by Edged Communica-tions. Inc. Corporate and Editorial offices: 7500 Old Oak Boulevard. Cleveland, Ohio 44130. Advertising Offices: 7500 Old Oak Boulevard. Cleveland. Ohio 44130,111 East Wacker Drive. Chicago, Illinois 60601 and 3091 Maple Drive. Atlanta. Georgia 30305. 
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Office of publication: Edged Communica-tions. Inc., 1 East First Street, Duluth, Min-nesota 55802. Second class postage paid at Duluth. Minnesota 55806. Copyright © 1989 by Edged 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. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 
LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. P.O. Box 6200. 
Duluth, Minnesota 55806. ABP VBPA Tee Time insecticides root bugs out where they hide. rvjtv.-: r> .X; Our Tee Time granular insecticide and fertil-izer combinations go right to the root of the insect pest problem. That's because we use special con-ditioning agents that absorb insecticides to keep them on the ground where they belong... not blowing away like dust in the wind. We offer Tee Time in the widest variety of insecticide registrations available, with Diazinon*', Dursban^, Dylox'^ and OftanoF*. Formulated to work best for your application. Or prepackaged formulas in granular or liquid. Our specialists can help you find the Tee Time solution to root out your particular insect pests. To find out more about Tee Time insecticide 
mixes, just call 1-800-225-ANDY, or contact your local Tee Time distributor. And get the latest TurFact from your partner. NAME TITLE FIRM ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP PHONE( _1_ 101 116 102 117 103 118 104 119 105 120 106 121 107 122 108 123 109 124 110 125 111 126 112 127 113 128 114 129 115 130 131 146 
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340 355 L4WN OIRE INDUSTRY JUNE 1989 This card void after Aug. 15,1989 1. CHECK BELOW YOUR PRIMARY BUSINESS AT THIS LOCATION: A. LAWN CARE COMPANY: Read each choice before answering. 10 Ł Chemical lawn care company 20 Ł Mowing/management lawn care company and/or landscape contractor 30 Ł Both chemical lawn care company and mowing/management lawn care company and/or landscape contractor B. SUPPLIER 50 Ł Chemical and equipment dealer and/or distributor C. OTHER (specify) 2. WHAT IS YOUR TITLE? I would like to receive (continue receiving) LAWN CARE INDUSTRY each month: Yes Ł No Ł Signature: Date. [ BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 665 DULUTH, MINNESOTA POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE READER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WWNG1RE INDUSTRY POST OFFICE BOX 6080 DULUTH, MINNESOTA 55806-9780 I.I.I..I.I.IMI.II..MII..I.I..IH.IIHI.II 1.11 NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE I UNITED STATESl UPFRONT Nader's credibility not what it used to be So much for Ralph Nader. That seemed to be the media's response to the Nader organization's alarmist report on lawn chemicals. 
Despite the cry for stricter regulation screaming off the 
report's pages, the national press gave it a big ho hum. It did so partly because the report rehashed previously 
reported claims by other alarmist groups. And partly because news directors felt they themselves had cried wolf when they 
reported on the cyanide-tainted Chilean grapes. When I asked Tom Adamczyk, chief of the EPA's herbicide section, what he thought of the report, he first and foremost took issue with the claim that 
the EPA doesn't know much about the pesticides being 
used. The EPA has taken products off the market for safety considerations, Adamczyk said, and will 
continue to do so where 
concern is warranted. Adamczyk did, however, share the report's concern 
about misleading safety 
claims in lawn care 
advertising literature. LCOs should too. If our advertising is misleading the public, let's 
not wait for Nader and company to demand change. LCOs do not intentionally mislead consumers, as the Nader report implies. But from a layperson's perspective, many of the safety claims being made are 
too vague. The products are safe when applied at recommended rates for 
recommended uses. We need to say so. One charge the Nader report makes is long overdue for a responseŠthat lawn care serves only an aesthetic purpose. Has the consumer watchdog no compassion for the millions who suffer from ragweed allergies? The countless accidents that could be prevented with thicker turf in play areas? The victims of Lyme disease 
caused by growing hordes of 
deer ticks? Let's state our case, loud and clear. Consumers will listen to reason before they'll 
listen to Nader. Nader came to fame in the late 1960s when he warned the public about the unsafe-at-any-speed Chevy Corvair. When he began releasing reports critical of nutrient levels in baby food, people tired of him. "Ralph Nader? Great guy. Glad we have him. Can we talk about something else?" I first began questioning Nader's credibility in hearing what he had to say about the insurance crisis. Regular readers of this magazine know that we are 
not fans of the insurance industry. But in trying to 
make sense out of that mess back in 1986,1 couldn't 
believe what Nader was saying about it. To recap, the insurance industry got itself in a jam by writing low premiums to generate fast capital, which it reinvested for high returns. When the returns soured, the insurers realized they were carrying lots of bad risks. ELLIOT MARAS EDITOR The scoundrels then forced policyholders to pay for their losses by jacking up premiums. Nader, lo and behold, somehow managed to scoop the nation's leading business journals. He reported that the insurers were actually raking in big profits while crying poor, something that even the buyers' lobbyists weren't claiming. Don't get me wrong. Consumer watchdogs like 
Nader provide a valuable public service. They help keep industry honest. But industry needs to keep them honest, too. The Professional Lawn Care Association of America did its part in providing LCOs with a package correcting the inaccurate and incomplete information in the Nader group's report. LCOs would do well to hold on to the material. The report isn't big news, but it isn't being discarded from newsroom files. It could come out at any time. Not a lot of heed has been paid to Nader this time, and for good reason. But LCOs must not hestitate to scrutinize their advertising and, more importantly, state the full value of the services they provide. Get all the yellow nutsedge and none of the innocent bystanders. Now you can really control yellow nutsedge from sod and ornamental grass*-without damaging the grass. It's simple. Just put down BASAGRAN® herbicide from BASF. No need for you to be selective. BASAGRAN does that for you. It's safe to grass and easy to use. And as effective against BASAGRAN is a registered trademark ol BASF AG © 1988 BASF Corporation yellow nutsedge as anything you can buy. Always follow label directions. *Do not use on golf course greens. BASF Corporation Chemicals Division BASF LCOs meet with EPA officials WASHINGTON, D.C.ŠLawn care industry leaders had a chance to share concerns with 
Environmental Protection Agency officials during a formal meeting near EPA 
headquarters. More than 30 members of the newly-formed Council for Lawn Care Information, in-cluding LCOs, researchers, suppliers, formulators, dis-tributors and trade press reps, had an audience with 10 EPA officials. James F. Wilkinson, Ph.D., regulatory affairs direc-tor of the Professional Lawn Care Association of America, served as moderator. The council was formed by the PLCAA to advise the asso-
ciation on issues, programs and standards for the associa-tion. Issues discussed were: Ł Integrated Pest Man-agementŠ LCOs said IPM is a methodology within the whole arsenal of pest control, not the only methodology. Ł Pesticide data gather-ingŠ Requirements under the reregistration process might cause some manufac-turers to think the process is not worthwhile for minor uses such as lawn care, some LCOs 
noted. Ł Agricultural worker protection standardsŠ 
EPA officials noted the stan-dards could be extended to in-
clude lawn care workers. LCOs 
would like to see distinctions made between mixers, loaders and applicators. Ł Applicator certifica-tionŠ Certification could be expanded to three levels, de-pending on product toxicity. At present, certification is re-quired for restricted use mate-rials only. LCI Tru Green examines dead lawns DES MOINES, IOWA Tru Green Corp. officials suspect sabotage in the deaths of about 200 lawns in the Des Moines area. A local Tru Green outlet had sprayed the lawns in Octo-ber, and the dead grass became 
apparent this spring. Authorities believe that the herbicide Arsenal, which is used to clear rights-of-way and sidewalk cracks, was applied. Handle your grub situation fast, before things get really ugly. At the very first sign of grub damage, apply DYLOX® insecticide. Nothing kills all species of white grubs faster. Within hours, the grubs are dying and the turf is recovering. When grubs threaten, act fast. DYLOX is a Reg. TM of Bayer AG. Germany ©1989 Mobay Corp. 74541 Use DYLOX. And turn an ugly little problem into a lot of beautiful turf. For more information, contact Mobay Corporation, Specialty Prod-ucts Group, Box 4913, Kansas City, MO 64120. Dylox Mobay Corporation A Bayer USA INC COMPANY State and federal laws pro-hibit the use of Arsenal on lawns. "We feel strongly it was not an accident," said Tru Green Group Vice President Joseph Winland in an interview with The De Moines Register. He said the Atlanta, Ga.-based company has not expe-rienced a previous problem of this scope. "It's something 
beyond our foggiest imagina-tions." At presstime soil tests were being conducted to determine if Arsenal is indeed the culprit. Authorities said the incident 
has not created a health haz-ard. Tru Green planned to have the victimized lawns reseeded or resodded by June 1. The 
company estimated that the 
work would cost $500,000. "We've done a complete in-vestigation as to the extent of the problem," Winland said. "Now the thing remaining is to go to the customers and re-
establish their lawns." LCI Wilhelm customizes program DENVERŠThe B.D. Wilhem 
Co. has instituted a more cus-tomized approach to its lawn 
care program, one that is de-signed to enhance plant 
health. This can involve additional aeration, more spot spraying, or additional soil enhance-ments. Properties are in-spected regularly. Customers' lawns may not be the greennest in Denver, 
but hopefully, they're the healthiest. That's the philoso-phy behind the company's Yard Life program, according to Duane Moll, manager of B.D. Wilhelm's lawn care divi-
sion. Moll spoke on "integrated turfgrass management" at the 
first annual conference and trade show of the Colorado As-
sociation of Lawn Care Pro-fessionals. "I will have no qualms about a two- or three-time 
aeration instead of or in con-junction with fertilization," Moll said. Technician training is the most important part of the program, he said. All techni-cians receive instruction on the importance water and air play in plant health. LCI Moll: Inspections vital. INDUSTRY NEWS Homeowner posting quashed in Maryland Dow gives to PLCAA issues fund MIDLAND, MICH. The Dow Chemical Co. has given the Professional Lawn Care Asso-ciation of America $10,000 to counter negative publicity. The donation was made to PLCAA's issues management 
fund. "The objective of the fund is to help provide the money needed to counter the negative publicity that has plagued chemical lawn care for the past few years," says Rob Peterson, turf product marketing mana-ger for Dow and a PLCAA board member. The PLCAA board of direc-tors has approved the follow-ing "issues management" projects for 1989: Ł A public relations net-work consisting of 60 mem-bers to promote the industry at the local level; Ł A state government af-fairs effort; Ł A national issues program spearheaded by James F. 
Wilkinson, Ph.D., PLCAA di-rector of regulatory and envi-ronmental affairs, in conjunc-tion with federal agencies. LCI BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Managing Editor CHIPCO 26019 fungicide stops more lawn diseases... for more days.. .for more satisfied customers. MARYLANDŠA proposed 
law requiring Maryland re-tailers to provide warning signs with household pesticide products was quashed with the help of the Chemical Specialty Manufacturers Association. The intent of the law, homeowner posting, has the 
standing support of the Pro-fessional Lawn Care Associa-tion of America. A homeowner 
posting law was passed in Con-necticut with the support of LCOs. The CSMA and retailers' organizations lobbied against 
the Maryland bill, which was sent back to committee. Mary-land statehouse observers doubt that it will be re-introduced. PLCAA believes that if LCOs have to post signs, homeowners should, too. "On this issue we'd be at odds with them (CSMA)," says James F. Wilkinson, Ph.D., PLCAA's director of 
regulatory and environmental affairs. The CSMA recently estab-lished a residential and com-mercial services division to 
lobby on behalf of LCOs and 
structural pest control firms. CSMA also represents re-tailers and manufacturers. CSMA decided to oppose the bill because its negative impact on retailers and manu-
facturers would be greater than any positive factors for LCOs, said Mike Thompson, associate director of legislative 
affairs. "We don't need these kinds of disagreements within this industry," said Thompson. In Maryland, merchants and chemical manufacturers 
objected to the proposal, say-ing that it did not adequately define who, exactly, a retailer isŠnor did it clearly state which materials would be cov-ered. It also was unclear whether homeowners would have to display the warning signs in 
their yards. "I'm not sure what all the consequences of it are," said Ennis Dodd, extension agent for urban agriculture in Montgomery County. A source familiar with the legislation feared that "7-11 would have had to have signs if they had bug spray on their shelves." It was believed that some stores would need a pile of signs at each checkout station. The warning sign proposal originated in Montgomery County, an area known for its 
environmental activists. LCI With thanks: Dow's Rob Peterson, left, presents the $10,000 to PLCAA board members Robert Parmley, president, and Russ Frith, immediate past president. In today's lawn care industry, you've got two ways to make more profit. Go out and get more customers. Or get more business from the customers you already have CHIPCO 26019 fungicide helps you do both. CHIPCO 26019 fungicide controls most major lawn diseases, including Helmintho-sporium Leaf Spot and Melting Out, Fusarium Blight, Brown Patch, Dollar Spot 
and Red Thread. And unlike some other fungicides, CHIPCO 26019 fungicide stops 
these deadly diseases before they get 
started. Better yet, CHIPCO 26019 fungicide provides the month-long protection it takes to get you from one scheduled round to the next. That cuts down on customer complaints and costly call-backs. You'll also like the fact that CHIPCO 26019 fungicide now comes in a con-venient flowable formulation as well as 
wettable powder. Plus, CHIPCO 26019 fungicide is low in toxicity, for added protection to applicators and homeowners. So don't stop with just feeding and weeding your customers' lawns. Discover how better disease control can add up to bigger profits with CHIPCO 26019 fungicide Rhone-Boulenc Ag Company, CHIPCO Department, PO. Box 12014, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709. CHIPCO" 26019 FUNGICIDE RHONE-POULENC AG COMPANY Please read label carefully and use only as directed. CHIPCO® is a registered trademark of Rhone-Poulenc. TODAY'S TURF Material selection crucial when mixing fungicides BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Managing Editor RICHMOND, VA.ŠKeeping an eye on pH levels and select-ing the correct materials is es-sential when fungicide mixes are being prepared, according to Prof. Houston B. Couch, Ph.D., of Virginia Polytechnic 
Institute and State Univer-sity. "The fungicide is quite commonly used as part of a mixture," says Couch, who 
spoke at the Virginia Turfgrass Conference in Rich-mond, Va. Two or more pesticides, a pesticide and a fertilizer, or a 
pesticide and an adjuvant are sometimes combined in a tank to save time and money. The mixing techniques used are often faulty, he points 
out. "Looking at how these 
chemicals are used across the 
board Šthe kindest word would be 'primitive.'" A mixing blunder can either render the product useless, or else "you can create the 
world's best herbicide." He jokes that in the past, fungicides "killed the fungus by killing the grass and starv-ing it to death." Preparation skills have im-proved, but, "there's still a lot of ways to misuse fungicides." Compatibility with other materials is a key concern. "When you put them to-gether they become pussy cats 
or Ferdinand the Bull. When we mix all these things to-gether we wind up with some 
odd things happening. Find 
out from your manufacturer's rep how stable these products are. When combining prod-ucts, "the only com-pletely reliable method of determining whether or not a specific 
pesticide can be tank mixed is to check with either the manu-facturer of the pesticide or the company that markets the ad-juvant. If they are unable to supply this information, then under no circumstances should the mixture be used." (An adjuvant is anything used in combination with a pesticide to increase its effec-tiveness. Thickeners, wetting agents, colorants, spreader-stickers, acidifiers and Couch: Keep checking the pH. spreader-extenders are all ad-juvants.) Incompatibility can strike on several fronts. Physical incompat-ibility results in an unstable 
mixture. It can create exces-
sive foaming and/or sediment. "You mix two powders to-
gether and you get rocks on the bottom of your tank." Couch tells of a lawn care company employee in a large Virginia city who mixed in-
compatible materials in his 
tank: "It foamed all over the rig and all over NorfolkŠhe's now driving a bus in Rich-mond." All non-liquid fungicides, whether they are used in tank mixtures or not, should first be added to a small quantity of 
water, thoroughly mixed, and 
the preparation then poured into the tank. "This procedure will ensure a more uniform dispersal of the material 
throughout the main body of 
water," he says. Chemical incompat-ibility is a reaction that re-sults in loss of toxicity to the 
target pest. "As a general rule, compounds that cause the 
preparation to either be alka-line or highly acidic should not be mixed with fungicides. "Some fungicides are un-stable in alkaline and/or 
strongly acidic preparations. 
