Free State - Spring 2021

MARYLAND

N URSERY, L ANDSCAPE AND G REENHOUSE A S S O C I AT I O N , I N C .

Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Baltimore, MD Permit No. 269

P.O. Box 726 Brooklandville, MD 21022

Free State A NEWSLETTER FOR AND ABOUT MNLGA MEMBERS A SPRING 2021 VOL. XLVIII NO. 1

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

Pradia solves your insect puzzle.

Pradia is a registered trademark of Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha, Ltd.

Pradia® is a combination product developed to control a wide variety of sucking and chewing pests on ornamental and nursery crops. Pradia delivers a quick knockdown and excellent long-term control on aphids, thrips, whitefly and scale.

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 3

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

H

ave you ever had a great idea that doesn’t work out as well as you thought it should? They are all over our nursery. To try and stay ahead of expansion, we buried irrigation pipe all over to be used at a later date. Some have been buried so long I am not sure where they are any more. Buried in tall weeds are remnants of things long forgotten.

LARRY HEMMING

Eastern Shore Nurseries

Well, for a change, a fair idea has turned out much better than expected.

The nursery and I bought a small used Kubota 18hp with a loader and a mower. The idea was it would spend the winter at my house. I would use it for cleanup and snow removal. Then in the Spring it would come to the nursery and would be used to move plants and such. At the nursery it has worked out better than expected. We can leave it in the back to bring up trees when needed. Also, with its small size it can get into smaller areas and doesn’t tear up the ground.

Recently we had a member get in contact with the MNLGA about problems with hiring. This is becoming a bigger and bigger problem. Government programs that bring in workers are a mess. I don’t use them. I don’t see how I could with a business as small as mine. The regular work force doesn’t want to work outside or is not worth anything. Over the years we have had some winners. A couple only lasted hours. One teen could only lift one three-gallon plant at a time. He had to wrap both arms around it like a hug.

I guess it was heavier than his phone. The one thing that has helped us to survive is a transitioning to a female work force. We now have four women working for us including our forewoman. She has been with us almost fourteen years. I seem to have the most luck with older women getting back into the work force. They want to try and do something different. It may not work for you, but it is something to consider. A

The one thing that has helped us to survive is a transitioning to a female work force.

4 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

Contents 9 13 24 33 39 40 46 54 59

THIS BUSINESS OF OURS Mike Hemming

page 54

Looking Forward to a Better Year

GROWING WITH EDUCATION Ginny Rosenkranz Adding Color and Texture toe the Landscape

GARDENCOMM Kathy Jentz Networking and Connecting to Build Your Business Success

FEATURED MEMBER Carol Kinsley

Didlake, Inc.

AMERICANHORT Craig Regelbrugge Chesapeake Green Recap 2021 Chelsey Bailey MANTS Show Recap 2021 Kelly Finney

page 52

IT’S TIME FOR SHARING Jerry Faulring High Clearance Tractors

TOTAL PLANT MANAGEMENT Stanton Gill Periodical Cicada Brood X—Coming in 2021

DEPARTMENTS

page 33

page 9

page 59 ON THE COVER: Aubrey and Mike from Didlake, Inc in front of begonias.

Our Featured Member, page 33.

4 President’s Message 6 Director’s Message 8 Association Officers 8 Directory of Advertisers 21 Obituaries 31 Educational Opportunities 32 Wye Oak Sponsors 44 Maryland Green Industry Calendar of Events 64 Affinity Programs 63 New Members 67 MNLGA Mission Statement 69 MNLGA Chairs and Committees 69 MNLGA Board of Directors

Executive Director: Vanessa A. Finney Quercus Management Staff: E. Kelly Finney, Chelsea Bailey, and Michelle Paris Phone: 410-823-8684 | Fax: 410-296-8288 | E-mail: office@mnlga.org Web: mnlga.org | Free State e-mail: freestate@mnlga.org Design: Gregory J. Cannizzaro Graphic Design (contact information page 26) © 2021 Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association, Inc.

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 5

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

T

he phones have been eerily quiet, and my e-mail inbox has almost sustained a manageable level – two sure signs that spring has hit our MNLGA members full on. I know your firms are all busy, seemingly beyond capacity, and while stressed, most folks I talk with are thrilled with the crazy spring activity, that is expected to continue well into official summertime. My husband, Kelly, is very quick to respond, “better busy than bored,” when one of our children (or me!) whines about our workload. I guess its true, we’d all rather have purpose and activity versus the alternative.

VANESSA A. FINNEY Executive Director

This past winter and spring, the MNLGA office has been working on several significant projects. One of the biggest, which we’ve actually been working on for more than a year, is the movement of the Maryland Certified Professional Horticulturist program (CPH) from in-person testing to online.

Researching and vetting software, then having the testing built and thoroughly reviewed and tested was a long process. And I am very happy to report that the online system is up and running.

The first users of the online testing have been high school students from across that state. Along with the launch of the online system, the CPH Board developed, in conjunction with the Maryland Department of Education, a qualifying exam for students. Students will now take this pre-test and if successful, are eligible to take the full CPH exam. So far this spring, about 40 students have tested with roughly half passing the qualifying exam. These students will take the full exam in May, hopefully prior to graduation.

Also in May, our first round of adult/industry testing will launch. Our next scheduled online testing window is in October. It is expected, however, that with the move to online testing, the MNLGA will be able to offer more opportunities for both students and adults to test. If you are interested in joining more than 500 of your peers in becoming a Maryland Certified Professional Horticulturist, just let us know. More information may be found on the CPH page of the MNGLA website, MNLGA.org/CPH. Many thanks to George Mayo and the entire CPH Board for their time and diligence in seeing this project to fruition. You all are absolutely wonderful to work with!

The second big project that MNLGA has launched is a Social Media Toolkit.

Created with the purpose to help primarily our public-facing member companies, the Toolkit literally provides all of the information a novice needs to create shareable content on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. We’ve got info on how to create and use hashtags, best practices for creating and sharing videos, and details on sizing, etc. The Toolkit includes a calendar of national and seasonal industry holidays that you might want to use as a base for a targeted social media campaign or blast. We have included a page of industry facts and stats for content fodder, as well as ideas for blogs, newsletter contents, and of course, social posts. Ready to use artwork and graphics is included for those that would like ready-made posts.

The Toolkit is certainly a work in progress, and we expect to update the (continued on page 58)

6 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

Complete Brandable Growing System 450 Square Pot with Tag Slots + Carry Tray This 1-quart square pot features tag slots on all 4 sides, and pairs with a low profile 10-count carry tray.

450 Tag Slot Pot 700162C

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ADVERTISERS Firm Page Affinity Program – MNLGA....................................................................................................................................................................64 American Landscape Institute...........................................................................................................................................................66 Angelica Nurseries, Inc.........................................................................................................................................Outside Back Cover Babikow Greenhouses............................................................................................................................................ Inside Front Cover Cam Too Camelia.................................................................................................................................................................................. 32 Cavano's Perennials.................................................................................................................................................................................12 CPH............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 58 Cultivate `21- AmericanHort................................................................................................................................................................ 43 Fairview Evergreen Nursery..................................................................................................................................................................27 Farm Credit............................................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Foxborough Nursery.................................................................................................................................................Inside Back Cover Greenhouse Growers Field Day...........................................................................................................................................................52 Gregory J. Cannizzaro Design............................................................................................................................................................. 26 Manor View Farm....................................................................................................................................................................................52 MANTS........................................................................................................................................................................................................69 MD Ag Ed Foundation ..........................................................................................................................................................................68 MNLGA.org............................................................................................................................................................................................... 65 Office Depot............................................................................................................................................................................................. 65 OHP.................................................................................................................................................................................................................1 Pender Nursery........................................................................................................................................................................................ 26 Perennial Farm........................................................................................................................................................................................ 53 The HC Companies................................................................................................................................................................................ 20 T.O. Plastics................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Walnut Springs Nursery........................................................................................................................................................................ 38 Wye Oak Sponsors................................................................................................................................................................................. 32

Foxborough Nursery, Inc.

MARYLAND

N URSERY, L ANDSCAPE AND G REENHOUSE A S S O C I AT I O N , I N C .

Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association Officers 2021 President Larry Hemming Eastern Shore Nurseries 410-822-1320 1st Vice President John Murphy Murphy John’s, Inc. 410-928-3029 2nd Vice President Leslie Hunter Cario Chesapeake Horticultural Services 410-924-5847 Secretary Patrick Waldt Griffin Greenhouse Supplies 443-417-3983 Treasurer Carrie Engel Valley View Farms 410-527-0700 Director-at-Large Jessica Todd Clear Ridge Nursery, Inc. 888-226-9226

MNLGA Contact Info: P.O. Box 726 Brooklandville, Maryland 21022 Phone: 410-823-8684 Fax: 410-296-8288 E-mail: office@mnlga.org Free State E-mail: freestate@mnlga.org Website: mnlga.org

MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION

8 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

THIS BUSINESS OF OURS A Mike Hemming

Looking Forward to a Better Year A

new year has begun, with hope and evidence of a better year in our future. After a mostly mild winter with too much rain in March we got almost all of our winter work done.

In fact, so mild that my Fall Blooming Camellia (Yuletide) is still blooming a few flowers on March 28th.

Unfortunately, the pandemic is still doing all of us damage and some more than others.

I know that a local nursery has had to shut down for two weeks due to a Covid outbreak among their employees.

Two weeks down during the spring is awful, let us hope that they don’t lose any more time due to weather or any other reason. They are an efficient well-run nursery and will catch up as much as is possible.

All of us should get the vaccine in our arms and encourage our employees to do the

same. Meanwhile be careful and as Governor Hogan says “Wear the damn mask!”

Transplanting, fertilizing, pruning and cleaning up went very well this year and all of us are more than pleased. A big part of the reason was a local landscaper who is also a good friend came and worked part time for us.

He wanted something to do after hunting season was over. He and another employee worked on the tree area, cleaning up, pruning and reorganizing the entire area. It has not looked that good for a long time. They also straightened up some trees that were leaning in their containers. They then moved some of them and others to larger containers.

Because we had a good year last year, we have been able to spend some money on doing some of the put off maintenance.

The things that had been (continued on next page) Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 9

THIS BUSINESS OF OURS (Continued)

As I learned in my Navy days unions or flanges make valve removal easy and fast. Through the internet I found a company that sells PVC valves that are made with either of them. I got some and made quick work of the repairs. put off for quite some time. Some we had ignored since the 2008 crash. We still have not gotten the liner for one of our irrigation “pool” tanks replaced. But are hopeful it will be done before long. One company refused because we made the “mistake’ of not buying the new liner from them.

In several areas we put down entirely new ground cover, in others we used a three-foot strip to replace ragged and torn paths between the plants.

On the maintenance end of things several of the PVC ball valves installed in the irrigation system were leaking and needed replacing. This is the point where you realize that cementing PVC pipe and valves together is easy when building the system. However, when repairs are needed removal of a valve requires a hacksaw and a time-consuming partial rebuilding to get the new valve in. As I learned in my Navy days unions or flanges make valve removal easy and fast. Through the internet I found a company that sells PVC valves that are made with either of them. I got some and made quick work of the repairs. Quick was not necessary in January but July it would be. The link is IrrigationKing.com if you are interested.

I have heard that there will be some shortages due to the pandemic, weather and shipping problems.

Plastic greenhouse covering may be short due to the pandemic and shipping related problems. Plants due to weather losses and high demand and maybe slower 10 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

production due to pandemic shut downs.

Interestingly a man from Princess Anne drove to us last week to buy Carissa Holly. His landscaper told him that the wholesale nurseries in that area no longer grew them. Nor did the garden centers have any, one that I know of buys from Monrovia Nursery. Possibly that indicates they don’t grow them either. Strange, we don’t like to propagate them but always buy them in because they are popular enough to be worthwhile.

Speaking of plastic, why do some of the people in our industry have to think of more ways to use stuff that will be thrown away? Tags on strings that get tangled, tags on plastic stakes and branded pots that cost more and are not reusable except with that particular brand.

There is one company that demands we use their new containers even when we have more than enough in our pot pile. I get sent new containers and have to pay for them needed or not when I buy their liners.

What a waste! This is an industry that’s supposed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. We will have problems in the future with this when some political group discovers it and starts pushing to correct it with new laws. Remember the plastic straw panic last year, it’s still there, waiting to boil up again. Plastic ranks up near pesticides as things that are problems and need to be corrected by law.

I understand that many large nurseries with potting machines need to stick with one or two brands of

containers for efficiency. However, smaller operations like us and garden centers can reuse any that will last a year. This last year we really potted and repotted much more than usual. I actually began to wonder if we would have to actually buy containers for the first time in over 30 years. Up until this year we have never used many 5-gallon size pots. This year we did use them for some vigorous growers and some that sell well larger.

When the trade 1-gallons were used up, we put the rest of our liners in true 1-gallon pots that we had plenty of. When we needed other 3-gallon pots some cans of cheap black spray paint obliterated the offending names on any branded pots. I estimate that we reuse upwards of 15,000 containers a year. Easily that adds up to over 300,000 kept out of the landfill, because you know dirty plant containers will hardly ever be recycled into another form.

In a previous article I mentioned Can Canes, a galvanized steel L shaped rod which is driven down through a plant container into the ground to prevent blow over. We tried them last year and decided they worked well enough for further use. Certainly, the economics of them against Keeper Uppers which we have used in the past are much better. Use does take more time to install them. But removal is quicker than a 20-gallon container stuck in its Keeper Upper. A problem does arise when the removed ones are just dropped. Left there to be stepped on or not found when needed. After a trip around the nursery picking them up and wondering how to keep them handy, I saw some tall narrow containers we keep Pecan trees in. I decided to attach them to nearby sprinkler stands and on the porch of the sales office. Problem solved; I hope. Now should I market them as a product. Maybe under the name of Can Canes Can or even Pecan Can Can Cane Can. A

Problem sloved: tall narrow containers we keep Pecan trees in, attached to sprinkler stands and the porch of the sales office.

