The Buckeye, September 2013 Volume 24, Issue 8

September 2013

The Official Publication of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association

Vol. 24, Issue 8

What Will The

FUTURE

HOLD Thousand Cankars

Elongate Hemlock Scale

Coreopsis 101

We’re setting the stage for something

GRAND. NEW. PASSION.

Imagine that all of the best, brightest and newest in the green industry come together in one place at one time.

PERFORMANCE.

Reserve your booth today.

800-825-5062 or CENTSMarketplace.ORG

The spotlight is on excellence – to show that business doesn’t have to be boring, and that great ideas can come from unexpected places.

PRIORITIES.

At the end of the day, “green means go.”

It’s your moment to shine.

OWN IT! Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association

CONTENTS The Buckeye is published 10 times per year by The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc. 72 Dorchester Square Westerville, OH 43081 p 614.899.1195 f 614.899.9489 www.onla.org info@onla.org EDITORIAL / ADVERTISING ISSN 1536-7940 Subscriptions: $75/year jennifergray@onla.org, editor THE FINE PRINT The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, directors or staff and do not constitute an endorsement of the products or featured services. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or their identification as members of the ONLA does not constitute an endorsement of the products or featured services.

President’s Perspective What Will the Future Hold: A 10 Year Look Ahead

7

ONLA Office Update Education is an Ongoing Process

Seedlings

5

LandscapeAwards celebrate excellence

2013 CALL FOR ENTRIES celebrating 41 years

Ohio’s Most Prestigious Landscape Awards Competition:

Do you have a brilliantly designed landscape, a fantastic seasonal garden or a shining example of an exclusive backyard retreat or oasis? Why not show the quality of your work by entering the 41st Annual Landscape Awards Program?

Earn the chance to be recognized for your design savvy and green industry know-how. Build you portfolio by highlighting your awardwinning projects and marketing your ONLA accolades to prospective customers.

Awarded companies and projects will be honored during a ceremony attended by green industry professionals – enhancing your company status and rewarding hard-working employees.

•

It’s time to enter the ONLA Landscape Awards Program!

•

Purpose & Objective:

•

• •

•

Reward skilled professionals who have executed quality workmanship.

Encourage landscape contractors, landscape designers, and landscape architects to continue their efforts to raise the industry’s image through consistent use of quality materials and outstanding workmanship.

Make the public aware of how quality landscaping can improve our environment and property values.

Recognize citizens who have taken action through quality to attain att ttai a n this this end. end n . landscaping to

REVISED CATEGORIES

21

INTRODUCING THE ALL-NEW EASY-SUBMISSION PROCESS ANY PROJECT, ANY $ VALUE

• • • •

Thank you to our 40th Annual Program Sponsors!

Buckeye Resources, Inc. South Charleston, Ohio Cash Flow Management Inc. Portland, Oregon Klyn Nurseries Perry, Ohio Millcreek Gardens LLC Ostrander, Ohio Pond Supplies of Ohio Uniontown, Ohio Wholesale Stone Supplies Columbus, Ohio Willoway Nurseries, Inc. von o , Oh O io o Avon, Ohio

NO PLANS REQUIRED

LESS TIME TO ENTER

departments 9

Retail Roundtable Emerging Trends

15

In Memoriam Brian J. Miller, 37

20

Young Leaders Works Smarter, Not Harder

22

Why Trees Matter Tree Diseases Redux

26

Management Today / Marketing Today A Different Kind of “Coach”

27

Educational Update Coreopsis 101: Traditional, Novel, Exciting, Reliable, Challenging

34

Look to the Future Healthy Plants Can Now Be Grown Without Essential Elements

40

Membership Moment Sharing Experiences, Knowledge, and Inspiration The ONLA Way

David Richards, President-Elect South Ridge Farm

DIRECTORS Jason Bornhorst, Board Member JB Design Group, LLC

4

OFFICERS Jim Searcy, President Hyde Park Landscaping, Inc.

Andy Harding, Immediate Past President Herman Losely & Son, Inc.

August 28 Almanac

David Listerman, Board Member Listerman & Associates, Inc. Bill Mainland, Board Member Klyn Nurseries, Inc. Steve Maddox, Board Member Snapshot Garden Design

features 13 14 15 16 38 39

Thousand Canker Disease Confirmed in Ohio

39

Nursery Stock Select Connects Growers with Wholesale Buyers

Dr. Hannah Mathers, Board Member The Ohio State University

Mark Reiner, Board Member Oakland Nursery, Inc.

Mike Satkowiak, Board Member Markman Peat

In the spirit of land stewardship, please consider recycling this publication.

Vol. 24, Issue 8

industry news

•

STAFF Kevin Thompson, Executive Director Jennifer Gray, Associate Executive Director Amanda Domsitz, Communiciations Assistant Amy Eldridge, CENTS Manager Roni Petersen, Membership & Certification Heather Eberline, Accounting

September 2013

Business 38 Practices

also in this issue

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words Elongate Hemlock Scale California Dreamin’ ANLA Launches Rose Rosette Disease Website Germann Named 2013 Teacher of the Year at Penta Career Center

front cover: burgundy brilliance

by Jennifer Gray

33 Member Services • 38 Industry Calendar • 42 About The Buckeye 42 Classified Ads • 42 Ad Index

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President’s Perspective

WHAT

FUTURE

WILL

THE

HOLD Jim Searcy Hyde Park Landscaping, Inc. ONLA President jim@hydeparklandscaping.com

This month I thought it would be interesting to take a look ahead 10 years for the Nursery and Landscape Industry. Research for this topic led me to ask several individuals their opinions as to what we would “look like” as an industry in 2023. We were not searching for “economic” predictions, those are everywhere and even more uncertain than our horticultural/ equipment predictions. What I wanted to investigate was the usage of equipment and technology and how those items would be impacting our industry in 10 years. The results of my research yielded several concepts that are certainly possible.

One fine July morning in 2023 the owner of a landscape installation and maintenance firm in central Ohio saw his mowing crews leaving the firm’s headquarters on their way to a day of mowing and trimming. This owner has been very pleased with the new fleet of “Hovercraft” riding mowers he purchased the previous year. The mowers have proven to require little maintenance and due to the laser blade “guide” give the most even cut his customers have ever experienced. The other great feature is the ability to mow when the ground is wet and avoid the “footprint” of a wheeled mower. Our “example”

A 10 YEAR LOOK AHEAD 4 The Buckeye

onla.org

owner was dreaming this day another 10 years in to the future when “Hovercraft” bobcats would be a reality and the footprint his crew would leave on a job site only related to the worker, not the equipment.

Another industry firm that day in 2023 was a nurseryman in northern Ohio. He had several “pruning” crews in his fields when one of the foremen messaged him via voice text that there was confusion as to the pruning method desirable for the shrub bloc they were assigned that morning. The GM for the nursery was able to immediately send a video to the foreman in the field showing the method desired for those plants. While this technology is available today, it is not used in the nursery or landscape industry to the extent possible. In 2023 it will be used as in this example, which easily leads one to imagine all other possible uses of current and future technology that we will be using to assist our operations in the future.

This same July morning in 2023, an Ohio independent garden center in the southern portion of the state was opening their doors. There are not as many independents as previous years, but those that survived the previous years of economic uncertainty, have grown their business by educating the public. It may seem odd to think of a need to educate the consumer when he or she has apps and devices that give them information at lightning speed, but this garden center educates “in depth”. Many consumers have

onla.org

discovered the world of quick, half sentence information is not sufficient to understand plants, soils, amendments, insects and diseases that affect our environment and our landscapes. By providing “in depth” expert advice, consultation, and real life examples, this independent garden center has a client base that appreciates more of an “education” about their landscape versus a ten second sound bite.

While the businesses I have described above are going about servicing their customers and growing their business, there is another segment of the population looking to the future this July morning in 2023.

Young people are planning to start their education in a two year program. The vast majority of individuals entering our industry in 2025 and beyond will come from a technical or 2 year college program. The industry has not been able to compete with the salaries being paid in other fields and the 4 to 5 year degree in horticulture from our large universities has almost disappeared. The large universities still attract students interested in research and post graduate work, and most have developed 2 year programs or expanded previous programs to meet the demands of the market.

The final forecast for 2023 is a change in the approach to invasive plant control. Environmental groups and invasive plant groups have identified and named many of the worst invasive plants harming our natural areas. In addition, their efforts

have encouraged the production and sale of native species as well as non-invasive non-native plants which have been a great benefit to the natural and cultivated environment. A review of a 1999 Executive Order signed

by President Bill Clinton led to a change in the approach. It is stated in that Executive Order that “Highway corridors provide opportunities for the movement of invasive species through the landscape…. State Departments of Transportation have opportunities to address roadside vegetation management issue through their maintenance programs.” Interested parties attempting to control invasive species have added lobbying federal, state, county, and local government agencies to control the vegetation along the highways and interchanges.

An era of cooperation between nursery stock producers and invasive plant control councils, gives some hope that by 2033, we will have turned the corner on restoring our natural areas to their original function of serving the environment, as well as the beauty man can enjoy.

Thank you to the following contributors to this “prognosticating” research. They include, in alphabetical order: Mark Armstrong, Ramona Burns, Andy Doesburg, David Listerman, Keith Manbeck, Bob Moore, and Pat Wheatley. If you have thoughts on where our industry we will be 10 years from now, please email those projections to me. It has been fun to look ahead and I would love to know your thoughts. B

September 2013 5

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6 The Buckeye

onla.org

ONLA Office Update

Education is an Ongoing Process

The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association leads, promotes and facilitates the success and growth of green industry businesses.

Kevin Thompson ONLA Executive Director kevinthompson@onla.org

We try our best to fulfill this mission in many ways, including; keeping you up-to-date with the latest industry news and trends, protecting your business environment through advocacy, offering programs to help you save money, connecting buyers with sellers, promoting the industry to consumers, and increasing professionalism through certification and education.

Of course there’s more, but in this rapidly changing world in which we live, education is important as ever. As professionals we know that education is an ongoing process that continues throughout our entire lives.

