The Buckeye, July 2014 Volume 25, Issue 6

July 2014

The Official Publication of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association

Vol. 25, Issue 6

Say It With A

Video

HISTORICAL

MEMBERSHIP

MOMENT

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 amandadomsitz@onla.org, editor

July 2014

Vol. 25, Issue 6

STAFF Kevin Thompson, Executive Director Roni Petersen, Membership & Certification Amanda Domsitz, Communications Director Amy Eldridge, CENTS Manager Karen Lykins, Accountant Lisa Larson, Education Director OFFICERS David Richards, President South Ridge Farm

industry news

features

5

President’s Perspective

21

Safety: Are We Practicing What We

Focus

7

Teach?

29

Hocking Hills a Frontline in

ONLA Office Update

Attracting, Retaining and Educating the

36

Fight to Save Hemlocks How to Grow Your Business:

8

Green Industry Workforce

Marketing tips, pitfalls to

Legislative Hotline

avoid and ways to reach your

The State of the State House

expansion goals

departments 9

Why Trees Matter

Mike Dues, President-Elect Dues Nursery & Landscaping, Ltd.

Jim Searcy, Immediate Past President Hyde Park Landscaping, Inc.

You Never Know Where the Garden Path

Will Take You...

DIRECTORS Jason Bornhorst, Board Member Peabody Landscape Group Annette Howard, Board Member Gilson Gardens, Inc. David Listerman, Board Member Listerman & Associates, Inc.

14 15

Weird Things in the Woods Look to the Future

Educational Update Tree Valuation

25

42nd ONLA Landscape Awards

Call For Entries

31

Retail Roundtable What’s Hot & What’s Not

Bill Mainland, Board Member Klyn Nurseries, Inc.

33

Dr. Hannah Mathers, Board Member The Ohio State University

35

Safety First

Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation

Josh Posey, Board Member Buckeye Resources, Inc.

(BWC) Changes It’s Premium Collection

Process

Mark Reiner, Board Member Oakland Nursery, Inc.

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

The Secrets of Motivational

By Design Balance

also in this issue

38

Ohio Invasive Plant Council

Releases List of Potentially

Invasive Plants

40

Cation Exchange Capacity In

Pine Bark Substrates

July 2014 Vol. 25, Issue 6

The Official Publication of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association

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.

front cover: “Summer Blooms at Inniswood Metro Park”

6 ONLA Connect • 43 New Members • 44 Industry Calendar • 46 About The Buckeye • 46 Classified Ads • 46 Ad Index

ONLA Membership: The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association leads, promotes, and facilitates the success and growth of green industry businesses.

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Merchant Services brings electronic processing programs specifically designed to fit the needs of your business.

Energy Program - Growers Energy Solutions (GES)

Grower Energy Solutions (GES) helps manage an energy program designed to help save on your natural gas and electric bill by utilizing the strength of group buying. Average savings between 8 and 15%.

Federation of Employers & Workers of America

FEWA is an internationally recognized non-profit association which provides members with educational and informational services related to cultural and non-immigrant and immigrant labor management issues.

Fuel/Fleet Program - SuperFleet®

Payroll/Human Resource Services - Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP)

(ADP) offers a range of payroll, payroll tax, and human resources services to assist ONLA members with staffing, managing, paying, and retaining employees.

Property/Casualty Insurance - Best Hoovler McTeague

Save on your property and casualty insurance with BHM. BHM’s group program is designed for ONLA members to save at least 15% with the best coverage rates for your liability, fleet and equipment.

Safety Services - American Safety & Health Management Consultants, Inc./American Premier First Aid

Save up to $.05 per gallon on all fuel purchases at SuperFleet® (Speedway, Marathon and Rich Oil) locations with no minimum purchase required.

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Green Industry Education

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Attend ONLA educational events at a discounted rate and learn with fellow green industry professionals.

Health/Life/Income Insurance - TAH Benefits

The ONLA Group Benefit Programs has partnered with various health plans to offer a variety of plans with many optional benefits such as vision, dental, life, and disability.

Legislative Advocacy

Full-time lobbyist, Capitol Consulting Group, is employed by the ONLA to ensure green industry legislative involvement.

Long Distance/Local Telephone

First Communications provides full telecommunications services: long distance, data services, conference calling and toll free service.

Take control of your shipping costs and add profits to your bottom line.

PartnerShip delivers effective discounted shipping services to small- and medium-sized businesses nationwide, save up to 20%.

Soil & Plant Tissue Testing/Ag Hort. Consulting Services CLC LABS

Through CLC LABS, ONLA members receive various laboratory services at a 10% discount off list prices including testing of soil nutrients, soilless media, soil texture, fertilizer solution, plant tissue, irrigation water suitability and dry fertilizer analysis.

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The ONLA Workers’ Compensation Group Rating Program has saved its members over $21.4 million in the last 12 years.

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Receive 30-55% off list price!

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4 The Buckeye

For more information on ONLA member savings visit onla.org or call 614.899.1195 onla.org

President’s Perspective

Safety

Are We Practicing What We Teach?

Did you know that June is National Safety Month? I know that this article will reach you in July but I have been observing several things over the past several years and in the words of former Executive Director Bill Stalter decided to “Sprout Off” a bit and share those observations in my article this month. Please understand that this is intended to give readers a moment to pause and ask themselves the question: “Is safety ‘systemic’ in our workplace?”

I had the honor of completing the CLT certification several years ago. This certification program and its various assessments are weighted heavily on safety. As those of you who have participated in this program know, the judges are absolutely unforgiving with safety violations.

A colleague once shared with me that he would have passed the CLT the first time if he had not forgotten to take his gloves out of his back pocket and wear them during the paver installation assessment. The first chapter in our new OCNT CORE manual is on safety. We teach and reteach safe work practices in all of the certification programs ONLA sponsors and endorses. This is good, people are the most important asset in our business and keeping them safe should be a priority in our everyday practices.

Another important factor in designing and implementing a comprehensive safety program is the savings in workman’s compensation costs (Bill Gerhardt I have been listening!) As with most other costs, this cost is one that can be controlled proactively.

We often lose sight of the fact that we work in a potentially dangerous occupation. From back injuries to pesticide exposure the risks are everywhere. I have personally had 2 serious injuries and they could have been avoided or the consequences significantly mitigated by working safer. Yes I have learned my lessons the hard way. All of you are probably saying this is obvious Mr. President and I would agree…..but why then have I seen what I have seen? onla.org

Dave Richards South Ridge Farms ONLA President sridgefarm@windstream.net

That all being said, I want to share some observations and conversations that I have made/had in the last few years and share some pet peeves (the “Sprouting Off” portion).

ZRT Mowers with their roll bars down. I continually see this as I drive around and see companies performing landscape maintenance. My question is why are the roll bars mandated and manufactured and then left down for convenience? I have observed this multiple times with multiple companies, most reputable, professional organization…yes the one we own and work for.

String trimmers being operated without one or more of the following: Safety glasses, long pants and work boots, or hearing protection. This one escapes me.

Personnel working at height without proper safety equipment. I have worked with my students for several years creating beautiful gardens for the Great Big Home & Garden Show in Cleveland. I have observed repeatedly people working at height from (roofs of structures) and buckets or forks of a skid-steer loader, without hard hats, harness, or rails.

How many of us “old goats” are starting to have the symptoms of hearing loss (so my wife says) due to not wearing hearing protection.

The good news is that we have made great progress as an industry and there are many companies that have made safety “systemic.” I observe many professionals wearing the proper gear as a regular routine. These professionals will benefit long term from being safer in the workplace.

As we go forward I urge all who read this to take a moment and ask themselves if there is anything else that can be done to protect our most important asset, our friends and colleagues. Please be careful out there, every day is a gift. B

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ONLA CONNECT Join Our Growing Networks

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Like us for daily posts to update you on the Green Industry and ONLA events!

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Find inspiration in our boards on landscaping, backyard gardening and DIY ideas.

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Browse landscaping ideas from ONLA as well as our members.

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Enjoy the latest electronic version of The Buckeye magazine as well as an archive of past issues.

BUCKEYE GARDENING Ohio gardeners can access useful and practical gardening information compiled from reliable sources.

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Browse photos from activities and everything Ohio & GREEN!

CENTS MARKETPLACE

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CENTS is the marketplace to increase your buying and selling power, attend educational seminars, and discover up-andcoming industry developments.

NURSERY STOCK SELECT Your source for nurserystockselect.com premium nursery stock throughout Ohio.

LINKEDIN Network with other professionals in the Green Industry. linkedin.com/company/onlaconnect

YOUTUBE

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Visit our channel for videos of CENTS, members and Ohio landscapes.

www.ONLA.org

ONLA Office Update

Attracting, R etain ing and Educating the Gr een Industry Wor kforce In the May issue of the Buckeye, I wrote about my service on the PLANET Academic Excellence Foundation (AEF) Board of Directors and all that the AEF is doing to help green industry employers with their workforce shortages. This month I thought I’d write about all that the ONLA is doing to help you in this area.

From my observations and numerous discussions with green industry professionals across the country, labor issues seem to be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, challenges facing our industry. I’ve talked to landscape contractors who are turning away work because they are short on managers, and I’ve talked to nursery growers who are hiring temporary workers for the first time for entry-level positions.

So what is the ONLA doing to help? I wish I could wave my magic wand and we could solve all your labor troubles. Unfortunately it’s not that easy, but here are a few things we’re doing, many of which we’ve done for years: Ohio FFA Foundation: We sponsor the Nursery and Landscape Career Development event that enables students to compete against other schools in areas such as plant identification, turf supplies, insects and diseases.

Ohio FFA Student Contest: We host approximately 300 horticulture students at CENTS each year, competing against each other on written exams while exposing them to all CENTS has to offer.

Green Industry Exploration Conference: We added educational programs and CENTS show tours for these same 300 students, introducing them to employers and career opportunities in the industry.

ONLA Job Fair: We host a job fair every year at CENTS, connecting employers with job seekers.

Landscapers’ Challenge: We’ve added the Student Landscapers Challenge to the CENTS show floor that pits teams from Ohio schools against each other in a hands-on landscape installation contest. onla.org

Kevin Thompson ONLA Executive Director kevinthompson@onla.org

Scholarships: We award $15,000-$20,000 in scholarships each year to deserving high school and college students, attracting and/or retaining them in the industry while developing future leaders.

Ohio Certified Nursery Technician (OCNT) Program: I wrote about the OCNT program last month. This is a valuable tool for training employees while enhancing professionalism and self-esteem. Many schools use the OCNT program as part of their curriculum.

Education: We offer affordable, year-round educational programs geared to all levels of employment within the industry, from entry level to senior management.

Student Career Days: We’ve provided financial support for Ohio college teams to compete nationally at PLANET’s Student Career Days, often recognized as the best recruiting event in the country.

Landlovers: We provided initial financing to create and maintain the “Land Lovers” website and related promotional items.

Recruiting Videos: We’ve helped with the production and distribution of recruitment videos made available to all Ohio horticulture instructors.

Advocacy: We have a very active Legislative Committee and government affairs consultant keeping a pulse on labor related issues while developing relationships at the Ohio Statehouse and Ohio Jobs and Family Services. We also provide financial support to consultants in Washington DC to advocate for our industry at the federal level, often on immigration and employment issues.

There’s probably more that I’ve failed to list. As you can see, much of what we do is geared towards attracting, retaining and educating a workforce for the industry.

Your membership dues make this possible.

Is there anyone else doing as much as the ONLA at such a low cost to you? If you’ve got any great ideas what else we can do to help, employment related or other, please feel free to share them with me. B

July 2014 7

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Legislative Hotline

The State of the State House With Ohio legislators recessing for the summer on June 4th, many lawmakers will begin to prepare for the coming election this fall. Election Day is quickly approaching and Republicans and Democrats are each hoping to have successful results come November. Senate President Keith Faber (R-Celina) and House Speaker William Batchelder (R-Medina) both predict that the Senate and House will return for at least two session days in September, dates of which are currently to be determined. These session dates will look to address a plethora of issues that were unresolved going into the summer recess. While Faber and Batchelder remained vague regarding the focus of these meetings, the duo will wait to see what their committees and caucuses bring forth in the coming months.

SB 192 Governance of Invasive Plant Species Signed Into Law Having worked its way through the committee process and floor votes in both Chambers, Governor John Kasich signed Senate Bill 192 into law. Introduced by Senator Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville), SB 192 will grant the Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) exclusive authority to regulate invasive plant species in Ohio. The bill sets clear standards that require a plant to be defined as invasive if the species is causing economic damage or harm to environment and human health.

SB 192 will become effective 90 days after its signing.

Once effective, the Ohio Department of Agriculture will have the authority to promulgate rules and regulate these invasive species.

A hearty “thank you” to the ONLA Board, Legislative Committee and many ONLA members who have worked on this bill over the years including: Tom Demaline, Mark Gilson, Keith Manbeck, Kyle Natorp and others!

THANK YOU! And we also need to give a “shout out” to the Ohio Invasive Plant Council (OIPC) for their work to date on this matter.

Portion of Mid-Biennium Budget Bill Passes

Gov. Kasich signs SB 192 clarifying ODA authority to govern invasive plants species! Shout out to Legislative Committee Chair Tom Demaline for his hard work!

