Indiana Nursery & Landscape News

Page 1

The Official Publication of the Indiana Nursery & Landscape Association

Indiana Nursery & Landscape News Volume 74 • Issue 1

January/February 2014

www.inla1.org

“Learn” to Stand Out In-house Winter Training Spring Home & Garden Shows

Cover: During an in-house winter training session at Designscapes, maintenance chief, Steve Deckard uses loppers to shape up a Norway spruce. Photo by Dustin Huffman, Sunshine Studios.

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Hot Products 6 • Indiana Plant Pick (Returns)! 12


2012 event


Indiana Nursery & Landscape News Volume 74 • Issue 1 January/February 2014

Contents Features

18 “Learn” to Stand Out

Kyle Daniel provides suggestions for educational opportunities that will help you distinguish your staff and business.

20 In-house Winter Training Indiana Nursery & Landscape News is the official publication of the Indiana Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc. (INLA) and is published bimonthly. Indiana Nursery & Landscape Association 7915 S. Emerson Ave., Suite 247 Indianapolis, IN 46237 Phone: 317-889-2382 Toll Free: 800-443-7336 www.inla1.org

Bob Baird takes a look at the inhouse winter education program that Designscapes Horticultural Services devised for their winter downtime.

24 Spring Home & Garden Shows

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Did someone say “road trip”? This list of regional spring home and garden shows will help you think about spring and possible destinations.

Publisher Donna Sheets, Executive Director, INLA 317-889-2382 • dsheets@inla1.org Editor and Ad Sales Mary Breidenbach, Cumulus Design 317-205-9635 • mary@ecumulus.com Advertising Rates: Available upon request.

Copy Deadline: First of the month preceding the month of the issue. Reprint permission granted if source is indicated. Views expressed in articles or editorials do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Association or its Directors, but are those of the writer. Trade names used in articles are for identification only. No discrimination is intended toward similar products and the INLA does not endorse the use of the products mentioned. Subscriptions: Included with membership to the INLA. Nonmembers: $36.00 per year (six issues per year). For questions regarding subscriptions, please call INLA at 317-889-2382.

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Departments 2

President’s Message

4

Calendar

6 INLA News 6 Hot Products by Brian Julius, Walnut Ridge Nursery & Garden Center 8 Trees in History: Star Leafed Tribute 9 Purdue Plant Doctor Apps for Android and iPhones 10 Membership Highlight: Jodie Overmyer 12 Indiana Plant Pick: Sweet Black-eyed Susan 13 INLA Committee Meeting Registration Form 14 Purdue Perspective / Indiana Plant Advisor Update 15 Industry News 15 PLANET Debuts a Spanish Version of Its Free Safety Training Program for Landscape Industry Companies ANLA and HRI Announce New Research Team Staff 16 Horticulturists Clone Muir’s California Giant Sequoia Aquisitions: Brickman Group Ltd. and John Deere Landscapes

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George Brenn’s IAH Study Guide

27 Advertiser List 28

IAH Quiz! Earn CEUs by completing the quiz!

Indiana Nursery & Landscape News • July/August 2012

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President’s Message Is it really 2014? Many of you have noticed as we age time seems to go faster every year. This year I am very excited about my new responsibilities as President of the INLA. The time sure has flown since first joining the board nearly 7 years ago. It has been an incredible experience, making new friends and gaining much knowledge and many new ideas along the way. As we start out this new year I want to remind everyone that in our life we have ups and downs and how we deal with the hard times is what makes us successful in the good times. It Robert Johnstone appears, based on the current market, we are seeing growth in our industry and it is gaining some of the ground lost in recent years. Working hard and smart and keeping your nose to the grindstone allows businesses to get past tough times and grow. Our industry is one of rugged individuals and self motivated ideas that prosper because it is based on creativity, dedication and hard work. I have never met a successful nurseryman, landscape contractor, or garden center owner that didn’t love his job and demonstrate that passion in his day-to-day living. We hope to see our members at the Indiana Green Expo (IGE) in January and the INLA Annual Committee meeting on February 5th at the Engledow Group (see registration on page 13). For our association to grow and succeed we must be involved in building the foundation. I challenge each of you to become involved in a new way, whether it is serving on a committee or volunteering at one of the activities through the year. The annual committee planning meeting is a close up look at the successes and areas in need of improvement, It is the involvement of our members that makes this association work. The INLA is an association that strives on its members finding value in what we provide and the IGE is one of the things that members find to be valuable. We have added the ICPI course on paver installation and the NCMA retaining wall course. As a hardscape professional, I am very familiar with both and find them to be instrumental in learning the correct way to design, plan and install these types of products. This program would not realize the success we have without the many industry professionals and educators that participate, particularly Kyle Daniel and Aaron Patton of Purdue University. Our partnership with the Midwest Regional Turf Foundation (MRTF) was truly one of the best decisions we made. It’s this commitment to education that creates value for our members. Walking the hallways at the IGE or the trade show floor, feeling the buzz and excitement of our industry, the networking and camaraderie makes me realize how fortunate we are. In closing I would like to thank all of the past presidents that have served and mentors that I have encountered as I have served on the board. It is the commitment and dedication of these individuals that make our industry so special. In particular, I would like to thank Frank Gieseking for inviting me to get involved in the INLA years ago. The experience and freindships gained during this time is invaluable, making me realize how our contributions impact our community, family and industry. Yours in Rock, Robert C Johnstone robert@fireboulder.com 317-750-7384

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” –Winston Churchill

2014 INLA Officers Robert Johnstone, President Fireboulder 226 E. Staat St. Fortville, IN 46040 Ph: 317-750-7384 Brian Julius, President-Elect Walnut Ridge Nursery & Garden Center 2108 Hamburg Pike Jeffersonville, IN 47130 Ph: 812-288-6691; Fax 812-288-1580 Erick Brehob Vice President Brehob Nursery, Inc. 4316 Bluff Road Indianpolis, IN 46217 Ph: 317-783-3233

Rich Blankenship, Honorary Secretary Mark M. Holeman, Inc. 7871 Hague Road Indianapolis, IN 46256-1753 Ph: 317-849-3120; Fax 317-578-0439 Donna Sheets INLA Executive Director and Publisher Mailing address for INLA office: 7915 S. Emerson Ave., Suite 247 Indianapolis, IN 46237 Ph: 317-889-2382 or 800-443-7336 Fax: 317-889-3935 • www.inla1.org Email: dsheets@inla1.org

INLA Board of Directors Jim Calvin (2015), Calvin Landscape Ph: 317-247-6316 Kyle Daniel (2014), Purdue University, Department of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture • Ph: 765-494-7621 Brian Franco (2016), Franco Landscaping Ph: 317-858-3858 Kim Glass (2014), M.J. Schuetz Agency Ph: 317-639-5679 Gabriel Gluesenkamp (2016), Designscape Horticultural Services • Ph: 812-988-8900 Kate Jones (2014), Blue Moon Farm Ph: 765-675-2413 Dave LaFara (2015), Tiffany Lawn and Garden Supply • Ph: 317-228-4900 Mark O’Brien (2016), Cardno JFNew Ph: 574-586-2412 Dean Ricci (2014), Ricci’s Landscape Management, Inc. • Ph: 219-996-2682 Open postion

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Indiana nursery & Landscape association • www.inla1.org


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CALENDAR January 2014

2014 IAA Annual Conference

January 21–23, 2014 Indianapolis Marriott East The Indiana Arborist Association Annual Conference will begin with a preconference workshop by Dr. Edward Gilman of the University of Florida. An interactive program will discuss roots from seed to mature tree. This includes how roots adapt and adjust to soil as they emerge from seeds, grow in the nursery, and respond to urban landscapes. The official conference proceedings will begin with a keynote address from Steve Bray, WISH-TV Chief Meteorologist talking about climate, weather, and our environment. The program will continue with many educational sessions and opportunities for continuing education units (CEU’s) and continuing credit hours (CCH’s) for the credentialed and licensed attendee. There will be speakers from all over the country providing information on research, current trends and industry issues. Our Wednesday night social event will provide some new excitement for our guests with A Night at the Casino. Visit the website for more information: https://ag.purdue.edu/fnr/associations/ IAA/Pages/annualconf.aspx

