TNLA Green November/December 2019

TNLA

Green Nov/Dec 2019

CHAMPIONING THE GREEN INDUSTRY TNLA’S ADVOCACY SCORED SOME BIG WINS AT THE TEXAS CAPITOL

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE A

TNLA Green November/December 2019

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TNLA Green November/December 2019

TNLA

Green

Nov/Dec 2019

CONTENTS 10. Cover Story: Championing the Green Industry

TNLA’s advocacy scored some big wins at the Texas Capitol during the 2019 legislative session.

08. TNLA Joins ASSET

The coalition advocates policies that strengthen Texas’ small business economy.

02. President’s Letter:

18. Green Vision:

04. News:

20. Bugs & Fuzz:

The green industry needs labor to grow strong and endure.

The latest industry updates from TNLA.

16. Commentary:

Will Texas Solve the Water Challenge?

Beautyberry Again! CMBS in Kansas and South Carolina

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Protect Citrus; Know the Enemies

24. Notes from SFA Gardens: Layering the Ground With Native Alternatives

November/December 2019 TNLA Green

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PRESIDENT’S Letter

TNLA

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The official publication of the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association November/December | Vol. 22 No. 6

Directors

Chairman of the Board ... Jay Williams, League City Chairman-Elect ... Tim Little, Dallas Immediate Past Chairman ... Joshua Bracken, TMCNP, Dallas President/CEO ... Amy Graham, Austin

DEAR TNLA MEMBERS, I grew up in Kokomo, Ind., a farm community with about 30,000 people. Farming surrounded the city, which was home to factories. The community attracted immigrants, many of whom didn’t speak English. Immigrants gathered in one place to learn the English language: the Neighborhood House, built in 1917.

My brother owned the building. It was a historical marker candidate until recently, when it burned to the ground. My father and his siblings and my grandparents all learned to speak English in that building. It is now a pile of sticks — another piece of history gone.

I spent part of September in Washington talking to legislators about the H2A and H2B programs. People ask me if we made a difference. I assume the needle moved a little in most of the offices we visited. The issue gets lumped together with immigration. Our purpose in Washington is to talk about the labor crisis in Texas.

This industry needs labor to grow strong and endure, to plan for tomorrow, and to make today more successful. The H2A and H2B programs are not the only solutions to our labor problems, but they help close the gap until we find the workforce necessary to keep up with demand.

Our continued push to keep our workforce legal and reliable is important. Every conversation counts.

We need to work together to keep the programs viable as an industry, even though not all of us use them. We are all affected by them.

When you see action alerts coming from the state office to contact Washington, D.C., please respond.

Our voices need to be heard together.

Amy Graha m Amy Graham TNLA President and CEO

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Board of Directors

Region I Kevin Grossberndt, Big Foot Region II ... Mike Hugg, TCNP, TCLP, Houston Region III ... Nigel Clark, Winnsboro Region IV ... Craig Duttarer, TCLP, Carrollton Region V ... Jackie Smith, Santo Region VI ... Steven Akers, Slaton Region VII ... Gerry Bower, Weslaco Region VIII ... Brad Seever, Austin Supplier Director ... Jerome Alder, Cedar Park Grower Director ... Kevin Norris, Coppell Landscape Director ... Scotty Rigsby, TCLP, Midlothian Retail Director ... Dean Warren, Kingwood Director At-Large ... Adrian Muehlstein, TMCNP, Carrollton Director At-Large .... Rachelle Kemp, TCLP, TMCNP, Waco Director At-Large ... Bobby Eichholz, ASLA, San Antonio Director At-Large ... Devin Gunn, Dallas

TNLA Staff

President/CEO ... Amy Graham Director of Finance ... Cheryl Staritz Director, Legislative and Regulatory Affairs… Ryan Skrobarczyk Director, EXPO Exhibits and Membership... Amy Prenger, CEM Director, TNLA & EXPO Marketing/Communications... Sarah Riggins, CEM Director, Industry Education and Certifications…

James Theiss, TCLP, TCWSP, Certified Arborist Business Development/Sales Executive... Mike Yelverton, TCNP & TCWSP Office Operations Assistant... Nancy Sollohub Event Specialist… Sara Fern Sales Specialist… Jake Kirby Specialist, TNLA and EXPO Marketing/Communications… Ashley Pettibone Administrative Assistant… Debra Allen Event Exhibit Specialist...Trevor Peevey

Magazine Staff

October Custom Publishing Editor ... Crystal Zuzek Creative Director ... Torquil Dewar Art Director ... Shelley Lai Production ... Zach Scouras Ad Sales ... Jake Kirby TNLA Green magazine is a member service of the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association, and is published bi-monthly. Advertising information is available from TNLA, 7730 South IH 35, Austin, Texas 78745, online at www.tnlaonline.org, or by calling (800) 880-0343. TNLA office hours are weekdays, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM CST. Copyright 2018 Texas Nursery Landsape & Association

November/December 2019 TNLA Green

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USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue addresses horticulture attendees at Impact Washington. TNLA joined the group in applauding the secretary’s support.

TNLA

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UPDATE

TNLA Tackles the Capitol — in Austin and D.C. AS A PART OF TNLA’s effort to fulfill our advocacy mission, staff and industry members have participated in Capitol Days and D.C. visits multiple times throughout the past year. Check out the details below, and join us on the next trip.

NALP ADVOCACY DAY

In July, TNLA members took part in the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) advocacy day on Capitol Hill. The Texas delegation spent a day participating in policy briefing sessions where they heard directly from policymakers and staff, delegates from agencies, and workforce consultants. Speakers discussed issues ranging from H-2B cap relief, the latest on glyphosate cases, funding for pesticide review at the Environmental Protection Agency, and looking to future workforce development. While all these issues are critical to the Texas green industry, helping the labor crisis has remained the primary focus. Our members met

with Congressional leaders face-to-face to urge their action on H-2B cap relief.

AMERICANHORT IMPACT WASHINGTON SUMMIT

TNLA represented Texas at the semiannual Impact Washington Summit. Our delegation was briefed on legislative and administrative updates by several congressional leaders and cabinet-level officials, including Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Administrator Andrew Wheeler.

They all generally expressed support for the green industry and working on real solutions for the problems facing this business community. Armed with a list of talking points and legislative objectives for growers, TNLA met with the offices of Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, as well as eight Texas congressmen. The major priorities were urging support for employers in the new proposal to overhaul the H-2A program and asking lawmakers to publicly support the Agriculture Trucking Relief Act of 2019.

TNLA’S GREEN INDUSTRY DAY

The National Irrigation Association Fly-In

IN MARCH, the Irrigation Association (IA) partnered with

TNLA for a Washington, D.C., fly-in to meet with lawmakers about regulations and issues our landscapers and irrigators are currently facing. TNLA President Amy Graham serves as an IA board member, and this trip was an opportunity to advocate irrigator-specific issues such as water restrictions, the need for investment in infrastructure and research, as well as the industrywide call for labor relief. Our group traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with Congress and to the White House to meet with President Trump’s staff.

