The Buckeye, June 2015 Volume 26, Issue 5

The Official Publication of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association

June 2015

Vol. 26, Issue 5

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The Buckeye is published 10 times per year by The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc. 72 Dorchester Square Westerville, OH 43081 p 614.899.1195 f 614.899.9489 www.onla.org info@onla.org

CONTENTS

EDITORIAL / ADVERTISING ISSN 1536-7940 Subscriptions: $75/year amanda@onla.org, editor

June 2015

Vol. 26, Issue 5

THE FINE PRINT The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, directors or staff and do not constitute an endorsement of the products or featured services. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or their identification as members of the ONLA does not constitute an endorsement of the products or featured services.

OFFICERS

features

4

President’s Perspective

10

Answering the Call

Landscaper

6

ONLA Office Update

19

What Does Your Score Card

Summer Office Update

Look Like Now?

8

Legislative Hotline

21

Diagnostic Walkabout Online

Budget Deliberations Continue; Senate

Registration Now Open

Schedules Possible Session Dates in July

business issue 12

Management / Marketing Today

David Richards, Immediate Past President South Ridge Farm

13

They’re Trying To “Chase” Us Away!

DIRECTORS

Digital Evaluator

A Blossoming Partnership

17 18

Look to the Future Safety First

Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation

(BWC) Offers FREE Prospective Billing and

Annette Howard, Board Member Gilson Gardens, Inc.

Safety Seminars for Private Employers

Adam McClanahan, Board Member Carlton Plants

Interest & Engagement in the Green Industry

Views of Springtime

24 25

30 Excerpt from the PEST Newsletter

Educational Update

Hillary Henry, Board Member The Pattie Group

Josh Posey, Board Member Buckeye Resources, Inc.

22 Regional Education Summer Series

Mike Dues, President Dues Nursery & Landscaping, Ltd.

Steve Maddox, President Elect Michell’s

6 Wishes of a Dying

Young Leaders Why Trees Matter

Ellen Gallucci Purcell, Board Member Riepenhoff Landscape, Ltd.

June 2015 Vol. 26, Issue 5

The Official Publication of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association

STAFF Dick Posey, Interim Executive Director Roni Petersen, Membership & Certification Amanda Domsitz, Communications Director Amy Eldridge, CENTS Manager Karen Lykins, Accountant Lisa Larson, Education Director

industry news

front cover: Colors of the Iris

Mark Reiner, Board Member Oakland Nursery, Inc.

In the spirit of land stewardship, please consider recycling this publication.

also in this issue

33 Industry Calendar • 34 About The Buckeye • 34 Classified Ads • 34 Ad Index

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President’s Perspective

Answering The Call Proper telephone etiquette is very important in that you are representing your company. Many customers, contractors and institutions prefer, and at times require, phone communication to complete processes and ensure satisfaction. This communication, like many others, will leave an impression about your business. Following a few telephone etiquette tips will ensure that the impressions that your business makes over the phone are positive ones.

Try to answer the phone within three rings. Answering a phone too fast can catch the caller off guard and waiting too long can make the caller angry. Smile - it shows, even through the phone lines; speak in a pleasant tone of voice. When a person smiles it affects the sound of his or her voice, giving it a more pleasant and friendly tone, the caller will appreciate it.

Using phrases such as “thank you” and “please”, “MR.”, “MRS”, are essential in displaying a professional atmosphere. Listen actively and listen to others without interrupting. Don’t make people dread having to answer their phone or call your company.

Speak directly into the mouthpiece. Do not eat or chew gum while talking on the telephone (your caller may ask what you’re having for lunch!!). If someone walks into your office while you’re talking on the telephone, ask the caller if you may put him/her on hold briefly). Depress the HOLD button. Don’t lay the receiver on the desk, without placing the caller on hold (the caller will hear everything being discussed in your office). Return to caller and complete the call as soon as possible.

4 The Buckeye

Mike Dues Dues Nursery & Landscaping, Ltd. ONLA President mikedues@duesnursery.com

We all get rude and impatient calls. Stay calm. Try to remain diplomatic and polite. Getting angry will only make them angrier. Always show willingness to resolve the problem or conflict. Try to think like the caller.

Remember, their problems and concerns are important. If you are in a non-supervisory position: Offer to have your supervisor talk to the caller or call him/her back if the caller persists. If you are supervisor: Be willing to handle irate callers. Speak slowly and calmly. Be firm with your answers, but understanding. Sometimes the irate caller just wants someone in a supervisory capacity to listen to their story even if you are unable to help them.

I personally have found that when I get an upset customer it is easier for me too, repeat everything thing they say. This way the caller can also hear exactly what they are saying. I write everything down and tell them I will find out what happened or what is going on and call them back. I do this for a couple of reasons. First, I can determine what’s going on and even if it’s a legitimate complaint. I will also have time to find out the answers to all of the callers questions since I wrote them down. The most important part of me calling them back is, the caller may have stewed for hours and now have themselves all worked up. They probably even have thought up a script to say when they do build up the courage to call. When a person builds the courage to call, I doubt that they would even hear my response with an open mind. I can now call on my own terms with all the answers. Hopefully I catch the caller in a much better mood and off guard, maybe their grandchild is pouching on their knee, or they onla.org

are just in a better frame of mind. I slowly go down the list of concerns, with responses. And amazingly half the concerns are not even issues any longer. To this day, this approach has worked well for our company along with the caller and their concerns. Yes, I try to SMILE through the whole phone conversation.

There is a lot of controversy over whether or not telephone calls should be screened. When it’s necessary to screen calls (i.e., if someone is available ONLY to certain individuals), “She’s away from her office; may I take your name and number?” OR “May I say who’s calling? Thank you. Let me check and see if he’s in.” are suggested responses. If you are required to ask who is calling or what the nature of the call is, be aware of your tone of voice. Screening calls is always a delicate situation, so it is critical not to offend or put your caller on the defensive with your voice tone (smile).

Whenever possible, use telephone message forms to record accurate and complete information. A good phone message includes: Name of person for whom the message was left, caller’s name (get the correct spelling), company or dept. and number, date and time, message, action to be taken (i.e., “Please Call,” “Will call back,” or “URGENT”) It is important to deliver the message as soon as possible and maintain confidentiality with all messages.

Online Availability klynnurseries.com Visit our website Sales Staff Availability* Hot List* Klyn Catalog 2015* Quote Form Photo Gallery E-mail addresses About Us Directions *Contact us for user name and password

Before you decide that you need to end a phone call, make sure the “business” part of the conversation is complete. Part of every successful business is building relationships with your customers and it is nice to hear about their vacation or their grandchildren. When you are sure the business portion of the call is ended, look at the clock and give the caller another 3 or 4 minutes. Wait for the caller to pause in their conversation and jump in immediately with a pleasant call end statement, like, “I am glad to hear about your grandchild but I have to take another call. If you need any further assistance, please do call back.”

Just relax and answer the call. B

KLYN NURSERIES, Inc. 3322 SOUTH RIDGE RD. • P.O. BOX 343 PERRY, OHIO 44081

TELEPHONE: (440) 259-3811 FAX: (440) 259-3338 1-800-860-8104 Web Site: klynnurseries.com E-Mail: klyn@klynnurseries.com

onla.org

May 2015 5

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ONLA Office Update

Summer

Office Update The ONLA Staff has been hard at work preparing exciting education and events for the upcoming summer season and CENTS 2016.

Diagnostic Walkabouts This summer, join ONLA, OSU & AGI for our popular Diagnostic Walkabout series. The walks provide professionals with a critical look at landscape and turf during early mornings across Ohio. Tim Malinich and other Horticulture Educators from Ohio State University Extension will lead these in-depth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests. Programs are designed for commercial horticulturalists. Walks take place on Thursday’s from 7:30 to 9:30 AM. See page 21 for locations.

Regional Education Series ONLA Summer Education will also include multiple regional events across Ohio. Classes include: Chainsaws & Chippers: Safe and Effective Operation and Maintenance; Segmental Permeable Pavement: Resolving Runoff issues and Ramping up Profits; Water Features, Ponds and Lakes: Build on your Success; and Hardscapes: How to Build a Profitable, In-Demand Business. See page 22 for more details.

6 The Buckeye

New ONLA Website & Database If you haven’t been on ONLA.org lately, take a look!

We have a new Association Management System. This gave our website and database capabilities a fresh new look. These updates will assist you in online event registration, membership renewal and ONLA publication purchases. OCNT’s will soon be able to report credits through our website. By now, you should have received your username and password to access your login to ONLA.org. If you have any questions on our new website, contact the ONLA Office at (800) 825-5062.