21–23 IAA Annual Conference Indianapolis, IN • Marriott East Contact: Indiana Arborist Association, 765-494-3531 https://ag.purdue.edu/fnr/associations/IAA/Pages/default.aspx 23–24 Kentucky Landscape Industries Expo Louisville, KY • Kentucky International Convention Center More info: http://knla.org/kli_expo 27–29 Lawn Care Summit Nashville, TN • Omni Nashville Hotel • Sponsored by National Pest Management (NPMA) and the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET), this is an educational program offering both technical and business management sessions for lawn care professionals. Info: www.landcarenetwork.org or www.npmapestworld.org

February 2014 5

INLA Annual Committee Planning Meeting

Carmel, IN • Engledow Group (10 am – 1 pm) • Each of the INLA committees meet to plan the year ahead at this one-day gathering. Great event to become more involved with the association. Registration form on page 13. Contact: Donna Sheets, INLA 317-889-2382 or dsheets@inla1.org

5–7

iLandscape Show (replaces the MidAm) Schaumburg, IL • The Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center and Hotel http://www.ilandscapeshow.com

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Emily N. Daniels Horticultural Symposium: Smaller Garden—Bigger Impact Indianapolis, IN • Indianapolis Museum of Art • Brings together regional and national experts to discuss the challenges and joys of gardening in smaller spaces. Registration: http://www.imamuseum.org/talk/emily-n-daniels-horticulturesymposium-smaller-garden-–-bigger-impact

20–21 Build a Better Landscape Business Workshop Indianapolis, IN Contact: 1-888-347-9864; info@golmn.com; www.golmn.com 27

Garden Center Personnel Training Noblesville, IN • Hamilton County Fairgrounds • A full-day workshop for garden center owners, managers, and employees. Contact: Kyle Daniel, 765-494-7621, daniel38@purdue.edu or visit https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/Extension/nle/Pages

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New & Returning INLA Members Active Gardens by Katie Katie Fese Phone: (317) 809-6312 7832 Clearwater Parkway Indianapolis, IN 46240

New CLT Certified Mike Johnson, Softscape Installation

New Initial IAH

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INLA News

Hot Products Brian Julius, Walnut Ridge Nursery & Garden Center In order for us to stay ahead of the game we are always looking for new ideas. Whenever we go to tradeshows or nursery tours we look for new products, marketing ideas, trends or anything that can make us different than everyone else. These are a few of the products and ideas we have found. Maybe they will work for you!

7463 West Ridge Road P.O. Box E Fairview PA 16415 800.458.2234 Fax 800.343.6819 e-mail: info@FairviewEvergreen.com FairviewEvergreen.com

Motz & Son Nursery Wholesale Growers of... Shade and Flowering TreeS FruiT TreeS dwarf, Semi-dwarf & Standard combinaTion FruiT TreeS (4 in 1) eSpalier appleS Semi-dwarf, combination & one Variety walnuTS and FilberTS deciduouS ShrubS Write for our stock and price: motz & Sons nursery 11445 n.w. Skyline blvd. portland, oregon 97231 phone 503-645-1342 Fax 503-645-6856

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Weasel Nut Gatherer We found this product at a tradeshow recently and it has turned out to be very popular. The Weasel Nut Gatherer is an easy-to-use rolling pick-up tool for nuts and much more. Now you can roll over the nut and pick them up at the same time instead of raking them then having to bend over and pick them up. The Nut Gatherer comes in a few different sizes to accommmodate any situation or yard. We have sold several of the smaller Gatherers to customers in courtyard homes and small backyards. The larger Gatherer is great for use with apples and larger nuts. Locally, it seems that customers are using them less for nuts and more for fall cleanup and fruit pickup. Picking up crabapples and sweet gumballs is much easier and less messy when you can use a product like this. We even had a customer who lives on a golf course tell us they use it to pick up golf balls and tennis balls! One of the local gun clubs uses it to pick up shotgun shells after shoots. Maybe we’ll have it on hand for next year’s INLA Shooting for Scholarships! http://www.gardenweasel.com/ Fairy Gardens If you’re in the garden center business and most likely the landscape business, you’ve heard of fairy gardens. In the last year or two it has become a national phenomenom. It seems like every trade magazine and website I look at has an article or advertisement of some sort about fairy gardens. Today’s garden center had it listed as one of this year’s hottest sales items. Just do a google search and you get thousands of pages of articles and how-to videos. HGTV and YouTube are full of instructional videos for creating fairy and troll gardens that the whole family will enjoy! From a sales point of view these products are great! They do not take up a lot of square footage and offer several SKUs for the customer to choose from. Since the items are sold separately and customers can build their garden out of just about anything, they are always shopping for new items. It doesn’t take long before the garden gets a little bigger or they start another one somewhere else on the property. On this year’s INLA summer landscape tour we saw a fairy garden built out of a birdbath in the yard of a customer. This was a beautifully maintained yard with a wooded area in the rear. A perfect place for a fairy garden!

Indiana nursery & Landscape association • www.inla1.org


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INLA News

TREES IN HISTORY

Jud Scott, Vine & Branch, Inc.

Star Leafed Tribute

Alexander Hamilton, American Patriot, Statesman, and the first Secretary of the Treasury, commissioned the design and building of a grand country summer home, on thirty two acres, in upper Manhattan. He completed the home in 1802, and called it The Grange, after his grandfather’s estate in Scotland. As part of the development he worked to improve the property by planting a rose garden, which legend says he surrounded with thirteen sweetgum trees; one to represent each of the original thirteen states. An early account says the trees were a gift from none other than his friend George Washington, and that Hamilton brought them back from a visit to Mt. Vernon in his own carriage. In explanation of the garden he wrote in a letter to General C. C. Pinckney: GRANGE (New-York), December 29, 1802. My dear Sir, A garden, you know, is a very usual refuge of a disappointed politician. Accordingly I have purchased a few acres about nine miles from town, have built a house, and am cultivating a garden.

About the Author Jud Scott is a lover of trees and history and has earned the designation of Registered Consulting Arborist #392 (RCA) with the American Society of Consulting Arborists. As an RCA, Jud advises attorneys, landscape companies, park departments, developers, architects, and insurance companies, as well as homeowners concerning their trees and landscapes. Jud can be reached at Vine & Branch Inc., 317-846-1935, Treeconsultant@aol.com. www.vineandbranch.net Reference: Atherton, G., (1903) A Few of Hamilton’s Letters. New York, NY: The Macmillan Company.

The trees survived for many years while the house, nicknamed “The House with Legs“ was moved twice. Finally succumbing to old age, the trees had to be removed in the early 1900s.

Photos courtesy of the National Park Service, Hamilton Grange National Memorial

Two photos above: The Grange in its original location. The thirteen trees are inside the fenced area.

The trees in 1900, after the house had been moved, are mostly dead. 8

Indiana nursery & Landscape association • www.inla1.org

The Grange as it stands today in its current location at St. Nicholas Park, New York City.


Advanced Tree JAN_FEB INLA:Advanced Tree 201

INLA News

Purdue Plant Doctor Apps for Android and iPhones Cliff Sadof and Janna Beckerman, Purdue University Correct diagnosis is the most important step you can take toward fixing plant problems. We took the best photos we had in our libraries and put them in our apps to help you become better plant managers. The Purdue Plant Doctor suite of smart phone apps will help you diagnose and find recommendations to manage the most common insect, disease, and environmental problems on the most common trees and flowers in the landscape. Our apps are a pocket encyclopedia that uses over 2,000 photos to identify and fix more than 200 problems on over 200 kinds of plants. You can diagnose problems with our apps in three easy steps. First identify the kind of plant that has the problem. So for example if you are using the Purdue Tree Doctor, choose the kind of tree (eg. oak, maple, or pine) to narrow your search. Second, you choose the part of the plant that looks bad (leaves, flowers, branches, trunk or roots) to narrow your search even further. Third, you match the problem on the plant with our photos swiping through our collection of high resolution photos. To save you time, the app arranges the photos for each of the plants so that the most common problems show up first! You can confirm your diagnosis by reading details linked to the photo. If you already know the problem you have, just skip the diagnostic process and look it up from a list. Then you can get detailed information about the damage the problem can cause, its life cycle and how to control it with some combination of cultural practices and, if needed, a pesticide or fungicide. All three apps, the Purdue Tree Doctor ($1.99), the Purdue Annual Doctor ($0.99), and the Purdue Perennial Doctor ($0.99) are available from the iTunes store. Although not yet optimized, it can be downloaded into your iTunes library and then loaded onto an iPad, where you can enjoy the larger pictures and format. The Purdue Tree Doctor will be released into the Google Play Store for $1.99 in December. This version will work on all Android devices including small- and medium-sized tablets. Come to the Purdue Booth at the IGE and ISA trade shows at the annual meeting to test-drive our apps on both iPhone and Android devices.

