The Scoop Online - April 2019

PRUNING AT PLANTING

SELLING GRASSES

READY FOR LIGHTNING?

MERCHANDISING TIPS & TRICKS

MAKE SEASONAL TRANSITIONS EASIER

ALSO INSIDE:

ARE IMPATIENS READY TO REBOUND? PLUS:

AVOID FAILURE BY CREATING FOCUS apr 2019 n v42 n4

T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E M I N N E S OTA N U R S E RY & L A N DS C A P E A SS OC I AT I ON

EARLY ORDER DEALS

WHOLESALE & PROFESSIONAL TURF SUPPLY

gertenswholesale.com | P: 651-450-0277 | F: 651-450-9380 | E: wholesale@gertens.com Eagan Location 1980 Seneca Road Eagan, MN 55122 651-361-8500

Loretto Location 6265 County Rd 19 Loretto, MN 55357 763-479-1481

Elk River Location 906 Hwy 10 Elk River, MN 55330 763-241-4930

Inver Grove Heights Location 5500 Blaine Avenue Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076 651-450-0277

WHOLESALE NURSERY & HARDSCAPES

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Hedberg East - Stillwater 8400 60th Street North Stillwater, MN 55082 (651) 748-3158

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apr 2019 n v42 n4

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Events

10 Sample Green Industry Org Charts MNLA Executive Director Cassie Larson reports on the first product from the MNLA Career Development Committee.

36 Out & About MNLA staff enjoys participating in local events

51

14

Avoid Failure by Creating Focus Chad Haldeman’s advice for entrepreneurs is to identify a smaller number of the most critical goals that will drive performance. 

19 Are Impatiens Walleriana Ready to Rebound?

Research on impatiens downy mildew resistance may soon yield a comeback for this former top bedding plant, according to Dr. James Calkins.    

28

Merchandising Tips & Tricks Craig Corby summarizes the important points from MNLA’s video series on how to keep your garden center looking innovative and fresh. 

39

Are You Ready for Lightning?

Faith Appelquist lists the trees more likely to sustain lightning damage, how to avoid it, and how to make good decisions afterwards.  

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58

Pruning at Planting

and seeing MNLA members finding each other at national events as well.

42 Day on the Hill a Huge Success With an abundance of energy, knowledge, and fresh faces, MNLA members strengthened relationships with legislators in each meeting.

44 Save Time & Money Here’s a run-down of the ways MNLA membership serves your immediate business needs.

46 Marketing Materials Help Sell Native Grasses How can you help your customers know what they are buying, and that grasses benefit native butterflies and require few inputs?

60 HRI Announces 2019 Funded Projects Projects range from innovations to crop production for both greenhouse and nursery segments,

Dr. Schutzki explains why and shows how pruning in moderation is our

water management in landscapes, emergent pest

objective at planting.     

issues, and economic and marketing analyses.

MDA’s Top Seven Reminders for 2019 Steve Shimek passes along some important reminders for Minnesota’s nursery stock growers and dealers.  

 Landscape & Hardscape Install & Design  Garden Services & Landscape Mgmt  Garden Centers  Growers: Nursery & Greenhouse  Irrigation & Water Mgmt  Arborists & Tree Services  All

Cover photo: © Can Stock Photo Inc./Brebca. Table of Contents Images: Top Left: iStock.com/erhui1979. Middle: iStock.com/kirstypargeter. Bottom: Used by permission of Robert Schutzki. Top Right: iStock.com/sorbetto.

april 19 MNLA.BIZ

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DIRECTORY

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MINNESOTA NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION Successful Businesses Grow Here!

1813 Lexington Ave. N., Roseville, MN 55113 651-633-4987 • Fax: 651-633-4986 Outside the metro area, toll free: 888-886-MNLA, Fax: 888-266-4986 www.MNLA.biz • www.NorthernGreen.org Mission: The mission of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association is to help members grow successful businesses.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Scott Frampton, President Landscape Renovations 651-769-0010 • sframpton@landscaperenovations.com Tim Malooly, CID, CLIA, CIC, Vice-President Water in Motion 763-559-7771 • timm@watermotion.com Randy Berg, MNLA-CP, Secretary-Treasurer Berg’s Nursery, Landscape/Garden Center 507-433-2823 • randy@bergsnursery.com Faith Appelquist, MNLA-CP Tree Quality LLC 612-618-5244 • faith@treequality.com Matt Mallas Hedberg Supply 763-512-2849 • mmallas@hedbergaggregates.com Mike McNamara Hoffman & McNamara Nursery & Landscaping 651-437-9463 • mike.mcnamara@hoffmanandmcnamara.com John O’Reilly Otten Bros. Garden Center and Landscaping 952-473-5425 • j.oreilly@ottenbros.com Jeff Pilla, MNLA-CP Bachman’s, Inc. 612-861-7600 • jpilla@bachmans.com Nick Sargent, MNLA-CP Sargent’s Landscape Nursery, Inc. 507-289-0022 • njsargent@sargentsgardens.com Cassie Larson, CAE MNLA Executive Director 651-633-4987 • cassie@mnla.biz STAFF DIRECTORY Executive Director: Cassie Larson, CAE • cassie@mnla.biz Membership Director & Trade Show Manager: Mary Dunn, CEM • mary@mnla.biz Communications Dir.: Jon Horsman, CAE • jon@mnla.biz Education/Cert. Manager: Susan Flynn • susan@mnla.biz Government Affairs Dir: Forrest Cyr • forrest@mnla.biz Regulatory Affairs Manager: Jim Calkins • jim@mnla.biz Administrative Asst.: Gayle Anderson • gayle@mnla.biz Accountant: Kris Peterson • kris@mnla.biz Foundation Program Coordinator: Paulette Sorenson • paulette@mnla.biz Advertising Sales: 952-934-2891 / 763-295-5420 Faith Jensen, Advertising Rep • faith@pierreproductions.com Betsy Pierre, Advertising Mgr • betsy@pierreproductions.com Legislative Affairs Consultant: Doug Carnival

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MNLA.BIZ april 19

All Stone Solutions .............................................................................. 57 Arborjet .................................................................................................. 37 Bachman's Wholesale Nursery & Hardscapes ............................... 3 Borgert Products, Inc. ......................................................................... 45 Central Landscape Supply ................................................................ 24 COWSMO, INC. ....................................................................................... 57 CST Distributors ................................................................................... 12 Cushman Motor Co. Inc ...................................................................... 12 Dayton Bag & Burlap ........................................................................... 11 Edney Distributing Co., Inc. ............................................................... 23 Fury Motors ........................................................................................... 54 Gertens Wholesale & Professional Turf Supply ....................... 2, 18 Glacial Ridge Growers ........................................................................ 24 Gopher State One-Call ....................................................................... 17 Haag Companies, Inc. ......................................................................... 22 Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies ....................................... 4 Hoffman & McNamara Nursery and Landscape .......................... 24 Jeff Belzer Chevrolet ..................................................................... 32–33 Klaus Nurseries .................................................................................... 57 Lano Equipment, Inc. .......................................................................... 48 Midwest Groundcovers LLC ............................................................... 50 Monroe Truck Equipment .................................................................. 38 Nuss Truck & Equipment ..................................................................... 9 Out Back Nursery ................................................................................. 48 Plaisted Companies .............................................................................. 7 Prairie Restorations, Inc. .................................................................... 11 Property Resource Group .................................................................. 57 Rock Hard Landscape Supply ........................................................... 48 SMSC Organics Recycling Facility .................................................... 62 The Resultants ..................................................................................... 17 The Tessman Company ....................................................................... 13 Tri-State Bobcat, Inc. .......................................................................... 35 Truck Utilities, Inc. ............................................................................... 24 Unilock .................................................................................................. 41 University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum .......................... 43 Versa-Lok Midwest .............................................................................. 26 Wheeler Landscape Supply ............................................................... 11 Ziegler CAT ............................................................................. Back Cover

UPCOMING

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

TURFGRASS MAINTENANCE WORKSHOP Learn best management practices for lawn/turf maintenance, and earn Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Level 1 Certification.

MNLA Classroom, Roseville, MN ➽ MNLA.biz

MNLA/MTGF TURF FIELD TRIP

JUN

25



This fun and informative field trip will include stops at several sites in the Twin Cities.

See what’s new and learn from the top turf and lawncare professionals in the area.

St. Paul, MN ➽ MNLA.biz

CULTIVATE 19

JULY

13 –16

Cultivate is the largest all-industry trade show and conference for the horticulture industry.

Columbus, OH ➽ Cultivate19.org

MNLA FOUNDATION WIDMER GOLF TOURNAMENT

JULY

23



Join your fellow Hackers for Horticulture at the 29th Annual Widmer Golf Tournament, an 18-hole best ball scramble tournament with great networking, prizes, contests, and more!

Proceeds benefit the MNLA Research Fund.

Majestic Oaks Golf Club, Ham Lake ➽ MNLA.biz

JULY

25 AUG

01



BAILEY SUMMER EXPO This annual summer event is open to all Bailey Nursery customers, and features displays, seminars, demonstrations, and tours.

GARDEN CENTER TOUR Mark your calendars. The Garden Center Tour is back for 2019. Join us for a day of touring and connecting with colleagues! ➽ MNLA.biz

IGC SHOW

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13 –15 iStock.com/Nongkran_ch

Tradeshow and education sessions focused 100% on the special interests of independent garden centers.

Chicago, IL ➽ Igcshow.com

LANDSCAPE DESIGN TOUR

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

Join your colleagues and tour design sites in the metro area. This tour always inspires, and the connections you will make on the bus are priceless. ➽ MNLA.biz

The Scoop, April 2019, Issue 4, is issued monthly,

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12 times per year. All original works, articles or formats



published in The Scoop are © Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association, 2019, and may not be used

MEMBER APPRECIATION DAY Stop by the MNLA office for coffee and donuts in the morning and ice cream & toppings or beer & popcorn in the afternoon — all free to members!

