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4 | From the editor
New title, new look for this publication. 54 | Duffer
How to avoid becoming fashion challenged when aging.
BY MIKE JIGGENS
BY DAVID MCPHERSON
DEPARTMENTS
06 | In the news Manitoba loosens cosmetic pesticide ban legislation. 14 | Health & safety Sound advice about how to safely operate mowers.
By Mike Jiggens
New title, new look for this publication
You’ve probably noticed by now that there’s something a little different about this issue of Turf & Rec
Yes, we’re now called Turf & Rec. We decided that after all these years – this is now the publication’s 30th – that we’d shorten our title somewhat. Our readers have always colloquially referred to us as Turf & Rec rather than the more cumbersome Turf & Recreation , so we figured we’d go with the flow.
And so we now have a newly designed logo to reflect our new name. Of course we didn’t stop there. In keeping with the fact that it’s our 30th anniversary, we’ve gone the extra mile and have given the magazine a long overdue facelift. We believe this redesign will make reading a little easier. It’s better organized and we have some new regular features that we’ve launched with this issue.
First off, we’ll be providing a regular news section toward the front of the magazine. Here, we will provide the latest headlines of what has been happening in the turfgrass industry. Most of this you might have read already on our much improved website (www.turfandrec.com), but these news snippets are here in case you haven’t recently visited us online.
Then, we begin an ongoing series of columns provided to
us by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. We can’t begin to emphasize the importance of health and safety in the professional turf and grounds maintenance industry, and these columns will address various topics that come to the fore all throughout the year.
We begin this issue with a primer on mower operational safety. Upcoming columns will address such matters as coping with extreme humidity while working outdoors and staying clear of lyme disease-causing ticks, and knowing what to do if contact occurs.
We’ve gone the extra mile and have given the magazine a long overdue facelift
Turf & Rec would not be complete without the addition of Duffer. The column at the back of our magazine has been an institution since we were first launched in 1987, and reader surveys tell us it is just as popular as ever. We regret that the last number of issues featured previously published Duffer columns, but it was due to a health setback suffered by our longtime author Ian Robinson. We wish Ian all the best and offer him our sincere thanks for 21
years of outstanding service. Ian was the column’s second author and made a seamless transition from the first. That baton has been passed on yet again with a new author who makes his debut in this issue. We believe Duffer remains in good hands.
Another notable change I’d be remiss to leave unmentioned is the departure of Bart Crandon from Turf & Rec. Bart purchased the magazine in 1994 from its original Vancouver-based owners and successfully published Turf & Rec for the next 22 years out of an office in Delhi, Ont. He sold the publication to nearby Annex Business Media last September and remained on with us until April to facilitate the transition in ownership. Satisfied that his successors are ready to steer the ship in the right direction, he has now begun a new chapter in his life with an early retirement.
We hope you enjoy our new look publication, and we can assure you we’re going to continue to stay of top of the latest developments happening in the turfgrass industry and will present them to you in a lively manner.
We’d like to hear from you as well. Send us an email message or offer a comment via our website or Facebook page with ideas about how we can better deliver our product to you or simply give us your thoughts about our redesign.
And don’t forget to visit our website regularly for ongoing updates from the turfgrass world.
www.turfandrec.com
Editor Mike Jiggens mjiggens@annexweb.com
National Advertising Manager Nashelle Barsky 905-431-8892 nbarsky@annexweb.com
National Account Manager Sarah Otto sotto@annexweb.com
Group Publisher Scott Jamieson sjamieson@annexweb.com
COO
Ted Markle tmarkle@annexweb.com
President & CEO Mike Fredericks
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Occasionally, Turf & Rec will mail information on behalf of industry related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above.
All advertising is subject to the publisher’s approval. Such approval does not imply any endorsement of the products or services advertised. Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not meet the standards of the publication.
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Ash tree removal to forever alter Waterloo’s streetscape
Waterloo, Ont.’s streetscape will be forever altered as plans continue to remove ash trees lining its streets.
About one in six trees lining its city streets are ash, and have been adversely affected by the destructive emerald ash borer.
The city began the removal of its ash trees in 2014 and has cut down about 25 per cent of those targeted. The tree removal program is costing the city $3.6 million and will continue to 2024.
Left alone, affected ash trees along city streets and areas close to property could fall over due to their weakened condition, causing significant problems. The impact is less severe in nearby Cambridge and Kitchener where ash trees make up about seven or eight per cent of all street trees.
— MIKE JIGGENS
‘Help wanted’ ad goes viral with its humorous message
A “help wanted” advertisement placed by a Nova Scotia landscaping company has generated plenty of attention as a result of both its humorous message and its honesty.
A segment of the ad posted by Elmsdale Landscaping Ltd. Reads: “Please do not apply if you oversleep, have court often, do not have a babysitter every day, or experience flat tires every week.”
The job posting went viral over social media.
A company spokesperson said reliable staff is required because crews of only three or four employees are dispatched to job sites, and the absence of one individual can adversely affect the workday.
Current employees of Elmsdale Landscaping think the posting hit the nail on the head. — MJ
Manitoba to loosen up cosmetic pesticide ban rules
Dissatisfaction with the current legislation regarding Manitoba’s two-year-old cosmetic pesticide ban has prompted the provincial government to loosen up its regulations.
Sustainable Development Minister Cathy Cox said feedback derived from a public consultation last summer was largely negative. She heard from lawn care companies that reported a loss of customers because of the ban.
1,000 the number of views on first day of going viral
The ban was enacted by the previous NDP government in 2015 and was introduced to address health concerns.
The NDP, however, has slammed the Progressive Conservative government’s revision plan, claiming it will put Manitobans’ health at risk.
“We’re worried about this
because of people’s sensitivities to chemical and ecosystems and people’s health, of course,” Manitoba Eco-Network executive director Karen Peters said.
NDP MLA Rob Altemeyer, environment critic for the Opposition, spoke out against the announcement.
“In contrast to consultation with experts and scientific evidence, the government is basing this move on a poorly constructed survey and is refusing to release the results of their supposed consultation with Manitobans,” he said. Cox said most survey respondents “expressed dissatisfaction with the current regulations and urged a responsible and practical approach to restricting cosmetic pesticides.”
— MIKE JIGGENS
Number of ash trees lining Waterloo streets
in
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Sports Turf Canada continues to grow
Former Ontario association gaining a foothold in Western Canada. By Mike Jiggens
Sports Turf Canada is continuing to spread its wings across the country as it celebrates its 30th anniversary. The Guelph, Ont.-based organization that promotes better and safer sports turf reported a 20 per cent increase in its membership from 2015 to 2016 and is aiming to build it up further this year.
The association held its annual general meeting at Toronto’s BMO Field in early April, reporting on its recent growth as well as projects it is spearheading to build its brand. The association began as an Ontario organization – formerly called the Sports Turf Association – and 80 per cent of its total membership is based in Ontario. Its next largest representation is from British Columbia at 10 per cent. Alberta accounts for four per cent of its membership while New Brunswick claims two per cent. The remainder is spread out over the other provinces.
Municipal sports turf managers make up the bulk of Sports Turf Canada’s membership. Commercial industry representatives, university personnel and school board officials account for the balance.
Tab Buckner, parks operations manager for the Township of Langley, B.C., is beginning his second year of a two-year term of office as president of Sports Turf Canada. One of his objectives as president, he said, was to gain a foothold for the association in Saskatchewan and possibly Manitoba, and some coals are already in the fire in that part of Western Canada.
Sports Turf Canada developed a working relationship with the Western Canada Turfgrass Association (WCTA) in recent years, helping to establish a membership base in British Columbia. A similar effort was made in New Brunswick to establish an Atlantic Canadian presence. Alberta became the next province to significantly become involved with Sports Turf
Canada, due largely in part to its peripheral attachment within the WCTA.
In addition to Sports Turf Canada’s annual Ontario fall field day it held a successful inaugural Alberta field day in Calgary last August that exceeded the expectations of organizers.
“It would be nice to have field days in every province,” Buckner said.
In spite of the success of the Alberta field day in 2016, it likely won’t be until 2018 that another association field day returns to the province. A western Canadian field day is slated for British Columbia this
Tab Buckner, left, president of Sports Turf Canada, and vice-president Ken Pavely are determined to push the organization forward in order to establish a presence in provinces currently not represented by the association.
PHOTO: MIKE JIGGENS
year, however.
Sports Turf Canada has held three field days so far in Atlantic Canada with two in Moncton, N.B. and another in Halifax, N.S.
“We seem to get the best bang for our buck in Moncton,” Buckner said. “It’s more regional and we get a better turnout.”
Another objective of Sports Turf Canada’s is to make available its educational course offerings to untapped regions of Canada.
“I’d like to try to see if we can in this last year (of his term of office) right the ship and try to get us to a break even point with our finances,” Buckner said, adding the plan will involve stepped up recruitment initiatives and the availability of more educational courses.
“That’s where we can generate our revenue because we don’t have a conference like other organizations do.”
He said Sports Turf Canada wishes to reduce the size of its board of directors in order to make the decision-making process more manageable. Currently, the board includes its president, vice-president, past president, secretary, treasurer and nine directors. Two director positions became vacant by the time of the association’s annual general meeting, but the board chose to fill only one as a step toward its pared down board size. All but four board members are from Ontario.
“You want to have regional representation for sure,” Buckner said. “It’s still a very Ontario dominated board.”
He said that as the association becomes established in other unrepresented provinces, perhaps officials from those areas might become new board members to give Sports Turf Canada a truly national scope.
Poised to succeed Buckner as president in 2018 is vice-president Ken Pavely of Lawn Life Natural Turf Products. He echoed Buckner’s sentiments about the need for Sports Turf Canada to become better established in such provinces as Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec and the remaining Atlantic provinces aside from New Brunswick.
“I think we’ve done a pretty good job of spreading our wings, and certainly we see some interest in Alberta,” he said.
