Lawn~O~Gram LOG - Quarterly Newsletter for Members of THE LAWN INSTITUTE OCTOBER 1986 Volume 3 Number 4 July is always a busy month with follow-up assignments related to the Annual Meetings plus Harvests and Lawn-O-Gram mailings and preparation of the Fall Press Kit. We have kept a tight schedule and made our deadlines pretty well. Response to the Autumn 1986 Press Kit has been the greatest yet. We are about pushed to the limit to keep up with requests for follow-up information. There’s great satisfaction in knowing that our material is being used and that the public is responsive. We hope that you will find the items included in this issue of Lawn-O-Gram of interest. They represent the types of involvement The Lawn Institute maintains in behalf of better lawns and sports turf. Executive Director Office Manager CONTENTS TOPIC - Fults Alkaligrass - Lawn-O-Gram Volume 3 Number 3 - Autumn 1986 Press Kit - Harvests Volume 33 Number 2 - Harvests Subscriptions - Overseeding Practices Talk - New Lawn Institute Special Topic Sheets [LISTS] - News Releases from Autumn Press Kit - Trade Journal Articles - Newsletters Using Lawn Institute Releases - Papers in Conference Proceedings - Lawngrass Video Tape - New Lawngrasses - "Organic” Lawn Care Symposium - National Sports Turf Council - Musser International Turfgrass Foundation - Virginia Tech Turfgrass Field Day PAGE 2 2 3 5 6 6 7 7 7 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 Fults Alkaligrass The Lawn Institute Variety Review Board has approved the listing of Fults alkaligrass as a specialty grass. The first release on Fults was made in the Autumn 1986 Press Kit. Lawn-O-Gram Volume 3 Number 3 Seventy four copies of the July issue of Lawn-O-Gram were mailed on the twenty ninth. This issue contained minutes of the Annual Meetings of The Institute in addition to a LOG of activities during the past quarter. Attachments provide examples of various items in which the headquarters office staff have been involved. Distribution was as follows: Overseas Canada United States 1 4 69 TOTAL 74 Composition was as follows: 1 - Lawn-O-Gram 18 - attachments 19 - total 9 sides, 65 sides, 74 sides 5 sheets 37 sheets 42 sheets Costs for production and distribution were as follows: Postage USA [69] Canada [4] Overseas [1] Paper 44 sheets x Envelopes [74] Labels 80 copies $97.29 5.82 6.44 $109.65 28.56 9.62 .75 $ 38.93 $109.65 + 38.93 = $ 148.58 Delivered cost amounted to $2.01 per copy. This is up from $1.29 for the April issue. Increased size of the newsletter containing minutes of Annual Meetings caused a major increase in postage. Autumn 1986 Press Kit The Press Kit was concerned with issues presented by national media early this summer on hazards related to lawn care. Questions were posed and answered. New proprietary lawngrasses were recommended to provide more disease and insect resistance. Cultural practices to improve insect and disease resistance in lawns were suggested. Then if pesticides must be used, suggestions on what to use and how to use them were provided. The following topics were covered using double spaced print on one side of 37 pages. Topic Memo to Communicators Lawn Critics Questions Answered New Grasses for Weed, Insect & Disease Resistant Lawns Getting Rid of Lawn Insects Have a Disease Free Lawn Total Pages 2 6 8 10 11 37 The Press Kit was mailed in three stages on July 30, August 4 and August 7. The first mailing contained about 1/4, the second 1/2 and the third 1/4 of the total of 2513 copies. The following distribution breakdown by zipcode provides an indication of regional coverage. 177 - MD, DC, VA, WV, NC, SC 62 - TN, MS, AL, GA, FL 0 - 324 - ME, NH, VT, CT, RI, MA, NJ, PR 1 - 407 - NY, PA, DE 2 - 3 - 4 - 386 - MI, IN, OH, KY 5 - 272 - MT, ND, SD, MN, IA, WI 312 - NE, KS, MO, IL 6 - 21 - TX, OK, AR, LA 7 - 75 - ID, WY, CO, NM, AZ, UT, NV 8 - 9 - 383 - CA, OR, WA, AK, HI 2419 90 CANADA 4 OVERSEAS 2513 TOTAL A completely revised and updated mailing list that Included a net increase of 170 names was used. We believe these 2513 contacts have the greatest prospect for use of our material. The following cost breakdown accounts for expenditure of funds - Folders $854.42 213.61 Envelopes 3484.43 Printing Labels,string 25.00 Postage 720.17 Total $ 5297.63 Thia amounted to $1297.63 over budget. Unit cost delivered was down to $2.11 from $2.28 for the Spring Press Kit. Even though costs for the Autumn Kit are down in comparison with the Spring Kit, the total was almost $1300 over budget. Increasing costs are noted as follows: folders - (small) envelopes - (small) postage - (significant) A breakdown of postage costs indicates: