The Scoop Online – January 2011

MINNESOTA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION... SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES GROW HERE!

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Insights and Information for Green Industry Professionals

VOLUME 34, NUMBER 1 January 2011

Winter/Spring Schedule pages 20-22

Also in this issue:

Design for Sustainability

Spring Cannot Come Soon Enough

How to Avoid Getting Sued

PAGE 10

PAGE 16

PAGE 26

ilts W e Tre18 g in e os ee pag n ag S Di

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Public Relations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 29 From the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Sustainable Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-14 Landscape Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Greenhouse & Herbaceous Growers . 16 Plant Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-23, 37 Garden Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Commercial Arborist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Business Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Day on the Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Landscape Management . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Stormwater Management . . . . . . . . 34-36 Workforce Development . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Plant of the Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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www.MNLA.biz | JANUARY 2011

ADVERTISER INDEX AgStar Financial Services - 13 Albert J. Lauer, Inc. - 35 Anchor Block Company - 2 Bailey Nurseries - 19 Belgard Hardscapes-Northfield - 4 Bridgewater Tree Farms - 37 BW Insurance Agency - 16 Carlin Horticultural Supplies /ProGreen Plus - 9 Casualty Assurance - 7 Central Landscape Supply - 16 Central Wisconsin Evergreens, Inc. - 18 Cherokee Mfg. - 24 Cook Water Farms - 24 Crow River Greenhouse & Nursery - 11 Crysteel Truck Equipment - 28 Cushman Motor Co., Inc. - 38 D. Hill Nursery Co. - 32 Dayton Bag & Burlap - 39 Evergreen Nursery Co., Inc. - 14

Floral Plant Growers-Natural Beauty - 29 Fury Motors - 34 Gardenworld Inc. - 32 Hal Tiffany Agency - 25 Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies - 23 J.R. Johnson Supply, Inc. - 36 Jeff Belzer Chevrolet - 5 Kage Innovations - 27 L&M Products, Inc. - 27 McKay Nursery Co. - 28 Northern Christmas Tree & Nursery - 34 Out Back Nursery - 36 Plaisted Companies - 11 RDO Equipment Co. - 13 Stonebrooke Equipment Inc. - 36 TerraDek Lighting, Inc. - 15 The Tessman Company - 29 Truck Utilities & Mfg. Co. - 18 Vermeer Sales & Service - 17 Ziegler Cat - 3

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Upcoming Events January 12 – Urban Forestry Institute’s Conifer Disease Workshop. Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board Headquarters, Minneapolis. More information available online at www.UrbanForestryInstitute.org.

19-21 – Mid-Am Trade Show. Navy Pier, Chicago. More information available online at www.midam.org.

21 – MNLA Certification Exam. Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Park. For more information, see page 20 or visit www.MNLA.biz.

26-29 – ANLA Management Clinic. Louisville, Kentucky. For more information, visit. www.anla.org.

February 15 – Maintenance for Raingardens and Bioretention Cells. Blaine City Hall. For more information, see page 20 or visit www.mnla.biz.

16 – Picture Perfect Plants & Garden Design. U of M Continuing Education & Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 20 or visit www.mnla.biz.

16 – JRK Winter Turf and Tree Conference. JRK Turf and Seed, Eagan. For more information, visit www.jrkseed.com.

17 – Hands-On Raingarden Installation Training. Hedberg Landscape Supplies, Plymouth. For more information, see page 21 or visit www.mnla.biz.

March 2-4 – MECA Annual Conference. Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, Plymouth. For more information, visit www.mnerosion.org.

5 – MNLA Landscape Gala. 317 on Rice Park, St. Paul. For more information, see page 33 or visit www.mnla.biz.

10 – MNLA Certification Exam. Dakota County Technical College, Rosemount. For more information, see page 20 or visit www.mnla.biz.

14-15 – Pesticide Certification Workshop & Exam. University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus. For more information, see page 21 or visit www.mnla.biz.

15-16 – Shade Tree Short Course. Bethel University, Arden Hills. For more information, visit www.cce.umn.edu/Annual-Minnesota-Shade-Tree-Short-Course/index.html.

16 – Applied PLT Landscape Lighting (PLT Relicensure). Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 21 or visit www.mnla.biz. (Note: As of publication time, this course is currently pending approval by the Dept. of Labor and Industry.)

16-17 – Pesticide Certification Workshop & Exam. University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus. For more information, see page 21 or visit www.mnla.biz.

22 – NCMA Segmental Retaining Wall Installer Certification. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 22 or visit www.mnla.biz.

24 – Creating Edible Landscapes. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 22 or visit www.mnla.biz.

30 – Introduction to Irrigation. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 22 or visit www.mnla.biz.

30 – Irrigation Installation. Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul. For more information, see page 22 or visit www.mnla.biz.

30 – Landscape Irrigation Design: Design Principles. For more information, see page 22 or visit www.mnla.biz.

30 – Landscape Irrigation Design: Application & Layout. For more information, see page 22 or visit www.mnla.biz.

If interested in exhibiting or sponsoring, please call Betsy Pierre, 763-295-5420 / betsy@pierreproductions.com 6

www.MNLA.biz | JANUARY 2011

Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association 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 • GardenMinnesota.com

MNLA Mission The mission of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association is to help nursery and landscape related companies in Minnesota and the surrounding region operate their businesses more successfully.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bert Swanson, MNLA-CP, President Swanson’s Nursery Consulting, Inc. 218-732-3579 • btswanson@gmail.com Debbie Lonnee, MNLA-CP, Vice President Bailey Nurseries, Inc. 651-768-3375 debbie.lonnee@baileynursery.com Heidi Heiland, MNLA-CP, Secretary-Treasurer Heidi's Lifestyle Gardens 612-366-7766 • heidi@BloomOnMN.com Van Cooley, Past President Malmborg’s, Inc. 763-535-4695 van@geraniumsbygeorge.com Randy Berg, MNLA-CP Berg’s Nursery, Landscape/Garden Center 507-433-2823 rberg@smig.net Scott Frampton Landscape Renovations 651-769-0010 sframpton@landscaperenovations.com Tim Malooly, CID, CLIA, CIC Irrigation By Design Inc. 763-559-7771 • timm@ibdmn.com Bill Mielke Wilson’s Nursery, Inc. 952-445-3630 bill@wilsonsnurseryinc.com Herman Roerick Central Landscape Supply 320-252-1601 hermanr@centrallandscape.com Bob Fitch MNLA Executive Director 651-633-4987 • bob@mnla.biz Staff directory and member services directory near the back cover.

The Scoop is published 12 times per year by the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association, 1813 Lexington Ave. N., Roseville, MN 55113. Address corrections should be sent to the above address. News and advertising deadlines are the 5th of the month preceding publication.

PUBLIC RELATIONS | The Scoop

Minnesota Grown Connects Growers to Consumers he Minnesota Grown Program would like to invite Minnesota green-industry growers to join an organization that helps connect you with consumers looking for local, fresh, Minnesota-hardy products.

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Minnesota Grown has been around since the 1980s and has increased membership to more than 1,100, including well over 100 nurseries, tree farms, greenhouses and other green industry producers.

For a very small commitment, Minnesota Grown will feature your business in the Minnesota Grown Directory, provide access to the logo and stickers and posters that help you promote your local green products, and otherwise help you promote and build your business.

Heidi Brosseau, retail manager at Knecht’s Nurseries and Landscaping near Northfield, said they incorporate the Minnesota Grown logo on tree tags, they hand out Minnesota Grown Directories, and they also often stick Minnesota Grown stickers on kids that visit their garden center. “We’re very happy to be members of Minnesota Grown.”

Brosseau continued, “Recognition of the Minnesota Grown logo is definitely increasing.”

A few good reasons to join Minnesota Grown:

Free Marketing Materials Nothing says “Local” like the Minnesota Grown logo. Stickers, posters, price cards, twist ties, table talkers, and other items are all free to members. If you’re selling wholesale, those items can be offered to your retailing customers for free as well!

Very Popular Website In 2010, more than 200,000 “unique visitors” have already found us at www.minnesotagrown.com (up from 150,000 in ‘09). Those web users stay on our site for over 4 minutes while viewing 7.5 different web pages on average. That’s roughly twice the average for similar websites, according to Google.

Widely Distributed Minnesota Grown Directory For an additional $40, if you sell direct to the consumer, you can list your farm/products in the 2011 Minnesota Grown Directory. This year, 190,000 hard copies of the Directory will be distributed for free by tourist information centers, farms, libraries, by real estate agents and retailers that support the local foods movement. This is a unique advertising tool that gets used more than 4 times and kept for more than 12 months by each user on average.

The 2011 volume will be widely promoted as the 30th Anniversary volume – resulting in increased consumer attention in 2011.

Minnesota Grown members receive renewal forms in November, along with a PIN number to renew online. New members may sign up and pay online by clicking on the “Members” box at www.minnesotagrown.com, or call 651201-6469 and leave a message with a complete mailing address to receive an application by mail. Producers wishing to be listed in the 2011-2012 Minnesota Grown Directory should apply by March 1, 2011. q

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Contact our agency about our “Super Outstanding Service” today—we’ll work hard to exceed your expectations!

We have coverage for growing stock!

