Ohio State University Extension Bulletin

Ornamental Plants -- Annual Reports and Research Reviews 1999

Special Circular 173-00

Ohio State University Extension Buckeye Yard and Garden Line Evaluation Survey

Gary Y. Gao, Pamela J. Bennett, Joseph F. Boggs, James A. Chatfield, David E. Dyke, Jane C. Martin, David J. Shetlar, Randall H. Zondag, Amy K. Stone, and Erik A. Draper

Summary

The Buckeye Yard and Garden Line (BYGL) is one of the key ways through which Ohio State University Extension and the Extension Nursery Landscape and Turf Team (ENLTT) provide ornamental plant and plant problem information to the green industry, to Extension offices, and to the general public. This article answers some questions about BYGL and provides the results of the 1999 BYGL Evaluation Survey.

What Is BYGL?

The Buckeye Yard and Garden Line (BYGL) is a weekly plant update in the form of an electronic newsletter. It is written by OSU Extension agents and specialists, from a conference call held every Tuesday from April-October. BYGL is funded by the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association and OSU Extension, with additional contributions from the Ohio Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture.

Who Is BYGL’s Audience?

BYGL is written for green industry professionals, Extension agents, Master Gardener volunteers, and other horticulturists in Ohio and throughout the United States, especially the Midwest.

How Do You Receive BYGL?

There are three ways to receive BYGL – by e-mail, by fax subscription, and directly on the World Wide Web. Here’s how:

Is There a Cost for BYGL?

Only the fax subscriptions have a fee ($35 a year) to cover phone line costs, and even fax subscriptions are free for members of the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association, the Ohio Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture, and the Ohio Turfgrass Foundation.

Where Can You Find the Time for BYGL?

Reading time during the growing season comes at a premium, and that is why BYGL is formatted in short bytes (one to two paragraphs) of the most relevant information on a particular topic. We also strive for a lively, user-friendly, sometimes humorous style.

What Is Buckeye Yard and Garden onLine ?

This is the World Wide Web version of BYGL, and it comes not only with the text of BYGL available on the e-mail and fax versions, but also with hot links to color images of pests and plants and to more than 23,000 additional fact sheets from Ohio State University and other universities.

What Is BYGLive!?

BYGLive! is a series of informal programs at arboreta throughout Ohio on the first Monday of each month, May-October. The participants have a chance to see plants and plant and pest development throughout the season at sites listed here, to do some diagnostic troubleshooting, and to provide observations and insights that will add to the next day’s BYGL conference call.

Sites for 2000, with key contacts, are:

Survey Results

Total Numbers of Returns: 236

I. General Background Questions

  1. What is your primary type of business, operation, or profession?

    Number of Commercial or For-Profit Companies: 130

    (nursery, greenhouse, golf course, lawn care service, contract landscape maintenance, tree care/arborist, garden center, industrial or office park/plant, landscape architect/designer, and supplier/dealer)

    Number of Non-Profit Organizations: 106

    (Extension Service, home gardeners/Master Gardeners, park, school, college or university, museum, cemetery/memorial garden, military installation/prison, and government facility)

  2. Are you a member of the following (select only one):

    Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association: 101

    Number of International Society of Arboriculture Members: 16

    Ohio Turfgrass Foundation Members: 17

II.BYGL Evaluation Questions

  1. How strongly do you agree with each of the following statements? Please write down the most appropriate response.

    SA=Strongly Agree
    A=Agree
    N=Neutral
    D=Disagree
    SD=Strongly Disagree
    NA=Not Applicable

    1. BYGL was useful to my job and business.

      SA=130
      A=93
      N=2
      D=0
      SD=0
      NA=11

    2. BYGL helped in answering clientele/customer questions.

      SA=110
      A=98
      N=11
      D=0
      SD=0
      NA=17

    3. BYGL was timely.

      SA=138
      A=89
      N=5
      D=1
      SD=1
      NA=2

    4. I (we) changed some horticultural practices (e.g., fertilization, planting, mulching, pruning, etc.) based on BYGL.

      SA=35
      A=109
      N=63
      D=8
      SD=1
      NA =20

    5. I (we) changed some pesticide use practices based on BYGL.

      SA=41
      A=110
      N=50
      D=8
      SD=1
      NA =26

    6. BYGL has resulted in improved customer service in our company.

      SA=64
      A=99
      N=34
      D=2
      SD=0
      NA =37

  2. How many people read BYGL from access to your subscription?

    Employees 863
    E-mail subscribers 1,001
    Fax subscribers 213
       
    Newsletter subscribers by mail 3,511
    Newspaper readers 47,600

  3. Has the information in BYGL saved your company money or increased your net profit? Some examples include time saving to you and your operation, reduced pesticide usage, proper selection of chemicals or plants, and improved customer service.