Pavely said efforts to become established in other provinces will take both time and money to accomplish, but added it’s in the best interests of the association.
“We’re going to continue to fine tune our educational offerings and really make them high value for people.”
Other board members include:
• Past president: Tennessee Propedo, City of Hamilton
• Secretary: Jason Inwood, Town of Innisfil, Ont.
Sports Turf Manager is the official publication of Sports Turf Canada, evolving from a simple mimeographed newsletter into a four-colour magazine.
• Treasurer: Ben Tymchyshyn, MMM Group Limited, Alberta
• Directors: Gord Dol, Sports Turf International, Ontario; Paul Gillen, Wood Bay Turf Technologies, Ontario; Terry Henderson, City of Hamilton, Ont.; Gord Horsman, City of Moncton, N.B.; Stan Kazymerchyk, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, British Columbia; Roger Macklin, retired, City of Toronto, Ontario; Dwayne McAllister, Town of Oakville, Ont.; Paul Turner, G.C. Duke Equipment Ltd., Ontario; Mike Rossi, Turf Care Products Canada, Ontario.
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N D LOURDES
Anne Baliva has taken over as Sports Turf Canada’s executive manager, succeeding Lee Huether, who held the position since 1997. Baliva officially took over the position at the year’s outset, coming to the association from the water environment sector. She brings with her several years of experience in association management at both the provincial and national levels.
She said Sports Turf Canada plans to undertake a significant membership recruitment and retention campaign in the fall.
Huether was honoured at the annual general meeting for her 19 years of service to Sports Turf Canada.
Colleen Hopkins, who owns a custom picture framing business in Guelph, will be aiding Baliva as administrative assistant.
In addition to the annual general meeting, the day’s program included presentations by BMO Field head groundskeeper Robert Heggie, Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation president Sean Gunn and University of Guelph plant biologist Dr. Eric Lyons. Heggie later led delegates on a tour of the field and its facilities.
30 YEARS OF SUSTAINABLE FIELD MANAGEMENT
Lyons said there has been a significant shift over the past 30 years with sustainability in sports field management. In the past, the goal was to deliver a sports field with agronomics along with the environmental impact of those agronomics. Today, he said, it’s more about economics and communication and “making sure that our clients and stakeholders have our backs.”
It’s the communication skills of sports turf managers that allow them to be sustainable, he said.
Lyons said he is experiencing first hand the social and economic side of sustainability through his involvement in a WCTA assessment of synthetic and natural turf fields.
“Here I am, a plant biologist, doing economic research.”
He said the project is something that is new and exciting for him, and he hopes the information derived from it proves useful for future decision-making.
Sustainable action, Lyons said, means not using something up so that it’s no longer available for future generations.
“We must work within the world around us,” he said, meaning that existing ecosystems cannot be eliminated and that we can’t rely on unknown innovations “to save us later. That’s what it means to be sustainable.”
Municipalities cannot afford to exhaust resources, Lyons said. If a sports field is put down, the soil is properly looked after and the surface is regularly maintained, it can always be converted into a community garden or other effective green space.
“But if you put cement there, you can’t. You’ve destroyed that.”
Lyons said he is an advocate for natural turf fields and other
municipal green areas because they are more sustainable.
With the assistance of the Canadian Turfgrass Research Foundation, an educational poster has been developed by the Chimera Group to serve as a communications tool in advocating the environmental benefits of turfgrasses.
“It’s meant to say we should put our money into our turf areas because of the things they deliver. If we can’t communicate the benefits of the areas we maintain, then the areas we maintain will be lost. They won’t be invested in.”
Lyons said sports turf managers must convince municipal councilors, stakeholders and communities that sports fields are important for more than just play. He said such groups should be aware:
• Turfgrass takes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen.
• Turfgrass reduces runoff, making it ideal for storm water management planning. Turfgrass acts as a riparian buffer between roads and the community and usually a stream or river. “That’s why they’re there, because they can buffer those areas.”
• Turfgrass prevents erosion and stops things from moving.
• Turfgrass regulates temperatures, eliminating urban hot spots. Synthetic fields, by contrast, are hot, and so are the areas around them. The University of Guelph once had 12 natural grass fields at a time when enrolment was about 6,000 students. There are now about 19,000 students at the university and the number of fields has been reduced to six, including four synthetic surfaces. “If you stand in the middle of that complex of synthetic fields on a summer day, it’s hot. It’s not just a little bit hot. It’s a lot hot.”
• Turfgrass sequesters carbon.
• Turfgrass supports bioremediation. It supports a large biomicrobial population that can break down chemicals in the environment.
Lyons said all plants prevent runoff and erosion, give off oxygen and sequester carbon.
“But turfgrass is different. It’s your (sports turf
managers) job to make it different. It’s your job to show people why turfgrass is great and that you can play on it.”
In addition to its array of environmental benefits, turfgrass has the unique quality of being able to be played upon. It’s a safer surface to play on than cement, gravel and even synthetic turf, Lyons said.
The more things change, the more they stay the same, he added, but they are also different. Fields still need to be aerated to reduce compaction. Although sports turf managers have more sophisticated equipment at their disposal today, they still need to relieve compaction on their fields so that water movement can be achieved.
Overseeding is not a new practice, but recent research now gives justification for it. It shows that weeds can be reduced, thereby improving the safety and quality of turfgrass fields.
“You guys knew for years that overseeding a field made a field better. All the research did in this case was show you a better way to do it and give you justification for doing it.”
Lyons said he no longer advocates a starter fertilizer on sports fields, adding most soils aren’t deficient in phosphorous. Phosphorous should be applied only if a soil test finds a deficiency.
‘We’re going to continue to fine tune our educational offerings and really make them high value for people’
He reflected upon the evolution of Sports Turf Canada’s official quarterly publication Sports Turf Manager and its editorial content. The publication now contains a mix of agronomic-themed articles and those that pertain to communication and professionalism.
“We have to become professional growers, managers and educators. We just can’t be grass growers anymore.”
As the profession evolves, professionals adapt, Lyons said, adding that education is what makes the profession sustainable.
Lee Huether, left, outgoing executive manager of Sports Turf Canada, was honoured by the association in April at its annual general meeting for her 19 years of service. Succeeding her as executive manager is Anne Baliva.
Health & Safety
By the CCOHS
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) promotes the total well being of workers in Canada by providing information, training, education, systems and solutions that support health and safety programs and injury and illness prevention. www.ccohs.ca
Safe mowing in the summer time
This time of year many workers, new and experienced, are back at work with power mowers getting lawns back into shape and keeping them maintained. Whether as part of your job or when at home, mowers may seem simple enough to operate but there are serious hazards that come with operating any power tool.
Operating power mowers can be risky business. When you are mowing the lawn you are at risk of cuts and amputations, bruises and abrasions from plants and trees, burns from hot engines, electric shock or electrocution from contact with live electrical parts or electric power lines, and slips and falls from working in wet and/or cluttered areas.
Here are some tips for the safe use of power mowers to review heading into grass cutting season.
Before you start the work, read and follow the instructions in the manufacturer’s operating manual, and ensure your supervisor has fully trained you on how to operate the mower. Your supervisor should show you how to use the mower, and observe you working with it until satisfied that you can operate it safely. Be aware of the mower’s safety features, including how to stop the mower quickly in case of an emergency.
What to wear
Wear high-cut, non-slip safety toe footwear with reinforced
A
soles. Approved head protection helps when working under low branches and can deflect falling objects. A wide-brimmed hat, proper sunglasses, and comfortable clothing can provide protection from prolonged time in the sun. Wear sturdy gloves with a grip, hearing protection, and do not wear loose or torn clothing.
With new, inexperienced workers starting in the spring, it is imperative they know how to mow safely
Refueling
Fill the fuel tank before starting a job, while the engine is cold. If the engine has been running, shut off the engine and allow it to cool. Position yourself comfortably so that you can refuel without slipping and remove the fuel cap
slowly, holding it at the semilocked position until pressure is released. After filling, allow the nozzle to empty by keeping it in the filler opening for a few moments after shutting off fuel flow. Replace the fuel cap after checking to see that the venting is not clogged.
If you spill any fuel on equipment, wipe it up and allow any residue to dry before starting the engine. If your clothing catches fire, stop, drop and roll. Quickly remove the blazing garment, or drop to the ground and roll slowly, or wrap yourself in a blanket.
Dos and don’ts of operating a power mower:
• Know the controls and how to stop the machine quickly.
• Inspect the mower before starting. Make certain that the blade is sharp and secure.
• Ensure that shields and other guards, such as the rear drag shield and discharge deflector, are in
place and working properly.
• Keep hands away from the blades.
• Keep people away from the work area. Mowers can hurl objects in any direction.
• Clear the work area of rocks, bottles and debris that might be thrown by the blades.
• Watch for hidden hazards such as holes, roots, drain pipes and insect nests.
• Proceed slowly into tall, heavy grass to avoid choking the mower or stalling the motor.
• Set the mower at the highest cutting level when operat ing on rough ground.
• Ensure blade-stopping con trols are effective. Adjust as necessary.
• Mow across slopes. Your feet are less likely to slide under the mower. Also, the mower cannot roll back.
• Disconnect the spark plug wire before sharpening, re placing and cleaning.
• Do not reach under the machine.
• Do not touch hot motor parts.
• Do not spray cold water on a hot engine.
• Do not make wheel height adjustments while the mo tor is running.
• Do not leave blades rotat ing when crossing graveled area.
• Do not leave a mower run ning unattended.
• Do not remove the grass catcher or unclog chute with the motor running.
• Do not mow when surfaces are too slippery for you or the mower.
supervisor should demonstrate to his crew the safe operation of a mower.
Trees perform best if watered wisely
Shallow-rooted trees in saturated soils are apt to fail in windy conditions.
