The Scoop - April 2023

JUDGES’ CHOICE

PLUS PREGNANT WORKER REQUIREMENTS

ALSO INSIDE: EFFECTIVE MARKETING IDEAS AND STRATEGIES

The

8 Events

10 Mop it Up!

President Randy Berg discusses the importance of connecting with one another, and your customers, at Northern Green.

16 Out & About

See what we’ve been up to!

33 Greenius

MNLA members receive discounted access to hundreds of training courses, job-site checklists, and employee development tools.

34 Nine “What” Questions Retailers Ask About Retail

Bob Phibbs covers nine common, and important, questions retailers have.

47 2023 Bowling Tournament Recap

Another fun and successful will provide $2,000 worth of scholarships for Anoka County Technical College.

53 Do Not Plant a Spruce Tree in Minnesota

Jason Pruett shares his thoughts on why spruce trees could be problematic in Minnesota.

63 2023 Day on the Hill Was a Huge Success!

Thanks to everyone who joined us and helped make our voices heard.

69 Garden Center Trays

Social

Order your trays today!

photo: Courtesy of Ground One Landscape Design + Build + Maintain. Table of Contents Images: Top Left: Travis Gienger Middle: iStock.com/BRO Vector. Bottom: iStock.com/Doucefleur. Top Right: iStock.com/IntergalacticDesignStudio.

MINNESOTA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

Successful Businesses Grow Here!

1813 Lexington Ave. N., Roseville, MN 55113

651-633-4987 • Fax: 651-633-4986

Outside the metro area, toll free: 888-886-MNLA, Fax: 888-266-4986

www.MNLA.biz • www.NorthernGreen.org

Mission: The mission of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association is to help members grow successful businesses.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Randy Berg, President

Berg’s Nursery, Landscape/Garden Center

507-433-2823 • randy@bergsnursery.com

Matt Mallas, Vice-President

SiteOne Landscape Supply

763-512-2849 • mmallas@siteone.com

Terri McEnaney, Secretary-Treasurer

Bailey Nurseries

651-459-9744 • terri.mcenaney@baileynursery.com

Susan Bachman West Bachman's, Inc.

612-861-7600 • sbachman@bachmans.com

Kim Gaida-Wagener

Rock Hard Landscape Supply

612-619-3312 • kgaida@rockhardmn.com

Greg Krogstad

Rainbow Treecare

952-922-3810 • gkrogstad@rainbowtreecare.com

Patrick McGuiness

Zlimen & McGuiness PLLC

651-331-6500 • pmcguiness@zmattorneys.com

John O’Reilly

Otten Bros. Garden Center and Landscaping

952-473-5425 • j.oreilly@ottenbros.com

Jim Shimon

Willow River Company — Landscaping & Tree Farm

715-386-3196 • jimshimon@willowrivertree.com

Cassie Larson, CAE

MNLA Executive Director

651-633-4987 • cassie@mnla.biz

STAFF DIRECTORY

Executive Director:

Cassie Larson, CAE • cassie@mnla.biz

Associate Director: Jon Horsman, CAE • jon@mnla.biz

Dir. of Government Affairs: Felipe Illescas • felipe@mnla.biz

Education & Cert Mgr: Hallie Chasensky • hallie@mnla.biz

Communications Coor: Brianna Burns • brianna@mnla.biz

Regulatory Affairs Mgr: Jim Calkins • jim@mnla.biz

Foundation Program Mgr: Paulette Sorenson • paulette@mnla.biz

Administrative Assistant: Louise Nemmers • louise@mnla.biz

Accountant: Pam Helgeson • accounting@mnla.biz

Advertising Sales: 763-295-5420

Betsy Pierre, Advertising Mgr • betsy@pierreproductions.com

Legislative Affairs Consultant: Doug Carnival

The Scoop, April 2023, Issue 4 is issued monthly, 12 times per year. All original works, articles or formats published in The Scoop are © Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association, 2023, and may not be used without written permission of MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113. Subscription price is $99 for one year, which is included with member dues. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Scoop, MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113.

Editorial Contributions. You are invited to share your expertise and perspective. Article ideas and manuscripts should, whenever possible, reflect real and specific experiences. When submitting an article, please contact the editor at brianna@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987. MNLA reserves the right to edit all Scoop content.

33RD ANNUAL WIDMER GOLF TOURNAMENT

Shotgun Starts at 8:30am. Come early! The Widmer Golf Tournament is an 18-hole, best ball scramble tournament with great networking, prizes, contests, golf, and more! Proceeds support research activities and education important to the green industry.

Crystal Lake Golf Club: 16725 Insbrook Drive, Lakeville, MN 55044 ➽ mnla.biz/events

MNLA FOUNDATION SHOOTOUT

This sporting clays tournament is fun for everyone and is a great way to spend time with colleagues and friends this fall. This is a 75-round course and the difficulty level is FUN! First time shooters are welcome, and guns are available for rent. Proceeds support workforce development.

Game Unlimited: 871 County Road E, Hudson, WI 54106 ➽ mnla.biz/events

MNLA PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION EXAM

Save the date! Sit for the exam to become an MNLA Certified Professional in 2023. Registration information to come. MNLA Office, Roseville, MN

MNLA PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION EXAM

Save the date! Sit for the exam to become an MNLA Certified Professional in 2023. Registration information to come. MNLA Office, Roseville, MN

MNLA PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION EXAM

Save the date! Sit for the exam to become an MNLA Certified Professional in 2023. Registration information to come. MNLA Office, Roseville, MN

MNLA PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION EXAM

Save the date! Sit for the exam to become an MNLA Certified Professional in 2023. Registration information to come. MNLA Office, Roseville, MN

PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION WORKSHOP

Obtain recertification credits by attending the Pesticide Recertification Workshop and have your current license scanned and checked by MDA. Applicators MUST bring their license identification card. Wilder Foundation, Saint Paul, MN

MNLA PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION EXAM

Save the date! Sit for the exam to become an MNLA Certified Professional in 2023. Registration information to come. MNLA Office, Roseville, MN

2023 MNLA seminars generously supported by:

Mop It Up!

Something big is happening. MNLA is moving the Northern Green to the RiverCentre in Saint Paul.

You may have heard about this. Before COVID the MNLA board discussed moving our hallmark event to a new venue. The continued rising cost of being at the convention center was of prime concern and much discussion and thought went into this decision. The move to the Saint Paul RiverCentre is bold, nerve-racking, and exciting all at once.

My days at this last Northern Green held at the Convention Center yielded some unique encounters. One of those encounters was with a vendor who had set up a booth for his first time there. This individual was a salesman from a large firm that has its own fall buying show. Although his company had been there many times, this was his first experience at Northern Green. Meeting him walking through the show and looking at other vendor booths I asked, “can we walk and talk together a bit?” He confided that his boss had sent him to assess whether this show had any value to their company. After all, they had their own show held three months prior to Northern Green that truly was a “buying show.” He said, “I haven’t written any orders yet, this probably is not a good fit for us.” I asked instead if he was able to greet and say hi to some of his customers. He responded “yes, a few people I haven’t been able to meet yet. Every time I stop in during the season, they are too busy to talk to me.” I told him many of us wear several hats and time is of a premium. Northern

Green gives us a brief time to take a breath and this is an opportunity for you to connect. No pressure. Time for buyers and owners to focus and reflect.

Knowing where his booth was located, I asked if he had noticed the salesperson who was next door to him. She is a well-known industry nursery stock salesperson who is very experienced and knows how to utilize her time to maximize sales. He responded, “Oh yeah, she’s always busy.” I said exactly. I told him that what she was doing was ‘mopping up’. He looked puzzled and I explained that mopping up was simply doing homework. Prior to Northern Green, she would comb over all orders that had been placed. She would organize them with notes to greet customers and bring to their attention anything they may have forgotten or overlooked. Doing this created sales. Doing this assisted her customers with the details they overlooked. Doing this created time well spent and profitable. Doing this was a service to the buyers and owners who are largely overworked. Doing this is much appreciated. She is a buying ‘partner’ looking out for her customers.

I could see the wheels were turning. I mentioned that Northern Green is very valuable even if you have your own show. Customers are relaxed and ready to chat for a few minutes. Your opportunities for sales are there. It just takes a little homework and willingness from you.

Randy Berg Berg’s Nursery

Thursday April 20, 2023 9:00am - 1:00pm

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THE JOURNEY TO GIANT!

HOW OUR VERY OWN TRAVIS GIENGER, grew North America’s largest pumpkin ever.

When I started a tiny little seed on April 10th, 2022, I had no clue that a season of twists and turns would be on the horizon. We always hope for the best but it all boils down to the fact that a lot can go wrong in 180 days of growing, especially growing outdoors in Minnesota.

I started my two plants indoors in April and grew them for a couple of weeks before transferring them outside to small hoop houses with soil-warming cables, heaters, and grow lights. I only grow two and really the goal is to just make one massive pumpkin to the scales. The 2022 spring if you can recall, was plagued with storms, winds, and hail. On multiple occasions, we had to take drastic measures to protect these plants by throwing air tarps over them.