50% small business income tax cut on the first $250,000 of gross receipts up to 75% for 2014, increases the individual tax exemption, and expand the state Earned Income Tax Credit. Together, the personal income tax and small business income tax cut will save taxpayers an estimated $400 million.

Opponents argue that the approval of HB 483 will begin to shift the burden of taxation to local governments and will benefit the wealthy of Ohio. However, Governor Kasich and legislative leaders argue that these cuts will spur job growth and benefit small businesses across the state. Governor Kasich and legislative republicans have committed to keeping Ohio business-friendly and lowering the personal income tax rate below 5%. Because of these goals, we expect additional tax reforms and cuts to be debated during lame duck session following the November election and also to continue next year. B Belinda Jones ONLA Legislative Consultant bjones@capitol-consulting.net

Finally, just prior to the summer recess, Republicans approved House Bill 483, a measure of the mid-biennium budget review. HB 483 will accelerate the 10% personal income tax included in the biennial budget for full implementation this year. The bill also increases the

8 The Buckeye

onla.org

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

WEIRD THINGS IN THE

Woods

Being weird and often in the woods ourselves, it is only natural that we have given talks and written articles for several years with this self-same title. This year is no exception, because it speaks to the reality of the endless diversity of the natural world and the collision of nature and nurture that defines horticulture. Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra’s maxim of “In nature’s infinite book of secrecy/A little I can read,” reminds us of an interesting fact that even the most puffed up of us need to remember: Each one of us is ignorant of almost everything.

Speak for yourselves you may say, but it is inescapably true – and we are reminded of it every day.

“Know-it-alls” are truly delusional. Furthermore, though “knowledge is power”, it is not to be hoarded, to be wielded like a cudgel against those who do not know a particular fact, but to be shared so that collectively we may all move at least a tiny fraction on the way to putting that knowledge to powerful use. Hey, that sounds like a definition of Extension; sharing so that we are bringing knowledge to life. But let’s not kid ourselves, there is an infinite level of the unknown, not just for us as individuals but also for all.

So, let us continue to begin, with a current Weird Thing In The Woods, that, as of this writing is a mystery.

Captions: (Top) Leaf puckering of American beech. Cause unknown.

(Bottom) Leaf discoloration of American beech. Cause unknown.

Shriveling Beeches American beech (Fagus grandfolia) has its share of weird things, from the very serious beech bark disease (involving the beech bark scale and a species of Nectria fungus) that has devastated beech woodlands please see page 10 onla.org

July 2014 9

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Captions: (Top Left) Beech leaf discoloration and banding. Cause unknown. (top Right) Eriophyid mite damage on Amewrican beech in Lake County. Common problem. (Bottom Left) Dragonflies are so weird! Look at those legholds. Silver Creek Metro Park in Summit County.

(Bottom Right) Rose rosette virus symptoms on multiflora.

continued from page 9

mostly to the east of us but has been identified in northeast Ohio, to the interesting but apparently trivial beech blight aphid. The beech blight aphid truly is a weird thing to see, with the “boogie-woogie” aphids waving in unison in all their waxy coverings when larger beasts such as ourselves come near, to the tawny then black sooty mold fungus (Scolias spongiosa) that next develops on the accretions of sappy honeydew that develop in branch crotches on the forest floor and on other plants below.

A different phenomenon, though, is underway now, at least in northern Ohio. John Pogacnik, biologist extraordinaire of the Lake Metroparks rang the bell this spring with his observations of a worsening of something he had noted for some time: serious and widespread shriveling of American beech foliage, especially on lower branches, accompanied by a series of symptoms, ranging from puckering, bands of deep green interspersed with lighter greens and yellows, leaf shriveling and in some cases, tree death. A group of weird things in the woods, including John, Mark Gilson, President of Gilson Gardens, Inc. who helped arouse interest in the problem along with John, and the new urban forester at Holden Arboretum, Chadwick Clink, along with Chatfield, met at the Girdled Road Reservation of the Lake Metroparks.

We all had different perspectives of what we would see. Chatfield expected to see some curled leaves with some cast skins of aphids and some associated yellowing that might have been due to viruses transmitted by the

10 The Buckeye

aphids, though it was obvious that the problem John was describing was more serious and widespread. The extent of the problem, and the unknown nature of its cause, though, shocked us all, though John was well versed in how bad this had become in the parks where it occurred and the progressive nature of the damage.

John was in contact with many, including the Agricultural Research Service of USDA in Beltsville, Maryland.

Nancy Taylor of OSU and the Ohio Plant Diagnostic Network which involves ODA and OSU knew about John’s observations. So we collected samples on a midJune Saturday morning and they were sent off to labs in Beltsville and in Reynoldsburg. Hopefully, by the time you read this Buckeye article in July we will know more of the cause of the problem and its consequences and potential management and you will have read more about it in the Buckeye Yard and Garden Line (bygl.osu.edu).

Certainly this is an example that with clear eyes and a full hearts, starting with John Pogacnik, we can better define what is happening in the woods and the part of the woods that has the potential to impact natural areas and horticulture. Hopefully we will begin to answer questions such as: Is this a problem just of American beech (Fagus grandifolia) or is it potentially a problem of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) and its many cultivars?

Just how serious is it? If it is a pathogen such as a virus (symptoms seem suggestive and several different viruses are known to occur on beech in Germany) how is it being onla.org

transmitted and does it have anything to do with the eriophyid mites on that cause erineum patches on woodland beeches? These mites are clearly present on many of the affected beeches in Lake County, but do they have anything to do with this problem? Stay tuned.

Other Weird Things In the Woods There is an endless variety and these do emerge to matter on many levels. Rose rosette virus has long been associated with multiflora rose, that invasive species that vexes many land managers. Many hoped rose rosette might prove a hindrance to multiflora rose incidence though it just does not create enough of a dull roar control to eradicate it as much as we want; the widespread occurrence of multiflora rose this spring is ready testament.

In recent years though, rose rosette viral disease has reared its ugly head in the horticultural world, becoming quite a threat now to landscape roses. It is not enough that winter injury was often severe on roses this year, but rose rosette can be devastating to rose gardens and plantings, with reddened distorted foliage, distorted shoots, and as Francesca Peduto Hand of the OSU Plant Pathology Department points out, also the symptom of excessive proliferation of thorns. Controls other than rogueing out affected plants and plantings and the difficult management of the eriophyid mites that vector the virus from plant to plant are problematical at best.

Final weird fact: speaking of raising its shiny green or dull green or vine-like or viciously angry face, poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) season is upon us and horticulturists, arborists, naturalists and natural lovers all take note. The culprit that arouses our immune system from poion ivy and poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) and poison oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) out west is the urushiol oil that Toxicodendron spp. produces in the leaves and stems and roots and berries.

This urushiol finds its way to us in myriad ways, including in tiny particles in smoke from a burning field (Chatfield’s wife Laura remembers this in a big way when some 40 years ago she inhaled these particles in a New Hampshire field we had cleared and burned). Other people are puzzled with how they have poison ivy rashes when they have not spent recent days in woods, landscapes and fields. Until they consider their roughhousing and hugging of their cats and dogs, who have frequented poison ivy havens and return with urushiol oils on their fur.

Which brings us to one final urushiol source. A source to be found in urban woods. On ginkgo trees. Most of us are discouraged from handling those stinky ginkgo “fruits” that are so redolent of the vomitorium in the fall.

But for those who want to harvest the nuts inside the fleshy arils (“golden apricots” is a name often used in China) for culinary purposes – beware. Amazingly, those fleshy, foully fragrant arils of female ginkgo trees contain please see page 12 onla.org

Captions: (Top) Double dose: Poison ivy lurks among the multiflora rose. Too close!; (Middle) Angry poison ivy whose fruits are beloved

by Angry Birds; (Bottom) Poison oak out west.

July 2014 11

continued from page 11

– urushiol. Collect without gloves and you are prone to the same immune response rash provided by our various Toxicodendron species. Go figure. There are weird things in them thar woods! B Jim Chatfield, Joe Boggs, Erik Draper, Curtis Young, & Francesca Peduto Hand Ohio State University Extension Nursery Landscape and Turf Team chatfield.1@osu.edu

Captions: Beech blight aphids are covered in waxy filaments. Some winged adults present here.; Another weird beech problem. This one insignificant. Here is the aphid poop-eater fungus, Scolias spongiosa; Boogie-woogie aphids dance when approached.

12 The Buckeye

onla.org

Captions: (Top) Beech- nuts John, Mark and Chadwick at Girdled Road Lake Metroparks in mid-June; (Middle) Stinky and potentially itch-producing ginkgo arils; (Bottom) A more pleasant manifestation of ginkgo. Variegated ginkgo in the ChatScape

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July 2014 13

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Look to the Future

you never know where the garden path will take you….

Horticulture, we all know what it means if you have spent any time in the “Green Industry”, but to a high school student that is a different story. The high school Horticulture teacher has his work cut out. Why you might ask? Where do you begin: Landscape, Greenhouse, Nursery Management, Arboriculture, or Floral Design?

This was the struggle that I faced as a first year teacher.

Where do you go for help, who do you talk to, who can help? As any good teacher would do, I looked back at what experiences I had.

Growing up, I always loved going to my grandfather’s house. He had a huge mulberry tree and some apple, plum, and cherry trees. I loved going out and playing in them when I was young. As I got older, I wanted to figure out how to trim and care for these trees. One year I even got to plant pumpkins, and whatever grew I was able to sell and keep the money. I weeded that patch and watered those plants constantly.

Then after high school, I started working for Horton’s Nursery Garden Center and had many questions about care of plants, both tropical and ornamental. The funniest question that I had was one lady came back to the store with her plant and said, “My hot biscuit has bugs!” First, I had to correct her pronunciation of the plant, she had a Hibiscus and then we tried to figure out what the bug was.

She spent most of the time picking out what looked like bug eggs. It was actually Osmocote fertilizer. Talk about on the job training; I had a lot to learn. I can thank Jeanne Hicks for helping me learn a lot about the garden center industry.

I had a good friend, Mr Gail Swords; suggest that I look at The Ohio State University/ Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, Ohio. I took his advice and went for a visit; I was impressed with the grounds and the teachers.

I enrolled and met some very good students and teachers. I still keep in contact with Mr. Ken Cochran from Secrest Arboretum. Two years later, I had a degree in Nursery Management and a good job at Willoway Nursery in Avon, Ohio. I would like to especially thank Mr. Tom Demaline who gave me experience in many areas of nursery production.

While at ATI, I had the opportunity to attend the CENTS show and learn about the ONLA. This was my first experience with a professional organization. I found it very informative, and I was able to interact with

a plethora of people who had the same interests that I had.

I learned a lot of information from the sessions. From the CENTS Show, I had the opportunity to network with many people who could be potential employers as well as resources once I was employed in the “Green Industry”.

When I married a teacher, I started thinking maybe I could teach. If you would have asked me to be a teacher when I was in high school, I would have laughed at you.

One year later, I found myself with 24 eleventh grade students calling me “Mr. Joviak” and wanting to know what Horticulture is, talk about a little pressure to perform.

So how does this all relate to teaching you might ask.

When you are a teacher, you are also a parent, friend, and a police officer to those students you are involved with. Sometimes you might see this student more than their parents do. You are asked to help relay information about a subject that some have background knowledge.

This is what happens to a teacher, he looks back on what he knows best and tends to teach that way. If he has an extensive background in production or if he has experience in Landscaping, then that is probably what they will spend most of their time teaching. The problem with this is that there is a world of other things out there that may grab the interest of that student. This is where you can help out this struggling teacher. How you might ask?

You are the experts in your field, whether that is growing, planting, or arranging flowers. Volunteer your time to spark that interest in a young person’s life. Who knows, that person might find employment in your company some day.

When I was teaching, I contacted Davey Tree to come to the school and put on a weeklong seminar on Arboriculture. During the final class the students were taken outside and put in the trees. Talk about excited students, they could not wait to try out what they learned in class.

Everyone’s budget is tight and for me to buy all the ropes and saddles to accommodate my students would have been an expense that may not have been justified. I also contacted ONLA to find out about guest speakers that could help supplement what I was trying to teach.

Remember, some teachers might be too proud to ask for help, but I know that I welcomed it. I am not an expert in every area of Horticulture. I know that through ONLA and other experts like you, any help that you could give would be welcomed. Do not be afraid to inquire if your help could be used at the Vocational School. They may not have time right then to use your help, but it is good to know that there is someone willing to help you when you need it. These students that are in the vocational schools in your area will someday be future employees of your business. B Kurt Joviak Lorain County JVS kjoviak@lcjvs.net

Educational Update Tree Valuation

This article is provided to you as a benefit of membership in the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association.

Content for this issue provided by: Davis Sydnor The Ohio State University sydnor.1@osu.edu

The following information is from Guide to Appraisal of Trees and Other Plants in Ohio, fifth edition. This article is intended for instructional purposes only and covers only the trunk formula method. If you become involved in tree valuation you will need to purchase the appropriate guides.

This will include a national guide and a state or regional guide.

Determining Basic Price and Basic Value Input by regional or state committees was required by CTLA to find basic prices and values. Several questions had to be answered by the committee.