CENTS 2016 ONLA Staff members are busy preparing for CENTS 2016 (January 11-13, 2016). There will be many new exciting elements to the CENTS experience including new additions to the trade show floor. CENTS Education will include a little bit of something for everyone.

Attendees will be able to customize their education experience with help from our industry sectors and CEU availability.

Plant Something Grant Keep your eyes open for a letter inviting your company to participate in our “Fall is for Planting” campaign. onla.org

ONLA received a grant to Market the National Plant Something campaign and will be distributing paper bags through local newspapers that will drive customers to participating businesses. The bags will give customers access to complementary bulbs if they bring it to the local company. The goal is to bring in new customers who see the advertisement. Please contact the ONLA office if you are interested in participating.

PERMEABLE CLAY PAVERS When installed in a permeable pavement system, StormPave allows rain water to filter through and dissipate into the soil rather than carry excess pollutants into storm drains and waterways.

Genuine Clay Pavers—Strong ▪ Durable ▪ Colorfast

For the Spring Plant Something campaign ONLA staff members attended the Earth Day Celebration at the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium. Attendees planted Sweet Basil Seeds to take home. Seed packets were also mailed out to schools across the state. The ONLA Office has plenty of Basil seed packets left if you are interested please call (800) 825-5062. B ONLA Staff 72 Dorchester Square Westerville, Ohio 43081 (800) 825-5062 www.onla.org info@onla.org

onla.org

www.claypaver.com

800­334­8689

May 2015 7

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Legislative Hotline

Budget Deliberations Continue; Senate Schedules Possible Session Dates in July HB 64, the biennial operating budget underwent substantive changes in the House from the “As Introduced” version. Namely, the House removed nearly all of the tax changes that had been proposed by Governor Kasich.

While House leaders found the underlying goal (lowering Ohio’s income tax rate) of the Governor’s tax proposals laudable, they were not able to stomach the trade offs in the changes in CAT tax, a severance tax on drilling or increases in tobacco taxes. Meanwhile, at the end of House deliberations, significant changes in the school funding formula were the focus.

Frustrated with the changes in the House, as HB 64 moved to the Senate for the likely month-long deliberations, early reactions from Senate leadership threatened to start back with the “as introduced version” (which would have been unprecedented). The kerfuffle caused confusion and a lull in the initial days of Senate deliberations. Ultimately, the Senate began to work from the House version and hearings ensued in the way Senate President Faber (R; Celina) crafted for the mid-biennial budget review.

Although historically, the budget has been debated exclusively and exhaustively by the Senate Finance Committee, under the leadership of Senate President Faber, all members of and nearly all committees of the Senate have been assigned a portion of the budget (i.e. some standing Senate committees actually serve the function of a “subcommittee” of Finance). The delayed start plus the new process has called into question whether the Senate will send the budget to the Conference Committee in early June as has been the norm.

For our part, we continue to follow the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s (ODA) budget as well as the line items pertaining to OSUE, OARDC, etc... ODA has

8 The Buckeye

Belinda Jones ONLA Legislative Consultant bjones@capitol-consulting.net

testified that they are fine with the budget as proposed and that the green industry should suffer no staffing attention under the currently proposed budget. We will keep you posted.

House Committees Resume Work on Non-Budget Bills Like HB 77; Agritourism Bill Passes Out of Committee Having punted the budget to the Senate, the Ohio House relaxed the frenzy and resumed “normal” deliberations on non-budget items.

Your ONLA Legislative Committee and Board continue to monitor bills of interest such as HB 77 which deals with home improvement contractors (https:// www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislationsummary?id=GA131-HB-77) As previously reported, HB 77 does not, on its face, pertain to landscape construction; however, based upon past bills bearing the same subtitle, we have been engaged in the discussion. The ONLA has expressed their concern to the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Patmon (D; Cleveland) and the House Commerce and Labor Committee Chairman Rep. Ron Young (R; Painesville). At deadline for this article, the committee seems to have let the bill lie still for now.

Meanwhile, the House Ag Committee has recently passed HB 80 which deals with agri-tourism. https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/legislationsummary?id=GA131-HB-80 Stated most succinctly, HB 80 would limit the authority of a board of county commissioners or board of township trustees to prohibit agritourism through zoning; would apply current CAUV to land used for agritourism and would establish immunity in a civil action for agritourism providers.

onla.org

As defined in the bill, agritourism means: “an agriculturally related educational, historical, entertainment, cultural or recreational activity, including you-pick operations or farm markets, conducted on a farm that allows or invites members of the general public to observe, participate in or enjoy that activity.”

Do you have an agritourism activity that you conduct on your nursery property? Have you considered setting up such an activity? If so, you would definitely benefit from HB 80 if it becomes enacted.

Please contact me if you want more information! bjones@capitol-consulting.net B

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B

Feature

6 Wishes of a Dying Landscaper If you die with the most toys and fastest cars, have you succeeded?

Research shows that at the end of your life you will measure your success differently. In any event, dying with the fastest cars won’t get you in to heaven - and there is always someone with a faster car.

Use this article and the “wishes of a dying entrepreneur” as a checklist to make sure your business is giving you the life of your dreams.

1. “I wish I let myself be successful” Entrepreneurs try hard to bend the will of the universe to their own vision, and yet the world has its own way of working things out. You have a choice of being frustrated or being happy and successful. Aim for success, not perfection • What could you do at work and at home to create more happiness?

• How much more could you accomplish if you aimed for “success” as your goal instead of perfection?

2. “I should have nurtured my inner circle” Don’t work so hard that you forgo the relationships that you had built along the way. Take time out to reconnect with people who helped you get to where you are today. This is your inner circle, the friends, family and confidants who helped you along the way.

• Who do you need to reconnect with from your past? From your present?

• When is the best time of your day, week, month to do so? (For me it is the weekend.)

10 The Buckeye

Bring joy in your life and your friends, by staying on contact with them.

3. “I should have had the courage to state what’s on my mind” If you are thinking or feeling something, say it. Don’t worry as much about thinking you are going to offend people. Bonnie Ware found that dying people wish they had expressed their feelings more and suppressed them less. This holds true for entrepreneurs and business leaders. Being passive aggressive won’t help the other person and it won’t help you.

4. “I wish I played more, worked less” The old expression that no one ever died wishing they worked harder is true; a practical “solution” is that of a better work/life balance. Taking time out to enjoy the fruits of your hard labor. This comes from choice, time management skills, efficiency and priority. Just because you are working for you family, doesn’t mean your family wants you to always be working.

• What personal activities do you want to do this week for yourself? Schedule it before your schedule work.

• What family activities do you want to do this year?

Put them on the schedule now, before work takes over.

In a separate study, many dying people said they wished they had spent more time barefoot. How about you?

5. “Who’s life was I living?”

Most expectations are self-imposed; coming from selfonla.org

talk, both positive and negative. Don’t go to your death bed trying to please everyone else but yourself. The key to entrepreneurial success is embracing your own vision and seeing it through.

• What expectations do you have for yourself that you want to fulfill this year?

• What would success look like a year from now if you followed your own compass?

TAKE ACTION

6. “I should have taken more action and risks”

Jeffrey Scott, MBA, author, consultant, is the expert in growth and profit maximization in the lawn & landscape industry. He grew his company into a successful $10 million enterprise, and he’s now devoted to helping others achieve profound success. Over 6000 read his monthly newsletter. He facilitates the Leader’s Edge peer group for landscape business owners; his members achieved a 27% profit increase in their first year. To learn more visit www.GetTheLeadersEdge.com. B

The biggest regret you will have on your death bed is not “what you did” but rather “what you didn’t do”. As an entrepreneur, what idea do you have in your brain or your heart that you are holding yourself back from doing?

• List out the 2 big ideas have you been carrying around in your head. Talk about them with someone you trust and make a plan to “Just Do It.”

Score yourself 0 to 10 on each of these regrets; and identify one action you can take to raise your score in each area.

Special thanks to Bronnie Ware, who wrote “The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying.”

About Jeffrey Scott

BREAKTHROUGH IDEA Sometimes you can learn more from the dying than the living.

N U R S E R Y

Quality and Service G A R D E N C E N T E R is the Nature L A N D S C A P E of our Business

Call Us for all your nursery needs including Quotes, Availability or a Catalog

1-877-722-7337 411 N. State Route 235 Fax 937-845-9731

onla.org

New Carlisle, OH 45344 www.scarffs.com

May 2015 11

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M a n a g e m e n t / M a r k e t i n g To d a y

They’re Trying To “Chase” Us Away!

