Tennessee Greentimes - Fall 2008

VOL. 9/ NO. 3

Fall 2008

Pop Go the Profits...

Five Weeds with Explosively Dehiscent Seedpods

Master Gardeners Support Their Community with HUGs

Tennessee

GREENTIMES The Official Publication of The Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association

Table of Contents

IN THE LANDSCAPE Why Leaf Color Was So Spectacular Last Autumn

8

VOL. 9/ NO. 3

Fall 2008

IN THE Nursery Pop Go the Profits...

Five Weeds with Explosively Dehiscent Seedpods

16

more features G REEN GATHERINGS — RECENT EVENTS 2008 Summer Celebration ...................................................................................... 26

departments From the President, Aaron Swafford ............................................................................ 6 TNLA New Members .................................................................................................... 28 Calendar of Events .......................................................................................................... 30 Index of Advertisers ........................................................................................................ 30

IN THE Community Master Gardeners Support Their Community with HUG Program

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The Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation.

The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Tennessee Green Times, or its editors.

Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or their identification as Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this quarterly publication.

Copyright Š2008 by the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association. Tennessee Green Times is published quarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association.

POSTMASTER: Send change of address notification to Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association, 115 Lyon Street, McMinnville, TN 37110. Postage guaranteed.

Third-class postage is paid at McMinnville, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: Tennessee Green Times allows reprinting of material. Permission requests should be directed to the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association. We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs. Contact the managing editor for contribution information.

Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 7903718, Fax (615) 794-4524.

f rom t h e p r e s i d e n t Aaron Swafford

I’m Feeling Lucky

I

am guessing that most of you are finding business to be a tad slow these days. If not, then great for you! If you fall into the former category, then I have a few suggestions for you.

First, it’s time to get off the phone and have some face-to-face time with your customers.

What better use of slow time can there be than reconnecting with friends you haven’t seen for quite some time? Second, spend some thoughtful time working on your attitude. Attitudes are contagious, regardless of whether they are good or bad. A positive attitude will get you much farther than excuses or negative talk. Another excellent use of your slower time is to sharpen your pencil a bit and work on controlling your costs. Your selling price of goods and services will be somewhat controlled by the competitive market, but several items do fall under your control. This includes things like your labor cost, your timeline and decisions for purchasing equipment, and your plans for expansion and enhancements.

We just returned from the Southern Nursery Association (SNA) trade show in Atlanta. We felt that the show was successful and that a good number of attendees were genuinely searching for new contacts, materials and services. Unfortunately, there was also no denying that SNA is in trouble, and I believe we owe them our support. There are 106 years of tradition and leadership that need to be protected and nurtured. I heard a great deal of negative talk and complaining from some, but others had decided on a more positive outlook. It seems to be the same people every year who complain, no matter what we do… and the same people who were positive are usually positive. It just further cements for me that old saying that you make your own luck. If you go looking for the worst, you will likely find just that. If you aim high, even if things fall a bit short of your mark, you’ve still reached a lofty goal.

As for the TNLA, the board is working hard for you, the members. We are in the process of finding a new lobbyist, and we hope to have one in place by the beginning of 2009. The MSHE show is looking good for 2009, as well. Booth sales are steady, and plans are going as smoothly as possible.

So what can you do? How can you help your state and regional associations? Get involved, stay involved and keep a good attitude. We will only get stronger with your support! Is it going to take a bit of luck? Perhaps, but remember… luck is when hard work meets opportunity.