Tom Stuewe, CIC 952/556-4864 t.stuewe@casualty-assurance.com

JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | FROM THE PRESIDENT

Professionals Need MNLA! MNLA Needs Professionals

By Dr. Bert T. Swanson, Swanson’s Nursery Consulting, Inc. embership in your association is the true earmark of a professional.

Membership and participation in your association helps to Bert Swanson place you one step ahead of the competition. If this were not the case, the thousands of associations available today would not exist in these difficult times, but they indeed do. There are very important and very specific associations for whatever you want to do or for whatever you wish to join.

Examples include the American Medical Association, the National Association of Bathtub Refinishing, the Stairway Manufacturers' Association and the National Association of Mold. In difficult times, it is essential to direct your hard earned money to the proper channels that will provide the best possible investment, return and opportunity for growth and advancement for you and your business.

Another association example that might be of interest to all of us right now is the Investment Recovery Association.

Nearly unlimited avenues for spending our personal and business dollars exist, but few have proven to be a better investment than a membership and subsequent participation in your professional association. This is particularly true when the association is tailored to financial and technical growth of your industry, plus the members and businesses within it.

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Evan though MNLA is one of the premier associations in the Green Industry today, I am aware that many MNLA members have had to think twice before spending money on an MNLA 8

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membership in these difficult times.

However, because you are an astute business professional, you recognized the benefits and realized the value of MNLA membership. You joined MNLA so you could make valuable professional contacts and gain access to a wealth of useful information. You value the benefits of networking, exclusive online resources, education, publications, conferences, seminars, a support system, political clout and professional development that will enhance your personal career and your professional business. You want to leverage the power of numbers so that sole proprietors can have access to significant business essentials, otherwise not available. All of this will facilitate you staying on top of what is happening in your industry today.

Many expert management sources cite "networking" as a critical and prominent benefit that allows a congregation of intelligent, like-minded professionals, that are immersed in the inner workings of the industry, to gather and provide fellow members access to a variety of opportunities and ideas. This can include financial advice, technical applications and a wealth of other topics and discussions that are not available elsewhere. You can connect with advisors that offer a variety of services.

You can learn from your peers and establish mutually beneficial referral systems that can boost your business.

In difficult times such as we are now experiencing, a positive relationship with experienced business people who can provide guidance and useful insights could be a benefit of MNLA membership networking. MNLA membership can help you realize that you have a supportive network behind you for a source of answers and solutions when facing a challenging business situation.

Being a member of a professional association provides direction for you to track, understand, make educated decisions, and to act intelligently upon federal and state legislative issues. MNLA membership provides a huge asset and advantage to you over trying to navigate these rough seas alone. MNLA membership allows you to tap into the very thorough, talented and experienced MNLA government affairs committee, consultants, and staff.

Business marketing during difficult times becomes paramount. Owners and managers must seek education on the latest techniques and opportunities.

MNLA has provided key educational events at the Northern Green Expo, as well as stand-alone educational sessions on this exact topic. MNLA members just need to take advantage of these highly subsidized opportunities. If you want to go one step further in your marketing efforts, you can even join another association called: eMarketing Association. You can learn more about this at emarketingassociation.com.

MNLA membership also allows you to add professional creditability to your marketing materials, letterhead and business cards through the use of the MNLA logo.

Professional certification is another significant benefit of association membership. MNLA offers the MNLA Certified Professional Certification and Recertification. MNLA also endorses several additional green industry professional certifications, and promotes these certifications, and thus, your expertise and specialization to the consumer via "Outdoor Living Expert" umbrella and several other venues.

One year ago at the 2010 Northern Green EXPO Awards Luncheon, and in an MNLA Scoop article, I commended MNLA leaders, members and staff for elevating MNLA to the top of the pack

of green industry associations. However, I also challenged all MNLA members to become involved in association leadership, working groups and activities.

I cited a modified quote from President Kennedy: "Ask not only what MNLA can do for you, but also, what can you do for MNLA?" As MNLA members, we become a family whose mission is to "help members operate their businesses more successfully."

Better business, management and operating procedures by all members make all of the industry look more professional. Therefore, one very important task and continuous requirement of MNLA members, is to recruit other professionals into MNLA so that the overall quality of the industry continues to improve via educating and expanding quality professionalism to others in the Green Industry. This will also decrease any "black eyes" out there that might reflect negatively on the entire Industry. In order to enhance our profession, we must enhance our colleagues' professionalism by recruiting them into the fold of MNLA membership.

The opportunity is open for you to contribute to your profession through committees, task forces, the board of directors, working groups, consultation groups, as well as business, financial and technical advisement. The opportunity to share your experience, knowledge and

skills with members is a two-way learning street for professional development. Members are the greatest asset of MNLA and MNLA members are the greatest asset and avenue for recruiting new members. Therefore, as your MNLA President, I challenge each of you as an MNLA Member to recruit ONE new member for MNLA in 2011!

Just think of what this would do to our education base, to our political clout, to our outreach to consumers, to our ability to fund scholarships for future employees, to fund and direct research for new technology, and to each member as a supportive networking congregation of professionals! WOW! What an association!

Being an active member of MNLA demonstrates your commitment to your future, to your employees, to your employer, to your clients, to your customers, and to your government officials. It also shows that you are prepared for the ever changing market place. Serious professionals in almost any arena belong to their professional association. Would you go to a doctor that is not a member of the American Medical Association? If you had a choice of hiring a professional with or without a professional association affiliation, which would you choose? MNLA can be your partner in building more effective and more profitable business and operating programs. Joining MNLA could be one of the best professional decisions you

have made for your career and for your business.

Even in tough economic times, your MNLA leadership and staff is at your beck and call and is working hard on your behalf. We as members must walk the talk and recruit that additional member, or more! This will also keep the cost of membership down; it will make all MNLA activities more efficient and cost effective. In your recruiting efforts, you can expand on the facts in this article, obtain additional details from the MNLA staff, and express that as an MNLA member, the resources made available to members, and the ideas and advice you can discover, represent an outstanding return on what amounts to a modest and manageable investment of time, money and effort, for the advancement of their future. It is true that if MNLA members become involved and utilize the services and benefits of MNLA, membership does not cost, it pays.

All MNLA Members, show your talents, and everyone recruit at least one additional member in 2011.

Happy New Year and I wish all of you a great and improved business year. q ________________________________ Bert Swanson is the President of MNLA and can be reached at btswanson2@gmail.com.

JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT

Design for Sustainability

By Carolin Dittmann, Verbena Design and Landscaping, LLC s I write this article, my family home is receiving a dramatic make-over. We finally decided to invest in a metal roof this year.

Ours will be the first steel roof on our block Carolin Dittmann in urban St. Paul. A neighbor asked me, “What made you decide to go this route?” I think there are several major reasons why the metal roof (at roughly 2.5 times the cost of traditional asphalt shingles) seemed to make sense to my husband and me. The biggest is longevity. We love our 100 year old craftsman style home and we plan on staying here. It was time for a new roof and the idea of adding a home improvement that will outlast less expensive solutions, is worth the money to us.

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As a designer, I did consider the possibility that the traditional façade and modern roof would clash, but now that I see it installed, I realize I like the new aesthetic. It suits my family and our lifestyle. This brings me to the second reason for choosing metal, which has to do with reducing water pollution.

I want to practice what I preach as an advocate of rainwater harvesting and reuse. I am also an avid vegetable gardener. For years, I have be-moaned the reality that I cannot use rainwater collected from my old asphalt roof to irrigate this substantial (and high water demand) part of our landscape. Asphalt based products are fibrous materials soaked in petrochemicals that may leach various complex hydrocarbon compounds, so most people avoid using 10

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water from asphalt-shingle roofs on plants meant for human consumption.

However, a steel roof generates little or no contamination and I will now be able to collect rainwater from all our gutter downspouts and efficiently utilize that water on even edible plant varieties. The re-model of the top of the house is extending into a re-design of the landscape and encourages me to take my landscape design skills to another level.

December’s issue of The Scoop and thought, “What if this approach could be broadened even further into “Integrated Design for Sustainability”? What if we take the step of adding plants that produce food into our designs and start creating landscape systems?” The ability to integrate food production (which supplements a household budget and reduces our reliance on transported produce) brings a landscape and the people occupying it, one step closer to being sustainable.

MNLA’s Sustainable Environment Committee added the important S-word to our moniker because it is the concept that unites our varied businesses in a common objective. We often discuss how we can make our practices more sustainable - so that we may lead by example, while promoting sustainable solutions to our customers and colleagues. Stormwater management and water quality issues have long been a hot topic, but recently another word has been coming up a lot: permaculture.

David Holmgren, co-founder of the permaculture design system defines permaculture as “consciously designed landscapes which mimic the patterns and relationships found in nature, while yielding an abundance of food, fiber and energy provision of local needs.”