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INLA News

Member Profile — Jodie Overmyer Jodie Overmyer is a 25-year employee at Price Nursery, Inc. in Plymouth, Indiana where she handles the retail sales and takes care of the company’s social media needs. Price Nursery has been in business since 1927, starting off as a small landscape nursery and garden center, but now specializing in field-grown B&B stock for wholesale sales and supplying the landscape division of the company.

How did you get started in the green industry? I headed off to Purdue in 1981 knowing that I wanted to do something in Agriculture. After a lecture by one of the professors in the Landscape Architecture department, I declared my major and never looked back. I did end up switching to Landscape Management and Design because it allowed me to take a variety of classes that have been invaluable to me in my career — plant pathology, weed science, soil science, entomology, and turf management. After graduation I started off in maintenance running a crew at Culver Academies and then relocated to Whiteland and worked for Maschmeyer Nursery, where I met mentors Jim Maschmeyer Sr. and landscape architect Jim Tragesser. Both took an interest in my career and helped me determine what it was exactly that I wanted to do. Design/build interested me, along with the sales aspect of it. I really enjoyed meeting and working with clients and seeing the project progress from concept to completion. The opportunity to do that came a few years later when I answered an ad for a designer/salesperson at Eagle Creek Nursery. I took a couple of small designs that I had done and went in to see owner/ partner John Esterline. He hired me, thank goodness, and I found out that this is something that I could do and do well. I spent three years with them before I married and moved back north, to the small community of Plymouth. Nowhere else to work except Price Nurseries, and even though it took me a year to get them to hire me, they have kept me with them all these years through a change in ownership and ups and downs in our economy.

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What have been some of the challenges you have overcome? As much as I have loved working in the green industry, it has not been without some major challenges. The pay scale for a college graduate of a major university has never justified the expense of the degree and as college costs have skyrocketed, fewer and fewer students will make a choice to get involved in our profession. There is always the option of being an entrepreneur but that is not something that everyone is cut out for or desires to do. The seasonal nature of this business in our part of the country has also been and continues to be a major challenge. Now that I am an empty nester and my children no longer need me at home, I am considering a second career that would complement my first one and give me work during the winter months. In the past I have worked in the restaurant business but no longer have any interest in that. I’ve thought about tax preparation but numbers are not my gig. You definitely wouldn’t want me crunching any of yours. Consequently this may require additional training and some “pounding the pavement” but I have faith that the right opportunity is out there. What has helped you progress in our industry? I have been fortunate to work for some of the “greats” in the Indiana green industry. I have called six former INLA presidents my boss and many more of them my friends and mentors. Jim Maschmeyer, Ed Engledow, Dave George, Bob Price, Tom McGee, and Jim Kenny all guided me and helped me find my way in the business. Because of them and their involvement with the INLA, I accepted a nomination to serve on the board and really enjoyed working with the other board members and executive director Donna Sheets during my term. I became involved in the Indiana Accredited Horticulturist (IAH) program because of mentor/past president George Brenn, and I continue to serve on that committee, grading tests and helping to promote the

Indiana nursery & Landscape association • www.inla1.org

program.

Do you have a pet green industry issue? I serve on the IAH committee because I strongly believe in the need to increase professionalism in the industry. Since we do not have licensing in the state of Indiana, anyone can call themselves a landscaper. And even though someone may have gotten their start with just a shovel and a desire to work, this program can help them increase their knowledge to be of better service to their customers or make them more valuable as an employee. It is an amazing program that is not utilized nearly as much as it should be by business owners in this state. We as professionals need to strongly encourage those just getting started in our industry to take advantage of not only the IAH program but the programs and educational sessions offered through the INLA, the ANLA, and other regional organizations such as the Northwest Indiana Nursery & Landscape Association. I’ve been in the business for 30 years but still enjoy increasing my knowledge by attending these meetings and lectures. What sustains your interest in and out of work? I truly love landscape gardening and wish that I could spend more time taking care of my own plantings but then there are those other hobbies of mine... hiking, camping and horseback riding and traveling. I live to travel and hope to see a lot more of this country and world before I hang up my hiking boots. A walk through the gardens of the Cotswold area of England is on my bucket list and those that know me will not be surpirsed to hear that this will involve a stop at a pub or two!


Indiana Nursery & Landscape News • January/February 2014

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INLA News

Indiana Plant Pick Sweet Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia subtomentosa) Kevin Tungesvick, Spence Restoration Nursery I first encountered Sweet Black-eyed Susan in a wet prairie adjacent to a railroad crossing in northwest Indiana. There it grew with Blue-Joint Grass (Calamagrostis canadensis) and Prairie Cordgrass (Spartina pectinata) in a tiny remnant of Indiana’s original prairie that was saved from the plow by the railroad tracks that were laid before the land was cultivated. I later saw the same species while canoeing the Current River in the Missouri Ozarks growing in open floodplain woods in filtered shade with Green-headed Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) and Branched Coneflower (Rudbeckia triloba), a Rudbeckia trifecta. Clearly, a plant that thrives in these widely varying habitats must have a high degree of adaptability, which became clear when we began growing it for seed production in our seed nursery. While native plants generally adapt well to the rigors of Midwestern weather, Sweet Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia subtomentosa) is a particularly durable species. Whether we are afflicted with drought, extreme heat, or flooding, this species never fails to produce a spectacular show of bright yellow flowers from late July until mid September. It does best in full sun, but will still bloom quite well with just a few hours of direct sun. The flowers are very attractive to butterflies and the seeds are consumed by songbirds in the fall and winter. Its tolerance for both saturated conditions and drought make it one of the very best perennials for rain gardens and other stormwater applications. When compared to the commonly planted ‘Goldsturm’ cultivar of Showy Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var speciosa), Sweet Black-eyed Susan is considerably taller at around 4 feet in height and the rays are true yellow rather than gold. The stems are sturdy and stand all winter if not cut back. The foliage is three-lobed and does not form the prominent basal rosette of ‘Goldsturm’. It is best utilized in the back of a border, or among other robust plants in the center 12

of a rain garden. Its real advantage over Showy Black-eyed Susan and its cultivars is its wide moisture tolerance. Droughts that leave Showy Black-eyed Susan nearly flaccid are barely noticed by Sweet Black-eyed Susan. During the extensive flooding of July 2003, we had adjacent seed production rows of these two species inundated by up to 6” of water for around two weeks. The inundated portion of the Showy Black-eyed Susan rows all died while the adjacent inundated sections of the Sweet Black-eyed Susan showed no ill effects. Sweet Black-eyed Susan is a long-lived perennial with many of our seed production rows exceeding 10 years of age. Due to its impressive stature, Sweet Black-eyed Susan is best utilized with other robust natives that adapt well to rain gardens, including New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae), Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa), Blue False Indigo (Baptisia australis), Autumn Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale), Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum), and Prairie Blazing Star (Liatris pycnostachya). It also mixes will with Switchgrass cultivars in a landscape setting. As climate change continues to increase extreme weather events across the Midwest, Sweet Black-eyed Susan can be counted on to weather the storms.

Sweet Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia subtomentosa) Plant type: Perennial Hardiness zones: 4 – 8 Height: 36˝ – 60˝ tall Moisture level: Average, moist/wet, well drained Flower color: Yellow Bloom time: Mid-summer to fall Exposure: Full sun, half sun/half shade About the Author Kevin Tungesvick is Restoration Ecologist at Spence Restoration Nursery, a wholesale native plant and seed producer located in Muncie. There, he manages production and sales of nearly 200 species of native herbaceous plants.

Rudbeckia fulgida var speciosa on the left with the taller Rudbeckia subtomentosa on the right side.

