The STIHL 4-MIX ™ engine technology combines the best properties of two-stroke and four-stroke to produce intense power, a pleasant sound even under heavy load and is environmentally friendly. In contrast to conventional four-strokes, 4-MIX ™ engines – like two-strokes – run on a mix of gasoline and oil (in a proportion of 50:1). The mixture lubrication avoids the need for components like an oil pump, sump and oil filter. That not only saves weight but also eliminates things like checking the oil level and oil changes. Another feature is the 3-2-1-start concept with automatic decompression, which ensures quick, trouble-free starting even after extended breaks in operation. It also offers superior engine performance, equipped with a large translucent fuel tank that reduces the number of refueling stops and provides a 30% increase in operating time.
• Consumes 30% less fuel than traditional two-stroke engines
• Larger torque for enhanced performance
• 80% lower exhaust emissions
• Easy starts and operation
• Less maintenance required
• Simple and fast tool changes
• Uses standard 50:1 fuel mix
• No oil pump, sump or filter
PRO-FLEET COMMERCIAL LANDSCAPE PROGRAM
For over 90 years, STIHL has been a world market leader and innovator in outdoor power equipment. German engineered products featuring the latest pioneering technologies make STIHL the preferred choice for professionals, consistently providing uncompromising quality. STIHL products are only available at independent STIHL Dealers who provide personal advice and expert service. Thank you for the continuous support and for making STIHL the brand you trust.
* “#1 Selling Brand in Canada” is based on an independent market share analysis of gasoline-powered handheld outdoor power equipment from 2018. Source: TraQline Canada.
Simplified maintenance with the innovative diagnostic connector
An excellent feature is the convenient maintenance, servicing and diagnostic processes. The engines are equipped as standard with long-life paper filters for reduced dust entry and long intervals between filter changes. When the time comes to replace the filter, it’s a simple matter of removing the air filter cover for access. The time and effort needed for maintenance and repairs have also been optimized and the machines are characterized by very short servicing times. Also, the engine’s electronic system is compatible with the diagnostic unit. Servicing Dealers can use the unit to read the stored operating data and error messages, enabling any faults to be speedily and easily located and rectified. For the professional user, that means minimum downtimes and high economic efficiency.
While taking in fuel, there is a backflow of lubricant through the engine.
As the fuel ignites, the lubricant continues to backflow.
From the editor
By Mike Jiggens
Goal: keep audience awake 45 minutes
The clock is ticking toward an upcoming event destined to be the ultimate test of my personal confidence. On the morning of Feb. 21, I’ll be standing before an expected audience of 200 to 300 people in Richmond, B.C., delivering a “mini keynote” address at the annual conference of the Western Canada Turfgrass Association.
Public speaking has never exactly been my forte. It was probably the least enjoyable aspect of my high school years when I’d have to stand before the class and extol the virtues of a novel I had just read or explain the findings from an assignment I’d just completed. Although I’d have crib notes close at hand, I’d often stumble through my prepared text and seemingly come off sounding less than professional. I’d be told I did just fine, but it never seemed that way to me.
My upcoming WCTA gig marks only the second public speaking engagement of my adult life. Frankly, I’m feeling the jitters already, even though it’s still a month away (from the time of this writing). Still, this could well become the most nerve-wracking 45 minutes of my life.
Nerves aside, I’m looking forward to the trip west and attending what will be my
first-ever stand-alone WCTA conference. I’ve attended a handful of previous WCTA events during my 25 years with Turf & Rec , but only when they’ve been joint offerings with the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association. Based here in southern Ontario, I almost forget sometimes that there’s a whole country out there to the west.
The trick is coming up with anecdotes that are least semi-interesting
I enjoy these opportunities to meet with our Western Canadian readers, and this visit will be no exception. The plan is to attend some of the industry-related seminars while there and report on them in our publication. What’s happening in Western Canada deserves to be in the spotlight now and then.
Before I’m able to get around to the education seminars, I have to get through my own presentation first. One thing I will not do is heed the advice of whoever it was who recommended that the speaker should envision his audience clad only in their underwear. I expect it to be a male-dominant audience. No thanks.
The subject matter of my presentation is a retrospective
of my 25 years with Turf & Rec. It won’t officially be 25 years until August, but who’s counting a few months? There is lots I can talk about from the past quarter-century, but the trick is coming up with anecdotes that are at least semi-interesting. The last thing I want to do is put my audience to sleep.
I suppose I shouldn’t get too uptight about this. It’s not as if my life literally hinges on being able to conquer my nervousness. My take on this from the outset was to simply do my best and have some fun with it, much as I would when playing in a big golf tournament. I enjoy playing golf and I enjoy talking about Turf & Rec. I’m beginning to wonder if what really has me uptight about this is the fact that I’ve been with Turf & Rec for 25 years. That’s a pretty significant chunk of my life as well as a reminder of how old I am. Add to that a milestone birthday coming up this year, and I’m especially feeling it.
I need to tell myself to forget about such nonsense and dwell on the positives. For one thing, a mid-winter trip to B.C.’s Lower Mainland represents a reprieve from the bitter cold we’ve been experiencing of late in southern Ontario. It’s also a chance to see some real mountains again and not that pretend one in nearby Hamilton.
But most of all, I’m looking forward to touching base with our readers at the other end of the country. It’s been awhile.
www.turfandrec.com
Editor Mike Jiggens mjiggens@annexbusinessmedia.com
National Advertising Manager
Rebecca Lewis 519-400-0322 rlewis@annexbusinessmedia.com
Group Publisher Scott Jamieson sjamieson@annexbusinessmedia.com
President & CEO Mike Fredericks
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Meet the utility vehicle that goes from summer to winter-ready in a matter of seconds. The RTV-X series is powered by Kubota’s durable and high-performing diesel engine, giving you up to 24.8 horsepower. We also pioneered the Variable Hydraulic Transmission, giving you more power where you need it and we were the first to add a factory installed utility cab. The weather may be cooling down, but for the RTV-X series, things are just heating up.
Online campaign launched to help ailing golf super
As of Jan. 28, more than $60,000 had been raised through an online campaign set up to help an ailing British Columbia golf superintendent.
Mike Warriner, superintendent at the Eagle Ranch Resort in Invermere, was diagnosed in October with stage-four esophageal cancer and requires expensive treatments. The fundraising campaign was set up with a target of $50,000.
Study underway to see if cold snap will kill ash borer
The extreme cold snap that gripped much of Canada during the final week of January was being studied to see if it might be enough to kill the invasive emerald ash borer. The study is of particular interest to the City of Winnipeg, which has more than 350,000 green ashes. Scientists are hoping to learn if temperatures of minus 30 degrees Celsius or below might be enough to kill the invasive insect or to at least slow it down.
‘Doughnut’ driver spins deep ruts into Vancouver park
A car doing “many, many doughnuts” in a Vancouver park in January caused extensive damage to the turf with ruts as deep as four to six inches.
An official with the city’s parks board said the affected area of Vanier Park is popular among people who enjoy the view of the city. He said a considerable amount of work must be done to return the turf to its previous state.
As of late January, police were still investigating the incident.
$50,000
original campaign target
350,000
number of green ashes in Winnipeg
Golf course neighbours fear back-door development afoot
Residents neighbouring the Stonebridge Golf Club outside Ottawa fear a back-door deal is being made to initiate further development at the golf course, causing their property values to drop, their amount of green space to diminish and the area’s infrastructure to become overburdened.
