THE NEW JERSEY
Spring 2019
Landscape Contractor
The Official Publication of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association
• Dipping Your Toes into 3D Waters • Hybrid ICP Base Bedding • Developing Your Latino Leadership • The Four Myths of Incentives ...and Much More!
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The New Jersey Landscape Contractor magazine is the official publication of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association, dedicated to the professional landscape industry of New Jersey. NJLCA was founded in 1966 as the Bergen County Landscape Contractors Association, and is today comprised of over 550 member companies throughout New Jersey. New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association 465 Mola Boulevard, Ste. 4, Elmwood Park, NJ 07407 Phone | 201-703-3600 -- Fax | 201-703-3776 E-mail | info@njlca.org Visit our website at www.NJLCA.org Publisher/Editor Gail E. Woolcott Contributing Writers Pete Baloglou | Greg Carpenter | Patrick Donovan | Joel Flagler David Freeman | Jonathan Goldhill | Keith Krehel | Nelson Lee Shay Leon | Matt Moskowitz | Mackenzie Nunn | Brian Oleksak John Raffiani | Joe Salemi | Jeffrey Scott | Vincent Simeone Scott Smith | Juan Torres | Alan Weene | Rob Woods Gail Woolcott | Steven Yergeau NJLCA Combined Board President | Nelson Lee Vice President | Richard Goldstein, CLT Treasurer | Greg Carpenter, CLT Director | Anthony Agudelo Director | Jeff Baker Director | Joe Bolognese Director | Justin Flatow, CLT Director | John Freitag Director | George Futterknecht, CLT Director | Dan Kindergan Director | Michael McMorrow Associate Director | Kenneth Cerullo Associate Director | David Gaynor Advisor | Dr. Bruce Clarke, Rutgers University Advisor | Dr. Steven Fischer, Bergen Community College Advisor | Dr. James Murphy, Rutgers University The New Jersey Landscape Contractor magazine is published triennially. 600 print copies are distributed to members and over 4,000 digital issues are sent to professionals in the Green Industry of New Jersey, as well as educational and governmental institutions. Subscription rates: $45.00 per year; $15.00 per copy. New Jersey residents only, please add 7% sales tax. To advertise in The New Jersey Landscape Contractor, please contact Gail Woolcott at (201) 703-3600 or e-mail gwoolcott@njlca.org. Article and photo submissions are encouraged and may be sent to NJLCA at the above address. Publisher assumes no responsibility for safekeeping or return of photos or manuscripts, and reserves all rights to edit material submitted for publication. © 2019 New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher. PUBLISHED May 2019
Cover Photo: Exclusive Stoneworks, 2018 Landscape Achievement Awards Winner
contents Spring 2019 FEATURES
7 Once a Curb, Now a Countertop 10 Horticulture for the Health of It 13 Technology Helps Bridge the Green Industry Generation Gap 17 The Ever-changing and Wide World of Hydrangeas 20 Vehicle Corrosion and Longevity 23 Is It Time to Simply Go Up the Drain-age 30 Assessing Soil Compaction 34 People Trends Dominate the Landscape 38 A Pool That Marries Nature to the Modern Age 40 The Secret to Debt Collections? 42 3 Reasons to Enter Awards and 8 Ways to Market 45 Dipping Your Toes into 3D Waters 46 Hybrid ICP Base Bedding 48 Developing Your Latino Leadership 50 The Four Myths of Incentives
IN EVERY ISSUE...
NJLCA News Briefs 4 President’s Message 4 Upcoming Events 5 Letter from the Editor 22 Landscape Industry Certified Exam 28 Contractor Focus: Nature’s Touch Ponds 29 Associate Focus: Wilfred MacDonald 37 Welcome New Members 41 Scholarships Available... 44 NJLCA/IANJ Golf Challenge 44 Landscape Achievement Awards Dinner 49 Advertiser Index
Columns 5 The Buzz: Industry News 31 Roots 33 The [Safety] Culture Club 41 Turf Talk 43 Fully Equipped 47 Legal Ease NJLCA.ORG
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President’s Message
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’d like to thank all of you for coming out to this year’s Landscape New Jersey Trade Show and Conference on February 27th at the Meadowlands! This year we had record-breaking attendance, with a 20% increase in attendees. We were truly happy to be able to share our hard work with you and our vendors. Please make sure you continue to visit those vendors and our associates throughout the year and thank them for being a supporter of the NJLCA! It is due to them that we are able to offer so many amazing educational opportunities and member meetings to our members. We can’t wait to show you what we have in store for our 2020 show! This past month, we were informed by a member that the Township of Leonia was considering a commercial landscaping ban for Saturdays. We immediately jumped into action. We are still speaking with the township about what a detriment this will be to landscaping businesses that are so dependent on weather. Hot off the presses: Just last night, NJLCA leadership attended the Leonia, NJ Mayor and Council meeting again in order to fight the discrimination of landscape professionals being banned from working on Saturdays. They are infringing on our rights as business owners and we will continue to fight. But our question to you is, what are you doing to keep this
February 26, 2020
from happening in your town? This is one of the main goals of NJLCA, to advocate for you and the landscaping, nursery and green industry. Your membership dues give us the opportunity to continue to stand by our 5 pillars at NJLCA: afety – Safety is job one at the NJLCA. Safety for our members, safety for their employees and safety for the general public, is paramount to everything we do. This includes our Landscape Industry Certification Exam and OSHA courses, along with training from state and local police departments. ommunity – The NJLCA is a community of landscape professionals, nurseries, garden centers and allied industries who openly share their knowledge and experience with one another while raising “the bar” for the entire green industry. We support our local communities through our volunteer work and partnership with Green Care and Snow Care for Troops. dvocacy – As an association, we protect our members from unfair business practices and governmental regulations, while supporting and promoting the value our industry brings to both the public and private sectors. rofessionalism – Professionalism is more than just a word to our members. It is a primary goal of our entire organization. From working with their clients to working with each other, NJLCA members pride themselves on being industry professionals. ducation – We provide an educational component to everything we do. This includes our weekly eblasts, monthly membership meetings, tri-annual magazine, annual Trade Show and scholarship programs. NJLCA University, which is held each winter, provides in-depth classes and workshops for professional landscape contractors.
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Have an excellent season everyone!
Nelson Lee, NJLCA President
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PCOMING EVENTS:
May 10th - Membership Meeting at Extech Building Supply in Closter, NJ May 23rd - Branching Out Webinar: Alternatives to RoundUp June 13th - Membership Meeting at SiteOne in Mahwah, NJ July 11th - Membership Meeting at TBD August 8th - Membership Meeting at TBD September 10th - NJLCA/IANJ Golf Challenge September 12th - Membership Meeting at York Trailers October 5th - Landscape Industry Certified Technician’s Exam October 10th - Membership Meeting at Bobcat of North Jersey
4 SPRING | 2019
The Buzz Congratulations to Richard Goldstein of Green Meadows Landscaping who recently married Korene King on May 4th.
On the same day, Director of Operations Gail Woolcott married Director Joe Bolognese of Kindergan Landscaping. A big congratulations also go out to Director John Freitag of Yellow Wagon Landscaping and his wife Allyson on their new baby girl. Congratulations to member David DeFrange of Copper Creek Landscape Management on being nominated to the New Jersey State Board of Agriculture. Our condolences go out to the family of Richard Fry of Fry Nursery and Landscape Services. On March 30th, NJLCA Past President Richard Fry passed away in North Carolina. He was originally from Fair Lawn, NJ. Rich introduced the association to many of his leadership skills that he had gained serving in the US Navy and as President of the Fair Lawn JC’s. He graduated SUNY Farmingdale with an AAS degree in Ornamental Horticulture and started his business in 1966. During his presidency, Rich started giving talks on Plant Identification at the membership meetings. Rich left New Jersey in 1985 to marry his second wife Pam and began a job with Transylvania County Parks and Recreation. He was retired after owning Fry Nursery and Landscaping Services and was residing in Pisgah Forest, NC.
Letter from the Editor
T
he season kicked off on schedule this year, but now we’re into May and so much rain! I’m praying the next few weeks bring sunshine and growth! We just had a member meeting at which Michael Kolenut of Lincoln Landscaping spoke about Native Plants for the Landscape and I cannot wait to see everything in full bloom! This issue is “blooming” with information pertinent to your business. Take a look at Scott Smith’s third and final article in his reclaiming materials feature. Take in the luster of hydrangeas, both new and tried and true. Check out the very cool natural swimming ponds that have been recently making headlines. And be sure to take a look at our feature on why you should be entering awards programs and how to market them best! Speaking of awards programs (see what I did there?)...the NJLCA is gearing up for our next Landscape Achievement Awards competition and we expect it to be heating up this year. Make sure you are taking your before and after photos while doing this year’s projects and we would love to see some maintenance entries. Show us how well you have maintained your properties, as there is an art to that as well! We also give away several special awards each year that are nominated by YOU. Please nominate those you feel deserve the contractor of the year, associate of the year, best garden Mike Reed of Synatek taking the 3B center display, best customer Pesticide Training Class outside to service and even a VIP employee identify some turf weeds this April! of yours. Let’s make this year even more exciting than ever before! We would also like to make this year’s Landscape Industry Certified Technician’s exam it’s best yet. This will be the final exam before the NALP takes the test completely online. Therefore, if you have a few modules to pass, get them done this year, as if you do not pass them by 12/31/2019, you will need to restart the exam from the beginning, online. And if you’re a judge, please make sure to join us one last time this year and let’s make this the best test yet! This will be your last opportunity to earn recertification credits from judging, but will also be our last “hurrah” as the CLT/LICT legacy in NJ. We hope to see you all there! Have a wonderful spring and I look forward to seeing you at an NJLCA event very soon! Sincerely,
Gail Woolcott Director of Operations / Editor in Chief
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Feature Story
Once a Curb, Now a Countertop: Creative Uses for Reclaimed Materials by Scott Smith, Experienced Brick & Stone
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eclaimed brick and stone were originally manufactured for a specific purpose, such as curbing. But in their second life, these salvaged materials can be used for many more creative applications, as we’ve seen countless times supplying brick pavers, cobblestones and other reclaimed materials for impressive projects that grace large estates, modest backyards and public spaces. This article wraps up a three-part series about reclaimed materials in the landscape industry, which previously highlighted these materials’ unique history and how to install them. Tudor Transformation In Upstate New York, the owners of this 1927 brick Tudor wanted to transform their backyard into an outdoor entertainment space, while simultaneously maintaining the historic charm of their city property. Previously, a few pieces of Medina curbing and sidewalk slab were used as stair treads and stepping-stones around the small lot. (It’s likely these antique stones were scavenged from the contractor who removed them from the front of the house decades before.) As such, it made sense to build upon the historic use of Medina stone to construct an outdoor room and complement the house, as well as the gardens the homeowners meticulously maintain.
Large sidewalk slabs now cover the patio surface, some of which even bear the initial of the original mason who skillfully made and placed the stone more than a century ago. Medina curbing was used for window wells, seating wall caps and stair trends, with chisel marks—still visible from when the curb was carved—adding character to the curb’s top and face. The seating/retaining wall was constructed from cobblestones laid sideways to expose their worn top side. Even the countertop around the grill is reclaimed, a sidewalk slab.
Elsewhere, the adjacent driveway is exposed aggregate, chosen to match the color palette in the reclaimed stone. Medina cobblestone is deployed as a mowing strip along garden edges and as stepping-stones throughout the lush gardens. Overall, by consistently using one type of reclaimed material of the same vintage as the property, the homeowners have created a more comfortable, welcoming space that seems to have happened naturally. Now, with the Medina stone throughout, the outdoor space feels like it belongs. In fact, visitors often mistake the patio for part of the original house construction.
Continued on Page 9
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Once a Curb... continued from Page 7
From Supporting Player to Star At the edge of roadways, curbing prevents pavement from moving laterally and separates the adjacent green space. It’s a bystander to all the action passing by. However, salvaged curbing often takes center stage in its second life. The owners of this Connecticut estate sought to bring a rustic, yet elegant, character to their property, shunning manufactured materials in favor of warmer natural stone and the patina only reclaimed materials can provide. Reclaimed curbing is the centerpiece of their new driveway. Laid flat, the curbing stones act as oversized pavers that work well in the expansive parking space. They also installed traditional cobblestones as banding to create interest and vary the texture. Antique curbing also is a veneer on the gate posts and wing wall, making efficient use of the small pieces that were cut off during installation and might otherwise have been wasted. The walkway to the front door continues the use of curbing to create a dramatic path that welcomes guests. To tie the back and sides of the property in with the front, landscaping staircases were also constructed from reclaimed curbing. You can even create intricate designs and artwork with this versatile material. Here, in front of the garage, an eye-catching compass medallion made from salvaged curbing breaks up the large paved area and adds a point of focus.
can go from ho-hum to incredible with salvaged materials. For example, a secluded corner of a garden is a great location for a bench made from curbing, as its rustic surface invites you to sit for a while and appreciate the scenery. A retaining wall built from stacked curbing offers a unique pattern of stone and sturdy construction. And, salvaged hitching posts bring the history of a place front and center, encouraging passersby to consider the decades of memories created on that property. The possibilities for reclaimed materials are only limited by the designer’s creativity and imagination. What will you create? Scott Smith, a professional Engineer, founded Experienced Brick & Stone in 2009 to prevent street bricks and other usable materials from being dumped in landfills. Scott has been involved in numerous projects reclaiming street bricks, cobblestones, curbing and stone building elements. These archaeological digs have created a wealth of knowledge about historic installation methods, available materials and their history. He also provides advice on material selection and installation methods to support other design professionals.