Aaron Swafford 2008 TNLA President

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The Tennessee Greentimes is the official publication of The Tennessee Nursery & Landscape Association 115 Lyon Street McMinnville, Tennessee 37110 (931) 473-3951 Fax (931) 473-5883 www.tnla.com Email: mail@tnla.com Published by Leading Edge Communications, LLC 206 Bridge Street Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718 Fax (615) 794-4524 Email: info@leadingedgecommunications.com Editors Bill Klingeman, Ph.D. Bob Trigiano, Ph.D. Associate Editors Dr. Donna Fare Dr. Nick Gawel Mr. Mark Halcomb Dr. Frank Hale Mr. Gray Haun Dr. Sandy Reed Dr. John Sorochan TNLA Officers President Aaron Swafford Swafford Nursery, Inc. 1st Vice President Marshall Allen Allen Landscape Management, LLC 2nd Vice President Tim Gallagher Heather Farms Nursery, Inc. 3rd Vice President John Watson, CLP Common Grounds Landscape Mgmt.

Secretary-Treasurer Randall Walker Randall Walker Farms Associate Director Mary Strong Barky Beaver Mulch & Soil Mix, Inc. Ex-Officio Steve Bennett Riverbend Nurseries, Inc. Executive Director Louree Walker Administrative Assistant Pam Stern

I n Th e L a n d s c a p e

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Why was

Leaf Color

so

Spectacular Last Autumn?

By Bob AugÊ, Kyle Berk, Landon Clark, Jordan Combs, Lucas Owen and Robin Yeary, Instructor and Students, The University of Tennessee Editor’s Note: This question formed a case study for the undergraduate course Landscape Plant Physiology in the UT Department of Plant Sciences, spring semester 2008. This article represents the resulting educated guess as to the answer.

L

ast year was a tough one for deciduous trees in east Tennessee. With the severe, leaf-killing spring freeze and then considerable drought during the growing season, we might have been tempted to predict a relatively poor show of fall leaf color. Yet many people will remember autumn 2007 as one of the most strikingly colored autumns in recent memory. Why?

Why leaves turn colors Leaves make pigments to perform photosynthesis, the amazing phenomenon by which plants capture sunlight and carbon dioxide and then transform these into the foods, oxygen and energy that allow life on Earth. Chlorophyll, the most abundant pigment, gives leaves their green color. Other photosynthetic pigments, the orange and yellow carotenoids, are present in leaves throughout the season. These occur in lower quantities and so are masked by the great amounts of green chlorophyll.

As days shorten and temperatures begin to decline in the fall, the food-making photosynthetic processes slow, and the leaf shifts into nutrient-saving mode. As the chlorophyll is broken down to salvage nitrogen, the green color vanishes, and the more slowly degrading oranges and yellows are revealed. A pigment called anthocyanin is produced at this time of year in many species, adding purples and reds to the palette.

Three things cause and define autumn leaf color: photoperiod, species composition and environmental conditions. Day length Photo by Paul Gerritsen

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continued

Photo by Dennis Wong

shortens exactly the same way every fall, and species composition in forests and in city landscapes remains relatively constant from year to year. What does vary each year are environmental conditions: day and night temperatures, soil moisture, cloudiness, wind and nutrition.

Our educated guess for why autumn 2007 was so spectacular We suggest that several factors conspired last year to do two things: (1) cause high ratios of accessory pigments (carotenoids and anthocyanins) to chlorophyll in leaves, and (2) allow leaves to remain on trees longer. More accessory pigments mean more yellows, oranges and reds, and less chlorophyll means less masking of these accessory pigment colors. Combining that with conditions that allowed leaves to remain on trees longer in the fall gives both more-striking color and longer-lasting color.

(1) Pigment ratio: less green, more red/purple/yellow/orange We had a warm, early spring last year, and the leaves of deciduous trees had expanded by the hard spring freeze.

Temperatures in Knoxville, for example, dropped to 26, 23 and 31° F during the nights of April 7, 8 and 9, 2007, respectively, and similar temperatures caused widespread leaf death across Tennessee. Trees of many species were slow to send out new leaves over the following weeks, and this second leaf-out was typically not as vigorous as the first.

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Less chlorophyll Deciduous trees invest much of their stored nutrients in forming new leaves each spring. Last year, these nutrients were completely lost when leaves were killed by the hard freeze; there was no time to withdraw nutrients back into stems as happens in the fall. It appeared that the second leaf-out resulted in less total leaf area on many trees, and these leaves probably had lower nutrient levels, especially nitrogen. Nitrogen is the nutrient needed by plants in the highest amount, and most of the nitrogen in leaves goes into chlorophyll.