About 300 residents neighbouring the golf course attended a public meeting in January to get more information about what may be happening in their subdivision. Officially, there were no plans to develop the golf course property, yet many residents feel something is in the works.
In the spring, an announcement was made by Mattamy Homes to add 160 new homes by reconfiguring the course and shortening it by about 800 yards. A public outcry ensued, and Mattamy withdrew its application.
Some residents fear the withdrawal of the application was merely a ploy until after last fall’s
municipal election when discussions could be resurrected. The area residents, who said they paid a premium to build their homes next to a golf course, want dialogue between the municipality and the developer to be more open. One resident claimed she paid an additional $70,000 a decade ago to allow a view of the golf course’s third fairway. She now fears that further development will jeopardize that promised view.
Another resident said further development could result in a diminished appeal for the golf course, opening the door for full-scale new development.
One resident said it would be fraudulent and misleading to be enticed by the presence of a golf course next to a new home, only for the course to be developed later.
A similar story has been unfolding at another Ottawa-area golf course – the Kanata Golf & Country Club. Property owner ClubLink wishes to sell for development.
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Staying ahead of wear and tear
Sports turf managers offer strategies to deal with ongoing challenge
By Mike Jiggens
Keeping up with worn goalmouth areas is typically the biggest challenge faced by sports turf managers on soccer fields. It’s the area of the playing surface that sees the greatest amount of wear, and keeping up with that section of the field is often a never-ending task.
Municipalities adopt different strategies to at least prevent conditions in the goalmouth to slip significantly, thereby negatively affecting playability and creating increased risk of injuries.
Sports turf managers from two different Ontario municipalities shared their strategies with several of their peers in Guelph in December at the second annual Nutrite sports turf seminar.
Dave Cambridge, sports turf and golf courses manager for the City of London, and Gavin Kellogg, sports field supervisor for the City of Burlington, spoke of their respective programs to address field wear and restorative policies.
Employed by the city for 30 years, Cambridge has supervised London’s turf fields for 10 straight years. For the past four years, he has additionally overseen the city’s municipal golf courses. He said he personally looks after only irrigated fields, including those at the city’s premier sports complex that is home to seven soccer fields, two baseball diamonds and a volleyball court.
To address the issue of goalmouth maintenance, Cambridge said portable nets are used on all lit fields, enabling better control of the goalmouth areas. The tactic results in varying field dimensions at different times of the year, but prevents wear from being concentrated in one area for a prolonged period of time. At the start of the spring season, the fields are rendered larger in size for about six weeks, during
which time they get “beat up.” The nets will then be positioned into their rightful locations, bringing the field size to its normal dimensions.
During this time, the worn goalmouth areas prior to the relocation of the nets will be sodded or seeded and be allowed to recover since they are now out of play.
London was host city to the Ontario Summer Games in 2018, and sodding of worn areas had been done for the high-end event. Cambridge said the areas subjected to wear and tear were rototilled and pulverized to get through the hardpan. Aerating was done by AerWay equipment while Land Pride machinery and a recently acquired Turfco Tri-Wave overseeder provided overseeding needs. Vertidraining was contracted out.
Portable nets have the advantage of being moved forward or backward to give worn goalmouth areas a better chance to recover.
‘There’s no sense seeding if you can’t get down through the hardpan’
The city applies five or six pounds of nitrogen on average for its fertility needs, depending on the length of the season.
“Our soccer fields and ball fields see way too much use as far as I’m concerned,” Cambridge said. “We don’t have any breaks. Some of our fields are 360 to 660 hours.”
He said maintenance staff tends to the worn areas by “chewing up” more than what was already torn up
in the goalmouth region from normal play. Soil is added to level everything off, “then it will be chewed up, pulverized, rototilled, raked smooth, and then they’ll go out and topdress and overseed the whole field.”
Sometimes the hardpan can be so significant that aerators need to go down eight inches.
“There’s no sense seeding if you can’t get down through the hardpan.”
Cambridge, who oversees a lead hand, a full-time turf employee and 20 students, said he prefers to seed than sod over worn areas, but, if little time is an issue, sodding becomes the chosen option.
In 2018, field maintenance began later in April and continued until mid-November. The city will be challenged again in 2020 when it plays host once more to the Summer Games.
In addition to its natural fields, London has some artificial playing surfaces.
“I’ve never been a fan of artificial, but they serve a purpose.”
He said he hopes the city can acquire an additional artificial field that would allow a significant amount of play to transfer to the synthetic surfaces, thereby giving the natural fields a chance to properly recover. The city’s high schools are now using the artificial fields instead of their own natural fields.
The city’s natural fields are mowed three times a week at two inches. The irrigated fields, however, are cut a half-inch higher with regular park mowers. Fields are irrigated about seven times a year.
Cambridge said the city’s sports fields have soil textures that range from sandy to clay. Those that are straight clay help to reduce water consumption. By adding a mostly leaf litter compost obtained from a local source, situations of extreme wetness can be addressed.
The fields at the high-end sports complex receive five pounds of nitrogen each year. A dormant feed is applied in mid-November to achieve enhanced colour and turf density in the early spring. Cambridge said the amounts put down help remedy worn areas because of the increased density achieved.
Slicing and coring the fields to break up summer compaction and allow more air into the soil profile are part of the regular maintenance routine in London.
BURLINGTON’S NEW SPORTS TURF PROGRAM
A new sports turf program was introduced in Burlington in the spring of 2018, coinciding with Kellogg becoming the city’s first sports field supervisor. Previously, he had moved to Burlington’s parks division in 2012 –
becoming parks supervisor in 2014 –following a long tenure as superintendent at the municipal Tyanadaga Golf Course where he began in 1991.
Before the city had a sports field supervisor, Kellogg said one individual cored fields in the spring and fall and sliced and vented in the summer.
“We used to contract out a lot of stuff –topdressing, deep tine aerifying and core aerification,” he said.
With the adoption of a new sports turf program enacted in 2018, the city began doing more work to its fields. A staff of three full-time and six seasonal employees work on the fields from April through November.
“The unfortunate part about seasonal staff is they’re always looking for full-time positions,” Kellogg said, adding he was busy in 2018 hiring new personnel to address a large turnover in staff.
More attention was directed to Burlington’s “A” class fields and baseball diamonds in 2018.
“We’re doing a lot of overseeding, aerifying and topdressing in the infields themselves on the clay diamonds.”
Soccer field goalmouths received greater attention with aerification, venting, topdressing and overseeding. Core aerification was done in the spring and fall while solid tine venting of the goalmouths was done throughout the playing season.
Many of Burlington’s baseball diamonds were given extra attention to address grass invasion of the backstop areas.
Fields within the city’s 15 satellite parks receive “good care” throughout the year, Kellogg said, while the rest of Burlington’s 118 fields that are located in decentralized parks are essentially just mowed.
Staff spent ample time in 2018 edging and weeding baseball diamond warning tracks and providing them with new material.
One of the more significant changes to the city’s maintenance regime under Kellogg’s new position is that all field fertility is now done in house. Previously, the work was contracted out. Fertilizing is done three times on non-irrigated fields and four times on irrigated surfaces at rates of 3½ to 4½ pounds.
Aerifying the fields is done three times annually with three-quarter-inch tines. About 89 million cored holes are produced over about 575,000 square metres.
“The goalmouths received more attention with an additional four core aerations combined with a topdressing, and the overseeding and venting were done on the irrigated fields only, in June, July and August.”
Wear and tear in the goalmouth area accumulates when a soccer net is in a fixed position.