Endless Possibilities Even small-scale landscape elements
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Feature Story
Horticulture for the Health of It
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eople and plants share an ancient bond. We have been interacting with plants since long before the term ‘horticulture’ was ever conceived. Biophilia is defined as the human affinity for Nature. It speaks to our built-in preference for natural settings, and is likely a function of the survival advantages for our earliest ancestors. Even today there exists a global preference for the color green and park-like (savanna) landscapes. In the past these were indicators of places to find food, water, escape, and more. A relatively new area of investigation is known as Human Issues in Horticulture, and it focuses on the human dimension of the horticultural process. We have long known what we can do to change and improve plants. Finally, we are becoming aware of the roles plants can play toward improving human well-being. Research by Ulrich, Kaplan, Lewis and others suggest that human evolutionary history helps explain why we like plants and green spaces. Findings by Ulrich demonstrate that merely sitting in the presence of live plants can reduce stress, fear, anger, and muscle tension. Other studies indicate marked
10 SPRING | 2019
reduction in blood pressure and heart rate while in the presence of plants. Studies by Drs. Rachel and Steven Kaplan have found that vegetated settings offer a feeling of ‘being away’, allowing for an effective restorative experience. Plants provide a sense of ‘fascination’ that evokes effortless mental activity, as opposed to the strenuous, focused mental activity required for work tasks. What does this mean for professionals who design and create gardens and landscapes? It might serve to expand our ideas of what home landscapes can be and what these spaces represent for the people who live there. Gardens and landscapes can mean different things for different people, and can vary with the season. Some common uses include: recreation, lounging, food growing, enjoying attractive ornamental plants, privacy from neighbors. These are important, of course, but there are some other uses to consider: personal escape, sensory stimulation, therapy and rehabilitation, mental and physical engagement. Personal escape is an important element for many of us who need to step out of the fast pace and recharge. Research shows that settings that include vegetation are the most effective at providing “restorative” capabilities. According to experts, we all need time and space to “restore” ourselves, following stress and multi-tasking. Most people are overwhelmed by the noise, movement, and visual complexity of the modern world. Researchers have documented that gardens and natural spaces become extremely important, as they can restore natural rhythms and remove artificial interruption. In repeated studies settings that include live vegetation are the most effective at providing a true restorative experience for individuals. Also, most man-made settings that are devoid of live plants are relatively useless in creating opportunities for people to recover from stress. Nearly every family knows something about disability. In many cases gardens and landscapes can be ‘safe’ places to build strength and confidence after an injury or other setback. Helping elders regain skills like balance and increased endurance can all be achieved in the garden. And working with plants is a great motivator, unlike any other. Plants reward the caretaker with tangible things like beauty, fragrance, new leaves, maybe fruits and flowers. Anyone can be successful with plants on some level, regardless of disability and other personal challenges. Rutgers University Cook campus has fully accredited Horticultural Therapy (HT) Degree and Certificate programs. Classes are filled with registrants coming from a wide assortment of majors, including landscape design and urban planning. HT has cross-over appeal to the people sciences
Feature Story by Joel Flagler, Rutgers Agricultural Extension Agent for Bergen County (psychology, sociology) the green sciences, nutrition, exercise science, and many other disciplines. Further, one of the key programmatic theme areas for the Rutgers Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources is “Horticulture for the Health of It”. This acknowledges the many layers of benefits at hand for people who participate in growing plants. It also speaks to the many requests for new community, hospital, and school gardens coming to Rutgers Cooperative Extension offices statewide. An increasingly large body of research has become available, with publications in a wide range of peer-reviewed
journals. The data supports what has been observed for thousands of years. People prefer plants. People prefer settings that include plants. People are more comfortable and productive around plants. People everywhere relate to plants, as part of the overall milieu of human experience. It is a universal common denominator, crossing all ethnic and cultural lines. People of all ages and abilities can participate in growing plants, and adaptive-enabling tools and devices help make the horticultural experience enjoyable in the presence of physical deficits and challenges. Our knowledge of the plant’s role in medicine and nutrition has helped to greatly improve our physical health. Now we are beginning to recognize and utilize plants and natural settings for improved mental and physiological health. It is exciting for researchers, health care professionals and anyone involved with plants. It also can mean a huge new appreciation for landscapes and gardens as people begin to use them for new purposes and outcomes. This can mean lots of new business for professionals in all aspects of the horticulture
and related service industries. People want landscapes and gardens that they can use. For a couple of decades there has been a trend to create lavish and modernized landscapes that are meant to look slick on the pages of glossy magazines. In truth these landscapes have few uses for humans, they are not the least bit welcoming, and bear little resemblance to Nature. Today people want green spaces for escape, reflection, exercise, active growing of flowers and vegetables, sensory stimulation, attracting pollinators and butterflies, and more. It is not difficult to select the right combinations of plants to support these interests and needs. It starts with direct communication with clients to help them envision how their gardens and landscapes might be used. To foster a sense of privacy we can use tall ornamental grasses with upright evergreens. Creating a secret garden with comfortable seating and sensory qualities can be fun. Add plants with fragrance like Korean Spice Viburnum and Daphne. Today, lots of homeowners want space for vegetable and flower growing. There are wonderful raised and elevated beds that look smart, and are ideal for adding to an existing lawn or perennial garden. Since they are raised high, there are fewer problems with woodchucks, voles and invasive weeds. Water features, whether simple or elaborate, can add sound and cool dimensions to a landscape. Water attracts songbirds, too, and makes for a special oasis on a hot summer day. Landscapes can be much more than combinations of lawn and shrubbery. They can be outdoor living spaces that homeowners enjoy in exciting new ways. Consider the Human Issues, and the research-based benefits of being around beautiful plants. We can use this improved understanding of people-plant relationships and introduce new elements into our landscapes that foster improved health and new levels of enjoyment. Joel Flagler is a Registered Horticultural Therapist and has served on the national Board of Directors of the American Horticultural Therapy Association. Since 1987 he has been the Rutgers Agricultural Extension Agent for Bergen County, and the Professor of HT in the Rutgers University Department of Plant Biology. He has many refereed publications, significant grants, and an extensive array of national and international speaking engagements. Joel has been investigating PeoplePlant Relationships for 40 years.
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Feature Story
Technology Helps to Bridge the Green Industry Generation Gap by Brian Oleksak, Chair, Landscape and Horticultural Technology, The County College of Morris
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sometimes joke with my students “Who needs college professor when you can learn everything on YouTube today”. I am joking, of course. I do not wish to suffer the demise of the phone booth in our daily lives. From my vantage point as a professor of landscape horticulture at a community college I have experienced (and continue to experience) how technology has changed the student and how students change technologies in our industry. Basically, I have three types of students in my classrooms. The “traditional” student, currently labeled in pop culture as the millennial, those ranging in age from eighteen to their late twenties, still make up the majority of the student body. In landscape horticulture, however, we also see a number of experienced green industry professionals who return to college to learn computer-aided design or brush up on plant materials. The third group is made up of the career changers. These individuals may have been accountants, nurses, salespeople or from some other unrelated profession who want to take their love of gardening and turn it into a second career. Each type of student brings a unique perspective and contribution to the classroom and eventually to the landscape industry. In the past twenty years the rapid changes in technology have changed how we work with these populations and how we can best prepare them for employment in the landscape industry. I had my big wake-up call for my need to assess my own view of technology in classroom when I was giving
a plant identification quiz. I observed one student using his cell phone to look up the Latin names to complete the quiz. Since he made no effort to conceal the fact that he was using the phone I assumed he was not cheating; but phones are not permitted to look up the answers. I approached him and let him know that phones were not permitted. Though he did not object he gave me the most quizzical look! It was here that I had my epiphany, that some individuals are so used to using their phone that it has almost become a part of their thought process. Though I require many parts of my curriculum to be committed to memory, I have recognized the appropriate use of technology in connecting with millennials. In my botany class the students use their phones to document qualitative observations during lab projects. I have also strongly encouraged landscape design students to save images of their work at all stages for use in electronic portfolios. Though millennial students have no inhibitions in adopting technology, most of them need coaching on curating their best work, backing up their work for future use and most importantly, accepting constructive criticism. The use of technology has also altered other behaviors. Because texting has become the lexicon of choice I spend a lot of time correcting written assignments for grammar, sentence logic, the use of abbreviations and the random insertion of capital letters. I try to instill in landscape design students that written and oral communication skills are still important for resumes, business plans, proposals and communication with clients and municipalities. The experienced landscape professional and the career changer have also changed greatly in their approach to technology. When I began teaching older students and those who had been away from an academic setting, many expressed a lot of anxiety and inhibition about the use of computers. In 2019, the ever-presence of the cell phone, laptop, iPad and other forms of consumer devices has completely changed the attitude of these groups, even amongst the most stubborn Luddites. We have seen of the
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Feature Story returning students easily embracing new technology and navigating the online environment of many of the landscape horticulture classes. Similar trends have been documented on a national scale as Baby Boomers and Gen Xers rapidly embrace technology in their daily lives (“Millennials lead on some technology adoption measures, but Boomers and Gen X-ers are also heavy adopters”. Pew Research Center, Washington D.C. May, 2018 http://www.pewresearch.org/ fact-tank/2018/05/02/millennials-stand-out-for-theirtechnology-use-but-older-generations-also-embracedigital-life/ft_18-04-24_generationtechuse_three/). The use of technology and the presentation of the individual and/or company in the digital realm is increasingly important. For students looking for employment in the green industry I stress the importance professionalism in their digital communications and the importance of first impressions. I encourage people who are new to the industry to document their work and constantly improve their websites or social media postings to show their best side. As someone who works with both the student and the potential employer I can tell the employer that the student is looking at your work too. The millennial consumer (and your potential employee) has grown up with digital media in all its forms. They are quick to judge a company by its social media presence and com-
pany website. As an employer seeking new talent do an internet search on your own company and honestly ask yourself: “Would I want to work for this firm”? Is your company web site easy to locate and navigate? Do you showcase your best jobs or are you using generic file images? Does your company have a robust social media presence and are you keeping it current with posts of recent images and company activities? Landscape companies lacking a bold visual presence on the Internet will be quickly passed over by the job seeker much in the way a thin resume gets shuffled to bottom of the pile on the desk of the employer. Technology has made the employer/employee relationship very much a twoway street, enabling the potential employee with the upper hand in a labor market where the new talent is hard to find and retain. Brian Oleksak is Professor and Chairperson of Landscape and Horticultural Technology at the County College of Morris in Randolph, New Jersey. Professor Oleksak teaches the plant identification courses, soils, arboriculture and botany. He holds a B.S. in Agronomy from the Pennsylvania State University and an M.S. in Ornamental Horticulture from the Ohio State University. Professor Oleksak resides in Newton, New Jersey.
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Feature Story
The Ever-changing and Wide World of Hydrangeas by Vincent Simeone
Incrediball smooth Hydrangea by Proven Winners
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While there are dozens of species and hundreds of varieties, there are six species most widely used in the Northeastern United States. They are Hydrangea arborescens (Smooth Hydrangea), Hydrangea macrophylla (Bigleaf Hydrangea), Hydrangea serrata (Mountain Hydrangea), Hydrangea quercifolia (Oakleaf Hydrangea), Hydrangea paniculata (Panicle Hydrangea) and Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris (Climbing Hydrangea). All offer their own unique qualities to the landscape and these days all are highly cultivated, with dozens of new and exciting cultivated varieties blanketing the wholesale and retail markets. Of all of these species, there is no doubt that Hydrangea macrophylla is the most popular. Their big, bold texture and assortment of colors, versatility in the landscape as well as their nostalgic charm make this species the most desirable. But more recently Hydrangea arborescens, Hydrangea quercifolia and Hydrangea paniculata have also gained steam as popular go to plants. Much of this increased attention to these old garden favorites is the emergence of so many new and unusual selections that make these hydrangeas even more user friendly. Today, there are two main trends that dominate the hydrangea market. Plant breeders are focusing in on hydrangeas that primarily bloom on new growth and are repeat bloomers, also known in the trade as “remontant� bloomers. This type of flowering characteristic is very desirable, especially in Hydrangea macrophylla, which typically bloom on previous seasons growth. Remontant
ydrangeas are among the most diverse and widely used shrubs in the world, with dozens of species and hundreds of varieties used in private and public gardens, large and small. The voluptuous flowers of hydrangea are available in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes, from large globes to delicate lacey types. Some of the most beautiful and unique varieties can be found in Europe, where they have been an integral part of gardening for centuries. Our fascination with hydrangeas is the result of great admiration for their rich colors that paint our landscape. These dependable performers will flower in mid to late summer and frequently into the fall. Once the cold weather arrives, hydrangeas will continue to display floral interest as the faded flowers dry on the plant and persist into winter. But besides the awesome display of color during the summer and fall seasons, hydrangeas provide other important attributes. Hydrangeas offer a wide range of rich foliage textures and, in some cases, excellent multicolored fall foliage. They also develop into many different sizes from dwarf, 2 ft. by 2 ft. plants to large shrubs reaching 12 ft. or more in height. Whichever hydrangeas you choose, you will not be disappointed with Invincibelle Spirit II (Hydrangea aborecens) - Courtesy of Proven Winners their reliable, long lasting beauty.