Indiana nursery & Landscape association • www.inla1.org


INLA ANNUAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS Join us on February 5, 2014 • 10:00 am to 1:00 pm (lunch provided!) Engledow Group, 1100 E. 116th St., Carmel, IN 46032-0001 To register, please fax this form to the INLA office at 317-889-3935. The Indiana Nursery and Landscape Association servs its members in the industry through education, promotion, and representation. The planning and implementation of most INLA activities are handled by volunteer groups. All groups are supported by INLA staff. INLA committees have ongoing, results-oriented tasks. The interaction between group members promote effective planning and evaluation of tasks. You can help! Sign up now! Review the following list of committees and check off those of interest to you. Return this form to the INLA office and you will be registered to attend.

Volunteer Sign-Up Form I am interested in giving some time to work in the following areas:

 Awards Committee: Organize selection of annual awards.  Communications Committee: Newsletter, website, directory, etc.  Education Committee: Works to enhance educational opportunities for all members of the industry, ranging from those with extensive practical experience to new members of the industry and students preparing for green industry careers.

 IAH Committee: This committee works closely with educational and vocational-technical levels and oversees the Indiana Accredited Horticulturist Program. This meeting will be held in northern Indiana at an alternate date.

 Legislative Committee: Works in partnership with the Green Industry Alliance  Membership Committee: Promotes the INLA by securing new members and assisting current members by providing member services.

 Summer Meeting: Planning and organization of annual INLA Summer Meeting.  Trade Show Committee: Plans and conducts the premier trade show for the industry in Indiana annually.  Landscape Industry Certified (CLT) Committee: Work on this national certification committee in implementing the hands-on field exam.

 FFA Committee: Volunteer to judge state and national Career Development Events. (This committee will not meet; however, you can volunteer to judge these industry related events in April and October).

Name(s):______________________________________________________________________________________________ Company: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Address:______________________________________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip:_________________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone:___________________________________________

Fax:__________________________________________

Email:_______________________________________________ My primary area of business (check all that apply): ____Grower

____Garden Center

____Landscape

____Other (specify) ____________________________________

To register, please fax this form to the INLA office at 317-889-3935.

or mail to: INLA, 7915 S. Emerson Ave., Ste 247, Indianapolis, IN 46237 or Email: Dsheets@inla1.org Indiana Nursery & Landscape Association Fax: 317-889-3935 • Phone: 317-889-2382 or 800-443-7336 • Website: www.inla1.org

Indiana Nursery & Landscape News • January/February 2014

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INLA News

Purdue Perspectives Kyle Daniel, Purdue University

This issue of Indiana Nursery & Landscape News has a focus on education. This is the time of year for owners, managers, and employees to gain an edge by learning something new. The foundation of a successful business is a knowledge of applicable topics. Please use the issue to evaluate the educational opportunities that are offered throughout the state. At Purdue, we are always evaluating and developing new and continuing educational opportunities. Please contact Kyle Daniel for any suggestions on educational programming that may benefit your operations at daniel38@purdue. edu. Now on to the perspectives from Purdue.

Research Strengthening ecological and environmental integrity in agricultural landscapes https://ag.purdue.edu/arp/Pages/SpotlightHook.aspx#.UpNRhOKoxj0 Decoding an insect’s genome to design an insecticide that exploits the insect https://ag.purdue.edu/arp/Pages/spotlight.aspx#.UpNR2eKoxj0

News Purdue’s international student population ranks 2nd for public schools http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2013/Q4/purdues-international-student-population-ranks-2nd-for-public-schools-3rd-overall.html Purdue professor appointed to U.N. Scientific Advisory Board http://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2013/Q4/ejeta-is-appointed-tou.n.-scientific-advisory-board.html

Bulletins Mile-a-minute vine http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/FNR-481-W.pdf Trees and storms http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/FNR-FAQ-12-W.pdf Winterize your trees http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/FNR-484-W.pdf Drought and your trees http://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/FNR/FNR-483-W.pdf

About the Author Kyle Daniel is the Nursery and Landscape Outreach Specialist in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Purdue University and the Education Director for the INLA.

Stay connected to INLA between issues. Sign up for the INLA monthly eNewsletter at www.inla1.org. Receive: Latest notices, the digital version of the magazine, reminders for events, and much more. 14

Indiana nursery & Landscape association • www.inla1.org

Indiana Plant Advisory Update Ellen Jacquart, The Nature Conservancy

(November 1, 2013)First, the Indiana Invasive Species Council met October 11 and I presented the proposed additions to the list (Carduus acanthoides, Carduus nutans, Cirsium vulgare, Conium maculatum, Convolvulus arvensis, Daucus carota, Glechoma hederacea, Pastinaca sativa, Polygonum perfoliatum, and Sorghum halepense. These were approved, and are now added to the list at http://www.entm.purdue.edu/iisc/invasiveplants.php. The new species have ** after their name. Please feel free to look at these assessments and send any comments to me; all assessments may be reviewed and updated as needed. Second, I had a preliminary meeting with Division of Entomology and Plant Pathology about the rule-making process used to designate species as pests or pathogens. This is the rule we are suggesting should cover all the highly invasive species on the list. The process has many steps, but it has now started. You’ll hear more about that as things progress. Third, the Early Detection – Rapid Response conference took place this week at Purdue. It was well attended and there were great presentations on how EDRR is handled elsewhere. There was lots of discussion and enthusiasm for developing an EDRR system for Indiana. This is another thing you’ll hear more about as we work out next steps.


Industry News

PLANET Debuts a Spanish Version of Its Free Safety Training Program for Landscape Industry Companies PLANET, the national landscape industry association, recently released the “Safety Program for Green Industry Companies” CD in Spanish. Until now, this popular safety training publication has been available in English, but the much anticipated Spanish version was made possible with support from CNA and Henry Dunn, Inc. “Safety Program for Green Industry Companies” can be used as is or can be customized to meet a company’s specific needs. The CD includes: • A comprehensive Company Safety Policy on topics such as motor vehicle safety, preventing back injuries, return-to-work/modified duty programs, chemical safety, reporting and investigating accidents, and complying with OSHA • Guidance, in the form of checklists and tips for landscape industry companies on implementing and further developing the Company Safety Policy • More than 50 ready-to-use forms, sample policies, payroll stuffers, and other safety materials, and additional resources. It was developed as part of the STARS Safe Company Program (Safety Training Achieves Remarkable Success), which is a free safety initiative that helps landscape industry companies improve safety by reducing hazards and injuries. STARS members can request a free Spanish version of the CD by emailing STARS@ landcarenetwork.org.

For more information about PLANET and the STARS Safe Company program, visit www.landcarenetwork.org/riskmgmt/stars.cfm or call the PLANET office at 800-395-2522.

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ANLA and HRI Announce New Research Team Staff Washington, D.C. — The American Nursery and Landscape Association (ANLA) and the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), ANLA’s research affiliate, are pleased to announce the hiring of the staff team that will provide leadership to the organizations’ research efforts on behalf of the horticulture industry. Dr. Joseph Albano joins the team as research director. Albano comes to ANLA and HRI from the USDA-ARS Horticultural Research Laboratory (USHRL) located in Fort Pierce, Florida, where he has served as Research Horticulturist for over 14 years. Albano’s research focus with USDA-ARS has been on plant nutrition, water quality and conservation, and alternative substrates. He led a major multi-researcher, multi-location collaborative water quality project funded by the Floriculture and Nursery Research Initiative (FNRI). Albano brings to ANLA and HRI an impressive record of accomplishment and deep knowledge of horticultural research and the research community in the United States Albano received his Bachelor of Science in Plant Science from California State University-Fresno, and his Master of Science in Horticulture and Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from Clemson University. Jennifer Gray joins the staff as research programs administrator. Gray is well known and respected in the nursery and landscape industry. For approximately 15 years, Gray served in numerous capacities for the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association, including communications and marketing activities, editing The Buckeye magazine, and overseeing grants and scholarships. For ANLA and HRI, her primary responsibilities will include managing the fundraising campaigns, staffing the volunteer leadership groups, and overseeing the competitive grants program funded through HRI’s $11 million endowment fund.

