The Scoop - February 2023

THE TIME IS NOW

PLUS WHY LEADERSHIP ISN’T ENOUGH

ALSO INSIDE: TOP 10 PICKS FROM NCROC ANNUAL FLOWER TRIALS

8 Events

10 Planning for the Future

President Berg talks about strategic planning and how we can best shape MNLA’s future on behalf of the members we serve.

43

Leveling Up

Brett Caslow shares his seven steps that people advance through on their way to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

46 Green Industry Day on the Hill 2023

Join us on March 2, 2023, for the Green Industry Day on the Hill to share industry priorities with legislators.

47 How the Legislature Works

Gov. Affairs Director Felipe Illescas explains how sessions operate in a two-year cycle and the path proposals follow.

31 2022 NCROC Annual Flower Trials

The

50

Board of Directors Election Results

Congratulations to our newest Board members, Kim Gaida-Wagener of Rock Hard Landscape Supply, and Susan Bachman West of Bachman’s, Inc.

52

2022 Foundation Accomplishments

The MNLA Foundation achieved a lot in 2022!

54

In Memoriam – Jay Siedschlaw

Jay was a true green industry champion, a respected leader and educator, a highly skilled designer, and a friend to many.

Cover photo: iStock.com/Ghing. Table of Contents Images: Top Left: James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org. Middle: Courtesy of Leanne Stanley. Bottom: iStock.com/pablo_rodriguez1.

MINNESOTA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

Successful Businesses Grow Here!

1813 Lexington Ave. N., Roseville, MN 55113

651-633-4987 • Fax: 651-633-4986

Outside the metro area, toll free: 888-886-MNLA, Fax: 888-266-4986

www.MNLA.biz • www.NorthernGreen.org

Mission: The mission of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association is to help members grow successful businesses.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Randy Berg, President

Berg’s Nursery, Landscape/Garden Center

507-433-2823 • randy@bergsnursery.com

Matt Mallas, Vice-President

SiteOne Landscape Supply

763-512-2849 • mmallas@siteone.com

Terri McEnaney, Secretary-Treasurer

Bailey Nurseries

651-459-9744 • terri.mcenaney@baileynursery.com

Susan Bachman West

Bachman's, Inc.

612-861-7600 • sbachman@bachmans.com

Kim Gaida-Wagener

Rock Hard Landscape Supply

612-619-3312 • kgaida@rockhardmn.com

Greg Krogstad

Rainbow Treecare

952-922-3810 • gkrogstad@rainbowtreecare.com

Patrick McGuiness

Zlimen & McGuiness PLLC

651-331-6500 • pmcguiness@zmattorneys.com

John O’Reilly

Otten Bros. Garden Center and Landscaping

952-473-5425 • j.oreilly@ottenbros.com

Jim Shimon

Willow River Company — Landscaping & Tree Farm

715-386-3196 • jimshimon@willowrivertree.com

Cassie Larson, CAE

MNLA Executive Director

651-633-4987 • cassie@mnla.biz

STAFF DIRECTORY

Executive Director:

Cassie Larson, CAE • cassie@mnla.biz

Associate Director: Jon Horsman, CAE • jon@mnla.biz

Dir. of Government Affairs: Felipe Illescas • felipe@mnla.biz

Education & Cert Mgr: Hallie Chasensky • hallie@mnla.biz

Communications Coor: Brianna Burns • brianna@mnla.biz

Regulatory Affairs Mgr: Jim Calkins • jim@mnla.biz

Foundation Program Mgr: Paulette Sorenson • paulette@mnla.biz

Administrative Assistant: Louise Nemmers • louise@mnla.biz

Accountant: Pam Helgeson • accounting@mnla.biz

Advertising Sales: 763-295-5420

Betsy Pierre, Advertising Mgr • betsy@pierreproductions.com

Legislative Affairs Consultant: Doug Carnival

bbq/Shutterstock.com

The Scoop, February 2023, Issue 2 is issued monthly, 12 times per year. All original works, articles or formats published in The Scoop are © Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association, 2023, and may not be used without written permission of MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113. Subscription price is $99 for one year, which is included with member dues. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Scoop, MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113.

Editorial Contributions. You are invited to share your expertise and perspective. Article ideas and manuscripts should, whenever possible, reflect real and specific experiences. When submitting an article, please contact the editor at brianna@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987. MNLA reserves the right to edit all Scoop content.

FEB 17

MNLA PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION EXAM

Sit for the exam to become an MNLA Certified Professional in 2023. Additional February Date: February 24. Registration is limited. MNLA Office, Roseville, MN ➽ mnla.biz/events

FEB 22

GREEN INDUSTRY BOWLING TOURNAMENT

Be part of this striking networking event that includes food, drinks, trophies, raffles and much more. Proceeds will fund green industry scholarships.

Flaherty's Bowl, Arden Hills, MN ➽ mnla.biz/events

MAR 02

GREEN INDUSTRY DAY ON THE HILL

The Day on the Hill is a critical opportunity for YOU to build relationships with elected officials and raise awareness about issues impacting your business, workforce, and the industry as a whole. Sign up to join your colleagues in Saint Paul.

Saint Paul ➽ MNLA.biz

MAR 03

MAR 14 –15

MNLA PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION EXAM

Sit for the exam to become an MNLA Certified Professional in 2023. Additional Dates: March 10 and 24. Registration is limited. MNLA Office, Roseville, MN ➽ mnla.biz/events

MINNESOTA SHADE TREE SHORT COURSE

A two-day course for everyone involved in urban forestry, arboriculture, and the green industry. Minnesota Certified Tree Inspectors will be re-certified by attending the entire short course. ISA Certified Arborist© CEUs are available for most sessions.

Bethel University, Arden Hills, MN ➽ mnstsc.org

MAR 20 –22

GREEN INDUSTRY SPRING TRAINING (HYBRID)

Professional athletes attend pre-season training every year to prepare and brush up on skills for the season ahead. Green Industry Pros should do the same! This hybrid workshop will provide fundamental training for new and returning green industry professionals so they can hit the ground running in Spring 2023. Monday in person session and Tue/Wed online webinars.

Cedarholm Golf Course — Community Room & Online, Roseville, MN ➽ mnla.biz/events

MAR 27

MASTERING FOREMANSHIP SEMINAR — ENGLISH

This workshop offers complete foremanship training on how to more effectively handle tight deadlines, tight margins, and increase customer satisfaction. How the customer perceives the foreman’s crew is fundamental to the success of a contractor’s business.

Cedarholm Golf Course — Community Room, Roseville, MN ➽ mnla.biz/events

MAR 28

MASTERING FOREMANSHIP SEMINAR - SPANISH

This workshop offers complete foremanship training on how to more effectively handle tight deadlines, tight margins, and increase customer satisfaction. How the customer perceives the foreman’s crew is fundamental to the success of a contractor’s business.

Cedarholm Golf Course — Community Room, Roseville, MN ➽ mnla.biz/events

2023 MNLA seminars generously supported by:

Your

headquarters

• VERSA-LOK retaining wall systems

• Willow Creek pavers and kits

• Unilock pavers

• Rosetta hardscapes

• Porcelain landscape tiles

• Decorative rock, mulch, natural stone, steps, wallstone, flagstone and more

• Accessories, including lights, sealers, polymeric sand, edging and geogrid

Planning for the Future

Many of us have experienced the process involved in creating a strategic plan for our businesses. There are many ways of creating a strat plan. All the various versions end up with a direction to steer the business for a given number of years.

The first strategic planning seasons I was a part of would typically look ahead five years. In today’s world a two to three-year plan is a more likely time frame as things are changing rapidly.

Just like our businesses, MNLA benefits from strategic planning sessions. In early November MNLA held a strategic planning session to carry us for the next three years. We invited the Board of Directors, staff, and five volunteers chosen for their past participation in MNLA events at committee or task team level. All the volunteers took a couple of days out of their busy schedules to help create this forward-looking plan. We hired an outside facilitator to help with the organization and execution of the event.

As the days’ activities progressed it was clear to me that we had the right mix of personalities and insights in the room. Everyone participated, no one dominated. All were respectful of thoughts and ideas being shared. Our focus narrowed to the key areas of concern for our member businesses. How could MNLA assist through the challenges ahead? In what role do we see MNLA in the future? Our facilitator directed our focus to our Mission

statement. He pointed out an organization’s Mission/ Vision statement must lead the way and the direction that every business or organization should follow. When making decisions on direction or focus look to your Mission/Vision statement to see if your efforts support the organizations’ purpose to exist. The Mission/Vision statement must not be so broad that it is unclear why you exist. These statements must be designed to be easily understood by board members and business leaders.

From that point forward the team worked to determine if we needed a revised mission and vision statement based on where the industry is headed. The new statements will be more focused on directing us. After finalizing these two critical statements we will create an operational plan and timeline to start to enact our new strategic plan. The operations plan will be created by staff and the timeline will be closely monitored by the Board of Directors to ensure that the plan will be executed. We are moving forward on behalf of the MNLA members we serve.

— Stay Tuned! Randy Berg, President.

