UAC Magazine - November/December 2017

Schedule inside!

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URBAN AG COUNCIL MAGAZINE GEORGIA

Keeping Georgia’s green industry informed

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UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Advocate. Educate. Promote.1

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UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

UAC Magazine Official publication of the Georgia Urban Agriculture Council

Board of Directors Todd Jarrett, President

Arbor Hill Nurseries Matt Lowe

Swift Straw Josh Morrow

Athletic Fields, Inc. Ken Morrow

Sod Atlanta Chris Nelson

Chattahoochee Nature Center Bob Scott

Irrigation Consultant Services Ray Wiedman

Outdoor Expressions Ron White TurfPride

Ex Officio Ellen Bauske

UGA Extension Public Service Assistant Bodie Pennisi

UGA Extension Horticulturist Clint Waltz

UGA Extension Turf Agronomist

Staff Mary Kay Woodworth

Executive Director Kathy Gatten Johnson

Marketing Director & Editor

A member of:

Georgia Urban Ag Council PO Box 817 Commerce GA 30529 P: 800.687.6949 F: 706.336.6898 E: info@georgiauac.com www.urbanagcouncil.com All contents copyright 2017

GEORGIA

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

UAC NEWS

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Executive Director message What did you miss? UAC Sporting Clays Tournament What did you miss? UAC Dinner with Champions 2017 Pioneer Award Spence Rosenfeld honored with "Silver Spade" UAC Safety Zone awards get even better 2017 EDGE Expo Sessions, speakers, and schedule

REGULAR FEATURES

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Pest 411 Scale insect management Me & my mentor Terry Kraft, LawnSouth Have you met...Bret Bowlin, ATL Urban Farms Save the date Safety works Working near roadways Health & benefits UAC health insurance plan Pro project Perennial POW!, Simply Flowers, Inc. What the tech? Connecting with your customers

BUSINESS 32 34 38 41 42

Workforce development series Economy and employment picture Understanding H-2B It may be a matter of survival Living the good life Outdoor living spaces UGA Small Business Development Center Light up your fall revenue Lighting pros share profit-building tips

INDUSTRY 48 49 50 52 53

Georgia water rights Case to be heard by U.S. Supreme Court $95M fine is historic Steep penalty for hiring undocumented workers UGA cuts ribbon Turfgrass facilities across the state officially open Sidney B. Meadows Awards Fund awards $18,000 in scholarships GCLP and GCPP Upcoming certification opportunities

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In the wake of Irma Tree replacement options Ornamental pest control publications Two resources 2017 Classic City Awards UGA Trial Gardens announce winners 'Patti Faye' The most exquisite deodar cedar America's plant Georgia Gold-Medal-winning Rudbeckia Salt-tolerant trees Selecting natives for the Georgia coast

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Atlanta Botanical Garden Georgia Agribusiness Council Georgia Arborist Association Georgia Association of Water Professionals Georgia Green Industry Association Georgia Urban Forest Council Georgia Water Alliance National Association of Landscape Professionals Southern Nursery Association

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UAC NEWS

Dear UAC Members and Supporters, Attracting newcomers to the professional landscape industry is a universal struggle, not just a Georgia issue. For many years, individual, state and local educational institutions and professional associations have been working to find ways to introduce the industry to both students and existing workers and encourage them to consider a career in our professional industry.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Mary Kay Woodworth Executive Director

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During the past three years, the Georgia Urban Agriculture Council (UAC) has participated in the CEFGA Student Career Expo with the “World of Landscape,” attended high school career days, initiated outreach to ag/hort education professionals and collaborated with Georgia technical colleges and universities to introduce students, graduates and careerchangers to the landscape, horticulture and turf professions. The competition for qualified workers, from a limited pool, is fierce, and limits economic growth.

Recognizing the potential power that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) convened a group of 40 participants, including Mary Kay Woodworth, Executive Director of UAC and Jim McCutcheon, HighGrove Partners (and chair of the NALP Foundation) for a “Workforce Development Summit for National and State Associations Serving the Landscape and Horticulture Profession” on October 3-4, 2017 in Fairfax, VA. Attendees

NALP hosted ““Workforce Development Summit for National and State Associations Serving the Landscape and Horticulture Profession” on October 3-4, 2017 in Fairfax, VA

included association executives from 10 states and Canadian provinces (California, Colorado, Georgia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, British Columbia, Toronto), six national associations (American Hort, American Society of Irrigation Consultants, Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, Irrigation Association, NALP, Snow & Ice Management Association, Sports Turf Management Association), and representatives from the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, Seed Your Future and Vault Communications.

This initial Summit was designed to bring stakeholders to the table to share ideas, identify solutions, and explore collaboration on ways to attract people to industry careers.

During the two-day meeting, the group reviewed what other industries are doing to attract employees, particularly entry level workers.

Examples were provided from the National Association of Manufacturers (Manufacturing Day, programs for women in STEM and Vets), Associated Builders and Contractors (promotion of the importance of skilled labor), National Restaurant Association (career path and progression promotion), Center for Energy Workforce Development (collaboration among stakeholders), Association of Equipment Distributors (high school, community college, employer partnership and reimbursed education) and Explore the Trades (personal mentor who walks you through employment steps from first phone call to job for the skilled trades). It was noted that many of the same people the landscape industry wants to attract are hearing “we want you” messages from other industries so our message must be louder, stronger, and more compelling.

Representatives from the attending organizations shared highlights of what they are doing to support the recruitment of current and

UAC NEWS future employees. Presenters were Sports Turf Managers Association – Kim Heck, Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado - Becky Garber, Outdoor Power Equipment Institute – Kris Kiser, Texas Nursery & Landscape Association - Jeff Stokes and James Theiss, Seed Your Future – Susan Yoder, Georgia Urban Agricultural Council – Mary Kay Woodworth, Irrigation Association - Janine Sparrowgrove and Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association – Shannon Brawley. The variety of initiatives shared was motivational and inspiring, and an excellent starting point for exploring future ideas and collaboration with NALP. After an initial day of information sharing and exposure to the work being done across the country to combat the workforce shortage, program attendees turned their attention to strategies that could be considered for industry collaboration and were asked to prioritize these items. The following summarizes the top five projects/initiatives identified as well as others that received the strongest support:

NALP is again sponsoring CEFGA in 2018.

Messaging about the profession.

This is key and in many respects, the root of all to be done. We must change the narrative and tell the industry’s story so that the industry becomes the occupation of choice, not default, that attracts the brightest and the best.

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Accurate wage/salary/benefits information is needed to accurately represent industry compensation.

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UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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UAC NEWS Industry associations are doing EXCELLENT work around workforce development. Between now and the next meeting, organizations should work to implement some of the take-aways from the 2017 WFD Summit.

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4. There is strong interest and traction for industry professionals to own TV presence (e.g. through advertising, PSAs, HGTV, etc.)

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There are incredible opportunities to be gained from connecting certification and apprenticeships with licensure to link with other skilled trades.

These concepts and take-aways also were shared: • •

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Create “Discover Landscape Industry Career Day” The industry needs to change its culture to help itself long term (treat employees like customers, make meaningful impact, etc.)

Note - this will be explored further at a future session.

We cannot be afraid to act.

Opportunities that exist to begin outreach to grade-schoolers.

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Opportunities exist to educate those who influence children.

Story telling is important; everyone should have a passionate elevator speech.

Create a community for recruiters to they don’t feel alone and isolated in their work.

It is our responsibility to foster a love of the outdoors with children.

This profession is a skilled trade. Position it as such.

Our work must simultaneously fill immediate job openings AND cultivate the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Concluding the Summit, NALP committed to ensure connectivity and forward progress in collaboration on these issues by providing written write-up from the meeting and connecting members of the group (and other interested parties) via an on-line community group; convening monthly calls group calls, identifying passion champions to lead the single topic conversations; and schedule a 2018 Summit to evaluate progress and identify next steps. We appreciate NALP’s proactive effort to engage these groups in a unified effort, and look forward to sharing our progress with our members and the industry in the future.

SEED sponsorship opportunities UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

support | energize | enable | develop

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SEED sponsorships offer our members an additional opportunity to promote their businesses and support UAC at a level beyond the membership dues.

seed support | energize | enable | develop

URBAN AG COUNCIL GEORGIA

Thank you to all of our SEED Sponsors!

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Buck Jones Nursery Plants • Sod • Landscape Supplies

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Gold Chatham Landscape Services | Ed Castro Landscape | Greenwood Group | Landmark Landscapes | Legacy Farms | MNI Direct | Outdoor Expressions | Seasonal Solution | Topiary Courtyard | Unique Environmental Landscapes Silver Classic Landscapes | Crabapple Landscape Experts | The Outdoor Lights Bronze LawnSouth

Contact us today to see how you can become a SEED Sponsor!

800.687.6949 | info@urbanagcouncil.com | urbanagcouncil.com

UAC NEWS

WHAT DID YOU MISS?

Geogia UAC Sporting Clays Tournament October 12 Blalock Lakes Newnan, GA

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And the winners are...

Team high score winners Matt Lathem (left), Matt Lovett (center) and individual high score winner Russell Chambliss (right).

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Sponsored by

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Excellence is in our nature.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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UAC NEWS

Georgia UAC Dinner with Champions September 26 Heritage Sandy Springs Sandy Springs, GA

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Sponsored by

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WHAT DID YOU MISS?

UAC NEWS

Panel of Champions, left to right Ken Thomas, Moderator, Envisor Consulting | Charlie King, KingGreen, Large lawn care - residential, commercial | Spence Rosenfeld, Arborguard Tree Specialists, Large tree care services | Pam Dooley, Plants Creative Landscapes, Growing design/build & maintenance - residential, commercial | Todd Guilmette, Unique Environmental Landscapes, Medium hybrid design/build & maintenance - residential, HOA, light commercial | Tony Gibson, Gibson Landscape Services, Large commercial design/build & maintenance | Jenny Hardgrave, Simply Flowers, Seasonal color design/installation & maintenance - residential, commercial | Jim McCutcheon, HighGrove Partners, Large commercial design/build & maintenance

Questions answered by the Champions Building and creating the business that you want

Who are your customers and what are you selling them?

How do you grow from a small business to a $3 million business or larger?

What is the importance of leadership and team building?

What’s your exit strategy – how do you get there?

Understanding the value you bring and pricing accordingly so that you can keep your employees!

How do you educate customers so that they know WHAT and WHY they are buying to drive appropriate pricing?

Marketing

How do you get the most bang from your buck when marketing your services?

What is the importance of knowing your numbers at all levels to be able to sell and price to make a profit?

This is a relationship-driven business – how do you maximize that?

Recruitment and retention

How do you create a company environment that attracts employees and make them want to stay?

Where do you find labor, how do you recruit?

How do you get into communities to recruit?

How do you reward employees (pay, benefits, job satisfaction, etc.)?

Millennials

How do you sell to millennials? With changing desires and marketing, what drives them to buy?

How do you attract millennials to work for you – what do they want?

Focusing on issues beyond landscaping

Changes in legislation, regulations, public policy, economic downturns, natural disasters (drought) - how do you prepare for these times?

Conclusion

Crystal ball: what's ahead for the Atlanta/Southeast landscape industry?

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

How can you maximize what you do at all levels and be strategic in your marketing plan?

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UAC NEWS

2017 Pioneer Award

Spence Rosenfeld honored with prestigious "Silver Spade" Also known as "The Silver Spade," the

Pioneer Award is presented to one person chosen

by UAC's Board of Directors to honor a lifetime of work in our industry or for one momentous achievement.

Spence Rosenfeld, president of Arborguard Tree Specialists, was presented with the Silver Spade at the September 26 UAC dinner meeting.

Here is his acceptance speech:

Celebrate Success

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

First I’d like to thank all of you, the UAC, and the Board of Directors for this very prestigious award. I never imagined I’d be here, standing at this podium, with a chance to express my sincere gratitude to all those who have had a positive influence on our Green Industry and my career. There have been so many kind and generous people who have helped bring success, I just can’t name them all. But here’s a special shout out to my Arborguard and Davey friends and associates who stood by me through thick and thin. Last I’d like to thank this great Country we are so fortunate to live in and the opportunity for success and prosperity that has been provided to us all.

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I came to Atlanta in 1980 at 29 years old with about $1,000 in my pocket, a wife, 5-year old son, and a degree in Forestry from Duke. My idea was to get a job for a few months, learn my way around the City, meet some people, and eventually start my own Tree Care business.

I’d never been to Atlanta before and had no experience or knowledge about the business world. But after several jobs in both the public and private sectors, I knew I was a hopeless Entrepreneur. Those of you that happen to have this affliction understand exactly what I mean. A couple of the most debilitating symptoms are Passion exceeds Reason, and we are Right until proven Wrong. Both of these qualities are dangerously at odds with reality. So, to become a more balanced and effective leader, I’ve had to learn to think through things in great detail and to listen

attentively to other people’s ideas, no matter how critical they are. To those who are Entrepreneurs, these lessons will be learned, one way or another. Unfortunately we usually learn the hard way, often at tremendous expense of both time and money!

After 36 years of unbelievably hard work, Arborguard has grown to three Offices, (Atlanta, Charlotte, Augusta) with about 100 fantastic people, and $11M in annual revenue. I’m told that put us in the top 10 Tree Care companies in the Country. I sold the Company this past Spring to Davey after finding out I had stage #4 Cancer with single digit odds for survival. My battle with Cancer is another story. But thanks to some terrific Doctors, modern medicine, and support from my wife, family, and friends, I’m all clear for now and feeling good. It’s been quite an experience and a lesson in the importance of Gratitude and Humility. I’m thankful to be alive.

With all this gray hair and now the honor of this prestigious award, I’d like to end with a few words of hard earned Wisdom. I believe the most important components for success include two “V” words: Vision and Values.

Vision is simply where we are going. I became fanatical about trying to define the vision within our organization and then painstakingly explain that Vision to the rest of our Team.

It’s been critical to have clarity of Vision so everybody knows, understand, and supports the Company’s goals. Vision is the “What”

UAC NEWS

within an organization. It’s the destination.

It needs to be thought through and spelled out in writing. Here is our Destination 20/20 plan that lays it all out. Without clarity of Vision, we are lost, floundering in a hostile environment with no clear purpose or objective. It’s a recipe for eventual disaster.

The other “V” is Values; or the common ground shared by everyone on the Team.

It’s the fundamental belief system. It’s the reference point for all decisions. It’s the foundation of the Company Culture. It’s the “How” within an Organization.

