The Scoop Online - January 2016 by Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association

MNLA Foundation Contributors

Also Inside

Email Marketing for the Green Industry

Horticultural Myths Jumping Worms “Pollinator-Friendly”

TAKE A LEAP FORWARD WITH MNLA IN 2016 Education & events that grow your business

Vol: 39 No: 1 Jan 2016 T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E M I N N E S O TA N U R S E R Y & L A N D S C A P E A S S O C I AT I O N

WHOLESALE & PROFESSIONAL TURF SUPPLY

Volume 39 No. 1 Jan 2016

CONTENTS 14

70 37

IN THIS ISSUE 8

Take a Leap Forward with MNLA Events

10 From the Executive Director Something New Is Coming… 12 MDA Update Why Nursery Inspectors Pay Careful Attention to Plant Labels

14 Horticultural Myths Dr. Calkins helps us separate horticultural facts from wishful thinking, bad science, and marketing voodoo. 

21 How Does Minnesota Compare? Part II Chengyan Yue continues analyzing Minnesota’s production firms with a look at irrigation and IPM practices.  

30 Customer Review Sites: The Good and the Bad Many consumers put a lot of faith in these websites, and here’s why you should, too. 

37 You Can’t Do It All! How to remove yourself from needing to be involved in every decision by using written systems.    

48 Email Marketing for the Green Industry Don’t send another email until you read these tips, best practices, and software reviews. 

55 Troubleshooting Wire Circuits, Part II Andrew Lindquist is back to complete his article on using a voltage-ohm meter to measure wire faults. 

 Landscape & Hardscape Install & Design  Garden Services & Landscape Management  Garden Centers  Growers: Nursery & Greenhouse  Irrigation & Water Management  Arborists & Tree Services  All

27 Is “Pollinator-Friendly” the Same as “Pollinator-Attractive?” Tim Power explains why the answer is important to MNLA’s government affairs program. 43 Be on the Lookout for Jumping Worms In this Research for the Real World column, we learn about a new invasive species of earthworm. 68 MNLA Foundation: Thank You A list of individuals and companies who contributed during the last year. 70 MNLA Foundation: Scholarship Winners 17 member companies partnered to present scholarships to these 23 recipients. 75 MNLA Foundation: Highlights and Opportunities Bert Swanson reports on the many Foundation activities from the last few months of 2015. 78 Welcome Two New Staff Members Kris Peterson is our new staff accountant, while Paulette Sorenson joins as MNLA Foundation Program Coordinator. The Scoop, January 2016, Issue 1, is issued monthly, 12 times per year. All original works, articles or formats published in The Scoop are © Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association, 2016, 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 publisher at jon@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987. MNLA reserves the right to edit all Scoop content.

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MNLA .biz

MINNESOTA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION Successful Businesses Grow Here!

A Top Notch Equipment ................................................................................... 20 Allstate Peterbilt Group .................................................................................... 59

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.NorthernGreenExpo.org

Alliance Designer Products .............................................................................. 47

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

Bullis Insurance Agency .................................................................................... 29

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Central Landscape Supply ................................................................................ 35

heidi heiland, mnla-cp, president Heidi’s Lifestyle Gardens 612-366-7766 • heidi@BloomOnMN.com

herman roerick, vice-president

Central Landscape Supply 320-252-1601 • hermanr@centrallandscape.com

scott frampton, secretary-treasurer

Landscape Renovations 651-769-0010 • sframpton@landscaperenovations.com

debbie lonnee, mnla-cp, past president

Bailey Nurseries, Inc. 651-768-3375 • debbie.lonnee@baileynursery.com

randy berg, mnla-cp

Berg’s Nursery, Landscape/Garden Center 507-433-2823 • randy@bergsnursery.com

tim malooly, cid, clia, cic

Water in Motion 763-559-7771 • timm@watermotion.com

mike mcnamara

Hoffman & McNamara Nursery & Landscaping 651-437-9463 • mike.mcnamara@hoffmanandmcnamara.com

jeff pilla, mnla-cp

Bachman’s Inc. 612-861-7600 • jpilla@bachmans.com

nick sargent

Sargent’s Landscape Nursery, Inc. 507-289-0022 • njsargent@sargentsgardens.com

cassie larson, cae

Anderson Nurseries, Inc. .................................................................................. 18 Aspen Equipment ............................................................................................... 4 Bridgewater Tree Farms ................................................................................... 45 Carlin Horticultural Supplies/ProGreen Plus ..................................................... 59 Central Wood Products .................................................................................... 32 COWSMO, INC. ............................................................................................... 11 Cushman Motor Co., Inc. ................................................................................. 67 Dayton Bag & Burlap ........................................................................................ 35 Edney Distributing Co., Inc. ............................................................................ 24 Farber Bag & Supply Co. .................................................................................. 18 Frost Services ................................................................................................... 62 Fury Motors ...................................................................................................... 60 Gardenworld Inc. .............................................................................................. 35 Gertens Wholesale & Professional Turf Supply .................................................. 2 Glacial Ridge Growers ...................................................................................... 59 GM Fleet and Commercial ................................................................................. 3 Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies ........................................................ 66 Hiway Federal Credit Union ............................................................................. 13 Jeff Belzer Chevrolet .................................................................................. 40–41 Kahnke Brother Tree Farms .............................................................................. 35 Kubota Dealers ................................................................................................. 56 Lano Equipment, Inc. ....................................................................................... 29 Maguire Agency ............................................................................................... 52 McKay Nursery Co. ........................................................................................... 11

MNLA Executive Director 651-633-4987 • cassie@mnla.biz

Meacham Nursery, LLC ..................................................................................... 67

STAFF DIRECTORY

Northern Family Farms ..................................................................................... 52

Minnesota State Horticultural Society .............................................................. 25

executive director:

Out Back Nursery ............................................................................................. 62

membership director & trade show manager:

Plaisted Companies ............................................................................................ 7

Cassie Larson, CAE • cassie@mnla.biz Mary Dunn, CEM • mary@mnla.biz communications dir.: Jon Horsman, CAE • jon@mnla.biz education/cert manager: Susan Flynn • susan@mnla.biz

legislative affairs manager: Tim Power • tim@mnla.biz regulatory affairs manager: Jim Calkins • jim@mnla.biz administrative asst: Gayle Anderson • gayle@mnla.biz accountant: Kris Peterson • kris@mnla.biz foundation program coordinator: Paulette Sorenson • paulette@mnla.biz

advertising sales: 952-934-2891 / 763-295-5420

Faith Jensen, Advertising Rep • faith@pierreproductions.com Betsy Pierre, Advertising Mgr • betsy@pierreproductions.com legislative affairs consultant: Doug Carnival

AD LIST

Volume 39 No. 1 Jan 2016

➾ S E CT I O N TITLE

MNLA .biz

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RDO Equipment Co. ........................................................................................ 45 Resultants for Business, Inc. (RFB) .................................................................... 24 Rock Hard Landscape Supply division of Brian’s Lawn & Landscaping, Inc. .... 62 The Builders Group .......................................................................................... 11 Tri-State Bobcat, Inc. ............................................................................ 16, 42, 54 Truck Utilities & Mfg. Co. .................................................................................. 52 Unilock .............................................................................................................. 73 Versa-Lok Midwest ............................................................................... 19, 36, 65 Walters Gardens Inc. ........................................................................................ 28 Xylem, Ltd. ....................................................................................................... 26 Ziegler CAT ......................................................................................... Back Cover

➾ C ALE N DAR

MNLA Event

MNLA & MTGF Event

JAN13 MNLA AWARDS GALA

➾

5:30 p.m. Hilton Minneapolis MNLA.biz

NORTHERN GREEN EXPO Minneapolis Convention Center

Enjoy networking with your fellow professionals, delectable food, outstanding projects, and lots of fun as we celebrate excellence, leadership, creativity, innovation, and dedication.

Northerngreenexpo.org Attend the premier event for green industry professionals in the northern region. Advanced registration available until January 5.

MNLA Event

MAR2 OWNER WORKSHOP – BUILDING A MORE VALUABLE BUSINESS

MNLA Event

FEB17 NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR USE IN 3D LANDSCAPE DESIGN Hennepin Technical College Brooklyn Park, MN In this half day class, Jay Siedschlaw, Landscape Design Instructor at Hennepin Technical College, will demonstrate new software programs such as Lumion and SketchUp 2016, and will discuss how drones can be used in 3D design.

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JAN 13–15

MNLA Classroom, Roseville

➾

MNLA.biz For your company to be valuable, even sellable one day, there is a lot more to consider than just the bottom line. This workshop presented by Resultants for Business is designed to show you how your business is really doing in terms of building value and help you identify areas that may be silently dragging down your company’s efforts to improve.

MNLA Event

MAR3 NATIONAL CONCRETE MASONRY ASSOCIATION (NCMA) SRW Installer Training and Certification — Level 1 MNLA Classroom, Roseville MNLA.biz This seminar is designed to reinforce national standardized installation and site practices within the SRW installer community. Attendees successfully completing the classroom training and passing a written examination become recognized as a NCMA Level I SRW Installer.

2016 MNLA seminars generously supported by:

SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS • PARTS

MNLA Event

FEB10 MNLA Event

MNLA Event

FEB4–5

FEB/MAR 2016

➾

CERTIFICATION FRIDAYS IN FEBRUARY/MARCH

LANDSCAPE CONTRACTORS: Build a Better Landscape Business

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Whether you are a designer or run a garden center, choosing plants that will thrive on site mean healthy longerlived landscapes — and happier customers. Join Extension educator Julie Weisenhorn as she takes you through this helpful new tool that features over 2,800 plants and 3,450 images.

Ziegler CAT Columbus, MN Golmn.com

MNLA Certification Exam MNLA Classroom, Roseville

Taught by actual landscape contractors, this hands-on, two day seminar will help you build the systems you need to create a more predictable, profitable future.

MNLA.biz MNLA is offering the exam 7 Fridays in February and March — Pick a test date that works for you. Become a Certified Professional in 2016!

MNLA Event

MAR16 ➾

GREEN INDUSTRY DAY ON THE HILL

➾

Kelly Inn, St. Paul This annual government affairs event is an opportunity to make personal connections with legislators that will provide greater political strength to MNLA as an organization and, thus, ultimately to your business.

Hiway Federal Credit Union, St. Paul MNLA.biz Prepare for the Category A & E Pesticide Applicator Certification Exam by attending this 1 ½ day study program. Day 2 includes testing, if desired.