When the plants emerged from a little larger structure in June it was still fairly cold, so the plants didn’t grow as much as I had hoped. I was able to get an early pollination, we hand pollinated by taking certain plant characteristics from one plant and crossing them with another. For example, we may have a very fast-growing pumpkin that isn’t super heavy but large and cross it with one that has thick walls. I pollinated the tiny pumpkin on June 10th about 19 feet down the main vine. That’s right, in 60 days from starting seed my plant was 23 × 30 feet, not bad for a cold start to June.

Five days after pollination I was burying vines with our very own greenhouse mix from Plaisted when tragedy stuck. The five-gallon bucket full of dirt slipped out of my hand and destroyed the pumpkin. For two days I was crushed. I even jumped on the growing forums and almost everyone agreed, this pumpkin was a goner! Me being me two days later I cut all the other pumpkins off and said, “nope this is the one, I’m all in.” Lo and behold the scars seem to heal over, the pumpkin began growing, and I thought this is going to be a crazy ride! I then nicknamed the pumpkin “Maverick” because in the film he crashed and came back so why can’t the pumpkin?

Maverick was growing well in the heart of the season, growing 1,450 pounds in 30 days. Usually, they peak at day 20 to 50 after pollination and can grow upwards of 60 pounds a day!

Travis Gienger Anoka County Technical College

Travis Gienger

Maverick was still slightly behind my 2020 pumpkin by about 50 pounds but in the weeks following didn’t slow down. It just kept on going and gaining pretty good weight. I let my plant keep growing until it amassed a space of 49x38 feet. I tend to grow larger plants because I feel just like a giant oak tree with roots spread way far out why not gain a little extra energy for the pumpkin?

We had some cold nights in August dipping down to 40 degrees on the button twice in the garden. I use a lot of technology, timers, cameras, humidity sensors, etc. to help me. We have the technology so why not use it? In fact, my WIFI sprinkler timer has several different programs and in the peak of the season, I am watering and fertilizing upwards of 14x a day. I can adjust depending on the sun, clouds, wind, and humidity. Despite the cold nights towards the end of August, the pumpkin had packed on another 800 pounds in August to bring it to an estimated 2200 pounds on the tape measure by September 1.

September is an absolute gamble in Minnesota, some years you hit a gorgeous September and in others, you have frost the first week so there are no guarantees after this. We hit a fairly decent weather trend in early September and were still growing well. When I saw the weather would turn brutal, I rounded up a bunch of friends and we ramshackled a structure over the massive plant to prevent frost and hopefully bump the temps a bit. We didn’t know the following days would be some of the windiest days of the year, so it was very challenging to keep the greenhouse in one piece.

Towards the end of the pumpkin growth,

SEPTEMBER IS AN ABSOLUTE GAMBLE IN MN, SOME YEARS YOU HIT A GORGEOUS SEPTEMBER AND IN OTHERS, YOU HAVE FROST THE FIRST WEEK SO THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES AFTER THIS. WE HIT A FAIRLY DECENT WEATHER TREND IN EARLY SEPTEMBER AND WERE STILL GROWING WELL.

All photos: Travis Gienger

you need to make sure the pumpkin stays dry, free of mice, and rotten spots. With two weeks to go a friend zoomed in on a tiny little rotten spot and pointed it out to me. I battled this little spot on the pumpkin to the end, we can only have a 3 × 3 inch spot on a pumpkin that is scraped away, and although that sounds like a lot this pumpkin was over 20 feet in circumference so very minor.

Picking day came at 5:00 am, Saturday, October 8 when it was 25 degrees and icy. We ended up harnessing this pumpkin, the first attempt didn’t work, and we dropped it like an inch. The next time was liftoff, we moved the massive 6.5 foot oak pallet under it with four people. When they almost had it in place, the pumpkin fell out of the harness slamming down on the pallet and ripping it out of their hands. First thought is everyone okay? Yes. Next thought, is the pumpkin okay? Possibly yes, but we aren’t lifting it again.

Alrighty, off to California we go win, lose, or draw. You might ask why California, but it is basically the super bowl of pumpkins. The event coordinator has access to all major news stations and the publicity you receive there is second to none. An added bonus is if you win you get $9 per pound. Off we went on a 35-hour drive with this pumpkin straight through the mountains. At one point in the night, Elk decided to cross in front of us. Stopping the trailer and pumpkin on a dime was a challenge but we made it to the weigh site in Half Moon Bay, California to meet the other growers and press. It looked like our chances were good, but little did we know the third largest pumpkin in U.S. history by measurement would be weighed off the same seed I had right before me. His weighed 2,425 pounds. It was now my turn and let me tell you I had no clue what it was going to be. It was estimated at 2510 but could be anywhere from 2350 to a new world record of over 2703. The scale flashed 2,560! Good enough for the win, $24,050 dollars, and the title of largest pumpkin to ever be grown outdoors!

After the weigh-off, the calls started coming in immediately, the Live with Kelly and Ryan show in New York wanted it instantly. The New York Times, The Washington Post, ABC, CNN, Yahoo, and TIME, along with outlets from Canada to Ireland to new Zealand to name just a few. The pumpkin nicknamed Maverick that survived bucket and harness drops was famous!

To top it all off, Maverick went on to be carved for the Guinness book of world record’s largest jack-o-lantern. Considering the shape of the pumpkin and the scars on it, it was actually a pretty neat carving. All in all, a year of ups and downs turned out to be a pretty incredible year.

➽ TRAVIS GIENGER is a professor at Anoka County Technical College and is the founder of Waterstone Fire Tables.

& SiteOne University and Gertens Wholesale & Professional Turf Supply Spring Education Expo

Andy Gangl of Rain Bird Irrigation

Horsman tested some of the equipment from SEK SUREBOND.

Jonathan Dorow and Craig Romans from Amcon Concrete Products/Borgert Products LLC: Two hardscape companies brought together by TCC Materials.

MNLA Associate Director Jon Horsman was happy to participate as industry suppliers hosted spring education and networking.

Steve Pallas and Justin Waters from Hunter Irrigation.

& Day on the Hill

MNLA Members blanketed the Minnesota State Capitol on Thursday, March 2, 2023 to speak with legislators on issues important to Minnesota’s green industry including duty to defend, liability protection for salt applicators, pesticide preemption, and electric equipment. Your voice makes a difference. Thanks to all those who participated in the Green Industry Day on the Hill and to all the legislators who took a few minutes to speak with our teams. Here are a few photos from the day.

If you missed it, plan to join us next year in March. Grassroots grow results!

 STEP UP!

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WITH

SUDDEN LOSS

starting to flip. Younger people who actively volunteer their time are increasingly growing, as older folks are doing so less and less. I suppose COVID could play a factor in this. In thinking about this, how can we get more participation in MNLA? The answer just might be to ASK! Another angle might be to ask those who are younger and more willingly to try something new. We can be specific in asking. I have written Scoop articles, participated on the Communications + Technology committee and am now a Foundation Board of Trustees member, specifically because I was asked.

day-to-day responsibilities. Some of these responses are tangible incentives that came from volunteering!

Voice Concerns

How do we spark the same passion in others, or even ourselves? How do we get young people involved and engaged in this line of work? It feels overwhelming to get involved in the industry with our busy professional and personal lives. What does it take to get someone to participate and what does someone get out of the choice to do so?

Volunteer

In reading up about volunteerism, I found some great tips on how to engage new participants. One was to make sure opportunities are known to potential volunteers and that a detailed description of responsibilities and expectations are available. You can find opportunities at mnla.biz/committees. Short-term commitments would fall into task teams or volunteering to talk with local students. Longer-term would be committee assignments.

Below is a list of committees MNLA offers:

• Board Development

• Career Development

• Communications and Technology

• Education & Certification

• Government Affairs

• Membership

• Networking

• Trade Show

Ask

Data I have found suggests people over the age of 35 historically volunteer more than those under the age of 35, yet those stats are

Engage

There has been a change of focus for the MNLA Foundation Board of Trustees. Initially, the Foundation provided financial support for research and education in our state. Now, the focus has shifted to changing the way young adults look at horticulture as a career path and funding to support education. Taking this into consideration, we all should focus on engaging young people through volunteer and networking opportunities. Strategies for doing so could include leading by example, speaking about tangible incentives, and providing a fun atmosphere of social networking. Give people the ‘what is in it for them.’ This can provide a more stable and engaged workforce. Did you know that a more engaged employee is 17% more productive? That equates to almost one whole day a week of production!

Grow Professionally

I was interviewed at Northern Green this year and was asked how MNLA has helped me and my business. At first I was unsure; outside of the standard “networking” response, I was searching for something more specific than that. After further thought, I can say that I have personally gained sound legal advice and support, wonderful human resource help, employees, training opportunities, friendships, partnerships, business advice and support from others that have similar

Also at Northern Green, I was encouraged to participate in MNLA’s Day on the Hill.  I was told it would be fun… and it was! It was invigorating to be around others passionate about our industry and the issues that affect us all. I was excited to talk to my state representatives and be an active citizen, exercising my rights. There were only about 30 of us representing MNLA that day, while MNLA encompasses over 1100 companies, 41,500 employees and has a $3.5 billion direct effect on our state’s economy.  What would happen if we doubled or tripled our presence on this day? I have to say that it was fun to share my individual story with people who can directly contribute to making all of our voices heard for all Minnesotans. I also learned a lot. The issues in which MNLA is interested and following include:

• End of Duty to Defend

• Support Slip and Fall Liability Reform

• Sales and Use Tax Reform

• Support Backflow Reform

• Non-Electric Powered Lawn & Garden Equipment Prohibited

• Pesticide Preemption

Will You Step Up?