1. First, the committee pondered the size of the largest transplantable tree for Ohio. Trees with 12-inch diameter trunks can be moved by hand without any more than oversize permits, but there are very few people in the state who do this. However, several tree spades are available in Ohio to move trees up to 8-inch caliper with at least an 11-inch per inch caliper rootball diameter. Tree spades would provide competition for the hand-dug rootball of larger plants. At least three bids can be obtained in any community in Ohio to move 8-inch caliper trees.

Thus, the committee reaffirmed that 8-inch caliper trees were the largest reasonably transplantable size for Ohio.

2. Second, the question of regions within the state was discussed. Most nurseries and landscape contractors deal within a 200-mile radius at the retail level

and about a 500-mile radius at the wholesale production nursery level. A common practice, for larger jobs, is to send full-time supervisors and equipment to the job site and then use casual labor from the immediate area to act as the work force. Ohio, approximately 200 miles square, is one region when bidding larger jobs. Statistical analysis of retail planted prices in Ohio also shows that there is more variation among the respondent firms than among regions in the state.

3. The third question was to decide on whether the price basis would be an in-ground, retail, or retail/planted price. The answers varied with the size of the tree.

Unanimous agreement among the committee members supported the need to use a retail/planted price for trees to 8-inch caliper.

Trees more than 12 inches in diameter are not transplanted except under extraordinary circumstances. Unanimous agreement was reached that an in-ground price was appropriate for the increasing value larger than 12 inches in diameter.

Trees between 8 and 12 inches in diameter are much less commonly transplanted and judged to be a transition zone between transplantable and non-transplantable.

Again, there was unanimous consent to transition between a retail/ planted price at 8-inch caliper to an in-ground price for increasing value as trees exceed 12 inches in diameter.

4. The fourth question was how please see page 16

EDUCATIONAL UPDATE

continued from page 15

to standardize price quotes. It was decided that prices would be based on some assumptions: a. Rootballs will be no less than 11-inch diameter per inch stem diameter. Caliper is measured by ANLA standards for trees to 12-inch caliper. Trees larger than 12 inches in diameter will be measured at 4.5 feet above the ground. b. Equipment has free access to dig and plant. c. Prices given include the range from lowest to highest price for a firm over a one-year period for each size plant. d. Species not covered in the normal price range are to be identified by each firm. e. Plants can be dug by hand or tree spade. f. All prices are retail/planted and include supplying the tree, transporting the tree to the site, planting, mulching, cleanup of the site, watering the tree, and a one-year guarantee. g. Prices are obtained for plants ranging in size from 2-inch caliper to 8-inch caliper in 1-inch size increments. h. Prices will be obtained from five areas to assure adequate representation of the entire state and to enable us to statistically check for regional differences in price.

When responses were received, four new plants were identified as outside the normal price ranges that had been quoted. These trees were added to the seven trees identified in the earlier survey. The following plants range from 10 to 25 percent more than other plants to transplant. When dealing with these plants, the professional plant appraiser will need to check the situation in the area where the damage occurred and make the necessary adjustments.

Nurseries and landscape contractors were asked to provide low and high estimates for trees ranging from 2 to 8 inches in caliper using the assumptions stated earlier. Prices had not changed statistically between the first survey in early 1993 and the time this survey was conducted in early 1997. Since there was no statistical difference, the committee elected to retain the earlier prices for this edition of the Ohio Guide.

Regression analysis was used to define the relationship between tree size (caliper or diameter) and the cost per square inch of cross-sectional area. That relationship is mathematically expressed as: •

Cost per square inch = 96.2 - 18.2 (diameter) + 1.33 (diameter) 2

Table 1 gives the equation solutions for trees from 2 to 8 inches in caliper.

16

Table 1. Cost per square inch of cross-sectional area for trees ranging from 2-inch to 8-inch caliper and rounded to the nearest dollar. This table is to be used for trees in the normal price range.

Caliper (in.)

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Cost/square inch $65 $54 $45 $38 $35 $34 $36

The cost per square inch drops rapidly to $35.00 at 6-inch caliper. The price then remains fairly stable to 8-inch caliper. Thus, the cost per square inch of the largest transplantable tree in Ohio should be calculated at $35.00 per square inch.

The cost of trees less than 8-inch caliper should be calculated using quotes from local contractors rather than using Table 1. If no information is available, the numbers given above could be used. If Table 1 is used, professional plant appraisers should be prepared to explain why industry quotes were not used.

Prices from local nurseries or Table 1 still require adjustments to replacement value to estimate damage.

Adjustments are normally required for the pre-damage condition and location as noted in the National Guide.

Trees between 8-inch and 12-inch caliper were judged to be in the transition zone where they are increasingly unlikely to be transplanted. Consequently, the committee decided to decrease the rate at which the increase in cross-sectional area was compensated from $35.00 to $15.00 per square inch (Table 2). This represents a transition from the retail planted to an inground price in the transition zone.

The basic price for an 8-inch to 12-inch tree is used as the basis for determining the basic price of the next larger size. This provides for a smooth transition and allows the costs associated with the smaller tree to be recovered in the larger tree. This is the procedure recommended in the eighth edition of the Guide for the transition from transplantable trees to larger trees. For example, the basic price of a 10-inch tree is $2,558 (Table 2). The trunk of a 10.5-inch tree is 8.05 square inches larger than the 10-inch tree. The 8.05 square inch increase is compensated at $22.50 per inch and adds $181 to the value. The basic price of the 10.5inch tree is thus the basic price of the 10-inch tree plus the increased value ($2,558 + $181 = $2,739).

The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association’s The Buckeye, July 2014

Table 2. Basic prices for trees between 8-inch and 12-inch caliper. The cross-sectional area and the rate at which the increase in cross-sectional area is compensated are given.

Caliper (in.)

Rate for Increase

$35.00 $32.50 $27.50 $30.00 $25.00 $22.50 $20.00 $17.50 $15.00

Basic Price

$1,750 $1,961 $2,367 $2,170 $2,558 $2,739 $2,908 $3,063 $3,201

It is recommended that Table 2 be used for determining the basic prices for trees between 8-inch and 12-inch caliper. The basic prices of trees in this transitional area are lower using this edition of the Ohio Guide than for basic prices calculated using the fourth edition of the Ohio Guide. Trunk calipers greater than 4 inches but not more than 12 inches are measured at 12 inches above the ground.

Since the retail planted price of an 8-inch caliper tree remained the same between 1993 and 1997, the procedures for calculating the landscape value remain the same as in the fourth edition of the Ohio Guide.

The basic price in Table 2 more than $1,750 (the basic value of the largest transplantable tree in Ohio) is adjusted for species value. Remember that species values are already contained in the basic value for the largest transplantable tree in Ohio.

The committee elected to change the rate at which increasing cross-sectional area is compensated. Basic prices of trees will increase at the rate of $14.00 per cross-sectional square inch of trunk area for that area in excess of the trunk area of a 12-inch tree (113.1 sq. in.). Prices were determined from wholesale catalogs in Ohio. Increasing size for larger trees is compensated at the in-ground price since moving them is impractical. Diameters of trees greater than 12 inches in diameter twelve inches above the ground are measured at 4.5 feet above the ground.

Trees between 12-inch and 30-inch diameter use 12-inch trees as a foundation for calculating the basic price. Subtract the area of a 12-inch tree (113.1 sq.

•

Basic Price = [(area or adjusted area - 113.1) X $14] + $3,201

In order to simplify the procedure, Table 3 was created. Basic prices are given for trunk diameters between 12 and 60 inches in increments of one-half inch. The basic prices of larger trees are also lower using Table 4 than for basic prices calculated using the fourth edition of the Ohio Guide. Basic price can be taken from this chart for the next step.

Table 3. Basic prices for trees between 12-inch and 35-inch diameter in increments of one-half inch.

Cross-sectional area of the trunks and adjusted trunk areas are also given. (Turn to page 18 for Table 3.) please see page 18

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17

EDUCATIONAL UPDATE

8.0 8.5 9.5 9.0 10.0 10.5 11.0 11.5 12.0

Cross Sectional Area (sq. in.)

50.2 56.7 70.9 63.6 78.5 86.6 95.0 103.9 113.1

in.) from the cross-sectional area to give the trunk area greater than a 12-inch tree. This area is multiplied by $14.00 and then the basic price of a 12-inch tree ($3,201.00) is added to give the basic price of the tree in question. For trees larger than 30-inch diameter, substitute the adjusted trunk area for cross-sectional area in the previous equation. Mathematically it looks like this:

continued from page 17 Diameter (in.)

EDUCATIONAL UPDATE

12.0 12.5 13.0 13.5 14.0 14.5 15.0 15.5 16.0 16.5 17.0 17.5 18.0 18.5 19.0 19.5 20.0 20.5 21.0 21.5 22.0 22.5 23.0 23.5 24.0 24.5 25.0 25.5 26.0 26.5 27.0 27.5 28.0 28.5 29.0 29.5 30.0 30.5 31.0 31.5 32.0 32.5 33.0 33.5 34.0 18

Cross Sectional Area (sq. in.)

113.1 122.7 132.7 143.1 153.9 165.1 176.7 188.7 201.1 213.8 227.0 240.5 254.5 268.8 283.5 298.6 314.2 330.1 346.4 363.1 380.1 397.6 415.5 433.7 452.4 471.4 490.9 510.7 530.9 551.5 572.6 594.0 615.8 637.9 660.5 683.5 706.9 730.6 754.8 779.3 804.2 829.6 855.3 881.4 907.9

Adjusted Trunk Area

715.0 739.4 763.5 787.6 811.4 835.1 858.6 881.9

Basic Price

$3,201 $3,336 $3,476 $3,622 $3,773 $3,929 $4,092 $4,259 $4,433 $4,611 $4,795 $4,985 $5,180 $5,381 $5,587 $5,799 $6,016 $6,239 $6,467 $6,700 $6,940 $7,184 $7,434 $7,690 $7,951 $8,218 $8,490 $8,768 $9,051 $9,339 $9,633 $9,933 $10,238 $10,549 $10,865 $11,187 $11,514 $11,628 $11,969 $12,307 $12,643 $12,977 $13,309 $13,638 $13,965

SPECIES VALUES – 1975 Class No. 1-100% Abies concolor (cultivars/varieties)-White Fir Acer buergerianum-Trident Maple Acer campestre-Hedge Maple Acer ginnala-Amur Maple Acer platanoides (cultivars/varieties)-Norway Maple Acer rubrum (cultivars/varieties)-Red Maple Acer saccharum (cultivars/varieties)-Sugar Maple Aesculus Xcarnea ‘Brioti’-Ruby Red Horsechestnut Carpinus betulus and cultivars-European Hornbeam Cladrastis kentuckea-American Yellow-wood Cornus florida (cultivars/varieties)-Flowering Dogwood Cornus kousa (cultivars/varieties)-Japanese Dogwood Eucommia ulmoides - Hardy Rubber Tree Fagus grandifolia - American Beech Fagus sylvatica (& cultivars/varieties)-European Beech Ginkgo biloba (male cultivars/varieties)-Ginkgo Gleditsia triacanthos (& cultivars/varieties)-Common Honey-locust Koelreuteria paniculata - Golden-rain Tree Liquidambar styraciflua (& cultivars/varieties)-Sweetgum Magnolia loebneri ‘Merrill’-Merrill Magnolia Magnolia soulangiana (& cultivars/varieties)Malus spp. (some species & cultivars)-Flowering Crabapples Nyssa sylvatica-Black Tupelo Ostrya virginiana-Hop-hornbeam Pinus flexilus-Limber Pine Pinus nigra and cultivars - Austrian Pine Pinus strobus (& cultivars/varieties)-Eastern White Pine Quercus acutissima-Sawtooth Oak Quercus alba-White Oak Quercus borealis-Red Oak Quercus coccinea-Scarlet Oak Quercus robur (& cultivars/varieties)-English Oak ‘ Quercus variabilis-Oriental Oak Tilia cordata and cultivars-Little-Leaf Linden Tilia Xeuchlora and cultivars-Crimean Linden Tilia tomentosa-Silver Linden Class No. 2-80% Abies nordmanniana-Nordmann Fir Abies veitchii-Veitch Fir Acer carpinifolium-Hornbeam Maple Acer circinatum-Vine Maple Acer griseum-Paperbark Maple Acer nigrum-Black Maple Acer palmatum (cultivars/varieties)-Japanese Maple

The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association’s The Buckeye, July 2014