Not everyone shares the same Values and that’s OK. But those who don’t share the Organization’s Values, simply don’t belong on the Team. Shared Values create Loyalty and Commitment essential for success with any Team. In the same way, Values need to be defined and spelled out. I had them printed, framed, and put on the walls where they could be seen every day. Our Values include only 23 carefully selected words. Here they are:

Without a clearly stated Vision and list of Values, an Organization will have a tough time understanding where they are going, what they are doing, and how they will do it. The why is easy. It can be as simple as because we can or because it’s cool! Better yet, a growing, vibrant, healthy organization provides opportunity for everyone to advance their career and make more money. Success is where everybody wins.

Thank you!

Spence Rosenfeld

UAC Pioneer Award winners, from left: Joe Burns, Color Burst (2004); Mary Kay Woodworth, Georgia Urban Ag Council (2007); Spence Rosenfeld, Arborguard (2017); Dick Bare, Arbor-Nomics Turf (1998); Ken Morrow, The Turfgrass Group (1999).

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

together as a Team 4 Pull do our best 4 Always and follow up quickly 4 Respond our promises 4 Keep over customer loyalty 4 Obsess 4 Have fun!

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UAC NEWS

UAC Safety Zone awards get even better Amped up • • •

Now you’re competing against your fellow UAC members!

For the Safety First Awards, the winners will be those with the lowest number of accidents, injuries, illnesses and/or lost time when compared to the other entries.

Entries will be divided into categories based on fleet size and company size.

Streamlined • •

No calculations or volumes of paper needed.

Just submit the entry form and a form or two that you already have at your fingertips.

Ground ZERO Super Crews • • •

Now individual crews can enter!

Any crew working for any business-level UAC member company who meets the entry requirements is eligible to enter.

Two winning crews will be selected; all crew members will receive a gift card and certificate.

Your photos, in print •

Winners in the photo competition will receive a printed poster that includes their safety photos and a photo of their team.

Judging, entrance criteria, and awards UAC’s Safety Committee will evaluate each entry. The judges may choose to not make an award in any category, based on the merits of the entries. All judges’ decisions are final.

Eligibility • •

Only current UAC business-level members may submit entries.

Members are encouraged to submit entries for any or all of the award categories.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Entry procedures

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Application materials must be completed and submitted properly according to entrance criteria and submission instructions to be considered for a UAC Safety Zone Award. Improper submission may result in disqualification.

• There is no entry fee but you must be a current UAC business-level member.

• These awards recognize safety performance from January 1 - December 31, 2017.

• Entries are due by Wednesday, March 16, 2018.

• Awards will be presented at the April 2018 UAC dinner meeting.

Awards Prizes will be as listed in the application materials. In addition, winning companies will have a Safety Zone Winner badge placed on their UAC website profile and also can include that badge on their company website. Safety Zone winners will be featured in an issue of UAC Magazine.

Entry deadline: March 16, 2018 Learn more: urbanagcouncil.com/uac-safety-zone

EDGE EXPO

URBAN AG COUNCIL GEORGIA

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December 7

Infinite Energy Center Duluth, GA

Schedule at a Glance

1 Intro to Landscape Boot Camp Are you ready for 2018?

8:00 am - 8:55 am

Morning Sessions

GreenMark returns in January 2018 for a full-day “Landscape Boot Camp” seminar. Here’s a preview of what to expect to get YOU ready for 2018! The Landscape Boot Camp is an 8-hour one-day seminar where landscape professionals will learn about the four integral elements required for business success and how to implement them to grow your company in 2018 and beyond – Guiding the business, Running the business, Doing the business and Getting the business.

Bill Eastman and Steven Cohen, GreenMark Consulting Group

9:00 am - 12:00 noon

2 Spray Calibration for Truck-Mounted Rigs

Pre-Game Show 8:00 am - 8:55 am 1......Intro to Landscape Boot Camp: Ready for 2018?

2......Spray Calibration for Truck-Mounted Rigs

3......Meteorology and the Landscape 101 4......Plant Growth Regulators for the Landscape 5......What’s that Critter? Nuisance Wildlife 6......Appropriate Turf/Management for Shade

12:00 noon - 1:30 pm Huckleberry’s BBQ lunch | Table-top exhibits | Networking

Afternoon Sessions 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm 7......Irrigation, Water Management and Innovations 8......Hands-On Diagnostics of Turf/Ornamental Problems 9......Turfgrass Today 10......Holistic Approach to Pollinators & Biological Controls 11......Is Hardscaping in Your Service Menu?

Belgard University

(this class will be held outdoors)

8:00 am - 8:55 am

Graham makes the truck-mounted spray units that many lawn care professionals use in the field. They’ve been designing and building them for 37 years. This program will help you maintain your rig so it runs better and lasts longer. This session is a handson demonstration of the following: • Daily maintenance for your unit • How to calibrate a Bean spray system • How to calibrate a Hypro spray system • How to winterize your unit • How to get it ready for spring

Leadership Team, Graham Spray Equipment

1 hour GA Pesticide Credit: Categories 24, 27, 31 & 41

3 Meteorology and the Landscape 101: What you need to know to run your operations!

9:00 am - 12:00 noon

Continuing Education Units Georgia pesticide credits have been approved; see session descriptions.

The EDGE Expo website (urbanagcouncil.com/edge-expo) will be updated as these additional approvals are received: • • • • •

Georgia Certified Landscape Professional (GCLP) Golf Course Superintendent Association of America (GCSAA) International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Irrigation Association (IA) National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP)

3 hours GA Pesticide Credits: Category 24

4 Plant Growth Regulators for the Landscape: Turf & Ornamental Economic, Products, and Application

Sponsored by

9:00 am - 12:00 noon

This three-hour session will focus on plant growth regulators in the landscape, including: plant growth regulators for the landscape, enhancing turf management with PGRs and the economic impact of using PGRs. Dr. Mark Czarnota, Dr. Patrick McCullough & Dr. Bodie Pennisi, University of Georgia 3 hours GA Pesticide Credits: Category 24; 1 hour Category 10

Register / CEUs / updates: urbanagcouncil.com/edge-expo

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Forrest Gump said, “Life is like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re going to get.” Ever feel that way about Atlanta’s weather? Join CBS-46 Chief Meteorologist Paul Ossman and B1......Paver Installation for Spanish-Speaking Pros UGA’s experts and get a better understanding of what heat, B2......Installation, Tools, Bidding & Estimating humidity, cold, frost, rainfall, drought, snow, ice, hurricanes and B3......NCMA Segmental Retaining Walls Installer other weather events mean for the landscape, and what you need to know to plan, prevent, protect and enhance the landscape, Pesticide Applicator Training including the impact of weather on turfgrass diseases and insects and other pests.

9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Paul Ossman, Chief Meteorologist, CBS-46; Dr. Alfredo PA......Pesticide Applicator’s General Standards Training Martinez & Dr. Shimat Joseph, University of Georgia

8:00 am - 4:30 pm

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EDGE EXPO

Additional CEUs have been applied for. Please check website for updates.

5 What’s That Critter? Nuisance Wildlife Identification and Management Strategies That Really Work 9:00 am - 12:00 noon While most of us enjoy watching wildlife, sometimes wildlife interferes with our other activities. Wildlife eat our birdseed, dig up our gardens and landscape plants, and eat or damage our fruit, flowers and vegetables, leave mess and damage on properties.

When wildlife populates a place where they are unwanted or cause damage to valuable plants or structures, they are no longer appreciated; instead they become a nuisance. And the list of critters just keeps growing - from deer, rabbits, moles, voles, to raccoons, bats, snakes, and armadillo! Dr. Mengak and the panel of experts will discuss basic principles for humanely resolving issues with nuisance wildlife and share their thoughts on the most effective management strategies in residential, commercial, sports fields and golf courses. The presentation and discussion will include use of chemical and organic deterrents and repellents.

Dr. Michael Mengak & Keith Mickler, University of Georgia CAES; Walter Reeves, The Georgia Gardener; Jenny Hardgrave, Simply Flowers, Inc.; Anthony Williams, Director of Golf Course and Landscape Operations, TPC Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Dallas at Las Colinas

8 Hands-On Diagnostics of Problems in Turf and Ornamentals: Property Walk to Identify Issues

1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

This is an interactive education session, using the Infinite Energy Center property and classroom discussion. The landscape will be “spiked” with problems for participants to identify and diagnose, and participants will walk the property, then return to the classroom for further discussion about control and prevention of landscape and turf problems.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Shade stress is one of the most widespread management challenge faced by turf managers and homeowners alike. This session will provide attendees with insights and tools for better managing turf in shade environments. Topics addressed will include environmental factors contributing to turf decline in shade, physiological responses of turf to low light quantity and quality, cultural management adjustments that must be made, species and cultivar tolerances to shade, and new technologies/ apps for improving shade management.

Dr. Ben Wherley, Associate Professor, TAMU 3 hours GA Pesticide Credits: Category 24

7 Irrigation, Water Management and Innovations Today and in the Future

1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

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Irrigation and water management skills are essential to every Urban Ag professional. In this session the following issues will be discussed: water stewardship, pesticide runoff, water quality, laws and regulations governing water use and how this fits the regional water plans. Additionally, plant growth and irrigation factors and innovations in irrigation technology, including Sensor Technology and Cloud Based Controls, will be discussed.

Sponsored by

1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

This session will include discussions of these topics: •

3 hours GA Pesticide Credits: Category 31

9:00 am - 12:00 noon

3 hours GA Pesticide Credits: Category 24

9 Turfgrass Today: Herb Resistance, Micronutrients, Dead Bermudagrass Lawn Syndrome, Turfgrass Disease and 2018 Sod Survey

6 Appropriate Turf Selection and Management Practices for the Shade Environment

Dr. Elizabeth Little, Dr. Will Hudson & Dr. Shimat Joseph, University of Georgia; and Paul Pugliese, UGA CAES

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Mitigating Herbicide Resistance on Turf - Herbicide resistance has increased exponentially in turfgrass in recent years. We have identified resistance in grasses, sedges, and broadleaf weeds commonly found in lawns, sod, and recreational turf.

This seminar will cover the development of resistance in weed populations, case studies of resistance in Georgia turf, and how practitioners can plan integrated weed control programs with modifications in cultural and chemical control options.

The Role of Micronutrients in Turfgrass - The environment and management intensity of turfgrass systems often dictate the need for nutrients other than nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in a fertility program. This presentation will cover soil testing, adequate micronutrient levels, common deficiency issues, and cultural practices to increase nutrient availability and uptake.

Dead Bermudagrass Lawn Syndrome: Recap of Spring 2017 – Why this issue occurred and how to prevent it through cultural practices.

Turfgrass Diseases: A Year in Review - A review, update and significance of the main turfgrass diseases observed in 2017 as well as disease trends and forecasts for 2018 will be discussed (as well as prevention and control)

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Turfgrass Inventory and Pricing - All you need to know about turf market trends and how to manage your inventory effectively.

Dr. Clint Waltz, Dr. Alfredo Martinez, Dr. Gerald Henry & Dr. Patrick McCullough, University of Georgia

3 hours GA Pesticide Credits: Category 24

Dr. Gary Hawkins & Greg Huber, University of Georgia; Keith Loggins, Ewing Irrigation 3 hours GA Pesticide Credits: Category 24

Register / CEUs / updates: urbanagcouncil.com/edge-expo

Additional CEUs have been applied for. Please check website for updates.

10 Integrating a Holistic Approach to Pollinators and Biological Controls in Landscape Management - and How to Market and Make a Profit

1:00 pm - 4:30 pm

This seminar will discuss green initiatives and how to incorporate them into your business or institution.

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Operation Pollinator – Positive Action for Pollinators - Operation Pollinator is a program which promotes the establishment of pollinator forage and provides tools and information to successfully establish and manage wildflowers resources.

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Environomics:101 - How to blend an environmental program into a financial plan to achieve more with less. This practical information is an ABC of stewardship with real life examples, case studies and results. Topics covered range from arboriculture to xeriscapes in a fast paced interactive format that is designed to give attendees projects and processes to immediately integrate into their businesses.

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hands-on and classroom training, dress appropriately for the weather. No charge for training but you must register.

8:00 am - 4:30 pm

This class will include: 1) How to overlay concrete slabs with pavers, using the sand method and Belgard’s new DriBond method; 2) How to build, cut and adhere seat walls, columns and steps using Belgard’s retaining walls systems including Anchor 9D 2.0, corner units and precast step and landing units; 3) How to stay out of hot water with OSHA’s new silica dustfree cutting rules by using the newest concrete cutting tools; and 4) Bidding and estimating for wall and paver installations.

Includes outside hands-on and classroom training, dress appropriately for the weather. No charge for training but you must register.

Grant Miller and Andrew Harris, Belgard

Understanding and Marketing Ecosystem Services: How to Turn Green into Gold - Concerned that you are missing opportunities by not being “green” enough in the green industry?

By working with nature you can improve client satisfaction, increase profitability, and save the planet (or at least give it a hand). First, we will look at how nature works, then consider how we currently deal with nature, and finally explore ways to adapt your business model and marketing to align with what your customer wants and nature offers.

B3 Belgard University: NCMA Segmental Retaining Walls Installer Course - Level I/Basic

Walt Osborne, Key Account Manager, Golf, Syngenta Turf & Landscape; Anthony Williams, Director of Golf Course and Landscape Operations, TPC Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Dallas at Las Colina; and Eric King, King Landscaping

3 hours GA Pesticide Credits: Category 24

PA Commercial Pesticide Applicator’s License Test Preparation Training

8:00 am - 4:30 pm

This course will be taught in Spanish by a Spanish-speaking instructor. Content will include installation standards, job layout, paver and SRW base installation and laying techniques, paver cutting and patterns, and joint sand installation. Includes outside

This training is intended for turfgrass and ornamental landscape employees interested in attaining Georgia’s Commercial Pesticide Applicator’s Category 24 License. This license is required for anyone who does contract spraying of herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides in Georgia for residential, industrial, or business applications. This session also is open to licensed applicators who would like a refresher course.

9:00 am - 12:00 noon: General Standards Review 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm: Category 24 Review

Participants are encouraged to purchase both study guide manuals and follow along during the training.

Order these manuals at www.gapestexam.com/ examInfo.cfm. Please allow 7-14 days for delivery.

When ready, participants may register to take the exam through a local technical college testing center in Georgia by logging on to www.gapestexam.com.

The exam will not be given at EDGE Expo.

Andrew Harris, Belgard

B1 Belgard University: Paver Installation for the Spanish-Speaking Landscape Professional

Brent David, Belgard

Tim Daly, Gwinnett County; Paul Pugliese, Bartow County; University of Georgia Extension GA Pesticide Credits: 8 hours Category 24 approved for current Georgia licensed applicators

Register / CEUs / updates: urbanagcouncil.com/edge-expo

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

This session will focus on bidding and estimating for retaining wall and paver installations from a job costing point of view, starting from job take-offs, raw material estimating, labor hours to produce the projects, and other cost required to produce the projects ranging from travel time to company overhead recovery.