MNLA Office, Roseville ➽ MNLA.biz

without written permission of MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113. Subscription price is $99 for one

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year, which is included with member dues. POSTMASTER:



Send address changes to The Scoop, MNLA, 1813 Lexington Ave N., Roseville, MN 55113.

5TH ANNUAL MNLA NIGHT AT THE SAINTS GAME This year we have reserved the Rooftop Party Deck for our group. Price includes game ticket and dinner.

CHS Field, St. Paul ➽ MNLA.biz 2019 MNLA seminars

Editorial Contributions. You are invited to share your

generously supported by:

expertise and perspective. Article ideas and manuscripts should, whenever possible, reflect real and specific experiences. When submitting an article, please contact

Business

 Skills Training

 Networking

Leadership Development

the publisher at jon@mnla.biz or 651-633-4987. MNLA



reserves the right to edit all Scoop content.

➽ Information on these and other industry events are online at MNLA.biz/events.

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MNLA.BIZ april 19



General

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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

New MNLA Committee Creates Sample Green Industry Org Charts Cassie Larson

MNLA Executive Director

It is a well-known fact at this point that green industry companies in Minnesota and across the United States are struggling to both attract and retain quality employees.

When visiting with MNLA members, one of the hurdles to

iStock.com/sorbetto

there is no confusion about who is supposed to perform hiring and retention often expressed is the lack of a defined what tasks and who reports to whom. Green industry career path and capacity for future personal growth leaders may use an org chart to help determine personnel within an organization. To that end, the MNLA Board of needed or when considering employees for promotion.

Directors created a new committee to help tackle some of Finally, this type of chart allows the hiring manager to these topics — the MNLA Career Development Committee. illustrate to a potential new hire what their future They have been meeting for almost a progression within the company may year and their first initiative has been to look like. This illustration is what help with development of a career path could ultimately assist green industry model for green industry companies. businesses in their hiring and Why was this the first project? The retention efforts. The org chart can committee felt that introducing a career show growth potential even before a path model into the life of the green new employee is on board. In industry enables the use of occupational addition, once hired, an org chart can standards/paths as a ‘common currency’ help a new employee understand their for companies who wish to participate. role and the role of their co-workers This provides a mechanism for forging within the company. links between academic, vocational, If you’re interested in evaluating and professional qualification systems, your current org chart or developing as well as providing individuals, employone for the first time, the MNLA Career WHY WAS THIS THE ers and the industry-at-large with tools Development Committee has put together for developing and measuring the perforsample green industry org charts that FIRST PROJECT? mance of people. The first step in are now available on the “Members adopting this concept is introducing an Only” section of the MNLA website. organizational (org) chart.

These sample charts were assembled by the committee An org chart (or hierarchy chart) is the graphical with participants from across industry segments. In representation of a company’s structure. The intention addition, they were sent to a wide variety of member comor purpose of an org chart is to illustrate the relationship panies for input. From that feedback, suggested changes between job positions within an organization. Employees, were implemented, and they are now available for memand even those from outside an organization, can gain a bers to download as is, or to edit to suit their needs. quick understanding of how the organization is designed A few items to keep in mind as you access the sample by glancing at the org chart. org charts: How are org charts used? They are often used by business • The charts are meant as a starting point to be edited owners to introduce organizational structure and to ensure and built upon by an individual company.

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MNLA.BIZ april 19

“ Your One Tractor Solution

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Schedule a Ventrac Demo with:

iStock.com/sorbetto

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

WE HOPE THIS RESOURCE WILL BE A HELPFUL TOOL TO YOUR GREEN INDUSTRY BUSINESS MOVING FORWARD.

”

• When looking at the charts, one box doesn’t necessarily equal one person.

You may combine boxes if you have an individual performing more than one position/role.

• Different companies use different titles. We’ve tried to include the most commonly used titles within the green industry. But, read the description to see if a position at your organization simply has a different title.

We hope this resource will be a helpful tool to your green industry business moving forward. The Career Development Committee has already begun work on phase two of this initiative, which is to work on sample job descriptions for each position contained in the charts, including educational milestones to be considered when looking at employee promotion. The committee welcomes your feedback as they continue down the path to developing these resources for your business.

Cushman Motor Company, Inc. 2909 E Franklin Ave • Minneapolis, MN (612) 333-3487 • 1-800-759-5343 www.cushmanmotorco.com 12

MNLA.BIZ april 19

➽ CASSIE LARSON can be reached at cassie@ mnla.biz.

TESSMAN BUYING SHOW AND HORT ACADEMY Experience the upper Midwest’s premier garden, greenhouse, and landscape buying show.

• New Product Lines

• 85 Vendors

• Detailed Product Information

• 4 Keynote Speakers

• Show Buying Specials

• Drawings

• Door Prizes

• 9 Hours • Food and Drinks

Don’t forget to join us for the social hour at 6 pm on August 19!

August 19-20, 2019 Mystic Lake Casino

2400 Mystic Lake Blvd Prior Lake, MN 55372

Information & RSVP:

tessmanseed.com/show2019

St. Paul, MN

Fargo, ND

Tea, SD

1300 Sylvan St. St. Paul, MN 55117

610 39th St. N Fargo, ND 58102

46954 Mindy St. Tea, SD 57064

Phone: (651) 487-3850

Phone: (701) 232-7238

Phone: (605) 368-2586

BUSINESS BUSINESS

Avoid Failure by

CREATING

FOCUS Chad Haldeman

The Resultants

EPIC FAIL: “What happened?” Susan President asked, obviously upset at the team’s lack of performance. Just 90 days prior, her leadership team had devised a plan that included the key areas of focus needed to drive the company’s performance for the year ahead. They had picked 10 quarterly goals they felt would lead to successful performance.

iStock.com/erhui1979

Now, reviewing their performance at the end of the quarter, they discovered just two of the ten goals had been completed. Not surprisingly, the company had also missed its revenue and profit goals. The room was quiet, and no one answered Susan’s question, afraid to be the first to talk. Without pause, Susan said in a very matter of fact tone, “Well, we had better figure it out because this can’t happen again.”

Creating Focus One classic mistake entrepreneurs and their high-performing teams make is taking on too much. After all, if you focus on everything, you focus on nothing. Your efforts are diluted. People are stretched thin and things fall through the cracks. Rather than identifying the 20% of goals that’ll drive 80% of the right outcomes, the team chose too many.

As a result, performance suffered. Had they identified the top 3 to 7 goals for the quarter (we recommend closer to 3 than 7) and channeled the organization’s energy behind those goals, chances are very good that the outcomes would have been much better. april 19 MNLA.BIZ

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BUSINESS

Gaining Commitment — Owning the Outcome Another classic mistake found in entrepreneurial organizations is the idea that priorities and goals should all come from the top down. Many entrepreneurs are successful because of their ideas and energy which can be a powerful resource as long as both can be harnessed, filtered, and aligned with the organization and its people.

In this case, Susan added a number of her own ideas to the mix, on top of the core goals, the team identified, believing they would help accelerate their performance. Rather than objecting, the team quietly complied. Therein lay another part of the problem. Not only did this result in too many goals but no one truly owned these additional goals. Even though people were assigned to them, there was never a discussion or a decision made beyond the idea being presented and the assignment of responsibility. In the minds of leadership team members, they were Susan’s goals, not theirs. Without discussion, including the occasional disagreement, there can be no real commitment.

iStock.com/erhui1979

Clarity & Accountability — When do we throw the party?

As Susan looked over the 10 goals for the quarter, one common thread running through was a lack of clarity. Only a few had defined measurable outcomes and just a couple had successfully identified key milestones needed to achieve the desired results.

When thinking about a goal, ask yourself when you’d “throw the party.” Define success by creating SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic and Time-bound.

For example, rather than “Improve Marketing,” you could define success as “Increase Social Media Followers by 20%.” A specific measurable goal leaves less room for uncertainty and doubt as to whether or not the goal has been achieved.

The team also ran into issues when two people were co-owners of the goal rather than making one person ultimately accountable for execution. This doesn’t mean others don’t help.

It simply means just one person leads the effort of resources assigned and owns the results.

Trust but Verify — A Regular Cadence of Accountability “Trust but verify.” This old Russian saying was made popular by modern American President, Ronald Reagan. Reagan believed in setting clear goals and expectations. He gave ownership of those goals to his team to lead

and manage but followed by setting a regular interval of measurement to ensure they were being executed effectively and in a timely manner.

In addition to having goals that are SMART, a team is better set up to execute and achieve success when there is a regular review of progress against those goals. Any issues or roadblocks that arise can be addressed in a timely fashion. A weekly or bi-weekly cadence allows the team to review progress and provide one another with “a cup of help or a cup of accountability” to ensure things are moving forward towards success on the appropriate timeline.

Moving Your Company Forward Susan’s story represents countless business owners and leaders we’ve worked with through the years. What was successful for the entrepreneur who founded the organization by him or herself, no longer works as the company matures and grows. No longer can (or should) Susan put the company on her back and drive performance alone. This has to change to allow the company to scale effectively and grow profitably.

By improving in the key areas mentioned above, Susan’s team could dramatically improve execution and performance in a number of ways. They could: 1. Identify a smaller number of the most critical goals that will drive performance.

2. Speak up and challenge “piling on” additional goals beyond a core few, rather than silently complying with Susan’s suggestions. The result is greater alignment and ownership of the company’s priorities.