One important principle of landscape design is functionality. I have always kept this goal in mind while designing raingardens and other stormwater management solutions. I enjoyed reading about “Integrated Rain Garden Design” in

Wikipedia offers the simple definition of “sustainable land use design.” As a landscape designer, gardener and environmental advocate, I am increasingly interested in these kinds of ideas. I ask myself how I can adapt these concepts to the small, urban properties of my typical clients here in St. Paul. I also ask myself how to get homeowners to buy into the idea of edible landscaping? Certainly, I can’t hope everyone will choose the option of lesspolluting metal material for their next roof or that they would be as excited as I, to integrate clean rainwater into a landscape that can produce food for their family. However, I can see a trend toward buying for longevity in home investments and the growth of the market for “sustainability”.

design for sustainability is becoming more popular from architecture to agriculture. I see a future for this trend in landscape design and expect that there are others who feel the same. For landscape designers and gardeners interested in obtaining a valuable credential in permaculture systems, an excellent resource for information about certification courses is available at www.naturesnestfarm.com. Also, look

for more on permaculture and other sustainable landscape practices coming soon at the Sustainable Environment Resource at www.MNLA.biz (under Business Resources). q ________________________________ Carolin Dittman is a member of the MNLA Sustainable Environment Committee and can be reached at carolin@verbenadesign.com.

Perhaps it is a question of time. As costs go up for fuel, food and all our resources, the idea of sustainability on all fronts will become more attractive to consumers. There is no question that

JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | CERTIFICATION

Magic from the Manual: Chapter 14, Plant Cold Hardiness and Winter Protection

By Laurie Robinson, Bailey Nurseries, Inc. he natural CERTIFIED Professional distribution of plant materials as well as the survival of introduced plants is determined to a large extent by minimum winter temperatures. Acclimation to low temperatures, therefore, is a process critical to the survival of woody plants and herbaceous perennials in northern climates.

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Types of Winter Injury Some common types of winter injury associated with above ground portions of plants include sunscald, frost cracks, foliar browning, blackheart, die-back, flower bud damage, dehydration damage, heaving damage, and late spring and early fall frost damage. Winter injury to nursery and landscape plants may also result from breakage caused by the weight of snow and ice accumulation. Ice storms can result in tremendous losses.

Landscape plants may also be damaged by snow removal equipment and deicing salts. Many herbaceous perennials require well aerated soil and may be injured or killed in poorly drained soils over the winter.

Root cold hardiness is critically important. Roots are always less cold hardy than top growth and root cold hardiness may be the critical factor which determines plant survival under certain conditions. Increased container production and use of above ground landscape planters makes root cold hardiness an even more important consideration.

During years with very severe winters or when winter protection from snow is lacking, root cold hardiness also becomes an important factor in landscape survival. Trees and shrubs exhibiting 12

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root injury may resume growth normally in the spring, sending out vegetative shoots and blossoms and they may even set fruit. Later, when the tree is stressed by warmer, drier conditions, the effects of previous winter’s root injury become apparent.

The temperatures to which roots are subjected are determined by soil temperature which in turn are influenced by many factors including soil texture, specific heat, heat conductivity, radiation, water content, organic matter content and others.

Cold Acclimation The development and maintenance of cold hardiness is a dynamic process called cold acclimation. The degree of cold hardiness developed during acclimation varies considerably between species, between members of the same species adapted to different geographical locations, and according to environmental conditions. Decreasing photoperiod or shortening days, and low temperatures are the two main factors involved in the initiation and development of plant cold hardiness.

The first line of defense against the formation of ice is called freezing point depression. The freezing point of cellular water is determined by the soluble solute content of sugars, organic acids, amino acids, and proteins in the cell sap. Even before complete hardening, plants can survive exposure.

Freezing of plant tissue can also be avoided through the process of supercooling. Supercooled water is water whose temperature has been lowered below 32°F (0°C) without the formation of ice crystals.

Supercooled water does not freeze because of compartmentalization of cellular water and the absence of either

external or internal ice nucleators. Plants which are able to tolerate very low temperatures must be able to accommodate ice within the plant without disruption of their tissues.

Under such conditions, water in plants begins to freeze. Once developed, the continued internal maintenance of cold hardiness depends on the same environmental factors responsible for the inhibition of growth, induction of dormancy, and initiation of cold hardiness development.

Winter Protection The most important factors that enhance winter survival are: 1. Selection of plant materials which have been proven to be cold hardy.

2. Locating plant materials on sites to which they are adapted.

3. Providing proper production cultural practices throughout the growing season to ensure optimal plant health and vigor.

Selecting plant materials that are genetically hardy and locating them on sites where they are adapted and will grow well, is the best insurance against winter injury. Ensure that plant material enters the winter with adequate soil moisture by watering thoroughly after plants have hardened off, but prior to freeze-up. Planting a cover crop such as oats or rye in field situations will facilitate hardening-off of plant materials through competition for moisture and nutrients. Mulching will help moderate soil temperature and reduce cyclic freezing and thawing. The potential for winter injury to plants produced in containers is especially high because plant roots in containers are exposed to much lower temperatures than when roots are insulated by soil in the field. At the very least, containers

should be consolidated and tipped with the plant tops pointing west or south using the tops of the plants to cover the row of containers ahead of them.

The best way to a avoid winter cold injury and physical damage to nursery and landscape plants is to select reasonably hardy plants and to employ proper production and cultural practices. q ________________________________ Laurie Robinson is a member of the MNLA Certification Committee and can be reached at laurie.robinson@baileynursery.com.

Questions: 1. T F Roots are always more cold hardy then top growth 2. T F Many herbaceous perennials may be injured or killed in poorly drained soils over the winter.

3. T F e freezing point of cellular water is determined by the soluble solute content of sugars, organic acids, amino acids and proteins in the cell sap.

4. e best way to avoid winter cold injury and physical damage to nursery and landscape plants is: a. Ensure that plant material enters the winter with very little soil moisture. b. Containers should be consolidated and tipped with the plant tops pointing north or east. c. Select plant materials which have been proven to be cold hardy and locating them on sites where they are adapted and will grow well. d. Mulch to help increase cyclic freezing and thawing. e. Leave ground open in field production.

5. A common type of winter injury that is not associated with above ground portions of plant is: a. Heaving damage b. Sunscald c. Late spring and early fall frost damage d. Flower bud damage e. Superheating in root Answers: 1. F, 2. T, 3. T, 4. C, 5. E JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | CERTIFICATION

In Pursuit of Learning

By Laurie Robinson, Bailey Nurseries, Inc. If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. ~ Derek Bok n life, education and learning are as natural as breathing.

I approach life as an education. Putting it into CERTIFIED practice to improve Professional myself or performance in life or work is at times, the tough part. Change can be risky, but if you aren’t growing you are standing still. I fight getting bogged down in a rut of just completing tasks. I can be a cynic with the best of them. There are days when I hit myself for asking, "How can I make this more efficient or better?”

I step back, walk away if possible, think about it or talk to others.

In this economy with less people working, learning new techniques or ways to organize will help you make it through and give you a competitive edge.

Ask questions and find the answers.

Along the way, you learn a new perspective. Take that perspective and

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create success. Don’t put education to waste: do something with it!

What does learning do for you? I asked several folks from management to production this question. Several comments are specific to their jobs, but all show a common thread.

• “Education gives you more opportunities to take that next step. It can be scary but learning new methods and applying makes you competitive.”

• “Learning teaches me to learn. It gives me a desire to know more. I have a responsibility to learn.”

• “By learning and applying new approaches, I will be a better horticulturist, person and speaker.”

• “Learning is a life long process of gaining knowledge to understand the connectiveness of everything.”

• “You must acquire knowledge to perform your job.”

• “In academic learning you are exposed to knowledge and perspectives that are cummulative – you learn from the past. You have the ability to apply ideas with less risk. In life, feedback is

immediate and risk is higher. This forces you to be intential and learn from mistakes. If you don’t learn, you will be left behind.”

• “Never stop learning – quality of life is better. Engaging your mind keeps dementia away.”

• “Learning is synonymous with freedom and liberation.”

You may ask why this is under the heading of “Certified Professional.”

Studying for and becoming a Certified Professional is just one avenue available to you. With it comes a responsibility to teach and set an example of “learning.”

The next Certification Exam is Friday, January 21, 2011 at Hennepin Technical Collage. The spring exam is March 10, 2011 at Dakota County Technical College.

For information on the exams, training at the Green Expo or the MNLA Certification Manual, go to www.mnla.biz. q ________________________________ Laurie Robinson is a member of the MNLA Certification Committee and can be reached at laurie.robinson@baileynursery.com.

LANDSCAPE DESIGN | The Scoop

“The New Normal?” design issues may become more requested. Large shade trees will be in demand and must be readily sourced. The ability to generate adequate compensation for solely design services may require that we change how we charge for our work. Where previously one might “credit” the design fee back if the project is installed, we must secure that income up front if there will be no project that we install, because of the DIY component.

By Mark Madsen, Bachman's Landscape Services K, the Great Recession ended in mid-2009, according to some economic experts, but it sure didn’t feel like it. Many designers and other landscape professionals chalked up their worst seasons ever in 2009 and 2010, as unemployment rates and a queasy stock market had our consumer market feeling uneasy about indulging in significant purchases with “disposable income.”

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Mark Madsen

Many in our industry feel that 2011 will finally be a “comeback” year, one where we finally turn the corner after years of decreasing sales and profits. I feel that way too (although admittedly I also felt that way in 2010). As we as a country emerge from this recession, it is very possible that consumers may continue some habits that they took up during the recession, such as saving more, spending only on what is really practical and necessary, and perhaps pursuing more of a “do-it-yourself ” mentality with regard to some home improvement projects. This may apply whether or not their budget for a landscape project is the same as it might have been pre-recession.