This means that fertilizers 
that cause the pH of the tank preparation to become either alkaline or highly acidic 
should never be mixed with fungicides." When pondering adjuvants, both the adjuvant maker and 
pesticide manufacturer should be contacted to make sure the products are compatible. Phytotoxic incom-patibility results in the crea-tion of a product that damages the plants. Such damage may not become apparent until several days or weeks after the 
application. "Even when newly inno-vated tank mixes are tried on a small scale and no phototox-
icity is observed, one cannot be absolutely certain that in-jury will not occur at the time when the entire stand is sprayed," Couch warns. The reason for this is that REMEMBER THE Roundup Along driveways Along flower beds and planters > Edging along fencelines * mi \ . Ł V ; Ł Ł Ł Ł 4 mm A mtA »I. J* vs there are a number of factors involved. Air temperature at the time of the spraying, plant genotype, degree of material dilution, level of plant nutri-tion and degree of soil moisture stress can all play a 
role. Recent research has shown that tank com-binations of two or more fungicides at less than adequate dosages will not give 
the same level of disease con-
trol as either of the compo-nents used alone at its full 
label rate, Couch says. "When conditions are con-ducive to the development of the target disease, tank mixes of fungicides at less than low label rates will permit a rapid and destructive buildup of the 
disease," he explains. "Therefore, in the prepara-tion of a tank mixture of more than one fungicide, it is impor-
tant to use the manufacturers' label rate for each entry." Couch emphasizes that tank agitation should be con-
tinuous. "When mixing the materi-als in the sprayer, put the water in first, then add each component one at a time and 
allow it to become thoroughly dispersed throughout the tank before adding the next item. "The fully dispersed mix-ture should be applied soon after preparation. This will re-
duce the likelihood of hydro-lysis of the pesticides, and also prevent possible separation, precipitation or caking in the tank," he says. (Hydrolysis is defined as an irreversible chemical reaction 
in which the hydroxyl ions in the water interact with the pesticide and break it down into a non-toxic state.) "What you do is spray as soon as you mix." Couch says a good rule of thumb to follow is that "when you mix a fungicide in your tank the mixer should be on." If you have to stop for some 
reason, "leave your tank on until it's empty." Monitoring pH levels should be standard operating procedure, Couch urges. "This means that owning a pH meter is not a luxury. It is a must if the pesticide spray program is 
to be carried out properly." The pH of the water used to prepare the material should be checked weekly. "This information will en-able the operator to asses the 
water's potential for hyrdolyz-ing the various spray materi-als," Couch explains. "The most important pH reading, however, is the one that's made on the prepara-
tion itself. The reason for this is that some formulations of pesticides contain buffering agents that offset the al-kalinity that exists in water in some areas." He adds, "The decision on whether to acidify the prepa-ration, then, should be made on the pH reading of the spray mixture, not the pH of the water alone." If you need to add acid, Couch says you should use a commercially prepared adju-vant, rather than using muriatic acid. Throughout North Amer-ica, a pH range of 7.5 to 8.5 is common in untreated water, according to Couch. Treated 
water in urban areas can have apH of 9 to 9.5. "The pH of the spray solu-tion can have a significant ef-fect on the performance of certain pesticides," says Couch. One company markets a pen-like pH meter for about 
$88. Each turf manager should have one, he maintains. "It's a nifty little gizmo." LCI Tru Green cautioned in drift case KALAMAZOO, MICH. State authorities have directed a Kalamazoo, Mich. Tru Green branch to beef up its super-visory tactics following an in-
cident involving insecticide drift. "Too windy conditions" re-sulted in a passing vehicle being sprayed during an appli-cation, said Robert L. Mes-
echer, program manager for 
enforcement in the Michigan Pesticide and Plant Pest Man-agement Division. Also, "We didn't feel there was proper supervision of the applicator in regard to protec-tive clothing," he said. "He was not wearing any-thing other than a normal 
work uniform." Mesecher commented on the employee's failure to wear gloves as required by the label: "It's a minor thing, but that's what pesticide labels are for. Those labels aren't put on 
there to bother the applicator; 
they're put on there to protect them." The company had supplied all the required safety gear on the vehicle, but the applicator failed to wear it, according to Kevin J. Vizard, Tru Green di-vision manager. "It was avail-able to him on his truck." Tru Green was to begin pre-paring additional supervisory techniques to prevent other incidents, Mesecher said. "We'd like to see what plan they have for that." "It's a tough situation," said Vizard, who added that it is often difficult to ensure that employees follow company rules. Vizard pointed out that the firm was not fined, and that the hearing process "was very informal." LCI cracks iiMUj A ttfellfc'Attt** 144 ki fBtllg Around tree bases £ sidewalk Now's the time to Remember ROUNDUP® herbicide for all kinds of jobs around the customer's lawn. Remember that ROUNDUP con-trols a broad spectrum of weeds, roots-and-all. With no time wasted on retreatment, you'll have more time for new business. Remember that ROUNDUP stays where you put it...so there's no washing or leaching to harm desirable vegeta-tion. And Remember that ROUNDUP is biodegradeable and won't build up in the soil. That fact gives you the flex-ibility to use ROUNDUP just about any-where a trimming, edging or weed problem pops up. Spray with confi-dence - Remember the ROUNDUP. Always read and follow the label for Roundup® herbicide. Roundup® is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company. <£) Monsanto Company 1989 RIP-9-101 DR Monsanto For complete information on the many benefits of trim-ming and edging with Roundup, coll 1-800-225-2883 12 STATE OF THE INDUSTRY LAWN CARE INDUSTRY JUNE 1989 Chemical Lawn Care Firms m companies Regional Breakdown: South 28% Northeast 28% West 7% Revenue Breakdown $500K to $1M 10% $100K to $249K 32% Operating Averages Technician's Hourly Labor Cost Labor 27.8% Fuel 4.36 Fertilizers & Pesticides 19.3 Advertising 6.1 Equipment purchase & maintenance 6.8 Pre-tax profit 8.7 Insurance 6.2 Other 20 Services Provided 1988 1987 Mowing/trimming 12% 10.8% Ornamental & shrub care 48 49 Chemical weed control 100 100 Chemical insect control 98 NA Disease control 87 79.6 Tree care 40 ) i 35.6 Dethatching/aeration 82 77 Renovation " I 45.2 Sodding 16 13.3 Irrigation services 9 7 
Structural pest control 9 11.4 Integrated pest mgmt. 22 NA Overseeding 71 NA Snow removal 14 NA Chief Executive Officer's Salary 1988 1987 Northeast $52,800 f $38,800 North Central 39,000 J 32,700 South 46,300 1 35,500 West 44,250 1 35,500 1988 1987 Northeast $8.75 { \ $8.34 North Central 7.13 I 6.74 South 7.80 J | 6.71 West 7.57 J ! 6.75 Benefits Provided Employees North Central 36% $350K to $499K 14% Over $1M 7% Under $50,000 10% $250K to $349K 6% 1988 1987 Paid holidays 82% 74% Sick leave 54 45 Paid vacation 74 67 Overtime pay 61 59 Life insurance 43 44 Medical coverage 72 65 Dental coverage 16 19 Education/training 55 74 Retirement plan 9 NA 1988 1987 75% | [ 68.5% Use a Computer Have a Full-Time 2-year or 4-year Agronomy or Horticulture grad: Companies $349,000 and over 65% All companies 42% Have a Formal Training Program: Companies Under $50,000 All companies 50% 69% Number of Years in Business: 9,5 Customer Loss in 1988: 14% Customer Gain in 1988: 25.4% Annual Revenue for Chemical Lawn Care: Average: Projection to LCI readership: (Adjusted for sales for large firms) 1988 $440,000 1987 I $366,700 $1.8 billion I $1.5 billion Annual Revenue for Mowing/ Management: 1988 1987 Average $7,500 $6,797 Projection to LCI readership $29,250,000 $26,508,300 Number of Single-family Residential Accounts: 1988 1987 Average: 2128 \ k 1,903 Projection to LCI readership: 8.3 million I I 7.4 million Number of Commercial Accounts: 1988 1987 Average: 134 \ k 108 Projection to LCI readership: 522,600 | | 421,200 Advertising Tools Used: Telemarketing 35% Direct Mail 68 Billboards 8 Yellow Pages 86 Newspaper ads 48% Advertising & PR Counselors 5 Radio Ads 25 TV ads 17 Expanding into New Services 
in 1989: Services: 44% Ornamental Care 26% Mowing 19 Overseeding 19 Irrigation 7% Ornamental Installation 6 
Issues of Greatest Concern: 1 Insurance Costs 2 Liability Costs 3 Gov't. Regulations 4 Customer Retention Liability Insurance Increased in 1988: 58% Average increase: 30% More Customers Are Asking About Pesticide Safety: Use Low-Volume Spray Technology: 1988 1987 44% , 58.8% 1988 57% 1987 66% Types of Chemical Applications: 1988 1987 Liquid only 17% 13% Dry only 15 11.5 Both 68 75 Plan to Invest in Natural Pest Control Products in 1989: 21% Plan to Invest in "Organic" Soil Stimulants in 1989: Raised Prices in 1988: Will Raise Prices in 1989: 54% 73% Plan to Target More Commercial, Multi-family and/or Industrial Accounts: i ss% Area in Greatest Need of Assistance Business Management-30% Technical (Agronomic/Mechanical)-27 Both-42 Most Common Complaints from Customers: Poor weed control 72% Poor insect control 9 Poor disease control 9 Prices too high 4% Tardy service 3 Poor lawn color 3 Mowing/Management Firms Ž companies Regional Breakdown: Revenue Breakdown Operating Averages Labor 38.24% Fuel 6.82 Fertilizers & Pesticides 5.59 Advertising 2.14 Equipment purchase & maintenance 12.7 Pre-tax profit 12.35 Insurance 8.21 Other 13.95 Services Provided Services Provided 1988 1987 Mowing/trimming 100% 100% Ornamental & shrub care 92 89 Chemical weed control 77 > ^ 55.3 Chemical insect control 60 NA Disease control 50 48.8 Tree care 41 41 Dethatching/aeration 81 79 Renovation 79 ' ^ 71.4 Sodding 83 t 67 Irrigation services 38 33.9 Structural pest control 7 3 Integrated pest mgmt. 16 NA Overseeding 69 NA Snow removal 54 NA Chief Executive Officer's Salary 1988 1987 Northeast $35,400 $33,300 North Central 40,200 f 28,600 South 42,500 1 35,900 West 34,900 35,500 Technician's Hourly Labor Cost 1988 1987 Northeast $9.45 \ \ $6.45 North Central 7.74 | I 6.34 South 6.95 | 6.47 West 7.98 J 7.09 Benefits Provided Employees 1988 1987 Paid holidays 72% 65.7% Sick leave 43 28.3 Paid vacation 72 90 Overtime pay 78 73.7 Life insurance 37 29.6 Medical coverage 67 52 Dental coverage 19 13 Education/training 49 53.3 Retirement plan 12 NA Use a Computer Have a Full-Time 2-year or 4-year Agronomy or Horticulture grad: Have a Formal Training Program: Companies $500,000 and over All companies 76% 44% 1988 1987 55% ' 40% Companies $500,000 and over 74% All companies 42% Advertising Tools Used: Telemarketing 7% Direct Mail 37 Billboards 1 Yellow Pages 72 Newspaper ads 37% Advertising & PR Counselors 7 Radio Ads 5 TV ads 1 Expanding into New Services in 1989: Services: 40% Irrigation 35% Ornamental installation 18 Overseeding 18 Installation 9 Nursery 6 Garden center 6% Tree care 3 Lawn care 3 Structural pest control 3 Issues of Greatest 
Concern: 1 Insurance Costs 2 Liability Costs 3 Vehicle Costs 4 Unethical Competitors Liability Insurance Increased in 1988: 65% Average increase: 19% Number of Years in Business: 12 2 Customer Loss in 1988: Customer Gain in 1988: 4.16% 14.5% Annual Revenue for Chemical Lawn Care: Average: Projection to LCI readership: (Adjusted for sales for large firms) 1988 1987 $20,000 $8,594 $186 million I $80 million Annual Revenue for Mowing/ Management: Average: Projection to LCI readership: (9300 firms) 1988 $232,630 1987 $176,122 $2.2 billion I $1.8 billion Number of Single-family 
Residential Accounts: 1988 1987 Average: 62.6 115 Projection to LCI readership: 582,180 \ L 1.07 million Number of Commercial Accounts: 1988 1987 Average: « | I 37 Projection to LCI readership: 390,600 | I 344,100 More Customers Are Asking About Pesticide Safety: Use Low-Volume Spray Technology: 1988 1987 44% 45% 1988 1987 50% 45.6% Types of Chemical Applications: 1988 1987 Liquid only 8% 7.5% Dry only 37 39 Both 55 53 Plan to Invest in Natural Pest Control Products in 1989: 30% Plan to Invest in "Organic" Soil Stimulants in 1989: Raised Prices in 1988: Will Raise Prices in 1989: 72% 76% Area in Greatest Need of Assistance Business Management-25% Technical (Agronomic/Mechanical)-25 Both: 50 Most Common Complaints from Customers: Prices too High 56% Poor communication 7% Service poor 19 Poor communication 7% Poor weed control 15 Poor disease control 4 $50K to $99K 21% $250K to $349K 15% Under $50,000 9% $500K to $1M 7% $350K to $499K 8% $100K to $249K 29% Over $1M 11% Drought underscored need for customer contact BY ELLIOT MARAS Editor Looking back on what was the most confusing 
and nerve-wracking year to date, LCOs say they have learned somethingŠthe significance of ongoing cus-tomer communication. With little new customer potential in most of the major markets, LCOs could not af-
ford their customarily high turnover rates to begin with in 1988. When the hot, dry weather hit in mid-May, many knew it was time to do more than they had to keep existing 
customers. Many LCOs saw to it that every customer was called at least once. Some customers were called four or five times throughout the season. Those LCOs that reported the best results credit their success to customer communi-
cationŠnot the windfall of renovations that followed the drought. "It takes quite a labor force to do a bunch of it (renova-tion)," notes Doug Baker, 
president of Dayton, Ohio-based Leisure Lawn, Inc. Be-sides, profit on renovations is much less than chemical ap-plications. The drought was most se-vere in the Midwest, where high temperatures and little rain lasted from mid-May to late July. Companies were slightly affected in the North-east, and almost unaffected in 
the South and West. "For people in the eastern corridor, we've had several (minor droughts)," says Russ Frith, president of Matawan, N.J.-based Lawn Doctor, Inc. But the bulk of the chemi-cal lawn care firms, being in 
the Midwest, were affected. Most Midwest firms had a third of their customers skip 
the third round, resulting in a 7 percent revenue loss. Even companies that took on 100 times the normal amount of renovation work 
did not make up for lost reve-nue in the severely afflicted re-gions. Such was the case at Kapp's Green Lawn, Munster, 
Ind., where nearly a fifth of the customers skipped a round. "What they (LCOs) got back in volume covered all the fixed expenses," says lawn care business consultant Ed Wandtke of Columbus, Ohio. "We may have brought in the same gross dollars, or grown 
them, but the profit volume (on renovations) was between a half and a third what it would have been on chemical lawn care." Barefoot Grass Lawn Ser-vice, Inc. focused on trying to 
convince customers not to skip service rounds, says Pres-ident Pat Norton. The Worth-ington, Ohio-based firm had 
its best year ever. "We were impacted by the drought, but not that dramat-Baker: Renovation helped. ically," says Norton. Tom Jessen, president of Frith: Used to droughts. Crown Point, Ind.-based Perma Green Supreme, Inc., was one of many LCOs who had his staff call each cus-tomer before every applica-
tion. "We instituted a very strong customer contact pro-
gram," he says. "I think that helped us a lot in retaining the customer base." Darryle Johnson, president of All American Turf Beauty, Inc., Van Meter, Iowa, thinks the drought helped customers realize the importance of pro-
fessional lawn care. "I think they're much more aware of 
the benefits of maintaining 
