NEW HAMPS HIRE PLANT GROWERS ASSOCIATIO N DECEMBER 19 9 6 & ) A N U A R Y 1 9 9 7 L ^' . ///- 1 h L|,i^ 1 1 ti/ 1 yf/ ^ ^ Th w, re have a special name for the trees that come from our famis — ^AxcticMist.™ When you order ArcticMist,! " you are not just buying a tree, but all of the time, attention, and care — from seedling to shipping — that goes into creating a safe, healthy, and beautiful Christmas tree. We plant from seed to achieve maximum quality control. All ArcticMist™ trees are heavily needled and have dense conical shapes. Their lovely blue color, rich fragrance, and good needle retention make them ideal Christmas trees. Fraser, balsam, white spnice, and pine (white, scotch, and red) are available. In addition, we are introducing fralsam, a fraser-balsam cross. Wreaths are also available. Since our farms are in New Hampshire and Vermont, we harvest our trees later in the season than many other growers. We also do everything we can to minimize moisnire loss after harvest and during shipping. You can order the number of trees that is right for you — from 25 to a trailer load. We can arrange shipping or you may pick up the trees yourself We respect your schedule and guarantee on time delivery. Our trees arrive individually wrapped and ready for sale. All you need to do is remove the wrappers and set the trees out — no broken branches, no last minute trimming. T .o place an order, or to receive specific information about this year's trees: CJall us at 800/694-8722 or 603/237-5702. Send us a fax at 603/237-8439. Or write to us at 38 Bridge St., Colebrook, NH 03576. Our internet address is http://www.sibgotree.com SibgoTree Company We (mow what you want for C(iristmas\ ArcticMist Remember, you can only buy ArcticMisP^ at Sibgo Tree Company. TM Whafs New? How New Plants Originate Carol Lorenz ^^TT That's ne I /I / frequent r r to keep u ew.-- in sales, that question is heard tly. Garden centers and growers want up with new introductions in order to keep their customer base supplied with diversity and to remain one step ahead of the competition. But where do these new varieties/selections originate? At Bailey Nurseries, inc., new introductions have been identified through several channels. Our long-term relationships with other wholesale growers, universities, research stations, arboraeta, and botanical gardens have always provided us with new selections. We have our own rose breeding program which is so new that most choices are still being evaluated. Plus we are blessed with some very observant employees who have made numerous selections from our seedling and production blocks. Essentially, new plants/selections originate through three methods: (1) formal hybridizing/breeding programs, (2) seedling selection, and (3) genetic mutation/plant sports. FORMAL HYBRIDIZING/BREEDINGPROGRAMS Breeding programs usually have their own list of cri- teria upon which selections are made. The choices seem endless and include goals such as exceptional cold hardiness, heat tolerance, fragrance, repeat or everblooming ability, disease resistance, unusual forms, variations in foliage type or color, growth rate, etc.. Working with the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum provided some excellent introductions. The popular Northern Lights series of azaleas is an on-going program. These deciduous azaleas can withstand bit- terly cold temperature as low as -35F to -45F without significant damage. The series includes 'Golden Lights,' 'Northern Hi-lights',' 'Northern Lights,' 'Orchid Lights,' 'Rosy Lights,' 'Spicy Lights,' and 'White Lights.' These varieties provide outstanding color and extreme hardi- ness; some are fragrant. All are rated to zone four. The university also has a fruit breeding program and one of their recent releases was Honeycrisp (PP7197) apple. This variety resulted from a cross between Macoun and Honeygold and exhibits exceptional crisp- ness and juiciness and is very sweet. Its ability to store well for up to five months has made this variety an ex- cellent choice for both commercial growers and home owners. Fruit ripens late September to early October. It is rated zone four. Another successful release from the fruit program is Summercrisp pear. Considered to be the hardiest pear at the University of Minnesota Research Station, this pear bears fruit annually that measures 2 1/ 2" diameter by 3-3 1/2" long. Fruit harvested mid-August, when it is crisp and green, can be stored up to two months. Summercrisp is rated zone four. Blueberries referred to as "half-highs" are also being released by the University of Minnesota Research Sta- tion. These are taller than the Maine low-bush blueber- ries, staying between I l/2'-4' tall by 2'-4' wide. Varieties include 'Chippewa,' 'Northblue,' 'Polaris,' 'North Country,' and 'St. Cloud.' These make wonderful landscape plants, due to their flowering/fruiting/fall color and compact habit. All are hardy for zone four. Bailey Nurseries, Inc., has worked closely with the Morden Research Station at Morden, Manitoba, and the L'Assomption Experimental Station at L'Assomption, Ouebec (now closed). This alliance has allowed us to in- troduce many new varieties of hardy shrub roses. In par- ticular, the Explorer series. This series, well adapted to New England weather conditions, consists of ground cov- ers, climbers, and shrub types, many hardy through zone three. Many of the early Explorer roses were rugosa hy- brids that were repeat bloomers, salt-tolerant, and ex- tremely hardy. The more recent releases are complex hybrids which combine disease resistance with good cold-hardiness. Ground cover selections are Charles Albanel' (magenta) and 'Henry Hudson' (white). Shrub types include 'David Thompson' (deep pink), ') P Conneir (pale yellow), lens Munk' (pink), "Champlain' (red), and 'Martin Frobisher' (soft pink). Climbers are generally a complex