Randy Berg Berg’s Nursery & Landscape MNLA President

➽ RANDY BERG is the owner of Berg’s Nursery & Landscape in Austin, and a Certified Professional Landscape Designer. You can reach Randy at randy@bergnursery.com.

Pull with Ease

The hitch facing design allows you to drive straight forward pulling the hitch instead of backing it into the snow. This means you no longer have to keep looking over your shoulder when blowing snow or drive into a cloud of blown snow. Since the blower follows the tractors path guiding it around objects is easy.

THE TIME IS

NOW

John O’Reilly Otten Bros. Garden Center & Landscaping

IF YOUR TEAM IS ANYTHING LIKE OURS, we use the “quieter” winter season to plan and organize in advance of the season ahead. In most years, that includes a clean-out and realignment of surplus materials and equipment to be sure we’re in top shape for the coming spring. It also includes recruiting new team members for the upcoming season. How can MNLA help you with BOTH of those initiatives?

I’m writing this article today not just as a team member at a landscape/garden retail firm, but also as a Board member of both MNLA and the MNLA Foundation. I’m personally very appreciative of the leadership these organizations provide to our industry. They ensure our businesses’ concerns are heard by state regulators, and that we have critical research and career development initiatives to keep the industry competitive.

What does the Foundation do for you?

Since I have been on the board, the MNLA Foundation has been very focused on building initiatives that will help create and sustain careers in our industry with the next generation of workers:

• 26 college scholarships annually funded to promising industry-related students

• Developing state-recognized Apprenticeship programs for both landscape and irrigation (in the works).

• Continued high school grants program

• Outreach programs focused on agriculture educators and school counselors

… so a lot of what the Foundation is doing is LITERALLY helping to cultivate our

NATIVE PLANTS

MN Dept of Ag. approved plant production “pollinator friendly” Wildflowers, Grasses, Sedges, Rushes & Ferns

Wholesale native plants in 4” pots. NEW! Some of our natives will now be available in jumbo square pots from mid-June through the growing season. All native plants are tagged and bar-coded for retail sales.

WHOLESALE BEDDING PLANTS

Annuals, Baskets, Herbs, Vegetable Plants & Certified Organic Plants also available. Wholesale Minnesota hardy perennials in 18 count trays.

All plants are individually tagged for resale with color photo tags.

All of our plants are produced with sustainable, bee-friendly practices.

Greenhouse 25132 250th Ave.

Glenwood, MN 56334

Phone: 320.634.0136

Fax: 320.634.3931

Email: glacridgegrowers@aol.com

Website: www.glacialridgegrowers.com

team members of the future! I feel like that’s absolutely a long-term investment worthy of all our support.

If you care about the future workforce for YOUR business, you should be supporting the MNLA Foundation which is helping to build that pipeline.

EARLY

ORDER DISCOUNTS CONTACT US FOR A FREE CATALOG

We try to make it as easy as possible to be involved and connected! Our Foundation board specifically has been working over the past few years to find ways to make it easier for every firm in the industry to connect to and SUPPORT our work. Here are a few convenient options that come to mind:

Support the Surplus Auction

One of the easiest ways to support the Foundation’s cause — while you’re doing good for your own business — is to use your “seasonal cleanout” to identify items you aren’t using anymore that may have value for another company and donate them to the MNLA Foundation Surplus Auction.

The Foundation collaborates with Jeff Martin Auctioneers (formerly Fahey) to produce the auction, it runs year-round… but as we all know, there may be businesses RIGHT NOW as we head into spring that could use some of our excess equipment. You can clean out your shop/ garage while you do some good for the industry! If you act quickly, you should still be able to get items submitted before the upcoming March 28, 2023, auction (22nd Annual Turf, Golf Course & Construction Equipment auction).

Donation is easy: I’ve donated my own truck to this cause before — and as a company, we often find valuable equipment we need at auction. So whether you’re a donor or buyer — or both!! — there’s truly something for everyone and supporting the MNLA Foundation Surplus Auction is a win/win.

Social Fundraisers

Sometimes, leading a business can be lonely. Connecting with other people who understand the work you do can be a great outlet and building your professional network can come in handy when you’re trying to solve a sticky problem … someone you’ve met at an MNLA event probably has dealt with something similar! That’s what makes the Foundation's social fundraisers a double bonus: you get to connect with other professionals while supporting career-building initiatives within the industry! Check out these upcoming events — something for everyone!

• February 22, 2023: 2nd annual Bowling Tournament fundraiser at Flaherty’s Arden Bowl in Arden Hills. If you didn’t attend last year, consider attending or sending a team — it was a really fun event!

• July 18, 2023 — Golf Tournament at Crystal Lake Golf Club, Lakeville

• September 19, 2023 — Clay Pigeon Shoot at Game Unlimited in Hudson, Wisconsin.

But the EASIEST thing you can do is shop suppliers who support the Workforce Development Partners’ Fund.

Chances are, you’re probably ALREADY buying from one of the suppliers who have committed to support the Foundation by facilitating simple opt-in donations on invoices (1/2 of 1%) that support the Workforce Development Partners Fund:

• Bachman’s Wholesale Nursery & Hardscapes

• Bailey Nurseries

• BFG Supply

• Central Landscape Supply

• Cross Nurseries

• Gertens Wholesale & Professional Turf Supply

• Wilson’s Nursery

• … and more on the way!

This is an opt-in program: just tell your supplier that you want to support the Workforce Development Partner’s Fund and turn on this simple calculation for your upcoming spring invoices, and you’ll AUTOMATICALLY be supporting the Foundation with every purchase! Small individual contributions (example: it’s $5 on a $1000 invoice) can really add up and make a difference.

The Time Is Now

In closing, as we come out of the COVID era (which was unexpectedly beneficial to so many of our businesses) and are entering a slightly more unsettled economic future. Collective action and investment in the future is more important than ever. We can all capitalize on small opportunities to improve our own businesses and support the broader industry. I hope to see you at an event in the coming year, and I appreciate your support of the MNLA Foundation.

➽ JOHN O'REILLY, Otten Bros. Garden Center & Landscaping, is a member of the MNLA Board of Directors and MNLA Foundation Board of Trustees. He can be reached at j.oreilly@ottenbros.com.

MEMBER PROFILE: CARLIN

HORTICULTURAL SUPPLIES

COMPANY SNAPSHOT

Company Name: Carlin Horticultural Supplies

Company Location(s): Milwaukee WI, St. Paul MN, Joliet IL, New Berlin WI.

Company owners: The Maletzke Family

Year Company was founded: 1972

Number of employees in peak season: 55

Photos courtesy of Carlin Horticultrual Supply

CARLIN HORTICULTURAL SUPPLY got its start five decades ago supplying plastic planting pots to greenhouses and nurseries across Wisconsin and Minnesota. Today, they have grown into a full-line horticultural supplies distributor to the greenhouse, garden center, nursery, and landscape sector. “We focus on bringing new and innovative knowledge and products to the industry,” said Adam Eull, Western Region Sales Manager for Carlin. Eull shared more with us about how the company got started and what has kept them going strong all these years later.

Q. You all have been in business for 50 years. That’s very exciting. How did it all start?

A. One story we are proud of is how our company started 50 years ago with an innovative owner. Lin Maletzke owned a garden center in metro Milwaukee called Lin’s Flowerland. Lin — and

Katie Mills Giorgio

every other grower in the area at that time — was using clay pots for greenhouse production. Lin saw the breakage, weight, and waste that the clay pots brought. He found a couple of Minnesota companies that were making ‘new’ plastic pots for greenhouses and nurseries, Belden Plastics and T.O. Plastics. So, Lin drove to Minnesota, filled his horse trailer with the ‘new’ plastic pots, and brought them home to use in his own production. At that time, he also partnered up with his clay pot salesman Carl Kreuter to form what is Carlin Horticultural Supplies. Together they sold plastic pots to other greenhouses and nurseries. And what’s great is that 50 years later we are still family-owned by the Maletzke family.

Q. After serving the industry for so long, tell us how you innovate.

A. We put a lot of effort into understanding market trends and looking ahead so we can help guide our customers to their continued success. It’s our goal to stay in front of and bring that market information, homeowner trends, and new product information to our customers to help our customer keep their operations relevant and innovative.

Q. What other changes have you all seen over your 50 years in business?

A. There are many, but the redevelopment of our website over the last several years has been something that we’re proud of and are continually improving. When you are business to business that website is a big piece

of the way you are able to serve customers. We’ve spent a lot of time from a marketing standpoint to get that right.

Q. How do you also stay true to your foundational values?

A. This has always been a family-owned and operated business. It was when it started and it still is today. Even though we have employees spread out across four locations, we are all still connected by those family values. We take care of each other and get the job done for ourselves and our customers. We even feel like our customers are extended family, some of them have been with us for so long. Many of our customers are also family-owned businesses so we can relate in that way and it sets us apart in the sector. Anymore in today’s world, it’s not just about the product, it’s about the people. People buy from people and we feel like we’ve got a really great team that provides excellent customer service. We are proud to be family-owned which is something that is not true of other distributors in the marketplace.