bulk mail [US] - $ 561.21 Canada [first class] - 133.20 25.76 overseas [air mail] - Total $ 720.17 It takes 63 mail bags to get a Press Kit off to the Post Office. Total weight amounts to 1257 pounds or about 20 pounds per bag. The Autumn 1986 Press Kit contained 37 sheets, down from 43 sheets for the Spring 1986 Kit. A further reduction in number of pages will be necessary for the Spring 1987 Kit in order to stay within the yearly budget. Harvests Volume 33 Number 2 The July 1986 issue of Harvests was mailed on the eighth. Bev had an interesting piece to contribute on our roots in lawn care interst. Dr John H Falk's research is quoted quite often but until this issue had not been used in Harvests. Sports Turf, Seed Quality and Use of Green Colorants to improve turf esthetics were other features included. Fifteen research reports were presented in our continuing effort to thresh the journals for the latest new information on lawngrass culture. The following accounting of Harvests distribution and costs is presented for your information. Distribution by zipcode: Zip 0 - 83 - ME, NH, VT, CT, RI, MA, NJ 99 - NY, PA, DE 1 - 88 - MD, DC, Va, WV, NC, SC 2 - 3 - 142 - TN, MS, AL, GA, FL 4 - 72 - MI, IN, OH, KY 5 - 77 - MT, ND, SD, MN, IA, WI 6 - 88 - NE, KS, MO, IL 7 - 41 - TX, OK, AR, LA 8 - 63 - ID, WY, CO, NM, AZ, UT, NV 9 - 207 - CA, OR, WA, AK, HI 960 45 CANADA 13 OVERSEAS 1018 [including 7 mailed with 2nd Invoices] Costs were as follows: Envelopes Printing Labels, string Postage - $ 39.44 283.15 20.00 176.89 $ 519.48 This amounted to $230.52 under budget. Unit cost delivered was down to $0.51 from $0.53 for the April issue. Two hundred and fifty nine fewer copies were mailed than in April. Harvests Subscriptions Twelve new subscriptions to Harvests have been received this quarter. Total subscriptions stand at 80. Little effort has been made to date to promote subscriptions to the newsletter. Overseeding Practices Talk A ninety minute presentation on Overseeding Practices was scheduled for The Mississippi and Southern Turfgrass Associations Conference last November. This was held July 20-22 in Biloxi, Mississippi. The topic was presented as a "Huntly-Brinkley” discussion by Roberts and Hurley to an audience of 100 Golf Course Superintendents. This was the fourth of the Roberts-Hurley presentations. New Lawn Institute Special Topic Sheets [LISTS] Material used to answer questions on Lawn Renovation has been edited for use in one of our LISTS. [See copy attached.] Material used to answer questions on "Organic" Lawn Care has been edited for use in one of our LISTS [see copy attached]. News Releases from Autumn Press Kit The August 15,1986 issue of The Cape Codder contained an article by Grace van Schyndel entitled ’’Your Cape Cod Garden”. Material from the Autumn 1986 Press Kit was used [copy attached]. An article about Dr Reed Funk in a Trenton, New Jersey newspaper listed The Lawn Institute as a source of further information. The large color picture attracted a lot of attention and we have benefited by making contact with hundreds of New Jersey residents. A copy of the article is attached. The Chattanooga News - Free Press on September 7 featured an article "Roll Out the Green Carpet" complete with color picture [copy attached]. The Lawn Institute was listed as a source of information. Requests have been numerous. Trade Journal Articles The June 1986 issue of Greenmaster contains an article entitled "Water Wasters" by The Lawn Institute Director [see copy attached ]. The June 1986 issue of Greenmaster contains an item entitled "Water Use by Turfgrasses - A Synthesis of Recent Research" from the April 1986 issue of Harvests [see copy attached]. We are receiving requests for follow-up information from an article in the July/August issue of The Gardener published by The Men’s Garden Club of America. The August 1986 issue of Seedsmen's Digest contained "Variety Review Board 1986 Cultivar Listings ’’ [copy attached]. Unfortunately this was not the most recent list as it does not include Warren’s A-34 BenSun or Fults alkaligrass. The August 1986 issue of Lawn Care Industry contained an article from Harvests about fall aeration as practiced by J D Mello of Romeoville Illinois [copy attached]. The August 1986 issue of Seed Trade News contained an article titled "Turf Grass - Growers Benefit From Boom Market in 1986". This referred to The Lawn Institute as one of the organizations that aid the homeowner, lawn care companies, landscape contractors and golf course superintendents by evaluating the performance of proprietary cultivars based on local, regional and national data [copy