Aerifying and verticutting were done to reduce thatch in sodded areas. Cores produced were shattered and blown off the fields.
Goalmouth areas deemed to be particularly bad underwent restoration work with staff taking great pride in ensuring everything was set and level, Kellogg said. He added attempts were made to keep the public off the fields while they were being restored. Much of the restoration work was done in the fall as a strategy to keep people off the turf. Doing the same work in the spring might have proved futile in keeping people off the fields.
When an area greater than four feet shows more than 50 per cent bare area, it will be earmarked for enhanced compaction reduction.
“We are at a point where we’re starting fresh. This is the first year we’ve really had a formalized program. We’re doing everything we can to get it to the point where we do not sod any more of those fields. The goal was to make sure we got the proper aerification, topdressing and overseeding and building up a good
seed bank.”
Seed is broadcast in the goalmouth areas, Kellogg said.
A number of different challenges have arisen, he said, including irrigation. Good turf requires proper watering, yet the city doesn’t have full control over its irrigation. Staff at the decentralized parks must set the controllers. Two irrigation technicians check Burlington’s fields, but usually it’s the field staff reporting any issues to the technicians rather than the technicians tending to the issues directly.
The city used to adopt a practice in which straight peat moss and triple mix soils were put down, but Kellogg said he prefers to go with more of a straight sand or possibly 60 per cent sand, depending on the soil’s texture. If working with a clay field that could use some organic matter, he said he prefers to go with 60 per cent sand and some topsoil. If he is working with good soils and wants to get the infiltration rate down, allowing water to get through the profile and prevent compaction, sand does a great job in those situations, he said.
The City of Burlington enacted a new sports turf program in 2018 that will see more attention given to its sports fields.
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)
“This will give you great germination. You can put that down and seed loves it because it will germinate ‘like that.’ Once you put a soccer player on that with his feet moving back and forth and you have wetness in the spring or the fall, you’re going to tear up all your goalmouths.”
Overseeding of goalmouth areas is done with a quick germinating bluegrass and creeping ryegrass. Kellogg said the AerWay is ideal for simply opening up the surface at times when cores needn’t be pulled. The idea, he said, is to open it up and get moisture down. The machine’s rear rollers complete the task by smoothing out the tufts.
When coring, tight spacing is desired, he said. If spacing is only six inches by six inches, “you’re not really aerifying. You’re not making that soil disruption. You’re not getting the compaction out of there.”
Kellogg prefers to tighten his spacings to 2½ by 2½ inches or 2½ by three inches to produce plentiful cores. He admitted it
makes more of a “mess,” requiring the cores to be matted and broken up. In the fall, when teams are in playoffs, solid tines will be used to open the profile to allow better root development. Once playoffs have concluded, coring will take place.
A project to reduce bentgrass populations on soccer fields was initiated in the fall at Burlington’s Maple Park and will continue over the next two to three years.
“With water comes bentgrass. Bentgrass isn’t a great surface to play on for soccer. It’s great for golf, but not for soccer. The roots are at the top.”
Using a verticutter, as much of the bentgrass as possible was removed. It was swept up and the area was overseeded.
The bentgrass reduction program will include cutting back on the amount of water applied and topdressing with straight sand to help move water down through the profile instead of it being left near the top.
Adding to the challenge of wear and tear this soccer goalmouth is facing is the fact that the area is in a mostly shaded area, putting new turf establishment at a disadvantage.
Electric switch-over for sustainability
Measuring the pros and cons of electric-powered landscaping equipment
By Mike Jiggens
An Ontario landscaping firm has taken an ecofriendly approach toward its maintenance practices over the past three years, utilizing electric-powered equipment for half of its operations in order to reduce harmful emissions, generate less noise and promote better health among its employees and customers.
Michael Gucciardi, sales manager and environmental sustainability manager for Milton-based International Landscaping Inc., spoke about his company’s journey towards sustainable maintenance practices in January at Landscape Ontario Congress in Toronto.
In 2016, International Landscaping initiated its first electric launch to service its corporate clientele. A year later, a second electric fleet was launched. Today, the 30-year-old company is believed to be the largest zero emissions landscape maintenance contractor in Canada.
Gucciardi, son of company CEO and co-founder Baldo Gucciardi and nephew of president and co-founder Santo Gucciardi, said he was essentially groomed for the industry since birth, adding his environmental studies at the University of Waterloo directed him towards his passion for achieving sustainability. Gravitating in the direction of electric-powered equipment
was an important step toward realizing that goal.
“We identified an opportunity,” he said, acknowledging there were several factors considered before switching out conventional gasoline-powered equipment for electric-powered tools. “Most landscape equipment that was electrically-powered 20 years ago was not commercial grade. You had an extension cord attached or batteries that would last about 30 minutes.”
Michael Gucciardi is the sales manager and environmental sustainability manager for International Landscaping in Milton, Ont.
Yesteryear’s limited battery life might have been OK for residential purposes, but it wasn’t suitable for commercial applications, Gucciardi said. In recent years, however, lithium-ion batteries have emerged with longer lifespans that deliver significantly more power. Now that they have become commercial grade, professionals are starting to tune into their attributes.
“We all want to be as sustainably minded as possible, but at the end of the day we’re a business. It’s important that if you want to adapt to this technology, you’re aware of the financial costs that are associated with it and that it’s feasible for your business.”
Although they are still somewhat costlier than their gas-powered counterparts, electric-powered tools and their batteries have become more affordable.
“This has allowed us to provide the service on a commercial level,” Gucciardi said.
International Landscaping prides itself on a highlevel, high quality of service, he said, adding that before moving toward electric-powered equipment it was necessary to know how the equipment differed from gas-powered equipment in terms of efficiency.
“Does it get clogged? Will it totally burn out if it gets a little bit wet? There were a lot of unknowns that we really weren’t aware about, but we were willing to take the risk, and that’s what moved us into creating a road map.”
Gucciardi said landscape contractors don’t necessarily need to have exclusively electric-powered tools among their inventory of equipment in order to move toward sustainability. A contractor can perhaps start with an electric-powered backpack blower if he does residential maintenance work. Because backpack blowers are typically targets of negative feedback due to the excessive noise they produce and the pollution they emit, starting with an electric-powered version
and building from there will demonstrate the contractor has the environment in mind. He can then map out what he’s trying to achieve so that he can stay on track with his goals. A move toward eco-friendliness can also be used as an effective marketing tool, he added.
The need for the right battery
Batteries are the key components behind electricpowered equipment and represent the most significant challenge if professionals are contemplating switching from gasoline to electric. Batteries are essentially replacing a gasoline source, making it imperative that the right battery types are used, Gucciardi said.
“Although there is a price difference – electricpowered equipment compared to gas – electrical is more expensive, but not significantly more expensive.”
A common perception within the industry is that landscaping employees are not comfortable with electric equipment, but training can serve as a multipurpose solution in mitigating any feelings of discomfort, he said, adding training can also mitigate troubleshooting areas related to electric equipment.
Gucciardi said power outages tend to be a common occurrence in Milton.
“If they (his work crews) were to arrive in the
morning and there was a power outage and they had no available tools to do the services we do, that poses a significant problem, both for them and our reputation,” he said, noting 50 per cent of his company is using electric-powered equipment. “If this happens multiple times in a week or a month, it becomes really difficult to properly balance that and ensure you’re following your contractual obligation. If you don’t have the tools and you made a promise to use electrical, you need to go to plan B.”