Mike Hemming Eastern Shore Nurseries Inc 410-822-1320 esn@goeaston.net easternshorenurseries.com

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 11

Perennials, Native Plants, Fruits, Vegetables, Ferns, Grasses, and More!

12 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

410-592-8077 www.cavanos.com

GROWING WITH EDUCATION A Ginny Rosenkranz

Adding Color and Texture to the Landscape W

Depending on the bulbs, they should be planted as shallow as 3 inches and as deep as 8 inches and watered thoroughly after planting.

Almost all bulbs and corms need moisture during their blooming period but need dry soils during the summer when they are dormant, so don’t plant them in landscape beds or lawns that are irrigated by (continued on next page)

Ginny Rozencrantz

inter is often filled with grey skies, snow or mud covered land, but when the first crocus buds push up out of the cold soil, winter doesn’t seem so dismal. Spring blooming bulbs in the landscape add so much color and texture at a time when most herbaceous perennials are still dormant. Adding the spring bulbs and corms does call for some extra preparation. All do best if planted in the fall in full sun to partial shade of deciduous trees as long as the root competition is not severe. The bulbs and corms planted in full sun will always bloom before the ones planted in partial shade, but that will also give the garden color extension from the same bulbs and corms. All of them thrive in well drained soils and are not a fan of heavy clay soils, preferring sandy or gritty soils with better drainage.

Crocus in the snow Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 13

GROWING WITH EDUCATION (Continued) Like most perennials, a balanced slow-release fertilizer should be applied in the autumn to help feed the emerging roots and help with the development of the next years flowers. The cooler the temperatures in spring, the longer the flowers will last, so early flowering blooms will usually last the longest, often up to 2-3 weeks while the latest flowering blooms might only last a week. The foliage will continue to grow 8-12 weeks after the flowering is done and it should be left to grow until it turns yellow without trimming it back or braiding it to make it look tidier. If the bulbs are planted right at the edges of the planting beds, the foliage will be visible all spring until it goes dormant. One option to hide the foliage is to plant the bulbs back from the edges and plant drought tolerant perennials or annuals that will grow up in front of the bulbs foliage so the focus is on the perennial and annual plants, not the perennial bulbs. In a perennial bed the bulbs can be planted near the front but also in the middle and at the back to bring some spots of color throughout the whole garden bed.

It is always best to plant at least 5-15 bulbs together for the brightest color burst, and remember that the smaller the bulbs or corm, the more of them are needed to be planted to have a great show of color.

There is a lot of interest in planting lawns and meadows with bulbs and crocus to give them spring color. The daffodils and crocus can easily grow up through the lawns but they need their foliage to grow until they turn yellow before mowing them. The foliage of crocus are small enough to be mowed in a lawn if the mower is set at 3-4 inches, but lawns with daffodils can’t be cut for 23 months. Once the bulbs have grown in the landscape for 8-10 years, it might be apparent that the bulbs will need to be divided to give them more room to grow.

As soon as the foliage of the bulbs turn yellow carefully dig up the bulbs with a spade and divide them. Plant a few back into the same place at the same depth but spaced at least 3 times their width apart. Backfill and water then enjoy the beautiful flowering bulbs next spring. Another positive aspect of many of the early spring beauties is that deer do not usually find them tempting at all with the exception of tulips which are always tasty.

Depending on where in Maryland your landscape is will determine what bulbs and corms will thrive for 14 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

years in your area. Crocus are corms, not bulbs and are hardy throughout Maryland. The corm is the base of a stem that is completely full of nutrients. There are no scales like are found on bulbs but have 1 or 2 dry leaf bases that act like the tunics that tulips have.

Crocus corms are round with the basal plate for the roots at the bottom and a pointed top for the leaves and flowers. During flowering the corm uses all its nutrients and begins to flatten out but also produces several new corms beside the old corm or on top of the old one. The first of the crocus to bloom is the species Crocus tommasinianus also known as snow crocus or simply Tommies. Unlike a lot of crocus, they are considered squirrel resistant and come in colors that range from purest white like ‘Albus’ to pale lavender like ‘Lilac Beauty’ and ‘Pictus’, to a bright and colorful violet purple which includes ‘Barr’s Purple’, ‘Ruby Giant’, ‘Roseus’ and ‘Whitewell Purple’. The foliage is dark green with a white stripe down the center, arching up from the soil and around the flowers. The flowers are

Ginny Rozencrantz

soaker hoses or sprinklers.

Blue and white Crocus

Brent and Becky's Bulbs

Brent and Becky's Bulbs

Goldilocks

Fire of Love

shaped like narrow wineglasses and grow only about an inch tall. The flowers open each morning if it is sunny and close every evening when the sun goes down. They will stay closed after sunrise if the day is cloudy or they are in the shade. All of the snow crocus will bloom for long periods of time depending on the temperatures.

Corms grow in clumps and can naturalize in either the lawn or the planting beds and although they grow well in acidic soils, they prefer a more neutral soil pH. On the lower Eastern Shore they started blooming in January with just a few blooms, but as February came, more flowers filled the landscape then started to slow down by March when the hybrid crocus begin to bloom. In other parts of Maryland they will bloom later but will still bloom in that area of late winter into early spring blooming alongside of flowering Hellebores and brightening landscape borders or popping up in the lawn. These very early blooming crocus also provide food for early pollinators.

white inside and white with blue purple splotches ‘Prins claus’, a soft blue with a yellow bottom ‘Blue Pearl’ and a pure white inside with purple violet stripes outside ‘Ladykiller’. The combination of one color inside the petals and another color outside makes them stand out among a plain colored crocus. Crocus flavus or the yellow crocus produces a bright yellow crocus called either ‘Golden Yellow’ or ‘Yellow Mammoth’ and is one of the largest blooming crocus growing 4-6 inches tall with a wide cup shaped bright orange-yellow flowers.

Another early blooming species crocus is Crocus sieberi ‘Tricolor’ that blooms with 2-inch large fragrant purpleblue flowers and a golden yellow heart that is edged with pure white. The bottom of the flower is a golden yellow which is very visible when the flowers are closed on cloudy days. Crocus sieberi ‘Firefly’ flowers have pale lilac petals with yellow bottoms, and bridges the blooming of the species crocus to the blooming of the hybrids.

Other early spring species crocus, also called snow crocus, which bloom in March include the Crocus chrysanthus or the golden crocus which produce a lovely yellow ‘Cream Beauty’, a deep golden yellow with a purple bottom, ‘Goldilocks’, a soft yellow inside with blue and white striped outside, ‘Advance’, bright yellow inside and plum purple outside, ‘Herald’, a pure

The hybrid crocus, Crocus vernus or common crocus may bloom later than the species in April, but they come with larger flowers that are deeper and richer in colors. They bloom up to 3 weeks in colors of dark rich purple like ‘Flower Record’, light purple like ‘Remembrance’, purple and white stripes like ‘King (continued on next page) Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 15

GROWING WITH EDUCATION (Continued) of the Striped’, silver and light lavender with deeper lavender stripes of the favorite ‘Pickwick’ and pure white like ‘Jeanne d’Arc’.

Depending on which garden book or website, the list of early blooming bulbs and corms often lists the Snowdrops before or after the crocus, but in many gardens they bloom between the species crocus and the hybrid crocus. Galanthus nivalis or Snowdrop can bloom from February to March depending on where they are planted, but they are usually planted in the shade of deciduous trees. They are called Snowdrop because the lightly fragrant bell shaped flowers resemble a drop of snow. The flowers have 6 translucent tepals, the 3 pure white tepals spread outward and are on the outside of the 3 short green tipped inside tepals. These white waxy bell-shaped flowers arch above the slender dark green leaves and are about a quarter to a half inch long with a splotch of green at the end of each inner tepal and a bright green base. The outer tepals will open as the sun warms them up and closes as the sun sets or if the temperatures are too cold. A plant that has a petal that is no different from a sepal which is the part of the flower that protects the petals before they open, has tepals instead of petals and sepals. There are actually 15 – 20 different types of snowdrops, one Snowdrop, Galanthus plicatus ‘Wendy’s Gold’ has a bright yellow base and a bright yellow splotch on the end of the inner tepal and grows 6-8 inches tall. Some of the more common ones include Galanthus ikariae which is the smallest version grows only 4-6 inches tall, Galanthus nivalis ‘Flore Pleno’ where the inner tepals create a beautiful double blooming Snowdrop and Galanthus elwesii also known as the Giant Snowdrop, growing 6-7 inches tall with flowers that are 2 inches long with the inner tepal almost all green. The seeds of the Snowdrop have a small hook, and are said to be a favorite of ants who carry them to their nest where some apparently are not eaten and grow to become new Snowdrops.

Winter Aconite, Eranthis hyemalis, blooms in the full sun or part shade of a deciduous tree in early spring as well, about the same time as the species or snow crocus but before the common crocus. Bright butter yellow cup shaped flowers bloom on sturdy stalks 3-4 inches tall when the sun shines and they stay closed during cloudy times. The 6 petal flowers always face upwards and are 16 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

framed by a collar of bracts that look like dark green fringed leaves. After the flowers have finished, a basal bouquet of green lobed leaves emerge. The Winter Aconite is actually a tuber, which needs rich, moist well drained soils all year long in contrast to the other spring bulbs or corms. Like most tubers, the Winter Aconite needs to be soaked overnight before planting them 2 – 3 inches deep and 3 inches apart.

Daffodil bulbs are true bulbs, covering their hidden treasure of flowers and foliage with modified leaves or scales that hold the stored starches, sugars and some proteins. These thin scales are tightly wrapped around the bud and are covered with an outer thin tunic. The bottom of the bulb is the basal plate where the roots emerge, and the bud sprouts out at the top. The bright green to blue green foliage of daffodils is poisonous to animals, so it is often found abandoned by civilization, still emerging from the ground in spring, marking the exterior of the ghost of a home long gone. Daffodils are listed in divisions with Division 1 with one flower per stem and the trumpet (corona) as long or longer than the petals (tall trumpet daffodil), Division 2 with one flower per stem and the trumpet (corona) more than 1/3 the length of the petals (large cup daffodil, Division 3 with one flower per stem and the trumpet (corona) not more than 1/3 of the length of the petals (small cup daffodil), Division 4 with one or more flowers per stem and doubling of the petals or of the corona or both (double daffodil), Division 5 with 2 or more nodding flowers per stem and petals reflexed (Triandrus), Division 6 with one flower per stem, petals reflexed and flowers held at an acute angle (Cyclamineus), Division 7 with 1-5 petals per stem and petals either spreading or reflexed, usually very fragrant (Jonquilla), Division 8 with 3-20 flowers per stem and petals spreading and fragrant (Tazetta), Division 9 with 1 flower per stem, white petals and the corona or cup disc shaped often with a red rim around a green or yellow center (Poeticus), Division 10 with 1 flower per stem and a large trumpet and insignificant petals, sometimes referred to as a hooped petticoat (Bulbocodium), Division 11 with the trumpet split more than half its length (Split Corona), Division 12 includes daffodils that don’t fit any of the other divisions (Other Daffodils), and Division 13 (Distinguished solely by Botanical Names).

There are a few wonderful very early spring blooming daffodils including the adorable heirloom, ‘Tete-a-

Chionodoxas forbesii is commonly called ‘Glory of the Snow’ and has up to 12 lavender blue star shaped flowers per bulb. The 6 petal flowers have a bright white center and are held up by dark purple stems that grow 3-7 inches tall. The flowers are surrounded by 2-3 narrow leaves. There are 2 cultivars including ‘Blue Giant’ and ‘Pink Giant’, both are larger and more vigorous plants. Chionodoxas luciliae has slightly larger flowers that are more rounded at the tips. C. ‘Violet Beauty’ has pinkish violet-colored flowers and grows

Ginny Rozencrantz

Tete’. This lovely miniature daffodil has tiny fragrant buttercup yellow petals that are slightly reflexed and a narrow, long orange yellow trumpets which begin to bloom in February in the southern parts of Maryland.

The flowers rise, 1-3 per dark green sturdy stems 6-8 inches tall and deep green leaves. As a miniature plant, the ‘Tete-a-Tete’ daffodil can be planted along a boarder, in groups in a perennial bed and can be left alone to naturalize and are usually the last that need division. This miniature daffodil is considered a Cyclamineus daffodil which is usually found with a short neck that presents the flowers as if facing a fan and doesn’t grow any taller than 10 inches. Another very early spring blooming daffodil is ‘February Gold’, also a Cyclamineus daffodil that has bright butter yellow flowers with slightly reflexed petals and the trumpet has ruffles at the rim. The foliage and flowers grow 8-12 inches tall and naturalizes easily. ‘Growers Pride’ is a very early spring blooming hybrid by Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, and is a prolific blooming, long lasting golden yellow trumpet daffodil that grows 10-12 inches high. Another very early blooming Trumpet daffodil is ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’ that blooms even in the snow.

The 3 inch flowers have star shaped petals in butter yellow while the trumpet is a darker golden yellow with a wavy rimmed trumpet, growing 12-14 inches tall. There are a few miniature daffodils that brave the cold to bloom very early in the spring. ‘Julia Jane’ is a Division 10 and looks just like a hooped petticoat with a sweetly fragrant widely opened trumpet and no visible petals, growing only 4-6 inches tall. ‘Little Gem’ is another early blooming miniature is a Division 1 Trumpet but very tiny, growing butter yellow flowers that rise only 4-5 inches tall. ‘Tete Boucle’ is a miniature fully double daffodil that is bright yellow and grows only 4-6 inches tall.

‘Twinkling Yellow’ is a fragrant Jonquilla that can grow up to 6-10 inches tall.

White and gold daffodils.

