Charlotte, N.C. (September 3, 2008) – Jacobsen, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, has become the official turf equipment supplier and partner to the nation’s top professional golf management (PGM) program. Methodist University, located in Fayetteville, N.C., is home to the largest PGA of America accredited PGM program in the United States, and is Jacobsen’s newest education partner.

“Jacobsen is committed to supporting education at all levels, and by partnering with the most respected PGM program in the country, we are helping to ensure that the next leaders of the golf industry are well prepared to succeed and meet the challenges that lie ahead,” said Dan Wilkinson, Jacobsen president.

More than 300 students are enrolled in the Methodist University PGM program, which continues to boast a 100 percent job placement for its graduates. Methodist graduates hold management positions at some of the nation’s most prestigious courses, such as Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in New York, and the courses at Pebble Beach Resorts in California.

The program’s required coursework covers everything from agronomy and tournament operations to accounting and club fitting, mandating that each graduating student earns a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in professional golf management.

“When you look at the top golf clubs in the country, Methodist University is well represented, and this partnership with Jacobsen is going to help us take our program to another level,” said Steven Dockery, golf course superintendent of the Methodist University Golf Course. “We want Jacobsen to have access to every part of our program so we can benefit from the knowledge of their people in addition to the use of their equipment in training the next generation of our industry’s leaders to do things the right way.”

Jacobsen will provide the Methodist University PGM program with greens mowers, fairway units, rough mowers and other turf equipment through local Jacobsen distributor Tri-State Pump and Controls. Jacobsen personnel will also serve as a resource for the university’s educators and will work closely with Dockery and the maintenance staff at the Methodist University Golf Course to test new equipment and aid in the continued development of eco-friendly cultural and agronomy practices.

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The worst of the summer heat will have subsided soon. Refreshed by the thought of breathing cooler air, you’re poised to roll up your sleeves and do some fall lawn maintenance — in between carving pumpkins, of course! But you should read these fall lawn care tips first. The regimen right for your fall lawn care will vary, according to whether your lawn is composed of a warm season turf grass or a cool season turf grass. If you are unsure which type comprises your lawn, take a sample to your local county extension.

Fall Lawn Care Tip: Find Out Your Grass Type
Common cool season turf grasses include:

•bluegrasses
•bentgrasses
•fescues
•ryegrasses

Among the common warm season turf grasses are:

•Bermudagrass
•Saint-Augustinegrass
•zoysiagrass
•buffalograss

To be sure, there will be some fall lawn maintenance you’ll have to do regardless of the type of grass on your lawn. Let’s look at these tasks first:

•Apply herbicides to broadleaf weeds
•Correct soil pH: if your lawn is not performing well, have your soil tested. If the soil test should show a need to reduce acidity, apply lime now. If alkalinity needs to be reduced, apply sulphur.
•Thatch removal: dethatch your lawn, by raking; for bad cases of soil compaction, you may have to employ the technique known as core aeration, for which lawn equipment known as “aerators” can be bought or rented
•Rake leaves, or use a leaf vacuum, lest the leaves smother your grass over the winter
•Lawn equipment care: make sure to drain old gas out of lawn mowers after last mowing

The nature of the following fall lawn care chores depends on whether it’s a cool season or warm season turf grass that you have to care for:

•Watering
•Fertilization
•Setting lawn mower height

Fall lawn care for cool season grasses entails ensuring that lawns receive enough fall water to carry them through the long winter. Don’t think that because the temperatures outside are no longer high, you can forget about watering in the autumn. Another fall lawn care tip that applies specifically to the maintenance of cool season grasses is fertilization. Apply 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn.

Conversely, avoid fertilizing a warm season turf grass in the autumn. The latter undergoes a hardening-off process during this time of year to prepare it for winter. Fertilizing warm season grasses in the fall may interfere with that hardening-off process.

So what fall lawn care tasks should you be performing for warm season grasses? By overseeding with annual winter ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), homeowners whose lawns are composed of warm season grasses can enjoy a green carpet during the winter, instead of having to look at a brown lawn. But when you buy the seed, be sure to ask for the annual, not the perennial. Annual winter ryegrass will die back when summer’s heat returns, turning over the lawn once again to the warm season grasses. This exit is a timely one. The problem with the perennial winter ryegrass is that it doesn’t go away, competing with your warm season grasses for sunlight, water and nutrients.

Lawns composed of cool season grasses can also profit from overseeding. But in this case, the motivation behind overseeding lawns is not winter cosmetics, but to fix bare patches — with an eye to next year’s lawn.

Lawn Care Tip Concerning Lawn Mowing:
Adjusting lawn mower height for fall mowing is not an issue with cool season grasses. Just set the height as you normally would, right up until the time when growth stops and you stop mowing. But an adjustment should be made to lawn mower height in the fall for warm season turf grasses: increase the height by 1/2 inch.