Sophora japonica and cultivars-Japanese Pagoda Tree Sorbus alnifolia-Korean Mountain-ash Stewartia koreana-Korean Stewartia Stewartia pseudo-camellia- Japanese Stewartia Syringa amurensis japoaica – Japanese Tree Lilac Taxodium distichum-Common Bald Cypress Tsuga canadensis-Canada Hemlock Ulmus carpinifolia - Smooth-leaved Elm Ulmus parvifolia- Lacebark Elm Vibrunum prunifolium - Blackhaw Viburnum sieboldii - Siebold Viburnum Class No.3-60% Acer pseudoplatanus (cultivars’/varieties)-Sycamore Maple Aesculus octandra-Yellow Buckeye Betula populifolia-Gray Birch Castanea mollissima-Chinese Chestnut Celtis laevigata-Sugar Hackberry Chionanthus retusus-Oriental Fringetree Chionanthus virginicus-White Fringetree Crataegus’spp. (some species)-Hawthorns Fraxinus spp. (most species)-Ash Halesia monticola- Mountain Silverbell Juniperus chinensis (& cultivars/varieties)-Chinese Juniper Juniperus virginiana (& cultivars/varieties)-Eastern Red-Cedar Malus spp. (some species & cultivars),-Flowering Crabapples Prunus spp -Flowering Plums Quercus palustris (rate lower in areas where pin oak is chlorotic)-Pin Oak Styrax japonica-Japanese Snowbell Styrax obassia - Fragrant Snowbell Thuja occidentalis- American Arborvitae Zelkova serrata and cultivars - Japanese Zelkova Class No. 4-40% Acer saccharinum and cultivars-Silver Maple Aesculus hippocastanum-Common Horse-chestnut Betula lenta-Sweet Birch Betula lutea-Yellow Birch Carya spp.-Hickories Celtis occidentalis and cultivars- Common Hackberry Elaeagnus angustifolia-Russian Olive Laburnum watereri - Waterer Laburnum Morus alba-White Mulberry Photinia villosa-Oriental Photinia Prunus persica (cultivars/varieties)-Peach Pterocarya fraxinifolia-Caucasian Wing-Nut Pterostyrax hispida-Fragrant Epaulet Tree Sorbus spp. (some species & selections)-Mountainash please see page 20

The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association’s The Buckeye, July 2014

19

EDUCATIONAL UPDATE

Acer tataricum-Tatarian Maple Aesculus hippocastanum ‘Baumanni’-Baumann Horesechestnut Amelanchier canadensis-Shadblow Service-berry Amelanchier laevis-Allegany Shadblow Betula nigra,River Birch Betula papyrifera-Canoe Birch Betula pendula (cultivars/varieties)-European Birch Carpinus caroliniana-American Hornbeam Cercidiphyllum japonicum-Katsura Tree Cercis canadensis (cultivars/varieties)-Eastern Redbud Cornus alternifolia-Pagoda Dogwood Cornus officinalis-Japanese Cornelian Cherry Corylus colurna-Turkish Filbert Crataegus spp. (some.salected species & cultivars)Hawthorne Eucommia ulmoides-Hardy Rubber Tree Evodia daniellii-Korean Evodia Fraxinus americana (cultivars/varieties)-White Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica-Green Ash Gymnocladus dioicus-Kentucky Coffeetree Ilex opaca (cultivars/varieties)-American Holly Juglans nigra-Eastern Black Walnut Juglans regia-Persian or English Walnut Liriodendron tulipifera and cultivars-Tulip Tree Magnolia acuminata-Cucumber Tree Magnolia kobus-Kobus Magnolia Magnolia liliflora nigra-Purple Lily Magnolia Magnolia virginiana-Sweetbay Magnolia Metasequoia glyptostroboides-Dawn Redwood Oxydendrum arboreum - Sourwood Parrotia persica-Persian Parrotia Phellodendron amurense-Amur Cork Tree Picea abies (cultivars/varieties)-Norway Spruce Picea omorika-Serbian Spruce Picea orientalis-Oriental Spruce Picea pungens (cultivars/varieties)-Colorado Spruce Pinus cembra-Swiss Stone Pine Pinus sylvestris-Scotch Pine Platanus acerifolia- London Plane Tree Prunus serrulata (& cultivars/varieties)-Oriental Cherry Prunus yedoensis (& cultivars/varieties)Yoshino Cherry Pseudolarix amabilis-Golden Larch Paeudotsuga menzieseii-Douglas-fir Pyrus calleryana Callery Pear Quercus bicolor-Swamp White Oak Quercus cerris-Turkey Oak’ Quercus macrocarpa-Bur Oak Quercus muhlenbergii-Chinquapin Oak Quercus phellos-Willow Oak Quercus prinus-Chestnut Oak Quercus velutina-Black Oak Sassafras albidum-Sassafras

EDUCATIONAL UPDATE

continued from page 19

Tilia americans and cultivars-American Linden Ulmus pumila-Siberian Elm

2. Supporting data (refer to V)

Class No. 5-20% Acer negundo-Box-Elder Aesculus glabra-Ohio Buckeye Ailanthus altissima-Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus Albizia julibrissin-Silk Tree Catalpa speciosa-Northern Catalpa Diospyros virginiana-Common Persimmon Maclura pomifera-Osage-orange Malus pumila-Common Apple Populus spp.’(most species & selections) –Poplars Prunus serotina and other indigenous species – Black Cherry Robinia pseudoacacia (& cultivars/varieties)-Black Locust Salix spp. (most species &-selections)- Willows

E. Summary - It is my professional opinion that because of____________ the damage/value is __________________.

D. How values were determined.

F. Certification (qualifications of appraiser). A resume may be attached as an appendix.

G. Affidavit/Notarization (I do hereby certify that to the best of my ability···. Several formats exist for the rest of the sentence but generally it states that the report is your professional judgment. This is not often required except in some legal disputes.

Prepared by: - - - - - - - - - - - -- Consulting Arborist B

Preparation of a Tree Evaluation Report I. Introduction - A letter requesting authorization to enter the site and defining the problem should have been sent earlier. This letter will also have stated what has been requested and will have set your professional fee.

II. Standard report formats A. Simple letter B. Detailed report C. Book III. Letter format A. Opening paragraph

1. Subject (damage report, casualty, loss. etc.)

2. Property Owner, Address and location description if needed

3. Date of inspection

4. Purpose

a. general discussion of tree values

b. what was requested

c. what was not requested or done

B. Contingent and limiting circumstances

1. Background and history or facts in case.

2. Maps, tables and pictures

C. Detailed discussion of tree and extent of

damage

1. Field report form

20

The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association’s The Buckeye, July 2014

Feature

The Secrets of

Motivational Focus

In which kinds of situations are you most effective?

What factors strengthen—or undermine—your motivation? People answer these questions very differently, and that’s the challenge at the heart of good leadership—whether you’re managing your own performance or someone else’s. One-size-fits-all principles don’t work.

The strategies that help you excel may not help your colleagues or your direct reports; what works for your boss or your mentor doesn’t always work for you.

We all strive for a harmonious workplace that offers us the opportunity to bring out the best in ourselves and others, and to do meaningful work that we believe is important. However, many of us find something much different—awkward or strained interactions with leaders and colleagues that sap our motivation rather than helping us to excel.

Leaders keen to be more effective in their jobs and to help others reach their full potential can benefit from research on motivational focus, which affects how we approach life’s challenges and demands. In Focus: Use Different Ways of Seeing the World to Power Success and Influence, authors Heidi Grant Halvorson (a social psychologist) and E. Tory Higgins (a professor of psychology and management) discovered a way of segmenting people on the basis of a personality attribute that also predicts performance.

Motivational Focus Promotion-focused employees see their goals as creating a path to gain or advancement and concentrate on the rewards that will accrue when they achieve them.

They are eager, and they play to win. You’ll recognize promotion-focused people as those who are comfortable taking chances, who like to work quickly, who dream big and think creatively. Unfortunately, all that chancetaking, speedy working and positive thinking makes these individuals more prone to error, less likely to think things through and usually unprepared with a plan B if things go wrong. That’s a price they are willing to pay, because for them, the worst thing is a chance not taken, a reward unearned, a failure to advance.

Prevention-focused employees, in contrast, see their goals as responsibilities, and they concentrate on staying safe. They worry about what might go wrong if they don’t

work hard enough or aren’t careful enough. They are vigilant and play to not lose, to hang on to what they have, to maintain the status quo. They are often more risk-averse, but their work is also more thorough, accurate and carefully considered. To succeed, they work slowly and meticulously. They aren’t usually the most creative thinkers, but they may have excellent analytical and problem-solving skills. While the promotion-minded generate lots of ideas, good and bad, it often takes someone preventionminded to tell the difference between the two.

Simply identifying your own type should help you embrace your strengths as well as recognize and compensate for your weaknesses. Although everyone is concerned at various times with both promotion and prevention, most of us have a dominant motivational focus. It affects what we pay attention to, what we value and how we feel when we succeed or fail. And it’s why the decisions and preferences of our differently focused colleagues can seem so odd at times.

Both types of employees are crucial for every organization’s success. Businesses need to excel at innovation and at maintaining what works, at speed and at accuracy.

The key is to understand and embrace our personality types and those of our colleagues, and to bring out the best in each of us.

Once we understand whether colleagues are promotion-focused or prevention-focused, we can speak and work with them in very specific ways that will enhance their motivation. Properly addressing employees’ motivational fit enhances and sustains both the eagerness of the promotion-minded and the vigilance of the preventionminded, making work seem more valuable and boosting both performance and enjoyment.

Choosing Role Models The promotion-focused are more engaged when they hear about an inspirational role model, such as a particularly high-performing salesperson or a uniquely effective team leader. The prevention-focused, in contrast, are impressed by a strong cautionary tale about someone whose path they shouldn’t follow, because thinking about avoiding mistakes feels right to them. As an individual, you naturally pay attention to the kind of story that resonates most with you, but as a colleague or leader, you should please see page 22

onla.org

July 2014 21

B

continued from page 21

think about whether the stories you share with others are motivational for them.

It’s also important to seek out mentors and, when possible, leaders whose focus matches your own. If you’re a leader, subtly adapt your style to suit each employee’s focus. Promotion-minded employees thrive under transformational leaders who support creative solutions, have a long-term vision and look for ways to shake things up.

The prevention-focused are at their best under transactional leaders who emphasize rules and standards, protect the status quo, discourage errors and focus on effectively reaching more immediate goals.

Framing Goals Even minor tweaks in the language you use to describe a goal can make a difference. For example, coaches in a highly regarded semiprofessional soccer league were told to prep their players for high-pressure penalty kicks with one of two statements: “You are going to shoot five penalties. Your goal is to score at least three times.” Or “You are going to shoot five penalties. Your obligation is to not miss more than twice.” Players did significantly better when the instructions were framed to match their dominant motivational focus.

Likewise, when offering motivation, the promotionfocused on your team will respond better to “If you finish

this project by Friday, treat yourself to a long lunch.”

Whereas, “If you don’t finish this project by Friday, you’ll have to spend Monday cleaning the supply room” will hit the right motivational cue for the preventionfocused.

Providing Feedback Once goals are set in a way that creates motivational fit, you must sustain the fit by giving the right kind of feedback. Promotion-focused people tend to increase their efforts when a leader offers them praise for excellent work, whereas prevention-focused people are more responsive to criticism and the looming possibility of failure. You should always give honest feedback, but you can adjust your emphasis to maximize motivation. Don’t be overly effusive when praising the prevention-focused, and don’t gloss over mistakes they’ve made or areas that need improvement. Meanwhile, don’t be overly critical when delivering bad news to the promotion-focused—they need reassurance that you have confidence in their ability and recognize their good work. B Michelle M. Smith, CPIM, CRP Vice President, Business Development O.C. Tanner michelle.smith@octanner.com

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LandscapeAwards celebrate excellence

2014Applications CALLdueFOR ENTRIES September 22, 2014 Thank you to our Program Sponsors!

R E S O U R C E S

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I N C .

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While students are not restricted by a design and construction budget, they must be able to identify material choices for their garden designs including all hard & soft landscaping elements.

Entries in this category require the submission of a landscape plan of a garden or residence (maximum size 24”x36”). Additional supporting drawings such as elevations, details and perspective sketches may also be included but are not required. All plants and hardscape elements must be clearly labeled on the plans. Plans must be to scale and include a graphic scale and north arrow. No student names or the name of any College or University shall appear on the plans. High resolution digital images of plans may be submitted in place of printed plans.

The official entrant must be a Student member of ONLA. Student entries may be individual or team efforts. For team entries, all team members must be Student ONLA members. A list of all team members must be submitted with the entry form, along with copies of each team member’s valid student identification card.

Category 10: Theme Gardens, Show Gardens or Educational or Informative Display of Horticultural Products, Services or Techniques

May include permanent or temporary installations or product displays at garden centers or in landscapes; landscape or garden center company headquarters; garden show, mall, trade show, or state/county fair displays; knot gardens; butterfly gardens; rock gardens; dwarf conifer gardens; etc. (No plan required). Please state the intended theme in your written description.

©The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association, www.onla.org, 800.825.5062

Both ONLA members and non-members may submit entries. Submitted projects can be entered up to five years after installation. Any project is eligible in which the entrant has executed or designed the major portion of that project (excluding the maintenance categories).

Any project can be re-entered in the same category unless that project received a previous ONLA Grand Award. Previous Grand recipients may be re-entered in a different category.

Ohio-based ONLA members may enter projects completed within or outside of Ohio. ONLA members based outside of Ohio and all non-member companies may only enter projects completed in Ohio. Entries must be received by Monday, September 22, 2014 at 4:00pm.

Copyrights and Client Permission

The entrant assumes the responsibility for copyrights, photographic fees and client permission for further use of images by the ONLA for public relations purposes. The ONLA is not responsible for the pictures selected or any edited copy used from the press package sent to the media. Entries become the property of the ONLA and may be used for publication or for any other purpose the association deems appropriate.