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This year, TNLA coordinated the first-ever Texas Green Industry Advocacy Day. In partnership with the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), our association held morning briefings for TNLA members on the major issues in motion during the legislative session. TNLA members then headed to the Capitol, where they heard directly from state lawmakers, including House Chair Lyle Larson and Senate Chair Bryan Hughes. Later TNLA was recognized for its industry leadership in the House and Senate chambers by Rep. John Keumpel and Sen. Bryan Hughes. Our members ended the day with in-person meetings with key legislators and staff on prevalent issues such as labor, water, and pesticides.

What Is a PAC and Why Do We Need One? WHEN YOU OPEN, OWN, OR RUN a business you take on both personal and financial risks. Therefore, you take every necessary precaution to ensure you are successful in your business venture. You probably buy insurance, continuously train your employees, limit liability, and advertise aggressively in one way or another.

You work incredibly hard and invest in efforts to control the circumstances that affect your success. And yet, what about the government making policies that directly impact your business? Wouldn’t you want to make the same investment to limit your liability and advance your business in this arena? For that reason, trade associations actively work on your behalf in this regard.

TNLA has a full-time advocacy mission to fight to protect and promote your business and our industry. The association, including staff and our members, work yearround to provide a voice for our industry at the table of public policy. As TNLA Political Action Committee (PAC) Chair Mark Rose says, “As these laws and rules get drafted, we want to have a seat at the table and hopefully get these rules and laws written in ways that are the best for the TNLA member businesses.” The fight for good public policy doesn’t start at the Capitol, however. It starts at the ballot box. It is a reality that campaigns cost money and those who seek public office need to garner support to win. PACs are organized efforts to raise and donate money to the political campaigns of candidates who have shared agendas.

Associations have PACs to allow them to take an active role in political campaigns for office. Much like any other risk, each individual business has a stake in the people who get elected to office and who make decisions affecting everyday business. TNLA has a PAC, for instance, because we can help support candidates for office who share our desire to see the labor shortage addressed, to sustain plant life with adequate water supply, and to foster a fair and predictable business climate. These are just some of the issues we promote by supporting the right candidates for office.

Chair Rose adds that “the PAC is made up of very experienced businesspeople who are very aware of the changing rules and laws that effect our businesses. The PAC members, our Legislative and Regulatory affairs Director, Ryan Skrobarczyk, and our President, Amy Graham, all keep an eye on these issues.”

While some organizations focus on candidates of one political

stripe, our PAC contributes in a nonpartisan manner, valuing only those who demonstrate an understanding of the industry and who possess a desire to fight for our members’ businesses.

TNLA’s PAC supports our allies in elected office who advocate solutions and understand the green industry in Texas. It is not easy or cheap. Nearly every major industry and those who are simply opposed to those industries are funding their own political efforts.

Keeping a presence in the political fight is a direct benefit to your business. It takes a personal financial contribution from individuals since corporate money can’t be donated to political candidates.

“The more relationships we build, thus becoming more effective for the benefit of the TNLA member companies,” Chair Rose says. And at the end of the day, involvement in a political action committee is a sacrifice, and it requires a commitment to guarantee the success of all our businesses.

TNLA Green November/December 2019 Advertiser Index OHP.....................................................................inside front cover Horizon Irrigation........................................................................ 03 Texas Mutual .............................................................................. 07 Vital Earth .................................................................................... 17 TreeTown USA..............................................................................23 Hotchkiss Insurance ....................................................................25 Living Earth..........................................................inside back cover Spring Meadow Nursery.....................................inside back cover Creekside Nursery......................................................... back cover

November/December 2019 TNLA Green

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TNLA Green

UPDATE The Texas Department of Agriculture Is Going under the Microscope EVERY TWO YEARS the Texas Legislature considers whether to continue, alter, or eliminate certain state agencies. This process, known as Sunset, is operated by the aptly named Texas Sunset Commission and follows a formal set of steps. Remember earlier this year, when the public was notified Texas would not have licensed plumbers due to the legislature not reauthorizing the licensing board? That is what can happen when the legislature fails to pass a Sunset bill.

Nearly 130 state agencies undergo this process every 10 years, and the next cycle will include the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). The last time TDA underwent the Sunset process was in 2008–09 under Commissioner Todd Staples.

Sunset Review Process Breakdown

The Sunset review process seeks to find efficiencies in agencies and eliminate redundancies or waste. At the end of the process, the legislature can: reauthorize an agency by passing a bill; choose not to pass a reauthorization bill, allowing the agency to continue for one year before abolishing it; or transfer an agency’s functions to another existing agency.

Check out this step-by-step guide to the Sunset review process.

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Public input is confidential

Sunset Publishes Staff Report

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Sunset Commission Deliberation The Sunset Commission conducts a public hearing to take testimony on the staff report and the agency overall. The Sunset Commission conducts a second meeting to vote on which changes to recommend to the Texas Legislature.

Public Hearings • Sunset staff presents its report and recommendations • Agency presents its response • Sunset Commission hears public testimony and receives written comments • Sunset Commission meets again to consider and vote on recommendations

Public input is published on the website

Sunset Commission Makes Decisions

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Legislative Action The Texas Legislature considers Sunset’s recommendations and makes final decisions.

Agency continues with improvements.

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Sunset Commission Staff • Reviews agency’s selfevaluation report • Receives input from interested parties • Evaluates agency and identifies problems • Develops recommendations • Publishes staff report

Sunset Staff Evaluation Sunset staff performs extensive research and analysis to evaluate the need for, performance of, and improvements to the agency under review.

Texas Legislature • Sunset bill on an agency is drafted and filed • Sunset bills go through normal legislative process • The Senate and the House conduct committee hearings and debate the bill • Bill passes or fails adoption • Governor signs, vetoes, or allows bill to become law without signature

OR

Agency is abolished but may continue business for up to one year, or its functions are transferred to another agency

TNLA Green

UPDATE The Sunset process seeks to find efficiencies in agencies and eliminate redundancies or waste. If the agency performs a needed function it can continue if the legislature passes the bill reauthorizing it. If not, the legislature can simply not pass a bill, and the agency will cease to exist, or the legislators can incorporate an agency’s functions into another existing agency.

TDA performs many functions that are important to the green industry, and most of TNLA’s members must interact with the agency in one way or another. TDA’s Sunset review will be a critical juncture in the services the agency provides to our businesses.

The public can participate in the Sunset Commission process.

Right now, TDA has submitted a self-evaluation report, the first step of the process. Sunset Commission staff are evaluating the various programs operated by the agency and are working on compiling a staff report, including recommendations for efficiencies. Next, the staff report from the commission will be made public, and a committee of five Texas senators, five Texas House members, and two members of the public will conduct public hearings on the agency. Once the legislature reconvenes in January 2021, a committee member will file the bill with recommended changes, and it will go through the normal legislative process.

TNLA will be involved every step of the way in the Sunset review process on behalf of the Texas green industry.

If you have thoughts, concerns, or

ideas about ways in which to reform TDA or any other agency undergoing Sunset, please contact the staff at TNLA. As we work to improve the regulatory environment for your businesses, your feedback and input are critical to our efforts.