Indiana Nursery & Landscape News • January/February 2014

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Industry News

Horticulturists Clone Muir’s California Giant Sequoia Horticulturists have successfully cloned a genetic replica of an ailing 130-year-old giant sequoia planted by conservationist John Muir in the 1880s on his ranch in Martinez, California. When the tree reaches about 18 inches tall, it will be shipped from a Michigan laboratory to California for planting at the John Muir National Historic Site. Once rooted, it will grow several feet each year. John Muir, a naturalist and conservation advocate, founded the Sierra Club in 1892 in San Francisco. Muir returned from a trip to the Sierra Nevada with the original sequoia seedling wrapped in a damp handkerchief, and he planted the specimen on his family’s fruit ranch. Today, that sequoia is 70 feet tall, but it is dying of an airborne fungus. According to David Milarch, co-founder of Archangel Ancient Tree Archive, this tree is the last living witness to Muir’s life. This clone of Muir’s sequoia is part of an ongoing effort to create clones of ancient redwoods and sequoia trees. As we reported late last year, the resiliency and ability of California’s giant redwood and sequoia trees to pull carbon from an increasingly warming atmosphere make them worthy of intensive protections. To help do that, Archangel Ancient Tree Archive has planted 250 clones carrying an exact genetic copy from 18 of some of the world’s biggest redwoods and giant sequoias near the Oregon/California border hoping to foster a new grove. To help preserve a living connection with Muir at the site, Keith Park, a National Park Service horticulturist, trimmed two dozen cuttings from healthy young branches and shipped them to Archangel, which has also successfully cloned trees planted by George Washington at Mount Vernon. Jake Milarch, an archive propagator and David Milarch’s son, snipped the cuttings into 400 smaller pieces and treated them with an experimental combination of misters, artificial sunlight, nutrients, four hormones, and a temperature of 74 degrees in the nonprofit group’s laboratory in Copemish, Michigan. 16

Acquisitions

KKR to Acquire Brickman for $1.6 Billion On Monday, November 11, giant private equity firm KKR LP announced that it will acquire The Brickman Group Ltd. in a transaction valued at $1.6 billion.The announcement came after news leaked in recent days that KKR and a handful of other large private equity firms had emerged as leading bidders for Brickman in an auction initiated by Brickman’s existing majority owner, Leonard Green and Partners, another private equity firm. Andrew Kerin, Chief Executive Officer of Brickman, said “We are very pleased to partner with KKR, a leading investment firm with extensive experience in service businesses and an outstanding track record. With our partner, we are well positioned to accelerate our growth, further enhance the quality of services we provide to our clients, and extend our industry leadership.” Simon Brown, member of KKR, said “Brickman is a leader in its industry, with an outstanding management team, a distinguished culture, talented and committed employees, and a track record of delivering high-quality services to its clients. We are excited to invest in the company and look forward to working closely with the Brickman leadership team to continue to build on the company’s market-leading position and grow the business over time. The acquisition is expected to close by December 31, 2013.

Private Equity Firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice to Acquire John Deere Landscapes Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, a large private equity firm, has agreed to acquire John Deere Landscapes, a unit of Deere & Company. Deere will initially retain a 40% ownership stake in the new standalone company. The carve-out transaction is valued at approximately $465 million. John Deere Landscapes operates about 400 branches in the United States. With over $1 billion in annual revenue, JDL is the largest North American distributor of landscaping products sold primarily to professional landscape contractors for use in residential and commercial settings. Operating over 400 branches in the United States and Canada, JDL is the only national distributor in a highly fragmented industry. JDL distributes wholesale irrigation, landscape lighting, nursery, and turf and maintenance supplies. Some turf and maintenance products are sold under the JDL-owned LESCO brand. “John Deere Landscapes is a market-leading, branch-based distribution business managed by a talented executive team that we are very excited to have as partners,” said David Wasserman, a CD&R Partner. “The business has many attractive features, including scale, breadth of product offering, and service excellence, all of which provide significant strategic and competitive advantages in supporting the requirements of the professional landscape contractor.” “The new company should benefit from a recovery in residential and commercial construction activity as well as through the meaningful value creation opportunities available to drive the business forward,” said CD&R Partner Ken Giuriceo. Among CD&R’s other major investments is The Servicemaster Company, parent of the TruGreen Lawncare and Terminix brands.

Indiana nursery & Landscape association • www.inla1.org


Indiana Nursery & Landscape News • January/February 2014

17


“Learn” to Stand Out Kyle Daniel, Purdue Universtiy

Education. What comes to mind when you think of that word? There are many definitions of education, most of which generally state the giving or receiving of instruction. Is that an all-inclusive definition of education in our industry? I would submit that education in the Green Industry involves the “traditional” method of giving and receiving instruction, but also the process of giving and receiving experience. Experience can only be learned over time, but you can begin laying a foundation of knowledge now. The Green Industry requires a vast knowledge of various subjects, including plant physiology, pesticides, marketing, and many others. The wide range of topics can be daunting, but with dedicating time to pursue educational opportunities and resources you can become more informed in these subjects. In an industry with so much competition, the difference between two companies can come down to the knowledge, and the professionalism that accompanies this knowledge, that is derived from the time dedicated to learning or re-learning knowledge. Any edge your company can conjure to win bids and sales will make your business more successful. Having knowledgeable and professional managers and employees can be the edge you need in procuring jobs. The Green Industry is an industry in which there are no licenses or certification required, as with medical, insurance, etc., to begin a new business. Sure we have business licenses, pesticide certification, and organizational certifications, such as ICPI, CLT, IAH, etc, but anyone can start a new business. Since we don’t have a generalized certification, our industry has, historically, not typically been viewed as professional in the general public. There are many “come and go” businesses that continually undercut other companies, which, many times, performs sub-par work. What can set your business apart and make the Green Industry “professional” in the public’s view is to become more educated via organizational and professional certifications, attending educational programs, and making knowledge a priority in your operation. What motivates you to learn new things? It is important to think about what drives you and your employees to be life-long learners. An example of how an owner of a landscaping business once encouraged learning: There was once a small-town kid that was a decent student, who had no interest in college. He worked for a small landscape company with about 10-12 employees, most of whom were in high school or recently graduated. One day his boss sat him down after a long, hot day and asked if he would try college for one year. Since he hadn’t thought much about college, this made him ponder the possibility. “Okay, one year,” he replied. This simple conversation planted the seed for a lifelong passion for learning more about the Green Industry.

The Purdue Commercial Nursery and Landscape Applied Research Program is designed to assist the Green Industry in becoming more profitable and sustainable.

18

Educational programs, such as the Indiana Green Expo, offer outstanding learning opportunities.

Indiana nursery & Landscape association • www.inla1.org


What resources are available to you? Purdue University Extension is your resource for research-based education for the Green Industry in Indiana and the Midwest. Ranked as the number six agricultural college in the world, Purdue Agriculture is one of the leading and most respected agricultural colleges. Our extension program for the Commercial Nursery and Landscape program strives to make the industry in Indiana, the Midwest, and the United States more profitable, sustainable, effective, and efficient, while increasing the quality of life for the owners, employees, and the general public through education, research, and outreach programs. Our research is guided by determining the needs of the industry in Indiana and the Midwest, while addressing knowledge gaps in previously applied research in the nursery and landscape industry. Our applied research program is designed to be a knowledge-generating source that aids in making Green Industry businesses more profitable, efficient, and environmentally sustainable through the use of Best Management Practices. Web Resources from Purdue Extension: • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PurdueUniversityNurseryAndLandscapeExtension • Like us on Facebook to receive up-to-the-minute news concerning the Green Industry and notifications about website updates • Nursery and Landscape Website: https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/Extension/nle/Pages • Lots of information and links for the Green Industry Professionals • Online Ornamentals Newsletter: email daniel38@purdue.edu to sign up • Nursery, Landscape, Greenhouse, and Floriculture research updates, popular articles, and other pertinent information. Twitter: @purduenle • Turf Website: http://purdueturftips.blogspot.com/ • Greenhouse and Floriculture Website: https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/lopezlab/Pages Educational Events from Purdue Extension: • Indiana Green Expo: www.indianagreenexpo.com • Purdue Turf and Landscape Field Day: www.mrtf.org • Garden Center Personnel Training: https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/Extension/nle/Pages • Turf and Landscape Seminar: www.mrtf.org • The Roots Roadshow (in planning stages): https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/Extension/nle/Pages • Professional Landscape Management School: http://www3.ag.purdue.edu/counties/vanderburgh/Pages/CommercialHorticulture.aspx • Northeast Indiana Landscape and Turf Seminars: http://www3.ag.purdue.edu/counties/allen/Pages/CommercialHorticulture.aspx There are many educational opportunities for the Green Industry in Indiana. We are always trying to refine ongoing programs and develop new opportunities for education in Green Industry areas which are underserved. Feedback from the industry is very important for Purdue Extension to effectively deliver the needed information to the Green Industry, so please contact us with any feedback you may have for current or possible programs. A new year can mean a fresh start. For the coming year, make education for you and your employees a priority. The benefits of the knowledge and professionalism, for pursuing educational endeavors, far outweigh the costs. In high school, this small-town guy never would have thought he would have the honor to work with the Green Industry in Indiana. And, just think, it all started with a seed planted…