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Feature Story
Endless Summer Twist N Shout (Hydrangea macrophylla) - Courtesy of Proven Winners
bloomers are important because not only do these plants rebloom throughout the growing season, but timing of pruning and environmental factors such as hard frosts are not as much of a factor in reliable blooming. For example, with a variety that is a repeat bloomer, if you experience an exceptionally cold winter and the terminal buds of your plant are damaged, your hydrangea should still bloom that same season because it flowers on new growth. Also, if you prune repeat bloomers when they are dormant, unless it is very severe and the weather conditions are not suitable; the plant should still produce flowers the same growing season. In addition, if you prune repeat bloomers in the growing season after the initial flush of growth and flowering, often they will
Little Lime (Hydrangea peniculata) - Courtesy of Proven Winners
18 SPRING | 2019
Pinky Winky (Hydrangea peniculata) - Courtesy of Proven Winners
respond by producing more flowers. So essentially, you have more wiggle room and a better chance for flowering with this new class of repeats blooming hydrangeas. There are many selections to choose from including the Endless Summer® Series, Lets Dance® Series and Everlasting® Series. Among my favorite in the garden are Endless Summer®, Twist N Shout® (A Lace cap) and Bloomstruck™ as well as some old favorites, ‘Penny Mac’ and ‘Mini Penny’. Another important trend to mention in hydrangea selection these days is selecting plants for more compact growth habits. Plants that take up less space in the garden and require less pruning to maintain them are really popular these days.
Feature Story Typically Hydrangea paniculata grows to 12’ or more and can actually be trained into a small tree. But new selections these days offer dwarf versions of this late season blooming species. Little Lime®, ‘Little Lamb’, Bobo® and Babylace® are all popular compact varieties staying more in the 3 to 5’ range in height. And while this species typically displays white flowers, varieties such as Pinky Winky® and Vanilla Strawberry™ offer tones of rosy pink as well. There are other great attributes of this species including its ability to grow in sun or shade, seashore resistance, drought tolerance and it too flowers on new growth in the late summer and early fall, after most hydrangeas have finished blooming. Hydrangea arborescens is also growing in popularity and many new selections are quite different from the large, white blooms of the ever-famous garden variety ‘Annabelle’. Incrediball® is a newer variety with enormous white flowers and strong stems that tends to flop less. Pink selections include Invincibelle® Spirit, Invincibelle® Spirit II and a few others that will catch your attention. Even with all of these new and exciting things happening in the world of hydrangeas, their care is still somewhat specific. Hydrangeas in general prefer moist, well-drained soils, and several species are quite drought and heat sensitive. Even a well-watered hydrangea will wilt in the extreme heat of the unrelenting summer sun. The fleshy, new growth requires ample moisture to keep plants from drooping. In northern states, hydrangeas can be sited in full sun, but adequate watering is important. Partial shade with an eastern exposure is ideal for my species of hydrangea.
Tuff Stuff Reblooming Mountain Hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata) - Courtesy of Proven Winners
Soil pH will affect the color of the flowers in some species and varieties, such as big leaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) and Mountain Hydrangea (Hydrangea serrata). Rich, organic, fertile soils are best, but hydrangeas will tolerate variations in these soil specifications. No matter what species or varieties you choose for your garden or for your clients, rest assured hydrangeas will continue to dominate the nursery and landscape industry. With so many to choose from already and what seems to be an endless supply of new selections on the horizon, landscape professionals will continue to have a abundance of hydrangeas at their fingertips for years to come.
Baby Lace® Royal Majestics® Hydrangea (Hydrangea peniculata) - Courtesy of Monrovia
Vincent has worked in the horticultural field for over 32 years. He received an AAS degree in ornamental horticulture from SUNY Farmingdale, Farmingdale, New York and a BS in ornamental horticulture from the University of Georgia, Athens, GA. Vincent also obtained a Masters Degree in Public Administration from C.W. PostLong Island University in 2003. Vincent has specialized expertise in woody plant id, culture, use and selection of superior varieties. He currently manages a public garden in Oyster Bay, NY.
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Feature Story
Vehicle Corrosion and Longevity
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ver the last forty plus years, I have witnessed firsthand the effects of salt and other deicers (mostly chlorides) on vehicles. I first took notice of corrosion when my 1968 Firebird (my first car) had rusting rear fender wells and later with my father’s 1976 Datsun (remember them?). The 260 Z was a great performance car, but the vehicle seemed to be attempting to change weight class through rust. While in my own business, since 1982, I have become involved in a lot of fleet repair of commercial vehicles that are purpose built (to make money) and do not normally get replaced on a “whim” but when they become unworthy of the expense(s) to keep them in service. Corrosion is often a factor. My brother, a Chemistry teacher at a local High School told me years ago that most steel spends its life trying to revert back to the ore from which it came, and most of this article concerns combating this tendency. Some of my efforts to mitigate the corrosive nature of deicers has achieved good results, while others have actually made things worse. From my experience there are two strategies when it comes to vehicles on a “high salt diet”. Strategy 1 Replace the vehicle often, every 3 to 5 years with little effort and much expense, made to prolong the vehicle life, then sell cheaply to someone, preferably you don’t care for or live close to. Strategy 2 Keeping vehicle in service twenty years from date of manufacture (different from purchase date), with proper maintenance and cleaning procedures in place. This is what
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I have promoted and I believe the most cost effective (by far) over the long term. From what I have witnessed, most white service (snow), and green service (landscape) vehicles do not see heavy miles, therefore, should have a long service life. Some of the parts in vehicles exposed to salt that fail prematurely: Oil pan: Often become porous with corrosion requiring replacement, no small task on four wheel drive vehicles especially if a large diesel engine. Brake Lines: One of the more “exciting” items to fail as they usually fail in field with loss of brakes. Factory lines are usually high quality and last a long time, but are usually not available from the dealer even when new. Replacement lines commonly available from parts houses are a temporary fix that will last a fraction of original (just a few years). When I replace brake lines in a plow truck, I use stainless lines, and I have never had a problem (or worry) afterwards. Frame Horns: The frame horns are the forward part of the vehicle frame that supports the radiator and such – a failure here is repairable as I have done many times, but is expensive as it is a huge undertaking and requires special welding techniques to repair. Vehicle Frame: Usually fatal, as a vehicle frame (between front and rear wheels) is made to twist and bend over its length. Repairing a frame is more complex than just welding on more metal as the frame at the weld could become ridged and crack. Years ago a customer’s plow truck was being considered for “just one more season” of use, so we were to check it over, as we raised it off the ground a couple of feet, the frame cracked in the middle (no exaggeration) and
Feature Story by Keith Krehel, Krehel Auto Repair both sets of tires front and rear dropped back down onto the ground. It had already run its last season. Suggestions to help reach the 20 year mark: 1. Do not buy a vehicle that has been used as a salter, even a tailgate model, as they are rarely, if ever, properly washed off after a storm and post season. An ex plow truck may be okay, but if it had a salter on board, it will most likely be a rust bucket. As I write this article, there is a truck in my shop that needs (see pictures) steel lines and oil pan, requiring the removal of the cab, no small job due to salt usage. 2. Wash the vehicle underneath thoroughly between storms and again at the end of the season. The best way I have seen is with a Klean Frame machine that easily washes the underside of the vehicle without operator getting soaked. Handing anyone a pressure washer, especially a new or inexperienced employee, is a prescription for failure and they may actually do more damage than good with damage to seals and such, while still missing vital frame areas. Some people go to car wash’s post storm, however, keep in mind, most car washes in this area use recycled water so the salt from the prior cars washed is being sprayed onto your vehicle. I’m all for recycling but not if it means a “salt water rinse” of my truck. Also, from what I have witnessed, most vehicles that had “one pass” through the car wash still had salt crystals resting on the frame, after the wash. 3. Undercoating the vehicle when new helps create a barrier between the salt and painted metal, DO NOT undercoat older vehicles with cans of undercoating. From my experience, although it looks impressive at the start it can “lift” in areas and actually hold salt water against the frame, accelerating rust. 4. Use treated salt only (if possible). People in the snow response field will know what I mean. Most salt suppliers
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sell both white rock salt and treated rock salt. This treated salt, besides working better, also has the advantage of creating no salt dust during application. This salt dust that is inherently present with regular rock salt (dry bagged product the worst) gets all over the applying vehicle including in the cab, in the frame and on the engine, etc. FYI, I have noticed fleets that use regular – as opposed to treated salt - have excessive alternator and starter failures, usually taking that truck out of action for the storm. Not sure why the treated salt companies don’t promote this issue, they should. Seasonal spray coatings are light oil sprays such as Krown and Fluid Film that are applied once or maybe twice a year to the underside of vehicles to mitigate rust. These products are more common in Canada (and along the northern border) due to longer salt season. I have used both on my trucks as well as my wave runners with success. Follow the recommended maintenance schedule. Most unreliable vehicles were not built at the factory, but created over time by lack of maintenance, hard usage and poor workmanship by service personnel.
To my friends and customers in the snow and landscape field, keeping a vehicle, even one subject to a corrosive environment for 20 years, is very possible if the vehicles are properly cleaned and maintained. I know I have covered a lot in this article and if anyone has a question, feel free to email me at krehelauto@aol.com if I can be of assistance. Keith Krehel, president of Krehel Automotive Repair, Inc., in Clifton, N.J., is a 40-year veteran of the auto repair and snow industry and has been repairing, modifying and occasionally resurrecting vehicles and equipment even longer. He can be reached at krehelauto@aol.com.
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Feature Story
Is It Time To Simply Go Up the Drain-age? by David Freeman, DC Freeman
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nyone who works in our industry, with our NJ soils, can plainly see what the changes in our weather patterns have wrought: more tussles with super-saturation, soil compaction and other accompanying drainage issues than ever before. It behooves all of us to up our game on our understanding of both soil structure and the many methods available to us, via which we might deal with these problems. It used to be, we were able to cut corners, perhaps, on the drainage behind a small retaining wall, or plant that Lavender an inch or two higher to ensure it doesn’t sit in water, etc. Those days are rapidly disappearing. The following is by no means an exhaustive screed on any of these issues. But it is a place to begin to discover new avenues of problem solving and upping our game in addressing new problems that appear as if they’re going to be with us for many seasons to come. And it can be anything from amending the soil all the way up to complicated drainage systems. I find that unless a client is super wealthy, they don’t want to spend thousands for an engineer to come and do their thing unless it is stipulated by law. And often, especially on the more minor issues, an engineer may not be needed. We all know how to put a shovel-full of soil in a jar, mix it with water and let it settle. This gives us a basic idea of what percentage of which particles are present and constitute the soil make up. Those by the shore are lucky enough to have enough sand present where drainage of the type I speak of is not often present. But you go inland, and/or North, I’ve had jars that settle down to 100% clay, with no organic matter or sand at all. I’ll always begin with looking at the simpler answers such as grading out the low spots, making sure there is a 1”:10” or greater, incline ratio for the water to drain out in the direction(s) I wish it to drain. But with water tables so high and so much compaction, perhaps a property that IS the low spot, in comparison to their neighbors, or the owners do not want swales ruining their child’s play space, other measures are called for. Amendments: Most of us know how to construct a simple French Drain when we need to, but if the soil is so compacted that the water cannot leach towards or into the drain, I’ll tend to amend the soil along with any grading, any drainage I do, or any soil I add. Andersons’ Black Gypsum DG and Turface MVP are my go to amendments. The Black Gypsum, of course has Gypsum, often used to break up soils. But Gypsum alone can alter the Ph level. This product is formulated so as not to alter the soil pH level, and has the added factor of adding humates to the soil. Humates are a very important factor in nutrient
absorption and general plant vigor. The Turface MVP is a simple Calcined Clay type of product. Baked in a kiln like Grandma’s tea set, it is very hard and does not break down in any time period we’d need to concern ourselves with. If you look at it under a microscope, it looks like pieces of popcorn with many holes within. So even once it is compacted into the soil, there is space for air and water to move through the treated area. If there is already a beautiful lawn in place, that the client will not allow me to tear up, I put as much water as the Core Aerator will hold, so my cores introduce the products as deeply as possible to get things going. Both of these amendments have easy to understand directions on the bag, or on their SDS or other product sheets. On occasion I’ll also use a product called Biochar. Biochar can be produced from waste wood, manure or leaves, and its popularity among do-it-yourselfers and gardening buffs took off after archaeological studies found that biochar added to soils in the Amazon more than 1,000 years ago were still improving the water- and nutrient-holding abilities of those poor soils today. But recent studies have found that biochar soil amendments can either increase or decrease the amount of water that soil holds, but it has been tough for experts to explain why this occurs, due partly to conflicting results from many different field tests. They found the issue was the different quality of the different biochars to be the culprit. Try to get one made from wood, like mesquite, or the like. These seem to have the best qualities. Having some truly unique qualities, biochar is both a light and porous substance. When added to clay, it makes the soil less dense and it increases hydraulic conductivity. Scientists hypothesize it excels for drainage because it acts in a two-fold, complimentary manner. Not only can air and water move between the soil and biochar particles, but they believe it can move directly through the biochar particles themselves, too. A relatively low-cost substance when pur-
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Feature Story chased in quantity from the right supplier, it is an important addition to the amendment arsenal when dealing with compacted, or super saturated soils. Not to mention that being carbon-based life forms that all populate this planet, the carbon in the biochar adds greatly to the quality of the soil on many levels.