hybrid with Rosa kordesn and include 'Henry Kelsey' (red), '|ohn Cabot' (magenta), ')ohn Davis' (soft pink), and 'William Baffin' (deep pink). Lake County Nursery (Perry, Ohio), another wholesale grower, has been selecting crabapples for natural genetic compactness. Their Round Table Series™ of flowering crabapples is the result. The varieties are Camzam' DECEMBER 1996 ♦ (ANOARV 1997 Camelot®, 'Guinzam' Guinevere® and 'Lanzam' Lance- lot® (PP8056I. These crabs generally mature around 10' tail by 8' spread. Flower color ranges from white to vivid pink and fruit color can be red or yellow. Resistance to foliar diseases was also part of their selection process. SEEDLING SELECTION This type of selection can be intentional or stumbled upon simply through keen observation. In any case, plants propagated by seed often exhibit variations within the seedling blocks. Rates of growth, leaf size, leaf color, branching habit, and fall color are just a few of the possible differences Once an interesting seedling is cho- sen, a period of evaluation follows. At Bailey Nurseries, we maintain a two-acre farm where selections are planted for extended observation. Examples of plants introduced this way are our Carou- sel series of barberries. The Burgundy CarouseRM and Ruby CarouselTM varieties were the result of selection from Berberis tkunbergi atropurpurea seedlings. Seedling- grown red-leaf barberry can show many variations. Bur- gundy Carousel™ foliage is quite dark purple, somewhat flat with respect to leaf luster, and matures to 3' tall with a spread of 4-5', Ruby Carousel^" foliage, by contrast, is a brighter red and has a luster to the leaf surface. It is slightly more compact, with mature plants measuring 3'- 3 1/2' tall by 3 1/2' wide. Both varieties are hardy to zone four. Emerald Carousel^" resulted from observing a seedling that exhibited characteristics of both Berberis koreana (Korean barberry) and B. thunbergi (lapanese green-leafed barberry). The preferred flowering and fruit- ing of the Korean barberry combined well with the form of lapanese green-leafed. The seedling was evaluated for form, fall color, hardiness, and resistance to wheat rust. A mature plant will reach 4'-5' tall with an equal spread. Fall color is outstanding. It is rated to zone four. Acer platanoides 'Pond' Emerald Lustre® maple (PP4837), in the marketplace for several years, is also the result of a superior seedling. It was chosen for commer- cial introduction because of its vigorous growth rate, glossy foliage, excellent branching habit, and consistent hardiness in zone four. A more recent introduction is Ti/ia amerkana 'Bailyard' Frontyard^M linden. This selection of our native American linden or basswood was based on its symmetrical branch- ing habit and overall height and spread. Although still a large tree, it will mature around 60'-75' with a 40' spread, which is shorter and more compact than the species. GENETIC MUTATION/PLANT SPORTS Observation is the operative word for this method! At Bailey's, our employees are encouraged to identify any plants with unusual features that may appear in the fields. These plants would then be moved to an area where they would be watched and evaluated. Plants could exhibit variegated foliage, contorted/dwarfed or weeping form, dissected leaves, single vs. double flowers, etc. This list can include many characteristics and many of our more unusual plants came about through someone's keen observation of a genetic mutation. Cornus alba 'Bailhalo,' or Ivory Halo® dogwood (PP8722), resulted from genetic mutation of Cornus alba 'Argenteo-marginata.' The Ivory Halo dogwood has a variegated leaf (green-and-white), the same as varie- gated European dogwood, but its internodes are very closely spaced, resulting in a fuller, more compact plant. Overall size is 5'-6' tall by 8'-9' wide. Hosta varieties are very popular these days and new selections keep appearing. Many hostas result from breeding programs, but an unusual phenomenon called "tissue culture sports" (genetic mutations occur- ring on tissue cultured plants) is accounting for some new introductions. This type of irregularity is fairly common with hosta and some breeders look forward to the process as a way to find sports. Once these sports are identified, they must be grown out for a period of time to determine how they differ from ex- isting cultivars and to assure stability of the new fea- ture. A tissue culture plantlet could be grown out for three years and then observed for perhaps an addi- tional five to ten before being commercially intro- duced. Hosta 'Northern Exposure' and H. 'Northern Halo'Ti^ both resulted from tissue culture sports of H. sieboldiana 'Elegans.' H. 'Patriot' is the result of a natu- rally occurring field sport of H. 'Francee.' 'Patriot' dif- fers from 'Francee' by having a much wider leaf margin that is a very striking white. Witches' brooms have provide many wonderful op- portunities for new selections, especially with ever- greens. P/hms strobus (Eastern white pine) and Picea abies (Norway spruce) are two evergreens that experience considerable variation. Our landscapes have been re- warded with dwarf, contorted, weeping, or upright forms and needles that can be extra long, very short, variegated, twisted, blue, green, yellow, and so on. New selections continue to appear. New plants can be very exciting and rewarding. Landscape architects can use selections/cultivars with confidence, knowing that the expected form, color, texture etc. will be consistent through a specific de- sign. Home owners can buy any number of new variet- ies and look forward to reduced spraying (improved disease resistance), less pruning (more compact habit), or longer lasting color in the landscape. Plant diversity is incredible! Carol Lorenz, Northeast sales representative for Bailey Nurseries, Inc., of St. Paul, Minnesota, lives