Jack Jostes [00:00:00]:
What does an agronomist do at Massey? I don't know anyone else who has an agronomist on staff.
Dr. Eric Brown [00:00:05]:
An agronomist is a soil and plant scientist. So I do research on materials to get the best results with the least amount of input. Sometimes people don't understand plant care, and that's where I come in. I'm between academia and a homeowner. I want to communicate these systems so that they can enjoy the benefits of a beautiful landscape.
00:27 - What Is Agronomy? How It Impacts Your Landscape
Jack Jostes [00:00:27]:
Hey, everyone, Jack Jostes here. And Today I'm with Dr. Brown, the agronomist from Massey Services in Orlando, Florida, here to talk about the five keys to growing a healthy landscape. Dr. Brown, thanks for coming on the show.
Dr. Eric Brown [00:00:42]:
Thanks for having me.
Jack Jostes [00:00:43]:
So tell us a little bit. What is agronomy and what do you. Do you have a PhD in agronomy or.
Dr. Eric Brown [00:00:50]:
That's correct. An agronomist is a soil and plant scientist. Plants just don't grow on their own. They're in a system. And our terrestrial plants and landscapes have roots in the soil. So we look at different aspects of these systems. What we need to focus on are five key principles. Mother Nature does the heavy lifting, but we need to understand that the plants that we have in the landscape need to be in the right place.
01:16 - The 5 Keys to a Healthier, Greener Landscape
Dr. Eric Brown [00:01:16]:
So the right plant for the right place is the first key principle. Got to get that right. Our second key principle is creating and maintaining healthy soils. This can be accomplished by understanding the soil chemistry ph of the soil. Plants are adapted to different soil phs can be modified to some degree and also including organic matter such as compost can greatly benefit the health of a soil and in turn, healthier plants. The third key principle is water management. So sometimes we need to add water for plant health, and that needs to be understood. Timing and amount.
Dr. Eric Brown [00:01:57]:
Too much water is not a good thing. Key principle number four is cultural practices such as mowing and core rarefication. Anything we do to a landscape to help enhance plant vigor are called cultural practices. And we need to get those right. We need to understand what they are for each plant type, such as turf or tree shrubs. And the fifth key principle is integrated pest management. So we have materials that can enhance plant growth. Some of those are used to stop pests, so we use those when we need to.
Dr. Eric Brown [00:02:32]:
If we have the first four key principles in alignment, we have less of a impact on the environment because we use less pest control.
02:26 - Inside Massey Services: What an Agronomist Actually Does
Jack Jostes [00:02:46]:
So talk to me, what does an agronomist do at Massey? I don't know anyone else who has an agronomist on staff. So how many people work at Massey? What services does the company offer? Tell me a little more about that.
Dr. Eric Brown [00:03:01]:
We have around 3,000 employees. We have different divisions. Our green up division is our landscape division. An agronomist such as myself does a lot of teaching and training. We want to get team members in and then train them on how to take care of plants or whatever division they're in. We also have pest prevention and termite protection. But an agronomist is a soil and plant scientist. So I do research on materials to get the best results with the least amount of input.
Dr. Eric Brown [00:03:31]:
So nutritionally, there are decisions we can make to get great responses with less fertilizer. Same thing with preventing pests. If we have a good agronomic program, the landscape looks good with seeming to be little input, but it's managed correctly.
Jack Jostes [00:03:52]:
So you're involved in training. What other kind of, like, operational decisions do you advise on? Because I would think when it comes to selecting materials or selecting fertilizers, or if you have lawn care technicians, if you have different people who are actually out in the field, there's training. But then, like, what. How are you. Are you involved in some of those other operational decisions?
Dr. Eric Brown [00:04:17]:
I do a lot of material testing. I have a research facility that I go out and test materials of all types to see what their results are, to see what rates should be used and timing. It's a complex combination of things because things can be done differently. But what we want to do is focus on the least amount of input with the best results for plants. So my mind works on systems to make sure that the plant's growing, not too much. It's not about, we're not making hay. We just want to have a nice, healthy plant that's strong and resists insects and disease. So we want to do that in a way.