3. Work to make the goals SMART, with a clear owner of each goal driving the right outcome for the organization.

4. Regularly revisit key goals to clearly identify whether or not they’re moving forward towards a timely completion.

➽ CHAD HALDEMAN is a Senior Business Advisor with The Resultants. Their business advisory team advocates for the best interest of your business, using a process that has proven time and time again to help companies build value and achieve personal and professional success. Chad can be reached at chad@theresultants.com. april 19 MNLA.BIZ

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Gertens Bedding Plant Mix (Special) - 60% long fibered sphagnum peat moss, 26% aged pine bark, 14% aged rice hulls. Fortified with Multicote 7-8 month controlled release fertilizer. The mix is pH adjusted with dolomitic lime for optimal growing conditions. Light micronutrient boost is added to ensure presence of all minors. Nutrient starter charge is added so nutrients are available immediately for plants. A wetting agent is added to ensure soil hydrates evenly and thoroughly and promotes water retention.

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RESEARCH

READY Are Impatiens Walleriana

TO REBOUND?

Dr. James Calkins Research Information Director

iStock.com/Skirstypargeter

MNLA Foundation

iStock.com/User2547783c_812

RESEARCH

IMPATIENS DOWNY MILDEW RESISTANCE RESEARCH May Soon Foster an Impatiens Walleriana Rebound

Sadly, and as most green industry professionals

are well aware, Impatiens walleriana (garden impatiens), at one time the most popular bedding plant in the United States and the world, has fallen from grace in recent years as a consequence of the devastating effects of impatiens downy mildew (IDM) caused by the terrestrial, fungus-like oomycete (water mold) Plasmopara obducens. As a result, sales of garden impatiens (also called impatiens, busy/bizzy Lizzy/Lizzie, patience plant, patient Lucy, sultana, and sultan’s flower) have reportedly dropped 50% to 60% worldwide, and by as much as 80% in some markets. Impatiens walleriana has been dropped from the production schedules of a number of growers in Europe

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MNLA.BIZ april 19

and North America. Not surprisingly, these developments have been a serious blow to bedding plant producers and retailers and a tremendous loss for shade gardeners who continue to search for alternatives that possess the superior shade tolerance and other landscape characteristics of their beloved Impatiens walleriana. As some of you may have already heard from your bedding plant suppliers, however, this situation may soon change. Impatiens walleriana may be on the brink of reclaiming its former status as a top bedding plant and the #1 choice for shady landscapes as a result of pioneering, demanddriven, genetic research and plant breeding and selection efforts.

Prized for their beautiful flowers, produced non-stop all season long, their compact, mounded habit, and their unparalleled ability to grow and perform well in deep shade, garden impatiens was the go-to bedding plant choice for shady environments until IDM reached epidemic levels in Europe in 2008 and then in North America in 2011 (including Minnesota). Since then, the loss of this adaptable species has been lamented by the gardening public. In addition to Impatiens walleriana, several other garden (e.g., Impatiens balsamina; garden balsam) and Minnesota-native species of impatiens (i.e., Impatiens capensis, spotted touch-me-not, jewelweed, and Impatiens pallida, pale/ yellow touch-me-not/jewelweed) are also susceptible to IDM. In response to the economic impact of IDM on bedding plant producers and garden centers, and the popularity of garden impatiens with consumers, leaders in the bedding plant industry have been working to fill the void caused by the loss of Impatiens walleriana with varying degrees of

success. In their search for alternatives to garden impatiens, gardeners have turned to a variety of shade-tolerant bedding plants like begonias (Begonia spp.), wishbone flower (Torenia fournieri; also called clown flower and bluewings), coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides), bush violet (Browallia speciosa; the replacement I have chosen for my shaded window boxes and containers; also called lovely browallia, amethyst flower, and sapphire flower), and New Guinea (Impatiens hawkeri) and New Guinea-type hybrid impatiens not susceptible to IDM. Several attractive, shade-tolerant species with showy foliage are also available, but do not make the cut for many gardeners because they lack showy flowers. Regardless, most gardeners seem to agree that none of the alternatives available can completely match the performance of Impatiens walleriana in shady landscapes.

Existing IDM-Resistant Impatiens New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri) have always been resistant to IDM and are offered by a number of bedding plant suppliers. New Guinea impatiens are attractive garden plants with large striking flowers (up to 2" or more in diameter) and are well-suited for use in containers and landscape beds, but prefer partial sun and become leggy and flower poorly in shady locations. New Guinea impatiens have a compact, mounded habit with lance-shaped leaves and will typically reach a height of 15 to 18 inches by the end of the growing season. Flower colors include coral, orange, lavender, pink, purple, red, white, yellow, or bicolored and the foliage may be green, bronze, purple, or variegated. New Guinea impatiens may be propagated from seed or vegetatively propagated from cuttings. Plants

PRIZED FOR THEIR BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS, PRODUCED NON-STOP ALL SEASON LONG, THEIR COMPACT, MOUNDED HABIT, AND THEIR UNPARALLELED ABILITY TO GROW AND PERFORM WELL IN DEEP SHADE, GARDEN IMPATIENS WAS THE GO-TO BEDDING PLANT CHOICE FOR SHADY ENVIRONMENTS UNTIL IDM REACHED EPIDEMIC LEVELS IN EUROPE IN 2008 AND THEN IN NORTH AMERICA IN 2011.

produced from rooted cuttings are relatively expensive and this tends to make them unsuitable for mass plantings.

SunPatiens® are New-Guinea-type hybrid impatiens developed by Sakata Ornamentals, Inc. (www.sakataornamentals.com). Initially released in 2006, SunPatiens® are selections from crosses between New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkerii) and wild species of Impatiens and have been widely available for thirteen years. Through their breeding and selection efforts, Sakata has developed three types (series) of SunPatiens® based on plant size and habit including SunPatiens® Compact, SunPatiens® Spreading, and SunPatiens® Vigorous. The sizes of the plants in these series are described as 12–30 inches tall and 12–24 inches wide, 16–36 inches tall and 22–36 inches wide, and 24–42 inches tall and 24–30 inches wide, respectively. Each series includes a wide variety of flower colors and several selections with variegated foliage have also been developed. Depending on size and habit, SunPatiens® are variously recommended for use in containers and landscape beds. Named selections in the Compact Series include SunPatiens® Blush Pink, Coral Pink, Deep Rose, Electric Orange, Hot Coral, Lilac, Neon Pink, Orange, Pink, Red, Royal Magenta, and White. Selections in the SunPatiens® Spreading Series include Carmine Red, Clear Orange, Clear White, Corona, Lavender, Pink Flash, Salmon (variegated foliage), Scarlet Red, Shell Pink, Tropical Orange (variegated foliage), and White (variegated foliage). Named selections in the SunPatiens® Vigorous series include Lavender, Magenta, Orange, Pink, and White.

SunPatiens® Spreading Shell Pink is a 2015 All-America Selection award winner (http:// all-americaselections.org/winners/) and will

”

be sold as SunPatiens® Vigorous Shell Pink beginning in 2019.

As the name implies, SunPatiens® are more tolerant of full-sun conditions than traditional garden impatiens. In fact, SunPatiens® are best suited to full sun or part shade (at least 4 hours of sun) conditions. While their improved sun-tolerance can be considered a benefit, they are not recommended for full shade conditions which limits their use in shadier landscape situations compared to Impatiens walleriana. The SunPatiens® selections from all three series are vegetatively propagated from cuttings and, as a result, are much more expensive compared to the seed-produced Impatiens walleriana and this can limit their use in residential and commercial landscapes.

BounceTM and Big BounceTM Interspecific Hybrid Impatiens, developed by Selecta North America (http://www.selectanorthamerica.com) and distributed by Ball Horticultural in North America (http://www.ballhort.com), were released in 2015. They are interspecific hybrids of proprietary origin and, as promoted, have proven to be adaptable, good performers in shade, and resistant to IDM. Of the interspecific impatiens hybrids, they are the most similar to Impatiens walleriana even though they do not have any Impatiens walleriana parentage. BounceTM Interspecific Impatiens have a mounded, spreading habit similar to Impatiens walleriana and have a height and spread of 14–20 inches.

Selections in the BounceTM series include BounceTM Bright Coral, Cherry, Lilac, Pink Flame, Violet, and White. Like SunPatiens® Spreading Shell Pink, BounceTM Pink Flame is a 2015 All-America Selection award winner and these two introductions were the first vegetatively-propagated species to win this

iStock.com/Vichai

“

april 19 MNLA.BIZ

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Jim Calkins

RESEARCH

Figure 1. Garden impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) – Although it has been risky to plant garden impatiens in recent years given the likelihood that they will be decimated by impatiens downy mildew (IDM), new research developments and selections of IDM-resistant varieties of true Impatiens walleriana will soon be available.

coveted designation. As the name implies, Big BounceTM Interspecific Impatiens are similar to the BounceTM hybrids, just bigger.

They can be expected to reach a height of 20–30 inches with a spread of 20-36 inches.

Selections in the Big BounceTM series include Big BounceTM Cherry, Lavender, Lavender Flame, Lilac, Pink, Red, Violet, and White.

Just like Impatiens walleriana, the BounceTM and Big BounceTM Interspecific Impatiens hybrids are recommended for use in containers and landscape beds. Like the SunPatiens® hybrids, the BounceTM and Big BounceTM hybrids are vegetatively propagated (cuttings) and are expensive and their high cost is the biggest drawback compared to Impatiens walleriana.

The Next Generation of IDM-Resistant Impatiens walleriana Just over a year ago in January 2018, an exciting research achievement was announced with fanfare and excitement.

After more than two years of dedicated research efforts, the genome of Impatiens walleriana had been sequenced and mapped.

This breakthrough achievement was the result of a collaborative partnership between Ball Horticultural Company, self-described as “a world leader in plant development and distribution” (https://www.ballhort. com/), and KeyGene, an agricultural biotechnology company that specializes in plant genotyping and molecular breeding (https://www.keygene.com/). This important accomplishment, in combination with the identification of the genes that are

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RESEARCH

the genetic basis of resistance to IDM in Impatiens walleriana, and the efforts of plant breeders at PanAmerican Seed and Syngenta Flowers North America, has resulted in the identification of IDM resistance genes and the development of pure, 100% Impatiens walleriana impatiens varieties that are resistant to IDM using traditional, non-GMO (genetically modified organism) breeding techniques. These resistant lines of garden impatiens are expected to be introduced widely in 2019 and 2020.