attached]. We are receiving requests for follow-up information from an article in The Avant Gardener. The September issue of Florida Turf Digest contained the following four items from Harvests : - The When, Where and Why of Lawns; - Research Update - Genotypic Variability in Bermudagrass Damage by Ectoparasitic Nematodes; - Herbicide Research Update - Maintaining Warm Season Grasses; Influence of Nitrogen on Recovery of Bermudagrass Treated with Herbicides. [See copies attached.] An article in the September issue of Weeds, Trees and Turf, has resulted in our receipt of letters about safer sports fields. Information needs call for specifics about both warm and cool season grasses. See copy of article attached. The September issue of U S News and World Report contained 7 lines about lawn seed under the heading "News You Can Use". This was the result of a thirty [some] minute telephone interview which provided information on lawnseed in general. It was interesting to note that fine fescues were selected above bluegrasses, perennial ryegrasses, bentgrasses and tall fescues. [See copy attached.] The September issue of Entrepreneur contained an article entitled "A Look at Lawn Care for the "Green-eyed" Entrepreneur". Among others, The Lawn Institute contributed Information. [See copy attached.] The September issue of Science of Food and Agriculture contained a one page statement concerning slide sets on turfgrass available from the American Society of Agronomy. [See copy attached] This magazine is sent to 159,000 high school science teachers across the country. Newsletters Using Lawn Institute Releases The August 1986 issue of Bull Sheet contained "Watering Lawns - How Much is Enough ?" The Lawn Institute is credited for this release [copy attached]. The August 1986 issue of Turf Line News from The Western Canada Turfgrass Association included the following two abstracts from Harvests : - Soil Cultivation and Incorporation Effects on the Edaphic Properties of Turfgrass Thatch. - Foliar Nitrogen - Uptake by Eight Turfgrasses Grown in Controlled Environment. Both papers were originally published in The Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science. Papers in Conference Proceedings Proceedings of the Tennessee Turfgrass Association 1986 Conference held last January have been received. The paper "Sources of Weed Seed in Turfgrass" is included in this issue Lawngrass Video Tape A manuscript entitled "How to Care for Your Lawn" was received for review on September 6. Jeff Ball of Springfield, Pennsylvania is doing a series of video tapes on ornamental horticultural topics. We were able to make suggestions for change that had the objective of placing greater emphasis on the importance of seed usage. New Lawngrasses An article in the September 15,1986 Newsweek entitled "Coming Soon: Lazy Lawns" referred to work of geneticist Jan Weiger at The University of Alberta. Weiger has a collection of low maintenance grasses from the Rocky Mountains. These have attracted considerable interest. Among calls received have come questions from Elliot Maras, Editor of Lawn Care Industry and Andrew Johnson, a Business Consultant from Edmonton, Alberta. A copy of the article is attached. "Organic" Lawn Care Symposium The Organic Symposium sponsored by Green Pro Services at Molloy College on Long Island August 13 attracted about 75 people. The event was covered by Elliot Maras, Editor of Lawn Care Industry. Feature presentations on "The Soil and Its Importance" by Hummell and "Roots and Their Importance" by Roberts provided the technical background for a discussion "Organics - The Future of Our Industry" by Riley. National Sports Turf Council On Friday, August 15 both Bev and I met with the Executive Committee of The National Sports Turf Council in College Park, Maryland. Committee members present included: Drs Fred V Grau and Thomas Turner and Jack Murray. We are well satisfied with the increasing publicity and promotion of issues related to sports turf improvement. This is particularly evident in advertisements of Lawn Institute member firms that feature cultivars for safer sports turf . Musser International Turfgrass Foundation On August 25,1986 a Grau/Musser newsletter was mailed to members of The Musser International Turfgrass Foundation. Bev and I donate time to assist MITF in this way. All costs to The Lawn Institute are reimbursed. Virginia Tech Turfgrass Field Day The Virginia Tech Turfgrass Field Day was held September 16,17,18 in Blacksburg, Virginia. The event was well attended and featured reviews of current research. A portion of October 1986 Harvests will be devoted to this program.