Fungicide sprays

[indmowing]

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I do not mean to speak out of turn, but some people seem to be having a go at people's credibility lately, simply for them stating their opinion or asking a question.

Isn't this forum meant to be here for people to ask questions etc. As I see it Mariner has the education he just hasn't done the groundwork. You can study something theoretically but I got the impression he was asking about the practical side not so much the theoretical, and he was asking about others experience and if it was profitable!

Take care all

Ebony

[lawrence stone]

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Mariner (who works in Chicago which has mostly dry hot days, cool nights, and pretty constant breezes)could you PLEASE us what specific type of woody ornamentals and the pathogen that is causing the fungus. If you don't know the pathogen do you have a sample?

I can forward this information to one of the plant pathologists at Penn State for further review.

[mariner]

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Once again, i was simply asking business wise, if anyone offers these treatments and what kind of profit is there to be made. The key word is "simply." I never got specific or intended to. Illinois offers disease confirmation services. Thanks anyway.

[mariner]

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Actually, just forget it. I can't expect a straight answer at this point.

[lawrence stone]

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Since you did not reply what study materials you were using for woody ornamental pest management I will recite the following from the Penn State publication "Woody Ornament Pest Control Suggestions".

Scheduling woody ornamental plant disease management practices.

The scheduling of effective disease management measures is not a simple task nor can it be standardized. The activities of the organisms which cause plant diseases are not governed by the clock or calendar. Their activity is influenced by temperature, relative, humidity, soil moisture and other highly changeable factors. Strict scheduling is made even more difficult in the landscape because of many different species of plants being maintained, each with its own, often unique, diseases. As a result, the timing of pesticide application as well as other disease management practices must be tailored to the plant species being grown, the diseases that are PRESENT or could pose a serious threat, and the environmental conditions at the site.

Mariner do you comprehend the above?

[Donal]

Yes
We do considerable fungicide spraying on lawns, as is demanded by the disease pressure in the local environment here. It is maybe 20% of our business turnover

[Stephen M.]

Actually, just forget it. I can't expect a straight answer at this point.

Well, it's been about 1 year 5 months since this exchange happened and I believe Mariner was getting bad advice on fungicide application: whether to offer it or not.

My company offers the service, but most of my business is from established clients rather than the cold call looking for a cure. I would not guaruntee the success rate for the same reason I don't guarantee an insecticide spraying. It's the same reason your medical doctor won't guarantee that you are "cured" after the first visit. If you take antibiotics for a medical problem, that antibiotic requires you to take a course for 2 to 4 weeks or more. The same is true for most fungicide or insecticide treatments. Yet, people will buy those services and expect an instant cure rate and can't understand why one treatment isn't enough.

It takes a professional to sell a course of treatment. The key is to make the service to pay well but also sell the number of treatments that will bring success.