Whether its technical information (who knew we’d be talking about walnut twig beetles?) or business management, building one’s knowledge base is a key to continued success at all levels.

lass C r e t s a M t n e m e g na ONLA Ma onla.org

This is why we strive to offer topnotch educational programs, especially at CENTS & OSU Nursery Short Course. Most people are familiar with the exceptional technical program offered each year by The Ohio State University, as they’ve been doing it for more than 85 years. But to our surprise, often times members tell us they are unaware of the business management classes that are offered during CENTS by the ONLA. OSU has been offering a top-notch horticultural program geared to a wide range of industry segments for decades. Only recently, though, has the ONLA offered business management classes designed to appeal to owners and managers of all business types.

We’re very excited about the Management Master Class planned for Monday afternoon (January 13).

We received a great response from participants of last year’s inaugural Management Master Class and look to build upon its success.

Here’s what OSU Football Coach Urban Meyer said about the first speaker, Brian Kight, who coaches leadership for the OSU Football Team: “It has been one of the most profound experiences I’ve been around as far as teaching these guys a systematic approach to teaching leadership, which we’ve always tried to teach,” Meyer said. “I’m 49 years old, and I’ve learned more from those leadership classes than the players.” (Columbus Dispatch, July 26, 2013 “Ohio State Football: Leadership Class Even Has Meyer Taking Notes”) please see page 8

September 2013 7

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continued from page 7

Brian Kight, Managing Director Focus3

The R Factor – Maximize the one thing you control. Life is a constant flow of events. But success is not determined by the events you experience. Success is determined by how you choose to “Manage the R.” Learn tools and skills to produce better results at work and at home. Using the simple but powerful framework of E+R=O (Event + Response = Outcome), The R Factor teaches people how to “Manage the R.” E+R=O is how life works. Our job is to get good at it.

Also speaking at the Management Master Class are:

Laura Posey, Chief Investigator, Dancing Elephants Ms. Posey’s first session is entitled “Why Prospects Don’t Buy and What to do about it”. You’ll walk away from this session understanding how to quickly identify a prospect’s personality type and understand how to position your product so the prospect willingly chooses to buy.

Her second talk “How to Plan Your Entire Year in 20 Minutes on One Sheet of Paper” promises to pay huge

dividends. You’ll walk out of the classroom with your 2014 planning work for the year done. This talk was a big hit at the 2013 Next Level Conference.

Ted Janus, Janus Productions, Business Advisor “Power Relationships”: The Carnegie Foundation says that the ultimate key to our life’s success is 15% due to our technical knowledge and 85% due to how well we get along with people. In this fun, fast-paced, interactive session, we will learn more about ourselves and also how to treat our customers, family and friends the way that THEY want to be treated. As a result, we will improve our relationships, as well as our emotional and financial bottom lines.

Mike Frank, Speakers Unlimited, Entrepreneur 8 Great Traits of Superstar Entrepreneurs Mike started a small company in Columbus in 1971.

It is now the largest company of it’s type in Ohio. He is a past president of the National Speakers Association and has spoken to over 3,000 groups on sales, customer service, leadership, and entrepreneurship. In this session, he will cover eight points that he feels are among the most critical aspects of building and maintaining a solid business.

In addition to the Management Master Class, the conference also includes the following Business Management Classes, all of which are included in Nursery Short Course and CENTS Plus registration packages: • • • • • • • • • •

7463 West Ridge Road P.O. Box E Fairview PA 16415 0805 800.458.2234 Fax 800.343.6819 e-mail: info@fairviewevergreen.com www.fairviewevergreen.com

8 The Buckeye

Value Based Selling for the Small Business Owner Five Keys to a Workplace Where Employees Want to Work Cultivate or Prune? Preparing the Next Generation to take over the Family Business (and what to do when they’re not ready or able to lead) 9 Tools for Creating Smart Brand Strategy Harnessing the Power of Social Media for Sales The Do’s and Don’ts of Business Photography Ugh! It’s Time to Report Sales Tax--AGAIN?!

Financial Statement S.O.S. Is Workers’ Comp Truly an Uncontrollable Cost?

Identifying Likely Employee Injuries and Effectively Preventing Them

As member Kent Fullmer, Fullmer’s Landscaping put it: “I think it’s extremely important that the ONLA offer business education to help its members succeed”.

It’s our mission – we hope you take advantage this January. B onla.org

Retail Roundtable

EMERGING TRENDS

The spring and summer retail seasons have passed, and plans are well underway for 2014 and beyond. So, we asked our garden center retailer extraordinaires to take a moment from their future’s planning process, and reflect what they’re seeing in their garden center’s crystal ball.

Our question this month: Looking at the past year, as well as this spring and summer, listening to your customers, watching what they’re looking at, asking for, purchasing, what they’re doing in their yards and gardens, etc, tell us – what do you see as the hot trends / emerging trends in gardening / landscaping, etc for retail garden centers?

White Oak Garden Center Tom Hilgeman “Emerging trends? The ability to connect to our customers has been a strong reason for our growth over the last few years. It may be using social media, email or our Make & Take classes. Being able to talk with our customers to help find the items and products they are interested in. This may not be a trend specific to garden centers but is one that is for all small businesses. There is so much information available for the average gardener now; most customers come in now with a plant onla.org

issue and already having looked up the plant problem on Google and have an idea what the answer is. We are using Social media, website, email and phone app to try to get our customers to find us. Garden retail specific trends we are still seeing strong growth in veggie gardening and also Fairy gardening. Customers are continuing to grow more vegetables each year. They seem to try 1 or 2 tomatoes the first year and then try a few new ones the next and by the 3rd or 4th year they have a full blown garden. We will continue to try and help those customers have new and different plants to try each year. Customers have the same strong interest in fruit trees & fruiting shrubs. Fairy gardening is not new but is still hot and we feel like there is still room for good growth in this category. Our Make & Take classes that involve fairy garden planters are always quick to fill up. One new thing for us this year was more mixed annual planters, starting in the 6 inch size & up. Customers are looking for easy ways to fill the many planters they have and the mixed pots are a quick pop in type of solution. We will be expanding that selection in 2014 as well as introducing larger grab & go 12 – 16 inch mixed planters for customers. Container gardening is still strong and will continue to be a department that we will concentrate on. please see page 11

September 2013 9

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ONLA_Full page 12-12-10 10:32 AM Page 1

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10 The Buckeye

onla.org

continued from page 9

Knollwood Garden Center Rob Scott “Looking at the past year, one thing I believe I see is a trend towards younger couples trying to get their kids involved in gardening. For a number of years, I was worried that our clientele was getting older and the younger generations were not interested in gardening. Well, now I believe we are seeing more of the 30-40 year old group with young kids using gardening as a family activity. Our kids club is gaining traction and when we have kid oriented activities on the weekends we draw a good crowd.

Cooking is also hot again thanks to all the shows on the Food Channel and Cooking Channel. This has created a renewed interest in herbs and spicy peppers. These two categories have really increased the past few years. One topic someone found is called ‘Gar-Tending’ which is using herbs and fruits in drinks and appetizers. I think we should do a seminar on that! (Hey Rob! What about ‘Biergartening?)

Buckeye Resources Tony Sciambi “Organics are picking up especially soils for the garden. Everyone is featuring organic potting mixes from Miracle Gro to Baccto Veggie Mix and even into the Compost like Wholly Cow; everyone is getting it OMRI listed for Organic Use. Large Flowering Hanging Baskets, the bigger the better are hot; Begonias, Lobelias, Sweet Potato Vines. Wave Petunias, Supertunias, Fuchsias or a combination. Smaller baskets are being replaced by 12” and 16” selling upward to $50 to $70 each; instant and dramatic color. Also, look at Permeable brick. Instead of rain runoff, the water soaks right into the ground thus reliving downstream runoff. And lastly, Black Mulch, which gives a striking contrast to both flowers and shrubs in the landscape. Red & Brown are also popular.

H.J. Benken Florist and Greenhouses Tim Clark “We are still seeing an amazing amount of interest in container gardening. I believe the interest is so high because it’s such an easy way to add color to non traditional areas such as decks and patios. There is no digging involved and the soil is always loose and ready to plant.

Also, there is continued interest in having the planting done for them whether we plant on site or bring the pots back to the garden center - they just seem to really like the idea of having it professionally designed and planted.

Plants that are self cleaning have been outselling those that require maintenance to stay fresh looking. Folks seem to be ready to put in the initial work but then want it to be pretty much maintenance free after that.” onla.org

Oakland Nursery Andy Bartrum “As the spring has drawn to a close its time to look back and reflect. As expected vegetables continued to be a hot seller and shows little signs of slowing down anytime soon. Container and raised gardens also showed increased interest, but not just for veggies. Customers are expanding their container gardening into fairy gardens, succulents, and now even perennial displays in pots.

Bright colors on pottery, shepherd hooks, and even tomato cages drew plenty of attention this spring to brighten up gardens. Overall, customers seem to be slowly returning to improving their landscapes for beautification but more ideally functionality.”

Green Vista Water Gardens Stephen Blessing “Well, I’m kind of curious to hear myself since I am just “submersed” in the water feature side of things!

From my little corner of the retail world we are continuing to see interest in “pond-less” type water features rise.

There especially seems to be growing interest in utilizing about any pot, vase, or almost anything you can run water through to create a unique feature. Use of cored, natural basalt columns as fountains is also growing for both our homeowner contractor business. The other big trend we see is the fast adoption of LED lighting as the standard, preferred lighting choice over halogen lights. Cost continues to come down on LED lights. Reduced cost, along with electrical savings and the wider availability of more versatile “warm white” LED lights are significant selling points.

DeHaven Home and Garden Showplace John DeHaven “Color, color, color; that is what customers are asking for. And, I have seen a nice resurgence in nursery sales this year. Partly since customers haven’t spent any money the last couple of years. I am noticing that older customers are wanting easier, more color, less maintenance plant material. Main trends are in new and usual with tons of blooms, color that is thru the whole season. Plants that can be maintained in the 3-5 foot range, customers are still in love with knockouts and other shrub roses.

Mainly it comes down to quality, and what we have in stock that looks healthy and vibrant. Small trees are very popular; customers want them to bloom with easy care.

Shade trees are also very popular, partly because of the Emerald Ash Borer. We’re selling all sizes and varieties of trees as well this year. Overall I have been really pleased with nursery stock sales; general Garden sales have been decent as well.

please see page 12

September 2013 11

continued from page 11

Sharon Nursery Darlene Cooper “Fairy gardening has arrived later for us than most others I suspect, but it has been very hot with folks looking for more and more items in small scale. I think this is fantastic because at least some of the folks are using this as a venue to involve kids-whether their own or their grandkids as a fun and small scale introduction to gardening.