A contractor who is considering adapting to electric-powered equipment needs to know the significance behind having a power monitoring system because it will be detrimental to his operation if he doesn’t have a supply of fully charged batteries.
There are several types of chargers that can go with a single battery, Gucciardi said. The difference is in charging time. One type of charger may take nine hours to fully charge a battery while another model may take less than an hour.
“A lot of people usually go for the cheaper version, but what ends up happening is you have a lot of variables in the summer that
can change how much battery you think you have. It may be 100 per cent to start the day, but might be down to zero by noon.”
Gucciardi said if a quality charger can restore batteries to a 100 per cent charge by the middle of the day, the contractor is in a much better position than if he had no battery source. This can be a challenge when a customer’s lawn is half mowed at the moment the zero-turn mower’s battery has died. With only half the property cut, a plan B is then required.
Other factors that can pose a challenge to battery life include heat, moisture and cold temperatures.
“It’s important that if you’re getting into electrical that you’re aware of these variables because they can influence things like charging time.”
Batteries can be expensive which leads some to be lured to cheaper models. Some battery manufacturers,
however, will use a protective coating to block water damage, making the battery more reliable. It adds to the cost of the battery, but enhances its reliability.
“You’re almost better off spending a little bit more money on this particular battery,” Gucciardi said, noting it’s a better option than buying a cheaper battery and getting only a half-season of life out of it. He said his company is still using batteries purchased in 2016 that have yet to lose any of their charge.
When purchasing an electricpowered trimmer, it doesn’t come with additional batteries and sometimes not even a single battery or charger.
“Those are additional costs you have to factor in that eat at your bottom line.”
Because batteries are replacing the fuel source of conventional equipment, contractors will probably want to have more than one battery per tool, Gucciardi said. During a typical
Batteries are the “fuel source” of electric-powered equipment and must be fully charged to get through a day’s work.
workday in which a trimmer, blower and hedge trimmer are used – and crews are going out a number of times – there is no “fill up.” It is therefore important for work crews to be outfitted with a sufficient number of batteries so that they can fulfill their obligation to the customer and get the job done correctly, he added.
Pros outweigh the cons
In spite of the challenges linked to batteries, Gucciardi said he believes the pros associated with electricpowered equipment outweigh the cons. Still, there are other challenges to consider, he cautioned.
“There’s a lot of research and development that still needs to go into it for a lot of deficiencies that are associated with it. That can be expensive.”
Additional man-hours in the field can be costly with electric-powered equipment, he said, adding someone who has been using gas-powered equipment his entire career can’t simply be handed the same piece of electricpowered equipment and be expected to be an authority.
“They need to understand the differences between the two to be an effective team player.”
If employees are trained properly in the use of electric-powered equipment, the number of additional man-hours should diminish as operators learn how to maximize the equipment’s use.
Guicciardi said critics of electric-powered equipment believe the technology cannot possibly match gas-powered equipment and that it’s weak and doesn’t work as well, but he added their opinions are based largely on a lack of research.
“An awesome way to counteract that is through training.”
He cited an example of someone perpetually having his hand on the trigger of a trimmer, even while he’s not actively trimming. The operator will run down his battery life much sooner if he’s doing this frequently in a workday. If the employee is taught how to use the tool correctly and properly utilizes its features – such as activating eco-mode during hotter times of the
Training of staff is the key to getting workers accustomed to using electric powered equipment if gas powered is all they are used to.
Canadian Turf Distributors
Atlantic Provinces
Irri Plus Inc. (902) 405-4774
Quebec
Central Irrigation Supply
Ville St. Laurent, QC (514) 788-5884
Site One Landscape Supply
Ville St. Laurent, QC (514) 913-6719
Ontario
Site One Landscape Supply
Concord, ON (5 locations) (800) 347-4272
Vanden Bussche Irrigation Milton, ON (6 locations) (800) 263-4112
Central Irrigation Supply
Mississauga, ON (5 locations) (905) 795-8088
Manitoba
Consolidated Supply
Winnipeg, MB (204) 632-7643
Site One Landscape Supply Winnipeg, MB (204) 694-9442
Saskatchewan
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
Andrew Sheret Ltd. (24 locations in BC) (250)-386-7744
Consolidated Supply Kelowna BC (250) 863-8291
Corix Water Products
Langley, 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
season – he won’t use up the tool’s battery life as quickly.
The environmental and health benefits associated with electricpowered equipment help contribute to an employee’s motivation for using the tools, Gucciardi said.
Dan Schissler, an environmental consultant for International Landscaping, said the use of electric-powered equipment helps to showcase a company as being environmentally responsible. He said the average car driven for a year emits 4.6 metric tons of carbon. A zeroturn, 24-horsepower gas mower running five hours a day, 100 days a year emits about 141 times that amount. Replacing even one mower in a fleet is significant, he said, speculating there will be an economic incentive to use less carbon.
Gas-powered maintenance equipment emit pollutants as volatile organic compounds, he added, noting studies show they negatively affect cardiovascular and respiratory health that can result in poor quality sleep, mood swings and other factors than can affect the quality of life. Switching to electric-powered equipment is likely to improve the productivity of a company’s workforce, he added.
The air quality of the worksite will also improve, Schissler said, and will generally improve the immediate and surrounding environment, benefitting other plants and trees.
Noise reduction with electric-powered equipment provides another health benefit. Exposure to noise levels above 80 decibels over a constant period of time can result in permanent hearing damage, and continual exposure accumulates over time.
“If you’re exposed to this every day for 15 years, it will likely have an impact on your hearing,” Schissler said.
The average gas-powered leaf blower and mower have an average noise output of 100 to 105 decibels. Although most workers wear hearing protection, there is still an effect, Schissler said, citing the average electric-powered mower operates in the 75 to 80 decibel range.
“It’s still not perfect, but it’s a great step
forward. That 20-decibel difference is significant. It’s the same difference as a leaf blower and a rock concert.”
He said the environmental and human health benefits of using electric-powered equipment can be used as a sales strategy, suggesting a landscaper is more apt to land commercial clients that want to be environmentally responsible.
Gucciardi said sales based on environmental initiatives is still relatively new in landscaping, and a move toward electric-powered equipment can potentially tap into this market.
“It’s important that you think strategically about your client base when making the transition,” he said. “There’s no point using electrically-powered equipment on a site that has low margins and doesn’t really care about noise emissions. They’re focused solely on price.”
Gucciardi said environmentally responsible landscaping companies have a leg up in targeting potential new customers that are like-minded.
“Don’t be left behind. The climate is changing and so is the market. It’s important that you utilize innovation and these new technologies because as they become more and more of a dominant force within the industry and you have to adapt them, you’re not starting fresh. You have some experience. You have some ideas and know where you stand.”
Even though some companies don’t wish to go fully electric, Gucciardi encouraged the landscapers in his audience to at least try some of the tools to see where the technology is today and its potential for tomorrow.
“If you have a team of people who really dislike electrical and you haven’t trained them or talked to them or helped them, and you’re just forcing them to use it, I promise you you’re not going to have that group for too much longer.”
Gucciardi said it’s important for electric-leaning companies to find individuals who are enthusiastic about working with electric-powered tools. The companies should also have an achievable target.
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ESP-9V HUNTER NODE
Springtime sprinkler start-up made simple
Being proactive in the fall is a big boost to kickstarting irrigation system in spring. By
Chris Davey
There are a number of important steps to follow every time a grounds manager needs to fill an empty irrigation system, whether that’s following a winterization in the fall, a new system pressurization, or any other time a system has been depressurized, such as after repairing a line break.