Event Education

MAR 21–22 PESTICIDE RECERTIFICATION WORKSHOP & EXAM

MNLA.biz

KEY:

Webinar INTRODUCTION TO PLANT ELEMENTS OF DESIGN V2.0 – A Plant Selection Program for Upper Midwest Landscapes

➾

All information on these and other industry events are online at MNLA.biz. january 16

MNLA .biz

➾ F R OM THE EXECUTIVE DI R EC TO R

Something New Is Coming… If you think you know “Expo” — think again!

in 2017, the huge green industry event co-sponsored by Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) and the Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation (MTGF) will seem familiar, yet somehow very different Cassie Larson …But never fear, the things you love about the event, MNLA Executive Director like an outstanding educational program, a top-notch trade show, the largest gathering of your green industry colleagues in our region, and just the right mix of business and fun, will all remain. The valuable content and the rejuvenating experience you expect during those three days at the Minneapolis Convention Center in January will still be there. Hopefully, I’ve piqued your interest enough to start asking…so what’s new then? Below are just a few of the new features you will see emerge in 2017: • A new schedule: Tuesday–Thursday • New registration packages/options • Multiple inspiring keynote speakers • Interactive trade show elements including more campfire experiences, a hardscape building contest, and an innovation and inspiration theater • Revised education opportunities including daylong master classes, CEO premium content, an interactive track and much more… • There will also be little surprises around every corner from music, to lighting, and beyond! Details regarding these new features, as well as the entire revised schedule will be released as the year progresses. So be sure to keep your eyes and ears open so you won’t miss a beat. All of these new elements for the event were spearheaded by a joint task team from MTGF and MNLA. At the completion of their planning, the group realized 10

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that the new content and the redesign of the experience would also require a rethinking of the event brand as well. We’re excited to announce that out of all the ideas presented, the brand “Northern Green” was confirmed as one with which our green industry resonates very strongly, and when paired with a new tagline, establishes a reinvigorated event branding.

Northern Green Where Outdoor Pros Connect + Grow The refreshed brand will include new visual components, complete with a new logo to be released in 2016. The re-branding initiative was led by Mercury Creative Group, a local branding and marketing firm, and executed by the volunteer task team. The refresh is intended to highlight the work this task team has undertaken to renew the largest green industry show in the northern region to ensure it remains interesting and relevant for future generations. “The Northern Green Expo has been a leading conference in our region for 13 years, and we want to ensure it remains a leading conference for years to come,” said MNLA President Heidi Heiland. “The new name and look will reflect our rapidly changing industry and the exciting new elements that are being added to the show beginning in 2017!” So, take out your pen, pencil, phone or iPad and mark your calendar for the newly rebranded Northern Green, January 10–12, 2017 at the Minneapolis Convention Center, because something new is coming and you won’t want to miss it!

CASSIE LARSON can

be reached at: cassie@mnla.biz.

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➾ MDA

MDA UPDATE WHY N UR SERY I N SPEC TO R S PAY C ARE F U L AT T E N T I O N T O P L A N T L A BE L S Steven Shimek

Nursery Inspection Program Coordinator

HARDINESS, POLLINATOR CLAIMS, freedom from certain pesticides and plant identity labeling have all received a lot of attention from nursery inspectors over the past few years. Why has there been so much focus on plant labeling? False claims have always been prohibited by statute 18H.14 LABELING AND ADVERTISING OF NURSERY STOCK. Recent Nursery Law revisions have created more interest in, and public awareness and enforcement of, this statute.

Inspectors spend a lot of time at dealer sites during April, May, and June. They try to keep a low profile and do their best to discuss problems where customers will not overhear them. Inspectors do hear a lot of customers looking carefully at labels and signs and asking questions of nursery sales staff. One such discussion occurred this past May as a husband and wife were picking out ornamental grasses. “Oh, this one is pretty.” “Oh wait, it’s not hardy here. I don’t want that. Let’s pick something else.” In this case the customers used important information printed on the plant label to help determine which of several plant choices they would buy. This scenario plays out quite often. Properly labeled plants should be an important sales tool and not a burden. The primary focus for inspection staff is to prevent the introduction into. and spread within, Minnesota of serious plant pests; consumer protection is also served to assure customers are not misled. Although the State of Minnesota does not require any minimum amount of labeling on plants being offered for sale, (the exception is ‘nonhardy’ required for plants not labeled for hardiness that are not hardy in the area they are being sold) any labeling that is used must not be false or misleading. This includes, but is not limited to, the following: scientific name, variety, place of origin, hardiness zone as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture, and growth habit.

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Another section of the labeling statute states that a person may not offer for distribution… plants…, or nursery stock, with specific claims like, “free from” or “grown free of,” unless the plants are produced under a specific program approved by the commissioner to address the specific advertised claim(s). For example, if a seller wants to advertise that plants are free of viruses or systemic pesticides, those plants must be produced in accordance with a compliance agreement that details production practices approved by the Commissioner of Agriculture. For viruses, testing of parent plants is required. For freedom from pesticides, treatment records for each stage of production are needed. Follow-up testing could be used to confirm claims. For many retailers this is not practical as many of their suppliers are located outside Minnesota. A compliance agreement is much more manageable for a nursery that propagates and produces its own plants. Pollinator labeling or advertising is another related but separate issue. Minnesota Statute 18H.14, Subd. (e), prohibits advertising plants as pollinator friendly if those plants have been treated with, and have a concentration greater than, the no observed adverse effect level of a systemic insecticide in their flowers as established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for acute oral toxicity for adult honeybees. Advertising ranges from a butterfly symbol on a label/signage to signs indicating plants as “pollinator friendly” or safe for pollinators. Removing all such advertising is the simplest way to avoid labeling violations. However for those that rely on the promotion of pollinator benefits of the plants they sell, this is not practical or desirable. A compliance agreement that includes review of insecticide applications is required to maintain this type of labeling. In this case, random plant testing is also part of the agreement. The issue regarding proper labeling also extends to proper identification of the plants being sold. For example, if

a seller is offering Viburnum trilobum (American viburnum), and the plants are determined to be Viburnum opulus (European viburnum), this is mislabeling and considered a violation of the statute. In a recent case, the producer made an extra effort to assure the plants being sold were correctly labeled by using native seed collected from the wild in northern Minnesota. These seeds collected resulted in plants with characteristics of both the American and European species. To select for V. trilobum, plants that had V. opulus characteristics were routed out. Despite this effort, seeds collected from the resulting seed orchard resulted in plants with both V. trilobum and V. opulus characteristics. These two species are very closely related and are believed to hybridize with one another. The distinction between the two is important to land managers trying to restore native Minnesota habitat. Another generation of seedling selections may be needed to establish a seed orchard that will result in seedlings with a true morphological type. Propagating by cuttings is another option. Plant labels that contradict one another have also been an issue. However, some patented and/or trademarked plants often have labels that cannot be altered as a condition of license agreement. In these rare cases such as in ‘Wine and Roses’ weigela or ‘Knock Out’ rose, which have been found with cold hardiness zone 4 labels, a second label that indicates plants are actually zone 5 as listed on the MDA cold hardiness list, will be acceptable. Labels, signs, and other advertisements can be important sales tools. Not every customer has the benefit of a knowledgeable sales person. With so many options, an informed customer will become a happy, successful gardener and likely a repeat customer.

STEVEN SHIMEK, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, can be reached at steven. shimek@state.mn.us.

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â&#x17E;ž S E CT I O N TITLE

HORTICULTURAL MYTHS The best scientists are skeptics and Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott (Extension Horticulturist and Associate Professor, Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Puyallup, WA) is a dedicated skeptic when it comes to separating horticultural myths based on wishful thinking, bad science, and marketing voodoo from horticultural facts. Dr. James Calkins | MNLA Foundation Research Information Director

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isit her Horticultural Myths website (http://puyallup.wsu.edu/ lcs/) to learn about a variety of horticultural misconceptions and the real world truth based on her analysis of the best science available. It is a great place to learn about the value of research and the science of horticulture and its implications for horticultural professionals and their clients and customers. Yes, the best scientists are skeptics and the best and most trusted scientific endeavors are and should be those that are unbiased, welldesigned and implemented, open to scientific review and criticism, and dedicated to the search for answers to specific questions and the truth. And while science is the search for truth, the search is rarely ever complete. The reality is that in many cases what was believed to be correct may be very different from what is thought to be true today or even a few years ago based on the latest scientific findings and many of these theories may change again as new information becomes available and we understand the workings of nature better. In science, unexpected findings are often the norm and new questions are raised by each new discovery. In general, it is wise to be suspicious of the scientist or layperson that declares the science related to a particular issue or question is incontrovertible and settled as this is rarely the case. When you visit Dr. Chalker-Scott’s Horticultural Myths website you will find her perspectives on more than 70 different myths and other topics related to horticulture that have been assigned to one of eight primary categories including fertilizers, how plants work, maintaining trees and shrubs, mulches, pesticides, planting techniques, soil amendments, and scientific literacy. Examples of some of the myths discussed by Dr. Chalker-Scott include myths about the benefits of foliar feeding, the efficacy of antitranspirants, the superiority of native plants, the value of winter watering (i.e. holding back on water in the fall), the benefits of top pruning at the time of transplanting, the superiority of organic products, the benefits of compost tea, and my favorite horticultural myth — the myth that adding gravel or other coarse material to the bottom of a container will improve drainage and plant performance when exactly the opposite is true. Foliar Feeding The myth: foliar feeding is more effective than applying fertilizers to the soil

In reality, while plants can absorb mineral nutrients through their leaves, the nutrients may not be effectively transported throughout the plant, as they are when taken up by the roots, and, therefore, may not be of benefit to the entire plant. The ability of plants to absorb nutrients through their leaves also varies considerably depending on the species and while foliar applications of some nutrients can confirm nutrient deficiencies they are not a long-term

The reality is that in many cases what was believed to be correct may be very different from what is thought to be true today or even a few years ago based on the latest scientific findings and many of these theories may change again as new information becomes available and we understand the workings of nature better. solution where the nutrient availability from soil is limited. Research doesn’t support foliar feeding as a cost efficient and effective method for fertilizing landscape plants. Antitranspirants The myth: antitranspirants reduce water stress and increase the survival of transplanted landscape plants.

In reality, while antitranspirants can sometimes function as barriers to water loss, their effects on water loss, plant stress related to desiccation, and plant performance are mixed and often detrimental. The stomata present in the epidermis of leaves function to control water loss and gas exchange and plugging them with antitranspirants can slow the transpiration stream and decrease nutrient transport, reduce evaporative cooling and increase heat load, and inhibit gas exchange and decrease photosynthesis and respiration. Native Plant Superiority The myth: native plants are always the best choice in designed landscapes.

In the real world, while native plants have many benefits and desirable characteristics and should be planted more often than they usually are, they may not be adapted to disturbed sites where the light, temperature, moisture, pH, and other characteristics may no longer be suitable for the indigenous species that might have grown there prior to the disturbance. When choosing plants for designed landscapes, it is important to understand the site and to choose plants that are adapted to the conditions of the site if those landscapes are to be sustainable (functional, maintainable with the fewest inputs possible, environmentally sound, cost effective, and visually pleasing) and successful over the long-term. Native plants are great, but aren’t always the best choice for every site. Winter Watering The myth: withholding water in the fall by decreasing irrigation will help plants harden-off in preparation for winter.

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➾ H ORT ICULTURAL MYTH S

Although compensation pruning is a common practice from rooting cuttings to transplanting shrubs and shade trees, the research related to this practice in landscape situations is mixed.