You have the power to shape our future! I encourage everyone to go out of their comfort zone and volunteer for one new thing this year. At MNLA and within our local green industry, we have some very large shoes to fill with the loss of Jay. Who will be the next to step up? Just imagine what might come from that decision….

THE

OF JAY SIEDSCHLAW THIS WINTER, I was struck by the huge hole someone with such a strong presence in MNLA now leaves. I was just getting to know Jay, and was impressed by how involved and passionate he was about this industry.

➽ SHAY LUNSETH is the owner of Organic Lawns by LUNSETH and sits on the MNLA Foundation Board of Trustees.

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A COMPANY’S ROI

The Green Industry Leadership Institute includes these tangible takeaways:

1. The students learn tips and tricks and gain advice from Green Industry presenters. Students are collecting ideas from other green industry veterans each time they meet, improving processes and realizing new strategies. This is a continual improvement opportunity for the company. Sponsors and managers can be key influencers by engaging with the student monthly to hear suggestions and support their leadership development.

2. The projects the students manage and execute are designed to improve their company in a meaningful way.

Note that these are projects that affect the entire company, not small individual projects that only help the student get their own tasks done. The process of choosing and developing the project includes rounds of feedback from the sponsor, facilitator and fellow students.

3. Students develop a network of peer advisors as they grow and advance in their career. This network builds Green Industry alliances, provides feedback on continued development, and expands opportunities for the company.

4. Students are prepared to take a stronger and more confident leadership role in your company. Feedback from sponsors indicate that individuals who have graduated truly appreciate their company’s investment in them, become more confident in their roles, and become more aware of how they affect the organization’s success.

5. Connections with MNLA staff mean students are more likely to be called upon to provide industry-wide leadership. Students gain a closer relationship with the MNLA organization and can step into a volunteer-leadership role in an area they feel can make a difference for them personally, as well as represent their company on a regional-state level.

GILI is a unique leadership program custom-designed with a Green Industry focus. It is open to a select cohort each year. The course meets 10 times during the year, covering topics chosen based on feedback from the MNLA community. It incorporates highly interactive exercises, discussions, lecture-style learning, and project-based activities and sessions. Using these multiple learning methods creates a rich adult-learning environment.

Develop the next leader in your business next year with this proven MNLA program!

EFFECTIVE LAWN CARE

MARKETING IDEAS & STRATEGIES

Reprinted with permission from the Landscape Management Network

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU DID A MAJOR OVERHAUL of your company’s lawn care marketing strategy?

Having a user-friendly website and automated email marketing is a solid start but it’ll take more than that to stay competitive. Here are fresh lawn care marketing ideas to give your business an edge in 2023.

Understand Your Target Audience

Your target audience is simply the group of people who are most likely to become customers. Understanding your target audience is key to developing a winning lawn care advertising strategy.

Different Demographics: Your customers’ age, gender, location, hobbies, and interests are all relevant information that’ll help you target your ads more effectively. This valuable data will help segment your customers and create tailored messages that stand out.

How to research your target audience: Take the guesswork out of trying to analyze your target audience and try these effective research methods:

• Use web analytics to gain insights into customer behavior

• Conduct surveys or questionnaires with current customers

• Analyze customer data from social media platforms

• Utilize market research tools and online databases

This step can drain your resources, so it’s worth investing in quality software.

Strategize for your target audience: Use your actionable data to improve your marketing plan. Here are some examples of what you can do to engage your target audience:

• Create targeted email campaigns

• Develop segmented online ads and social media campaigns

• Publish content that caters to the interests of your customer base

• Find ways to get creative with your marketing materials (think videos, GIFs, interactive quizzes)

• Focus on giving customers answers to their questions and needs

• Developing an email newsletter with helpful information on lawn care

Utilize Online Platforms

for

Marketing Studies show that up to 85% of customers research businesses online before buying. The internet is your most valuable asset when it comes to lawn care marketing in 2023. Here are some of the best ways to make the most out of digital platforms:

• Start using social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram to reach out to customers

• Utilize email marketing automation tools for personalized messages

Online presence: Your online presence includes your website, blog, and other digital channels. Multi-channel digital marketing is a strategy used to increase reach and engagement. Today’s customers are in front of screens constantly. Try these methods to stand out:

• Creating a professional website that’s easy to navigate and mobile-friendly

• Writing blog posts about lawn care topics that are valuable to customers

• Using influencer marketing campaigns to advertise your services

Creating a website for lawn care services: Your top priority should be to create a website that’s user-friendly and optimized for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Improve your user experience (UX) with features such as an intuitive navigation bar and a simple booking process. Make sure your website is designed for both desktop and mobile devices. Invest in collecting and displaying customer reviews and testimonials to boost buyer confidence. Your website should also be a hub of helpful and relevant lawn care content. Consider posting monthly or weekly blog posts or video tutorials that incorporate SEO and increase your site visits.

Social media: Never underestimate the power of social media marketing. As of 2021, over 3.6 billion people are using social networks, making them an invaluable platform to reach out to potential customers. Make sure your content is easy to find, share, and understand. Here are some best practices:

• Engage in conversations with customers on social media platforms

• Make use of paid ads on social media to reach wider audiences

• Use stories, GIFs, polls, and quizzes to make your posts more interactive

• Encourage customers to leave comments and repost

SEO: SEO is the marketer’s ace card for scoring organic visibility. This is the practice of optimizing web pages and content for higher search engine rankings so more people can find your website on Google, Yahoo, or Bing. Here are some tips to improve your SEO:

Reinholds.

THE INTERNET IS YOUR MOST VALUABLE ASSET WHEN IT COMES TO LAWN CARE MARKETING IN 2023.

• Research and utilize relevant keywords

• Optimize images with alt text

• Include meta descriptions for improved CTR (Click-Through Rate)

• Create backlinks to improve link building

Local SEO is a subset of SEO that focuses on optimizing your website for users within a specific geographic location. This is especially important for lawn care businesses because many customers prefer to buy services from companies nearby.

Incentives and Referral Programs

One of the most effective ways to market your lawn care service is through loyal brand ambassadors. Happy customers provide free advertising through word of mouth and studies show that referrals are the primary driver of new business. That’s why you should consider rewarding customers for referrals with discounts, freebies, or even cash rewards.

Offering incentives to customers: Incentives can go a long way to show customer appreciation and inspire loyalty. Think about offering discounts for first-time customers, loyalty programs, or seasonal promotions. Here are some examples of highly successful of lawn care service incentive programs:

• Offer a discount with the purchase of multiple services

• Introduce loyalty programs that reward customers for booking with you consistently

• Create seasonal promotions to attract customers during slower months

• Run contests or giveaways to generate more leads and website visits

How to create a successful referral program: Recent industry reports found that referred customers have a 30% higher conversion rate and a 37% higher retention rate than leads generated from other marketing channels. If your landscaping and lawn care service is primarily a local business, referrals can be a great way to acquire new customers. It could be the difference between servicing one business or all the companies in a business park!

In simple terms, a referral program is a program that rewards customers for referring friends, family, or colleagues to your business. Here are some tips for creating a successful system:

• Communicate the value of referrals

• Create an easy-to-understand system and explain it clearly on your website

• Ensure that you incentivize both the referrer and referred customer

• Make sure your rewards are attractive

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enough for customers to get excited about

• Follow up with customers to ensure the referral process is running smoothly

Utilizing customer reviews for marketing: As mentioned earlier, customer reviews are a valuable asset to any lawn care business. Studies show that 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Additionally, 72% of customers won’t take action until they read reviews about your service first. That’s why leveraging positive customer reviews should be one of your top marketing priorities in 2023.

For best results, streamline the customer review process. Make it easy for potential customers to read and leave reviews by adding a review widget on your website. Additionally, don’t forget to respond to both positive and negative feedback. Positive feedback should be responded to with a thank you message, while negative feedback should be responded to with an apology and solution-oriented response.

Email marketing in customer retention: The beauty of email marketing is that it can be automated and customized. You can set up automated emails to be sent on specific dates or trigger responses when customers take certain actions. At the same time, email marketing does not have to be generic. You can tailor emails to individual customers with personalized recommendations for services or offers.

Email marketing can be used for lawn care businesses to reinforce brand loyalty and encourage customer retention. An effective email marketing strategy for lawn care businesses should include:

• A welcome message introducing the customer to your company, services, and values.

• Automated emails throughout the year reminding customers of special deals, seasonal services, or discounts.

• Cutting-edge emails with personalized recommendations for products, services, and offers.

Traditional Marketing Techniques

Digital marketing is trending, but tried-andtrue traditional marketing methods are still highly effective at acquiring new customers.

One key advantage is that traditional marketing techniques offer a sense of legitimacy and trustworthiness that digital marketing does not always provide. Try incorporating these traditional marketing techniques with your digital ones for a well-balanced advertising campaign.