Q. You serve a wide geographic region. What helps you all best serve your customers?

A. We have four distribution locations. Milwaukee is the mothership, where our corporate office and a warehouse are located. But we have three other warehouses around the Midwest and those are our distribution points and where we manage inventory. They are the key to our operations in helping us serve the Upper Midwest, including North Dakota,

South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan.

Q. Can you give me some examples of how your company demonstrates professionalism, ethical operations, and good employee relations?

A. We take pride in investing in and helping our team members build their resumes. We want everyone to be successful and build for their futures by offering continued education, product training, and attending networking events such as Northern Green. We work hard to retain everyone as they build those resumes with us so we can all grow together. And we feel that every employee’s role plays an important part in our success.

Q. How do you find value in your MNLA membership?

A. We appreciate all the different events hosted by MNLA and because of all the work you do for the industry as a whole, whether raising money for scholarships, hosting Northern Green, or handling the legislative piece. MNLA did such a great job when COVID came around to help us keep our doors open as an essential business. I know there are so many things MNLA does behind the scenes that we benefit from and are grateful for. We see a lot of value in that.

➽ Interested in being profiled in the Scoop? Our writer is always looking for a good story. Email brianna@mnla.biz to be considered for inclusion.

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SUMMER USDA 3-8

4-6’ TALL + 4-5’ WIDE

THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (MDA) is responsible for the administration of the Nursery Law, Minnesota Statute Chapter 18H. The law prevents the introduction and spread of harmful plant pests in the state.

To accomplish this, nursery stock produced for sale must be inspected annually and certified free of harmful plant pests. Stock originating outside Minnesota must be officially certified to be free from injurious pests and under all applicable quarantines at origin.

The MDA Nursery Inspection and Certification Program provides a vital service to the nursery industry and protects consumers from purchasing plants that are not viable or contain pests. Annual inspections reduce losses from harmful pests by detecting and treating problems before they can cause more serious damage. Certified nursery stock can move freely within the United States, and special certificates are issued for plants being exported. A standard of quality is maintained to assure the industry, as well as consumers, that the product they are purchasing is viable and in a healthy condition.

Anyone selling nursery stock in Minnesota must have a valid Minnesota Nursery Stock Dealer or Nursery Stock Grower Certificate. They must also sell only certified nursery stock and provide documents to verify certification of stock offered for sale.

Nursery Stock Inspections and Pests

The Nursery Inspection and Certification Program has five regional staff located in Bemidji,

St. Cloud, Rochester, and the Twin Cities. Staff completed 764 nursery inspections in 2022. The purpose of an inspection visit is to identify plants that are not certified for sale due to a plant pest, disease, or other health condition. In 2022, inspectors reported 875 incidents involving 10,736 plants requiring regulatory action. This is up from 2021 when 590 incidents were identified involving 5,893 plants.

Insect Pests

The most significant insect pests encountered during the 2022 season were boring insects. Bronze birch borer on birch, flat-headed apple tree borer on maples, and others can be very destructive. Trees infested with borers must be removed and destroyed. It is recommended that remaining trees be treated with insecticides to protect them from attack. Borers can be difficult to detect since they feed under the bark. However, early detection can be difficult and may require cutting into the bark to confirm borer activity.

Along with borers, mites, including spruce spider mite and eriophyid mites, were reported often. Typically, mites are not a significant impact to overall plant health but can cause aesthetic issues. Mites tend to be more numerous during dry weather with little rain to knock down populations. Scale insects,

including Fletcher scale on Taxus, and gall forming insects on spruce such as spruce gall midge and eastern spruce gall adelgid were also reported.

Diseases

The most often reported plant diseases encountered during the 2022 inspection season included canker on deciduous trees and Cytospora canker on spruce. Cankers can be caused by living organisms, including fungi, bacteria, and insects, or by abiotic events, such as weather, mechanical wounds or animal damage. Trees found with cankers must be removed and destroyed.

Commonly found diseases included Phytopthora root rot, fireblight, and white pine blister rust. Incidents of virus on hosta and other perennials were reported 64 times. When found, virus infected plants must be destroyed. In addition to hosta virus complex, tobacco rattle virus is commonly found on Dicentra

Abiotic Causes

Along with insects and disease organisms, inspectors encountered stock that was not handled or cared for properly. Stock is considered non-viable if it will not grow with normal vigor when given reasonable care. Extremely warm, dry weather resulted in retailers unable to maintain adequate moisture, resulting in desiccation and removal from sale.

Violations

The Nursery Inspection and Certification Program issued 156 reports of violation to

Japanese Apple Rust.

MDA

nursery stock dealers and grower certificate holders in 2022, nearly doubled from 2021. The increase in packaged plant violations was likely a result of an extremely late spring and routine packaged plant shipments arriving at retail stores weeks prior to acceptable local weather planting conditions. Packaged plants are sold in early spring and must be kept in a dormant state to maintain viability. Once they break dormancy, they must be planted immediately, or they will likely not survive.

The enforcement of Minnesota’s Noxious Weed Law resulted in the second highest incidents of violations. Several of Minnesota’s specially regulated noxious weeds have labeling requirements that must notify buyers of the plant’s invasive nature. Both Amur maple and Norway maple must be labeled with instructions to plant only in areas where seedlings will be controlled and at least 100 yards from natural areas. This lack of labeling accounted for 26 incidents in which 288 plants were not properly labeled.

The sale of prohibited and restricted noxious weeds such as Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), ‘Rose Glow’ bareberry (Berberis thunbergia), and Siberian peashrub (Caragana abrorescnes) was documented at 16 Minnesota nurseries. It is in violation of the Minnesota Noxious Weed law to offer for sale or propagate prohibited or restricted listed plants. The current Minnesota Noxious Weed List can be viewed on the MDA website.

To assure customers are not being misled by plant labels regarding accurate cold hardiness claims, the MDA requires that labels be consistent with the Cold Hardiness List on the MDA website. Nineteen violations were issued for 382 plants that had mislabeled cold hardiness zones.

New Pest: Red Star Rust (also known as Japanese Apple Rust) – Gymnosporangium yamadae

Red star rust, caused by the fungal plant pathogen Gymnosporangium yamadae, is a

disease of apple, crabapple, and juniper. In its native range in Asia, red star rust causes defoliation and yield reduction in commercial apple orchards. In late August, red star rust (Gymnosporangium yamadae) was detected in field grown crab apple trees in Dakota County. This was the first report of red star rust in Minnesota. Since then, red star rust has been identified in eight counties.

Infected crabapple trees have bright red, orange, or yellow leaf spots. All trees infected with red star rust were issued a stop sale notice. These trees were allowed to be sold once the leaves dropped, as the pathogen does not survive on woody tissue. The alternate host of this disease are the following Juniperius species: J. chinensis, J. sabina, J. sargentii, J. squamata, and J. procumbens Junipers on site were also removed from sale as these could have latent infections and could be responsible for moving the disease. Fungicides are available to protect crabapple trees from infection.

James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

TO ASSURE CUSTOMERS ARE NOT BEING MISLED BY PLANT LABELS REGARDING ACCURATE COLD HARDINESS CLAIMS, THE MDA REQUIRES THAT LABELS BE CONSISTENT WITH THE COLD HARDINESS LIST ON THE MDA WEBSITE.

Winged burning bush.

Jumping Worms (Amynthas spp.)

They are called “jumping worms” because of their unusual behavior when disturbed – they move like a snake and sometimes appear to be jumping. A light-colored ring extends around the body and may be more prominent than in other earthworms. Jumping worms refers to multiple species, including the genus Amynthas. Jumping worms live and feed in the leaf litter layer on the soil surface and in the top few inches of the soil, but they do not create burrows. Amynthas are able to survive a variety of conditions, including cold winter temperatures. People spread jumping worms throughout North America by moving potted plants, soil, compost, mulch, and fishing bait. Jumping worms were first identified in Minneapolis in 2006 and since that time have been confirmed in 19 counties. Best management practices have been developed with the University of Minnesota Extension regarding compost and mulch to limit jumping worm infestation.

Japanese Beetle Certification

Japanese beetles are highly destructive plant pests that attack foliage, flowers, and fruits of more than 300 ornamental and agricultural plants. Several regulatory issues and the dramatic spread of Japanese beetle in the United States required the creation of the U.S. Domestic Japanese Beetle Harmonization Plan in 1998 to slow the spread of Japanese beetles across the United States.

Minnesota has been designated a Category 3 state, which means the state is considered generally infested though there are areas of the state that Japanese beetle have yet to be established. To ship Minnesota grown nursery stock to Category 1 and 2 states, nursery sites must be certified in compliance with this interstate agreement. Certification can be obtained via container accreditation, trapping survey, soil sampling, and treatment of plants prior to shipment.

Spongy Moth (formerly known as Gypsy Moth)

Spongy moth (Lymantria dispar) is a federally regulated plant pest in the eastern United States and Canadian provinces. Populations in Minnesota exist in the far northeastern region of the state. Cook and Lake counties are quarantined for spongy moth, where it is considered established, but populations have not yet reached outbreak-levels.