The Syngenta, ImaraTM XDR Impatiens walleriana are the first IDM-resistant garden impatiens to be released, are promoted as having a “high degree” of resistance to IDM and being easy and economical to produce from seed, were released on a limited basis in 2018, and should be widely available in 2019.

The ImaraTM XDR impatiens series is the result of nearly a decade of dedicated breeding research that involved the screening of more than 5,000 Impatiens walleriana seedlings in search of IDM-resistant plants. The first selections in the Syngenta ImaraTM XDR impatiens series are available in a variety of colors including white, red, rose, violet, orange, orange star, and a mix and other colors are in the pipeline.

PanAmerican Seed’s BeaconTM Impatiens is a selection of Impatiens walleriana that will be released on a limited basis in 2019 and launched fully in 2020 and is reported to have “high resistance” to IDM as defined by the International Seed Federation (ISF; https:// www.worldseed.org/). BeaconTM Impatiens will reportedly be similar to the familiar Super Elfin® series of Impatiens walleriana with a mounded habit and a height and spread of 10-12 inches and 12-14 inches, respectively, and will initially be available in six colors including BeaconTM Bright Red, Coral,

Orange, Salmon, Violet Shades, and White, plus two mixes; Select Mix (all six colors) and Red White Mix. As for the Syngenta ImaraTM XDR impatiens, the PanAmerican BeaconTM Impatiens are seed propagated and the cost of these new releases should be more in line with the historical cost of Impatiens walleriana which, along with their superior shade tolerance, should be a significant advantage compared to vegetatively-propagated, IDM-resistant impatiens that are currently available.

The research responsible for sequencing the DNA of Impatiens walleriana and the application of this tool to identify genes that confer IDM resistance, and the subsequent and concurrent development of IDM-resistant varieties of Impatiens walleriana through plant breeding and selection, highlight the relationship between basic and applied research and the real world value of these research efforts to the nursery and landscape industry and the gardening public. Other downy mildews have historically caused serious disease epidemics for multiple horticultural and agronomic crops including grapes (Vitis spp.), corn (Zea mays), soybeans (Glycine max), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), tobacco (Nicotiana spp.), sugar beets (Beta vulgaris), sunflowers (Helianthus annuus), and hops (Humulus lupulus) and more recently have reached serious or epidemic levels on a variety of important food and landscape species including lettuce (Lactuca spp.), cucurbits (Cucurbita spp.), spinach (Spinacia oleracea), coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides), and sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) and genome sequencing and plant breeding and selection may also have the potential to enable the development of disease resistant varieties for these and other crops. Interestingly, impatiens, basil, and coleus downy mildew are

relatively new threats and appeared within a few years of each other.

As for impatiens downy mildew (IDM), basil downy mildew (BDM) has also been a focus of recent breeding and selection research. Like garden impatiens, sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) is also an important and popular horticultural crop that has been severely impacted worldwide by another oomycete pathogen called Peronospora belbahrii. Researchers at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, in partnership with Genesis Seeds Ltd., a seed production and research company that breeds and produces conventional and certified organic vegetable, herb, and flower seeds (http://www.genesisseeds.com/), have just recently been successful in developing sweet basil hybrids that are resistant to BDM. This achievement is good news for growers, garden centers, and epicurean horticulturists and others who enjoy this popular herb. First documented in Minnesota in 2012, BDM was initially confirmed in North America in Florida in 2007 and has subsequently spread across the country. The pathogen does not overwinter in Minnesota, but can be reintroduced annually on seeds and transplants or by windblown spores. The focus of the basil research was different from the efforts with Impatiens walleriana in that they involved the creation of hybrids between Ocimum basilicum and wild species of Ocimium and the election of hybrids that are fertile and resistant to BDM. The first release, announced in January of this year (2019) is being marketed under the name ProsperaTM and is also resistant to fusarium wilt caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum and resists bolting. It is expected that other selections will follow.

Although downy mildews can be controlled with fungicides, effectiveness varies and can april 19 MNLA.BIZ

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RESEARCH

be very difficult complicated by fungicide resistance. In addition, symptoms may not be obvious during production, especially when fungicides are used, but asymptomatic plants can harbor the disease and become problematic for consumers once the plants leave the production environment. Employing good integrated pest management (IPM) practices, including purchasing clean, quality liners and stock, selecting resistant varieties when available, isolating and inspecting new shipments whenever possible, diligent scouting, strict sanitation measures, managing the production environment to keep foliage dry, maximize air circulation, and keep relative humidity low, and fungicide applications, being sure to follow the label and rotating products with different modes of action to prevent the development of fungicide resistance can reduce the possibility of serious infestations.

As highlighted in this article, resistant varieties are the best hope and, when available, the best defense.

Once again, these research achievements are good news for the nursery and landscape industry and its customers and highlight the importance of genomic and plant breeding and selection research to our industry.

Although production-oriented research at American universities has declined in recent years, university and industry research continues to play a vital role in the future of the green industry and should be supported and celebrated by all concerned. I am looking forward to trying these new, IDM-resistant varieties of Impatiens walleriana in my landscape and seeing how they perform. And like most horticulturists and the gardening public, I am also excited to see the other new and improved varieties of herbaceous and woody landscape plants that will surely be coming from plant breeders and growers in the coming years. After all, anticipation is at the heart of gardening.

Citations: BallSeed. Garden Impatiens Are Back ...

Without The Risk! NEW Beacon™ Exhibits High Resistance to Impatiens Downy Mildew https://www.ballseed.com/NewsEvents/News. aspx?pressid=461 (Accessed February 18, 2019) Bar-Ilan University. 2019. Introducing PROSPERA: A new sweet basil hybrid resistant to Downy Mildew. Science X (https://phys. org); January 14, 2019. https://phys.org/ news/2019-01-prospera-sweet-basil-hybrid-

resistant.html (Accessed February 18, 2019) Beytes, C. 2019. Syngenta to Launch IDMResistant Impatiens at Spring Trials. GrowerTalks (GT in Brief); Online January 1, 2019. https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=23940 (Accessed February 12, 2019) Beytes, C. 2018. Bringing Back Impatiens.

GrowerTalks 81(11):44-48. https://www. growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=23505 (Accessed February 12, 2019) Dicklow, M.B. and A. Madeiras. 2018 (most recent update). Downy Mildews of Ornamental Plants. University of Massachusetts Extension. https://ag.umass.edu/greenhouse-floriculture/fact-sheets/downy-mildews-of-ornamental-plants (Accessed February 15, 2019) Grabowski, M. 2018 (most recent update).

Basil Downy Mildew. University of Minnesota Extension. https://extension.umn.edu/diseases/basil-downy-mildew (Accessed February 15, 2019) Harlan, R. 2018. Epidemiology and Management of Coleus and Impatiens Downy Mildew; New and Emerging Pathogens in the United States. Master’s Thesis. Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI. https:// search.proquest.com/openview/c45e0670b1affb2a995d620084f214fa/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y (abstract and preview) Keyser, Z. 2019. Bar-Ilan University Develops Hybrid Basil Species Resistant to Epidemic Disease. The Jerusalem Post (online); January 21, 2019. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/ Bar-Ilan-Univ-develops-hybrid-basil-specie-resistant-to-epidemic-disease-577927 (Accessed February 18, 2019) PanAmerican Seed. BeaconTM Impatiens. http://beaconimpatiens.com/ (Accessed February 12, 2019) Rechcigl, N. and J. Gibson. 2019. Tools to Bring Back Impatiens. GrowerTalks Webinar; February 6, 2019. Archived at https://www. growertalks.com/webinars/ (Accessed February 15, 2019) Syngenta Flowers North America. Imara™ XDR Impatiens: A Breakthrough for Impatiens walleriana. https://www.syngentaflowers-us. com/campaign/imara-XDR-impatiens (Accessed February 12, 2019) Syngenta Flowers. 2018. Behind the Break-

through: Extensive Trialing Leads Syngenta Flowers to Resilient Imara Impatiens walleriana. https://www.syngentaflowers.eu/news/ imara/behind-breakthrough-extensive-trialling-leads-syngenta-flowers-resilient-imara-impatiens (Accessed February 12, 2019) Warfield, C.Y., C. Van Petersen, R.A. Brinkkemper, and S.E. Crain Downy. Mildew Resistant Impatiens. United States Patent Application; US20180271045A1. Current Assignee: Ball Horticultural Company. https://patents. google.com/patent/US20180271045A1/en (Accessed February 12, 2019) The following, selected resources may also be of interest: Bhattarai, K., W. Wang, Z. Cao, and Z. Deng.

2018. Comparative Analysis of Impatiens Leaf Transcriptomes Reveal Candidate Genes for Resistance to Downy Mildew Caused by Plasmopara obducens. International Journal of Molecular Science 19(7):2057. https:// www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/19/7/2057/htm (abstract only) Crandall, S.G., A, Rahman, L.M. Quesada-Ocampo, F.N. Martin, G.J. Bilodeau, and T.D. Miles. 2018. Advances in Diagnostics of Downy Mildews: Lessons Learned from Other Oomycetes and Future Challenges. Plant Disease 102(2):265-275. https://apsjournals. apsnet.org/doi/10.1094/PDIS-09-17-1455-FE or https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-09-17-1455FE (Accessed February 18, 2019) Salgado-Salazar, C., N. LeBlanc, A. Ismaiel, Y. Rivera, C.Y. Warfield, and J.A. Crouch. 2018.