To accomplish an irrigation system’s pressurization safely and efficiently, technicians will need to rely on a healthy dose of common sense, remain alert throughout the entire pressurization process and practise good communication with the other technicians.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
Perhaps the most logical step in successfully starting up a sprinkler happens long before ever connecting the water source to the system in the spring. The best way to ensure that a springtime startup will go smoothly is by making sure fall winterization procedures have been done correctly and completely. This includes making sure there’s no damage to the electrical components, draining all of
the water from the system, and actuating or manually bleeding the water from anything that is connected to the source, including valves, solenoids, breakers or actuators.
Being proactive in the fall during the winterization process not only helps protect the integrity of the irrigation system once it is started up again, but also helps grounds management teams manage their workload in a more effective way, as many of operations experience an increased workload and a sense of urgency to get the irrigation system up and running at the first sign of a warm-up.
This is in addition to all of the other springtime tasks that grounds management crews need to be thinking about, like seeding, removing winter debris, dethatching, fertilizing and controlling weeds. As for the irrigation system, anything that wasn’t properly maintained in the fall will need to be addressed in the spring, when time is at a premium. In short, as long as the system was properly maintained and put to bed in the fall, springtime startup can be a quick and painless job.
THE PROCESS
Once grounds managers are confident that their system is ready to be activated, developing a startup process and communicating this process with the rest of the team is key. Each irrigation system is different and may require adjustments to the process, but most commercial irrigation systems can be ready to go in five simple steps:
• Open drain valves in low areas of the system. At all high points and dead ends, technicians should manually turn sprinklers to the “On” position. This will allow air to bleed from the system during the process. Crews should avoid compressing air and relieving, but should instead bleed air from the lines while filling the system.
• Adjust pressure regulation at the source. Technicians will want to keep the pressure below 50 pounds per square inch (psi) to to reduce the possibility of injury to team members and damage to the system itself. Technicians should supply water to the system at a velocity fill rate of less than two feet per second.
• Monitor open drains close to the
As long as the system was properly maintained and put to bed in the fall, springtime startup can be a quick and painless job.
source and at the lowest elevation points. When steady water flow is detected at low-elevation drains, technicians should turn the sprinkler off and move to the next highest location. Repeat until air is completely evacuated, water is flowing and all venting locations have been closed.
• Activate each sprinkler electronically. This allows any remaining air to escape while maintaining a maximum pressure of less than 50 psi. During this phase, technicians will want to identify any system component abnormalities and make repairs as necessary.
• Confirm all air has been removed. Once this is complete, adjust the system pressure to the normal operating pressure.
USING COMMON SENSE (AND OTHER SENSES, TOO!)
A healthy dose of common sense goes a long way when opening up an irrigation system for the season. The system is being put under a lot of pressure after lying dormant for several months, so technicians should take
great care to inspect heads for any cracking or abnormalities before the process begins. Pressurizing a damaged head can cause it to disconnect from the irrigation system with considerable force, potentially causing harm to the system, and more importantly, posing a potential risk to technicians and crew members.
During pressurization, grounds managers and technicians will want to make sure that all team members are at a safe distance from the heads to avoid personal injury. Using personal protective equipment (PPE),
A healthy dose of common sense goes a long way when opening up an irrigation system for the season
like gloves and safety glasses is also recommended.
During the pressurization process, technicians will also want to remain extremely aware of their surroundings by paying close attention to what’s going on
with the system every step of the way. A technician’s eyes and ears are the most important tools they have, as they will need to constantly monitor and identify any abnormalities that they see or hear while filling the system.
There are two ways to supply water to an operation’s irrigation system. The first is through a municipal source, and the second, most common way, is by pumping captured water from a lake, pond or cistern through the system. In the second scenario, listening carefully proves to be extremely important. Often, inconsistencies in the pump’s operation are an early indicator that there may be something the crew needs to address with the irrigation system.
Throughout the pressurization process, a team member should always be monitoring the functionality of the pump and be ready to communicate any odd noises to the rest of the team.
Albert Einstein said, “The only source of knowledge is experience.” That statement is extremely applicable when opening up irrigation systems. A seasoned technician who knows all the nuances and intricacies of the irrigation system is extremely useful. They will know the locations of drains, couplers, elevation points and dead ends in the lines, which can help develop a plan for sequentially closing the high point vents, allowing the water to effectively drain out of the low points first.
A SEAMLESS STARTUP
With the right formula, irrigation system startups can be quick and easy. Properly winterizing the system the previous fall, developing and working a plan, using common sense, capitalizing on the experience of seasoned technicians and being aware of one’s surroundings will help to ensure the springtime irrigation system startup goes off without a hitch.
Chris Davey is product marketing manager at Toro. He also co-hosts a radio show called, “The Water Zone,” sponsored by Toro, which is broadcast on Thursdays at 6 p.m. on iHeart radio and throughout Southern California on NBC News Radio stations. The podcast is available at http://waterzone.podcast.toro.com/.
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
Workplace stress negates productivity
Ahealthy workplace promotes the total health and wellbeing of its employees and strives to protect them from psychological harm, including stress. A recent white paper released by Morneau-Shepell and the Mental Health Commission of Canada reveals that more than a third (34 per cent) of Canadians cite workplace stress as the primary cause of their mental health issue.
Like many other issues surrounding mental health, stress is often misunderstood or stigmatized. However, if it is treated as an organizational issue rather than an individual fault, stress can be just as manageable as any other workplace safety and health risk.
BENEFITS
A psychologically healthy and safe workplace provides workers with work-life balance, reasonable job demands, value and respect, challenging work, opportunity for growth and development, and security. This can lead to a more enjoyable work environment, increased productivity, and happier workers who feel encouraged, supported and recognized for their efforts.
Like many other issues surrounding mental health, stress is often misunderstood or stigmatized
RECOGNIZING WORKPLACE STRESS
There is no single cause of workplace stress. There are many factors within workplaces that can influence feelings of stress, including job
design, a worker’s role in the organization, interpersonal work relationships, the workplace culture, management style, work-life imbalance, and working conditions. Family, financial, health and community issues from outside work can influence reactions to these workplace conditions. It is safe to say that every worker is affected by a variety of personal and workplace factors at any given time, and that mental health is managed on an ongoing, daily basis.
However, workers may experience stress when the demands of their job are excessive and greater than their capacity to cope with them. In addition to mental health problems, workers suffering from prolonged stress can go on to develop serious physical health problems such as cardiovascular disease or musculoskeletal problems.
The negative effects of stress in a workplace can include increased absenteeism and “present-eeism” (workers turning up for work when sick and unable to function effectively) and increased accident and injury rates. Absences tend to be longer than those arising from other causes, and work-related stress may contribute to increased rates of early retirement. The cost to businesses and society can be substantial.
SOLUTIONS
A positive psychosocial environment can enhance performance and personal development, as well as workers’ mental and physical well-being. In this supportive work environment, workers’ skills are appropriately matched with their job duties, and they are motivated to perform to the best of their ability.
Good job design accommodates
an employee’s mental and physical abilities and can help minimize or control workplace stress. Jobs should be reasonably demanding and provide the employee with at least a minimum of variety of job tasks. Employees should be able to learn on the job and continue to learn as their career develops. Allowing for decision-making can support employee development and independence. Recognition in the workplace is important and the employee should feel that his job has potential for development.
