An improved natural environment leads to better health conditions, according to a study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Seven researchers conducted a study to see if the loss of 100 million trees to the invasive forest pest Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) would negatively relate to cardiovascular and lower respiratory diseases. Two fixed effects regression... read more
3-D imaging software makes life easier, clients happier for Pennsylvania-based Plantique. When Brian Richardson shows his clients 3-D images of their landscape design projects, he says he can see the light bulbs go off inside their heads. They may ask for a few more trees by the garage or perhaps a longer retaining wall, and Richardson can show them what... read more
Does compensating employees by the job pay off? When it comes to paying maintenance crewmen and foremen, have you considered the piecework system—paying your employees by the job instead of by the hour? With piecework you pay your employees for getting the job done; it doesn’t matter how long it takes them. Pros of piecework The one big pro is... read more
Does software save time or muddy the irrigation design process? Designing an irrigation system can be a time-consuming process that becomes increasingly complicated when errors occur. Many irrigation contractors use design software to hasten the process and improve accuracy. Experiences using computerized design often vary. Some users report major efficiency increases, while other designers prefer the intimate knowledge they gain... read more
In late spring I traveled to Naperville, Ill., to see how that city has put in place an aggressive program to save its 16,000 municipal ash trees from Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). (See this story for more details on that trip.) In addition to hearing about (and seeing with my own two eyes) healthy, thriving treated ash trees literally across... read more
In Naperville, Ill., a public-private partnership demonstrates removal isn’t the only option for EAB-infected trees. Municipality maintenance budgets typically have two line items for trees: prune and remove. Cities often don’t have room in the budget to treat trees with control products, no matter how dire the need, but a public-private partnership in Naperville, Ill., over the last few years... read more