Estimate scenarios for several paver, wall, and outdoor living spaces for residential projects will be addressed.

8:00 am - 4:30 pm

The Segmental Retaining Wall (SRW) Installer Course teaches installers fundamental SRW installation guidelines, material and system component properties, soils and compaction, the effect of water, and site practices. Includes outside hands-on and classroom training, dress appropriately for the weather.

1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Michael Tous, Belgard

B2 Belgard University: Installation, Tools, Bidding & Estimating for Paver Projects

11 Is Hardscaping in Your Service Menu? Learn How to Make Money with Paver Estimating/Bidding

EDGE EXPO

15

PEST 411

Scale insect management Early detection is key

by Shimat Joseph, UGA Department of Entomology Scale insects are very common pests of landscape trees and shrubs, yet are often

overlooked when scouting. They can, however, be responsible for chlorosis, branch die-back or ultimately death of the plant, so early detection is key to successful management. Soft scales and armored scales and are the most commonly encountered groups. Soft scales produce soft, cottony, powdery or waxy substance that cannot be separated from the scale body. Armored scales have a hard shield-like cover that is not attached to the body of the insect.

Cottony cushion scale adult with eggs (soft scale)

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Image

16

False oleander scale adult (armored scale)

Soft scales (lecanium, kermes, wax and bark scales) produce honeydew when they feed directly on plant parts that transport fluid and nutrients. This sugary liquid can attract ants and supports growth of the unsightly black sooty mold fungus. Soft scales secrete a wax covering, protecting them from natural enemies, pesticides and desiccation.

Armored scales and pit scales are generally flat in appearance, cryptic and well camouflaged.

They do not produce honeydew and feed by bursting plant cells and feeding on the contents.

Except for adult males and crawlers, armored scales live inside their protective scale covering and previously molted skins.

Scale insects spend most of their lives immobile under their protective coverings. When eggs hatch, the mobile crawlers walk or are blown by the wind to new locations where they settle and begin to feed and produce their own protective coating. Many scales spend the winter on twigs and bark before crawlers move to new foliage in

Species/Description

Host Plants

First Crawlers

Calico Scale Eulecanium cerasorum Round, and mottled white and dark brown to black

Buckeye, crabapple, dogwood, April or May elm, hackberry, hawthorn, honeylocus, magnolia, maple, oak, pear, redbud, sweetgum, tulip poplar, yellowwood, and zelkova

Cottony Cushion Scale Icerya purchasi Elongated white cottony egg sac

Boxwood, magnolia, and rose

Eggs can take two months to hatch in winter; in summer, eggs hatch within a week

Cottony Maple Scale Pulvinaria innumerabilis Produces cottony material work

Boxelder, white ash, dogwood, hackberry, birch, elm, willow, and poplar

Mid-June to Mid-July

European Fruit Lecanium Parthenolecanium corni Flat, spindle-shaped, and brown egg sacs

Several tree species

Fruit lecanium: third week of May to second week of June

PEST 411 Image

Species/Description

Host Plants

First Crawlers

Euonymus Scale Unaspis euonymi Male scale covers appear elongated, white and ridged; females appear oyster shell shaped and gray

Euonymus and pachysandra

Ranges from early March to late April

Late April or early May

Florida Wax Scale Ceroplastes floridensis Reddish female has a thick layer of pinkish-white wax

Crape myrtle, deodar cedar, elm, holly, Indian hawthorn, loblolly pine, oaks, and Virginia creeper

Last week in May to the second week in June

Juniper Scale Carulaspis juniper Oblong, grayish-white scale covers visible between leaf scales

Juniper

Late spring

Gloomy Scale Melanaspis tenebricosa The females produce shield almost the same color as bark

Boxelder, red maple, silver maple, grape, soapberry, holly, mulberry, sweetgum, and buckthorn

Starting in early May

Oak Lecanium Parthenolecanium quercifex Round and reddish brown colored scales

Oak

Oak lecanium: third week of April to first week of May

Obscure Scale Melanaspis obscura Gray circular scales, overlapping scales on bark

Oak

One generation per year; from the second to the third week of July

San Jose Scale Quadraspidiotus perniciosus Round gray-brown scale coverings with concentric rings that surround a dark raised nipple

Peaches, plums, nectarines, apples, pear and other deciduous tree fruits

During May

Tea Scale Camellias and holly Fiorinia theae The females are covered with elongated and narrow shield; a longitudinal ridge is visible along the shield

Varies from late February to early May

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

False Oleander Scale Magnolia, sweetbay, bird-ofPseudaulacaspis cockerelli paradise, flowering dogwood, Females have glossy-white and pear-shaped shield oleander, banana shrub and several ornamental plants

17

PEST 411 the spring. Some scales are strictly bark-dwellers and those can be the most difficult to control.

Scouting

Check the bark of plants and flip over bumps or lumps that could be scales. If there is a soft body underneath the scale cover, it is an armored scale. If the whole bump (scale body) comes up and can be squished, then it is probably a soft scale. If ants or wasps are attracted to foliage look for honey-dew producing scales (or aphids or mealybugs). Paper wasps can be attracted to honeydew, but also troll for caterpillars to feed their young.

The crawler stage is particularly vulnerable to control efforts and can be detected through close inspection. Consider placing double-sided sticky tape on branches with winter scale populations to detect crawlers hatching in the spring.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Insects develop in direct relation to temperature, so scale hatch can be predicted. This combination of time and temperature or physiological time is referred to as Degree Day accumulation.

18

Degree Day accumulation can be determined by checking the weather data available through the Georgia Automated Environmental Monitoring Weather Network (http://weather.uga.edu).

Common scale insects, their usual plant hosts and typical occurrence of first crawlers are given in the chart included with this article. Use this information as a guide to schedule scouting activities for these pests.

Control

Scales are primary managed using biological control and selected insecticides. Damage and infestation of scales can be specific to certain tree or plant species or their cultivars, thus plant or cultivar selection is important. If infestation is high on certain branches or twigs, pruning certain plant parts can help reduce infestation.

Sometimes pruning allows the influx of sunlight which improves scale control.

Natural enemies play a critical role in keeping the scale population under low profile. The natural enemy complex include several species of lady beetles, and parasitic wasps. Both larvae and adults of lady beetle feed on scales. Young larvae of certain lady beetle species are smaller than others. They can access underneath the scale shield and feed on the developing scale. Parasitic wasps lay eggs on the scales and the larvae feed on the scale. Adults of parasitic wasps are not parasitic. The parasitized scales are usually black colored and can be found flipping the scale shield or exit hole on the shield.

Regardless of soft or armored scales, application of horticultural oil during winter can destroy the overwintering scales. Similarly, a delayed winter spray of oil before bud-break is effective in killing certain scales. In spring and summer, if it is feeding on the woody tissues (bark and twig) topical applications of oil or insect growth regulators (pyriproxyen or buprofezin) at least twice during each crawler emergence period can improve control. Other insecticides such as insecticidal soap, and neonicotinoids (dinotefuran, acetamiprid, thiamethoxam) can also be used, especially on soft scales, but care should be taken to avoid impacts on natural enemies and other non-target organisms (e.g. bees). If scales are feeding on foliage, neonicotinoid insecticides applied via indirect methods work well especially for soft scales as do others applied topically at crawler emergence.

About the author Shimat Joseph is a new faculty member with University of Georgia.

His research addresses existing, emerging and invasive pest management issues affecting turfgrass and ornamentals.

Current projects focus on enhancing our understanding of the biology of pest and beneficial species to develop and refine monitoring and management strategies. Efforts emphasize the development of management tactics that would reduce the impact on environment and non-targets. His extension program promotes the adoption of integrated pest management strategies supported by lab and field studies.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

19

ME & MY MENTOR

Holiday lighting

Things to consider if you're thinking about expanding

by Terry Kraft, LawnSouth to simply plug in the timers. Or train the client to do this, keeping in mind that clients tend to think they know how to program the timer and will mess it up once they figure out they cannot.

Service calls kill profit.

Q: “I'm thinking about adding holiday lighting to my services. What are the things I need to consider?”

Here are some lessons learned I can share:

Profit is generally 20 - 25% in the first years; 4 like everyone wants their grass cut on 30+% once you gain experience.

4Just Friday, holiday lights are to be up and running

by Thanksgiving. They are not going to go for a 4Be prepared for service issues. Power problems, water (rain), and fussy customers who become Christmas wreath up before Halloween, so plan

Logistics

crazy during the holidays. Expect a call Christmas morning if the lights do not work.

out how many resources you have before you jump in.

4

If you are very busy in the fall, labor is an issue.

Make sure you can acquire the right type of folks, and that you have the bandwidth to manage and train them if you cannot use your existing employees.

The details

is turning on the lights? Timers do this 4Who automatically but battery back-up timers

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

work best as the power does go off in Atlanta.

Installing lights early doesn't mean you can turn them on early, so plan out how you will do this.

We would set up everything and then have a day

20

Roofs

rooftops are higher and steeper than 4Atlanta most of the rest of the country. Big ladders

and safety gear are essential for success on these large roofs. Landscapers do not normally have the right type of ladders and equipment, although tree guys do. Basic roofing knowledge is essential. Do not climb on wood-shingled or tile roofs. Same is true for a roof when it's wet.

You would be surprised how many roofs need to be replaced; slipping on a roof shingle that is loose is common on old damaged roofs. If a roof is damaged by your crew climbing on it, expect

Terry Kraft is a former Senior IT Executive. He left the corporate life and purchased LawnSouth in 2006.

The sale included a Christmas Décor franchise, which he operated for 11 years before selling it recently. Christmas Décor of Roswell and LawnSouth grew by over 50% in spite of the tumultuous economy.

ME & MY MENTOR to get the bill. Don't be surprised by how many guys don't want to climb up on a roof. And you should be prepared to rescue someone who is over confident and gets stuck. It's funny until you have to unclaw the worker from the rooftop.

Cougar Paws are essential uniform add-ons. Not all lights can be put up with ladders.

issues with selling customers the lights. On the other hand, you have tax issues with inventory if you rent. part of our rental business we stored 4Aseverything.

Another reason for me to get out of

Materials

away from using a client's lights. People 4Stay who bought last year's lights from Wal-Mart

on sale will want them installed for a few hundred dollars. Buy commercial lights and do not use customer-purchased products. Just my recommendation.

Pricing

needs to include taking down the lights 4Pricing in January (and yes, everyone wants them down

on January 2nd) and storage. Be sure to include this before you quote. There are now two types of sales. Rental of the lights, or customer purchase of the lights. Both have pros and cons. Based on the new sales tax changes there may be sales tax

Most days,

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS PROPERTY | AUTO WORKERS COMPENSATION

Association Strength Industry Expertise Cost Containment Flexibility

the holiday lighting business as the landscaping business grew was that I was running out of space. We included storage in the pricing, but others charge for it. Some people have the client store the materials. On large commercial jobs we would make an exception and store the décor. It took up a lot of space.

Other thoughts...

Another area we explored for a few years was Halloween/fall decorations. Selling hay bales, pumpkins, and gourds. Didn't catch on and didn't make any money. Same with firewood.

Learn more about holiday lighting!

Read the article on page 42.

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But when

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breaks loose, Who do you want as your

WARRIOR? Let’s talk Steve Harmon | Will Pharr

770-396-9600 | snellingswalters.com

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

you probably don’t even think about insurance.

Storage

21

HAVE YOU MET

Bret Bowlin

ATL Urban Farms My first job in the green industry... in 1984 working for Lifescapes, Inc. on a landscape crew in Sandy Springs.

The people who have influenced my career are... my cousin, Peggy, who still runs the family farm where I learned that agriculture could be a career choice.

Joe Skelton and Bill Killmer, the founders of Lifescapes and two of the best leaders in the business.

And Ken Morrow, a true friend, mentor, and servant to this industry.

Bret Bowlin

Phone: 678.410.6981 Email:

bret@atlurbanfarms.com

Address: 6976 Frix Road

Cumming, GA 30028

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Web:

22

www.atlurbanfarms.com

My biggest career success so far has

The thing I like most about my career is.... that it has evolved from an ongoing love of great landscapes into a passion for urban farming and helping people have access to healthy food. We are all blessed to work in a wonderfully diverse industry that provides so much opportunity.

My least favorite part of my job is... running out of time every day before getting done all the exciting things there are to do.

One piece of advice I would give to someone entering the green industry today is...pursue what you are passionate

about so you can make a life, rather than just a living. (OK, so here’s two more: prepare for the inevitable ups and downs, and meet regularly with a few friends and mentors who you can trust to be honest with you.)

The one thing most responsible for my success is...clearly it’s faith, family, and friends.

If I could change careers, just for a month, I would...be a fishing guide in Colorado!

One thing that really annoys me is...

been..providing a good environment for Cindy and me to raise our children.

legislators and regulators making decisions that impact an entire industry segment without good data.

If I had it to do over again, I would..

When I'm not working, I like to...travel with

innovate more, act faster, and spend less time working on Saturdays.

Cindy, and chase waterfowl and fish.

Need continuing ed credits? No worries...EDGE is coming!

URBAN AG COUNCIL GEORGIA

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Thursday, December 7 Infinite Energy Center Duluth, GA

See the schedule on page 13. Register online: urbanagcouncil.com

SAVE THE DATE

Visit urbanagcouncil.com for updates and to register.

NOV

TOPIC: UAC Fall Demo Night Networking + Education Dinner

URBAN AG COUNCIL GEORGIA

E D G E E������

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DATE: Tuesday, November 14 TIME: 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm PLACE: Yancey Bros. Co. | 300 Lee Industrial Blvd. | Austell, GA 30168

14

EDGE Expo Conference & Vendor Fair Belgard University

DEC

DATE: Thursday, December 7 PLACE: Infinite Energy Center | 6400 Sugarloaf Pkwy. | Duluth GA 30097

7

See page 13 for sessions, speakers, and schedule!

Landscape Business Boot Camp

JAN

See page 33 for more info!

18

DATE: Thursday, January 18, 2018 PLACE: Snellings Walters Insurance Agency

TIME:

1117 Perimeter Center W | Atlanta GA 30338 Mid Tenn Inc. —pm 1/2 Page Horizontal Ad for Deep South Turf Expo Program 8:00 am Turf, - 5:00

Daily Regional DeliveRy Kentucky

800.782.4083 | midtennturf.com

PReFeRReD SouRCe for SoD & SeRviCe Since 1986

north Carolina South Carolina georgia alabama ••• Residential Commercial golf athletic Fields

Blue Tag Certified grasses ••• over 2,500 acres in Production

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Tennessee

The Southeast’s

23

SAVE THE DATE SAFETY WORKS

Working near roadways Keeping landscapers safe

Information provided by Risk Management Partners for Snellings Walters Insurance Agency According to the Department of Transportation

the jobsite before work starts and 4Evaluate complete a job hazard analysis to help employees

roughly 1,264 landscape contractors were killed in roadway work zones in 2015.

