Last year was very exciting for Bowman’s Pro Turf, Co. As we begin to gear up for the beginning of our 2017 lawn application season, we wanted to share some of the great accomplishments we had last year that we plan to continue this year.

Highlights

FeedABee
We became a partner with the Bayer Bee Care Center and their FeedABee Program. Through this program, we distributed over 3,500 wildflower seed packets all over the Wabash Valley. Bee and pollinator health are very important to us and we recognize and understand that as a lawn care company. We provided educational material through handouts, emails, blogs, and social media to help educate the community on the importance of this issue and share what we do to protect our pollinators!

Education
We cannot stress the importance of staying educated and informed in the lawn care industry. All of these educational sessions and training’s provide us with the opportunity to learn about new technology and network with other lawn care companies from around the country. The information we learn at these training’s is implemented within our own company and help us to continually improve our business.

Here is a list of some of the more exciting educational sessions we were able to attend in 2016.
Indiana Green Expo
Real Green Users Conference
IPLLA Winter Regional Workshop
Indiana Green Industry
MRTF Purdue Summer Workshop
GIE Expo
IPLLA Winter Workshop

White Grub Infestation
Throughout 2016, we faced several issues. One issue that was unexpected was the white grub infestation. We saw an increased number of white grub issues in late summer. Customers who received a grub preventative treatment in the Spring were spared from the damage caused. The damage that was seen was often in the forms of raccoons and other mammals foraging through the turf and eating the grubs. This damage can and was devastating. We have spoken with other companies and entomologists and we cannot come up with a confident answer to why the infestation was so bad. You can find more information about grubs in a previous blog post, here.

Weather Effects
Anyone in the Wabash Valley knows that 2016 was a strange year for the weather. We had one of the hottest and wettest summers for a very long time. There were times of consistent rain fall events and times when little rain fell. The only reliable factor for several months was the high day and night time temperatures. The constant heat and rain helped to provide for some great conditions…for weeds and turf diseases! Heat, sunlight, and water are three factors that affect the efficiency of herbicide and also contribute to an increase in turf diseases.

The weather was our biggest enemy in 2016. By mid July of most summers, we usually hope for some measurable rainfall. That was not the case last year. Many companies across the state and Midwest experienced the same issues. Unfortunately for everyone, nobody can control the weather. However, we have made the most of the unfavorable weather and took away some great lessons that we have been sharing with our customers.

Recap
We feel that 2016 was a successful year. The challenges we faced have helped us to improve our business. Since 1987, we have faced many unique and unexpected events so 2016 was not very different. The one thing that has stayed the same is our dedication to our customers. We have and will always continue to provide the best customer service and be experts in all aspects of our company. Our goal is to help you achieve your lawn care needs. If there is ever anything we can do to help or improve, please let us know.

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