Hallelujah!! We need young ‘uns in this industry; however we can draw them in- I’m for it! Also no surprise but veggie and fruit gardening have been on the rise the last few years and this season was no exception. There is so much opportunity for us to grow (tee hee) this category! It is very empowering for us as humans to know we are able to provide food for ourselves and our families with just a little cash, sweat and tears. Again, huge opportunities especially if we educate ourselves thoroughly on hydro, aqua, and all the other “ponics”. Everybody eats! Recipe suggestions near the plants are a nice bonus and often increase herb sales. I see container gardening as trending up. Some of us just aren’t as into edging and cutting new beds as we used to be. Some of us are in smaller spaces but still need our flower fix. Getting the younger generation hooked on containers is still a challenge as they often

12 The Buckeye

view them as extra work. We need to keep lots of samples and to host lots of how to’s to lure them in. Last I still see lots of interest in hummingbird gardening. Those little critters really hook people. While it may still be a relatively small category it has the potential to grow IF you can convince folks that butterflies, birds and bees are just as (or more) important. I really wish we could get people as stoked about the bees.

Such great feedback from our esteemed experts on hot and emerging trends in retail garden centers, that no comment from me is needed. I would like to end with the words sung by Wm. P. Stalter’s favorite country singer and actor, the late Jerry Reed (Mr. Stalter loves to impersonate Jerry during Karaoke contests). Y’all ready?

“When you’re hot, you’re hot, and when you’re not, you’re not. Put all the money in and let’s roll ‘em again, I say, when you’re hot, you’re hot!”

Hey retailers – can we talk? B Ron Wilson ONLA Retail Committee Ghost Writer in the Sky rwilson@natorp.com

onla.org

Thousand Cankers Disease Confirmed in Ohio The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) has announced that TCD of walnut has been confirmed in Butler County, Ohio. This disease of black walnut (Juglans nigra) is caused by a fungus (Geosmithia sp.) that is carried from tree to tree by the WALNUT TWIG BEETLE (Pityophthorus juglandis) (WTB); a type of bark beetle.

Walnut Twig Beetle was first confirmed in Ohio in late 2012 in traps set by Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry officials in Butler County.

Additionally, scientists from the Ohio Plant Diagnostic Network, a cooperative partnership between ODA and The Ohio State University, recently isolated the TCD fungus from walnut branch samples from the Butler County area, marking the first time TCD has been confirmed in Ohio.

TCD has been a problem in recent years in a number of western US states, killing thousands of black walnuts planted there.

Of major concern was the possibility of the disease developing in the native range for black walnut, the Midwest and southern states that includes Ohio. Unfortunately, Ohio now joins Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia as eastern states where TCD has been confirmed. Thankfully, TCD has not become widespread in those states; however, landscapers, forest managers, and walnut growers should be vigilant.

WTB is an extremely small bark beetle measuring a little over 1/16” in length.

Adults spend the winter in cavities excavated in the bark of walnut trees. The overwintered adults emerge in the spring to mate and initiate the next generation.

WTB behaves like other bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae); both the adults and larvae are phloem feeders. Adults bore through the bark and into the phloem where they tunnel, feed, and lay eggs.

The resulting larvae continue to feed and develop in the phloem until they pupate and emerge as new adults creating new emergence holes through the bark. onla.org

Crown thinning and dieback associated with end stage thousand cankers disease. Asociated with walnut twig beetle.

Source: Curtis Utley, CSUE, Bugwood.org Emergence of the second generation adults occurs in mid-to-late summer; however, the exact timing of various stages of the life cycle has not yet been studied in Ohio.

first produces distinct dark brown spots on the leaflets that are typically surrounded by a yellow halo. The yellowing tissue eventually expands to include the entire

Despite its common name, WTB actually targets branches that are greater than 1/2” in diameter. They will also tunnel into main stems. The adult and larval tunneling and feeding activity produces symptoms typical of bark beetles with frass-filled galleries meandering through the phloem. However, what is atypical is the development of characteristic dark brown to brownishblack fungal cankers around the galleries and diffusing outward from the galleries.

Although cankers may appear small, it’s the development of thousands of phloem cankers that can eventually kill infected branches and ultimately entire trees; thus, the common name of the disease.

leaflet at which time the leaflet drops from the tree. Of course, walnuts with TCD may also suffer from anthracnose, so it is important to distinguish the symptoms of the two diseases. Thus far, there have been no controls developed for TCD; neither for the beetle nor for the fungus.

Symptoms of TCD include yellowing foliage (chlorosis) that progresses rapidly to brown wilted foliage, and finally branch dieback.

Infected trees develop thinning canopies and top dieback with epicormic growth sometimes sprouting from lower portions of main stems. Unfortunately, the current leaf chlorosis and leaf drop that is being caused by walnut anthracnose may confuse the issue. However, walnut anthracnose

An adult aggregation pheromone that attracts both male and female beetles is available and has been used in traps to detect WTB; thus far, the beetles have never been found without the fungus that causes TCD. The WTB detection trapping program in Ohio has been a team effort between the ODA and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) with ODNR personnel deploying and monitoring traps throughout the state and ODA deploying traps within and around the TCD site in Butler County.

A trapping grid will be deployed by the ODA to determine the extent of the WTB infestation. Please report suspicious walnut trees to the ODA at 855‐252‐6450 or plantpest@agri.ohio.gov.

Sources: BYGL and ODA B

September 2013 13

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words INFOGRAPHICS are a deceptively simple method of communicating an idea, data, knowledge, and information. They are a clever way for businesses to communicate a unique buying proposition to customers.

BUCKEYEGARDENING.COM has gathered a number of infographics related to the green industry. Visit our site and take a look! B

Elongate Hemlock Scale Elongate hemlock scale (Fiorinia externa) is a non-native armored scale that is sometimes called “Fiorinia scale.” The scale was accidently introduced to the U.S. from Japan and was first found in New York, NY, in 1908. Ohio is currently on the western edge of the scale’s spread across the U.S. It is a serious pest of hemlocks but will occasionally be found on other conifers including firs, Douglas-fir, spruces, cedars, pines, and yews.

The elongate hemlock scale occurs on the underside of needles and on cones. The common name is descriptive. Mature females are covered by a waxy slightly translucent “test” that is elongated and parallel-sided. The test ranges in color from yellowishbrown to brownish-orange. The waxy tests covering mature males are white and also elongated. The mobile soft bodied first instar nymphs (crawlers) are lemon yellow.

Second instar nymphs (settled crawlers) are also soft bodied; however, they are sedentary and enclosed in an oval, amber-colored covering. The settled crawlers secrete waxy white filaments. Occasionally, the underside of infested needles may become covered by tangled strands of this white flocculent material.

The scale spends the winter as fertilized females or eggs. Overwintered eggs hatch in early spring and overwintered females continue to produce eggs throughout the spring.

Thus, the resulting crawler stage lasts for an extended period of time. The crawlers move to new growth where they settle, feed, and eventually develop into mature males and females. The mature scales mate to produce a second generation and eggs produced by the second generation females give rise to individuals that overwinter.

Like all armored scales, the elongate hemlock scale feeds by inserting their piercingsucking mouthparts into needles to withdraw nutrients from meshophyll cells. Damage symptoms include yellow banding on the needles, overall needle yellowing, and needle loss. Severe damage will produce branch dieback. Heavy infestations also weaken trees making them more susceptible to other pests or death from environmental challenges such as drought.

Management of this scale is made difficult because all life stages may be present at the same time during the season. Foliar insecticide applications targeting crawlers have been shown to be effective; however, multiple applications are required. Summer applications of the systemic insecticide dinotefuran (e.g. Safari) have been shown to be effective in suppressing elongate hemlock scale; however, imidacloprid (e.g. Merit) is not effective against armored scales. Source: BYGL B

Elongate Hemlock Scale Eric R. Day, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Bugwood.org

14 The Buckeye

Elongate Hemlock Scale Richard Cowles, Conn. Agric.

Expt. Station, Bugwood.org onla.org

In Memoriam Brian J. Miller, 37 Brian J. Miller age 37 passed away suddenly in his home on Saturday, June 29, 2013 with his wife Jamie by his side.

Brian was born Sept. 27, 1975 in Hamilton Ohio and graduated from Fairfield in 1993. He graduated from Cincinnati State with a horticultural degree in 1997.

Brian was employed by Viox, working in commercial landscaping.

Brian is the only child of Kathie Kemp and Larry (Karen) Miller; a step-father, Jack Campbell. Brian leaves behind his wife Jamie, daughters, Savannah, Alyssa and son Brayden. He also leaves behind the following family, Carol Gibson, Harlan (Donna) Hansford, Bryan Gibson, Michelle (Eric) Lucking, Jason (Tina) Duke, Jeff (Carla) Duke, Tracy (Gary) Grubb, Grandma Miller, Grandma Essert, many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Brian was a very loving and caring husband and father being very active in his children’s lives. He will be missed by all. Brian was very blessed with a vast group of loving friends who will miss him deeply.

In Lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Brian J. Miller memorial fund to benefit his children at Union Savings Bank. B

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September 2013 15

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Feature

California dreamin’ 16 The Buckeye

onla.org

The California Spring Trials (formerly Pack Trials) is the annual open house hosted by breeders and propagators to show off what they do best…create new varieties! In addition, breeders show off some great ideas for marketing and merchandising. This year did not disappoint, and there are new varieties for 2014 I’m sure you’ll be excited about. We’ll run through the stops I visited, starting in Gilroy, near San Jose and finishing in Vista, near San Diego.

Danziger •

• • •

Lobularia Stream™ Series – This is the third year of new colors in this series! Purple and Bicolor Lilac (lilac with white flowers on the tips of the stems) join the line of compact, fragrant Lobularia Cascadias™ Rim Magenta – a lovely new petunia with a subtle difference in the petal form. It’s dark purple/burgundy with a creamy white rim.

Salvia Sally Fun™ Sky Blue – a farinacea type salvia with bi-color blue and sky blue flowers. This series is great for pots and garden as well Heartbreakers Tomato – This is a cute little pot tomato with a heart shape, especially noticeable when it’s cut in half. A fun novelty item with great POP available.

gerbera cartwheel strawberry twist

American Takii • •

Gerbera Royal™ Bicolor Red – a striking new bicolor of red and white in the Royal family, which is great for 5”-6” pots.