About the Author Kyle Daniel is the Nursery and Landscape Outreach Specialist in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Purdue University and the Education Director for the Indiana Nursery and Landscape Association. Kyle can be contacted via email at: daniel38@purdue.edu. Be sure to check out and “Like” Purdue University Nursery and Landscape Extension at Facebook.com and visit their website at: https://ag.purdue.edu/hla/Extension/nle

Online web resources, such as the Purdue Commercial Nursery and Landscape website, are gateways to learning.

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Indiana Nursery & Landscape News • January/February 2014

19


In-house Winter Training Hones Skills and Expertise, Brings Employees Together Bob Baird, Designscape Horticultural Services, Inc. Photos courtesy Dustin Huffman, Sunshine Studios. Huffman is an installation crew leader at Designscape.

In most cases, winter is downtime for landscapers and nursery people. No jobs or customers, no work. Which translates to no income for dedicated, hard-working employees during the bleak months. Aside from unemployment benefits, part-time jobs and winter-savings plans that redistribute income with employer contributions, winter invariably challenges those of us in the green industry. Enter in-house winter training, enabling seasonal employees to become less so, and empowering year-round employees to share their insights with colleagues amid give-and-take small-group discussions.

Maintenance chief Steve Deckard uses loppers to shape up a Norway spruce. 20

Indiana nursery & Landscape association • www.inla1.org

At Designscape, full-service Nashvillebased contractors serving Bloomington and environs, winter is not the time to shut down and wait for spring. Co-owner Dan Gluesenkamp, well known in INLA circles, particularly in enhancing industry educational opportunities, has long impressed upon his employees the importance of certification and training updates. Currently, 13 employees are Indiana Accredited Horticulturists, with three at the Master’s level. Each January a core staff of 20 or so make the pilgrimage to the Indiana Green Expo to freshen their skills and expertise. But the past four years winter training also has come home to Designscape’s headquarters halfway between Nashville and Bloomington. With slide shows and hands-on demonstrations, sessions have delved into topics ranging from basic economics to pruning, hardscaping basics, even personality analysis, to help employees work better together. “It’s a more productive use of our slower times,” says maintenance technician Richard Russell. He sees winter training as an investment in employees, to upgrade and improve their skills and expertise, and build rapport among staff members. Sessions specifically helped him identify trees by their bark.

About the Author Bob Baird, a landscape designer with Designscape, is a Master’s-level Indiana Accredited Horticulturist.


Gabe Gluesenkamp assesses the damage of an aged pruning wound from cutting past the branch collar on an old silver maple on property Designscape acquired for its headquarters.

Nursery manager Diana Fleetwood says the sessions have improved her pruning skills and given her good overviews of horticultural issues and changes, such as the emerald ash borer and sooty mold from calico scale on tulip poplars. In dealing with customers through the year, “we may not have all the answers, but we know what can be done and what to tell them if they ask ‘Will I lose my tree?’” Installation crew leader Casey Wagers was upbeat how the sessions improved his maintenance skills, specifically in pruning hydrangeas on old and new wood, and thinning shrubs versus shearing. Keeping a close eye on income and expenses throughout the year is always sound business. Snow removal helps keep operations viable when snow, ice and wintry mix fly, but for a full-service landscaping company, “going green has to be year-round,” says Gabe Gluesenkamp, Dan’s son, who came home recently from college and industry exposure in Dallas. “We keep the fires going, even when it’s cold outside.” The Gluesenkamps say they realize the importance of finding and keeping loyal team members who don’t flinch at lessfavorable weather conditions, but who also appreciate that provision is made for them in the greater scheme of offering the best possible service to equally loyal clients. Sessions have enlightened employees on identifying problems in the landscape and using alternative pesticides targeting

specific insects and avoiding killing off “good bugs”—insects and microbes--that prey upon “bad bugs,” a basic tenet of integrated pest management. As Master Gardeners learn in their classes, staffers learned that the biological root causes of landscape problems, such as insects and diseases, display sporadic patterns and often spread progressively, manifested as yellowing, discoloration, wilting, and stem dieback. In contrast, man-made causes show noticeably uniform, isolated patterns, such as plant damage from atmospheric drift of pesticides, perhaps on a windy day, or distinct areas of plant damage resulting from drought or improper watering. Alternative pest treatments include horticultural oils that suffocate insects or clog membranes, plant extracts such as pyrethrin, rotenone, neem and citrus oil, and microbial extracts such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Particularly engaging was Gabe’s presentation on soil enrichment, incorporating Designscape’s new specially formulated compost tea home-brewed on the premises. Spearheading a new division, Organic Solutions, Gabe conceived an all-organic concentrate that, when diluted with water, jump-starts and inoculates plants. A hydraulic cyclone in Designscape’s front parking lot churns out a “black gold” liquid blend of extracted compost, fish emulsion, and molasses, abounding in humic and fulvic acid found in soil humus and enriched

Installer Casey Wagers hoists up a colleague to prune out another oak double leader.

(In-house Training continues on page 22.)

Indiana Nursery & Landscape News • January/February 2014

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In-house Training (continued from page 21)

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with billions of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes—all good bugs. Customized for specific landscapes, the formula is used with poultry compost to treat struggling lawns, beds, shrubs, and trees. Amid all the technical information offered during the winter sessions — some retained and some, no doubt, forgotten — employees also get the opportunity to build rapport and learn more about each other. “It’s nice to feel a part of the team and not be overshadowed by the installation and maintenance departments,” says irrigation specialist Erik Weaver.

SHRUB ID AND PRUNING QUIZ (2.22.2

012)

Offering sturdy 1-year liners up to 2" shade trees Growing a diverse selection of native trees and shrubs

nown as shearing. e about 1/3 of the overall plant is k 1. A pruning method where you remov __________________. make cuts about a ¼” above the last 2. It is important when pruning to loom on new wood. s bloom on old wood while others b 3. Name two shrubs that some specie #2__________________ #1__________________ 4. Circle the two flowering shrubs a. boxwood

that all species bloom exclusively o b. viburnum

5. Shrubs that bloom on ___________ 6. A deciduous shrub that is commo 7. Circle the most correct pruning c

n old wood.

c. hydrangeas

(TRUE / FALSE)

_______ are those which produce b

n in the landscape is the genus taxus

d. forsythias

looms on the current season’s growth

(yew).

.

(TRUE / FALSE)

ut

8. The swelling where a branch joins the _________________.

tree trunk is called

promoted when we 9. Circle the key horticultural benefit ing. ranch b inant o-­‐dom c rune p ctly corre a) Included bark b) Competing leaders c) Aesthetics d) Apical dominance e) Fertilizer

10. The space in-­‐between two nodes

on a tree branch is called the ______

___________.

______. interior is known as a ___________ with others that feeds on the leaves 11. A pest found in boxwood along False) collar promotes decay. (True) / ( 12. Pruning to high above the branch ede lateral growth in a plant. ion causing vertical growth to supers 13. _____________________ is a condit 11. Auxins are another name for a

(True) / (False)

plant’s lateral buds.