Flyers and brochures: In the lawn care industry, flyers and brochures are essential for promoting your services and educating customers, especially if your reps go door-todoor. Invest in high-quality printing to make sure every detail is perfect – from colors and designs to fonts and content.

Direct mail marketing: Direct mail is an effective way to reach out to potential customers who live in your service area. The open rate for direct mail is much higher than other marketing mediums — the average response rate is 4.4%, compared to email’s 0.12%. Additionally, customers tend to be more likely to act upon direct mail due to its physicality. You can also add a personal touch by including hand-written notes that explain your services and how you can help solve customer problems.

Local advertising: Because most landscaping clients are local, local advertising is key to effective lawn care marketing. Try targeting customers that live in your area by running ads on local radio stations or television channels. You can also place ads in local newspapers and magazines. Additionally, local events like fairs and festivals are great venues for advertising your services, as you can actually interact with potential customers face-to-face.

Community events: Getting involved in your local community is a fun and meaningful way to spread awareness about your business. Partner with other local businesses and organizations to put on events like charity drives or park clean-up days. You can even organize your own community events, such as a lawn care seminar to teach people how to properly care for their lawns.

This type of marketing will not only help bring attention to your lawn care business, continued on page ( 70)

DIRECT MAIL IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO REACH OUT TO POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS WHO LIVE IN YOUR SERVICE AREA.

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The Power of Employee Development

HOW EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT WITH GREENIUS WILL SOLVE SOME OF YOUR BUSINESS’S MOST PAINFUL CHALLENGES.

Take Ownership Cultivate Culture

Use systems to leverage people’s strengths

Boost confidence. create competence and encourage collaboration

Having a proper onboarding and training process that builds on the care and attention given to someone’s development over their first few weeks on the job is shown to improve employee retention by up to 82%.

Engage Your People

Create meaning through opportunity

Offer learning and development

Create clear career paths

Enable your leaders to focus on what they do best instead of constantly having to “put out fires” because of untrained crews and new employees.

Promote teamwork, reinforce staff “buy-in”, create accountability, build trust.

Create a winning culture that focuses your team and drives your business to achieveing it’s goals.

Reduce Risk+Waste

Proper education around equipment & safe working practices results in fewer workplace accidents.

Fewer Injuries & lost-time claims

Ecourages staff to be mindful of their work behaviours

Proper education around equipment use and maintenance

Less broken or misused equipment

Less money spent on repairing or replacing equipment prematurely.

“WHAT” QUESTIONS

Bob Phibbs

The Retail Doctor

WHAT DOES GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE LOOK LIKE?

When done right, great customer service creates an exceptional experience and shouldn’t really look like anything. The retailer should be letting the customer know that they are the most important person in the world for those few minutes. They are treated open-heartedly by employees inclined to meet new people, share something about themselves, and help someone. All that should be so seamless that all the customer thinks when walking away or hanging up the phone is Wow! That was an exceptional experience!

What are brands actually selling?

A feeling. The best brands can be captured in a few words, much like a movie’s main theme. For E.T., it was getting home; for most detective films, it's finding whodunnit. For consumer brands like Ralph Lauren, it’s an idealized Americana; for Prada, it’s the luxury lifestyle; for Eddie Bauer, it is the spirit of adventure. Brands where you can’t quickly pinpoint the feeling they are selling will struggle.

What are the positive results of a great location?

A great location in retail is the difference between success and failure. You can lease a shop 100 feet off the main drag in your home-

town to save money, but you’ll give those savings back in promotions, ads, and a constant drive to get people in the door. Leasing a killer location next to a busy restaurant will only help if you can be open all the hours it is open.

What are sales techniques?

Much like the outline of a book, retail sales techniques tell the associate how a sale should progress from greeting the customers, building rapport, showing them around, presenting the merchandise, closing the sale, and inviting them to return. These sales techniques ensure a thoroughly satisfying shopping experience. Without retail sales training, employees look at sales as hit or miss.

What are three ways to approach a customer at a store?

Smile before you do anything. Meet their eyes. Say, “Good morning.”

What is something I should know about opening a store?

It will take longer to become profitable than you first think; ensure you have enough money. You don’t want to look at every customer like they have to buy something or no one will.

What attracts customers to a store?

Customers want to be where it is busy. New stores and newly remodeled stores attract

customers, just like new merchandise. That’s partly why location is key but also why training your employees to move throughout your store is so important. Shoppers want to see they won’t be the only ones in that store.

What is easier to increase, sales or foot traffic?

It is easier to increase sales because sales depend not on getting more customers but on getting more out of the customers you already have. Marketing stops at the front door, and there is little an employee can do to alter foot traffic. But once a customer steps through your brick-and-mortar doors, a welltrained salesperson can increase conversions dramatically.

What is retail merchandising?

Also referred to as visual merchandising, this describes how you arrange the products in a store. It could be everything from the display fixtures and signage to the type of products and how they are displayed.

➽ BOB PHIBBS, The Retail Doctor, is a nationally recognized business strategist, customer service expert, sales coach, marketing mentor, and retail author. To learn exactly how to provide retail sales training in a system that is easy to duplicate and train, contact Bob at www.RetailDoc.com.

Left: iStock.com/Liudmila Chernetska. Top: iStock.com/ChristianChan

Judges’ Choice Award Project Profile

Cedar

Lake

Mid-Century

BY THE TEAM AT GROUND ONE LANDSCAPE DESIGN + BUILD + MAINTAIN

Trees, Please –AmericanHort

Last year’s Inflation Reduction Act includes $1.5 billion in new funding to expand urban forestry and tree planting activities, especially in disadvantaged communities which are said to often have 30 percent less tree cover than more economic-

Each year the MNLA Landscape Awards program judges choose their top three projects as they review and evaluate all entries. These votes are tallied and the winning project is announced first at the Green Industry Awards Celebration held the Tuesday of Northern Green week. This project represents the jury’s favorite project, chosen from all entries that year. The winner of the 2023 Judges Choice Award is Cedar Lake Mid-Century.

Project Description

The client purchased a home on the west shore of Cedar Lake in Minneapolis. The home is perched on a bluff and has uninterrupted views of the lake and downtown skyline. The home was to undergo a major renovation and we were brought into the process by the architect to help with viewsheds, drainage, impermeable surface limitations, parking concerns, topography and to help marry the outside of the home with the inside as many of the same features are used for both.

The design process involved the challenging selection of a basalt flooring which was used indoors and out. With this important selection completed, we could begin designing the project within the many confines of the zoning lot setbacks and impermeable surface challenges. The main hardscapes of the project are all installed as permeable solutions. Terraces and the auto court are installed on a bed of clear rock and rainwater is directed through open joints into the ground for easy recycling and no runoff. Roof

water is captured in catch boxes and directed into drywells where it seeps back into the ground. This includes a rain chain near the entry door which reads as a beautiful, functional design feature. These specific water solutions were an important piece of working with the city to get the project permitted.

A large custom metal fire feature is the centerpiece of the front terrace. It is made of steel and powder coated black to match the metal feature on the home. It has a 6-footlong burner that has a beautiful line of fire that dances about. Seat walls flank both sides of the front terrace with the stone patio treads turned vertical and capped with thermal bluestone. A dining table and smaller seating arrangement mimic the furniture style used inside the home. A freestanding gas grill is tucked out of view from inside the home on the patio. The large space lends itself well to entertaining groups large and small.

The front entrance of the home has the largest direct connection inside and out. We used the same basalt tiles to create a large

ally well-off neighborhoods. The White House and U.S. Forest Service detailed coming plans for the funding in a recent webinar, which AmericanHort attended. A “notice of funding opportunity” will be announced during April, and will close at the end of May. Funds

will flow through the Forest Service’s existing Urban and Community Forestry program, and will require a 100% match; the match requirement will be waived for disadvantaged communities. Governments, community tree planting groups, and other entities will be eligible

to apply for the funds. Funds will be spent over the next 10 years. We will share details as they become available.

Investments in urban tree canopy and green infrastructure are a positive recognition of the human health, wellness, and environmental bene-

fits associated with trees and urban greening. One cautionary note — tree planting initiatives have sometimes led to wellintended but poorlyexecuted schemes that saw volunteer groups funded to essentially compete with privatesector businesses.

AmericanHort is

Photos and plan courtesy of:

Ground One Landscape Design + Build + Maintain

entryway which runs adjacent to an indoor hallway which is all glass. Whether you are inside or out, the feeling that is created is a feeling of space and connection to the outdoors. To add greenspace, we added a small Japanese Maple as an upright element with groundcover beneath. This allows for landscape lighting to illuminate the way to the front door at night.

An auto court replaced a partially tucked-in garage. The alley has a substantial grade up to the new garage which left some topography challenges. These were solved by creating retaining walls of burnished block installed in stack bond taken from a que of the large chimney and egress window well. The walls are capped with thermal bluestone to tie all of the design elements together nicely. Bluestone is used to create a staircase which leads guests from the auto court up to the main entrance of the home. The bluestone elements have a subtle contrast to the darker basalt of the walking surfaces and the white burnished walls. The overhang of the caps creates a place to disguise under cap lights which are stunning in the evening. A neutral concrete parking surface blends right in and does not distract from the overall presence of the home.