Dr. Eric Brown [00:05:00]:
There are a lot of materials that we can choose from. They have to be tested. Anything that's in our program has been tested by our team in our research facility. And then we'll test it again in a field setting, and then we'll evolve that to possibly a service center or routes. And then if it's even good, we can move it to the entire company.
05:25 - From Backyard Gardening to PhD: Dr. Brown’s Journey
Jack Jostes [00:05:25]:
How old were you when you realized you wanted to be an agronomist?
Dr. Eric Brown [00:05:28]:
I was 28.
Jack Jostes [00:05:31]:
What did you do as a kid? I'm curious, like, what kind of things did you enjoy doing as a kid that are relevant to what you do now?
Dr. Eric Brown [00:05:39]:
When I was a kid, I used to work in the yard. I liked it. That's where I wanted to be. And I would go out and dig up plants and put them in pots and transplant plants and plant seeds and I had a garden. I liked to garden when I was a kid. I still do it today. I'm still a gardener. I still have a garden and I love it.
Dr. Eric Brown [00:06:00]:
It's just what I like to do. I like to grow plants, I like to understand them. They are very diverse and wonderful and sometimes people don't understand plant care. And that's where I come in. I'm between academia and a homeowner. I want to communicate these systems so that they can enjoy the benefits of a beautiful landscape. And Massey Services can help. We can come out and inspect to find out what's needed and then do those things that are needed.
Dr. Eric Brown [00:06:34]:
So it depends on the plant palette and soils and location, but those things need to be communicated. Oftentimes homeowners will do things that are not benefiting the plants, such as scalping or bad cultural practices over or under watering. And my company can help consult to get those in the right value ranges.
Jack Jostes [00:07:01]:
So do you work with other landscape companies or just Massey?
Dr. Eric Brown [00:07:05]:
Well, I work for Massey Services, but I consider myself a servant of the industry. I want to help everybody and I use university research to promote our green industry because I think it's the right thing to do. When we all do things better, we all benefit.
07:25 - Want Expert Landscape Advice? How to Connect with Massey
Jack Jostes [00:07:25]:
That's great. So if we want to follow you online, do you have a blog? Do you post content? Do you. Where else can we keep learning from you?
Dr. Eric Brown [00:07:33]:
Massey Services has a blog. I consult with our marketing team on that material. We work together on that.
Jack Jostes [00:07:44]:
Cool. Well, so for folks listening who want to connect with you, what's the best way to reach out?
Dr. Eric Brown [00:07:48]:
I would recommend going to Massey's website and inquiring through that channel. I'm. I have an open door policy. I'm okay with emails and cell phone calls and everything else, but that'd be the best way would be to go to Massey Services website. Cool.
Jack Jostes [00:08:08]:
We'll put a link to that in the show notes so people connect with you. And Dr. Brown, thanks for coming on The Landscaper's Guide.
Dr. Eric Brown [00:08:15]:
My pleasure. It's a pleasure speaking with you.
08:19 - Final Thoughts + What’s Coming Next on TLG!
Jack Jostes [00:08:19]:
Well, that was a blast talking to Dr. Brown. I've never had an agronomist on the show. It's one of my favorite, favorite things about the landscape industry is all the different people involved in it, all the different skills, backgrounds, experiences that go into creating beautiful landscapes. So if you enjoyed today's show and you haven't already subscribed, make sure you subscribe at landscapersguide.com/podcast so you'll get an email each week when our episodes come out, plus exclusive invitations to our live events. We go to different trade shows, we have in person events, we have live webinar series. We'd love to invite you to sign up landscapersguide.com/podcast. My name is Jack Jostes, and I look forward to talking with you next week on The Landscaper's Guide.
Show Notes:
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