Tips from the Morneau-Shepell
Stress on the job can be managed like any other workplace safety and health risk.
Health & Safety
white paper include:
Support the employee-manager relationship. Employees need to feel safe at work and have trust with their employer. Encouraging open conversations about mental health and reducing stigma can help to create a caring
mental health culture.
Training managers to understand and support employees with mental health problems and illnesses is both advantageous and proactive. Normalize mental health throughout your workforce. Supporting people to
In Memory of HANS RAADMAND JOHANSEN
M ay 9 th , 1923 - M onday , d ece M ber 10 th , 2018
It is with great sadness that the family of Hans Johansen announces his passing on Monday, December 10 2018, at the age of 95. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife Tayyeba Johansen, family members, and employees of The Professional Gardener LTD.
Hans comes from a family with a long history of seed growers and suppliers in Denmark, where he studied horticulture and agriculture. This sparked a passion for developing products that could increase the yield and improve the growth and survival of the plants.
After living through the German occupation of Denmark, Hans immigrated to Canada and spent the first two years working on a farm in Quebec. Hans was a great visionary, entrepreneur and passionate person. In the 1950s, he moved to Calgary where he purchased the Wilsons Seed Store. In 1963, he changed the name to Golden West Seeds LTD. It was a fixture on the corner of 6th Avenue and Centre Street in downtown Calgary, well known for its seeds and pet supplies as a retail store. In 1984, the Golden West Seeds LTD. changed its name to The Professional Gardener Company LTD. and evolved into a leading wholesaler for greenhouse, nurseries, golf courses and public departments from Thunder Bay, Ontario to Kamloops, British Columbia. In 1981, Hans returned to research with Bio-Tech Environmental Research Corporation, and was successful in developing growing medium, fertilizer, natural plant growth hormones for golf courses and many other products. Hans dedicated his life in doing something that would benefit mankind. He was a big believer in growing organic systems.
His inspiration came from a quote from Johnathan Swift ... “that whoever could make two ears of corn or two blades of grass to grow upon a spot of ground where one grew before would deserve better of mankind and do more essential service to his country than a whole race of politicians put together”.
t o view and share photos , condolences and stories of h ans please visit choice M e M orial . co M
share their experiences can help break stigmas and prevent negative attitudes and behaviours from flourishing.
Use the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace – the first of its kind in the world. It is a set of voluntary guidelines, tools and resources intended to guide organizations in promoting mental health and preventing psychological harm at work.
Additional advice for employers:
• Treat all employees in a fair and respectful manner.
• Encourage open conversations about stress and mental health.
• Be aware of the signs and symptoms that a person may be having trouble coping with stress.
• Involve employees in decision-making and allow for their input directly or through committees, etc.
• Provide workplace health and wellness programs that target the true source of the stress. Survey employees to better understand their challenges.
• Incorporate stress prevention or positive mental health promotion in your policies and corporate mission statement.
• Provide workers with the training, skills and resources they need to be successful in their positions.
• Design jobs to allow for a balanced workload. Allow employees to have control over the tasks they do as much as possible.
• Value and recognize individuals’ results and skills.
• Make sure job demands are reasonable by providing manageable deadlines, hours of work, and clear duties as well as interesting and varied.
• Provide access to Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs).
Mental health is not merely the absence of illness, but a focus that needs to be embedded in all aspects of the workplace, from its everyday culture to its policies and programs.
Managing staff as important as managing golf
A content workforce creates a positive work environment and a course golfers want to play.
By Mike Jiggens
Golf superintendents must be equally adept at managing both their playing surfaces and the staff under their supervision. Being able to successfully do both makes for a better work environment and a course that golfers want to play.
Chris Tritabaugh has developed a reputation over the years for achieving both goals during his 12 years as superintendent at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., site of the 2016 Ryder Cup championship, and spoke about his winning formula in November at the 30th annual professional turfgrass seminar in Waterloo, Ont., sponsored by Ontario Seed Company and Nutrite.
He told his audience that he not only has a love of turf, but an enthusiasm for the culture of getting people to be passionate about their work which invariably leads to an increase in productivity.
“I have no shame saying as a super-
intendent that I want my job to be as easy as possible,” he said. “I think sometimes we might get caught up in this idea that if our job looks difficult and it seems difficult to us, then the people we work for – whether it be the membership or owner or some sort of a public company – might say, ‘He really works hard at his job.’”
Tritabaugh said it has never been a problem for his maintenance staff to arrive to work on time and show enthusiasm for their jobs. He attributes the work ethic of his team to making his own job seem easy. Among the benefits of having such a dedicated staff is having more time to spend with his young family.
Recalling his pre-superintendent days, he said the things that made work exciting for him included the chance to work with friends, being part of a team, developing a sense of accomplishment and being tasked with responsibility that led to personal satisfaction.
“I love being trusted. I think we all like
to be trusted in our jobs, whether we’re an assistant or working on a crew. We want to be trusted by those who we report to.”
Superintendents are in the business of making key decisions, Tritabaugh said, acknowledging it’s often the workers in the field who make many of those decisions. Those raking bunkers or mowing greens tend to have more information than the superintendent himself.
“Giving them the opportunity to make some decisions and how they do that work and how they go about it is important to our team functioning at a high level.”
Tritabaugh said managing turf and managing people can be similar to putting together a jigsaw puzzle. The first goal is to pursue the easiest task, much like taking the edge puzzle pieces to form the frame before building up the remaining puzzle. The process needs to start with the superintendent, he said, suggesting that if he isn’t thinking about the things that need to happen on the golf course, his employees
Bunker preparation is done two weeks prior to the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club.
will experience a shrinking of their own thought processes.
“They’re not really thinking about what they’re doing or how to make what they’re doing better. They’re just out there doing things to get through the day.”
He said those assigned to rake bunkers, for example, won’t be thinking about how they can make the bunkers better or how to rake them more efficiently.
“They’re thinking, ‘this is what I’m supposed to do and when I’m done I get to do
something else and then I get to go home.’”
Meanwhile, the superintendent spends his day trying to make decisions pertaining to the golf course, “pulling a trigger or putting out a fire.” When the
the crew and getting information from them really helped us down the road and to ultimately have great bunker conditions for the Ryder Cup and beyond for our membership.”
Tritabaugh likened his approach to dealing with his staff in preparation for the Ryder Cup to the story of a navy captain who had just been assigned the worst ship in the fleet after having studied for command of a state-of-the-
art vessel. Many of the commands issued were intended for a more modern ship, and the captain realized his crew had better knowledge of that type of vessel than he had.
“He knew he had to give the driver more ability to make a decision so that when he gave the order, it wasn’t so much, ‘I’m going to give you this order and you need to do what I’m doing,’ but ‘this is what I intend to have us do and now you tell me how you want us to do it.’”
During preparations for the Ryder Cup, Tritabaugh told his staff how he wanted the bunkers to look and play, but added, “Now we want you to help us find the best way to do that in the most efficient way that will take the least amount of manpower and gets the job done the quickest.”
The Hazeltine superintendent said he likes to give his staff roles to perform rather than tasks to complete. His assistants are given roles in a specific area of concentration such as applications or moisture management on greens. He’ll say to the individual, “I want you to handle moisture management on greens and I want you to have intimate knowledge of it. I want it to be something you concentrate on and you’re thinking about it all the time.”
