Editor’s Letter: We Can Be Heroes
Right now I feel like a superhero. I feel nearly invincible. Why? Because I’ve gotten my first COVID vaccination shot. Of course the real heroes are the scientists and front line workers. I’m just incredibly fortunate.
Here in NJ, getting the vaccine has been a “circus” (to put it nicely) of research, persistence, and dumb luck. As an asthmatic with elderly parents, I spent a year living with greater fear than I admitted to myself—until with the click of an appointment button, a heavy weight began to lift.
It makes you realize the toll of fear. The stress we accept as normal. The ways we hold ourselves back. We had little control over the pandemic, but emerging from it could be an important lesson in freedom from fear.
What have you been holding back on? Buying new equipment? See page 20. Taking a chance on new plants and trees to add to your rotation? See page 32. Adding irrigation to your services? See page 24. Or applying fertilizer to client lawns? See page 36. What about finally addressing those marketing opportunities you’ve never fully looked into—like Google Ads, SEO, and more? See page 39.
Of course, some things, no matter what, remain beyond on our control. Like the frustrating challenges of H-2B visa caps and hiring. Mari Medrano, human resources director at CoCal Landscape in Denver, shares an intimate look at the ups and downs of this program’s effects at her company on page 12; while Arnulfo Hinojosa, vice president of the Federation of Employers & Workers of America (FEWA) outlines H-2B basics, its current status, and common misconceptions on page 6.
Even tree diseases can challenge our ability to control them. Davey’s Diagnostic Lab recently identified the three most common diseases they encountered in 2020. Luckily, there are ways to treat them revealed on page 34.
Be it a tree-saving fungicide or a life-saving COVID vaccine, solutions to even our toughest problems are often within grasp. Maybe we are all superheroes.
Managing Editor, Turf
Spring 2021 Issue Table of Contents
H-2B: The FEWA Perspective | Demand exceeds visa supply for this hiring practice.
H-2B: An Employer Perspective | A landscape company’s human resources manager reflects on H-2B hiring challenges and rewards.
Path to Profitability | Software tools help to schedule jobs and daily routes.
Raise Your Mowing Game | Improve turf health and appearance with these cutting methods.
More Than Mowing | Attachments and accessories enhance crews’ capabilities.
Irrigation System Start-Up | With the spring season, check equipment for proper operation.
Tested And Vetted New Plant Picks | All-America Selections for 2021 have been announced.
Three Tree Diseases To Watch | In 2020, these were the most prevalent across the U.S.
Mowing With Martha | The property foreman at Martha Stewart’s 152-acre farm shares tips.
From Soil Report To Solution | Formulas to get fertilizer selection and application right.
My Landscape: Employees Enjoy Great Outdoors | For commercial office clients, there are opportunities for landscape contractors to create outdoor amenities.
Get Equipped | Mowers, Handheld Equipment, Pesticides and Fertilizers