Lynn and I had a warning a few weeks ago. As we drove up to the drive through windows at Chase Bank, we were told that this service would not be available after April 1. There is an outside ATM, but it’s just not the same, and I don’t usually carry the debit card with me.

I’ve always used drive through windows, and couldn’t believe that Chase Bank was taking this away from us.

So April 1st comes, and Lynn goes to the bank. As she walked in, she was greeted by a banker who asked Lynn, “What transaction are you here for today?” Lynn answered his question, and was directed to one of the tellers. Standing in line for the teller, Lynn noticed that there were two huge ATM machines sitting in front of the other teller windows. When she finally got to the teller, she was told that Chase Bank is trying to get everyone to use the ATM machines - inside and out.

When I first went in to this Chase Bank location, I was dumbfounded by the size of these ATM machines in the bank lobby. Maybe it’s my generation. Maybe the Millennials like using ATMs. I personally like to deal with a human being, be it at the drive-through window or inside the bank.

On to another challenge. When my friends and I wanted to play one of my favorite golf courses in the area, Prairie Woods in Avalon, WI, I called to make reservations for our foursome. Instead of talking to someone in the pro shop, I got an electronic welcome, telling me to dial “1” if I wanted to make a tee time.

An additional step for me, the Customer. I guess it’s a time-saver for them and other golf courses, because this is more and more common - and definitely more impersonal. I connected with the pro shop, and made a tee time for our group.

When we arrived at Prairie Woods the next day, we saw a computer screen with tee times at the check-in desk, and that the prices on the computer were cheaper than what we were paying. When we asked about these lower prices, we were told that they were only available online. Another way to depersonalize my golf experience.

Needless to say, the next time we played Prairie Woods, I made the tee time online. It sounds simple, but the payment method was confusing, and I didn’t really know what was happening until I arrived at the pro shop.

I understand the need to use technology in business, but when it puts a blockade between the Customer and the business itself, I wonder what the long-term effect

12 The Buckeye

will be. I’ve enjoyed dealing with the people at Chase Bank, but now I have to look behind these gigantic ATM machines to see them. For me, I’m considering taking my banking someplace else.

The Shazzam Challenge Does technology stand between your nursery/landscape company and your Customers? If so, why? B © Mark Mayberry Make 2015 your best year yet! – Bring Mark in to motivate your Team with an amazing dose of “Shazzam!” Call Mark today! (815) 209-1381 Mark Mayberry is a Customer Service expert. He works with a wide variety of organizations around the world, helping organizations like yours deliver “Service With Shazzam” to your Customers. Call Mark today at (815) 209-1381!

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onla.org

Educational Update

Digital Evaluator An App for Trial Gardens

This article describes the Ohio State University Cultivar Trials and how an app was created to assist in organizing and managing the evaluation and communication program for the garden.

Initially conceived by Dr. Claudio Pasian in 2002, the Ohio State University Cultivar Trials are conducted each year in order to evaluate ornamental bedding and container plants. The objective of these trials is to observe the performance of new and recently introduced cultivated plant varieties under environmental conditions typical of central Ohio.

According to Dr. Pasian, “Over the years, we have grown and put ourselves on the map of annuals trials in the U.S. Growers from around the country and abroad visit the annuals trial every July during the Cultivate event in Columbus. In August, with the help of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association (ONLA) and AmericanHort, we also have an open house geared to landscapers.”

Moving Towards a Digital Solution Traditionally, each evaluator was given a clipboard and 20 pages of plant names that needed to be evaluated on four different occasions. Volunteers and Trial Staff picked up their clipboard and walked up and down the beds writing their scores in the appropriate boxes. The same clipboards were picked up a month later and used to enter more results. At the end of the season, a student worker was recruited to enter all the scores in a spreadsheet that was then used to generate overall average ratings. Considering that over 500 entries were evaluated each year by approximately 20 volunteers on four different occasions, this approach to data gathering and information management was not only inefficient, time consuming and expensive but also prone to error (Figure 1).

Dr. Rhodus first approached the Cultivar Trial organizers, Dr. Pasian and Lindsay Pangborn, in May 2014 with his idea for developing a mobile Figure 1: One of twenty pages used to evaluate plants app that could be used to not only record evaluation data The OSU Cultivar Trials contain four categories but also transmit it to a server. That way, the process of of plants: field (ground beds), containers in the sun, recording, transmitting and sharing evaluation scores containers in the shade, and hanging baskets. During could be done without the need for clipboards or student the growing season, all plants are evaluated four workers. In addition, the new process would help the times by Master Gardener and Chadwick Arboretum evaluators do their work quicker, the data could be volunteers. These consumer evaluators are asked to viewed shortly after each evaluator finished their work rate each plant from 1 – 5 on how well they “like” the and the app would be capable of taking pictures of the plant. Additionally, the Trial Director and Trial Manager plant being evaluated. do a more in-depth “grower” evaluation. Results and please see page 14 photos of the 2014 trials can be found at: hvp.osu.edu/trials onla.org

May 2015 13

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button indicating category abbreviation and bed number.

For example, F-1 was a white button for Field category bed #1 and C-8 was a red button for Container category bed #8 (Figure 2).

Sun Screen Protection A significant factor affecting usability but wasn’t part of app design, involved using iPads or iPhones outside in bright sunlight. It was obvious from the beginning that being able to view a mobile screen or enter data in bright conditions was going to be a problem and if we couldn’t find a solution, there would be no going forward.

Success!!! After researching various screen filters, we decided on NuShield’s product called DayVue™. This film is used widely by pilots, boat owners and even the military. You can select the specific make and model of your mobile device at the following: nushield.com

The Software

Clockwise from top left: Figure 2: Locations of planting beds; Figure 3: Digital Evaluator app for iPhone; Figure 4: Digital Evaluator App for iPad 1- Evaluation screen continued from page 13

Deciding What to Include During follow-up meetings, Dr. Rhodus learned about the list of plants in the trial and what information needed to be collected during each of the consumer and grower evaluations. However, the biggest challenge was learning where 563 different plants were located in 44 different beds both in front of and behind Howlett Hall.

For Claudio and Lindsay, this had become second nature. However, as newcomers, we needed to see a map that was both accurate and visual, not a hand-drawn representation. So, we used Google Maps, satellite view and zoomed into the appropriate areas north and south of Howlett Hall and took screen captures. Given that an evaluator could start with any category of plant or with any specific bed, the maps had to display all 44 planting beds and serve as the primary linking mechanism to the subset of plants in the database that were to be evaluated at a given location. This was done through the addition of clickable icons on a map, each represented by a colored

14 The Buckeye

The development goal was to create a self-contained app that would work on iPhone or iPad and not require any WiFi connection. We wanted a design where evaluators could walk around holding their mobile device and easily enter evaluation data. Lastly, there was less than four weeks to develop the app. In order to meet these goals, we decided to use FileMaker Pro software to create a database that would serve as the foundation for the app. We’ve used this software for over 20 years of web development projects and have found it to be very powerful and easy to use. FileMaker also offers web server and mobile device products. These three programs are fully compatible with each other and were all used in the project.

We also learned that the planting information was contained in spreadsheet files. This was not a problem, as a spreadsheet file can be easily imported into a FileMaker database. The final part of the project was to download and open the finished database in FileMaker Go. This free mobile app enables anyone to design a fully functioning mobile app that supports all the features of a database.

Primary Features of Digital Evaluator

Our finished program was named, Digital Evaluator.

Building on our web design experiences, the initial page of this app is referred to as Home. This layout connects a user with the basic administrative and evaluative controls they need to participate in the Cultivar Trials (Figure 3).

Evaluator ID All evaluators (new and returning) were trained in how to use the app. As part of their training, they were each assigned an ID number. This was selected on Home page and linked to all scores recorded and transferred by that evaluator. onla.org

Category The evaluator selects which category of plants they want to evaluate – Field (north of Howlett Hall) or Basket, Container, Shade (south of Howlett Hall).

Tapping the appropriate button links to the detailed navigation map for selecting individual beds.

Progress Report With 563 plants to evaluate, it’s easy to miss some. This report shows the evaluator which plants have not been evaluated and allows him/her to return to the appropriate bed and enter a score.

Export Data After completing the evaluation, those people using their own device need to export the data. Stepby-step instructions are contained in a special layout.

Evaluators who borrowed a device simply returned it and we performed the export.