the crabgrass control and in-Erbaugh: Contracts help. VIDEO .SERES MAINTENANCE VIDEO SERIES The Associated Landscape Contractors of America is proud to announce the availability of the Maintenance Safety Video Series. These maintenance training programs are designed to promote sound safety procedures. The videos were produced in an attempt to help reduce the growing number of unnecessary accidents occurring each year among power equipment operators. The programs provide basic training in the care and preventive maintenance integral to equipment dependability and longevity. The seven individual programs consist of reference guides, with the exception of "Safety - Everyone's Concern" - and all programs have a Program Retention Test. The seven programs are: Ł Safety - Everyone's Concern Ł Stringtrimmer/Brushcutter 
Ł Trim Mower Ł Power Hedgetrimmer Ł Mid Mower Ł Backpack Power Blower 
Ł Power Edger These in-depth programs cover essential points such as: equipment familiarization, proper safety precautions, machinery operation, capabilities and maintenance, as well as injury prevention, and basic yet effective accident prevention. PRICES: Set of 7 Videos Individual Videos Members $400 Non-Members $600 $65 $95 ORDER FORM YES, I would like to order the set of Maintenance Training Video Series consisting of 7 programs, reference guides and employee retention tests. Number of Sets ordered @ = $ Add 5% for shipping & handling + $ TOTAL OF ORDER = $ NAME: COMPANY: STREET ADDRESS: 
CITY: STATE: . ZIP: . TELEPHONE: ( )-YES, I would like to order the following videos: 1. 2. 3. 4. Number of Videos ordered = $_ Add 5% for shipping & handling + $_ TOTAL OF ORDER = $_ I am paying by check made payable to "ALCA" or Charge this order to my: Mastercard or Visa Account* Expiration Date: Signature: Mail this form with payment to: ALCA 405 N. Washington Street, #104 Falls Church, VA 22046 (703) 241-4004 Cohen: West isn't ready. sect control during the drought," he says. Johnson's company re-covered lost revenues with ex-tra fertilizations, renovations Berry: No chemicals. and aerations in the fall. "It surprised us because it looked pretty weak in July and Au-gust," he says. "There was so much aware-ness about it (the drought) that people listened (to their LCO)," says Leisure Lawn's 
Baker. Contracts helped LCOs who are serious about better customer communica-
tion will consider customer contracts. Companies that are 
using contracts say they make for more realistic customer ex-pectations. "It forces the sales person to be more detailed in closing 
the sale," says J. Martin Er-
baugh, president of Akron, Ohio-based Erbaugh Corp. He says service calls dropped by 
as much as 20 percent in 1988. Orkin Lawn Care, based in Atlanta, Ga., has added cus-tomer service reps in addition 
to having customer contracts. "I think the industry realized the customer turnover had to 
be stopped," says Gordon Crenshaw, vice president. Some bad apples Quality of service did not improve uniformly, however. Dave Murphy, president of the Professional Lawn Care Association of Mid-America, says lowballing was common 
in the Kansas City area. "We've got an awful lot to be embarrassed about," says Murphy, who is president of Green Valley Co., Shawnee Mission, Kansas. Customers appeared to be more concerned about their lawns' color in 1988 than what 
harm pesticides might pose. Less pesticide phobia LCOs reported fewer ques-tions about pesticide risks in 1988 than in 1987 or 1986, and there was less state legislation pertaining to pesticides. The Davey Tree Expert Co., which implemented a re-duced pesticide program na-
tionwide in 1988, didn't get as great a response as they hoped 
for, notes Ken Celmer, vice president of operations. "We're going out of our way to do it (reduce pesticides)," he says. "It's too bad it wasn't recognized." He says response to the program was best in the Northeast, where environ-
mental concerns are strongest. While 21 percent of the LCOs expressed interest in buying natural pesticide prod-ucts in 1989, the concern is not immediate. "I really don't think there's that much concern (about pesticide safety) in the Chi-cago market," says Bob Kapp, 
owner of Kapp's Green Lawn. "It seemed like they (the media) let up a little bit (on pesticides)," says Tom Hofer, president of Naperville, 111.-based Spring Green Lawn Care Corp. South keeps growing New customer growth was greatest in the South in 1988, followed by the Northeast. Little was reported in the Midwest, which is saturated, or the West, where landscape gardeners continue to domi-nate the market. "Not a lot of people yet have figured out all the 
nuances of doing business in the western region," says Con-sultant Wandtke. Bob Cohen, president of Tarzana, Calif.-based The Green Scene, Inc., concurs. "We find it very difficult to sustain growth in mainte-nance (lawn care) because of the popularity of maintenance gardeners in southern Califor-nia. The people are not 'lawn care' people out here." Cohen points out that the immigrant Mexican popula-tion includes a large number of landscape gardeners. Contractors more 
competitive LCOs posted about 24 per-cent growth in the commercial sector in 1988. Concurrently, mowing/management firms 
increased their chemical ap-plication revenues by more than 100 percent. This marks a dramatic switch from 1987, when mow-
ing/management firms re-ported using less chemicals than in 1986. In 1987, many 
cited concerns about liabilities 
associated with pesticide use. "They did get away from it for a while because they saw the liabilities and it was easier 
to use a lawn care service," BOOKSTORE Instructional and technical material designed to aid you in your work. 010 - ADVANCES IN TURFGRASS PATHOLOGY $27.95 665 - ARBORICULTURE: THE CARE OF TREES, SHRUBS AND VINES IN THE LANDSCAPE $56.00 220 - CONTROLLING TURFGRASS PESTS $36.00 345 - COST DATA FOR LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION 1989 $35.00 410 - DISEASES & PESTS OF ORNAMENTAL PLANTS $37.95 800 - THE GOLF COURSE $35.00 510 -HORTUS THIRD $135.00 415 - INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO PLANT DISEASE CONTROL $52.50 690 - INSECTS THAT FEED ON TREES & SHRUBS $49.95 300 - LANDSCAPE DESIGN: A PRACTICAL APPROACH $41.00 305 - LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT $29.95 
370 - LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS: MANAGEMENT, METHODS & MATERIALS $38.00 365 - LANDSCAPE PLANTS IN DESIGN $58.95 375 - RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPES $43.00 230-LAWNS $25.95 235 - LAWN CARE: A HANDBOOK FOR PROFESSIONALS $36.00 810 - LIABILITY AND LAW IN RECREATION, PARKS AND SPORTS $33.00 645 - MANAGEMENT OF TURFGRASS DISEASES $26.70 400 - NATIVE TREES, SHRUBS, AND VINES FOR URBAN AND RURAL AMERICA $79.95 500 - 1989 PESTICIDE DIRECTORY $75.00 125 - SCIENTIFIC GUIDE TO PEST CONTROL OPERATIONS $49.95 Domestic All Others $60.00 720 - SHRUB IDENTIFICATION $12.95 755 - TREE DETAILING $32.95 750 - TREE IDENTIFICATION $14.95 760 - TREE MAINTENANCE $49.50 
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03 - SUCCESS WITH BEDDING PLANTS $85.00 04 - WORKING WITH PESTICIDES 2 videos $143.95 total 05 - PROFESSIONAL TURF MANAGEMENT $85.00 06 - LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION $85.00 07 - PLANT PROPAGATION 2 Videos $85.00 each 08 - ELEMENTS OF PRUNING $89.95 Use this 
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order Mail this coupon to: Name. Book Sales, Edgell Communications One East First Street, Duluth, MN 55802 Street Address P.O. Box Number_ City/State/Zip Phone Number ( ) Purchase Order Number. Signature Date. Please send me the following books. I have enclosed payment* for the total amount. Please charge to my Visa. MasterCard or American Express (circle one) Account Number _ Expiration Date _ BOOK NUMBER AND TITLE QUANTITY PRICE TOTAL PRICE DomesticŠ"Please add $3.00 per order plus $1.00 per additional copy for postage and handling. All othersŠ"Please add $5.00 per order and if 
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Prices subject to change. Quantity rates available on request. Questions? Call 218-723-9471 or 9472 o. 118 on Reader Inquiry Card (postage & handling) Total Enclosed LCI Chemical lawn care firms Plan to post warnings for chemical applications voluntarily Pesticide legislation passed by state in 1988 39% 17% 22% 17% 14% 21% 30% 13% 65% 75% 21% 42% 35% 43% 44% 41% State requires warnings for chemical applications 1988 1987 Northeast North Central South West* Northeast North Central South West Pesticide legislation introduced at state level in 1988 82% 86% 47% 47% 44% 47% 50% 33% Pesticide legislation passed by local government in 1988 18% 15% 25% 19% 11% 15% 56% 33% Northeast North Central South West 74% 12 21 10 50% 3 21 0 KEY Northeast North Central South West Northeast North Central South West* 1988 1987 * = Small sampling says Bill Davids, vice presi-dent of operations for Clar-
ence Davids & Sons, Inc., Blue Island, 111. Davids says many con-tractors have since realized 
they make more money doing everything themselvesŠas well as having more control 
over the scheduling of ser-vices. The Brickman Group, Ltd., based in Langhorne, Pa. used 
to subcontract 90 percent of its chemical work. The com-pany now does 60 percent of that work, says Don Syn-nestvedt, vice president. "I think they (mowing/ management firms) may be re-acting to competition," notes Erbaugh. "It's something that we notice more so than in the 
past." Ron Kujawa, president of Cudahy, Wis.-based KEI En-terprises, Inc., agrees. "Chem-Lawn is trying to get into commercial work and so is Tru Green," Kujawa says. "As a re-
sult of that, people who used to use them don't want to use them anymore." Not all mowing/manage-ment firms will do chemical work, however. "Our company is staying away from it as much as possi-
ble," says Bob Berry, presi-dent of Lancaster Landscapes, Inc., a major contractor in Arlington, Va. Berry is one of many con-tractors who doesn't want the hassles of greater government scrutiny and higher liability 
costs that chemical use en-tails. LCI Projected 1989 expenditures in millions 1989 1988 Change Granular fertilizer 157.4 102.1 54% Liquid fertilizer 43.5 57.4 -24 Pre-emergence herbicides 44.6 55.1 -19 Post-emergence herbicides 33.7 32.9 2 
Insecticides 38.3 30.4 26 Fungicides 15.28 20.1 -24 Soil amendments 12.1 10 22 Plant growth regulators 3.1 1.4 121 Grass seed 52.7 31.1 69 Tractors 49 35.7 37 1989 1988 Change Spray tanks 10.3 7.5 37% Sprayers, pumps, hoses, etc. 18.7 9.3 101 Broadcast or drop spreaders 8.9 2.9 207 String trimmers 10.1 4.3 135 Tree care equipment 9.9 6.5 52 Aeration equipment 9.1 7.4 23 Irrigation equipment 41 14.9 175 Walk-behind mowers 48.1 25.9 86 Riding mowers 40.1 28.7 40 The Brouwer difference... "dollar for dollar there is no better triplex mower on the market today" BROUWER TRIPLEX-376...designed from "the grass up" for the professional. Compare the high quality engineering, rugged reliable performance, and you will be convinced that in the long-run your 
equipment investment should include a Brouwer 
Triplex-376. It is the perfect mower for a wide range of applications where grass requires the best in routine maintenance. SOME OUTSTANDING FEATURES: Ł 5.8 m.p.h. (9.4 Km/h) transport speed Ł 74 in. (188 cm.) width of cut Ł Rear reel can be operated independently Ł Height of cut: 1/2 in. to 3 in. (1.3 cm. to 7.6 cm.) Ł Transport width only 69 in. (175 cm.) Ł Low center of gravity Ł Differential lock Call your Brouwer dealer for more information... TODAY Woodbine Ave., Keswick, Ont., Canada L4P 3E9 Tel. (416) 476-4311 Fax. (416) 476-5867 BROUWER TURF EQUIPMENT LIMITED An Outboard Marine Corporation Company 7320 Haggerty Rd., Canton, Ml. 48187 Tel. (313) 459-3700 Fax. (313) 459-8778 89-106P Copyright 1989 Brouwer Turf Equipment Limited. Cjrc,e Nq 1Q5 on Reader Inquiry Card SURVEY from Page 1 set the 5 to 10 percent revenue loss caused by the drought. Close to a third of the LCOs' 
customers skipped one round 
of service. Mowing/management firms' profits, on the other hand, averaged a healthy 12.35 percentŠonly a marginal drop from 1987. The mowing/man-
agement industry is largest in 
the West and SouthŠregions that were not as affected by 
the drought. For LCOs, price increases averaged between 5 and 10 per-centŠthe largest ever. These increases were implemented to offset higher marketing and labor costs. Product costs were not significantly higher in 1988. Additional billings for ren-ovations, and to a lesser ex-
tent, aerations, boosted LCOs' revenues by an additional 10 percent nationwide. These billings were highest in the Midwest. LCOs' profits suffered be-cause margins on aeration and seeding are not as high as on chemical applicationsŠwhich 
were skipped. The drought's main benefit was that it forced companies to communicate more with customers. As a result, many LCOs feel customers now have a better understanding of what to expect from a-lawn care ser-
vice. Notable trends among LCOs include less customer concern about pesticide safety, and a willingness to in-vest in natural pest control products and organic soil bio-stimulants. Mowing/management firms reported doing more chemical work in 1988. LCOs 
and mowing/management contractors alike see this as a response to a perceived threat from chemical lawn care firms for commercial accounts. Insurance costs and liabil-ity costs continued to be the greatest concerns of both LCOs and mowing/manage-
ment firms. Government regulation re-mains an important concern 
for LCOs. LCI Lofts Seed Inc. Dedication and Commitment have made us-The world's largest marke Dedication Since 1923 we've enjoyed a rewarding relationship with the turf industry. We've aimed our efforts at fulfilling the needs of professionals working in every aspect of turf. One of our most important functions has always been developing new and improved varieties to reflect those needs as they continue to change. For example, in recent years environmental concerns have challenged us all. Lofts welcomes the challenge, and has responded with varieties that require less chemical treatment. The turf business is expanding, and Lofts' future growth depends on continuing to meet the industry's needs ... in product and in service. We've got our finger on the pulse of the industry and we're committed to steering our company wherever those needs may lead us. ~ c? 4 Jon Loft, President and Chairman Service Research Facilities Commitment extends itself to Lofts' branches. There the support goes well beyond sales. Lofts personnel respond professionally and promptly to client requests and special problems Š even, when possible, with a personal visit. With experience and agronomic expertise, Lofts' professional sales and backup personnel are qualified in each turf market segment. For example, they are well-qualified to recommend varieties 
suitable for roadsides and ecologically 
sensitive areas, such as wetland re-establishment. Lofts' Professional Turf Division, formed to personally respond to the special needs of turf professionals, 
offers the services of an experienced staff 
of Certified Professional Agronomists. Lofts' Annual Field Days, at the company's NJ research headquarters, allow industry members to see the newest varieties, and discuss the latest developments in turf research. There they can see many varieties in use, and question specialists about various aspects of turf management. Furthermore, visits 
to Lofts' test plots are encouraged 
year 'round. Throughout its long history, Lofts has 
developed an exceptional line of fine turfgrass varieties. To date Lofts has developed and holds plant protection rights to over 20 turfgrass varieties. There are always new varieties in each phase of development at Lofts. Lofts is the only east coast seed com-
pany with its own in-house breeding facilities. Additional research facilities are located on the west coast. At Lofts' research headquarters in New Jersey, programs extend beyond turf-grasses. Test plots can be seen for meadowgrasses and ornamental grasses, as well as numerous wild flower species which are part of the National Wildflower Test Program. The Lofts enterprise covers every phase of turfgrass seed handling, from variety 
development and production through marketing and delivery. Lofts has extensive production of pro-prietary varieties, with seed grown in the 
U.S., Europe, Australia and New Zealand. 
