Landscape
And
Nursery
Dialog
Mary Ann Rose
Commercial Landscape
& Nursery Specialist
The Ohio State UniversityNovember, 1998
Highlights of the 1999 OSU Nursery Short Course
Keywords: educational programs, landscape, nursery, garden center, tree care, turf
T he 70th annual OSU Nursery Short Course will kick off at 8:30 a.m., Monday, January 25 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, Ohio. Once again, the Short Course promises to have something for everyone, whether manager or employee; landscape contractor, grower, or retail nurseryman. One important change to note for 1999 is that the Tuesday and Wednesday morning programs will begin at 8:00 a.m. this year -- half an hour earlier ö to allow for a longer morning session.
Featuring....
The 1999 program will start in style with a keynote presentation from one of our all-time favorite short course speakers, Dr. Larry Helms of Medford, Oregon. In "If I Only Knew Then What I Know Now" Larry will present insight from green industry leaders who were asked one question: Looking back over your career, what do you wish you knew starting out that you know now? Two additional talks by Helms on Monday will cover ãMarketing in the Green Industry and How to Get Yourself to Do What You Need to Do.
Charles Vander Kooi of Littleton , CO is a leading motivational speaker in the Construction Industry. Charles will offer insight and humor in the keynote People Management on Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. Vander Kooi promises to ãdiscuss the impact of the baby boomers, de-mystify Total Quality Management and define egg-sucking dogs. With a description like that, how could you possibly miss this talk??!
Noted horticulturist John Elsley will present Wednesdayâs 8AM keynote address Plant Trends for the year 2000. Elsley is vice president and horticultural director of Wayside Gardens and Park Seed Company, Greenwood, S. Carolina. Elsley also will present Woody Plants for the Small Landscape on Wednesday.
Plant Talks. The Short Course â99 will be the place to hear about the newest and most exciting plant materials. By popular demand, we will have a program on wetland plants by John Kiertscher (Envirotech, Columbus, Ohio). Dr. Steven Still, OSU professor and author of the ãManual of Herbaceous Ornamental Plants will talk about What's New in Perennials. Bulb expert Brent Heath (Heath Enterprises, Gloucester, VA), author of ãDaffodils for American Gardens will delve in to the lesser known bulbs in Beyond Daffodils & Tulips. Bill Hendricks (Klyn Nurseries, Perry, Ohio), a favorite short course speaker, will expand our knowledge of ornamental grasses. Debra Knapke (Columbus, Ohio) will cover a hot new trend: butterfly and wildlife gardening. Finally, don't miss Tuesday's unveiling of the ONLA Plant Selection Committee's top picks!
Garden Center Highlights. This year's Garden Center program will feature Judy Sharpton (Growing Places Marketing, Atlanta, Ga.) and Dr. Bridget Behe from Michigan State University's Department of Horticulture (East Lansing, Mich.). Sharpton will emphasize innovative marketing approaches, beginning with retail promotions on Monday afternoon, and following with in-store merchandising on Tuesday morning. Garden Center employees should not miss her two-hour GAINS$$ program designed to build customer and marketing skills. Bridget Behe will discuss her research in customer relations, - specifically customer perceptions of garden center businesses. The Back to Basics sessions in the afternoons will cover topics such as Basic Plant Care in the Garden Center and Telephone Skills.
Nursery Highlights. Nursery growers have an excellent program to look forward to this year, with informative programs on slow-release fertilizers, micro-irrigation, pond biology and management, and more. Charlie Parkerson (Suffolk, VA), a grower and a noted expert on water recycling systems, will present a timely topic - approaches to reducing water use and nutrient leaching. Two sessions on propagation will be offered, one on propagating native trees and another on seed-propagation of prairie plants. If you hire immigrant labor, you wonât want to miss Dr. James Holtâs (McGuinness Law Firm, Washington D.C.) program on hiring under the temporary alien worker program (H2A). Dr. Holt is a national expert on migrant labor laws. This program also may be of interest to landscape firms hiring migrant labor.
Landscape Highlights. Charles Vander Kooi will present his principles of estimating and bidding to landscape contractors, and also will offer the program ãMaking the Most of Your Skills specifically for foremen in the landscape and nursery industries. Charlie Bowers, co-owner and CEO of Garden Gate Landscaping, Inc., Ellicott City, MD will share his formula for 35 years of success in the Design/Build/Maintenance business, including tips on exploiting modern technology and producing a bottom line that regularly exceeds the industry average. Camera-buff Bowers also will present a program on award-winning landscape photography. Other programs of interest to landscapers include wetland construction and maintenance by John Kiertscher, Developing a landscape weed control program by Dr. Larry Kuhns (Penn State Univ.), and a special three-hour session on junipers Tuesday afternoon.
Management highlights. Noted management consultant and motivational speaker Dave Allison (Duluth, MN) will speak for the first time at the Short Course on Wednesday. He will address Developing People Skills and How to Give Effective and Fair Performance Reviews. Dr. Bernie Erven (OSU Dept. of Agricultural Economics) will provide insight on disappointing employee performance, and how to recognize when poor performance may be tied to faulty training. Two programs will explore how the internet can help your business. Dr. Tim Rhodus (OSU Dept. of Horticulture and Crop Science) will demonstrate Problem-Solving Resources on the Internet and Dr. Bob Boufford (Clark State Community College, Springfield, Ohio) will introduce advanced features for business websites such as on-line customer service and ordering capability.
Tree Care highlights. The Tree Care sessions focus on woody plants and are designed to have broad appeal to members of the green industry. These programs also carry CEU credit for arborists. A highlight of the Tree Care session will be a program on mycorrhizae and biostimulants by Dr. Tom Smiley. Dr. Smiley will present results of his research with these growth stimulants at the Bartlett Tree Lab, Charlotte, NC. He also will speak on fertilization of woody ornamentals. Dr. Larry Kuhns (Penn State University) will discuss the primary factors influencing tree establishment, from propagation in the nursery to after-planting care in the landscape. A historical look at street tree plantings by Drew Todd (ODNR) will show how trees mature and how they influence the urban environment over a period of thirty years.
Turf highlights. Wednesday offers a day-long session for turf maintenance professionals. Dr. Roch Gaussoin from University of Nebraskaâs Department of Horticulture will discuss weed and fertilization management in turf. OSUâs Dr. Dave ÎBugdocâ Shetlar will discuss new insecticides for turfgrass.
Pesticide Courses. A total of 11 Pesticide Recertification credits will be available over three days in the following categories: core, 5, 6a, 6c, and 8. One hour of core will be offered each day. Representatives of The Ohio Department of Agriculture will be on site to record recertification credits.
Find out More...
For more information on CENTS or the Short Course, visit the ONLA website. You may also call ONLAâs fax-on-demand service to request a program or registration form: 614-899-9814 in Columbus, or toll free 888-665-2329. Be sure to pre-register to avoid waiting in registration lines at the Short Course. The pre-registration deadline is January 8, 1999. See you bright and early January 25, 26 and 27!
- Cassandra Brown, Extension Graduate Assistant and Mary Ann Rose, Extension Specialist