Canna South Pacific – the first F1 canna from seed offers a week earlier flowering with supple leaves and lot of breaks. Orange/red flower color.

Sakata •

•

SunPatiens® Spreading Pink Flash – a great new bicolor flower in light and darker pink. Two other new colors were also introduced in the Compact series, Red and Hot Coral. They are pushing SunPatiens for both sun and shade.

Profusion® Zinnia ® There are 3 new colors this year.

Double Hot Cherry and Double Deep Salmon are both AAS winners. Double Yellow is the third color.

superbena violet ice in pot

Syngenta Flowers •

•

Verbena Lanai™ Twister – Two new colors, Red and Purple, join Twister Pink. These verbena have a unique bicolor flower, and because the color break is not virusdriven, the color will hold up through the stress of summer heat. The Lanai series is also very disease resistant.

Gerbera Cartwheel™ Strawberry Twist – This is a large flowered gerbera with amazing yellow/pink coloring…it’s one that will stop your customers in their tracks! You will see different color patterns in each flower. Sized for 5” pots or larger. please see page 18

onla.org

leucantemum real glory

September 2013 17

superbells pomegranate punch

cascadia rim magenta continued from page 17

•

• •

Pentas Starcluster™ - A new series of Pentas with 4 colors, Lavender, Red, White and Rose. The flower clusters are large, the plants will work well in 6” pots or gallons. Great for hot, summer conditions.

Cuphea Sriracha™ - Large-flowered cuphea series from seed in 3 colors, Pink, Rose and Violet.

Great for heat and drought tolerance.

New Guinea Impatiens Florific™ - A new series of New Guineas from seed, these have a fast crop time and work well for high density production.

These are a good alternative for impatiens wallerana in the garden.

Proven Winners had their display in a new location this year, on the north end of Spring Trials in Santa Cruz, California.

18 The Buckeye

•

•

•

Proven Winners

lanai twister red

•

begonia unstoppable upright big fire

Superbells® Pomegranate Punch - the newest member of the Punch family, this is a true red flower with a dark center. Good performance and a mounding habit for pots or baskets.

Supertunia® Flamingo - A lovely pink petunia that will replace Cotton Candy. It has a smaller flower size than Cotton Candy and a vigorous, flat landscape type habit.

Supertunia® Orchid Charm - A small-flowered petunia with a dense, mounding habit and a lovely lavender-pink color. The Charm series is a great alternative to calibrachoa in the landscape, if you want a small flower size.

Superbena® Violet Ice - the first Superbena® introduction in a few years (that isn’t a Royale).

This is a large flower in a lovely violet color with a white eye. Good disease resistance. Great for baskets.

sunpatiens spreading pink flash

canna south pacific onla.org

•

Note: Proven Winners have added the Calliope™ geraniums under a new name, ’Boldly™’, and the Caliente™ geraniums under a new name, ‘Timeless™’. In addition, they have added the Big Begonia series under the name ‘Surefire™’.

Online Availability klynnurseries.com

Dummen •

•

•

•

•

Begonia Unstoppable Upright Big Fire – a new begonia introduction that is upright with dark mocca-colored leaves and hot orange flowers. This is a bolivensis-type begonia, great for pots.

Calibrachoa Red Fox Hula series – a new series with flowers that have an appealing “hoop” of color in the center (will remind you of the Punch series from PW). They have a semi-upright habit and big flowers. Great for baskets! 6 colors Petunia Sweetunia Johnny Flame – a “wow” kind of flower that is purple with dark, almost black “flame” markings on the petals. Very unique!

Petunia Peppy Cerise – Peppy is a vigorous series, great for baskets, with star-type flowers.

Cerise is a new pink-red color. Another unique item.

Verbena Wicked Pink Pepper – Wicked is a new series of bi-color verbena similar to Twister from Syngenta. There are 4 new colors, but the Pink Pepper is really unusual with both pink and red plus white in the flower.

Visit our website Sales Staff Availability* Hot List* Klyn Catalog 2013* Quote Form Photo Gallery E-mail addresses About Us Directions *Contact us for user name and password

Skagit Gardens Skagit is a company from Washington State that grows primarily perennials, and some annuals.

• Leucanthemum Real Series – a new series with unique flower types. Zone 5 hardy. ‘Real Glory’ is a beautiful flower form that will remind you of an Echinacea • Helenium Short n Sassy – a compact Helenium that flowers earlier than most. Short and compact (12-18”), and long blooming. A beautiful orange/ yellow bicolor flower. Zone 4 Indeed, it was a great trip this year! When you are passionate about plants, there are always new varieties to get excited about! Please remember to check back in your July issue for the second half of the 2013 Spring Trials Report. B

KLYN NURSERIES, Inc. 3322 SOUTH RIDGE RD. • P.O. BOX 343 PERRY, OHIO 44081

TELEPHONE: (440) 259-3811 FAX: (440) 259-3338

Carolyn Jones BFG Plant Connection cjones@bfgsupply.com

onla.org

1-800-860-8104 Web Site: klynnurseries.com E-Mail: klyn@klynnurseries.com September 2013 19

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Yo u n g L e a d e r s

20  The Buckeye

onla.org

Work Smarter, Not Harder As a member of Generation X, I find that there is often a bit of a gap in the expectations and communication with the older generations.

With advances in technology and the ideas of lean management, it seems that my generation is perceived to be lazy or that we don’t care as much about the work to be done.

I know from discussions with many of my colleagues in the green industry and friends that are involved in other industries, we are all dedicated to get our job done with complete customer satisfaction. Doing this does not mean that we need to work thirteen hour days or go home physically worn out. Generations X and Y choose to embrace technology and equipment advancements to work smarter and not harder.

All things considered, the younger generations still value the knowledge and experience of owners, managers, and employees that have been in the work force for 10, 20, 30 or more years.

However, those people must be willing to share that information and not get so busy that there is not enough time to train the new employees.

During the training process, it should be kept in mind that new employees will often ask questions about why something is done in a particular way. Remaining open to really looking at the answer to the question rather than saying, “because that’s how we’ve always done it,” may open a door to a way that could improve a process. I often times think back to my math teachers over the years. When presented with a math problem, the teachers don’t really care how you get to the answer, they just want you to get onla.org

it right. Of course, the work has to make sense and not just be a lucky guess. It seems that this sort of thinking could go a long way in the training process.

Give someone a task and explain what you want the end result to be and the steps that you usually follow to get there. List out the nonnegotiables but be somewhat flexible. If you both end at the same result, but one is faster and makes a better profit, isn’t it worth a look (and maybe an investment) in the means to allow it to happen on a regular occurrence?

Technological advancements in cellular phones alone can help to streamline more business processes. In the July 2013 issue of The Buckeye, there were a number of applications listed that individuals in the industry use on a daily basis.

You can use them to check in and out of jobs, scan bar codes on plants, check the weather, send/receive email, take pictures, etc.

Consider the time savings in the office if a crew is able to pull up to a job, check in, complete the job, record the products used, check out of the job and generate an invoice to be mailed or left with the client. This could remove a position in the office or allow that person to focus on other tasks. B Ben Trubisky ONLA Next Generation Committee Production Manager Ahlum & Arbor Tree Preservation btrubisky@ahlumarbor.com

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W h y Tr e e s M a t t e r

Tree Diseases Redux We often speak about “Why Plant Diseases Are So Difficult to Manage” and have written about this before, for example, in the Buckeye, American Nurseryman and other publications. We generally note some key challenges, namely: 1. The inoculum of plant pathogens is microscopic, and we do not see the pathogen arrive on a plant, germinate, penetrate and infect a plan. Later, once visible symptoms develop, it is too late to prevent the invisible (to the naked eye) infection that has already occurred days, weeks, or months earlier.

2. Disease control is almost totally preventative, not reactive. See above, plus for true prevention, think way back, such as when plant selection decisions are made, choosing species or cultivars with genetic resistance to disease or planted into situations where disease is less likely to develop.

3. The weather is unpredictable, so planning on how bad rose black spot or apple scab will be in a given year depends, upon how well you can predict the weather, and we all know how that goes.

4. Pathogens change, so while we busily go about

22 The Buckeye

breeding for genetic resistance to a particular disease, nature works 24/7 via mutations and natural selection, resulting in new strains of the pathogen, eg. the strain of the Venturia inaequalis apple scab fungus in Ohio that is overcoming the genetic resistance of ‘Prairifire’ crabapple to apple scab.

5. There are so many host plants, which is especially a challenge for the green industry with hundreds of genera of ornamental plants, all with their own particular set of diseases.

As we prepared a recent talk for the International Society of Arboriculture annual meeting in Toronto on this topic as it related to trees, we decided to elaborate on some additional issues related to the difficulties inherent to disease management. Let’s look at these further notso-fun facts of plant diseases.

All Pathogens Are Not Created Equal Plant pathogens by definition are parasites, infecting living plant cells. However, there is quite a range, from obligate parasites, which live only on living cells, to oponla.org

portunistic pathogens, which mostly live on already dead cells as saprophytes but also make a living as parasites on dying or stressed plant cells. A good example of a pathogen that thrives both as a saprophyte and a parasite is the Botrytis gray mold fungus, which infects many plants, from herbaceous geraniums to woody plants in propagation situations. Imagine a world in which a perfectly healthy geranium plant has a plant part that is dying, let’s say flower blossoms that senesce and die with age. This living blossom tissue dies, Botrytis colonizes it, feeding on these dead and dying cells, multiplies rapidly especially in cool and moist conditions, and then those infested geranium florets fall on healthy leaf tissue, in great numbers, with moisture and blocking the sun where they fall.

Those healthy leaves then develop Botrytis blight.

Imagine such a world – that is the world of horticulture. Other examples are a number of wood decay fungi which feed on dead organic matter in the woods and in living trees, but also are capable of serious active parasitic infections of living cells. A classic example here is the dryad’s saddle fungus (Polyporus squamosus) and the ling chi fungus (Ganoderma lucidum). Are these bracket fungi, which are both saprophytes and parasites, better indicators of a threat to tree health and thus suggestive of a hazard tree, and more of a threat than other bracket fungi please see page 24

onla.org

September 2013 23

continued from page 23

that are just saprophytes? They are, but this brings up an important question. Is it simple to identify the really bad guys and the not-so-bad guys, the opportunistic pathogens and the merely saprophytic organisms? We wish it was, but this is one of the many examples of the importance of continuing education. When it comes to horticulture and plant pathology there really never will be a true knowit-all. The bad news is that we will all be ignorant of far more than that which we know. The good news? We will always be ignorant of far more than that which we know.