Genetic Variation of the Pathogen Causing Impatiens Downy Mildew Predating and Including Twenty-first Century Epidemics on Impatiens walleriana. Plant Disease 102(12):2411-2420. https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/abs/10.1094/ PDIS-01-18-0077-RE (abstract only) Wang, W., Y. He, Z. Cao, and Z. Deng. Induction of Tetraploids in Impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) and Characterization of Their Changes in Morphology and Resistance to Downy Mildew. HortScience 53(7):925-931. https://journals.ashs.org/hortsci/view/journals/ hortsci/53/7/article-p925.xml (abstract only) ➽ To comment on this research update, suggest research topics of interest, or pass along a piece of research-based information that might be of interest to your industry colleagues, please email us at Research@MNLA.biz.

april 19 MNLA.BIZ

27

GARDEN CENTERS

TIPS & TRI Garden Center Display

By Craig Corby Abrahamson Nurseries

iStock.com/Eoneren

& ICKS

GARDEN CENTERS

ow do you keep garden center displays looking innovative and fresh at the end of a long, hot season? The video series from a Northern Green 2019 session I moderated shows merchandising strategies for keeping customers returning during the lull between summer and fall. The goal of the videos is to provide you with tips and tricks to take back to your garden centers to create more inspirational and effective displays that will inspire your staff and customers… and ultimately sell more product!

The Importance of Merchandising Whether the customer has done their research and is searching for a particular plant or

product, or whether they are coming into your garden center anticipating inspiration, education, and solutions to their problems,

NEWS & NOTES

“ 30

MNLA.BIZ april 19

your merchandising can solidify their decision or provide the inspiration to select the merchandise you have presented. Merchandising also creates opportunity for impulse sales, which is still a large part of our sales volume at our garden centers!

Merchandising is just one component of the entire customer service experience at our stores. It is an essential part that may cost us money in time and materials, but it is performed to showcase, inspire, educate, and sell. It also becomes a silent sales person in times of increased traffic and low staffing levels, when we cannot touch every customer that enters our stores.

Your marketing promotes to the consumer who you are and helps drive traffic to your store.

Your staff supports that message through their customer service.

And your in-store merchandising creates the atmosphere that delivers the presentation of your brand (and partner brands that you support and highlight within your store).

Caught In-Between Seasons As you all know, it is a lot easier to create beautiful displays in spring when we have an abundance of fresh colorful products. But as

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the year progresses and the seasons change, merchandising can become challenging with reduced inventory and product options available to create those ‘wow’ displays.

One of the hardest times of the year (and the catalyst for creating videos for this session) is the late summer/fall. As inventory levels diminish, the fall annual color is not quite ready, you have less staff on payroll, customer traffic is slower, the heat has an effect on your plants and staff, and you are trying to capitalize on every sale opportunity that enters your store at this slow time of year. This can be a little easier for growers/retailers who have more product to utilize!

Building Anticipation This is the time your merchandising skills can pay dividends by being creative and utilizing the materials on hand to create unexpected and inspiring displays to showcase plants and products that otherwise may have stayed in the nursery rows or home décor department in your garden center. It is also these displays that add to the excitement at your stores, highlighting the best plant (and product) options for color at this particular time of

the year. It can also indicate the changing of seasons and encourage your customers to return more often, because now they want to see what’s changing next!

If you’re constantly changing your displays, you are creating that theater atmosphere where the consumer wants to come back and see the next act! What should they have to be on trend at home? What should they have that their neighbors don’t have? What’s setting them apart and is a conversation piece? Give them examples like bold colors in plants and pots; the incredible foliage, selection, and characteristics of grasses; the blue-greens and golds of evergreens, the show-stopping

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12KTFLCHEV032.tif RGB HD CC with Dump_psd.psd Linked GraphicsRGB Control Art Director 11CHSL00054.jpg RGB Mech TBD Copy Print Scale Scale 100 12KTFLCHEV032.tif RGB None BusinessCentral_KO.ai ProjWriter Mgr csenn HD CC with Dump_psd.psd RGB 11CHSL00054.jpg RGB Scale Please 100 GM_business_choice.ai TBD Copy Writer Jeff Belzer Lakeville,Mech MN. call the Commercial Department at 952-469-4444.

Print Scale None BusinessCentral_KO.ai csenn Proj Stock None HD CC with Dump_psd.psd RGB Acct Mgr Svc kdenmark cube_0758.jpg RGB GM_business_choice.ai Print Scale Trim None 8.5” x 11” BusinessCentral_KO.ai csenn Proj Mgr Family_shot cube_exprss_slvrdo_a6.tif RGB All Rebates & incentives to dealer, must qualify for same, prices subject to change.

Stock None Live None 8.25” x 10.75” kdenmark Acct Mgr Svc afinnan cube_0758.jpg RGB Folded Size Prod GM_business_choice.ai RoundStep_3in_Chevy_Silverado.jpg RGB Family_shot cube_exprss_slvrdo_a6.tif RGB Stock Live None 8.25” x 10.75” kdenmark Acct Svc cube_0758.jpg RGB Tonneau_Chevy.jpg RGB Folded Size None afinnan Mgr TBD 1 RoundStep_3in_Chevy_Silverado.jpg RGB Finishing Buyer To qualify, vehicles must be None used in day-to-day operations of your business and notArtProd solely for transportation purposes.

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4320Gss.tif CMYK 4320G_cs.tif CMYK 1PROSS.tif CMYK Colors Spec’d 1PROCS.tif CMYK 4C Business Central TBD CopyMac Edit nminieri/pm Special Instr. with 4320Gss.tif CMYK BasePkg_ss.tif CMYK Publications None 1PROSS.tif CMYK 1PROCS.tif CMYK 12KTFLCHEV021.tif RGB Mac nminieri/pm with Business Central Special Instr. None BasePkg_ss.tif CMYK Publications

CONTENT CONTENT CONTENT

Job Description 8.75” Chevy Retail Planning Flyer 11.25” Bleed Trim 8.5” x x11” 8.75” x 11.25” Chevrolet, 50Bleed & Cedar, Box 965, Trim Live 8.5” 8.25”x x11” 10.75”

Publications None

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Job # GMC1-12-03178 Job # GMC1-12-03178 Job Description Chevy Retail Planning Flyer JobJob #Description GMC1-12-03178

iStock.com/xavierarnau

GARDEN CENTERS

 This article came from Craig’s moderator notes for a Northern Green 2019 educational session. The MNLA-produced videos can be viewed on our YouTube channel here: https://bit.ly/2WOtUK8

34

MNLA.BIZ april 19

hydrangeas, topiaries, Russian cypress … the options are endless.

Let’s Get to the Visuals!

In the three videos you will see and hear different display ideas, merchandising principles, and strategies to promote customers returning to your stores more often. As you watch the videos you will notice key words that are used consistently: inspiration, seasonality, showcase, game plan, shopability, signage, and success.

The first video is Jessie Jacobson from Tonkadale Greenhouse in Minnetonka. Jessie describes the “engineering” of the display she is working on and how their garden center staff go about preparing for the change-up, how they choose products, and how they try to stay on trend with new and exciting plants.

The second video is Dennis Orfei from Bachman’s on Lyndale in Minneapolis.

Dennis describes their displays as based on seasonality, showcasing colors and textures and using pottery and garden art to complement the plants that are the main elements and sales drivers in the displays. He mentions how moving specific plants or products to certain places in their store can give an

immediate boost in sales. I know this works from my own experiences. In fact, many times my staff has heard me repeat one of my favorite sayings: “You have to move it … to move it!”

The third video is Scott Moon from Sargent’s on 2nd in Rochester. Scott describes their approach to merchandising and how he empowers all his staff to participate in the store’s display ideas and execution. Scott will give feedback and guidance to his staff when necessary to keep the displays focused but encourages their creative process.

The Challenge Every one of our stores are different, but the challenges we face are similar, while sometimes just on different scales. But the same principles apply. We all want to provide the best experiences we can and inspire our customers to buy more and return more often.

Better merchandising can play a big part in helping all of us reach that goal. ➽ CRAIG CORBY is Retail Operations Manager at Abrahamson Nurseries and can be reached at craig@abrahamsonnurseries.com.

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Jordan Lockman, Jan Fleming, and Sarah Lloyd from Dundee Nursery and Landscaping.

& Gertens Spring Education Expo + Garden Center Executive Summit

Dee Ann Larson and Bryant Nygaard from Landscape Gal.

Happy Gertens Wholesale & Professional Turf Supply employees welcoming everyone with smiles!

Suzanne Gilbert from My Garden Goddess is proud of her MNLA member status.

Steve Pallas from Hunter Industries gave an educational talk.

Matt McDonough and Pepe Nunez from McDonough Landscaping.

36

MNLA.BIZ april 19

Wayne Bollinger from Green Oasis.

The man himself from Brian Johnson Landscaping LLC.

Heidi Heiland (middle) is flanked by Jessie Jacobson and Susan Bachman West at the Garden Center Executive Summit. Jessie and Susie both shared their expertise as speakers at this national event.

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TREES

READY Are you

FOR LIGHTNING?

Faith Appelquist

iStock.com/amriphoto

Tree Quality LLC

Along the path of the strike sap boils, steam is generated, and cells explode in the wood, leading to strips of wood and bark peeling or being blown off the tree.

DID YOU KNOW that lightning is one of the top weather-related killers in the U.S.? Nearly 50 people are killed each year. Trees are also killed by lightning.

40

MNLA.BIZ april 19

Faith Appelquist

iStock.com/emholk

TREES

Red oak open wound reveals the path the lightning traveled to the ground.

Certain types of trees are more likely to sustain lightning damage than others.

Evergreens such as pines, spruce, hemlock, and fir have high resin content. They conduct more electricity than trees with low resin.

Trees with high starch content are also more susceptible to damage and are more susceptible to explosion and internal heating. Oak, maple, ash, poplar, and honeylocust are good conductors of electricity. Trees such as beech and birch are high in oil content. Oil is a poor conductor of electricity, making those trees less affected by lightning.