E-marketing certainly hasn’t paused during the recession, however. Many more of us promote our services with ecoupons, e-newsletters and, lately, the emergence of Facebook as a potentially powerful personal marketing tool. I’m just coming around to the whole Facebook idea as we speak, being an “older” boomer. If we stretch our way of thinking, it seems like it could totally change how we market to our customers.

Whew! “The New Normal?" Hang on, it’ll be quite a ride. q ________________________________________________ Mark Madsen is a member of the MNLA Landscape Design Committee and can be reached at mmadsen@bachmans.com.

For example: Instead of an elaborate terraced retaining wall covering a slope, with a large water feature adjacent to a sweeping patio space, one may instead opt for a groundcover planting with some boulder outcroppings on the slope and a smaller “pondless” water feature adjacent to a smaller, yet functional patio.

The appearance in our area of the emerald ash borer over the past couple of years has everyone thinking about how to manage that, including how to manage the ash tree population in their yard. Some are opting to remove less-desirable trees, treat the better ones, and invest in replacing the removed ash with good-sized alternative species of shade trees.

People that took up doing their own home improvement projects may now feel that they are more capable at it than they thought. A few hours of viewing HGTV or a hardscape website on patio installation and they are ready to try that as well.

These examples seem to boil down to an increased use of plant materials vs. hardscape installations (I sincerely hope not!), and consequently the need to make a suitable profit from that as well as from design-only services for the new DIY consumer.

For designers, it would seem to mean that we must adjust in order to remain relevant. Plant material solutions to some JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | GREENHOUSE & HERBACEOUS GROWERS

Spring Cannot Come Soon Enough

By Sam Drahn, Bailey Nursery, Inc.

oday the roads are glazed with ice, a stiff northwest wind rattles my office window and the sky is spitting a mix of rain and sleet. Just the type of weather to Sam Drahn get anyone in the greenhouse business excited for spring.

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I know there are many of you who actually enjoy the snow, the cold, and all of the activities that are unique to these four months around the New Year. Most Minnesotans envision pond hockey, ice fishing and cross country skiing when the word January is mentioned. I see shoveling, lost mittens and slow

commutes in the dark when a new calendar is pinned to the wall. If it were up to me, and I am oh so aware that it’s not, I would ask for a couple more logs on the fire, a good travel book and a call when it’s time to plant. Who is this curmudgeon you ask? I assure you my next Scoop article scheduled for sometime between April and October will be filled with more sunshine, lollipops and rainbows.

As I write this, Thanksgiving is less than a week away. Softwood cuttings are being dug from the propagation beds and processed to the cooler for storage.

Springtime feels to be a long ways away.

As each house is emptied, my thoughts turn to the crops that will be grown in them this coming year. This house of Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea will be

filled with a crop of Endless Summer to be forced for Mothers Day. That bay of Little Devil Ninebark cuttings will be filled with Mandevilla, Hibiscus and Bougenvilla blooms by mid-April. The chartreuse foliage of Tiger Eyes will be swapped for the pinks and whites of Alyssum and the reds and oranges of Zinnia.

As one growing season wraps up and is reflected upon, another begins. It all starts slowly, kind of like popcorn. A warm house to force plants for the tradeshow season opens - POP! Ivy Geraniums and Fuchsia cuttings begin to fill the propagation benches POP, POP! Gerbera daisy, Begonia, and Asparagus fern seeds are sown POP, POP, POP! Before long Bud and Bloom Roses are

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sweating, mixed baskets are being hung and the smell of soil and spring growth fills the air. Life in the greenhouses will become a whirlwind of planting and pinching and pulling in a few short months. It is here that I can escape the weather and feel the sun on my face; it is almost always 70° and sunny somewhere in the greenhouses.

properly watered. Seeds are received and stored in bins at just the right temperature. Media is tested and chemical hoppers calibrated. Tags are arranged alpha-numerically near the planting lines. Lights and furnaces are inspected, poly walls hung. Irrigation lines, booms and nozzles are flushed, cleaned and checked over for wear.

For me, the first reminder of the bedding plant season to come is the harvest of the shrub and tree liners from the propagation beds. But what continues through the late fall/early winter months triggers excitement before the first cuttings are stuck or the first seedlings are even sown. Beds are leveled and covered tightly with ground cloth.

String lines are set to mark the aisles.

Clean bench cloth is unrolled onto propagation benches. Stacks of plastic trays, baskets and flats huddle in corners waiting to be filled. Drip lines are cleaned and tested to ensure plants placed beneath in a few months will be

It is amazing just how many tasks need to be completed ahead of the first sowing for the bedding plant season to go relatively smoothly. No matter how many calibrations are made and how many schedules are set there will always be challenges that arise. Cuttings won’t come in on time, tags and trays will be delayed. Cloudy weather will increase the threat of Botrytis, and cold nights will keep the heaters running harder and longer than last season. When did those aphids get on the Ipomea and how on Earth did mealy bugs end up here in Minnesota? That’s part of what makes greenhouse growing exciting. What fun

would it be if planting, watering and shipping was all that was necessary to produce a quality crop?

Anticipating and solving those challenges with a great team of individuals is what really makes this a great profession. Need I even mention the satisfaction of closing the door on a full truck when an order is complete?

Now I really am getting excited for spring!

And then a quick glance outside the window and my springtime daydream is suffocated by the sight of snowflakes, 13° temperatures and geese headed toward Mexico. Please take me with you. Oh well, time to get the shovel and search for my two year old’s left mitten. q ________________________________ Sam Drahn is the Chair of the MNLA Greenhouse and Herbaceous Growers Committee and can be reached sam.drahn@baileynursery.com.

JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | PLANT MANAGEMENT

Challenges in Diagnosing Tree Wilts

By Dimitre Mollov, Plant Disease Clinic – University of Minnesota he Plant Disease Clinic seasonally receives tree samples for wilt analysis that include oak wilt, Dutch elm disease and Verticillium wilt. In 2010, out of all samples received, 67% were positive for Verticillium, 42% were positive for Dutch elm disease and only 26% were positive for oak wilt. One way to look at these numbers is Dimitre Mollov that tree care professionals are more likely to identify Verticillium wilt in the field than oak wilt. When Dutch elm disease was suspected in about half the time the samples were negative. It appears that there are discrepancies between field and laboratory and some elaboration is needed to explain them.

Verticillium wilt (primarily on maples) is perhaps the easiest to diagnose in the field. Slow growth, marginal scorching of leaves, irregular dieback and discoloration of vascular system are very prominent characteristics of Verticillium infection.

There are not too many other conditions that have all these symptoms combined on a maple and usually when Verticilium is suspected it is also confirmed.

In the laboratory, the Dutch elm disease pathogen is probably the easiest to culture among the three wilt fungi. Yet, there are many suspected samples that come out negative.

Wilting and yellowing of the leaves are a warning indication of the disease, but if infection occurs symptom progression differs depending on where the pathogen enters the tree. Infection through root grafting may cause yellowing and wilting in lower parts of the tree vs. infection that starts in the upper part and appears as flagging. Also in most cases when dark streaking is found under the bark it is typically associated with the disease.

Other diseases that can be confused with Dutch elm are elm yellows and bacterial leaf scorch. In our experience, however the disease is most often confused with stressed trees from drought, construction, and insect infestations.

With many oaks declining in the past few years, oak wilt takes the majority of tree wilts testing. In the laboratory, the assay is pretty straightforward but less than one third of the samples in 2010 were confirmed positive. The biology and symptom development of oak wilt is comparable to Dutch elm disease but there are different levels of susceptibility among different oaks. Red oaks wilt very rapidly and usually die in couple months. Bur oaks and white oaks often survive for few years after infection. Leaves wilt away from petiole first and turn brown. Dark discoloration associated with the disease is found under the bark and is more distinct in white oaks vs. red oaks. There are several conditions that can be confused with oak wilt. Drought stress is one of the major contributors to oak

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decline. Root disturbance (when new construction or landscape installation is done) is a serious stress factor. Stressed trees are more attractive to insect infestations. Twolined chestnut borer tunneling is found in many of the samples that test negative.

Additionally, there are few diseases that can be associated with or attribute to oak stress and decline. Botryosphaeria, Tubakia, Armillaria, oak anthracnose, and bacterial leaf scorch should be kept in mind when submitting a sample for oak wilt testing.

In summary, for accurate diagnosis of all wilts, the most important factor is collecting a good sample that is handled properly. When submitting a sample, select a material that is showing the symptoms of concern. It is unlikely to determine Verticillium wilt from a branch far away from the main trunk that does not have the typical discoloration of the vascular system. Also, submitting a sample that has progressing wilting (has green and dying tissue) is detrimental. From a given sample, usually 20 to 25 small sterile pieces are processed for evaluation. Submitting many branches throughout the tree crown will greatly increase the chances of accurate diagnosis.

Most often, false negative results occur when wilting is high in the crown and sample is brought from a lower area that can only be reached.

Ideally, samples are constituted of several different branches, collected from different parts of the tree, that are 1-2 inches in diameter and 6-12 inches long. After samples are collected they should be wrapped in plastic, kept cool, and submitted or shipped overnight as soon as possible. Accurate tree wilt diagnosis is a two way process: good sample collection and laboratory analysis. Good samples lead to accurate diagnosis, proper and timely management practices and satisfied customers. q

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Minnesota Valley Founder Dies NLA extends its condolences to the family of Minnesota Valley Landscape founder and longtime member Al Lindstrom, who died Sunday, Nov. 14, at his home in Bloomington.