You can find out more about the Texas Sunset Commission and the agency review process by visiting www.sunset .texas.gov. Also, make sure you are subscribed to the TNLA Leader List for periodic updates on these issues and more.

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TNLA Joins ASSET

Coalition advocates policies that strengthen Texas’ small business economy In August 2019, the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association joined the Alliance for Securing and Strengthening the Economy in Texas (ASSET), a nonprofit coalition composed of business associations in Texas. TNLA President/CEO Amy Graham talked to TNLA Green about the purpose of ASSET and the work the coalition does on behalf of private industry.

Has TNLA been involved in this public policy, and why is the organization joining ASSET now?

As expected, this first round of ordinances alarmed many of our member companies. TNLA has been actively working on behalf of the membership. TNLA approved a policy position against these types of ordinances, and during the recent legislative session, supported numerous bills to address them.

Despite clearing one chamber of the legislature, the bills did not pass. Since the legislation fell short, there have been a series of protracted legal battles against each of the cities involved. TNLA’s board approved joining ASSET so we can participate in those cases and be apart of the organized effort to defend the employer-employee relationship against government interference.

What is ASSET, and what is its mission?

ASSET is a nonprofit coalition of Texas associations representing all sectors of the private industry. We’ve joined together to keep Texas a great place to do business. The group mobilized because of WE HAVE HEARD, ALMOST Why should TNLA members be concerned the recent employer mandate ordinances UNIVERSALLY, FROM OUR with cities adopting employer mandates? adopted by several major Texas cities.

MEMBERS WHO EXPLAIN We have heard, almost universally, from Over the past 18 months, Austin, San THE POTENTIAL COST THESE our members who explain the potential cost Antonio, and Dallas have all adopted their MANDATES ARE GOING these mandates are going to generate for own paid sick leave (PSL) ordinances TO GENERATE FOR THEIR their businesses. Not only is the mandated mandating that employers provide a set BUSINESSES. paid time off itself an expense, but the amount of paid sick leave. This created a compliance costs to ensure they don’t end up getting penalized patchwork regulatory environment across major metropolitan by city governments are a concern. Although we support a areas and has been a nightmare for businesses to figure out business providing as many employee benefits as possible, how to comply. ASSET formed to help the business community each business must make that decision for itself. A blanket coordinate public pushback against cities creating new mandate increases all costs and potentially hurts the ability of mandates on private business.

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multiple cities, and you can see why our members became engaged on the issue quickly.

What is the ASSET coalition doing now, and what does the future hold?

With the legislature failing to pass a bill to address these ordinances, local businesses have been left to file lawsuits against the three cities involved. Both Austin and San Antonio have lawsuits in state district court, and the City of Dallas has been taken to federal court.

Recently, TNLA joined the other members of ASSET in signing an amicus brief for the Dallas case, offering supportive arguments about the unconstitutional nature of the mandates.

IN THOSE CASES, ASSET WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE AS A TOOL FOR TNLA TO JOIN THE REST OF THE TEXAS BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND WORK TO PROTECT A FREE MARKET AND THE SMALL BUSINESSES ECONOMY IN OUR STATE. As far as the future is concerned, the City of Austin case is past the Court of Appeals and is headed to the Texas Supreme Court. The appeals court found the Austin PSL mandate to be an unconstitutional violation, and the ruling on that case is likely to impact the other two cities. We also know there are potential future challenges for employers coming from new city ordinances affecting hiring practices, scheduling, or other daily business practices.

In those cases, ASSET will continue to serve as a tool for TNLA to join the rest of the Texas business community and work to protect a free market and the small businesses economy in our state. small business to make investments or employ more people.

We’ve also heard companies are concerned about a city expanding its authority to search and seize internal employee documents to enforce ordinances. Add that to the very real concerns about a patchwork of ordinances complicating businesses that require employee travel or that operate in

Where can TNLA members find out more information?

I’d encourage our members to sign up for the TNLA Leader List to be alerted to this kind of information. They can do so by visiting our website under the Advocacy tab. Visit the ASSET website (www.assettexas.com) to follow the latest news from the coalition.

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RE-AUTHORIZIN

BY CUTTINGS CR PESTICIDE DISPO SECURING THE “ EXEMPTION CRE CHAMPIONING INCREASED COS THE GREEN“H POLLINATOR RESTRICTIONS INDUSTRY O EMINENT DOMA PROPERTY RIGH EMPLOYMENT-R TNLA’S ADVOCACY SCORED SOME BIG WINS AT THE TEXAS CAPITOL

By Ryan Skrobarczyk • Photos by Phil Kline

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NG CITRUS PROP REATING A STAT OSAL PROGRAM “HOOP HOUSE” EATING LIABILIT A ST FOR H-2A EM HEALTH” BILLS N ON NEONICOTIN AIN REFORM – P HTS BLOCKING C RELATED MAND s the primary advocate of the Texas green industry, TNLA was hard at work for its members during the 86th Texas legislative session. From Jan. 8 to May 27, the association worked tirelessly to support policies that ensure Texas will continue to be a great place for the green industry to do business and to oppose burdensome legislative proposals that would threaten the economic viability of members’ businesses.

Among the hundreds of bills Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law are the large property tax and school finance reforms, which should yield (at least temporarily) tax benefits to residential and commercial property owners. Smaller reforms will have a big impact.

The continuation of the grower’s property tax exemption on overwintering structures and the creation of the statewide pesticide disposal program have numerous economic advantages for green industry professionals.

Perhaps even more important, TNLA was successful in killing many harmful bills.

Proposals to create new, unfounded pesticide restrictions or to place barriers on federal labor programs could have had lasting, negative industrywide ramifications.

Without the support and involvement of our members and allies, TNLA’s political voice wouldn’t have been as strong or effective. For the first time TNLA hosted Advocacy Day at the Texas Capitol, and it was a resounding success. In partnering with our industry allies, TNLA members were able to come to Austin as one unified voice and meet with policymakers and their staff. TNLA members could hear from state elected officials and communicate their needs directly. Stay tuned for details on next session’s Advocacy Day. HERE’S A LOOK AT TNLA’S 2019 LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD.

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RE-AUTHORIZIN

BY CUTTINGS CR PESTICIDE DISPO SECURING THE “ EXEMPTION CRE INCREASED COS POLLINATOR “H RESTRICTIONS O EMINENT DOMA PROPERTY RIGH EMPLOYMENT-R TNLA: CHAMPIONING THE GREEN INDUSTRY

VICTORIES

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REAUTHORIZING CITRUS PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS Senate Bill 979 by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Tyler)

CREATING A STATEWIDE PESTICIDE DISPOSAL PROGRAM House Bill 191 by Rep. Stephenson (R-Wharton)

In mid-2018 the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) determined previous state law on citrus propagation from cuttings was unclear. That determination jeopardized existing citrus product lines for Texas growers who grew citrus from cuttings. This practice had been going on in Texas for years. Our association felt it was unfair for TDA to eliminate this ongoing market for growers.