The key things landscape crews can do to help prevent these tragedies are training and awareness. Even with training, landscape crews face more challenging situations Accounting for more than half of the with drivers on the accidents: struck-by hazards due to road. Accounting for more than half of the distracted drivers. accidents: struckby hazards due to distracted drivers. Excessive speeds are also a major factor.

understand the risks and how to avoid them before they begin work.

site-specific safety program should include 4Aidentifying all hazards and plans, schedules to

routinely inspect all equipment and materials, safety training schedules for all employees, and a plan for first aid and emergency medical care in the event of an accident.

sure the employees understand that they 4Make cannot assume that drivers will always see them.

They must be aware of their surroundings at all times.

a competent person onsite to help make 4Keep sure all employees are following the safety

How to keep your teams safe

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

awareness meetings before the shift to get 4Hold crews thinking about the drivers on the road as

24

well as the job at hand.

4

All landscape contractors should have a transportation management plan. The plan should consist of a temporary traffic control plan to protect employees by safely directing traffic around or through the work zone. You also should have a traffic control plan for inside the work zone that manages the flow of heavy equipment, vehicles, and workers.

4

Provide employees with the proper personal protective equipment (such as high visibility vests) to make the employees more noticeable not only during the day, but at night as well.

4

Barrels alone will not help keep employees safe/ noticeable to distracted drivers. Posting signs well ahead of the work zone is imperative.

program you have outlined.

Leaf blower safety

Leaf blowing is another hot issue when it comes to landscape safety. Unfortunately, most employees do not wear hearing protection or eye protection and as a result, many employees suffer from hearing loss and accidents caused by particles flying through the air. Leaf blowing can be extremely dangerous and should be taken seriously by employees and pedestrians.

is recommended that employees with leaf 4Itblowers stop work if pedestrians are within

50 feet of the work area and not resume until pedestrians are a safe distance away.

using the leaf blower, employees should 4While make sure to stay out of enclosed areas to reduce the potential hazards of exhaust fume build-up.

check equipment before and after use.

4Always Motor areas should be cleaned regularly to

remove dust and other particles than can be fire hazards.

the attachments from the manufacturer 4Using can help reduce noise, but hearing protection should always be worn when leaf blowing.

The secret of our strength is YOU! As a member of Georgia’s premier association for green industry professionals, you have the power to make your industry stronger.

Networking & marketing

Diverse educational opportunities, from monthly dinner meetings to workshops that help you meet licensing requirements

Meet industry leaders and get your product or service in front of our growing membership

UAC Magazine

Trade show & field days

Six issues/year packed with the information you need on business, industry, and urban ag topics

State and national governmental affairs/legislative monitoring

Judges Choice

The latest trends, newest equipment, and cutting edge research, all brought together for you

Awards From design/build to maintenance to community service to green innovations to safety, UAC awards programs give you a chance to shine and be recognized

Reduce your costs UAC Workers Compensation and Health Benefits programs through WS Pharr/Snellings Walters offer competitive rates and outstanding customer service.

Advocate.Educate.Promote.

PO Box 817 Commerce GA 30529 | P: 800.687.6949 | E: info@urbanagcouncil.com | urbanagcouncil.com

Tell a colleague about Georgia UAC today!

Your continued support of the Georgia Urban Ag Council shows your commitment to a strong industry.

With your help, we can grow even stronger.

Your industry. Your passion. Pass it on.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

PLUS:

Legislative support

Education

25

HEALTH & BENEFITS

The average rate increase for health insurance is 9%.

Members of the

Urban Ag Council’s health insurance plan

averaged a

12.5% decrease

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

on their health insurance renewal.

26

Are you confident that you’re doing everything possible to manage your health insurance?

Contact us to discuss the program and eligibility.

Steve Harmon, Principal sharmon@snellingswalters.com

Billy Potter, Benefits Consultant bpotter@snellingswalters.com

770.396.9600

HEALTH & BENEFITS

Health Care Benefits Program

4

There’s nothing easy about health insurance.

Unless you’re a UAC member.

ways your life just got easier

SPEND LESS TIME ON INSURANCE ISSUES

1

> One invoice for all coverages > Online systems for your HR managers > We’ll help you design a plan that is tailored to your specific needs > Bilingual call center so your employees can call directly for information

> The power of your group gives you more bang for your buck so you can offer more for less > Position your company to compete for the best employees > Take care of your current employees so they remain loyal to your company

3

4

2

CHOOSE YOUR DOCTORS AND FACILITIES

> Large national network means more options for you and your employees

ose! Medical ••• Dental ••• Vision ••• Life ••• Disability ••• Voluntary Benefits You cho

Contact us to discuss the program and eligibility.

Steve Harmon, Principal sharmon@snellingswalters.com

Billy Potter, Benefits Consultant bpotter@snellingswalters.com

770.396.9600

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

> Drive results that are more predictable and create long-term savings for your company > Help contain your costs by offering company-specific wellness programs like tobacco cessation or activity-based challenges > Just like your safety programs help you reduce workers comp claims, wellness programs can significantly reduce your health costs > Don’t worry, we’ll help you develop MAKE PRICING programs that work for your MORE PREDICTABLE company

OFFER BENEFITS LIKE THE BIG COMPANIES

27

SAVE THE DATE PRO PROJECT

Perennial POW!

Project by Simply Flowers, Inc. http://simplyflowersinc.com

When we think of seasonal color design, we typically think of annual gardens that are replaced

twice a year. Perennials are infinitely more challenging. They create a completely different look and feel than an annual presentation. As some flowers begin to bloom, others fade. The balance of maintaining a beautiful display through the rise and fall of different floral varieties is key to a season-long success.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Our client envisioned a perennial wild-flower meadow in shades of pink, white, blue, and lavender: Wispy, fluffy, loose drifts of pastels with no structural plants, evergreens, foliage accents or warm colors. She wanted a resulting design that is completely unique for a front lawn, especially in a gated community where landscapes tend to look similar.

28

Perennial selections include flowers that bloom in early spring, mid-summer, and early fall. For winter, the garden is cut back as required for each perennial species. Each year, perennials have to be thinned and contained to keep aggressive species from overtaking the garden.

Some winters are hard on perennials, so favorite selections need to be replaced after the garden is evaluated during the early spring emergence.

Welcome spring! Peonies and Catmint announce that seasons have officially changed.

Our client hand-watered the perennials as necessary. Irrigation does not cover the beds.

PRO PROJECT

GALA

GEORGIA URBAN AG COUNCIL

GEORGIA LANDSCAPE AWARDS

AWARD WINNER: Distinction

Moving on to July, Russian Sage, Tall Garden Phlox, Gaura, and Coneflowers put on a show.

Catmint is fading, just as other perennials step in. The foliage continues to provide interest even when the blooms have disappeared.

Look! Phlox without fungus! Lythrum is also visible behind the Russian Sage.

Coneflower, Scabiosa and Catmint bloom alongside the grassy foliage of a Siberian Iris.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

New surprises appear in the borders when we back up for a better view. Stargazer Lilies, Becky Daisies, Verbena Bonariensis, and Pink Achillea.

And don’t worry about invasive plants: the Lythrum here is a sterile variety.

29

WHAT THE TECH?

Connecting with your customers Using technology to stay engaged

by Dawn V. Brown, WebTech Marketing Services Today’s technology gives green industry companies amazing

A few simple techniques can help you get more and better business from your existing client base. It’s easy to get started fast, moving the needle on your business goals so you can focus on what you do best.

opportunities to connect with customers. Done well, it only takes a few hours a month to achieve unprecedented marketing visibility online.

A few simple techniques can help you get more and better business from your existing client base. It’s easy to get started fast, moving the needle on your business goals so you can focus on what you do best.

Technique 1.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Motivate your customers with special promotions on your website.

30

Existing customers have a lot to offer your business. After all, since you’ve done a good job in the past, they know and trust you more than someone new.

Those are good things, but most customers need a little something more. It’s easy for projects to end up at the bottom of a busy homeowner’s todo list. Luckily, your website can spark business on demand with special promotions.

There are three keys to a good promotion:

services that customers are likely to 4 Offering need (seasonally) or have used in the past; a deep discount or combining 4 Providing services in a way that makes a compelling offer;

customers’ attention by offering this 4 Getting great deal for only a very limited time. The

key is creating urgency for customers that might otherwise wait until the last minute to make a purchase.

Highlight your promotion by creating a colorful, eye-catching digital ad or coupon on the front page of your website. Make sure the text is clear, concise and indicates all the rules of the promotion, including the timeframe. If you are able to offer multiple promotions on a regular basis, create a dedicated page on your website that customers can bookmark and return to for the latest deals.

Technique 2.

Encourage customers to post reviews using social media Web users look to honest, impartial reviews when they’re unsure whether a service is right for them. The best way to get their attention: reviews by real people – your own satisfied customers.

Facebook, Yelp and Google are great places to connect with customers and encourage them to submit reviews you can showcase right on your site. Create a dedicated page on your website that gives customers options: let them submit their comments to a social media page if they are pleased, and invite them to contact you directly if they're not. This helps prevent customers from putting negative reviews on public social media pages, while still giving them the opportunity to provide negative feedback directly to you. See an example here: https://wtmarketing.com/how-did-we-do/ Collecting reviews online can also help your business rank better on search engines. Reviews are a good signal to Google that your business is a valid player in your industry, and thus can help improve your rankings.

WHAT THE TECH?

Technique 3.

Create monthly newsletters to engage your client base Monthly newsletters help ensure you’re “top of mind” when people need your services. You can use an email marketing service to collect your customers into a mailing list and message them once monthly or even weekly. Here’s how to get the most from your newsletters:

for reviews. Reviews, reviews, reviews 4 Ask – the more you have, the better. End each

promotions. A recurring 4 Advertise newsletter gives greater visibility to your

time-sensitive promotions. Do it right and each newsletter you send may net you a few customers just when you want them.

When green industry businesses make time for online marketing, they can bring customer value to the next level. These techniques are manageable, but powerful; implement them and you’ll see the difference before you know it.

About the author

newsletter with a gentle reminder and a link to your reviews page. Sooner or later, even the most stubborn customer will make time for it.

gift cards. Gift cards are a great way 4 Offer to help people and your business. They get

an easy gift for friends and family, while you get the opportunity to meet a new customer.

Gift cards are also a good way to get more feedback from customers for either reviews on your website or detailed case studies.

E: dawn@wtmarketing.com W: www.wtmarketing.com

Dawn is the content marketing specialist at WebTech Marketing Services. As a writer, creative thinker and video producer, Dawn uses various mediums to create awareness, build brands and tell compelling stories. She works to create smart thought leadership for a variety of businesses and industries.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

31

BUSINESS

Workforce development series

Our economy and the employment picture

by William Eastman, GreenMark Consulting Group When we started this workforce development series back in January, it was

natural to talk about trends for the upcoming year, especially in the labor market.

There are great people out there waiting to build a life with someone who will appreciate their talent and contribution.

This article will take a much longer perspective and focus on the major theme of the decade - an increasingly competitive environment for good people.

What you need to know A resurgence in the trades. We are at a convergence of several forces: overpriced education without employable skills, a shortage of skilled tradesman, and artificial intelligence. The price of education has accelerated beyond pay-as-you-go. The average debt is $40,000 - in many cases, more than their degree will pay in the job market. Contrast that with a plumbing certificate with a starting salary of $50,000. That leaves us with the last and scariest trend: the elimination of white-collar jobs. Using AI means many white-collar jobs will be eliminated by 2025.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

1.

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2.

There is no such thing as unskilled labor. This starts with NOT viewing people as warm bodies. Every organization has two things to teach: specific skills and the business. If your landscape company has the normal three service lines of design build, maintenance, and turf, this provides an opportunity to professionalize all the required

skills and create a multi-year development plan.

The qualified employees are your management seed corn; you'll have a five-to-seven year process of professionalizing the labor force.

View your role as a college basketball coach. If you follow college basketball, you know that few teams keep their star players until graduation. The core competence of the best programs is recruiting and developing talent. If you are a high school all American there more scholarships than you can accept. You choose by who has the best record of winning AND placing people in the pros!

3.

What you need to do Partner with national and local organizations that promote the trades. This is your labor pool. At the highschool level get involved with organizations like DECA and SkillsUSA* and use their resources to find great candidates. Think about the attraction of your offer - start with $2,000 for a truck, mower, and basic tools to create a million-dollar business. Half of today’s high schoolers want to make money by working with their hands outside of a cube. Find the best and groom them.

1.

2.

Professionalize your operation.

Starting with changing the mindset.

Instead of laborers, they are technicians. Focus on how they can master the job quickly. Once they have been "certified," move them around until they are competent in all aspects of the business. Now groom your first-line supervisors and follow the same process. Create a plan that shows how, in a few years, they can move into a supervisory role with improved pay and benefits.

Make this your major recruiting tool - because it is. * Get involved with UAC and CEFGA in March 2018: urbanagcouncil.com/uac-student-workforcedevelopment-initiative

BUSINESS Recruit a career, not a job. Unless your growth plan for the business ends at one location, where are your future executives?

What if your plan was to open new locations or service lines and develop those leaders? Imagine your ability to recruit by showing a path to ownership.

3.

Where you can get help This solution is much more than a few how-to steps. This requires systematizing the business on a platform that automates the routine and allows people to use intelligence to do the job or run the business. What are the essentials?

all of your processes, eliminating low4 Map value activities.

SOPs (Standard Operating 4 Develop Procedures) for each process.

PDs (Position Descriptions) for 4 Develop each role. the key attributes for each position to 4 Profile find the best match for hiring.

a succession plan, a path for starting 4 Create at the bottom and working your way to ownership.

If you go here, your employment ads will net more than a police lineup. There are great people out there waiting to build a life with someone who will appreciate their talent and contribution.

About the author William Eastman is a Business Management Consultant with GreenMark and the Managing Partner for Intellectual Property at the GrowthWorx – a business research and product development company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

For more information on becoming the Employer of Choice, contact William Eastman @833.784.7336 (833.RUGREEN) or attend our upcoming BootCamp on January 18th in Atlanta.

For more information: P: 804.433.3886 E: weastman@greenmarkgroup.com W: www.greenmarkgroup.com

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BUSINESS

Understanding H-2B

It may be a matter of survival

This past May, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

According to the Economic Policy Institute, the green industry accounts for roughly 40 percent of H-2B jobs.

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held a conference call to gather comments about the H-2B visa program from anyone affected by it. This was because DHS Secretary John Kelly had been empowered

by Congress to temporarily enlarge the program by up to 70,000 more visas.