In reality, shortening day length and exposure to decreasing temperatures and frost are the triggers that induce the geneticallycontrolled processes responsible for dormancy and cold hardiness in temperate species; drought stress can hamper these processes and reduced cold hardiness and increased winter injury. Dry soils are also more poorly buffered against temperature changes and may promote increased damage to roots in response to freezing temperatures; landscape plants should continue to be watered as needed until the soil freezes. Top Pruning of Transplanted Plant Material The myth: plants should have their crowns reduced at the time of transplanting to balance the root:shoot ratio and reduce transpirational water loss by compensating for the roots lost during transplanting.

Although compensation pruning is a common practice from rooting cuttings to transplanting shrubs and shade trees, the research related to this practice in landscape situations is mixed. When the tops of plants are pruned the photosynthetic capacity is reduced and the photosynthates produced may be used for shoot growth at the expense of the root growth that is needed in order for transplanted plants to become established as quickly as possible. In addition, the production of succulent shoots in response to pruning may actually increase water loss and stress compared to unpruned plants. Pruning for the purpose of reducing water loss at the time of transplanting can be harmful and isn’t needed if plants are watered properly during the establishment period as they should be. Pruning at the time of transplanting should be limited to correcting structural defects and removing broken, dead, or diseased tissues. Organic Superiority

or in excess can cause environmental harm. Many natural materials contain toxins and just because something is organic doesn’t mean it is safe for people or the environment. Landscape chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides, natural or synthetic, should never be used indiscriminately and should be used carefully and only when warranted; natural or organic products are not inherently better than synthetics. Compost Tea The myth: compost teas are beneficial to landscape plants.

Although there is interest in compost teas from a research perspective, this is a relatively new area of scientific research and the existing body of research is limited and mixed. At this time there is no consensus that compost teas are beneficial when applied to horticultural crops and landscape plants and in some cases may be harmful; the debate continues. Drainage Material in Container Plantings The myth: adding a layer of coarse material to the bottom of containers before filling with growing medium will improve drainage.

In fact, exactly the opposite is true. In both field and container systems a layer of coarse material that has relatively large pores below a layer of finer material that has relatively small pores can be a significant barrier to the movement of water downward within the soil or growing medium profile resulting in a perched water table and a saturated condition above the interface between the coarse and fine layers; in containers where a saturated zone is already inherent at the bottom of the container, adding a layer of coarse material to the bottom of the container simply raises the perched water table within the container which can reduce the functional volume of the container with negative consequences for plant growth and performance; avoid distinct layers of different textures in soils and container media.

The myth: natural or organic products, including fertilizers and pesticides, are better or safer than synthetic products.

Be Skeptical and Keep Asking Questions

In reality, this is a misconception that often isn’t true. For example, as a nitrogen source for plants nitrate from organic sources is exactly the same as nitrate from synthetic fertilizers and, regardless of the source and like any chemical compound, when applied improperly

These are simply brief summaries of only a select few of the horticultural myths discussed by Dr. Chalker-Scott in her posts. If you haven’t already visited Dr. Chalker-Scott’s Horticultural Myths website, I would encourage you to do so. Most of the articles are january 16

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short, but authoritative, and a fun and interesting read. You may find some incongruities based on your knowledge base (in some cases I have questions, too, based on my knowledge and experience) but that’s okay. It is always wise to be suspicious of miracle products and marketing claims that aren’t backed by sufficient peer-reviewed research and seem too good to be true (they probably are). Those selling such products and services may not be happy to hear this admonition, but not insuring that the claims made about such products and services are true is a disservice to the nursery and landscape industry and the clients we serve. It is never wise to accept research findings at face value; instead, be skeptical and keep asking questions and seeking new information as you look for answers and continue your personal search for the truth. You will also find links to other sources of horticultural information that may be of interest. Take a look and see what you think, and share what you learn with others. Citation: Chalker-Scott, L. Horticultural Myths. Washington State University Extension. http://puyallup.wsu.edu/lcs/

TO COMMENT ON THIS RESEARCH UPDATE, suggest

research topics of interest, or pass along a piece of research-based information that might be of interest to your industry colleagues, email us at research@MNLA.biz. 18

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HOW DOES MINNESOTA COMPARE? PART II: AN ANALYSIS OF MINNESOTA NURSERY AND GREENHOUSE PRODUCTION FIRMSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; IRRIGATION AND IPM PRODUCTION PRACTICES Chengyan Yue, Associate Professor | Department of Horticultural Science and Department of Applied Economics,

Bachman Endowed Chair in Horticultural Marketing, University of Minnesota

Shuoli Zhao, Ph.D student | Department of Applied Economics, University of Minnesota Alan Hodges, Professor | Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Florida

â&#x17E;ž I RR IGATION AN D IPM

Figure 1. Percentage of Firms Using Irrigation Water Sources.

n recent years, the nursery industry has increased its emphasis on producing plants in an environmentally sustainable way. Many nursery firms are adopting efficient irrigation methods and integrated pest management practices (IPM). Smart and drip irrigation systems are often used to save water and energy, and IPM practices reduce harm to people and the environment. This article aims to compare these practices by Minnesota nursery firms with regional and national averages. Our hypothesis is that the use of these practices by Minnesota firms will differ substantially from those in Midwest and the United States due to Minnesotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique economic, weather and environmental conditions. The Method and Findings

Figure 2. Percentage of Firms using Different Irrigation Methods.

Figure 3. Percentage of Firms using Smart Irrigation Systems. 22

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Data on nursery production practices were collected by the Green Industry Research Consortium as a part of national nursery survey conducted every five years. This survey covers all 50 states, and the most recent 2014 survey reflects the nursery firmsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; practices in 2013. In total, 2,657 U.S. firms completed the survey. Of those, 461 firms were from the Midwest and 48 were from Minnesota. Irrigation. Water supplies for irrigation and the method of irrigation have been increasingly critical issues for nursery producers in many parts of the United States. As shown in Figure 1, more than 70% of Minnesota nursery producers used irrigation water supplied by wells, compared to 53% in Midwest and 55% in the United States. Correspondingly, Minnesota producers used much less water from natural surface waters and municipal water systems when compared to regional and national averages. Figure 2 shows that 65% of Minnesota firms were using overhead irrigation systems in their operations, compared to 49% of Midwestern firms and 53% of U.S. firms, on average. Additionally, 42% of Minnesota firms were using drip irrigation systems, which is significantly higher than those of the Midwest (33%) and the United States (37%). About 20% of Minnesota firms were using smart irrigation systems to conserve water. This was higher than the Midwest level (13%) and the U.S. level (18%) (Figure 3). Integrated pest management. Figure 4 shows that the most commonly used IPM

Sustainability is becoming a priority interest to the nursery industry. Many nursery firms are adopting production practices to conserve water and energy, which benefits the environment and society. We found that Minnesota nursery firms are ahead of their region and the nation in adopting water conservation practices. practices by Minnesota firms were: removing infested plants or plant parts (83%), cultivation and hand weeding (73%), and elevating or spacing plants for better air circulation (58%). These percentages are not significantly different from averages for the Midwest and U. S. Other common IPM practices used by almost half of Minnesota firms were: spot treatment with pesticides instead of broadcast spraying (48%), inspecting incoming stock for insects/diseases (44%), and using mulches to suppress weeds (42%). These percentages are lower than the Midwest and national level. Unlike some regions, such as the Southeast, where pest pressures are generally very high, Minnesota firms do not face as severe of pest problems. This explains why the percentages of Minnesota firms using IPM practices are lower than the national percentage. Takeaways

Figure 4. Percentage of firms using IPM practices.

january 16

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➾ I RRI G AT I O N A N D I P M

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Overall, this research indicates that Minnesota’s unique climate, resources, environment, and market conditions do provide competitive advantages to its local firms in adopting sustainable production practices. This might be because the northern temperate climate (with hot summers and freezing winters) in Minnesota makes nursery crops less exposed to pest issues compared to more southern areas in the United States. Overall, this research indicates that Minnesota’s unique climate, resources, environment, and market conditions do provide competitive advantages to its local firms in adopting sustainable production practices. In the Dec. 2015 issue we began our comparative analysis of plant production firms, and we will finish in the Feb. 2016 issue where we will be comparing marketing practices.

CHENGYAN YUE holds the Todd and Barbara Bachman Endowed Chair in Horticultural Marketing, Associate Professor at the Department of Horticultural Science and Department of Applied Economics at University of Minnesota. By better understanding consumers’ and other stakeholders’ preferences, Dr. Yue’s research provides guidance and implications for marketing horticultural products in strategic ways, which help increase the products’ success in the marketplace. Photo credit: David Hansen.

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➾GOV E RN MEN T AFFAIR S

Is “Pollinator-Friendly” the Same as “Pollinator-Attractive?” This title question may seem to be important only to government affairs geeks like me, but in fact it is at the heart of why MNLA has devoted so many resources and so much time to the pollinator issue in the past two years.

Tim Power

MNLA Government Affairs Director

mnla remains on virtually the same page as government, savvy consumers, bee-centric advocacy groups, and many others in understanding the importance of pollinators and pollinator habitat to our environment and to our economy. Where we may differ is that our association has answered “no” to the title question. Following is my take on why this issue is important to MNLA members. 2014 Pollinator Labeling Law

The 2014 Minnesota legislature passed landmark legislation, over MNLA’s objections, that prohibited the labeling and advertising of nursery stock as “beneficial to pollinators” if that nursery stock contained detectable levels of systemic insecticide. In interpreting the 2014 law, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) defined the term “beneficial to pollinators” broadly, to include concepts like “pollinator-friendly” and “pollinator-attractive.” I am concerned for our members about the consequences of the 2014 law and its interpretation. Retailers selling nursery stock in Minnesota and elsewhere have long described certain plants as pollinatorattractive, through text and the use of symbols like the outline of a butterfly or a bee on their signage/plant labels. These descriptions are meant to refer to plants and plant characteristics, not to the pesticide status of those plants. Minnesota’s 2014 pollinator labeling law prohibited these descriptions, unless nurseries could be certain that their plants were systemic-insecticide-free. For many Minnesota retail nurseries, the only approach available to them in 2015 was to sanitize their nursery stock advertising and labeling of all references to pollinators. A smaller number of Minnesota nurseries have been able to capitalize on the 2014 law, because they can

vouch that their plants are systemic-insecticide-free. They continue to include pollinator language and symbols on their plant tags, appealing to a customer demographic that considers pesticide-free status to be all-important. This is good business for them, and I applaud their decisions to so market their pollinatorattractive plants as such. However, not all retail nurseries can achieve that status in today’s plant production environment, and not all nurseries want to achieve it. Besides, there is an existing program at MDA that can certify a nursery’s plants as “neonic-free” or “pesticide-free,” based on a compliance agreement between the nursery and MDA. In my opinion, that MDA program is the appropriate vehicle for retail nurseries to use to advertise their plants’ pesticide status. Minnesota’s 2014 pollinator labeling law equated “beneficial to pollinators” with “systemic-insecticidefree,” and yet, the tenets of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tell us that insecticides, including systemics, remain legal and effective tools in IPM’s strategy to “prevent unacceptable levels of pest damage.” Nurseries are keenly aware of consumer demand for perfect or nearly-perfect-looking plants. Additionally, regulators often require “pest-free” status in nursery stock scheduled for export. Unless and until those two demands change, it will remain difficult for some growers to produce plants marketable in Minnesota without using all of the tools at their disposal, including pesticides. 2015 Labeling Law Update