By Dr. Drew Zwart
Trees need water. No kidding, right? The need for water is probably the simplest concept of plant growth, however, a commonly overlooked fact is that tree health in managed landscapes usually suffers more from excess or improper irrigation than from lack of irrigation. There are a number of reasons why tree health suffers from improper irrigation, some direct and some related to secondary issues such as disease or decay.
Trees perform best with infrequent, deep watering, and can suffer from the frequent short-duration irrigation that is commonly applied to turf. Frequent irrigation encourages shallow rooting patterns in trees. Shallow roots will not compete well with turf for the applied water, while irrigating deep into the soil profile will cause tree roots to grow deeper, below the level where turf will outcompete trees for water and nutrients. Competition from turf due to shallow watering will lead to nutrient deficiencies and even moisture stress, despite regular watering. Competition from turf is also one of the most common reasons newly planted trees fail to establish in a landscape.
Shallow rooted trees are also less firmly anchored. Many whole-tree failures are the result of shallow root systems that cannot support the tree under windy conditions, particularly in saturated soils during or following heavy rain events.
Irrigation patterns that encourage deeper root growth lead to a more stable root system, where roots are growing in, and anchored into, a larger volume of soil. Another common cause of tree decline is over-watering, which harms trees directly and can lead to root disease or decay. Oxygen is necessary for root growth, and when soils remain saturated for long periods due to overwatering or poor
drainage, soils become anoxic and roots die. Dead roots are a common entry point for decay organisms, which can progress into the structural roots and lead to tree failure due to root and basal trunk decay. This is one of the most common modes of tree failure, and is one of the most dangerous due to the difficulty in assessing the structural integrity of roots growing below the soil.
Trees will ideally have large mulched areas with separate irrigation zones.
Dr. Drew Zwart is a plant pathologist and physiologist with the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories, and provides research and technical support for the Bartlett Tree Expert Company in Canada.
In addition to harmful anaerobic conditions and decay, saturated soils are ideal for the development of one of the most common diseases of plants, Phytophthora root disease. There are many species of pathogens in the genus Phytophthora, and dozens of these species cause root disease in woody plants. Phytophthora is a fungus-like organism, but is not a true fungus. One major difference between Phytophthora pathogens and true fungi is that Phytophthora species are very dependent on saturated soils in order to cause disease. Referred to as “water-moulds” in the older texts, Phytophthora species produce spores when soils are saturated that literally swim through the soil water before infecting roots. In addition, roots that are stressed from saturated conditions will “leak” carbohydrates and amino acids that help attract the spores of Phytophthora to them. If soils are not saturated, this type of disease is rarely a problem.
IRRIGATION ISSUES
Another irrigation issue that can cause problems for trees relates to emitter type and direction of spray. It is very common in landscapes to see irrigation water spraying directly against the trunks of trees, and this can cause a number of problems. Direct spray against trunks over the long term can physically damage bark and underlying tissues, impairing the movement of internal water, nutrients, and carbohydrates. In addition, death of the underlying tissue will eventually lead to sloughing or peeling of bark, opening another entry point for decay fungi. Irrigation needs of trees also change over time. Irrigation timing and location of emitters that might be appropriate for a newly planted tree can lead to overwatering once the tree has established a root system outside the original planting hole. Years later, as the tree grows and water needs increase, this same irrigation may become insufficient. In addition, emitters should be moved further and further from the trunk as the tree grows in order to apply water where the densest root growth occurs. A final problem with outdated or overgrown irrigation systems occurs
when trunk diameter growth causes a physical conflict between the trunk and the irrigation system, leading to leaks in the system or girdling of the stem.
Water quality, particularly when using reclaimed or recycled water, is another
common problem for trees. Trees are often far more sensitive to salts and other dissolved solids than turf species. Use of reclaimed water is desirable from many other perspectives, and should not be discouraged. The potential negative
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impacts of reclaimed water on tree health are dramatically reduced when irrigation is applied at a low frequency and high volume that is appropriate for trees. This allows for leaching of harmful water contents rather than concentration of these salts in the upper soil.
All of the issues mentioned so far can cause stress and lead to slow decline of trees, but they also can attract pests that will lead toward much more rapid tree mortality. Many insect pests of trees, including bark beetles, wood borers, and ambrosia beetles, are more attracted to trees under stress. Stressed trees release chemicals, commonly gaseous alcohols, which attract these insects. In fact, recent research has shown that trees growing in saturated soil conditions for just a few hours are far more likely to be attacked by boring insects compared to those growing in non-saturated conditions.
The best solution for many of these problems is to create separate irrigation zones for trees and turf. Irrigation zones for trees should run very infrequently, often only once or twice a month depending on location, for durations that allow moisture to reach 30-45-centimetre soil depth. The exact amount of time and water will depend on soil texture, weather, tree species, and many other factors. In addition to leading to healthier and long-
er-lived trees, removing trees from the typical turf irrigation pattern will save significant amounts of water.
Another great way to improve overall tree condition in landscapes is to create mulch rings around trees. Organic mulch, particularly fresh arborist wood-chip mulch, is one of the simplest and best soil treatments for trees for many reasons, several of which are related to irrigation. In addition to removing competition from turf in the critical root zone of trees, mulch helps to reduce evaporation, and moderates soil temperatures. All of these factors will reduce the overall need for supplemental irrigation, thus reducing the potential for excess irrigation. Mulch also has the side benefits of acting as a slow-release nitrogen source, protecting root zones from compaction, and protecting tree trunks and surface roots from physical damage often caused by turf maintenance equipment. As mulch slowly decomposes, it adds organic matter deeper into the soil profile, which improves soils’ structure and drainage.
Overall, it is possible to create landscapes where both trees and turf can survive and thrive. Just remember that trees and grasses are very different plants with different needs. When irrigation design only accounts for one plant type, the other will likely suffer.
Direct irrigation spray on trunks will damage bark and lead to decay.
Irrigation system is overgrown, and direct application to trunk has led to phytophthora cankers.
Employees want to be led, not managed
Golf superintendents told that managing staff will lead to underperformance and increased turnover.
By Mike Jiggens
People would rather be led than managed, and those in leadership positions who choose to simply manage their staff will find their employees will typically underperform, will coast through their jobs and will contribute to increased turnover, an audience of golf course superintendents was told in February in Victoria, B.C.
“If you’re trying to manage your people, you will struggle with people issues every single day of your career because people refuse to be managed,” said Steve Keating, senior manager of sales and leadership development for the Toro Company, speaking at the Canadian Golf Course Management Conference. He said superintendents who struggle with people issues, believing it’s the
toughest part of their job, do so because they are managing people and not leading them.
Things like budgets and inventories are managed, yet people are led, Keating said, adding those who treat people as if they are part of a budget or inventory or fleet of equipment will become increasingly frustrated when underperformance and job turnover become the norm.
Throughout his presentation, Keating made several references to Gen. George B. McClellan who led the Union army during the U.S. presidency of Abraham Lincoln. McClellan was historically regarded a master tactician yet was a chronic hesitator and a poor leader,
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contributing to his downfall.
His habitual hesitation and reluctance to “pull the trigger,” always waiting for the “right time,” led to his eventual dismissal. Although McClellan commanded a large army, he never launched his troops into battle and would ultimately find himself on the defensive, Keating said.
He asked the room of golf superintendents if they felt their workers were bringing the battle to them.
“Hesitation gets a lot of us in trouble.”
PATIENCE SHOULDN’T BECOME PROCRASTINATION
Patience is a virtue, Keating said, as long as it doesn’t become procrastination, which, sooner or later, “will get you.”
Many people don’t like to take chances, he said, and those who are risk-averse are almost doomed to eventual failure.
“Without risk, there is certainly no reward.”
People in leadership positions must try new things and experiment a little, Keating advised.
“You have to get out of your comfort zone. You have to be willing to fail. Those who are too afraid to fail, fail because they never take a risk. Not taking a risk is the single biggest risk you can take in this business today.”
Keating said McClellan never wanted to take a risk.
A window of opportunity as to when to move will always be available, he said, adding those who can’t make a decision will find it difficult to lead.
“I like to have as much information as possible before I make a decision.”
Having that desired amount of information, however, rarely occurs, he said, leading one to continually dig for more. Finally, a decision is made followed by action.
“You can fix a wrong decision. You cannot fix a no-decision.”
WEAK LEADERS HESITATE
Choosing to do nothing puts an individual in a quagmire situation he cannot escape. Keating said successful people or great leaders make decisions while weak leaders hesitate. Weak leaders fear being wrong so much that they make no decision at all. One needs to make certain why he is delaying.
“Are you practising patience? Are you making good, sound business judgment or are you procrastinating?”
Keating said it is what one does with his allotted time that makes him a successful business person and leader.
“We do not have a lack of time. What a lot of people sadly have is a lack of ability to prioritize.”
The ability to prioritize comes from having clearly-defined goals and objectives. Keating said if one doesn’t do something today to draw nearer toward achieving his goals – no matter how busy he might be – he won’t be productive. Without goals, there is no productivity, no matter how hard one works. Once it is realized there is “something in it for you,” one can be more productive.
A leader can “put up with a lot of crap” and never lose control of his attitude because he knows why he’s doing what he does.
“You know what’s in it for you. That’s the power of goals.”
Research shows that people spend an average of 40 hours thinking about and planning for a one-week vacation, yet most people won’t spend even one hour planning out the rest of their lives, Keating said, adding it’s impossible to plot the future without goals.
McClellan always complained about one thing or another he deemed was outside his control, implying he didn’t have enough time, money or resources to get anything done, Keating said.
He challenged his audience to ask themselves what their priorities really were before complaining about a lack of resources. Sometimes the things superintendents enjoy doing that occupy much of their time don’t contribute significantly to their success. When they start to think about their priorities, there tends to be a shift in their behavior and what they do.
“It’s not about a lack of resources. It’s almost certainly about a lack of priorities.”
