Official Publication of the Nevada Landscape Association | www.nevadanla.com
JULY 2014
The Changing World of Landscape Lighting Page 4
GET CERTIFIED!
Page 5
Getting to the Root of the Problem Page 6
2014 Landscape Trophy Awards Call for Entries See Insert Inside
P.O. Box 7431 Reno, NV 89510
Nevada Landscape Assoc.
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775.356.8873 465 Tacchino St. Renp, NV 89512
Pamela Bedard - Horticulturist
To join... please call the Nevada
Landscape office at 673-0404 or visit our website at www.nevadanla.com
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Landscape Nevada
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JULY 2014
www.nevadanla.com
PUBLISHER
A Letter from the President Dear Members,
W
e are coming into one of the driest July’s in recent history and we are called upon to do our part to conserve as much water as possible. TWMA has made the recommendation that we cut down on our Landscape watering by 10%. I urge all of you that can comply with this recommendation do so for the health of our water supply. We will be having our CLT testing this year at TMCC on August 15th and 16th. Please see the enclosed article for more information on our testing program. Look for our Trophy Awards Entry forms to be coming out soon. Our annual banquet will be in early November and will be announced in our next issue. We encourage all of our members to attend our annual banquet. As the economy improves we will all be faced with additional challenges in our companies. The NLA is working on insurance information for companies that do not currently have insurance for their employees when this is mandated in 2015. We are also on track to become a nonprofit organization next year which will mean that all members will be able to write off their dues and other functions with the NLA. We welcome all of you to join us the first Tuesday of each of month at 12 pm at the UNCE office on Energy Way.
NEVADA LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT
tion Landscape Associa
NEVADA LANDSCAPE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sara Anderson, President —All Seasons Lawn & Landscaping (775) 329-2744 Heidi Kratsch, President Elect — University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (775) 784-4848 Matt Melarkey, Past President — Crop Production Services (775) 358-6166 Robert Kelly, Director — Robert Kelly Tree Care (775) 737-3530 Scott Leonard, Director — Signature Landscapes (775) 857-4333 Leon Villegas, Director — Ewing Irrigation
.com | www.nevadanla
JULY 2014
(775) 355-9530
Leslie Lyles, Director — Stewardship Horticultural (775) 849-1215 Steve Churchillo, Director — City of Reno Urban Forester (775) 334-2270 Pamela Bedard, Treasurer —Horticulturist
Sara Anderson
of the Nevada Official Publication
Landscape Nevada is published by: Kathy Hess, Just Imagine Marketing and Design 775.746.4138; kathy@justimaginemktg.com
(775) 560-5192
LANDSCAPE NEVADA is the official publication of the Nevada Landscape Association, P.O. Box 7431, Reno, Nevada, 89510, phone 775.673.0404 or 800.645.9794, fax 775.673.5828, website: www.nevadanla.com, email: nlainfo@nevadanla.com. QUESTIONS, COMMENTS & SUBMISSIONS Write to Landscape Nevada at the address above or email the publisher at kathy@justimaginemktg.com or phone 775.746.4138.
ld of Landscape
The Changing Wor Lighting Page 4
GET CERTIFIED!
A native Tree frog in Sara Anderson’s landscape in the Sierra Foothills.
Page 5
t Getting to the Roo 6 of the Problem Page
hy Awards
2014 Landscape Trop Call for Entries
SPECIAL THANKS Leslie Lyles for newsletter submissions and editing. MISSION STATEMENT The Nevada Landscape Association provides leadership by promoting professionalism and integrity within the Green Industry through education, high standards and community involvement. We guide policy and uphold responsible resource management for the beautification and enhancement of our community.
See Insert Inside
P.O. Box 7431 Reno, NV 89510
Nevada Landsca
pe Assoc.
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID RENO, NV PERMIT NO. 379
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The Changing World of Landscape Lighting by John Bass, Vista Professional Outdoor Lighting
T
he benefits of landscape lighting have not changed that much over time. They continue to be safety, security, home value and ambience. The issue for a lot of contractors is finding which of these benefits will sell the job—that is the secret to the successful sale of a lighting project. If one is just trying to sell lighting or as we say a widget, without a compelling reason…the answer will most likely be no! It’s the selling of the value, finding that compelling reason for the individual consumer. It’s asking good questions, probing, digging deep and listening to what they have to say. Because at some point they will tell you what it is that will allow you to make the sale! It’s not asking the question, would you be interested in lighting or this widget, it’s selling and what is the first sale? It’s you! From Jeffery Gitomer’s Little Red Book of Selling; “People don’t like to be sold…but they love to buy!” What has changed is the number of sources from which you can acquire lighting and the type of systems that you can offer your clientele. There’s the conventional incandescent system, Halogen and Xenon lamps that are high wattage systems or now the LED systems, which can save your customer up to 70% in electrical usage.