    Yes 111
    No 13
    NA 110

  4. If you answered ‘Yes’ to Question 6, please check one of the following categories. This information will only be used for reporting the economic impacts of BYGL.

    Commercial Companies: $122,500
    Non-Profit Companies: $ 14,250

Selected Comments

Another wonderful year for the team. Thank you for answering all of the questions that we as an industry shout at you.

–Keith Manbeck
Manbeck Nurseries Inc.

BYGL is always a joy to read. Philosophy is my favorite.

–Connie Hall
Akron, Ohio

I use it as a point of reference with my TV programs and web site. Thanks for the information.

–Thomas J. McNutt
OSU Extension Emeritus

I do appreciate the timeliness of the information that is provided by your BYGL writers. I find much of the discussion material to be relevant to the activities happening within my county. As an additional note, I truly enjoy the style of the writers and find that quips incorporated within the articles make me read each section with anticipation as well as for the knowledge provided.

–Dave Brown, Purdue University

BYGL is the best thing going with our industry. The info is very timely and is written in a common sense way that’s easy to understand. I continuously share this info on my network radio show, reminding the listeners that all this info and advice is coming from our great Ohio State [University] Extension. I’m still amazed at the number of people in our industry that do not take advantage of this wonderful, timely info – please keep it up!

–Denny Mckeown
Bloomin Garden Center

BYGL offers an unbiased source of information that lets our firm make better management decisions for our clients. I use it, refer to it, and offer it to 100,000 listeners on my radio show via the internet. Its exceptional value is only exhibited in the results it produces in the landscape.

–Mark Webber
Mark Webber’s Landscaping Co.

The amount of timely information provided was a tremendous asset to our readers, and it saved lots of time that I otherwise would have had to spend doing the same research with likely the same sources. I look forward to next year.

I can’t tell you how many times I got a question on the hotline, and you had covered the description of the problem and the treatment in BYGL right around the same time. I always read it before answering calls.

I would like to see brief mention in each BYGL of what was occurring regarding the weather, pests, and phenology-wise (at the current date) in previous years.

I really enjoy reading about what is happening in Ohio and comparing it to what is going on in South Carolina. We have many of the same pests, and it is interesting to follow the first appearances here and for y’all in Ohio. I have picked up several little pieces of information that I was not aware of, even after 20+ years in the business. I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. Keep up the good work. I hope we can begin something similar in South Carolina at some point in time.

Hope y’all don’t mind, but I sometimes take some of your information and incorporate it into my area newsletter, Simple Gardening. Good stuff! Keep up the good work!

Keep up with the banter. In such a hot summer as ‘99, the diversion was welcome.

BYGL reinforces my opinion that this is an example of government spending that is a great value. It would be helpful if BYGL was reorganized so it was easier for me to copy pertinent information and get my employees to read it. To do this, put agriculture information at the very end. Put landscape information in one area and nursery information in its own grouping. Thanks. Keep up the good work.

People in our area are looking for alternatives to chemicals now. Continue and increase threshold information [on] when to use chemicals. I read and use BYGL each week on arrival for newspaper, radio spot, and answering hort calls / questions. "It is a valuable tool for my program."

Since I have subscribed to BYGL, we are rethinking our procedures in dealing with insects and plant diseases. We used to spray now and ask questions later. Now we try to use cultural approaches to solve our plant problems. We are seeing positive results with less chemicals used, making it a win/win situation for our budget and the environment.

I would like to recommend that you be consistent and have the same e-mail address mail out the bulletin. More than once I almost deleted it because I did not recognize the e-mail address that was mailing it. I get lots of spam and I delete lots without ever opening it. Thanks. And I do enjoy getting it.

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