GET YOUR PRIORITIES IN ORDER
Keating said the average American father spends seven minutes a week engaged in quality conversation with his children under the age of 18. He said they have no sense of priority and fall into the trap of doing the urgent things rather than the important things, and that’s not a successful path of leadership.
Steve Keating
Gen. George B. McClellan leader of the Union army during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, was a poor leader and hesitator, leading to his eventual downfall. He was referenced several times during Steve Keating’s address to the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association.
‘Not taking a risk is the single biggest risk you can take in this business today’
“Can you really communicate what your priorities are and what’s important to you?”
When one can stick to his priorities, he tends to get more done, he said.
McClellan had a penchant for blaming others for mistakes he made, Keating said.
“When you blame other people, it’s the kiss of death for leaders.”
One will never reach his full potential unless he is willing to accept responsibility for everything that goes on in his life, including both the good and bad as well as the people he allows in.
“If you don’t have the responsibility for the people you let into your life, then you’re going to let other people determine your future for you.”
Keating added that if a superintendent complains about the people in his life and does nothing to get them out, that is also his responsibility.
At its core, leadership is about influence, he said. If one has the ability to influence other people, he can lead, but he must also understand that other people are influencing him. Determining whether such people are positive or negative influences is an important consideration.
“They either leave you in a better place or in a worse place. If you want to be more successful, you need to make the conscious choice to interact with more successful people. A good leader will accept more than their share of the blame and less of their share of the credit. You need to stand up for your people and protect your people. If you have the audacity to call yourself a leader and think of yourself as a leader, then you have to accept responsibility for your people’s success.”
Those who don’t have that acceptance are simply managing people and not leading them, he said, and those who refuse often enough to accept responsibility for the things that go wrong in their lives will eventually be able to convince themselves they are superior to others.
Poor planning leads to failure and causes a shift in blame toward others, Keating said.
“Plans don’t always work, but planning always does.”
Even if a plan goes awry, there will be something to fall back on with another starting point, he said, adding one can look back and realize what went wrong.
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Canadian Turf Distributors
Atlantic Provinces
Irri Plus Inc. (902) 405-4774
Quebec Triad
Ville St. Laurent, QC (1 location) (800) 567-2473
Central Irrigation Supply
Ville St. Laurent, QC (514) 788-5884
Atlantic Irrigation Ville St. Laurent, QC (514) 913-6719
Ontario
Site One Landscape Supply Concord, ON (4 locations) (800) 347-4272
Vanden Bussche Irrigation Milton, ON (5 locations) (800) 263-4112
Central Irrigation Supply Mississauga, ON (4 locations) (905) 795-8088
Atlantic Irrigation Toronto, ON (416) 244-5551
Manitoba
Consolidated Supply Winnipeg, MB (204) 632-7643
Site One Landscape Supply Winnipeg, MB (204) 694-9442
Saskatchewan
Consolidated Supply
Saskatoon, SK (306) 653-5444
Site One Landscape Supply Saskatoon, SK (306) 931-2440
Alberta Emco Calgary, AB (403) 278-1470
Corix Water Products Calgary, AB (5 locations in AB) (800) 242-3176
Consolidated Supply Calgary, AB (403) 203-7550 Edmonton, AB (780) 413-3173
Site One Landscape Supply (2 locations in AB) (403) 236-0102
British Columbia
Consolidated Supply Kelowna BC (1 location) (250) 863-8291
Corix Water Products Surrey, BC (11 locations in B.C.) (800) 667-2445
Site One Landscape Supply (4 locations in B.C.) (250) 544-0401
Van-Kel/EMCO Corporation (8 locations in BC) (800) 667-8825
Vancouver Irrigation Supply Vancouver, BC (604) 251-2258 (4 locations)
Rain Bird International Inc. www.rainbird.com/ca
THERE IS ALWAYS TIME FOR PLANNING
Keating stressed there is always time available for planning. Doing unproductive things needs to end to allow a greater focus on objectives and goals and the more important things in life.
If a superintendent just one time blames his team for a decision he made himself or an action he had taken, he will personally disqualify himself with the ability to lead, Keating said.
“Leadership requires trust. If your people do not trust you, they cannot follow you.”
If a superintendent is truly a leader, those being led have made a commitment to their superior as an individual. A manager is one who can force the compliance of his people. The problem with having the compliance of people, he said, is that, upon leaving the golf course, the compliance also leaves.
“People will comply if they’re forced, but you must earn the right to lead. Once you’ve earned that right to lead, they become committed to you as a fellow human being.”
When a leader leaves the property, the commitment remains behind, Keating said. Employees want to do the job for the leader, rather than do it for the money.
The first time a leader starts to point fingers, he loses the right to lead, he said, adding trust isn’t the easiest thing to earn, but it’s virtually impossible to rear.
Referring to McClellan again, Keating said the general loved the trappings of leadership. Wherever he went in the field, his troops would construct him a small house with a bed off the ground and a heat supply while his men braved the outdoor elements. He was a believer in the adage, “rank has its privileges.”
But Keating said rank has its obligations.
“You have an obligation to be the model of successful behavior for your people.”
A leader’s followers will do what he does long before they do what he says, essentially mirroring his behaviours and actions.
“If you can’t apply the rules to yourself, then you shouldn’t be applying them to your people.”
A leader must be willing to make sacrifices to set an example of successful behavior in his people, Keating said. Leading is a set of skills, characteristics and attitudes meant for others to follow. Referencing McClellan again, he said the general didn’t adopt that way of thinking and established his own set of rules. Lincoln eventually fired the leader of his army, mainly for acts of insubordination.
“Every great leader is also a great follower. If you are insubordinate to the people above you, and you can’t help the people above you be more successful, you’re going to have a tough time having the people below you be more successful.”
Everyone is periodically challenged with frustration, Keating said, and that can lead to acts of insubordination.
“When you’re insubordinate to the people above you, you lose their trust and then you lose the ability to influence them.”
While acts of insubordination may not necessarily end one’s career, it will end any chance for real success, Keating said.
He said McClellan often talked behind Lincoln’s back, and that proved to be the final straw. The loyalty between the president and the leader of his army ended when it was discovered McClellan would say one thing to Lincoln and something entirely different to everyone else.
Keating said if a golf superintendent makes a disparaging remark about his greens committee chairman or a club member, the act will eventually come back to haunt him. Insubordination will “kill you” every time, he said, suggesting the best way to deal with someone is face to face.
“If you do not have the courage of your convictions, of your principles, of your core values, you will find it very, very, very difficult to actually lead.”
Keating said McClellan didn’t have the courage to tell Lincoln what he really thought.
Flushing dir t and debris, and defeating ex treme conditions.
That’s intelligent.
Plenty to consider managing sports turf
Sports turf must be designed with good surface runoff.
By Mike Jiggens
Sports turf managers are in the business of developing playing surfaces and not in the business of growing grass, and everything they do to grow grass on athletic field surfaces is likely contrary to what the turf wants done, those attending the eighth annual Nutrite lawn care seminar in Guelph were told in March.
Dave Smith, principal of DCS Agronomics, addressed a gathering of lawn care operators and other turfgrass professionals to speak about proper sports turf construction and evaluation.
Much of what a sports turf manager does to develop his playing surfaces, such as topdressing in hot weather, is not good for the grass, but is good for the games that will be played on the surface, Smith said.
“We build a lot of things and then use them for things they weren’t designed for.”
Those in the business of managing sports fields have much to consider and evaluate, Smith said, including water quality and quantity, shade issues, budgets, drainage, thatch, layering, pests and aeration scheduling.
He said he was recently consulted for a municipal parks project, but first looked at the park on Google Earth, asking what the city planned to do about the abundance of trees that were casting extensive shade on the area. He was told he was
hired with regard to growing grass, and that the trees were a separate issue. He said when faced with such adversity, he has occasionally recommended the installation of synthetic turf because some sites are not conducive to growing grass.
“Ninety-five per cent of what we need to grow plants we get for nothing,” Smith said, citing light, water and air. He added, however, the plant will suffer if any of
those items is missing.
Soil nutrition must be provided by the turfgrass professional, accounting for the remaining five per cent. Smith said it’s been calculated that the soil can handle about .7 pounds of nitrogen per growing month or about three pounds per year. He said he likes to split soil fertility into two parts: nitrogen and everything else.
“Nitrogen drives the bus.”
Structure to the soil is provided when sand, silt, clay and organic matter bind together.
BALANCED SOIL
Although people have different interpretations of what a balanced soil is, Smith said he defines it as one with a balance among its chemical, physical and biological properties. He said that when dealing with plants, managers can’t think about the biological properties first followed by its chemical properties and finally its physical properties.
“We have to think about all of them at the same time.”
Chemical properties include fertility while physical properties include soil texture and layering. Microorganisms represent the biological properties in soil. Smith said turfgrass managers must appreciate their presence because they break things down and help with fighting disease and other issues.
“It’s important we manage them and appreciate that they’re down there.”
Layering is something that is going to occur, even if it’s a brand new sand-based category one athletic field.
“I don’t think there’s a green or an athletic field or a home lawn or anything that isn’t layered. That’s the reality of it.”
Smith presented a picture of a soil profile on a field that had yet to make it to its opening day. At the top was a layer of organic matter. He said when the field was irrigated while plants had yet to develop from seedlings, the water washed organic matter out of the surface, allowing it to accumulate directly beneath. He said that is why it is so important to core aerate, noting soccer fields are especially in need of the practice.
He demonstrated water’s ability to get through both clay and sand layers, noting the specific soil texture dictates the rate at which water is allowed to pass. Water just “hanging” at a layer isn’t just sitting there,
he said.
“The water is fighting the resistance of going and wetting that layer and moving through it. The water is trying to stay above it.”
The hanging water is attracted to itself, he said, adding water holding onto itself needs gravity or weight to push it to the bottom.