Hour of Operation: Numbers of Lamps: Watts per Lamp: Cost of electricity in KW/hr:
6 40 20 0.18
Incandescent: $25.78/month; $309.40/month LED: $7.73/month; $92.82/year Savings of $216.58/year (70%) Lamp Replacement: Halogen 5000 hrs, LED’s 35,000 hrs: 7 Changes for each LED is 7x40 lamps = 280 lamps x $5.00/ lamp = $1,400.00. This is
math, but in reality we all know that incandescent lamps burn out more frequently and there is no 5 year warranty. Here we have more terrific selling points. LED installation remains the same, but the advantages are numerous: Smaller transformers, less wire and 12g is all you should ever need, unless you are trying to do the miracle mile. I suggest that the minimum gauge you use is 12g; although, you could use 14g wire as due to the jacketing it becomes prone to shovel or garden tool damage. Our voltage range has improved immensely from 12 volts down to 10.5 volts; now it’s a tremendous 15 volts down to 9 volts. Wattage consumption has dropped severely as well depending on the manufacturer: 35 watt LED MR-16 is now 5.5, 20 watt LED MR-16 is now 4.5 with a 20 watt T-3 using 2 watts and a 10 watt T-3 using 1.5 watts. So, armed with just the information in the previous paragraph we can see that a lot of the installation issues have been removed. With 12g wire being rated for 192 watts that means we could install 35 - 5.5w 35 watt equivalent fixtures or 42 - 4.5 20 watt equivalent fixtures. Are all LED fixtures created equal? No. So shop wisely and do some investigative research. Retro-fit business is finite, but profitable and is a great source of extra revenue for maintenance contractors and should be an easy sale since you and your customer already have a relationship. Lastly we need to learn a new vocabulary to express lighting knowledge; Light output: Lumens or Color Accuracy: CRI Color Rendering Index should be above 80. Light Appearance: CTT Correlated Color Temperature commonly referred to Kelvin temperature; 2700k to 3000k considered warm. 4500 is considered Neutral and 5700k to 6500K is considered cool. For more information you can reach me a johnb@vistapro.com.
Now’s a great time to review herbicide handling basics with your maintenance workers! Avoid unintended plant damage: Always read the label instructions—formulations can change Have separate, labeled sprayers for herbicides and pesticides Spray early in the morning when the air is calm to prevent drift to non-target plants Always use caution when spraying weeds close to ornamentals—sometimes it is better to hand pull! (see photo insert) 3 Weed-n-feed type fertilizers can harm surrounding trees and shrubs—follow instructions 3 3 3 3
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Landscape Nevada
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GET CERTIFIED! Our Sponsors
ASK ABOUT OUR $100 TEST DISCOUNTS
Certifiy In One or All Five Designations
(1) Softscape Install
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(4) Turfgrass Maint.
(5) Ornamental Maint.
WRITTEN TEST:
August 15, 2014
HANDS-ON TEST August 16, 2014
At Truckee Meadows Community College 7000 Dandini Blvd, Reno, NV 89512 (775) 674-7660
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For test application and more information, visit the NLA website & click on the “Certification” tab. Or call Jim Stanhouse at 775-673-0404 or email jim@nevadanla.com.
nse of personal achievement. eased respect and recognition in the industry or profession. www.nevadanla.com eased professional credibility among customers and NLANLJuly2014.indd 5
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Getting to the Root of the Problem… by Leslie Lyles, M.S. Horticultural Consultant I.S.A. Certified Arborist (#WE-1220A)
PROTECTING TREES DURING CONSTRUCTION
T
n n n Material storage under this 60 year old oak not only prevented proper watering of this tree for over a year, but also caused harmful soil compaction. The tree is now stressed and in decline, as evidenced by dying branches throughout the canopy.