Evaluation Layout A single evaluation layout was developed for use with all plant categories. However, before entering a score, it was critical that evaluators confirm the plant they are looking at is the same as the plant in the database.

To assist with this, the app layout was designed to mimic the look of the plant label (Figure 4).

Having confirmed they are rating the correct plant, the evaluator tapped the appropriate spot on the evaluation scale to enter their score. Custom notes could be entered in the text box.

The evaluator walked to the

Figure 5: Filter evaluation results for Coleus (top); Figure 6: OSU Cultivar Trials Website (bottom)

please see page 16 onla.org

May 2015 15

continued from page 15

next plant in the bed and tapped the Next button on the app. After completing a given bed of plants, the evaluator would tap one of the Category buttons to return to the primary navigation map and select another bed. Many of the returning volunteers indicated the app helped them rate the plants in less time than using the old pencil and paper approach.

A grower version of the app was developed to provide Claudio and Lindsay with evaluation options that were essential to them as grower professionals but too in-depth for the consumer version. An added benefit of the grower version was the ability to take pictures while using the app, for both the iPhone and iPad versions. With this approach, we didn’t experience the usual problem of trying to match photos taken with a digital camera to an exact plant in the database.

Training To introduce the app, we set up training sessions for all new and returning evaluators. A tri-fold training brochure was developed to describe the trials and depict the various features of the app. In total, we trained 54 volunteers in all aspects of using the app and reviewing the progress report. For many of the volunteers, this was their first experience using an iPad. Some of the volunteers preferred to use their own iPhone or iPad device. For them, an extended training session was held to assist these volunteers with downloading and installing the Digital Evaluator App on their devices and making sure they were familiar with the app, how to adjust settings, how to export their results and how to update the app.

the app are also served on the website. The Gallery not only shows the plants, but provides all of the important identifying information, too, including Category, Bed, Location, Crop/Series/Cultivar, Company, and Overall Rating (Figure 6).

InVirtual Perspective Technology Team The OSU InVirtual Perspective Technology Team consists of Dr. Tim Rhodus, Professor; Bud Witney, Systems Manager, and Elaine Eberlin, Systems Specialist.

The team is responsible for the design and maintenance of the systems, databases, and much of the content contained in the numerous web sites positioned within Horticulture in Virtual Perspective, OSU PlantFacts, and American Society for Horticultural Science. Online access to this document is available at: hvp.osu.edu/buckeye2015.pdf B Tim Rhodus, Professor and Elaine Eberlin, Systems Specialist Department of Horticulture & Crop Science, The Ohio State University Rhodus.1@osu.edu, Eberlin.3@osu.edu

Website Development

The website - 2014 Ohio State Cultivar Trials (hvp.osu.edu/trials) showcased the data being collected throughout the season. Using the app, volunteer evaluations were collected over the course of a week, on four different occasions. Data was transferred from each device and emailed to Dr. Rhodus, who then checked for completeness and uploaded it to FileMaker server. When the evaluation window was closed, the average score for each plant, across all evaluators, was compiled and saved in the database. This way, the database server program does not have to recalculate average scores for all 563 plants every time someone looks at the website.

Another feature of our website is the ease with which one might search/sort results by: Category, Crop, Series, Cultivar, Company or Rating (Figure 5). Filtering of results for any of these attributes is immediate. Compare this to other trial gardens where results are provided as a spreadsheet file in “pdf” or “doc” format that requires downloading and opening in a separate program - not very immediate and definitely not very flexible.

For those who are more visual, pictures taken with

16 The Buckeye

onla.org

Look to the Future

A Blossoming Partnership One preliminary partnership meeting blossomed into a beautiful Arbor Day showcase for New Lexington High School and Hocking College. Dr. Betty Young, Interim President of Hocking College, and Casey Coffey, Superintendent of New Lexington City Schools met one cold winter day to discuss a statewide initiative, College Credit Plus, where students take college courses for credit while still in high school. This initiative reduces the amount of time a student needs to be in (and pay for) college to obtain their degree. Coffey shared his excitement, “to build programing around our community needs and expand career and technical training around college and career readiness.”

The partnership actively launched this spring by joining forces to create a new landscaped entrance to New Lexington High School. Frits Rizor, Landscape Instructor at Hocking College and Natural Resources Department Chair, led the joint effort between Landscape Capstone students and high school students. New Lexington High School had an old, poorly maintained entry in desperate need of a ‘landscape crash’. Students met with school administrators and FFA officers to determine the project parameters, and then prepared and presented designs that were voted on by the FFA officers. The designs showcased Hocking College’s Landscape students while challenging the panel to decide on just one design. As a result, the top two Hocking College Capstone student

onla.org

designers, Jeff Bocook and Dan Williams, collaborated to design a final plan to integrate the best of both designs.

Every project has its challenges, but 7 out of 8 scheduled work days for the project were rain days that would wash out all but the toughest of crews. Like any project surrounding an event, a deadline is a deadline. Students from both schools slogged through the muck, and put in extra hours outside of class times to deliver the job on schedule. The result was a sunny Arbor Day event dedicating the newly transformed landscape to the High School. Chef Alfonso Contrisciani from the college’s culinary program also worked with New Lexington students to celebrate with hors d’oeuvres for the event.

The partnership kicked off in a great way that will surely forge a strong relationship for years to come. Ultimately, this project was just the beginning of incredible prospects for Hocking College and New Lexington High School. Although the newly transformed landscape is an incredible manifestation of team work, the greatest opportunity still lies ahead for high school students to earn an Associate’s degree in just two semesters of college. B Frits Rizor ONLA Scholarship & Student Activities Committee Hocking College, School of Natural Resources Landscape Management Instructor rizorf@hocking.edu

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SAFETY FIRST Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) Offers FREE Prospective Billing and Safety Seminars for Private Employers

BWC is switching to the insurance industry standard of prospective billing for employer premiums and is offering seminars to provide answers and details about prospective billing. This includes: • The reason for the transition and its benefits to employers; • How BWC will cover the costs of this change with a transition credit; • Transition timelines and important dates to remember; • Essential information and new requirements for payroll reporting; • Changes to deadlines for rating plans and BWC programs.

Limited availability for seating! Please RSVP directly to BWC by calling or emailing using the information provided below with the seminar you wish to attend.

Please include your name, job title, policy number, email and phone number.

Locations • June 16 – Cleveland 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

BWC Customer Service Office 4800 E. 131st St., Suite A Garfield Heights, OH 44105 Phone: (216) 584-0355 Email: Sandra.T.14@bwc.state.oh.us • June 17 – Cincinnati 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

BWC Customer Service Office 8650 Governor’s Hill Drive, Suite 400 Cincinnati, OH 45249 Phone: (513) 583-4403 Email: Shannon.M.1@bwc.state.oh.us

18 The Buckeye

• June 19 – Cincinnati 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

BWC Customer Service Office 8650 Governor’s Hill Drive, Suite 400 Cincinnati, OH 45249 Phone: (513) 583-4403 Email: Shannon.M.1@bwc.state.oh.us • June 23 – Canton 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

BWC Customer Service Office 339 E. Maple St., Suite 200 North Canton, OH 44720 Phone: (330) 430-3609 Email: David.B.12@bwc.state.oh.us • June 23 – Dayton 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

BWC Customer Service Office 3401 Park Center Drive, Suite 100 Dayton, OH 45414 Phone: (937) 264-5230 Email: Kathaleen.C.1@bwc.state.oh.us • June 24 – Youngstown 10:00 a.m. to noon BWC Customer Service Office 242 Federal Plaza W., Suite 200 Youngstown, OH 44503 Phone: (330) 797-5506 Email: Heidi.F.1@bwc.state.oh.us B Provided By CareWorksComp

onla.org

Feature

What Does Your Score Card Look Like Now? Since the days when we all went to school, we received a report card on how well or not so well we were doing during the time since the last report card. In business, the report card is in the form of financial statement and the related operational data that is incorporated in the financial data. Since your last report card was probably December 31, 2014, now is the time to look at how you have performed or are not performing in calendar year 2015?

Here are the reports that you should be looking at and why –

1. Monthly Income Statement or Profit and Loss Statement Based on the book keeping system method of accounting you are following, you will generate an income statement on either the cash basis or accrual basis.

As a small business person, most accounting record keeping is performed on the cash basis of accounting.