Simple, low maintenance plantings support the modern clean lines of the landscape. Several large custom

monitoring this program accordingly.

Find Out Which Input Costs are Changing the Fastest

Prior to the recent global pandemic (effectively beginning Q1 2020), the green industry was in the mature stage of its industry life cycle. As

such, there was margin compression occurring in the industry, where prices were slow to increase due to real and perceived competitive forces while, at the same time, the costs of the inputs used to produce these products were increasing. Even in situations where industry firms were

able to increase prices for their plants, the costs of production inputs rose more quickly and margins across the entire industry were being “squeezed.” Results from this indexing analysis indicate that the weighted Index of Prices Paid by Growers ranges from 100 in

fabricated powder-coated raised planters were strategically placed to add easily accessible gardening. Upright evergreens and clump aspens were installed along the narrow side yard to offer privacy. The aspens are up-lit which creates a stunning look from inside the home or out in the yard.

The goals for this project were achieved and the homeowners are thrilled with their new indoor/outdoor space. The landscape design seamlessly connects the home to the landscape.

Judge’s Comments

• There is not only unity outside, but also unity between outdoor spaces and indoor spaces by using the basalt tiles for both. Color is also repeated indoors and outdoors.

• An award winner. Considerations about unifying indoors and outdoors through use of same materials; water conservation and reducing hardcover; picking up features of the home and using them in the landscape; great, simple, seating areas.

• The outdoor space and indoor space fit together. Hats off to the client and architect who brought in the design firm at the beginning of the remodel.

2007 to a high of 159.8 in 2022. This means that the overall cost of producing nursery and greenhouse crops is almost 60% higher in 2022 than it was in 2007, with labor experiencing the largest increase (69.8% higher in 2022) among these inputs. First developed in 2017 as part of the Your

MarketMetrics industry benchmarking program, The Indexes of Prices Paid by Growers, has annually documented inflationary pressures on inputs paid by green industry growers. Download your copy of the National Index at https://bit.ly/ 3mNoHUG.

Here is a before view of the old block garage that is to be replaced with a parking area. The photo also shows the home that is under construction in the background. Note that the existing fence to the right is to remain for privacy.

Here is a construction photo showing the concrete forms for the steps and the footings for the masonry retaining wall.

Here is a construction photo showing the permeable parking area under construction with 24” of clear stone base material and geo-textile material underneath.

This is an after photo of the parking area with plantings and basalt boulders that serve at parking bollards.

Here’s an image showing the illumination provided by the light fixtures that are tucked under the cap of the masonry wall. The landscape lighting helps to create a safe and inviting entry experience for the home.

Here’s another image of the main entry patio space showing the sidewalk on the very left side going down to the parking area. The basalt tiles inside the home are the same material and orientation as the entry patio paving.

This image shows how nicely the masonry steps lead guests to the front door and entry patio area. Note how the masonry walls repeat the exact aesthetic and material used for the chimney.

This image shows undeniable connection between the inside and outside spaces. The stone tiles selected by the client are flamed and brushed basalt and are the same inside and outside the home. The inside tiles are installed with a 3/16” grout joint whereas when outside they were installed with a 3/16” wide open joint to allow permeability.

Here’s an image showing the gravel path, plantings and landscape lighting that leads visitors around the home to the east patio space.

Here’s a great image of the built-in custom natural gas fire feature and east patio with two separate conversation areas.

Here’s an image of the east patio as viewed from inside the home that shows the strong connection between inside the home and the landscape outside. The views of Cedar Lake and downtown Minneapolis are spectacular.

This interesting view from above shows the complete landscape layout and how everything is connected. Note how the parking area and main entry of the home are connected with a set of steps on an angle that aligns guests perfectly with the front entry door. The solar panels on the home are never seen but show the clients commitment to alternative energy and energy conservation.

• Excellent workmanship, design, material selection. Really great unity throughout this site, indoors and outdoors.

• There are functional seating areas, cooking spaces, the accessibility works, etc. But this design really works because the designer was knowledgeable and paid close attention to the need to manage water through the use of permeable surfaces where there were impermeable surfaces previously.

• A key point from the designer: “These specific water solutions were an important piece of working with the city to get the project permitted.” I am glad to read this and that some MN designers are so environmentally focused.

• Excellent craftsmanship. The changing elevations were considered and managed well. The use of the basalt pavers in and out, and picking up the design of the chimney in the wall is really lovely, thoughtful work.

This final image shows the symmetry of the home and east patio space with the built-in custom natural gas fire feature and gas grill tucked into the corner and out of view from the home.

A KEY POINT FROM THE DESIGNER: “THESE SPECIFIC WATER SOLUTIONS WERE AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF WORKING WITH THE CITY TO GET THE PROJECT PERMITTED.” I AM GLAD TO READ THIS AND THAT SOME MN DESIGNERS ARE SO ENVIRONMENTALLY FOCUSED.

➽ SPECIAL THANKS TO the 2023 Landscape Awards Program Sponsors: Bachman’s Wholesale Nursery & Hardscapes and Gertens Wholesale & Professional Turf Supply.

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Our location for mulch pick-ups, manufacturing, shipping & brush disposal is: 405 Hardman Avenue S., South St. Paul, MN 55075

BOWLING

TOURNAMENT RECAP

NE W SCOOP COMING

In Januar y, MNLA will be introducing a redesigned Scoop Our goal is to provide even greater value to you, the member, through this vital communication ser vice. To do that, we need to know what your current needs are! We would like to gather your feedback on how you read The Scoop, which content you value most, and what you wish we would include Please take five minutes and give us your opinions via a quick 5-question sur vey found here: http://www.sur veymonkey.com/s/ScoopFeedback. If you’d rather for ward your comments via email, send those to jon@mnla.biz.

www.frostserv.com

WRITERS WANTED

MINNESOTA UPCOMING AUCTIONS

May 5th – Online Only

40+ Golf Cart Virtual Auction Glencoe, Minnesota

May 9th – Online Only

Tools & Business Equipment Glencoe, Minnesota

May 9th – Online Only

We’re also looking for members who love to write – members who want to share useful information, ideas, and innovations with their fellow members in the association’s monthly magazine. Write from the perspective of your industr y segment (landscape install, garden center, grower, etc.); share knowledge on business management or human resources; or offer insights via our soon-to-premiere features “Ideas That Work” and “My Favorite Tool ” To offer your ser vices and/or receive information on deadlines and other parameters, email susan@mnla.biz or call Sue Flynn or Jon Horsman at 651-633-4987.

Willems Farm Retirement Auction Carver, Minnesota

May 18 – Online Only

Kahnke’s Tree Farm Inventory Auction Plato, Minnesota

June 1st

Hoffman Construction Retirement Auction New Ulm, Minnesota

June 6th

Upper Midwest Summer Construction Equip & Truck Auction Glencoe, Minnesota

As one of the fastest growing auctioneers in the country, Jeff Martin Auctioneers is idealy positioned to help businesses continue operating with the bottom line in mind. Our mission is to deliver practical auction solutions in a professional manner with a personal touch. Experience the difference at Jeff Martin Auctioneers.

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CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENDED AT GREEN INDUSTRY

BOWLING TOURNAMENT

MPSFMA Does it Again! Members from the Minnesota Park and Sports Field Management Association (MPSFMA) successfully defended their championship at the 2nd Annual Green Industry Bowling Tournament, hosted by the MNLA Foundation and MTGF (Minneso ta Turf & Grounds Foundation), which was held on March 8 at Flaherty’s Bowl in Arden Hills. Second place honors also went to MPSFMA as Plaisted Companies, Pioneer Athletics and representa tives from the Minnesota Twins bowled great, too. Participants bowled two games using five-person teams. The two advancing first-round winners of the final four teams had scores of 190–189, then in the Championship game the score was 178–158 in favor of MTGF/MPSFMA.

The collaborative scholarship fundraiser was a great success! With the help of many sponsors, and the generosity of participants, the Green Industry Bowling Tournament raised funds to support two scholarships to two promising students. This year, the scholarships will go to Anoka Technical College where Travis Gienger’s online Turf Management program will begin later this year.

Special thanks to the following businesses for their support: Hiway Federal Credit Union (1st Place Team Prize); Frost Spray Technology Products (Highest Score Individual); Tessman Company (Dinner); Plaisted Companies (Lowest Score Prize); Twin City Seed Company (Two $50 gift cards); Minnesota Sod Company (Super Ticket and Bowling Ball Prize Package); Ramy Turf (Drink Tickets); HSL Outdoor (Two Scholarship Donations), Gertens Wholesale & Professional Turf Supply (Premium Bowling Ball Prize), and Eco Works Supply (Four Cahart Lunch

MNLA Foundation and MTGF have come together to promote industry careers and promises to deliver tools and promotion to enhance the

Coolers).

Top left image: iStock.com/IntergalacticDesignStudio

Middle Right: Champions from MPSFMA are, from the left, Greg Brodd, Turfco Manufacturing; Jason Goehring, City of Plymouth, Herb Koch, Jr. Magic Turf, Mike McDonald, CSFM, retired, and Derek Hollanitsch, City of St. Paul. McDonald rolled a 233 for high game.