3-5 inches tall while C. ‘Alba’ has pure white flowers and grows 5-10 inches tall. Chionodoxa sardensis has brighter and deeper blue flowers with a smaller white center and grow 4-6 inches tall. The Chionodoxas bulbs prefer to grow in full sun to part shade in moist but well drained soils and can naturalize to create a carpet of spring blooming flowers that spread by seed and bulbs.

Hyaninthus oreintalis or Hyacinth bloom in a rainbow of colors about the same time as the early daffodils.

They spear out of the ground with 3-4 bright green leaves which surround a densely flowered spike of waxy star shaped tubular flowers. The flower colors come in shades of light blue to darkest purple, pink, red, white, and pale yellow and all are extremely sweetly fragrant.

Some of the florets have a stronger colored mid vein or a lighter colored mid vein to create a starburst effect. Some florets have paler margins that intensifies the main color. There are also cultivars that produce double florets and semi-double florets. Plants can grow up to 8-12 inches and should be dead-headed (continued on next page) Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 17

There is a lot of interest in planting lawns and meadows with bulbs and crocus to give them spring color. The daffodils and crocus can easily grow up through the lawns but they need their foliage to grow until they turn yellow before mowing them.

GROWING WITH EDUCATION (Continued) as soon as the flowers are done to prevent the plants from creating seeds. The Hyacinth bulbs can cause an irritant and planters should wear gloves to protect their hands while handling and planting the bulbs.

Some of the early daffodils that bloom in early April before the earliest tulips include ‘Topolino’ which means little mouse in Italian. This Trumpet daffodil has star shaped creamy white petals that becomes whiter each day and a long bright yellow trumpet with a frilled rim.

‘Topolino’ also has a delightful sweet fragrance that adds to its beauty. ‘Carlton’ is a Large Cup daffodil with 5 inch golden yellow overlapping petals, a golden yellow frilled rimed trumpet and a strong vanilla fragrance. ‘Carlton’ grows 14-18 inches tall and helps bring early color into the landscapes. Another Large Cup daffodil that provides early color is ‘Monal’ which boasts light golden yellow broad overlapping petals that backs the deep red orange funnel shaped cup and can grow 12-24 inches tall. ‘Abba’, another early bloomer is a Double that has 3-5 florets per stem, pure white petals and white with red orange flecked double split corona. Growing 14-16 inches tall, ‘Abba’ also has a lovely spicy sweet fragrance. ‘Martinette’ is a fragrant Tazetta daffodil that holds 3-6 florets per stem, making it great for the landscape and as a cut flower. The star shaped flower petals are butter yellow which back the bright orange wavy rimed trumpet and the plants grow 14-16 inches tall. In Division 13 there are 3 early blooming heirloom daffodils that are often called by their botanical names. ‘Obvallaris’ is a small daffodil that resembles a miniature ‘King Alfred’ daffodil that grows 8-10 inches high. ‘Queen Anne’s Double Jonquil’ (x odorus flore pleno) a daffodil that is sometimes fully double and sometimes only the split trumpet is double. By its name you can tell that it’s very fragrant and grows 10-12 inches high. ‘Campernelli’ (x odorus Linnaeus) holds 2-3 very fragrant bright yellow florets 18 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

per stem. Each floret has open star shaped petals and wide rimed trumpets, growing 10-12 inches tall. Unlike a lot of daffodils, ‘Campernelli’ can thrive in the warm summers down to USDA zone 4-9.

Leucojum aestivum or Summer Snowflake blooms after the very earliest daffodils with dark green leaves that grow 12 inches long and an inch wide to create an upright vase shaped clump. In the center of the clump of foliage a naked and hollow flower stalks or scapes rise 12-24 inches tall, just above the foliage and are topped with 2-8 nodding white bell shaped flowers.

The lightly fragrant flowers have 6 tepals with a green blotch on the outer tips. Although it is called Summer Snowflake, it blooms in the spring and can naturalize in drifts for a lovely spring show, then goes dormant during the summer months. Plants prefer full sun and/or part shade and moist but well drained soils. The cultivar ‘Gravetye Giant’ has larger flowers than the species.

There are some early mid spring blooming single tulips that add more diverse colors and textures to the landscape. When the tulips begin to bloom it is almost easy to see why the Tulip Mania cause intelligent people to sell their livelihood to purchase one beautiful tulip in the 17th century. The plain colored tulips went for pennies, but the gorgeous ones with color breaks or new colors and new patterns cost fortunes. The lily flowered tulips were the first to arrive in Europe, but over time the tulip breeders created tulips with rounded edges, tulips with twice the amount of petals, tulips with ruffeled edges and beautiful bi and tri-colored petals.

A solid bright color could have a streak of another bright color, and to make it even more impressive the colorful streak was called a flame. These tulips soon were named parrot tulips for the brilliant feathers of the birds. Like Daffodils, Tulips are classified by their flowering characteristics, their ancestry and their time of blooming. The earliest blooming tulips are the T. kaufmanniana and T.fosteriana because they bloom in

and pale pink with a golden heart inside.

Hyacinth

late March into early April. The later bloomers, Mendel, Triumph and Darwin start to bloom in early to midApril. To successfully grow tulips in Maryland, the winter temperatures need to be 50 or below during the day for at least 12-16 weeks, and the soils must be extremely well drained. The further south the landscape, the more shade the tulips need. As with daffodils, the foliage must be left alone until it turns yellow to ensure a beautiful flower the next year. Many landscapes can create a microclimate to accommodate the beautiful tulips.

The single early tulips grow about 9-14 inches high, have 6 petals and are often fragrant and many can last for years in the landscape. T.kaufmanniana usually have white on the inside of the petals and bright red or soft pinks on the outside with a yellow base. On cloudy days the flowers stay closed but on bright sunny days the flowers open to show off the many colors and the star shape of the flowers which resembles waterlily flowers. T. ‘ancilla’ is a kaufamanniana tulip that has creamy white inside of the flowers and a bright yellow in the center rimed with bright red, while the outside of the petals is a combination of reds and soft pinks.

T.’Giuseppe Verdi’ has bright golden yellow petals with bright red streak running from the tip to the base of the flowers and the insides are gold with red marks.

Another lovely T. kaufmanniana is ‘Hearts Delight’, with pinkish red petals edged in creamy white on the outside

Ginny Rozencrantz

The Fosteriana tulips also bloom in early mid spring and offer ‘Albert Heijin’ a bright pink with light pink edges, ‘Juan’ a bright orange with bright yellow base and green and purple mottled foliage. ‘Orange Emperor’ has light orange streaked with green petals, while ‘Red Emperor is a brilliant scarlet red. ‘Sweetheart’ is a soft yellow and ‘Purissima’ is also the ‘White Emperor’ with pure white petals and a soft yellow base.

The Greigii tulips often have lovely purple striped foliage giving color to the landscape before and after the flowers have bloomed. ‘Fire of Love’ has bright redorange petals and very decorative foliage and ‘Red Riding Hood’ has very pure red petals. ‘Fur Elise’ has a combination of soft yellow, coral and pink within each petal and ‘Tottori’ has a blend of soft pink and deeper rose petals.

‘Apricot Beauty’ is a fragrant tulip who’s petals are a soft salmon with light rose colored flames on the outer petals. ‘Flair’ is a strong perennial with bright red and yellow petals, while ‘Red Paradise’ is pure bright red on the outside with a shallow yellow base and a black heart inside. ‘Candy Prince’ is a pale lavender pink color that combines with lots of other colors very well, and ‘Purple Prince’ is light purple in color with slightly scalloped edges on the petals. ‘White Marvel’ has clear pure white waxy petals that stand up for a longer bloom time. There are also a few early Double tulips which include the sweet fragrant golden colored ‘Brownie’, the bright red ‘Estatic’ that can have up to 5 flowers per stem and ‘Flaming Baby’ which is a mix of red, orange and yellow colors in flame or steaking patterns and contrasting colors. ‘Foxtrot’ comes in many shades of pinks with white and ‘Monte Carlo’ has bright yellow petals.

Whether spring roars in like an aggressive lion or dances in like a young lamb - drifts, pockets or pools of color from bulbs can only enhance the beauty of the landscape. A Ginny Rosenkranz Extension Educator, Commercial Horticulture, University of Maryland Extension, Dorchester, Sommerset, Wicomico and Worchester County 410 749-6141 x106 rosnkrnz@umd.edu Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 19

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OBITUARY John Landon Reeve, IV July 3, 1940 ~ May 25, 2020 (age 79) John Landon Reeve, IV, loving father, grandfather, brother and uncle passed away peacefully in his sleep on Monday, May 25, 2020. He was 79 years old.

Reeve was born to parents John Landon Reeve, III and Frances Edwards Patterson from Monkton, Maryland, on July 3, 1940. He is survived by his sister, Martha Reeve, brother and sister-in-law, Paul and Anne Reeve, daughter and son-in-law, Deonne and Harold Wollman, son and daughter-in-law, James and Casey Reeve, step-daughter and son-in-law, Holly and Dan Park, step-son and daughter-in-law, Colin and Connie Noble, step-son, Brian Noble, nephew John Reeve and nine grandchildren; Bradley Wollman, Justine Wollman, Samantha Wollman, John L. Reeve V, Caroline Reeve, Holden Park, Hadley Park, Morgan Noble and MacKenzie Noble.

Landon was fortunate to find a passion and career early in his life. He graduated from Hereford High School in Baltimore County in 1959. During high school he worked at a local nursery and later obtained his B.S. in Ornamental Horticulture from the University of Maryland in 1963. After graduating college, he married his high school sweetheart, Janet W. Reeve, and they started Chapel Valley Landscape Company in 1968 in Howard County, MD. Landon is quoted in a previous article, “In 1968, we started Chapel Valley with goodwill and a prayer.” With a new green Volkswagon Bug, some land and 3 employees, Landon, his wife, talented team, and family built a company of now over 450 team members, which operates out of 7 locations in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. In May 1994, Landon’s wife, Janet, passed away from complications from Type I diabetes, which she was diagnosed with one year after their marriage.

Landon was a loyal and committed husband who steadfastly cared for his wife after she received a

kidney transplant, to the time of her death. They were married 33 years and had two children, Deonne Wollman and James Reeve. He re-married several years later to Lynne “Dallas” Reeve, also originally from Baltimore County, MD. They were married for 22 years until she passed in 2017 from a valiantly fought battle with lymphoma and leukemia.

Over the years, Landon’s leadership enabled Chapel Valley to complete many notable projects in the Baltimore/Washington DC metro areas including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Baltimore Inner Harbor, the National Shrine, Marriott Corporation and the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, to name a few. His philosophy of doing high quality landscape work and providing “knock their socks off” customer service was a common thread throughout his career. Landon could often be heard saying, “Do the job right the first time, or don’t do it at all.”

Landon’s passion for the landscape industry never waned, as his desire was not only to build the business, but to help others build their careers.

He promoted landscape professionalism locally and nationally and served as the Past-President to the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (now National Association of Landscape Professionals), the Landscape Contractor’s Association of MD, DC, VA and the Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association.

During his 50+ year career, he was instrumental in raising the professional standards of the industry by promoting quality workmanship, training and certifications programs and safety, to name a few.

During retirement, he continued his work serving on the Boards of the American Horticultural Society and the Friends of the National Arboretum. He gave much to the industry and helped many. He started scholarships for students interested in joining the industry, donated gardens and served as a mentor to many. His kind, gentle manner enabled him to be a well-respected leader.

Of equal importance in his life was his family. He (continued on next page) Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 21

OBITUARY (Continued) supported his children and grandchildren’s many school and extra-curricular endeavors and was proud of their many accomplishments. He enjoyed travel and took many interesting trips across the world, often related to horticulture. He was an avid University of Maryland fan and enjoyed taking his grandchildren to see the men’s lacrosse games or attend the University of Maryland’s annual Agriculture Day. Due to state guidelines concerning the size of gatherings as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not possible to gather together to celebrate his life at

this time. A memorial service will be scheduled at a future date, depending upon changes in regulations and state guidelines. The family will make further announcements when this will occur.

In lieu of flowers, his family requests that you please consider making a charitable contribution to one of the following resources: JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION - https:// www.jdrf.org/donate AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY - https:// connect.ahsgardening.org/donate

OBITUARY Edward Leo Hogarth, Jr. "Ed", age 89, of Jarrettsville, Maryland passed away on March 13, 2021 at his home.

Born on December 5, 1931 in Baltimore, Maryland, he was the son of Edward Leo Hogarth Sr. and Mary (Smit) Hogarth. Ed graduated from Towson High School in 1952, and attended Washington College in Chestertown, MD. He left college to marry and start a family with his wife of 52 ½ years Nancy Griffin Hogarth, who preceded him in death in 2006.

Ed is survived by his wife Donna L. Hogarth and his sister, Carol H. Almony of Timonium; two daughters, Laura H. Cogswell (Ted) of Delmar, MD and Melissa T. Hogarth of Merritt Island, FL; three sons, Mark F. Hogarth (Shirley) of Jarrettsville, Peter W. Hogarth (Karen) of Fairfax, VA, and Andrew G. Hogarth (Jeannine) of Fredericksburg, VA; two stepdaughters Michelle Cucina and Tracey Smith (Joe). Ed was blessed with 11 grandchildren: Edward “Walker” Cogswell, Leslie Hogarth, Rachel (Scott) Walter,

22 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

Amelia (Rich) Linsao, Eric (fiancée Jennie), Carlie and Allison Hogarth, Zachary, Kaitlyn, Rebecca and Nathan (Kelly) Hogarth. His step-grandchildren were Breanna Sexton and Sabrina Smith. Ed had 7 great grandchildren: Emmett Campbell, Abigail, Aiden, Marlana and Jake Walter and Oliver Hogarth and Mason Rodriguez and 3 great-great grandchildren Haley, Mila and Harley. He is survived by a niece and 4 nephews Kathy and Tim Griffin in Florida and Jay, Glenn and Patrick Almony in Maryland.