Nitrogen-limited leaves would not have been able to make as much chlorophyll in the second leaf-out.

A dry May and June (only about one-third as much rain as we usually get in those months in east Tennessee), when the second leaf-out was occurring, would have compounded the limitation in nutrients and leaf area, as roots cannot supply leaves with as much water and as many nutrients during drought. Less rainfall than normal throughout 2007 (about 8" below average for the May–October period) would also have diminished chlorophyll in leaves, as chlorophyll production is linked to available soil moisture. In addition, chlorophyll is degraded by drought stress, whereas carotenoids are much less susceptible to drought.

More carotenoids Less leaf area per tree — both smaller and fewer leaves — means more light exposure throughout the canopy. The

Continued

relatively dry May and June would also have resulted in higher overall light exposure (fewer rainy days).

Leaves make carotenoids to protect the photosynthetic apparatus from excess light (referred to as photoprotection).

Carotenoids are antioxidants that neutralize harmful byproducts of photosynthesis, and they also help harvest light and transmit it to chlorophyll molecules. The principal carotenoids in leaves are the yellow xanthophylls (lutein and zeaxanthin) and the orange carotenes (a- and b-carotene). More sunny days and more light exposure via nature’s leaf-area pruning in 2007 probably resulted in a greater need for photoprotective molecules: more yellow and orange pigments in leaves per unit chlorophyll.

The recycling of nutrients during leaf senescence in the fall is also vulnerable to disruption by light, and the higher carotenoid concentrations formed during the growing season may have become even higher during the sunny fall, to help minimize photo-damage.

Not only did leaves probably go into autumn last year with higher carotenoid/ chlorophyll ratios on average, but also they probably lost their chlorophyll more quickly than usual as autumn developed.

Chlorophyll is broken down in the fall to retrieve and save nitrogen, and leaves with less nitrogen to start with were likely to be especially efficient at extracting it.

So, not only were there probably more carotenoids in leaves going into the fall, but also these colorful pigments were probably exposed earlier than usual due to the lower chlorophyll concentrations and quicker chlorophyll breakdown into its salvageable, colorless components.

Carotenoids are more resilient than chlorophyll to breakdown in the fall, as well as more resistant to drought stress. As long as it doesn’t kill leaves prematurely, mild drought may stimulate autumn color.

Interestingly, shading can slow chlorophyll loss in the fall, which is one more reason why the yellows, oranges and reds would be more vibrant in leaves with more exposure to the sun.

rates of carbon fixation than cloudy days, resulting in more sugars (photosynthate) being formed. Cool nights may retard translocation of these sugars out of leaves, with higher sugar concentrations enhance production of anthocyanins, which tint leaves red, crimson and purple.

In the Knoxville area, mean temperature for September 2007 was 4° F higher than the 30-year normal, and mean

More anthocyanins Conventional wisdom says that a succession of warm, sunny days and cool but not freezing nights in the autumn brings about the most spectacular color displays. Even though photosynthesis is winding down in the fall, sunny days will maintain higher

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Continued

temperature for October 2007 was 6° F higher than the 30year normal. The first autumn freeze in our area did not occur until November 7. We could not locate irradiance (sunshine) data for our area for fall 2007, but we likely had relatively high sunshine because of the lower than normal rainfall (half of the monthly normals for September and October).

Anthocyanin concentrations are higher in leaves that have low nitrogen concentrations, like was almost certainly the case last fall. Leaves with low nitrogen concentrations turn red earlier and more completely than trees with higher nitrogen.

Drought can also favor production of anthocyanin, and September and October 2007 were dry months. Drought can

provoke oxidative damage in plant tissues, and one of the functions of both anthocyanin and carotenoids is to protect leaves against dangerous oxidative molecules such as free radicals. Dry weather usually also increases sugars and, therefore, anthocyanins in leaf cytoplasm through the “osmotic adjustment” that accompanies drought acclimation.