The assistant whose role is to oversee moisture management on greens will instinctively know when to use his TDR moisture meter and how to plan his strategy. Tritabaugh said the assistant knows his role and doesn’t need the superintendent to assign him tasks. He knows what needs to be done to maintain optimal moisture levels and retain the highest quality of the greens. The individual assigned that role will take ownership and pride in what he is doing, he added.
“It’s amazing to see what happens to an employee when you give him that type of responsibility and give him the ability to make decisions within his own role.”
AVOIDING NEGATIVE LEADERSHIP
Tritabaugh said he has been reading a
book that explores how not to lead, citing the author’s contention that a negative way of leading is reducing work to tasks and “to do” lists and then ensuring people do exactly what is wanted, only to call them out when the work is done incorrectly.
soil, pulverize, clear debris, grade, scarify, dethatch, make swales & windrows and maintain trails
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Chris Tritabaugh, Hazeltine superintendent
“This keeps us from getting into position as a leader where we’re worrying about tasks and ‘to do’s.’”
Tritabaugh said he doesn’t have to tell his assistant whose role is to look after moisture management to determine if watering is necessary on a given day. The assistant understands it’s his responsibility and he deals with it.
“It keeps me from having to pull all of these triggers throughout the course of the day, making my job much easier. When we trust people to get the job done, we get leaders. When we tell people to get the job done, we get workers.”
During the Ryder Cup championship, Tritabaugh presided over a team of about 180 people, most of who were volunteers from other golf courses in the United States, Canada and around the world. The outside volunteers were able to approach any of the Hazeltine staff for guidance as each had his personal set of leadership skills.
Motivation is key in creating an environment where people enjoy coming to work, he said, adding he wants his employees to look forward to their work day and to know they’ll have fun.
Adopting a list of guiding principles to inform employees of the things that are
Tritabaugh’s full-time staff on the final day of work for assistant Ryan Moy (arms extended in front), who is now head groundskeeper for MLS team Minnesota United.
particularly important is vital, Tritabaugh said, noting No. 1 on the list should be safety. Other points include the commitment to be a good teammate (completing every job and task and taking the initiative to do more than what was asked), being honest (telling someone if a task was done incorrectly) and being innovative (encouraging inspiration among employees).
Of the latter, Tritabaugh said superintendents sometimes overlook their employees’ ability to innovate. If a high school student was hired to the team and shown a picture of a properly raked bunker and was given the tools to emulate what he saw without further instructions, “that person is naturally going to innovate the way that they do that job.”
He compared that to the puzzle building scenario, suggesting the student will put the pieces together to form the picture he was provided and will become increasingly more adept as he moves on. The first bunker he rakes will likely take longer than the last.
Tritabaugh said superintendents sometimes might be accused of stifling the abilities of their team members, blocking their natural instinct to innovate.
“When we send someone out to rake the bunker, we’re not so concerned about them doing it the way we told them to do it. We will give them instruction and the best idea of how we want them to do that job, but if they come up with something more efficient that makes the product better and makes four people work together better in a more efficient manner, we’re happy to let them dictate those sorts of decisions when they’re off doing this job.”
Tritabaugh tells his employees that when they are working at a specific job and the instructions they have been given fail to lend efficiency to the task at hand, they shouldn’t make a fuss about it or grumble to themselves that the superintendent doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Instead, the employee should meet with his superior to suggest a better way.
The superintendent, in turn, should express admiration to his employees for a job well done and to stress the importance of them having fun.
“If you’re not coming into work and having fun, it can be a miserable place to be and a miserable thing to do.”
A superintendent who sets up his team to have as much fun as possible will likely find that his role as team leader will be that much easier and fun as well, Tritabaugh said.
‘I think we all like to be trusted in our jobs, whether we’re an assistant or working on a crew’
If an environment can be created to motivate fringe employees to work positively, to work as a team and still have fun while accomplishing set goals, “I think you’ll find your employees will raise their game.”
Employees who fail to show immediate promise aren’t necessarily dismissed at Hazeltine, but are often paired with high performers in an effort to raise their games.
“Rather than having this negative synergy, we’ve created this positive synergy by getting them in with other people and working them in a better environment.”
Hazeltine has been endowed with a reputation as being a great place to work, Tritabaugh said, adding he doesn’t want to see that standing compromised. Keeping both the golf course and the work atmosphere in the best shape possible will continue to be a key goal, he added.
Hazeltine has already been selected as the site for the 2028 Ryder Cup, making it the first course in the United States to host the event twice. In the meantime, the golf course will host this year’s women’s PGA Championship as well as the junior boys amateur the following year.
CGSA conference comes to Banff
Banff, Alta. is the setting for the Canadian Golf Course Management Conference, scheduled for March 4-7. The event, presented by the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association, will feature more than 15 hours of education sessions as well as a two-day trade show.
In addition to the regular education seminars Tuesday through Thursday are 16 hours of programming scheduled for Monday, March 4 that are broken up into four separate four-hour sessions.
Speakers and their session topics are:
Monday, March 4
• Creating a workplace culture (Grant Murphy, associate superintendent, National Golf Club of Canada; & Carlos Arraya, director, grounds and agronomy, Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis, MO).
• New trends in putting green and fairway management (Adam Moeller, education director, USGA).
• Managing change is par for the course –practical tools and strategies to ensure employees embrace and implement transformation at work (Dr. Melanie Peacock, chartered professional in human resources).
• Soil under your turf – what’s going on down there? (Dr. Beth Geurtal, president, Crop Science Society of America).
Tuesday, March 5
• Communicating with confidence, clarity and credibility: are you undermining your success? (Keynote address by Laura Katen, president, Katen Consulting, a professional development training company).
• Current human resource challenges and
development in the Canadian landscape (Dr. Melanie Peacock, chartered professional in human resources).
• New trends in putting green surface management (Adam Moeller, education director, USGA).
• Thatch and thatch control (Dr. Beth Guertal, president, Crop Science Society of America).
Wednesday, March 6
• Be the leader for the generational workplace (Carlos Arraya, director, grounds and agronomy, Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis, MO).
• Moss management (Dr. Jack Fry, department of horticulture and natural resources, Kansas State University).
Thursday, March 7
• The new rules of golf – how you’ll have to change what you’re doing to accommodate (Dr. Jack Fry, department of horticulture and natural resources, Kansas State University).
• Here’s what I think I know – 31 years of
watching grass grow has taught me this (Grant Murphy, associate superintendent, National Golf Club of Canada).
• Dealing with the pressures of the job while dealing with anxiety (Miranda Robinson, superintendent, Summerlea Golf Club, and consulting superintendent, Western Trent Golf Club; and Paul Robertson, superintendent, project manager, clubhouse manager, Victoria Golf Club).
• Leadership and balance – building a team and having a life while maintaining a championship golf course (Chris Tritabaugh, superintendent, Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minn.).
Representatives from Syngenta, Belchim (formerly Engage Agro) and other companies will make a number of product presentations on Wednesday, March 6. A “Turf Talks” presentation will be made on Thursday, March 7, addressing innovative practices that include GPS spraying and managing fescue in Canada.
For more information about the conference or to register, visit https://golfsupers. com/banff2019.
First phase of GTI transition complete
New Frost building among second phase projects. By Mike Jiggens
The new Guelph Turfgrass Institute has completed the first phase of its transition to its new location at the Arboretum on the University of Guelph grounds. The move from the GTI’s original site off Victoria Road began in 2017 and will continue this year with the construction of a new two-storey G.M. Frost building that will facilitate educational instruction, office space and a boardroom.