And Lofts is the only seed company 
with complete facilities for research, 
blending and warehousing on both coasts Š its New Jersey headquarters and west coast division, Lofts/Great Western. At Lofts' New Jersey corporate head-quarters, a specially designed room (the "sod cell") ensures that only top quality seed goes into mixtures for sod growers. Lofts participates in the NJ Interagency Seed Certification program and, under 
strict guidelines, state inspectors observe the entire blending process. It's another tedious step, but it helps guarantee that Lofts' customers get what they've ordered. Within the next few years, Lofts plans additional facilities to keep pace with the industry's demands. Lofts has developed, produces, markets and holds ter of turfgrass seed Commitment During the 60 + years of Lofts' history, the industry's needs have constantly changed. Most recently, turf professionals have been faced with greater environ-mental pressures and shrinking 
maintenance budgets. Lofts has kept up with these changes by developing varieties to meet each challenge: with more drought tolerance to address a 
critical water shortage, and improved resistance to insects and disease for fewer chemical 
applications. Many of Lofts' research pro-jects are conducted jointly with major universities. From the sales of proprietary varieties Lofts pays royalties to univer-sities like Rutgers, Clemson, the University of Rhode Island and Virginia Polytechnic Institute. These royalties, in turn, help perpetuate research of future 
turf varieties. Fortunately, as sales of these varieties increase, the royalties increase proportionally. Lofts' extensive contributions to the turf industry include sup-
port for landscape architects, golf course superintendents and architects, sod growers, lawn 
care operators and others. Lofts is actively involved in several organizations, including ASLA, GCSAA, ASGCA, 
ASPA, PLCAA and ALCA. Perhaps in no better way could Lofts have promoted turfgrass research than by memorializing 
its former Chairman Peter S. Loft. A scholarship fund has been established in his memory at Rutgers University. To date the Peter Selmer Loft Memorial Scholarship Fund has awarded over 15 turfgrass students with 
scholarships. In addition, the fund is enhanced by royalties 
from the sales of Lofts' new tall fescue, Tribute, named to honor the memory of Peter Loft. Distribution The Lofts domestic network includes four branches and nationwide regional distributors. By maintaining control of every phase of its operation, Lofts ensures superior quality as well as 
exceptional service. DOMESTIC NETWORK Lofts/Great Western (Lofts Subsidiary) Albany, OR 
(503) 928-3100 or Sunbelt Seeds, Inc. (Lofts Affiliate) Norcross, GA (404) 448-9932 or ryli (Branch of Lofts) Beltsville, MD (800) 732-3332 Lofts Seed Inc. Bound Brook, NJ (201) 356-8700 (800) 526-3890 Lofts/New England (Branch of Lofts) Arlington, MA (617)648-7550 To locate the Lofts' distributor nearest you, call (800) 526-3890 (Eastern U.S.) Ł (800) 547-4063 (Western U.S.) plant protection rights to over 20 turf varieties... Some of Lofts' proprietary varieties: Kentucky Bluegrasses: Baron Ram 1 Georgetown Mystic Nassau Suffolk Princeton (P-104) 1757 Turf-type Perennial Ryegrasses: Palmer Prelude Turf-type Tall Fescues: Rebel Rebel II Hard Fescue: Reliant Chewings Fescue: Jamestown Poa trivialis: Laser Wildflowers: Pinto* Pasture Mixture: Mustang Yorktown II Repell Cowboy Tribute Clemfine Overseeding Mixtures: Marvelgreen Barnone Varieties to be released in the near future: Kentucky Bluegrasses: Baron II, Baron Plus Chewings Fescue: Jamestown II Creeping Bentgrass: Southshore Turf-type Tall Fescue: Rebel Jr. Lofts Seed Inc. World's largest marketer of turfgrass seed Bound Brook, NJ 08805 (201) 356-8700 Ł (800) 526-3890 Ł (800) 624-1474 (NJ) I Lofts/New England (Branch of Lofts) Arlington, MA (617) 648-7550 I Lofts/Maryland (Branch of Lofts) Beltsville, MD (800) 732-3332 (800) 732-7773 (MD) I Lofts/Great Western (Lofts Subsidiary) Albany, OR (503) 928-3100 or (800) 547-4063 I Sunbelt Seeds, Inc. (Lofts Affiliate) Norcross, GA (404) 448-9932 or (800) 522-7333 To locate the Lofts' distributor nearest you, call (800) 526-3890 (Eastern U.S.) Ł (800) 547-4063 (Western U.S.) Mowing boomŠno end in sight Commercial property owners have a greater appreciation for qual-ity landscape work than ever before. Demand for mowing/ management services is at an all-time high. Thus the continuing boom of the landscape maintenance industry, major contractors say. "People are finally begin-ning to appreciate the value of landscaping," says Bill 
Davids, vice president of oper-
ations for Clarence Davids & Sons, Blue Island, 111. Mowing/management rev-enue, that which is billed for mowing, trimming, and cleanup services, jumped 22 percentage points in 1988. Profits averaged 12.35 percent. Mowing/management firms primarily service com-
mercial, multi-family and in-dustrial accounts, unlike LCOs, who primarily service 
single-family, residential cus-tomers. Davids says property owner and management organiza-
tions are promoting the bene-fits of high curb appeal, higher property value and better em-ployee satisfaction. Other factors come into play as well. Don Synnestvedt, vice president of Langhorne, Pa.-based The Brickman Group, Ltd., says installation con-tractors are realizing that 
ongoing maintenance is the only way to make good on their plant material guaran-
tees. Such guarantees, usually for one year, are common in the installation business. "It's much more practical to offer a maintenance service so that you can guarantee that plant material," he says. Maintenance also gives a company good cash flow. Synnestvedt says mainte-nance jobs are typically paid 
for in 30 days compared to 60 days for installation jobs. Cap-ital investment is much less 
for maintenance, too. Still another factor is the multi-family properties' move 
from in-house maintenance to maintenance contracting. "There is definitely a move 
from in-house to contract 
maintenance," Synnestvedt 
says. LCI Weeds still major customer complaint Poor weed control remains the number one complaint LCOs receive from customers, according to the State of the Industry Survey. Another survey by the Dow Chemical Co. shows that the single most important factor in selecting a herbicide is the percentage of broadleaf weeds the product controls. Control of broadleaf weeds accounted for 27 percent of LCOs' purchase decisions for herbicides used in broadcast applications and 34 percent of the chemicals used for spot 
treatments. The second most important consideration, accounting for 18 percent of the decision for broadcast chemicals and 20 percent of the spot chemicals, was the spectrum of weeds controlled. In both instances, LCOs preferred herbicides 
which provide total control of both hard- and easy-to-con-trol weeds to those only giving partial control. The third most important factor cited was the chemical's abiltiy to reduce callbacks, accounting for about 12 percent 
of their decision to buy broadcast and spot herbicides. In both cases, LCOs preferred chemicals that reduce callbacks by at least 30 percent. Their preference fell off as 
the percentage reduction declined. A chemical's ability to reduce cancellations is of para-mount importance, the survey showed. This factor ac-counted for 11 percent of their decisions for broadcast and 10 percent for spot chemicals. As with callbacks, the LCOs preferred herbicides which reduce cancellations by 30 percent, and their preference declined as the cancellations did. Another factor was safety to off-target plants. LCI BEFORE WE DEVELOPED THESE PROBLEM-SOLVING TURFGRASS MIXTURES, WE MARCHED THROUGH ACRES AND 
ACRES OF PR0BLI Nobody knows the troubles we've seen. Our Northrup King turf specialists and researchers have hoofed through salt prob-lems, soil compaction, disease, starved turf, baked turf, cleated-to-shreds turf, and dor-mant winter turfŠall depressing sights. I But it was a road well worth our travels. The result is a complete line of Medalist* turfgrass formulas that meet the demands of the professional turf manager. If you've been staring down at a turf problem, look up your solution here. And if you think it's a turf problem we haven't seen, just let us know. Our business is putting your problems behind us. MEDALIST TURF PRODUCT Athletic Pro and Athletic Pro II Boulevard Mix Landscape Pro Mix Overseeder II Mix Medalist North Mix Premium Sod Blend Renovator Pro Mix Medalist Brand Overseeding Products MAJOR AREAS OF USE For athletic turf. Any area with high pH (roadsides, sidewalks, boulevards, alkaline soils, etc.). School grounds, cemeteries, golf course roughs, home lawns. Fairways, tees, athletic fields. Fairways, tees, cart paths, wear areas. Commercial sod production. Problem solver for heavy traffic areas (athletic fields, golf tees, and fairways). Winter overseeding of dormant bermudagrass. SPECIAL FEATURES Well suited for new seeding or overseeding. Fast establishing, traffic tolerant, rapid recovery. Both provide good footing. Contains Tults and Dawson red fescue for beautiful salt-tolerant turf. Performs at low to high fertility levels. Establishes fast. Adapts to broad range of conditions and management levels. Low to moderate fertility needs. Rapid germination and establishment. Withstands heavy traffic and resists diseases. Penetrates compacted soils. Quality turf for high traffic areas. Clean mowing and disease resistant. Exceptional dark green color. Tolerates light shade. Superior disease resistance. Rapid sod producer. Penetrates compacted soils and combats Poa annua. Adaptable to most geographic regions. Establishes rapidly and evenly. Tolerates traffic while providing a superior putting surface. Smooth 
spring transition. Ask your Northrup King distributor about Medalist Turf Products to solve your turf problems. Or write Northrup King Medalist Turf Products, PO. Box 959, Minneapolis, MN 55440. Davids: Clients seeing value. MAINTENANCE METHODS Estimating maintenance costsŠPart II Accurate landscape cost estimating need not de-pend on years of expe-rience or volumes of historical production data. It is a skill that can be learned. In Part I of this series, we examined the theory which 
states that correctly measured 
quantities can be converted to 
time and hours by dividing the 
quantities by an applicable 
production factor. Production factor is de-fined as "the amount of work produced by one person in one hour." Production factors are usually expressed in square or linear feet per hour. For example, the produc-tion factor for a 21-inch, push-
type rotary mower used under normal circumstances is 10,000 square feet per hour. The production factor may be modified by the estimator to 
fit the exact conditions of the 
specific job. Column 3 of the mainte-nance labor estimating form 
represents the time required to perform the activity once. Multiply column 3 by column 4, frequency, or the times per year that the activity will be 
performed, and that will equal the total labor hours required 
to complete that activity. The frequency of the activ-ity may be specified by the property owner, or set by the custom or need in your mar-ket. To fill in the hourly price, column 6, we must go through 
a labor-hour cost analysis for 
the company. Hourly cost analysis Hourly cost analysis is the subject of next month's col-umn. We will briefly discuss it here so that we can complete the estimating formula. The hourly price is the price your company must charge the customer for maintenance ser-vices performed on their prop-erty. The hourly price includes labor, equipment, overhead, and your profit. It may vary depending on the skill and equipment re-
quired to perform the specific activity. This price is deter-mined by the corporation, and is usually given to the es-timator. We have simplified the ex-ample by using a constant hourly price of $25. Note that all of the numbers used in the sample forms are for example only, and are not applicable to your business in your market. Multiply column 5, total hours per year, by column 6, the hourly price. That will equal the total cost per year for that activity, which is entered on column 7. Each project is estimated as if it were located next door to the shop or office. Line 20 on the estimating form is the line to estimate the total travel time for the year. We know the number of people 
who will be traveling, so we 
can calculate the travel time from the branch to the project. Travel time is charged one-way so that when the project is put into a route, the project carries its own weight in travel cost. If you know the exact route, you may calculate the travel time from one project to another. Estimating the number of trips to the project in one year is done by adding the ac-tivities: mow, edge, and weed control, 30 trips; mulch, two 
trips; prune, two trips; over-seed, one trip; spring cleanup, one trip; leaf removal, one trip. The total is 40 trips per year. It is important to keep travel time separate so the es-timator does not modify or 
change the known production factors or hourly prices to compensate for projects lo-cated close by or far away from the shop location. Material estimating One of the basic rules in es-timating is to separate the materials from all other costs 
for landscape maintenance. Material quantities can be ac-curately calculated, including a waste factor, delivery cost, 
and the appropriate taxes. The material price may be influenced by quantities pur-ACCLAIM: Because your turf is always on display. J About the Author Philip D. Christian, III, is a business consultant based in Alpharetta, Ga. He was chief of ChemLawn Service Corp.'s maintenance division in the 
1970s. Safe, effective crabgrass control. Here is what lawn care professionals need for controlling crabgrass. Here is Acclaim® lECHerbicide-a rescue treatment that is truly effective, yet easy on turf. Unlike the old arsenates, Acclaim is effective M with just one treatment. Acclaim won't harm turf, J and it can even be applied to new or reseeded turf. Be ready for rescues anytime. The best time to be ready for rescue treatments is early, beginning within 2 weeks of July 4th,-but Acclaim controls emerged crabgrass up to 5 tillers anytime. So you should plan ahead by putting Acclaim on your trucks. That way you can take care of little crabgrass problems along borders and sidewalks before your > customers even see them. And you'll keep them happy without complaints or costly callbacks. Read and fnllaw label directions carefully Urvprhct LW Aodaknis a registered trademark cfHoecfcACeianese Corporation Ł IOI KJ The name and kgo HOBCHST are registered trademarks < i Hoeehst AG n-.. A naiittandkftoMXJSSELarengstered trademarks of RoumiUclafS A HO US SGI chased, time of the year the purchase is made, and the method used for material de-
livery. The material estimating form uses the same quantities taken from the property anal-ysis report. The general to change from quantities in square feet to yearly cost in dollars is very similar. The area in square feet is divided by the area that is cov-
ered by one ounce, pound or cubic yard of material. For example For example, take 1200 square feet of area to be mulched, three inches thick. It 
is divided by the square footage covered by one cubic yard of mulch, or 108 square feet. 1200 square feet divided by 108 square feet equals 11.1 
cubic yards of mulch. The 11.1 cubic yards of mulch is multiplied by the fre-quency, or the number of 
times that mulch will be ap-plied to the area. If that is two times per year, then multiply 
by two. That will equal a total of 23 cubic yards of mulch per 
year. Multiply the yearly require-ment of 23 yards by the cost of one yard of mulch, maybe $20. 
That will equal a total cost of $460 per year for mulch. The total material cost, in-cluding waste factor, delivery cost, tax and markup is added to the bottom line of the esti-mating form to total the sales price for that project. Most maintenance con-tractors divide the annual sale 
price by 12 months and quote the potential customer a monthly fee for landscape 
maintenance. Parts I and II of this series introduced an efficient estima-ting theory that is quantity-
based and time/price related. 