First, some background. H-2B is a temporary work visa program which allows foreign workers to apply for low-skill, entry-level jobs. You’ll often see it referred to as the ‘nonagricultural visa program,’ to avoid confusion with the H-2A program, which does the same thing for the agricultural industry. Both are seasonal programs, and companies can hire employees to work a maximum of ten months of the year.

Neither is an immigration program, and there is no path to citizenship through them.

H-2B is intended to provide an outlet for businesses who can’t find Americans willing to work for them. It is not intended to freeze Americans out of working in those industries if they want to. In order to accomplish that goal, the program puts a cap on the number of work visas which can be approved. The cap is currently set at 33,000 visas, starting between April 1st and September 30th, and another 33,000 for the rest of the year.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, the green industry accounts for roughly 40 percent of H-2B jobs, so when the DHS held its 90-minute conference call for comments, I sat in on the whole thing. It was an enlightening

experience. Callers from across the country painted very different pictures of what the program is, and although the discussion was civil, it was clear that emotions ran high on both sides.

To the small business owners who use it and called in, H-2B is a saving grace. It keeps their businesses afloat when local unemployment levels are well below the national average, and year-round recruitment efforts fail.

Said Allison Medrano, owner of CLIP Lawn Care in Frederick, Maryland, “I’ve almost cried about ten times, listening to people on this call. We’ve been in business for 29 years, and we’re looking at shutting our business down. We’ve already had to let half of our customers go.”

To H-2B opponents, the program is a ready source of cheap labor that undercuts American workers and artificially suppresses wages.

Rosemary Jenks, director of government relations for Numbers USA, a non-profit that advocates for reduced immigration, expressed frustration with the program.

“We have the lowest labor force participation rates that we have had since the 1970s,” she said.

“Among low-skilled, working-age Americans, the employment rate is about 55 percent, so it would be unconscionable to exceed the H-2B cap under these circumstances.”

H-2B 101

So how did we get here? The history of the visa program is an article unto itself, but the program seems to have gone through some significant changes in recent years. Whether or not you’re

BUSINESS thinking of using the program, it behooves you to know at least a little bit about how it works, the state it’s in now, and why it’s so polarizing. In this article,we’re going to cover that ground, and take the uncertainty out of H-2B. According to the DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA), the application process looks something like this:

you determine your local prevailing 4 First, wage from the National Prevailing Wage

4

Center (NPWC), using ETA form 9141.

Then, you file with the State Workforce Agency (SWA), specifying your work period, location, how many positions you need filled, and what the work is.

must also advertise for the positions, 4 You with at least two print advertisements

including all relevant information, one of which must run on a Sunday.

those efforts made, you can then 4 With file an H-2B application, using the wage

information from the NPWC, or a private wage survey.

Provided the application is in order and the cap has not been reached, you will receive as many workers as you request, minus however many Americans you hired as a result of your advertising efforts.

That’s why, for instance, employers are required to pay H-2B employees a prevailing wage. Once they have worked half the season, H-2B employees must also be reimbursed for all their travel costs to and from the country, including any meals and hotel rooms.

If it ain't broke...

So if the program is working as intended, what’s all the hubbub about?

Some of it can be traced back to changes to the program made in recent years, the most major of which was in 2015. That was when Congress approved a measure that exempted any H-2B worker approved in the previous three years from counting towards the cap.

The DHS and DOL received between two and four times the number of applications they normally do, but without increased funding to meet the new demand. Budgets for H-2B auditing also did not scale to meet the influx.

About 136,000 applications were approved, but delays in the process were systemic and horrendous, and many employees arrived weeks or even months after their original start dates.

Because it was a mess, Congress elected not to re-up the exemption for this year, and the cap returned to 66,000. However, the number of applications stayed high, and more than 82,000 applications were submitted for the summer season alone. The overapplication to the program could be due to the exemption encouraging more applicants (those who applied and were accepted are more likely to reapply), or it could just be the nationwide labor shortage, but the results are the same.

Groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Friends of Farmworkers, the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) and labor unions are concerned by any rise in the number of H- 2B applications. They argue that the program is deeply flawed, and needs to be significantly overhauled, if not dissolved entirely.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

If that process seems confusing or complicated, that’s because it is. Policywise, it is impossible to set a bar for hiring Americans that is high enough to prove that all other options have been exhausted, while still allowing for the finite recruitment budgets of small business owners.

So the H-2B program doesn’t really try. Instead, it discourages abuse by making sure that visa workers are always the more expensive option.

According to Marty Goguen, owner of Morin’s Landscape in Hollis, New Hampshire, these checks are working as intended. “The H-2B program is not cheap; it is not a vehicle to grow our profits,” he said. “If there were a way to hire local American workers, we would do that in a heartbeat, and then we would see some growth in our profits. We have a 2.5 percent unemployment rate in New Hampshire, and we cannot get workers.”

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BUSINESS There are a number of reasons that these groups oppose the program, but they center on some of the negative effects it can have on a large scale, and the ways it can be abused. “Employers want these workers because they are effectively indentured,” said David North with CIS. “If H-2B workers lose their jobs, they face deportation.

That makes them work hard and work scared.”

Given that there is no path to citizenship through the program, why should they fear deportation? First off, if it’s less than halfway through the season, they will not be reimbursed for their travel costs. What’s worse, some H-2B recruitment companies out there are corrupt, and they have countless opportunities to abuse and indenture visa applicants with high fees, and control over their living conditions.

A few bad apples

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Take the case of International Labor Management Corporation, a small H-2B recruitment business from Vass, North Carolina.

They were indicted by a federal grand jury in 2014 on 41 different charges, centered around a conspiracy to defraud the federal government.

The charge sheet was 57 pages long, and the owner pled guilty to everything from collecting illegal fees to instructing employers on how to avoid hiring American.

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There are some bad apples among H-2B employers as well. In 2015, Culpepper Enterprises, a landscape company in Mississippi, was charged with abusing the program to meet its lucrative Department of Transportation contracts. The company paid its workers the federal minimum wage, well below the prevailing wage it had listed, and illegally deducted the cost of its overpriced housing and protective equipment from the workers’ wages.

It doesn’t end there, either. Case records of H-2B abuses include employers threatening to rip up visas if workers complain, and employers colluding with local police to get their workers pulled over if they try to go into town, to trap them onsite. In the case of Signal International, conditions were so bad that, in 2006, one of its workers tried to commit suicide. The company filed bankruptcy two years ago, to fund a $20

million settlement after the workers successfully filed suit.

It is important to remember that in all of these cases, laws were flagrantly ignored.

As written, the H-2B program sets guidelines for worker treatment that are equal to, if not better than, those afforded to American workers. It is even more important to remember that these are not representative of H-2B employers, and that many owners treat all of their employees with respect, and even warmth.

Certainly, the ones who called in to comment were adamant that their own employees were not coerced. “We usually get two returning H-2B workers, and they’re paid well above the prevailing wage,” said Christina Rodelo, of A Perfect Lawn, LLC, in Morganville, New Jersey.

“We take care of them; we pay for their airline tickets—the whole nine yards. We’ve really gotten to know them; they’re very kind, and we have a great relationship with them. So I take a little offense to callers saying they’re exploited.”

As Goguen put it, “We have kept the same people coming back to us for the last 20 years.

They bring their brothers; they bring their kids whenever we have additional positions open.

Exploited workers wouldn’t do that.”

Political football

The back-and-forth between pragmatic small business owners facing possible bankruptcy on the one hand, and economic policy experts trying to prevent wage suppression and worker exploitation on the other, reflects the uncertainties on both sides. H-2B employers see their immediate issues, but they may be ignorant about the program’s vulnerabilities.

Policy gurus, on the other hand, see the historic issues, but lack the comprehensive statistics that would prove or disprove whether the program’s problems are systemic. They see the program’s evils, but they don’t have a day-to-day window into the good it does.

BUSINESS On top of that, as we hinted at earlier, the program has become something of a political football. After the job was foisted upon him, Secretary Kelly expressed to the media that he did not want to be in charge of this decision, and that Congress should not have passed the buck.

Meanwhile, Republican Senator Thom Tillis put a hold on President Trump’s pick for heading up USCIS, pressuring Kelly to approve the extra visas.

These are just the latest salvos in a political back-and-forth that goes back decades, to the program’s inception. At the time of this writing, Kelly has approved 15,000 more visas, but requires new applicants to attest that they would suffer ‘permanent and severe financial losses’ if not approved.

Economists could likely spend the next hundred years arguing back and forth about whether H-2B is good for employers, employees, or American citizens, and never come to a conclusion. Without the wisdom of Solomon, all we can be certain of is whether or not it can be helpful for our own businesses.

Trying to fill summer crews in regions where the unemployment rate is three percent or lower is like trying to eat soup with a fork.

Reprinted with permission from Irrigation & Green Industry magazine.

So if the difficulties these owners describe sound all too familiar, the H- 2B program may be a lifeline for your business. If, on the other hand, your own recruitment efforts are not quite so intense, and you decide that the expense of H-2B is worth avoiding the time and energy lost hunting for new hires, do everyone a favor. Mind your P’s and Q’s, do your homework, and make sure that you follow the program’s guidelines closely. Using the H- 2B program responsibly isn’t just good for our industry’s reputation; for some small businesses, it’s a matter of survival.

Deciding for yourself

When you’re making that determination for yourself, consider the lengths that other business owners are willing to go to, in an attempt to avoid relying on the program.

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Other callers recruited year-round, instituted internship programs, or offered education and advancement opportunities. Even though all of these efforts are ideal for promoting both their companies and the industry as a whole, for these folks, it all fell short. They reported hiring parolees or heroin addicts, and having newlyhired employees quit midweek, or even midday.

Are you ready to prove you’re the best?

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Jane Hey of Doctors Lawn and Landscape in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, described hiking wages, offering incentive packages, and advertising in a 150-mile radius, with little results. “The people that have responded are usually with us for an average of just two or three days,” she said. “Then they’ll state that the work is too hard, or that they’ve found a permanent position elsewhere.”

Test your knowledge > Gain professional credibility > Join the industry elite

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37

BUSINESS

Living the good life Outdoor living spaces

You don't have to look very far

Photo courtesy of Bennet Design & Landscape

Homeowners are spending again, and reading articles in newspapers and magazines telling them how backyard renovations pay off come resale time, as much as revamped kitchens and bathrooms. This also helps fuel the market.

to see that outdoor kitchens and living spaces are a very big deal nowadays.

They're featured in home decorating magazines, and used as backdrops in print ads for all kinds of products. Frequently, when an elegant home dinner or party scene is depicted on television or in movies, the setting is a chic outdoor dining area.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

At the beginning of 2016, industry analysts predicted that the outdoor living market as a whole would exceed $5.7 billion. According to one recent study, the demand for outdoor furniture, heaters, grills, and accessories alone is forecast to rise 3.7 percent annually in the U.S. to $9.1 billion by 2019.

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Homeowners are spending again, and reading articles in newspapers and magazines telling them how backyard renovations pay off come resale time, as much as revamped kitchens and bathrooms. This also helps fuel the market.

Lucky you—landscape contractors are in the forefront of this smoking-hot home trend.

Increasingly, a client won't ask you to build a humble little barbecue pit in the corner of his patio, but rather an entire extra addition to his home's usable square footage. That means lots more enjoyment for him—and lots more profits for you.

Most excitingly, the market isn't confined to only the highest income earners.

The accoutrements of outdoor living rooms and kitchens come at many different price points, making this lifestyle affordable to almost any homeowner.

What, exactly, will you be installing for these clients? According to the 2016 Residential Landscape Architecture Trends Survey conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), some of the most popular outdoor design elements include fire pits and fireplaces, wanted by 75 percent of survey respondents. Outdoor lighting systems were desired by another 67 percent of those asked, followed by wireless/Internet connectivity at 66 percent.

Outdoor rooms

Outdoor kitchens are must-haves for higherend homebuyers. These are fully-equipped cooking centers that contain—in addition to gas barbecues—built-in smokers, ranges, ovens (including microwaves), refrigerators, wine refrigerators, sinks, icemakers, even dishwashers and trash compactors. It’s now possible for someone to prep and cook an entire meal, including non-grilled side dishes, without ever having to go back into his house.

And that’s not all. Consumers who buy professional-quality appliances for their indoor kitchens want them outdoors as well. Pizza ovens, beer taps, rotisseries and hybrid charcoal/ gas grills are said to be among the hottest “wants.”

Other items high on consumer wish lists were pergolas, decks, arbors, sports courts, spa features and swimming pools. More and more, outdoor living spaces complement or incorporate these items.

The newest kids on this block are shock freezers, also called blast chillers. Unlike normal freezers, which reduce food temperatures gradually, these products induce a steep drop in degrees very

BUSINESS quickly. (Not quite like the carbon freezing unit that turned Han Solo into a statue in seconds, but close.) The upshot is that food comes out tasting better, with far less damage.

When people entertain in this fashion, they don’t want to have to head back inside once the sun sets; they want to stay outside and play. That’s part of what’s fueling the exploding growth of low-voltage outdoor lighting. Wi-Fi and smartphone control allows a homeowner to alter the mood of his landscape as the season, or the hour, changes.

Nor do they want to be chased inside by flying, biting bugs. Now, they don’t have to be. A far cry from the old “bug zappers,” sophisticated new insect-control devices heat-disperse human and pet-safe chemical repellent. And unlike that big blue zapper thing, these units are small and discreet, camouflaged as outdoor lighting fixtures.

Fire

It’s not surprising that outdoor fire pits and fireplaces top the list of most-wanted amenities.

They appeal to our inner cavemen and women.

Something about sitting around a roaring blaze, sharing appetizers and good conversation seems to make the much-anticipated meal taste even better.

Entertainment

That “fire table” may be parked right in front of a built-in flat-screen TV, where guests can watch the big game, the Oscars, or a movie while nibbling chips and salsa. Weather-withstanding outdoor TVs have recently dropped significantly in price, making them much more affordable for average homeowners.

A line of outdoor TVs priced very closely to similarly-sized indoor models was shown at the CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association) Expo in Dallas, Texas.

Hardscape

If you’re building an outdoor entertainment area or kitchen, chances are you’re not going to be mounting it atop a gray concrete slab. Nope; there’s lots more hardscaping to do, laying down concrete paving stones, bricks, tile, or natural stone.

Photo courtesy of Art of Stone Gardening

And that’s not all. Consumers who buy professional-quality appliances for their indoor kitchens want them outdoors as well. Pizza ovens, beer taps, rotisseries and hybrid charcoal/ gas grills are said to be among the hottest “wants.”

You’re probably going to build one or more retaining walls, perhaps with built-in seating. If a client doesn’t already have a covered patio, he’ll probably want a pergola to keep the sun off his guests (and that big screen TV).