in Center Ossipee, New Hampshire. You can contact her {via voice mail) at 1-800-829-8898, extension 357. THE PLANTSMA http ://w ww.horticulture.com 1 /ahl/ (Albuquerque Hydroponics & Lighting) /hillcrest/ (Hillcrest Nursery) /blackniorc/ (Blackmorc Company. Inc.) /kurtweiss/ (Kurt Weiss Flonst, Inc. ) /bulbs/ (Tlie Bulb Select Search TixjI) /landmark/ (Landmark Plastic Corporation ) /cgga/ (Conn. Greenhouse Growers Association) /lidochem/ (LidoChem, Inc.) i /coex/ (CO-EX Corporation) /mfga/ (Mass. Flower Growers Association) /com/ (The HortWeb Commerce Center) /mccalif/ (McCalif Grower Supplies, Inc.) /commune/ (The HortWeb Communications Center) /monsees/ (Monsees & Company) /crfarm/ (Charles River Farm) /optimara/ (Oplimiira African Violets) /danschantz/ (Dan Schantz Farm and Greenhouses) /org/ (The HortWeb Organization Center) /diamond/ (Diamond Lights) /pennseed/ (Penn State Seed, Co. ) /dummen/ (Dummen, Inc.) /planttech/ (Planttech, Inc.) /edu/ (The HortWeb Education Center) /prs/ (Plastic Recycling Services) /empire/ (Empire Mums) /schaffan/ (Schaefer Fan Company) /fuller/ (Fuller System, Inc. ) /search/ (The HortWeb Search Tool) /germania/ (Germania Seed Company) /se-gli/ (Southeast G/H Conference & Trade Show) /gov/ (The HortWeb Government Center) /terra/ (Terra Enterprises, Inc.) /greenbiz/ (Greenhouse Business Magazine) /tic/ (TLC Poly form. Inc.) /greenleaf/ (Green Leaf Enterprises, Inc.) /welcome/ (The HortWeb Welcome Center) /hmoonhydro/ (HydroMoon Hydroponics) /xotic/ (The Exotic Seed Company) The Horticultural Web continues to help our industry grow with the use of Internet technology. And forward-thinking ■ companies continue to sponsor our goal: to foster a sense of community, learning and communication so that we can M maintain a competitive edge and commercial efficiency over other geographic regions -- and other industries -- in order a that disposable income continues to flow to our industry's bounty, if you'd like to sponsor our efforts and receive the ] benefits of being on the Internet call us at 1-800-WWW-6WEB (999-6932) or email us at postmaster(a' horticulture.com 1 • Nu-Form Products • Landmark Products • Pre-filled Flats & Pots • Klerks Films "Helping You to Grow" B.E. Supply GREENHOUSE SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT Hemlock Road, Langdon Mailing Address: P.O. Box 0, Charlestown, New Hampshire 03603 • Restricted Pesticides • Kord Products • Fertilizers • Distributors for Hyde Park &. Sunshine Soils Work: 603/835-6930 Home: 603/835-2523 Fax: 603/835-2180 DECEMBER 1996 ♦lANDARY 1997 MEMBER PROF RIFF FLOWER SHOP & GREENHOUSE New Vistas RIFF FLOWER SHOP has been around a long time. Dave and Linda Hutchins bought the building from its owner when they moved here in 1977, but the name comes from a previous owner — a man named Riff who'd bought the bloci< in 1947. And there'd been a flower shop there before that. Dave and Linda had co-owned with Dave's sister three flower shops in the Boston area, but Dave's originally from upstate New York and Linda, from Concord and "we just never got used to city life" They'd been looking throughout northern New England for an appro- priate business when the mortgage officer (who'd married a florist also looking for a business to buyl at their bank told them about a place up in Lancaster he and his wife had seen and rejected. For Dave and Linda, it seemed ideal. The property was a package — a house and three greenhouses on North Road and the Riff Block on Main Street at the corner of Elm, just beyond the bridge over the Is- rael River. The river bisects the business district — but most of the businesses are on the north side; only the Riff Block and City Hall are south. BUILT AROUND 1900, The block is a flat-roofed three-story clapboarded cube topped with a wide wooden cornice. In the top two stories are apart- ments; the ground floor — with bay show windows and recessed door- ways, is designed to hold three shops. Riff Flower Shop has always been on the corner; the two other spaces were rented out. But, al- though the store front hasn't changed, businesses do: "Some would last six months, some a year. ..it was very unstable, more trouble than it was worth. We're on the wrong side of the bridge." This year, the Hutchinses made major changes. They took over the other two areas themselves, dou- bling the size of Riff Flower Shop to about 3000 square feet. They also bought an abandoned 2 1/2-story 30'x50' wooden building on the river side of the Riff Block. This was to be torn down to create park- ing for twenty cars. When this was done, they saw that their view of the river and the small park beside it was "about the best view in town." Partly to add interest to the aus- tere, nearly windowless north wall and partly to utilize the view, a ten- foot-wide deck will be built along this side of the building. A bed of shrubs (and annuals in the summer) will run along the front of the deck; a brick walk will separate the bed and the parking. An access ramp will be built ("we don't have many handicapped, but we do have a lot of people with strollers") from the parking area onto the deck. The main entrance will be from the deck: a new door is being cut through the north wall. Customers can still enter from the sidewalk through the entrances (side-by-side up a small flight of broad steps) of the two previously rented spaces, but the old corner entrance to Riff will no longer be used. (A small potted tree will probably stand in front of the recess.) Not just an inviting place to pause and look over displays before entering the shop, the deck will be used in other ways. The new shop plans include a small food prepara- tion area and another of tables and chairs where customers can sit and enjoy coffee and desserts ("home- made, but not made here"). The deck is high enough to allow people to look past parked