The need to obtain the monthly income statement is that it provides both a monthly picture of how your business performed during the month and also a yearto-date income statement. If you are very much on top of these financial statements, they will be compared to a budget developed my month and year-to-date. The variance column on both the monthly income statement and the year-to-date statement will provide the owner an insight as to what is effectively going either correctly or incorrectly during the month and year-to-date. This analysis information will provided the owner firsthand detailed information about the financial status of the business.

2. Sales Made During the Month Having a detailed sales report for the month provides onla.org

Edward T. Wandtke Managing Director Wandtke & Associates 614-891-3111 Ed.wandtke@wandtke.com

an insight of the effectiveness of the sales team. This volume of new business provides the entire company a confidence in the opportunity for the future period that it will take to deliver/perform/install the sales. Having the sales data by sales person will also provide an insight as to how the individual is performing compared to the other sales personnel and also the budget.

3. Customers Lost During the Month As a service business, customer retention is critical for the generation of future income. Having this data by customer, the reason the customer canceled and how the follow up with the customer on a firsthand basis discussed their experience with company interviewer provides an input about the cause of the cancellation by the customer.

This data should be charted for future analysis.

4. Job Performance on Completed Projects Job costing by project completed during the month will provide a valuable insight about how the installation/ services were executed compared to the plan or budget for the work. This is often an overlooked step as most individuals worry about getting the invoice out but fail to check how they did against the budget for the work. How do you know if you bid the work correctly or there were conditions that may you incur more cost to complete the work? What if the work expanded and you did not bill for the additional work/services? This step serves and checkup on your operations, sales and accounting for the job.

5. Cash Flow for the Month Cash flow for the month can be easily determined if one takes the time to determine what is paid out and what cash & checks are deposited for the month. If the cash please see page 20

May 2015  19

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continued from page 19

balance is calculated daily, overdraft costs can be avoided and slow pay customers can be contacted sooner about a past due balance. This is a great indicator about how well you are receiving payments on account and how well customers are satisfied with your work. It also serves as an early warning indicator about the profitability of you businesses operations.

Taking time to address each of these report card scores will help you maintain stability in both your business and personal life due to less pressure and uncertainty. If you have been doing these score card action, congratulations.

If you have not, take the time to start ASAP for your future business success will depend upon it. B

6. Employee Retention/Attraction

Ed has been a consultant in the green industry for over thirty years. He specializes in developing businesses best practices through timely planning, organizing, managing and accounting for a company’s operations.

After having worked very hard to hire the skilled individuals needed by the company, how have the core of employees functioned working together? What is the morale at your company after having navigated through the spring rush and the uncertainty of the weather? Ask various employees about how the newest employs feel about working at the business? What are you doing to strengthen the job satisfaction of all employees?

7. Revenue Backlog Now is the time to be reviewing sales that will need to be performed in future time frame to determine how busy your team of employees will be. What revenue is available for the future assists in planning manpower and equipment. What does your backlog look like in days, weeks or month?

LANDSCAPING EQUIPMENT SALES • SERVICE • PARTS • RENTALS

Covering Northeast Ohio

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BURNS 800-752-1220 • www.burnsjcb.com

20 The Buckeye

Covering Southwest Ohio

855-509-1689 • www.hy-tek.net

513-681-2200 • www.mhjcb.com

onla.org

DiagnosticforWalkabouts the green industry

Join ONLA, OSU & AGI for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead in-depth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests. This is for commercial horticulturalists only.

The walks are offered six times during the season and cover the problems prevalent during that time of the season – no two will be the same. All walks are from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

June 25, 2015 Franklin Park Conservatory Columbus, OH .5 (Core), 1 (6A), .5 (8)

1 CEU

August 6, 2015 Toledo Zoo & Aquarium Toledo, OH

2 CEU’s

July 16, 2015 Stan Hywet Hall And Gardens Akron, OH .5 (6A), .5 (8)

HSW

2 HR.

2 CEU’s

August 20, 2015 Cleveland Metropark Zoo Cleveland, OH .5 (Core), 1 (6A), .5 (8)

1 CEU 2 CEU’s

2 HR.

1 CEU

1 CEU

2 HR.

1 (Core), .5 (6A), .5 (8)

1 CEU 2 CEU’s

2 CEU’s

September 24, 2015 Sunset Memorial Gardens North Olmsted, OH

HSW

1 CEU

.5 (6A), .5 (8)

HSW

1 CEU

2 HR.

.5 (Core), .5 (5)

1 CEU

.5 (Core), .5 (3A)

1 CEU

HSW

1 CEU

2 HR.

.5 (Core), 1 (6A), .5 (8)

1 CEU

HSW

September 3, 2015 BGSU Firelands Huron, OH

HSW

2 HR.

1 CEU

Register Today! Space is Limited!

2 CEU’s

Each walkabout is $45/person (ONLA member) or $65/person (non-member)

Register at www.onla.org For questions contact lisa@onla.org or 800-825-5062

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Feature

The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association Presents...

Regional Educati

JULY Chainsaws & Chippers: Safe and Effective Operation and Maintenance Tree care and design/build companies spend big dollars on their equipment and employees.

Frequently it’s the least skilled crewmen who handle the most dangerous tools. ONLA is committed to safety and this July we’re offering two fullday programs with a TCIA certified instructor to educate crew leasers, field technicians and owner/ operators on the proper use, safety and maintenance of chainsaws and chippers. The program combines classroom and hands-on learning to ensure attendees gain first-person experience with set-up, site preparation, equipment, PPE, regulations and teamwork.

Locations: Newbury and Plain City

Duration: 9am – 4pm

AUGUST Segmental Permeable Pavement: Resolving Runoff issues and Ramping up Profits How can a design/build company profit from the escalation of fees and regulation from local, state and national institutions for runoff, storm water management? Offer homeowners options to address their impervious surface limits as a part of their project. We’ve hired an ICPI certified instructor to educate your team; so they’re comfortable talking about permeable pavers, incorporating them into a design in an effective and profitable way. Don’t practice in a client meeting. Come learn from an expert.

Locations: Medina and Dayton

Duration: 9am – 1pm

Contact Lisa Larson, Educatio lisa@onla.org or

22 The Buckeye

onla.org

ion Summer Series SEPTEMBER OCTOBER Water Features, Ponds and Lakes: Build on your Hardscapes: How to Build a Profitable, InSuccess Demand Business To effectively include water features into your Installation is not the only skill to master when you product mix design/build companies need to balance own a hardscape or design/build business. You client needs with equipment, installation and have to make sure you keep the phone ringing, maintenance best practices. ONLA is partnering with close business, and make money doing it. We’ve the experts at Pond Supplies of Ohio to offer a dayhired an ICPI certified trainer to teach you a model long course that will covers sizing, cloudy water, for: marketing hardscape projects, increasing your filtration, site location, plant and fish care, water firm’s visibility and creating a name/brand in the additives, new techniques/products and installation community. Take control of the sale with proper practices. Come learn to spec, install and maintain a estimating, so you make profit, grow your business water feature that fits the space, vision and budget. and satisfy clients. There’s no need to practice on a Locations: Akron jobsite. Come learn from an expert.

Duration: 9am – 5pm Locations: Toledo, Medina and New Albany

Duration: 9am to 1pm B

on Director for More Details!

(800) 825-5062

onla.org

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Yo u n g L e a d e r s

Interest & Engagement in the Green Industry My name is Amber Tucker and I am the Perennial and Shrub Grower for Natorp’s Nursery. I am the secretary for the Cincinnati Flower Growers Association and a member of the ONLA Next Generation Committee. I try to join every committee or group that is willing to take me and listen. Not because I believe I have the most important things to say or because I have some great insight but because we as an industry have to be interested and engaging. We have to come together and make everyone realize that plants are something amazing to be involved with. We all struggle with hiring people and getting them to stay so we are all constantly thinking of new ways to get people in our doors. I believe this is a two-part issue though and we need to focus on retention of the few who do cross the threshold.

Seven years ago, I drove past Natorp’s Nursery and saw a “Now Hiring” sign. I had no background in plants and had been working as an Assistant Manager for eight years at a restaurant. I walked in to put an application in and the General Manager hired me before I left the office.

I started potting annuals in the greenhouse and had a truly rough first day. I remember going home and thinking I was not going to last. The work wasn’t terribly hard but it was spring. I am not saying this because I was busy but because everyone was in spring mode so no one spoke to me or gave me any true direction. I trudged on for a few weeks hoping it would get better. In this time, something miraculous happened. I fell in love with plants. I know now that we in the industry become immune to the beauty around us. The people I was working with did not see the vibrant red geraniums or the flamboyant purple osteospermum with the same joy that I did. They, like me some days, saw the possible aphid infestation instead of gorgeous fiery spiraea or a powdery mildew magnet instead of the fragrant amazing lilac. This beauty caused me to ask questions and force my desire to learn on the people around me. Over time, I worked in almost every department at the nursery and I truly love the job and the company. I was fortunate enough that the previous grower, nursery manager, and other members of the plant world nurtured my desire to learn and my love of plants.