(2) Leaves stayed on trees longer Obviously, good fall color requires leaves being on trees. In addition to conditions that favored more red and yellow molecules and fewer green pigments, the environmental conditions of last year also favored a more gradual development of leaf senescence and a longer autumn. It got cool at night, but even our nighttime lows in Knoxville were higher than normal in fall 2007. Average monthly low temperatures were 2° F higher than normal in September and 5° F higher than normal in October.

Decreasing daylength initiates the fall coloring process at the same time every year, about the end of August in Tennessee, and last year’s warm, sunny days and frostfree nights extended the season quite a bit. Strong color and leaves were still on trees in east Tennessee at Thanksgiving,

Photo by Liz Nutter

which is quite rare. The coloration process was prolonged — more time for chlorophyll to degrade, for anthocyanin to be produced and for carotenoids to be revealed. Less rain last fall also meant less water and wind knocking leaves from trees. Additionally, a warmer fall may have slowed the formation of the abscission layer in leaf petioles, making them a little more resilient to being mechanically knocked from stems.

Prediction for autumn 2008 We’re staying out of the forecasting business: too many interacting environmental variables can affect pigment production and breakdown in unexpected ways. To continue our project and test our ideas, however, we plan to measure the carotenoid/chlorophyll ratio in sugar maple and red maple trees in mid-August over the next few years and relate this to a visual, subjective rating of eventual autumn color. For more information, check out our listed references posted online at: http://plantsciences.utk.edu/plsc348/ article_citations.htm.C

In The Nursery

C

ontainer-grown ornamental crop productivity can be reduced by very low numbers of many weed species. Growth reductions are most obvious with weeds that have fibrous or dense root systems that effectively out-compete ornamental plants for water and nutrients. By contrast, yellow woodsorrel (Oxalis stricta), hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) and other fine-rooted weeds are generally less likely to compete with plant growth, particularly in containers. Instead, these types of weeds either diminish economic returns by increasing labor in repeated hand-weeding or cause aesthetic losses when weeds occur in the point-of-sale container. Secondary losses, though no less severe, also occur when weeds provide refuge for key arthropod pests, plant diseases and nematodes that are spread to ornamental plants.

Weeds of growing concern Already familiar to knowledgeable growers and landscapers, woodsorrel and bittercress species have challenged both ornamental-plant producers and grounds managers for decades. Three rogue weeds, however, are relatively new to ornamental-plant production systems, and they exemplify the definition of a problem competitive weed. Mulberry weed (Fatuoa villosa), chamberbitter or leafflower (Phyllanthus urinaria) and long-stalked phyllanthus (P. tenellus) have a rapid growth rate, with extensive seed-production potential, and they produce large, densely fibrous root systems, which

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are key characteristics associated with competitive pressure in ornamental production systems.

Native to eastern Asia, mulberry weed was first reported in Louisiana in 1964. Phyllanthus tenellus is native to Africa, while P. urinaria is an Asian native plant that is widely distributed through the tropics. During the 1980s and 1990s, non-native mulberry weed, chamberbitter and long-stalked phyllanthus gained footholds in southern U.S. landscapes and container production systems. By 1993, botanist Michael Vincent of Miami University observed mulberry weed in greenhouse and landscape settings as far north as Ohio. Today, all of these weed pests can be found in small populations throughout the southeastern U.S., north to Tennessee and west to Texas.

Growers, retailers and landscapers who have yet to encounter these weeds will be at a distinct advantage if they are able to recognize these challenging weedy pests and take action as soon as they are found… because after these plant invaders set seed, they become difficult tenants to evict.

Miniature sling and shell mechanisms… seed dispersal to “shock and awe” Once mature, the seeds of all five of these weed species are forcefully ejected several feet away from parent plants through unique mechanical adaptations that collectively are called “explosive dehiscence.” These dispersal mechanisms help explain the rapid spread and persistence of these nonnative weed invaders, and each technique merits a closer look.