So at exactly what height should you set lawn mowers, in general? According to Robert E. Kozlowski at the Cornell University Cooperative Extension, mowing your lawn with a lawn mower set at a proper height can save you from having to rake or bag your lawn clippings. His rule of thumb is, “Mow when your grass is dry and 3 to 3-1/2 inches tall. Never cut it shorter then [sic] 2 to 2-1/2 inches or remove more than one third of the leaf surface at any one mowing.”

Kozlowski’s premise is that the valuable nutrients in the grass clippings can do your lawn some good, left right where they lie after mowing — as long as their bulk is kept at a minimum. By following his rule of thumb and cutting only about an inch off the top of your grass at any one time, the bulk of the grass clippings is kept low.

Employing Kozlowski’s lawn care tip will entail more frequent mowing, to be sure. But the result will be a healthier lawn, fed by nutrients that you would otherwise be hauling away. Think of it this way: with Kozlowski’s approach, you’re essentially mowing and fertilizing at the same time. Taking care of two lawn maintenance tasks at once — that’s for me!

Some useful lawn equipment to perform this task is the mulching lawn mower. With mulching lawn mowers, you don’t need to be quite so careful about the height at which you cut your grass, since the clippings are shredded up more finely.

Exmark, a leading manufacturer of commercial mowers, introduced the new Next Lazer Z today at GIE + EXPO. Three years in the making, the Next Lazer Z is an evolution of Exmark’s premier product, the Lazer Z, and includes dozens of enhancements that will reduce maintenance, improve traction and handling, and make the mower safer and more comfortable for landscape professionals.

“There are probably people who will wonder why Exmark made changes to what was already considered by many to be the best commercial riding mower on the market,” said Mark Stinson, president of Exmark. “But as the market share leader, we know it is our responsibility to evolve our products to meet the changing needs of our customers, dealers and distributors.”

The Next Lazer Z resulted from a combination of customer feedback and Exmark’s own research and development of new technologies. Long before production of the Next Lazer Z began, Exmark engineers, product managers, marketing staff and customer service representatives spent hundreds of hours in the field talking with landscape professionals.

“We started with our customers,” said Dave Converse, director of engineering at Exmark. “Our goal, as it has been for 25 years, was to understand their needs and expectations so that we could enhance our product in ways that could make customers’ lives a little easier.”

On a parallel path, Exmark began investigating a number of new technologies and solutions to improve customer experience, without sacrificing Exmark’s trademark superior quality of cut and productivity. Exmark engineers started with a blank slate when designing the Next Lazer Z, incorporating many of the Lazer Z’s most popular elements while improving upon others, or adding new features entirely.

Some of the most significant innovations on the Next Lazer Z include:

• Cutting Deck: The new UltraCut™ Series 6 was created by combining the best features of the UltraCut™ Series 4 and Triton™ cutting decks.
• Seating System: To lessen operator fatigue, Exmark created an entirely new seating system with a three-dimensional motion isolation layout that reduces vibrations, bumps and jarring. Its rubber mounts allow 1/2 inch free movement in all directions.
• Hydro Drive System: Exmark designed a custom Hydro Drive System with no hoses, a serviceable pump and motor, tougher bearings, and an improved cooling system for better productivity and increased oil capacity. When used with exclusive Exmark Premium Hydro Oil, the new Hydro Drive system requires even less maintenance.
• Rollover Protection System (ROPS): The ROPS’ new rear-sloping position allows it to shed low-hanging limbs away from the operator. Its fold points are lower so it won’t hit objects when in the folded position.
• Unibody Frame: The Next Lazer Z’s unibody frame sits close to the ground, allowing for the optimum placement of the mower’s heaviest components, and helping to improve center of gravity.

In addition to increasing comfort, traction and handling, and safety, Exmark engineers and product managers focused on reducing required maintenance of the mower. Exmark simplified or removed certain components from the original Lazer Z, reducing the number of parts on the Next Lazer Z by 40 percent. The Next Lazer Z also has fewer grease points.

The Next Lazer Z will be introduced at select dealerships in November. The new mower, available with a 3-year commercial and 5-year consumer warranty, will be available for purchase across Exmark’s network of 1,500 dealers by the end of 2008. A select number of customers tested the Next Lazer Z during the summer months. Reaction was positive.

Efficient watering and common sense saves this precious resource.
Experts estimate that Americans use nearly 408 billion gallons of water per day. On average, 50 to 70% of home water is used outdoors for watering lawns and gardens.

The Irrigation Association Organization’s goal is to raise awareness of the importance of water conservation in the lawn and garden. According to IA, most homeowners are sending their watering dollars down the drain.