TNLA pushed the bill through the process to preserve this market for companies that choose to participate, and the Governor Abbott signed it into law.

After several years of attempts, this session TNLA was successful in helping to pass a statewide pesticide disposal program.

Coordinated by TDA, the program will help growers, landscapers, and homeowners responsibly dispose of pesticide waste and used containers. This program allows for the disposal of unwanted or unusable Ag chemicals in an efficient and costeffective manner, saving our businesses hassle and money. TNLA supported this bill throughout the process, and Governor Abbott signed it into law.

TNLA Green November/December 2019

SECURING THE “HOOP HOUSE” TAX EXEMPTION House Bill 1526 by Rep. Cecil Bell (R-Magnolia)

Upon request from a constituent, Representative Bell filed HB 1526 to reaffirm the nursery grower’s property tax exemption for hoop houses or overwintering structures.

Defined as “nursery stock weather protection units,” these structures are already tax exempt by statute, but the bill added clarity to ensure tax appraisers have no reason for confusion. TNLA spearheaded the advocacy effort on this bill, testified in the Senate, and it was signed

by Governor Abbott into law.

NG CITRUS PROP REATING A STAT OSAL PROGRAM “HOOP HOUSE” EATING LIABILIT ST FOR H-2A EM HEALTH” BILLS N ON NEONICOTIN AIN REFORM – P HTS BLOCKING C RELATED MAND CREATING LIABILITY & INCREASED COST FOR H-2A EMPLOYERS House Bill 50, House Bill 206 and Senate Bill 697

These labor bills, as filed, would have had a terrible impact across the industry.

H-2A is a critical federal labor program for agriculture producers and growers in the green industry. While the federal administration is taking steps to make the program easier to use for agriculture producers, these bills would have taken Texas in the opposite direction. The bills tried to dramatically increase liability of H-2A employers by making them subject to lawsuits and subsequent attorneys’ fees. They also sought to double the number of state inspections, increase license fees with no cap, and allow outside legal groups to prevent employers from participating in the program. TNLA recognized the industrywide threat these bills represented and took the lead on stakeholder negotiations and testified in the Senate and House hearings to stop these bills.

Keeping these bills bottled up in committee was a success, and the bills died without ever going beyond an initial hearing.

POLLINATOR “HEALTH” BILLS House Bill 136 and Senate Bill 2170

NEW RESTRICTIONS ON NEONICOTINOIDS House Bill 2483 and Senate Bill 2061

These bills represent the worthy goal of improving the health of our plant pollinators, and TNLA certainly supports improving pollinator habitats across Texas, finding ways to eliminate pollinator pests, and urging the responsible use of Ag chemicals. However, the bills also included an implicit component prompting the development of bans of pesticides outside the science-backed process established at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and TDA. TNLA opposed these pieces of legislation originally, but we were successful in working with the authors to mitigate our concerns with amendments. The committees, however, recognized the bills as duplicative of ongoing efforts at state agencies and decided to stop the bills at the committee stage.

The EPA and TDA have processes in place governing pesticide approval and restrictions. These bills would have placed into law a specific ban on a single class of pesticide under a small circumstance. This is an effort to create a bad precedent in Texas law, subjecting chemicals that are critical to the green industry to future threat.

TNLA actively opposed these bills and urged lawmakers to understand the need for a uniform and consistent review of these important chemicals. We were successful in defeating this legislation again this session.

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E-AUTHORIZING Y CUTTINGS CRE ESTICIDE DISPOS ECURING THE “H XEMPTION CREA NCREASED COST OLLINATOR “HEA ESTRICTIONS ON MINENT DOMAI ROPERTY RIGHT MPLOYMENT-RE TNLA: CHAMPIONING THE GREEN INDUSTRY

HONORABLE MENTIONS EMINENT DOMAIN REFORM - PRO PROPERTY RIGHTS Senate Bill 421 by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham)

With a narrower focus this session, lawmakers attempted to reform the eminent domain process for the benefit of landowners. The bill tried to accomplish three primary objectives: establish minimum easement terms to standardize the protections of landowners’ rights and expectations; require a condemner to host a public meeting allowing affected landowners to hear from the company collectively and share information; and penalize companies that make landowners obscenely low-ball offers. TNLA has a strong position on protecting private property rights, and our staff again worked to pass this legislation.

Unfortunately, efforts of the oil and gas industry killed it in the House. While this effort faces serious opposition from entrenched industries, TNLA will continue to work to protect landowners and private property rights in Texas.

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BLOCKING CITY EMPLOYMENTRELATED MANDATES Senate Bill 15 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe)

Recently, several major Texas cities adopted employer mandates in the form of paid sick leave ordinances. SB 15 was the legislature’s response to eliminate the authority of cities to mandate employment policies and stop the creation of patchwork employment laws in Texas.

Unfortunately, the bill failed to pass, despite efforts from almost the entire Texas business community to push it through. TNLA actively supported the bill through the process and was disappointed in the legislature’s failure to pass it. Outside of the legislative process, the business community has filed suit against every city with an existing ordinance.

And TNLA has joined the business coalition ASSET to push for legal relief before the next legislative session.

VETOED

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE STUDY & INCENTIVES House Bill 1059 by Sen. Rodriguez

Governor Abbott’s veto period extended 20 days after the legislative session concluded.

He used his power to veto a bill that would have required the state to compile a report detailing the extent of the use of green stormwater infrastructure and obstacles that currently exist. Such a law would inhibit the use of these projects. Recommendations would have been provided to help encourage further development of this type of infrastructure. TNLA supported this bill because the study could highlight the advantages of green infrastructure alternatives and the potential for industry members to benefit from these developments.

PLANT DISEASE CONTROL STRATEGY House Bill 70 by Rep. Gonzalez

HB 70 would have required TDA to include in the agency strategic plan a goal outlining the approach to controlling crop disease and plant pests.

The plan would have required the agency to document surveillance, detection, and testing methods. TNLA supported this bill to have TDA publicize a consistent, coordinated plan to control plant disease in Texas.

G CITRUS PROPA EATING A STATE SAL PROGRAM HOOP HOUSE” T ATING LIABILITY T FOR H-2A EMPL EALTH” BILLS NE N NEONICOTINO IN REFORM – PR TS BLOCKING CI ELATED MANDA CAPITOL BEAUTY

SINCE 2007, Austin-based Clean Scapes Landscaping has been maintaining the 17-acre grounds of the Texas Capitol.

Each week a dedicated crew tackles the mowing, weed eating, shrub trimming, rose garden care, spraying of insecticide and fungicide, and cleaning of sidewalks and benches, according to Account Manager Xavier Mireles.

Recently, in preparation for fall, the company installed white snapdragons and bright-red dianthus on the 11th Street side of the Capitol and on the north side at the main entrance. Mireles says anytime a new monument is installed, Clean Scapes drafts a landscaping concept and makes any necessary adjustments to the irrigation.

“The Capitol contract is our pride and joy. It’s one of those very sought-after projects, and we take our role as stewards of the grounds seriously,” Mireles says.