We get to learn, forever, like L.C. Chadwick learning a new plant every day. What gets us into trouble, in the words of the inimitable Yogi Berra, “is what we know for sure, that just ain’t so.” Such is life – embrace the idea of lifelong learning. Nowhere is it more obvious than when spending your life in the culture of living things.

Summertime…and Diagnostics and Prognostics Are Never Easy Also in Toronto, and in Ohio throughout the summer and the year, OSU Extension does a number of plant diagnostic workshops, from the Diagnostic Walks with ONLA to the BYGLive! programs of Joe Boggs in southwest Ohio, to frequent plant diagnostic workshops (next one September 4 in Wooster). In Toronto, a good diagnostic example was a plant that we thought would

24 The Buckeye

be a great example of the symptoms of yellowing due to nutrient deficiency or root problems – until we noted excellent annual growth – and the sign which noted it was a golden wayfaringtree viburnum. Or a group of hedges, including euonymus and dogwood, with leaf scorch and discoloration, difficult to diagnose - without the context that these were the tops of hedges recently sheared and now experiencing sun scald. Imagine trying to intuit this if you did not have information about the horticultural history (Question #11 of the 20 Questions of Plant Diagnostics – check this fact sheet out at ohioline.osu.edu and for the many other OSU Fact Sheets – this one is in the Plant Pathology Series).

Then there is: Prognostics “A sign or symptom indicating the future course of a disease”. This is a very important part of our 20 Questions of Diagnostics (part of Question #5: “What is the overall health of the plant?” and Question #19, right after diagnosis, and right before recommendations, one last time asking “What is the significance of the problem?”). Sometimes diagnosticians do get carried away with the interesting minutiae of a fascinating problem, failing to relate it to their practitioner side in terms of whether the problem is important either to the client or to the health of the tree.

A good example is cedar quince rust on hawthorn.

This disease is caused by the fungus Gymnosporangium clavipes, the cedar quince rust fungus, which, unlike

onla.org

cedar apple rust or cedar hawthorn rust diseases, tends to occur on the fruits and stems of a rosaceous host such as hawthorn, rather than on the leaves. A fascinating disease indeed, in that the disease cycle involves an obligate back and forth cycle of infection of certain junipers (Eastern red cedar) and rosaceous plants such as apple, crabapple, and quince. While extolling this fascinating story recently to landscapers in Holmes County, Chatfield recently got so caught up in the story and his belief that this disease was not a problem to plant health that he failed at first to answer the simple question of whether the affected plants should be replaced. Having never seen it cause serious health problems (in his opinion) on thousands of other cases of this disease, thinking that the only reason for removal would be if customers were seriously concerned about orange spores being tracked inside onto white rugs, he failed to see what the landscapers were pointing at: a hawthorn that was seriously stunted and almost completely defoliated, a condition that was occurring with new infections from junipers yearly. Prognosis: negative.

Always remember to see what is right in front of you.

Well, we planned to continue with several other aspects of the challenges of plant diseases, especially as it relates to this last example, in that disease cycles may be torturous. Stay tuned for another edition, one that also features the fact that entomologists sometimes complicate matters. For now, remember the words of Pellinor of Buckland: The diagnoses of the maladies of the plantes of the heathe and of the moores are man’s most pressing calling, penetrating to the very heart of Natuyr gone wrong. B Jim Chatfield, Joe Boggs, and Erik Draper The Ohio State University Extension Nursery Landscape and Turf Team chatfield.1@osu.edu, boggs.47@osu.edu, draper.15@osu.edu

CAPTIONS Page 22: Dryad’s saddle fungus is both a parasite and a saprpohyte Page 23 (top to bottom): Fruit scab on Weeping Candied Apple crabapple Rose black spot Golden wayfaringtree viburnum (Viburnum lantana ‘Aureum’) Severe cedar quince rust on hawthorn CQR: Prognosis – negative Page 25 (top to bottom): Sunscald from shearing on euonymus Unsheared euonmymus without sunscald Florist’s geranium (Pelargonium) healthy bloom Bloom senescing, susceptible to Botrytis Botryis gray mold infested florets Images courtesy Jim Chatfield

onla.org

September 2013 25

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M a n a g e m e n t To d a y / M a r k e t i n g To d a y

A Different Kind of “Coach” What do you think of when you hear the word, “Coach?” Maybe a basketball coach?

Coach K, perhaps. Or maybe the other end of the spectrum – Bobby Knight.

Mark Mayberry The Mayberry Group mark@markmayberry.com

What about a “coach” seat on an airplane? Not as good as first class, but it does get you to your destination. How about a “Coach” purse? That’s where Lynn and I found a sales Team that was full of “Shazzam” - at a “Coach” outlet store in Johnson Creek, WI. Lynn’s daughter, Kelly, bought her a Coach purse for Christmas, and she loved it. Unfortunately, after about 7 months, the purse began to show real signs of wear on the straps. Lynn and I headed for the Coach outlet store in Johnson Creek, not knowing what to expect. What we got was “Shazzam” with a few smiles!

Bring Mark in to motivate your Team with an amazing dose of “Shazzam!” Call Mark today! (815) 2091381 Mark Mayberry is a Customer Service expert.

He works with a wide variety of organizations around the world, helping organizations like yours deliver “Service With Shazzam” to your Customers. Call Mark today at (815) 209-1381!

26 The Buckeye

When we walked in, we were greeted by a friendly clerk. When Lynn told her that she had a return, the clerk said that this could be taken care of at the checkout counter.

At the checkout, we were greeted by the store manager. When Lynn showed her the worn strap, the manager said, “We’ll be happy to give you your money back – or you can shop around the store and find another purse. We have a lot of great purses that have fantastic prices.” So we decided to look around.

When we got to the back of the store, there were a couple of styles that Lynn liked. However, we were having a difficult time figuring out what price each purse was. (During our visit to the Coach outlet

store, this was the only thing that didn’t make sense.) A sales clerk came by and we asked for her help. Once again, the attitude was fantastic, and we not only found out what price each purse was, the young lady described the benefits of each style. Another “Shazzam!”

Finally, we took the purse to the counter, and the sales clerk acted as if were the only Customers in the store. She gave Lynn credit for the “worn strap” purse, and rang up the new one. Everyone we encountered was professional plus.

One last bit of “Shazzam…” After the sale was complete, the sales clerk walked out from behind the counter to hand the bag to Lynn. A simple gesture, but one that made us feel like we were special. Shazzam!

From my days in retail (too many to count!), I know that returns aren’t much fun. Coach is a “class” brand, and the sales Team at the Johnson Creek “Coach” outlet store had “class” written all over them – from the time we entered the store to the time we left. And I’m sure they kept it up even after we were gone. Lynn loves her new purse, and I had a great time seeing “Shazzam” in action!

The Shazzam Challenge The “Coach” outlet store has a Team that is full of “Shazzam,” even when handling a return. What attitudes do Customers find when they have a challenge with your Team’s product or service? B © Mark Mayberry mark@markmayberry.com

onla.org

Educational Update Coreopsis 101:

Traditional, Novel, Exciting, Reliable, Challenging

This article is provided to you as a benefit of membership in the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association.

Content for this issue provided by: Dr. Pablo Jourdan Associate Professor The Ohio State University Director, Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center jourdan.1@osu.edu

The Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center (OPGC: opgc.osu. edu.) exists to serve the floriculture and nursery industry through its mission to conserve genetically –diverse herbaceous ornamental plant germplasm and associated information, conduct germplasmrelated research, and encourage the use of germplasm and associated information for research, crop improvement and product development. We seek geneticallybased solutions to production and utilization problems, and explore sources of novel traits. Each year, the OPGC chooses one of its priority genera to celebrate as ‘The Year of…’ in order to expand a conversation between growers, retailers, breeders, scientists, and consumers around a valuable and interesting ornamental group that we hope will help promote its use and enhance awareness. For 2013 we selected Coreopsis, a popular, exciting and, yes, sometimes frustrating, native group of herbaceous ornamental plants known for colorful flowers.

Coreopsis is one of our priority genera for conservation and study and the rapid expansion of new cultivars within the last few years made this genus a logical choice.

Coreopsis is a long-standing popular and generally reliable garden plant. It has been among the top 10 perennials sold in garden centers for a long time. The fact that these plants are also native to North America is not often recognized, but their cheerful colors, long-blooming period, and general ease of growth have made them a

mainstay of gardens. Coreopsis species and cultivars are versatile: they can be used in mixed or herbaceous borders, as bedding, in containers, in naturalistic landscapes and as component of green roofs. Some are also used as cut flowers. However, there are some challenges that sometimes limit the more widespread use of these plants; principal among them is powdery mildew, a cosmetic blemish on the plants in the landscape. In addition, deadheading is required in some of the cultivars to insure a continuous supply of flowers and to minimize the production of fruits & seeds that can sometimes become a bit weedy. There is also concern and disappointment about the winter hardiness of some of the new colorful cultivars.

In developing new cultivars for a market that demands novelty in flower or foliage color, but also good garden performance, breeders can access genes from the different species of Coreopsis that show good genetic compatibility.

Hybrids between different species remain a principal source of novel plants. Often these interspecific hybrids are sterile, or at least partly so. Sterility in hybrids may be beneficial in that sterile flowers are commonly longer lived than fertile ones and deadheading to eliminate developing fruit may not be necessary (so-called ‘selfcleaning’). Such sterile hybrids must be propagated vegetatively, which is a fairly rapid way to introduce new cultivars into the trade.

Fortunately most coreopsis can be

please see page 28

EDUCATIONAL UPDATE

continued from page 27

easily propagated by vegetative means. On the other hand, sterility may limit further breeding with a line, preventing refinement of other desirable traits such as hardiness, growth rate, flowering period, and even disease/pest resistance.

The genus Coreopsis is in the Asteraceae family of flowering plants and consists of about 35 species, 28 of which are native to North America; the remainder can be found in South America. Many of the species are called ‘tickseed’ because the seed resembles an insect like ticks; more broadly, coreopsis is used as the common name and, in my opinion, is preferable.