Spongy moth populations are on the rise in Minnesota and neighboring states. In 2022, Minnesota’s spongy moth detections reached a historic all time high with 101,763 male moths being detected statewide. This breaks the 2013 record when 71,258 moths were detected. The highest increase in detections was in the two quarantined counties and adjacent St. Louis County. Both Wisconsin and Michigan also have seen significant spongy moth population booms in recent years. It is important for the nursery trade to stay vigilant and assure this pest doesn’t get a foothold in Minnesota.

Regulated Noxious Weeds

The MDA Nursery Inspection and Certification Program also inspects for noxious weeds being offered for sale and assures for proper consumer labeling if required. The Minnesota Noxious Weed List has five categories of weeds: prohibited, restricted, specially regulated, county regulated, and federally regulated. Noxious weeds found on the prohibited-eradicate or prohibited-control list cannot be sold or propagated in Minnesota, while noxious weeds found on the restricted list cannot be imported, sold, or transported in the state. Specially regulated plants are noxious weeds that have specific man-

THE MDA NURSERY INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAM ALSO INSPECTS FOR NOXIOUS WEEDS BEING OFFERED FOR SALE AND ASSURES FOR PROPER CONSUMER LABELING IF REQUIRED.

agement criteria. They may be sold but have restrictions that can also require enforcement.

Amur maple (Acer ginnala) and Norway maple (Acer platanoides) are specially regulated plants that require a label detailing how to distance planting from native areas and be controlled by mowing or other means to avoid further disbursement. Each plant must have the specially regulated language affixed as an instruction tag for the consumer. Notice of Violations are issued if this information is absent, plants are removed from sale until the labeling is corrected, and fines or penalties may apply. Winged burning bush (Euonymus alatus) is now on the restricted plant list, after its three-year production phase out, and cannot be sold in Minnesota.

Nursery Exports

Nursery stock and plants being exported must meet certain phytosanitary conditions for entry into foreign countries, including an inspection and the witnessing of official treatments. The MDA issued 181 Federal Phytosanitary Certificates for nursery stock, the majority of which were for shipments to Canada. In 2022, over one million pieces of nursery stock were issued phytosanitary certificates for foreign exports.

Barberry Black Stem Rust and Noxious Weed

Barberry is the alternate host of black stem rust of wheat and other small grains. As such, only barberry plants that have been tested at the USDA Cereal Rust Lab, found resistant, and propagated asexually can be offered for sale in protected cereal producing states, including Minnesota. The USDA publishes a list of those approved, named cultivars. In 2022, inspectors found a cultivar not listed on the approved USDA list being offered for sale in Minnesota. The supplier was contacted, and it was determined that the plant ‘Purple Plume’ was not on the list of rust resistant plants and had not been approved for shipment to protected states. USDA collected samples of ‘Purple Plume’ and submitted them for testing at the Cereal Rust Lab in Saint Paul, MN. It was determined that the plant was rust resistant. However, ‘Purple Plume’ has not been submitted by the grower for approval and has not been added to the rust resistant list.

Along with being the potential host of black stem rust, certain cultivars of barberry have been identified as invasive noxious weeds. There are 26 varieties of barberry that are restricted noxious weeds and cannot be offered for sale in Minnesota. These are addressed under noxious weeds above.

➽ The

MDA Nursery Inspection and Certification Program looks forward to working with nursery stock dealers and nursery stock growers in 2023 to protect our natural resources from invasive pests, diseases, and weeds. Find more information about the program, certification, and state regulations at www.mda.state.mn.us/nurseryprogram.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR HARDSCAPE PROJECTS SHINE!

When designing your next hardscape project have you considered low voltage lighting? When done correctly, a few lights added to your next hardscape project will have your customers loving your work day and night year round.

Many times, light fixtures are needed or installed in areas that can be difficult to keep fixtures safe from snow plows, pool activities, lawn mowers and people. Path fixtures can go crooked, break at the stake and leave expensive fixture repairs for companies and consumers. With hardscape lighting, the fixtures are attached or surface mounted in applications that eliminate those potential service issues and will uniquely

Types of Fixtures

Hardscape Well Lights

For uplighting architectural columns, walls and flags.

highlight your project with in-direct light for years without any service issues. When installed, the fixtures become inconspicuous during the daytime.

Preplanning

A little preplanning for wiring will make your job easier and look better. Getting conduits in place and the cable to the needed areas prior to installing pavers or gluing top caps, is the most import-

ant task to complete when considering lighting for your project. When installing conduit sleeves, make certain to seal the ends and mark the placement of the conduit to make finding it easier. For fixture installs along walls, you can lay the cables in the paver base sand and leave the fixture areas exposed to install the fixture mounting sleeve. Then you can come back and notch cut the desired pavers.

Ledge Lights

For under top caps on columns, outdoor kitchens, living areas and sitting walls.

Ledge fixture

Micro Bullets/Flat Front & Half Moon

For perimeter lighting along driveways, walkways, around pool decks and wall lighting. Great for perimeter accenting and wall washing.

Mounting sleeve

Hillside canopy trees come alive with the glow of uplighting.

Hardscape well lighting for architectural columns

Paver lighting for driveways, walkways and around pools

Wall washing with half-moon micro bullet paver lights Square front face

Micro Bullet fixture

Installing Hardscape Lighting

Ledge Lights

Mount ledge lights on desired sides of the columns, 4ft.-6ft. apart along sitting walls and above address numbers. Rough in a 14/2 or 16/2 whip of low-voltage cable to the inside of the column or wall area. Center the ledge light over the center of the desired wall or column and mark the mortar plate area on the top of the mounting surface. Grind the marked area with a grinder so the mortar plate sits flush with the top off the mounting surface. Cut a groove in the top of the mounting surface for the fixture lead along the outside edge of the mortar plate. Use exterior masonry adhesive on the bottom side of the mortar plate and masonry surface to adhere the ledge light. Use wire nuts to connect fixtures to rough in cable whip. If you are using a concrete mortar joint on the top cap, first put down your mortar joint then set the fixture on top of the mortar so the fixture sits tight up against the bottom of the top cap. After the top cap has been installed, then you can complete any of the fixture assembly and lamping to prevent any fixture damage during installation.

Paver Lighting

For mounting fixtures along driveways, walkways and around pools, space micro bullet fixtures every 8ft.-12ft. Run the low-voltage cable along the outside edge of the driveway or walkway and leave a 12” loop at the desired fixture locations. On the desired paver, cut a 1-⅝” square notch on the corner of the paver. Align the fixture mounting sleeve to line up with the notched corner of the paver and glue the mounting sleeve to the inside corner of the installed pavers and route the fixture cable to the outside edge of the pavers. Line up the paver so the notch aligns with the fixture mounting tube and tamp the paver into place. Connect fixture lead wires with silicone filled wire

nuts and slide fixture into the mounting sleeve. The fixture is now installed so it can be walked or driven over. For wall washing, keep the fixture about 1 paver out from the wall and use a half moon front to push the light towards the wall. This can be done on existing projects too!

Hardscape Well Lighting

Use more powerful (3w-7w) LEDs in the fixtures than used in a (1w-2w) paver light. Hardscape well lights are useful for architectural lighting on the front of garages, columns on entryways and walls. They feature different front face plates for shielding light or diffusing in different directions. Well lights offer different wattages to control the lumens or amount of light, along with the ability to change beam angles from a very tight beam for flag pole lighting to a wide beam for washing walls. A mounting sleeve with conduit adapters allows for rough in prior to any concrete or paver installation. After the pavers have been installed or concrete poured, then use a rotary saw to cut the mounting sleeve to the needed height for flush fixture mounting. For wall washing fixtures 12”-15” from the outside wall, use 3w-5w, 30º-60º beam angles. For flags, use 7w LED with 15º-30º beam angle. For color rendition, try using 5000k LEDs on flags. They add about 10% more brightness than using 2700k. Use 2700K/warm white for everything else.

Concrete Lighting

Accenting borders in existing concrete driveways, and walkways is now possible with micro bullet concrete lights. Space fixtures every 8ft.-16ft. Measure in 4”-6” from the outside edge of the surface and mark surface. Use a hammer drill with a 1” dia. drill bit and drill fixture mounting holes. Dig and remove soil along the side edge of the mounting hole and remove soil to the access mounting hole. Ream holes clean with drill to make certain fixture fits correctly into the mounting

hole. Fish fixture wire through mounting hole and outside edge of the surface. Insert the fixture into the mounting hole and make connection fixture connections.

Hardscape lighting is an easy way to add a great profit opportunity and really make your work shine at night!

For more information and lighting ideas visit touchstonelights.com

Hillside canopy trees come alive with the glow of uplighting.

Extra Wide 10” Ledge fixtures Micro Bullet paver fixtures

Hardscape Well fixtures

Rough in cable to columns and walls before the top cap

Installing with mortar plate or without mortar plate

Measure for corner notch, cut paver and glue mounting sleeve

A fifth-generation family business, we grow healthy specimen qua lity trees and have a strong commitment to our customers. Our nursery grows a diver se and superior selection of Shade, Ornamental, and Evergreen trees. We are loc ated in Northern Illinois and are able to ship to the surrounding state s.