Judging & Awards

Two types of awards may be granted in any category, when warranted. All awards are given based on a 100-point system. Points are given by a panel of judges for each entry in a category.

Points are then collected, tallied and averaged to reach the entry’s final score.

Awards may not be given in a category if no entry is awarded an appropriate score.

Merit Awards are given to entries scoring a minimum of 70 points. Multiple Merit Awards may be given in any category.

One Grand Award will be given in each category to the project that has the highest score above 85 points. A single Judges’ Choice: Project of the Year Award is given to one award-winning entry at the discretion of the judges.

A jury of distinguished professionals in the fields of landscape architecture, education and horticulture will evaluate entries and recommend recipients to the awards committee. The judges will determine the quality of materials (both plant and construction), design, completeness of installation, workmanship, and horticultural correctness in the landscape installation using only the images and descriptions submitted with each entry.

Judging is always a subjective endeavor.

Project images are projected in sequence, as directed by the entrant, for every entry. The judges’ decisions are based on the image presentation and written descriptions of each entry. Read the Judges’ Criteria Forms (available from the ONLA office) for details on a specific category. All entrants receive copies of judges’ critiques. Each project is judged individually and not against other projects, it is judged against the industry standard.

Digital Photography

Company name must not appear on any images. Use a camera with a resolution of 3.1 Megapixels or higher (frame size 2048x1536 pixels). All photos must be submitted as JPEG (.jpeg) files on a CD-R (not CD-RW Media) disk or thumb drive. JPEG files should be saved in the HIGHEST RESOLUTION or LOWEST COMPRESSION (meaning the same thing). A separate CD/thumb drive must be submitted for EACH individual project.

Photos cannot be edited in any way, EXCEPT to blur/mask a logo or company identifier OR to correct color brightness/ contrast/balance. Entrants can submit up to 20 photos, in the order that the judges will view them. At least three of the photos must be HIGH RESOLUTION and HIGH QUALITY. Each image should be named and that name should be noted in the image description. Label your company name on CDs/thumb drives. A color or black and white thumbnail sheet of all photos from the entry (up to 9 per page) must be printed and submitted with each entry.

Entry Fee

Each entry must be accompanied by a $75.00 fee (non-members, $110.00).

Student entries are Free

Recognition

Winning recipients will be honored and recognized in conjunction with CENTS in Columbus, OH on Wednesday, January 7, 2015. A complimentary commemorative plaque is provided; additional plaques are available for purchase. Press releases on winning entrants are supplied to companies.

Winning projects are featured in a designated “Landscape Awards Program” display area at CENTS. Photos of every winning project and contact information for every winning company will be included on all of ONLA’s social media channels (including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Houzz, Google+, YouTube, and LinkedIn) and the ONLA consumer website BuckeyeGardening.com.

Tell A Story With Words and Pictures

Sell us your project! Write your project description (with references to your pictures) as a narrative. Keep in mind how it will sound when read, and write a compelling story. Since the only way the judges have to evaluate your project is through photos, you want the highest quality possible.

Client Driven Designs

Quirks or conditions imposed on the designer by the owner should be explained. This may well turn a design into a winner if an ingenious solution to a problem was employed. Client objectives are an important component in landscape design/build and judges want to know how you have incorporated these objectives.

Plant Materials

Plant materials should be well adapted and properly used. A plant requiring full sun used in shade is an obvious flaw.

Project Maturity

The rules allow a project to be five years old at submission. In general, the more mature job will make a better show.

Submitting Designs in Multiple Categories or to Other Awards Competitions

If you enter the same project in more than one category, tailor your photos and written description to the specific category. Do not use the same written description for two different categories.

The judges notice!

The same entry can and should be submitted in state and national competitions. There is no reason that your work in preparing the entry should not do double and even triple duty.

Applications due Monday, September 22, 2014

©The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association, www.onla.org, 800.825.5062

PROGRAM RULES & TIPS

Eligibility Requirements

celebrating 42 years

LandscapeAwards celebrate excellence

Entry Form

En t ra n t In for mation Contact Name:___________________________________________________________________________

Deadline: 4:00 p.m., Monday, September 22, 2014. Use a separate entry form for each entry.

Entry forms may be photocopied.

This form must be completely filled out and accompanied by a written description of all photos for the submitted project to be judged.

Company Name:_________________________________________________________________________ Address:_____________________________________City:_________________State:_____ Zip:_________ Phone: (

) ___________________________ Fax: (

) ___________________________________

Email: _________________________________________________________________________________

P ro j e c t I n f o r m a t i on (l ea ve n o b l ank s ) Category Number:_________ Category Name:_______________________________________________________________________________ Project Name:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Landscape Architect Firm:________________________________________________________________________________________________ (if different from entrant)

Total Amount for Contracted Work:$___________________

Year of Installation:________________

The entrant assumes the responsibility for copyrights, photographic fees and client permission for further use of images by the ONLA for public relations purposes. The ONLA is not responsible for the pictures selected or any edited copy used from the press package sent to the media. Entries become the property of the ONLA and may be used for publication or for any other purpose the association deems appropriate. I verify that all information contained on this entry form is accurate. I further verify that no alterations of any kind have been made to the images I’ve submitted for this entry.

Signature:_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

P a ym e n t I nf o rma t i on Number of Entries:_____ x $75.00 (ONLA Members) Number of Entries:_____ x $110.00 (Non-Members) Number of Student Entries: _____ x $FREE (ONLA Student Members) Total Enclosed: $_____________

o Check Enclosed. (Check #___________________) o VISA o MasterCard Name on Card:__________________________________________

Check lis t o o o o o o o o o o

Completed entry form Entry fee 8-20 photo images in JPEG format Confirmed that photo files are saved to the disk/thumb drive Labeled CD/thumb drive, one per entry Thumbnail photo page (9 images per page) Written project description (use suggested template) No company names or logos appear in photos Envelope contains only one entry Outside of envelope marked with company name & category number

Card Number:___________________________________________ Expiration Date:________ Signature:______________________________________________

Referred by: ___________________________________________

Submit entries to: The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association / Attn: Landscape Awards 72 Dorchester Square / Westerville, OH 43081 / Phone: 614.899.1195

Feature

Hocking Hills a Frontline in Fight to Save Hemlocks In southeast Ohio’s Hocking Hills, Ohio State University experts are trying to stop a killer- the hemlock woolly adelgid. Called HWA for short, the pest is a tiny invasive insect that showed up early last year. It feeds on the sap of hemlock trees and eventually causes their death.

Dave Apsley, natural resources specialist with Ohio State University Extension, has joined with colleagues and staff from a half dozen agencies, including the Ohio Department of Agriculture and Ohio Department of Natural Resources, to map, treat and monitor an infestation at Cantwell Cliffs in Hocking Hills State Park. What they learn should help them fight the pest elsewhere.

OSU Extension is the statewide outreach arm of Ohio State’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES).

“This is an ‘all hands on deck’ situation,” Apsley said. “All of the partners are necessary if Ohio is to successfully manage this pest.”

Scientists call the hemlock a foundation species. That means it plays a big, indispensable role in creating and maintaining a habitat that other species depend on.

Hemlocks dominate the landscape in and around the Hocking Hills’ sandstone gorges.

Among their many benefits, they help streams stay cool and hold more oxygen, resulting in better water quality.

Foreign to eastern North America, the hemlock woolly adelgid (pronounced “ah-DELjid”) was found in Virginia in 1951. Since then it has spread throughout the East. It first appeared in Ohio in 2012, in Washington and Meigs counties near the Ohio River. onla.org

“If Ohio isn’t proactive in managing HWA, we could lose our hemlock forests,” Apsley said. “That would not only devastate a unique ecosystem but would greatly impact the tourism industry in places like the Hocking Hills.”

More than 3 million people visit the Hocking Hills annually, says the Hocking Hills Tourism Association.

Tourism there supports nearly 1,000 jobs and generates $115 million in business activity, according to 2011 figures from the Ohio Department of Development.

Among its efforts, the team has: Inspected 350 acres around the Hocking Hills outbreak, determined the extent of the spread (55 trees on about 1 acre), and mapped the infested trees’ locations with GIS and GPS. Collected beetles that prey on HWA (a species called Laricobius nigrinus) in North Carolina and released them in infested hemlocks in Washington County.

The hope is that they’ll succeed, reproduce and provide more of their kind to collect and deploy elsewhere, including in the Hocking Hills.

Applied chemical insecticides to more than 500 hemlocks in and around the Hocking Hills site.

Co-developed training on HWA and provided it to property managers, natural resource professionals, camp directors and Hocking College students.

“When it comes to forest ecosystems and the pests that invade them, OSU Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, and CFAES bring a broad range of expertise to the table,”

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Apsley said. The center is the college’s research arm.

“We’ve been able to use this expertise to help our partners to evaluate the management practices that have been developed and utilized in other states to formulate strategies for managing HWA in Ohio,” he said.

“I can think of no better example of Extension’s mission -- to help Ohioans use scientifically based information to better their lives, businesses and communities.” B Kurt Knebusch Techinical Editor, Communications The Ohio State University, CFAES Knebusch.1@osu.edu Captions: (Top) Workers from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources inject a hemlock tree with an insecticide at Cantwell Cliffs in Hocking Hills State Park. The treatment is aimed at stopping an infestation of the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect that kills hemlock trees; (Middle) Hemlock trees killed by the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid dominate the skyline in this shot taken in western North Carolina; (Bottom) In Washington County, Ohio, just-released Laricobius nigrinus predator beetles fan out on a hemlock twig infested with the hemlock-killing hemlock woolly adelgid (the fuzzy white spots in the photo). The beetles, which prey on the pest, offer a possible option for biological control. (Photos by: Dave Apsley)

30 The Buckeye

onla.org

Retail Roundtable

What’s Spring sprung and now summer has settled in. And what a sprung spring many garden centers had this year – fast and furious! So now that the spring sprung pollen has started to settle, let’s take a look back and see just exactly what sprung and what didn’t sprung...I mean ‘spring!’

Yes, it’s time to play “LET’S ASK THE RETAILERS!” A fun game where we ask our ONLA retailing extraordinaires a question to test their retailing abilities. Are you ready? Then let’s play! Retailing Extraordinaires: Looking back on this spring and new plants, new trends, new fads, new colors, new products, new ‘whatevers’...what turned out to be ‘hot’ and what turned out to be ‘not so hot’?

White Oak Garden Center / Tom Hilgeman – “This spring, due to the severe winter it felt like everything in the shrub department was hot. Lots of winter damage brought in more customers to the nursery for replacements which made it feel like if it looked good it was a hot item.

Boxwoods and knockout roses were hot mostly due to winter damage. Weigela ‘Spilled Wine’ was also a hot seller this spring. In perennials Butterfly Bush and Lavender are the most requested plant. Again I believe this has mostly to do with the winter and customers looking to replace damaged plants. Fairy garden plants continue to be hot. WE moved & changed up the way we display the plants and it seemed to help.”

H.J. Benken Florist & Greenhouses / Tim Clark – “Here in ‘Benkenland,’ tropicals continue to be hot; mandevilla, dipladenia, hibiscus etc. People seem to really love the blooms they produce as well as the hot sun they can take. Another favorite this year is Raspberry Angelonia. We couldn’t keep it in stock. Oddly enough, a few of the previous year’s best sellers have not been moving as well this year. They include Bacopa, Marguerite Ipomea and Calibrachoa. Scaevola and Lantana are once again in high demand.” onla.org

B

And What’s Not Buckeye Resources / Tony Sciambi – “Trends in mulch are away from red and Cypress and more toward dark colors. Black Color Enhanced Mulch is the #1 trend followed by All Natural Hardwood Mulch and Brown Colored Enhanced Mulch. Customers like the contrast of bright flowers against a dark background.

Trend in soils is toward enhanced soils, such compost, manures, and specialty mixes such as Rose Mix, Veggie Mix, Container Mix, etc. I have also noticed Begonias and Coleus are taking a lot of area in greenhouses, and Coral Bells in the nurseries.”

Greenleaf Landscapes, Inc. / Mike Ennemoser – “Fairy gardening or gardening with miniatures’ continues to be a strong category for our store(s). We have continued to feature the category by our main store entrance and displays are changed fairly frequently. It really becomes an impulse item for all ages. The staff really loves to push this and the category is one of our spring seminars in April. Organic gardening is starting to gain some momentum in our market and is slightly up. More consumers are requesting information on or requesting organic products. We do not carry organic plants, but I foresee them in the future. It (organics) also offers a stronger margin opportunity. All vegetables were again a strong category; sales are up. More consumers are planting or at least attempting to grow vegetables.

There was a positive trend in our Herbs and Vegetables sales. Shrubs: Wow, I predicted a slight up turn in shrub sales due to replacements from severe winter weather, but not this huge swing? We experienced increased plant/ shrub sales in butterfly bushes, roses, grasses, hollies, laurel, and crape myrtle (yes crapes - we use to be able to grow to 20’, not anymore) have been significant. I predict these sales to stay strong all season. And how about snow removal? I almost forgot, as we were way above average with increased sales.