MNLA supported successful legislation in 2015 to change Minnesota’s pollinator labeling law, over loud objections from the bee-centric community and the popular press. I use the term “bee-centric community” january 16

MNLA .biz

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➾ G OV E RN MEN T AFFAI R S

for brevity, to include a subset of University entomologists, beekeepers, anti-pesticide activists, urban legislators and those legislators’ constituents, though this “community” is anything but monolithic. A defining characteristic of this community is that, through their support of the 2014 law, they agreed that “pollinator-friendly” plants should be free of systemic insecticides. The 2015 law increased the legally-acceptable level of systemic insecticide in pollinator-labeled plants from “detectable level” to a level reflecting the maximum concentration in flowers that would still NOT produce acute toxicity in adult honeybees. Essentially, the 2015 change took us from the popularly-assumed chronic toxicity level of the 2014 law to an EPA-determined acute toxicity level for bees that is specific to each chemical. I say “popularly-assumed” because many in the bee-centric community consider neonics and/ or other pesticides to be toxic by their mere presence anytime in a plant’s production history, whereas many in our industry would argue that those chemicals only become harmful if and when used in too high a dose, at the wrong time such as bloom or too soon before plants are sold at retail. The 2015 legislation is not perfect, because it addresses only acute toxicity and not chronic toxicity to bees. However, we already have well-documented EPA numbers on acute toxicity, whereas we need significantly more research to accurately quantify chronic toxicity to bees in field or field-realistic conditions. One reason MNLA supported the 2015 legislation was because it preserves options for our members while more research is completed and published. The Horticultural Research Institute, research arm of AmericanHort, has underwritten $250,000 worth of pollinator research in 2015, and many other researchers nationally and internationally are also working on pollinator-related projects. In regard to policy, I am pleased with the success of the 2015 legislation because it managed to de-link the term “beneficial to pollinators” from the idea of being entirely systemic-insecticide-free. However, from a practical point of view, retail nurseries must still ascertain that the systemic insecticide levels in their plants’ flowers are low enough if they hope to advertise and label them as pollinatorattractive. For that reason, I do not expect Minnesota retail nurseries to change their pollinator advertising/labeling strategy anytime soon. MNLA will continue this discussion at the 2016 Northern Green Expo, at an 8:30 a.m. concurrent session on Thursday, January 14 entitled “Retailers — Understanding Labeling Laws Regarding Pollinators and Hardiness.” MDA’s Geir Friisoe will briefly explain the current labeling law and enforcement plans and I will review the legislative history of the law. The bulk of our session will highlight two retail nurseries that have taken different approaches to Minnesota’s pollinator labeling law; Bachman’s has sanitized their labeling and advertising of all reference to pollinators, whereas Mother Earth Gardens markets their plants as pollinator-friendly because they use no systemic insecticides. Both approaches represent smart marketing for their respective customer bases, and each nursery will explain why they chose their approach and the practical effects of those choices. We hope for lots of questions afterwards. that MNLA should know about, contact Tim Power at 651-633-4987 or tim@mnla.biz.

IF YOU HAVE A GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS ISSUE

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MNLA .biz

➾ RE V I E W SITES

CUSTOMER REVIEW SITES:

THE GOOD AND TH

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Arden Urbano | LS Training System

HE BAD

Customer review sites are a popular way for consumers to research potential service providersÂ before they call for a quote or schedule a service. Many consumers put a lot of faith in these sites and lawn and landscape companies would be wise not to underestimate their reach and power.

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MNLA .biz

➾ RE V I E W SITES

hese sites are viewed as a trusted source — an independent source — for consumers. Angie’s List came about because of a lack of trust and confidence in service industry companies. Will they show up on time or at all? Will they guarantee their work? Am I getting ripped off? Consumers trust the sites and the reviews that are posted. It’s like talking over the backyard fence — they want to have their decision reaffirmed as to what company offers the best service at the best price, and is reliable and trustworthy. They want to feel in control and that they made a good choice. Reading reviews gives them confidence and peace of mind. Customer review sites also provide an outlet to vent feelings over poor customer service — real or perceived. Not everyone who posts a review or comment to one of these sites is out to drag your company through the mud. In most cases, if your company does its job and the customer goes to write a review — it will be positive and recommend you. If they were not satisfied for some reason and they feel like YOU did not take them seriously, then they will likely write a less-than-flattering review. They will comment on everything from the price they paid and the value they felt they received, to the appearance of your technician and his or her manners.

Using Customer Review Sites to Your Advantage

CUSTOMER REVIEW SITE SNAPSHOT Yelp.com • 135 million unique visitors in

Q4 2014. • 71 million local reviews posted. Angie’s List • More than 3 million members —

triple the number since 2011. • Authentic reviews in 720 service categories. Google+ Local, Google Maps • Google has integrated reviews from

Google+ Local into many of its services. • Customers can search by location or category from Maps. • The reviews from Google+ Local appear in Google search results.

Customer review sites can raise your company’s profile and establish it as the local expert. Remember why consumers are visiting,

reviewing and commenting on these sites — it’s to find a company that can help them with their landscape problems. Use these sites to establish your company as an expert in the field who can solve their problems. These sites establish a connection with current and prospective customers. Don’t wait for the phone to ring or the e-mail to land in

your inbox — you need to engage the customer. Post to Facebook or Twitter and link it to your website blog. Push out regular e-mails to customers to let them know about seasonal lawn and landscape issues or special offers they can enjoy as a loyal customer. Drive traffic to your website where you have more information to share. You

have to force the issue somewhat to raise your company’s profile, get new leads, and generate activity on customer review sites. Take the reviews — good and bad — and learn from them. You can use these sites to make your service better. Find out what you are doing well and what can be improved. Share them in company meetings. Go over what was said and find the nuggets of info that can help you improve service quality and improve customer retention. It is like an open book test in school, the answers are right in front of you. Customer review sites also provide a potential new advertising vehicle for your company. Most of the sites offer display advertising opportunities and this could be something to consider if your budget allows it. january 16

MNLA .biz

➾ RE V I E W SITES

Responding to Customer Feedback

Responding to customer posts is an important part of the client/ customer engagement process. Consumers are looking for engagement and information when using customer review sites and social media. How you respond to the comments and feedback is important in shaping your company’s perception in the market. Here are some tips on what to do and what not to do when responding to consumer comments: What to Do

• Assess the legitimacy of the comment, post, e-mail, etc. If you determine it to legitimate, be prompt with your response — the longer you are silent the angrier the customer may feel. • Be professional. Try to get more information before launching into your defense. Try and get the person on the phone or visit them face-to-face to hear their side of the story. Do the same with your technician or employee who worked with the customer. • Stick to the facts. If you do respond back through e-mail, Facebook or Twitter, don’t write a novel. Short, factual and to the point works. Remember, whatever you post can be seen by the entire world, including the legal and regulatory community. Go offline if you need to have a lengthier discussion. 34

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What Not to Do

• Confront or accuse a customer. No one likes to hear they aren’t 100 percent accurate or worse not truthful. Let people vent and then engage them. If they can’t listen or engage in a professional manner step back and try another way to connect. • Get into a running online dialogue. Remember, brevity is best and the whole world is watching. • Ignore a comment, review or post. Yes, it is true that some comments, posts, e-mails, etc. are way off base and don’t merit a response but don’t get into the habit of dismissing them too quickly. Do your best to read between the lines and see if there is really something there that needs to be addressed. Customer review sites, as are all social media platforms, are a two-edged sword — you can benefit from the exposure and you can be hurt by the exposure. Have a plan for responding to comments and inquires in a prompt and professional manner, and train and empower your employees to respond in a timely and appropriate manners. And remember, always take the high road and don’t get dragged into the swamp of back and forth.

ARDEN URBANO works

with LS Training System, which offers employee training for green industry companies. Contact them at 1-877-482-2323 or www.lstraining.com.

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YOU CANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T DO IT ALL! REPLACE YOURSELF WITH WRITTEN SYSTEMS During my first seven years starting and building my construction company, I tried to do too much myself. Just like you, I did everything that took brains and was important to the viability of the business and more.

George Hedley | Hard Hat Presentations

january 16

MNLA .biz

➾ S Y S T EMS

put all the estimates together and presented the bids; awarded, negotiated and signed all the contracts, subcontracts, and change orders; I made the big field decisions; purchased all materials and equipment; went to all the job meetings; supervised concrete slab pours; and made every personnel decision. This made me crazy, raised my weight, and caused most of my hair to fall out! Why? I made lame excuses that I couldn’t find any accountable or responsible people I could trust. The real reason was I couldn’t let go. And I couldn’t let go because we didn’t have any written systems or training programs to insure everyone knew what and how to do things the way I wanted them done. One evening I took my family for a ‘happy’ meal at McDonalds. I noticed the boss wasn’t there, the employees were sixteen, customers were happy, and the food was consistent and relatively edible. I also wondered who decides how many pickles they put on the hamburgers to make sure every one is the same. Do they have a pickle inspector or do they let each burger flipper decide? I thought: ‘How do they do it without the owner supervising full-time and making every decision for the crew?’ I asked a server to show me their secret. He took me behind the counter where they have pictures or blueprints clearly displaying how to build a hamburger with two pickles as well as the other menu items. Good people or good systems?

Wow! A huge company runs smoothly using simple pictures of the finished product. This guarantees consistent quality and results. Plus, the owner doesn’t have to be on-site all the time supervising, juggling and making every decision for every customer order. If I could do this in my business, I could also build a systemized wellorganized company. This could reduce my dependence on having great people. And it would allow me to grow beyond the level of what I can control, micro-manage, and supervise. A systemized business produces consistent performance and the same results every time. How much money are you losing relying on your people to do their best and not following company installation and operational standards? In your company, who decides how many pickles you include per burger, nails per top plate of wall, form braces per lineal foot of slab edge, support wires per light fixture, hangers per lineal foot of copper water pipe, depth of excavation lift, or what two coats of paint really means? The results of owning a systemized business include on-time on-budget projects, quality workmanship, safe working conditions, 38

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repeat customers and the ability to always make a profit. All this, with or without you being there all the time. Perhaps you could take a vacation one or two days per year! Good systems are simple!

Excellent companies have simple systems. Outline each system on one piece of paper, written or drawn detailing a picture of the end result desired to meet your company, customer, or project specification. The best systems are team designed by the people who actually do the work and know how to do it best. For example at hotels, all rooms always look the same when ready to occupy. How do they do this? Simple. A picture of a ready room is shown to the housekeepers and the supervisors explain what’s expected. They don’t care how the result is accomplished, just that the room is perfect when completed. This simple approach can be applied to every part of your business. Create a “DO” manual

To organize and systemize your company requires time and effort to produce consistent results and get everyone doing business the same way. Create a “DO’ manual of pictures, checklists, and guidelines as your company minimum standards. Build a three ring binder of standard systems for every aspect of your company and field operations. Include everything from how to prepare a timecard, calculate change order markup, install slab expansion joints, form door openings in concrete walls, do monthly job close-out, and get paid. Focus on the important things first that will make a difference in your bottom-line. Make a goal to create one system a week and you will be very organized in a year. 7 steps to create systems! 1. Identify areas to systemize.