cars onto the river and, on warm days, people will sit on the deck as well. Trees (white ash and crabapple) planted next to the walk will offer color and shade. INSIDE, the walls between the three commercial spaces are being taken down. Some things can't be re- moved; the chimney's still there (a pot-bellied stove will be beside it), as well as an enclosed area contain- ing the stairs to the apartments, and these will be used to define ar- eas within the larger space. Obvi- ously, some of the basic structure needs to remain: exposed vertical supports will be covered by lattice- work, but, where walls once were, customers will move through broadly arched openings. White walls and ceilings ("the displays will be the decoration") and the wood floors, painted probably teal, throughout will help unify the once- separate units. Although the changes being made in the basic structure were precisely planned, the uses of new areas still are not. These will evolve, but some aspects are set. Along with the new coffee shop, there will be expanded product lines and a larger, more private wedding consultation center ( "with a couch"). In the building torn down, they found a workable walk-in cooler and THE PLANTSMAN MEMBER PROFILE this has been incorporated in the enlarged work area at the rear of the new shop; the present cooler will remain where it is and be used for customers to choose their own cut flowers. The official grand opening won't be until a year from now, when everything's done, but the Hutchinses hope to have the ex- panded shop ready for their tradi- tional Christmas open house — al- ways the Saturday after Thanksgiv- ing ("we transform the shop from fall to winter in one night"). There are poinsettias and homemade cookies and a giveaway — and this year, "Rudolph's Workshop," an area for do-it-yourself swag and wreath decorating — but attendance "is of- ten the same people" and the new shop could give numbers a boost. THE PRESENT SHOP is a big high room, its height softened by branches painted white and fas- tened to the wooden ceiling and strung with tiny lights. A broad "L"- shaped counter separates a gener- ous work area from the rest of the space. Products and services are tradi- tional: flowers have always been central. Riff belongs to FTDA, Teiaflora, and Carik — "weddings are big;" arrangements are full, "very country;" arrangements using a mix of dried and artificial material also sell well; baskets are popular. There are house plants, but Linda keeps only a few on hand and orders on a weekly basis. The North Country seems less af- fected by trends: "There's a lot of wood and antiques up here and the chrome-and-glass and black-and- white that were so fashionable down south never made it through the notch." But some do arrive — it takes about five years. Right now, the decorative banners that people hang from their houses are begin- ning to sell. Behind — and attached to — the shop is a 28'x48' double-poly New Englander, put up five years ago. The setup is simple — benches along the four sides, four wood/wire/ce- ment block benches in the center, weed mat on crushed stone. Plants are watered by hand and fed with a hozon. The Hutchinses buy in most of their holiday plants (Easter lilies, cyclamen), but right now Dave has a nice house of poinsettias growing from cuttings potted up in )uly. ("Customers like this — they like to see how the crop is doing") A car and a van deliver within a 35-mile radius. Distance is rela- tive— "Up here, people drive two hours to shop at a mall (Concord or Conway); I buy from Claussen's (Colchester, Vermont); my wholesaler comes out from Portland. Long dis- tances are part of the way of life." Another part of the life here is working several trades in order to make a living. This is true with the Hutchinses. Back at their home on North Road, three homemade double-poIy greenhouses with a combined growing space of about 8500 square feet are used to pro- duce a spring bedding crop. Dave starts seed in mid-)anuary; this year, y/^NOTES The oncoming cool temperatures and low light are reminiscent of last spring's growing conditions. We wrestled with a whole host of problems then, and one that continues to crop up is botrytis. I've talked about this problem before, but last year was a test case on control. Nurseries and perennial growers are confronted with the same problem that greenhouse growers confront in mid-winter. We are dealing with excessive moisture at just enough temperature to allow the organism to germinate. Infection can take place at tem- peratures as low as 50F. In conjunction with low-light conditions, the plants never seem to dry out. Not only foliage — but soil surface mois- ture as well — can contribute to the problem. Wet soil can easily cause botrytis to form at the base of the plant. It will appear in its more de- veloped stage as a grey fuzzy mass known as mycelium. (If you've kept strawberries too long in your refrigerator, you'll know what it looks like.) Cuttings and seedlings are most vulnerable. If you have a problem, take a sample and put it in a plastic bag along with a wet paper towel. Don't seal the bag. Leave it on a counter where the temperature will be about 70F for three or four days. The disease will grow on virtually any plant or fruit and, if the spores are there, the classic symptoms will develop. Letting the soil and foliage dry out some will usually prevent the problem. You can do this in two ways — one: you can increase air circu- lation, preferably with outside air (outside air usually will have less free moisture or relative humidity than the air of an enclosed growing house in which you water; or two: you can install horizontal fans. Ornalin will eradicate the disease and fungicides (eg: Fungo) with thiophanate methyl will help prevent the disease from forming. )im Zablocki, Jerrilory Manager. The Scolls