Bottom Right: Runners-up and representing MPSFMA were, from the left: Sue Craig, Plaisted Companies; Luke Wittrock, University of Minnesota; Trent Waters, Minnesota Twins; Jenny Schwab, Plaisted Companies, and Tom O’Hern, Pioneer Athletics.

LANDSCAPE BUSINESS PARTNER WANTED

Garden Market and Landscape, LLC is a custom landscape installation and design company located in Carver County, Minnesota. We are seeking a business partner. Candidate must have general knowledge of the business. Experience in estimates, sales, CAD design and landscape installation. Bobcat and attachment operation experience would be great. No equity required. Up to $40,000 investment desired, but not necessary.

Email letter of interest to Stephen Spartz, Owner at landscapeoutdoorspaces@gmail.com.

If you know of a landscaper looking for an opportunity pass my info along. Any other questions, please call 507-508-0542.

THANK YOU.

image of nursery, greenhouse, landscape, lawn and turf, irrigation, and tree care professions. By partnering, your investments have a real impact on getting students interested and involved in the green industry.

MTGF is a group of green industry professionals comprising: Minnesota Association of Cemeteries (MAC), Minnesota Park and

Sports Field Management Association (MPSFMA), Minnesota Turf Association (MTA), Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents Association (MGCSA), Minnesota Society of Arboriculture (MSA), Minnesota Facility Management Professionals (MASMS), Minnesota Turf Seed Council (MTSC) and the University of Minnesota.

TOOLS FOR SUCCESS

The right tools for a job can mean the difference between fast, efficient work and costly mistakes. At SiteOne® , we stock the highest-quality natural stone and manufactured hardscape products, along with the tools and accessories needed to produce exceptional spaces. Plus, our knowledgeable hardscape experts can help guide you with advice on selecting and using the right products and tools you need for success.

ALMI Splitters

Artforms by Belgard

Trap Rock Steps

Castle Collection from USI

Pro-Trade Tools

Jason Pruett Treehugger Tree Care, Inc.

LONG GONE ARE THE DAYS of having the “nice” Colorado Blue Spruce (Picea pungens) that you saw on your trip to the mountainsides of Colorado do well in our MN growing environment (for that matter any Picea (spruce tree).

The lovely green screens, apical shapes, and the smell of the forest may be a thing of the past. Similar to the ash tree, the spruce tree is now becoming a thing of history in Minnesota and has been taken off my spring planting list for my clients.

I adopted about 20 spruce trees at my home in 2011 and began a spray, fertilization, and tree health care program on them that fall. To my dismay, I have come to a stalemate on improving the issues that they came with. I have one I will remove this winter, and soon my lovely 60' spruce that I hang Christmas lights on every year will come down too.

What I do know is that my neighbors, family, and visitors truly appreciate the glow of the 1,500 lights that I put on it. It will be a sad day when I have to remove it due to some of the issues below.

Unlike untreated ash trees who will succumb to 300 Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) larvae that will tunnel and girdle the sapwood, spruce trees have MILLIONS of microscopic fungal spores and ten’s of thousands of small spider mites that continue to compromise the lovey green needles that we are so used to seeing in Minnesota. The one advantage that ash trees have is a 99% effective insecticide in protecting them from EAB that can be applied every two years. The sad fact of annual spruce treatments can range in effectiveness but might be dealing with about half of the hope that ash trees have.

What Minnesota spruce trees are up against:

• Pre and Post-Planting: Nursery standards are fairly poor in Minnesota, but one thing nurseries know how to do right is continue to “dope” the spruce trees with fertilizers, growth hormones, compost, and massive amounts of fungicides to treat needle cast and spider mite concerns from the first years of growth to the market ready 5' to 6' growing heights when they are ready to finally “ball and burlap” the tree for sale and sell on the

tree market. Then we take this highly cared for tree and place it in an exponentially “less favorable” growing environment which is just a recipe for disaster for any long-term health of a spruce tree. Most spruce trees sold in local nurseries are NOT native to Minnesota, therefore they are out of their native range, and this as you may rightly conjecture is typically not a good thing for a plant, at least for plants that have the issues that we see spruce trees have out of there native range. (See the 1, 2, 3 Knockout).

• For every one, well-planted spruce tree that has been planted using the ANSI A300 standard, I find 15 that are inappropriately planted, the majority of the time they are planted way too deep.

• Watering a spruce tree is an art; they are a bit fussy with watering. They prefer drip irrigation right to the soil instead of the ever so popular sprinkler irrigation that most people dose with water two–three times a week. Getting needles wet multiple times a week is not good for the tree and becomes a breeding ground for fungal concerns. Spruce trees also like water well into the autumn time when most sprinklers are shut off. If there is no snow on the ground and the ground is still unfrozen, drip irrigation is great for a spruce. Unfortunately, when the irrigation is shut off, about mid-September spruces can easily dry out prior to semi-dormancy. Unlike the trees that lose their leaves in the fall (deciduous) spruce trees (conifers) keep their leaves (needles) on all year and can be prone to drying out and becoming more stressed in the growing environment.

Middle Life Crisis: The 1, 2, 3, Knockout (TKO)!!!

I’m seeing younger trees have the middle-life crisis sooner in recent years and in the past decade I’ve seen MANY 20-30-year-old spruces die because of massive populations of insect and fungal issues:

• PUNCH 1: Rhizosphaera and Stigmina Needle Cast disease are caused by the fungus Rhizosphaera kalkhoffii and Stigmina lautii is probably the most common needle disease in Minnesota on spruce trees. The fungal pathogen overwinters on living and recently killed needles. Spores, called conidia, are dispersed by splashing water spring through early autumn. New needles on the lower

branches are most commonly infected but, if conditions are very favorable for infection (extended periods of moisture on the needles at 77° F), any needles can become infected. After three to four years of severe infection, the lowest branches may begin to die. Infected needles typically fall off in the summer, 12–15 months after the initial infection. Infected trees have thin canopies. Sometimes treatment of the disease is “too late,” but Needle Cast diseases of spruce are treatable. Within a few years of treatment (four–five years), an infested spruce tree can start to look better, but left untreated for too long, a severe case of needle cast can lead to continual thinning and eventual decline of the affected tree if spring weather is conducive to infection year after year. Timing of the sprays is difficult and effectiveness can be only 40%–60% in protection. Specific Intergraded Pest Management (IPM) spray programs are needed to monitor and treat Needle Cast, along with correct timing of sprays. Industry standards call for two–three treatments a year, but the label states every seven–ten days, which is not cost-effective.

• PUNCH 2: Spider Mites are the second “sucker punch” to spruce trees. The spruce spider mite is considered one of the most destructive spider mites in the United States. Mites damage host plants by sucking plant fluid from needles as they feed. Infested trees at first have a speckled, yellowish appearance and lack rich green color. After prolonged feeding, needles turn rusty colored and may drop prematurely. Mites usually attack older needles located in the lower and inner parts of the plant. Damage may spread as the season progresses. This species also produces silken webs on the needles.

• Spider mites are referred to as a cool season pests. The best time to treat spruce spider mite infestations is in early to mid-May, and again in early September if needed.

• Repeated applications are sometimes needed to keep mite populations in check. I advise applying registered miticides only to plants specified on the label. The problem with mites is that they can develop resistance to certain chemicals used against them, so it is

necessary to switch to another class of miticide after every third application. Also to consider is that mite populations may increase following the use of certain insecticides. Therefore, it is a good idea to add a miticide when spraying mite-susceptible plants with insecticides and have appropriate monitoring and IPM programs in place. Lastly, mites are just a plain old headache!

PUNCH 3: The FINAL BLOW — Pick your punch!

1,2,3 “TKO”: Here is a short list of other spruce tree problems that continue to assault the overall tree health in Minnesota and eventually will kill your spruce trees:

Spruce Gall Midge: I find this pest in about one in four spruce trees I see. The midge (a tiny, fly-like insect) overwinters in numerous swellings or galls that encircle the terminal shoots and feed on the tree sugars. In response to the feeding, plant tissue swells up around the larvae to form the galls. The larvae continue to feed inside this gall throughout the season. The damage can kill individual shoots. Repeated attacks can cause brooming, a proliferation of shoots at the ends of the twig and disfigured growth.

Cytospora Canker: This is the only canker found on spruce trees at this time that will kill them and only occurs on spruces when the trees are not grown in their native range. I see about one in ten spruce die of this.

Higher Humidity: Spruce trees outside of their native range are more affected by fungal disease concerns from the humidity that we have in Minnesota.

Low winds: Experts have found that spruce

trees like medium/high wind areas. They like constant airflow filtrating the interior canopy of the branches. In the “city center,” metro and suburban area wind is blocked by buildings, other trees, and infrastructures. Spruce trees used as “wind blocks” on farmsteads seem to do better than in urban centers. Longer growing seasons, dryer autumns, less snow: The current trend of the Minnesota “long winter” coming to an end is affecting Minnesota spruce trees. Spruce trees do well with longer winters, cooler temps, and snow coverage. Now, Minnesota may be seeing extended growing seasons with moisture and humidity issues that they’re not ready to recover from. I do appreciate the warmer temps in March and November, but spruce trees do not!