The green industry has taken notice of Clean Scapes’ work on the Texas Capitol grounds. In 2016 the National Association of Landscape Professionals awarded the company with a Grand Award. The same year TNLA recognized the company’s work with a Texas Excellence in Landscaping Gold Award.

At the end of the day, Mireles says the countless hours of exertion are worth it.

“It’s a tough project to tackle, but once you understand the landscape, it becomes second nature. The landscape takes care of itself; we’re just there to maintain it,” he says.

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COMMENTARY

By Sen. Charles Perry

Will Texas Solve the Water Challenge?

LOOKING BACK ON the 86th Texas legislative session, most of the water bills were directed toward flood and disaster relief from the aftermath of events in 2015–16 and Hurricane Harvey. I authored SB 8, which establishes the first State Flood Plan, which tasks the Texas Water Development Board with coordinating a

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bottom-up approach to flood planning.

It functions similarly to the Regional Water Plan.

The regions will be divided based on the impact of watershed planning projects on neighborhoods. We also passed imperative legislation to fund flood projects to begin rebuilding communities across the state. Aquifer

storage and recovery (ASR) legislation cleared the way for permitting, new projects, and data collection so the state can store flood waters and prepare for future drought.

According to the North American Drought Monitor, as of Sept. 19, 2019, approximately 12.8 million Texans are in a drought area, and 72% of the state faces some level of drought. Drought discussions are important and a reality that the citizens of the state and nation will continue to confront. Rather than focus on the inevitable drought and response, Texas must move forward with a regulatory environment for

COMMENTARY Since the existence of mankind, access to fresh water supply has been the foundation of establishing civilization. new water supply development such as marine desalination, produced water, brackish water, and other nontraditional sources of potential water supply.

During the 2019 legislative session Texas began taking steps to manage produced water that is part of the product from an oil well. When the oil and gas are removed, there is often a brackish liquid that is cleaned to meet required standards and then injected back into the ground in injection wells. Over the past several years, the industry has been looking to reduce the amount of injection wells as the capacity has decreased in the injected formations. Other states in the country have begun the process of desalination on the produced water and have introduced it as a new unallocated water source.

By industry estimation, there will be 8 billion barrels of oil produced per year once pipeline capacity is online.

An estimated seven barrels of water is produced with each barrel of oil extracted. Texas could introduce an estimated 1.4 trillion gallons or more at a 60% recovery rate of new water supply.

In perspective, this is enough to satisfy an estimated 9 million households with water for an entire year.

Building on last session’s ASR legislation, the produced water could also be used in ASR projects to store the water for times when the population needs it or to move through river basins as new permitted surface water. If not a potable source, there is an opportunity to use the new water for agriculture and irrigation.

New technology requires infrastructure.

Texas will need desalination plants to process the produced water along with pipes and infrastructure to transport the water from the drill sites. Once the process is complete, the water will either be discharged into a stream or river, injected into an aquifer for ASR, or sent directly to its use. Additionally, regulations and rules to manage the process are needed so the oil and gas and water industries work best together.

Since the existence of mankind, access to fresh water supply has been the foundation of establishing civilization.

Whether the cisterns in the ancient Middle East, aqueducts of the Greeks and Romans, or modern-day infrastructure, a safe and secure water supply is not optional. Water supply for all citizens must become the No. 1 priority of the state in order to secure the water needs of today and tomorrow.

As we move toward the next legislative session, I hope to fully research and develop policy that best protects our state’s most vital resource while ensuring our continued economic growth.

Sen. Charles Perry, a practicing CPA from Lubbock, was elected to the Texas Senate in 2014. A lifelong West Texan, he is a conservative fighting for lower taxes, better schools, safer communities, and individual liberties. Sen. Perry currently chairs the Senate Committee on Water & Rural Affairs and is vice chair of the Health and Human Services Committee.

SEN. CHARLES PERRY, a practicing CPA from Lubbock, was elected to the Texas Senate in 2014. A lifelong West Texan, he is a conservative fighting for lower taxes, better schools, safer communities, and individual liberties. Sen. Perry currently chairs the Senate Committee on Water & Rural Affairs and is vice chair of the Health and Human Services Committee.

November/December 2019 TNLA Green

17

GREEN Vision

By Mengmeng Gu, Ph.D., and Bin Wu

Beautyberry Again! CMBS in Kansas and South Carolina IN THE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER issue of TNLA Green, I shared a picture of my own American beautyberry being infested by crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS) in May 2017. I am sad to report an update on that. Of six branches, one is now heavily infested (See Figure 1).

Only the top half of that branch, about a foot-and-a-half long, is infested. At first I saw the black sooty mold on the leaves and when I looked closer, I saw those white egg sacs (See Figure 2).

CRAPEMYRTLE BARK SCALE

How do you tell CMBS from crepe myrtle aphids just by looking at the sooty mold infestation? The aphids often feed on the tender parts of a plant, the growing tips, or at least start from there. On a crepe myrtle the growing tips are on the outside of the canopy, so honeydew secreted by aphids often drops to leaves, where sooty mold will grow.

In contrast, CMBS feeds on bark or twig, inside the canopy. Honeydew secreted by CMBS falls on lower bark or twig, so the sooty mold is often on the lower bark or twig, still inside the canopy. Of course, there are always exceptions; on a heavily aphidinfested plant you may find sooty mold everywhere.

Different from a crepe myrtle plant, an American beautyberry doesn’t have a main trunk or closely clustered branches.

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Figure 1

That is probably why sooty mold from CMBS is more visible on the leaves. But you can probably tell the sooty mold concentrates on the part of the leaves close to the stem, where CMBS feeds (See Figure 3). Also interesting is that there are some males on the back of the leaves. You can tell them apart from the female ovisac by their smaller size and cylinder shape.

Interesting enough, the nearby crepe myrtle did not have nearly as many CMBS as the beautyberry. Instead, there’s a big

aphid infestation, probably due to the rain we have been getting recently. What do you think would be the best control strategy for me? Considering only the top half from one of the six branches was heavily infested, I think I will just cut it off. That will significantly reduce the infestation source.

Another important integrated pest management strategy is not introducing infestation in the first place. I live within walking distance to a box store garden center and often inspect their plants,

GREEN Vision

Figure 2

including crepe myrtles free of charge.

I have seen more than one heavy CMBS infestation on the in-store plants (See Figure 4). As a homeowner or landscape professional, please look closely before you buy, and don’t buy this one.

CRAPEMYRTLE BARK SCALE SPREADS

I was contacted by the state entomologist at Plant Protection & Weed Control for the Kansas Department of Agriculture in July. They intercepted CMBS on a crapemyrtle plant being sold at a box store in Shawnee County. After getting the samples, our U.S. Department of Agriculture collaborator confirmed what they had was indeed CMBS. Then just last week, Dr. J.C. Chong, professor of entomology at Clemson University, reported on his PestTalks newsletter: “Clemson University Department of Plant Industry (DPI) announced last Wednesday that crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS) has been found in landscape sites in Columbia, S.C.” The newsletter reported that Amanda McNulty, host and producer of Making It Grow, talked about CMBS on the local NPR station. And on Sept. 1, a listener in Columbia alerted McNulty

to a suspected infestation in the area.