He had a big personality and was loved by many far and wide. He always brought a smile to all when he wore his Santa hat! He was a Landscape Architect and was a member, past President (1986-1987) and longtime Historian (1987-2006) for the Maryland Nursery Landscape and Greenhouse Association. He was also a member of the Maryland Arborist Society.

In lieu of flowers, those who desire may make a donation to Harford County Land Trust https://www. harfordlandtrust.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/ or the Jarrettsville branch of the Harford County Public Library at https://donate.hcplonline.org/ or by mailing a check to them at 3722 Norrisville Road Jarrettsville, MD 21084.

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GARDEN COMM A Kathy Jentz

Networking and Connecting to Build Your Business Success I n this COVID-19 world, many of us feel like lonely islands floating out in the sea. Building on that isolation, a large number of us in the horticultural trade are running small businesses almost entirely ourselves. We are the PR person, IT department, janitor and chief executive officer. This can lead to burn out and frustration.

Why are each of us individually researching the best e-commerce platforms or sources for wholesale product plant pots? Doesn’t it make sense to share what we learn and pool our collective wisdom so we are not all “reinventing the wheel” and spending hours and days away from what actually brings us income and joy?

That is where groups like the MNLGA come in. Networking and connecting with peers to solve common issues is one of the main benefits of belonging to a trade association or professional organization. Normally, you could do that exchanging of business in person at MANTS over a beer when the show floor closed or during a breakfast meeting you set up afterwards. A substitute for 24 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

that can be provided through an online discussion group or regular conference calls.

Another idea is to set up a Mastermind Group or Accountability Circle. They are groups of like-minded people gathering in-person or online to discuss a common challenge or goals. These are small by design— usually only 8-12 members. You can hire a professional group leader to facilitate the meetings or you can run them yourselves.

The topics can be general, like “Marketing Tips,” or very specific, such as “Launching Your Podcast.”

When the topic is a specific goal, the group often has a limited life with an end date – say meeting for 6 months or just one year.

I am a member of GardenComm, the association for garden communicators, and we have created a spin-off on the Mastermind Group called “Power Circles.” I find these power circle groups to be one of the best member benefits of being in GardenComm and can attest to the fact that being in them has brought me networking connections,

learning experiences, and increased income.

The members of the power circle are the ones who shape it and decide how often it will meet, how it will meet, the discussion topics, size of the circle, etc. Some topics have more urgency and meet weekly or biweekly and might meet for 90 minutes or more for each session.

Most meet monthly for an hour.

I’m in another power circle for garden speakers. We have monthly meetings via Zoom on various topics ranging from critiques of our marketing materials to tax tips.

We each take a turn being that month's topic facilitator and none of us is expected to be the "expert" on that topic, but we like do a bit of research in advance and then lead the conversation on it.

One of the power circle members, Carol Michel, shared about our garden speaker power circle, "One thing I think makes this group stand out from the other Power Circles I was in is the use of Zoom.

Seeing everyone and not just hearing people on the phone I think improves our ability to share. It also helps that everyone takes a topic to

Networking and connecting with peers to solve common issues is one of the main benefits of belonging to a trade association or professional organization. lead. Even if you don't know much about the topic, being willing to go out and research it is helpful. And we all know the teacher learns more than the student."

and can get a little tiresome being the chief nagger, but without this key position a power circle can easily fall off people’s radar and cease to exist.

meeting if it got done or not. This is the “accountability” aspect and can be very motivating to have external deadlines to meet and other people to hold you accountable.

If you want to start up a power circle on any specific topic, my recommendation is to invite 12 or so colleagues who you respect to join you. Your next step is to set up a Google group or other way of keeping in contact and posting meeting notices. Then, you would schedule your first meeting. At that first gathering, you can brainstorm future meeting topics and ask for volunteers to lead each of those discussions.

It is also nice to take turns taking notes and posting them after each meeting to your shared group files. That way you can go back and review them in the future and if someone has to miss a meeting they are not totally lost.

Whether in-person or virtually, formally or informally, I urge you to form a network of peers to bounce ideas off of and grow your skills as well as your business. A

I find it easiest to have one person who is the “facilitator” or leader of the group who keeps track of inviting folks to a shared Google group, posting the group’s meeting schedule, sending out meeting reminders, and following up after meetings, if needed. This is a bit like being the group’s “mom” or “dad”

There is a common rule in these groups that what is shared amongst the members stays between you. This helps tremendously for the free-flow of ideas and conversation. For that reason, most groups do not allow recordings of the meetings.

Some groups assign homework and/or you are responsible for taking care one aspect of a project.

Other groups ask you to state a goal that you will accomplish before the next group meeting and they will ask you at that next

Kathy Jentz is editor of Washington Gardener Magazine and a longtime DC-area gardening enthusiast. She is the Region 2 (Mid-Atlantic) National Director for GardenComm. She also the host of the popular GardenDC Podcast and is a columnist and guest blogger for several other publications. Her latest foray is as the social media voice for horticultural brands. Kathy speaks to gardening and professional groups on a regular basis. She can be reached at KathyJentz@gmail.com.

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 25

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Maryland Basil Downy Mildew Field Observations Commercially, basil is extensively grown for greenhouse and field production. High volume retail basil sales at garden centers, roadside farm stands, and Farmer’s markets make basil a very profitable crop for many small scale farmers. To say the least, it is a very popular plant in residential landscapes. It looks and smells good and you can obviously harvest the foliage for culinary uses.

Downy mildew on basil is a relatively new problem.

Basil downy mildew problems in the U.S. began in 2007 in Florida during the 2007 growing season. Since 2008, it has become wide spread in many states and has been reported in Canada and South America. The disease is also widespread in Europe Downy mildews tend to be specific to certain species of plants. Basil has its own downy mildew caused by the water mold Peronospora belbahrii. The pathogen does not overwinter where freezing temperatures occur so the timing of infection proceeds from southern states northward each summer.

Although the downy mildew pathogen has been detected in basil seed, seed transmission is probably a rare event. Air-borne dissemination of downy mildew sporangia, or transport of infected plants is the most likely way infection spreads to new sites.

28 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

Basil leaves that become infected with downy mildew will develop a yellowish appearance, similar to a nutritional problem. Yellowing typically first appears in areas between major veins and eventually spreads across the leaf. As the disease progresses, the characteristic signs of the pathogen appear as fuzzy grayishpurple sporangia on the lower leaf surfaces. When humidity remains high the chlorotic lesions quickly turn brown and cause plant collapse.

Varieties tested: BASIL Amazel Prospera Devotion Obsession Aroma (common susceptible cultivar)

Resistance Breeding work Rutgers University plant breeders developed the first downy mildew resistant cultivars, Obsession, Devotion, Passion and Thunderstruck that came into limited market release in 2018.

Genesis Seeds is selling the cultivar ‘Prospera’ that was developed in Israel and had limited release in 2018. A more recent cultivar ‘Amazel’, developed by Proven Winners, was released in 2019 as a resistant plant for the market place.

YEAR INTRODUCED 2019 2018 2018 2018

SOURCE Proven Winners Genesis Seeds Rutgers Rutgers Common cultivar brand in market place

All plants were established in the 4th week of May of 2019. Field observations at all sites of downy mildew symptoms were noted weekly.

Evaluation: Plants were rated on score of 0 – 10 with zero being free of disease.

All Sites BASIL August 10, 2019 Sept 3, 2019 Oct 7, 2019 Amazel 0 0 0 Prospera 0 0 0 Devotion 0 1 2 Obsession 0 1 2 Aroma (common susceptible 5 9 10 cultivar)

The cultivar ‘Amazel’ is propagated from cuttings and is seed sterile and therefore continues to produce leaves and shoots even after flower initiation.

to downy mildew and three cultivars that were reported to be resistant.

Trials in Maryland

The first symptoms of downy mildew infection were noted on August 10.

Symptoms on susceptible cultivar ‘Aroma’ eventually collapsed the plants by August 15. Observations of the resistant cultivars continued through October 8. Very faint sectored chlorotic symptoms on the lower leaves of ‘Devotion’ and ‘Obsession’ became visible by September 3 and were confirmed to be downy mildew. In general, all the resistant basil cultivars

In response to questions from Maryland growers about resistant basil cultivars and continued strong demand for basil plants we initiated a limited field evaluation of resistant basils during the 2019 growing season. Three sites in Maryland, including the Central Maryland Research and Education Center, Westminster, MD, and Finksburg, MD had basil known to be susceptible

See charts on page 28 Summary:

performed quite well compared to the common susceptible cultivar ‘Aroma’. By September, the Rutgers cultivars ‘Devotion’ and ‘Obsession’ showed mild disease symptoms on the lower leaves, but the symptoms didn’t cause severe damage or killed plants. The cultivars ‘Prospera’ and ‘Amazel’ never developed disease symptoms during the trial. A (Summary finding continued on next page)

Stanton Gill, Extension Specialist in IPM and Entomology David Clement, Extension Specialist in Plant Pathology Suzanne Klick, Lead Technician, University of Maryland Extension

Aroma Basil on September 3, 2019

Basil cultivars ‘Prospera’, ‘Devotion’, ‘Obsession’, and ‘Aroma’

Basil on October 7, 2019

Basil cultivars left to right ‘Prospera’, ‘Devotion’ ‘Obsession’and ‘Aroma’ Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 29

MARYLAND BASIL (Continued)

Basil ‘Obsession’

Basil cultivars left to right ‘Amazel’, ‘Aroma’ and ‘Prospera’ (8/15/19)

Basil ‘Devotion’

Basil cultivar ‘Devotion’ with mild downy mildew symptoms (9/5/19)

Basil ‘Prospera’

Basil cultivar ‘Obsession” with mild downy mildew symptoms (9/5/2019)

30 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Internship Opportunities at University of MD, College Park Greetings from College Park! My name is Diana Cochran, I am an Assistant Clinical Professor and Advisor for the Environmental Horticulture Specialization in the Plant Science and Landscape Architecture Department at UMD. Our students are interested in gaining work experience and/or building a career in Maryland greenhouse, nursery and landscape operations.

For a student to receive course credit the internship (job experience) must meet the following criteria: 1. The job must be related to the students field of study (greenhouse, nursery, landscape, food crop production, public gardens, etc.) as determined by the student and their advisor (Dr. Cochran).

2. It must be paid and full-time 3. Be at least 10 weeks and be a paid position that encompasses 300 hours of contact/work time Students responsibilities: 1. Secure an internship.

2. Request that the internship supervisor complete the

internship offer paperwork and send it directly to Dr. Carroll Employer’s Responsibility: 1. Complete the internship offer form and email directly to Dr. Carroll (Instructor for Internship Course) prior to the start of the internship.

2. Near the end of internship, complete the student evaluation form that is included as part of the internship offer paperwork and submit the form directly to Dr. Carroll by September 15.

The Internship requirements are included as part of the internship offer paperwork. The student and supervisor should read over this section before completing the form and returning it to Dr. Carroll.

If you are interested in having one of our students intern at your operation please contact me at 301-405-4336 or via email cochrand@umd.edu with informal or formal announcements. If you have a formal announcement, we would be happy to advertise the opportunity with our students on our website. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you may have. Go Terps! A

YES, I want a subscription to Free State Contact us with your request and we’ll add you to the mailing list.

Subscriptions are $35 annually; MNLGA will invoice you upon receipt of your subscription request. (members need not subscribe) Name_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Business _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ E-Mail_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ City____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ State________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Zip __________________________________________________ Mail/Fax or e-mail: Free State, MNLGA, P.O. Box 726, Brooklandville, MD 21022 or e-mail: freestate@mnlga.org

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 31

WYE OAK SPONSORS MNLGA would like to thank these companies for their sponsorship and support.

The MNLGA sponsorship Program is designed with your increased visibility in mind. It is a simple straightforward and reward driven program. The recognition opportunities coupled with an MNLGA Sponsorship are unparallelded for a state association.

Sponsorship rates and benefits are avaiable on mnlga.org/sponsorship

32 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

FEATURED MEMBER A Carol Kinsley

Didlake, Inc. W

hen you hear of a nonprofit organization with a mission of “creating opportunities that enrich the lives of people with disabilities,” you might assume that it’s a training and employment agency. Didlake Inc. —Didlake is the family name of the first board chair-man’s wife, who donated the name to the organization — started out in Virginia in the mid1960s as the Didlake School, providing opportunities to help children with disabili-ties to learn and develop their full potential. In 1974 a federal law made special educa-tion available in all public schools. The Didlake School became Didlake Occupational Center, providing employment opportunities for former students beyond school age. A mailing business was started in order to offer jobs for people with disabilities in a sup-portive work environment.

Today those opportunities have expanded in scope and location as Didlake provides employment through more than 35 federal contracts totaling over $85 million in annual value and employing over 900 people with disabilities in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virgin-ia and Washington, D.C. Those contracts provide janitorial and custodial services, in addition to ground maintenance services at three Naval bases and BWI airport.

In Maryland, Didlake is a member of Maryland Works Inc., a program that “promotes economic and workforce development strategies that assure full inclusion of individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment.” The landscaping contract at BWI is an opportunity under the (continued on next page)

(continued on next page) Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 33

FEATURED MEMBER (Continued) Maryland Works program.

Didlake also works with the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), Maryland State Department of Education Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS) and several chambers of commerce. It owns two The UPS Stores in Virginia and offers document and photo scanning services through Didlake Document Imaging in Manassas, Va. Valerie Spencer, director of business development at Didlake, said, “We offer excellent job opportunities.”

Didlake partners with schools, providing transition services so when individuals with a disability are ready to graduate and are looking for employment options, they know Didlake is a great choice.

Spencer continued, “From the grounds perspective, our employees with disabilities receive an on-the-job assessment to understand their support needs. Our supervisors receive training in disability awareness, managing for success and communicating effectively.

Any employee who has interest in grounds maintenance can talk to the team to understand what is involved.