The average subsoil French Drain we’ve all come to know and love. Do note the good amount of crushed stone above the pipe to allow water above and nearby to drain into the area, and a good textile that allows for ingress of water, but keeps out any soil or other debris from adulterating the ¾” gravel.
A handful of Biochar
It is also possible to find a use for any clay soils you dig up. This is especially helpful when it costs money to discard it. It can be used to raise the levels by the foundation of the house, or where there is a sump pumping out water, etc. Sometimes people’s concrete slabs on which their AC units sit will sink or lean. We sometimes find them sitting in water. They can be lifted up or leveled, edged with something so when you raise the soil from the foundation, they will stay in place and the water ran around them, instead of a river running beneath the slab, eroding the soil that caused the lean in the first place.
Edging with leftover Bluestone and grading done to protect and level AC Units, in order to raise grade and keep water running away from house foundation.
Most of us know how to build a Drain/French drain, using solid or sometimes perforated pipe, depending on whether you are running water from location A to location B, or are looking to capture water along an area of many linear feet and looking to pick up as much water as you can to drain into a dry well, a storm drain, or into another area as is called for.
There are many companies, like NDS, that make many excellent products to capture water at grade. Or Dee Drains may be installed in front of the garage door ramp area, or other areas where water may collect in front of doors and other spaces of ingress and egress. And if the soil is percolating okay, that’s fine. There is much information on these manufacturers website on how to use their products, and in what situations, etc. But we’re dealing with below grade issues. NDS also makes below grade products to drain water in many situations. I happen to like their EZ-flow and EZ-Drain systems. It is essentially an “Instant French Drain”. Coming in five- or ten-foot sections, it includes perforated black pipe and is surrounded with their own engineered polystyrene aggregate that moves 30% more water than gravel does. It is a useful answer in many situations. They come in various diameters with 3” or 4” pipe. The shorter ones are great for foundations or behind retaining walls, and the longer ones will do those areas too, but are best for larger, below-grade drainage projects. This is a time saver - you still have to dig the trench, but no hauling of gravel or cloth enclosures is required. You simply connect them with the many fittings they offer, as you would with any black pipe. I find if I have an especially deep issue that I can stack them 2, 3, even 4, one on top of the other. This way there is plenty of space for both water movement and storage, especially in a slow percolating soil. They can also be stacked up against foundations to maintain minimal hydrostatic pressure on the foundation walls, or home with a deeper basement. There are also many systems with below grade holding tanks. You can collect the water to let it slowly leach out after collecting from a large rain in a below grade, out of the way area, perhaps below a green Rain Garden, or you can collect it and use it to water areas around the yard where potable water is not required.
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Feature Story wrapped in a geotextile filter jacket of spunbonded polypropylene which has a very high water permeability, while retaining the finest of soil particles. Both the core and geotextile filter jacket have high mechanical strength, are extremely durable in most environments, evincing a strong resistance to chemicals, bacteria and other soil borne life forms. Other formats of wick drain can be used in other formats, even pushed longitudinally through the soil for different uses seen in the diagrams below. One longitudinal product is called Sitedrain, and can move over 150 gallons per minute, per square foot. You can see their product sheet here: https://ca.brockwhite.com/userfiles/documents/ info/2_0211100-prefabricated-drain_info.pdf NDS’ EZ Drain system in action. Trench it, drop it in and cover it up.
For working around the foundation and other areas with like issues there are many types of drain mats and other geotextile dominant systems that can capture water by foundations or other longitudinal, upright areas one is seeking to keep dry. They not only have a moisture barrier up against the wall and out against the soil or other aggregate, but they have a channel for capturing water in between the two to capture and drain the water away. There are many systems to seek out and learn more about on the internet. Here is an interesting product to start looking at. Masonry Technology Inc’s MTI Sure Cavity and Gravity Cavity products. https://www.mtidry.com/products/rainscreen-drainage-planes The newest type of drain products for subsoil drainage are Wick Drains. I’m willing to bet that this is a good investment for any company doing drainage work now, or down the road. Exactly as it sounds, these are products that actually wick moisture from the soil. Popular in large construction projects for some years, they are finally making inroads to the local golf course and homeowner markets. It can be set up so the water drains into a pipe at the bottom of the system and drained into a lower area or well, or in larger, more complex projects, they draw in water in amounts sufficient to push the water to the top, at grade level, and can be collected and drained or pumped away. It not only drains away moisture, but it allows for more even settling of the soil in the areas in which it is used. This can be of paramount importance, especially in areas of new construction The prefabricated core of the wicks via which water is drawn to the top, is made of high-quality flexible polypropylene. Traveling through preformed grooves or channels on both sides of the core. This core exhibits a large water flow capacity in the longitudinal direction of the core. Each wick drain can provide a greater vertical discharge capacity than a 6-inch diameter sand column. The prefabricated core is tightly
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Wick drains are installed with specialized equipment, called stitchers. These stitchers are mounted on either backhoes or cranes, consist of a tall metal frame unit that houses a special installation mandrel. The mandrel, then loaded with the wick drain, is hydraulically pushed or vibrated into the ground to the depth specified or desired. Most often it is installed to the lowest point of any soft soil stratum. The mandrel is then drawn back into the stitcher, much like a banana peel, leaving the wick drain in place. The mandrels are 10 square inches in cross-section, thus causing minimal disturbance to the soil. Installation rates may be as high as 4,000 L.F. per hour, dependent upon depth, condition of the soil, etc. While it is true most of what you will find online pertains to larger commercial projects, the manufacturers are rapidly entering the landscape market with these products. They have stitchers that fit on our backhoes already, and I’m willing to wager that a smaller size unit will be offered by one of the skid-steer makers any day now. The good news is that for most of us using this technology in residential areas, we will not require a stitcher. Quite often an 8-inch trench will do. And what really matters is the design of the “wick grid” during install to ensure it is doing its job. One can even add a layer of sand around the drains to hasten the absorption of water into the drain. This is going to make it an easy add to your arsenal of draining solutions. Here you can see the wick drain being installed. https://youtu.be/nkDynR0ePwo Just a quick look at some of the many techniques and products available to us in the newest battle we face in ongoing fashion, we can see there is a plethora of products and techniques we can avail ourselves of when trying to keep our clients properties from turning into pits of mud, or to ensure trees, shrubs and other plant material are not suffocated due to lack of access to oxygen, which is almost as important to their “respiration” as it is to ours. Gone are the days when I’d
Feature Story get one or two calls for drainage work each season. I now get one or two calls for drainage work every week, often even more. Despite whatever causation we care to argue, pro or con, the simple truth is that without the stronger freeze-thaw cycles we once had, and lesser amounts of precipitation at
different times of the seasons, it appears these issues are here to stay. So, it behooves us to be able to offer our clients a complete set of solutions for whatever drainage / compaction issue might arise. I hope this brief look at some of our options drives us all to look more deeply and offer our clients the best products and techniques with which to accomplish our work. David Freeman has over thirty years of experience in the landscape industry, earning a reputation in the Tri-State area for his knowledge, practicality, and fairness. He has attended Rutgers and Cornell Universities and spends much of his time, when not in the field, reading all he can about plants, design, and the industry as a whole. Visit www.dcfreeman.com for more information.
Wick drains run together into a single pipe
A rectangular Wick Drain in profile
A round Wick drain in action
A wick drain used to capture water to remove some of the hydrostatic pressure from behind a 6-meter-high retaining wall.
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News Briefs
Contractor Focus: Nature’s Touch Ponds
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arren Lucas has always had an interest in ponds and water gardens. After researching and building his first pond, he found many flaws with the information available for pond construction and maintenance techniques. He was determined to find an improved method to properly build ponds and filter system that would have kept the ponds crystal clear. After a few years of experimenting on his own pond and collaborating with fellow pond enthusiasts, he has found multiple systems that are effective. Incorporated in 2010, Nature’s Touch Ponds, LLC offers a full range of state of the art pond construction techniques, filtration systems, and pond maintenance programs. Darren is a Mid Atlantic Koi Club ‘Koi Person of the Year’
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for 2002. He has also been a guest lecturer at many different events, including Koi America 2003. Much of his work has been featured in numerous publications; including the MidAtlantic Koi Club Magazine, Design NJ Magazine, and The Star Ledger News Paper. Darren is also always looking to keep himself up to date on all the new cutting edge techniques for construction and maintenance. He has attended many events like koi health seminars, pond trade shows, vendor seminars, and AKCA Seminars. He enjoys reading pond magazines and reading pond forums. He is actively involved with the IPPCA (International Professional Pond Contractors Association) and MAKC (Mid-Atlantic-Koi Club). To further expand his knowledge, he visited Japanese Koi breeders in 2010. He not only spent three days visiting the Japanese Breeders, but also attended the 41st Annual All Japan Koi Show. While visiting he not only learned about the Japanese Culture, he also learned the dedication and devotion the Japanese people have for koi. He was able to learn about the many different varieties of koi, koi breeding and koi health. Today, Darren is well sought after for his knowledge and skills in the pond industry. With his knowledge and expertise, he is capable of building and maintaining dream koi ponds and water gardens. Darren is also quite an accomplished photographer and enjoys spending time with his wife and son. Visit www.ntponds.com for more information.
News Briefs
Associate Focus: Wilfred MacDonald, Inc.
Mac accepting one of the VERY FIRST, “Distributor Of The Year” award from the founders of the Jacobsen Manufacturing Company. That’s Oscar Jacobsen on the left and Einer Jacobsen on the right of Mac.
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n 1928, Wilfred MacDonald (Mac) began distributing the new “Jacobsen Power Lawn Tools” from Weehawken, NJ. Local retailers then sold those tools to the “end users”(home owners). Weehawken was also the “Factory Warranty Station”, where equipment owners could visit for parts and service. The business was kept “in the black” throughout the great depression (not to mention a few wars). When it continued to expand throughout the 1950’s, it was clear Mac needed a larger space. In 1962, the business moved a few miles west to roomier quarters at 340 Main Avenue, Clifton, NJ. The Jacobsen Manufacturing Company was also growing, and as their focus changed from the “home lawns market” to the “golf course market” they appointed Mac’s company as a direct “factory-to-end-user” dealer for the new “commercial turf ” equipment market. In 1963, Mac’s nephew, Jim Pelrine, started with the company and tirelessly worked to set, and achieve, high water marks for the family company. Mac then knew he could step down with his nephew Jim at the helm. He retired in 1966 to become a “citizen of the world” (Mac loved to travel). Jim incorporated the company in his honor [“Wilfred MacDonald, Inc.”] and thus, began a new company era. Jim continued to expand the business, adding key sales, service, and parts team members. In 1977, when more space was needed, Jim added a second location to house wholegoods inventory, setup and warranty service. At that time the company employed 14 full time employees. Three additional salesmen were added in the early 80’s, as was the “Harley Davidson” golf car line and Outboard Marine’s “Cushman” line, both of which had grown into major product lines. By the end of 1991, new territory was added as their customers now came from both north and south of their home in Clifton. At this point, their product lines had grown to 20. In 1995, Wilfred MacDonald, Inc. moved east to Lyndhurst,
(in one frantic weekend!). Now all departments and employees were under one roof. The company had now increased to 30 full time employees. At this point, Wilfred MacDonald had earned Jacobsen’s Distributor of the year award 9 times, and cushman’s quota buster honor 17 times. After working summers in all departments throughout high school and college, Jim’s son, Mike Pelrine, joined the company full time in 1989. Not long after that, Mike’s brother-in-law, Chris Hunt, joined the company in 1995. In the fall of 1998, Mike and Chris took over operation of the company, and with Jim’s help and guidance, initiated to move the company to a state of the art facility in South Hackensack in January of 2000. The company had some extremely successful years through the early 2000’s, including winning Jacobsen’s Distributor of the year award in 2002 and 2004, Jacobsen’s Raving Fans award as top Customer Service Dealer in 2000, Service Manager John Carr won Jacobsen’s Technician of the Year award in 2009, and Textron Financial’s Silver Award in 1998-2000, and 2005-2008. They still proudly display that original “Wilfred MacDonald, Inc.” sign-now safely inside their building. With the industry changing, Wilfred MacDonald, Inc. had to change. They decided to sell the building in South Hackensack and move, (again!), 20 miles west to Pine Brook, NJ in February of 2017. The new facility is more easily accessible to customers, (right off of Route 80, and within 3 miles of Route’s 280, 287 and 46), is more operational friendly and provides a good size showroom, something they haven’t had since the Clifton days of the 1970’s and 80’s. Wilfred MacDonald prides itself on it’s customer service and support-a staple of the company since its inception. They are also proud of the fact that the majority of their employees have been with them for more than 20 years. Like their employees-they consider their customers part of the family. Wilfred Macdonald continues to strive to be the BEST turf equipment service and support dealer in the tri-state area. Visit www.wilfredmacdonald.com for more info.
