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Author: Abby Hart

Abby Hart

Abby Hart

Abby Hart is the former senior editor of Landscape Management. A native Clevelander, she spent 10 years in Chicago, where she was operations manager of a global hospitality consultancy. She also worked as managing editor of Illumine, a health and wellness magazine; and a marketing specialist for B2B publications. Abby has a degree in journalism from Boston University’s College of Communication.

Fire ants (Photo: Joanie King, Texas A&M University)

Fighting fire ants

Fire ants. These mound-creating, stinging crawlers can pose a problem for lawns in the South and Southeast. A lawn care operator and a researcher offer their recommendations for getting these insects under control. “Fire ants are pretty simple things; they tear you up, and you have to suppress them,” says Steve Alicky, the integrated pest […]

Crew member operating spreader (Photo: SiteOne Landscape Supply)

How to get the most out of your spreaders and sprayers

Two experts give their best tips for getting the most out of sprayers and spreaders. 1. Be consistent. Common mistakes that lawn care operators (LCOs) make are they don’t stay consistent with the spray pattern and they don’t cut in edges near sidewalks and driveways, says Teddy Mathis, sales manager for Graham Spray Equipment, a […]

Photo: Clara Richter

Road trip roundup: Follow along with the LM staff’s February 2019 travels

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The LM staff hit the road in February, covering events in Phoenix, Washington, D.C., and more. The first stop was the Aspire User Conference, held in Phoenix, Feb. 6-8. The inaugural event aimed to help Aspire clients better use the software and technology to run their businesses more efficiently. It did this through presentations from […]

Photo: PBI-Gordon Corp.

Shut down sedges

Here are some tips to identify the yellow and purple varieties of the weed and keep your turf sedge-free.

What you should know about white grubs

Aside from knowing that white grubs wreak havoc on lawns, there’s a lot to learn about these little larvae.

Photo: Lane Tredway

Properly identify brown patch

Brown spots on lawns can appear due to a variety of turf pests and diseases, but a common culprit is brown patch. Experts offer their tips for properly identifying and treating the disease.

Koch DURATION CR (Photo: Koch Turf & Ornamental)

How enhanced efficiency fertilizers work

Enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) are another potential tool in your lawn care arsenal.

Control tips for fire ants

Use these tips to better control fire ants.

Spreader (Photo: iStock.com/BanksPhotos)

Spreader-sprayer smarts

Lawn care operators (LCOs) invest a large part of their budgets into equipment like aerators, spray rigs and spreader-sprayers. According to some experts, they often miss a key component — preventive maintenance — especially over the winter months in colder areas of the country. “Many LCOs aren’t doing enough preventive maintenance on their equipment,” says […]

Man aerating (Photo: Billy Goat Industries)

Top tips for selling aeration

Offering turf aeration services can be daunting for a lawn care operator (LCO) because customers often don’t understand how aerating can benefit their lawns. LCOs may opt out of offering aeration because they have limited manpower or a competing lawn care company offers cheaper services, says Rich Clark, account manager for Billy Goat Industries. Aeration […]

Chinch bug damage (Photo: David J. Shetlar)

Chinch bug mug

Chinch bug damage to lawns can range from subtle to dramatic, resulting in brown turf that can be confused with drought stress or leaf spot disease. Here, David J. Shetlar, Ph.D., professor emeritus of urban landscape entomology at The Ohio State University, offers some recommendations for how you can ID and control a chinch bug […]

Crabgrass (Photo: Gil del rosario, Corteva Agriscience, Agriculture Division of Dow DuPont)

Take back your turf

Crabgrass and goosegrass are two of the most prevalent turf nuisances in the country. Here are a few tips LCOs can use to identify and control these troublesome grassy weeds. Crabgrass Know your enemy: Upright-growing, summer annual grassy weed that grows in patches; Yellowish-green in color; As it germinates, the wide leaf blade is generally […]

Red box truck (Photo: GPS Insight)

Tracking your trucks

In the hustle and bustle of serving lawn care customers and managing employees, it can be daunting to streamline operations and track where crews and equipment are at any given moment. Integrating GPS tracking into your operation can help — and will pay off in the long run. “Lawn and landscaping companies have a lot […]

Aaron Katerberg (Photo: Ed Koziarski, Homesick Blues Productions)