When I stepped into the grower role two years ago, I was worried about having a solid support system. I looked at the crew who was with me every weekend putting in the extra hours and I began to pass responsibilities on to them. I was lucky enough to watch them step up and exceed my expectations every time. I put the time in with every supervisor that works under me and I continue to do so daily. I answer every question and tell them what the reasoning is and the long term plans. I want them to

24 The Buckeye

be as informed as I am and always be taking that next step with me not following behind me. A few months into the transition one crew member really stood out. He did the one thing all managers dream of: he offered solutions, not problems. I have worked beside him for two years now and I am proud to call him my Assistant Grower and right hand. Another “Next Generation Employee” that was simply a spark is now a flame.

I chose to tell this story because we are looking for the next generation. They might already be sitting in your lunchroom. The biggest thing we as plant professionals can do is be involved and invigorated by the bounty that is all around us every day. Remember that you are not trapped in four walls but the sky really is your limit.

Share your ecstasy with every single employee. You never know what kind of wildfire you could be creating from that single spark. B Amber Tucker ONLA Next Generation Committee Natorp’s Nursery Perennial and Shrub Grower ALueth@natorp.com

onla.org

W h y Tr e e s M a t t e r

Views of Springtime By: Jim Chatfield Ohio State University Extension chatfield.1@osu.edu

In his song “Kathleen,” Oberlin grad Josh Ritter serenades the eponymous heroine with “All the other girls here are stars—you are the Northern Lights…They try to shine in through your curtains— you’re too close and too bright they try and they try but everything that they do is the ghost of a trace of a pale imitation of you.”

Springtime – same. Wonder of wonders.

So, let us look at some scenes of Spring, 2015. It is often tough for the green industry to note some of these nuances, while busy working – hard.

Here is a brief remembrance of things just past.

Red Maples Flowering. As Michael Dirr writes, flowers of red maples (Acer rubrum) are “actually quite kinky,” given that they are sometimes dieocious (two houses) with separate trees with only staminate (male) flowers and others with only pistillate (female) flowers, sometimes monoecious with male and female flowers in separate blossoms on the same tree, and sometimes hermaphroditic with male and female flower parts in the same blossom.

Perhaps the most common configuration is for red maple to be dieocious. This was the case on trees in New York onla.org

City’s Central Park during our recent OSU Horticulture and Crop Science field trip for the Sustainable Landscape Maintenance class (HCS 3410).

Pistillate flowers are a bright intense red with spindly styles tipped with receptive stigmas, and quite showy in miniature, even if we do not think of maple flowers as showy, and the tiny petals are, well, tiny. The staminate flowers also have a good bit of red in the petals, but also considerable yellow, from the pollen-filled anthers.

I admit that for years, I thought that the tawny-colored flowers on maples in early spring were silver maples and the reddish flowering maples were red maples. Silver maples (Acer saccharinum) actually begins to flower earlier (34 degree days) than red maples (45 degree days), but the contemporaneous reds and yellows are simply the female and male red maple flowers, the pollen-bearing stamens giving the staminate trees the tawnyyellow cast. It was a cool lesson for all of us on a sunny April day in Central Park. please see page 27

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10 1: Pistillate flowers of red maple. 2: Staminate flowers of red maple. 3. Staminate and pistillate red maple trees for side-by-side comparison in Central Park. 4. Dan Herms on New York City’s high Line linear park. Not-to-be-missed. 5. Snakebark maple (still not sure if this is the hybrid White Tigress or one of the Asian snakebark species I planted years ago). 6. Another snakebark maple look. 7. New leaves and flowers of Korean maple, Acer pseudosieboldianum. 8. Spruce cones, oriented downward at maturity, but female cones upright early-on. 9. Spruce cones on the OSU campus. 10.

Pawpaw in full flower, our official Ohio native fruit tree in bud.

26  The Buckeye

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11: Sweetgum in flower, male up high, developing female flower and fruit-to-be below. 12: Flowering dogwood in the fullness of a blue sky continued from page 25

Note: Of course, in the real world of Nature, the issue becomes even more complicated, since red maple (Acer rubrum) and silver maple (Acer saccharinum) often cross, giving us “rilver” or Freeman maples. Different species are not supposed to cross, but go figure. That is a story for a different day.

Speaking of Maples… I admit to being an acerphiliac, and enjoy the preview for the season that maples provide in the Chatscape. Here are a few images - check them out in your own landscapes and nurseries each spring. Blink and you may miss the show.

More Remembrance of Early Springtime Past…

Suess-like, all our lives we have looked for trees such as these, yet, every year they are here. Never again, shall you miss these jewels, and remember, right now, new wonders await you, and your customer’s eyes, in each and every season.

And, I cannot resist, the dark side…Plant diseases and pests, part of the heritage of me and a valued cohort, Joe Boggs. In early May we gave an invited talk in Hagerstown, Maryland, talking of the tree pest/disease continuum. More on that in a later column, but for now, a few images of plant fellow-travelers with a photogenic bent.

One final image – back to the beautiful: From OSU’s Tree Campus USA Arbor Day celebration at Chadwick Arboretum. (Image 23) And some final notes from the words of students in HCS 3410, on their final exam, speaking of their trip to the Big Apple:

onla.org

Deborah Dotter “My favorite memory of our field trip to New York City is not a particular moment or place. I most enjoyed the feeling of awe that I experienced while moving between and within the two extremely contrasting and intentionally created areas of nature and manmade architecture.

One can be completely enfolded by the nature of Central Park, surrounded by the skyscrapers of Manhattan, not truly feeling their presence save for the pinnacles of each rising above the tree canopy as if they are the tops of distant mountains. Conversely one can be completely engulfed in the never ending mass of towering concrete and steel, not able to feel the presence of the park until nearing its perimeter, where the sky opens into a vast contrast of openness. The stark delineation between the conglomerates of structures used for human living and the ceiling of the park is striking.

While Central Park can be considered a fabulous use of land once considered to have little value or viable use, the High Line is an example of a once very valuable space that was reclaimed from ruin to be remade into a new, highly treasured space. But unlike Central Park which stands in opposition to the structures of Manhattan, the High Line’s worth comes from being intrinsically woven within the mass of these human constructs, allowing for a more intimate interaction between the two factions.

While the scale of the High Line is not as large, the value of its existence is no less that than Central Park’s.

Manhattanites are indeed able to benefit from the forethought and ingenuity of leaders who were able to recognize the value of nature. A nature that is much different from the residential suburbia that I may be taking for granted.” please see page 29

May 2015 27

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13: New leaves of a dogwood hybrid. 14: Kousa dogwood just getting started. 15: Beech leaves and bud-scales in flight.

16: Oak leaves emerging. 17: Crabapples, of course – Molten Lava 18: May I please have another – crabapple – Strawberry Parfait 19: Cedar apple rust on juniper. The gall is part juniper tissue and part fungal (Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae) tissue.

This disease has a two-year cycle, obligately traveling back and forth between certain junipers and plants in the rose family, such as apple, crabapple and hawthorn. 20: Massing of Eastern Tent Caterpillars in Maryland. Such outbreaks of this native pest are periodic and do not occur in such great numbers each year. 21: Eastern Tent Caterpillar nest. 22: Eastern Tent Caterpillar silk they use to descend trees. 23: Buckeyes Arisin’ at OSU on Arbor Day.

28 The Buckeye

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continued from page 27

Jared Champion “The overall experience of New York City much exceeded my expectations both educationally and socially. Having never been to the city before and also never hearing of the highline prior to this class, I had absolutely no idea what to expect out of this trip. Pair both my awe I felt walking around the city the first time, and my impression with not only the highline, but the size and scope of Central Park, and I was left with an absolutely phenomenal experience of New York City.

Finally, walking around Central Park with Jim and Dan was a great experience. Seeing all of the trees, particularly the red maples beginning to bloom, was another memorable experience. The park is very impressive and to know that it is in the middle of the city is equally as impressive.”