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Feature Story
Assessing Soil Compaction by Steven Yergeau, Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent – Ocean & Atlantic Counties
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oil compaction is the hardening of soil due to continuous wheel or foot traffic, which squeezes the air from between the soil particles. Compacted soil has its density increased and its pore spaces reduced. Soil compaction negatively affects nearly all of the properties and functions of soils. Compacted soils inhibit the growth of plant roots affecting the health of crops, pastures, and landscape vegetation. Compaction can also decrease the ability of water to infiltrate through the soil into the ground. Compaction creates surface runoff that can carry pollution, creates standing water for mosquitoes, and increases flooding. Increased compaction of soils can occur during construction activities, crop planting, or installing and maintaining residential landscapes. As landscape contractors, your role can be to manage compaction, but you first need to determine if soil health is at risk due to compaction and, if present, what is the extent of compaction. This risk can be evaluated through a combination of many different techniques: diagnosing compaction through visual clues, a simple test of the hardness of the soil, and the proper use of soil compaction testers. Possible solutions to remediate compaction in a yard can then be made if compaction is occurring. Step 1: Look Around There are some outward signs that you can observe to identify where soil compaction may be occurring in your yard or property. • Look for areas that have obvious signs of heavy foot or vehicle traffic: exposed soil in pathways, persistent tire ruts, or a lack of vegetation. • Look for areas that have shallow or surface roots (Figure 1). Note the type/species of plants or trees as some vegetation has naturally shallow roots (such as maple and ash trees).
Figure 1: Shallow, surface roots can be a sign of soil compaction. In addition, areas of bare soil where plants cannot grow may exhibit compaction. (Photo Credit: Steven Yergeau)
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•
Check for areas of water ponding, which can indicate locations where water cannot infiltrate (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Water ponding on the surface of the lawn can show compacted soils that are inhibiting infiltration back into the ground. (Photo Credit: Michael Gross)
These signs may also be related to other issues in the soil, so make sure you take additional steps to verify any compaction. Step 2: Dig In If there are any areas of your yard where compaction is suspected, the next step is to take a shove, spade, or trowel to the soil. Solid soil that is difficult to dig through or break up is experiencing compaction. When digging, look either for a surface crust or for platy soil structure (soil structure that resembles a stack of dinner plates). Any soil that clumps together in large pieces will also indicate soil compaction. When looking for compaction, make sure to dig up soil that is moist, but not muddy. Waiting 2-3 days after a rainstorm is best. Step 3: Check Soil Hardness Confirming the presence of soil compaction can be done by testing the soil hardness. This involves pushing a probe through the soil and measuring the distance the probe travels before stopping. The general idea is that the deeper the probe goes into the soil, the less compacted the soil. It is best to test for hardness when soils are moist, but not saturated. One way to test for soil compaction is to use a penetrometer (Figure 3). A penetrometer consists of a pressure gauge mounted at the top of a pointed rod, which is pushed into the soil. The pressure gauge provides a measure of the resistance of the soil to penetration by the probe. The pointed tip of the penetrometer is designed to represent a plant root and “feel” the resistance from soil that a plant root would. The penetrometer is pushed into the soil until it no longer goes into
ROOTS Watering New Sod in the Summer Heat
I remember well those sweltering Summer days years ago when I not only installed irrigation systems but also put down many acres of sod as part of my contracts. For years I installed turf on everything from small residences up to 5-acre homes, offices and small condominiums. I never used a sub-every stitch and seam was overseen or done by me and my employees as I took pride in a job well done. The trick in the summer heat was to dress and grade peat moss as a base over the subsoil to act as a spongy surface to lay the sod onto. A quarter to a half inch was all it took. Sweating in the Summer humidity, we would all be covered in peat, but the results were excellent-I never had to replace any more than the occasional few square feet. That little trick, plus having the watering schedule in my control, produced the great results-no losses from lack of moisture. About that watering schedule-I still implement watering durations and frequencies today for many landscape projects done by others-and run into ridiculous reasons for not using the schedule I recommend. Since all the turf needs is a heavy initial soaking, I put down ½ an inch as soon as the turf is down. After that 1/8 to ¼ of an inch daily for two weeks will keep the turf plump and juicy-but not TOO juicy-we don’t want to rot the sod before it has a chance to root. I usually use two start times-9 AM and 1 PM-yes during the day-not the early morning. This provides moisture just as the heat of the day begins and the second watering “syringes” the sod as the real heat sets in. Syringing is a common practice on golf courses during the Summer and it works well for new sod. To obtain the aforementioned ¼ inch of water use this general rule: For rotors the average precipitation rate is 0.5 inch/hour and for mist sprays 1.5 inches/hour. Thus, two water events of 30 minutes for rotors and 10 minutes for mist sprays will suffice. Many landscapers raise Cain when I put this schedule in and I have to assure them that it will work perfectly well. They settle down quickly once I explain the science behind it and two weeks later the sod has put down roots for good. And then on to the next project! John Raffiani is a Licensed NJ Irrigation Contractor and an IA Certified Education Instructor.
Feature Story the soil. This process is repeated at various locations in a lawn. The distance that the rod penetrates the soil is measured with a tape measure and recorded, with deeper penetrometer depths indicating less compact soils. Many landscape contractors may already be capable of testing soil hardness with a penetrometer. When performing penetrometer tests, be sure to stay clear of any tree roots, underground pipes and wires, and irrigation lines. Also, be aware of other factors that contribute to the level of resistance measured by the penetrometer such as soil texture and soil water content. If the procedures for using a penetrometer are part of your long-term lawn care, obtaining this additional information (soil texture, percent water) will help explain the level of resistance measured in your yard.
Figure 3: A static cone penetrometer, a.k.a. soil compaction tester. (Photo Credit: Steve Yergeau)
In summary, to manage compaction one first needs to determine if compaction is present and what the extent of compaction is in a yard. This understanding will help in the management of activities that can lead to compaction and provide possible solutions. Dr. Steven Yergeau is the County Agent and County Extension Department Head of Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County in Toms River NJ. He can be reached at yergeau@njaes.rutgers.edu. He collaborates with county residents, environmental, natural resource, and agricultural clientele; municipal and county governments; and other non-governmental organizations in the county and region to develop outreach/education methods and materials, and implement programs to support sustainable environmental management.
NJLCA.ORG 31
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The [Safety] Culture Club Are you really “Equip In-Transit?” his is a topic I find myself paying special attention to when I am on the road. I find it interesting how some contractors feel they can use their EQUIP INTRANSIT plates like a car dealer uses (their) dealer plates. I have seen EQUIP IN-TRANSIT plates on trailers, trucks, cars, vans and just about anything and everything they are not entitled to be used on. E-I-T plates are to be used on equipment that cannot otherwise be registered. All trucks, cars, vans, and trailers have a VIN, (Vehicle Identification Number) which is used to track, register and record vehicles in a government database. Equipment such as skid loaders, backhoes, loaders, etc. have SERIAL numbers which cannot be used to register them in said database. Manufacturers of this type of equipment my keep and monitor a database but it is not run or monitored by the government. If you have, and use E-I-T plates, ask your insurance carrier if they are willing to cover you if you are using them on your Mack Truck. You are not going to like their answer. The law is very specific about how E-I-T plates can be used and they are as follows;
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Equipment in-transit (Code 56) Any person, partnership or corporation may obtain general registration and plates with the word “temporary” or “in-transit” with regards to: • Road building machinery • Traction engines • Rollers or other machinery of the kind owned or controlled by it. Plates: • Plates used for Code 56 must display the words “EQUIPMENT IN-TRANSIT”. • Plates will be issued in bundles of five sets (10 plates) with hyphenated numbers thru five. • Restrictions/Limitations: • In-transit plates are to be used on vehicles/equipment such as: • Road-building machinery • Backhoes • Front end loaders • Well drilling equipment (inc. any necessary attachments) • Cranes • Arrow boards • Chippers/Shredders • Cement mixers • Compressors • Other self-propelled and towed pieces of equipment used in
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News Briefs
moving to and from the locations of any type of construction. No load may be carried on or in any vehicle or piece of equipment registered under Code 56 while moving to or from any construction site or while moving upon any public roadway. Any vehicle towing a piece of equipment displaying a Code 56 plate must be properly registered. Any vehicle with a Code 56 plate may not be used in combination with another vehicle or piece of equipment displaying a Code 56 plate. • Code 56 plates may not be used for snow plows. • Code 56 plates shall be displayed on both the front and rear of each vehicle or piece of equipment being transported as specified under N.J.S.A. 39:3-33, except for trailers or towed equipment where only one plate can be displayed. • Any vehicle exceeding the size and/or weight limitations as prescribed in N.J.S.A.39:3-84 shall be required to obtain a special permit Some example of violations of use of E-I-T plates would be as follows; • Towing a hydro seeder is an acceptable use for E-I-T plates. Having water or other products in or on your hydro seeder negates the legal use of E-I-T plates. Once you carry a load on said vehicle, now it becomes a trailer and requires trailer plates. • Towing an empty tank for future use of storing or carrying of deicing material on a site is an acceptable use of E-I-T plates. Carrying of said cargo to a site in the same storage tank negates the use of E-I-T plates. Moving of equipment such as trucks and trailers to a job site for a project is not an expectable use of E-I-T plates. Trucks and trailers can be registered as trucks and trailers therefore the use of E-I-T plates on them is not acceptable.
In closing, a little research goes a long way when a subject comes up you may not be completely familiar with. Doing some research can save you a lot of trouble and money potentially. Remember what I always say. Ignorance does not make you innocent. Lets elevate ourselves to the top 10 percent of our organization and industry. Leave the bottom 10 percent to the bottom feeders. Pat Donovan is the owner of Classic Landscaping and is a retired Port Authority of NY/NJ Police Officer. He is also the Chairman of the NJLCA Safety Committee.
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Feature Story
People Trends Dominate the Landscape of Landscaping
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eople are our most significant competitive advantage in business. The right ones on your team will propel you to great success. The wrong ones will destroy your business. Too few will put a chokehold on your growth. And not enough good employees or difficulty in finding and attracting them threaten the future of your business. People are without a doubt the key to success of any company. The success of your organization and your capacity to grow is determined by your abilities in recruiting, training, motivating and coaching the best people you can find. With our national unemployment rate at 3.7% - the lowest in nearly 50 years - attracting and retaining qualified people in 2019 is going to continue to challenge many entrepreneurs who aren’t on the leading edge of people trends. So, what are the trends? And, how will they impact your business? And, what will happen if you don’t make better decisions or don’t respond to them? Trend #1 - Immigration Spotlight on H-1B; But What About H-2B? There is no doubt that the statutory cap of 66,000 for H-2B, set more than three decades ago, is wholly inadequate to meet the demands of today’s seasonal businesses. And, the Department of Labor’s iCERT system through which employers seeking H-2B workers request temporary labor certifications is also not set up to handle a larger volume of applicants. While President Trump is taking a stand on the immigration issue, his focus appears to be on H1-B visa programs, which targets professional workers, not the H2-B program. He tweeted recently “H1-B holders in the United States can rest assured that changes are soon coming which will bring both simplicity and certainty to your stay, including a potential path to citizenship. We want to encourage talented and highly skilled people to pursue career options in the U.S.” But, what about the H2-B program? Read my TIPS below.