Herbicides: Damage by overspray and drift of lawn weed killers are easy to come by with spruce trees. Where deciduous trees are often unaffected by herbicides (branches and leaves are higher on the vertical plane), the conifer tree, with its low-hanging branches and needles are easily affected by the overspray of herbicides that are sprayed on lawns. The care and time for proper protection of the drift is usually not a high priority of lawn care companies and they usually don’t have to deal with the tree problems that come from inaccurate spraying.

Road Salt: Spruce trees do not tolerate road salt spray or piles of snow that have salt residue in them. Piles of snow should be placed well away from the root zone of spruce trees and away from high-traffic areas where the drift and spray of road salt is a concern.

Plain old lack of care: No mulch at the base of trees, compaction of the roots, and limited

supplemental watering all contribute to poor spruce health. Many people just “leave and forget” their spruce trees.

Therefore, in my opinion, a person who is looking to plant a conifer should stay away from the spruce species. If really desperate for a spruce, then maybe consider a Black Hills Spruce, but I have seen issues with those as well. Otherwise, consider another conifer like red (juniper) or white cedars, or if in shady areas consider an upright yew or Canadian hemlock if they can be protected by winter winds and sun.

Pines (Pinus) species are going to be full sun trees. I know there are a few cultivars of smaller pines that can do ok in partial sun. Larger pines like Austrian, Ponderosa, Norway, and Scotch are starting to make a comeback in Minnesota, but they do have problems of their own to consider. My favorite evergreen to plant is a White Pine, but they grow big and you will not be able to grow grass under those trees as it grows larger. Could consider a white pine columnar that only gets 40' tall and 15' wide.

Lastly, tree planting and care can be an experiment with failure, so unless you are on board for the experiment and you come to terms with potential tree failure, there is always going to be a risk of insects, disease, and unfair growing conditions and concerns to consider and manage. As the old saying goes, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”

➽ JASON PRUETT is the President of Treehugger Tree Care, Inc. You can contact him at thetrehugr@ yahoo.com or at 612-444-3494 ext. 9.

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Pregnant Worker Accommodations. Be open and flexible with a pregnant employee. Employers with 15 or more employees based in one location are required to work with a pregnant employee to create accommodations for them. These accommodations may include but are not limited to frequent restroom, food, and water breaks, limits on lifting over 20 pounds, seating, and temporary transfer to a less strenuous or hazardous position.

If a temporary transfer is done due to the pregnancy, an employer is not required to discharge an employee, transfer another with

greater seniority, or promote an employee to accommodate for the transfer. Once the employee returns from pregnancy or parental leave or is temporarily transferred, they are entitled to return to the same job or a position with comparable duties, number of hours, and pay that they had.

Lactation Breaks. For up to 12 months following the birth of a child, employers are required to provide nursing and lactating employees paid break times to express milk at work. However, this does not mean that current unpaid breaks, such as meal breaks, are required to be converted to paid breaks. Additionally, you are required to provide an employee with a private area that is not a bathroom, shielded from view, free of intrusions from coworkers and the public, is in close proximity to the work area, and has access to an electrical outlet that can be used for a lactation break.

Now you might be asking, can I require my employee to use paid leave, like sick time, vacation, or paid time off to express milk? Or can I require them to make up time used for a

lactation break? The answer to both of those questions is NO. While a lactation break must run concurrently with breaks that you already provide an employee when possible, you cannot reduce their pay or require them to make up any time used for expressing milk.

Pregnancy / Parental Leave. When it comes to pregnancy or parental leave, there are a few more restrictions than there are for lactation breaks or pregnancy accommodations. Those requirements are as follows:

1. You must have 21 or more employees based at a single location.

2. The employee must have worked at least half time during the last 12 months.

3. The employee has been with the company for a total of at least 12 months.

If all three of those requirements are met, the employee is entitled to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave during or following a pregnancy. Parental leave may be taken for prenatal care, pregnancy or related health conditions, childbirth or adoption, and bonding time for a birthing or non-birthing parent after the birth/adoption of a child. The

STARTING JANUARY 2022, new changes regarding the rights of lactating or pregnant employees, as well as new parents went into effect. Keep reading to find out how these new changes affect you as an employer.

IF YOUR EMPLOYEE ASKS TO TALK ABOUT THEIR NEEDS OR RIGHTS, LISTEN TO THEM! REMEMBER, YOU ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO WORK WITH YOUR EMPLOYEE ON CREATING ACCOMMODATIONS OR IF THERE IS AN ISSUE.

employee may also use any provided benefits, such as sick or disability leave, if they are sick during a pregnancy or need time to recover after childbirth.

Communication. The most important thing is to talk to your employee about any pregnancy accommodations, leave, or lactation breaks. Here are some tips on how to handle that situation:

1. Handbook revisions. It will be helpful for you and your employees to have sections in the employee handbook that outline your company’s procedures for lactation breaks and pregnancy / parental leave.

2. Be flexible. While an employee might not request any accommodations when they first inform you of their pregnancy, be willing to work with them as time goes on.

3. Know their rights. It’s important for you to know what rights a pregnant or new parent employee has. Additionally, you cannot discriminate or retaliate against an employee for asserting their legal rights.

4. Be informed. Ask your attorney or check out the additional resources at the end of this article to learn more about what rights your employees are entitled to.

5. Listen. If your employee asks to talk about their needs or rights, listen to them! Remember, you are required by law to work with your employee on creating accommodations or if there is an issue.

Additional Resources

Here is a list of websites that talk more about pregnancy and new parent rights:

• Minnesota Department of Human Rights: mn.gov/mdhr

• Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry: www.dli.mn.gov/newparents

• Minnesota Department of Health: www. health.state.mn.us

• US Department of Labor: www.dol.gov/ agencies/whd/pump-at-work

This article provides general information on employment law matters and should not be relied upon as legal advice. A qualified attorney must analyze all relevant facts and apply the applicable law to any matter before legal advice can be given.

➽ PATRICK MCGUINESS is one of the founding partners of Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC. His law practice focuses on assisting contractors & other small business owners. He can be reached at pmcguiness@zmattorneys.com If you would like more information regarding employment law or other legal matters, please contact Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC at 651-206-3203 or www. zmattorneys.com.

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2023 Day on the Hill Was a HUGE Success!

On Thursday, March 2nd, MNLA staff and members had a strong presence at the Minnesota State Capitol to engage with legislators in conversation of relevance to their businesses and communities and the need to support the priorities outlined in MNLA’s Policy Agenda.

Staff and members met with over 40 legislators during the day and had an opportunity to have their voices heard in support of our priorities and in opposition to proposals that could have a negative impact on our industry. I had the opportunity to crash some of these meetings and could see that legislators were very impressed with the level of expertise and love for the industry present in the room.

We had an excellent response given that this was our first in-person lobby day in two years due to the pandemic. It was very uplifting to see new and returning members be part of this great day. Participating members were very engaged and commented on how much they enjoyed the day. We even got some interest from members to participate in our Government Affairs Committee.

As with every event, we learned about things that went extremely well and things that can be improved. We were very intentional about having as much background

information as possible on legislators and our policy items; additionally, we added suggested and very specific messaging for every meeting that we scheduled since every conversation that we have has some strategy to it. This ended up being a very successful tactic that we will definitely utilize again. We will continue to ask for feedback and create ways for members to participate in these types of activities.

I want to end this note by thanking you all for your participation, and reiterating that Day on the Hill is a great opportunity to get involved and a very critical piece of our Government Affairs operation. If you were part of this day and have any comments or questions, please send them my way. If you were not able to make it this year, please plan on attending in 2024; it is an excellent way to connect with legislators and peers.

Thank you all for everything that you do.

MA XIMIZE YOUR BUSINESS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Reprinted with permission from the Landscape Management Network

SOCIAL MEDIA CAN BE A POWERFUL WAY TO GROW YOUR LAWN CARE

BUSINESS, helping to establish and drive awareness of your brand, create an ongoing conversation with current customers and help attract new ones.

But, generating a continuous flow of lawn care social media posts, coming up with lawn care hashtags and keeping it up can feel like an enormous task.

If you’re worried about how you’ll figure it out, don’t be. We’re here to help you choose social media platforms, create an effective lawn care media strategy, and engage with your customers in ways that benefit you both.

The Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Lawn Care Businesses

Before we dive into how to create lawn care social media posts, let’s talk about why advertising your lawn care business on social media is worth the time and effort. First off, social media channels help you connect with millions of people you otherwise couldn’t reach. On average, people spend more than 2.5 hours per day on social media! It’s a popular place to be, making

it an incredible tool for connecting with your targets.

Why is social media important for landscapers, specifically? It’s a great way to share your work, offer helpful garden and lawn tips, and share industry insights. It’s also a place for your customers to learn more about what you do and to interact with you and other customers. Here are some of the most compelling benefits your landscaping business can reap from social media marketing:

• Heightened brand awareness

Brand awareness has to do with how familiar people are with your company and how well they recognize it. It’s incredibly important because if they aren’t aware of your company, they won’t consider it when they’re looking for landscaping service. Lawn care social media posts help increase your brand awareness by putting you in front of the people that matter to your business. The more people become familiar with your company and what it offers, the more likely they are to consider purchasing from you.