Tensile stresses build in fibers running lengthwise on maturing bittercress seedpods. With an audible pop, seeds that are strung in a line along the seedpod wall are catapulted away from parent plants.

When woodsorrel seedpods mature, ovary walls split to release spiral tension that will sling seeds 12 feet or more from parent plants.

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Continued

Bittercress species (Cardamine spp.)

Winter annual weedy relatives of mustard, bittercress species are common contaminants of both container production systems and shady, moist landscape environments. Bittercress plants serve as refuge for populations of plant-feeding whiteflies, broad mites and spider mites, as well as soybean cyst nematodes. They also can be alternative hosts for nursery-crop diseases, including tomato spotted wilt virus and sclerotinia blight.

Small, white flowers have four petals and form in clusters at the ends of flowering stalks that grow out of a basal rosette of leaves. Immature seedling leaves are kidney-shaped. As bittercress plants mature, fully expanded, compound leaves often display leaflets with deeply lobed margins. Once pollinated, seeds develop in linear rows within 1/2"- to 1"long, slender fruits called siliques. When mature, bittercress seeds are slung 9' or more from parent plants by miniature catapult action. Fresh seeds germinate without dormancy requirements and can generate prolific seedling densities in adjacent production areas and nursery containers.

Woodsorrel species (Oxalis spp.)

Weedy pots in wholesale production lots and retail sales yards send an unintended message to potential customers about the quality and value of the perennials and shrubs that you grow and sell.

Woodsorrel’s wide tolerance of sun, shade, and soil type, nutrient status and moisture level ensures that Oxalis is a persistent pest of greenhouse and nursery production and in landscape settings. Though not related to leguminous clovers, the leaves of perennial woodsorrel species look very similar;

As mulberry weed fruits mature, hydrostatic pressure builds in ovary tissues that envelop and clasp the flat sides of the roughly triangular seeds. Like a pinched watermelon seed, mature ovules are squeezed until ejected 4 feet or more beyond the plant.

Chamberbitter stems are heavily branched, yielding a mounded plant that seldom exceeds 2 feet tall.

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Continued

both possess trifoliate leaves with heart-shaped leaflets on stems that arise from underground rhizomes.

Woodsorrel flowers are typically simple and yellow, with five petals. Pollinated flowers develop into 1/4"- to 1/2"long seedpods that are slightly star-shaped when viewed from above. When mature, Oxalis seeds are explosively propelled 12' or more from parent plants by means of spiral torsion of the ovary wall. Oxalis seeds do not have requirements for breaking dormancy, and they germinate readily in container media and soil.

Mulberry weed (Fatuoa villosa) The leaves and stems of this summer annual weed grow erect and may be easily confused with seedling mulberry trees. In both species, leaves alternate on the stem, have toothed margins and appear roughly triangular. A key field diagnostic test for mulberry weed is to look for small hairs on leaves and stems (mulberry tree seedlings do not possess the hair-like trichomes). Non-showy, pale-lavender mulberry weed flowers, which develop in late spring and persist through fall, have four tiny, curved petals. Flowers are held upright in a tightly packed cluster that extends out of the leaf axils where leaf petioles meet the hairy stems.

Mulberry weed seeds are capable of germinating across a wide range of temperatures. Because seedlings can also flower and set fruit as early as 12 days after reaching the 2-leaf growth stage, multiple generations of seed-bearing plants are pro-

duced each year. Because seeds need light to germinate, tilling after mulberry weed sets seed will increase seedling densities.

In Tennessee, mulberry weed continues to grow and set seed until it is killed by frost. When mature, seeds are forcibly ejected 4' or more from parent plants by increasing hydrostatic pressure in opposing ovary walls.