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Trend #2 - Businesses continue to prioritize employee happiness. The employee experience is taking center stage in the workplace. More critical than marketing to land new customers today is employee happiness, which is quite a change from a decade ago. Employee engagement is not just a hot topic. It’s essential. Gallup, the polling organization, reports that 87% of employees worldwide are not engaged at work; that above average businesses have employees 2x more engaged at work and those in the top 1% of employee engagement enjoy success 5x that of their peers. Last year my fastest growing client in the landscape industry grew their residential design-build business more than fourfold (4x) by picking up ten talented employees from a local competitor. Why did they leave for my client’s company? It’s simple. The owner was disengaged so the business wasn’t doing well. My client, on the other hand, is growing fast – 533% top-line growth over four years – which is exciting, the owners are super engaged at work and they provide better learning and earning opportunities than the other companies.
Trend #3 - Millennials are entering the workforce in record numbers As baby boomers retire, millennials now represent 35% of the workforce. And, over the next ten years, are expected to make up more than 40% of the workforce. Not only are they plentiful, but they will be the dominant population in the workforce for years to come. And, what matters most to millennials is meaning at work, being connected to a company’s purpose and having some involvement with causes that matter to them. One of my landscape clients recently hired a 28-year-old Account Manager. This superstar employee met his annual quota in his first month on the job. He told me while sipping a whiskey in LA over the Christmas holidays on route to Puerto Rico to surf that at some point this year he will want to take more than the two weeks off he’s been given. What can you say to a superstar performer when the surf is up???
Feature Story by Jonathan Goldhill, The Goldhill Group Trend #4 Micromanaging is dying In decades past, micromanaging was acceptable and commonplace. Today, workers don’t like to be in situations where they are being overwatched — micromanaging leads to lower employee morale, disengaged workers and lower productivity. The more a person is micromanaged, the less independent thinking is required of them and the more robotic are their behaviors. How do these trends impact your business? If your business depends upon H-2B workers, then get or stay involved and make sure your voice in Washington, D.C. is being represented and heard. Today, great companies with great cultures – that is, companies that attract the best employees in the industry - have new customers knocking on their doors. If you fail to build a culture that is compelling or exciting to be part of, then your business will be humdrum. As a group, Millennials have different attitudes and expectations than your other employees. And, entrepreneurs are struggling to adjust to them, but need to understand them better. Not recognizing that the world is changing, people’s needs are changing, and that millennials are leading the charge on this can be fatal to your leadership. If you don’t empower your employees, then you’ll never remove yourself from the day-to-day operations making your business less valuable in the event you wish to sell it. My Five TIPS to Address These Trends: 1. Pay attention to the immigration discussion. Support your statewide industry association. Get involved if you can by lobbying your politicians. Stay in touch or join the National Hispanic Landscape Alliance (NHLA) who sees the critical need for reform in the H-2B seasonal worker visa program and could use your support. 2. Make your company a compelling place to work. To build a strong culture that will attract and retain talented professionals you need to be strategic about certain things like your values (operating behaviors) and your why or core purpose (reason for being in this business - and it’s not to make money) and vision of your future state 3, 5 or 10 years out. Drive those
values, purpose, and imagination into the hearts and minds of your people and customers, and you are on your way to building a solid culture. 3. Become a learning and giving organization. Make teaching and learning a regular part of your company requires that people are learning on subjects ranging from technical basics to language proficiency to leadership and business management. Keep it exciting and keep it flowing. And, get involved with community causes that matter to your stakeholders – employees, customers, owners and investors (if you have them). 4. Measure employee engagement. Because the employee Net Promoter Score (NPS) and Gallup Q12 are the definitive tools for measuring employee happiness and engagement, I help my clients implement these survey instruments in their businesses. And then we remeasure over time. Seek to get a positive score over 50.
5. Attune to what Millennials are teaching us. Employee engagement strategies need to be focused on the needs of the millennials to attract and retain this vital segment of the workforce. Call for Help If you would like help getting a jump on these trends so you can use them to your advantage instead of having them hammer your business; we should talk. Contact me to watch my 10-minute video with my promise on solving the employee engagement problem. Jonathan Goldhill has been advising and coaching business owners and entrepreneurial leaders of privately-held, family-owned businesses in the green industry to build healthy, more valuable and sellable enterprises since 2007. Jonathan is reachable at Jon@TheGoldhillGroup.com. To learn more about his company, visit www.TheGoldhillGroup.com.
NJLCA.ORG 35
Feature Story Master Trust Association
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Correction: At the April Membership Meeting at Al D.’s in Fairview, Pat Donovan discussed requirements for smoke tests on diesel vehicles. The corrected info is: Smoke tests on diesel trucks are required at 18,000 pounds, not 17,500 as indicated. This is rated by a commercial vehicles gross spec plate weight, not the vehicles registered weight. 36 SPRING | 2019
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News Briefs A warm welcome to our newest and returning members... Aflac Clinton District Office Mary Dressendorfer Clinton, NJ
Greenway Landscapes Jeremy Freedman Livingston, NJ
PDS Contracting Peter Stellhorn Wayne, NJ
BenefitMall Payroll Sharon Skibbee Flemington, NJ
Holiday Lighting by Giannini Michael Kaplan Lindenhurst, NY
PEO Exchange, Inc. Michael Erstling Tampa, FL
Botanic Dreams, LLC German Lopez Clark, NJ
Jesse & Sons Lawn Services Alexander Loffredo Hopatcong, NJ
Rocstone Construction, LLC Dan Szapka Midland Park, NJ
Cold Spring Lawn & Landscape Justin Pill Glen Gardner, NJ
JL Landscape Juan Leiva Paterson, NJ
State Farm Christine M. Relyea Staten Island, NY
Cozy Cottage Ian Harriton Monroe, NY
Keep Off the Grass Landscaping Jeffrey Aliseo Elizabeth, NJ
Straw Hat Lawn & Garden Care John Walson Bethlehem, PA
Down Neck Equipment Rentals Joe Piccenza Newark, NJ
LandMind Frank Contey Montclair, NJ
Synatek, Inc. Michael Reed Souderton, NJ
DSB Lawn Service, LLC David Boyer Plainfield, NJ
Nextgen Equipment Supply Jeff Carpenter / Greg Carpenter Paramus, NJ
Dungan Landscape Daniel Dungan Rockaway, NJ
North Fork Boutique Gardens Deborah Rodgers Mattituck, NY
T&J Famularo Landscaping and Design Anthony Famularo Kinnelon, NJ
Feilon Brothers Landscaping Kyle Feilon Flanders, NJ
Parker Homescape Denise Parker Basking Ridge, NJ
TRC Landscapes Gabby Freedman Paramus, NJ Weidenbaum Landscaping, LLC Sharon Weidenbaum Howell, NJ
NJLCA.ORG
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Feature Story
A Pool that Marries Nature to the Modern Age
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atural swimming pools (NSPs) are a relatively new concept in the United States landscape. A natural swimming pool (also called a swimming pond) is a biologically active freshwater ecosystem. The water is purified without the use of sterilizers, disinfectants, or chemicals of any kind. Beneficial microbes and zooplankton do all the heavy lifting to keep the pool clean and safe for swimming, while carefully selected native and adapted perennial aquatic plants pull nutrients out of the water to prevent nuisance algae. Additionally, a natural swimming pool is self-contained, the biological filtration zone is physically separated from the swimming area, and the vessel is specifically designed, engineered, constructed, and permitted as a swimming pool. The concept of a natural swimming pool is truly a marriage of nature and engineering, combining living systems with modern technology to streamline and optimize the purification process. One major draw of a natural swimming pool is its reduced carbon footprint. These pools are incredibly energy efficient and can be operated 24/7 for approximately the same amount of energy as a 100W light bulb. Also, because they don’t require any chemicals, natural swimming pools are much friendlier for the environment. Another major draw of NSPs is that they can serve multiple functions as both a pool and a water garden. The planted area not only acts a beautiful landscape element, but provides additional value as a habitat for wildlife and as the heartbeat of the pool’s filtration and purification system. For those who prefer a more traditional look, new biofilm reactor technolo-
38 SPRING | 2019
gies actually enable construction of an NSP without the use of aquatic plants. A misconception about NSPs is that they will look “murky” like lake water or that they won’t be clear to the bottom. This is not the case, and when engineered correctly these pools are not only crystal clear and attractive but also healthful for swimming. Like a conventional swimming pool an NSP still requires maintenance, it’s just a little different. NSPs always have a solid bottom so they can be brushed or vacuumed to remove sediment and biofilm, however the biofilm is actually a beneficial part of the ecosystem and contributes to the overall health of the pool, so it only needs to be removed if it impedes safe use of the pool (e.g., slippery steps or other walkable surfaces). Skimming and cleaning the filters will still be a regular part of the pool maintenance to remove leaves and other debris. While NSPs do not require the hassle of checking and balancing water chemistry, NSP owners can expect to spend about the same amount of time pruning aquatic plants and caring for the water garden. In regions that experience subfreezing temperatures in the winter, NSPs must be winterized in a similar manner to conventional swimming pools. The plumbing lines must be blown out, skimmers and returns should be plugged, and the pump and filter should be drained. With an NSP you have the choice of covering the pool in the winter or leaving the pool uncovered and using the frozen surface as an ice skating rink. There is also the option of covering the planted area with a lightweight mesh to keep leaves and debris out.
Feature Story by Mackenzie Nunn & Alan Weene, BioNova速 Natural Pools Existing inground pools can also be converted into natural swimming pools with some modifications to the plumbing and installation of biological filtration equipment. These pools can be the size of a traditional pool, or as large as the land allows. NSPs are a great alternative to conventional pools for families that want to be mindful of their impact on the environment, for those who have allergies or sensitivities to chemicals, or simply for people who want to have the coolest, most unique, and most sustainable swimming pool on the block! For more information, please contact the Association for Swimming Ponds and Natural Swimming Pools (ASPNSP.org) or the New Jersey-based firm BioNova速 Natural Pools, who provide design, planning, consulting, and construction services for natural swimming pools across North America at www.BioNovaNaturalPools.com or call 800-929-7968.
Mackenzie Nunn is a graduate of Penn State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. In college she worked for the biology prep lab as well as being a resident assistant. In her spare time Mackenzie enjoys rock climbing, hiking, reading, and crocheting. Alan Weene is Chief Knowledge Officer at BioNova速 Natural Pools and has been involved in the design and construction of all of the residential BioNova速 NSP installations in the United States. Alan is a graduate of Connecticut College with a degree in Architectural Studies, and in 2018 he completed the Master of Design Studies in Sustainable Design Degree at the Boston Architectural College. Alan is an authorized provider for the ASLA Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System (LACES), Genesis University Faculty, a Certified Pool Operator, a member of the U.S. Green Building Council New Jersey Chapter, and an American Red Cross CPR, Lifeguarding, and Water Safety Instructor.
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Feature Story
The secret to debt collections? Be nice… by Matt Moskowitz, American Profit Recovery
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his past year we said goodbye to a longtime team member. His name was Al and he worked in collections. Al was semiretired, in his late 80’s and spent a career in credit and collections in various capacities. In his time with our company, he spent hours on the phone working with consumers to get them current in their obligations to our clients. He was kind, empathetic and it was like you were on the phone with your grandfather. Back when Al was younger, working in collections full time, were the days when you could walk up to someone’s house and ask for the money they owed you. It was a very different industry back then and the results were different as well. Like the time a person who would not pay for his television set, took that TV and threw it out the third story window at Al, just missing him. For Al, that was just part of the job back then. Today, we live in a very different world when it comes to debt collections. While legally, we cannot just walk up to a home and demand our money, it’s just plain bad for business and it doesn’t work. What works? Being nice. Yes, you read that right. Being nice. Is that easy? Not always! When people owe you money, it can be a very emotional thing. We all know the incredible frustrations that come with customers not paying us for our services. We send out an invoice, we send a statement and maybe we even dropped that invoice in the customer’s mailbox the day of service. We even left a message at their house and we still didn’t get paid. And now we’re mad. We still have to pay our bills, make payroll, take care of our families and keep things going. Believe me, we have every right to be angry, but the last thing you want to do is get over emotional and give the customer a reason to not pay you…… spite. Diplomacy works: Al always used to say that time-honored saying. “You get more bees with honey.” And it’s true. You always get better results by being nice. By being diplomatic and tactful when trying to get your customer to pay, you’ll be achieving better results in a couple different ways. First, they may be much more willing and obligated to work with you and pay you what they owe. They may open up about why they are not paying you such as a dispute on the service or they are over committed, and they will take the time to work with you to create a resolution. They might be in a place where they don’t want to be at that moment in time and a friendly voice trying to help them will almost always be welcome. As we have evolved and refined our approach over the years, our collection staff noticed that the results were better and better.