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Indiana nursery & Landscape association • www.inla1.org


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Indiana Nursery & Landscape News • January/February 2014

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12/5/13 10:54 AM


Spring Home and Garden Shows Indianapolis Home Show

Fort Wayne Home & Garden Show

The 2014 Centerpiece Home will be built entirely inside Exposition Hall at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Show includes construction, home remodeling, interior design, and landscape exhibitors among others.

Celebrating its 41st year in 2014, this home and garden show has turned into the largest one in the tri-state area. There are more than 650 exhibitors set up for guests to shop for flooring, roofing, landscaping tools, furniture, insurance, and gifts to name a few. There is also a garden gallery where attendees can walk through indoor setups and purchase garden accessories.

January 24 – February 2, 2014 Indiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis, IN

Admission: Adults $13 (online $11); Seniors $8; Children 6-12 $3; Children 5 & under free www.indianapolishomeshow.com

Porter County Master Gardeners Association 11th Annual Gardening Show January 25, 2014 Porter County Exposition Center Valparaiso, IN

The Gardening Show features presentations by national, regional and local gardening experts, special lodging & dining packages, a Seed & Bulb Exchange, Garden Photography Contest, Children’s Corner, and food service, as well as 100 exhibitors and vendors of products and services for and about gardens and gardening.

Ticket Fee: Adults $10; Seniors $8; Children under 15 Free www.home-gardenshow.com

Home, Garden & Remodeling Show

February 28 – March 2, 2014
 Kentucky Exposition Center’s South Wing Louisville, KY

pcgarden.info/gardening_show.html

Louisville’s Original Home Show!
 The Home, Garden & Remodeling Show presented by Window World and sponsored by LG&E may be more than 60 years old, but we constantly evaluate the event to provide attendees access to the latest products, trends, seminars, and entertainment each year. Components in 2014 are the Belgard Hardscapes Outdoor Living Pavilion.

Louisville Build, Renovate & Landscape Expo

Admission: $10 per person
Senior Admission: $9 per Senior - 62 and older
Children: 15 & under are free with an adult.

Admission: $10; Children under 12 free

February 7 – 9, 2014 Kentucky International Convention Center, Louisville, KY This comprehensive and expansive home show brings together homeowners and many of the most knowledgeable and experienced remodeling and building experts. See the latest innovations and design trends. Experts will be showcasing everything for the home as well as the newest ideas pertaining to landscape installations. Be inspired by the feature gardens built right inside the convention center exhibit hall. http://homeshowcenter.com/Visitors/HomeShow.aspx?show=louisvillehomeshow

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February 27 – March 2, 2014 Allen County Memorial Coliseum Fort Wayne, IN

Indiana nursery & Landscape association • www.inla1.org

http://louisvillehomeshow.com/

Porter County Home & Lifestyle Show

March 7 – 9, 2014 Porter County Expo Center, Valparaiso, IN The Home and Lifestyle Show offer home improvement, remodeling and home purchasing ideas as well as ideas to enhance your lifestyle in many other ways. Green up that lawn, exterminate those pests and enjoy a new patio this spring. http://www.hbanwi.com/events/homeand-lifestyle-shows/


Indiana Flower & Patio Show

March 8 –16, 2014 Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis More than 50 years has allowed this Indianapolis flower show to grow into 400 outdoor experts in attendance, over 40 showcase gardens, and more than 100,000 guests. Looking beyond the namesakes of the show you will find hot tubs, grills, decks, water features, potted plants, experts, tools, outdoor furniture, pools, pavers, “green” products, outdoor kitchens, yard art and so much more! Admission: Adults $13;
Children 12 and under free www.hsishows.com

Greater Lafayette Home and Garden Show

March 15 – 16, 2014 Tippecanoe Fairgrounds, Lafayette It is the largest and longest running show of its kind in the Lafayette, IN area. Anything you need for your home from the ground up you will find at the Greater Lafayette Home and Garden Show. Over 2,500 people attended the show last year with over 80 vendors!

Monroe County
Master Gardeners
GardenFair 2014! April 5, 2014 • 9am – 4pm Indiana National Guard Armory Bloomington, Indiana

Over 30 vendors of lawn & garden products and services will be on hand along with Master Gardeners available to answer questions. Free educational seminars and parking, door prizes and free shrub seedling to the first 200 visitors. www.mcmga.net/gardenfair.htm

Tippecanoe Master Gardens’ Garden Expo

Orchard in Bloom Garden Show May 2 – 4, 2014 Holliday Park, Indianapolis

Orchard In Bloom is a nationally recognized garden show and community event now in its 25th SILVER anniversary year. The show has raised over $100,000 for outdoor education programs for the children of Indianapolis. A partnership between The Orchard School and Indy Parks, the show is located in Holliday Park and runs from Friday morning through Sunday afternoon, rain or shine. Admission: $10 www.orchardinbloom.org

April 26, 2014 • 10 am – 3 pm Tippecanoe Fairgrounds, Lafayette • • • • • •

Master Gardener Plant Sale Over 30 Garden Booths Information • Garden Café Plants • Door Prizes Hands-On Activities for Young Gardeners

Admission: Free www.tippecanoemastergardener.org

www.midwestrentalsinc.com

Toolbox Talks

Snow Plow Safety Source: www.safetytoolboxtopics.com Snow plow safety is something that every snow plow driver must be aware of. The blowing, drifting snow mixed with the slick pavement provides for hazardous conditions. So how can you safely make sure that yourself or others are not harmed during this process? Here are a few tips that might help you out: • Be aware of your surroundings and know your route. Always make sure you know what possible obstacles are within your plowing area like mailboxes, fences, signs, posts, etc. This can save damage to property and to your plow, which in the long run will save you money. • Always be tolerant and patient with other drivers or pedestrians around you. Imagine yourself in their shoes; seeing a huge truck drive toward you with a plow on the front is not the most pleasant thing. • Watch your speed! This is a huge mistake many plow drivers make when going about their jobs. In fact, many of the accidents involving snow plows are created because the driver was going too fast for the weather conditions. It might be desired to get the job done faster, but it is not worth the injuries to your body, the plow, or possibly someone else’s body. Make sure you are constantly keeping an eye out for ice or obstacles. It is also helpful to know the road and weather conditions before leaving to plow. • Obey all traffic laws (i.e. wearing your seatbelt at all times). This will save lots of trouble with law enforcement and could save your life in the event of an accident. • Make sure before leaving the vehicle after you have done your job, that you cut off all power to the snow plow and spreader. • Get a good night’s rest before going out to plow. Although this is sometimes impossible to do, make sure that you are not feeling too drowsy or sleepy. Falling asleep at the wheel is obviously a devastating, fatal mistake. Plow operators serve the community well during some of the worst weather. However, it is important that EVERYONE, including you the plow operator, gets home safely in the snow.

Indiana Nursery & Landscape News • January/February 2014

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George Brenn’s IAH Study Guide George Brenn, Four Seasons Landscaping Nursery, created this study guide to help teach the material covered in the IAH Manual. His intention was to assist those trying to master the subjects within the manual. Text: © George Brenn

Chapter 5 – Soils & Plant Nutrition (continued) FERTILIZERS: the story of N N itro g e n , P P h o s p h o ru s & K P o ta s h Fertilizers = substances that provide nutrients for plant growth; and there are 2 basic types: Organic = originate from a living plant or animal; organic ferts improve soil structure Manure, Sewage Sludge (Milorganite), Bone Meal, Blood Meal, Fish Emulsion, etc. Inorganic = produced via mining or manufacturing; only nutrients: do not improve soil structure Ammonium Sulfate, Superphosphate, Muriate of Potash, Fertilome Lawn Food, 12-12-12 Nutrient values of Organic Fertilizers are much lower than those of Inorganics: Milorganite { 5-2-0 } <> Fertilome Lawn Food { 28-0-4 } Fish Emulsion { 2-4-1 } <> HiYield Rose Food { 6-8-6 } Fertilizers are available in several different forms: Liquid = Fish Emulsion, F/L Root Stimulator Powder (or Soluble) = MiracleGro, F/LBlooming & Rooting Granular = 12-12-12, Sulfate of Potash (0-0-50), Fertilome Lawn Food Compressed = Jobes spikes, Agriform tablets Coated = Osmocote, Sulfur Coated Urea (SCU), GroMax 17 Fertilizer Analysis = numerical statement of amount and kind of macronutrient found in the formulation this information is required by law to appear on any fertilizer package THREE NUMBERS, always in the same order, represent the percentage by weight of N, P & K in the bag A 50 lb. bag of 18-24-12 contains 18% N (18% of 50 lbs. = 9 lbs.) 24% P (24% of 50 lbs. = 12 lbs.) actually P2O5 12% K (12% of 50 lbs. = 6 lbs.) Total 54% of 50 lbs. = 27 lbs. This 50 lb. bag would also contain 23 lb. of inert “carrier” which is important for even distribution of nutrients during application Complete Fertilizers contain all 3 macronutrients (N, P, & K); 18-24-24, 5-10-5 Balanced Fertilizers contain equal amounts of N, P, & K; 12-12-12, 20-20-20 Single Nutrient Fertilizers 46-0-0 (Urea), 0-20-0 (Superphosphate),0-0-60 (Muriate of Potash)