We welcome the opportunity to show you our nursery, our quality and our service.

2022

ANNUAL FLOWER TRIALS SUMMARY

North Central Research & Outreach Center

Courtesty of Leanne Stanley

Sales Tax Guidance

Did you know that the Minnesota Department of Revenue has published Fact Sheets and Industry Guides to help with sales and use tax?

Nursery and greenhouse production farms that grow trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, potted plants and other plants for

nnual flower trials are hosted at the North Central Research and Outreach Center (NCROC) in Grand Rapids, MN. This research is an extension of the flower trials occurring at the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) in Morris, MN. Companies such as All-America Selections, Proven Winners, Syngenta Flowers, and many others trial their flower varieties here at the NCROC in the field, in hanging baskets, and containers. During flower evaluations we grade the plants based on criteria such as color, uniformity, uniqueness, plant health, hardiness in Zone 3, and insect/disease resistance.

Cultivars

In the 2022 growing season, 129 unique cultivars were evaluated in field plots, hanging baskets, and/or containers. The trial plants are primarily evaluated in the garden. Selected varieties are also grown in planters as requested by participating seed companies. In the field, there were 89 full-sun plots and 19 shade plots. As for the remaining vegetation located in the planters, there were 14 hanging baskets and 22 containers.

Greenhouse Growing Summary

This year most of the trial’s varieties germinated successfully. Begonias planted from seed struggled to get started. Grow lights were used on these plants to accelerate the germination and growth of the seedlings. A few of the variety’s seeds were inert. The vegetative plugs received this season were in fair condition although we did have some mixed plugs from rough transport. One application of insecticide was needed for whiteflies, aphids, and fungus gnats (see Disease

Problems/Pest Control section). To support plant growth a mild solution of water-soluble 20-10-20 fertilizer was applied once a week. Small increases in the rate occurred weekly during the greenhouse growing period and continued through the rest of the summer in the field and in the hanging baskets or containers.

Planting Date

Transplanting seedlings into the field began on June 6th and was finished by the end of week 24 on June 10th. This season we installed raised beds for all field flowers using 3 mm black plastic. Field layouts included rows spaced 4 feet apart for shade and 6 feet apart for full sun, with 10 plants per plot distributed 1 foot on center. Hanging baskets [12" × 7"] and containers [large: 20" × 18", small: 18" × 10"] were potted from June 20th through June 24th, depending on plant health and growth, with 2–3 plugs per planter.

Weather Conditions and Frost Date

April ended the same as it began; cool and

sale ultimately at retail qualify for the agricultural production and farm machinery exemptions. (The definitions of farm machinery and agricultural production are included in the fact sheets.) Nursery and greenhouse operations that store plant stock waiting to be sold at retail or house inven-

tory for landscapers do not qualify for the agricultural production and farm machinery exemptions. Download the latest version of Sales Tax Fact Sheet 121C for further details at http://www.revenue. state.mn.us/sites/ default/files/202301/FS121C.pdf.

New Grant to Help Improve Minnesota’s Soil Health

Due March 20.

Applications are now open for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) new Soil Health

Financial Assistance

Pilot Program soil health equipment

grants. These grants are available to individual producers, producer groups, and local governments to purchase or retrofit soil health equipment. Grant awards will provide up to 50% cost-share, with a minimum award of $500 and a maximum award of $50,000. A

Salvia Rockin Deep Purple. All photos courtesy of Leanne Stanley

total of $475,000 is available for the Soil Health Financial Assistance Pilot Program soil health equipment grants. “We recognize that building soil health is important to water quality and our other natural resources in Minnesota,” said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. “Implement-

ing soil health practices on farms, however, often requires specialized, expensive equipment and machinery.

The Soil Health Financial Assistance Pilot Program will help offset equipment costs, helping to expand the number of farmers and acres engaged in soil health activities.”

rainy. May was a stormy month of wind, rain, and even hail. The first half of June held temps around the lower 70s with cool nights and very little rain. Gradually temperatures increased through June and July with an accumulation of 7" of rainfall between the two months. The storms this season produced both intense, short-lived precipitation

Examples of eligible new or used equipment include, but are not limited to, no-till drills, air seeders, highboys, variable-rate equipment, retrofit projects to allow notill planting, and more. Parts and materials used to retrofit existing equipment are also eligible. Find the

Request for Proposals and application link at www.mda.state.mn.us/ soil-health-grant. Minnesota’s soil health efforts tie into the work of the State Water Plan, Nutrient Reduction Strategy, emission reduction targets, Climate Action Framework, and other objectives.

New Members

CHS Superior Landscaping; Cornerstone Properties; MN Waste Wise Foundation; Nathan’s Lawn Care; Passageway Financial; Walkabout Outdoor, Inc.

Sunflower Concert Bell.

Dianthus interspecifice Chiba Improved Aricula Mix.

Celosia Asian Garden.

events along with more moderate rains that soaked all afternoon. Daily temperatures stayed the same in August with more rainfall. Once into September, the temperatures started to gradually drop off. The first hard frost happened on September 28th with a low of 27°F.

Irrigation

Along with the raised beds, t-tape irrigation was used in the garden and field flowers were watered on timers. The shade plot used timers and either t-tape or drip emitters to receive water at regular intervals. Hanging baskets and containers also used timers and drip emitters to dispense water at regulated times. All schedules were adjusted as weather conditions dictate.

Weed Control

Before field planting, the garden was tilled to remove the remaining vegetation and prep the soil. Black, 3 mm plastic was installed in 3-foot-wide raised beds for weed suppression. These rows held the trial plants for both full sun and shade field locations. In the full-sun planting, 6-foot alleyways were seeded with annual ryegrass which was mowed throughout the summer to further minimize hand weeding and tilling. In the shade plots, the pre-emergent herbicide, Preen, was broadcast in the walkway to prevent weed growth. Very little hand-weeding or action hoe work was needed this season due to the raised beds.

Disease Problems/Pest Control

In preparation for plants, a mild solution of Zerotol 2.0 was applied to greenhouse benches and floors to limit pathogens and algae in the greenhouse. Seedlings were later treated with insecticides for aphids and fungus gnats (Attain TR & Pyrethrin). Pest pressure in the greenhouse was extremely low this year. Sticky traps set out along grow benches were the main action taken to keep pest populations under control. In the field, leafhoppers were present again this year. Aster yellows developed in the petunias halfway through the growing season. Other diseases included powdery mildew on the zinnia cultivars and marigold blooms that were affected by gray mold. Vincas were treated with supplemental fertilizer one time for iron deficiency. Tomatoes were treated with a fertilizer containing calcium once a month while in the greenhouse and once during peak fruit production in the field.

Annual Top 10 Picks for the 2022 Flower Trial

1. Salvia, Rockin’® Deep Purple 2023 by Proven Winners

2. Dianthus interspecific, Chiba™ Improved Auricula Mix by Hem Genetics

3. Celosia, Asian Garden by All America Selections

4. Sunflower, Concert Bell by All America Selections

5. Petunia x hybrida, SuperCal® Premium Orange Sunset by Sakata Seed

6. Tradescantia, Proven Accents® Purple Queen by Proven Winners

7. Verbena, Vanity by All America Selections

8. Coleus, Premium Sun Ruby Heart by Pan American

9. Celosia plumosa, Arrabona Red - Bronze Leaf by Hem Genetics

10. Osteospermum, Bright Lights® Sunset by Proven Winners

Table 1. Maximum points allocated to each of the contributing traits in the A.R.T.S.® standard monthly evaluation rating.

Petunia x hybrida SuperCal Premium Orange Sunset.

Tradescantia Proven Accents Purple Queen. Verbena Vanity.

The

engineered, ruggedly designed Kubota machines. Built upon a single-minded truth understood by operators on jobsites all over the world. Reliability comes in just one color

Deadheading

In the greenhouse stage, flowers were deadheaded to promote root growth. Minimal efforts were spent on tidying blooms once they were outdoors.

Explanation of Flower Evaluation

Evaluations of plant performance were completed only by the current staff of NCROC. The plants were evaluated twice during August using criteria such as uniformity, growth, health /vigor, flower quality and production, insect/ disease resistance, and how unique the cultivar is. An early rating was given during August 1–15, with a late rating assigned during the last part of the month, August 16–31. The rating was based on a scale of 0–5, with 0 being the lowest possible score and 5 being the highest and indicating excellent performance. All scores given by evaluators were compiled and averaged and the results were reported for each cultivar. Some cultivars were judged for their foliage only, such as coleus and ipomea. For these, the evaluators applied “Not Applicable” (N/A) in the flower category, and it did not affect the mean average score.