People still want decks, but with new wrinkles.

Increasingly, they are opting to have them constructed with low- or no-maintenance recycled, composite materials instead of wood.

They also want those decks to be fancier, featuring indoor-type ornamental post caps, and railings with decorative balusters.

Water features

This trend is also good news for pond and waterfeature builders, because, what’s a backyard oasis without water? Pools, spas and fountains complete the picture of a personal, private resort to be enjoyed with one’s family and friends.

Plants

Last, but never least, are the landscape elements that complete the picture. Plants, trees and shrubs provide beauty, shade, and soften the hard edges of hardscaping. Now, they’re expected to do even more.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

But look out—the fire has spread! Now it’s in the middle of the table as well. No worries—it’s a controlled, intentional line of propane flame, reflected in the table’s glossy surface, the perfect backdrop for sipping drinks on a cool evening.

OLED, 4K HD and 4K Ultra HD LED and LCD TV models were also on display.

Many of these have ultra-bright displays that won’t wash out in bright sunlight.

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BUSINESS The growing desire for locally sourced produce, and not just by foodies, has brought the term “edible landscape” into our vocabularies.

Fruit and nut trees, berry bushes and vegetables, grown Photo courtesy of The Outdoor Lights in raised planter boxes and landscape When people entertain in this fashion, beds, are being they don’t want to have to head back incorporated into inside once the sun sets; they want to these living spaces, stay outside and play. That’s part of very often, close to what’s fueling the exploding growth of kitchen areas. What’s more local than a low-voltage outdoor lighting. homegrown harvest that’s no more than an arm’s reach away?

These landscape elements are also expected to be sustainable, and the less required maintenance, the better.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Homeowners want the green things setting off their backyard entertainment areas to stay that way with less water, so it’s not surprising that rainwater and graywater harvesting scored high on that same ASLA survey.

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Following close behind are native or adapted drought-tolerant plants, permeable pavers, rain gardens, drip and other water-efficient irrigation, and reduced lawn areas.

Smart, both indoors and out

According to the 2016 U.S. Houzz Smart Home Trend Study, nearly half of all homeowners undertaking renovation projects are installing smart systems or devices to control all their new goodies. The same study showed that the average upgrading homeowner adds one smart system or device to his home in the course of a renovation.

And, he wants those smart home devices inside the house and out. WiFi connectivity and control is already available for higher-end outdoor lighting systems.

Recently, wireless Bluetooth-enabled sound devices have started to appear, with quality increasing as fast as prices are decreasing. These range from little trapezoids in hot colors that would look nice on a dorm dresser, to large, weatherproof speakers designed to bring a soundtrack to outdoor living.

Some of these things look like pieces of modern art, or, depending on one’s taste, something out of sci-fi. The sound coming out of them is remarkable, especially considering that many are battery-powered.

A few, while large, are still lightweight enough to be picked up and moved to different locations.

Many can be networked with several identical units to create a “wall” of sound.

Syncing to a phone, tablet or computer takes a couple of seconds, usually a matter of hovering a smartphone over the top. After that, the system can be programmed and manipulated by a few taps on the phone’s screen.

You may be saying, “Those wireless speakers sound very nice—but those are aftermarket addons. Where do I fit into that picture?” High-end clients who commission custom outdoor living areas want professionally installed, remotely controlled, wired-in sound systems incorporated seamlessly into them.

Outdoor lighting contractors are beginning to install these configurations, often as retrofits.

These systems cost much more than those oneoff wireless speakers, and the margins are quite high.

Join the party

The outdoor living space market doesn’t show any sign of slowing down. And the demand for them isn’t restricted to the Sunbelt states. People living in northern climates want them so they can extend that short summer season right up to the moment the first snowflake falls.

There’s a lot of money to be made here for the smart design/build contractor. The party’s already started; don’t be late!

Reprinted with permission from Irrigation & Green Industry magazine.

BUSINESS

For a confidential no cost consulting session contact your local SBDC office at the address listed below.

Steve Newton Business Consultant

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

2296 Henderson Mill Road Suite 404B Tucker, GA 30345 770-414-3110

Sharon Macaluso Area Director and Business Consultant

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BUSINESS

Light up your fall revenue

Lighting pros share profit-building tips

by Tom Crain

When days shorten and temperatures drop, many

Holiday lighting is one option that continues to gain momentum within the industry.

landscape company owners start thinking about new ways to keep their best employees busy and to generate extra revenue to close out the year. Holiday lighting is one option that continues to gain momentum within the industry.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Jason Paulk, founder of the Atlanta-based landscaping company, Paulk Outdoors, did just that...only backwards!

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In September of 2002 he bought into Christmas Decor, a holiday lighting franchise. Initially, he focused solely on selling and providing holiday lighting services, which kept him busy from early fall through December each year. Realizing he was missing the bigger service picture, a couple of years later he also began offering landscape services, from design to install to maintenance.

The holiday lighting side of his business usually grows about 15 percent per year on average, despite the addition of the landscaping services.

Pro Care Services in Boise, Idaho, took the more traditional route to holiday lighting services by adding them to its mix of commercial and residential landscaping services. Its holiday lighting operation is independent of franchising and is coupled with snow removal services to keep its company’s crews busy year-round.

“We have a large book of business in office buildings and retail centers,” says Kevin Allen, Pro Care general manager. Allen oversees the design, materials, installation, maintenance, removal and storage of its holiday lighting

services. “We also install many of our residential properties’ holiday decor inside and out, including live plants (i.e., wreaths and garlands).

We work with our materials, rarely installing our customers’ lights. This ensures we’re using commercial-grade products that are reliable and vibrant throughout the winter.”

Both Paulk and Allen have learned quite a bit about successfully selling holiday lighting services.

Know your niche

Allen finds the highest lighting decoration demand is for lighting attached to the edge of a building or home’s roofline (fascia) to outline the structure. Homeowners are uncomfortable doing this themselves, so they call in a pro. His commercial clients, including office buildings and retail centers, tend to use old-fashioned, oval-shaped lights on rooflines, but more clients are moving to LEDs. His residential clients tend to buy lights for both rooflines and trees on their properties.

In the Intermountain West, Allen finds getting people to switch to LEDs remains a challenge.

“LEDs offer many benefits but are still much more expensive than incandescent lighting, and we have to carry inventory in both incandescent and LED.” Another holiday lighting service challenge is finding enough qualified workers to install the holiday displays in a safe and customer-pleasing fashion.

“There’s a lot of competition for blue-collar workers right now,” Allen says. “At Pro Care, holiday lighting is done by existing team members when the season for sprinklers, mowing, lawn/tree services and annual flowers ends.

BUSINESS “Our process for selecting and training team members for holiday lighting is detailed,” he continues. “First we determine which team members have an eye for detail, are comfortable working at heights, can work in very cold conditions and are worth developing/advancing before next spring. Then we train them in the classroom and in the field, focusing on safety first, as well as proven techniques that consistently yield great results. Finally, we use checklists and follow-through. Sometimes you can’t see the full quality of an installation in the daylight, so our managers will return in the evening to verify everything looks wonderful.”

Paulk Outdoor’s client mix is 60 percent residential and 40 percent commercial. “In the Atlanta area, it’s hard to compete with the big guys who manage the large commercial office buildings and shopping malls,” he says. “These larger companies can go direct to manufacturers, avoiding the middle man. We have been successful in focusing on the stand alones and ma-and-pa businesses.”

Pleasing the younger consumer Jason Paulk, founder of the Atlanta-based landscaping company Paulk Outdoors, is shifting his marketing focus from baby boomers and seniors to the generation X and millennial crowds, the spenders now demanding all of the latest trends and technologies.

Through franchisor Christmas Decor, Paulk Outdoors offers design services featuring virtual reality via a new software program for these tech-savvy clients. “We can take pictures of a customer’s home and superimpose various lighting designs on it to present a large variety of options to fit the customer’s budget,” he explains.

Although Paulk’s sales team is just starting to use the software program, it’s proving to be a real sales booster for this new target market.

Pricing for profit

Paulk Outdoors has learned a trick or two about increasing its efficiencies and profitability in holiday lighting. “We try to encourage our customers to make a three-year commitment, so we provide great pricing incentives,” he says. “We amortize the costs to our customers. We don’t

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BUSINESS offer packages; rather we offer line items such as fascia outlining and providing original design and installation. For more efficient production, we target clusters of homes within certain blocks, but we haven’t been very successful with that yet.”

ProCare makes sure that its new sales team members have installed lights before so they are familiar first-hand with the process. “We give them unit pricing scales that allow quick estimates of labor and materials based on footage,” Allen says. Employees have the freedom to provide a prospect with a rough quote on the spot. If the quote is within the customer’s budget, the employee can draft a formal bid for approval.

Allen also insists his employees carry samples so prospects can visualize their options, and see the quality of the commercial grade lighting.

Paulk says pricing is critical in his holiday lighting business.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

“We have to set a price that is high enough for prospects to realize we are serious about providing a highquality service. Due to the quality of our products, large storage facility, licensing, insurance, industry knowledge and trendsetting, we cannot afford to be profitable at lower margins.”

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~ Jason Paulk Paulk Outdoors generally deals with large sales orders. “It’s not worthwhile to work with customers for less than a $1,000 sales ticket,” he says. “We’ve found the majority of our clients will have to spend upwards of this amount in order to get the effect that they want. Paulk Outdoors’ average sale is $3,000, substantially more than the franchise national average sale of around $1,400.

ProCare prices its fascia outlining by the linear foot. “We’ve tracked labor and materials for many years and can see patterns in job costs,” Allen says. “Trees and shrubs are a bit less

predictable. We price by the number of strands, which includes tax, markup and labor. If the property is particularly unique or challenging, we’ll account for that in the quote, too.”

Timing, timing, timing

Another important factor for Paulk and Allen is the six- to eight-week selling and installation window for holiday lighting. “By mid-October, we contact existing customers for reinstallation,” Allen says. “Weather tends to be nice into November, so many property owners and managers don’t get serious about holiday lighting until after the first week of November. Many prefer the lights be installed and operational

by Thanksgiving, allowing only a few weeks for installation. A second wave of sales happens just after Thanksgiving, as owners and managers see holiday lights around town. After the first week of December, sales slow to a crawl. Most people don’t want to invest a lot of money into a display that only lasts two to three weeks.”

Top 4 questions answered

For landscape contractors adding holiday lighting services, the same questions tend to come up again and again. Here, Brandon Stephens, president of Christmas Decor, answers the top four questions landscapers ask about holiday lighting.

What is the average cost a residential customer will pay for a lighting display project?

1.

On average, it’s $1,479 for new residential and $1,384 for re-install residential. Some residential clients purchase up to $10,000 in lights per year.

2.

Is the holiday lighting market growing?

The holiday lighting and decorating industry is bigger than ever and growing at an unprecedented pace. Although the industry is in its infancy, time-starved consumers spent over $200 million last year on decorating services during the holidays with over 800 percent growth in the past six years.

Homeowners, property owners and managers turn to the Internet to find landscapers, landscape management firms, and other Urban Ag providers they can trust.

They find you on your website, Facebook page, Yelp, Angie’s List, and Houzz to check-out what you’ve done, where you work, and even schedule appointments.

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45

BUSINESS

3.

is very easy to accomplish, as most electricians are not busy during this time of year.

What are the startup costs/working capital?

This is one of the least expensive businesses to get into because costly equipment is seldom required. For each full service installation crew, we estimate ladders and tools at $750 to $950, and a startup inventory of $3,000 to $5,000. Each additional crew will have about the same cost in ladders and tools, but inventory should be increased about $2,000 per crew.

4.

Although Paulk starts to sell and install lighting as early as the first week of October, the big rush occurs just after Halloween. “We try to get as many new contracts as early as possible in the season by offering early installation incentives.

We can wrap trees and outline fascias, allowing the lights to stand unlit until the holiday season rolls around. The customer can then just flip the switch whenever they’re ready.”

Do you need a bucket truck or have to hire an electrician?

About the author

Tom Crain lives and works in Akron, Ohio, and is a regular contributor to Turf magazine.

No. You can learn how to light higher areas without the use of a bucket truck. There are decorating alternatives to extremely high tree lighting. On rare occasions, usually commercial applications, a bucket truck can be beneficial.

You can learn a variety of ways to find and use power sources available. On commercial jobs and rarely on residential orders, you may need to have an electrician install additional power. This

Reprinted with the permission of Turf magazine, September 2014.

Get more tips from a UAC member!

Read the article on page 20.

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INDUSTRY

Georgia water rights

Case to be heard by U.S. Supreme Court this session

By Mary Kay Woodworth reasonable and warned limits could devastate the state’s economy.” Florida has steadfastly maintained that it was critical to put new caps in place to preserve the agriculture, environmental and power production needs.

After special master Lancaster’s report to the Supreme Court, Florida has asked that the high court reject the recommendation that Florida had “failed to show that a consumption cap" was needed after five weeks of hearing testimony in the case.

“Protecting Georgians’ water interest is a top priority for Governor Deal. To that end, the governor and our legal team plan to defend the special master’s ruling in the Supreme Court.” ~ Jen Talaber Ryan

Georgia’s long fight with Florida regarding water rights may be reaching a UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

finale, as the U.S. Supreme Court has elected to hear the case this term.

48

The state’s extended, expensive legal fight has been a heretofore unresolvable issue, consuming officials for over 25 years. The high court issued a brief on October 6, 2017, but a date for oral arguments was not set. The court’s term extends through June or July 2018, and the brief stated that it would hear the case “in due course.”

The announcement from the court had been expected after Georgia’s legal victory after a five-week court hearing in the fall of 2017. At that time, Supreme Court appointed special master Ralph Lancaster recommended rejection of Florida’s request for strict new water consumption limits. Officials in Georgia have long held that “the state’s water consumption was

The Supreme Court’s has several options: they can approve or reject Lancaster’s recommendation regarding the “equitable distribution” of water or they can ask him to reexamine the case. It is also possible for Congress to interject itself in the outcome of the case.

In recent years, Governor Nathan Deal has allocated more than $30 million in the state budget so far to pay for this specific legal battle with Florida, and he is willing to spend more for a positive outcome. “Protecting Georgians’ water interest is a top priority for Governor Deal,” spokeswoman Jen Talaber Ryan said. “To that end, the governor and our legal team plan to defend the special master’s ruling in the Supreme Court.”

Chris Carr, the state’s attorney general, said “we look forward to vigorously defending Georgia’s interests in the next step of this process.”

Georgia’s officials are optimistic about the case.

“This has been an issue since I got into politics in 1974,” U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson said. “It’s like a tennis ball back and forth over the net. Georgia has won so many times before that on the legal issues and all the cogent facts, we ought to be able to put it to bed. And hopefully we will.”