Smith asked his audience if they believed soil drains better if it is deeper or shallower, comparing a three-inch depth to one of 12 inches. Demonstrating his example with a sponge saturated in water, he turned it lengthwise to mimic a deeper soil, concluding it allows water to drain better and it provides more air space at the surface.
Those who care for home lawns are lucky to have an inch and a half of soil at the top, he said. Sometimes lawn care professionals work with shallow soils that are heavy and consequently hold too
much water. Fine-textured soils are easier to compact, hold too much water and drain poorly, making them unsatisfactory for sports field construction.
The finer the texture of the soil, yet the more silt and clay that is in it – primarily the more clay content –then the more water the soil holds, Smith said.
OVERPROTECTION OF DRAIN LINES
He said it has been his experience that when athletic fields are designed, there is a tendency to overprotect the drain lines to the point where water has difficulty getting in.
Sports fields must be designed for surface runoff, especially in climates where there is snow. Fields may be equipped with good drainage, but soils tend to be frozen for about one-third of the year, emphasizing the need for good surface drainage.
Smith asked his audience if – when monitoring their soils – they take only one sample from the middle of a field or if several samples are collected at various field locations to check it for uniformity.
If a sports field manager becomes a part of the building process for a new field, it is advised he be present during construction to be sure of the depth of the mix and to ensure all is satisfactory, he recommended.
There is no substitute for proper field construction even with the sophisticated tools available today, Smith said.
A sports turf manager needs to know the type of field slated for construction (its category type, whether it will be lit, etc.) and may have to spend more time with the soil triangle to figure out its porosities or if it’s to be a sand-based field not quite to USGA specifications.
A perfect soil, Smith said, will be 50 per cent pore space and 50 per cent mineral matter or sand particles. Of the 50 per cent pore space, about half will be draining pores and half will be water-holding pores. It’s then all figured to a depth.
Careful thought must be given if the intention is to blend onsite soils high in silt and clay with sand. It’s a real science, Smith said, and something that will require good equipment to do properly. He recommended no more than 20 to 25 per cent silt and clay when soil is to be imported to put them together or blending in onsite soils.
“It’s very important we consider depth when we’re building fields, whether it’s the depth of the drain or the depth of the mix.”
Blending Southern Ontario soils high in silt and clay (54 per cent silt and clay, for example) with heavy sand can be a recipe in futility, Smith said. It’s not homogenous and is difficult to blend properly.
“You’re best sometimes to just go with something that
contains more material and just takes a bit more water to be more successful.”
The United States Golf Association recommends staying below 25 per cent silt plus clay when developing a mix if blending sands. Smith said the percentage of silt plus clay is his first consideration when evaluating blends because anything higher than 25 per cent, “You’re starting to mix cement.”
‘We need to think about drainage and drainage and drainage’
High-grade golf course sand is an excellent product, he said, but it doesn’t work so well when mixed with soils. It is too uniform and too expensive to be used in a blend with topsoil. He said there exists a mindset that because the high-grade sand works as well as it does on golf courses that if it’s mixed with soil it should do wonders for athletic fields, but he reiterated that it will have the properties of cement.
For drains to work properly, they should be 18 inches or 45 centimetres in depth, Smith said.
“You can’t have drains up near the surface.”
There is much to think about before starting construction on athletic fields, he said.
“We need to think about drainage and drainage and drainage.”
When sodding a field, the various layers must be considered. Smith suggested buying sod that has some sand in it, is uniform and meets the soil specifications.
The relative proportions of silt, sand and clay make up a soil’s classification as seen in the soil triangle.
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Canadian Commercial Distributors
British Columbia
Oakcreek Golf & Turf Inc.
Kelowna 250-860-5090
Surrey 604-882-8399 Duncan 250-701-0766
Alberta
Oakcreek Golf & Turf Inc.
Calgary 403-279-2907
Edmonton 780-469-2332
Saskatchewan
Oakcreek Golf & Turf Inc.
Saskatoon 306-975-1110
Manitoba Mazergroup
Winnipeg 204-253-2900
Ontario Turf Care Products
Canada Limited
Carp 613-821-1880
Medina 519-349-2400
Newmarket 905-836-0988
Québec
Les Produits Turf Care
Canada Limitée
Vaudreuil-Dorion 450-218-4544
Atlantic Canada
Vesey’s Equipment
York, P.E.I. 902-892-8873
1-866-455-TURF (8873)
Hi-tech web tool a boon to supers
USGA map-based tool helps reduce costs and improve golfer experience. By David McPherson
Imagine this scenario. Your boss comes to you at the start of the season and says you need to cut your operating budget by 10 per cent. Like an accountant at tax time, you scramble to pour through your annual spreadsheets — outlining your income and expenses to see where you can trim some fat. Even though you have the numbers in front of you, it is still a bit of a guessing game since how do you really prioritize what is most crucial to meeting your core objective of
providing the best course for members to enjoy without impacting the primary playing surfaces? Now picture this. What if there was a tool that could better quantify how you use your resources on different parts of the course, giving you data to make this cost cutting exercise simpler?
Thanks to the United States Golf Association (USGA) this is fast becoming a reality. The USGA has introduced Resource Management, a new web-based product that will help golf course superintendents,
owners and operators be more precise, efficient and productive in maintaining their facilities.
Launched earlier this year during the North American Golf Innovation Symposium in Vancouver, the USGA Resource Management is a map-based tool that allows facility managers to better understand their consumption of resources – such as labour, water and fuel – and to measure accurately, even down to the square foot, the allocation of these resources to each feature of the golf course. The data will help facilities to manage their maintenance practices in ways that reduce costs while also improving the experience of their golfers.
Jim Moore planted the seeds for this new tool before he retired from the USGA after 35 years last July. Moore was part of the Green Section for his 33-year tenure with golf’s governing body. Today, USGA agronomist Adam Moeller is taking Moore’s vision to the next level, helping bring it to a wider audience.
“Jim had always wanted a way to document how many resources were being used on a golf course – not on macro level but on a micro level – to see the parts of a course that don’t get a lot of traffic,” explains Moeller, director, USGA Green Section Education.
Using Excel, Moore gathered endless data and helped courses pinpoint valuable information such as how much gasoline they used to mow any tee complex and to show exactly where one’s labour was going. As he dug deeper into these numbers and smart technology advanced, the agronomist came up with the idea that golf courses could combine this information with newer GPS technology — creating a win-win for everyone.
A HELPING HAND BY GOLFERS
The USGA Greens Section runs a course consulting service, which is basically a subsidized visit by a USGA agronomist. “As part of that service, we started to offer a golf courses kit where we ship 200 of these golf loggers,” explains Kimberly Erusha, managing director, Green Section. “Golfers can put them in their pocket at the start of a round, then turn them in at the end of the round. They provide basic demographic info such as gender, age, handicap and it’s all anonymous.”
The golf course then packs all those loggers in a kit and sends them back to the USGA at Far Hills, N.J. The USGA then produces images of those for a superintendent to put on Google Earth and analyze.
“Moore figured that once we understood where golfers go, superintendents could use this data to reclassify that part of their course that gets less traffic,” Moeller adds. “For example, there is probably a lot of rough that doesn’t get traffic, so you could reduce your
With the help of Google Maps and data collected, superintendents can identify areas with less traffic and can reduce their inputs accordingly, saving money and labour.
‘There is probably a lot of rough that doesn’t get traffic, so you could reduce your mowing and fertilizing in this area’
mowing and fertilizing in this area and create a new tier system breaking down your course into five different classifications of rough based on this GPS tracking. Then, you could take the resources you were using on that rough and transfer them to other areas that get more traffic such as tees.”
Today, Moore’s vision has evolved from a cumbersome Excel-based program to a high-level Web-based tool. Since every course in North America have maps that are on Google Earth, you can go online and see an accurate map and shape of each facility. Once these areas are mapped, you open up the tool and click on a fairway, for example, and you can see its size. Combine this information with the tracked data from golfers and that’s when the magic happens.
“Once you can define those areas where there is less traffic, you can then reduce your inputs to these parts of the course,” Moeller explains. “From labour to water costs to fertilizers… anything you put down on that surface you can classify and it will give you a cost and spit out information about the resources being used so you will now know what is the feature really costing you when it comes to labour.”
This is extremely valuable information because it allows golf course managers to take what they already know about their golf course and run these “what if scenarios.”
Moeller offers an example. Think about the amount of money spent on maintaining bunkers. “Once we use the GPS loggers, in almost every case, courses are surprised that some of their bunkers don’t get used that often,” he says. “Superintendents often know this based on visual observation, but it’s hard to reduce the labour on these sand features without the supporting data. They can now use this data to reduce maintenance in a handful of bunkers and save all that labour and energy exerted on those inputs.”
Moeller offers one other example. You’ve decided to add new forward tees to help with pace of play. The
next question to answer is do you add to your existing tee complex or do you put a tee in the fairway? The fairway might cost that much more to maintain. Using USGA Resource Management, the user could shrink the size of the tee on the fairway and see how it shrinks the cost. There’s no question this information is invaluable for the long-term financial health and sustainability of your golf course. The USGA tool is currently in the training stage with agronomists and they are slowly rolling it out to courses by using it as part of their course consulting services.
“The USGA Resource Management tool has the potential to bring analytical data for golf course superintendents and golf course architects,” concludes Bill Green, golf course and grounds superintendent, Cutten Fields in Guelph, Ont. “This data can then be turned into an excellent communication tool to members, committees, and staff to implement suggested changes to design and maintenance practices.”
The USGA Resource Management product will be an important part of the toolkit used by USGA agronomists across the country in 2017 as they work directly with facilities to improve the impact and efficiency of their maintenance practices. To contact a USGA Green Section agronomist, visit: www.usga.org/greensectionstaff.html.