Longstalked phyllanthus (P. tenellus) and chamberbitter (P. urinaria) In the southeastern U.S., tender perennial longstalked phyllanthus (P. tenellus) and summer annual chamberbitter (P. urinaria) are warm-season weeds that are increasingly encountered in container production systems, managed landscapes and turf. The root systems of both phyllanthus species are densely fibrous. Smooth-margined leaves appear similar to those of mimosa seedlings. While the leaves of both species are 1/4" to 1/2" oblong ovals arranged alternately in two rows along 1"- to 5"-long branchlets, the leaves of P. urinaria are slightly wider and thicker and are often more closely spaced along a generally shorter branchlet.

Greenish white and inconspicuous, the flowers of both species first appear in summer and persist until fall. In Tennessee, plants are killed by frost. Unlike other euphorbia species (including spurges), phyllanthus stems and leaf petioles do not exude milky sap when broken. The plants of both species produce hundreds of 3-chambered, 1/10"-wide fruits that each yield 6 seeds. The pumpkin-shaped fruits are initially green and mature to pinkish-red.

Continued

In the field, key diagnostic differences between these two weed species can be easily observed in their flowering and branching habits. The flowers and fruit of longstalked phyllanthus develop at the ends of 1/4"- to 1/2"-long stalks arising at each leaf axil along the underside of stems, while chamberbitter flowers and fruits are held sessile (without stalks) beneath the stem. In contrast to longstalked phyllanthus that typically grows with a relatively unbranched, 2'- to 3'-tall erect stem, chamberbitter stems are heavily branched, yielding a mounded plant that seldom exceeds 2' tall.

As mature Phyllanthus seedpods dry, the ovary walls rupture and twist. The propulsion that flings seeds 4' away from shattered fruits is aided by a fibrous strand, called a funiculus, that links each of the 6 seeds to the ovary wall.

Like mulberry weed, phyllanthus seeds are capable of germinating across a wide range of temperatures, but germination requires both light and moisture.

Management and control strategies to disarm explosively dehiscent seedpods If your nursery, greenhouse or managed landscapes do not yet have populations of these weed species, continue your efforts to keep them out. Sanitation is key to preventing

The flowers and fruit of longstalked phyllanthus develop at the ends of 1/4"- to 1/2"-long stalks arising at each leaf axil along the underside of stems.

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weedy-plant establishment in production areas and landscapes. Carefully inspect new plants and liners before introducing them into production areas and landscape beds.

Do not forget to inspect hanging baskets in greenhouses.

Simple ballistics shows that the higher the fruits are placed above the ground, the farther the seeds will be thrown when seedpods explosively dehisce. Do not allow fruits of these and other weeds to mature.

Individual plants can produce prolific seed set and yield several generations in a single growing season. A persistent weed-seed bank is easy to establish but then difficult to eradicate without aggressive and expensive sanitation management. Similarly, re-growth of Oxalis from rhizomes beneath the soil or container medium is very hard to control.

Pre-emergence herbicides offer growers the best chemical option for neutralizing the spread of explosively dehiscent weeds through production areas. Phyllanthus species, in particular, may not be completely controlled by many of the pre-emergent herbicides labeled for nursery crops. While hand-weeding is expensive, pulling immature seedlings at an early stage is well worth the labor and time investments to prevent seed set. C Reprinted with permission from NMPRO.

In The Community

Master Gardeners

Support Their Community with HUG Program

By Beth Babbit, UT Extension Master Gardener Coordinator

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(Left) HUG founder David Craig and a HUG volunteer.

As

fall approaches, many people will be planting new landscapes, including new homeowners from Habitat for Humanity. In Knox County for the past four years, new Habitat homeowners have received help from the Master Gardeners Habitat Urban Gardens Program (HUG).

However, this is not your typical community-beautification project. HUG is an empowering, educational program that utilizes the expertise and community service of the Master Gardeners to provide basic garden instruction to new homeowners. The HUG program provides homeowners with essential tools to maintain and expand their own landscape spaces.

David Craig, a visionary Master Gardener and champion of Habitat for Humanity, founded the HUG program.