“Through our Employment Services program, we help individuals find jobs in the community, which can include grounds maintenance opportunities with

34 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

other businesses. We provide support to help them be successful, whether it’s job training, travel training or even how to dress for the job.”

William Gillis, operations manager, said Didlake employs 1,200 people altogether, with 70 working employees in the grounds maintenance department, which Gills manages. “We don’t provide job services; others do that. We are a primary employer. We make sure our employees receive training, horticultural knowledge and safety skills to perform the contract.

Safety is our priority at each of our worksites.”

Gillis said the contract with BWI began in 2013. “When we took over in 2014, the grounds were in rough condition.

We’ve since been able to turn it around, and as a result, the contract was renewed in 2019 for five years because they were extremely pleased with our work.

“At a recent meeting, the contract manager expressed how happy they are with our grounds teams’ work.

BWI has won several accolades for how good it looks, including an award for the best airport in the country, which is in part because of the landscaping. The individual I work with is so pleased she put together a presentation for internal use, and they’re considering nominating the Didlake team for a governor’s award.” (continued on next page)

“From the grounds perspective, our employees with disabilities receive an on-the-job assessment to understand their support needs. Our supervisors receive training in disability awareness, managing for success and communicating effectively.

Any employee who is interest in grounds maintenance can talk to the team to understand what is involved.”

Valerie Spencer Director of Business Development

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 35

FEATURED MEMBER (Continued) Gillis credited two “stellar employees” as responsible for the extreme success at BWI: Allen Bell, who handles the grounds side or turf mowing, and Adam Chorney, who handles landscaping, including planting 10,000 flowering plants in spring and fall.

The services provided to the Navy bases are less horticulturally oriented, involving basic services of turf mowing, Gillis said. “We’ve had the contract for 10 years, and it was renewed in 2019. The customer increased the level of services than those performed in the past. The contract now includes pruning, mulching and some planting, but not on a level with those at BWI.” A requirement for the BWI contract is that 50% of the employees employed on the contract are people with disabilities. In fiscal year 2020, 81% of Didake’s workforce was comprised of people with disabilities and in January of this year the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs under the Department of Labor recognized Didlake with a certificate of merit for its efforts in employing people with disabilities across all affirmative action job groups.1 Wages are determined by the U.S. government, Gillis said, and are “quite good, with positions starting at $15 per hour. “We’re a great organization with an outstanding benefits package (including full health insurance) and outstanding compensation for our teams.”

Spencer added, “Didlake is a tenured ground maintenance provider with various capabilities. We are always looking to grow our business partnerships with businesses or other providers.” Didlake might be able, for example, to work with partners on fulfilling their contracts, doing a portion of the work for them, especially larger contracts where a lot of labor is required.

Didlake joined the Maryland Nursery, Landscape, and Greenhouse Association in 2019, just a few months before the pandemic started. Erika Spalding, vice president of corporate communications and marketing, said the organization looks forward to being more involved in the future.

Spalding explained that the nonprofit is primarily funded through government contracts. “We serve as a referral agency for Virginia to provide rehabilitative services. We also have contracts with federal, state, and local governments as well as commercial businesses 36 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

and operate three commercial businesses which fund the organization. We accept donations, or supporters can maximize their impact by utilizing one of the many services we provide.

Didlake’s website, didlake.org, suggests eight ways that others can also create opportunities to change employment and life outcomes for people with disabilities. These include hiring Didlake to fulfill your service needs; partnering with Didlake on a government contracting opportunity; becoming a customer of one of Didlake’s companies such as The UPS Store in Woodbridge or Manassas or Didlake Document Imagining,or making a donation.

From career exploration to independent employment, Didlake has helped thousands of people achieve employment success. Don’t wait for an “all clear” signal that signals the end of the pandemic. If you can help Didlake, or Didlake can help you, contact Erika Spalding at (703) 361-4195, Ext. 1364, or ESpalding@didlake.org. A 1 Source: https://circaworks.com/blog/circa-congratulates-certificates-ofmerit-customers

Carol Kinsley Kinsley Communications.

410-924-3582 cjkinsley@comcast.net

“We serve as a referral agency for Virginia to provide rehabilitative services. We also have contracts with federal, state, and local governments as well as commercial businesses and operate three commercial businesses which fund the organization.”

Erika Spalding Vice President of Corporate Communications and Marketing

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 37

38 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

AMERICANHORT A

News from the Hill H-2B Visas: Near-Term, Longer-Term Laurie Flanagan & Craig Regelbrugge On April 8, the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services held a listening session to inform the agency about the need for supplemental H-2B visas this fiscal year and the potential impact of more visas on U.S. workers. The Department said it is looking into the issue very seriously and wanted to hear from the public. All but three commenters spoke about the importance of the H-2B program to their businesses and their U.S. workforce. Commenters included representatives from landscape, hospitality, outdoor amusement, forestry, golf, and other industries. Following the call, the H-2B Workforce Coalition submitted official comments.

On April 20, DHS announced it plans to release 22,000 supplemental visas, with 6000 of those prioritized for the Northern Triangle countries (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras). Any that go unused may be released for general use at some later date.

At least some new visas would be helpful if made available right away. But more would be justified. Again, the H-2B Workforce Coalition released a statement calling for even more visas to address the demonstrated need for seasonal workers and urging expedited Federal Register notice and prompt release of additional visas. We are also concerned that the Labor Department might try to force employers with an approved labor certification to do something to “retest the labor market,” which would mean further delays and complications. More as it develops.

Craig J. Rugelbrugge Senior Vice President Public Policy and Government Relations 202-789-8111

Finally, we expect bipartisan H-2B relief legislation to be introduced in the next few weeks. You can act now to let your Representative know you support reinstating the H-2B returning worker exemption.

AmericanHort Supports Trucking Bill Tal Coley AmericanHort lent our support to a bill in April known as the DRIVE Safe Act (H.R. 1745, S.659), as one medium-term solution to the truck driver shortage problem.

The bipartisan bill would enable 18–20-year-old apprentices—who have obtained their Commercial Driver’s Licenses—to drive trucks in interstate commerce. It would amend the current minimum age requirement for interstate drivers, which was promulgated decades ago, to allow these qualified drivers to operate in interstate commerce once they have completed several apprenticeship program requirements centered around safety.

The trucking industry has faced significant headwinds in recent years – from retirements, increased regulatory burdens, and the lifestyle involved not appealing to a new generation. According to the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the trucking industry is currently facing a shortage of more than 60,000 qualified drivers, coupled with a projected need to hire 1.1 million new drivers over the next decade to keep up with increasing freight demand and workforce retirements.

AmericanHort and 117 other organizations sent a support letter to leadership of both the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee last week. A

Tal-Coley Director of Government Affairs 202-789-8112

Laurie Flanagan Executive Vice President DC Legislative and Regulatory Services

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 39

INDUSTRY EVENT

Chesapeake Green 2021 Recap

I

remember this time last year, sitting down to write my Chesapeake Green 2020 article, feeling grateful that our conference had gone so smoothly just weeks before the world was flipped upside down. I was reflecting on the snow challenge that we faced last year, and thinking to myself “I hope we don’t run into that again.” They say be careful what you wish for, right?

Typically, each summer the education committee meets to start work on next year’s Chesapeake Green. It was clear this past summer that an in-person meeting simply wasn’t going to happen. However, we all remained optimistic that our event in February of 2021 might still be okay. The committee pressed on recruiting speakers, filling tracks, landing keynotes, and creating plenary panels. We met a few times via zoom, shared lunch and a few laughs, and all caught a glimpse of each other’s personal lives through a webcam. I have to say, if there is one silver lining to this pandemic and planning an educational conference, it’s that you’ve never seen resilience in an industry until you’re faced with no other option. I will never take an in-person committee meeting for granted again, and the simple joy of seeing our peers who have become friends to share a sandwich and a Gill family apple pie.

Optimism was still carrying Chessie 40 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

through August. The committee got together and we realized we would need to do that thing that everyone was talking about in 2020, pivot. The Maritime was closed, and even if they had opened for our February conference, a once 300 person auditorium was being scaled back to hold 48 people for social distancing. We called a committee meeting and talked about all of the different solutions to still hold Chesapeake Green. I called Kelly Love at MDA and we chatted about how even though events couldn’t happen in person everyone still needed recertification credits and continuing education.

The committee knew we had to offer education to our attendees in February, we just weren’t sure what it would look like. There were talks of keeping the format the same and just hosting online for two days. There was research done on hosting pre-recorded webinars in a library for months for people to access at leisure and gain credits that way. However the committee felt as though we needed to get everyone in one place, live, as that is what Chessie is known for. The 2021 Chesapeake Green Online Symposium was then created.

For those of you that took part, we appreciate your support of the event, and were so glad to see your names popping up each day joining in on the talks and question and

answer sessions. This year’s format was a week-long event with one or two sessions each day, starting at 12:00 pm and wrapping by 2:00 pm each day. We hoped that we would all share a meal together at lunch, just as we do at the Maritime, and learn a few things along the way!

Monday February 15th kicked off with our resident “Bug Guy” Dr. Mike Raupp. Starting a conference with Dr. Raupp just sets the tone for the whole week. We continued with “Turf Tuesday” with Dr. Jeff Derr and sailed right into “Don’t Be a Pest Wednesday” hosting Chuck Schuster and Kelly Love. Thursday February 18th was a packed day starting with Dr. James LaMondia and wrapping with our COVID19 Business Leader Roundtable featuring John Marshall, Alan Jones, Craig Ruppert, Lisa Barton, Brian Riddle, and Tom Watson. It was such a unique panel in that so many different sectors of our industry were represented, and we got to hear and see firsthand how some of our industry leaders took the lemons of COVID-19 and made one heck of a lemonade. “Floating Friday” wrapped up with none other than one of our favorite aquatic speakers, Kelly Billing. All week attendees were engaged asking questions in the Q & A on zoom and sending follow-up emails showing that education was not only needed at this time, but welcomed.

We were able to offer pesticide recertification credits for Maryland as well as Maryland nutrient management credits and Maryland licensed tree expert credits. I will say, there was no rush at the end of the day to fill out the credit sheets, and part of me missed seeing everyone’s faces after a day full of education and networking.

While Chessie looked different this year, one thing remained the same and I think speaks volumes about our industry, and all of you, resilience and tenacity will always have a place in Maryland

horticulture. I can’t even begin to thank the education committee and countless volunteers that helped make Chesapeake Green 2021 a success. Special thanks to our moderator Heather Zindash for a week of laughs, insight, witty credit remarks, and creativity that made us smile each day! I also want to extend a sincere thank you to Ginny Rosenkranz for keeping up with your questions all week and communicating with the speakers when questions arose. The panel on Thursday ran incredibly smooth thanks to our moderator Chuck

Schuster, so thank you Chuck!

Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the full force of our education committee who are the true hearts and souls of this event: Ronda Roemmelt (Chair), Angela Burke, Dave Clement (UME), Hank Doong, Stanton Gill (UME), Brett Karp, John Murphy, Karen Rane (UME), Andrew Ristvey (UME), Ginny Rosenkranz (UME), Chuck Schuster (Retired UME), Brian Mitchell, Heather Zindash, and Jessica Anderson.

We also can’t thank our sponsors (continued on next page)

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Moira Parker shows us that even our four-legged friends enjoyed this year’s sessions.

Panelist Lisa Barton and her colleagues Anna Calabia and Wade Wilson mask up and enjoy Chessie together.

Philip Davis from Architect of the Captiol takes a break to tune in.

Leslie Hunter Cario, MNLGA Board Member, takes a break from her work to enjoy a few educational sessions.

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 41

CHESAPEAKE GREEN (Continued) enough this year for pulling together and supporting this event and the MNLGA even if the offerings were a bit different. Special thanks to our Wye Oak Sponsors: Angelica Nurseries, Babikow, Farm Credit, Jerry D. Quality Bark, Cavano’s Perennials, The HC Companies and our Chessie Sponsors: Ball Seed, Bayer Environmental Science, Griffin, Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, LEAD Maryland, Maryland Plants & Supplies, MAEF, The Perennial Farm, and Raemelton Farm.

Thank you all for a great year, and we hope to see you all in-person at the Maritime for Chesapeake Green 2022 February 17th and 18th. Stay safe, stay strong, stay healthy, and we look forward to sharing that great lunch together again. A Please enjoy the pictures across this spread submitted by our wonderful Chessie attendees!

Chelsea Bailey MNLGA

BELOW CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Dave Dix at Towson University gets his lunch in while watching his sessions.

Carmen Chlada shows off her home work-space complete with spring flowers.

Tim McQuaid of Valley View Farms takes a break to sanitize and enjoy a great session.

John Miller does Chessie at home this year.

Terry Martin joining Chessie from home.

Jeff McMillan of Development Facilitators shows that Chessie this year can be done anywhere!

42 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

It seems as though Raemelton Farm has gone to the dogs!

Register Today At

AmericanHort.org/Cultivate

Invest in your team's education & development.

Register for an All-Access Pass and attend any of the 100+ education sessions specially curated for your business.

Check out exclusive production tours and hands-on workshops, including the Nursery Production Tour, Landscape Zoo Tour, and the Building a Better Workforce Workshop.

We are committed to meeting safely in July.

Learn more at AmericanHort.org/Cultivate Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 43

2021 MARYLAND Green Industry EVENTS CALENDAR For a full and updated calendar of events, and to find registration information and event links, please visit the MNLGA website at mnlga.org.