Lawn care needs won ’ t always be the same
Weather and site conditions are always changing, forcing lawn care professionals to adapt.
By Mike Jiggens
Lawn care season is in full swing for another year, but lawn care professionals need to realize that the events from one year may not necessarily repeat themselves during the subsequent season and that adjustments may be required.
Mark Schneider and Sean Kenny from Nutrite spoke to an audience of lawn care professionals in March at the eighth annual Nutrite Lawn Care Seminar in Guelph, reflecting on the challenges from 2016 and looking ahead to what the current year may present.
Schneider said the lawns professionals see in April might not be the same once June, July and August arrive. He said the lawn care season began “like gangbusters” in May and June of 2016, but “the rain forgot to come” in July, August and well into September.
The subsequent heat and drought posed a challenge for the industry. Turf went
dormant during the drought-stricken summer months, opening the door for weeds to establish. Schneider said that could lead to some weed pressure this spring, but noted there was good recovery from the drought in the fall.
“Weed pressure I don’t think will be a lot higher, but you never know,” he said.
In addition to weather conditions, lawn care professionals must deal with site conditions, which Schneider said is frequently a formidable challenge.
“Just because you’re dealing with one block of houses over here, a block away could be totally different. It could be different soil. It could be different trees around the property.”
Soil types vary from region to region in Ontario. One area might have heavier clay soils while less than an hour’s drive away might be areas with sandier soils.
“You don’t have to go very far between properties to see great variances in soil types.”
Mother Nature often has the final say about how the season fares. If she cooperates and brings timely rains, the results are usually good, Schneider said. If not, and if customers don’t or can’t irrigate at the appropriate time, a lack of soil moisture could prove to be a huge factor in turf’s health.
Insect and disease pressures might loom in a given year, but they can often be addressed proactively. Schneider said it could prove challenging to properly identify pest insects and stay ahead of them by understanding their lifecycles, but those who do can stave off problems. Disease pressures can be minimized by mowing at heights of two to 2½ inches on home lawns and sports fields.
When problematic lawns present themselves, the lawn care professional needs to know if the cause if biotic or abiotic.
The drought-stricken summer of 2016 opened the door for weeds to establish and may have posed some weed pressures this spring.
Choosing a fertilizer
Schneider said fertilizer choices and the time of year for application are important considerations to make. When choosing a product – especially for the first application of the season – a fertilizer blend that has enough of a nitrogen source readily available in cold soils should be selected, he said.
With today’s technology, the number of annual applications can be reduced and the plant will still be provided with the amount of food it requires.
For fertilizer to work effectively, the soil temperature must reach optimal warmth. About eight degrees Celsius is regarded as the “magic” soil temperature. Until soil temperatures climb above eight to 10 degrees, not much is happening with growth, and all the fertilizer in the world won’t help the plant grow, Schneider said.
“You have to pick your source of N accordingly.”
It isn’t until about mid-May when the ground warms up on a consistent basis, allowing everything to grow. By June, there are both ups and downs, he said.
Schneider addressed other issues that confront lawn care professionals on a regular basis, including heavily shaded sites and differences in soil types.
Lawns that are heavily shaded will experience ill health unless they are afforded sufficient sunlight. If problem trees cannot be removed, a more shade-tolerant grass will be required if it is to have any chance to thrive.
Differences in soil types will impact turf’s health. Heavy clays make it difficult for water movement while siltloam soils offer better drainage. Clays negatively impact percolation and infiltration rates.
“It’s not the best environment to grow turf,” Schneider said. “If I had to pick a perfect spot to grow what I would consider the best kind of turf, you want it down in a sand-loam area.”
Kenny said hydrogen, oxygen and carbon are provided to the plant by organic matter in the soil and can be
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‘The last thing you want is where it’s green-yellowgreen-yellow’
addressed through cultural practices. The plant’s other needs are controlled through fertility. If nitrogen is a problem, it is either because there is too little or too much of it in the soil.
He said a trend has emerged that shows a lack of phosphorous in turf through soil sampling. Because of its propensity to trigger algae blooms, phosphorous has been all but removed from fertilizers sold to consumers. But lawn care professionals can readily acquire the right amounts of phosphorous they need if they find lawns under their care deficient in the nutrient.
Schneider said it is important that fertilizer be spread properly on a lawn and that a lawn care professional’s staff must be trained how to ensure there is sufficient overlap. Without proper training, inexperienced applicators may overlap too little or too much, and both operator speed and particle size must be configured into the process.
“Make sure your operators know this sort of thing because the last thing you want or your customers want is where it’s green-yellow-green-yellow,” he said.
Most lawns cared for by professionals are a blend of ryes, fescues and bluegrass and tend to do well in all-compassing environments. In recent years, however, there have been more fescues included in the blend, Schneider said, because of improvements in fescue cultivars. They tend to perform better in high traffic and shaded areas and are more drought-tolerant than before. Lawn care professionals might have to be more site-specific when selecting seed if one area is in open sun and another is in heavy shade.
Current fertilizer products offer between eight and 32 weeks of longevity. When mixing and matching different products to a program, the lawn care professional can change the number of trips he makes to a property. If the customer demands five annual trips, changing out fertility to different products can free up time for an extra dandelion control visit or an overseeding or aeration service.
The importance of overseeding and aeration
The inclusion of overseeding and aeration into a lawn care program is encouraged among lawn care professionals, Schneider said.
“There is an equipment cost, but they are part of what we call a more holistic look at what we’re trying to do.”
Proper lawn care cannot be accomplished by fertilizer alone
or by just control products, he said.
“You have to incorporate all these corporate practices into your program to make it successful.”
Schneider said he has seen some exemplary properties in his travels that have not seen a drop of herbicide in
eight years because of the incorporation of various strategies.
“It can be done.”
Three to five pounds of nitrogen per season are standard for most parts of Ontario, he said, adding amounts of required phosphorous and potassium can be determined through soil testing. One or two tests per year on a home lawn give a better idea of what is required.
If a lawn care professional is putting down fertilizer or other products on a particular area and no discernable improvement is made, “it’s time to look underground,” using a soil probe.
Once turf begins to fade, the first things to come back are broadleaf weeds, Schneider said, noting that was a major issue last year on soccer fields.
Turf can fade for a number of reasons, including anaerobic conditions and wilt. During the prolonged drought period of 2016, most stressed turf rebounded, but some failed to do so and required either seed or sod to restore it.
Soil must be periodically aerated to address a lack of infiltration, lack of air, lack of root growth and reduced water percolation. Schneider said he has seen some extreme conditions – especially on sports fields – where there has been compaction and no aerification in the top three or four
inches. He said even with a reasonably good mix, a bucket of water poured on top would sit there and go nowhere, and it’s still not percolating an hour later.
Schneider said the heavier the soil is, the more frequently it should be aerated. The practice should be performed at a time of year when turf has a chance to recover. Aeration should not be done when temperatures increase to 25 degrees Celsius with little rain during the next couple of weeks immediately.
Thatch can be a friend or an enemy, but it’s usually an enemy, he said. Generally associated with heavier soils, thatch is a loose, intermingled organic layer of dead and living shoots, stems and roots that develop between the zone of green vegetation and the soil surface. Buildup begins when turf produces more organic debris faster than it can be broken down. It inhibits water infiltration and harbours weeds and grubs. Ideally, the layer should be kept to within an inch or less.
If a lawn care professional is able to aerate, verticut and topdress at the right time of year, he can maintain control over thatch and improve his soil physics and the health of the turf, Schneider said.
Kenny said a lot of fertility done by lawn care professionals gets caught up in the thatch layer. If the nutrient is sitting in the thatch, the plant won’t take it up. It must be present in the soil solution for the plant to take up. If excess thatch isn’t resolved, it can contribute to weed, disease and insect problems and will reduce efforts to correct nutrient deficiencies.
The compaction relief from thatch removal is important and has the best chance at success in late August and into September, he said. Cooler weather afterward works best.
Kenny recommended keeping a soil probe and bucket for collecting soil samples close at hand as well as a 10-times magnification hand lens to identify insect pests and provide a closer look at other issues.
Dollar spot must be ID ’ d correctly
It’s the No. 1 disease golf superintendents face each year.
By Mike Jiggens
Dollar spot is the No. 1 disease golf superintendents fight each year, and it’s important to be able to correctly identify it so that the proper control methods can be undertaken, superintendents attending BrettYoung Seeds Limited’s winter turf academy were told in March.
Rick Fletcher, technical sales manager at Nufarm America Inc., spoke about new technologies for managing dollar spot for turfgrass during an academy stop at Willow Ridge Golf & Country Club in Blenheim, Ont. It was one of a number of Ontario golf courses to host the event.
Nufarm, based in Australia, serves five different markets, including turf and ornamental. The company recently introduced to the Canadian market a newly registered fungicide called Pinpoint that has both preventative and curatives properties and is marketed in Canada by Winnipeg-based BrettYoung. See page 45 for more information about the product.
Fletcher said there are subtle changes in dollar spot from zone to zone, from green to fairway and from season to season. Early in the morning, it resembles pink snow mould and pythium as all three are characterized by their fuzzy, white appearance. With dollar spot, it is the mycelium that is visible.
What is important to understand, he said, is that dollar spot is not reproduced by spores, but by the mycelium that “wakes up” in the spring and goes to another plant to eat. In the fall it become active, moves to another plant to eat, producing more mycelium. The dollar spot comes from growing as mycelium. It overwinters as mycelium, builds a
number of infection sites, and then events begin to occur in the spring. When the air temperature reaches 57 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit in the spring, dollar spot wakes up. The foliar disease waits until the turf it infects has already broken dormancy and has begun to produce food. Poa annua typically wakes up when the air temperature reaches 45 to 47 degrees and
Dollar spot is not reproduced by spores, but by the mycelium that “wakes up” in the spring.
bentgrass emerges at temperatures of 52 to 54 degrees. Optimum temperatures for dollar spot to flourish are between 70 and 84 degrees.