Allyn August Lindstrom, 81, was born December 22, 1928, in Oak Park, and grew up in Foreston. He graduated from Milaca High School in 1948 and married Gladys B. Johnson on September 11, 1948. He worked at the Ford Motor Company and, in the early 1960s, he started selling nursery stock as a second job for Quaker Hill Inc. Eventually he formed his own business which today has evolved into three companies: Minnesota Valley Landscape, Minnesota Valley Garden Center and Minnesota Valley Wholesale. The company has been a large supplier of nursery stock in the region for many years, notably for large commercial and highway projects.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Gladys; his children Cheryl Zilka, Susan Lindstrom, and David Lindstrom; three grandchilden; three great-grandchildren; and his brothers Jerry and Jim Lindstrom.

Memorials are preferred to the Alzheimer's Association or the Horticultural Research Institute.

Services were held Nov. 19 in Bloomington. q

M

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JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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UPCOMING EVENTS MNLA CERTIFICATION EXAM January 21, 2011 | 8:30am—12:30pm | Hennepin Technical College, Brooklyn Park - or March 10, 2011 | 8:30am—12:30pm | Dakota County Technical College, Rosemount

Interested in sitting for the MNLA Certification Exam? You will have two opportunities this winter— one in January and one in March. Go online to www.mnla.biz to purchase your Certification Manual today and start studying to earn your MNLA Certification.

MAINTENANCE FOR RAINGARDENS & BIORETENTION CELLS February 15, 2011 | 8:00am—4:00pm | Blaine City Hall

Over the last half decade there has been an increase in demand for small scale raingardens, curb cut bioretention cells and other large scale bioretention cells throughout the Midwest. These gardens must dependably function for decades. This requires planning for maintenance throughout design, installation and the functional life of the project. Please join us as we share our tenets of design and installation based on the lessons learned from the installation and maintenance of over 100 raingardens and bioretention cells. Published data on performance and maintenance will also be shared.

PICTURE PERFECT PLANTS & GARDEN DESIGN February 16, 2011 | 9:30am—3:00pm | Continuing Education Center, University of MN, St. Paul

Calling all “plant geeks” and landscape designers! Join your colleagues at this exciting education session featuring widely published author, photographer, lecturer and consultant Rick Darke.

Darke will be addressing timely industry topics including: ! ! !

Woody Plants for Woodland Gardens Balancing Natives and Exotics in Garden Design; and Digital Photography, Beyond Composition.

A more complete schedule is available online at www.MNLA.biz.

More details and registration for these and other programs available online at www.MNLA.biz!

Sponsorships are available for these seminars. Call Betsy at 952-903-0505 or e-mail betsy@pierreproductions.com.

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UPCOMING EVENTS HANDS-ON RAINGARDEN INSTALLATION TRAINING February 17, 2011 | Choose 1 Session: 8:00am—11:30am or 12:30pm—4:00pm | Hedberg Landscape Supplies, Plymouth

Small scale raingardens can be attractive perennial beds that effectively absorb stormwater runoff from hard surfaces when sited and constructed properly. Assisting home owners to create these landscape features requires experience assessing site topography, locating stabilized overflows, determining maximum ponding depths and amending soils. This February is an opportunity to spend a ½ day honing these skills as you work with experienced raingarden installers to build a raingarden inside a heated warehouse.

PESTICIDE CERTIFICATION: WORKSHOP & EXAM March 14-15, 2011 | Day One: 7:15am—4:00pm; Day Two: 8am—3:00pm | Location: U of M, St. Paul - or March 16-17, 2011 | Day One: 7:15am—4:00pm; Day Two: 8am—3:00pm | Location: U of M, St. Paul

Looking to obtain a pesticide applicators license for the first time or need to re-take the exam?

Prepare for the category A and E pesticide applicator certification exam by attending this 1 ½ day study program. The workshop can also be viewed as a refresher course for those already certified.

Topics covered will include: ! State Laws and Regulations ! Integrated Pest Management (Insects, Diseases and Weed Control) ! Pesticide Formulations ! Health and Safety Issues (Toxicity, Heat Stress, Personal Protective Equipment) Taking the Exam on Day 2 is optional and will require an additional license fee due to the MN Dept. of Agriculture. Note: Attending this study course does not guarantee passing the category A & E exams.

APPLIED PLT LANDSCAPE LIGHTING TRAINING March 16, 2011 | 8:00am—5:00pm | Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul

This class provides eight hours of Power Limited Training credit orientated specifically towards the landscape lighting specialist. The 8 hour class will contain: Two clock hours of specific National Electrical Code training; and 6 hours of applicable training. Technical training will include: Principals of 12 Volt Outdoor Lighting: Design; Landscape Lighting Installation – Wiring and Circuits; and LED Landscape Lighting - How New Technology is Changing the Landscape Lighting Business. (Note: This course is pending approval by the Dept. of Labor and Industry).

More details and registration for these and other programs available online at www.MNLA.biz!

Sponsorships are available for these seminars. Call Betsy at 952-903-0505 or e-mail betsy@pierreproductions.com.

JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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UPCOMING EVENTS NCMA SEGMENTAL RETAINING WALL INSTALLER CERTIFICATION March 22, 2011 | 8:00am—5:00pm | Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul

The Segmental Retaining Wall Installer Education Program is a seminar series designed to reinforce national standardized installation and site practices within the SRW installer community. Level I is structured for all employees involved in SRW installation and provides fundamental instruction on minimum installation guidelines, material and system component properties, soils and compaction, site practices and equipment selection. Those successfully completing the classroom seminar and passing a written examination become recognized as a NCMA Level I SRW Installer. Furthermore, your learning doesn’t end when the program is completed! This program includes a wealth of valuable course information and reference material that attendees take back to work for implementation as money-saving and profitmaking ideas! Participants will take the NCMA exam at the end of training.

CREATING EDIBLE LANDSCAPES March 24, 2011 | 8:30am—11:30am | Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul

Edible landscaping is one of the hottest trends in home gardening. This style of landscaping frees fruits and vegetables from the confines of traditional garden rows, and brings them front and center into the ornamental realm. Plants are chosen for their aesthetic qualities, site suitability and food-producing potential to create visually stunning, highly productive and nutritious landscapes.

In this session we’ll go over some of the important considerations of sustainable landscape design when designing with food-producing plants, discuss ornamental and edible plant combinations, and take a look at inspiring examples of edible landscape design. A small-group activity will give participants the opportunity to explore the range of possibilities in edible landscaping.

IRRIGATION TRAINING DAY March 30, 2011 | 4 Half Day Sessions | Dorsey-Ewald Conference Center, St. Paul

Join us for one or more of the following half day training sessions focused on irrigation: ! ! ! !

Introduction to Irrigation Irrigation Installation Landscape Irrigation Design: Design Principles Landscape Irrigation Design: Application & Layout

More information on these sessions is available online at www.MNLA.biz.

More details and registration for these and other programs available online at www.MNLA.biz!

Sponsorships are available for these seminars. Call Betsy at 952-903-0505 or e-mail betsy@pierreproductions.com.

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www.MNLA.biz | JANUARY 2011

MINNESOTA HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY | THE SCOOP

Upcoming Classes from Minnesota Hort Society he following classes are sponsored by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, but are held at various locations, as noted. Enrollment is limited, and preregistration is required. To register, call 651-643-3601 or 800-676-6747, ext 211.

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The Shade Garden Tuesday, January 18, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. $15 members, $25 nonmembers. Location: MSHS Classroom, 2705 Lincoln Drive; Roseville.

Gardening in the shade can be challenging but rewarding by opening up the possibilities of a new palette of plants to work with. Be adventurous and go beyond begonias and impatiens for your shady area. Learn what works with examples of perennials, annuals, ferns, and woody species.

Instructor: Shirley Mah Kooyman is a botanist with a specialty in plant taxonomy, an award-winning teacher, and a plant information specialist. She worked at the Arboretum for 25 years.

The Moonlight Garden: Creating a Luminous Landscape Tuesday, January 25, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. $15 members, $25 nonmembers. Location: MSHS Classroom, 2705 Lincoln Drive; Roseville.

Continue to enjoy your garden long after the sun has set by knowing how to maximize the effects your plants can create.

An evening moonlight garden is more than white flowers.

Learn how texture, form, color and variegation of leaves can add that special shimmer to an evening garden and help brighten a dark corner of the garden.

Instructor: Shirley Mah Kooyman is a botanist with a specialty in plant taxonomy, an award-winning teacher, and a plant information specialist. She worked at the Arboretum for 25 years.

Sowing Seeds Outdoors in the Winter Tuesday, February 1, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. $15 members, $25 nonmembers. Location: MSHS Classroom, 2705 Lincoln Drive; Roseville.

Explore sowing your own seeds during winter months in an easy, less-mess environment. Winter sowing is an inexpensive and easy germination process that uses recyclables, such as milk cartons, to create mini-greenhouses. This method is rewarding, fun, and requires a more leisurely pace than inside sowing.

Instructor: Michelle Mero Riedel is a professional photographer and Master Gardener. q

JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | GARDEN CENTER

MNLA Garden Center Secret Shopper Program Returns! he Garden Center Committee invites you to T participate in the 2011 Garden Center Secret Shopper Program!