Coreopsis is closely related to Bidens and it can be difficult to distinguish the two genera, so much so that recently all former Coreopsis species that were native to Africa have recently been reclassified to Bidens based on strong molecular evidence.

28

Of the 28 species of Coreopsis in North America, less than half of them have been used to any extent in constructed landscapes although there are some in the remaining group that probably merit more consideration for garden use. Nevertheless the various species and cultivars that can be used in landscapes could be categorized generally as either ‘true perennials’ (plants that are reliably hardy in USDA Hardiness Zone 4/5 and that return year after year), ‘temperennials’ (plants that may be perennial in mild climes -USDA Winter Hardiness Zone 7/8 and warmer - but that tend to be grown best as annuals in colder zones as for example Coreopsis ‘Tahitian Sunset’; an alternative category may be plants that are perennial and hardy, but naturally short-lived, but that may persist through seeds) or ‘true annuals’ (plants that die after seed formation, but that may persist in a garden through re-seeding, though not necessarily in the same spot in the landscape).

The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association’s The Buckeye, September 2013

Coreopsis tripteris - tall tickseed is a 4-10 ft tall perennial, native to eastern U.S. heavy loams, moist sands, boggy meadows and along streams. It is very cold hardy (zones 4-9). Yellow flowers with brown centers are present July-September. Leaves are typically divided into 3-5 leaflets. A good plant for the back of perennial borders, it is showy but can get very tall and may tend to flop open in shaded or highly fertile sites. C. tripteris is commonly grown in less formal landscape settings such as meadow or prairie gardens. ‘Flower Tower’ grows to 8 feet and is said to be an improvement over the species with thicker stems and a more profuse longer bloom period. ‘Lightning Flash’ has grown 3-4 feet tall in our gardens in Columbus, Ohio; it has interesting golden-yellow foliage that holds its color throughout the summer, it produces sporadic flowers late summer and into the fall.

The shortest hardy coreopsis is C. auriculata mouse-ear coreopsis, if the all-around best and very charming cultivar ‘Nana’ is planted. The species is perennial, hardy to zones 4-9, grows 1-2’ tall. Native to southeastern U.S., this short perennial species has mat-forming, evergreen foliage that is typically less than a foot tall; it is stoloniferous but not invasive. Leaves are pubescent, dark green, and rounded.

Plants bloom in the spring, May-June in the Midwest; please see page 30

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The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association’s The Buckeye, September 2013

29

EDUCATIONAL UPDATE

The true perennials in Coreopsis are characterized

by C. verticillata and C. tripteris. Other members of this group that are listed under the section Gyrophyllum of the genus, according to some taxonomists, include C. pulchra, C. palmata, C. delphinifolia and C. major. These latter four species have significant breeding potential to become good garden plants either directly, or after hybridization with other species, should that be possible.

Coreopsis verticillata- threadleaf coreopsis is a tough, long-lived perennial native to eastern U.S., grows to 2-3 feet tall, hardy to USDA Zones 5-9. It is a very drought-tolerant species that flowers June through August and spreads slowly by stolons to form dense colonies. Common name based on the 2-3 inch long leaves which are palmately divided into thread-like segments. Flower colors range from soft muted yellow to deep golden yellow. Several popular cultivars exist including ‘Moonbeam’ that grows to two feet tall and has soft, muted yellow flowers and a long blooming season from June to October; it performs well throughout the country and in 1992 was named Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association. ‘Zagreb’ grows to 1 ½ feet tall and has deeper golden-yellow flowers. This species grows well in a mixed perennial border, the fine-textured foliage mixes well with Rudbeckia, Liatris, Echinacea, and other perennials.

EDUCATIONAL UPDATE

continued from page 29

flowers are yellow and 1-2” in diameter and are held singly on stems above the foliage. This species is easily propagated by division; it may also be propagated from seed. ‘Nana’ is only about 6-9” tall and can be used as in the front of a border or in a rock garden, it will tolerate humidity and some dry condition, but it is generally not as drought tolerant as other Coreopsis species, but it has been described as ‘tough and wellbehaved.’

The other significant hardy coreopsis is Coreopsis rosea - pink coreopsis, particularly important as it and a close relative (C. nudata of the southeastern USA) is the source of the pink and white flower color trait.

Perennial native to northeastern USA, it is considered rare or endangered in its native habitat and can no longer be found throughout much of its original distribution range. In the wild this species can grow to 2 feet 30

tall and has small, pinkish to white flowers that are less than 1 inch in diameter. Plants are rhizomatous and can spread quickly to form 8-10” tall groundcovers that combine well with other perennials, but it seems to prefer a moist location. Cold hardy to zones 4-7, it seems to grow better in cooler climates but may perform well as far south as zone 7; as it gets warmer, the plants become weak and leggy. Plants offered in the trade such as ‘American Dream’ are most likely a dwarf form originally named ‘Nana.’ In 1993 Dutch growers named this a plant of the year in Holland.

Shorter-lived perennials (sometimes considered ‘temperennials’) of Coreopsis, like C. grandiflora, are probably the most recognizable coreopsis to the average consumer because these have been ‘classic’ plants for a few generations. Many cultivars are seed strains that make production relatively straighforward and cost-effective. Older cultivars required a vernaliza-

The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association’s The Buckeye, September 2013

are hybrids between the two species. A short-lived perennial, native from New Mexico to Florida, north to Wisconsin and into Canada, it grows 1-2 feet tall.

Flowers are always born singly, are yellow and up to 2 ½ inches in diameter. Plants benefit from shearing back after the first flush of flowers to encourage reblooming, otherwise they will tend to look a bit ratty.

Many seed-propagated cultivars are available, one of the best known is ‘Sterntaler’ which has goldenyellow flowers with a reddish brown ring around the center on plants that are 12-18 inches tall.

Coreopsis pubescens is another short-lived perennial that is similar in many respects to C. grandiflora and C. lanceolata, but it has a slightly ‘wilder’ and more irregular look. ‘Sunshine Superman’ is the main cultivar in this species; it displays silvery-green foliage and cheerful yellow flowers. It also appears to be a favorite of rabbits!

The true annual Coreopsis include C. tinctoriaplains coreopsis or caliopsis. Typically growing 1-3 feet or taller, native to moist sandy or clay soils, prairies, ditches and other disturbed places; throughout most states in the USA. Plants can become large and unkempt with age and benefit from shearing back after flowering. Flowers are typically present June-August, petals are usually yellow and have a red-brown blotch please see page 32

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The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association’s The Buckeye, September 2013

31

EDUCATIONAL UPDATE

tion period to bloom, but many of the recent selections flower the first season from seed.

Coreopsis grandiflora- common tickseed is one of the easiest plants to grow and a reliable flower producer for the beginning gardener. A short-lived perennial, this is the species many people think of when Coreopsis is mentioned; it typically grows 1-2 feet tall and bears relatively large yellow to orange flowers up to 2 ½ inches in diameter. It has a long bloom season and can flower from late spring through fall if spent flowers are removed. If spent flowers are not removed, copious fruit and seed production will ensue, reducing the showy display of color. This species is native to south-central and eastern North America and many cultivars have been developed that come true from seed including ‘Schnittgold’ which can be grown as a cut flower, ‘Early Sunrise’, 1989 All-America selection which has semi-double wide flowers that are 2 inches in diameter, and ‘Sunray’ which bears 2” wide flowers for 2-3 months; plants grow to about 2 feet tall. ‘Domino’ is also an attractive, compact cultivar.

There are too many cultivars in the group to mention them here. C. grandiflora has apparently been hybridized with other Coreopsis to produce interesting hybrids.

Coreopsis lanceolata - lanceleaf coreopsis is very similar to C. grandiflora and some cultivars

EDUCATIONAL UPDATE

continued from page 31

at petal bases, in some plants this blotch spreads toward the petal tip to produce a red-brown flower with yellow tip. The cultivar ‘Roulette’ has been selected to have semi-double flowers with yellow stripes on mahogany red-brown petals; this variety earned a 2009 Fleuroselect Novelty Award. Another cultivar of note is ‘Mahogany Midget’, a dwarf variety that grows to about a foot tall. This species will reseed readily, seeds germinate in fall and overwinter as low rosettes. Seeds commonly used in wildflower mixes.

There are other species of Coreopsis that warrant attention in the right environment but space constraints prevent me from elaborating on them; each brings variable attributes such as blooming period (C. gladiata blooms in Autumn), lack of susceptibility to powdery mildew, and attractive linear foliage.

These species include C. palmata, C. delphinifolia, C. pulchra, C. integrifolia, C. major, C. basalis and C. nuecensis. Perhaps a future article will allow me to expand on these.

After many generations of mostly yellow flowers in the perennial forms but of multi-colored annual forms, an initial trickle of reportedly more hardy cultivars and hybrids with novel flower colors has become a torrent of color options. Over 60 patents for new vegetatively-propagated coreopsis cultivars have been granted in the last 10 years. Because so many new color forms have been introduced recently, there is increasing confusion about the true landscape persistence of many of these novelties. There is no question that color novelty has been outstanding, but overall garden performance has been much more variable, in part because the standard of winter hardiness, like C. verticillata, was used as a reference for comparison and many new cultivars were found lacking. In general, most novel-color cultivars are likely to be at least temperennials, most likely to perform well in containers and well-drained landscape sites. If good drainage is provided in raised beds, some of these plants are likely to survive a Zone 6 environment, but should the drainage be less-than ideal, survival may be quite limited. For example, a large trial program at Mt. Cuba center found that only the new hybrid cultivars, those with significant C. verticillata background were more likely to survive and average Zone 6/7 winter.