Do the math: A 50 lb. bag of 15-20-8 fertilizer contains ____ lbs. of N; ____ lbs of P2O5; ____ lbs of K A 20 lb bag of 10-0-14 Winterizer contains ____ lbs. of N; ____ lbs of P2O5; ____ lbs of K A customer wants to apply 12-12-12 to his lawn in late November. His lawn has about 14,000 sq. ft and he wants to apply N at the rate of 1 lb. per 1,000 sq. ft 12-12-12 comes in 40 lb. bags, so each bag contains ____ lbs of N He needs to buy ____ 40 lb. bags of 12-12-12 to apply to his 14,000 sq. ft. yard. How many lbs. of K will he be applying? ____ Geonote about Phosphorus bans:

Several states, including Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin, along with other states across the US have banned the use of Phosphorus in lawn fertilizers that are applied to established lawns during the growing season. The main rationale behind these legislative actions seems to be the theory that Phosphorus fertilizers contribute to excessive algae growth in bodies of water, which, in turn, causes a depletion of oxygen in those waters, which leads to decline and death of fish species. Most states that now impose this ban have made exceptions which include allowable applications of Phosphorus fertilizers when installing new lawns, as well as to lawns in which soil testing results indicate a Phosphorus deficiency. Bottom line is that many soils, especially “basement soils” have exceptionally low levels of existing Phosphorus. This fact brings to light the importance of soil testing, particularly for individuals installing new lawns. If the necessary Phosphorus, as indicated by a soil test, can be incorporated into the soil prior to seeding or sodding, it will be in the right place to benefit root development and will have minimal potential to “run off” into streams or lakes.

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Indiana nursery & Landscape association • www.inla1.org


Advertisers Advanced Tree Technology............................................... 9 Blue Grass Farms of Indiana............................................ 17 Bobcat of Indy......................................................... 3 & 23 Brehob Nursery..................................... outside back cover C.M. Hobbs Nursery....................................................... 17 Fairview Evergreen Nursery.............................................. 6 Garden Center Personnel Training Workshop............................................ inside front cover Indiana Irrigation Co...................................................... 19 MacAllister Machinery Co., Inc....................................... 11 Millcreek Gardens, LLC................................................... 15 Motz & Sons Nursery, Inc................................................. 6 ReSource Aquatics............................................................ 5 Reynolds Farm Equipment................................................ 7

Advertise in the Indiana Nursery & Landscape News Contact: Mary Breidenbach Cell: 317-205-9635 • mary@ecumulus.com

Tiffany Lawn & Garden Supply.................inside back cover Twixwood Nursery......................................................... 15 Wahmhoff Farms.............................................................. 4 Woody Warehouse Nursery, Inc...................................... 22

INLA Scholarship Fund (INEF) Donation Form Every year, the INEF awards scholarships to deserving students enrolled at the two Indiana landscape horticulture programs recognized by the INLA — Vincennes and Purdue universities. Your donations make this possible. Please consider a tax-deductible donation to the INEF this year. Donation Amount:

$50

Designation of Your Donation:

$100

$250

General contribution

Other: $______________ In memory of: _______________________________

Auction Item for 2014 Auction At Indiana Green Expo (1/8/14 – 1/10/14) Someone from INEF will contact you regarding your donated item.

I want to donate an item Describe item: _______________________________________________________

Donor Information: Name:____________________________________________________________________________________________ Firm:_____________________________________________________________________________________________ Address:_ _________________________________________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip:_____________________________________________________________________________________

Please make your check payable to “INEF” and mail to: Indiana Nursery & Landscape Association, 7915 S. Emerson Ave., #247, Indianapolis, IN 46237 • 317-889-2382 The INEF is a registered not-for-profit in the state of Indiana (#0007371900-000) and the federal government (#35-1907054).

Indiana Nursery & Landscape News • January/February 2014

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IAH Quiz The Indiana Accredited Horticulturist Committee is pleased to provide you an opportunity to earn CEUs (continuing education units) in each issue of the Indiana Nursery and Landscape News. The IAH quiz offered in each issue can be completed by anyone who is an “Active” (current) IAH (initial or masters). Each quiz will be worth a .5 (onehalf) CEU (continuing education unit) for the completion of the bi-monthly quiz with a pass rate of 80%. Over a 2-year period, you could earn up to 6 CEUs if you take and pass every quiz! The INLA office will grade the quiz. Questions and answers have been provided by the IAH committee. Thank you and good luck studying! The Indiana Accredited Horticulturist Committee Chair - George Brenn, Four Seasons Landscaping Nursery Committee Members - Brian Bunge, LaPorte County Nursery - Wayne Gruber, Gardens on the Prairie - Jim Messmer - Melissa Mravec, Allen Landscape - Jodie Overmyer, Price Nurseries - Dean Ricci, Ricci Landscape Management

Answers: Please contact the INLA office if you would like to receive the answers or find out your results to any previous IAH quiz.

IAH Quiz: January 2014

Due: February 15, 2014

Complete the quiz and mail or fax to INLA by the deadline above. Be sure to write your name, IAH number, and contact information on the bottom of the quiz when submitting. If additional space is needed, please attach the extra paper to this form and submit together. 1) Spider mite problems are worse under which of the following weather conditions? A____ Warm weather B____ Cold weather C____ Wet weather D____ Dry weather 2) Which of the following insects can defoliate a flowering crabapple? A____ Bronze Birch Borer B____ Flat-headed Apple Tree Borer C____ Apple Aphid D____ Japanese Beetle 3) White pine weevil actually causes damage as a borer. A____ True B____ False 4) Bagworms spend the winter as ____________ . A____ a shiny black egg mass on a twig B____ eggs in the body of the female bag C____ pupae in the male and female bags D____ a caterpillar in the male and female bags 5) What is the best strategy for managing a planting of pines that are half-dead due to a combination of bark beetles and borers? A____ Spray with a residual pesticide in spring (April) to kill borers going into and boring out of plants. B____ Remove and destroy dead and half-dead pines before beetles emerge in April. C____ Water the stand, if possible, to reduce the water stress that can promote borer problems. D____ All of the above.

6) Spruce Spider Mites produce honeydew and spittle on many conifers. A____ True B____ False 7) The first symptoms of oak wilt occur in what part of the tree? A____ Bottom branches B____ Top branches C____ Scattered throughout the tree D____ The entire tree 8) The overall field pattern for Biotic disease often has ____________ . A____ a uniform appearance B____ a random appearance C____ both uniform and random appearance D____ no particular pattern 9) Good water management is especially critical for control of ____________ . A____ Verticillium Wilt B____ Anthracnose C____ Powdery Mildew D____ Phytophthora Root Rot 10) Which of the following is not a people pressure disease? A____ Soil compaction from foot traffic B____ Drought due to a dry spring C____ Grade change due to the addition of a new garage D____ Road salt applied throughout winter

Name:____________________________________________________________________________ IAH No.:_ _________________________________________________________________________ Phone:____________________________________________________________________________ Email:_ ___________________________________________________________________________ Fax: 317-889-3935 or Mail: INLA, 7915 S. Emerson Ave., #247, Indianapolis, IN 46237

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Indiana nursery & Landscape association • www.inla1.org


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Donna Sheets, Executive Director INDIANA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION 7915 S. Emerson Ave., Suite 247 Indianapolis, IN 46237 January/February 2014 Address Service Requested

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