40 SPRING | 2019
You might end up putting them on a payment plan but at least you’re getting paid and you have opened up the lines of communication with your customer. The other result you’ll achieve is you may just save that customer. That customer may be going through a tough time and if you work with them, and treat them with respect, they may continue to be your customer. We all work so hard to get a new customer so we don’t want to lose any if we don’t have to. Treating customers poorly will surely be a factor in losing them. Getting the proper help: There comes a time in the world of getting paid when you need some extra help. When you decide you need help getting your customers to pay, choose carefully. Not all collection agencies are alike and not all share the same philosophy when it comes to treating your customers. Find an agency that not only understands your business but has a commitment to treating your customers with dignity. Make sure they also share your goal of getting that customer to pay but also keeping that customer. Being nice works. It’s just a fact. When you employ diplomacy and tact in your debt collections, you recover more money and keep more customers. Matt Moskowitz is one of four partners who founded American Profit Recovery in 2004. Since that time he has helped the company grow from a one office organization to an accounts receivables management firm with offices in Michigan and Massachusetts. APR specializes in the collection of third-party debt in industries such as medical/dental, banking, trades, heating oil delivery, lawn care and other professional services. The firm serves approximately 3,500 clients. 1-800-711-0023 The firm’s web address is www.americanprofit.net.
Turf Talk Spring is here; some people may not think so being temps this second week of May are in the 30’s in the morning and the 50’s in the afternoon. But actually, this is what spring looks like – cloudy, dreary, rainy and, yes, sometimes sunny. It has just been a little wetter than normal. Working outdoors in this cool weather has been a joy. Any day it’s below 60 is a great day in my book. Clean-ups got off to a great start by March 13th. We were mulching a few weeks after that and had spring chemicals down by April 15th. All in all, a good start to the season. I have already started to notice the red thread is out and about. Crazy with temps in the 30’s, but yes, red thread already. You can treat it two ways. You can apply a fungicide or bump Pseudosclerotia (red threads) of up the nitrogen on your next ap- Isaria fuciformis are clearly evident plication. By the way, the next on red thread infected fine fescue. application should include an in- Photo: Sabrina Tirpak, Rutgers PDL secticide. Sod web worm will be out soon. You need to catch that first generation or you will have a repeat of last season – sod web worm from May to August. Hopefully not this season – only time will tell. On another note: Have you noticed that each year it seems the summer annuals are pushed out just a little earlier? I was so happy to see that this year all the nurseries were fully stocked by May 1. With temps in Sussex County in the mid 30s most mornings nothing says petunias like 34 degrees. You always hear people saying Mother’s Day is the time to put out summer annuals. I think there was a conspiracy between Hallmark the Greeting Card people and the growers to make Courtesy of The Old everyone think you should have Farmers Almanac geraniums in early May. You’re not supposed to though. Last year we had a good frost on May 7th. This year it was cool all of Spring. So for clarity you don’t put out summer annuals until AFTER the 1st FULL MOON in MAY – THE FLOWER MOON. Then it’s safe to put out summer annuals. And by the way, it has not changed in our area for 400 years. Now that’s something to think about… Good luck and keep growing! Greg Carpenter, CLT is co-owner of American Beauty Landscape since 1983. He attended the SUNY Farmingdale Turfgrass Program and is the Treasurer of the NJLCA. Greg also serves on the Rutgers Turfgrass Advisory Board and the Bergen Community College Horticultural Advisory Board.
News Briefs
NJLCA Scholarships Available...
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ince 2006, the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association and the NJLCA Education Fund has offered scholarships to college and university students. In 2018, the NJLCA created the nonprofit 501(c)3 NJLCA Education Fund, which is funded by NJLCA and member donations, as well as a portion from the proceeds of the NJLCA’s Silent Auction at the Landscape New Jersey Trade Show, and the NJLCA/IANJ Golf Challenge. The NJLCA Education Fund is proud to announce that applications are now available for the 2019 Scholarship Program. Visit www.NJLCA.org or call 201-703-3600 to receive an application. NJLCA Member Scholarships: The Bob DeRosa Scholarship, the Roger Dammer Founder Scholarship, the Aubrey Hampton Scholarship, the Walter Powers MemoEducation Fund rial Scholarship, the Fred Gallione Memorial Scholarship and the Don Leuffgen Memorial Scholarship. ELIGIBILITY: Consideration for a scholarship will be given to any active member (dues must be current) of the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association as well as their spouse, children, grandchildren or stepchildren who will be enrolled as a full-time student during the school year at a college or institution of higher learning (six scholarships available). Applicants must have a GPA of at least 3.0. Bergen Community College Student Scholarships: The NJLCA - Dr. Steven Fischer Scholarship and the NJLCA - Dr. Jack Fisher Memorial Scholarship. ELIGIBILITY: Consideration for a scholarship will be given to any student enrolled at Bergen Community College, Paramus, NJ in a course of study related to the “Green Industry” (i.e. Horticulture, Landscape Design/Build, etc.) (two scholarships available). Applicants must have a GPA of at least 3.0. Rutgers University Student Scholarships: The NJLCA - Anthony Defeo Scholarship, the NJLCA - James Stewart Scholarship, and the NJLCA - Jack Caldwell Memorial Scholarship. ELIGIBILITY: Consideration for a scholarship will be given to any student enrolled at Rutgers University in a course of study related to the “Green Industry” (three scholarships available). Applicants must have a GPA of at least 3.0. SELECTION CRITERIA FOR ALL SCHOLARSHIPS Applicants will be evaluated based on academic achievement, potential to become a leading professional, employment history, extracurricular activities and the recommendation of a current academic advisor. Previous recipients may reapply as long as they meet all eligibility requirements. Additional scholarships for students studying full time in the Green Industry may be considered.
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Feature Story
3 Reasons to Enter Awards and 8 Ways to Market Them by Gail Woolcott, NJLCA
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ach year, the NJLCA hands out awards to the best and the brightest in the landscape industry at our annual Landscape Achievement Awards Dinner and Holiday Gala. Entering and winning the awards is a huge boost for the companies that are there. Some years there are more awards and some years there are less, but you don’t have to be a $1,000,000 company to enter, as there are categories for every project including maintenance to foundation plantings, lighting to water features, sustainable landscapes to rooftop gardens, commercial maintenance to projects that are all inclusive with negative edge pools and outdoor kitchens. Plus many of the categories have project levels based on the price paid for them, so you are competing against others in the same price range. Below are the reason why you should enter and some tips of how to make the most of your award winning status.
Joe Bolognese, Awards Chair, with some of the award winners from 2018: Vander Sluys Landscape Development, Exclusive Stoneworks, President Nelson Lee and Youngs Landscape Management
to work harder, pay attention to detail and do better as they show pride in the work they complete. Furthermore, who doesn’t want to work for an award winning company? Use the awards to recruit new employees who are just as excited to create amazing work as you are.
Steve Jomides of Lawns By Yorkshire (6th from left) shares in his success with his trusted employees.
Employees: Although winning is excellent for your company, just entering a project is a nod to your employees and the hard work they have put in to a property or project. Bring key employees that participated on the project with you to the awards dinner to show them your appreciation. Entering and winning an award can motivate all of your employees
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Public Relations: Award winning companies are enticing to prospective customers, as your status can increase your credibility and create trust with new clients. You should also make it a point to share your entry with the client whose project you are entering and upon winning, with all of your clients! Benchmarking: What better way is there to see how you’re doing compared to your peers in the industry. Enter and attend the dinner and see what others are doing. Furthermore, celebrate the great work being completed in the landscape industry. Help us all to professionalize the industry and make everyone look better in the eye of the public.
Fully Equipped Mini Track Loaders- Your Best New Hire of 2019 If you can one name one item preventing your landscape business from growing, what would it be? I often ask this question to landscape contractors and the vast majority of feedback I receive is related to manual labor. The landscape industry is growing but with historically low unemployment rates, landscape contractors all face the common roadblock of hiring and maintaining manual labor.
Compact equipment has become a viable alternative to manual labor and Mini Track Loaders are one of the fastest growing segments in the equipment industry. Landscape contractors choose Mini Track Loaders because they minimize the amount of manual labor required on a job site by replacing wheel barrows, shovels and other hand tools. In addition, these machines work within tight spaces and can maneuver through gates, doorways or other narrow spaces with ease. Last, Mini Track Loaders are designed to be attachment carriers which help increase efficiencies for numerous tasks and they minimize much of the back breaking work. They can be paired with landscape attachments such as Buckets, Pallet Forks, Augers, Trenchers, Hydraulic Breakers and Stump Grinders making it the swiss army knife for landscape projects. So, is a Mini Track Loader the right machine for your business? Ultimately, the decision hinges on the needs for your specific operation. Factors include jobsite location and requirements, attachment operation and speed of completing the job. Since several different makes and models are available in the market place it is important you match the machine to the scope of work needing completion. An equipment dealership can be a valuable asset to match the ideal machine to your needs. Rob Woods is the President of Garden State Bobcat Group in Freehold, NJ, Green Brook, NJ and New Castle, DE. Visit www.gardenstatebobcat.com for more info.
Feature Story Tips on marketing your award winning status: Winning awards can open a whole new world of marketing to your company. Take advantage of the free press and use your new status as a way to tell the world why your company is different and clients should look to you for their next project or property. • Use the awards as a reason to communicate in the off-season, or right before the season, to your clients. Send out a letter showing them some of the beautiful work you do and maybe entice them a bit to start a new project or add a new maintenance service. Winning an award is an endorsement of your services from a third party and this instantly ups your credibility. • Tweet, Facebook and Instagram the heck out of your projects. You’re al- Castle Point shares their award winning ready taking the photos, status on their blog. now that most of us use smartphones. Why not take those photos and turn them into a series of postings for all of your social media outlets. People love to see projects from start to finish. • Also post to social media all the fun you’re having on awards night, as well as photos of you and your team with your awards at the dinner. • Send press releases to local newspapers. They are always looking for good stories and a local business person winning an award is just the thing, especially since you already have stunning photographs! • Add photos of your projects and awards to your website for new content and to make you easier to find in search engines. Even add a video of a walkthrough of the award winning project to point out the details to those who may not notice them. • Include your award-winning status in your brochures and flyers to make sure your prospective clients know that the company they are dealing with stands out from the crowd! • When you are writing help wanted ads, include a phrase like, “Work for an award-winning company who will share in its successes with you.” • Hang enlarged photos of your award winning work in your offices and display awards and plaques where everyone can see them. This is what folks look at and read while waiting to meet with you. Most of all, be proud of the work you do every day and enter it into awards programs. Finally, work hard every day to provide services that are always award-worthy and you can never go wrong!
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8th Annual Golf Challenge
September 10th
Fox Hollow Golf Club - Branchburg, NJ
2019 Landscape Achievement Awards and Holiday Gala
The Venetian - Garfield, NJ December 3, 2019 from 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Feature Story
Dipping Your Toes Into 3D Waters by Joe Salemi, DynaSCAPE Software
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he concept of 3D modelling for landscape design isn’t a new one, but for many it’s a consideration that’s been on the table for many years. What’s the hesitation? Well, there’s many and that’s ok. For others, like any other technology adoption model, the early adopters have embraced 3D landscape design and haven’t looked back. Does that mean they never produce CAD drawings? No, it just means that what is presented to the client is a beautifully imagined and visualized outdoor living space that can speak for itself. The CAD drawings and color renderings go to support the conceptual design process, assist in producing construction documents, and layout/ dimension plans for your crews. Think of it in terms that you’re adding to your skill set rather than replacing one for another. Layering on your skills as they relate to landscape design software solutions can take time and a will to grow and continuously improve. The most common question we get is “how does it all work and how do I get started?”. I’ve broken it down, step-by-step on what the process is to go from a CAD plan to 3D model ready to be presented to your client. There are a few things to consider as you think about dipping your toe into the 3D waters: 1. Having the right hardware to support 3D modeling (powerful processor, enough RAM, solid state hard drive, and very importantly having a dedicated graphics card). 2. Choosing the right software solution to support the finished presentation you’re looking for. Here at DynaSCAPE, we chose to integrate with SketchUp be-
cause we believe it is the best-in-class 3D software solution regardless of what industry you’re in. It just so happens SketchUp is awesome for landscape design! 3. Invest the right amount of time and effort into learning how the software works. The right amount of time is going to vary from person to person and that’s ok. Most people have a decent understanding of how they learn best. Are videos helpful or do you need someone beside you to show you how it works? The right amount of time is going to depending on lots but what to take away from this is that you should carve out dedicated learning time to figure out how it works. 4. Build a portfolio of models that you have created and use those to show your potential clients of what you’re now capable of doing. Use your learning time to build that portfolio which will help you get paid work. 5. Creating a business model for the 3D services you now offer. Charging a premium design fee for your 3D services is what most landscape designers are doing now. Build a business model for yourself that will help you recoup the investment you made in acquiring your new 3D modeling skills and it will be a continual revenue generator for you. Joe Salemi is the Vice President of DynaSCAPE, charged with branding, marketing, sales and product management. He brings 10 years of experience in the landscape industry to DynaSCAPE and has since worked with landscape designers and design/ build contractors all over North America, learning about their needs, frustrations and gapes in sales and productivity. Visit www.dynascape.com for more info.