Enjoy the Big Apple – and the Little Apples (crabapples) of Ohio’s nursery-landscape industry! The plants of our lives, nothing else will do, all else is a “ghost of a trace of a pale imitation.” B

When visiting the High Line, I had no idea what to expect. I thought that it would be much smaller and honestly was expecting to be disappointed by it. Following our walk of it, I found it to not only be surprising modern, but also full of trees that were not only surviving the harsh city conditions, but thriving in them. I expected the park to be in much rougher shape than it was and although not much was in bloom, the park as a whole was in much better condition than I expected. Overall, learning about the different diseases and varieties of plants with everyone involved was a good time. It’s not often enough that I am able to get together with a group of people and talk about plants.

I thoroughly enjoyed our time at the park.

800-342-0571 greenvelvet.com

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May 2015 29

B

Feature

Excerpt from the PEST Newsletter About the P.E.S.T. Newsletter Over 22 years ago, Dr. David Shetlar joined The Ohio State University as an Extension Entomologist. He opted to continue printing Dr. Dick Miller’s BugDoc in partnership with the ONLA. Its new name is the PEST (Pest Evaluation & Suppression Techniques) Newsletter, and it’s printed biweekly from mid-March to midOctober.

Tent Cats Migrate!!

I was in Piketon last week and was amazed at seeing the completed eastern tent caterpillar nests. Most were about the size of a football! At the South Enterprise Center, there is a planting of crabapples and it seemed like every other one had a nest in it! Upon pulling some of the nests open, I found a bunch of cast skins, frass pellets and a few large caterpillars.

What amazed me more were the oblong cocoons that were present. I then noticed that the grass between the trees was literally crawling with mature larvae! It is the normal habit for this caterpillar to wander off to find protected sites in which to spin their white cocoons. This has caused problems in Kentucky where some of the horse farms had lots of wild cherry trees along the fence rows. The caterpillars would wander into the turf and the horses would actually eat some! The spiny hairs of the caterpillars can poke holes in the horse gut, thereby allowing bacteria to infect the gut and other organs! This

30 The Buckeye

has caused mares to abort and even cause death of adult animals. Apparently this can happen to cows, and other livestock and even dogs! Don’t know why a dog would eat one of these caterpillars, but they can do some strange things!!

On the Ohio State campus, I noticed a lot of nearly mature forest tent caterpillars “resting” on some lower branches and tree trunks. They tend to do this during the day, but go back up the trees to feed on the leaves in the evening. Eventually, these will also begin to wander around and they can cause the same problems with animals as the eastern tent caterpillars. Forest tent caterpillars don’t make a tent, but will often cluster in large numbers when younger.

If you find one of these caterpillars walking about, the eastern tent caterpillars have a white stripe running down their backs while the forest tent caterpillars have a row of keyhole-shaped white spots running down their backs.

There is no reason to spray either caterpillar at this point because they are finished feeding and about to pupate. I prefer to take them out when smaller, so wait until next spring!

Red Mites Annoy!!

Our perennial annoyances, the red mites that wander about on fence posts, sidewalks and porches are back!

These mites have been dubbed “concrete” or “pavement” mites by many entomologists, but they have been found onla.org

at the top of the OSU Horseshoe stadium!

There are lots of folks who don’t understand these mites! Some think that they are chiggers (not in the same family of mites!), large plant-feeding mites (nope!), or even clover mites (again, a different mite family and clover mite bodies are dark green).

These mites can be locally abundant or completely absent in landscapes. I had one resident state that she found information on the Internet that high maintenance lawns “caused” the populations to increase! I had to chuckle when I pointed out that my former landscape (which did not have a “high-quality” lawn by any standard) had thousands of these mites, but my new landscape doesn’t seem to be infested!

As you can tell, I get pretty annoyed when folks blame well-maintained lawns for environmental ills! But, that’s a topic for another time!

These mites are known to be predators of other mites, insect eggs and small insect larvae. It also appears that the mites forage for pollen which is settling on surfaces at this time of the season (at least my allergies know that pollen is in the air!). Pollen contains abundant protein and carbohydrates and can serve as food for these mites until their more favored food is present. At least, this is the story given by acarologists. My personal belief is that these mites utilize whatever food is present as there should be plenty of arthropod food available at this time of the season. However, pollen is easier to find and eat!

Mineral and Peat Grown Sod for Sun and/or Shade, Blue Grass Blend, Improved Tall Fescue, Fine Leaf Fescue & Blue Grass Mix Contract Grown to Specifications.

Shredded Topsoil, Peat, and Custom Blending (Delivered or On-Site) Bark Mulch, Ties Custom Hauling

Soft Scales Really Pump Honeydew!

I was interested in a discussion I had with our turf and ornamental plant team last week about the various soft scales found in Ohio landscapes. Apparently, in central Ohio, there are many more reports about the European fruit lecanium, oak lecanium and calico scales. These can be difficult to find in the Cincinnati area and I’m getting few inquiries from the more northern counties!

In any case, all these soft scales are really swelling up as they lay eggs, but they continue to really pump out the honeydew. And, it is this nuisance factor that upsets most folks. The honeydew can drip on cars (and if left for some time, it can pit some paint finishes!), benches, and sidewalks. Many folks don’t notice the honeydew when it is produced away from these areas, but the shiny spots on leaves and visits by flies and wasps can draw attention.

As stated before, these swollen females are nearly impossible to knock out with our current pesticide technology! I used to be able to stop them immediately when we had Cygon insecticide and I’ve seen the same thing happen when Bidrin is injected into infested trees.

Cygon is no longer available for urban landscape use and Bidrin is a restricted use pesticide, so only licensed applicators can inject it.

Frankly, immediate control of these scales is not warranted. However, there is some real debate on what is the best approach for control of the new crop of crawlers that will soon emerge. I’ve always felt that most of the neonics do a good job, but replicated trials in Kentucky suggest that these neonics don’t get into the leaf tissues where the settled crawlers feed. On the other hand, most other ornamentals entomologists agree that applications of imidacloprid (as soil drenches) several weeks before actual crawler emergence does a very good job. This suggests that imidacloprid takes time to get to the tissues where the scales are feeding. Dinotefuran (Safari) is supposed to move faster in plants, but most are also recommending early applications.

We still have some alternative products that can be used for soft (and armored) scale control! I’ve been impressed with Lepitect (contains acephate, = Orthene) which I’ve regularly recommended for early-season caterpillar control. Acephate has been a common systemic insecticide used for control of scales, but Lepitect is a convenient way to use this rather stinky insecticide – soil injections. Horticultural oils are also pretty good at knocking out soft scale crawlers, but you have to spray.

And, more importantly, the sprays have to hit the leaf undersurfaces where most of the crawlers have settled!

With folks (and the government) being concerned about drift (even when using benign oils), spraying large trees can be difficult in most urban situations. B

"Ohio Grown PROUDLY for over 50 years!” onla.org

May 2015 31

The P.E.S.T. Newsletter

Pest Evaluation and Suppression Techniques

Editor: David Shetlar (THE BUGDOC), Landscape Entomology Extension Specialist, The Ohio State University Extension

Now is the time to renew to the most important newsletter you may ever receive! Green industry professionals need to remain up-to-date on the latest pest problems and solutions. The P.E.S.T. Newsletter, written by Dr. Dave Shetlar of The Ohio State University, provides timely information on the eradication and control of common pests.

The newsletter for the 2015 season will consist of sixteen issues. These issues will begin arriving in mid-March and continue through October. Subscriptions for the 2015 season are $32.00 for members of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association (ONLA), and $40.00 for nonmembers.

Online Newsletter: All subscribers will receive their newsletter by email.

Subscribers can view the newsletter on their computer screen (attached to the email messages as an Adobe PDF file), print the newsletter, and save the newsletter to their computers.

The ONLA, in cooperation with Dr. Shetlar, is proud to continue offering this publication as a much needed resource for Ohio’s nursery & landscape professionals.

Below is a subscription form.

2015 PEST SUBSCRIPTION FORM Please Type Or Print Carefully

Name: Firm Name: Mailing Address: City, State and Zip: Phone: E-Mail (required*):

ONLA Member $32.00

Note: membership will be verified at ONLA office

*Please note that all subscriptions to The PEST Newsletter will be emailed in 2015 unless circumstances prevent you from having access to an email account.

Call the ONLA office if you cannot receive The PEST Newsletter via email.

DISCOUNT FOR MULTIPLE SUBSCRIPTIONS WITHIN A COMPANY! If there are additional individuals within the same company wishing to subscribe to the PEST, simply pay full price for the first subscription and an additional $2 per extra subscription thereafter. Attach additional email addresses to this renewal form.