Michell’s / Steve Maddox, Jr. – “Even though this is not NEW to most, it’s still NEW to some. I am amazed how well the Fairy Gardening trend is doing for garden centers. I still see some that are not doing it yet and I cannot understand why. It’s something you can get into fairy inexpensively but can

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separate yourself from your competitor based on how creative you can be with displays and containers. This trend is still going strong and I don’t see it slowing down anytime soon. The key though is to be creative and have a staff member bought in to it. From my perspective being on the other side of the fence now, if new plants or even a new type of petunia emerges, it’s great to have but you MUST merchandise it correctly and get the message out. Too many times I see a new product or plant hit the market place and then it gets lost amongst everything else. If you feel strongly about it, let the consumer know its awesome and a must have with appropriate signage and employee training. There is nothing worse then the buyer finding something great at a show and when the product arrives 6 months later - all is forgotten. The momentum is lost and the employees are not trained on the new product and it sits. My advice is for the buyer to take notes, identify where it will be placed in the store, and communicate it to the staff.

Natorp’s Nursery Outlet / Tina Jayne Hines – “This spring was so fast and furious; it seemed like everything we had in stock was hot! It’s a given that plants with color (flowers, stems, foliage, etc.) are hot.

As soon as a rose or perennial or shrub began to flower, it was gone. So, having plants in color that can add color to the landscape, containers, indoors, etc., is definitely hot. But if I had to pick one hot category, ‘edibles’ would be that! Herbs, vegetable plants, fruits and berries, even tropical fruiting plants are showing the largest increase in sales volume. We had an ‘Edibles Saturday’ and the place was packed! No doubt the interest in growing your own food is hot. We also saw a nice increase in pottery and potting soil sales, as well as a huge jump in tropical and foliage plant sales, showing that container gardening continues to be hot in the gardening world.

One more ‘hot’ note about this spring – after a tough winter and loads of plants dead or severely damaged, folks were not questioning their replacement. It could have been very easy for them to just pull out the plants and call it quits (cut their loss), but I think more people are understanding the many, many benefits and value of plants in our landscapes, containers, indoors, etc, and are continuing to move forward replanting and even adding more plants to the yard. And for us retailers, that is hot!

Keep spreading the good word about plants! Go Plant Something!

hot for us; ‘Limelight’, ‘Little Lime’, ‘Quick Fire’, ‘Pinky Winky’ all have shown to be great performers. Even with the severe winter we just experienced these tough cookies plowed through and our customers have spread the word to family and friends. Oh--how about those fairy plants??? Fairy gardening has really erupted! If it’s mini or tiny or cute, it’s hot! This is so exciting for all of us waiting for the next generation of gardeners to emerge.

Grandparents and parents are sharing this easy and fun introduction to gardening and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of it. And Edibles...well, people are hungry for them! Goji Berries, Gooseberries, Currants...plants that at one time I couldn’t GIVE away are in high demand. Now those of us who haven’t sharpened our farming skills are gonna have to catch up and raise the bar. Growing your own food is a very empowering feeling and our customers are embracing this trend. The other hot trend this spring has been- replacement! So many of our dry loving perennials were lost, broadleaf and needled evergreens got hammered, butterfly bush got... well, dead. While it’s discouraging for folks to lose plants this is such a great opportunity for us to teach plant culture to our customers. Establishing vigor and health in young plants is so overlooked and is so important yet is often not taught. The best news of all about all this hot stuff is that people are still excited about growing things and happily we have LOTS of terrific new and old plants to share!”

So now you know what was hot in this fast and furious spring season at the local independent garden centers. By the way, did you notice a theme in the answers? Not one of our retailers mentioned anything about things that were ‘not’ hot? “That’s the way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it, uh huh, uh huh. That’s the way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it, uh huh, uh huh.” Hey retailers, can we talk? B Ron Wilson Personal Yardboy and ONLA Retail Committee Ghost Writer in the Sky rwilson@natorp.com

Sharon Nursery / Darlene Cooper – “Every year it seems a plethora of new and exciting plants shoots down the perennial pipeline. Recent years have shown no end in sight of new Hydrangea, Echinacea and Heuchera. The panicled hydrangeas have really been

32 The Buckeye

onla.org

Balance

By Design

B

By Bobbie Schwartz

As we live our lives, we depend on balance. If we lose the plantings within the borders or hedges are somewhat our balance, we might weave as we walk rather than takwild or if the beds, normally edged with boxwood, are ing a straight line to our objective. If our balance is really edged instead with perennials which flow over the bed bad, we might even fall. What exactly is balance? Physilines onto the walkways, thus obscuring some of the hard cally, it’s a state of equilibrium. Mentally, it is also a state lines. of equilibrium. Just think how crazed you are when life or One of the classic English gardens is Sissinghurst (Imjob seems overwhelming and you desperately need to feel age 1). The architect Harold Nicolson designed a series that sense of equilibrium. of “rooms” with high clipped hedges and brick walls. His We also need balance in our landscapes if we want to wife, Vita Sackville-West, a garden writer focused on usfeel comfortable in them. We can balance or counterbaling flowers to make each room distinct and exciting. Her ance the style of a house with the style of the landscape. style was informal so the beds are stuffed and flowing and Balance can be symmetrical or asymmetrical but the help to soften the hard lines of the hedges and walls. choice will affect emotional perception of the design.

One of the best examples of asymmetrical balance I The use of symmetrical or asymmetrical balance will have ever seen was again in England, a large island bed often depend on the taste of your client. A very symmetriwith one very tall spruce at one end with the rest of the cal house may require a symmetrical and formal garden. bed (as long as the spruce was tall) filled with heather.

One method of achieving this result is by repeating a While heather does not fare very well in our climate, one feature of the house. For instance, on Long Island, there type of low, evergreen perennial such as Arctostaphylos is a house with a circle of oriel windows. That circle is uva-ursi (Bearberry) or one of the Cotoneaster damrepeated in the landscape with Taxus that is clipped into neri low cultivars, planted en masse, would balance the balls. Elsewhere, the spruce. pattern of very linear An asymmetrical windows is repeated in house lends itself to clipped linear hedges. either type of balOn the other hand, ance. For instance, the owner of a symmy house is asymmetrical house may metrical but I have want a more informal echoing beds (shape, feel. The designer not plants) along my could still employ driveway and my formal lines but lessen neighbor’s driveway, the sense of formality from the entrance path by playing with diagoto the public sidewalk. nal lines and arc and A contemporary tangent lines in order house in a different to incorporate some Cleveland suburb is curves. also asymmetrical as Image 1: Classis English Gardens, Sissinghurst Symmetrical balis the landscape deance tends to convey a formal feeling while asymmetrical sign (Image 2). This large house with triangular elements balance seems more relaxed. If you look at rectilinear sits on a narrow lot. The beds and path to the driveway design with strong axes, the common backbone of formal angle out toward the street and the color of the driveway designs, you will find that such design can be softened if makes it seem like extension of the garage. Asymmetrical

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placement of blue spruces and echoing colors contribute to a strong repetition of the element of balance.

Another very important element of balance is the size of the house compared to the size of the landscaping. My rule of thumb is creating landscape beds that are at least the depth equivalent of the height of the house, basically flipping it from vertical to horizontal. I truly appreciated a deep bed design that was adjacent to and similar in size to a very tall chimney against the side of a house (Image 3). Then many of the perennials were chosen for their extreme height Many houses have foundation planting beds that go straight across the front of the house and are very shallow, not allowing for layering. Additionally, many of these plantings are totally coniferous, creating a very dark, unwelcoming aspect (Image 4).

A lot that is hedged does bring the eye out from the house but frequently is allowed to grow so high that it appears to ward off visitors. If the hedge is lowered to two or three feet and planting beds are created inside the hedge, it will still delineate the property line while acting as a background for more interesting planting. B Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD Bobbie’s Green Thumb bobbie@bgthumb.com

Image 2: (Top Left) A contemporary house in a Cleveland suburb is also asymmetrical as is the landscape design; Image 3: (Right) A deep bed design that was adjacent to and similar in size to a very tall chimney against the side of a house; Image 4: (Bottom Left) Many houses have foundation planting beds that go straight across the front of the house and are very shallow, not allowing for layering, creating a very dark, unwelcoming aspect.

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34 The Buckeye

Always read and follow label directions before sale or use of this product. © 2014 An ICL Fertilizers Company, Worldwide Rights Reserved.

3/10/14 11:44 AM

onla.org

SAFETY FIRST Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) Changes Its Premium Collection Process Historically, BWC has billed Ohio employers in arrears or ‘retrospectively’. Employers currently report their actual payroll and pay their premium on a semi-annual basis for the previous six months of coverage.

Prospective billing is a national industry standard and builds upon ongoing efforts by BWC to modernize its operation. Under prospective billing, BWC will, like most insurance companies, collect employer premiums at the beginning of and throughout the policy period.

According to BWC the benefits of changing to the prospective payment process for Ohio employers will include: • More flexible payment options (e.g., monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and annually) with possible discounts for those who pay in advance.

• Better ability to anticipate budgetary impacts of workers’ compensation program cost changes.

• Better opportunities for BWC to provide quotes online or via phone.

• Lower mutualized costs from employers who don’t pay premiums timely or have workers injured without coverage for employers in good standing.

• Increases BWC’s ability to detect employer noncompliance and fraud.

Transition The transition is expected to become effective July 1, 2015 for private employers and January 1, 2016 for public employers.

Private Employers As they switch to the new prospective billing process, BWC will offer two transition credits that will cover the employer’s actual premium expenses for an eight month period of time. These credits will prevent employers from paying two premiums at once, one for the period in arrears and one for the prospective period. The first transition credit will be a full one-time premium credit for the period January 1, 2015 through June 30, 2015.

The second credit will be for the next two months (July and August of 2015) out of the first annual prospective premium payment. Employers will be billed premium payments in August for the remaining 10 months of the rate year, paid in installments throughout the period.

In subsequent years, employers will receive their invoice in June and begin paying premiums before July.

This premium will be based on estimated payroll. At the end of the rate year, employers will need to ‘true-up’ their actual payroll with the estimation. onla.org

Public Employers Public employers will receive two 50% transition credits. The first for the policy period beginning January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015 and then again for the period January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016.

True-up Process With these changes, BWC will be extending coverage to employers based on estimated payroll figures. In order to adjust to actual, they will also require employers to report their actual payroll for the prior coverage periods and pay any shortage or receive a refund of any overage in actual premium.

Earlier BWC filing deadlines for rating programs As BWC transitions to the Prospective Payment process, they are also changing the employer deadlines for applying for the various BWC group rating and other incentive programs as follows: Private Employer Deadlines for the policy period beginning July 1, 2015 • Group Rating – November 24, 2014 (was last business day of February).

• Group Retrospective Rating and other rating programs – January 30, 2015 (was last business day of April).

• Destination: Excellence Programs – May 29, 2015 (was last day of April).

Public Employer Deadlines for the policy period beginning January 1, 2016 • Group Rating – May 29, 2015 (was last business day of August).

• Group Retrospective Rating and other rating programs – July 31, 2015 (was last business day of October).

• Destination: Excellence Programs – November 30, 2015 (was last day of October).

More Information to Come Additional information about the changes to come can be found on CareWorks Consultants website at www.careworksconsultants.com. We welcome you to contact us with any questions you may have on these topics or any other Ohio workers’ compensation program concerns. B Article Provided by CareWorks Consultants Inc.

July 2014 35

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Feature

How to Grow Your Business: Marketing tips, pitfalls to avoid and ways to reach your expansion goals

For a plant to thrive, it needs a good environment, the proper nutrients, regular pruning and plenty of room to grow.

Why should a landscape business be any different?

“Growing your business is just like growing a seed,” says Steven Cohen, landscape-snow industry consultant with GreenMark Consulting Group in Richmond, Virginia. “It must be cultivated carefully using good business knowledge and intuition, careful planning, organized systems, use of proper tools, continuous evaluation and dedication to deal with the ebbs and flows that go with being a business owner.”

So when a landscaper is ready to start expanding his company, does he know where to start?

Here are tips, problems to watch out for and advice from the experts on how to grow a blossoming business.

1. Digging in Before figuring out what methods they’ll use to expand, owners first need to pick a goal they want to reach.

“One of the biggest challenges we have as landscape professionals is truly understanding the growth process and then, thereafter, planning the growth process,” Cohen says. “We often allow our competitive market to grow our business versus the business owner implementing his own sound growth strategy.”

When planning, they need to make sure to set realistic goals and weigh the risk and rewards of each. Popular numbers to track are revenue growth (business volume) and profit, but landscapers should remember to keep their companies’ capacities in mind when choosing numbers.

“Failing to set realistic goals by being either too conservative or overly ambitious can have disastrous results on your company,” he says.

After creating a growth plan, it’s important to continually review it to make sure it’s still aligned with the company’s objectives. Plans and priorities can change, which is something Andrea Wilson Mueller – owner of Inside Out Design in Frankfort, Kentucky, and the TLC’s 2014

36 The Buckeye

Landscaper of the Year – found out.

With a goal of a 10-percent growth every year, Inside Out Design has actually experienced closer to 15 to 18 percent. They originally wanted to become a $1 million company, but Mueller said she and her husband, Michael, realized they needed to put the quality of growth above the quantity.

“We want quality workmanship and projects that are in keeping with our mission instead of focusing on money,” Mueller says. “Part of our process is to make sure we are running as efficiently as we can so that we are still profitable and so our employees are paid enough and our projects are a good value for the customer.”