Qompanij. ^ioriheasl, can be reached at 603-224-5583. DECEMBER 1996 ♦lANUARV 1997 MEMBER PROF he began the seeds in the New En- glander attached to the florist shop — the catch was good — and it saved heat at North Road, but next year he'll use plugs — he'll be more sure of germination and save both time and space. Crops are traditional — geraniums and impatiens sell well. Dave grows 1000 hangers — impatiens, ivy gerani- ums, and fuchsia are customers' fa- vorites. He wholesales to two other outlets and supply their own shop; people can also buy directly from the farm from May first through the middle of July. Ten additional employees (there are three full-time year-round staff members) help out during the spring and summer season. There's a small nursery on the farm as well and Dave designs and installs landscape plantings. Most are done for summer residents; "people who live here year-round seem happy enough with just a lilac by the door." LANCASTER is more upbeat about itself these days. Yes, there are empty buildings downtown (a major fire this summer destroyed an en- tire block), but it is the county seat of Coos County: the legal functions of Berlin and Lancaster (the Winter Court was held in Berlin; the Sum- mer, in Lancaster) have been con- solidated and a new court house (which seems to be the first major public building here — other than schools — since the library was built in 1906) is rising — in a direct line with the bandstand — behind the park in the center of town. And east of town, on the road to- ward Gorham, a new Cabot Motor Inn has been built. The complex contains a lap pool and a function room that accommodates three hun- dred. This has attracted new people. Lancaster's changing — "more peo- ple are building in the hills and you never know where the deliveries will take you," and its center — with many turn-of-the century buildings still intact — will probably be less of a place of commerce in basics. Many town centers throughout the state are becoming places to go for the extras: to eat out, to buy un- usual gifts, to see a movie or hear live music. Some trends do make it through the notches. This one has arrived. And Riff Flower Shop, with its unique mix of flowers, food, history, and vista, has prepared itself well. (B.P.) Riff Flower Shop is at 22 Main Street, Lancaster, NH 03584. The phone number is 603-788-4681. Newton Greenhouse 32 Amesbury Road, Newton, NH 03858 603-382-5289 Quality Plants green & flowering from 3" to 10" pots Holiday, bedding plants & dish gardens Year round cut Smaps, Gloxinias, &. African Violets Seasonal Cut Tulips & Iris Liscensed propagator of Mikkelsen & Ecke New Guinea Impatiens Perennials, Plugs, Geraniums, Preflnished Mums Bulbs, Holiday Crops, Flowering Plants Joseph Giannino Co. Representing Fine Growers of Quality Plant Material P.O. Box 757, Rowley, Massachusetts 01969 Telephone: 888/948-2001; Fax: 508/948-8167 Rolling Green Landscaping & Nursery 400 varieties of perennials ♦> Annuals & herbs Ornamental trees, shrubs & vines ^ Trellises Wholesale prices available ♦> Call for 1996 listing 64 Breakfast Hill Rd., Greenland, NH (Next to 1-95) 603-436-2732 THE PLANTSMAN The More You Qdw, The More You Know. (fr^^^ortheast Nursery, Inc. We've been in this business a long lime. We know our customer's needs and demands. It dosen't make a difference of the time of year or the size of the project. Northeast Nursery covers it | all. With the widest selection in wholesale plant materials and landscape supplies in all of New England it's no wonder many consider Northeast Nursery the best One-Stop shopping for all your landscape and green supplies. Supplying Fine Plant Material & Landscape Supplies 234 Newbury Street, Rt. 1 South Peabody, MA 01960 Tel. (508) 535-6550 Fax (508) 535-5247 Wholesale Gold Star Whalesale Nuneiy is a family owned business. Sina 1952 we been offering the finest wholesale planting materials to landscape contractors throughout the N£. area ak)ng with the one element that mtly sets from the competition—service. Gold Star welcomes your comments and suggestions, your one-stop for the best in wholesale landscape supplies. niA Exit 18, 1-93, 1/2 mile HARRY STOLLER & CO., Inc. 109-113 Essex St.. Haverhill, Mass. 01830, (508) 3736838, (800) 322-0332 We cater to the small and medium size nursery in any quantity desired: 1 . New heavy grade domestic burlap sqs. 5. Wire baskets 6. Flat-folded burlap basket liners untreated & no-rot-treated 2. Open burlap bags 3. New windbreak burlap 4. Balling bags 7. Truck covers a Sisal twine & poly twine 9. Woven polypropylene sqs. WHOLESALE NURSERY TREES • EVERGREENS • SHRUBS 150 acres of quality plants Write for catalog Member MNA. NENA Millers Falls Road. Turners Falls. MA 01376 Telephone 413 863-2510 s Jewarts NURSERY, Inc. DECEMBER 1996 4^|ANOARV 1997 Call us for your natural pest control needs In your greenhouse or nursery. 603/823-8500 750 ROUTE 18, SUGAR HILL, NH 03585 We accept MasterCard, Visa, 8. Discover Bvducehmmerkams, mnkm,tfmand^wbs wmM(M"cmposL ■ Increase nutrient and water retention m hovide natural fertilization for long term growth. ■ Increase organic matter to reduce compaction and erosion ■ Provide slow release of nitrogen and trace minerals. m Prevent turf diseases from forming. ■ Improve soil aeration and consistani root development m Be assured that it is a weed free product. m Save money over using topsnils, peatmoss and manures. Gro .The Compost Company AllGro hic, liberty Lane, Hampton, NH 03842 800.662.2440 Perennial plants & Herbs 31/2" (4- DEEP) POT 18 per tray Greenhouses 171, GRAND RANG • ST-THOMAS-D'AQUIN ST-HYACINTHE, P.Q. CANADA HIGHWAY #20, EXIT 123 Phone: 1 800 565-PION Phone: (514) 796-3193 • Fax: (514) 796-2121 '/QUALM' . SELEQION : ■',& SERVICE" This Is What We Grow At Millican Nurseries. See our wide selection of trees, evergreens and shrubs More than 1,000 