The Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) is a professional body

Professional body

A professional association is usually a nonprofit organization seeking to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that profession, and the public interest.The roles of these professional associations have been variously defined: "A group of people in a...

 for lawn

Lawn

A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...

 care professionals, landscape management professionals (exterior maintenance contractors), design/build/installation professionals, and interior plantscapers. PLANET represents more than 4,200 member companies and affiliates, these firms and their employees represent more than 100,000 green industry professionals, mainly in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

History

PLANET was formed 2005-01-01 via a merger of the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA, founded 1961) and the Professional Lawn Care Association of America (PLCAA, founded 1979).

Certification program

PLANET offers a professional certification

Professional certification

Professional certification, trade certification, or professional designation, often called simply certification or qualification, is a designation earned by a person to assure qualification to perform a job or task...

 program that includes the CLT-I, CLT-E, CLP, COLP, and CTP examinations. The multiple choice tests consist of 300-400 questions taken over 4 hours. Some tests require field work. The tests cost $200 to $350.

Certified Landscape Professional

Certified Landscape Professional (CLP) tests the skill set needed to successfully run a business. Candidates are expected to be a landscape contractor business owner or manager.

Candidates should demonstrate a commitment to strong financial management, knowledge of the law and adherence to it, ethical marketing, integrity in dealing with employees, vendors and customers, responsibility to the community in which they do business, and a fundamental command of the operations and trade standards of their chosen industry.

Certified Ornamental Landscape Professional

Certified Ornamental Landscape Professional (COLP) tests for specialized knowledge of the technical aspects of care and maintenance of exterior landscape trees, and woody ornamental plant

Ornamental plant

Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...

s. Holder of the COLP mark must be able to identify and use plants in exterior locations. They are trained in the identification and treatment of plant disease and pest

Pest (animal)

A pest is an animal which is detrimental to humans or human concerns. It is a loosely defined term, often overlapping with the related terms vermin, weeds, parasites and pathogens...

 infestation

Infestation

Infestation refers to the state of being invaded or overrun by pests or parasites. It can also refer to the actual organisms living on or within a host.-Terminology:...

s, with emphasis on Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated pest management is an ecological approach to agricultural pest control that integrates pesticides/herbicides into a management system incorporating a range of practices for economic control of a pest...

, and safety in ensuring that all chemicals are applied according to EPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...

 and OSHA

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It was created by Congress of the United States under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed by President Richard M. Nixon, on December 29, 1970...

 Standards. In addition, COLP requires demonstrated proficiency in equipment safety, pruning

Pruning

Pruning is a horticultural practice involving the selective removal of parts of a plant, such as branches, buds, or roots. Reasons to prune plants include deadwood removal, shaping , improving or maintaining health, reducing risk from falling branches, preparing nursery specimens for...

 and fertilization, plant physiology

Plant physiology

Plant physiology is a subdiscipline of botany concerned with the functioning, or physiology, of plants. Closely related fields include plant morphology , plant ecology , phytochemistry , cell biology, and molecular biology.Fundamental processes such as photosynthesis, respiration, plant nutrition,...

, and pathology

Phytopathology

Plant pathology is the scientific study of plant diseases caused by pathogens and environmental conditions . Organisms that cause infectious disease include fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, viruses, viroids, virus-like organisms, phytoplasmas, protozoa, nematodes and parasitic plants...

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Certified Landscape Technician-Exterior

Certified Landscape Technician-Exterior (CLT-E) tests for in-depth knowledge of the technical aspects of the installation and maintenance of exterior Landscapes. The CLT-E is highly proficient in the identification and use of plants in exterior locations. They are trained in the identification and treatment of plant disease and pest infestations with emphasis on Integrated Pest Management and safety in ensuring that all chemicals are applied according to EPA and OSHA Standards. In addition the CLT-E has demonstrated proficiency in equipment safety, Plant layout, Grading and drainage, paver installation, with specialization certifications in Irrigation repair and Installation and Landscape maintenance.

Certified Landscape Technician-Interior

Certified Landscape Technician-Interior (CLT-I) is a two-part test that covers pesticides, plant identification, safety, watering/subirrigation, pruning, fertilization/nutrition, insects, diseases, and customer relations.

Certified Turfgrass Professional

Certified Turfgrass Professional (CTP) tests for knowledge of the technical aspects of the installation and maintenance of warm season turfgrass. The Certified Turfgrass Professional - Cool season Lawns (CTP-CSL) is a variant that applies to cool season turfgrass. Holders of the CTP can identify and treat turf disease, weed infestation and pest infestations with emphasis on Integrated Pest Management and safety in ensuring that appropriate chemicals are applied according to EPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...

and OSCA Standards.

The CTP-CSL requires completion of the self-study course, Management of Cool Season Lawns.