Information for this article is from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the News Service of Florida.

INDUSTRY

$95M fine is historic

Steep penalty for hiring undocumented workers Asplundh, the Willow Grove, Pennsylvania-based landscaping company--one of the largest in the industry

nationwide--must pay a $95 million fine for intentionally recruiting and employing undocumented workers over a period of four years, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The fine for Asplundh Tree Expert Company comes after the company recently pleaded guilty in federal court in Philadelphia. The fine is the largest ever for an immigration case, according to prosecutors.

The practice carried on from around 2010 through December 2014, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. During that time, the highest levels of Asplundh management remained “willfully blind" while supervisors and foremen hired undocumented individuals.

Reprinted with permission from Irrigation & Green Industry magazine.

Many of the workers that were hired were being rehired, after Homeland Security investigations determined that they were unauthorized to work in the United States, authorities said.

Prosecutors said hiring undocumented individuals allowed the company to have a workforce that was "readily available and at their disposal" and maximized the company's productivity and profit.

It's unclear exactly how many undocumented individuals were employed by Asplundh, which was described by authorities as the "industry leader" in tree trimming and brush clearance.

Three Asplundh supervisors, including a vice president and managers, have entered guilty pleas for felony conspiracy to commit fraud and misuse visas, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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INDUSTRY

UGA cuts ribbon

Turfgrass facilities across the state officially open

by Sharon Dowdy

UGA has 22 scientists whose primary responsibilities are related to turfgrass and another eight faculty members who have some involvement in turf-related projects. They support the turfgrass industry by conducting research, educating industry professionals and training students who will become future industry leaders.

The new Turfgrass Research Building in Griffin sits close to the campus’s turfgrass research plots.

The building houses seven turfgrass scientists, their staff, postdoctoral research associates, visiting scientists and graduate students. The facility includes modern laboratories, offices, conference and classroom space and attached greenhouses.

Local officials, regents and University of Georgia President Jere Morehead pose for a photo at the ribbon cutting of the new Turfgrass Research Building on the UGA Griffin campus.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

University of Georgia, state and industry leaders cut the ribbon on Sept. 21 signifying the

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official openings of three new turfgrass research and education facilities on the Griffin, Tifton and Athens campuses. The largest of the facilities is on the UGA Griffin campus, where the ceremony took place.

During the 2014 legislative session, Gov. Nathan Deal and the Georgia General Assembly appropriated funds for the statewide turfgrass facilities enhancement project.

“The University of Georgia remains very grateful to Gov. Deal, the General Assembly, the chancellor, and the board of regents for their support of this important project,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “The construction of new turfgrass research and education facilities will produce tremendous benefits not only for the university community but also for the agriculture industry, which is central to the state’s economy.”

“Even though we have an excellent team, our buildings and greenhouses were old. Now we have state-of-the-art facilities, and the team can all be located in the same building,” said Paul Raymer, a Griffin-based UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences professor and turfgrass breeder. “Entomologists, plant pathologists, agronomists and support staff were scattered across campus in six or seven buildings. Now we can work together in a facility specifically designed to support our turfgrass research program.”

On the UGA campus in Tifton, old facilities have been replaced with new greenhouses and a headhouse facility to support UGA’s expanding warm-season turf breeding program.

On the main UGA campus in Athens, scientists now have new greenhouses and a combination classroom and office complex to use for undergraduate teaching and research programs.

INDUSTRY “These world-class facilities will enhance UGA undergraduate and graduate education programs, enable our turfgrass scientists to conduct cutting-edge research, and enable the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to retain and recruit the top turfgrass scientists necessary to ensure a prosperous future for the vital Georgia turfgrass industry,” said CAES Dean and Director Sam Pardue.

UGA-bred turfgrasses cover lawns, championship golf courses, urban green spaces, and major and little league playing fields in Georgia, across the nation and around the world. Since 1990, the UGA Turf Team has generated close to $12 million in royalty income.

Turfgrass is a $7.8 billion industry in Georgia, accounting for 87,000 jobs.

For more information on UGA’s turfgrass programs, visit www.GeorgiaTurf.com.

• Turfgrasses • Pest Management • Cultural Practices • Industry • Popular Articles • Publications • Resources • Education Programs • Environmental and Water Issues • Landscape Alerts • EDGE Expo Presentations About the author

Sharon Dowdy is a news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

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INDUSTRY

Sidney B. Meadows Awards

Fund awards $18,000 in scholarships The Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Fund, created in 1989 by the Southern Nursery

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Association (SNA), has announced the names of twelve students from seven southeastern universities chosen to receive academic scholarships this year. Five of the awards are named scholarships honoring past industry leaders. The $1,500 awards, totaling $18,000, has been presented to the following excelling scholars:

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Ruqayah Hamida Bhuiyan - University of Georgia Arthur A. "Buck" Jones Scholarship Crystal Jones Conner - University of Florida Michael John Del Valle, Jr. - University of Georgia Robert L. VanLandingham Scholarship Bethany Allison Harris - University of Georgia Susan M. Hawkins - University of Georgia Kaylee Elizabeth Ites - Texas A&M University Lee C. Howell Scholarship Shea Alexandria Keene - University of Florida Isaac Barak Luhrs - University of Tennessee Juan Moscoso - University of Arkansas Dr. James & Faye Foret Scholarship Ariana Rhiannon Newton - West Virginia University Raymond Odeh - University of Florida James Turner Smith - North Carolina State University Art & Mille Lancaster Scholarship

“We continue to hear from recipients how important these awards are in reducing their financial stress allowing them the ability to concentrate more on their studies. I am confident each of these students will make an effective and positive contribution to our industry. I look forward to seeing their accomplishments as they complete their studies,” he added.

With this year’s awards, the fund has awarded a total of $504,000 since the fund was established in 1989. The fund’s current assets are now more than $870,000. Seven named funds have been pledged: The Larry D. Edwards Fund, the Dr. James & Faye Foret Fund, the Richard J. “Dick” Hackney Fund, Sr. Fund, the Lee C. Howell Fund, the Arthur A. “Buck” Jones Fund, the Art & Millie Lancaster Fund, and the Robert L. VanLandingham Fund. The financial support offered by the fund has allowed many students the opportunity to begin or continue to work toward their educational goals.

Scholarship recipients are determined through a competitive application process, administered by a selection committee, based on academics, determination, demonstrated interest in the horticulture industry, and financial need. These recipients were chosen from a very competitive group of applications. Of the twelve students, six are graduate students and six under graduate.

The Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund is a 501 (c) 3 corporation providing scholarships to students who are residents of the sixteen southeastern states SNA represents and are pursuing a career in horticulture. The scholarship is dedicated to one of the most honored horticultural leaders, the late Sidney B. Meadows, a Past President of the Southern Nursery Association, who was an avid supporter of student scholarships and believed that providing aid for students was an important way to ensure the growth and development of all facets of the industry. The fund derives its income from individual and corporate contributions and is governed by the Sidney B. Meadows Scholarship Endowment Fund board of directors.

“Congratulations to this exemplary group of students who have excelled academically and demonstrated determination and a passion for horticulture,” said Danny Summers, Executive Vice President of the fund.

An application for 2018 scholarships is now available online. Those interested in receiving scholarship information or the latest fund news can subscribe to the automated information system at www.sbmsef.org.

INDUSTRY

GCLP and GCPP

CERT

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GCPP

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P ROFESS

Friday, January 26, 2018 GCPP Exam GGIA Wintergreen Gwinnett Infinity energy Center 7:30 am - noon The two-part certification exam consisting of the written portion and plant ID section will be offered at Gwinnett Technical College. To make a reservation for the written exams, Contact Tami Boyle at tadams@uga.edu / 770-233-6107.

Registration closes at 5:00 pm one week prior to the exam date.

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Friday, October 13, 2017 GCLP Hands-on Exams Gwinnett Technical College 8:00 am -3:00 pm All eight hands-on sections for the GCLP Certification program will be offered. Contact Greg Huber at the UGA Center for Urban Agriculture at ghuber@uga.edu / 770-233-6107 for more information. Exam registration for this event closes one week prior to the test date.

Friday, December 8, 2017 GCLP Written Exams Gwinnett Technical College 8:00 am - 12:30 pm The four written exam sections of the Georgia Certified Landscape Professional (General Knowledge, Plant ID, Pest ID, Plan Take-Off) will be offered. (The eight hands-on sections will NOT be offered at this event and are scheduled for a separate testing event.) To register for the written exams, Contact Tami Boyle at tadams@ uga.edu / 770-233-6107. Registration closes one week prior to the test date.

Friday, March 30, 2018 GCLP Hands-on Exams UGA Griffin Research and Education Garden 8:00 am -3:00 pm All eight hands-on sections for the GCLP Certification program will be offered. Contact Greg Huber at the UGA Center for Urban Agriculture at ghuber@uga.edu / 770-233-6107 for more information. Exam registration for this event closes one week prior to the test date.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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Upcoming certification events and dates are posted on the professional certification home page at ugaurbanag.com/certification.

Contact Greg Huber at ghuber@uga.edu if you are interested in registering for a certification exam or if you are interested in volunteering as a certification judge.

CERT

GCLP

DS

Visit gclp.info/gcpp/info to learn more about the program and to make a reservation for the next certification exam.

LAN

Certification is a great way to advance your industry credentials, enhance your knowledge, and demonstrate your commitment to excellence as a professional! Scheduling for the certification test is simple, visit the certification page and click the "schedule an exam" link and select the exam date that you wish to reserve.

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Don't miss your opportunity to become a Georgia Certified Landscape Professional!

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Upcoming certification opportunities

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URBAN AG

In the wake of Irma

Tree replacement options

by Greg Huber, UGA Center for Urban Agriculture Georgia Certified Landscape and Plant Professionals are cleaning up in the wake of Hurricane Irma and the work will continue into the fall season.

Photo courtesy of Greg Huber

Be observant of trees species that fared well during the storm, the species that suffered wind damage, and the specific type of damage that occurred.

Knowledgeable professionals are in full swing assessing and replacing damaged trees, pruning stormdamaged landscapes, restoring outdoor structures, replacing mulch, stabilizing eroded slopes, and resolving drainage issues.

observant of trees species that fared well 4 Beduring the storm, the species that suffered wind damage, and the specific type of damage that occurred.

photos of the structural weaknesses 4 Collect that you observe in damaged trees including bark inclusions, heart rot, co-dominant trunks, and narrow branch crotches.

photos can be an excellent 4These resource when educating clients on the potential hazards of structural issues that you observe in the landscape.

performing post-storm landscape 4 When assessments, be sure to check tree canopies

for root issues on trees that have 4 Check overturned. roots can indicate root rot, 4Black especially in the presence of anaerobic soils having a sour smell.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

New opportunities

54

for widow-makers (broken limbs that haven't yet fallen to the ground).

With challenges come opportunities. Georgia could be poised for a spike in landscape overhauls as communities recover from hurricane damage and the construction industry continues to gain momentum.

root issues may include root 4Other girdling, subsurface obstructions, or mechanical injury.

Tree replacements

Below is a list of noteworthy native trees for replacing damaged trees:

Large canopy trees

Medium trees

Small trees

Height and spread: 50' - 80'

Height and spread: 35' - 50'

Height and spread: 25' - 35'

White Oak Quercus alba

Black Gum Nyssa sylvatica

Sourwood Oxydendrum arboreum

Southern Red Oak Quercus falcata

American Hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana

Sassafras Sassafras albidum

Overcup Oak Quercus lyrata

Carolina Silverbell Halesia carolina

URBAN AG

Ornamental pest control publications

Two resources from the Southern Nursery IPM Working Group 2017 Southeastern U.S. Pest Control Guide for Nursery Crops and Landscape Plantings https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/southeastern-us-pest-controlguide-for-nursery-crops-and-landscape-plantings The online version is free. Print copies are available from UNC Press for $20/copy: https://www.uncpress.org/book/9781469639000/2017southeastern-u-s-pest-control-guide-for-nursery-crops-andlandscape-plantings We hope to update this publication yearly.

The Insecticide and Miticide Mode of Action Field Guide extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W415.pdf This is a companion publication to An Ornamental Plant Pest Management Guide and Pesticide Rotation Planning Aid (https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W329.pdf) Published in 2015.

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URBAN AG

2017 Classic City Awards

The UGA Trial Gardens announce the winners

by Christina Conner Summer’s end often means that spring’s

colorful annuals have started to fade, but the end of Georgia’s growing season also means it’s time to debut the University of Georgia Trial Gardens’ annual Classic City Award winners. These awards represent plants that thrived during the punishing conditions of a Georgia summer.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

In addition to being one of the most beautiful places on the university’s Athens campus, the gardens serve an important purpose in the research and development of new ornamental varieties.

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Trial plants are planted every spring and watched carefully throughout the summer to determine which plants will make the cut and be sold to Southeastern gardeners the following season.

The gardens face a unique set of challenges during Georgia’s unpredictable summers, which makes the facility an ideal proving ground for new plants.

The gardens provide variable, real-world conditions for testing new varieties developed by commercial nurseries and academic breeders.

This testing provides third-party, verified data for consumers, retailers, breeders and many others.

“June was a wet month. We had rain almost every week. When it’s cloudy and wet, plants like petunias, ptilotus and geraniums struggle in different ways,” said Brandon Coker, manager of the gardens.

Canna Toucan ‘Scarlet’

Salvia Cathedral ‘Sky Blue'

As the name implies, this canna is deep red, but the foliage is nearly black, which provides a beautiful contrast. The flower heads stand tall above the foliage line and when one bloom falls, another is ready to open. Don’t be discouraged if the plant starts off slow. At the gardens, they exploded in a continuous floral display in July that continued well into September.

This light-blue salvia is a lower-growing variety and gets to be about 12 to 18 inches tall, according to the breeder’s website. ‘Sky Blue’ stayed in bloom from May to September, an impressive span of time for any flowering plant.

It’s versatile in floral arrangements, containers, accent plantings, pollinator gardens and in a host of other settings.

Proven Winners

Green Fuse Botanicals

URBAN AG For example, the dry-loving ptilotus thrived in early summer, but when June brought frequent rains, the three varieties of ptilotus at the gardens completely rotted.

However, when plants like ptilotus thrive in the dry weather, other plants, like dahlias and chrysanthemums, need at least daily or twice daily watering to survive. To balance these needs, the gardens overcome rainfall challenges by keeping the plants on a watering schedule based on their individual needs.

Some of the plants that overcame individual challenges this summer earned the title of “Classic City Award winner.” With any luck, they’ll make it to local garden centers and gardens next spring.

For a full list of the Classic City Award winners and more information about the UGA Trial Gardens and next year’s trials, visit: ugatrial.hort.uga.edu.