Many trees are severely injured despite the lack of any external symptoms. Root damage from electricity may cause the tree to decline and die without significant above ground damage. In most cases, it is best to wait six months or more before removing or doing major corrective work on a lightning-struck tree. As you monitor the tree during the waiting period, remember that a tree struck by lightning has been severely stressed. The intense heat of the electrical discharge takes a great deal of energy from the tree. Provide the tree with additional water, prune dead

branches, and watch for yellow or dying foliage. Do not fertilize the tree since this can further reduce energy reserves in the tree.

Lightning protection systems can be installed in high value or historic trees in order to reduce the likelihood of damage.

Trees with branches that overhang buildings, isolated specimen trees or irreplaceable trees are also good candidates for protecting.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reminds us that when thunder roars, go indoors. The 30-30 rule suggests that if you can see lightning and then hear thunder within 30 seconds, you should seek shelter immediately. Wait 30 minutes after hearing the last rumble of thunder to resume any outdoor activities. And remember what your mother said; never hide under a tree in a thunderstorm.

âž˝ FAITH APPELQUIST is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, an ISA Municipal Specialist MN, and an ASCA Registered Consulting ArboristÂŽ. Faith can be reached at faith@treequality.com.

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GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

2019 Day on the Hill Was a HUGE Success!

Forrest Cyr

MNLA Government Affairs Director

On March 6, 2019, members of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association converged on the Minnesota State Capitol from across the state, advocating on behalf of the green industry, their businesses, and their communities.

With an abundance of energy, knowledge, and fresh faces, MNLA members successfully lobbied their legislators and built strong relationships in each meeting. As our saying goes: “Grassroots Grows Results.” At Day on the Hill, MNLA’s advocacy leaders — both newbies and veterans alike — put this into action, helping move the needle on key legislation essential to the success of the green industry and its members. Thank you to everyone who attended!

We can’t wait to see you next year.

With the 2019 Minnesota legislative session happening, MNLA’s ongoing advocacy work and legislative agenda was central to the discussion at the Day on the Hill.

Association members learned about the ongoing issues impacting Minnesota’s green industry at the legislative kickoff breakfast at the Capitol Ridge Hotel. Hearing from association lobbyists Forrest Cyr and Doug Carnival, members were briefed on priority legislation and issues, including ongoing work to reduce salt pollution in water through liability protection (HF1502/SF1667), establish fairness in construction contracts (HF878,HF879/ SF947,948), and secure funding to combat Emerald Ash Borer (HF2015/SF1906). Based on the feedback from legislators, these common-sense policy proposals were met with support and interest, thanks to the lobbying acumen of MNLA advocacy leaders!

However, Day on the Hill is just the beginning. With numerous new faces at Day on the Hill, MNLA staff and volunteer leadership encourage interested members to continue participation in the association’s legislative work, through grassroots calls-for-action, input to staff, and participation on MNLA’s Government Affairs Committee, the driving force behind MNLA’s effective advocacy. Members

42

MNLA.BIZ april 19

MNLA members sit down with Senator Susan Kent (D, Woodbury) to discuss green industry policy priorities. From left: Katie Culshaw, MNLA 2019 President Scott Frampton, Senator Susan Kent, Joby Nolan, and Jacob Koomen.

Derek Tweten and Jon Horsman visit with Rep. Kelly Moller (D, Arden Hills)

Gardening with Ga Native Grasses in Na Cold Climates Co and a Guide to the Butterflies They Support and a

Rich Koechlein, Patrick Warden, Luke Merickel, and Jim Calkins went over MNLA's legislative agenda with Sen. Paul Anderson (R, Plymouth) (second from right).

“

WITH THE 2019 MINNESOTA LEGISLATIVE SESSION HAPPENING, MNLA’S ONGOING ADVOCACY WORK AND LEGISLATIVE AGENDA WAS CENTRAL TO THE DISCUSSION AT THE DAY ON THE HILL.

”

Thank you to Senator Steve Cwodzinski (D, Eden Prairie) (center) for meeting with Todd Dilley, Kelly Dilley, Cory Whitmer, and Kent Williamson. We appreciate you taking the time to listen to issues that matter to us!

are unique: each comes with on-the-ground expertise, extensive knowledge, and love for the green industry. These essential qualities are vital to MNLA’s continued advocacy success and grassroots strength.

Your participation makes all the difference. We thank you! ➽ FORREST CYR can be contacted at 612-248-4463, or at forrest@mnla.biz.

Learn about native grasses, their benefits, and how to incorporate them into your garden with an interactive e-book from the University of Minnesota.

Learn incorp your g intera from t Minne

https://z.umn.edu/

https:

Gardening Ga Free E-Bookwith Fr Native Grasses in Na Cold Climates Co and a Guide to the Butterflies They Support and a Free E-Book Fr Download the e-book for free by following the link https:// z.umn.edu/nativegrasses.

Down by fol z.umn

Available on all AppleTM devices.

Availa devic

Download the e-book for free by following the link https:// z.umn.edu/nativegrasses.

Down by fol z.umn

Available on all AppleTM devices.

Availa devic

Learn about native grasses, their benefits, and how to incorporate them into your garden with an interactive e-book from the University of Minnesota.

Learn incorp your g intera from t Minne

https://z.umn.edu/

https:

Free E-Book Download the e-book for free by following the link https:// Half-page-vertical-ad.indd 1 z.umn.edu/nativegrasses.

Free E-Book

Fr april 19 MNLA.BIZ 43 PM 1/25/2019 1:56:48

Down by fol z.umn

Fr

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NATIVE GRASSES

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MNLA.BIZ april 19

Marketing Materials

HELP SELL

NATIVE GRASSES

Mary Hockenberry Meyer University of Minnesota

Courtesy Mary Meyer

GRASSES ARE GREAT sustainable landscape plants but they can be a tough sell for garden centers. They're just a green tuft without any show flowers sitting in that gallon pot. How can you help your customers know how much grasses benefit native butterflies, yet require few inputs such as water or fertilizer?

Marketing materials, developed with a grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the USDA’s Specialty Crop program, can help you sell more grasses.

Stores in Minnesota can increase their grass sales by putting up the 22" × 28" Benefits of Native Grasses point of purchase poster or sign, and using attractive colorful labels that highlight the benefits of native grasses. Minnesota has a complicated pollinator label law, so two labels were developed, one showing butterflies and one without butterflies (for any plants that may have been grown using neonic pesticides). MasterTag made labels in two sizes, a smaller 1.7"w × 5.25"h stick tag, and a larger 3"w × 7.65"h hang tag. Additional educational materials are a two-page Native Grass Guide that can be printed and attached to the store sign or poster. april 19 MNLA.BIZ

47

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Call us first for all your native planting needs

FR E E !

Proper plant selection is critical to long-lived, healthy and sustainable landscapes, and understanding the planting site itself — its soil, light, moisture, exposure, and size — is crucial to choosing plants that will thrive.

The Plant Elements of Design selection program will help you find plants that match the conditions of your landscaping site.

This extensive database of plants includes photos and care information you can use with your clients. Go to www.landscapeplants.extension.umn.edu to try it today!

Plant-Elements-of-Design.indd 1

8/11/2017 8:34:49 AM

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 Links to Materials: Benefits of Native Grasses (point of purchase poster/sign).

Labels that highlight the benefits of native grasses. These are MasterTag labels in two sizes: Stick tag: 1.7"w × 5.25"h Hang tag: 3"w × 7.65" ➽ http://grasses.cfans.umn.edu/store-marketing-resources Gardening with Native Grasses in Cold Climate (72-page eBook) Native Grasses Guide (tri-fold brochure) Native Grasses Poster (several grasses + butterflies they support) Several other resources, as well. ➽ http://grasses.cfans.umn.edu/publications

Upper Midwe

Native Prairie Graminoid Host Plants of Minnesota and

larvae.

Associated Lepidoptera: A Literature Review ➽ https://experts.umn.edu/en/publications/native-prairiegraminoid-host-plants-of-minnesota-and-associated-

blue h eaven™

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Did you know?

Did you know that native grasses support over 30 species

The most comprehensive educational piece is the FREE 72-page ebook Gardening with Native Grasses in Cold Climates available online. It has five chapters showing not only the benefits of native grasses but how you can use these plants in the landscape.

of native Lepidoptera as host plants for their small and often unnoticed caterpillars? A Native Prairie Graminoid Host Plants of Minnesota and Associated Lepidoptera: A Literature Review has been published, along with an 11" × 17" Native Grasses and Associated Lepidoptera poster

➽ MARY HOCKENBERRY MEYER is a Professor and Extension Horticulturist at the

showing the grasses and the butterflies that these tough

University of Minnesota, and can be reached at meyer023@umn.edu.

native plants support.

april 19 MNLA.BIZ

49

PRUNING CLIPS

PLANTING Pruning at

Robert E. Schutzki

Department of Horticulture

Michigan State University

PRUNING CLIPS IS A SERIES focused on mastering the art, science, and practice of pruning. This article was originally published in The Michigan Landscape magazine, a publication of the Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association. www.MNLA.org

Fig. 1. Pruning at planting.

With spring arriving, we thought it would be timely to devote this issue of Pruning Clips to “Pruning at Planting� (Fig. 1). A while back (actually quite a while ago) there was a flurry of research projects examining the impact of pruning at planting. General planting specifications at the time called for top pruning to compensate for root loss, specifying as much as a third of the crown to be removed. Questions to the validity of these recommendations led to specific investigations on the effects of pruning on shoot and root growth during establishment. Initial research focused on bare-root stock; however, work continued to include balled and burlapped (B&B) materials. The overall outcome from these studies was basically the same; severe pruning reduced shoot and root growth and photosynthetic resources, altered form and delayed establishment. Moderate pruning had little to no negative impact on new shoot and root growth and subsequent establishment. april 19 MNLA.BIZ

51

PRUNING CLIPS

Fig. 2. Shoot growth and leaf expansion.