May

July

May 10-14, 2021

July 8, 2021

CPH – Basic Exam

Greenhouse Growers Field Day

Location: Online Contact: MNLGA Office, 410-823-8684 office@mnlga.org www.mnlga.org

Location: Catoctin Mtn Growers Contact: MNLGA Office, 410-823-8684 office@mnlga.org www.mnlga.org

June

August-September

June 2, 9, 16, 23, 2021

August 26 – September 6, 2021

IPM Scout Training for Greenhouse and Nursery Crops

The Maryland State Fair

Location: Online Contact: MNLGA Office, 410-823-8684 office@mnlga.org www.mnlga.org

Location: MD State Fairgrounds in Lutherville-Timonium Contact: MD State Fair Office, 410-252-0200 msfair@msn.com www.marylandstatefair.com/state-fair/state-fair-info

June 3, 2021

Advanced IPM and Recertification Conference Location: Carroll Community College Contact: UMD Extension Office, 301-596-9413 sklick@umd.edu

GET CONNECTED. STAY CONNETED. 410-823-8684 44 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

mnlga.org

office@mnlga.org

Why Advertise in the MNLGA’s Free State News

October October 11-15, 2021

CPH – Basic Exam Location: Online Contact: MNLGA Office, 410-823-8684 office@mnlga.org www.mnlga.org

2022 January

Here’s 6 good reasons

1 2

January 5-7, 2022

MANTS - Mid-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show Location: Baltimore Convention Center Contact: MANTS Office, 410-296-6959 info@mants.com www.mants.com January 5, 2022

MNLGA Annual Meeting Breakfast Meeting 7:15 – 8:45 am Location: Baltimore Convention Center Contact: MNLGA Office, 410-823-8684 office@mnlga.org www.mnlga.org

February February 17-18, 2022

Chesapeake Green 2022 Location: Maritime Institute Contact: MNLGA Office, 410-823-8684 office@mnlga.org www.mnlga.org Due to the spread of COVID-19, many industry events have been postponed. As we emerge from this challenge, adjust to a new “normal” and events are rescheduled, they will be posted on mnlga.org and announced in our e-news and Free State. Be sure to add office@mnlga.org to your safe senders and bookmark mnlga.org to track important resource updates.

3 4 5 6

Free State News is seen by members of Maryland’s Nursery, Landscaping, Greenhouse, Garden Center and Allied Industries and is the leading publication for members of the MNLGA Free State News enhances your ad with important industry specific content that is educational and informative. And, the digital version gives readers direct access to your website Free State News helps promote your company and product while providing direct access to readers in Maryland’s Green Industries Articles are contributed by highly regarded

MARYLAND members of the industry, many of whom

N URSERY, L ANDSCAPE AND G REENHOUSE A S S O C I AT I O N , I N C .

have a lifetime of knowledge and are frequently published Free State News is a cost-effective way to help keep your name out in front of the membership and your potential customers Free State News helps support the association in its endeavors on behalf of the green industry in the state of Maryland

For more information on advertising in the Free State News contact Kelly at 410-823-8684 or e-mail kelly@mnlga.org Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 45

MANTS A Kelly Finney

MANTS Means Business 20 MANTS means business is not just a slogan … it is the driving force behind the show. MANTS has always been and remains exhibitor focused, attendee driven, and business centered.

The need to have a business centered event was amongst the primary reasons that the Maryland and Virginia Nurserymen’s associations began meeting together in the late 1960’s. The first MANTS was not held until 1971 and the must attend trade show of that era was hosted by the Eastern Regional Nursery Association (ERNA) in the Catskills of New York. Because of time, distance, and expense, a few of the members from the two associations recognized that there was an opportunity to create a resource for business closer to home.

In a January 2008 Mid-Atlantic Grower article, Richard “Dick” Marshall (Marshalls’ Riverbank Nurseries Retired, past MNA President, and founding MANTS Board member) recalled that he and Carl Flemer of Ingleside Nursery, who was in the Virginia association, talked about the possibility of doing something together.

At the time, the Virginia group met in Richmond and the Maryland group met in Baltimore. "We had some combinations," Marshall continued. "We met in the old Lord Baltimore Hotel, and after that in the Washingtonian Hotel. We had a little trade show and they had a little one. We put them together, some Virginia folks and some Maryland, and met just outside of Washington." Seeing the potential, MANTS was established in 1970, the first show was held in 1971.

Beginning in 1971 and for the next 50 years, MANTS held in-person trade shows at several venues for the first ten years and then at the Baltimore Convention Center for the next forty. The 50th anniversary of MANTS in January 2020 was amongst the best attended shows in history with over 12,000 paid registrants. Who ever could have predicted the uncertainty the world would face, a mere eleven weeks later?

46 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

March 5, 2020 was the day that changed everything in the state of Maryland when the first of many Gubernatorial executive orders declaring a State of Emergency was signed. Even with this, a few weeks later, the optimists were projecting that life (as we knew it) was going to be challenging for the next few weeks, but hopefully “this” (pandemic) could not last more than 6 to 8 weeks and certainly not past the beginning of summer.

By mid-April, every association that sponsors a trade show or educational event, especially those that dominate the summer show landscape, were forced to make the decision that was best for their respective memberships and constituencies. The challenge was making a decision based on constantly changing data without the benefit of historical reference.

Compounding the challenge was escalating infection rates, fear of the unknown, and the steady drumbeat of gloom from media outlets not just in the U.S., but around the world. As a result, most industry trade events were cancelled, while a few associations and businesses held a small number of events virtually. As an aside, I cannot explain why the word “virtual” or “virtually” has come to be more synonymous with a four-letter word than its true meaning, so just to be clear, “virtual” simply means “online.”

AmericanHort deserves praise and recognition as they were the first to announce that Cultivate `20 would not be canceled and that the show, including some educational sessions, would be held virtually.

Despite time not being on their side, AmericanHort took a bold step and led the way by presenting Cultivate `20 Virtual in July. The industry benefits were significant and for those of us who came after, we appreciated AmericanHort sharing their experiences which helped us tremendously.

For MANTS, when it became apparent in early August that hosting an in-person show in January 2021 was not possible, we thought about canceling the show for

021 Show Recap 10 seconds and then turned our attention to alternative plans already in the works.

We asked how we could best serve the needs of our exhibitors and attendee buying companies while supporting our sponsors, the state nursery and landscape associations of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Nowhere in our by-laws, mission statement or show philosophy does it say to close-up shop when times get tough or a situation we have not faced before arises.

Ours is not an industry that blinks when challenged, and after 50 years of providing a forum where business gets done, the Board and show management decided to create a platform to help sustain the meaningful connections between our exhibitors and attendees. We understood that our exhibitors still had products to sell, and our buyers had shelves to restock and inventories to replenish. And with that, the MANTS 2021 Online Business Hub went from paper into production.

In the end, based on all the statistics we have seen about online (virtual) shows in our industry, much like the in-person MANTS, exhibiting and attendee buying companies signed up, showed up, and came to do business. We had a strong response from businesses across the industry, around the country and internationally.

“I’m extremely proud of what MANTS was able to accomplish in convening our green industry suppliers and buyers and thankful to all who supported the MANTS Business Hub this year,” said MANTS Executive Vice President Vanessa A. Finney. “Despite not being able to meet in person due to the pandemic, we continued the tradition of MANTS meaning business in January, and we look forward to when we can all gather together in person once again.”

Here are some 2021 show statistics taken from the full post-show press release available on mants.com: • 551 Exhibiting Companies • 1,122 Non-Exhibiting / Buying Companies (continued on next page)

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 47

MANTS RECAP (Continued) • 3,088 Total Registrants (including exhibitors) • Exhibitors and attendees from 42 states and 12 countries (including the US) • Over 94% of registered attendees are Final Decision Makers or Influence Purchasing Decisions All in all, while hosting a virtual show will never be as satisfying as organizing, producing, and managing MANTS as an in-person show, we are immensely proud of the results/demographics and most appreciative to all the companies who supported the 2021 MANTS Business Hub. All of us associated with MANTS can remember the countless occasions, prior to 2021, that we have been asked, while walking the show floor, if we thought technology would one day make in-person shows obsolete. For me, I have never felt that technology would supplant in-person shows, although that technology has an impact on business and how business gets done is undeniable. However, after being “Zoomed” and “Virtualized” to the extreme since March of 2020, we have (re)learned one immutable truth about our industry, which is no matter how much technology is at our disposal, there is no substitution for or replacing the importance of meeting face-toface, seeing products in person, and establishing or rekindling a relationship. The virtual show world can

be very sterile and impersonal, while in-person shows create the opportunity for “pop-up” conversations that begin with business, and then meld into sharing like challenges and possible solutions. While doing business virtually is a good alternative in pandemic circumstances, being face-to-face opens and broadens lines of communication about methodologies, dos and don’ts, the sharing of experiences and trials and tribulations.

2021 taught us that technology absolutely has a role to play in how the green industry does business and that virtual communication, for those that want it, will likely be a part of exhibiting at trade shows going forward.

But most importantly, it taught us that in-person, faceto-face, and business-to-business is here to stay for foreseeable future.

Make plans to mean business by saving the date for MANTS 2022, January 5 – 7, at the Baltimore Convention Center. There’ll be a crab cake waiting with your name on it. A Kelly Finney MNLGA

Can you guess the year?

Guess the year: The first 5 to correctly guess the year for each picture wins a Dunkin Gift Card. Send your responses numbered 1-5 to office@mnlga.org.

2006 2007 2008 2010 2014 2018 2020

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

1985 48 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

1

2

1987

3

4

1995

5

2003

A look back at MANTS through the years The spring issue of Free State generally serves as a visual recap of the most recent MANTS. Due to the pandemic, we hosted the Online Business Hub in 2021 which does not lend itself to a traditional spread.

Therefore, we chose to share from the pictorial archives (2006 – 2017) highlighting some photos which best represent what MANTS is all about … BUSINESS.

ABOVE: Bill, Brian, and John Akehurst with Doug Phillips of Phillips & Turman Tree Farm in 2009 BELOW: Homestead Gardens brought the jungle to MANTS in 2006. Guess how much traffic their booth got?

TOP: The Baltimore Convention Center and businesses across the City of Baltimore look forward to starting each new year with MANTS ABOVE LEFT: David Thompson, Matthew Grayson, Andrew Johnson, and Brad Thompson of Foxborough Nursery in 2006 ABOVE RIGHT: Wetsel uses good old fashion, never fail, technology in 2010 RIGHT: The iconic MANTS lighthouse stands tall in the Pratt Street Registration Lobby in 2007 (continued on next page)

2005

2010

2012 Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 49

MANTS RECAP (Continued)

CENTER ROW FROM LEFT Marie Halvorsen-Leake of Saunders Brothers checks inventory the old fashioned (and our preferred) way for a customer in 2016 John and Debbie Lancaster with Katie Sawyer of Bennett’s Creek Nursery in 2010 In 2014, Corey Ogiba and Ken Castillo showed us a “slice” of Belgard’s hardscape options Matt O’Brien of Waynesboro Nursery greets customers in 2013 Leighann McGregor of the Biltmore Collection showcases their display in the Charles Street lobby in 2010

2013 50 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

2014

2015

TOP ROW FROM LEFT Every year, MANTS means busy aisles, business, and building relationships MANTS means _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (fill in the blank and e-mail the answer to office@mnlga.org to win 1 of 5 prizes) Linda Miller of TDH Nurseries shares their availability list in 2017 John Rausch of The Conard Pyle Company talks containers in 2012

BOTTOM ROW FROM LEFT If there is one thing that hasn’t changed over the years, it’s a bright colorful Bailey Nurseries exhibit. This one is from 2013.

No matter the year, we can always count on a smile from Jerry Faulring Brad Thompson of Foxborough Nursery brought the whole farm on his iPad in 2013 In 2016, past MNLGA presidents gathered at the Hilton Baltimore to swap stories and share insights … and Dave Thompson left early to become a grandfather (again) Jack and Jean Lowry were 48-year exhibitors in 2015 and we still miss their smiles in booth 928

2015

2020

2021 Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 51

MANOR VIEW FARM

Your Landscape Supply Chain Partner

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Large Inventory • Convenient Delivery • Field Production • Potted Liners

Save the Date and Make Plans to Attend Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association and UMD Extension

Greenhouse Field Day at Catoctin Mountain Growers July 8, 2021

Details to follow, online at mnlga.org 52 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

The Perennial Farm Celebrating 41 years in business

Over 1500 Varieties Available Perennials - Ornamental Grasses - Hardy Ferns Roses - Flowering Shrubs - Flowering Vines - Ground Covers Natives - Succulents - Tropicals - Mr. Big Stuff - Flowering Bulbs Phone: 410-592-6106 www.perennialfarm.com

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 53

IT 'S TIME FOR SHARING A Jerry Faulring

High Clearance Tractors Waverly Farm settled into its current site in 1997.

We previously grew on a smaller site laid out with the intention of harvesting only with a conventional tree spade requiring well spaced plant material to accommodate a skid steer.

I felt such a circumstance wasted a lot of ground and wanted to secure a different harvesting system of which many were available. We settled on the European style machine that had an exceedingly small footprint with large

Image 1

H

igh clearance tractors have been around for decades. Many were simply ‘lifted’ tractors made by ingenious farmers to accomplish a variety of tasks. The ability to travel above the crop made activities such as pruning, spraying, cultivating, and later harvesting different row crops more functional and efficient. The development of these machines may at the time have been as innovative as we now see other advances in agriculture such a GPS auto steer. (See image 1) Plant production nurseries usually seek to utilize their land as efficiently as possible within the constraints of the plants grown. Shade trees require spacing that allows for in the range of 500 or more trees per acre while some shrubs can achieve planting density of 2,000-3,000 plants per acre. Delivering required services to this diverse planting density in an efficient manner requires many different types of equipment.

54 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

ball size capacity.

We chose the small, tracked machine that could navigate narrow rows and select dig any plant we wanted. We bought a machine in 1996 before laying out Waverly to make sure it could do the job. Proving

Image 2

Plant production nurseries usually seek to utilize their land as efficiently as possible within the constraints of the plants grown.

Image 3

emergent herbicides: almost always a disappointment.

Generally, those weeds listed on the label will be controlled for a period – never long enough. Weeds not on the label will thrive. With over 400 different plants in production, few herbicides can be applied over-the top due to the potential for plant injury. (See image 3) The photo of the drop spreader, (See image 4) allows us to mix up the chemistry for pre-emergent materials but we still get break though weeds that need to be controlled.