The theory is the important 
part. When it is understood, one can quickly adjust the forms, factors, frequency and prices to fit a particular com-pany's need. Accuracy is the quality test in an estimating process. In estimating, the "first time" is 
the only opportunity. LCI NEXT MONTHŠHourly cost analysis. Cushman prints how-to booklet LINCOLN, NEB.ŠA 24-page 
manual on aeration and over-
seeding for lawn care profes-
sionals is available from the 
Cushman/Ryan Division of Outboard Marine Corp. The Dawn of a New Age in Lawn Care includes topics such as grass selection and 
techniques for overseeding, 
procedures and benefits of pre-cision core aeration, and how to profitably price and market aeration and renovation ser-
vices. Contact Lawn Care Man-ual, Cushman Div., PO Box 82409, Lincoln, Neb. 68501; or 
call (800) 228-4444. LCI MAINTENANCE LABOR ESTIMATING FORM PROJECT: DATE: ESTIMATOR: CLEAN UP: QUANTITIES 1. SURFACE TRASH SF 2 FACTOR Ł SF/HR « 3 4 HOURS FREQUENCY HRS (X) FREQ'CY « 5 6 HOURS HOURLY HRS (X) PRICE PER MH = 7 l/YEAR 2. DEBRIS SF T SF/HR = HRS (X) FREQ'CY = HRS (X) PER MH = MOWING TURF: 3. RIDE SF T SF/HR = HRS 4. PUSH SF 4 SF/HR = HRS 5. TRIM HRS(X) RD/HR » HRS 6. MOWING TOTAL HRS (X) FREQ'CY = HRS (X) PER MH = 7. OTHER SF 4 SF/HR » HRS (X) FREQ'CY = HRS (X) PER MH = 8. WEEDEATER SF 4 SI7HR = HRS (X) FREQ'CY -HRS (X) PER MH = 9. EDGING LF 4 LF/HR « HRS (X) FREQ'CY « HRS (X) PER MH = WEED CONTROL: 10. CRACK GRASS LF Ł LF/HR = HRS (X) FREQ'CY = HRS (X) PER MH * 11. BEDS (PRE) SF SF/HR = HRS (X) FREQ'CY = HRS (X) PER MH * 12. BEDS (POST) SF 4 SF/HR = HRS (X) FREQ'CY = HRS (X) PER MH = 13. MULCH SF T SF/HR = HRS (X) FREQ'CY = HRS (X) PER MH » 14. PRUNE SF T SF/HR = HRS (X) FREQ'CY = HRS (X) PER MH * 15. OTHER SF 4 SF/HR = HRS (X) FREQ'CY = HRS (X) PER MH = 16. 0VERSEED SF T SF/HR = HRS (X) FREQ'CY = HRS (X) PER MH = 17. SPRING CLEANUP SF 4 SF/HR = HRS (X) FREQ'CY = HRS (X) PER MH = 18. LEAF REMOVAL SF 4 SF/HR * HRS (X) FREQ'CY -HRS (X) PER MH « 19. OTHER SF 4 SF/HR = HRS (X) FREQ'CY = HRS (X) PER MH « TOTAL « HRS (X) PER MH » 20. TRAVEL TIMES PER YEAR (X) MH/TRIP HRS (X) PER MH = PGMS releases new booklet COCKEYSVILLE, MD. The Professional Grounds Man-agement Society is issuing a revised edition of its Grounds Maintenance Forms & Job Descriptions Guide. The manual has been ex-panded to 48 pages of informa-tion. The booklet is free to PGMS members; $12 for non-members ($15 if billed). The PGMS headquarters is at 12 Galloway Ave., No. IE, Cockeysville, Md. 21030; (301) 667-1833. Two other manuals also are available from the PGMS. LCI Give grubs an inch and they'll take a whole yard. Grubs feed at many levels in a yard, but it's at 1" to IV2" below the surface where they do their real damage. And because grubs are constantly moving from 
one level in the soil to the next, a single treatment of most insecticides will only get the ones closest to the surface. Oftanol is a Rrg. TM of Bayer AG, Germany. ©1989 Mobay Corp. 62901 But with OFIANOL® insecticide, you have the strength to knock out those grubs closest to the surface now, and the staying power to deal with grubs, rising up from the depths, in the future. So take away that inch. And keep the whole yard. Mobay Corporation ABAYETUSAWC COMPANY Oftanol. Bayer J0] Specialty Products Group Box 4913, Kansas City. MO 64120 WATER from Page 1 cisco Bay Area Chapter. Studies on plant water usage and other factors will be prepared, and water con-servation techniques will be passed on to the membership. "One of the things we're working on is educating the green industry. We have to be better at managing what we have because it's for the long haul," McGilvray says. "We're trying to approach this on a logical, long-term basis." Lobbying efforts will be di-rected at state and local of-ficials who are considering wa-tering restrictions. Because it's so visible, land-scape watering is usually the first to get cut, and that is par-ticularly annoying in light of 
the economic contributions made by green industry mem-bers, according to Consultant Efraim Donitz of EFCO, Inc. in North Hollywood. "It bothers us that an in-dustry with $8 billion in payroll doesn't get more con-sideration," says Donitz, who is an international expert on irrigation and water manage-
ment. "They don't regulate beer makers, why should they regulate us?" Meanwhile, turf managers are using a number of methods in an effort to cut down on the amount of water that is being 
used. The use of moisture sensors on customers' properties to 
eliminate any unnecessary wa-
tering continues to increase, observes Earl M. Sacks, chair-man of the board at Water 
Conservation Systems, Inc. in Claremont. The devices are required on some new developments in Carpinteria. At Gardeners' Guild, Inc. in San Rafael, "We hired a full-time environmental and re-source manager," reports Linda J. Novy, president. Steve Ash is conducting water audits of the clients' 
properties to detect waste and to fine-tune irrigation pro-grams. "I think that's a huge sav-ings right there," says Novy. "Most of our jobs were ae-rated and dethatched," Novy explains, and customers are 
opting for turf-type tall fes-
cues. "Where they had blue-grass we came in with fescues." Using improved fescue seed or sod is the way to go, main-tains Larry Chiaravallo, facil-ity manager at ChemLawn Services Corp. in Concord. 
"They're still going to have to water tall fescue, but not as much as bluegrass." Chiaravallo stresses alter-natives, education and aware-IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT.. . YOU CAN'T DO WITHOUT THE NEW AEROSOL FORMULATION OF WEEDESTROY® TRIAMINEŽ HERBICIDE! Think about all the times you had to hassle with back-pak and pump up sprayers just to spray a few escape broad-leaf weeds in your turf areas. . . Think about all the times you've worried about drift when you had to spray up close to your ornamentals. . . Think about the fear of injury from soil-absorbed dicamba to your valuable ornamental trees and shurbs. . . Now, stop thinking about those problems, because. . . that kind of thinking has changed with the introduction of the new 23 ounce, hand-held aerosol: TRIAMINEŽ JET-SPRAY Ł FOAMMARKER-so you know what you sprayed. Ł JET-SPRAY ACCURACYŠ so you can spot treat near ornamental beds. Ł DICAMBA-FREEŠ so there is less worry about soil-absorbed injury. Ł CONVENIENTŠso you can be ready to spray at anytime. Ł ECONOMICALŠso each of your applica-tors can carry a can. Ł CONTAINS TRIAMINE7"Šso you get dependable weed 
control. PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL APPLICATOR! IT'S EASY TO GET THE BEST IN WEED CONTROL PRODUCTS, JUST CONTACT YOUR NEAREST RIVERDALE DISTRIBUTOR. . . OR Contact Us At: 425 West 194th Street, Glenwood, IL 60425-1584 312-754-3330 RIVERDALE CHEMICAL COMPANY "We have what you need" ©COPYRIGHT 1989 Circle No. 124 on Reader Inquiry Card for the Landscaper ru ABarniOAii unin HivicniUHii SPECIAL REPLACEMENT ENGINES ON SALE NOW NATIONWIDE AT YOUR LOCAL PARTICIPATING TECUMSEH SERVICE DEALER REPLACES ORIGINAL 8-10-11-12 H.P. RIDING MOWER AND LAWN TRACTOR ENGINES QVXL120 -12 H.P. Overhead Valves Cast iron Sleeve Ultra-Balanced Recoil Start Electronic ignition 3 Ot. Rust Proof Fuel Tank Multi-stage Air Cleaner Oil Pump Lubrication 2'NlOYear warranty $37025 & FACTORY FREIGHT 812701A REPLACEMENT FOR SNAPPER AND MANY OTHER BRANDS OF ROTARY MOWERS TVXL840 4 H.P. 2 Year warranty Electronic ignition Dual Air Cleaner $19255 & FACTORY FREIGHT 800109A ASK ABOUT THE MANY OTHER MODELS AT YOUR PARTICIPATING TECUMSEH SERVICE DEALER TECUMSEH PRODUCTS COMPANY ENGINE & TRANSMISSION GROUP SERVICE DIVISION Look For Your Nearby Tecumseb Service Dealer in The Yellow Pages under "Engines, Gasoline" Circle No. 125 on Reader Inquiry Card ness when it comes to the future of lawn care in the Golden State. "We need to 
recognize that this is a long-term problem. People need to look at the opportunities." Lawns should be aerated at least once a year, and there are also opportunites to apply fer-tilizers and treat diseases, in-sects and crabgrass, he points 
out. While "some people opted to just let their lawns go last 
year," Chiaravallo says reno-vation work this year made up for that lost business. The wise LCO will involve the clients in overcoming diffi-culties with the lawn, he ad-
vises. "We're trying to educate our customers toward a long-
term cure. The drought is al-most an annual occurence here." Water audits are "a major thrust" at En-vironmental Care, Inc., headquartered in Cal-abasas, says Robert L. Scofield, vice president of cor-porate relations. "We try to get our clients to have us per-form a water audit on their property." Customers' lawns are being planted with tall fescues or hybrid bermudagrass. The political climate de-mands that steps be taken to conserve as much water as possible when it comes to lawn care. "We have people here who would like to see all lawns removed." And, Scofield says, xeriscape does not have to be a dirty word to turf managers. When customers use water-efficient ornamentals, they have more water left over to keep their turf green! When making such plans, a good first step is a soil test of 
the area, says J. Randall Is-may, owner of Landscape and Water Management Consul-
tants in Los Angeles. "Don't 
change the soil. What you do is find the plant that fits the 
soil." Ismay, who spoke at the California Landscape Con-tractors Association conven-
tion in Long Beach, offers a different definition of xeriscape. People tend to perceive xeriscaping as gardens made up of rocks and cacti, or they 
think that it involves using "drought tolerant" plant ma-terial. r i Novy: Do water audits. To Ismay, a xeriscape merely fits plants to the envi-ronment. He prefers the term "water-thrifty" to "drought tolerant." If you have a wet spot on your property, that's where you plant a tree that thrives on water. If you have dry spots, that's where you place plants that can survive with less wa-
tering. "Everything sold in the green industry today can be 
used in a xeriscape," Ismay proclaims. "Water-thrifty im-plies that whatever water you give them will be used to the plant's best advantage. These 
plants will use what water you give them." In Ismay's view, the best way to save water is to make sure that every drop is used by the plant. "Most tall fescues are drought tolerant but not 
water-thrifty," he notes. "Bluegrass is water-thrifty but not drought tolerant." Ismay elaborates that it takes more water to make most tall fescues look as good as a bluegrass lawn. (He says some brand new tall fescue va-
rieties may eliminate that problem.) However, when drought hits, the tall fescue lawn will hold on longer than a bluegrass lawn. Whenever possible, warm season grasses such as bermu-dagrass should be used when 
water is in short supply, says Ismay. He carries this concept as far north as possibleŠif customers object to the winter 
broWn-out, the lawns can be 
overseeded with annual ryes or 
bluegrasses. Or green dye can 
be applied. Brown-out can even be mar-keted as a plus to transplanted customers who miss the snows 
of their home towns. "It's a nice way to come up with at least a semblance of a 
winter season," Ismay says. Educating your clients is the key, Ismay points out, es-
pecially as political pressure builds to restrict turf areas and the necessary watering. "We waste waterŠnot plants. If we're going to get into this conservation busi-
ness we have to do it on a peo-ple level. You want to be at a point where people under-stand how to save water." 'Everything sold in the green industry today can he used in a xeriscape.9Š Ismay A turf manager in an area facing a water shortage needs to focus on knowing the proper levels of watering. "Learn to irrigate according to plant 
needs. Don't irrigate just be-cause it's Tuesday." Learn to use the controller. Turn on the water and watch for puddling and runoff, use no 
more water and no less water. "Irrigate only when the grass says it needs it," he adds. "Look for a slight wilt or color change. Give an irrigation but 
don't flood it." A stronger stand of turf will result if it is oh-so-close to being drought stressed, Ismay 
believes. "Any grass will do 
better if it is kept on the edge all year." When it comes to pres-
sure to reduce land-
scape watering use, perhaps Santa Barbara County reigns as an example of an area on the edge. Several communities there are facing mandatory water supply cutbacks of 15 to 20 percent. Lake Cachuma, a major lo-cal reservior, is at 44 percent 
capacity. The area averages 
only 18 inches of rain a year. "It won't rain from now (April) until October," reports Steve Berta, news editor at South Coast Community Newspapers. Berta has kept a close eye on the drought situa-
tionŠwhich has been going on for several years. "They're drawing water out (of the lake and local wells) faster than Mother Nature can replace it, and so the water 
table is going down. We've had 
below-average rainfall for the 
past five years." The community of Mon-tecito restricts how much 
water residents can use. Peo-
ple using extra water pay through the noseŠchronic offenders can pay fines up to 10 
times the amount of the bill. One wealthy landowner was socked with a $32,000 water bill for his seven acres of beau-tiful turf. "He was just keeping his lawn green," Berta ex-plains. In Golita, a mandatory plan to reduce water use by 15 per-cent gives single-family homes a 268 gallon-per-day base al-lowance. If the residents are currently using more than 
that, they will be alloted 55 
percent of that excess use. "That's not enough, I think, to keep your lawn al-ive," Berta observes, noting that "the word is that brown lawns are going to be 'in' in Golita this year." "I've heard that said," agrees Owen Dell, president of County Landscape and Sup-ply in Santa Barbara. "I have about 10 houses in Golita right now where I am taking out the 
front lawns and putting in 
xeriscapes." However, these home-owners are keeping their back-yards in turf. Dell says he's . \ Ismay: Educate clients. using Marathon tall fescue sod almost exclusively. Towns throughout the re-gion are making community-
wide efforts to conserve water, Berta notes. Among the many efforts, new development is on hold, 
restaurants are being urged 
not to serve water unless eat-
ers ask for it, low-use shower heads and toilets are being promoted and landlords are required to repair leaking pipes within a day. The Golita Sun publishes the evapotranspiration num-
ber each week so residents can 
better plan their sprinkling. The Motecito Water Dis-trict has hired Debra Wilkin-son as a full-time water moratorium/resources spe-cialist. "What we're trying to do is educate the general pub-lic, particularly our customers, on proper water usage," she explains. "You'll look out the window during a rainstorm and see sprinklers running," Berta points out. Trees can be trimmed back to help them conserve water, he says. Berta believes that profes-sional turf managers could use some classes on water usage, 
and the California Landscape Contractors Association re-cently set up such a program. Wilkinson says that often the turf managers are under r I Berta: Educate yourselves. pressure from their wealthy clients to just pour the water 
on. "They're being paid to keep the lawn green." It's still too early to gauge the economic impact of the ra-
tioning on the local green in-dustry, according to Berta and Dell, but Walter S. Barrows, Sr., Ph.D., is not so shy. "We're going to get fat on all the money we'll make," pre-
dicts Barrows. He owns Land-scapes by Barrows in Carpinteria and is "Dr. Dirt" on a local radio gardening show. "Peer pressure isn't going to let people let their lawns go 
to hell. People will find a way 
to care for it." Barrows goes on to discuss Montecito, which is home to a number of famous and wealthy people such as Kenny Loggins, Jonathan Winters, Steve Martin, Jane Russell and Burl 
Ives. "You're not going to tell people like that not to use waterŠthey'll truck it in here" if necessary. Property owners may resort to using "gray water," which is 
waste water from household washing. Barrows discussed the ra-tioning situation with one el-derly customer: "I mentioned it to her, and she said, 'I'll bring my dishwater out.'" "Right now that's illegal," Berta says, "but they're think-
ing of changing that." LCI One Of America's Best Run Companies Gives 95°/o Of Its Money To Charity CARE was recently named the our organization, best run, best managed charity No other company could sur-in America. vive on margins like that. But a lot We aren't surprised. of starving people can. 95% of every dollar we receive goes to help impoverished IfTTRF1! people. Only 5% goes to run | V/^Eliul Learnlb live Without I LeamTb live Without Us. T800-242-GIVE SIMPLIFY YOUR PRUNING! MAIBO O The Fastest, Lightest, and Strongest Tree Trimming Equipment in the World MAIBO, INC MANUFACTURERS Rt 1. East Stone Drive Kingsport. Tennessee 37660 1-800-331-2306 California 1-800-543-8694 FINANCING AVAILABLE DEALERSHIPS AVAILABLE COMPLETE SYSTEMS START AT $gggoo Our Two Year Warranty Only Applies When Sold By Our Authorized Distributors. International Patent Newspaper series sparks Virginia pesticide reform BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Managing Editor RICHMOND, VA.ŠFor-hire pesticide applicators will fall under stricter regulation in Virginia as a result of a series of newspaper articles calling the state's pesticide laws into question. The state legislature formed an 11-member Virginia Pesticide Control Board in re-sponse to public outcry and ac-
tion by the governor. Posting proposals are ex-pected, but would not be effec-
tive until next season. "The Pesticide Control Board would have the au-thority to regulate posting," says Mary Bishop, a reporter for the Roanoke Times and World-News. Bishop wrote a series of sto-ries detailing regulatory short-comings in regard to people 
who conduct structural pest control. The stories were sparked by an incident during which two 
elderly people in Galax died 
when they entered their home following a pesticide treat-
ment. "The publicity following the death of the Galax couple during a fumigation really got things stirred up," reports J. Carlton Courter, III, president of the Virginia Agribusiness Council. Industry agrees The situation made public the "lack of regulation and lack of action" on the part of Virginia authorities, Bishop 