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Feature Story
Hybrid ICP Base Bedding by “Paver Pete” Baloglou, Techo-Bloc
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raditional Interlocking Concrete Pavement (ICP) and Segmental Permeable Pavement (SPP) have had mutually exclusive installation systems until recently. A new “Hybrid” installation technique has emerged and is gaining recognition and acceptance. Combining SPP open-graded base and bedding with ICP sand-filled joints has several advantages in certain projects (disadvantages in others) and stepby-step differences that need clarification.
A woven geotextile should be used to separate base from subgrade and to bridge minor differential settlement. A sub-base of ASTM #2’s and #3’s may be used, but its use should be closely scrutinized. A base of ASTM #57 stone should conically distribute loads to ensure no rutting or failure. If desired, a biaxial geogrid layer(s) can be added, or additional base thickness applied if more load is present.
Hybrid ICP installs can consume less labor and equipment because little-to-no compaction effort is needed with opengraded material such as ASTM #57 and #8 stone. The materials are virtually self-consolidating and only require compaction effort (vibratory or static) for the creation of a smooth working surface. Also, open-graded base material can lead to OSHA Silica regulation compliance (less airborne fine particles). Using #57 stone as a base for hybrid ICP helps minimize aggregate types on a project. For example, the same clean stone can be (and is commonly) used as a base and backfill for Segmental Retaining Walls (SRW). Volume use of #57 stone equals weight by volume savings on freight and tonnage rates. The following is a step-by-step comparison of traditional and hybrid ICP: Subgrade soil should be classified, amended, and compacted to 98% Standard Proctor Density (SPD). Excavation should mirror finished grade of pavement. These steps protect pavements from frost damage.
ASTM #57 isn’t freeze & thaw susceptible due to 30-35% void space, unlike ASTM C2940, but if the climate has a deep frost line, then additional grid and thickness may be needed. In vehicular traffic applications, a non-woven geotextile should be used between base and bedding. Fabrics prevent downward migration of the particles under the frequency of kinetic energy (traffic). Bedding material is used to fix minor imperfections in base (+/- 3/8” over 10’) and paver thickness variation (+/1/8”) and provide drainage. It should also contribute to Vertical Interlock (a sand-filled, tight joint). The first three are accomplished in Hybrid ICP by #8 stone bedding. Vertical interlock is achieved through joint fill and consolidation via the top once pavers are laid. Paving stones exceeding ASTM c936 standard from a reputable supplier with a written warranty should be used. Edge restraints can be a hybrid-flexible product (with wedge-shaped stakes), precast units set in mortar and backfilled
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Legal Ease Contractors Professional Liability Most landscapers are familiar with coverages their General Liability policy (GL) should be providing. A standard contractor’s liability policy covers bodily injury or property damage caused by you or your employees due to an accident or negligence, subject to the terms and limits of your policy. Yes, it may also provide other coverages such as pollution, fire legal, contractual, etc. but that’s the basis for all standard GL policies. What is typically excluded from the GL policy is professional liability coverage. This includes claims resulting from faulty workmanship, design errors or omissions and the use of defective materials or product. Landscape companies that do large design-build installations such as patio, outdoor living spaces, retaining walls, etc. should consider insuring these exposures based on the cost and size of your projects. One practical example would be a large living area and walk way you design and build using paver stones. The jobs complete and everything looks beautiful but 8 months later paving stones begin to shift, lift and separate. The cause could either be faulty base material, your compacting methods were wrong or there was a drainage issue with your design. Either one would be excluded under your GL policy resulting in a tear up and replacement project at your expense. Depending on the size of the project and the area damaged it could result in thousands of dollars in replacement material and labor. A Contractors Professional Liability policy would respond and depending on the coverage, deductibles etc. pay for the all the replacement material and additional labor costs to correct the issue. This is just one example of how a Contractors Professional policy can fill those important gaps in your insurance program protecting you against a very large potential loss. The great news, most companies who provide this coverage do so at a fraction of the cost compared to your standard GL policy. If your company does large design-build projects you should be considering this important coverage. Check with your Insurance Professional and ask for a quote. Shay is an area Vice President at AJ Gallagher and Co. He has been a licensed insurance professional since 1984 and has earned his designations as a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI).
Feature Story
with tapered steel-reinforced concrete, or steel/fiber-reinforced concrete. The edge restraint must resist “creep” (the horizontal movement of the pavement) and encapsulate the bedding layer. The joints are filled for traditional and hybrid installs the same way. Polymeric sand, water-swept epoxy-based sand, or ASTM c33 are all acceptable options. Blindly choosing traditional or hybrid ICP, or, for that matter, a “standard/typical” cross-section of a SPP on any and every job is a bad idea. Look at proximity to foundation walls, soils, climate, etc. and choose the system that represents the best short-term and long-term advantages to the client. As SPP have gained in use and acceptance over the past years (doubling in growth annually) so will Hybrid ICP. Applying the technology on a smaller upcoming walkway, patio, pool deck, or driveway may help determine if the system suits your team and company standards. For more information on Hybrid installations visit: https:// www.techo-bloc.com/hybrid-installation/ “Paver Pete” Baloglou is one of the industry’s leading experts on permeable pavement systems and is an accredited instructor on Porous Pavements for the American Institute of Architects/ American Society of Landscape Architects. Pete is Techo-Bloc’s Director of Education and Information. With 19 years in the industry, he takes hardscape projects from inception to completion, manufacturing, and distribution… Pete knows how to build jobs. He is an ICPI and NCMA certified instructor and committee member. He’s made his mark in almost 40 states and five countries, and he’s a founding member of the Techo Bloc Showcase team! With 20 plus years in the industry, he has authored numerous articles and has appeared as a leading hardscape expert on more than 25 national and local television and radio programs including “Hometime”, “Home Team” “Man Cave”.
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Feature Story
Developing Your Latino Leadership by Juan Torres
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n any industry, the potential for upward mobility keeps us driven and enthusiastic about performing our tasks to our best abilities. We are more willing to put in extra effort if we feel appreciated and respected. This is a mutual feeling across society, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, creed, etc. In an industry such as ours, where there is a vast Hispanic workforce, there tend to exist strong cultural and linguistic barriers that can keep us from being able to offer some of our best talent opportunities to climb the ladder. By fostering relationships with site workers that encourage a productive and positive work environment, we can help our businesses build a strong core team that consistently delivers quality results. In many cases, a Spanish-speaking workforce creates demand for Spanishspeaking supervisors who can better communicate, train and retain those laborers with the same cultural and linguistic background, increasing profitability and decreasing turnover. In order for Hispanic talent to take on higher roles and added responsibilities, they need the right tools and resources to learn new skills and prepare for their next big step.
Mentorship. Bring in other successful Latino leaders and owners. Along your own path, having mentors served as an inspiration. Listening to successful individuals share personal trajectories and development processes is encouraging.
Join associations. Hispanic laborers are willing and looking to learn but may not know where to begin. Associations such as the National Hispanic Landscape Alliance focus on educating Hispanic Americans in the industry and growing leadership. They often provide materials in Spanish for members and offer networking opportunities with other more experienced members who can share tips for betterment, set an example and prove that growth is attainable.
Attend conferences. There are a great deal of Latino conferences throughout the country that are highly recommended. Association of Latino Professionals for America offers 400 combined events a year focusing on future Latino leaders. Associations such as the National Association of Landscape Professionals offer great industry resources and value. United Way’s Latino Leadership program provides Latinos the opportunity to enhance their professional and personal skills as business and community leaders.
Training programs. There are great training programs and workshops available, even some specifically tailored to capacitating the Hispanic workforce. Train the Trainer is an example of a program that focuses on the development of the Latino workforce, led by Ellen Ely who is a nationally recognized leader in this space. Another useful resource is 7 of 7 Best Business and Life Strategies, a guiding hand on the processes for managing a successful business.
Language courses. Offering staff the opportunity and an incentive to learn English more proficiently allows them to more effectively communicate with other supervisors, administration and clients. Local colleges offer Spanish-language courses for non-English speakers. High schools also offer English as a Second Language courses for adults, many free of charge. You can also provide resources in house. Licensing examinations. Encourage your laborers to become certified in specific skills. Sometimes what prevents Spanish-speaking laborers from becoming certified is the linguistic barrier itself and a lack of understanding of the test-taking process. In some states, local organizations and universities have partnered to create Spanish prep courses for certification exams.
On a final note. The most important thing to consider is to offer yourselves as resources. As someone with experience and stature, make sure that you are personable and make yourself relatable to your workforce. Maintain a welcoming atmosphere and consider your colleagues and staff a family. Make your business a place where your employees look forward to being and feel appreciated. Article originally published in Lawn and Landscape magazine, December 2016.
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Advertiser Index Al D. Landscaping and Tree Service and Garden Supply Stop...............................51 www.aldlandscapingandtree.com Association Master Trust.............................................................................................36 www.amt-nj.com Bergen Brick Stone and Tile........................................................................................14 www.bergenbrick.com Cliffside Body Corp......................................................................................................12 www.cliffsidebody.com The Commercial Agency..............................................................................................36 www.thecommercialagency.com or www.bergensnowplowinsurance.com Dave Stern Tires...............................................................................................................8 www.davesterntire.com Downes...........................................................................................................................16 www.downestreeservice.com or www.downesforestproducts.com Lawn Equipment Parts Company.................................................................................6 www.lepco.com Matera’s Nursery..............................................................................................................2 201-493-8288 Middleton & Company Insurance................................................................................8 www.middletonins.com Oakland Marine & Equipment....................................................................................32 201-337-7741
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Schoenberg Salt............................................................................................................52 www.gosalt.com State Farm Insurance....................................................................................................24 www.christinerelyea.com
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Feature Story
The Four Myths of Incentives by Jeffrey Scott, Leader’s Edge and Jeffrey Scott!
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ncentives—rewards meant to encourage and motivate employees to be more productive—all too often backfire and create unintended consequences: internal squabbles, cynicism, distraction, and diminished performance. The trick with incentives is avoiding the pitfalls and common myths. Following are the four most common myths regarding incentives: MYTH 1: Incentives should be focused only on what a person can control. While this makes sense on face value, it ignores a huge factor in motivation: peer pressure. Many managers and contractors think that a person needs to have full and complete control in order for an incentive to be effective, but this just isn’t the case. You can create a very quick and dramatic improvement in your company with the use of a peerbased incentive program. For example, an entire division or company can share in a bonus (e.g., when everyone comes to work on time all week, the entire company gets free coffee and donuts the following week.) Think about the corporate world where stock options are awarded to employees as incentives, and yet the entire company has to perform in order for the stock value to rise. Peer-based incentives can be used to create change in many different areas: reducing equipment loss and vehicle damage, improving client retention, etc. MYTH 2: An incentive should be holistic. Some business owners try to wrap up all the critical success factors into an incentive, but this can be confusing to track and can send mixed signals to the incentive recipient. For example, I recently worked with a contractor who thought up a comprehensive incentive for his office staff. It was very artful in engaging his office manager and addressing all the key aspects of her job, except that it was too complex; it covered too many facets of her job and made it hard to prioritize what was important. Incentives should be straightforward, easy to memorize, and easy to calculate. If your incentive recipient cannot wake up in the morning, remember his or her incentive, it is probably too complex. MYTH 3: Incentives will create a change in behavior. Unfortunately, managers often put incentives in place expecting them to be a silver bullet and magically fix all that
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ails their companies. The important truth is, an incentive is merely a mechanism for how you measure the change, i.e. the improvement. But, in order to motivate the change, you need to give employees consistent feedback, and engage them in discussions on how the company is performing as compared to goals. Your employees need to understand why the change is important. Throwing money at them is not a replacement for explaining why it is important to hit the goal. Incentives will not automatically create accountability. MYTH 4: Incentives must pay out monetary rewards in order for employees to buy in. This myth further states that monetary rewards should be significant in order for employees to really care. Neither is true. I have seen incentives programs with no money at all attached to them work wonders. Take, for example, a company with four crews, and imagine that these crews compete against each other each week to see who can finish the week most efficiently under budget. Each crew is rated on how well it performs compared to its budgeted time. The results are shared in percentages; for example, 100 percent means they met budget, 90 percent means they beat budget by 10 percent, and 105 percent means they were over budget by 5 percent. Whichever crew ends the week with the lowest percentage, wins. In fact, when a company is setting up a monetary-based incentive program for the first time, it may make sense to do a dry run and execute it with no money attached. This will allow you to work the bugs out of the system, and then later, if you wish, to add a monetary reward. If you do create an incentive based on money, it should be self-funding. The incentive should be paid out based on incremental profits earned by the company based on the incremental results achieved. When incentives are self-funding, everyone wins. Jeffrey Scott is the leading authority on growth and profit maximization in the landscape industry. (www.JeffreyScott. biz). He grew his landscape company into a successful $15 million multi-discipline enterprise, and he’s now devoted to helping others achieve profound success. He has consulted with over two hundred landscape companies and facilitates the largest global peer group of landscape business owners in the world. He has worked with national brands such as Caterpillar, Case equipment, Spring Green, Greenius and LMN software.
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