Kentucky bluegrass, annual bluegrass, fescues and bentgrass stop producing food at about 86 degrees. Once temperatures get into the 80s, the plant’s ability to manufacture food for itself begins to decline and ceases completely at about 86 degrees. The disease starts to slow down at about 84 degrees while the plant itself slows down at about 86, Fletcher said.
“Why should the disease go crazy when it can’t get food?”
The mycelium likes moisture in the morning, including dew and relative humidity. Fletcher said it likes to “grab and spread” to the source of water.
Knocking the dew back can help reduce the spread. Some golf courses choose to drag PVC pipe or hoses over the turf to knock dew back.
During times of low soil moisture and low nitrogen fertility, the plant stresses out.
Watch for spraying patterns
When spraying for dollar spot, caring for the sprayer nozzle is important. Whether the nozzle is fabricated from brass, plastic, stainless or ceramic, spray patterns tend to change when solid material passes through it. Fletcher said it is imperative that chemical is left on the leaves since dollar spot is a foliar disease. Because the mycelium goes from one plant to another, it is critical it touches as much chemical as possible.
Canadian superintendents have fewer tools available to fight dollar spot than their American counterparts. The disease’s resistance to fungicides is always an issue in the case of dollar spot. Fletcher said there will soon be proof to demonstrate there is resistance to SDHIs (succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors) in managing dollar spot.
He said if a chemical program isn’t working as well as expected, it could be because the same treatment is being used too many times. He suggested superintendents look at the products in their spray programs and note the FRAC (Fungicide Resistance Action Committee) numbers of each before asking:
• Do I have the same number in the same tank at the same time?
• Do I have the same number in se -
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quence one after another in my application program?
If the dollar spot organism is exposed to the same treatment over and over again, three things are bound to happen, Fletcher said. The target is hit and it dies; the target is missed, the organism is still there and hasn’t changed; and the target got wet, but nothing has happened because it has changed.
The targets that were missed and those that are changing continue to survive and begin to share information that leads to breeding new tolerance within the population. The way to fix that is to rotate chemicals, Fletcher said.
He said what is known about rotation versus tank mixing science is that rotation will slow down resistance, even if it’s
Speakers at BrettYoung’s winter turf academy at Blenheim, Ont.’s Willow Ridge Golf & Country Club included, from left, Rick Fletcher of Nufarm America Inc., Todd Scott of Redox Chemicals, and Rob Field of BrettYoung Seeds Limited (Plant Science Inc.)
‘Tank mixing is far better at stopping resistance versus rotation, but rotation is better than doing nothing’
not the best approach. Tank mixing with multiple modes of action at the same time is better at slowing down resistance versus rotation, he added.
Fletcher suggested superintendents who are not getting the same control they realized two years ago should look at their program. Although they may be rotating or tank mixing their products, they may not really be rotating or mixing their modes of action. The only way to
tell is by looking at their FRAC codes and identifying them.
“Tank mixing is far better at stopping resistance versus rotation, but rotation is better than doing nothing.”
The newly registered Pinpoint fungicide will likely be a good rotational product because it has a different mode of action, he said. It’s a product he’s been working on since 2006, and about 10 years of data have been accumulated.
Also speaking at the academy were Todd Scott of Redox Chemicals and Rob Field, whose Plant Science Inc. business was acquired last year by BrettYoung. Scott, a former golf superintendent in St. Louis, Mo., spoke about the attributes of Redox, which is a carbon-based fertilizer. Three of the most important nutrients necessary to a living and growing environment are oxygen, hydrogen and carbon. Mother Nature readily supplies oxygen and hydrogen in quantities of her choosing, but superintendents have control over carbon amounts.
He said nutritional imbalances probably cause more headaches than anything from a disease standpoint.
Field spoke about products available from Bayer Environmental Science that are effective in managing turf diseases.
Water treatment product follows nature’s lead
Same pond in central Minnesota
ProMoss™, a product of Creative Water Solutions, brings the natural water treatment power of sphagnum moss to commercial ponds. It clarifies water, inhibits accumulation of organic contamination, stabilizes pH, and creates clear and better smelling water.
The product minimizes the time, cost and effort associated with maintenance and service issues. The amount of ProMoss is determined by the size of the pond and its water flow. Once it is installed, it is to be changed monthly.
The sphagnum moss used in ProMoss is a natural, green plant that grows in bogs. Hand harvested sustainably, it can be re-harvested in five to seven years, and is processed, sterilized and packaged.
Each contact chamber creates a unique interaction with ProMoss and the water within the chamber. It replicates the effects of an actual bog and is efficiently delivered throughout the system.
Key results include a totally natural water treatment, enhancement of water clarity, reduction of pond odours, support for natural flora and fauna, an aesthetic appearance, and reduced scale and staining.
Its key benefits include a green and sustainable approach, a reduction in chemical usage and decreased maintenance.
For more information, visit www.cspwatertreatment.com.
ProMoss™
New product registered for control of dollar spot
A new fungicide has been registered in Canada for the management of dollar spot. Pinpoint™, a product of Nufarm, is registered for use on golf courses, sod farms, lawn and landscaped areas around residential, institutional, public, commercial and industrial buildings, parks, recreational areas and athletic fields.
Golf superintendents have few fungicide options for the control of dollar spot and with the discovery the disease is resistant to SDHIs, it is important to rotate fungicide classes to fight dollar spot and preserve all fungicide options available.
Pinpoint contains a new active ingredient to deliver ideal early and late season control of dollar spot. It provides superintendents and turf managers with a fungicide rotation partner to optimize disease management stewardship. Its unique and targeted active ingredient, available exclusively from Nufarm, has been proven in university performance trials, and delivers ideal control of dollar spot, take-all patch, fairy ring and brown patch. Pinpoint has both preventive and early curative activity.
Other benefits include ideal turf tolerance, a rotation partner for managing resistance to SDHI and DMI fungicides and optimization for early through late season dollar spot control. It can be applied pre- or post-infection, but is more effective when applied prior to infection. For optimal control, it should be used in a regularly scheduled spray program and in combination or rotation with other fungicides that have different modes of action and are effective against dollar spot.
Using Pinpoint as the first dollar spot treatment of the season offers the best control to fight resistance, Nufarm states.
Learn more at www.nufarm.ca/ product/pinpoint-fungicide/
Greenjacket-1-6-Turf and Rec.qxp_Layout 1 4/12/17 4:28 PM Page 1
OTRF encourages industry investment
The lawn care industry in Ontario is being encouraged to invest with the Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation to better its future customer service.
Sean Gunn, president of the OTRF, spoke to an audience of lawn care professionals in March at the eighth annual Nutrite-sponsored lawn care seminar in Guelph.
“What are you doing to invest in the future of your industry and your business?” Gunn asked.
The OTRF has been raising money for turfgrass research for 35 years, supporting the scientific research of turf culture for the advancement of the turfgrass industry. During the past 10 years alone, $1.2-million has been raised for turf research.
Gunn, who is golf superintendent at The Country Club in Woodbridge, Ont., said money raised by the not-for-profit OTRF is earmarked toward “all that wonderful stuff we can feed down to you guys to make your business better and smarter, so that you can work smarter and not harder.”
He said investing in the OTRF results in more products available to the industry to benefit turfgrass professionals when dealing with challenging management issues.
Gunn said that as a golf superintendent he must constantly fight the stigma that golf courses are “toxic waste dumps,” noting that a recent episode of David Suzuki’s The Nature of Things on CBC television depicted golf in a not-so-flattering light.
“We use the Ontario Turfgrass Research Foundation to prove to the people how we get around and make turf better by using natural resources.”
The OTRF supports all sectors of the turfgrass industry, including golf, landscaping, sports turf and sod growing.
Representatives from the various sectors of the industry, including manufacturers and industry suppliers, form the organization’s board of director and earmark funding toward specific projects.
Financial support comes from various avenues, including corporate sponsorships, annual donations from industry associations and money generated from an annual fundraising golf tournament. Additionally, the OTRF applies for government grants to assist with research funding.
Some of the ongoing research includes natural approaches to dandelion control, improving plant stress tolerance, phosphorous needs for Kentucky bluegrass cultivars, mowing and stress tolerance, synthetic surfaces versus natural surfaces, and irrigation and overseeding protocols in pesticide-free soccer fields.
Other organizations have joined forces with the OTRF to co-fund certain projects.
“Some of these projects are two-to-fouryear projects that need to be done and can
cost anywhere between $20,000 and $100,000 to complete,” Gunn said. “They’re not cheap projects to do.”
The OTRF might provide $20,000 toward a particular research project that will be supplemented by a $10,000 contribution by perhaps the Western Canada Turfgrass Association or another association outside Ontario.
Gunn said the biological dandelion control study is in its second of three years of research, and is costing about $30,000 a year.
The various ongoing OTRF-funded research projects are outlined in detail on the OTRF website at www.otrf.ca.
Gunn noted the OTRF’s annual golf tournament fundraiser is scheduled for Aug. 28 at the Devil’s Pulpit in Caledon, and is a good opportunity for businesses to entertain long-supporting customers by taking them out for a day of golf.
More details about the tournament can be found at www.otrf.ca.
The Devil’s Pulpit in Caledon, Ont., site of the OTRF’s annual fundraising golf tournament on Aug. 28.
Scott Wintrip has changed how thousands of companies across the globe find and select employees. Over the past 18 years, he built the Wintrip Consulting Group (www.WintripConsultingGroup.com).
Best practices for better hiring
Everyone knows that hiring within an organization can be a stressful, confusing, and tedious process. Business owners, organization leaders, and hiring managers all want to choose the best job candidates so their companies can experience more productivity and less turnover. But according to business consultant and hiring expert Scott Wintrip, most com -
panies operate under a broken hiring system, and they may not even realize it. In fact, he wrote the book on how to rehab your hiring practices by hiring faster, smarter, and better.
