CENTS leaves attendees prepared for 2011

As CENTS 2011 and the OSU Nursery Short Course wrapped, a greater sense of confidence in the economy and larger scrutiny on certifications and regulations were among the talking points to look forward to in the coming year.

Show attendees and exhibitors representing nurseries, greenhouses and landscaping companies said 2010 was a stronger year than expected, and they anticipate 2011 to be even better. Leaders and educators said more emphasis will be placed on industry regulations, everything from the level of noise to chemical use, and that more awareness will be created about becoming certified to offer specific services.

When it comes to educating the public and the importance of being a certified contractor, PLANET President David Snodgrass said the industry has reached a “tipping point.”

Among the events the last two days at CENTS were town hall meetings held by PLANET and American Nursery & Landscape Association and, of course, educational classes.

Here are more highlights from the three days:

Tree and shrub diseases

During a foundations and fundamentals course on common tree and shrub diseases, Jim Chatfield an associate professor based at The Ohio State University Extension Center in Wooster, Ohio, broke down how to diagnose signs and systems of ailing plants from infectious diseases.

Properly diagnosing the problem is the first part of the battle, he said.

“As you start thinking about control, you need to know what causes (the disease),” Chatfield said, adding you don’t want to spray an insecticide when a fungicide is needed.

Among the infectious diseases he spoke about were anthracnose, powdery mildew and verticillium wilt.

With anthracnose, the fungal disease can get into the twigs and then spread through the foliage, causing blotchiness along the veins, Chatfield said.

Powdery mildew is “usually not critical to plant health,” but can be unsightly, he said. And the disease affects plants differently. One symptom is that the tissue becomes desiccated and a grayish residue forms on the leaves or even the stems. A misnomer symptom with powdery mildew is yellowish spots that form on the front of leaves, but when turning the leaf over, the fungi is usually growing on the underside.

Verticillium wilt can be found on maple trees and smoke bushes. The disease goes through the root system, eventually causing a vascular wilt and scorched-looking leaves, Chatfield said. Once the symptoms are visible, it’s usually too late to save the plant.

For help identifying tree and shrub diseases, he recommended the Buckeye Yard and Garden onLine's website.

Growing your business

Lack of focus is what left Todd Pugh’s company stagnant for years.

In 1996, Enviroscapes, a landscape maintenance company based in Louisville, Ohio, made $665,000 in revenue. Pugh’s attention to the company’s bottom line, understanding of the market and a clear path for the future has helped the company grow to $8.5 million in annual revenue.

In his talk “Landscape Maintenance – Growing Your Business,” Pugh said business owners need to ask themselves five questions every year: Why are you in business? What do you love? What are your goals? Why do you want to do this? Do you have a viable model?

“It’s not easy to grow a successful business,” he said. “If it was, everyone would be doing it.”