Some Coreopsis species appear to hybridize readily. Hybrids in the trade have been reported among C. rosea, C. tinctoria and C. verticillata as well as among C. auriculata, C. lanceolata and C. grandiflora. However, many of the putative hybrids have not been confirmed by appropriate genetic and biochemical indicators, so alternative explanations for the different plant morphology in the so-called hybrid may exist. Research conducted by taxonomists in the 32

1970’s and 1980’s suggested the presence of strong barriers to hybridization between some Coreopsis species, but potentially good compatibility between others. In general, it is useful to look at the taxonomic relationship between the species as a general guide for potential compatibility, but this is not a fool-proof guide. As some have said, “Plants don’t read the literature…” suggesting that unexpected combinations and successes are possible, regardless of what phylogenetic relationships imply. Nevertheless, there is generally a higher probability of success in making crosses between species that are more closely related and the organization of a genus, such as Coreopsis, into sections, provides a preliminary guide to potentially successful hybrid combinations. Examples of Coreopsis hybrids include ‘Jethro Tull’ that was produced by hybridization of C. auriculata ‘Zamphir’ and C. grandiflora ‘Early Sunrise.’ Coreopsis ‘Tequila Sunrise’ is a leaf-variegated sport derived from an original cross between C. lanceolata and C. grandiflora. The Big Bang® series developed by Darrell Probst involved hybridization among 8 different perennial species (perhaps both durable land short-lived ones); similarly the temperennial/annual Coloropsis® series by the same breeder involved hybridization between C. rosea and C. tinctoria as well as other annual types. Other breeding programs such as those at Terra Nova nurseries, Danzinger Dan, and Itsaul Plants are likely to involve multiple species as well. Because of the recent introduction of many of these plants, their ultimate garden performance will take a few more years to establish. Opportunities for improvement in disease resistance and winter survival exist and, with continued effort and access to well-characterized germplasm, it is likely to yield many new and reliable Coreopsis for many years to come. The OPGC is making an effort to provide such important germplasm. B CAPTIONS 1. What breeding of coreopsis has wrought: the traditional colors have now been expanded to a wide new range, and the end is not in sight!

2. Powdery mildew is mostly a cosmetic disease that detracts from the more prominent attractive attributes of the group.

3. Coreopsis auricultata ‘Nana’ – a charming, durable spring bloomer.

4. Coreopsis verticillata ‘Zagreb’ – an old but still superb cultivar.

5. Coreopsis tripteris is a tall structural plant but if grown in rich soils and partial shade, may tend to flop.

6. Coreopsis ‘Sienna Sunset’ is a newer C. verticillata-type plant with beautiful peach-pastel colors.

7. Coreopsis grandiflora ‘Domino’ is representative of the more compact and floriferous traditional coreopsis.

The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association’s The Buckeye, September 2013

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September 2013 33

HEALTHY PLANTS CAN NOW BE GROWN WITHOUT

34 The Buckeye

onla.org

Look to the Future

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS Perhaps when you first read the title of this article title your first reaction was a resounding no way! However you may have re-considered the statement and thought, perhaps some research has revealed a new method of growing plants without the essential elements. Similarly, healthy landscape businesses can be grown without an adequate supply of future leaders? The fact of the matter is that the article’s title as well as the later statement are not true.

Every green industry professional knows and understands the importance and value of the 17 essential elements to plant growth and health. We also know our industry must have an adequate supply of well-trained employees and more importantly future leaders. This then begs to ask – Where can we find these future employees and leaders? The answer is as close as your backyard.

I propose a solution to the dearth of employees and future leaders lies in our schools. Our industry needs to continue to take a proactive approach to ensure that our local schools and career centers provide the resources your business needs to keep viable and growing – highly trained, skilled employees. Our industry continues to grow and has a huge economic impact in the state and especially in your local community. But still, many schools are discontinuing their landscape programs. How can you make a difference?

Become involved in your local school and career center. Schedule a meeting with the school superintendent please see page 36 onla.org

September 2013 35

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CAPTION Local advisory committee members assisted in training members of the Tolles Career & Technical Center’s landscape team that competed in PLANET’s Student Career Days competition at Auburn University. The Tolles team was the only high school team competing against 62 college teams and placed third in the Nation in the area of Plant Installation and 47th overall.

continued from page 35

and express your need for future leaders. Offer to help organize an advisory committee to start the process of initiating a landscape program. Get involved and serve as a member of the local board of education. The state law governing career center boards of education composition has just changed and requires a majority of members be from the business community.

A strong advisory committee is essential to the health of the career center landscape program. As instructor for our local program, I have been blessed with nearly 20 actively engaged advisory committee members who know and understand the importance and value of their involvement in helping students plan their careers. Three advisory committee members have offered to share their personal insights as to why they have chosen to be active participants in the educational process of our students – their future leaders.

Ryan Kolb, adjunct professor at Columbus State Community College and owner of R J Kolb Landscape & Construction Inc. stated, “The one thing that stands out the most is the committee’s ability to objectively look at the curriculum being taught, projects undertaken, and results gained determining if it is adequately preparing the students. I have always found valuable the students ability to directly interact with the advisory board. This gives the student real experience in talking with industry leaders through one-on-one interactions and actual advi-

36 The Buckeye

sory board meetings; building on their “meeting” skills, networking skills, and empowering them to feel part of the industry at an early stage.”

Devon Stanley, Maintenance Division Manager and Human Relations Manager“ for Benchmark Landscape & Design stated, “The value for me … is an opportunity to give back to an industry which has given me so much. It allows me to remove myself from the daily grind of everyday business responsibilities and get back to the reason I entered this industry which is the horticultural and technical aspects of growing, designing, building and sustaining landscapes for the pure enjoyment of its users. I want be involved to show young people that might be on the fringe of deciding if this is a reliable career path that it is.

It is not just an industry of part time seasonal employees, but rather career professionals that are educated, certified and skilled tradesman which perform its services.”

When discussing the role of an advisory committee and industry involvement to others Mike Lynch, Account Manager for Environmental Management Inc. said, “Industry involvement in a career center adds value to the program and the students’ education”. The HOW and WHY of industry adding value to the local program includes: 1. Providing Resources -EMI is a leader in the green industry; we have miscellaneous material including onla.org

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

stone, mulch, plants, soil etc. We can offer items such as these to the school for different projects Training – we have been working in the green industry for a long time, we have a lot of employees with a lot of different skills that can be shared with the students. Examples such as irrigation, tree planting, brick laying, sales, interviewing, etc.

Experience – we have learned how to perform these task and have experienced what it takes to do things smarter and more efficiently.

Career opportunities – there are plenty of employment opportunities offered by the advisory committee to motivated, hardworking students.

Mentoring – talking with the students 1 on 1, getting to know them, and helping them learn. Anyone with children of their own knows that sometimes a child may listen to someone else more than their parent. I believe that the same is true with the teacher, student relationship. Sometimes we can tell a student something and it reinforces what the teacher has taught them, it’s a way of getting through that invisible wall.

Serve as an Example – we are an example of a successful career in the industry the students are

pursuing and shared with parents as well.

7. Sponsorship – Industry can help with donations for projects, trips, competitions etc.

8. Competition - training again some of these advisory committee personnel have participated in these competitions and can give a student an extra edge.

9. Advocates for the program – we can use our connections in the community as well as the industry for the betterment of the program. We can write articles for trade magazine, or the local newspaper.

10. Industry standards- assist with ensuring the program is providing instruction that meets industry standards.

Perhaps Mike summed it best when he said, “I don’t have to help out with the program, or attend these events, but I care!” B Jim Scott, Sports Turf & Landscape Instructor Tolles Career & Technical Center ONLA Scholarship & Student Activities Committee jscott@tollestech.com

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Industry Calendar

View www.onla.org for seminars, events, trade shows and more! O designates qualifying OCNT recertification events September 20, 2013 A Night with ONLA and Friends! Your $99 donation to the ONL-PAC includes: Dinner and drinks for you and a guest, meet and hear from Ohio Secretary of State John Husted and enter a free drawing for a pair of OSU at Michigan Football tickets (November 30, 2013.) Spend a relaxing evening with your ONLA friends and peers!

O September 25 2013 Pesticide Safety Training, 2 hours of Core during the morning session, 1/2 hour each for categories for the afternoon session (8, 5, 6c, 2c) See www.pested.osu.edu for more details.

O September 26, 2013 Diagnostic Walkabouts for the Green Industry, Sunset Memorial Park, North Olmstead, Ohio. Tim Malinich, Horticulture Educator with Ohio State University Extension, and other horticulturalists will lead indepth discussions of the art and science of scouting, diagnostics and control of landscape pests.

O October 2, 2013 Winning the Attention of the Socially Engaged Customer in a Digital World Webinar, www.pested.osu.edu for more details.

O October 9, 2013 Get Your Green Industry Fix Webinar, ONLA is pleased to once again offer a series of 50-minute webinars, in cooperation with OSU extension.

O October 24, 2013 PLANET Green Industry Conference, Louisville, Kentucky, https://www.landcarenetwork.org/events/GreenIndustryConf/ index.cfm O November 9, 2013 20th Annual "Grateful Embrace” event.

The Ohio Lawn Care Association along with the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association join lawn care volunteers from across our great state give up a Saturday in November to provide the manpower necessary to apply fertilizer plant greenery so generously provided by our suppliers. Dayton and Rittman, Ohio.

January 13-15, 2014 CENTS, Columbus Ohio, Attend the Central Environmental Nursery Trade Show (CENTS), with over 225,000 square feet of exhibition space, and soak up the innovation and ideas in an expanded market, centsmarketplace.com O January 13, 2014 Management Master Class (at CENTS), These sessions will be led by dynamic professional business speakers will cover the topics such as sales skills, business development, industry-specific management, and more. Send your managers to this conference, or attend yourself, and be sure that your best employees become your top managers. centsmarketplace.com O January 13-15, 2014 ONLA Business Classes and OSU Nursery Short Course (at CENTS), Columbus, Ohio, centsmarketplace.com O January 15, 2014 Conference of Women Leaders (at CENTS), Women in business face daily challenges that require a wide range of skills. This session, seeks to inspire, motivate and advise women working in the green industry. Enhance your skills during an upbeat, multi-faceted, and information-rich session specifically for women.

Whether you’re a female entrepreneur, a critical component in a family business, a woman invested in the success of your company, or all of the above, you’ll want to be part of this emerging group for women leaders. centsmarketplace.com

ANLA Launches Rose Rosette Disease Website Responding to the industry’s growing concerns about Rose Rosette Disease, ANLA has launched the website www.roserosettedisease. com. The website will act as a one-stop resource for growers, landscapers, extension agents, and researchers to find the most up-to-date information about the disease, including how to identify and prevent it, and the collaborative steps underway between our industry and researchers to tackle the issue head on. A visitor to the website will be able to view video content, fact sheets, and the latest news and reports on Rose Rosette Disease.