2. Spread seeds To market her design/build company, Mueller uses a variety of low-cost tools: wrapping all of the trucks, putting their logo and contact information on shovels they leave in clients’ yards, posting regularly on social media sites, sending newsletters with useful landscape information and networking within the community.

Once marketing plans are in place, she suggests tracking each to see which one is bringing in the most return.

Whenever a potential client reaches out to them, whether by phone or online, they ask them how they heard about their business.

“It’s important to know how they know about us, otherwise, marketing dollars are wasted,” Mueller says.

3. Grow network With goals and marketing strategies set, it’s important for landscape business owners to focus on their clients, which are a vital component of their companies’ success.

Forming good relationships with customers can lead to recommendations to their friends – something that is a must for businesses. “Do what you say you are going to and follow through,” she continues. “If a customer isn’t happy, fix it. You want those referrals.”

Since clients see crews more regularly than the owners in most cases, it’s important employees know how imporonla.org

tant customer service is, as well.

“Explain to them the vision of the company, and make sure they know the mission,” Mueller says. “Make sure they know referrals are the biggest way we get business.

If you take care of the company – and clients – the company will take care of you.”

Owners can even take that a step further once they develop a solid relationship with the client: “Encourage customers to give referrals in subtle ways,” Mueller says.

“Follow up with existing customers for repeat business and referrals.” She sends out e-newsletters to help stay connected with past customers.

While keeping and finding more clients is part of the growing process, that doesn’t mean landscapers should say, “yes,” to every project that comes their way.

“Not every job is for you,” Mueller explains. “We are still trying to learn to say no – it’s hard. But focusing on what you are good at is good to grow your business, and the kind of business you want to achieve.”

4. Cultivate team While a landscaper may understand the growth plan inside and out, that doesn’t mean his or her employees have bought in.

“This is one of the biggest challenges business owners have,” Cohen says. He encourages owners to get their team involved and engaged. “Share with your team where the business has been, where it is now and where you would like it to go. This in essence is your vision. Let them know they can and need to be an integral part of the process.”

Additionally, owners should share with their employees what the growth rewards are for them: personally, professionally and financially.

“While they may all not be leaders in name, they all have an important part to play,” Cohen explains. “Steering a company through change is a big job. If you create ambassadors for the change, you won’t be shouldering your vision alone.”

Another challenge for a company navigating growth is determining the right time to hire more staff and how much staff do you actually hire, Cohen says.

“The mantra in the landscape industry has been to run ‘lean and mean,’” he continues. “By that, I mean maximizing your people resources to get as much done as possible with carrying as little overhead as possible. While this is a great philosophy – and I support it – it also brings challenges of employee burnout and potentially service delivery problems.”

So, when should a landscaper add employees to his or her team? If they exceed their operating efficiencies and their business supports it, it’s time. “It’s your job to make sure you have the right people and the right number of people to keep your company running smoothly,” he says.

Not having the right resources in place to manage the growth is a mistake many landscapers make, Cohen says. onla.org

This includes everything from the right processes and people to having a sufficient cash flow.

“I recommend focusing on your business – not worrying about keeping up with others,” Cohen says. “A successful business grows organically by taking small steps versus large strides.” B Originally ran in Total Landscape Care Magazine.

Lauren Heartsill Dowdle Editor-At-Large, Construction Media Total Landscape Care Magazine www.totallandscapecare.com

NEW! from

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CALL YOUR BUSINESS PARTNERS Dick Posey, Josh Posey, Judd Posey or Tony Sciambi www.BuckeyeResources.com

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July 2014 37

B

Feature

Ohio Invasive Plant Council Releases List of Potentially Invasive Plants Over the last ten years many states in the country have had to deal with the invasive plant topic. In some states the outcome was positive in others many popular plant species are regulated and prohibited from sale, many times without sound science as the judge.

In 2008, the ONLA took a proactive approach to invasive plants concerns and began to collaborate with the Ohio Invasive Plants Council (OIPC) to draft a sciencebased Assessment Protocol which would determine a new list of invasive plants in Ohio. This new list would take the place of the non-science based list used in the past.

This assessment protocol was developed as an objective, science-based process of identifying invasive, non-native plants that threaten the health and diversity of natural ecosystems in Ohio. Such information is necessary for the removal, containment, or interception of those plants that have escaped or have the potential to escape from places where they have been introduced (intentionally or unintentionally) and subsequently invade natural areas.

Bareroot Liners

Recognizing that some invasive plants have past and current horticultural importance, the OIPC has worked with the ONLA to ensure that the protocol addresses nursery introductions, especially cultivars (cultivated varieties). This protocol is intended to provide fundamental and realistic determinations of invasiveness, aside from considerations of economic merit or the effectiveness of potential control measures.

The OIPC recently announced that the first group of invasive plant assessments for the state of Ohio is now available on the OIPC website at www.oipc.info.

The list of 19 species includes species previously recognized as invasive in Ohio, but also includes the following newly recognized invasive plants: • • •

Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana), Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) Glossy Buckthorn (Frangula alnus)

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The plants on this list have been found to be potentially invasive, but there is no prohibition against selling them at this time. OIPC protocol has a six month comment period that concludes October 1, 2014. If you have concerns about these three, or any of the 19 species listed on the OIPC website, please contact the ONLA office at 800-825-5062.

What does the future hold in regulating plants that are found to be invasive based on the OIPC criteria? On June 5th Governor Kasich signed an invasive plant bill that was introduced by the ONLA. The new law gives the authority to regulate invasive plant species to ODA. The next step for the industry is the be part of the rule writing process with ODA. This will determine how we will manage or regulate invasive plants in Ohio. B

OIPC Plant Assesment Summary Common Name Amur Honeysuckle Garlic Mustard Autumn Olive Glossy Buckthorn Japanese Stiltgrass Oriental Bittersweet Multiflora Rose Common Buckthorn Tree-of-Heaven Callery Pear Japanese Honeysuckle Lesser Celandine Common Privet Mile-a-Minute Vine White Mulberry Porcelainberry Princess Tree Dandelion Common Plantain

Scientific Name Lonicera maackii Alliaria petiolata Elaeagnus umbellata Frangula alnus Microstegium vimineum Celastrus orbiculatus Rosa multiflora Rhamnus cathartica Ailanthus altissima Pyrus calleryana Lonicera japonica Ranunculus ficaria Ligustrum vulgare Persicaria perfoliata Morus alba Ampelopsis brevipedunculata Paulownia tomentosa Taraxacum officinale Plantago major

Online Availability klynnurseries.com Visit our website Sales Staff Availability* Hot List* Klyn Catalog 2014* Quote Form Photo Gallery E-mail addresses About Us Directions *Contact us for user name and password

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

July 2014  39

B

Feature

Cation Exchange Capacity

In Pine Bark Substrates

Cation exchange capacity (CEC) is a chemical property of soils or substrates. It describes the maximum quantity of cations (positively charged ions) a substrate can hold while being exchangeable with the soil solution.

This is an important property to consider when making substrate and fertilizer decisions. When I began studying this topic, I was surprised by the lack of reliable researchbased information. So we decided to measure how common nursery production practices affect CEC. We looked at the range in CEC across multiple sources of pine bark, the effect of particle size and pH on pine bark CEC, and the influence of peatmoss amendment on pine bark CEC. I’ll discuss the results and implications of that research in this article. But first, let’s take a step back so we fully understand some of the concepts and chemistry involved with CEC.

H+ ions into the substrate solution, leaving the organic matter with a negatively charged surface. These negatively charged sites, much like magnets, attract positively charged cations. The type of organic matter, its particle size, degree of decomposition, etc., affect how many of these charged sites occur on the surface and are available for attracting cations. The capacity for a substrate to attract and hold cations is thus called the cation exchange capacity.

Mass or Volume?

You will most often see CEC values expressed in terms of mass, and occasionally in terms of volume. CEC is traditionally measured by taking a 2 g sample of soil and submitting it to a series of saturation and extraction procedures. At the end of the process, the extracted solution is titrated and CEC is calculated as units of meq/100 g (read as “milli-equivalents per 100 grams”). In simpler terms, it tells us the quantity of electrical charges (valence charges) a given weight of soil can hold.

What Does It Really Mean?

Cation exchange capacity attempts to gauge the ability of a substrate to retain nutrients.

To fully understand this concept, we must first review some details about fertilizer nutrients, Photo 1. CEC measures the capacity of a substrate to retain nutrients and avoid their loss in runoff water. and then some concepts on the electrochemistry of soils.

We generally apply nutrients to container substrates in This is very useful in field soils as it gauges the capacity the form of fertilizers. With very few exceptions, these of a soil to hold cation nutrients. nutrients are in the form of salts that are comprised of On the other hand, it is much more practical to express positively charged cations and negatively charged anions.

CEC of container substrates in terms of volume, or meq/L When fertilizers are applied to a substrate, they disso(read as “milliequivalents per liter”). Plants growing ciate in the substrate solution into cations and anions. in containers have a limited volume of substrate. For Plants absorb nutrients in the form of cations and anions reasons that will become clear by the end of this article, separately (again, with very few exceptions). Gypsum is measuring CEC in terms of mass (meq/100 g) can be calcium sulfate (CaSO4 = Ca2+ + SO42-). Plants do not very misleading when comparing substrates that vary absorb CaSO4 as a whole molecule, but instead absorb in their bulk densities and are placed in containers with Ca2+ and SO42- separately. When fertilizers are applied limited root volume. When possible, it is always better to to a container, we would like the substrate to retain these consider CEC of container substrates in terms of volume cations and anions that are ‘swimming’ around in the soil (meq/L). solution. One way to quantify the ability of a substrate to retain nutrients is to measure its cation exchange capacity.

Why Is This Important?

Substrates used in container production are composed Some people dismiss CEC as relatively unimportant primarily of organic matter (pine bark or peatmoss). for container substrates. Why? Nitrate and phosphates Organic matter contains large quantities of organic acids. are the two most important nutrients in container fertilUnder typical substrate conditions, organic acids release izer programs. They are also the most expensive, and if

40 The Buckeye

onla.org

Is the CEC of All Pine Bark the Same?

No. The CEC of pine bark depends on the source of the bark. We conducted an experiment in which we collected four different sources of pine bark from nurseries in northern Ohio. All the bark originated from loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), but there were differences in how they were processed and stored. The CEC ranged from 30 to 74 meq/L (Fig. 1). We also measured the particle size distribution of each bark source. The pine bark with the greatest percentage of fine particles had the highest CEC, while the bark with the lowest percentage of fine particles had the lowest CEC. This is not surprising. Smaller particles have greater surface area, providing a greater number of cation exchange sites.

Particle size distribution alone was not enough to

Figure 1. Cation exchange capacity of four pine bark sources used in northern Ohio.

80.0 70.0 CEC (meq/L)

60.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 Source 1

Source 2

Source 3

Source 4

120

CEC (meq/100 g)

100

80

Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 Peatmoss

60

40

20

0 0

2

4

6

Particle size (mm)

Figure 2. Change in CEC with increasing pine bark particle size.

70.0

7.0

60.0

6.5

50.0

6.0 5.5

40.0

5.0

30.0

4.5

20.0

4.0

10.0

Substrate pH

Figure 3. Change in CEC of pine bark with increasing substrate pH.

CEC (meq/L)

over-applied, they are the most damaging to local ecosystems. Nitrate and phosphate are both anions (negatively charged), and thus are not affected by cation exchange capacity. Their retention in substrates is governed by the anion exchange capacity (AEC), a topic we’ll cover in another article. Compared to nitrate and phosphate, other nutrients are rarely limiting, relatively inexpensive, and have minimal adverse effects on ecosystems if leached from containers. Thus, some believe CEC to be relatively unimportant. I strongly disagree however.

Two very important aspects of CEC are the retention of ammonium and potassium (both nutritionally important cations) and pH buffering. Research by other scientists has demonstrated that plants like downy jasmine (Jasminum multiflorum) and areca palms (Dypsis lutescens) grow better in substrates with higher CECs due to the substrate’s ability to absorb and retain a greater amount of ammonium and potassium cations. Most nitrogencontaining fertilizers are composed entirely, or at least partially, of ammonium or urea (which is biologically converted to ammonium in soil). So, the retention of ammonium, the cation form of nitrogen, is very important.

In addition, the nutrient found in the highest concentration in many plants is potassium. Plants require a constant and abundant supply of potassium, so obviously its retention in substrates is very important.

Cation exchange capacity is also related to pH buffering. Container substrate pH can drift up or down over time. Substrate pH drift is caused by irrigation water, fertilizers, or in some cases, by chemicals exuded by plant roots. Substrate pH drift in greenhouse crops can be a serious issue. Substrate pH tends to decline over the relatively short production cycles of some crops, adversely affecting plant quality. This is especially problematic in geranium production. Substrates with high CEC are more buffered (resistant to change) than those with lower CEC. For example, scientists have shown that peatmoss with higher CEC had a greater pH buffering capacity than those with lower CEC, resulting in less pH drift.