While initially working as a volunteer with Habitat to plant landscapes for new homeowners, he noticed that many of their landscapes were not well maintained. One day, he asked one of the families if they were pleased with their landscapes. He found that the homeowners weren’t confident enough in their gardening knowledge to maintain their own landscapes. David thought of a simple philosophy, “If you give a man a fish, it will feed him for a day; but if you teach a man to fish, he will feed his family for a lifetime.”

David advocates this same philosophy in gardening!

David and other Master Gardeners have formed partnerships with Habitat and a host of other community volunteers who have built holding nurseries for HUG plants that are donated from nurseries, landscapers and gardeners throughout the year. The HUG nurseries are container and in-ground nurseries where donated plants thrive as they wait for their planting dates. An inventory

of plants is maintained for the homeowners to shop for their landscapes. Volunteers from area community gardens and student service groups help to care for the plants yearround. When the time comes for homeowners to “shop” for their new plants, these volunteers educate the homeowners on each plant’s needs and characteristics.

The major landscape planting is done in the fall and winter. HUG participants start taking classes before planting their landscape. The MG training inspired the gardening curriculum, which is built around University of Tennessee recommended practices. HUG participants learn basic gardening, including: plants’ needs, soils, watering, purchasing plants, planting, pruning and turfgrass care. The most exciting part of HUG coursework is learning and designing their own landscape. With the help of the MG volunteers, homeowners choose their plants and develop their own landscape with great satisfaction.

As payback for the training, all HUG participants must agree to help two other families plant their landscapes to encourage neighbor relationships and build a sense of community involvement. Many neighborhoods have started garden clubs and are actively helping new residents beautify their areas.

The HUG program requires Master Gardeners to continue mentoring the participants with follow-up checklists, a gardening calendar and a volunteer contact to ask gardening questions. This follow-up component has

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Continued

been the strongest asset of the HUG teaching program. Most participants find that as their gardening knowledge grows, so does their list of questions. MG will continue to support and provide ongoing education for HUG participants.

The HUG Handbook is available for free at http://utextension. utk.edu/publications.

If you would like to participate in a HUG program in your area or donate to the HUG effort, please contact Mark Clark, Associate Development Director with the UT Institute of Agriculture (mclark4@utk.edu) or Beth Babbit, UT Extension Master Gardener Coordinator (ebabbit@utk.edu). C

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Recent Event

Summer Celebration July 10, 2008 | UT’s West TN Research & Education Center

On

July 10, The University of Tennessee’s West Tennessee Research & Education Center in Jackson, TN, offered a full day of gardening education and tours to the general public during its annual summer gathering. TNLA was also there, hosting a half day of education, titled “Keeping You Informed about State and Federal Issues.”

An estimated 3,200 attendees visited the center for tips and ideas. UT entomologist Dr. Frank Hale and ornamental specialist Carol Reese were on-hand with presentations and gardening advice, and several of the center’s staff members — including horticulturist Jason Reeves and research assistant Ashley Sipes — added several touches of whimsy throughout the UT garden with brightly painted dead trees and recycled bicycles, wheels and bedsprings. C

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New Members

Welcome,TNLA New Members!

ACTIVE MEMBERS

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

B’s Garden Bonny Hopwood 7413 River Park Drive Nashville, TN 37221

Bryant Nursery, Inc. Wilson Bryant P.O. Box 967 Semmes, AL 36575

Quality Bare Root Farms, LLC (reinstated) Kurt Killingbeck 2875 Petigap Road McMinnville, TN 37110

Cleary Chemical Corp.