Start a ‘fix-it list’ identifying everything you need to fix in your company. Keep this list handy and add to it when things go wrong. At your manager meetings, pick the top one or two items to systemize every month. 2. Assign a system team.

First assign a key individual in your company to be the systems keeper to formalize and keep them organized. After choosing a system to create and implement, pick three or four people to work on the company standard. Involve those who actually work within the area being systemized. For

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➾R E S E ARCH FOR THE R EAL WO R L D

Be on the Lookout for Jumping Worms While it may seem a little odd to some, one of my fondest memories is going out on rainy nights to pick nightcrawlers — the earthworm kind of night crawlers (Lumbricus terrestris) — with my dad.

Dr. James Calkins

Research Information Director MNLA Foundation

although i didn’t know their scientific name when I first started participating in this ritual, we were, of course, gathering them for use as fishing bait and picking nightcrawlers is a skill I have been perfecting for much of my life as did my father and paternal grandfather before me. Given that nightcrawlers and other species of earthworms are very familiar to most people who live in the northern United States and Canada, many are surprised to learn that earthworms are not native to the portions of North America that were covered by glaciers more than 10,000 years ago. As a result of glaciation, which extirpated any earthworms that may have lived in glaciated regions, there are no native earthworms across the northern portions of North America including all of Canada and the northernmost regions of the United States including most of Minnesota, North Dakota, eastern South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Most of the earthworm species that are present in these areas today are primarily European species that have been introduced as a result of European settlement and subsequent and ongoing human activities including the use of worm-contaminated soil and rocks that were historically used as ballast in ships traveling to North America, the movement of soil and plants by people, and their sale and use by anglers as bait. The ubiquitous nightcrawlers and angleworms are examples that most Minnesotans are familiar with. And although earthworms are typically considered beneficial in their native habitats and can have positive effects on the structure, drainage, aeration, and fertility of soils in agricultural and most landscape environments, a growing body of research indicates they are detrimental in native ecosystems and especially in the forested ecosystems that have evolved in the absence of earthworms since the last continental glaciers retreated.

KEY POINTS: Amynthas agrestis, a species native to Japan and Korea and variously called crazy worms, jumping/ jumper worms, Alabama jumpers, snake worms, and crazy snake worms, have been introduced in the Great Lakes region and research focused on the potential impacts of these introduced earthworms on native ecosystems has been fairly limited. It is important that nursery and landscape professionals and the general public are aware of jumping worms as an emerging threat to native ecosystems and designed landscapes. Non-native earthworms can effectively re-engineer ecosystems and the likelihood of negative effects is significant and potentially far-reaching. Several non-native earthworms, including nightcrawlers, are increasingly being viewed as invasive species and as a serious threat to the diversity and stability of native ecosystems. Jumping worms have been documented as a forest and landscape pest and have been found in deciduous and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, mulched landscape beds, raised beds, residential and community gardens, greenhouses, nursery beds, container-grown plants, compost, and mulch. Young and adult jumping worms do not survive the winter in cold climates, but they do overwinter as eggs in cocoons. In October 2015, a report on the status of jumping worms in Minnesota was presented to MISAC, DNR, MDA, and MPCA for a determination on which agency has regulatory authority over invasive earthworms and for an assessment of whether regulatory action might be needed.

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â&#x17E;ž RE S E ARCH FOR THE R EAL WO R L D

Figure 1. As a consequence of glaciation, no earthworms are believed to be native to the northern regions of North America including Minnesota, but several species of invasive earthworms have been introduced to these areas from Europe and Asia and are damaging native ecosystems; once established, these worms compete with native litter decomposers and can eliminate the duff layer in forest ecosystems, thus threatening the web of life that depend on this deposit of organic material (Photo Credit: Jim Calkins).

Research focused on the potential impacts of these introduced earthworms on native ecosystems has been fairly limited and research has only recently begun to document the complexities and implications of these interactions. Based on what has been learned so far, however, it appears non-native earthworms can effectively re-engineer ecosystems and the likelihood of negative effects is significant and potentially far-reaching as soil characteristics (structural, physical, and chemical) and many forms of life, including herbaceous and woody plants (establishment, performance, distribution, abundance, survival, and diversity), microorganisms, fungi (including mycorrhizal fungi that form important, symbiotic relationships with many plants), and animals (including insects and other macroinvertebrates and vertebrates) can be variously affected. As a result there is reason for concern. The forest ecosystems in the glaciated regions of North America mentioned previously are a good example. These ecosystems depend on the presence of a duff or litter layer â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the layer of intact and variously decomposed organic matter (primarily plant litter) that is typically found on the surface of a soil and sometimes referred to as the O horizon (organic horizon) in soil science terminology. Numerous woodland plants, especially seedlings and many spring ephemerals, rely on this organic layer for germination and as a rooting environment and otherwise benefit from its effects on the soil environment (e.g., effects on organic content, soil structure, water infiltration, gas exchange, soil stabilization, and nutrient availability) 44

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and cannot survive without it. This duff or litter layer is essentially equivalent to a naturally-occurring mulch and, in addition to its benefits to plant communities, myriad other organisms rely on this litter as do the animals that feed on these plants and litter dwellers. And so it goes up the food chain. This natural mulch also protects the soil surface and helps prevent erosion. Unfortunately, many non-native earthworms feed on this litter and can effectively eliminate the duff layer in forest ecosystems with dire consequences. As a result, several non-native earthworms, including nightcrawlers, are increasingly being viewed as invasive species and as a serious threat to the diversity and stability of native ecosystems. Given this background, people should also know that several Asian species of earthworms have more recently been introduced to the eastern United States (Vermont to South Carolina) as a result of human activities and at least one of these Asian species, Amynthas agrestis, a species native to Japan and Korea and variously called crazy worms, jumping/jumper worms, Alabama jumpers, snake worms, and crazy snake worms, has been introduced in the Great Lakes region. Unfortunately, jumping worms were discovered in Wisconsin (Dane County; Madison) in 2013 and have also been recently found in several locations in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. And based on further investigations, jumping worms were documented in four additional counties in Wisconsin in 2014. Although the European species have been present for many years and are known to be damaging native ecosystems, crazy worms can

outcompete European earthworms and are potentially even more damaging to native ecosystems. They can also harm landscape plants and have other detrimental effects in production environments and designed landscapes. Nursery and landscape professionals, and the general public, should be aware of this emerging threat. In October of 2015, a report on the status of jumping worms in Minnesota was presented to the Minnesota Invasive Species Advisory Council (MISAC). Given that these worms could be considered wild animals (regulated by the Department of Natural Resources — DNR) or plant pests (regulated by the Department of Agriculture — MDA), the Council has asked the commissioners of these agencies and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to determination which agency has regulatory authority over invasive earthworms and for an assessment of whether regulatory action might be needed. Among other methods, jumping worms can be transported to new areas in compost (regulated by MPCA) and wood mulch. Although these worms are easy to identify from other worms based on appearance and their wild activity, they are often misidentified and are commonly sold as bait and for vermicomposting purposes and are frequently found in shipments of red wigglers which are the primary species used for vermicomposting. Whether native or introduced, earthworms are commonly placed in one of three basic categories based on their relative size, their epidermal (skin) pigmentation, and their burrowing and feeding activities (all three types can be found at the soil surface following heavy rains): • Epigeic — relatively small,

pigmented (reddish-brown) earthworms; duff layer/litter dwellers that generally do not burrow into the soil; litter feeders; Lumbricus rubellus (red worms), Eisenia foetida (red wigglers; the species most often used in vermicomposting/worm composting), and Amynthas agrestis (crazy snake worms) are examples. • Endogeic — relatively small, non-

pigmented (as a result of interior january 16

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➾ RE S E ARCH FOR THE R EAL WO R L D

More research is needed to further our understanding of jumping worms, and other invasive earthworms, and to hopefully develop improved methods for managing these introduced pests. coloration, may appear grayish-blue, greenish, yellowish, pinkish or whitish in color) earthworms; topsoil dwellers that produce a network of shallow, primarily horizontal burrows; soil feeders (soil and soil organic matter); Aporrectodea spp. (angle worms/pink nose worms) are examples. • Anecic — relatively large, pigmented (reddish-brown)

earthworms; topsoil and subsoil dwellers that produce deep, vertical burrows and come to the surface to gather and feed on organic materials; primarily litter feeders; Lumbricus terrestris, the common earthworm (more often called a nightcrawler in North America) is an example. • Note: Some species of earthworms that are typically classi-

fied as epigeic are sometimes classified as epi-endogeic species; these species live and feed in the litter layer and the top few inches of soil, but do not create the network of burrows associated with classic endogeic species; red worms and crazy snake worms fit this description and are sometimes referred to as epi-endogeic species. Although there are other differences that can be useful in identifying jumping worms (Amynthas agrestis) from the more common European species, including setae (the stiff bristles that function in anchoring and movement) and clitellum (the typically lighter-colored collar-like band located near the head end of adult earthworms; the glandular organ that secretes a viscous material that is used to create a cocoon that protects the eggs of earthworms and part of the worm’s hermaphroditic reproductive system) characteristics, and the ability to shed their tails when caught, their comparatively wild and energetic movements compared to European species are quite distinctive. Jumping worms have been documented as a forest and landscape pest and have been found in deciduous and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, mulched landscape beds, raised beds, residential and community gardens, greenhouses, nursery beds, container-grown plants, compost, and mulch. In addition to being moved around by anglers and with soil like the European species, they can also be moved to new areas in a variety of yard and horticultural wastes, and in horticultural commodities including field and container stock, sod, compost, and landscape mulch (including woodchips). They can also be transported along with soil attached to vehicles and equipment. For these reasons, it is especially important that nursery and landscape practitioners be aware of this pest and take steps to prevent their spread and introduction to new areas. It appears young and adult jumping worms do not survive the winter in cold climates 46