What is a secret shopper and why should I participate? Secret shoppers pose as normal customers to perform specific tasks—such as purchasing a product, asking questions, registering complaints or behaving in a certain way – and then provide detailed reports or feedback about their experience in survey form. This survey data can then be used to help individual stores improve their customer service and product offerings.

The impetus for the creation of a specific Garden Center Secret Shopper Program was to ensure those secret shoppers visiting your location are familiar with the green industry retail shopping experience. The secret shoppers in this program will be either other garden center managers or employees. They will be able to give you honest, accurate feedback from a green industry perspective!

Garden center managers who participated in 2010 reported that a side benefit of the program was the employee development that occurred from doing these shops. When surveyed, they stated that employees came back energized and more aware of providing top notch customer service and had new ideas that helped benefit their store!

To be eligible to have your store shopped by a secret shopper, you must agree to do a specific number of shops at other stores. You will identify the number of shops you would like to receive/provide at your location on the Garden Center Secret Shopper Application.

Shoppers can be the manager themselves, or an employee at your store. e manager will ultimately be held responsible for the completion of the shop and completion of the follow-up survey.

Shoppers will receive information about the store, location, and preferred time frame of shop as well as a copy of the survey they will be asked to complete after the shop. Surveys will be filled out ONLINE ONLY and data compilation provided to the Garden Center electronically after each shop has occurred. e program will run from April – September 2011. e application deadline to participate is February 25, 2011.

For complete details and/or to sign up, see the MNLA Garden Center Secret Shopper Application which can be found online at www.mnla.biz. e application requires a $100 participation fee which will help to cover postage and administration costs for the program. To participate in a corporate secret shopper program is often ten times this expense – so sign on today! q

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The Scoop | COMMERCIAL ARBORISTS

Keeping the Family in Family Business

By Steve Sylvester, S&S Tree Specialists

Editor’s note: Steve wrote this article for the Tree Care Industry Association. We asked to reprint it in The Scoop because the “family business” story is one shared by many MNLA members.

lows are lower and although we have each others’ backs, we also sometimes have each other by the neck. This wouldn’t be a true family business without a full set of family dynamics.

ll TCIA board members are asked to write an article and this month, I’m up for the challenge.

After considering gloomy topics regarding When you look at the amount of time you spend with your coworkers, the current state of the economy and the classic especially in a seasonal business, I can’t help but consider all of my employees family. issues small business owners face, I decided to go with something a little more refreshing. Let’s take the focus off business and instead highlight family.

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We are far from Wall Street. We have toys on the floor, crayons in pen holders and at least one dog roaming the office on a given day.

Grandkids are a common and welcome sight. ey’re always welcome to stop by and see Papa.

Our work environment was created around the idea that sometimes life can be a distraction from work, but work should never be a distraction from family. Our office is warm and welcoming and we do our best to surround ourselves with the people we love. Come on over for a visit if you’re ever in the area. q

S&S Tree Specialists began in August of 1976 – the same summer my oldest son, Louie was born. For anyone who has started a business, had children or done both at the same time, you can understand why the word ‘broke’ highlighted my vocabulary. As I struggled to make it through the then medieval world of tree care, I looked to family and friends for support both inside and outside of my business As I picked up business, I also picked up family members.

What none of us knew at the time was that these early years would become the foundation of our careers in the tree industry. Many of the earliest employees I leaned on are still with me today and they all have one thing in common: they’re family. Thirty four years into my career and I can proudly say I have surrounded myself with as many family members as I can – my sons, Louie and Tony; wife, Debbie; daughters, Tammy and Karla; daughter-in-law, Anne; loyal sidekick, Mario; and extended family including cousins, uncles and nieces.

You might be thinking, why family? Don’t you see enough of them at holidays? I have surrounded myself with family because I know they are reliable. When life gets tough, you can always turn to family for support. This isn’t just true for life, but business too. When your expectations are high, the trust you put in your family can yield the greatest return. Working with family brings a set of unique challenges. In any given day I can be a host, referee, fireman or babysitter. Highs are higher, JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

How to Avoid Getting Sued

By Patrick McGuiness, Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC s an attorney I will often have clients that want me to write a contract for them that will “keep them from being sued.” Every time this happens, I have to break the news to them that nothing I do can keep them from getting sued. Anyone can sue you at any time and for any reason. That is the unfortunate truth in today’s society.

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Despite this unfortunate revelation, there are many simple steps that can be taken to help you avoid lawsuits in the first place, or prove your case if you should ever end up in court. What follows is a list of the major issues legal issues I have seen faced by green industry companies. This is by no means the complete list of things that can go wrong, nor is it a 100% surefire way to avoid court.

1. Have a written contract that you review each year.

Make sure it addresses the project price, the work to be performed, the remedies available to the parties involved, has a proper pre lien notice if you are doing residential work, and outlines the duties and responsibilities of the property owner and you, the contractor.

2. Treat your employees right and make sure you are paying them correctly. Unless you have an alternative payment plan such as the Fluctuating Work Week in place, employees performing labor and working on a jobsite MUST be paid overtime at time and half after 40 hours (or 48 in some cases).

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3. Properly classify people performing work. If your company is audited by the department of labor, one of the things they look for is misclassification of workers to avoid workers compensation, overtime, taxes, etc. If you are paying workers on an hourly basis and they are using your tools on your jobsite, chances are that they should be classified as an employee, NOT a subcontractor. It doesn’t make an ounce of difference if you give them a 1099 and have them sign a “subcontractor agreement.” If they do not pass the Department of Labor’s series of tests, your business may be faced with fines, back taxes and back overtime pay.

4. Do quality work & stand by your work. Performing shoddy work is just asking for a lawsuit. It goes without saying that a contractor should never “take the money and run” but good contractors and companies are willing

to admit their mistakes and stand by the products and services they sell. This little bit of customer service goes a long way in preventing lawsuits from ever being started in the first place.

5. Pay your taxes. It sounds so easy, but when you look into it, there are so many different taxes and so many different rules and exceptions that it can quickly become a mess.

Sales taxes can be confusing, especially for green industry businesses. Hire an accountant for a few hours if you have questions. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” or otherwise put: better to spend a few hundred dollars on accounting advice than pay thousands and thousands of dollars later to have the accountant try and help you out of the hole you have dug.

These are just five things to consider as you get ready for another great season of work. Don’t spend too much time worrying about getting sued, instead take as many reasonable measures to prevent lawsuits as you can. Keep in mind that nothing can 100% guarantee you will not be sued, but a little forethought can help immensely. q ________________________________________________ This article provides general information on business 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. If you would like more information regarding employment law or other legal matters, please contact Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC at 651-206-3203 or info@zmattorneys.com.

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JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | SAFETY

Are My Employees Wearing Respirators?

By John Primozich CSP, ARM, Loss Control Manager, The Builders Group of MN SHA's respiratory protection standard, 29 CFR 1910.134, requires the use of respirators to protect employees from breathing contaminated and/or oxygen-deficient air when effective engineering controls are not feasible, or while they are being instituted.

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John Primozich The requirement for a Respiratory Protection Program to be in writing entails a bit of pre-planning and thought so that all areas are addressed.

These areas include selection of respirators, medical fitness exams, respirator maintenance, employee training, user fittesting, program evaluation, etc. This pre-planning is by design and intended to ensure the respirator wearer is safely using the proper respirator for the environment they are in.

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www.MNLA.biz | JANUARY 2011

All respirators that rely on a mask-to-face seal need to be annually checked with either qualitative or quantitative methods to determine whether the mask provides an acceptable fit to a wearer. The qualitative fit test procedures rely on a subjective sensation (taste, irritation, smell) of the respirator wearer to a particular test agent while the quantitative methods use measuring instruments to measure face-seal leakage.

The bottom line is that if you have employees wearing respirators at work, the items listed above need to be addressed.

OSHA has done their part to help provide information for the business owner so they can get into compliance. Information can be found at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/respiratory/ which is the link to OSHA’s Respiratory Protection eTool.

Other resources include your insurance carrier’s Loss Control department. q ________________________________________________ The Builders Group (TBG) is a self-insured workers’ compensation insurance fund that has been protecting Minnesota’s construction industry for more than 10 years. For more information, go to: www.tbgmn.com.

PUBLIC RELATIONS | The Scoop

Green for Life 2011 First Steps

By Jon Horsman, MNLA Communications Director here are many reasons MNLA members initiated “Green for Life” in 2010 as a major public service event: to cultivate community relationships, provide green shade cover to local school grounds, remind everyone that fall is a great time to plant a tree, and educate youth and the public about the environmental benefits of trees. That first reason is the basis on which the Green for Life vision rests: Green for Life is about building community – within your company, with your local school, and with the folks in your state, city, town, or village. In a larger sense, Green for Life gives MNLA a chance to cultivate relationships within the larger community of Minnesota, and to get noticed by media outlets for all the good work we do on this one special day.

Green for Life 2011 will take place on Thursday, September 22, 2011. It seems like a long way off now, but if we don’t get

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started in a couple key ways, we will be playing catch-up as the day draws nigh.

It all starts by signing up, (some of you will have already done this at the Northern Green Expo) either on MNLA.biz or by faxing back the form on this page. Then, here are the next two steps to do now: 1. During an all-company meeting, find out who has connections with local schools. is could be as basic as “My child goes to XYZ Elementary just down the road.”