Jeff Briggs 5017 Circle T. Trail Climax, NC 27233 ESTES MW/SE, Inc. Thomas Hayes 1006 S. 11th Street Paragould, AR 72450

calendar of events

OCTOBER 19-22

DECEMBER 3–6

February 12–13, 2009

Int’l. Plant Propagators’ Society Southern Region Annual Meeting Omni Hotel Charlottesville, VA Contact: Ronnie Stisher, 205-369-7913 Email: rsticher@aol.com www.ipps.org/southernNA

ACSA Annual Conference (Amer. Soc. of Consulting Arborists) Loews Ventana Canyon Resort Tuscson, AZ Contact: 301-947-0483 Email: asca@mgmtsol.com www.asca-consultants.org

SNA Tradeshow and Research Conference Cobb Galleria Atlanta, GA Contact: 770-953-3311 www.sna.org

January 13–14, 2009

OCTOBER 22–25 PGMS School of Grounds Management and GIE EXPO Galt House Louisville, KY Contact: 401-223-2861 Email: pgms@assnhqtrs.com www.pgms.org

OCTOBER 30– NOVEMBER 2 Holly Society of America Annual Meeting The Dawes Aboretum Newark, Ohio Contact: 856-825-4300 Email: secretary@hollysocam.org www.hollysocam.org

Mid-States Horticultural Expo (a partnership of TNLA and KNLA) Kentucky Exposition Center Louisville, KY For advertising contact: Betsie A. Taylor, 800-735-9791 or KNLA@mis.net; http://www.knla.org For booth information contact: Louree Walker, 931-473-3951 or louree@TNLA.com

classified

American Wholesale Co. USED WALK-IN-COOLER-FREEZER BOXES REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS-EQUIPMENT. Large Inventory, All Sizes Buy • Sell – Nationwide Wholesale Prices Phone: 216-426-8882 • Fax: 216-426-8883 www.awrco.com

FEBRUARY 2–3, 2009 TNLA Winter Education & Exhibits New Location: Holiday Inn Pigeon Forge, TN Contact: 931-473-3951 Fax: 931-473-5883 Email: mail@tnla.com; www.tnla.com

classified

Hayes Nursery Enterprises 1474 Old Well Road Morrison, Tennessee 37357 Trudie or James Hayes, 931-939-7945 Liners to Landscape.

index of advertisers Boshancee Nursery, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 www.boshanceensy.com Braun Horticulture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 www.braungroup.com BWI Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 27 www.bwicompanies.com Carolina Nurseries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover www.carolinanurseries.com Central Landscape Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 www.centrallandscape.com Crimson Dale Nursery, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 www.crimsondalenursery.com D & D Agri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Evin Mill Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Ewing Irrigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Back Cover www.ewing1.com Farm Credit Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 www.farmcredit.com Florida Pine Straw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 www.floridapinestraw.com Forrest Nursery Company, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Forrest Keeling Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 www.fknursery.com Herd Farms Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 www.herdfarmsnursery.com John Deere Landscapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 www.johndeerelandscapes.com John Deere Worldwide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 www.mowpro.com

30

tennessee greentimes

FALL 2008

Larry A. Gribble Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Louisiana Forest Seed Company, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

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M&M Plant Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 www.mmplants.com Mid Tenn Turf, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 www.midtennturf.com Motz & Son Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Pack’s Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 www.packsnursery.com

Vans Pines Nursery, Inc. West Olive, MI

Conifer Jiffy Plug Liners – Conifer Plug Plus Transplants – Deciduous Seedlings

Riverdale Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Southern Growers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 www.southerngrowers.com Surface Nursery, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 www.surfacenursery.com Swafford Nursery, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 www.swaffordnursery.com Syngenta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 www.syngentaprofessionalproducts.com Tennessee One-Call System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 www.tnonecall.com Tree Equipment Design, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 www.treeequip.com Turf Mountain Sod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 www.turfmountain.com VIS Seed Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 www.visseed.com Wellmaster Carts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover www.wellmaster.on.ca

New 2008-2009 Catalog Now Available Call for yours at 1-800-888-7337 or www.vanspinesnursery.com

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TATE ROSE NURSERY Tyler, TX

Knock Out + 80 Varieties 4th Generation Growers • Moderate Prices Phone: 903 593-1020 Fax: 903 593-1020 www.tateroses.com