Fig. 3. Elongation of intact roots.

52

MNLA.BIZ april 19

“

PRUNING RECOMMENDATIONS NO LONGER SUGGEST OVERALL CROWN REDUCTION. INSTEAD THE FOCUS IS ON SHOOTS THAT DO NOT CONTRIBUTE TO OVERALL CROWN SHAPE OR APPEARANCE.

”

Generally, there is agreement that some pruning at planting eases the demand for water by reducing the number of expanding shoots and leaves. Bud break, shoot elongation and subsequent leaf emergence significantly increases the demand for water (Fig. 2). Water is the primary factor contributing to ultimate leaf size during expansion. This is quite obvious when comparing the leaf sizes of a field grown tree before and after harvest. Leaf area of individual leaves is significantly less due to the reduction of water uptake from a greatly reduced root system.

As much as 95% of a root system can be removed through the harvesting of a B&B tree. The reduction in water uptake following harvest also reduces overall shoot length from what was produced in the nursery. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at plant growth during establishment and provide some guidelines for “moderate” pruning at planting.

A major focus during planting is on “establishment”, with establishment meaning the below ground activity of roots, both the elongation of intact roots (Fig. 3) and the regeneration of new roots directly behind the cut ends of existing roots (Fig. 4). Research has shown that root development is fueled by a combination of carbohydrates, nitrogen and hormones, primarily auxin. During initial establishment, carbohydrates stored in stems and roots are allocated to root elongation and regeneration. As new leaves emerge, carbohydrates from photosynthesis are

Fig. 5. Sugar Maple crown.

Fig. 4. New root regeneration from cut ends.

also allocated toward root development. Nitrogen uptake from the soil supports the growing efforts, as does auxin synthesized in the newly expanding terminal buds. Auxin concentration in the roots significantly increases during bud break. The observed link between new root growth and bud break further emphasizes the importance of auxin in plant establishment.

In the past, pruning at planting was primarily directed at reducing the overall crown. Height and width of the plants were substantially reduced either by heading or thinning cuts on the main branches. Pruning eliminated terminal buds, the sites of auxin synthesis and their corresponding new shoots and leaves, the sites of photosynthesis and carbohydrate production. As mentioned, severe pruning reduced shoot and root growth and delayed establishment.

Through the information gained from research and its translation into practice, “Pruning at Planting� has taken a different path. Pruning recommendations no longer suggest overall crown reduction. Instead the focus is on shoots that do not contribute to overall crown shape or appearance. Efforts are directed at thinning small and/or weak interior branches. This lightens crown density and lessens the demand for water without having a substantial impact on overall shoot development, leaf expansion and root development. Thinning of these interior branches applies to both trees and shrubs regardless of whether

Fig. 5. Sugar Maple crown.

Fig. 6. Interior branches on Sugar Maple.

Fig. 7. Eastern Redbud crown. april 19 MNLA.BIZ

53

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PRUNING CLIPS

Fig. 8. Interior branches on Eastern Redbud.

“

Fig. 9. Flowering Pear.

Fig. 10. Branching structure on Crabapple.

THINNING SMALL AND INSIGNIFICANT BRANCHES ALONG THE TRUNK AND MAIN SCAFFOLD BRANCHES (FIG. 6) CAN REDUCE THE DEMAND FOR WATER WITHOUT HAVING AN IMPACT ON SIGNIFICANT SITES OF AUXIN SYNTHESIS AND FUTURE PHOTOSYNTHETIC ACTIVITY.

Fig. 11. Short shoots and spurs on Flowering Pear.

”

Fig. 12. Container Viburnum.

they are container or B&B stock. Here are a few examples to illustrate pruning in moderation at planting.

Note the branching structure of the B&B Sugar Maple in Fig. 5. Primary branches contributing to its overall height and width and secondary interior branches are easily discernible. Thinning small and insignificant branches along the trunk and main scaffold branches (Fig. 6) can reduce the demand for water without having an impact on significant sites of auxin synthesis and future photosynthetic activity. The same can be said for the interior branches on the Eastern Redbud (Fig. 7 and 8). The Flowering Pear (Fig. 9) and Crabapple (Fig. 10) are examples of trees with short shoots or spurs. Pruning can easily reduce the number of short shoots or spurs along the interior branches (Fig. 11) without having a significant impact on the flower display in the first season following planting.

The reduction of flowers and subsequent fruit will also aid in the distribution of carbohydrates to vegetative growth.

Thinning of interior branches holds true for container shrubs (Fig. 12 and 13), especially due to the root loss april 19 MNLA.BIZ

55

PRUNING CLIPS

Fig. 14. Disrupting pot-bound root system.

Fig. 16. Active shoot growth and leaf expansion.

Fig. 13. Container Blueberry.

Fig. 15. Moderate pruning of interior shoots on Viburnum.

that occurs from disrupting pot-bound root systems (Fig. 14). Moderate pruning (Fig. 15) can reduce the competition among individual shoots, open the canopy to light and aid in future bud development while benefiting root growth during establishment. Container plants can also be susceptible to water stress when planted during active periods of shoot growth and leaf expansion early in the season (Fig 16). Disrupting pot-bound root systems during active growth causes wilting and in some cases terminal shoot dieback (Fig.17). Nipping the tips of the shoots removes the active meristem (Fig. 18) and causes a time lag in growth before lateral buds break and resume shoot growth and leaf emergence. This time lag briefly reduces the amount of water required by the shoot. The reduction over multiple tips allows the plant to adjust accordingly and minimizes tip dieback.

So, pruning in moderation is our objective at planting.

Instead of larger cuts, it focuses on a lot of smaller thinning cuts. Thin the interior shoots of a plant — shoots that do not add significantly to crown shape and appearance — but when removed add physiological benefits to growth and development.

Fig. 17. Terminal dieback due to water stress.

➽ DR. ROBERT SCHUTZKI is an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Michigan State University. His research interests include plant exploration, plant evaluation and landscape development. All photos used in this article are used by permission of Robert Schutzki and may not be reused in any way without express written permission.

56

MNLA.BIZ april 19

Fig. 18. Nipping the shoot tip.

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MDA

MDA TOP SEVEN REMINDERS

Steven Shimek Nursery Program Coordinator

Š Can Stock Photo Inc./Rigucci

2019

Here are some important reminders for Minnesota nursery stock growers and dealers

from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Nursery Inspection and Certification Program.

1. If you sell or distribute nursery stock in Minnesota, you must have a nursery stock

dealer or nursery stock grower certificate with the Minnesota Department of Agri-

culture (MDA). All nursery stock must have been inspected and certified free of injurious plant pests within 12 months preceding sale by an MDA nursery inspector. This includes landscapers purchasing stock as needed for installation. Nursery wholesalers are responsible for assuring persons purchasing stock for resale have a valid nursery certificate. It is a violation to sell nursery stock to an uncertified nursery stock dealer who is required to be certified.

Nursery certificates are not intended to be used to buy wholesale for personal use. Sales to individuals are at the discretion of the wholesaler.

2. Make sure that your renewal application fee is accurate. The fee of dealers is based upon gross sales of nursery stock from 2018 or your most recent year in business. For growers, the fee is based on total acres. Inspectors will be auditing acreage with GPS and may conduct financial audits to validate gross sales amounts listed on dealer renewal applications. Include all growing locations on your application and provide maps if they are not adjacent to your main location. Stock that is not inspected is not certified and is illegal to sell.

3. A copy of the nursery stock certificate must be displayed at or near the point of sale.

This assures customers that the seller has the required certificate. Persons found operating without a nursery certificate will pay a penalty equal and in addition to the appropriate certification fee. As a new applicant dealer, the fee is $225. Renewals will be based upon gross sale from the most recent year in business. Grower’s fees are assessed on acreage.

4. Keep shipping documents easily accessible. Sellers will be asked to provide shipping documents to detail the source of all stock purchased for sale.

Out-of-state suppliers are a particular focus for our inspectors. Stock must be certified under all applicable state and federal quarantines by the appropriate regulatory official in the state of origin. Proof of this can be a federal stamp, certificate of quarantine compliance, or a phytosanitary certificate. To limit interruptions during the busy sales season, keep these documents in a separate file and easily accessible to inspectors upon request.

58

MNLA.BIZ april 19

5. Stock being held for sale must be kept in conditions that will maintain health and viability. Packaged plants that show up at retailers before most container stock begins shipping are meant to be kept in conditions to maintain dormancy. Once they begin to grow, they must be potted or removed from sale. Balled-andburlapped stock should have root balls covered with moisture holding material. For new growers, contact this office or your regional inspector if you need an early inspection to allow sales of stock not previously inspected.

6. Stock that is advertised or labeled as beneficial to pollinators must have been produced in compliance with a Plant Treatment and Handling Agreement and must not have a level of systemic insecticide in their flowers greater than the EPA level for mortality of adult honey bees. All plants with pollinator advertising and any stock produced under a compliance agreement are subject to laboratory testing for systemic insecticides. If you are unsure if the stock you have meets these requirements, it’s best to remove any language that claims the plants are beneficial to pollinators.

7. Nursery stock offered for sale must be correctly labeled.

Although plants are not required to have specific information on tags or signage, information that is included must not be misleading. This includes cold hardiness labeling. Over the past several years, the MDA has developed a list of plants and their corresponding USDA cold hardiness zones. This has been done with industry professionals, university specialists, and anyone who is interested in contributing.

Labels and signs must be consistent with this list.

Furthermore, if no cold hardiness is indicated and the plant is being offered for sale in an area in which it is not cold hardy, it must be labeled “nonhardy”.