says. Courter agrees. "The pest control industry had very lax standards. If Joe Blow came to your door with business cards he could spray your house with kerosene or water and take your money and run." Those days came to an end as Gov. Gerald L. Baliles stepped in. "He's an activist governor," Courter says. "He's had a remarkable record get-ting his issues through the General Assembly." New laws will cover farmers and LCOs. State officials recently de-vised the Pesticide Control Board. Courter says he had to move fast to avoid having the board being staffed with too many environmentalists who may "believe what they want to believe" and who "don't pay 
attention to facts and figures." A proposed 9-member board was replaced by an 11-member body following heavy 
lobbying by Courter and oth-ers in the industry. "We talked 
to a lot of our legislative sup-
porters." That was touchy because the majority of politicians cur-rently in power in the Old Do-minion State are Democrats-same as the governor. And the governor aspires to DEA TH OF ELDERL Y COUPLE TIED TO FUMIGA TION run for the U.S. Senate. "We 
had to raise it within members of his own party." Courter urged the legis-lators to take a closer look at some of the requirements. Although the board has yet to be appointed, Courter is 
confident that a negative vote 
on green industry issues can be avoided. "If it got down to 
brass tacks it would be a vote 
of 6-5." Courter says that at this point LCOs have not ex-pressed great concern over posting. However, farmers were upset over a proposal 
that involved advanced noti-fication of neighbors. That was unacceptable be-cause of insects that can quickly ravage tobacco. "They're literally like The Plague of Locusts in Biblical days, and it happens in hours." A proposal to enact posting for lawn care would involve public hearings, but Courter notes that the board does in-deed have clout. "They have broad powers to appoint com-mittees." The board will consist of two agricultural production people, two commercial 
pesticide applicators or sales people, two state employees involved in environmental/ health issues, three citizens, the dean of agriculture at Vir-ginia Tech, and the state for-
ester. The original proposal called for three environmental/ health people. The green in-See SERIES Page 27 Bishop: Regulation overdue. With DOW you have over Dow covers the country with more qualified people than any other company in the business. The people you see here play key roles in implementing the philos-ophy we call The Partnership5Ž services. In a nutshell, The Partnership is everything Dow offers you, above 
and beyond the products themselves. It represents Dow's commitment to you and your industry:.. a commitment of both human and material resources to the goal of helping you succeed and furthering the interests of your industry. Dow field sellers support you. Your Dow representative is your key to all the benefits of The Partnership. He or she can put on sales, business and technical training seminars for your staff. Help you answer customer questions. Recommend sound market-ing strategies. Provide sales support Jerry Beachell material. Even speak at local meetings. And what's the benefit to you? Infor-mation and support services that can help you run your business more effi-ciently and profitably. No other company in the business has so many highly trained people in 
its field sales staff. And they all work for you in The Partnership. Technical help when you need it. There are over ten Dow Technical Services and Development (TS&D) specialists, most of them with advanced science degrees, including urban Vanelle Carrithers Jim Bean Janet Rowley Barb Hill ( Vince Geiger District Manager thePartnership DOW'S COMMITMENT TO YOU Brian Schneider Steve Johnson Les Johnson District Manager y Ron Martinez Mark Judy Bertholf BUSINESS SENSE Better ways to utilize your sales people Now that your spring in-quiries are winding 
down, many LCOs are inclined to give their sales peo-ple production jobs. Putting sales people to work in this way is not always right. In many companies, 
sales people have not long been a permanent part of the staff. Determining the most 
effective utilization of their 
capabilities will be a challenge. Sales people generally have the following skills: 1) effective listening; 2) effective commu-
nicating; 3) pursuasiveness; 4) ability to overcome objections; 5) sympathy for people who are apathetic about making a decision; 6) ability to assess a prospective customer. There are several ways in which people with such skills can be put to good use in a lawn care company. Perhaps the most obvious is to give them customer service responsiblities. Since 1984, all of our clients have designated an employee as customer service repre-sentative. The customer ser-vice representative is respon-sible for assuring customers 
that you are delivering what 
they expected. Customers should be called every two 
weeks following two applica-
tions to see if they are satis-fied. Several firms have found this position so effective in re-taining accounts that they've 
added one or two more cus-
tomer service representatives. Another possibility is to designate a salesperson as a field sales/service coordinator. This person evaluates cus-
tomer properties to see how well they are being cared for by 
the company. In 1988, one national com-pany instituted this position on a trial basis. It was so suc-cessful that in 1989, they will 
expand this position nation-
wide. A salesperson need not be an experienced field sales/ser-vice coordinator to do well at this position. Another possiblity is to have a salesperson responsible 
for commercial sales. Com-
mercial sales requires a lot of personal contact. This contact 50 partners in the field. entomology: One of their major func-tions is to conduct continuing studies on Dow products and how they work in actual practice. They relay their findings to you and other operators so you will have the most up-to-date 
technical information. As experts on insects, weeds, and their control, they conduct training seminars in the areas of chemistry, botany and entomology, among others. Located at key points Mike Gelhaus throughout the country, these TS&D specialists provide technical infor-mation and application advice that specifically pertains to serving your customers. The Partnership is More... It's continual research and testing, to assure both safety and efficacy. It's Brian Olson John Peterson training, workshops and seminars, on business management, on selling, on 
products. It's informational literature on a variety of subjects. Your success is the goal of every aspect of The Partnership. That's bemuse we believe the more successful your business is, the better for every-one involved... you, your customers, 
and the entire industry. The Partnership is Dow's commitment to you. John Madia District Manager takes place in the spring and 
summer right after the resi-
dential soliciting is done. The commercial salesper-son must ascertain the follow -ing information on a prospective account: the con-tact people, the purchasing se-
quence the client uses for 
contracting lawn care, pre-qualifications for soliciting a 
bid, and time needed to evalu-ate the property. Acquiring all this informa-tion can take as many as four visits. Another role sales people are good at is in communi-
cating training information to service personnel. They can hold sessions designed to im-prove the sales and listening skills. Finally, the sales people can handle the marketing of add-on services. Services such as aeration, overseeding, grub control, disease control, lim-ing and power raking can be sold more successfully by mak-ing personal contact with the customer. Experienced sales people are much more effective in marketing new services to cur-rent customers. LCI About the Author Ed Wandtke is a senior partner with All Green Management Associates, Columbus, Ohio. from Page 26 dustry supporters were later able to add the pesticide repre-sentatives, the state forester 
and the ag dean. They lost one ag production person. The green industry avoided having the board fall under the environmental/health depart-ment. "We were able to keep it within the agriculture depart-ment," says Courter. That is a positive move be-cause the ag people are more likely to be in tune with indus-try needs, he says. Courter is happy with the final result, noting that the sit-uation is "not a political knee-jerk reaction to the death of an elderly couple." LCI ' We were able to keep it within the agriculture department.9 BIO-CONTROL UPDATE Biostimulants can enhance turf growth, hardiness EXTRACTS INCREASE NUTRIENT UPTAKE BY R.E. SCHMIDT EDITOR'S NOTEŠIn response to growing interest in biological turfgrass management methods, LAWN CARE INDUSTRY introduces "Bio-Control Update." The 1989 State of the Indus-try Survey reveals a large number of LCOs plan to invest in soil bio-stimulants and natural pesticides. Sev-eral lawn care firms, including Chem-Lawn and Tru Green, are presently experimenting with these alternative methods, as are most of the major chemical manufacaturers. In this first installment, Prof. R.E. Schmidt dis-cusses research in biostimulant mate-rials at Virginia Tech. Interest in biostimulant materials 
for turfgrass management has grown in the past few years as re-search has shown that biostimulants enhance turf growth and tolerance to 
certain environmental stresses. Results obtained from the fertilizer-biostimulant studies will have eco-nomic as well as environmental impact on the turfgrass industry. Although research pertaining to the use of biostimulants for turfgrass cul-
ture is limited, the results are positive. As more knowledge is obtained, bio-
stimulation will become an important cultural practice in producing and maintaining modern turfgrass facili-ties. The main biostimulants that are under study on turfgrass at Virginia 
Tech are cytokinins (plant regulating hormones) and cytokinin-like materi-als. In the mid-fifties, cytokinins were first identified as a constituent of plants and have since been isolated in at least 40 plant species. At first, the cytokinins were thought to be associated with cell division and differentiation. More recently, 
cytokinins were implicated in reducing plant aging, thus indirectly enhancing 
plant growth. Although cytokinins occur natu-rally in plants, concentration varies with species. Cytokinin concentration in seaweed is high and extractions may be used for exogenous applications to other plants. In addition, seaweed also contains low concentrations of other bio-stimulants such as auxins, gibberellic acid and micronutrients. Seaweed extract Seaweed extract containing cytokinins at approximately 175 ppm 
and applied-at 1 gallon per acre has stimulated turfgrass foliage and devel-
opment. From our experience, it appears that seaweed extract via a cold water pro-
cess is more active than when extrac-ted with a hot water process. Evidently, high temperatures denature We are, When your livelihood depends on your equipment, you can depend on Maruyama. Whether pest control, landscape maintenance, nursery or greenhouse operating, produce growing or farming, you can count on Maruyama equipment for durability, quality and performance. A Complete Line of Equipment: Ł Sprayers Š Manually or gas engine oper-ated; backpack, cart, or frame mounted. Ł Brushcutters Š 5 models to choose from Š 18.4cc to 40.2cc Š low vibration, lightweight. Ł Trimmers Š Dual reciprocating blades 15.9cc or 24.1cc Mitsubishi drives, clean cuts. Ł Water Pumps Š Three models, 32gpm to 132gpm for irrigation or moving murky water. Ł Mist Dusters Handles liquid spray, dust, or granules. Ł Granule Spreader - 18 ft. range, dry chemical or seed, with tank agitator to bust up clumps. Ł Blowers - Fbwerful air blast makes cleanup jobs easy. Ł Soil Injectors Š For precise injection of chemicals. Ł And much more. Choose an International Leader. Maruyama Š producing the very best since 1895. U.S. Office: Maruyama U.S. Inc. 15436 NE 95th St. Redmond, WA 98052 (206) 885-0811 Head Office: Maruyama Mfg. Co. Inc. 4-15 Uchi-Kanda 3 Chome 
Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo 101, Japan MARUYAMA. The very best. some of the biostimulants. In addition to the hormonal activity of seaweed cytokinins, seaweed has been thought to play a role in chelation 
of metals to give soluble complexes and increase plant uptake of micro-
nutrients. One of the most biologically active synthetic cytokinins is an adenine de-rivative known as benzylaminopurine, 
referred to as BA. We have obtained enhanced turfgrass growth with BA applications less than one ounce per acre. In our studies, BA was more effec-tive as an anti-aging material than an agent for promoting turfgrass growth. Possibly by delaying chlorophyll degradation, the increased efficiency of photosynthesis caused what enhance-ment of growth was associated with 
BA. Triazole fungicides In our work, too, systemic triazole fungicides, propicanazole and tri-adimefon, applied at 4 to 20 ounces of active ingredient per acre, have pro-
duced turfgrass growth responses sim-ilar to turfgrass treated with natural or synthetic cytokinins. Therefore, we refer to these fungicides as cytokinin-like materials. However, these triazole fungicides have been reported to act as inhibitors; that is, they affect plants as plant growth regulators do. At low concentrations, the mode of action of the systemic triazole fungicides is the production of a pre-cursor to the biosynthesis of 
cytokinins. Possibly the lower concentrations of cytokinins interact favorably with plant metabolism and stimulate root-ing. Our research was initially designed to enhance the root development of transplanted sod. Sod that could grow roots rapidly into the underlying soil would be less affected by moisture stress. Under conditions of root stimula-tion, the sod would be less dependent 
upon irrigation and better supplied 
with nutrient uptake. Also, areas sodded with bio-stimulant-treated turf could be used 
sooner than areas sodded with turf not biostimulant-treated. Practical applications The use of biostimulant-treated sod would be pragmatic in situations where the turf was destroyed because of ac-tivities such as rock concerts, home shows or motor crosses and had to be 
sodded for an athletic event on short 
notice. Results from our studies have shown over 500 percent enhancement of rooting from seedling grasses foli-arly-treated with cytokinins or 
cytokinin-like materials under green-house conditions. In the field, rooting enhancements of 200 percent have been obtained with 
transplanted sod, foliarly-treated with 
biostimulants. Because of the sod enhancement ob-tained with applications of bio-stimulants, additional studies were designed to ascertain if sod strength 
enhancement could be also achieved 
with biostimulant treatment to enable About the Author R.E. Schmidt, Ph.D., is professor of agronomy at Virginia Tech. early sod maturing. Our studies showed root mass dif-ference between biostimulant-treated turf and non-treated sod, but not until four to six weeks after treatment. An additional four weeks was neces-sary to obtain an increase in the sod 
strength. Responses differ Turf species responded differently to different biostimulants. The bio-stimulants we worked with increased root and shoot weight, number of leaves per plant, total number of buds 
initiated and photosynthetic rate of Kentucky bluegrass and creeping bentgrass. Materials that most consistently enhanced growth and development of Kentucky bluegrass and creeping bentgrass were the cold water extract from Ascopayllum nodosum seaweed and the triazole fungicide, pro-picanazole. Propicanazole was the most effec-tive biostimulant that we have applied 
to tall fescue. The cold water seaweed extract ap-pears to be the best biostimulant to enhance morphological and physiolog-ical development of warm season 
grasses. Seaweed extract negated some of the effects of cold temperatures on ber-mudagrass. Zoysiagrass was best able to tolerate dessication when treated with seaweed 
extract. Outlook positive Our most recent studies show that all of the biostimulators tested were effective in enhancing Kentucky blue-grass foliage and root development un-der low soil moisture. Research is con-tinuing in this area. We are encouraged that our pre-liminary results indicate that the use of biostimulants could favorably influ-
ence the plant-soil moisture rela-
tionship and enhance the quality of 
turf grown under droughty conditions. In addition, studies are being initi-ated to determine if biostimulants can be used to reduce the amount of fertil-izer needed, especially nitrogen, for turf culture. It has been reported that less fertilization was required to main-tain production of several crops other 
than turf when biostimulants were ap-plied. However, the use of biostimulants should not be considered a remedy for mismanagement or improper turf cul-ture practices. Improper use of biostimulants or anticipation of unrealistic results will likely cause dissatisfaction to the turfgrass manager. LCI CONVENTION REPORT Tips offered for more effective customer education BY JAMES E. GUYETTE Managing Editor Homeowners need to be educated on proper 
cultural practices for turf managers to achieve de-sired results. "It's something you in the lawn care industry need to doŠgive the homeowner more personal attention," says Clark S. Throssell, Ph. D., as-
sistant professor of turfgrass 
science at Purdue University. Too often programs con-ducted by contractors fail to 
properly reach the customers, according to Throssell, who spoke at the Maryland Turfgrass Conference in Bal-
timore. Some brochures are too long-winded and too tech-
nical, or they are presented as 
self-promoting advertising material typically ignored by consumers. "We need to do a better job of educating them." The poor cultural habits displayed by some clients are mainly a problem of not know-
ing the proper proceduresŠa situation that can be remedied by personal instruction or a suitable brochure. "Have the homeowner work with you instead of against you," he urges. "You need a small flyer, right to the point, written in words they can understand," says Throssell. "I'm not talking about a 4-page essay," he emphasizes, "that won't workŠthe home-owner won't read it." For LCOs, instructions on proper mowing habits should be discussed with the clients. Blade height, sharpness and the selected mowing day can have an impact on the treat-ment program. "Most people mow on Fri-day, Saturday or Sunday," 
Throssell points out. To ensure the proper length of cut, the LCO can leave be-hind a sheet about setting blade heightsŠor perform the 