varieties available Delivery ihroughoul New Fngland Located in Chichester NH (13 miles nonh of Concord) Call us ai 603-435-6660 IE PLANTSM AN Environmental Control Systems CHOOSING WHAT'S BEST Paul Fisher Being able to monitor the greenhouse environment (temperature, light, humidity, etc.) and to control these factors to provide optimum growing condi- tions is a i--i'^ Why buy a system that only has a few of the pieces? Let Argus manage your greenhouse so you can manage your business. L^ Growth Zone Systems 1-800-932-2214 E Mai GZS@SOS.NET See our Web Site at httpy/www.Argus-Controls.c ^^'^ Temperature & Misting Controls for Greenhouses of all sizes Misting automatically adjusts with changes in sunlight rain or shine!!! increase yields, reduce disease reduce labor, reduce rooting time Solar 3B (3 zones. $385) Solar 12B (12 zones. $890) Temper^ure Set separate temperatures for nighl,sunnse and day DIFtrol 22 ($385) Electronic Temperature Control 2-stages of heating control, and 2-stages of cooling control with horizontal airflow (circulation); or 4-stages of cooling; or roof vents; or side-curtains. DIFtrol24A ($890) Northeast Distributors Brighton By-Products (800)245-3502 Fred C. Gloeckner Co (800)345-3787 % AVIS ngineering Tel: (818)-993-0607 FAX: 0472 Let Rough Brothers' expertise turn your greenhouse into a powerhouse — for profits. Call the experts at Rough Brothers for intormation and technical assistance on these quality products^ Manufacturers of: • WhiteHouse • The International • Harvest House • The "2100" gutter-connected house • Free-standing poly arch houses • Techlite glazing • Ro-Flo benches • Ebb & Flo benches Distributors of • Alcoa Aluminum Fin Heating • Heating and ventilating equipment • Maintenance supplies, glass, parts ...and more Rough Brothers P.O. Box 16010, Cincinnati, Ohio 45216 nmn ROUGH BROTHERS I » 1-800/543-7351 DECEMBER 1996 * |ANUARV 1997 HOW ABOUT HER A 'There's no such thing as a little garlic." — Arthur Baer, \i Most of us think of garlic as coming from California or other warm places, but New York State has an abundance of suc- cessful garlic growers. In Septem- ber, we visited the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival in Saugerties, New York. You never saw (or smelled) so much garlic in your life! New York is best known for the "hardneck" varieties, such as Ital- ian red, Spanish Roja, and Rocam- bole, although some farmers grow "softneck" types as well. Grace Reynolds of Hillside Or- ganic Farms in Troy, New York, de- scribes "softneck" as the kind available in grocery stores: the bulb has larger cloves around the outside and smaller ones inside. "Hardneck" cloves are larger and form a single circle around the neck. The flavor, although it varies from variety to variety, is generally more pungent. Hardneck types are also more reliable as a crop in colder areas such as New York and New Hampshire. Sowing takes place during the first two weeks of October. At first, New York growers planted as late as possible in the fall, so that the cloves would not "lose their strength." They've since learned that cloves planted earlier do well and that most grow even bigger with the head start. Tom Maiello of Saugerties grows his for home use. Separate the cloves from the bulb, Tom says, and choose the plump outer ones for planting. The smaller, skinny ones — toss those into soup. Plant the cloves — pointed end up — four inches apart in three-to-four-inch- deep trenches in well-cultivated. well-drained soil. He incorporates his own compost and insists that "organic" is absolutely essential. Tom puts leaves over the rows for extra protection and burlap over the leaves as well. The coverings are removed in early spring. By mid-lune, the gar- lic will begin to send out a flower stalk (or "scape.") As it grows, it will start to "pigtail." Once it has curled over and made a complete circle, cut it or the bulb's energy will go into creating an unneces- sary flower. Up until now, the focus of the growth has been in the plant. But from now until harvest, it is the bulb that will do most of the grow- ing. If the weather is dry, water, but garlic does not really like much moisture. Actually, near harvest, close-to- drought conditions are best. The leaves will start to dry from the bottom up and when 60% are brown, the time is right. Dig around each plant, being careful not to damage the bulb; you may have to dig under the bulb with your hand. A good yield is six-to-eight times the cloves sown: in other words, 75 pounds planted should yield 500 pounds of crop. Be warned that a damaged bulb may not keep and that bulbs put in the direct sun to dry will cook. Place them on screens in a cool airy place and let them cure for at least three weeks. Once cured, they can be bound or braided to- gether. Well-cured garlic stored in a dry airy 55-70F place will last easily into the next spring. Several people I spoke to at the festival felt that New Hamp- shire is similar in growing zone and weather and that, with the right choice of soil (avoid clay), garlic could be grown successfully. The few growers already estab- lished in New Hampshire are do- ing just that, i recently read that Wake Robin Farm in Stratham grows spring garlic exclusively for lim Stott and lonathan King, own- ers of Stonewall Kitchen. This is a very creative pair and their busi- ness of herbal vinegars, jams, jel- lies, and conserves continues to grow. They use these spring garlics — immature, soft, sweet cloves — for their vinegars, which they sell in distinctive imported bottles. At 190 South Road in Salisbury, New Hampshire, Claudio Serra is growing three-and-one-half acres of garlic, which he sells at his farm stand. He also supplies local res- taurants. His hardneck garlic seed comes from Italy and his softneck from Spain. This garlic, he says, is very different from that found in our