Customer engagement and interaction

•

A social media presence isn’t a one-way street. It's a place for interactive conversation with your current customers and potential new ones. The exchange

should be a win-win. For instance, you offer engaging content that meets a need—providing helpful info or even just entertainment—and in return, you get valuable feedback in the form of comments, reviews, referrals and even leads.

• Leads and sales

Ultimately, finding leads and making sales is what matters most to your business success. The engagement generated through your lawn care social media posts is a powerful way to drive sales. Interestingly, research shows that the most effective purchase drivers on social media aren’t the actual posts, but the recommendations, comments and reviews they generate. We’ll talk more about how to create engaging content below.

Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms

You can’t be all places at all times. The good news is you don’t have to be. Instead of sprinkling lawn care media posts across any platform you can think of, consider where your customers are going and concentrate your energies on meeting them there. Chances are, it’s Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, three of the most prominent social media platforms for businesses to reach consumers. Here’s a closer look at some interesting facts

and features that make them ideal platforms for landscapers:

• Instagram for Landscapers

Instagram is the seventh most visited website in the world with 1.22 billion people using it each month and 9 out of 10 users watching Instagram videos weekly. Popular Instagram features for landscapers include Instagram stories for posting photos or video clips of your work, processes or people; Polls and Q&A for customer feedback; and Location Tags that allow you to give the exact location of a jobsite photo.

• Facebook for Landscapers

With over 500 million people using Facebook, the odds are high that you’re already familiar with it and likely have a page. Make sure you have a business account and aren’t just promoting your business on your personal Facebook account. And, take full advantage of your business page by creating a full profile with images, videos and complete contact information so customers can easily find you.

• TikTok for Landscapers

This platform is all about videos, everything from funny clips of daily activities

to landscaping fails. There happens to be a prominent landscaping audience on TikTok with 1.5 billion views through the #landscape hashtag, and 19.6 million views for people who search #landscapers.

Building an Effective Social Media Marketing Strategy

Now that we’ve talked about why social media is important for landscaping businesses and highlighted the platforms most frequented by your targets, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of creating a results-driven strategy. Here’s a three-step approach:

• Set your lawn care social media marketing goals and objectives

Once you’ve determined where you need to be, consider what your lawn care business hopes to gain from an active social media presence. Most landscaping businesses are looking to find new business leads and convert them into customers. In addition, they want to strengthen the relationships they have with existing clients by staying connected with them. Also consider your social media goals, for instance, how often do you intend to post? How many clicks and likes are

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you hoping to gain on Facebook? How many reshares and comments? And, how much you’re going to spend if you choose to go the paid lawn care advertising route.

• Consider what to say in your lawn care social media posts

What should you post? We’re glad you asked. Social media marketing is an ongoing endeavor so consistency is key, but quality is everything. Share what your targets care about and make it visually appealing.

• Here are some landscaping social media post ideas to consider:

• Company news

• Behind-the-scenes photos of operations and employees

• Photos of successful jobs

• Reviews from your customers

• Garden care tips and tricks

• Specials or limited-time-only services

• Landscaping industry news

• Videos of your land care services

• Interactive content, including polls and quizzes

Track and measure your social media efforts

Like any lawn care marketing effort, you can’t just throw it out there and hope for the best. It’s important to track your social media marketing so you know what works and what doesn’t.

Analytics and insights help you finetune your strategy so you’re spending time on posts that resonate with your audience.

Using business accounts will give you insights (social post analytics) and leveraging can help analyze which channels are working or not. Tools such as Hootsuite, a popular social media management and scheduling tool, can also help you track social media analytics, looking at likes, comments, shares and saves.

Tips for Engaging Your Lawn Care Followers on Social Media

You want your social media posts and your time and effort spent creating them to pay off and you don’t want to waste time on content that falls flat. Here are some helpful tips to create engaging content that customers actually care about and best practices to maximize its value:

• Leverage visual content in your lawn care social media posts

Make a point to take lots of photos and videos, as visual content helps to give your brand a personality and it’s a necessity for posting on Instagram and TikTok. Think photos and videos of your work, trucks, equipment, and employees, as well as outstanding results you’ve achieved.

• Let your customers speak for you

Customer testimonials and reviews are priceless. Make it a regular practice to ask happy customers for a review and promote them on your social media channels.

• Use lawn care hashtags

Do hashtags really make for successful social media content? Seventy-two percent of marketers who responded to a LinkedIn survey said yes, they do. Hashtags are important to your landscaping business social media accounts because they can establish your company as a landscaping leader for your specific local service area or for a specific specialty, for instance green design/build. Using specific hashtags will help you attract the right crowd.

• Follow the 80/20 rule

It’s tempting to use social media platforms as an extension of your lawn care advertising, and while they are useful for

getting your ads and promotions in front of customers, too much promotional content is a turnoff. A good rule of thumb is to aim for 80 percent of your content to inform, entertain, educate, or engage. The other 20 percent can be used for promotion.

• Consider paying to play

While social media marketing can be totally free, many businesses are putting money behind their strategies in order to maximize the results, i.e., get more eyeballs on their ads. In fact, businesses surveyed by HubSpot said they are willing to spend nearly a fifth of their ad budgets on pay-to-play promotions. Advertising lawn care on social media allows you to create, schedule and post highly targeted ads, aimed at specific demographics or geographies. They can get pricey, but some start at low as $1 per ad. Set a budget and use the tools offered by each platform to get the best bang for your buck.

Are You Ready to Grow Your Lawn Care Business With Social Media Marketing?

Social media marketing can be an incredible tool to reach and engage with your customers, helping to strengthen and grow your landscaping business. Like most things, consistency is key. Aim to post once per day to keep a consistent presence in your targets’ feeds. And, remember to ask your customers to follow your accounts to keep the lines of communication open.

➽ LMN can help keep your social media marketing fresh. Their blog and social media channels are full of helpful tips, advice, and industry insights for landscapers. Check them out on Instagram and Facebook.

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING CAN BE AN INCREDIBLE TOOL TO REACH AND ENGAGE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS, HELPING TO STRENGTHEN AND GROW YOUR LANDSCAPING BUSINESS. LIKE MOST THINGS, CONSISTENCY IS KEY. AIM TO POST ONCE PER DAY TO KEEP A CONSISTENT PRESENCE IN YOUR TARGETS’ FEEDS. AND, REMEMBER TO ASK YOUR CUSTOMERS TO FOLLOW YOUR ACCOUNTS TO KEEP THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION OPEN.

but it also shows potential customers that you are genuinely invested in the well-being of the community and its residents.

Measuring Marketing Success

Geared up with a brand-new lawn care marketing campaign, but wondering how to track its success? Identifying what’s working and what’s not will help you hone your strategy and reallocate your resources in ways that will increase your overall ROI.

Tracking marketing efforts: Analyzing data from your marketing strategy is no easy feat, but here are a few effective tools you can use to measure the success of your marketing campaigns in real time:

• Google Analytics: a comprehensive and free analytics solution that provides detailed insights into who’s visiting your website, what types of content they’re engaging with, and which channels are bringing in the most leads or sales.

• Social Media Analytics: each platform has its own built-in analytics solution that allows you to track the performance

of your posts and ads. You can see which posts are performing well and which need to be tweaked to generate more engagement.

• Marketing Analytics Software: specialized software solutions like Kissmetrics, AdEspresso, and other tools provide more detailed analytics than the built-in solutions offered by social networks and can help you track the performance of your various marketing efforts in one place. By tracking and analyzing all of these marketing metrics, you’ll be able to optimize your efforts and create campaigns that are more effective at driving conversions.

KPIs: So exactly what kind of data is worth tracking? Measuring your KPIs (key performance indicators) is a great way to get an overall view of how successful your marketing campaigns are. Common lawn care marketing KPIs include things like:

• Website traffic

• Ad clicks

• Cost per lead

• Leads generated

• Customer acquisition rate

• Customer lifetime value

By tracking these metrics on a regular basis, you can better understand how your campaigns are performing and make changes to improve their effectiveness.

Customer feedback: Analyzing customer feedback is essential to understanding how your lawn care business is being perceived in the market, and what kind of changes you need to make in order to keep customers happy. Use surveys, questionnaires, and other feedback tools to get a better picture of customer sentiment toward your brand and services.

Conclusion

By investing in the right marketing efforts, you’ll be able to take your lawn care business to the next level. With a comprehensive list of effective marketing ideas and tools to track your progress, you can ensure that your campaign will drive more leads and sales for your business.

➽ For more resources, visit www.golmn.com

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PARTNERS FUND

You are encouraged to participate in the MNLA Foundation Workforce Development Partners Fund at one of the participating suppliers recognized below.

Your voluntary donation of ½ of 1% (0.5%) on purchases of plants and other nursery, greenhouse and landscape products at these suppliers is used by the MNLA Foundation to grow a brighter future for the industry. On an invoice totaling $1,000 at one of these suppliers, your contribution will be only $5.00. Small, individual contributions add up quickly to make a real difference!

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