CEC pH

3.5 3.0

0.0 0

4

8

16

Dolomitic lime rate (lb/yd3)

explain all the differences we observed in CEC. We took each bark type and separated it into six different particle size categories, ranging from fines all the way up to coarse nuggets. We then measured CEC for each particle size class within each bark source (see Fig. 2).

Notice how CEC decreased as the particle size for each pine bark source increased. As we just mentioned, this is what we expected to happen. But notice that within a narrow range of particle size, CEC still differed for each of the pine bark sources. The CEC of pine bark from source 1 is less than that from source 3, regardless of the

please see page 42

onla.org

July 2014 41

Table 1. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) of various combinations of pine bark and sphagnum peat moss, expressed in terms of mass (meq/100 g) and volume (meq/L).

CEC Pine bark 0 20 40 60 80 100

Peat 100 80 60 40 20 0

(meq/100 g) 105.8 82.8 70.5 63.0 50.3 48.0

Bulk density 3

(g/cm ) 0.073 0.086 0.103 0.118 0.138 0.156

CEC (meq/L) 77.2 71.2 72.6 74.3 69.3 74.9

continued from page 41

particle size. Why might this have occurred? The degree of decomposition could also have affected CEC. While there is no good way to quantify degree of decomposition for pine bark, the source with the highest CEC was also the source with the darkest color, suggesting a more advanced degree of decomposition or aging.

How Does pH Affect CEC? When we amended pine bark samples with dolomitic limestone at 0, 4, 8, or 16 lb/yd3 (Fig. 3), the range of amendment resulted in a 2.3 unit increase in pH (4.1 to 6.4). Over that range, however, there was virtually no change in CEC. In short, the typical range of pH values observed in nursery container production will have no effect on CEC.

Will Peatmoss Amendment Improve CEC of Pine Bark Substrates?

The answer to this question is ‘maybe’. We measured the CEC of pine bark and peatmoss individually, as well as mixtures of the two components. We used pine bark from source 3 and a nursery grade sphagnum peatmoss from Fafard. When reported in terms of mass, the CEC of peatmoss was more than twice the value of pine bark (Table 1). As we incrementally increased the proportion of peatmoss in a pine bark substrate, CEC increased proportionally to a maximum value with 100% peatmoss.

But remember we discussed that CEC of container substrates should be expressed in terms of volume. Pine bark has more than twice the bulk density of peatmoss. That means a given volume of pine bark has more than twice the mass as a given volume of peatmoss. As a result, the CEC of pine bark, in terms of volume, is nearly identical to the CEC of peatmoss. In other words, a container of pine bark has the same capacity to retain positively charged cations as a container of peatmoss. Incremental changes in the ratio of pine bark to peatmoss does not change the CEC when expressed in terms of volume.

The extent to which peatmoss affects CEC of your substrate depends on the CEC of your pine bark. With a sufficient percentage of pine bark fines, CEC may be high enough that adding peatmoss has little or no effect on

42 The Buckeye

CEC. I’m not suggesting peatmoss doesn’t have value in your substrate. Sphagnum peatmoss, as an amendment to pine bark, can greatly increase the water holding capacity and alter the hydraulic properties of the substrate. This may be reason enough to amend your bark with peatmoss.

But the notion that it has a substantial impact on CEC of a container is not necessarily true.

Key Points So what’s the CEC of your pine bark? It will depend on the particle size (which varies year to year) and to some extent the age or level of decomposition. Remember the following key points when making decisions on substrates, fertilizers, and how CEC affects these decisions.

• Higher CEC values result in greater pH buffering and greater retention of cations (especially ammonium and potassium).

• Always consider the CEC of container substrates in terms of volume (meq/L).

• Pine bark CEC will vary with source.

• Increasing the percentage of fines in pine bark will increase CEC. • Substrate pH, over the range most commonly found in nursery substrates, does not impact CEC. Please contact me if you would like to discuss pine bark or CEC in greater detail. B

By James Altland, USDA-ARS Research Horticulturist, USDA-ARS

james.altland@ars.usda.gov

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

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

Welcome New ONLA Members The following firms and individuals have been approved for ONLA membership, pending the completion of the application process, which includes requesting comments from the current ONLA membership regarding the qualifications and/or dues classifications of applicants within three weeks following receipt of this issue of The Buckeye.

Roger Lake Trucking Inc. 13132 North Dearborn Road Sunman, IN 47041 Roger Lake, Category 5 The following person is applying for Student membership: Eric Wohlwender, Cincinnati State B

The following companies are applying for ACTIVE membership: Buckeye Turf Management 5968 319th Toledo, OH 43611 Gerald McKibben, Category 5 Green City Resources 5912 Kellogg Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45230 Rose Seeger, Category 4

onla.org

July 2014  43

Industry Calendar

View www.onla.org for seminars, events, trade shows and more! O designates qualifying OCNT recertification events

O July 10, 2014 Diagnostic Walkabouts for the Green Industry, Huron, Ohio, 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 indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests.

July 28, 2014 32nd Perrenial Plant Symposium, Cincinnati, Ohio, The only yearly symposium devoted entirely to perrenials. It is also the oldest with the first symposium presented in 1983. The location changes each year. Enjoy learning about and observing perrenials, gardens, and production facilities all across the USA and Canada. Perhaps best of all, you’ll network with the best in the industry.

O July 16, 2014 Green Infrastructures: Best Practice Tour, Cincinnati, Ohio, During the interactive tours, design, construction and maintenance experts will reveal lessons learned, issue resolutions and best practices they’ve established at the Civic Garden Center - Green Learning Station and at Mercy West Hospital. The experts will give project overviews while on tour of the green infrastructures elements (roofs, rain gardens, rain detention and permeable pavers) of these proven projects. Come learn how to incorporate green infrastructure features into your service mix in a profitable and effective manner.

O July 29, 2014 OSU’s Annual Trial Garden is where YOU can get info on annuals to include in your sales plans.

Growers, independent garden center buyers, landscape designers and installers are encouraged to visit and take note of the new varieties being grown and to observe and study the different growth habits, tolerances and visual characteristics of the many different varieties that have been put on display. A wide variety of annual plant material will be presented so industry professionals can evaluate and note those that have commercial application in Ohio.

O July 18, 2014 Dry-Laid Stone Workshop, Blacklick, Ohio, This hands-on training teaches participants the basics of wall construction, the physics of dry-laid stone and the howto use the tools of the stonework trade. Come prepared to work with stone to construct serpentine and straight walls, and features such as outcrops, arches and corners.

Participants of all levels of experience are welcome.

O July 23, 2014 Tree Climbing 101, Cleveland, Ohio, This training opens with an overview of the equipment and steps participants need to follow for safe tree climbing in a variety of situations. Come learn and practice climbing a tree the ‘right way’ from a TCIA Certified Tree Care Safety Professional.

44 The Buckeye

O July 30, 2014 Lighting Installation, Sharonville, Ohio, This hands-on training is designed for managers and crew members who install, troubleshoot or repair low voltage landscape lighting systems. Learn the required equipment and installation techniques you’ll need to install transformers, wire and fixtures in the field from an industry expert.

O July 31, 2014 Diagnostic Walkabouts for the Green Industry, Columbus, Ohio, 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 indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests.

O August 6, 2014 Lighting Installation, Oakwood Village, Ohio, This hands-on training is designed for managers and crew members who install, troubleshoot or repair low voltage landscape lighting systems.

Learn the required equipment and installation techniques you’ll need to install transformers, wire and fixtures in the field from an industry expert.

August 6, 2014 Irrigation Design, Installation Class, & Turf Weed Management Class, By John Deere Landscapes, Powell, Ohio, You’re invited to our Irrigation Design, Installation Class, and Turf Weed Management Class. Learn how to install an irrigation system from start to finish and learn how to control problem weeds in turf grass.

August 7, 2014 OCNT Test, Hamilton, Ohio, The Ohio Certified Nursery Technician (OCNT) Garden Center, Grower & Landscape tests will be given. Garden Center test 9:00 a.m., Grower test 11:30 a.m., Landscape test 2:00 p.m.

O August 11, 2014 NGLCO & ONLA Grower Bus Tour, Lake County, Ohio, Join the Nursery Growers of Lake County Ohio and the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association for the 2014 Ohio Grower Bus Tour. More details to follow.

August 12, 2014 NGLCO Field Day, Perry, Ohio, The NGLCO Summer Field Day is a long-standing tradition for green industry professionals. Mark your calendar and attend the 2014 event!

August 12, 2014 OCNT Test, Perry, Ohio, The Ohio Certified Nursery Technician (OCNT) Garden Center, Grower & Landscape tests will be given. Garden Center test 9:00 a.m., Grower test 11:30 a.m., Landscape test 2:00 p.m.

August 5, 2014 OCNT Test, Columbus, Ohio, The Ohio Certified Nursery Technician (OCNT) Garden Center, Grower & Landscape tests will be given. Garden Center test 9:00 a.m., Grower test 11:30 a.m., Landscape test 2:00 p.m.

onla.org

O August 14, 2014 Diagnostic Walkabouts for the Green Industry, Akron, Ohio, 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 indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests.

O August 26, 2014 Irrigation Electrical Service, Columbus, Ohio, This hands-on training is designed for managers and crew members who service landscape irrigation systems. The course focuses on the diagnostics and repair of system electrical components (controller, wiring, and solenoids). Come practice using a volt/ohm meter and learn servicing and troubleshooting techniques from an expert.

O August 27, 2014 Efficient & Productive Tree Climbing* Cleveland, Ohio, This hands-on training is a sequel to the Tree Climbing 101 program and requires that attendees possess basic tree climbing skills and are physically able to climb a tree*.

Participants will elevate their basic skills by practicing efficiently working in the tree. Come learn and practice climbing and performing tree care procedures from a TCIA Certified Tree Care Safety Professional.

O August 28, 2014 Diagnostic Walkabouts for the Green Industry, Toledo, Ohio, 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 indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests.

onla.org

O September 11, 2014 Diagnostic Walkabouts for the Green Industry, Westerville, Ohio, 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 indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests.

O September 17, 2014 Greenhouse Growers Bus Tour, Bowling Green/Toledo, Ohio, The Greenhouse Grower Bus Tour will take place September 17, 2014 in the Bowling Green/Toledo area. Company stops include: Hoenes Greenhouse, Bottsdorffs, and North Branch Nursery.

More Details Coming Soon!

September 19, 2014 ONLA Golf Outing, Sunbury, Ohio, ONLA will be hosting a golf outing to raise money for scholarship.

Cost is $99.00 per golfer. 100% of the proceeds go to the ONLA Scholarship Fund.

O September 25, 2014 Diagnostic Walkabouts for the Green Industry, North Olmstead, Ohio, 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 indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests.

O October 8, 2014 Architectural, Landscape & Hardscape Lighting Design, Oakwood Village, Ohio, This interactive class covers the fundamentals of the planning and design process. Expert trainers provide process guidance on how to capture site/owner requirements and identify focal points and specify equipment to ensure proper costing and effective design of the lighting system.

O October 8, 2014 Tree Climbing 101, Hilliard, Ohio, This training opens with an overview of the equipment and steps participants need to follow for safe tree climbing in a variety of situations. Come learn and practice climbing a tree the ‘right way’ from a TCIA Certified Tree Care Safety Professional.

O October 15, 2014 Architectural, Landscape & Hardscape Lighting Design, Sharonville, Ohio, This interactive class covers the fundamentals of the planning and design process. Expert trainers provide process guidance on how to capture site/ owner requirements and identify focal points and specify equipment to ensure proper costing and effective design of the lighting system.

O January 7-9, 2015 CENTS Marketplace & CENTS University, Attend CENTS Marketplace & CENTS University, with over 225,000 square feet of exhibition space and world class education. B

O October 7, 2014 Irrigation Electrical Service, Sharonville, Ohio, This hands-on training is designed for managers and crew members who service landscape irrigation systems. The course focuses on the diagnostics and repair of system electrical components (controller, wiring, and solenoids). Come practice using a volt/ohm meter and learn servicing and troubleshooting techniques from an expert.

July 2014 45

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centsmarketplace.com Columbus State Landscape Alumni . . . . . . . . 23

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 amandadomsitz@onla.org

cslaalumni@gmail.com Ernst Seeds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 ernstseed.com Everris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 everris.us.com Evergreen Nursery Company, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . 38 evergreennurseryco.com Hobby Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 hobbynursery.com Klyn Nurseries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 klynnurseries.com Medina Sod Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 medinasodfarms.com Millcreek Gardens, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 mgohio.com ONLA Landscape Awards Program. . . . . . . . . . 4 onla.org ONLA Membership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 onla.org Plant Something. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC

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: •

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Business Development Rep (Sales), Garick, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton/Springfield, Ohio Nursery Worker/Manager, Environmental Management Services, Dublin, Ohio Operations Manager, Environmental Management Services, Dublin, Ohio

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Part Time Landscape Contractor/ Manager, Gardens by Monette, Columbus, Ohio Shade Tree Nursery Manager, Acorn Farms, Fredericktown, Ohio Turf & Plant Health Care Applicator, Hemlock Landscapes, Chagrin Falls, Ohio

buckeyegardening.com/plant-something Scarff’s Nursery, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 scarffs.com Spring Meadow Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 colorchoiceplants.com Unilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC unilock.com

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

46 The Buckeye

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