grocery stores. This is REAL garlic, stronger in flavor, as pre- ferred in Europe. He grows it pretty much as described above, never planting later than early Oc- tober. He saves his best-formed bulbs for seed and gathers the rest into net bags for sale as culi- nary garlic. In spring he sells as- paragus, then concentrates on gar- lic. He'd also sell you some seed if you want to try growing this healthy and, yes, trendy, crop yourself. Tanya Jackson, a well-known local herbalist, can be reached at 603-431-6774. THE PLANTSMAN Pleasant View Gardens Wrowers of Quality Liners ^& Finished Material 7316 PLEASANT STREET LOUDON NEW HAMPSHIRE 03301 603-435-8361 OR 1-800-343-4784 FAX 603-435-6849 ^ f Jolly Farmer® PRODUCTS BARK MULCH DIVISION BARK MULCH.. .by the tractor-trailer load Hemlock • Cedar • Mix • PrGmium Mix • Dark Mix BAGGED PRODUCTS... Our own Bark Mulch in 2 and 3 cuft bags Hemlock • Pine Spruce • Cedar • Spruce-Hemlock Dark Bark Pine Bark Nuggets and Mini Nuggets & Hemlock Bark Nuggets and Mini Nuggets Nou' made in our plani at Poland Spnng. ME Soils & Manures PLAYGROUND MULCH ■ ROOT MULCH ■ BUDGET BARK Box 527 • Route 122 ■ Poland Spnng. Maine 04274 ''Wholesale Qwwers and Supplier f Phone: 1-800-879-2275 • FAX: 1-207-998-2006 GREENHOUSE DIVISION Annual Plugs Perennial Plugs Rooted Cuttings Geraniums Bedding Plants Hanging Baskets Potted Annuals Hardy Mums Pot Mums Cyclamen... liners, finished Poinsettias... cuttings, finished Box DO • Rt uv lU • Ea-.- Ln p-,'er NH CieOS Phone: 1-800-863-8300 • FAX 1-800-863-781'! PGM" DIVISION PROFESSIONAL GROWING MEDIA Maae and used by Jolly Farmer Box 56 • Route 10 • East Lempster, NH 03605 Phone: 1-800-565-4746 • FAX: 1-800-966-4746 'Integrity, quality, & reliable service since 1967" AGNOSTIC UPDATE □ It certainly looks like the saying "when it rains, it pours" held true for the month of October (particu- larly for those of us in the Seacoast area)! The greatest threat to plant health due to flooding will probably be root asphyxiation. Luckily, the flooding occurred at a time of year when the temperatures are cooler (root asphyxiation occurs more rap- idly with higher temperatures) and most of the plants are entering dor- mancy. Several conifer species (in- cluding eastern white pine, hemlock and spruce) are fairly intolerant of waterlogged soil conditions for pro- longed periods. We can expect to see some decline or possible mor- tality if these species remain in flooded soils for several weeks. During the last two months, there have been only a few problems worthy of note from samples sub- mitted to the UNH-PDL. BoTRYTIS CANKER on poinsettia has been causing problems for a few growers and PHYTOPHTHORA root and crown rot was diagnosed on Lamium. Dis- eases and symptoms associated with drought stress continued to ap- pear on woody plant hosts. Rela- tively speaking, however, things have been fairly quiet. There are several common prob- lems we should watch for during the next few months. Pythium ROOT ROT is a common problem occurring on a wide range of plant material, including geraniums and bedding plants. The initial symptoms may in- clude yellowing or symptoms usu- ally associated with nutrient defi- ciencies: stunting, marginal browning of the leaves, and — eventually — wilting. Remove symptomatic plants from the containers and check the roots. Roots infected with Pythium appear brown and/or water-soaked. The cortex of the root is easily pulled off, leaving the stringy stele. Severely infected plants should be discarded. The remaining plants should be treated with a fungicide drench. The potting mix should not be reused, and the containers should be disinfected before reus- ing. Wet conditions favor the devel- opment and spread of pythium, so avoid over-watering during extended cloudy periods and avoid splashing the mix from plant to plant when watering. Preventative fungicide drenches such as Banrot are often recommended for geraniums and chrysanthemums. Care should also be taken to keep the ends of hoses off the greenhouse floors. BoTRYTiS BLIGHT is another dis- ease that is prevalent on green- house crops during the winter months. High relative humidity fa- vors the disease, thus techniques aimed at lowering humidity levels (e.g., venting) and improving air cir- culation (e.g., plant spacing) are usually effective in reducing the damage caused by botrytis. Strict sanitation, particularly removing se- nescent plant tissues, can also help to reduce botrytis blight. Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV) is always a threat to green- house crops, especially impatiens. New Guinea impatiens, gloxinia, and cyclamen. Vegetables transplants, particularly tomatoes and peppers, are also hosts for the virus. INSV is thrips-transmitted, most commonly by western flower thrips (WFT). In- spect new stock carefully for thrips and use blue or yellow sticky cards to monitor for thrips (more than 5- 10 WFT per card per week seems to be a useful threshold). If insecti- cides are necessary for thrips con- trol, be sure to rotate between chemical classes every 3-4 weeks to reduce the chance of resistance building up in the thrips popula- tion. Plants infected with INSV can- not be cured, and should be de- stroyed. Suspicious plants should be isolated from the rest of the crop and sample plants should be submitted to the UNH-PDL (or an- other lab) for testing, since several other controllable diseases can mimic INSV symptoms. Geraniums should be monitored for BACTERIAL BLIGHT. The most common symptom is wilting of one or more leaves even though the soil is moist. Leaf spots may develop when the bacterium is splashed from one plant to another or drips from hanging baskets onto plants below. Yellowing, often in a V- shaped pattern, is also a common symptom. The symptoms on ivy ge- raniums are not as obvious as those on seed and zonal types. On ivy