McNulty then alerted DPI, which confirmed the infestation as CMBS. Dr. Chong acknowledged our group’s effort on combating CMBS (stopcmbs. com). I have reached out to him and invited him to attend our informational sessions, one was Oct. 12 another will be Jan. 15, 2020, in Mobile, Ala., during the Gulf State Horticulture EXPO. We are also planning sessions in conjunction with TNLA educational events.

We will be monitor the situation and share news with you. We also have a lot of information on our CMBS Facebook page and www.stopcmbs.com. As always, please don’t be shy; share your comments at mgu@tamu.edu.

Figure 3

MENGMENG GU, PH.D., is associate professor/extension specialist in the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Department of Horticultural Sciences. Her email address is mgu@tamu.edu.

BIN WU is a Ph.D. student working on crapemyrtle bark scale in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Texas A&M University.

Figure 3

November/December 2019 TNLA Green

19

BUGS FUZZ

Focus on disease and insects

By Kevin Ong, Ph.D., and Erfan Vafaie

Protect Citrus; Know the Enemies

EVERY COMMODITY HAS ITS own suite of insects and plant diseases, slowly chipping away at your ability to make a livelihood. Citrus, which has been reported to contribute roughly $460 million to Texas’ economy, is one that has been hammered particularly hard. A suite of regulations on plant movement and production containment requirements inspired by a few recent lethal pests and diseases make this a particularly difficult commodity, to say

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the least. Let’s explore two diseases and their association with insect pests, which is impacting the citrus production and ornamental citrus industries.

CITRUS GREENING

Citrus greening, aka Huanglongbing (HLB), is a bacterial disease that has caused massive havoc to the citrus industry in Florida since it was detected in the early 2000s. In Texas, the presence of this pathogen was confirmed in 2012.

Thankfully, large losses in commercial citrus production have not been reported in Texas, perhaps due to education and proactive treatments and lessons learned from Florida’s experience.

In the U.S. the most common species associated with this disease is Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (cLAS). This is a “fastidious” bacterium, meaning it is almost impossible to grow outside the plant, thus making detection of this pathogen only possible through molecular detection tools. Currently, this disease is found to be fairly widespread in South Texas. Recently, the quarantine for HLB has been expanded to more counties on the Texas Gulf Coast. For quarantine information, visit www.texasagriculture.gov and click on Regulatory Programs.

This bacterium, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (cLAS), is vectored by the Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP). The Asian Citrus Psyllid (Diaphorina citrus Kuwayama), as its name implies, was originally widely distributed in southern Asia. Like aphids, mealybugs, and whiteflies, psyllids are a sucking insect pest that produce honeydew, resulting in the growth of sooty mold on the infested plant. There are several other species of psyllids that can feed on citrus but are not of particular concern because only ACP is known to be the vector of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. cLAS, the causal agent of HLB, can be transmitted from infected to healthy trees through grafting, or more commonly by ACP, first discovered in Florida in 1998, in Texas in 2001, in Southern California in 2008, and in Arizona in 2009. The actual citrus greening pathogen was first found in Florida in 2005. All it takes is about one hour of feeding by an infected psyllid to transmit the virus to a healthy plant.

Focus on disease and insects

A

It also doesn’t help that ACP nymphs feeding on infected citrus for as little as 15 to 30 minutes can become vectors of cLAS for the rest of their lifespan.

B

IDENTIFICATION

3

CITRUS GREENING Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Kuwana), (A) nymphs feeding on citrus plant can secrete a waxy tubule [inset: closeup of ACP nymph], (B) both adults and nymphs feeding on citrus and (C) adult ACP. (Photo credit: (B) Kinnie Laughlin, Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center, Weslaco.)

2. Citrus greening symptom: thicken/corky midvein and leaves that stand up like “rabbit ears” with visible chlorosis (yellowing) 3. Uneven or asymmetrical mottling on citrus leaves can be a symptom of citrus greening.

(Photo credit: Kinnie Laughlin, Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center, Weslaco.)

(Photo credit: Kinnie Laughlin, Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center, Weslaco.)

C

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BUGS FUZZ

Identification of citrus greening is not always easy. Many of the foliar symptoms due to stress and nutrient deficiency have been mistaken for HLB. Plants would have a general poor health look: stunting, yellowing of parts of the tree, and misshapen fruits. For more information about HLB, visit agrilifeextension.tamu. edu/solutions/citrus-greening.

Currently, there is no cure for citrus greening. Management strategies have emphasis on vector management, or “kill the ACP,” removal of infected plants, or “get rid of pathogen reservoirs,” and use only “clean” plants.

CITRUS CANKER

Unlike Citrus greening, symptoms of Citrus canker can be easily recognized.

This disease is caused by a bacterium, Xanthomonas citri pv. citri. There are several strains of this bacterium, two of which have been found to be present in Texas. This is not a new disease; it was believed that this pathogen was brought into the U.S. in the early 1900s from Japan and was subsequently eradicated (1947 in Texas). However, it reappeared in Florida in 1986.

In Texas, a detection was confirmed in South Texas in 2015. Further analysis of the isolated bacteria identified it as a strain that causes damage of limes.

A separate detection was confirmed in Houston in 2016, and the strain detected there was identified as the Asian strain, which was more destructive and could attack many different citrus types. This is a quarantine pathogen, and several areas in Texas are currently quarantined. For

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BUGS FUZZ

Focus on disease and insects

If infected trees can be removed early, it would reduce the possibility that this tree could serve as a continued reservoir for these disease pathogens. more information about Citrus Canker quarantine, visit www. texasagriculture.gov and click on Regulatory Programs.

TRANSMISSION

This bacterium can be easily transmitted by wind and water. Mildly warm temperatures with ample moisture are ideal conditions for this bacterium to multiply and spread. Citrus canker symptoms on foliage can be recognized easily. Lesions would start as a small blisterlike spot, which expands to a larger spot with water-soaked lesions with a yellow halo.

Leaf spot centers may darken to tan or black. Damage can also occur on fruit. For more information and a picture guide to this disease, check out Extension publication EPLP-032 on Citrus Canker at agrilifeextension.tamu. edu/library/gardening/citrus canker.

Wound and natural openings, such as stomates, are entry points for this bacterium into the citrus plant. Unlike HLB, there is no known insect vector for citrus canker. However, severity of this disease has been associated with damage caused by the citrus leaf miner, Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton.

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The citrus leaf miner was first found in the continental U.S. in 1993 in southern Florida, and by 1995 had made its way to Texas. Adults lay eggs on leaves, and within two weeks larvae emerge and enter the leaf tissue. Lesions and damage caused during larval feeding may increase infection opportunities for citrus canker.

Recognizing disease symptoms and the associated insect vectors is considered early defense. If infected trees can be removed early, it would reduce the possibility that this tree could serve as a continued reservoir for these disease pathogens. Love your citrus; learn to recognize the enemies.