General Performance Summary

There were a few complications with low germination rates early this spring, but most of the cultivars developed enough hardy plants ready for transplant. The hardening-off process was carried out inside the greenhouse this season. The greenhouse temperature settings were set to mimic general temperature fluctuations outdoors and fans were spread throughout to simulate wind. The experiment wasn’t a complete success though. The greenhouse controls struggled at dealing with the high-end temperatures. There is no cooling

system, and the vents couldn’t keep up with hot days. There were a few heat-stressed plants due to this. Despite the setback, most all varieties survived transplanting and grew well in the raised beds. It was not a strong year for Petunias. They all seemed to lack vigor in the field, and none managed to avoid Aster Yellows. The last to get it was Supertunia Mini Vista® White, just after evaluations finished. Marigolds and Zinnias did very well for most of the season but eventually succumb to powdery mildew. In the shade containers,

there were some issues with deer browse. At times throughout the summer, it got windy enough that the taller plants required staking to prevent lodging. It was the Salvia varieties that really stood out this season, along with some others like the Celosia cultivars. Overall plant health was good in all planting locations here at NCROC.

➽ FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact the North Central Research and Outreach Center at lstanley@ umn.edu.

Coleus Premuim Sun Ruby Heart.

Celosia plumosa Arrabona red - Bronze Leaf.

Osteospermum Bright Lights Sunset.

Poly • Drain Tile

SRW Reinforced Grid

Geotextile • Edging

Erosion Control

Polymeric Sand

Fabric & Staples

Tools

• Gloves

Curb Buddy

Adhesive & Marking Paint

WHY LEADERSHIP ISN’T

ENOUGH

It gets more complicated. These teams, where their micro culture is not working, interact with other teams in your company, and this impacts communication with the rest of the organization and the overall culture of your enterprise.

If this scenario sounds familiar, you are not the only business owner or manager experiencing this quandary. Many business gurus will emphatically claim that if your leadership team is up to speed, everything else will take care of itself. The unfortunate truth is – it won’t.

Let me rephrase that last statement: If your leadership team is up to speed everything else won’t take care of itself.

If communication with one or two teams is out of sync, it will have a powerful impact on the rest of your organization.

If you are going to make progress in creating the kind of company that can weather the challenges and seize the opportunities today’s business climate can bring, you must address two other critical areas. The two other parts of the formula for success that need to be recognized and addressed are communication and culture.

Communication within any business is a frontier fraught with chances for things to go wrong. According to business expert,

Your leadership team has just completed its latest training webinar on developing their management skills, yet something is missing. It’s clear that with some of your leader’s individual teams there is something definitely wrong. Communication is not as it should be and the overall culture of that leader’s group is not gelling.

Tom Borg

© All Rights Reserved

Barbara Bean-Mellinge, “With so many ways to communicate, from person-to-person to texting, being in the business world can feel like information overload. Between personal and business communications, it seems as if there’s a constant onslaught, and the only reasonable solution is to disengage. Employees that have pressing deadlines will ignore texts and phone calls, and many don’t check their email. Important messages about meetings, statistics and problems are sent but not seen.”

In other words, communication has become more complex today. Ways to communicate that were meant to enhance our understanding and connection with others, has actually done much to complicate and create a frustrating disconnect.

As a result, our listening skills are dulled by the overwhelming onslaught of interruptions and distractions that force their way into our lives.

It is like trying to have a conversation in a crowded and very noisy restaurant. It is almost impossible to concentrate or even want to engage with another person in a meaningful way.

Now, back to your company. In its own unique way, might this be happening from time to time with your teams? If it is, begin to look for ways you can develop the communication skills of your entire team. It has been said, you don’t have enough time, not to take the time, to learn how to increase the communication skills of you and everyone else in your company.

Do you and your team members understand their own behavior styles? Do they know how to identify and work with each other’s behavioral styles? What about their driving forces or motivators? Do you and your team members understand their own driving forces? Do they know how to identify and work with each of their peers? There are many excellent assessment tools available on the market that measure these critical areas. Do some research about them. Pick one assessment and use it for each person in your company. The one I use with my clients is called Talent Insights™.

Hire a coach or a trainer to come into your company to assess and deliver skill building strategies in the area of speaking, listening, behavior styles and driving forces. Make it a point to encourage your managers and employees to develop their skill sets on their own, through audio books and videos. There is a plethora of knowledge and information available. But it is up to you as the owner, to be the catalyst to make it happen. Remember,

good communication doesn’t cost – it pays!

The third piece to the puzzle is your company’s unique culture. One way to define culture is what leadership guru Michael Kouly calls, “the sum of the behaviors of all its people.”

In other words, each one of your employees brings their own unique being to your workplace. This person, and who they are, is the direct result of their lifetime of personal and work experiences. How you as a leader can take what they bring and create a space for it to be part of your overall company culture, is the key to creating an organization that your employees want to be part of and thrive in.

How important is it to have a solid company culture? As thought leader Simon Sinek puts it, “Business culture matters. How management chooses to treat its people impacts everything for better or for worse.” How well does your company treat its employees and leadership team? Could it use some improvements? Why not ask your employees and leadership team for their honest and anonymous feedback. Once you know, you can respond accordingly.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), “An

organization’s culture defines the proper way to behave within the organization. This culture consists of shared beliefs and values established by leaders and then communicated and reinforced through various methods, ultimately shaping employee perceptions, behaviors and understanding. Organizational culture sets the context for everything an enterprise does. Because industries and situations vary significantly, there is not a one-size-fits-all culture template that meets the needs of all organizations.”

Your company’s mission and vision statement are an integral part of creating and sustaining a culture that works to help your team understand the purpose of why your company exists. Mutually agreed upon values are the building blocks that bond your employees together. Your culture illuminates and underscores the role each person plays to support that mission and vision statement.

Chad Rickwood, VP of Sales and Marketing and New Business Development with Termax Corporation, shared with me in a recent interview that their culture is all about serving their clients. During the COVID pandemic his team members went the extra mile and delivered product prototypes to their

customer’s homes. That is an excellent example of your people believing in and supporting the mission of your company.

SHRM goes on to state that, “When an organization has a strong culture, three things happen: Employees know how top management wants them to respond to any situation, employees believe that the expected response is the proper one, and employees know that they will be rewarded for demonstrating the organization’s values.”

So, there you have it, leadership is not enough. With it you need crystal clear communication and a vibrant culture. When you are able to do all three, you will be on your way to a balanced approach to running a successful green industry company.

Email me to receive my free Companion exercise for assessing your company’s culture.

➽ TOM BORG is a business consultant who works at the intersection of leadership, communication and culture. As a thought leader, he works with his green industry clients and their leadership teams to help them connect, communicate and work together better. You can reach him at: 734-404-5909 or email him at: tom@tomborg.com or visit his website at: www.tomborgconsulting.com.

MTGF and the MNLA Foundation have partnered again on a fundraiser benefiting scholarships in the green industry. Connect with old friends, create new friends, and have lots of fun!

• Win hundreds of dollars in prizes!

• Registration includes two games, a showdown round for a trophy and bragging rights, two drink tickets, a pizza buffet, and free bowling shoe rental.

• Fun way to get through winter!

It is not necessary to be a member of MTGF nor MNLA to participate.

Register early! This event will sell out!

• Wednesday, February 22, 2023

• Flaherty’s Arden Bowl 1273 West County Road E, Arden Hills, 55112

• 3:00 –5:30pm (registration begins at 2:30)

• $50 per person

• Register at www.MNLA.biz/bowling

Questions? Contact Paulette Sorenson: paulette@mnla.biz/651-633-4987

GREEN INDUSTRY BOWLING TOURNAMENT

MNLA FOUNDATION minnesota turf and grounds foundation

Be part of this striking networking event that includes food, drinks, shoe rentals, bowling, trophies, raffles, and much more. Proceeds will fund green industry scholarships.

LEVELING UP

Brett Caslow Evolve ActionCOACH

DO

REFER TO YOURSELF

is to control and administer all parts of the company and make sure that each person is performing. This is when you start making money from other people’s time... what a shift!

Step 5: The Owner

Step

6: The Investor

When you become an investor, you start making money with money. Making money is not just linked to your business, but may be an activity you do on the side such as making money with real estate and the stock market.

Step

1: The Student

This is the core and the most basic step that is needed to start the journey. Being a student is learning, exploring new ideas, and understanding concepts. A student is where you will be molded and equipped by mentors and teachers to proceed to the next step.

Step

2: The Employee

The next step is “The Employee” where we continue learning concepts and ideas — the time with fellow workmates and bosses. The first thing you do when you graduate from being a student is to go out in “the real world” and start looking for a job. The employee is the time where you are earning money from a job for which you are qualified and equipped.

Step

3: The Self-Employed

Once you develop enough experience and outgrow your skills (and most importantly start having bigger dreams), that is when you start your own business and become self-employed. This is where the transition occurs. This stage is the time to run your business and take responsibility for its success and failure. This is when you start trading money for time.

Step

4: The Manager

When your business starts growing and you are ready to take that leap of faith and hire your first employee, this is when you transition from being self-employed to being a manager. In this step, you will be responsible for one or many employees. A manager’s role

You will become a true business owner when you start making money from the profits that the company generates. You are now only working on your business. Your sole responsibility is to lead a motivated team that will look after the clients who in their turn will look after the business. As an owner, your primary focus is to have a team that will run the organization, so you don’t have to. At ActionCOACH we define it as a “Commercial Profitable Enterprise that WORKS WITHOUT YOU”.