The cold hardiness list can be found at: https://www. mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/cold-hardiness-list MDA Nursery Inspection staff is always available to provide assistance to nursery stock growers and dealers. Our goal is to facilitate your success. ➽ Twin Cities East and South East MN Steven Shimek: 6 51.201.6619 steven.shimek@state.mn.us ➽ Twin Cities North and West

➽ Southern MN and South West Danielle DeVito: 507.384.1129 danielle.devito@state.mn.us ➽ Northern MN Deb Davis Hudak: 2 18.368.2586 deborah.davishudak@state.mn.us ➽ North Central MN David Simmons: 3 20.808.9357 david.simmons@state.mn.us

© Can Stock Photo Inc./maggy

Josh Plunkett: 6 51.201.6080 joshua.plunkett@state.mn.us

april 19 MNLA.BIZ

59

LAST WORD

pollinators continues. Often pollinator attractiveness is

NEWS & NOTES

sacrificed to ensure a new introduction has a low risk of becoming invasive. Dr. Contreras and his group aim to develop robust and consistent metrics for evaluating a plant’s potential to be invasive as well as support pollinator services.

Horticultural Research Institute Announces 2019 Funded Research Projects

Seed your future

The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), the foundation

Dr. J. Dole, North Carolina State University and S. Yoder,

of AmericanHort, is pleased to announce the portfolio of

Seed Your Future

research projects to be funded in 2019. Projects range from

Increasing the number of students and graduates in

innovations to crop production for both greenhouse and

horticulture serves the entire horticultural industry. The

nursery segments, water management in landscapes,

Seed Your Future project aims to do just that through

emergent pest issues, and economic and marketing

promotion of horticulture among young people and in

analyses. A total of $437,200 will be awarded this year.

academic settings. Over 150 partners are involved, and HRI is pleased to continue support of this work.

“The projects funded this year truly represent all facets of the industry,” commented Steve Mostardi, HRI President.

RFID & beyond: Using RFID, drones, and BLE to improve

“From support of new technological innovations to

crop inventory management

understanding how consumers buy plants, there’s

Dr. R. Fernandez, Michigan State University

something in this set of awards that should benefit

Dr. Fernandez and his team take an integrative approach

everyone in environmental horticulture. HRI’s mission

to helping environmental horticulture better manage

is to advance the industry, and the trustees take that to

crop inventory and make production more efficient.

heart when selecting projects to fund. The continuing

Three different technologies will be evaluated, including

financial support of individuals and companies from all

RFID technology, Bluetooth, and drones, and merged

branches of horticulture is much appreciated.”

for greatest impact. Ultimately, these technologies can allow traceability of production information to crops

The Horticultural Research Institute’s mission is to direct,

from the moment they are tagged until they leave

fund, promote, and communicate horticulture research.

the production facility and beyond. This potentially

Supporting research that challenges current methods and

will improve inventory data accuracy, quality control,

bridges the divide between businesses and the consumer

irrigation management, and pesticide application.

is exactly how HRI helps build prosperous businesses, advance the green industry, and fulfill its core vision.

Fundamental aspects of auxin foliar spray applications to woody plant cuttings

Off the sales floor & into the cart: Analyzing the path to

Dr. R. Geneve, University of Kentucky

plant purchases

Applying auxin as a foliar spray has several advantages

Dr. B. Behe, Michigan State University

over traditional quick dip methods for rooting cuttings,

How do consumers make buying decisions? This project

such as potential improved worker safety and application

aims to tackle that question about plant purchases. New

efficiency. Foliar auxin sprays are also becoming an

technologies such as a portable device that tracks eye

integral part of propagation systems using automated,

movement, will be used to investigate visual cue selections

machine-assisted sticking robotics. However, not all woody

that lead to plant purchase. Packaging, in-store signage,

species respond to foliar spray as well as a quick dip

brand, and price may impact consumers’ choices. Results

application for rooting, and there are questions concerning

should help retailers improve the shopping experience.

application timing as well as the optimal number of applications. Basic questions about auxin movement in

Fertility, population dynamics, & pollinator attractive-

cuttings related to spray volume, single vs. multiple

ness of standard & sterile cultivars: Buddleia as the

applications, and use of a surfactant will be addressed.

case study may inform the way forward for our national

60

MNLA.BIZ april 19

industry

National green industry survey

Dr. R. Contreras, Oregon State University

Dr. C. Hall, Texas A&M

Many in our industry aspire to maintain and promote

This group has conducted the National Green Industry

ecosystem services of plants. The search for plants that

Survey every five years since 1988. Each time, the

are both not weedy or invasive yet are still attractive to

nursery and greenhouse community reports back on

production, management, and marketing practices. This

bypassing the need for lab analysis (that could take up

information is important to aid industry members and

to 7 days), all the while saving costs and labor.

their allied industries make strategic decisions and continues to serve as a way to monitor changes over time.

Landscape plant performance: water use assessments of new cultivar selections

Interactions between spotted lanternfly and woody or-

Dr. L. Oki, University of California – Davis

namentals that influence tree health and insect fitness

Sound science will be employed to quantify and validate

Dr. K. Hoover, Pennsylvania State University

water use claims of certain plants. The data generated

Feeding on more than 65 known species, spotted

will enable the industry to better position certain plants

lanternfly (SLF) poses significant threats to nursery

as being verifiably drought tolerant or low water use.

production and landscapes, as well as agricultural

Landscape managers and nursery producers in states

commodities. SLF was first found in Pennsylvania in 2014

that experience periodic drought conditions, such as

and has since been sighted in neighboring states and

California, Texas, Georgia, and Florida, will benefit most

beyond. USDA APHIS is focused primarily on the impacts

from this study.

to agricultural crops, with minor resources dedicated (to date) to environmental horticulture. Movement of SLF in

Defying gravity: Stratified growing media to reduce

the landscape will be tracked, host tree preference by

inputs, crop stress, and minimize time to market

life stage will be determined. Information learned will

Dr. J. Owen, Virginia Tech

help environmental horticulture protect landscape and

Have you considered layering two different media

nursery investments.

substrates? Preliminary studies conducted by Dr. Owen have shown that creating stratified layers of different

Using hyperspectral technology to assess seed quality

growing media can help reduce water and nutrient use,

of horticultural crops

all while improving growth and reducing production

Dr. M. Mesgaran, University of California – Davis

time. The benefits will be more closely analyzed. As an

When starting crops from seed, rapid and uniform

added bonus, automated container filling systems can

germination are highly prized. Unfortunately, this is

be adjusted to create the layers with ease.

not always the case. Hyperspectral imaging collects information based on a seed’s electromagnetic

Submist for propagation of nursery crops by stem

spectrum, or wavelengths not visible to the human

cuttings

eye. This technology is being evaluated as a quick and

Dr. B. Peterson, University of Maine

nondestructive alternative to time-consuming and costly

Propagation is a major component of production in

seed assays.

environmental horticulture. Overhead mist systems are quite common but use large volumes of water and

Boxwood blight management in the landscape

create environments ideal for disease. In contrast, a

Dr. J. LaMondia, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

submist system could eliminate these shortcomings

Historic gardens and home and commercial landscapes

and perhaps even expand the range of taxa that can

alike fear invasion of boxwood blight. Once plants

be propagated from stem cuttings. Submist will be

are infected, the current recommendation calls for

compared to overhead systems in terms of cost of

plant removal and destruction, followed by a rigorous

construction, operating cost per cutting, and water use

fungicide program to protect any adjacent, symptom-

per cutting.

free boxwoods. Dr. LaMondia plans to focus specifically on management of boxwood blight in landscapes with

Preventing clogging of irrigation emitters caused by

various fungicides.

algae in greenhouse and nursery Dr. R. Raudales, University of Connecticut

Measurement of plant nitrogen status in floriculture and

Clogging of irrigation main pipes and emitters is a

nursery production using smartphones

persistent problem in both greenhouse and nursery

Dr. K. Nemali, Purdue University

production. One greenhouse operation reportedly

Smartphones have revolutionized the way we find

dedicated over 13,000 man-hours to inspect, clean,

information, like monitoring the weather and remotely

and replace clogged emitters, filters, and irrigation

adjusting your heating and lighting systems. Wouldn’t

lines in one calendar year. Caused by algae, the biofilm

it be great to add measurement of your crop’s nitrogen

responsible for creating this problem is difficult to

needs to the list? This tool could help enable timely

manage. Control products exist but could potentially

decisions about fertilizer needs in production by

damage crops. As an alternative, manipulation of the

april 19 MNLA.BIZ

61

LAST WORD

NEWS & NOTES

irrigation system will be studied as a means to control

growers the ability to reduce labor and production

the biofilm.

costs, while increasing production efficiency. In this study, improvements in inventory management using

Increasing inventory management efficiency with auto-

drones fitted with cameras capable of counting trees,

mation for ornamental nurseries & Christmas tree farms

tracking tree location and size, and determining tree

using unmanned aerial systems

health status will be assessed.

Dr. M. Wallhead, University of Maine Labor comprises a large percentage of production costs within environmental horticulture; therefore,

âž˝ For more information about HRI, its grant-funded

technologies that reduce labor costs and increase

research, or programming, visit www.hriresearch.org or

production efficiency are needed. Automation offers

contact Jennifer Gray at 614.884.1155.

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MNLA FOUNDATION Improving the Environment by Investing in Research and Education

1813 LEXINGTON AVE. N | ROSEVILLE, MN 55113 | 651-633-4987 | FAX 651-633-4986 | MNLA@MNLA.BIZ | WWW.MNLAFOUNDATION.COM

PARTNERS FUND You are encouraged to participate in the Research & Education Partners Fund at one of the participating suppliers recognized below. Your voluntary donation of ¼ of 1% (0.25%) on purchases of plants and other nursery, greenhouse and landscape products at these suppliers is used by the MNLA Foundation to grow a brighter future for the industry.

On an invoice totaling $1,000 at one of these suppliers, your contribution will be only $2.50. Your individual contribution is small, but collectively these small contributions will add up to make a real difference!

WHOLESALE NURSERY & HARDSCAPES

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