“Rose Rosette Disease is an industry wide issue with the potential to negatively impact a crop representing more than $200 million in annual sales,” said Joe Bischoff, ANLA’s Director of Government Relations. Tom Demaline, a member of the ANLA Board of Directors and owner of Willoway Nurseries in Ohio, stressed his concern, adding, “without real attention and coordinated effort to managing this disease we risk losing a cornerstone crop in a similar fashion to what has happened with Emerald Ash Borer and its impact on ash trees.”

Rose Rosette Disease is a virus that is vectored by an eriophyid mite (Phyllocoptes fructiphylus) and frequently leads to the eventual death of infected plants. Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora) is particularly susceptible to Rose Rosette Disease and the plant’s decades long march, as an invasive species, across much of the Eastern U.S. has likely been the source of inoculum and responsible for spreading the disease. The industry, along with university and federal scientists, is working to develop methods to control, suppress, and eradicate the effects of the pathogen.

Please visit www.roserosettedisease.com for the information you need to know about this disease. Tackling a technical challenge like Rose Rosette Disease requires an industry coming together to make their needs and concerns clearly known to the research community. ANLA is working with shrub rose growers to develop that agenda and identify researchers who can effectively and efficiently address the issue. If you grow roses please join the conversation. Be a part of developing a solution to Rose Rosette Disease by becoming a member of ANLA, by clicking http://www. anla.org/index.cfm?area=&page=Content&categoryID=140 here.

If you have questions about ANLA’s effort on Rose Rosette Disease please contact Dr. Joe Bischoff at jbischoff@anla.org. B

January 17, 2014 Tennessee Green Industry Expo. Join the Tennessee Nursery & Landscape Association at the Green Industry Expo. Nashville, Tennessee

B

38 The Buckeye

onla.org

Germann Named 2013 Teacher of the Year at Penta Career Center

Nursery Stock Select connects growers with wholesale buyers

Jody Germann (of Bowling Green), has been recognized with the 2013 Penta Career Center Teacher of the Year award. Germann, instructor of Landscape & Turfgrass Management at Penta, was recognized in May during a special all staff meeting at Penta. He was nominated by his fellow peers for his contributions to the mission of career-technical education and for his dedication to his students.

He has been an instructor at Penta since 2005.

Germann has a very simple educational philosophy. “Every student has a passion, and as educators, we need to help students find their passion and motivate them to learn as much about it as they can,” says Germann. “In my class I try to expose the students to many aspects of the landscape and turfgrass industry so they find their passion and learn what great opportunities are available to them.”

Germann is an active member of FFA. He has earned both the State FFA Degree (in 1987) and the American FFA Degree (in 1990). He has earned master certification through the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association.

Germann has an associate degree in applied science in landscape management and greenhouse operations/management from the Agriculture Technical Institute at The Ohio State University (1991). He also has a bachelor’s degree in career and technical education from The University of Toledo (2006) and earned a master’s degree in mild to moderate special education from Bowling Green State University (2011). B

With the recent uptick in the housing market, landscapers and landscape architects’ business is increasing and they are looking to quickly locate quality plant stock. The Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association’s newly developed website, Nursery Stock Select, connects wholesale buyers with growers across Ohio who offer inventories of over 1,000 different plant varieties.

“That information is literally a few mouse-clicks away,” said ONLA Associate Executive Director Jennifer Gray. “And it’s free.”

Nursery stock inventories are updated regularly on nurserystockselect. com, and can be located by plant, by grower’s name, and by region.

“Buyers can connect with growers who are not only right here in the state of Ohio, but often practically in their own backyards, thanks to the search tool,” Gray said. “There’s an urgent need for this service.”

Growers were planting less during the recession of the past several years, and with the increase in demand this spring, the inventories are going fast. But beyond this, landscapers and designers are becoming more specifi c in the plants they desire for a given project, searching for particular plants.

“Nursery Stock Select gives wholesale buyers an easy, quick, and no-cost way to fi nd the exact plant stock they are looking for, which grower has them, and even how many. With a few more clicks, a buyer can be directly in touch with that grower.” B

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September 2013 39

B

Membership Moment

Sharing Experiences, Knowledge, and Inspiration

The ONLA Way

As the summer winds down it always seems that we need some time to reflect, sit back and rejuvenate. We always have time to do some soul searching during the winter months and CENTS is a great time to reconnect with old friends and colleagues. But, during the summer we also find it to be a great time to get away as well. After a hectic spring and early summer season we all need a chance to regroup and focus. A couple of weeks ago, Joel and I had the opportunity to take our kids out to Wyoming and Montana. We spent ten days hiking and site seeing

throughout Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons National Parks. What natural beauty we don’t get to see every day here in the mid-west. The views were breathtaking.

While we did see some Canadian Geese and White-tail Deer, we also saw in the wild a Grizzly Bear, Buffalo, Elk, Wolves and Moose. While we loved the natural outdoors, it also gave us an appreciation for the landscape work we do. We can’t create snow cap mountain views and lush green valleys, but the palette of plants that are available to us in this part of the country allow us to cre-

LandscapeAwards celebrate excellence

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40 The Buckeye

Ohio’s Most Prestigious Landscape Awards Competition:

There’s no time like the present to start thinking about which projects you will enter. Get out there pronto and start photographing all this fabulous spring color! Fresh mulch and green grass help to make any landscape look even better, so don’t delay! Take advantage of your freshly prepared spring landscapes and take photos for any projects you might enter.

Award winners will be recognized at CENTS 2014, in The Buckeye magazine, on the consumer website buckeyegardening.com, and on Pinterest, Houzz, Facebook, Twitter, and more.

The 41st Annual ONLA Landscape Awards Program applications due 9/20/13

DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION TODAY WWW.ONLA.ORG

onla.org

ate our own beautiful outdoor environments.

Traveling around to other parts of the country gives us new perspectives on what types of work others are creating. We can then share those ideas and experiences with our peers here in Ohio. We talk about what we have seen and learned. During networking events through the ONLA, we have the opportunity to talk with colleagues about what they have seen as well.

Another resource we have found invaluable to our business is the Pest Newsletter. Dr. Shelter helps reinforce those items that we too are seeing in our landscapes.

He gives us avenues to help communicate those scenarios to our clients. Have you had a chance to participate in one of the “Diagnostic Walkabouts for the Green Industry?” Just like travelling to other parts of the country, what a great resource to see, learn and talk in a hands-on environment with local horticultural experts. I learn so much better from seeing and feeling, than any textbook can offer. Since I handle almost all of our seasonal color designs and installations, the OSU-ONLA Annuals Trial Open house has been a great way to see how different annuals perform. They test some old tried and true varieties along with new ones coming out on the market.

For us, membership in the ONLA is about networking

and talking trends with other members. It is also as much about education. We feel the more we learn, the more we too can educate and teach our clients. It might be articles we read in The Buckeye or all the fast growing Social Media outlets that are available to us. We encourage our staff to attend CENTS and the OSU Nursery Short Course classes every year. I remember Fred Hower once told me, “I attend the show every year. No matter how often I go, I always come away with some new thought or idea that I can utilize in my own business and designs.” I truly believe Fred is correct. We are always learning. We have to in order to keep our ideas fresh and our businesses moving forward. We all have room to learn and expand our knowledge. There are so many resources that ONLA provides for us to do just that: Learn.

Get out and travel when you can and then come back and share what wonderful things you have learned with other members of our industry. It can only benefit all of us in the long run. B Molly John M.J. Design Associates ONLA Membership Committee mjohn@mjdesignassociates.com

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onla.org

September 2013 41

Advertisers’ Index The Official Publication of the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association

The Buckeye is the nursery and landscape industry’s authoritative voice in Ohio.

Second to none in editorial and graphic quality, The Buckeye publishes a wide range of editorial features on the green industry’s key issues. The Buckeye is another example of how the ONLA leads, promotes, and facilitates the success and growth of green industry businesses.

The Buckeye is published 10 times each year with a circulation of over 5,000

each issue and an estimated readership of over 10,000.

Advertisers benefit from an industry-specific audience, with distribution to professional nursery, landscape and independent garden center businesses and individuals, certified green industry professionals, educators/ researchers, and subscribers.

Access Ohio’s $4.9 billion industry. Contact Jennifer to learn how your business can benefit from becoming an advertiser in The Buckeye.

800.825.5062 jennifergray@onla.org

Acorn Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 acornfarms.com Boulders Direct. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 330.324.5336 Buckeye Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 buckeyeresources.com CENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC centsmarketplace.com Decker’s Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 deckersnursery.com Ernst Seeds. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 ernstseed.com Fairview Evergreen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 fairviewevergreen.com Gilson Gardens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 gilsongardens.biz Grayhawk Greenhouse Supply. . . . . . . . . . . . 41 grayhawkgreenhousesupply.com Hobby Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 hobbynursery.com Klyn Nurseries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 klynnurseries.com Medina Sod Farms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 medinasodfarms.com Millcreek Gardens, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 mgohio.com

ONLA Classified Advertising: onla.org

The online classified service can be found on onla.org along with the complete postings. New ads will be added as soon as they are submitted to the ONLA. For more information, please contact the ONLA office at (614) 899-1195. The ONLA reserves the right to refuse ads. As we go to press, here are the ads posted on onla.org’s online Classified Section:

Help Wanted • Business Development Scales Rep Garick, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati, Ohio • Grounds Technician Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus, Ohio • Interior Horticulture Technician Franklin Park Conservatory, Columbus, Ohio

• Landscape Crew Leader Garden Girls, Hiram, Ohio

Netafim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 netafimusa.com Oberfield’s LLC .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC oberfields.com ONLA Landscape Awards Program. . . . . . . . . 40 onla.org ONLA Member Benefits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 onla.org ONLA Publications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OBC

• Landscape Foreman Rocky Fork Company, New Albany, Ohio • Landscape/Maintenance Foreman M.J. Design Associates, Inc. Plain City, Ohio

onla.org Pickens Tree Farm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 pickenstreefarm.com Scarff’s Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 scarffs.com Spring Meadow Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 colorchoiceplants.com Unilock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

• Regional Business Development (Sales) Rep Garick, Cleveland, Ohio

unilock.com

Ad Rates & Info Contact Jennifer Gray 614.899.1195 jennifergray@onla.org

42 The Buckeye

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Choose the ONLA publication that sells the beauty of outdoor living!