Step

7: The Entrepreneur

A true entrepreneur is looking at other people’s ideas and investing in them to make more money. The work they do for their companies, you take dividends of it! I would love to hear about your entrepreneurial stories. Let’s inspire more people to pursue their dreams!

To your business success, Coach Brett brettcaslow@actioncoach.com

SNOW ATTACHMENTS KEEP YOUR GR ASSHOPPER BUSY YEAR-ROUND!

YOU

AS A SERIAL ENTREPRENEUR? If you do, then you need to read this article. When climbing the entrepreneurial ladder, these steps can help you reach different levels of success. Identify which level you are at today and write down your goals to get to the next level UP.

2023 GREEN INDUSTRY DAY ON THE HILL

Thursday, March 2nd

Join green industry professionals from around the state for a day of information-sharing and advocacy!

Our Day on the Hill is a critical opportunity for YOU to build relationships with elected officials and raise awareness about issues impacting your business, workforce, and the industry as a whole.

Members of MNLA’s Government Affairs Team and Day on the Hill “pros” will guide you through the day’s events, helping foster connections between attendees and ensuring you’re prepared for successful legislative visits.

Event Schedule:

Best Western Capitol Ridge, Capitol Hall

• 8:00-8:30 – Check-in & Complimentary Continental Breakfast

• 8:30-9:20 – Issue & Advocacy Orientation

• 9:20-9:45 – Small Group “Sessions”

Capitol Complex, Senate & State Office Buildings

• 9:45-4:00 – Meetings with your elected officials

Be sure to register by this year’s deadline – Wednesday, February 15th!

Registrations can be submitted electronically by visiting the MNLA.biz event calendar and downloading the form on our Day on the Hill event page. Submit to Felipe Illescas via email at felipe@mnla.biz or fax to 651-633-4986.

We look forward to advocating alongside you to grow results in government affairs!

Thanks to our MNLA Day on the Hill Sponsors:

Felipe Illescas MNLA Government Affairs Director

How the Legislature Works

In Minnesota, we do not have a year-round legislative session like Michigan and other states. Our legislative session, by statute 3.011, starts on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in January during odd-numbered years.

During even-numbered years, the legislature convenes on a date agreed upon by the House and Senate. The end of the legislative session is always on the first Monday after the third Saturday in May, unless a Special Session is called by the Governor. Confusing, right? It is usually easier to think about it as having a normal session (Jan–May) during odd years and a short session (usually Feb–May) during even years.

During session, legislative proposals are introduced and referred to different Committees depending on the nature of the proposal. During the Committee process, legislators learn about the proposal and listen to public comment; they also might debate before voting on the proposal. When a Committee votes positively on the proposal, the proposal then continues on to its next Committee(s) before it is sent to the Floor for a full vote by all members of the Chamber. The House and Senate follow the same process. If a Committee votes against the proposal, then the proposal’s journey ends and it is essentially “dead” for the remainder of the biennium.

However, depending on the nature of the proposal, the same proposal can be “attached” to a different proposal or can be added to an Omnibus bill, which is a big proposal made up of smaller ones.

After the Committees vote positively on legislative proposals and the House and Senate Floors also vote to pass the proposal, it is sent to the Governor to sign into law or to veto. If the legislative session ends and there are pending legislative proposals, the Governor can call a Special Session where legislators come back to debate and vote on the pending proposals.

There are thousands of proposals introduced every legislative session; and as you can imagine, it is a lot of work to ensure that a proposal makes it through this arduous process and does not get lost in the shuffle. An informed and engaged membership can make a huge difference when reaching out to legislators and providing testimony during Committee hearings. I invite you to reach out to me with any questions related to MNLA’s legislative priorities and their status in the legislative process.

 BE PRECISE

Jonathan Heaton Bartlett Tree Experts

Ultimately, being able to recommend and provide quality pruning that accomplishes the client’s long-term goals for the trees and shrubs is an essential element of being a professional.

As Navy Seal and Author Jack Carr says, “Precision in language reflects precision in thought. Be precise.” We owe it to our clients to be thoughtful about what we recommend and perform on their plants. And we can’t claim to be doing a professional job if we aren’t using professional language to outline what will be done when we write a contract.

Yet, all too often, proposals that outline pruning are vague and don’t use industry standard terms. Too many contracts only have brief phrases like “trim trees” or “prune for clearance and structure.” Not only does this lead toward unprofessional and poor-quality work, but also it leads to confusion and dissatisfaction from clients — which results in lost business and a bad reputation for your company.

Professional pruning specifications will include the pruning system being used, the objectives or goals of the pruning, and precise descriptions, or specifications, of the cuts being used and what is being removed from the plant. This is a brief review of these essential elements. For a more in-depth look at pruning review Pruning, Best Management Practices and ANSI A300 Part 1, both available from the International Society of Arboriculture. Portions of the definitions below were taken from this manual.

Pruning Systems

Pruning systems relates to the desired long-term form of the plant. Common systems that we use are natural, topiary, and fruit production. Natural pruning and topiary are the most commonly used by landscape and

tree care companies. Natural pruning seeks to maintain the natural growth habit and form where topiary pruning seeks to maintain a specific shape, such as with pruning shrubs.

Pruning Objectives/Goals

Goals outline what is going to be accomplished with the pruning. This could include options such as improve appearance, provide 6 feet of clearance to the building, maintain round shape, reduce size, reduce risk of storm damage, etc. Well written goals help to ensure the client and the crew both understand the reason for the pruning and for the crew to make good decisions about what to remove from the plant.

Types of cuts

There are four types of pruning cuts: Removal, Reduction, Heading, and Shearing.

Removal cuts remove the smaller of two branches at a union with the parent stem. Removal cuts should not damage the branch bark ridge or collar nor leave a stub. Failure to make a proper cut can lead to increased decay and other problems. Removal cuts are often used to remove smaller branches for clearance or thinning for branch spacing or air flow through the canopy. They key part of the definition is that the branch being cut off is smaller than what it is attached to.

Reduction cuts remove the larger of the two branches back to a live lateral branch or stem. The remaining lateral branch should be at least one-third the diameter of the portion of the branch being removed. Reduction cuts are often used in pruning to reduce risk or to maintain and reduce the size of plants. An example would be reducing weight on a limb growing over a house or reducing a low branch for clearance that is not removed completely.

Heading cuts remove a branch or stem between nodes, to a bud, or to a live branch

less than one-third the diameter of the branch of stem being removed. Often heading cuts leave a stub and are generally not good for established trees, thought there are examples where this may be the best option. A common example of a good use for heading cuts would be improving the shape of a smaller ornamental tree such as a crabapple.

Shearing is cutting of leaves, sprouts, and branches to a desired plane, shape, or form such as a hedge. Plants will often look better if shearing is combined with good removal and reduction cuts to help eliminate stubs and encourage healthy and attractive growth in the future.

Writing Specifications for Pruning

Proposals and work orders should include the pruning, system, goals or objective, and a thorough description of the types of cuts as well as the amount, size, and other descriptions of what will be removed. This ensures a good understanding of what will be done. For example, you may specify a goal of obtaining 12 feet of clearance over grade, and a specification to remove or reduce lower branches. Without noting the size of cuts to be made, it could be easy for the worker completing the pruning to remove a larger branch than the client would like. A good specification to obtain 12 feet of clearance over grade might look like this: Remove four live branches, lower canopy, 2–4" diameter cuts.

Reading both the ISA best management practices manual as well as Ed Gilman’s Illustrated Guide to Pruning should be essential for anyone wanting to offer pruning as a service. Having a thorough understanding of pruning and using precise language to describe what is going to be done will set your company apart as professionals and will ensure that your clients and their plants are well taken care of.

PRUNING ON WOODY PLANTS can be helpful or harmful. Even small differences in cuts can have a big difference in long-term health, strength, and appearance of trees and shrubs.

JONATHAN HEATON is a Board Certified Master Arborist, Tree Risk Assessment Qualified, and Commercial Arborist Representative, Local Manager with Bartlett Tree Experts. You can reach Jonathan at jheaton@Bartlett.com.

YET, ALL TOO OFTEN, PROPOSALS THAT OUTLINE PRUNING ARE VAGUE AND DON’T USE INDUSTRY STANDARD TERMS.

Left: iStock.com/pablo_rodriguez1. Top: iStock.com/CSA-Printstock.

ELECTION RESULTS

Patrick McGuiness

Patrick McGuiness was re-elected to the MNLA Board of Directors. Patrick is an attorney and partner with Zlimen & McGuiness, PLLC in St. Paul, Minn.  The firm, founded in 2007, focuses on assisting green industry businesses with a variety of legal needs. Patrick has extensive experience in the green industry as a former business owner and frequent contributor to industry publications and conferences. In addition to being an attorney, Patrick is a director on the board of directors at Hiway Credit Union, a director for Minnesota Lawyers Mutual Insurance Company, and a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve serving as an Assistant Professor in the Law Department at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Patrick is a member of the Networking Committee and was formerly the chair of the stormwater planning task team.  He has also participated in MNLA’s strategic planning initiatives, the MNLA Executive Director search in 2012, and served for a short time as an at-large member of the MNLA Board of Directors when he was mobilized and deployed for the Army Reserve.