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like Minnesota and Wisconsin, but they do overwinter as eggs in cocoons and, together with new introductions, these eggs give rise to new populations on an annual basis. Jumping worms are regulated as a Restricted species in Wisconsin. Once again, it is important that nursery and landscape professionals and the general public are aware of jumping worms as an emerging threat to native ecosystems and designed landscapes. More research is needed to further our understanding of jumping worms, and other invasive earthworms, and to hopefully develop improved methods for managing these introduced pests. For additional information related to jumping worms (Amynthas agrestis) and other invasive earthworm species, consult the following selected references and resources: Görres, J. 2014. Invasive Earthworms in the Northeastern USA and the Horticulture Industry. https://www.uvm.edu/~entlab/Greenhouse%20 IPM/Workshops/2014/InvasiveEarthworms.pdf Patrick J. Bohlen, Stefan Scheu, Cindy M. Hale, Mary Ann McLean, Sonja Migge, Peter M. Groffman, and Dennis Parkinson. 2004. NonNative Invasive Earthworms as Agents of Change in Northern Temperate Forests. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 2(8):427-435. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/1540-9295(2004)002[0427:NIEAAO]2.0.CO;2 (abstract and literature cited only) Görres, J.H. and R.D.S. Melnichuk. 2012. Asian Invasive Earthworms of the Genus Amynthas Kinberg in Vermont. Northeastern Naturalist 19(2):313-322. http://dx.doi.org/10.1656/045.019.0212 (abstract and literature cited only) Hale, C.M., L.E. Frelich, P.B. Reich, and J. Pastor. 2005. Effects of European Earthworm Invasions on Soil Characteristics in Northern Hardwood Forests of Minnesota, USA. Ecosystems 8(8):911-927. http://link. springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10021-005-0066-x (abstract only) Hale, C.M., L.E. Frelich, and P.B. Reich. 2006. Changes in a ColdTemperate Hardwood Forest Understory Plant Community in Response to Invasion by European Earthworms. Ecology 87(7):1637-1649. http:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16922315?dopt=Abstract (abstract only) Hale, C.M. 2007. Earthworms of the Great Lakes. Kollath-Stensaas Publishing, Duluth, MN. Barncard, C. 2014. Hungry, Invasive ‘Crazy Worm’ Makes First Appearance in Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin-Madison News; July 15, 2014. http://news.wisc.edu/22996 Tennesen, M. 2009. Invasive Earthworms Denude Forests in U.S. Great Lakes Region. Scientific American; February 9, 2009. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/invasive-earthworms-denude-forests/ University of Minnesota Duluth; Natural Resources Research Institute. 2011. Unearthing a New Enemy: Asian Earthworms Poised to Invade the Western Great Lakes Region. http://www.nrri.umn.edu/news/wormenemies.htm Great Lakes Worm Watch; http://www.greatlakeswormwatch.org/default.htm

TO COMMENT ON THIS RESEARCH UPDATE, suggest research topics of interest, or pass along a piece of research-based information that might be of interest to your industry colleagues, please email us at research@

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FOR THE GREEN INDUSTRY: TIPS, BEST PRACTICES & SOFTWARE REVIEWS Whoa, hold it right there. Take your finger off the “send” button and read this article first, because we’re going to set the record straight when it comes to email marketing and how to use it to reach your customers. Chris Heiler | Landscape Leadership

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irst, as a sign of togetherness in this important fight against crappy emails, let’s agree that: 1) We will never use the words “email blast” again and, 2) Promise each other that we will never send another email that we would not want to receive ourselves. “The Golden Rule of Email” we’ll call it. Shake? When done right, email can be one of your company’s most effective marketing and communication channels, directly contributing to your bottom line. Here’s why: • You can’t get much more direct than email. If your message lands in your customer’s inbox a decision needs to be made: read it or delete it. You can’t reach your audience on social media as directly as this. • Direct mail is, well, direct, but much more expensive (though prettier, if you care about that kind of thing). Email is pretty darn inexpensive. • Timing is an important factor in any marketing campaign. Email gives you the ultimate in flexibility when it comes to timing your message. So there’s a lot to like about email marketing. Which is probably why green industry companies have been abusing their contact’s inboxes for so many years. Who is email marketing best for?

I think email should play an important role in every company’s marketing strategy. Whether you’re a B2B or B2C company, email is an important way to reach your prospects and customers. So what can you do? My advice is more of a what-not-to-do: Get rid of those generic, spammy e-newsletters that no one wants to receive. You should aim to be much more intentional and purposeful with your email campaigns. The fewer actions you try to elicit from your contact list the higher your response or conversion rate will be. Take for instance a garden center. Instead of sending a monthly e-newsletter to every contact you’ve collected over the past 10 years, how about sending a weekly email to your past customers promoting a special offer only for them? It’s more targeted, more frequent, more purposeful, and will no doubt add more to your bottom line in actual sales. If you’re a landscaper or lawn care operator, think “cross-selling”. Your current customers are an untapped gold mine of revenue if you can stay in front of them promoting your seasonal services. Using email to promote annual add-on services like lawn aeration and

holiday decorating to your current clients should be an integral part of your annual marketing strategy. Think beyond selling and educate your customers. If you’re a landscape contractor, why not put together an automated sequence of emails (we call this lead nurturing or an “auto-responder”; see sidebar) educating your new clients on the construction process. Call it “What to Expect”. It could be a simple series of emails detailing the various things your customer can expect after signing a contract and taking them through the construction process. Don’t you think your customers would love this? How about setting up an auto-responder series for your landscaping or lawn care customers who just had their project completed? This can be an effective way to ask for reviews in an automated way. Again, be purposeful. Email marketing best practices

Here we go ladies and gents, the nitty-gritty of email marketing for the green industry. Let’s dive into some best practices. 1. Use email marketing software

Folks, let’s be real, email marketing software is not expensive. And it is not difficult to learn how to use. If you are sending broadcast emails to your contacts using your personal email

TWO TYPES OF EMAIL MARKETING Most green industry companies are familiar with the broadcast email — or the name that drives me crazy — “email blast” (it sounds so spammy). This is when you manually send a single email to a list of your contacts. A monthly e-newsletter is a classic example. But there is another form of email marketing that folks in our industry don’t utilize nearly enough. This is typically called “lead nurturing” or “auto-responders”. These are an automated series of pre-written emails that are delivered over a specified period of time. As an example, when someone visits our website and fills out a web form in order to download an offer (like an ebook), they are automatically added to a “lead nurturing” campaign that consists of a series of seven short email tips sent automatically over the span of seven weeks. This is an excellent way to keep new contacts engaged and coming back to our website for more information. This type of email “drip” marketing campaign can be created with any basic email marketing software like Constant Contact or MailChimp. At Landscape Leadership — and for our clients — we use HubSpot.

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➾ E MAIL MARKETIN G

I know we’re all limited when it comes to time, but here’s the thing: If you’re going to invest your valuable time in putting together a kickass email marketing campaign, then you need to spend a little additional time reviewing the metrics from your campaign. (you know, bcc’ing 500 people from Outlook) we can no longer be friends. Seriously. C’mon. Here’s why you want to use email marketing software: • It’s a lot easier to manage your contacts, even segmenting them into lists by customers, prospects, vendors, etc. • Your emails will be mobile-friendly. • You will have higher deliverability rates, meaning more of your emails will actually get through to the recipient. • You can measure your campaigns — open rates, click through rate, unsubscribe rate, etc. All very important stuff. • Contacts can easily unsubscribe from your list (this is a good thing!). No excuses. Get yourself some software. Read on for some email marketing software reviews. 2. Allow your subscribers to easily opt-out

Please, for the love of God, do not require your subscribers (I use that term loosely) to send you an email in order to unsubscribe. You’ve seen the “If you want to unsubscribe, just reply to this email with ‘unsubscribe’ in the subject line” crap before. 50

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The last thing I want to do is send an email to someone (especially someone I may know personally) saying, “Hey bud, do you think you could unsubscribe me from your list? Nothing personal, it’s just, you know, I don’t want to read your stuff.” Unsubscribing from your email list should be a single click away. 3. Provide value (or at least what you promised)

Please, just send me what the heck I requested or what you promised me. Don’t fill up my inbox with the latest news on your new hire or your special offers if I live a thousand miles away. Don’t abuse your list. Educate them and provide them with something useful. 4. Segment your contacts into highly targeted lists

Your contacts are all very different. You probably have customers, prospects, vendors, friends, colleagues, peers, etc. on your email list. They shouldn’t all receive the same messages. This is a sure-fire way to piss people off. This is when segmenting comes into play. Create unique lists of your audience. Have a list of customers, or segment even deeper by creating a list of your lawn care customers, irrigation customers, holiday décor customers, etc. You get the point. The more targeted you are with your campaigns the more success you will have (and fewer people pissed at you). 5. Don’t waste your hard-earned money

Do you really want to be a company who is known for spamming people? That’s exactly what you’re doing if you purchase email lists from a third-party. An unsolicited email is a terrible first impression of your company — not a great way to build a strong brand and earn trust, folks.

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6. Analyze your numbers

I know we’re all limited when it comes to time, but here’s the thing: If you’re going to invest your valuable time in putting together a kick-ass email marketing campaign, then you need to spend a little additional time reviewing the metrics from your campaign. To be successful with email marketing you have to know what’s working and what isn’t so you can continually improve your campaigns. The only way to know is by looking at real numbers like click through rates, unsubscribe rates and sales. All email marketing software will provide these basic analytics.

7. Increase your frequency

As long as you’re following the best practices I’ve laid out up to this point, chances are you should be creating email campaigns more frequently. And, don’t be afraid to send multiple emails in the same campaign. Oftentimes it is the second or third email in a campaign that drives the action. For example, when promoting your holiday decorating services to your lawn care customers, your campaign will be much more successful if you hit your customer list with three emails instead of only one. (Pro tip for the B2C crowd: Don’t be afraid to send a promotional email like this on a Saturday or Sunday morning). The best email marketing software

If you’ve ever researched email marketing software for your company I’m sure you’re keenly aware of how many options are on the market. Yup, there’s a lot of them. I want to mention four of these solutions that are popular in the green industry. I’ll add some personal opinion based on my own experience as well as cite other sources I trust. First, I’m breaking these into two categories for you. The first category is purely email marketing software. That’s the singular purpose. The second category is all-in-one marketing automation software which includes email tools in their suite of marketing awesomeness along with tools for social media, blogging, analytics, etc. If your landscaping company is just getting started with email marketing a basic email marketing software like MailChimp or Constant Contact is most likely a wise starting point. This software offers a small learning curve and can be very inexpensive. If you’re a bit more advanced and looking to integrate your email marketing with your other digital marketing efforts then having all your tools in a single software is a smart decision.

two leading email marketing software providers have. The more interesting finding from our study — of the businesses that had used both, 75% of respondents preferred MailChimp over Constant Contact.” Read the in-depth comparison here. Both MailChimp and Constant Contact offer a free trial, so why not take both for a test drive and determine which is the best fit for your business? All-in-one marketing automation software: HubSpot vs. Infusionsoft. We’re huge fans of HubSpot here at Landscape Leadership and

use the software with all of our clients. So, yeah, I’m biased. We’re actually a “partner agency” with HubSpot (fancy, I know). Even though I drink the HubSpot Kool-Aid I readily admit that Infusionsoft has some kick-ass software of their own that can be a good fit for small- to medium-sized businesses like those in the green industry. In fact, Infusionsoft really got started as email marketing software and expanded their tool box from there. You shouldn’t choose either HubSpot or Infusionsoft based solely on their email tools — they both do a lot more than that. Wrap Up

Email marketing is one of the most effective and direct ways you can reach your customers and prospects. Whether you are a landscape company, lawn care operator, or a garden center, email should play an important role in your marketing strategy. By following these email marketing best practices and utilizing email marketing software we can all put an end to crappy emails (Hooray!) and instead focus on providing timely, helpful information for our contacts, in turn adding more to our company’s bottom line.

Email marketing software: MailChimp vs. Constant Contact.