task for the customer: "Most 
people think those (num-
bered) wheel adjustments are in inches." Keeping the blade sharp is an important factor. Most LCOs can't stop to sharpen blades, but Throssell notes that "it does have an impact 
on your results." Everyone involved can benefit if turf managers keep a close eye on cus-tomers' irrigation systems. "It's worth your time to help them program it," says Throssell. "They spend all that money on an irrigation systemŠand they're going to use it six or seven days a week." Crabgrass and other draw-backs can result from over-
watering, which is more likely to occur if the built-in sprin-klers are somewhat new to the 
residents. "The irrigation system that they expect to be the savior of 
their lawn has instead caused the lawn problems." Verbal advice should be ac-companied by a watering guide for irrigation and hose-mounted sprinkling that dis-cusses the correct frequency, 
amount, rate and time-of-day. Realistically, most people are willing to water from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Few will arise early in the morning to do it. Throssell: Get involved. "Maybe one in 15 people is going to get up at 5 a.m. to water their lawn." Thatch is another issue that turf managers need to ad-dress. "I view thatch as a by-product of an attractive lawn," says Throssell, calling it "a necessary evil." The wise lawn care profes-sional will have his or her 
crews keep an eye on thatch 
depth. "Monitor the buildup 
of the thatchŠI guarantee you 
the homeowner won't do 
that," Throssell observes. "Address the thatch issue before it becomes a problem." For customers who do their own seeding, some advice on sane seed selection can avert future difficulties. "To too many homeowners, grass seed is grass seed," 
Throssell laments. "They don't read the label. If they did read the label they wouldn't understand it." Homeowners should be urged to avoid overseeding a 
bluegrass lawn with tall fescue: "The end result is a mess." And any seeding should take place in the fall, even 
though homeowners "are still in the spring rut" of working when the weather breaks. LCI How to make your career grow. Join PGMS. GROUNDS MANAGER: The Pro-fessional Grounds Management Society treats your career with lov-ing care. Ł SHARE KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS at the Annual Conference and Trade Show. This yearly forum brings together grounds mana-gers, top speakers and suppliers to give you ideas to grow on. Ł DISCOVER NEW IDEAS EVERY MONTH through the newsletter mailed to members. Ł RECEIVE PROFESSIONAL CER-TIFICATION: A peer review earn you the title of Certified Grounds Manager. It should be worth money in your pocket. Ł GET SMARTER. The Society conducts surveys on operational practices. These surveys are made available to members only. Ł GET ADDITIONAL INSURANCE AT NO ADDITIONAL COST. Your membership entitles you to $5,000.00 accident and dismem-berment insurance. Ł GET RECOGNIZED. Be one of those good enough to receive an award for outstanding achieve-ment in grounds management. Ł LEARN. Workshops all over the country give you management skills covering all aspects of 
grounds management. Ł SAVE MONEY. Members receive discounts on Hertz, Avis and Alamo rental cars and on the hor-ticultural publications you need to grow. Ł MAKE YOUR PERFORMANCE SUPERIOR with Ł the Grounds Maintenance Estimating Guide Ł the Grounds Maintenance Management Guidelines Ł the Grounds Management Forms and Job Descriptions Guide. They're free to members. Join today. Your career will take root and grow. and mail to PROFESSIONAL GROUNDS MANAGEMENT SOCIETY. Galloway Avenue. Suite IE. Cockeysville MD 21030 or phone (301) 667 1833. Professional Grounds Management Society TO: PROFESSIONAL GROUNDS MANAGEMENT SOCIETY 12 Galloway Avenue Suite IE, Cockeysville, MD 21030 YES! I want to give my career a green thumb. Please send more information on what PGMS can do for me. Name Company Street City fir State Area Code and Telephone Number Zip 30 Ł1 Pull-behind aerator new from Feldmann Feldmann Engineering and Manufacturing Co., Inc. is in-troducing a new 48-inch pull-behind aerator. The device aerates 47 per-cent faster than a 25-inch aerator and 33 percent faster i than a 32-inch aerator, ac-cording to the company. The lift handles on the Feldmann machine pop the 10-inch pneumatic tires into position for plugging or trans-port. Penetration is up to two-and-a-half inches. LCI Circle No. 130 on service card. Scott's plastic packet contains preemergent Pendimethalin is now avail-able in water-soluble plastic 
packaging from O.M. Scott & Sons Co. in Marysville, Ohio. ProTurf Weedgrass Con-trol 60 WP provides pre-NEW PRODUCTS emergent control of six grassy 
weeds and nine sprouting 
broadleaf weeds. Each package contains two one-and-a-fourth-pound 
packets that can be dropped in a spray tank. LCI Circle No. 131 on service card. New electric sprayer designed for quiet areas Maruyama U.S., Inc. in Red-mond, Wash, has a new electric sprayer designed for 
use in areas where quiet is re-
quired. The cart-mounted MS055MC has a 15-foot power cord and a 66-foot hose. The unit features a duplex piston pump that produces up to 1.3 gpm and 357 psi. The 
pump has all stainless steel cylinders, discharge valves, springs and seats. The 6-gallon tank has a convenient drain plug for 
easier cleaning and flushing, according to the company. It 
also has a double filter basket positioned in a wide lid. LCI Circle No. 132 on service card. Spot weed killer comes in spray can The Riverdale Chemical Co. in Glenwood, 111. is marketing Triamine Jet-Spray Spot Weed Killer. The three-way selective broadleaf herbicide comes in a spray can. It contains the amines of 2,4-D, Mecoprop 
and Dichlorprop. A foam tracer tells where weeds have been treated. Triamine Jet-Spray Spot Weed Killer is handy for use in hard-to-reach areas or places where broadcast spraying may 
be harmful, according to the company. It controls dandelions, chickweed, plantain, oxalis, spurge and other weeds on cool 
and warm season grasses, ac-
cording to Riverdale. For promotional use, pri-vate label programs are avail-able for specialization, accord-ing to the company. LCI Circle No. 133 on service card. NQ1 CHOICE OF ^ I TOP OPERATORS Heavy Duty Aluminum HOSE REELS Single pedestal base for easy mounting. Equipped with Green Garde Extra-Duty swivels. > 3 Popular Sizes Š hose capacities from 100' to 300' of 1/2" hose. green w garde i At Your Distributor or Call Us at (312) 593-6464. ENCAP PRODUCTS COMPANY P.O. Box 278, Mt. Prospect, IL 60056 Circle No. 109 on Reader Inquiry Card L4WN OIRE INDUSTRY Delivers! I The Latest News I Business Management Information I Practical, How-To Solutions Advertisers Rely On LAWN CARE INDUSTRY for: Ł Blanket Coverage: Over 13,500 recipients* Ł Targeted Reach: 85.3% of LCI's circulation is classified as Executive Management, Owners/ Operators, and Management* Ł Popularity: Over 99% of LCI's circulation is by personal direct request from the recipient* LAWN CARE INDUSTRY... the only magazine that has it all! To reserve space, call Group Vice President Bob Earley at (216) 826-2856 or contact your LCI representative today. WWN OIRE INDUSTRY VBPA ABP ŁSOURCE: December 1988 BPA Statement ujflili COMMUNICATIONS 7500 Old Oak Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44130 Ł (216) 826-2856 Overseeding? for perfect germination put the seed where it belongs... in the soil, Also available as Model LS24 seeder The overseeding attachment is quickly and easily replaced by a trailing heavy-duty open mesh steel roller that covers the seed and firms the soil. MODEL LOS24 OVERSEEDER The BrouwerŽ overseeder is a self propelled unit that is perfect for professional landscapers and lawncare businesses. A proven Honda engine drives through a heavy duty chain and gear drive to give excellent traction. The unique 22 inch wide seeding system ensures better germination with minimum seed loss. Available with easily Fitted optional fertilizer hopper. Check below for more outstanding features. Ł 2-1/2 in. powered blade spacing. Ł Adjustable depth control. Ł Proven, reliable 5 hp. engine. Ł Offset discs to cover the seed. Ł Fold-away operator handle for easy transport/storage. For more information on this and other fine turf care equipment from Brouwer, contact your dealer... today. Woodbine Ave., Keswick, Ont., Canada L4P 3E9 Tel. (416) 476-4311 Fax. (416) 476-5867 BROUWER TURF EQUIPMENT LIMITED An Outboard Marine Corporation Company 7320 Haggerty Rd., Canton, Ml. 48187 Tel. (313) 459-3700 Fax. (313) 459-8778 89-123P Copyright 1989 Brouwer Turf Equipment Limited Circle No. 107 on Reader Inquiry Card Circle the Reader Service numbers of those items of interest to you. NAME TITLE FIRM ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP PHONE( 1 101 116 131 146 161 176 191 206 221 236 251 266 281 296 311 326 341 I 102 117 132 147 162 177 192 207 222 237 252 267 282 297 312 327 342 | 103 118 133 148 163 178 193 208 223 238 253 268 283 298 313 328 343 | 104 119 134 149 164 179 194 209 224 239 254 269 284 299 314 329 344 | 105 120 135 150 165 180 195 210 225 240 255 270 285 300 315 330 345 | 106 121 136 151 166 181 196 211 226 241 256 271 286 301 316 331 346 | 107 122 137 152 167 182 197 212 227 242 257 272 287 302 317 332 347 | 108 123 138 153 168 183 198 213 228 243 258 273 288 303 318 333 348 j 109 124 139 154 169 184 199 214 229 244 259 274 289 304 319 334 349 110 125 140 155 170 185 200 215 230 245 260 275 290 305 320 335 350 111 126 141 156 171 186 201 216 231 246 261 276 291 306 321 336 351 112 127 142 157 172 187 202 217 232 247 262 277 292 307 322 337 352 113 128 143 158 173 188 203 218 233 248 263 278 293 308 323 338 353 114 129 144 159 174 189 204 219 234 249 264 279 294 309 324 339 354 115 130 145 160 175 190 205 220 235 250 265 280 295 310 325 340 355 JUNE 1989 This card void after Aug. 15,1989 1. CHECK BELOW YOUR PRIMARY BUSINESS AT THIS LOCATION: A. LAWN CARE COMPANY: Read each choice before answering. 10 Ł Chemical lawn care company Ł Mowing/management lawn care company and/or landscape contractor Ł Both chemical lawn care company and mowing/management lawn care company and/or landscape contractor B. SUPPLIER 50 Ł Chemical and equipment dealer and/or distributor C. OTHER (specify) 20 30 2. WHAT IS YOUR TITLE? I would like to receive (continue receiving) LAWN CARE INDUSTRY each month: Yes Ł No Ł Signature: Date. BUSINESS REPLY MAIL FIRST CLASS PERMIT NO. 665 DULUTH, MINNESOTA ] POSTAGE WILL BE PAID BY ADDRESSEE READER SERVICE DEPARTMENT L4WN G4RE INDUSTRY POST OFFICE BOX 6080 DULUTH, MINNESOTA 55806-9780 ACTION from Page 1 of them." The report is entitled, Keep Off The Grass. It was released in two parts by author Laura Weiss of the Public Citizen's Congress Watch. Part I was A Review of the Health Effects of Pesticides 
Most Commonly Used by the 
Lawn Care Industry. Part II was An Analysis of State Reg-ulations Governing the Com-
mercial Lawn Care Industry. The report essentially says that a number of chemicals 
used by LCOs are health haz-ards, and that the industry is 
under-regulated. Damage to LCOs was minimized by the lawn care industry's prompt response to the report, says Troutman. "It died very quickly." Also, the previous fuss over the use of Alar on apples had the public less inclined to get excited over the matter, he be-lieves. "Our feeling is that the re-port received much less pub-licity than it would have before the Alar thing," says Troutman. Concern over two con-On camera: Wilkinson prepares to be interviewed on the nationwide Cable News Network. taminated grapes from ChileŠwhich turned out to be a non-issueŠcontributed to 
the nation's blase attitude. "I think the public wanted to hear that food was safe. I think by the time this report came out people were sick of scare stories. I think the press was looking at it more crit-ically," Troutman observes. Damage control efforts played a big role, too, he points out. LAWN CARE INDUSTRY Editor Elliot Maras obtained a copy of the report the day be-fore its release. He FAXed it to PLCAA, and PLCAA officials FAXed it to others. James F. Wilkinson, Ph.D., director of regulatory and en-
vironmental affairs, flew to PLCAA's Marietta, Ga. head-quarters from his home in Rhode Island to help prepare a united response. He wrote a "guest colum-nist" piece opposing Weiss in USA Today and he was inter-viewed by the Cable News Network. PLCAA officials also made themselves available to field 
phone calls from the media. "We were flooded with calls when the first half came out," Troutman recalls. By the time Part II was released, reporters were apparently convinced that the story was a bust. "We got just a half dozen calls when the second half came out." PLCAA issued press re-leases denouncing Weiss' re-port, her poor research techniques and the incorrect information that she pub-
lished. A PLCAA bulletin notified members of the report and urged them to refer local re-porters to the headquarters for comment. PLCAA also sent members a point-by-point response to 
the first part of the Public Cit-izen report, with a response to Part II to come. The Chemical Specialty Manufacturers Association also issued a press release tak-ing issue with Weiss' con-
clusions. Meanwhile, Maras at LAWN CARE INDUSTRY 
interviewed an official at the Environmental Protection Agency, who disputed the claims cited in Weiss' report. Maras moved the comments ORKIN from Page 1 Shipp, president of Western Farm. "It (Yearound) was not part of our base of business." He notes that all of the other seven Western Farm divisions 
are involved in agriculture. "We are happy to welcome the employees of Yearound to 
the Orkin Lawn Care family," says Gordon Crenshaw, vice president. "The company has excellent employees and we're 
excited about the fact that this creates a truly national market for our company." The eight Yearound branches make a total of 63 for the Orkin Lawn Care network. Orkin Lawn Care is a divi-sion of Orkin Exterminating Co., which is owned by Rollins, Inc. of Atlanta, Ga. According to Rollins' 1988 annual report, Orkin Lawn Care is the third largest owner-operated lawn care firm in the country, meaning its 1988 sales were in excess of $30.9 million. LCI Pennsylvania ponders posting HARRISBURG, PA. A pro-posal is in the works to require Pennsylvania LCOs to pre-post 48 hours before an appli-cation and display 18-by-24-inch warning signs afterwards. The bill has a number of sponsors, but at presstime it had not been introduced to the 
legislature. The post-application sign requirements include that it contain the Mr. Yuck symbol, a copy of the label, the phone number of the local poison center and the applicator's name. The Chemical Specialty Manufacturers Association is objecting to the complicated regulations. "It is a big ball of wax," said Bob Pearce, chair-man of CSMA's commercial/ 
residential division. The bill targets structural pest control firms especially hard. Hospitals and hotels would also be affected. LCI on the PR Newswire Service distributed nationwide by the Associated Press. The lawn care industry's ef-forts resulted in fairer stories 
for the most part. The coverage in New Jersey was nothing like 1986, when the media went crazy over the pesticide issue, says Russ Frith, president of Lawn Doc-
tor, Inc., based in Matawan, N.J. "I think the media people are getting a little more recep-
tive" to the fact that these claims may be questionable, Frith observes. New Jersey ra-
dio programs handled the re-
port evenhandedly. Weiss' report gave Iowa a C-minus for its regulatory ef-forts, and that was reported in the De Moines Register. Darryle Johnson, president of American Turf Beauty, Inc. in Van Meter, Iowa, reports that he got only three cancella-tions. "What concerns me is how many didn't call in to get (ser-vice) started." he adds. Tom Jessen, president of Perma Green Supreme, Inc. in Crown Point, Ind., heard nothing from his customers after the local papers carried stories on the report. Industry Consultant Philip E. Catron lives in the Bal-
timore-Washington area, and he reports that the public has had its fill of the Exxon Val-dez, grapes, apples and the ozone. "I think people are just kind of dazed and muted right 
now." Some commercial clients of Clarence Davids & Sons in Blue Island, 111. expressed con-cerns over the chemicals used after stories appeared in the local papers. Bill Davids, vice president of operations, told them that for all the potential risks there are many more benefits. LCI Call Now to See PERFCO'S Full Line of 4-COLOR LAWN CARE AND LANDSCAPING BROCHURES NOW YOUR COMPANY CAN AFFORD BEAUTIFUL, 4-COLOR BROCHURES... AT 2-COLOR PRICES! Ł Lawn Care & Landscaping, Many different styles and sizes to choose from. Ł 4-Color Aeration & Disease Doorhangers. Ł Project a professional image. Ł Personalized to fit your company's needs. Ł Large order custom designs. Ł Eliminates costly agency fees! PLCAA Booth # 825, 924 FOR FREE SAMPLE PACKAGE CALL OR WRITE TODAY 1-800-543 0900 Ohio 1-513-845-3897 85 Quick Rd New Carlisle, OH 45544 ONLY THE PRICES ARE UNBELIEVABLE! The Brouwer Trash'Pik.. Solve your litter collection problems, fast, efficiently. Call your Brouwer dealer for more information or a demonstration... TODAY. Woodbine Ave., Keswick, Ont., Canada L4P 3E9 Tel. (416) 476-4311 Fax. (416) 476-5867 BROUWER TURF EQUIPMENT LIMITED An Outboard Marine Corporation Company 7320 Haggerty Rd., Canton, Ml. 48187 
Tel. (313) 459-3700 Fax. (313) 459-8778 89-109P Copyright 1989 Brouwer Turf Equipment Limited. Circle No. 106 on Reader Inquiry Card The Trash-Pik Ž is the innovative method for picking up litter at municipal locations, theme parks, airports, shopping malls, car parks and such places. Some outstanding features: Ł 18 h.p. two cylinder Kohler gas engine Ł Closed loop hydraulic hydrostatic Ł 200 degree nozzle operating arc Ł Reverse air-flow to remove hose blockages or blow leaves or litter for easy pick-up Ł The 8 cu. ft. litter container bag tilts back for easy unloading Ł Heavy-duty, corrosion free fibre-glass body CLASSIFIED RATES: $1.00 per word (minimum charge, $35). Boldface words or words in all capital letters charged at $1.25 per word. Boxed or display ads charged at 1X $85; 3X $80; 6X $75; 9X $70; 12X $65 per column inch (one inch minimum). (Frequencies based on a calender year). Agency commission allowed only when camera ready art is provided by 
agency. For ads using blind box numbers add $15 to total cost of ad. Send ad copy with payment to: DAWN NILSEN, LAWN CARE INDUSTRY, 1 E. 