Kim Gaida-Wagener

Kim Gaida-Wagener was elected to the MNLA Board of Directors. Kim is currently a Senior Sales Associate at Rock Hard Landscape Supply, a family owned landscape supply company with three locations; Burnsville, Farmington, and Jordan. She holds bachelors of arts degrees in Environmental Design and Landscape Architecture from North Dakota State University. She is also an MNLA certified professional fellow.

Kim is a current member of the Trade Show Committee and Membership Committee and has formerly served on the Garden Center and Certification Committees. She also participated on the most recent strategic planning team and assists with MNLA Foundation fundraising activities.

Susan Bachman West

Susan Bachman West was elected to the MNLA Board of Directors. Susan is a 5th generation family member and CEO of Bachman’s Inc. Bachman’s started in 1885 and has grown to now maintain six large floral, gift and garden retail stores, twenty-eight smaller floral shops, a wedding and special events division, a Nursery Wholesale and Hardscape division, a landscape design and installation division, and a greenhouse and nursery growing facility. Susan has a bachelor of arts from Wartburg College and a masters from Purdue University. She is also an MNLA certified professional. Susan is a current member of the MNLA Education Committee and the Joint Programing Board. She has also served on the MNLA Board Development Committee.

Also continuing to serve on the MNLA Board of Directors are:

• Randy Berg, Berg’s Nursery & Landscape LLC

• Matt Mallas, Site One Landscape Supply

• Greg Krogstad, Rainbow Treecare

• Jim Shimon, Willow River Company

• John O’Reilly, Otten Bros. Garden Center and Landscaping

• Terri McEnaney, Bailey Nurseries, Inc.

MNLA BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION RESULTS

MNLA.biz Career Center Job Board

Browse CAREERS in the menu, or go directly to MNLA.biz/careers. Members save money on job postings!

EMPLOYERS: PROFESSIONALS:

• PLACE your job in front of our highly qualified members

• SEARCH our resume database of qualified candidates

• MANAGE jobs and applicant activity right on our site

• LIMIT applicants only to those who are qualified

• FILL your jobs more quickly with great talent

• POST a resume or anonymous career profile that leads employers to you

• SEARCH and apply to hundreds of new jobs on the spot by using robust filters

• SET UP efficient job alerts to deliver the latest jobs right to your inbox

• ACCESS career resources, job searching tips and tools

WWW.MNLA.BIZ/CAREERS

2022 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

we are on it!

We are working to change the way young adults, parents, and communities look at horticulture as a career choice and are building a connection with schools and higher education

Awarded 26 college scholarships to promising students looking to enter the green industry. MNLA members sponsored $500 and the MNLA Foundation matched an additional $500.

Completed implementation of the Landscape Crew Member Apprentice Program that is now recognized and certified by the Minnesota Department of Labor allowing MNLA members to apply for wage and training reimbursement. Introduction recording available at www.mnla.biz/apprenticeship.

Partnered with Axiom Marketing on a survey to understand thoughts and perceptions about dry and liquid compost and its importance to business operations. The MNLA Foundation received a donation of $25 for EVERY completed survey. This survey was sent out to nursery and sod grower members.

PARTNERING

MNLA Foundation partnered with MTGF and MPSFMA for the first Bowling Tournament fundraiser. Funds raised provided two shared college scholarships to the Turf Management Program at the University of Minnesota-Crookston.

2022 Research Priorities Research Survey — Members were surveyed for research priorities to help Jim Calkins with reviewing focused research. Jim provides updates and contributes to The Scoop and MNLA Webpage.

MNLA Foundation to serve as 2022-25 Vice Chair St. Paul High School Agriculture Advisory Committee as industry liaison for agriculture teachers. The MNLA Foundation is creating

strong relationships with Saint Paul Public Schools agriculture teachers, bridging internships, hands-on activities, and financial support through the MNLA membership.

FFA 2022 Landscape Design Competition — Seven schools and more than 80 FFA students competed in the annual FFA Landscape Design and Construction Competition at the Minnesota State Fair Miracle of Birth Center. MNLA members, Karen Filloon of Southview Design and Seth Mooney of Lynde Greenhouse & Nursery, Inc. served as contest judges. Each year, MNLA host teacher workshops and instructional events at the state fair grounds.

Began the development of a new irrigation lesson plan to add to the High School Curriculum. The Horticulture Curriculum is the most viewed MNLA webpage, averaging nearly 600 views weekly.

THE MINNESOTA GREEN PROGRAM DEPENDS SOLELY ON DONATIONS.  DONATIONS ARE ACCEPTED YEAR ROUND.

with MTGF and more!

Recruited MNLA Members to help judge The National Professional Agricultural Student Organization (PAS) on March 17, 2022. Judging included landscape design, construction, floriculture, and turf management. PAS helps students prepare for careers in agriculture and hosted their National Conference in Bloomington, MN this year. Thanks to Cory Whitmer of The Mustard Seed, Inc. for judging!

Led successful fundraising activities — Over $10,000 has been raised for green careers in raffles alone. The most recent sport raffle sold close to

$5,000. Raffles, along with our other fundraisers; Golf, Shootout, Silent Auction, Bottle Pull, and the Bowling Tournament have allowed us to expand our career outreach opportunities.

High School Grant

Awarded — Edison High School in Minneapolis was awarded $1,800 for their proposal to create a pollinator garden at their school. Edison High School partners with the community organization Spark-Y which provides internships for students interested in sustainability and entrepreneurship. These interns are involved in the pollinator garden and

MNLA WORKFORCE

development committee

will be an integral part of developing the garden. Students will be able to learn from this project through multiple avenues and can engage with the project by learning about the importance of native plants and pollinator habitats.

Attended MN FFA Convention and interacted with over 600 students and teachers. More than 4,000 students attended in 2022.

Attended Minnesota Association of Agricultural Educators Conference and distributed curriculum books to teachers. To date, approximately 380 Minnesota agriculture programs use our curriculum. Sponsored MN Construction Teachers Conference to help bridge careers in both industries.

Attended MN School Counselor Conference in November to promote landscaping and horticulture as a career choice to hundreds of counselors who mentor students and provide career assistance and advice.

MNLA Workforce Development Committee — members from the MNLA Foundation and MNLA are working together on several projects to promote careers, identify and intensify messaging, and more activities related to the Foundation’s strategic plan.

Updated Foundation Web Resources - we added career videos to the MNLA Foundation page for students, parents, and teachers. You can find them on our website on the dropdown menu for “High School Curriculum”.

Recently, we added career videos to the MNLA Foundation page for students, parents, and teachers. You can find them on our website on the dropdown menu for “High School Curriculum”.

➽ TO LEARN MORE, or if you have questions about the work the MNLA Foundation is doing, contact Paulette Sorensen at paulette@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987.

In Memoriam: Jay Siedschlaw

The Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association would like to express its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Jay Siedschlaw who passed away unexpectedly on December 29, 2022.

Jay was an integral part of the MNLA community and a true green industry champion, a respected leader, a highly skilled designer, an educator and a friend to many. Jay gave countless volunteer hours over the last 15+ years to help lead an industry he was truly passionate about. Jay was Chair of the MNLA Foundation Board of Trustees, where he was helping to lead the charge on workforce development and securing the future of the green industry.

Jay was an educator at Hennepin Technical College — great at motivating students and meeting them exactly where they were at. He had a desire and a natural ability to get to know his students as real people. He wasn’t focused solely on the delivery of information, but also on how they could take that information and apply it into a real-life situation. He noticed and honored his students’ unique personalities and gifts and would adapt to accentuate their strengths.

Jay was also a connector. So, in addition to inspiring his current students, he was always looking for ways to interest more students in a future green industry career through outreach to high school educators, FFA and more. He also helped link his students to current industry businesses and obtain employment in positions that fit their

unique skillsets. Together with Deb Kvamme, Jay created a training program that produced students well-prepared for a successful career in the green industry. Many hiring managers in MNLA companies sought out students from Hennepin Tech’s training program. As one manager said, “We couldn’t promote them fast enough — they came out of Jay’s and Deb’s program ready to thrive in this industry.”

In years past, Jay also served on the Landscape Design Committee and helped judge MNLA’s Landscape Awards program. He was a proponent for hand drawing but also technology in design and was constantly moving the needle forward on new trends and techniques.

He was motivated, helpful, driven, and constantly sought opportunities to move the green industry forward. Jay always had more projects and ideas in the pipeline than anyone else in the room, yet he was usually the first to raise his hand to volunteer for an MNLA project. He lived out the values at the core of the green industry: humility, hard work, willingness to help others, and love of beautiful landscapes. We’ve lost a green industry advocate, a leader, an educator, and a friend.

Jay and his wife Jenny have two teenage children, and Jay was a loving father who often took the opportunity to brag about his kids.

He will be truly missed and our thoughts are with his family, both current and former students, and all those who knew him.