Get a grip

Aaron Katerberg didn’t set out to be an irrigator. He’s been a tennis pro, pursued a master’s degree in divinity and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. After college, he tried working for his father’s irrigation business, Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Grapids Irrigation, and that first stint didn’t pan out. A few years later, he finally made peace with […]

Troy Clogg and family in Galway (Photo: Troy Clogg)

Backstory: Troy Clogg

Troy Clogg Owner and Sales Consultant Troy Clogg Landscape Associates Wixom, Mich. Education North Farmington High School Farmington Hills, Mich. Class of 1981 Lawrence Technological University Architecture Southfield, Mich. 1981-1983 Ferris State University Business Big Rapids, Mich. 1983-1984 Work Experience 1978-1980 Mr. Fables, The Nugget, Pizza Hut Busboy Grand Rapids, Mich. “From these jobs, I […]

Poa annua (Photo: Bayer)

Poa annua plan of attack

Cooler fall temperatures represent a battle cry to lawn care operators (LCOs) in the Southeast and the Transition Zone—it’s time to combat Poa annua. Also known as annual bluegrass, Poa annua is a winter annual weed that features wide leaves and grows in small clumps. Though there are perennial types of Poa annua, in warm-season […]

Web Extra: How The Greenery sweetens the deal with employee incentives

How South Carolina-based landscape company The Greenery is diversifying its recruitment efforts to attract labor. Hilton Head Island is known as a picturesque community located on the South Carolina coast. It takes a serious labor force to maintain the residences and resorts on the island and in the surrounding area. The Greenery employs 806 full-time […]

Regina Bozalis and family; Photo: Regina Bozalis

Backstory: Regina Bozalis

Regina Bozalis President Turf Team Outdoor Scapes and Management Oklahoma City Education Westmoore High School Oklahoma City Class of 1991 Oklahoma University Norman, Okla. Business 1991-1992 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, Okla. B.A., Business Class of 1995 Work Experience 1987-1990 Sutherland Lumber Various roles Oklahoma City “I mixed paint and worked my way up to […]

Man on mower (Photo: LandCare Pasadena)

The buzz on electric equipment

When Greenworks Commercial unveiled its Lithium Z mower line this summer, the manufacturer joined Mean Green Mowers in the commercial zero-turn electric mower market. This segment was bound to gain a competitor. Shipments of electric outdoor power equipment products (both corded and cordless) are projected to see a 51 percent growth rate from 2015 to […]

ProfitLion event covers leadership styles, valuations, women in landscaping and more

Landscape industry veterans, including business owners and consultants, came together for ProfitLion’s inaugural Seeds for Success training seminar in Pittsburgh. The landscape software company’s July event provided insights to green industry professionals on topics such as marketing, estimating, setting expectations, hiring, sales and leadership. Here are several takeaways shared from a few of the Seeds […]

Greenworks unveils Lithium Z zero-turn mowers, touts benefits of battery-powered equipment

On July 12, Greenworks Commercial opened the doors to its Mooresville, N.C., headquarters to unveil the first production models of its Lithium Z zero-turn mowers—the first lithium-powered mowers to be UL-certified for safety. At the company’s Lithium Z Media Launch event, Tony Marchese, director of independent retail for Greenworks North America, discussed the full range […]

The Greenery employees. Photo by Krisztian Lonyai

People power: How The Greenery empowers its employees

Hilton Head Island, S.C., conjures up thoughts of relaxing getaways at coastal resorts on beautiful beaches. For The Greenery’s CEO, Lee Edwards, Hilton Head Island has been about the people and the relationships that have helped his company grow from a small family business with six employees to where it is today—a company that is […]

Gary Horton (Photo: Neil Stephenson Photography)

LM150 company profile: Landscape Development Inc.

In 2006, Gary Horton’s company, Landscape Development Inc. (LDI), was at the top of its game. With an annual revenue of $93 million, the Valencia, Calif.-based company was thriving and growing by more than 25 percent per year. Then the 2007 recession hit, and like so many other successful firms, LDI found itself mired in […]

Buhler and his wife. Photo: Jeff Buhler

Backstory: Jeff Buhler

Jeff Buhler Senior Vice President of Customer Service Massey Services Orlando, Fla. Education Lincoln High School Tallahassee, Fla. Class of 1989 University of Florida Gainesville, Fla. B.A., Religion and Psychology Class of 1993 Rollins College Winter Park, Fla. Master of Business Administration Class of 2005 Work Experience 1994-2000 Pi Lambda Phi Foundation Director of Chapter […]

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