BUGS (ERFAN VAFAIE) and FUZZ (KEVIN ONG) work for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Vafaie is an extension program specialist (IPM) located at the Texas A&M Research & Extension Center in Overton.

Ong is the associate department head for extension programs in the Department of Plant Pathology & Microbiology based at Texas A&M College Station, where he also directs the Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab

A

C

B

2

3

4

CITRUS CANKER Citrus leaf miner, Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (A) larva, (C) adult, and (B) citrus leaf miner damage. Images by (A) Jonas Janner Hamann, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Bugwood.org, (B) Jeffrey W. Lotz, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org, and (C) Kinnie Laughlin, Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center, Weslaco.

2. Canker symptoms on fruit and leaves that are damaged by leaf miner. (Photo credit: Timothy Schubert, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org) 3. Characteristic citrus canker leaf symptoms. Leaf spots with tan to brown centers with water-soaked perimeter and yellow halo.

4. Spots on leaves due to the canker bacterium. Notice the intensity of the canker spots on some leaves (red arrows) that have leaf miner damage.

November/December 2019 TNLA Green

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NOTES FROM SFA Gardens

By Dawn Stover

Layering the Ground With Native Alternatives AT SFA GARDENS WE’VE BEEN employing and enjoying success with the planting matrix principles outlined in Thomas Rainer and Claudia West’s “Planting in a PostWild World.” In the book the authors describe landscaping that functions like naturally occurring plant communities.

The matrix is made up of structural, seasonal, and ground cover layers.

The ground cover layer is the most important and makes up the largest percentage of plant material in the matrix. Rainer and West note that bare mulch is an opportunity for a weed to germinate, and using a functional, tightly planted ground cover layer reduces that opportunity. Keep in mind the layers mingle with one another rather than serving as stand-alone elements.

Given that most of the planting I do at SFA Gardens lies within the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, many traditional ground covers are an option for me.

I’m also a bit of a lazy gardener, and I don’t want to have to work harder for my ground cover than it works for me.

Asian jasmine comes to mind.

I am on the search for new or underutilized native ground cover options, and I have stumbled on a few that are good, a few that are bad, and a few we’re still thinking about. Although I think the principles that Rainer and West write about are great, they design gardens in cooler climates and list plants that tend to die a tragic and ugly death in the heat and humidity of Texas summers. I’m looking for better options for the South.

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Sedges are widely used as the ground cover layer, and there are several natives that work for us. Cherokee sedge (Carex cherokeensisI) is a tall option that has performed well despite my typical plant neglect. I use this sedge in larger settings that can easily absorb its height.

I tend to use trees with interesting bark like Mexican plum or river birch for the structural layer and don’t rely on anything for the seasonal layer since the sedge and bark provide that.

For more refined plantings, we’ve had good luck with Texas sedge (Carex texensis). This low-growing, finely textured sedge with its dark green foliage plays well with the other layers.

It does its job of covering the mulch while letting the other players shine in the spotlight. Dramatic, clumping ferns, deciduous azaleas, and dogwoods would make a fine complement.

I learned the hard way that grasses are not necessarily a good choice for the ground cover layer. I was hoping

to use little bluestem (Schyzachyrium scoparium) in this manner but have found it to perform better as a structural component with its upright nature. We have found that purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis) makes a spectacular ground cover for bright, sunny spots. It also helps lend a little support to some of our seasonal selections like gayfeather (Liatris spp.) and fills in its niche nicely with low, arching foliage and airy, reddish flower panicles. Native grasses aren’t my strong suit, so I’m still learning and exploring options in this arena. Rosette grass (Dicanthlium spp.) is one that I think has potential for shade.

We’re looking at several perennials as well. Parlin’s pussytoes (Antennaria parlinii) is showing good potential for lean, well-drained soils. I find that in the wild it dries up in later summer, but with a modest amount of supplemental irrigation does well in the landscape.

This is another workhorse, doing its job without stealing the spotlight.

And while Stoke’s aster (Stokesia laevis’) provides a beautiful burst of colorful flowers in spring, it’s lowgrowing evergreen foliage serves well as a ground cover and fills the ground nicely where a seasonal sanguine coneflower (Echinacea sanguinea) can poke through. Spring blooming groundsel (Packera spp.) makes an excellent choice for the shaded garden and offers bright yellow flowers in early spring. The flower stalks are a bit tall, so take that into consideration when choosing the plant community. A seasonal element that blooms in summer or fall would be a good choice.

There are two very low-growing, slowly spreading natives under evaluation as well. We are looking at partridgeberry (Mitchella repens) and creeping eryngo (Erygium prostratum). Both require consistent moisture with partridgeberry thriving in shade and the eryngo tolerating full sun with regular irrigation or a consistently wet environment.

Partridgeberry is very mannerly, and while it does creep, it’s not aggressive like ivy or Asian jasmine. It needs to be planted quite densely, and this can easily be accomplished by using small plugs. I had been thinking of this plant in this regard for a while and was pleasantly surprised to see it used as a ground cover at Moore Farms Botanical Garden during my visit to South Carolina last summer.

I’m still looking at the eryngo.

We did plant it in the landscape but quickly discovered it will not tolerate drying out. It’s a good option for sunny areas that have a consistent seep.

We’ve had a few failures in addition to the eryngo. Several species of blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium spp.) go dormant in the summer, and those that don’t need consistent irrigation

in the summer months. Frog fruit (Phylla nodiflora) is great but is easily shaded out. I had high hopes for the Snow Flurry cultivar of our native heath aster (Symphyotricum ericoides), but I suspect it has a northern provenance and gives a lackluster performance here. It might do well when given time to establish, but I’m not willing to pull the weeds waiting for that to happen.

Stay tuned. We’ll keep trialing and editing our selections. I always joke that it’s my job to kill plants, and I do plenty of that. But truly, it’s my job to recommend Texas tough plant selections and alternative ways to use them. We’ll keep on planting. I hope you will too.

DAWN STOVER is research associate at SFA Gardens.

November/December 2019 TNLA Green

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NEW MEMBERS

TNLA would like to welcome its new members. If you would like to become a member or if you have any questions or concerns about your current membership, please contact us at 800.880.0343.