Cam Shaw, communications and outreach co-ordinator for the GTI, updated golf superintendents on the institute’s progress in December at the 30th annual Ontario Seed/Nutrite professional turfgrass seminar in Waterloo.
Although much of the infrastructure had been installed at the new site by the end of 2017, 2018 became a significant year for the project with the completion of its first phase that included the establishment of 5½ acres of research plots and the installation of a new pump and pump house in late April and early May.
“That helped spur on the ability to charge the irrigation system that was installed (by Vanden Bussche Irrigation) in 2017, flush it out and make sure all the heads were locked and loaded and ready to go and firing on all cylinders,” Shaw said.
Within the research plots is a vast diversity of root zones. He said the maintenance crew from the Cutten Fields Golf Club was eager to take a leading role to grow in the research plots.
“The execution of the grow-in was excellent,” he said.
Plugs were pulled from Cutten Fields’ greens and delivered to the GTI’s pushup plots located at the far west end of the property.
The first research trial got underway this past year under the supervision of Dr. Eric Lyons of the University of Guelph. About 28 different cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass are being monitored for their drought resistance capabilities in a Turfgrass Water Conservation Alliance trial.
An NTEP (National Turfgrass Evaluation Program) trial was originally slated to begin in 2018, but seed originating from the United States was held up at the border, causing the seeding window to be missed. The NTEP trial for turf-type tall fescue is now planned for this year and will be the first NTEP trial to be conducted at the GTI in several years.
Shaw said the west plots are mainly golf-centric type root
zones and will be where most golf research will take place. The east plots are all sports field root zones.
He said once the pump was installed, it gave momentum toward getting the research plots going.
“It was the lifeblood in order to make sure the grow-in could be executed.”
The pushup greens incorporating the plugs from Cutten Fields are mostly poa annua
In all, the site features four USGA plots with both calcareous and non-calcareous mixes, one California root zone, two pushup-style root zones and six sports turf root zones.
The sports turf plots are classed as Category 5, similar to the native material found in golf fairways.
Cam Shaw, GTI communications and outreach co-ordinator
By the first couple of weeks in September, all surrounds were hydroseeded with 50 per cent perennial ryegrass and 50 per cent creeping red fescue mix.
The east plots feature a runoff feature to one side.
“We’re hoping it will create an opportunity to do some research looking into the surface runoff of fertilizers and pesticides.”
Construction of the Frost building –which will be larger than the original structure – and renovations to a couple of the Arboretum structures were estimated to take 14 months to complete, allowing for move-in to take place in the spring or summer of 2020, provided there are no unexpected delays.
Shaw said the GTI relocation project would not have been possible without the support of a number of industry groups and individuals that supplemented the financial contribution of the Ontario government. The project was estimated to cost $15 million of which 80 per cent was provincially funded, including the cost of renovations to the Arboretum Centre.
“It’s a very substantial amount,” Shaw said of the government funding, quipping that perhaps the province felt guilty about the GTI having to move as well as not renewing the position of turfgrass extension specialist following Pam Charbonneau’s retirement a few years ago.
Although fundraising is ongoing, Shaw singled out such industry contributors as Turf Care Products, Ontario Seed Company, Vanden Bussche Irrigation, Landscape Ontario, Plant Products, Bayer and Neudorf. He also recognized private donations made by David DeCorso, Corrie Almack, Tim Tripp and Ray and Shelley Chyc.
Several other companies made in-kind contributions toward the new GTI project, including Nutrite, Hutcheson Sand & Mixes, Greenhorizons and Zander Sod Co. Limited. Several seed companies also contributed seed for the plots.
Bulletin Board
By Rod Perry
Living the life in the hospital
Ifound myself in the hospital not long ago to be checked over for some pain that was giving me grief. I’m generally a rather healthy guy who’ll usually experience nothing more serious than the common cold. Consequently, I rarely set foot in a hospital. Occasionally, I’ve visited the emergency wing over the years to be examined for such things as poison ivy, the removal of thorns from awkward places and a follicle infection. The latter was something I didn’t even know existed, but I felt the need for a doctor to explain to me why, at the age of 40, I had suddenly broken out in facial acne. I took it upon myself to grow a beard to mask my condition.
Fast forward to late 2018. Some recent abdominal pain prompted me to visit the hospital and have my condition checked out. As is typically the case, I sat in the emergency waiting room for about three hours before I was summoned into a general examination area divided into about six sections by pullback curtains. I was instructed by the nurse to strip down to my skivvies and cover myself up with a gown I tied at the back and another one worn atop it that I tied at the front. Then she handed me a vial for a urine sample.
This certainly wasn’t my debut in having to produce a urine sample. Peeing into a tiny vessel isn’t a big deal. The tough part is handing it back in. I don’t want other people to see my pee, and so I try the best I can to conceal it from view on
my way back from the bathroom. There were no pockets in either of the gowns I was wearing. Hiding my pee sample from the eyes of other patients, however, was a higher priority than worrying about my clashing attire.
I wrapped my hand around the vial as best I could and pressed it against my side, hoping not to draw any attention to the fact that my arms weren’t swinging as I walked. I had forgotten how warm pee is to the touch, even through plastic.
Finally I was able to lie back on my gurney to await the attending physician. While staring at the ceiling for what seemed an eternity, a nurse came to visit the elderly female patient in the curtained-off area next to me and told her it was time for her to use the bathroom. “Using the bathroom,” I quickly found out, was simply code for, “Here’s a bedpan and I’d like you to take a crap in it.”
I was grateful to be wearing underwear beneath the twin gowns that barely reached my knees and billowed upward
Seriously? I was no more than five feet away from this woman, and the only barrier between us was a flimsy curtain. I had been hooked up to an IV drip a short time earlier, so there was nowhere for me to go to avoid this inevitable assault to two of my senses. With my left hand incapacitated by
the IV hookup, I had only one hand available to plug my nose and cover both ears. I was going to have to sacrifice at least one of my orifices.
With my one free hand hovering above my nose, ready to pinch it at a moment’s notice, I grit my teeth while listening to a succession of “oomphs” and ugghs” and an assortment of other nasty noises as this woman was bearing down hard. The grunting finally stopped and the woman told the nurse she was unable to go.
“Saints, be praised!” I muttered under my breath. Don’t get me wrong. I felt bad for this woman and sincerely hoped she was able to overcome whatever ailment it was that brought her to the hospital in the first place, but the timing of her constipation was certainly appreciated.
A physician ultimately came to see me to diagnose my problem, but first he sent me to another wing of the hospital for a series of scans. A nurse arrived with a wheelchair to shuttle me over, but this chair wasn’t equipped with any apparatus for me to place my feet.
Forced to hover my feet in the air for the trip down the maze of corridors, I was grateful to be wearing underwear beneath the twin gowns that barely reached my knees and billowed upward as the nurse briskly pushed the wheelchair forward.
When all was said and done, I was relieved to learn my condition wasn’t as bad as I had feared, and I was given the green light to go home armed with a couple of prescriptions. It’s funny how a hospital can strip an individual of his dignity. He may enter the building wearing a business suit and moments later is garbed in a revealing gown – that becomes even more revealing when he’s pushed around in a wheelchair – and is asked to relieve himself into a transparent cup and pinch a deuce into a bedpan. I suppose things could be worse, and even a lot worse.
I cringe when I hear the words “catheter” or “digital prostate exam” or “colonoscopy.” It’s time to start eating better and exercising regularly. I don’t want to be hospitalized again for a long, long time.
Rod Perry, aka Duffer, is a Niagara-based freelance writer.
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