“The healthiest organizations are successful because they have perfected the art of hiring,” says Wintrip, author of High Velocity Hiring: How to Hire Top Talent in an Instant (McGraw-Hill Education; April 2017; ISBN: 978-1-2598594-7-2; $30).
“When you adopt proven hiring strategies, you can finally retain a steady flow of talent to fill open job positions and replace underperforming employees quickly. And when your hiring is fast and accurate, you get to focus on your company’s performance instead of managing bad hires or struggling under an increased workload while you search far and wide for the perfect candidate.”
High Velocity Hiring is the essential
guide for anyone who wants to make higher quality hires every time. Keep reading for six guidelines from the book that will help you improve your hiring processes and enhance your workforce.
EMBRACE EXPERIENTIAL INTERVIEWS.
The standard approach to hiring is to conduct interviews where candidates talk about work. Not only is this a huge drain on time, it’s also an inaccurate way to assess whether a candidate fits your job. That’s why many business owners have replaced traditional interviews with experiential, or “hands-on,” interviews.
“In a hands-on interview, you experience the candidate doing sample work,” says Wintrip. “If it’s for a sales role, the candidate joins you on a sales call. If you’re hiring for a customer service role, he can help solve a customer’s problem. By watching the candidate in action, you
save time while also making a more accurate assessment of whether or not someone is a good fit.”
CULTIVATE A DIVERSE WORKFORCE
. It’s no secret that diversity in the workplace is a good thing. An inclusive workforce helps businesses better serve their diverse client base, and research even shows that the most diverse workforces are likely to generate better financial results for a business.
“Slight adjustments to your hiring profiles can substantially increase the flow of diverse talent,” says Wintrip. “For example, for years a large banking institution had required candidates to have finance degrees. However, they noticed that top candidates at competing banks didn’t have this requirement. They changed their own requirements and asked for candidates with any type of two-
“WE LOOKED AT ALL
and Tony Dilluvio Aqua Turf Irrigation, New York, USA
or four-year business degree. This led to a richer flow of highly diverse talent, resulting in some of the best hires they ever made.”
LINE UP KEY PEOPLE BEFORE YOU NEED THEM.
“Some roles are more vital than others, and when these roles are left unfilled, they can harm your business,” asserts Wintrip. “Plus, the extra work usually falls on your already-overflowing plate. Instead of waiting until an employee in an essential job quits or gives notice to start recruiting, do yourself a favour and recruit ahead of time. Dedicating 30 minutes to recruiting each week pays off by creating a pipeline of potential talent ready to be hired the moment that vital job becomes open.”
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interviewers routinely overlook crucial details during the interview process. This may prompt them to hire employees who don’t perform as expected and cripple the company over time. But according to Wintrip, a hiring team can solve this common problem.
“There are four distinct hiring styles,” says Wintrip. “You are either a tackler, a teller, a tailor, or a tester. Each hiring style has strengths and blind spots, so it is important to have people who fit each style on your hiring team. Together you will be able to notice any red flags while interviewing job candidates and can work together to choose the best person for the job.”
MAKE THE MOST OF REFERRALS.
Word of mouth is a great way to find talent and fill open positions in your business. Wintrip advises asking for referrals among
all your networks, including vendors, former co-workers in good standing, present co-workers, fellow business owners, and friends and family. He further explains that investing just a few minutes each day in referral recon pays off in dividends. Don’t hesitate to make a quick phone call or send a short email to anyone you think might know someone great. It takes almost no effort and could result in new talent for your company.
<b>Network with a candidate recycling program.</b> Wintrip asserts that sharing your mismatched talent with other similar companies is the gift that keeps on giving. With this type of arrangement, companies pass along the talented candidates they can’t use instead of hoarding the talent for themselves. They can set up sharing agreements between competitors, they can agree to “borrow” talent and temporarily loan out individuals to one
another, or they can even compensate organizations for locating viable candidates. This form of networking allows the talent to flow efficiently and helps hiring managers staff their organizations better and faster.
“Businesses should realize that competition is healthy and it signals that an industry is viable,” explains Wintrip. “Healthy industries create opportunities for everyone, and candidate recycling programs build a mutually beneficial stream of prospective employees for those businesses.
“At the end of the day, your employees – and the work they do – make or break your company. That’s why hiring talent better, faster, and smarter is so crucial for every organization. When you optimize your hiring strategies, you’ll begin filling open positions more quickly and hiring the right person for the job every time.”
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CanWest Hort Expo coming to Abbotsford Sept. 27-28
Western Canada’s premier horticulture trade show – CanWest Hort Expo – is coming to Abbotsford, B.C. Sept. 27-28.
The event connects buyers and sellers in Canada and the Pacific Northwest. CanWest includes an education program for its delegates. The British Columbia Landscape & Nursery Association is sponsor of the event.
For more information or to register, visit www.canwesthortshow.com.
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Bartlett joins Bayer after long career as golf superintendent
Former St. George’s Golf & Country Club superintendent Keith Bartlett has joined the sales team at Bayer Environmental Science. He will serve as territory manager for the Canadian golf market where he will be responsible for managing sales activities and focusing on providing technical information and support to Ontario golf courses.
Bartlett has been active in the golf course management industry for 30 years.
“Keith brings to his new role a strong technical background as well as a focus on meeting customer needs,” said Brian Rosenberg, commercial operations manager for Bayer.
The Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA) is encouraging snow and ice professionals to participate in a survey in order for it to learn more about injuries and accidents happening on the job.
SIMA wishes to conceive ways to build a safer industry through response to the survey.
To take the online survey, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/snowinjury.
SIMA is also promoting its 20th annual Snow and Ice Symposium June 20-23 in Montreal. The event includes both an educational program and trade show.
For more information or to register, visit www.sima.org/show/registration
At what age should a man stop worrying about his wardrobe, what’s in style and whether or not his shirt and pants match?
Is this a rite of passage that comes once he retires and is living on a fixed income?
I wonder about this because I see a lot of guys not that much older than me who have absolutely no fashion sense whatsoever. Did they never have such a sense in the first place, or does it become lost forever upon reaching a certain age?
Here I am in my mid-50s starting to ponder such things as failing eyesight, hearing loss, memory loss, shingles, baldness, arthritis and a slew of other setbacks associated with advanced age, but should I be paying equal attention to what I wear everyday? I try to exercise regularly and watch what I eat to keep my health in check, but I’m not sure how best to stave off an impaired sense of fashion.
I have acquaintances not much older than me who, like me, enjoy wearing jeans. Blue jeans have been a popular choice of clothing for a couple of centuries now, and they continue to be worn by men and women of all ages. The trick is to know how to wear them properly. For example, if the leg is too long, you don’t turn the bottom up and create a six-inch cuff. You might as well pin a sign to your back that says, “Fashion challenged old guy.”
Why would anyone buy jeans with a 34-inch waist and a 40-inch length unless they play professional basketball? If this is all that’s available in your price range, then for heaven’s
sake get them altered so that they fit. This isn’t the 1950s when turned-up cuffs might have been the style.
When picking out a pair of socks from your drawer, keep in mind the pants you plan to wear that day. If you’re going to wear black pants, don’t wear white socks. If you’re going to wear socks, don’t wear sandals or Crocs. I don’t know who invented Crocs, but they have to be the ugliest-looking piece of footwear on the planet. I figure they were made especially for lazy people who can’t be bothered to stoop down to tie up their laces and don’t care about gaudy colours like orange or green.
Socks and sandals have always been the epitome of being fashion challenged. There is absolutely no logic to wearing both items together. Sandals were invented so that feet can breathe on warm days while still affording the soles of your feet ample protection from hot pavement, sharp pebbles, dog crap and other undesirables. Wearing socks with sandals defeats the purpose. You’re simply wearing another pair of shoes with a little less leather. Your feet aren’t breathing any easier and your socks – especially if they’re white – are going to be filthy with all the dust you’ll kick up going to and fro.
If your pants are striped, don’t wear a plaid shirt with it.
If it’s July, don’t wear corduroy pants.
If you’re wearing shorts, don’t wear knee socks. Like the socks and sandals example, there is no logic to wearing shorts with knee socks if the goal is to be cooler. And when I say cooler, I don’t mean the want to be fashionably attractive because knee socks aren’t going to do it, trust me. The reason we wear shorts is to
‘Look, Agnes. They have a sale on knee socks. Won’t these look peachy with those flowered shorts you gave me for my birthday?’
cool off our legs during warmer weather. Adding knee socks to your attire cools off perhaps three inches of kneecap. Do that everyday for a week or so and then visit the beach. You’ll be showing off the most bizarre tan line anyone has ever seen.
I’ve seen many a septuagenarian or octogenarian wearing pants whose beltline is worn midway between the navel and sternum. Where do they find these pants? The fly would have to be at least 14 inches long to serve its purpose. Imagine urgently having to use the bathroom and then wrestling with half your shirt that’s tucked in behind the fly of your pants.
Even though I’m well into my 50s, I still take some pride in the way I dress. At the very least, I make sure I’m colour co-ordinated, that seasonal clothing isn’t worn out of season, that my wardrobe fits properly and that there is a sense of logic to my attire. I don’t keep abreast of the latest fashion trends because that’s more of a younger man’s thing. Still, I’m not quite ready to look like some of these older guys I see every day in my travels. Maybe the time comes in some men’s lives when they are just so out of touch with fashion that they simply don’t care anymore. That must be the answer because I’ve never seen an old guy’s section before in any department store.
“Look, Agnes. They have a sale on knee socks. Won’t these look peachy with those flowered shorts you gave me for my birthday? I can wear them with my green striped shirt and my new sandals. I’ll be the hit at the seniors’ centre shuffleboard tournament. While we’re here, perhaps I should pick up some sunscreen for my kneecaps.”
