Landscape Live!

In this episode, John Migliaccio, president of NESPA and owner of The Pool & Spa Place, gives us a history lesson on how the pool industry has changed over the last 40 years along with the opportunities, issues and trends he sees moving forward. He also discusses some general design principles along with the pros and cons of doing your own installations vs. working with a professional pool contractor.

In this episode, Ken Thomas of Envisor Consulting discusses why some landscape companies achieve their dreams, while others struggle to get by. He also talks about each stage of growth and how you can define your landscape business strategy to thrive!

In this episode, Bob Smart of Smart Scapes, Rich Arlington & Associates and SIMA discusses why snow plowing is now referred to as risk management. He will also review common mistakes contractors make when signing a contract, ways to plan for upcoming snow events and much more!

In this episode, Kirk Gibson, sales manager of Bobcat and Doosan, discusses selling professionally. Some of the topics covered include the "projection is perception" theory, the sales process and the 2 C's: confidence and competence. In addition, he explains how to get a client to commit and how to make sales fun!

In this episode, Rob Swanekamp of KubePak discusses how you can customize your plant material by working closely with your grower. You may not realize it, but growers need to be at least six months ahead of the season. By planning ahead and working with your grower, you can have plant material grown to your specifications and quantities, guaranteeing that they’ll be ready when you need them.

In this episode, Shaun Kanary, director of marketing for Weed Pro, discusses the best social media channels for the green industry. He also explains how to grow your social channels and improve their effectiveness, as well as where social media fits into the consumer decision process. In addition, Kanary analyzes the 4E social media model and describes how to manage and measure social media effectiveness.

In this episode, Alan Brandfon, managing partner of Priority Payment Systems Atlantic, discusses the past, present and future of credit card processing, as well as where the fees are and how you can save money. In addition, he talks about your options in terminals, mobile readers and gateways. He also defines PCI compliance and describes why it is important. Finally, Alan explains how you can get capital within five days without needing a bank or signing personal guarantees.

Dr. Bruce Clarke, director of turfgrass pathology at Rutgers professional golf turf management school, discusses the Rutgers turfgrass program, from its early history to its present day format. He will talk how the turfgrass industry has evolved over the years as well as where he sees future growth opportunities. He will also discuss the difficult challenges that the turfgrass industry faces and how programs like the one at Rutgers are responding to these challenges on a daily basis.

Tony Lobello, design director at Mariani Landscape, discusses some of the educational aspects of the green industry. For example, Lobello explains what types of job opportunities there are or will be in the future and what high school and college students should be looking for if they want a career in the green industry. He also provides advice and suggestions for colleges and universities that have landscape architecture, landscape management or horticultural programs.

The job has been designed and sold. You've got your estimate, including material lists and man-hours, along with your projected profits. Now it's time for production. Who plans the installation? Who tracks materials and man-hours? Who compares actuals to estimates? How do you stay on track when problems arise?

Some of the topics discussed with Ian Baldwin include:1. The National Gardening Survey (NGS) that shows a rapid uptick in the "do it for me" market2. The increasing fear of failure from DIY’ers 3. With the exception of food gardening, landscaping is seen as just another project to complete4. Garden retailers have noticed a very strong trend towards landscape decorating5. Food gardens as a foundation feature in the landscape6. The trend towards 100 percent organic landscapes, including native plants, bees and butterflies with drought tolerant and rain garden statuses

In this episode, Jim Urban of Urban Trees and Soils discusses some basic but important concepts when it comes to the proper care and health of something we work with every day: trees. Some of the topics discussed include:-The importance of dirt-Getting water into and out of the soil-Our fear of clay-The problem with the plants we buy-The problems we create at the base of the tree

In this episode, Peter MacDonagh of Kestrel Design Group discusses low impact development (LID). MacDonagh talks about what low impact development is and why and who should be concerned about it, in addition to providing examples. He also explains how plants and soil clean water and what kinds of water pollution LID handles.

In this episode, Tim Schmalenberger of MKSK discusses communicating with clients, employees and co-workers.Why do some construction projects go more smoothly than others, even when the size and scope of work are nearly identical? Communication, or lack thereof, could be the answer.Some of the topics discussed are:• The various methods of communication;• Reasons why communication is so difficult; and• Ideas and solutions to reduce miscommunication.Listen to hear what Schmalenberger has to say about enhancing communication within your company.

Arnulfo Hinojosa discusses the H-2B program and the new wage methodology. Topics include: What the H-2B guest worker program is; How the program works; Why it's so important to the landscape industry; How the the DOL arrived at the new wage methodology; How the new wage rates affect all contractors; and What can be done to return these wage rates back to competitive rates.

Tonight, Richard will discuss problems associated with improper planting and over mulching, as well as organic land care.

Turf and ornamental weed researcher Jim Brosnan, Ph.D., from the University of Tennessee, talks with Landscape Live! about herbicide resistance in the landscape and lawn care industry. Listen to this episode to learn more about this concerning issue, which is already rearing its head in row crop agriculture and golf course management. Brosnan offers tips turf managers can take to reduce their impact to the growing threat of herbicide resistance.

Landscape Live! is back with a new season, a new format and a new attitude. We’ve ditched Blog Talk Radio and are now broadcasting live on Spreaker. The show is now 30 minutes long so we can give you the same great information but in half the time. Plus, we'll be easier to find: We've moved Landscape Live! onto Landscape Management's homepage, we have our own URL (landscapelive.net), you can find us in the iTunes store and also on Spreaker's app. So please, no more complaints :-)In this show, which is #95, Gail and I kick things off by doing a little talk show "freestyling." We discuss our new programming, our Green Industry backgrounds and finally, how you can get more involved with the show. That’s right. “Guests? We don’t need no stinkin' guests.” Just kidding, we’ll really do need guests. If you know of anyone who might be a great guest, want us to interview anyone (and I do mean anyone) or think you have an interesting story to tell, let us know and we’ll make it happen. Who knows, you might be our next

Sean Martini, outside sales manager of Lawrenceville, N.J.-based Britton Industries, discusses getting all of your landscaping materials and equipment from the same location.Martini says the business model of one-stop shopping can: -Save you money -Reduce the time and materials you use -Organize your jobs more effectively -Maximize efficiency by having materials delivered and debris removed simultaneouslySean Martini began working for Britton during high school. At the time, the company was landscape company, and he cut grass and landscaped for Jim Britton during the summers. Sean graduated high school and went away to college in 1992. He returned and went back to Britton full time as a loader, as the company had become more focused on land clearing and recycling. Sean grew along with the company and has served as inside sales, dispatch and outside salesperson.Britton Industries now has four facilities that focus on recycling of organic waste and recycling of concrete. They have become a very d