MailChimp and Constant Contact are the two email marketing solutions I hear landscapers and lawn care operators mention most. Personally, I’ve used both. I find MailChimp to be superior software from a user experience perspective. But let’s not rely on just my opinion. The following is an excerpt from a Capterra blog post comparing the differences between MailChimp and Constant Contact: “Capterra recently conducted a poll of 60 small businesses that use either MailChimp or Constant Contact for their email marketing needs. Shockingly, more than half of the respondents had used both systems at some point in time, which speaks to the enormous market share these

CHRIS HEILER is president and founder of Landscape Leadership, and this article originally appeared on the Landscape Leadership “Inbound Marketing for the Green Industry” blog. Call (800) 681-9169 or visit www.LandscapeLeadership.com for more information.

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TROUBLESHOOTING CIRCUITS PART TWO: SHORTS, CORRODED, AND DAMAGED SINGLE AND MULTIVALVE WIRE CIRCUITS

Last month, the first of a two-part article was presented, covering the use of a multimeter to measure various wire faults. The unhealthy wire connections (faults) reviewed were the result of shorts, corrosion, and nicks to the wireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s insulating housing or the wire itself. This second part of the two part article deals with the use of a multimeter to measure wire faults due to shorts in multivalve circuits and concludes with a brainteaser. Andrew Lindquist | Links Systems, Inc

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he brainteaser provides the opportunity to apply your understanding of variations in multimeter measurements in distinguishing between the various types of faulted circuits presented in both articles. We will be referencing the same five circuit (station) controller layout used in the first part of this article. That is: of the five circuits available, we will be analyzing only the first two circuits. As shown in Figure “A”, Terminal (Circuit) 1 contains one electric valve and Terminal (Circuit) 2 contains three electrical valves wired in a parallel configuration.1 Connecting these valves in a parallel configuration will cause all three valves to energize simultaneously when Circuit 2 is activated. Shorts within a multivalve circuit: Referring to Figure “B”, if a short occurs at Point “CC”, a multimeter resistance measurement for the three valve in Circuit 2 is expected to be 10 ohms. However, the short’s location creates a short “least resistance” path that allows the majority of electrons to bypass all solenoids. This shorter (lower resistance) path lowers the measured resistance of Circuit 2 to one ohms or less, thereby indicating a short. However, this may not always occur. As mentioned in the first half of this article, electrons follow paths of least resistance, of which there may be several paths available, not just one path. As with “forked” lightning bolts, the actual electron path(s) in Circuit 2 depends upon the amount of resistance present in each available electron path. Therefore, in this scenario, you could have a situation where valves 2A, 2B, and 2C work, but your circuit’s ohms resistance measurement is higher than expected — perhaps due to the short actually having high resistance. That is, not all shorts have low resistant connections. Sometimes a short may have a higher resistance than one ohm. Additionally, you may have a situation where only 2A operates but not valves 2B or 2C. Basically, there can be quite a few variations of what can happen with shorts in multivalve circuits. So, overall, the circuit may

operate entirely, partially, or not at all. The circuit ohms resistance measurements may be ‘weird’ and almost ‘unfathomable.’ A situation such as this can really challenge your troubleshooting abilities. The best way to trouble shoot a complicated faulty multivalve circuit is to isolate the circuit’s components as best you can and troubleshoot each of these isolated components separately. For example: as shown in Figure “C”, you could isolate the various components of Circuit 2 as indicated by the various colored wire paths. The process would be to disconnect the field wires at the terminal strip, Point 1, and Point 2. Disconnecting at these locations will provide you with three isolated wire lengths: 2A (in green), 2B (in blue), and 2C (in gold). Once isolated, you can check the resistance of each isolated circuit, looking for incorrect resistance measurements. In this situation, the green-colored 2A wire circuit would expect to measure at 30 ohms resistance from the terminal strip through valve 2A and back to the common. In checking this circuit with your multimeter, it does measure 30 ohms, and therefore ok. The blue-colored 2B wire circuit, when measured from Point 1 back to the common, expects to measure at 30 ohms resistance. However, this wire circuit actually measures a very low resistance of less than 1 ohm, thereby indicating a short circuit. To verify the integrity of the remaining gold-colored 2C wire circuit, when measured from Point 2 back to the common, you expect it to measure at 30 ohms. You check this and it does measure at 30 ohms, therefore a good circuit. The result of your circuit isolation process is that you have identified that the short’s location is in the blue-colored wire circuit 2B. Part of good troubleshooting and repair goes beyond just fixing the issue. Akin to the process of using sod to “solve” a dead spot in a lawn, unless us you do something to prevent the instigating factor, the issue will reoccur. For example, chewed wires can be reduced by protecting exposed wires with conduit (PVC or metal), and/ or reducing rodent/gopher populations. Confirm that there is no january 16

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➾ T R OU BLESHOOTIN G C I R C UI TS

exposed wire at any connection that the waterproof wire connect completely encapsulates the wire nut and wire housing. At the controller, only strip off enough wire to adequately attach to the terminal strip. Always emphasize to the installation/maintenance crew to carefully excavate when near control wires and, if they ‘bump’ (nick) a wire, carefully inspect the wire for nicks or cuts. The following is a brainteaser applying to the troubleshooting concepts covered in this two-part article and ignores issues caused by shorts going to ground (ground faults). The brainteaser does review back to the very first article covering cut wires. The answers to this brainteaser can be found on page 64. Brainteaser Scenario: Shorts, Corroded or Damaged Circuits Background information: Figure “D” illustrates an electrically

troubled irrigation system. The system has one common wire that is “commonly” attached to all valves. This malfunctioning system has seven distinct damaged (shorted, corroded, poorly connected, nicked, or cut) circuit situations at point AA thru point GG. Each of the situations are unique. That is, each situation (AA through GG) represents only one damaged location with that damaged location indicated by that situation’s arrow. For example: The damage at Situation “AA” is located at Circuit 1’s terminal strip with all other troublesome points (BB thru GG) not present during the “AA” situation. A properly operating valve (valve’s solenoid) creates 30 ohms of resistance and creates a 0.9 amp load when energized. The short length of the control (field) wires for this system does not increase ohms resistance to any appreciable degree unless there are poor connections due to corrosion or nicked wires existing in the circuit. Additionally, for this scenario, any shorts that exist are shorts between wires, not shorts going to ground (ground faults). Ground faults will be covered separately in a later article and other brainteaser. 58

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Site Story: There has been recent digging, gopher, and lightning activity in and about the customer’s irrigation landscape. Also, last year they repaired a cut wire to the common wire, with its location at Point FF. Also, they recently planted a tree near point GG, where the crew exposed the irrigation wire while digging but can’t remember if they hit (nicked) any wire or had to repair any inadvertently cut wire. The customer states that some irrigation zones are not working or working erratically. You have not been to the site before, but the customer has provided you with an accurate diagram (asbuilt) that is visually accurate but not drawn to scale. Prior to testing any irrigation circuits, you have correctly taken the first troubleshooting steps and discussed the history of the site with the customer and then reviewed the irrigation system as a whole, verifying that any non-electronic controller issues (power, damage, programming, sensors, etc.) are not causing any of the malfunctions. Additionally, you verified the accuracy of the as-built (didn’t assume it was correct) and used your multimeter to verify that 24 volts AC is available at all controller terminals (which meet manufacture’s specifications). Using the information provided and Figure D, answer the following fourteen questions. Answers can be found on page 64.

1. What would be the ohms resistance measurement expected and actual when taken at the controller’s Circuit 1 terminal if there is a poorly connected/loose control wire located only at Point AA? 2. What would be the ohms resistance measurement expected and actual when taken at the controller’s Circuit 2 terminal if there is a poorly connected/loose control wire located only at Point AA? 3. What would be the ohms resistance measurement expected and actual when taken at the controller’s Circuit 1

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8. What would be the ohms resistance measurement expected and actual when taken at the controller’s Circuit 2 terminal if there is a cut to the common wire located only at Point DD? 9. What would be the ohms resistance measurement expected and actual when taken at the controller’s Circuit 1 terminal if Valve 2C solenoid’s internal wire’s coating was melted (most likely due to a lightning strike) at Point EE? 10. What would be the ohms resistance measurement expected and actual when taken at the controller’s Circuit 2 terminal if Valve 2C solenoid’s internal wire’s coating was melted (most likely due to a lightning strike) at Point EE? 11. What would be the ohms resistance measurement expected and actual when taken at the controller’s Circuit 1 terminal if an earlier repair to the common used nonwaterproof wire connects at Point FF?

Prior to testing any irrigation circuits, you have correctly taken the first troubleshooting steps and discussed the history of the site with the customer and then reviewed the irrigation system as a whole, verifying that any nonelectronic controller issues (power, damage, programming, sensors, etc.) are not causing any of the malfunctions. terminal if there is a short in the common wire located only at Point BB? 4. What would be the ohms resistance measurement expected and actual when taken at the controller’s Circuit 2 terminal if there is a short in the common wire located only at Point BB?

12. What would be the ohms resistance measurement expected and actual when taken at the controller’s Circuit 2 terminal if an earlier repair to the common used nonwaterproof wire connects at Point FF? 13. What would be the ohms resistance measurement expected and actual when taken at the controller’s Circuit 1 terminal if, during an earlier digging activity, the (field) wire was nicked, but not completely cut at Point GG? 14. What would be the ohms resistance measurement expected and actual when taken at the controller’s Circuit 2 terminal if, during an earlier digging activity, the (field) wire was nicked, but not completely cut at Point GG? Endnotes 1. Irrigation valves should be wired in a parallel, not in a series configuration. Incorrectly wiring the circuit into a series configuration will increase the resistance of the circuit. Increased circuit resistance can easily create excessive load (amount of amps drawn) when activated and can potentially cause malfunctioning valves, blown fuses, and damage to the controller’s internal components or wiring.

5. What would be the ohms resistance measurement expected and actual when taken at the controller’s Circuit 1 terminal if there is a short in the control (field) wire located only at Point CC? 6. What would be the ohms resistance measurement expected and actual when taken at the controller’s Circuit 2 terminal if there is a short in the control (field) wire located only at Point CC? 7. What would be the ohms resistance measurement expected and actual when taken at the controller’s Circuit 1 terminal if there is a cut to the common wire located only at Point DD?

ANDREW LINDQUIST, owner of Links Systems, Inc. can be reached at alindquist@linkssystemsinc.com.

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ANSWERS TO “SHORT, CORRODED AND DAMAGED WIRE CIRCUITS” SCENARIO (From the quiz on pages 58 and 61.) Good! You remembered to make sure that the circuits were not energized while using your multimeter to measure resistance, so you are set to go. For this scenario, any faults due to shorts, are confined to either control wire to control wire or control wire to common wire shorted circuits. None of the shorts in these scenarios are going to ground (a ground fault scenario). 1.