rees are living organisms. Okay, I know that sounds obvious, but it’s amazing how often that simple fact gets overlooked when work is being done around existing trees. Many times landscape improvements cause significant damage to existing trees because the landscape workers didn’t think about or understand the impact the construction would have on the existing trees. I have seen construction projects, designed to accentuate a specimen tree in a landscape, irreparably harm the tree. I have also seen numerous projects from irrigation installation to complete landscape conversions to Xeriscape that have damaged mature trees to the point that they are no longer an asset to the landscape. Unfortunately, the damage done during a construction project usually doesn’t become evident until years later, long after the company responsible has left the site. The roots are the most important part of the tree, yet because they are hidden from view it is easy to overlook them. There is a huge misunderstanding of WHERE the roots are and how they function, which leads to much of the damage. Trees do not have one large taproot that grows deeply into the soil and they don’t mirror the crowns of trees, both ideas are common misconceptions. The majority of the roots are shallow and they can radiate out forty or more feet from the trunk. Understanding where the roots are and how they function helps one to prevent damage during landscape work. There are two basic types of tree root, structural roots and water absorbing roots. These roots have separate functions (just as your heart and lungs have separate functions). The structural roots’ primary function is for stability and anchorage of the tree, but they also serve as energy storage for the tree. These large diameter roots grow deeply into the soil. The water absorbing roots are fine, small diameter roots that are found mostly in the top foot of soil, where oxygen and moisture are plentiful. Damaging either type of root can cause severe stress to a tree and lead to its decline.
Some of the key activities that are damaging to trees include: • • • •
Trenching near trees Grade changes affecting natural drainage Fill soil over the root zone Soil compaction in the root zone from machinery or storage of construction material • Mechanical damage to trunks, branches or roots • Significant change to irrigation type/ amount around existing mature trees
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n n n This Memorial Garden walkway and sitting area were designed around the existing tree with the explicit understanding that the tree not be harmed. Despite the landscape companies promises, all supporting roots were severed just two feet out from the trunk. Six years later the tree is finally succumbing to the damage. The tree was the focal point of this memorial patio, yet all large-diameter roots were cut within two feet of the trunk to accommodate the patio design. Six years later the tree must be removed.
Grade changes and trenching can sever tree roots and limit the tree’s ability to take up water and nutrients; in extreme cases this loss of roots can also affect the stability of the tree, causing a hazard. Soil compaction reduces the pore space in soil, limiting both water and oxygen availability to the roots, thus stressing the tree and making it more susceptible to insects and disease organisms. Fill soil can change the availability of oxygen to the roots, as the roots are no longer in the top foot of soil where oxygen is plentiful. To prevent damage to existing trees a Tree Protection Zone (TPZ) should be established BEFORE a project begins. The size of the TPZ is dependent on a number of factors including species, age and general health of the existing trees to be protected. Generally, any activity within the dripline of trees should be avoided; for high value trees, it is best to consult with a consulting I.S.A. Certified Arborist to help determine appropriate protection measures to lessen the impact of construction. With slight adjustments the construction can often times proceed with minimal impact on the trees. It is much easier to prevent injury to trees than to remedy problems after they occur. Protect your client’s trees and your reputation— don’t forget about the roots.
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My customer wanted to grow his lighting sales.
Efrain Ramirez
Lighting Specialist 15 years
So I gave him a tip—
install the wire when you trench the pipe, then put in temporary lights to demo for your customer.
90% of the time, they’ll want to keep them in! Ready to get started? Talk to your local Horizon lighting specialist today for more ideas on how to grow your business. You can also visit the Horizon blog for industry tips and tricks 24 hours a day at www.HorizonOnline.com Anywhere. Anytime. Any Device.
www.HorizonOnline.com | 800.PVC.TURF
Shop online with Horizon 24/7, or visit your local Nevada Horizon store. Henderson ............ 702.435.9471 371 Julia Street Las Vegas ............... 702.362.4224 8298 Arville Street
Las Vegas Central ...702.873.2468 4022 Ponderosa Way Las Vegas North .....702.656.8150 6164 W. Alexander
irrigation w outdoor living w landscape w equipment
To advertise in this quality publication, contact Kathy Hess:
kathy@justimaginemktg.com Phone 775.746.4138 Cell 775.846.5656 Fax 775.746.9604
Looking to reach your customers?
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Next issue is Fall 2014. Available online with links to all advertiser’s websites. Mailing to over 800 potential customers.
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