Also available at ugatrial.hort.uga.edu Best of the Best A quick compilation of some of the best plants in their class with the best color; essentially those that perform well over a long period of time with the minimum of maintenance.

UGA Garden Trials Annuals: Every two weeks, every cultivar is evaluated for "horticultural" performance.

Perennials: All perennials remain in the garden for at least three years. Data gathered as the plants mature throughout the season includes the time of first flower, duration of flowering, height, foliar health and comments.

Classic City Garden Awards Archives of the very best plants in the trial gardens, based on year-round performance and/or eye-clutching beauty.

Coleus FlameThrower ‘Spiced Curry’

Of the three Sombrero varieties planted last spring, all of which were good performers, ‘Granada Gold’ was the best. The flawless, golden flowers bloomed profusely in a beautiful floral presentation and lasted longer than the other two varieties.

“It’s not always about flowers,” Coker said. This colorful, leafy coleus looked stunning well into September and October. The leaves are serrated with purple outlines, and the underside and veins of the plant are also bright purple, which offers a beautiful contrast to the lime green leaves.

Darwin Perennials

Ball FloraPlant

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Echinacea Sombrero ‘Granada Gold’

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URBAN AG

'Patti Faye'

The most exquisite deodar cedar

by Norman Winter Just over four years ago, I wrote

an article titled “Deodar Cedar, simply unbeatable in the winter landscape.”

That still holds true, but I would like to suggest a new title: “‘Patti Faye’ deodar cedar, simply unbeatable in the landscape.”

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Every day, as I come into the Coastal Georgia Botanical Garden at the Historic Bamboo Farm in The 'Patti Faye' deodar cedar has steel blue Savannah, Georgia, foliage or needles. and as I leave, I watch ‘Patti Faye,’ which is the most unbelievable Christmas-tree-shaped conifer for the Southern garden. I’ll admit I have been partial to the Japanese fir, Abies firma, as the most exquisite Christmas tree for the South, but not anymore.

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The heritage of ‘Patti Faye’ is connected to Afghanistan, but she is really a Southern girl from Mobile, Alabama. In 2000, Ralph Rushing discovered a group of seedlings and he named it after his wife, Patti. When you have a classic conifer with outstanding performances in places like Mobile and Savannah, you know it’s a keeper.

‘Patti Faye’ is cold hardy through zone 7, which represents a wide swath of the country. If you live in a colder zone, you may want to try the ‘Shalimar’ deodar cedar, which is known for its extra cold-hardiness. ‘Patti Faye,’ however, has stolen my heart with its blue needles and horizontal branching habit.

Most deodar cedars have pendulous branching that is ever so graceful, but this is what makes

‘Patti Faye’ so incredible. Also called the “Himalayan cedar,” the deodar has the ability to reach 40 to 50 feet with a 30-foot spread.

Conifers, or cone-bearing trees or shrubs, are the ones that stand out when everything else goes brown or dormant. They are so important to the winter landscape and give us that needed evergreen structure.

Deodars are still mostly sold generically, but keep your eyes open for the named selections like ‘Patti Faye;’ ‘Aurea,’ which is smaller, reaching to 30 feet and has golden yellow new foliage; and ‘Pendula,’ which has long, weeping branches and grows no taller than 10 feet. Don’t forget ‘Shalimar,’ which was released by the Arnold Arboretum and is known for superior cold hardiness for landscapes in zone 6.

Another variety we have in the garden that is a most pleasant surprise is ‘Snow Sprite.’ This variety is a dwarf, weeping type that seems like it would be happier farther north. Its origination is Vancouver, Canada, but it has done wonderfully in Savannah. This white-tipped deodar cedar reaches 4 to 6 feet in colder climates after 10 years, but we have reached that in less than four years in Savannah.

Deodar cedars are fairly fast growing for the first decade or two, reaching as high as 30 feet in the first 10 years. I think it is most beautiful at this stage. Between years 10 and 20, it will slowly broaden at the top. Older specimens generally show some top dieback, but don't let this keep you from experiencing 10 to 20 years of deodar cedar heaven in your landscape.

Deodar cedars perform best in full sun and are drought tolerant once established. This tree likes well-drained locations. Most deodar cedar cultivars will grow into large, handsome specimens that need plenty of room. You’ll want these in the back of a large landscape so they can be seen in their entirety. Otherwise, choose a variety for that perfect spot in your landscape.

URBAN AG

America's plant

Georgia Gold Medal-winning Rudbeckia

by Norman Winter It’s been 20 years since the Georgia Gold Medal program gave its prestigious award to

one of the most persevering native perennials of all time, the Rudbeckia triloba.

At the time, finding one at the local garden center was quite rare, even though it is native in 34 states. If you think about it, it is also really quite remarkable that a plant with no dazzling name other than the "three-lobed rudbeckia" or "brown-eyed Susan" staked a place not only in fame, but also in the marketplace.

reseeds too. One thing is for sure — if you plant the Rudbeckia triloba, you will have it around for a long time.

Rudbeckias were made popular ‘Indian Summer,’ a 1995 All-American-Selections-winning Rudbeckia hirta, and ‘Goldsturm,’ a Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii named 1999 Perennial Plant of the Year. Today we are still buying all of them, including the native brown-eyed Susan, the 1997 Georgia Gold Medal winner.

If you are plagued by tight, compacted clay that doesn’t drain well, amend it with 4 inches of compost or organic matter and till in 6 to 8 inches. While tilling, take advantage of the opportunity to incorporate 2 pounds of a slow-release, balanced 8-8-8 or 12-66 per 100 square feet of planting area.

I recall taking my family to Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia, every year, and this rudbeckia’s reflections could be seen across lakes in bold sweeps with Joe Pye weed and the swamp hibiscus. In Callaway’s wildflower garden, there was the same, absolutely dazzling color, along with a swarm of pollinators.

Choose a location that gets plenty of sun for the best blooming. Space your plants 24 to 36 inches apart and plant them at the same depth they are growing in the container. You certainly can plant by seed, and they will bloom the first year. Fall is also a great time to plant, giving you a jump start come spring.

At the Coastal Georgia Botanical Garden at the Historic Bamboo Farm, ours are also showing out and are shoulder-high in most locations.

They are partnered with salvias, old-fashioned summer phlox and the native spotted monarda, all in a cloud of pollinators.

If you have dreamed of a wildflower garden, let this be your starter plant. Plant an oddnumbered cluster of three or more with blue salvias, anise hyssops or agastache, Joe Pye weeds, native iron weeds, spotted beebalm and purple coneflowers. You’ll soon be walking a path of rare beauty partnered with the sounds of pollinators moving all around.

The coned-flowers with a dark brown center have petals of yellow-orange and grow in abundance from late summer into fall. Some references suggest that the plant is biennial or a short-lived perennial; others believe it’s a perennial that

About the author Norman Winter is director of the University of Georgia’s Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens at the Historic Bamboo Farm in Savannah, Georgia.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Rudbeckia triloba can be grown in many different soils and is cold hardy from zones 4 through 9 or from Texas to Minnesota and most states east. This is why some of us consider this “America’s plant.”

A silver-spotted skipper perches atop a rudbeckia triloba. The brown-centered coned-flowers have petals of yelloworange that are produced in abundance from late summer into fall. Some references suggest it's biennial, or a short-lived perennial, while others call it a perennial that reseeds.

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URBAN AG

Salt-tolerant trees

Selecting natives for the Georgia coast

by John M. Ruter and Bodie V. Pennisi A common Extension question that is rarely

addressed in horticultural publications is, "Are there evergreen plants that will tolerate salt spray or saline soils?" Another typical query is, "Which trees 'stay evergreen' when placed in a wind tunnel between two condominiums while blasted with salt spray from the ocean?" Not many trees will tolerate such conditions and still remain attractive.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

So what does being “salt tolerant” really mean?

Some plants may be tolerant of salts in the soil but intolerant of salts on the leaves, or vice versa.

Salt tolerance of a plant for a nursery grower may have a different meaning than for a coastal landscaper. In a commercial nursery, plants may need to tolerate saline irrigation water or salt deposits on the foliage as a result of overhead sprinkler applications. In the coastal landscape the salt tolerance of a plant also involves its ability to withstand infertile sandy soil, alkaline soil conditions, strong winds and direct salt spray from the ocean, sounds, bays, and marshes.

Plants planted in the ground or in containers around salt water pools also are subject to salt spray.

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What is salt tolerance?

Plant tolerance to salt (NaCl) relates to its ability to: 1) prevent absorption of chloride (Cl) and sodium (Na) ions; 2) tolerate accumulation of Cl and Na ions; and 3) tolerate the osmotic stress caused by soil and foliar salts.

Figure 1. Tip burn (necrosis) caused by salt accumulation at the leaf margins.

Tolerance to salinity can vary with the age of the plant, cultivar, growth stage, environmental conditions, cultural practices, irrigation management, and soil fertility. In general,

seedlings are less tolerant of salty conditions compared with mature plants. New succulent growth will be more susceptible to damage from salt spray than older leaves. Plants with thick, waxy cuticle will tolerate salt spray better compared to plants with thin cuticle.

Growers and landscapers should be aware that even though a plant can tolerate saline conditions, its growth may be reduced drastically. This is related to the difficulty roots experience when absorbing water from the soil – the more ‘salty’ the soil solution, the harder it is for roots to draw water into the plant. This in turn, reduces water available for plants to increase cell size, leading to smaller plants.

If the soil solution contains too high of salt concentration, water may actually leak from the roots, causing two-fold damage, desiccation of plant tissues and even death of root hairs. Root hairs are extensions of the root cells and serve as the main absorptive surface for water and mineral nutrients. If damaged, these hairs cannot recover and instead new roots have to grow. All this causes plant stress.

Salt damage is generally seen as the burning of margins or tips of leaves where the ions accumulate, followed by defoliation and death (Fig. 1). Damage from high salts in the soil is generally more uniform over the entire plant that damage from salt spray (Fig. 2). Many coastal soils are sandy and thus have lower water and nutrient holding capacities. Compared to heavier soils, tolerance ranges for soluble salts in sandy soils are lower than in heavier loamy or clay soils.

A common way to assess soil salinity is to measure its electrical conductivity (EC), the ability of the soil solution to conduct electricity and is expressed in decisiemens per meter [dS/m, which is equivalent to mmho/cm (millimhos per centimeter)]. Since pure water is a poor conductor of electricity, higher soluble salts result in proportional increase in the solution

URBAN AG EC. The standard procedure for salinity testing is to measure EC of a solution extracted from a soil wetted to a "saturation paste." (Sonon et. al, 2015) According to U.S. Salinity Laboratory Staff (1954), a saline soil has an EC of the saturated paste extract of more than 4 dS/m, a value that corresponds to approximately 40 mmol salts per liter.

In a sandy loam soil, plants with good salt tolerance can tolerate values of 6.0 dS/m, plants with moderate tolerance 4.5 to 6.0 dS/m, and low tolerance is 4.5 dS/m or less. In California, a salinity reading of 0.5 to 2.0 dS/m is considered safe, 2.0 to 4.0 dS/m is considered moderate, and >4.0 dS/m is considered severe. Soil salinity is determined using a conductivity meter to measure the electrical conductance of all salts in a saturated sample of soil. While it is important to measure the concentration of total salts, it is also important to check the concentrations of specific ions such as Cl and Na as these two ions are likely to cause damage to plants.

Concentrations of Cl (<71 ppm or <2.0 meq/

liter) and Na (<69 ppm or <3.0 meq/liter) are considered good for irrigation water.

Iron, manganese, and magnesium deficiencies are common in coastal soils.

Figure 2. Marginal leaf burn over large parts of Landscapers are the plant are indicative of by high soil salinity. advised to send a soil sample to the University of Georgia Agricultural and Environmental Services which offer soil salinity testing to help diagnose and manage problems associated with soil salinity. Refer to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Soil Salinity Testing, Data Interpretation and Recommendationsâ&#x20AC;? (University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Circular 1019) for detailed instructions.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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URBAN AG Salt tolerance of landscape plants has been determined using several methods from observation to controlled studies using different concentrations of NaCl (salt). For a thorough listing of salt-tolerant landscape plants and the methods used for determination see the chapter on Salinity in Abiotic Disorders of Landscape Plants: A Diagnostic Guide published by the University of California.

Plant selection

Table 1 (available in the pdf of this article; see link below to download) is a list of trees native to Georgia and ranked for salt tolerance based on personal observation and other literature.

Personal observations over the years range from St. Augustine, FL in the south to Charleston, SC in the north.

UAC MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Exotic trees, shrubs that are grown multi-stem as small trees, or trees native to the United States but not native to Georgia that we commonly see being able to tolerate wind, salt spray, and to some extent saline soils include Butia capitata, Elaeagnus x ebbingei, Ilex cornuta, Ligustrum japonicum, Nerium oleander, Parkinsonia aculeata, Phoenix canariensis, Pittosporum tobira, Rhaphiolepis spp., and Washingtonia spp.

Exotic species that do well with some protection include Acca sellowiana, Callistemon citrinus, Cedrus deodara, Cinnamomum camphora, Cupressus arizonica, Eriobotrya japonica, Eucalyptus cinerea, Ilex rotunda, Nageia nagi, Phoenix dactylifera, Photinia serratifolia, Pinus thunbergiana, Platycladus orientalis, Podocarpus macrophyllus, Trachycarpus fortunei, Ulmus parvifolia, Viburnum odoratissimum, and Vitex agnus-castus.

What to do to protect sensitive plants or improve saline soils?

Some plants will tolerate coastal conditions if planted in areas protected from salt spray or strong winds, thus microclimate becomes important.

Drip irrigation can be used on plants that do not tolerate salts on their foliage. Applying additional water to leach ions from the root zone is a cultural method used to improve plant growth and survival. Leaching will remove excess salts from soils that are well structured and have good internal drainage. Excess salts should be leached below the root zone so that the EC of the soil solution becomes lower than the plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s critical threshold.

The University of Georgia recommends leaching techniques to remove salts from the root zone when EC is greater than 1.25 mmhos/cm at a soil-to-water ratio of 1:2. The volume of low-salt water needed to dissolve and leach any large quantities of salts from the soil is given below.

A general rule of thumb is that 6 inches of water will remove about half of the salt, 12 inches will remove 4/5, and 24 inches will remove 9/10.

Summary

The selection of plants for the salty coast is limited by the numerous environmental and chemical factors which influence plant growth.

However, with proper plant selection and landscape management there can be joy in coastal gardening.

Download the complete article, including a list of native trees ranked by their salt tolerance: Selecting Salt-Tolerant Native Trees for the Georgia Coast

by John M. Ruter and Bodie V. Pennisi Bulletin 1477 | Published May 2017

https://secure.caes.uga.edu/extension/publications/files/pdf/B%201477_1.PDF

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