Over the top pre emerge application from two sides of the planting block to avoid ‘plant shadows’ easily delivered uniform applications but again there will always be breakthrough for unlabelled weeds. You guessed it; the yellow is Prodiamine combined with Gallery. (See image 5)

Image 4

For post emerge we have used the spray cap seen below with a very narrow tractor. It works great but cannot control weeds between the plants, a failure to meet the objective of a ‘weed free’ nursery.

(See image 6)

Image 5 the system, we started planting. (See image 2) The next unrealized problem to solve was weed control.

As the block of plants above shows, weed control in a tight spacing requires special consideration. One solution is to spray over-the-top of the block with pre-

Image 6 (continued on next page) Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 55

IT 'S TIME FOR SHARING (Continued) For over two decades we have fought hard to be weed free to eliminate the weed competition and to provide the esthetic of a well-maintained nursery – good marketing. We have failed the goal on many occasions.

Our solution has been to use pre-emergent herbicides aggressively followed by directed, shielded, hand spraying of post emergent herbicides combined with different chemistry pre-emergent materials. Even with the more modern, long lived pre-emergent chemistry now available, we never solved the problem to my satisfaction. And with horrible labor costs.

Me being stupid. While visiting nurseries in Europe in 1998, I saw the high clearance tractor that would

Image 6

Image 7 Front View

solve the problem. Outfitted with shielded sprayers, the nursery operator could apply pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides of any chemistry to achieve near perfect weed control. I dismissed what I saw as not practical and probably too expensive. I could have bought the machine with a few years of labor and chemicals saved along with reduced frustration.

Last year, we made the decision to go forward with the high clearance tractor concept.

As you can see, this machine is equipped with three shielded spray heads. The spray heads flex in and out as it encounters plants so that the spray is delivered between plants, not just the aisle. What you can’t see is the machine’s ability to spread the rear wheels two feet on either side to accommodate various row spacing; we adjust it hydraulically while driving to spray from four-foot to seven-foot rows. The machine is equipped with two sets of spray heads, 50” and 60” wide. The unit has a 210 gallon (800 liter) main tank for what I call the base mix. It also has 2 Dosatron injectors that can add additional chemicals to the main spray stream.

This is all managed by a computer that maintains constant gallons per acre regardless of travel speed.

The computer monitors travel speed with a sensor mounted to a wheel and injects chemicals from the Dosatrons as a percentage of the final desired spray.

Several calibration tests show perfect accuracy of the computer driven delivery system. For example, if we want to use a generalist post emergent herbicide that will kill most weeds but come across a patch of thistle or nutsedge; we can add one or two additional chemicals on a spot treatment basis.

Clearance is 7-8 feet. We still have limitations for example as with shade trees. However, 90% of what we grow is 7-8 feet or less in the shrub offerings. As plants mature to harvest size, the rows become too close for the machine but provide enough shade to limit weed development.

Image 8 Rear View 56 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

I have been the only lab rat to test out and learn how to use the machine. At first it was totally nerve racking.

With mirrors and two cameras we added I have good visibility front and back, but I still had to learn which

blocks of plants I could use the machine in. More vertical growth habits are perfect. More mature plants with low branching are a problem. Of course, I killed and wounded plants but the number was low. After day one, I wanted to put the machine up for sale. After a few days, it feels like driving any other tractor, but constant vigilance is required.

In Europe, labor is scarcer than here and is much more expensive. Typical agricultural land costs $80,000 per acre. Cost control at every level is their watch word.

There are many manufacturers of over the top, high clearance tractors. Many nurseries use a high clearance tractor to accomplish many tasks and reduce labor costs significantly.

Image 9

The machine we chose is manufactured by Damcon in The Netherlands. The basic machine is considered a tool carrier, called a Multitrike, https://www.damcon. com/machine/high-clearance-tractors/, to which many different attachments can be added. Beyond weed control they make digging, pruning, many different spraying systems, cultivation tools, Christmas tree cutting saws, and more.

Some added benefits to using the machine include working in any reasonable wind environment, keeping chemicals off the plants, and delivering all the chemical to the soil surface. The machine navigates like a zeroturn lawn mower; it can turn around with the wheels extended in about 20 feet.

Our second major anticipated use will include shearing of finished hedges. We started the finished hedge program several years ago to be able to deliver mature hedges to our customers. The long story might make a future article. For now, some of the 500-foot-long hedges require regular pruning for shape and density.

Although Damcon has not delivered the two different shearing units ordered at this writing, we anticipate we will be able to use them this season. Pictures below are of developing hedges. We have about 4 miles of hedge in production with many being Betulus and Fagus. (See image 9 and 10) I anticipate a three year pay back from reduced labor and chemical costs for weed management. It is nearly impossible to control chemical usage when hand

Image 10 spraying. I do not have enough experience with the cost of shearing hedges manually, but the bottom line is we cannot grow miles of hedges without a mechanical shearing capability.

Now that we have the basic machine it is likely we will add additional tools in the future as we learn how to take advantage of more labor-saving mechanization opportunities.

Check back in a year to see if we are still happy with this purchase. A Jerry Faulring Waverly Farm 1931 Greenfield Road Adamstown, MD 21710 310-874-8300

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 57

DIRECTORS'S MESSAGE (Continued from page 6) content at least quarterly/seasonally. I encourage sharing of your posts with the MNLGA and we will re-post/re-Tweet, etc., as the case may be. I also request for you to share your short, educational videos with us, for re-sharing. A generic video about spring mulching, for instance, could be shared among members from all over the state to be re-shared with literally thousands of consumers.

If your company has not yet ventured into the world of social media, now is the time. There are a lot of great and easy events coming up that you can talk about, promoting Maryland’s green industry and your company, simultaneously. As I write this column, I’m thinking Earth Day, Arbor Day, Mother’s Day, and of course, the emergence of cicada Brood X in midMay. Social media is a great way to both educate and have fun. The most successful campaigns do take time and dedication to your audience, but its is a proven media for building a loyal consumer base.

As you dig into the MNLGA’s Social Media Toolkit, please share your comments on what additional content you’d like us to offer, and please don’t be shy in sharing content with us. You may access the Toolkit on the Members Only page of the MNLGA website. You will see access to the Toolkit as soon as you login

SUMMER ISSUE PUBLICATION NOTICE The deadline for submissions for the summer issue of Free State News is July 1, 2021.

We welcome your company news and updates or columns with your professional insight, commentary, opinion, Press Release, or an educational contribution.

E-mail any submissions to Free State News at freestate@mnlga.org or mail to: Maryland Nursery, Landscape, and Greenhouse Association P.O. Box 726, Brooklandville, MD 21022 Questions About Free State, please give us a call at 410-823-8684.

Happiness is being busy doing the things you LOVE! A

Certified Professional Horticulturists (CPH) Providing either “do-ityourself” or professional landscape installation and maintenance advice.

For more information contact the Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association 410-823-8684 or visit mnlga.org

You only grow the best.

Why not offer your customers the best in advice, too!

58 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

TOTAL PLANT MANAGEMENT A Stantion Gill

Periodical CicadaBrood X-Coming in 2021

S

o much focus has been on the economy and the Covid situation, so let’s move forward to what is happening in the insect world this spring. First off, take a minute and drift back to 2004. The air was “a buzz ” with the sound of the 17-year periodi cal cicadas, Magicicada septemdecim.

Male cicadas were drumming their abdomens making noises that carried for miles. The female cicadas slashed into branches to lay their eggs. At the peak of the flight activity of the cicadas the bird population was getting plump from the bounty of insects to feed on.

(continued on next page)

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 59

TOTAL PLANT MANAGEMENT (Continued) The eggs hatched in a couple of weeks and the nymphs dropped to the ground to burrow into the root-zone of plants to feed on tree roots for the next 17 years. We thought we were safe from the 17-year cicadas until 2021. Well, time slipped by it is “2021”, and we will be seeing and hearing the Brood X periodical cicada this late spring to early summer.

Males can produce a high-pitched whine that some people liken to a small chainsaw or 2 cycle engine noise. Females, which produce no sound, are attracted to the males to mate. Males have a large group noise then sing a quitter song when a female approaches then switches to an even softer noise as he mates with the female. The group noise is the one that is slightly annoying and overwhelming.

In 2020 we put out several articles and pictures of rogue Brood X periodical cicada that showed up in Montgomery, Howard, and Anne Arundel counties.

These were just periodical cicadas (Brood X) that got out of sync with the main body. The big emergence is set for 2021.

Periodical cicadas emerge in different geographical areas and these emergence groups are labeled as “Broods.” The one we experienced in 2004 in most of Maryland was “Brood X.” There was another brood of 17-year periodical cicada that emerged in 2013, and this is called “Brood II”. In most Central and western areas of Maryland you will not see these Brood II cicadas. If you have customers in Southern Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York they will be seeing activity of Brood II in 2030. It is something to look forward to for 2030. The parts of Maryland that will have emergence of this Brood II is mainly in southern Maryland, Prince George’s County, and the lower portion of Montgomery County. In Pennsylvania entomologists have even recorded which counties you can expect to see Brood II emerge in 2013 which includes: Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Dauphin, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, and Wyoming Counties, PA.

60 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

Periodical cicadas are found in eastern North America and belong to the genus Magicicada. There are seven species -- four with 13-year life cycles (including one new species described in 2000), and three with 17-year cycles. The three 17-year species are generally northern in distribution, while the 13-year species are generally southern and Midwestern. Magicicada are so well-synchronized developmentally that they are nearly absent as adults in the 12 or 16 years between emergences. When they do emerge after their long juvenile periods, they do so in huge numbers, forming much denser aggregations than those usually achieved by cicadas. Many people know periodical cicadas by the name "17-year locusts" or "13-year locusts", but they are not true locusts, which are a type of grasshopper.

A few weeks before emerging in late spring, the nymphs of cicadas construct exit tunnels to the surface. These exits are visible as approximately 1/2-inch diameter holes, or as chimney-like mud "turrets" the nymphs sometimes construct over their holes. On the night of emergence, nymphs leave their burrows around sunset, locate a suitable spot on nearby vegetation, and complete their final molt to adulthood. Shortly after ecdysis (the process of an arthropod molting its exoskeleton) the new adults appear mostly white, but they darken quickly as the exoskeleton hardens.

Sometimes a large proportion of the population emerges in one night. Newly emerged cicadas work their way up into the trees and spend roughly four to six days as "teneral" adults before they harden completely (possibly longer in cool weather); they do not begin adult behavior until this period of maturation is complete. The cicadas have a sucking mouthpart called a stylet. Adult females can occasionally use their stylet to piece plant material or small fruit to extract a small amount of sugar for flight and mating, but damage is not detected on most plants. Young, immature nymphal cicadas feed on liquid from plant roots. Adult cicadas do not generally feed, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture Adult Magicicada have black bodies and striking red eyes and orange wing veins, with a black "W" near the

tips of the forewings. Most emerge in May and June.

You may say, wait a minute, I see cicadas every summer in August. Yes, you would be correct. The annual cicada, which are out in August every year, are a large green colored cicada and never reach really high populations numbers. They are also called “DogDay Cicadas” since they are in flight when the “Dog Star Cluster” is visible in the sky in August. Although annual cicadas’ life cycle is typically 2-3 years long, they are staggered so we see some emerging every summer. These late summer cicada species, which are sometimes mistaken for the periodical cicadas, are usually in the genera Diceroprocta. The annual cicada is more robust in body size that periodical cicadas and the body is a green color.

A few weeks before emerging in late spring, the nymphs of cicadas construct exit tunnels to the surface. These exits are visible as approximately 1/2-inch diameter holes, or as chimney-like mud "turrets" the nymphs sometimes construct over their holes. On the night of emergence, nymphs leave their burrows around sunset, locate a suitable spot on nearby vegetation, and complete their final molt to adulthood. Shortly after ecdysis (molting) the new adults appear mostly white, but they darken quickly as the exoskeleton hardens.

Sometimes a large proportion of the population emerges in one night. Newly emerged cicadas work their way up into the trees and spend roughly four to six days as "teneral" adults before they harden completely (possibly longer in cool weather); they do not begin adult behavior until this period of maturation is complete.

Egg laying and damage A week to 10 days after the males begin "singing," the ‘early adopter’ females begin to lay eggs. Each female is capable of laying up to 400 eggs in 40 to 50 pockets in the wood of several small branches of many types of trees. More than 80 species of trees were recorded in 2004 to being damaged by female cicada ovipositing.

Some of the most susceptible we recorded in 2004 included paperbark maple, oaks, maples, ornamental pears, and fruit trees. The type of branch preferred by the females is about the width of a pencil (if anyone

remembers what a pencil looks like) up to 0.5 inch in diameter or a little larger.

Female cicadas, after mating, slice into the wood of the branch with an egg-laying apparatus (ovipositor) and places the egg into the wood. She usually lays one to several dozen eggs in a single branch before moving to another branch or tree. Female egg-laying activity l is controlled by temperatures. If it is cool in the spring, then egg laying is over a longer period of time.

Generally, it is 30–45 days of egg laying. Approximately 5–7 weeks later the eggs hatch into tiny white nymphs.

The nymphs drop to the ground and burrow into the soil to feed on grass roots and, eventually, tree roots for the next 17 years.

Are they a threat?

Cicadas do not bite or sting defensively, nor do they attack people. If a cicada lands on you, it is only because it finds you to be a convenient place to land. (continued on next page) Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 61

5 Adult cicadas do not actually feed on plants.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT Expected to emerge from the ground mid-May.

Cicadas are loud but largely harmless.

The noise is often likened to a chainsaw or a two-stroke engine.

Can be tasty to eat, but don’t let your dog eat too many!

Protect young trees, especially fruit trees or any high-value ornamentals, with fine mesh netting to prevent the female cicada from laying eggs.

