A schedule of classes and registration form for the program are available by contacting Ty at tym@hawaii.edu or 322-4892.
A couple of short years ago the landscape industry on the island was booming and blooming right alongside the engorged construction and housing industries. Jobs were plentiful, companies were growing rapidly and opportunity presented itself abundantly.
However, with the current economic recession affecting most sectors of local industry, including the green industry, competition for new jobs, as well as maintaining existing clients, has increased tremendously. Now, more than ever, the challenge for all landscape gardeners is to ensure quality workmanship and customer service throughout the various sectors of the industry.
When boom turns to bust, and construction jobs disappear, many nail-pounders morph into landscapers, further increasing competition for jobs. Although the public may benefit because of lower bids and wages in the short term, the threat to the green industry as a whole is the potential lowering of standards when low-bids and inexperience win out too often.
Not to pick on construction workers, but I have seen far too many times when backhoe operators remove problem tree limbs from their way, not by careful and selective pruning, but by whackin’ ’em with the bucket.
The fact is, quality landscape gardeners face a wide variety of tasks and challenges in their daily work. Besides knowledge of a plethora of tropical and subtropical plants and their needs, good gardeners must deal with nutrient and irrigation management on the island’s unusual soils, contend with a myriad of invasive pests and provide proper horticultural care of turf grasses, shrubs and trees.
The Hawaii Island Landscape Association, the umbrella organization for the diverse landscape industry on the Big Island, acts as a liaison for the various landscape professions by promoting communication between architects, contractors, gardeners, resort managers and suppliers. Its mission is to promote excellence within the landscape industry.
Beginning next month, the association, in collaboration with the University of Hawaii Cooperative Extension Service, is offering its annual 11-week landscape maintenance training program. This series is geared for landscape maintenance gardeners new to the field, those already in the field but desiring more technical knowledge, as well as experienced landscapers reviewing for the certified landscape technician test.
The first class, “Basic Botany,” March 17, reviews basic plant science before tackling plant identification slides — illustrating more than 100 tropical plants common in Hawaii landscapes. Topics covered in the following weeks include more ornamental plant identification; common weeds and their control; establishing and managing a landscape; insect pest identification and control; safe pesticide use; math for landscapers; plant and soil health; pruning; turf care and irrigation; safe operation and maintenance of landscape equipment. Also, a basic first-aid class has been added to the slate this year.
The landscape maintenance training classes will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays from March 17 through May 26 at the Hapuna Beach Prince Resort. The cost is $410 for the series or $40 for individual classes. The deadline for registration is March 12.
The national certified landscape technician testing program is administered through the Professional Landcare Network, offering certification to landscape professionals in maintenance and irrigation. Currently offered in 28 states and Canadian provinces, the test seeks to raise the standards of the profession, recognize proficiency in the landscape workforce, upgrade the status of individual landscape professionals and provide employers and the public with a means of identifying qualified landscape professionals.
Landscapers seeking certification should plan to take the test administered in June in Kona. The test is comprised of a written and field test, held on consecutive Saturdays. For information about this program, visit lichawaii.com.
For those taking the certification test, the association offers the “CLT Test Preparation Intensive.” This one-day training is specifically focused on helping candidates review and prepare for the certification tests. The training, scheduled for June 5, is also a way to get a feel of the test prior to the official all-day field test.
The intensive includes classroom study of plan reading, plant sensitivity and safe pesticide application, as well as tree planting demonstrations. The hands-on irrigation section provides opportunity to practice pipe repair and head adjustment, controller programming and irrigation parts identification.
A schedule of classes and registration form for the program are available by contacting Ty at tym@hawaii.edu or 322-4892.