Circuit Terminal 1 — Poor terminal connection at Point AA: Expected resistance reading is 30 ohms. If the terminal connection is loose, you should have found this out when checking the integrity of the controller during your initial inspections. If you measured the circuit’s resistance when the field wire is attached to the terminal connection but there is corrosion between the field wire and the terminal, you would measure a higher than expected resistance of about 60 ohms or more. Therefore, you have determined that you have a faulty connection. To locate this fault, you disconnected the field wire at the controller and tested the circuit which now measures at the expected resistance of 30 ohms. Perplexed, you reattach the wire to the terminal and measure circuit resistance; the circuit’s resistance test checks-out OK at 30 ohms. Thinking through why the problem went away you realize that you most likely ‘solved’ the issue when reconnecting the field wire. The fault was due to either a loose or corroded connection. Causes of corroded connections inside a controller are: An indoor only controller was installed outdoors; the controller has a damaged/leaky weather resistant seal; an employee may have mistakenly left the controller cover open for a period of time and allowed moisture to enter which would be difficult to verify; the field wire/terminal connection wire was never tightly attached. At this point, if it is a leaky controller seal, repair as needed. If a loose wire, confirm that it is now tight. Also check all other terminal connections for loose and corroded terminal connections.

Circuit Terminal 2 — Poor terminal connection at Point AA: Expected resistance reading is 10 ohms. Loose wire connection at Terminal 1 has no effect upon Circuit 2. Therefore Circuit 2 checks out correctly at 10 ohms.

Circuit Terminal 1 — Short in common at Point BB: Expected resistance reading is 30 ohms. In this scenario, a short between common wires would have no measurable (or operational) affect upon either circuit. The only issue would be opportunity for moisture to enter into the wires at the short’s locations and create corrosion of the wire. If corrosion was occurring, you would measure a higher ohms resistance (perhaps 60 or above). If the short allowed electrons to go to ground (a ground fault) then there would be issues. These issues will be covered in subsequent articles and is not a factor in this scenario.

Circuit Terminal 2 — Short at Point BB: Expected resistance reading is 10 ohms. See previous answer for explanation.

Circuit Terminal 1 — Short at Point CC: Expected resistance reading is 30 ohms. The existing short would have no effect upon this circuit and you would measure 30 ohms resistance.

Circuit Terminal 2 — Short at Point CC: Expected resistance reading is 10 ohms. The short at Point CC is between control wires of the same circuit. The short would not have any appreciable effect upon this circuit’s resistance or its operation. However, as with Scenario BB, Circuit 2 is now prone to corrosion fault issues. MNLA .biz

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Circuit Terminal 1 — Cut at Point DD: Expected resistance measurement is 30 ohms. Cut common wire location will prevent this (and other circuits) from operating and would measure as infinite resistance. Actual location of cut can be located by using a wire tracker.

Circuit Terminal 2 — Cut at Point DD: Expected resistance measurement is 10 ohms. This scenario’s cut common wire location will prevent this (and other circuits) from operating and would measure as infinite resistance. Actual location of cut can be located by using a wire tracker.

Circuit Terminal 1 — Lightning damaged solenoid at Point EE: Expected resistance measurement is 30 ohms. The issue of a damaged solenoid at Point EE has no effect upon Circuit 1. Therefore this circuit would measure at 30 ohms.

10. Circuit Terminal 2 — Lightning damaged solenoid at Point EE: Expected resistance reading is 10 ohms. The varnished coated (insulated) wire present inside the solenoid easily melted from the excess heat created by an electrical lighting entering the circuit. The melting of the solenoid’s insulating coating creates shorts within the solenoid. The effects of the solenoid’s internal shorts is typically to act as if the solenoid is not present. That is, the circuit will measure as a two valve (solenoid) system at 15 ohms (1/2 of the 30 ohms resistance of a single solenoid). Sure enough, your multimeter reading is 15 ohms.

To locate where the short is, you will need to isolate various segments of the circuit and measure resistance as described earlier in this article. One alternative is to assume that the issue is a shorted solenoid, so rather than isolating the system components, you could go to each valve and test its solenoid.

As a note, lightning will slightly short, completely short, melt, or vaporize the solenoid’s internal wires. A slightly shorted solenoid will have slightly higher than expected ohms resistance. Completely shorted, melted or vaporized solenoids will eliminate that solenoid’s resistance from the circuit.

11. Circuit Terminal 1 — Non-waterproof connect at Point FF: Expected resistance measurement is 30 ohms. The use of nonwaterproof connects creates opportunity for corrosion of wires and wire connections. Corrosion will increase the resistance of the circuit. In this case, the measured resistance of this circuit would be higher than expected, perhaps 100 ohms or more.

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As tempting as it may be to go directly to the repaired location, it usually is more efficient to isolate and measure the separate components of this multivalve circuit as described earlier in this article. If corrosion is severe enough, the resulting effect would be similar to a cut wire showing an infinite amount of resistance. This corrosion effect at Point FF will be affecting all circuits. 12. Circuit Terminal 2 — Non-waterproof connect at Point FF: Expected resistance measurement is 10 ohms. As stated in response #11, the measured resistance reading will be higher than expected and will be increasing the resistance for all other circuits. 13. Circuit Terminal 1 — Nicked control wire at Point GG: Expected resistance measurement is 30 ohms. The nicked wire location has no effect on Circuit 1. Therefore, you will have a resistance measurement of 30 ohms.

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14. Circuit Terminal 2 — Nicked control wire at Point GG: Expected resistance measurement is 10 ohms. In this case, measuring the circuit’s resistance, you would get measurements much higher than expected… perhaps 30 ohms or more. Remembering that the owner said he couldn’t remember if they had damaged or repaired any wire at Point GG, you would conclude that: (1) they used a non-waterproof wire connect and corrosion may have occurred, or (2) they may have nicked the wire during their repair process and corrosion of the wire has occurred or the diameter of the wire was reduced. Therefore, you could go directly to the ‘repaired’ location and inspect it or you could isolate and test Circuit 2 components as described earlier. As tempting as it may be to go directly to the repaired location, it usually is more efficient to isolate and measure the separate components of this multivalve circuit as described earlier in this article.

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MNLA FOUNDATION Thank You to each of you that have supported the MNLA Foundation over this last fiscal year,

September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015. Your generous contributions enable us to continue to provide research information, scholarships, and career outreach that support the green industry in this region both now and into the future. Thank you for showing your dedication through your time and donations.

Individual and Company Donors

Georgia Heitmann, All Seasons Garden Center Ruth Anderson, Anderson Nurseries Dale Bachman, Bachman’s Terri McEnaney, Bailey Nurseries Bumble Bee Landscaping, Inc Bonnie Starkman, Ely Flower & Seed & Greenhouses Rod Saline, Engwall Florist, Greenhouse, Garden Ceters & Plantscapes Betty Ann Addison, Gardens of Rice Creek Ken Olson, Happy Land Tree Farms Heidi Heiland, Heidi’s Lifestyle Gardens K & S Tree Farms Koki Lopez, LaborForce Specialists Dave Kleinhauizen, Margolis Company Max Tree Farm Michael Lemke, Nelson Nursery Inc Craig Chilstrom, Prairie Edge Nursery Dave Schulte, Schulte’s Greenhouse & Nursery Chris Clifton, Southview Design Chad Hagman, Stars & Stripes Lawn & Landscape Bert Swanson, Swanson’s Nursery Consulting Dave Nordgaard, Top Notch Equipment Chris Romer, Treecology Diana Grundeen, Trio Landscaping John Glattly, Twin City Seed Company Paul Bachman Randall Berg Matt Gunderman Mary Meyer Gail Nozal

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A great number of companies have shown their support by contributing ¼ of 1% of their purchases at participating industry suppliers in the Research and Education Partners Fund program. This investment into the industry’s future is greatly appreciated.

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Improving the Environment by Investing in Research and Education

Contributors (continued)

Minnesota Grounds Maintenance; Mom’s Landscaping; Morningside Tree & Landscape; Mother Natures Exterior Design; MR Designs; Natural Surroundings; Natural Landscapes; Nature’s Way Lawn Service; New Sight Landscape and Design; No Mow/No Snow; Northeast Tree Inc.; NTC Homes Inc; Tim Oas; Ohland Lawn Service Llc; Ostvig Tree Inc; Otten Brothers Inc; Outdoor Dimensions LLC; Pal Al Harware; Patricia Murzyn; Perkin’s Landscape Contractors; Pinnacle Lawn & Landscape; Pioneer Trail Landscape; Prairie Landscaping & Tree Service; Prairie Restorations; Precision Outdoor Services; Precision Yard Services Co; Property Upkeep Services; Prospect Hill Gardens Inc; Quality Nursery; R L Reynolds Contracting; R S Inc; Rainbow Treecare; Redwood Falls Nursery Inc; Rich’s Lawn Service; River Creek Nursery; River Road Greenhouse; Rosch Enterprises Inc; Roses Garden Gate; Sargents; Sargent’s Landscape Nursery Inc; Savanna Designs Inc; Scape Creations LLC; Schafer Landscaping; Schalow’s Nursery; Schrader Enterprises Lawn; Sheryls Gardening Inc.; Shields Landscaping; Sterling Lawn and Snow; Sticks & Stones Design; Stockmen’s Greenhouse & Landscaping; Stone Arch Landscapes; Stone Creations Landscaping; Stonepocket Inc; Stonescapes; Swedberg Nursery; Tamarack Landscaping; Tangletown Gardens; TCO LLC; Tending Your Garden; Terrapin Landscape; The Ivy Garden; Timberwall Landscaping Inc; Timeless Gardens; Tim’s Lawn & Landscaping; TLC Landscape; Todds; Tom Mahler; Tucker Farms; Unite Brothers Landscape; University Of Minnesota Arboretum; Vineland Landscape; Vip Design & Construction; Viproperty; Vision Landscape; Waconia Tree Farms LLC; Wagner Greenhouses Inc; Wall Gardens; Weis Landscaping & Design; West Lake Landscape Inc.; Westside Outdoor Maintenance; Wheeler Lumber LLC; Wild Orchid Native Gardens; Wilson Environmental LLC; Winona Nursery Inc; Winter Greenhouse Inc; Woyda And Mortel Inc; Yardscapes Inc. We’ve made every effort to ensure the accuracy of this list. If your information is incorrect, please contact the MNLA office at 651-633-4987 or mnla@mnla.biz.

PARTNERS FUND You are encouraged to participate in the Research & Education Partners Fund at one of the participating suppliers recognized below. Your voluntary donation of ¼ of 1% (0.25%) on purchases of plants and other nursery, greenhouse and landscape products at these suppliers is used by the MNLA Foundation to grow a brighter future for the industry. On an invoice totaling $1,000 at one of these suppliers, your contribution will be only $2.50. Your individual contribution is small, but collectively these small contributions will add up to make a real difference!

L A N D S C A P E + M A S O N RY

Chanhassen Distribution Yard 952-445-4088 1-800-477-4123 Fax: 952-445-6219

Research for the Real World

Career Development & Promotion

New Germany Growing Range Field Direct Sales Phone & Fax 952-353-2175 Jim's Cell: 612-290-6358

Scholarships

➾ MNLA FOUN DATION

SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS 20 1 5 – 2 0 1 6 SC H O L AR SH I P R ECI P I E N T S

The MNLA Foundation partnered with 17 member companies to present 23 academic scholarships for the 2015-2016 school year. Here is a look at this year’s collegiate recipients.

MNLA .biz

CAITLIN BARNHART

JODI GEHRKE