Visit www.TNLAonline.org to learn about the benefits of becoming a member of TNLA. REGION 1 Educator Robert DeRocher P.O. Box 411 Elmendorf, TX 78112

LH Landscaping Design Lilian Escobar P.O. Box 710730 Houston, TX 77271 www.lhlandscapingdesign.com

Landscape – Individual Tihomir Alagenchev TM & F Services 3811 Kentucky Court Grand Prairie, TX 75052

Government Della Reyes University of Texas at San Antonio 415 Wonder Parkway San Antonio, TX 78213

Serenity Now Lands Landscaping Benyee’ Stevenson 2310 Pebbles Shores Lane Pearland, TX 77548

Retail - Individual Travis Nieuwesteeg Outdoor Warehouse Supply 3513 Shorecrest Drive Plano, TX 75074

Darrell Miller Briscoe Western Art Museum 6506 Amber Oak San Antonio, TX 78249

Landscape – Individual Troy Goodell Sienna Plantation Associations 9711 McKinney Lane Missouri City, TX 77459

Supplier Burt and Associates Matt Travis 801 E Campbell Road, Suite 165 Richardson, TX 75081 www.burtcollect.com

Landscape Rhinamic Workforce Marty Ruona 151 Huxley Drive San Antonio, TX 78218 www.rhinamic.com Summit Landscape and Design Marie Grove 122 County Road 4621 Hondo, TX 78861 www.summitlandscapedesign. com Nonprofit San Antonio Botanical Garden Society Dennis Joy P.O. Box 6569 San Antonio, TX 78209 www.sabot.org Student Gabrielle Alanis Palo Alto College 5542 Ridge Run St. San Antonio, TX 78250 REGION 2 Educator Chase Vasbinder Travis B. Bryan High School 4272 Shepherd Hill North Zulch, TX 77872

Peter Wakefield Creative Landscapes P.O. Box 1190 Conroe, TX 77305 Supplier Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc Jerry Tydacka P.O. Box 630 Needville, TX 77461 Farm Dirt Compost Carol Curro P.O. Box 36533 Houston, TX 77236 www.farmdirtcompost.com Rush Truck Centers – Houston Michael Martin 10100 North Loop East Houston, TX 77029 www.rushtruckcenters.com REGION 3 Educator Michael McLeon Windham School District 3319 Mugsy Drive Tyler, TX 75707 Lone Star Legacy Herman Vess 304 CR 2132 Quitman, TX 75783

Landscape Aquasense Irrigation Services REGION 4 Julio Gordillo Landscape 11111 West Little York Road, Ste 241 Specialized Landscape Services, Houston, TX 77041 Inc. www.aquasenseirrigation.com Clyde Griffith P.O. Box 386 Hogue Landscape Services, LLC Waxahachie, TX 75168 Matthew Hogue www.specializedls.com 2300 Central Parkway, Ste H Houston, TX 77092 www.hoguels.com

Pool Cover Resource Tom Odeski 6824 Walling Lane, Bldg. A Dallas, TX 75231 www.poolcoverresource.com Precise Machinery Shannon Warmann 2307 Springlake Road, #516 Dallas, TX 75234 www.precisemachinery.com REGION 5 Government John Havens Town of Flower Mound 1820 Thorntree Lane Justin, TX 76247 Student Cameron Grant Tarrant County College 5600 Guadalajara Drive Richland Hills, TX 76180 REGION 6 Retail Neighbors Lawn & Garden Tammie Burns 6530 Hwy 180 W. P.O. Box 3219 Albany, TX 76430 Government Rodger Crawford, TCNP City of Odessa, Parks & Recreation P.O. Box 4398 Odessa, TX 79760

REGION 7 Student Sonia Munoz Texas A&M University – Kingsville Citrus Research Center 2721 Southridge Drive Edinburg, TX 78539 REGION 8 Landscape Dake Land Design Christian Dake 1175 Pandora St. Austin, TX 78702 WLE Landscape and Irrigation Johnny McDonnell 10122 Bradshaw Road Austin, TX 78747 www.wle.land Student Kurt Stamper New York Institute of Art and Design 306 Faris St. San Marcos, TX 78666 Supplier Buckner Superior Dave Wyche P.O. Box 17311 Austin, TX 78744 www.bucknersuperior.com OUT OF STATE Government Anneliese Franklin New Orleans City Park 10710 Zerlee St. Baton Rouge, LA 70807 Supplier American Garden Perlite Laura Conner 31 S. Airport Road Lake Wales, FL 33859 www.agperlite.com Direct Lighting Outdoor Lifestyle Nate Mullen 280 Trade St., Ste. B San Marcos, CA 92078 www.lifetimelightingsystems. com Safeguard Nursery Products Jim Behagg 100 Galvan Way New Albany, IN 47150 www.treesupports.com

NEW TNLA CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS TMCNP Texas Master Certified Nursery Professional Grace Myrick - Grace Myrick TCNP Texas Certified Nursery Professional Michael Cook - Rainbow Gardens #1 Chris Dittmer - Calloway’s Nursery

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TNLA Green November/December 2019

TCLP Texas Certified Landscape Professional Tihomir Alagenchev - TM & F Services Forrest Bowen - MBL Inc. Jason Connell - AAA Landscape, An Underwood Brothers Company ​TCWSP Texas Certified Water Smart Professional Jon H. Kirk Jr. - Landvisions Patrick Wallace – Conserva Irrigation

Green QUIZ TNLA

According to the article Will Texas Solve the Water Challenge, what percentage of the state is in some level of drought?

1. 1 2% 2. 3 % 3. 60% 4. 72%

According to the article Will Texas Solve the Water Challenge, which percentage of water recovery rate will exist after the pipeline is completed?

1. 1 2% 2. 1 3% 3. 60% 4. 72%

According to the article Beautyberry Again! CMBS in Kansas and South Carolina, How do you tell CMBS from crepe myrtle aphids just by looking at the sooty mold infestation?

1. O n a crepe myrtle the growing tips are on the outside of the canopy, so honeydew secreted by aphids often drops to leaves, where sooty mold will grow.

2. O n an American beautyberry, the growing tips are on the outside of the canopy, so honeydew secreted by aphids often drops to leaves, where sooty mold will grow.

3. Aphids do not impact crepe myrtles.

4. Aphids do not impact CMBS.

According to the article Protect Citrus; Know the Enemies, citrus has been reported to contribute roughly _____________ to Texas’ economy.

1. $4.6 million 2. $46 million 3. $460 million 4. None of the above

According to the article Protect Citrus; Know the Enemies, like aphids, mealybugs, and whiteflies, psyllids are sucking insect pests that produce honeydew, resulting in the growth of sooty mold on the infested plant.

1. True 2. False

According to the article Protect Citrus; Know the Enemies, Huanglongbing is which of the following?

1. Citrus canker disease 2. Another name for the Asian citrus psyllid 3. Citrus greening disease 4. All of the above

According to the article Layering the Ground With Native Alternatives, which of the following is the matrix not made up of?

1. Structural 2. Functional 3. Seasonal 4. Ground cover layers

According to the article Layering the Ground With Native Alternatives, grasses are always a good choice for the ground cover layer.

1. True 2. False

According to the article Layering the Ground With Native Alternatives, which of the following plants has a great potential for the shade?

1. Little bluestem (Schyzachyrium scoparium) 2. Purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis) 3. Gayfeather (Liatris spp.)

4. Rosette grass (Dicanthlium spp.)

According to the article Layering the Ground With Native Alternatives, what is the one issue with native creeping eryngo (Erygium prostratum)?

1. It does not take the sun well.

2. It does not take constant moisture well.

3. It will dry out quickly.

4. None of the above

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FACT

2 weeks The amount of time it takes leaf miner larvae to hatch and enter the leaf tissue of citrus plants 28

TNLA Green November/December 2019

D

TNLA Green November/December 2019