Any natural relationship you have with a school will help pave the way for a Green for Life planting on September 22.

2. Setup a time to talk to your school connection, and after they buy into the concept, ask them what next steps to take with the school.

The entire project plan for Green for Life is available at MNLA.biz.

Yes! Sign us up for Green for Life 2011. (Fax to MNLA at 651-633-4986) MNLA Member Company name:_________________________________________________________________________ Contact for Green for Life 2011: _______________________________ Email address:_______________________________

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TAKE PART IN THE

GREEN INDUSTRY DAY ON THE HILL Wednesday, March 2, 2011 Kelly Inn / State Capitol, St. Paul All Minnesota green industry professionals are invited to attend this event.

MNLA will be coordinating appointments, please contact us no later than Feb. 23rd.

“I’ve never done this before. What can I expect?”

• A friendly face-to-face conversation with someone who can make a real impact in your business • To partner with other experienced green industry professionals • To be equipped with the information you need to talk intelligently about the issues

DAY ON THE HILL SUCCESS STORIES • Protection of nursery interests in invasive species discussion.

• Green Acres status for nurseries, greenhouses protected.

• EAB rapid response money plus tree removal and replacement money.

• No new pesticide notification requirements.

• No anti-business immigration enforcement measures.

Please RSVP by Feb. 23rd for the Mar. 2nd event.

Call Bob Fitch at 651-633-4987 or toll-free 888-886-6652 or e-mail bob@mnla.biz.

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www.MNLA.biz | JANUARY 2011

The Scoop | LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT

“My Friend Red”

By Sandy Proshek, Legends Golf Club

lthough I barely own a piece of red clothing in my wardrobe, red has become one of my favorite colors in the landscape. You can’t beat red for its ability to catch the eye, especially in large bright expansive annual flower beds you find at a golf course. Red can also carry your design into the fall. That is especially helpful when budgets are tight. Here are a few of my favorite reds.

They are my favorites not only for their great color, but for their disease resistance and low maintenance.

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Lady In Red Salvia – A top performer from early summer to frost. Its ability to stand out in the back of a bed with its tall wispy spikes of bright red flowers makes it a true workhorse. I also just love how it attracts honey bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

the fuchsia hanging baskets on the back terrace to beds and pots around the building. Too quick and shy for me to get a photo, I enjoyed just watching from a distance. It was a great start to my day.

Lantana – One of my very favorite annual plants that come in numerous colors, but

Monarch on a Asclepias does it have the bright red flower, but deep red foliage too.

Monarch on a Lantana Lucky Red Hot has a range of yellow/orange/red that just pops.

These no maintenance plants are a butterfly magnet.

Celosia New Look Red – What a great performer. Perfect for what I call “drive by beds.” Not only

Asclepias Silky Deep Red – I have always loved the perennial butterfly weed, but have had a hard time getting it to last in my garden. This annual is great textural addition to the annual bed. The only drawback I had was the monarch caterpillars decided they would devour some of the plants.

It’s amazing how fast they can defoliate a plant within a couple days.

The good thing was the plants bounced back and I was able to enjoy the butterflies throughout the summer.

Dragonwing Red Begonia – Great in containers or beds, this shade loving annual blooms all season. In the bed they can become quite large if given adequate room and moisture.

Bonfire Begonia – Another great begonia for the container. More of an orange/red, its trailing habit and vivid color worked great with contrasting colors such as solanum variegated sweet potato vine.

So, if you are always leaning towards pink, give red a try. It won’t disappoint you. q _______________________________ Sandy Proshek is a member of the MNLA Landscape Education Committee and can be reached at sproshek@charter.net.

Honey bee on a Red Salvia Almost every early morning when the clubhouse area was quiet, I would get visits from numerous hummingbirds.

They made their rounds from

Red Salvia JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT

Save $, Make $, Protect the Environment

By Bob Fitch, MNLA Executive Director mong MNLA’s “well-kept secrets” is a new informational source that is under development by the MNLA Sustainable Environment Committee. The “Sustainable Environment Resource” is available at www.MNLA.biz (click on “business resources” and then “sustainable environment resource” on the left side of the page).

The goal of the Sustainable Environment Resource is to help members identify legitimate environmental information sources that will help members and their customers design, install or maintain sustainable landscapes, as well as helping members either make money through increased sales or save money on operations.

The initial three topics offered are “Rain Barrels” compiled

by Carolin Dittman of Verbena Design and Landscaping; “Business Energy Efficiency” compiled by Nick Sargent of Sargent’s Landscape Nursery; and “Low Input Lawns” compiled by John Moe, Pangaea Design.

Future topics that will be added: planting natives and drought-tolerant species; protecting water resources; compaction and drainage; controlling erosion; meadow gardens; LED lighting; using local and recycled materials; permaculture; green roofs and more. q

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Rebates range from $1500 − $5500 on your choice of Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler vehicles. Available to all MNLA members! Contact Mary at the MNLA office for more information 651-633-4987.

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www.MNLA.biz | JANUARY 2011

AWARDS | The Scoop

Kick-Off the Season in Style at the New MNLA Landscape Gala

By Jon Horsman, MNLA Communications Director our years ago, the Landscape Awards committee first held a separate event in the spring to honor Landscape Awards winners. Their goal was to bring together the best and brightest of Minnesota’s green industry for an evening of celebration and networking. That vision continues into this year's first ever Landscape Gala, where not only will MNLA Landscape Award winners be honored, the 2011 Friend of the Environment, the Committee Member of the Year, two

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Special Service Award winners, and the latest Todd Bachman Award winner will be as well. We’ll also be announcing the first winners for the newly minted Midwest Home Landscape Design Awards, and the winners of the Judges Choice Award in design, installation and management. At the end of each day of MNLA Landscape Awards judging, our esteemed judges choose their favorite project and the result is kept secret until the Landscape Gala. As if that weren’t enough, we’re planning on having some serious fun in the course of

the program with an entertaining comedian and a surprise or two. Tickets are $60.00 per person or $550 for a table of 10.

Reward your employees or impress your clients with the green industry’s most elegant and enjoyable evening. Plan now to join us on March 5, 2011 at 317 on Rice Park in downtown St. Paul. We begin with a social hour at 5:30, followed by dinner at 7:00 and the program at 8:00. Buy your tickets online at www.MNLA.biz or call 651-633-4987 for more information or to book your table for 10.

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JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

Report on the Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable

By Tim Power, Power Consults had the opportunity to attend the Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable (SWRR) October 2122, 2010 at the Freshwater Society in Excelsior. Citizens, Tim Power scientists, policymakers and water planners comprise the SWRR, which meets periodically to discuss national and regional water issues. The format of the roundtable was issue-oriented panels, with panelists representing, among others, the Army Corps of Engineers, the California

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Department of Water, the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) and the University of Minnesota’s Water Resources Center (WRC). The power points for the conference are available both at the Freshwater Society’s website (www.freshwater.org) and at the SWRR webpage (http://acwi.gov/swrr).

With apologies for the alphabet soup of acronyms, a little background on SWRR helps to understand its significance. From their web pages: “The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) …..established the Water Information Coordination Program (WICP)….. in 1991….to improve water information for decision making about natural

resources management and environmental protection…..To ensure coordination of water information programs, the Department of the Interior, through the U.S. Geological Survey, is designated as the lead agency for the Water Information Coordination Program…..Federal activities and funding for water resources information are integrally tied to partnerships with non-Federal entities. Therefore, the Secretary of the Interior established an advisory committee…..The purposes of the Advisory Committee on Water Information (ACWI) is to identify water information needs, evaluate the effectiveness of water information

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programs and recommend improvements. The member organizations represent all levels of government, tribal interests, and the private sector…..The Sustainable Water Resources Roundtable (SWRR) is a subgroup of the Advisory Committee on Water Information…..Since 2002, the SWRR has brought together federal, state, corporate, non-profit and academic sectors to advance our understanding of the nation’s water resources and to develop tools for their sustainable management.”

A highlight of the roundtable for me was the panel entitled “Planning for the Future.” Among the panelists was Princesa Van Buren Hansen, principal water planner for the Minnesota EQB. EQB produces a State Water Plan every ten years, and the draft 2010 plan is now out for review (see www.eqb.state.mn.us/documents/Draft2 010MinnesotaWaterPlan.pdf ). Two things about the 2010 Plan strike me as particularly interesting for our industry: • A highlighted sidebar (p.36) in the “Promote Wise and Efficient Use of

Water” strategy reads: “Metro communities use roughly 2.6 times more water on the peak summer day than an average day presumably to accommodate lawn watering. This leads to costly construction of new municipal wells, treatment and storage facilities and increases the risk of water quality degradation.

More importantly, it depletes the limited reserve of water more quickly.” This statement certainly has implications for our Irrigation Industry members.

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In the “Increase Protection Efforts” strategy (p.35), one bullet point reads “Implement recommendations for long-term protection of surface and groundwater contained in the DNR January 2010 report, LongTerm Protection of the State’s Surface and Groundwater Resources.” In this report, DNR recommends to the Legislature that the state adopt a watershed-based planning and governance structure state-wide that is similar to our metro area watershed districts. This approach might have major impact

on our agricultural community, requiring them for the first time to help address the excessive nutrient loads that have contributed to designation of many of our waters as impaired.