32  The Buckeye

Payment Method:

Non-Member $40.00

Check Enclosed (# Charge my: VISA

) MasterCard

Name Card Number Exp. Date Signature

Send completed form with payment to: The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association 72 Dorchester Square / Westerville, Ohio 43081-3350 Ph: 614-899-1195 or Fax: 614-899-9489 onla.org

Industry Calendar

View www.onla.org for seminars, events, trade shows and more! O designates qualifying OCNT recertification events June 18, 2015- OCNT Testing, Westerville, Ohio. ONLA is now having Ohio Certified Nursery Technician (OCNT) testing once a month at the ONLA office. See ONLA.org for an application.

O June 25, 2015- Diagnostic Walkabout, Columbus, Ohio. Join ONLA, OSU & AGI at the Franklin Park Conservatory for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests. This is for commercial horticulturalists only. This program will offer the following CEU’s: Landscape Industry Certified = 2 hours, OCNT = 1 credit, ISA = 1 credit and ODA Credits = .5 (core), 1 (category 6A) and .5 (category 8).

July 16, 2015- OCNT Testing, Westerville, Ohio. ONLA is now having Ohio Certified Nursery Technician (OCNT) testing once a month at the ONLA office. See ONLA.org for an application.

O July 16, 2015- Diagnostic Walkabout, Akron, Ohio. Join ONLA, OSU & AGI at the Stan Hywett Hall & Gardens for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests. This is for commercial horticulturalists only. This program will offer the following CEU’s: Landscape Industry Certified = 2 hours, OCNT = 1 credit, ISA = 1 credit and ODA Credits = .5 (core), 1 (category 6A) and .5 (category 8).

July 23, 2015- Landscape Industry Certified Hand-on Test, Wooster, Ohio.

To become a Landscape Industry Certified Technician, candidates must pass a series of written and hands-on test problems specific to their chosen specialty.

O July 30, 2015- 2015 OSU Annuals Trial, Columbus, Ohio. 10:00 A.M.: Presentation about the trials; 10:30 A.M.: Tour Cultivar Trials - In Ground and Containers; 12:00 P.M.: Box lunch; 1:00 to 3:30 P.M: Presentations of by speakers • Bob Croft (Sakata) • Pam Bennett (OSU Extension) • Michelle Jones (OSU/OARDC).

O August 6, 2015- Diagnostic Walkabout, Toledo, Ohio. Join ONLA, OSU & AGI at the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium for a critical

onla.org

look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests. This is for commercial horticulturalists only. This program will offer the following CEU’s: Landscape Industry Certified = 2 hours, OCNT = 1 credit, ISA = 1 credit and ODA Credits = .5 (core), 1 (category 6A) and .5 (category 8).

landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead in-depth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests. This is for commercial horticulturalists only. This program will offer the following CEU’s: Landscape Industry Certified = 2 hours, OCNT = 1 credit, ISA = 1 credit and ODA Credits = .5 (core), 1 (category 6A) and .5 (category 8).

August 11, 2015- NGLCO 48th Annual Field Day, Celebrate the NGLCO's 48th annual Summer Field Day at the beautiful Chalet Debonne Winery, Madison, Ohio.

Visit the NGLCO website for more details.

October 15, 2015- OCNT Testing, Westerville, Ohio. ONLA is now having Ohio Certified Nursery Technician (OCNT) testing once a month at the ONLA office.

See ONLA.org for an application.

O August 20, 2015- Diagnostic Walkabout, Cleveland, Ohio. Join ONLA, OSU & AGI at the Cleveland Metropark Zoo for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead in-depth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests. This is for commercial horticulturalists only. This program will offer the following CEU’s: Landscape Industry Certified = 2 hours, OCNT = 1 credit, ISA = 1 credit and ODA Credits = .5 (core), 1 (category 6A) and .5 (category 8).

November 19, 2015- OCNT Testing, Westerville, Ohio. ONLA is now having Ohio Certified Nursery Technician (OCNT) testing once a month at the ONLA office.

See ONLA.org for an application.

O September 3, 2015- Diagnostic Walkabout, Huron, Ohio. Join ONLA, OSU & AGI at the BGSU Firelands for a critical look at landscape and turf during early morning landscape walks throughout Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests. This is for commercial horticulturalists only. This program will offer the following CEU’s: Landscape Industry Certified = 2 hours, OCNT = 1 credit, ISA = 1 credit and ODA Credits = .5 (core), 1 (category 6A) and .5 (category 8).

O January 11-13, 2016- CENTS Marketplace & University, Columbus, Ohio.

CENTS (Central Environmental Nursery Trade Show) is Ohio’s Green Industry Convention brought to you by The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association. Over the years, CENTS has added an education program alongside the trade show. CENTS Marketplace & University is built strong from the ground up by you: the people who make it the largest convention of its kind in the Midwest. CENTS brings thousands of green industry professionals together each year to learn, to experience, and to grow. From the newest plant species to the most exciting business trends to the freshest ideas to ignite your customers’ interest—it’s all here, because we grew it that way, together. Deep roots, broad reach, lasting fruit, year after year.

Visit centsmarketplace.com for additional information. B

September 17, 2015- OCNT Testing, Westerville, Ohio. ONLA is now having Ohio Certified Nursery Technician (OCNT) testing once a month at the ONLA office.

See ONLA.org for an application.

O September 24, 2015- Diagnostic Walkabout, Cleveland, Ohio. Join ONLA, OSU & AGI at the Sunset Memorial Gardens for a critical look at

May 2015 33

Advertisers’ Index Big Trees Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 bigtreegroup.com Buckeye Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 The Official Publication of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association

buckeyeresources.com The Buren Insurance Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

The Buckeye is the nursery and landscape industry’s authoritative voice in Ohio.

Second to none in editorial and graphic quality, The Buckeye publishes a wide range of editorial features on the green industry’s key issues.

The Buckeye is another example of how the ONLA leads, promotes, and facilitates the success and growth of green industry businesses.

The Buckeye is published 10 times each year with a circulation of over 5,000 each issue and an

estimated readership of over 10,000. Advertisers benefit from an industry-specific audience, with distribution to professional nursery, landscape and independent garden center businesses and individuals, certified green industry professionals, educators/researchers, and subscribers.

Access Ohio’s $4.9 billion industry. Contact Amanda to learn how your business can benefit from becoming an advertiser in The Buckeye.

800.825.5062 amanda@onla.org

coveryourgrass.com Ernst Seeds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 ernstseed.com Green Velvet Sod Farms Ltd.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 greenvelvet.com Hobby Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 hobbynursery.com JCB of Ohio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 burnsjcb.com Klyn Nurseries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 klynnurseries.com Medina Sod Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 medinasodfarms.com Millcreek Gardens, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 mgohio.com Oberfield’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC oberfields.com

ONLA Classified Advertising: onla.org

The online classified service can be found on onla.org along with the complete postings. New ads will be added as soon as they are submitted to the ONLA. For more information, please contact the ONLA office at (614) 899-1195. The ONLA reserves the right to refuse ads. As we go to press, here are the ads posted on onla.org’s online Classified Section:

Pine Hall Brick.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 claypaver.com Scarff’s Nursery, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 scarffs.com Smith’s Gardens, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

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Going Out Of Business Sale, Springbrook Gardens, MENTOR, Ohio Horticulture Exhibitions Designer, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Columbus, Ohio Landscape Design/Build Project Manager, Hidden Creek Landscaping, Hilliard, Ohio

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Landscape Foreman, Rocky Fork Company, New Albany, Ohio

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Landscape Irrigation Technician, Landfare Ltd., Columbus, Ohio

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Landscape Maintenance Field Supervisor, Hidden Creek Landscaping, Hilliard, Ohio

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Landscape Project Manager, RCF Group, West Chester, Ohio

smithsgardensinc.com Spring Meadow Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 colorchoiceplants.com Unilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC unilock.com

Ad Rates & Info Contact Amanda Domsitz 614.899.1195 amanda@onla.org

34 The Buckeye

Landscape Plants for Ohio A Professional’s Guide Please complete the below information Company Name: Contact Name: Shipping Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: Email:

Landscape Plants for Ohio 1-100......................................... $6.00 Each 101-499..................................... $4.75 Each 500 or More .............................. $3.75 Each My Order is as Follows: Return with payment to: (checks payable to) Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association 72 Dorchester Square Westerville, OH 43081 Ph: (800) 825-5062 or (614) 899-1195 Fax: (614) 899-9489 info@onla.org

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