A good anecdotal story is that some lawnmowers and weed-whacker’s motors may produce a sound that might be attractive to the periodical cicadas. We did not witness any of this action in 2004. We did have people cancel outdoor weddings in late May and early June of 2004 because they were worried about the male cicada’s singing out competing their ceremony speakers and music.

When handled, both males and females struggle to fly at first, and males make a loud defensive buzzing sound that may startle but is otherwise harmless.

Periodical cicadas are not poisonous to animals or humans, nor are they known to transmit disease. Adult periodical cicadas live only for a few weeks—by midJuly, all have disappeared. Their short adult life has one purpose: to reproduce. The males "sing" a speciesspecific mating song which to most humans is an irritating din of noises. The cicadas produce this loud sounds using their tymbals. Singing males of a single Magicicada species form aggregations (choruses) that are sexually attractive to females. Think of it kind of like holding a Rock Concert to get females to come into the area. Males in these choruses alternate bouts of singing with short flights from tree to tree in search of receptive females. When they get close to a female,

62 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

CICADAS

they sing another song and finally at mating they change to an even softer sounding song.

Periodical cicadas can cause physical damage to small trees or shrubs if too many feed from the plant or lay eggs in the twigs; such damage can cause "flagging," or breaking of peripheral twigs. Orchard and nursery owners probably should not plant young trees or shrubs in the years preceding an emergence of periodical cicadas, because young trees may be harmed by severe flagging. Mature trees and shrubs, however, usually survive even dense emergences of cicadas.

In 2004, many homeowners purchased netting that they could cover small trees, but this was not a very practical solution since the netting is often blown off trees or entangled in branches. If you do choose to put up netting leave it only on the plant during the egg laying period of the females. Longer periods will encourage foliar disease on several plant species.

Especially fruit trees. Use netting with ¼ inch or smaller openings. Contact me at Sgill@umd.edu if you are looking for commercial sources of netting.

One furry creature is made ‘Happy’ by cicada activity.

Moles are said to flourish on the fully grown nymphs in

NEW MEMBERS the weeks prior to emergence. Other wild animals that enjoy the advantage include snakes and spiders. So, at least, some of nature’s wildlife gets a benefit out of the nymphs that emerge from the soil.

Chemical sprays are not practical to control the periodical cicadas. Beyond the concern by owners of fruit orchards and nurseries, periodical cicadas are not regarded as pests. Their loud noises may be annoying but tolerable since it only lasts for a couple of weeks.

Just prepare your customers for the activity this late spring to early summer.

Why so many?

When periodical cicadas emerge, they do it in a big way with huge population saturating an emergence area. Magicicada population densities are so high that predators apparently eat their fill without significantly reducing the population (a phenomenon called "predator saturation"), and the predator populations cannot build up in response because the cicadas are available as food above ground only once every 13 or 17 years, depending on the species.

If you can’t beat them, perhaps try eating them Cicadas are said to make good eating because they are low in fat and high in protein. There are over 3000 species of cicadas and they are considered a delicacy by many people in different parts of the world. The European settlers in North America observed some Indian tribe members eating cicadas. During the last emergence of Brood X cicadas 2004, a number of very brave (or just weird) people reported to have tried deep-fried and stir-fried cicadas. This is just for the adventurous people of the world or good for a ”dare” at a cook-out. A

We welcome the following into membership in the MNLGA! Full contact information may be found within the member portal of the MNLGA website, www. mnlga.org. We encourage you to reach out to your peer members – they may be a valuable business connection for you.

Virginia Kitzmiller Living Arrangements Arnold, MD 21012 Mark Fitzpatrick Mark’s Garden Life, LLC Forrest Hill, MD 21050 Elizabeth Capuzzo-Piexoto – Student Montgomery College Rockville, MD 20850 Ethan Weber Sunny Meadows Garden Center Boonsboro, MD 21713 Betty Marose Marose Horticultural Consulting Columbia, MD 21044 Enoch Stevenson Enoch Stevenson Insurance, Inc. Dover, DE 19901 Charles Hogan UMBC Baltimore, MD 21250 Richard Balog, Jr. Village Management, Inc. Baltimore, MD 21210 Veronica Dougherty Cecil College North East, MD 21901

Stanton Gill, Extension Specialist, IPM and Entomology for Nursery, Managed Landscapes and Greenhouses, CMREC, University of Maryland Extension and Professor with Montgomery College, Landscape Technology Program sgill@umd.edu https://go.umd.edu/ipmnet Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 63

Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association

AFFINITY PROGRAMS

Get More Out of Your Membership The MNLGA is constantly figuring out new ways to serve and benefit our membership. One of the ways that we do this is through our comprehensive Member Benefit Affinity Program. The following organizations below have offered exclusive discounts and packages for MNLGA members. For many of these benefits, one order will “pay-back” your annual dues!

Office Depot • Free next day shipping on orders of $50 or more • 20% - 55% off core office supply items • 5% - 10% off virtually all Office Depot Office Max Products • Average 10% off 200 technology items • Special pricing on print and copy: $.22 color; $.025 black and white; and 40% off finishing services • And More!

PartnerShip • Discount shipping program through AmericanHort partnership • Small package shipping discounts; significant carrier discounts; reduced truckload shipping; and expedited/guaranteed/tradeshow shipping services • No minimum volume requirements

Service First Processing • Savings on credit card and electronic payment processing • Unique savings proposal based on your business needs • 15% of the net processing revenue that SFP generates from your account will be rebated back to you annually • Free equipment loaner program • Free online reporting

TireBuyer.com • Save 10% on any order • In most cases—Free shipping to your home or local installer!

• Over 110 warehouses in the US with over 8,500 nationwide installation } partners Farm Bureau Looking for even more discounts and savings programs? Access the Maryland Farm Bureau for additional savings and discount programs. Not a member? Consider joining! The MNLGA is a proud member of our local Farm Bureau—and you should be too!

Annual membership costs $80 or less.

Landscape Management Network • Free LMN Budgeting software license (LMN is the #1 business management software in the industry) • 5% off LMN Professional Software License • Promotional savings off QuickBooks Enterprise subscription • Educational events throughout the year

Plant and Supply Locator • FREE Business/Plant Listing in print and online!

• One FREE banner ad with your listing • FREE subscription to Plant & Supply Locator—and you’ll have access both print and online

For full program description, discounts offered, and access to program contact information, log into the MNLGA membership portal on the MNLGA website. Portal access is located on the upper right hand corner of all pages of the website. If you do not recall your access credentials, simply select the link, “Forgot Your Password,” and you will be given instructions on how to proceed.

64 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

Questions? mnlga.org has the answers The MNLGA web site is designed for our members and is your single source for the answer to almost any question.

The site offers: ■ Searchable Membership Directory

■ CPH program info, basic & advanced test applications and registration ■ Up-to-date industry calendar from around the Mid-Atlantic region for finding CEUs for pesticide, nutrient management recertifications, and general education in horticulture topics

■ Free State Nursery News issues and archives

■ MaGIC (legislative) updates issues and archives

■ Chesapeake Green - speaker resources - year round

■ Job Board which members can post and track resumes/responses ■ Business resources ■ CEU forms

■ Social Media Toolkit -NEW!

Visit today!

MARYLAND

N URSERY, L ANDSCAPE AND G REENHOUSE A S S O C I AT I O N , I N C .

Office Depot and MNLGA team up for a

BUSINESS SAVINGS PROGRAM More Discounts

New Benefits

More Discounts

Exciting news! Office Depot has enhanced our business savings program to provide even more discounts in-store and online, plus added fantastic new benefits. More than just deals (that now extend to almost every item!), you will also get access to Office Depot’s new technology services, local Business Pros and more.

If you currently use or have used our Office Depot program, nothing changes.

You will still be able to access the same great pricing and deals that you are used to.

If you are not signed up for our Office Depot Business Savings Program, administered

by Excelerate America, visit http://bit.ly/MNLG_OD to complete your registration.

MARYLAND

Administered by:

N URSERY, L ANDSCAPE AND G REENHOUSE A S S O C I AT I O N , I N C .

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 65

66 SPRING 2021 • Free State News

MARYLAND

MNLGA.org is YOUR Industry Resource Hub

N URSERY, L ANDSCAPE AND G REENHOUSE A S S O C I AT I O N , I N C .

Stay Up-to-Date and Informed on Legislative Issues, COVID-19, Educational Events, Recertification, CPH, Job postings, MANTS, Social Media Tool Kit, Communications, and more

Access member benefits to save on business operations

N URSERY, L ANDSCAPE AND G REENHOUSE A S S O C I AT I O N , I N C .

MISSION STATEMENT The purpose of the Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association is to promote the use of ornamental plants, products, and services. The association supports all constituent groups of the horticulture industry including landscape, garden centers, interiorscape, grounds maintenance, nursery, greenhouse, and arboriculture. The association communicates the role of the horticulture industry in improving people’s quality of life.

SPECIFIC GOALS Promote professionalism through education programs for members and the public and by encouraging enrollment in educational institutions.

Business-to-consumer resources to help build customer communication

Monitor state and local laws relating to horticulture industry.

Participate actively in legislative and regulatory processes.

Explore the “Resources” tab for links and contacts to help answer questions on tax, licensing, business, regulation, crop insurance …

Make sure office@mnlga.org and the @mnlga domain name are on your safe senders list

MARYLAND

Promote the use of environmentally sound practices in the horticulture industry.

Monitor and communicate to members developments in allied industries including agritechnology.

Support donations of plant products and services to state and community programs.

MNLGA.org

Support research relevant to the horticulture industry.

Participate in Maryland agricultural organizations.

Membership Matters Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 67

CHAIRS AND COMMITTEES

Education Ronda Roemmelt – Chair Jessica Anderson Angela Burke Dave Clement Hank Doong Stanton Gill Brett Karp Brian Mitchell John Murphy Karen Rane Andrew Ristvey Ginny Rosenkranz Chuck Schuster Heather Zindash Nominating Mark Dougherty – Chair Richard J. Watson Finance and Planning Carrie Engel – Chair Larry Hemming John Murphy Leslie Hunter Cario Link/Shanks Scholarship Mark Dougherty – Chair MANTS Jan S. Carter Bernard E Kohl, Jr. Jessica Tiodd Membership Committee Rich Poulin Awards - Professional Achievement, Carville M. Akehurst Michael Marshall– Co-Chair Kevin Clark - Co-Chair

Legislative/MaGIC James R. McWilliams– Chair Mark Schlossberg All Officers and Directors Alan Jones Bernie Kohl CPH George Mayo - Chair Steve Bell Steve Black Steve Dubik Cindy King Andrew Ristvey Martha Simon-Pindale Ginny Rosenkranz Bob Trumbule Jaime Tsambikos Jon Vander Vleit Gaye Williams Scholarship Bernie Kohl, Jr. – Chair Hank Doong Leslie Hunter-Cario Jessica Todd George Mayo Mary Claire Walker Historian George Mayo – Chair

ADVISORS TO OTHERS

Invasive Plant Advisory Committee Brent Cassell Leslie Hunter Cario LEAD Maryland Vanessa Finney Maryland Agriculture Commission Ray Greenstreet Maryland Farm Bureau Larry Hemming Kevin Clark Vanessa Finney MAEF George Mayo Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC) Alex Betz Brian Mitchell University of Maryland – Dean’s Global Leadership Council Vanessa Finney Young Farmers Advisory Council Colin Jones

ADVISORS TO THE BOARD

Dr. John Lea-Cox University of Maryland Kimberly Rice MD Department of Agriculture

GET ACTIVE. STAY INVOLVED. Every member of every committee listed above is an individual who volunteers their time in support for the MNLGA and it is with the utmost gratitude and appreciation that we thank you for your selfless endeavors.

If your name is not listed above, please consider following the example of those who are. Contact Vanessa at 410-823-8684 with your interest.

MARYLAND

N URSERY, L ANDSCAPE AND G REENHOUSE A S S O C I AT I O N , I N C .

Maryland Nursery, Landscape and Greenhouse Association Board of Directors Terms Expiring January 2021 Alex Betz Kurt Bluemel, Inc. 410-557-7229 Cindy King The Mill at Kingstown 410-778-1551 Brian Mitchell Manor View Farm 410-771-4700 Katie Watson The Perennial Farm 410-592-6106

Terms Expiring January 2022 Will Peace Tideland Gardens 410-778-5787 Martha Pindale American Landscape Institute 410-688-5115 Bryan Schlosser Roseland Nurseries 410-755-6500 Jon Vander Vliet Lawn Wrangler 410-975-5125

MNLGA Contact Info: P.O. Box 726 Brooklandville, Maryland 21022 Phone: 410-823-8684 Fax: 410-296-8288 E-mail: office@mnlga.org Free State E-mail: freestate@mnlga.org Website: mnlga.org

Get Active. Stay Involved. • SPRING 2021 69

MANTS 2022 ®

Business to Business • Face to Face

Means business

the masterpiece of trade shows™

January 5-7

Baltimore

As always, MANTS MEANS BUSINESS. It is the one show where buyers know that they can find all the plants, products, and services their business needs. Exhibitors can count on meeting a steady stream of well-qualified current and new customers.

And when the business day is over, Baltimore’s Inner Harbor area offers a wide variety of hotels, restaurants, and attractions. So make your plans now to attend MANTS.

mants.com

Convention Center

P.O. Box 818 • Brooklandville, MD 21022 410-296-6959 • fax 410-296-8288 Social icon

Circle Only use blue and/or white.

For more details check out our Brand Guidelines.

@mantsbaltimore #mants2022 and #mantsbaltimore

On-line Registration is available 24/7 beginning October 1.

WE’RE

GROWING FOR YOU

Foxborough Nursery, Inc. 3611 Miller Rd. / Street, MD 21154 phone 410.836.7023 / fax 410.452.5131

View Photos & Plant Information at www.foxboroughnursery.com