A second panelist was Deb Swackhamer, co-chair of the Minnesota Water Sustainability Framework Project, a University of Minnesota-led project that was mandated by the Legislature to guide expenditures from the Clean Water Fund, one of the 25-year funds created by the 2008 Clean Water, Land and Legacy Act. The Framework webpage, www.wrc.umn.edu/watersustainability/fr amework, includes a link to an excellent overview video of the Framework Project. MNLA Stormwater Task Team members Bob Race and Mike Kelly served on one of the technical teams contributing to the Framework report.

While the report is not yet public, Dr. Swackhamer suggested in the panel discussion that there would be recommendations that might impact the agricultural community, as explained in the next paragraphs.

Continued on page 36

JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

35

A Deeper Shade of Green Local Genetic Origins

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www.MNLA.biz | JANUARY 2011

Continued from page 35 The Federal Clean Water Act requires MN-PCA to identify state rivers and lakes as impaired if those waters exceed thresholds for certain nutrients, total suspended solids (TSS), etc. If waters are declared impaired, a mitigation plan must be developed that includes Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for each substance or parameter for which thresholds are exceeded. The plans spell out sources of the excess nutrient or TSS and allocate recommended reductions back to those sources. However, there is currently no legal requirement for the plans to be implemented. See the excellent study commissioned by MNLA and written by Dan McGuiness entitled “Stormwater Management in Minnesota – Current Status and Emerging Issues” for a deeper discussion of TMDL’s.

It is available at www.mnla.biz, under Business Resources/Water Management and Irrigation.

Dr. Swackhamer indicated that the draft Water Sustainability Framework report will recommend that TMDL plan implementation be made mandatory, and that the current agricultural exemption from helping to meet TMDLs be lifted or at least modified. There is no guarantee that recommendation will be adopted by a future MN Legislature of any political stripe, but it will have major impact if it ever happens.

The SWRR conference included two additional panels, one on Mississippi River Sustainability Issues and Initiatives and the other on Great Lakes Initiatives. The Mississippi River panel discussed the TMDLs for turbidity in the South Metro Area and for phosphorus in Lake Pepin, among many other topics. A common theme that emerged from all of the roundtable discussions was that more and better monitoring of our water resources is needed to provide baselines and patterns for measuring success or failure in water sustainability efforts.

Minnesota’s Clean Water Legacy dollars are a likely funding source for those efforts. q ________________________________________________ Tim Power is the MNLA Regulatory Affairs Consultant and can be reached at timpower@powerconsults.com.

The Scoop | EDUCATION

Dakota County Technical College Landscape Horticulture Program Receives PLANET Accreditation fter a three-day visit from a Professional Landcare Network accreditation team led by Kent Hammond, associate professor emeritus at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, Ohio., PLANET granted full accreditation to the Landscape Horticulture program at Dakota County Technical College. The college's PLANET accreditation status will continue until 2017. Another review will be required at that time. David Emmitt, program manager at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio, and Scott Frampton, co-owner of Landscape Renovations, Inc., in Afton, Minn., were also members of the team.

PLANET, or the Professional Landcare Network, is a leading-edge association committed to supporting a global membership of green industry professionals in fields such as lawn care, exterior maintenance contracting, landscape (design, building & installation) and interiorscape.

Sherralyn Cox, DCTC dean of design and health & human services, stated that the visit by the PLANET team constituted a rigorous examination of the Landscape Horticulture program's curricula, faculty preparation and credentials, and learning facility.

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"The visit definitely showed the strength of our program," Cox said.

"Our ties to the landscape horticulture industry are especially good because we incorporate feedback and significant participation from our advisory committee. We also engage in numerous activities beyond the college campus, including service-learning projects, workshops and green-industry tours as well as competition and networking events such as PLANET Student Career Days."

Matt Brooks teaches the landscape design interest area of the program. He and his fellow Landscape Horticulture faculty are always working to align their program with industry to maximize job prospects for graduates. "PLANET accreditation distinguishes our students as future leaders of the green industry," Brooks said. "Our program's affiliation with PLANET opens doors of opportunity for our alumni across the country."

Kent Hammond, the PLANET accreditation team leader, reported that out of approximately 560 horticulture programs nationally, only 60 meet PLANET requirements and just 26 have achieved accreditation.

"DCTC has the reputation as the number one horticulture program in

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Minnesota," said Hammond, who singled out the program's self-study, an internal critical self-analysis, as the best he had seen in his 20-plus years of conducting site surveys.

A founding instructor of the Landscape Horticulture program, Ed Plaster understands the significance of PLANET accreditation. Currently a part-time instructor, Plaster taught the program full-time for 30 years before retiring. He worked with fellow faculty and DCTC staff to prepare the program's self-study and meet all requirements of the PLANET site visit.

Dean Cox praised Plaster's contribution as instrumental to the accreditation process.

For more information about the DCTC Landscape Horticulture program, please visit www.dctc.edu/futurestudents/programs/landscapehorticulture/index.cf or contact the following faculty: • Matt Brooks at matthew.brooks@dctc.edu or 651-423-8392 • Jeff Kleinboehl at jeffrey.kleinboehl@dctc.edu or 651-423-8478 • Ed Plaster at edward.plaster@dctc.edu or 651-423-8498. q

Please call for Field Direct Pricing.

Just off Interstate 35 in Northfield, MN. Nursery visits encouraged.

Contact: Dave Maloney office (507) 663-0393 • cell (612) 221-0514 or email davem@bridgewatertreefarms.com JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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The Scoop | GREEN INDUSTRY CAREERS

Battling Negative Images of Ag. Natural Resource Careers

By Jodi Larson, MNLA Foundation Green Industry Student Awareness Project Coordinator n December 13, I attended the 2010 Summit for Agriculture, Food and Natural Resource Education.

This summit was an opportunity for learning and discussion about future challenges and opportunities for the industry, what that will demand of the workforce, and how to start now in educating and preparing that workforce.

Some of the challenges that were brought up and addressed included building awareness of available career options, changing the negative image that is many times attached to careers in these fields and assuring quality education for those pursuing these careers.

Students need to hear about careers in the industry, but that alone is not enough. Once they hear about options, they need an open environment to explore those options, which is difficult if parents and counselors view the opportunity negatively. Next, there need to be educational opportunities

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available for students to build upon those interests and expand their knowledge and skills.

Many at the summit highlighted the importance of making education come alive. Through the use of technology in the classroom, like online portals and Skype to bring in guests from a distance, to hands-on and experiential learning, students learn more from material that comes in a meaningful context.

This is important to our industry. Horticulture and landscape education has definite needs that will have to be addressed. But there are always opportunities for individuals to get involved and visit a school and engage students, making a lasting impression.

Through knowledge and collaboration, the summit served as a starting point in addressing the challenges and opportunities present in agriculture, food and natural resource education. I hope that more people from our industry will step up and get involved in these discussions and the actions that will be required to build a skilled and educated workforce. q

2011 Arbor Day Poster Contest Deadline Approaching! he deadline for receiving posters for the Arbor Day Poster Contest is February 18, 2011. If you know of a 5th grade teacher, please tell them about it and direct them to GardenMinnesota.com. The curriculum is provided and the winning student gets a tree planted in their honor at their school, in addition to other prizes. Go to GardenMinnesota.com and search keyword "Arbor Day Poster Contest."

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The Scoop | PLANT OF THE MONTH

Plant of the Month

Fall Fiesta® ( USPP 11119) Sugar Maple Acer saccharum ‘Bailsta’

By Jennifer Salley, Bachman’s Cedar Acres iery oranges, vibrant yellows, warm reds; who wouldn’t want these gorgeous colors in their landscape for a few weeks every fall?

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Fall Fiesta® is a reliably hardy (zone 3) Sugar Maple introduced by Bailey Nurseries in 1998. The large, dark green, leathery

months, once all the leaves have fully emerged. Pruning in winter or early spring will cause wounds to bleed significantly.

Fall Fiesta® is not troubled by many insects or diseases, making it an excellent selection for the homeowner looking for a low maintenance, easy-care tree that offers a beautiful kaleidoscope of colors for a few weeks every fall. q _______________________________________________ Jennifer Salley is the Assistant Store Manager at Bachman's Cedar Acres and can be reached at JSalley@bachmans.com.

leaves hold up well throughout the growing season, proving quite resistant to tatter.

Planted in full sun, the canopy of this tree will provide wonderful shade in a variety of situations. Fall Fiesta®, although slow to establish, can reach heights of 50’-60’ with a similar spread. Due to its moderate growth levels, you can plan on this tree beautifying the landscape for upwards of 100 years.

The soil requirements for a long-term success are fairly basic. Fall Fiesta® will thrive in a moist, well-drained, rich soil.

It does not tolerate compacted soils or areas of extreme air pollution.

Visit us at the Northern Green Expo!

As the tree ages, the bark becomes deeply furrowed and grey.

The bark rarely develops frost cracks or fissures.

Although Fall Fiesta® is a fairly low maintenance tree, care should be taken when pruning. The tree naturally starts its canopy 10’ or so from ground level, reducing the need for much pruning, especially during it juvenile years. However, if pruning is necessary, it should be completed in the summer JANUARY 2011 | www.MNLA.biz

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Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association 1813 Lexington Avenue North Roseville, MN 55113-0003

GardenMinnesota.com www.MNLA.biz