First St., Duluth, MN 55802. (218) 723-9505. Fax 
Number (218) 723-9615. BOX NUMBER REPLIES: Mail box number replies to: LAWN CARE INDUSTRY. Classified Ad De-partment, 1 E. First St., Duluth, MN 55802. Please include box number in address. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES CURBMATE-THE MONEY MACHINE. Patented, 
electrically driven and self-propelled machine pro-
duces beautiful continuous concrete landscape edging. Simplifies the installation of concrete bor-
ders between lawns and flower beds, along driv-
eways and sidewalks, etc. Applications for residential and commercial settings, golf courses, etc. Turn $5,000-$10,000 equipment purchase into $50,000-$100,000 potential annual income. 
(801)273-3938. 6/89 CURB KING: Curbing machine that lays continu-ous concrete landscape borders. Low investment, high returns. For information call 303-434-5337 or write PO Box 40567, Grand Junction, CO 81504. 9/89 HELP WANTED Excellent positions in the irrigation & landscape industry are available now. Call Florapersonnel, the international employee search firm for the or-namental horticulture industry. Completely con-fidential. Employer pays fee. Florapersonnel, P.O. Box 1732,1450 S. Woodland Blvd., Suite 201, De-
Land, FL 32721-1732. (904)738-5151. Jim 
Bambrick, Jeff Brower, David Shaw, CPC, Bob 
Zahra, CPC. TF MAJOR LAWN CARE COMPANY needs to fill mid-dle management field staff position in the Dallas area. Related degree preferred, but must have hands-on experience in lawn and ornamental care. Must have strong communications skills and be willing to travel. Good benefits. Resume and salary history to LCI Box 210. TF SALES MANAGER Turf Ornamental supply business seeks a mo-tivated person to direct sales in the Mid-Atlan-tic area. Applicant should have sales training and market planning experience. Competitive salary, benefits, with opportunity for profes-sional growth. 
Send resume to: Moyer & Son, Inc. P.O. Box 198 Souderton, PA 18964 Attn: Ken Lawn Care gSK" Career opportunities coast-to-coast. Employer retained. Experts in personnel since 1968. USA Careers 5153942556 New Hampton, IA 5Q659 r\ new handbook from the editors of Lawn Care IndustryŠHundreds of ideas from industry experts ... This book is loaded with hands-on tips to improve your... - HIRING - ADVERTISING 
. MARKETING . MANAGEMENT 
Ł CUSTOMER RELATIONS Ł PROMOTIONS Ł BUYING Ł LIABILTY KNOWLEDGE H ere are only a few of the subjects you can dig into... Ł Ways to find good employees Ł How to motivate workers at $5 an hour Ł Expanding into mowing/management work Ł Off-season options 
Ł Marketing to new homeowners Ł How to write a snow removal contract Ł Joint biddingŠwhat are the pitfalls? 
Ł To sell or not to sell? Ł To buy or rent? Ł Contractors liabilities kll this and much, much more in the new "How to Grow Your Lawn Care Business" handbook. Get yours now for only $35. The more you use this book, the more useful it will be to you. To order your copy, simply complete the attached card and mail it to Business Information Services, 7500 Old Oak Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44130. Or for rush service just call BIS at (216) 826-2839. YES I want copy(s) of the Lawn Care Industry's "How to Grow Your Lawn Care Business". My payment is enclosed. Check payable to BIS Charge my credit card: VISA Master Card American Express Card # Exp. Date Signature . Name Company. Address _ City/State/Zip _ Phone FOR SALE HANNAY HOSE REELS: New in the box. E1526's 
and E1530's - $349.00 We will ship and pay freight 
anywhere in the U.S.A. and Canada. Immediate delivery. Other size reels and parts available at fabulous savings! Call 313-543-2200, in Michigan. 
Outside Michigan - 1-800-843-LAWN. TF ROYER DIRT SHREDDER Model 182. In Excellent Condition. $9,000 or B/O. 313-243-3382 or 313-243-8522 Evenings. Jack's Lawn Service, Monroe, Mich. 6/89 USED CHIPPERS, BUCKET TRUCKS, BOOM TRUCKS: Stump grinders, stake bodies, tree 
trucks and dumps. New Morbark and Woodchuck Chippers. Rayco stump grinders at discount prices. We also buy trucks and equipment. Op-dyke, Inc.. Hatfield, PA (Phil, area) 215-721-4444. 7/89 FREE PARTS CATALOG - If you own a 32-36-48-52-61'' walk-behind or riding mower and feel you're paying too much for your parts and 
equipment call PRECO DISTRIBUTORS today. We have BELTS, BLADES, WHEELS, GRASS CATCHERS. Replacement parts that fit Bobcat, Bunton, Kees, Exmark, Scag & others. Engines and Parts for Honda, Kawasaki, Briggs & Stratton and more. Order your free catalog 24 hours a day. TOLL FREE 1-800-428-8004, US, in Mass. 1-800-421-3900. Preco Distributors, 97 Center St., Ludlow, MA 01056. TF Bowie Hydromulcher 1100: Trailer mounted with extra duty suspension and extra wide tires, Kubota Diesel powered with heavy duty clutches and powertrain, centrifugal pump and electric hose reel with hose. Well maintained. No rust. $12,900. Call Gary at (317)873-5231. 6/89 MISCELLANEOUS ADVERTISERS INDEX PLCAAMI 8!T LANDSCAPE TRAINING VIDEOS Intermediate mower maintenance field and shop repair; efficient/profitable mowing techniques; professional shrub trimming, plant installation, basic landscape plan drawing, etc. ENGLISH AND SPANISH. Write for free brochure. C.D. Anderson Landscape Videos 515 Ogden Avenue Downers Grove, IL 60515 1-800-937-0399 WANTED TO ACQUIRE Lawn care companies of- all sizes in U.S. and Canada being sought by national cor-poration. Complete buy out or 
stay and grow with us. If inter-ested, please call me directly: Don Karnes Senior Vice-President TRU GREEN CORPORATION (404) 442-8700 STRICT CONFIDENTIALITY MAINTAINED j TRU GREEN WANTED Wanted to Buy - Lawn care companies of all sizes anywhere in U.S. wanted to purchase by national corporation. If interested, please respond to LCI Box 197. Strict confidentiality maintained. TF NO. ADVERTISER PAGE 101 Americalist ... .. .34 102 American Cyanamid .. .29 103 Andersons ... 4 104 BASF ... .7 105 Brouwer/ Triplex-376 ... ,...16 106 Brouwer/ Trash Pik .. .33 107 Brouwer/ Seeder .
 . .30 108 Dow Chem ... . 26-27 109 Encap .. .30 110 Hochst Roussel .. .22 111 Lesco .. .36 112 Lofts . 17-20 114 Maibo .. .25 115 Maruyama ,... 21 116 Mobay/Dylox .. 117 Mobay/Oftanol .
 . .23 118 Mobay/ Oftanol 14-15 119 Monsanto 10-11 120 Northrup King 4 121 O.M.C. Cushman 2-3 122 Perfco 33 123 Rhone-Poulenc 9 124 Riverdale 24 125 Tecumseh 24 New Products 130 131 132 133 Feldmann/ aerator O.M. Scott/ Pendimethalin . Maruyama U.S./ electric sprayer Riverdale/ weed killer .... .30 .25 .30 .30 This index provided as an additional service. The publisher assumes no liability for ommission or error. IT'S A JUNGLE OUT THERE... ifH Without a good guide the direct mail maze can swallow you up! Get the right list and state-of-the-art mailing services from Americalist! We've been helping people like you market to America by mail ever since 1932. > Up to the minute mail and telephoning lists we compile ourselves AfllERIfALIST Ł Labels, cards, self-mailers, mag-tape or diskettes Ł Verification and updating for your list Ł Personalized mailers on our new laser printing facilities I For good guidance call us toll free at 1-800-321-0448 ^ (in Ohio) 1-800-321-4911 it means J A I SLOW MOVING VEHICLE gŠ§ THE LAST WORD Will southern species grow in the North? Will warm season grasses grow in cool season climates? Do people even want them to? Could planting bermudagrass throughout the nation be the lawn care industry's answer to areas that are under drought-induced watering 
restrictions? These questions are being raised by J. Randall Ismay, owner of Landscape and Water Consultants in Los 
Angeles, Calif. Randall recently conducted a fascinating hour-
and-a-half seminarŠwithout notesŠat the California Landscape Contractors Association convention in Long Beach. His ideas on water conservation include the belief that warm season grasses should be planted 
wherever possibleŠand that includes northern climates! Randall acknowledges that his concept is controversial, but he says it can be an effective cure for water-starved turf. The idea that southern grasses are harder to take 
care of just doesn't wash with Randall. "When people say warm season grasses are harder to maintain, what they really mean is that they don't want to buy a reel mower." Breeders continue to make improvements in warm 
season grasses, and Randall says they could become popular throughout the country. "I feel that they will be the rule, not the 
exception." Bermudagrass does particularly well under limited moisture conditions. "It is by far the superior turf 
for the environment," he 
notes. "It needs less than half the water" that bluegrass requires. It needs far less 
fertilizer and far less maintenance. Except for 
Florida, bermuda has few disease or insect problems. Plus, bermuda is tough. It resists traffic damage and it can repair itself. Turf managers can see this happening in areas where they battle bermuda or other southern grasses as pesky weeds. "Rather than fooling around with the cool season grasses they should let the 
warm season grasses take 
over." Warm season grasses can survive under cold weather conditions, Randall states, referring to some stands of bermuda that he's observed in different regions of the country. "I've seen it grow in Denver and do quite adequately well." Even in harsher climates, "it would not do extremely well, but it would survive." One big benefit is that other species can be adapted for certain climate 
conditions. "Where one 
warm season grass leaves off 
another one picks up," says Randall. "For most of the Plains states buffalograss is the superior turf to use on mowed areas." Okay, Randall, what about Cleveland, Ohio? "There are zoysiagrasses that would do quite nicely in your area." Of course, the big problem JAMES E. GUYETTE MANAGING EDITOR with trying to market warm season grasses is that they go brown at the first hint of winter. Most people in the North would find that unacceptable, right Randall? Not to worry, says he. "They can overseed with annual rye or annual bluegrass; if they're really upset they can spray it green" with a dye product. Others remain skeptical that warm season grasses will survive northern winters. Bermuda won't cut the mustard, says Kent W. Kurtz, Ph.D., professor of turf management and ornamental horticulture at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona. But he knows zoysia will grow in Chicago. "My father bought the plugs out of the newspaper. And he has seen a patch of bermuda growing just outside 
of Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Kent wanted myself and colleague Ron Hall to dig some up so it could perhaps be bred into a super bermuda. We couldn't find it, but we must have made a fine impression: Two guys in coats and ties carrying shovels, walking along staring 
at the lawn. Were we looking for nightcrawlers, a buried treasure or Jimmy Hoffa? Your Business Partner .. .Helpinggrow your business As a busy lawn care professional, you can't be personally involved with the many critical details that go into making your business successful, details ranging from developing staff safety training programs to keeping abreast of the latest regulatory 
issues. That's why it is vital that you have the timely information that allows you to be proactive rather than reactive. That's why you need your Business Partner Š The Professional Lawn Care Association of America. Let your Business Partner go to work for you on such assignments as: Issues Management Training programs for pesticide management OSHA Hazard Compliance An effective telemarketing program Preparing a marketing plan Update on small business law Group Health/Life/Major Medical A Credit Collection Service 
A Liability Insurance Program A newsletter on lawn care issues 
A public relations program Gather major suppliers of lawn care products and services As the only international trade association of lawn care professionals, PLCAA has a strong history of providing the right information at the right time for the lawn care industry. Our staff and Board of Directors are dedicated to providing you with the professional business assistance you need to stay strong and informed. To learn more about how to put your Business Partner to work Š for less than a dollar per account per year, contact the Professional Lawn Care Association of America today. Clip and mail the return coupon, or call toll free 1-800-458-3466. PROFESSIONAL LAWN CARE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA 1000 Johnson Ferry Road N.E., Suite C-135 Marietta, Georgia 30068-2112 1-404-977-5222 FAX: 404-578-6071 I 'm interested! Send me more information on membership in PLCAA NAME TITLE COMPANY ADDRESS CITY STATE-ZIP TELEPHONE CUP AND MAIL TO: Professional Lawn Care Association of America, Suite C135 | 1000 Johnson Ferry Rd NE Marietta GA 30068-2112 Get ready to profit from fall proven performance, lawn renovation with a special price Purchase a renovator by THE PROVEN PROFIT-MAKER Nk and excellent payment terms on the LESCO Renovator 20. It's the easy-to-operate slicer/seeder 
with built-in maneuverability and June 30,1989 and pay just $2495.00. With no payment due until September 1,1989. Powered by an 8-HP Ma engine, the 
:0 Renovator 20 features exclu-sive hydraulic drive with 0 to 2 mph forward peed control, ring-loaded reverse s the unit greater leuverability in 
t areas and simpli-trailer loading and unloading. X A compact, v >> ^K \ low-profile & design provides excellent hillside ^ stability. Last year, the renovator supply did not meet demand. It could happen again. Prepare now^ to profit this fall by taking advantage of this special price and extended payment terms. We're ready to deliver. Contact your LESCO sales representative, visit the nearest LESCO Service Center or call toll free (800) 825-3726. Special pricing in effect from May 10 through June 30,1989. Payment for all orders booked during promotum is due net September 1,1989. LESCO LESCO, Inc., 20005 Lake Road, Rocky River, Ohio 44116 (216) 333-9250 " v * Ł K I Y B-tttft* <