Technological advances in home watering systems are making it easier than ever to preserve this resource and save money at the same time. “Smart” watering systems, from computer-assisted programmers to inexpensive drip watering kits, are now available to homeowners.

 Here’s the top ten things you can do to conserve water right in your own backyard:

1. Put a layer of mulch around your plants. Mulching helps to retain moisture and prevents evaporation. A generous amount of 3- to 5-inches is best.
2. Install a drip irrigation system around your shrubs, hanging baskets, flower and vegetable gardens. Drip irrigation systems use 50% less water than conventional sprinklers. And, they’re more efficient because they deliver the water slowly and directly to the plant’s root system.
3. Install a home irrigation system with a rain sensor. Many states and local water districts now require rain sensors. Homeowners who have irrigation systems use less water on their lawns and gardens than those who don’t. Watering efficiently, and only when your plants and lawn need it can save a great deal of water. Rain sensors interrupt the watering program if it rains, saving even more water.
4. If you already have a home irrigation system, make sure you’re getting the most out of your timer. New technology makes it easier than ever to program and monitor your watering needs. Consider upgrading your timer. Automatic, programmable timers save more water than mechanical models.
5. Don’t fertilize during hot, dry weather. Applying fertilizer can actually enhance drought problems. When you do feed your lawn and garden use a slow release fertilizer.
6. Raise the blade on your lawn mower. Closely cropped grass requires more water.
7. Recycle your grass clippings back into your lawn by using a mulching mower. You’ll not only conserve water, you’ll save time while mowing.
8. Cut back on routine pruning. Pruning stimulates new growth, and new growth requires more water. Only prune your plants when it wilts or leaves die out.
9. If you use a hose and portable sprinkler, buy a hose end timer to regulate your watering time.
10. Sweep your sidewalks and driveway rather than hosing them down.

Hustler Turf Equipment has come up with the world’s first all electric zero-turning radius riding lawnmower! The Hustler Zeon™ is the result of ground breaking innovation and precision engineering.

Dealer and distributor personnel in attendance for Hustler’s biannual event “Hustler Days” were the first to get a look at the Hustler Zeon™. First introduced at a special breakfast meeting, the Zeon™ was later available to test drive at Hustler’s Hesston, Kansas headquarters. Dealers and distributors were impressed with the smooth operation and quality of cut delivered by the Zeon™. Also impressive was the machine quality and length of charge which is good for up to 80 minutes of mowing time – enough to mow over one acre.

The Hustler Zeon™ features nearly zero maintenance with no belts, filters, fluids, pulleys or plugs and is very inexpensive to operate. The welded steel deck guarantees the outstanding quality that Hustler Turf is known for. The Zeon™ carries a two-year, limited warranty on parts and labor.

Look for the Hustler Zeon™ at your local Hustler dealer beginning spring 2009.

Features & Benefits:
• Up to 80 minutes of mowing time – enough to mow over 1 acre!
• Earth-friendly – Zero emissions
• Nearly zero maintenance – just plug and mow!
• Clean and neat – no belts, filters, fluids, plugs, pulleys, etc.
• No engine noise – much quieter than gasoline-powered equipment
• Compact design so you can mow in tighter spaces to
increase productivity
• Very inexpensive to operate
• High blade-tip speed for beautiful quality of cut!
• Welded steel deck and tubular frame. NOT STAMPED!
• 18” drive tires, 13” caster tires
• Dual electric transmissions for true zero-degree turning maneuverability
• Silky-smooth SmoothTrak™ steering with patented automatic park brake system
• 48-volt, 42” side-discharge mulching deck
• Two-year, limited warranty on parts and labor!

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (October 13, 2008) – The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC) today announced that it has acquired certain assets from Southern Green, Inc., a leading manufacturer of deep-tine aeration equipment based in Zachary, Louisiana. The acquisition of Southern Green’s versatile line of Soil Reliever® aerators helps grow the company’s offering of highly-productive cultivation equipment and provides entry into a new product category.

“Enhanced cultivation practices are becoming increasingly critical to the success of our customers,” said Michael Happe, general manager of Toro’s commercial business. “Southern Green brings a well-respected line of deep-tine aerators known for their precision, performance and unique functionality. During the past several years, we have worked intentionally to deliver innovative products to enhance our lineup of cultivation equipment. Along with the recent market success of our ProCore aerators and ProCore Processor, the addition of the Soil Reliever technology helps complement and extend our offering to customers around the world.”

Established in 1993, Southern Green is a leading manufacturer of deep-tine aeration equipment for golf course and sports field applications. Southern Green has built a solid reputation around its popular Soil Reliever product line, which is considered to be the only purpose-built, deep-tine aerator manufactured in the United States.