ge- raniums, the symptoms are easily confused with edema. If bacterial blight is suspected, a laboratory di- agnosis is necessary to confirm the presence of the bacterium. If con- firmed, (I) plants cannot be cured by fungicide sprays or drenches, (2) infected plants should be destroyed and soil should not be reused, (3) suspicious plants should be iso- lated, and (4) tools, pots, flats, and bench tops should be sterilized with 10% bleach solution. I hope ail of you have a happy, prosperous, and plant-healthy holi- day season! If you wish to submit plant material to the UNH-PDL for diagnosis, send samples {with a check for $12.00) to-. The UNH Plant Diagnostic Lab. C/O Dr. Cheryl Smith, Plant Biology Department, 241 Spaulding hall, UNH, Durham, NH 03824. Samples should be accompanied by an identification form {available from your county Cooperative Extension office). Cheryl Smith is the UNH Cooperative Extension Specialist in Plant Health and can be reached at (603) 862-3841. THE PLANTSMAN CALENDAR CONTENT ]anuary JANUARY 8-10 Erna's Expo 97, The Meadowlands Exposition Center, Secaucus, NJ; to register: 1-800-376-2463. JANUARY 13-15 The bbth Massachusetts JurfCrass Conference & Trade Show, Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA; lames Conant at 508-362-1 136. JANUARY 14-15 Connecticut Nurserymen's Association Annual Meeting, Trade Show, & Seminars, Aqua Turf, Southington, CT; 860-872-2095. JANUARY 15 Maine Landscape and Nurs- ery Association (MeLNA) Annual Meeting at the Augusta Trade Show, Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, ME; 207-225- 3998. JANUARY 1 7 Pesticide Compliance Assis- tance Presentation, North Country Re- sources Building, Route 3, Lancaster, NH; 603-271-3550. lANUARY 21 MeLNA Annual Trade Show, Sheraton Tara, South Portland, ME; 207-225-3998. JANUARY 22 FTDA District 1-C Meeting, 6:30 pm at Carbone's, Bedford, NH; details: Betty Covey at 603-893-4578. ¥«*■ TUESDAY, JANUARY 21 New Hampshire Plant Growers Association/New Hampshire Landscape Association ]oint Winter Meeting, Old Mil! Restaurant, Epsom; Peter van Berkum at 603-463- 7663. lANUARY 21-22 RINA Education Day and Trade Show, Doubletree Inn, Newport, Rl: 508-761-9260. lANUARY 30-FEBRUARY 1 New England Grows, Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA; call 508-653-3009 or fax 508-653-4112. February FEBRUARY 7 Pesticide Compliance Assis- tance Presentation (in conjunction with Farm & Forest), Center of New Hampshire Holiday inn, Manchester, NH; 603-271-3550. FEBRUARY 7-8 New England Christmas Tree Conference (sponsored by the NE Christmas Tree Alliance), Sheraton Tara, Nashua, NH; Frank Crandall at 401-364-3387. FEBRUARY 7-8 farm and Forest Exposition, Center of New Hampshire Holiday Inn and Convention Center, Manchester, NH, 603-271-3788. FEBRUARY 19 The Vermont Association of Professional Horticulturalists (VAPH) Am- nual Meeting, Holiday Inn, Rutland, VT; Connie Gardner at 802-253-8565. FEBRUARY 20-23 The Rhode \sland Spring Flower & Cmden Show, Rhode Is- land Convention Center, Providence, Rl; Nancy Syme at 1-800-766-1670. FEBRUARY 20-23 The Sixteenth Annual Connecticut Flower and Garden Show, Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT; 860-529-2123. FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 12 1997 Advanced Creen School, Royal Plaza, Marl-boro, MA; : Kathleen Carroll (413-545-0895) or Mary Owen (508-892-0382) FEBRUARY 28-March 2 Vermont Flower Show, Burlington Sheraton, Burlington, VT; Connie Gardner at 802-253-8565. March ***' WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5 Semi- war: "Cultivating your Best Assets — Perso«- nel Management Issues for Ornamentals Firms," Fish & Game Building, Con- cord, NH; Mike Sciabarrasi at 603- 862-1700. MARCH 8-16 New England Flower Show ("Secrets of the Garden"), Bayside Exposition Center, Boston, MA; 617- 536-9280. MARCH 18 New Hampshire Landscape Association Spring Conference, Barton/ Cole Hall, UNH, Durham, NH; Guy Hodgdon at 1-800-639-5601. MARCH 21-23 "The Breath of Spring- Flower & Garden Show, Best Western Hotel, Keene, NH; Steve Curtin at 603-355-6335, ext. 161. DEPARTMENTS Forum 3 NH News 6 Elsewhere in the News 10 Member Profile Riff Flower Shop 18 Diagnostic Update Dr. Cheryl Smith 28 How About Herbs Tanya \ackson 26 FEATURES it's All in the Scheduling Dr. Peter Konioian 12 What's New? How New Plants Originate Carol Lorenz 15 Environmental Control Systems Dr. Paul Fisher 23 COLUMNS The Griffin Guru 4 Pioneer Pointers 9 The Green Spot Mike Cherim 14 Z-notes ]im Zablocki 19 The Plantsman Is published In early February, April, lune, August, October, and December with copy deadlines being the first of each prior month. While camera-ready ads are preferred, set-up assistance is available at a nominal fee. Free classified advertising is offered as a mem- ber service. We will carry a short message (no artwork or logos) for one or two Issues of The Plantsman. AD SIZE 6x Ix 3 3/8"w X 2 l/4"h $120 $30 3 3/8"w X 4 3/4"h $160 $40 7"w X 2 l/4'h $160 $40 7 "w X 4 5/8"h $250 $50 7'w X 9 1/2 "h $400 $100 The photographs on the front and back covers are views from Riff Flower Shop, downtown Lancaster, taken on November 3, 1996, by Richard Raymond. For further information, please contact the editor: Robert Parker atthe UNH Research Greenhouses, Durham, NH 03824, 603-862-206 1 ; or PO Box 5, Newflelds, NH 03856, 603-778-8353. >ECEMBERI996-f|ANUARV 1997 Insurance Problems? No PrOhlEm' Wltlt a lanenoon Greenhouse Your Insurance Comes Bulltln Jaderioon's Gutter Connect Greenhouses have the leading structural & polyethylene gutter design in the industry All aluminum extruded gutter provioes practically unlimited life compared to galvanized gutters Unique structural design of the gutter gives I-beam type support for extra strength Deadmen bracing provide extra wind & snow load Kwic-Klip^" polyethylene film fastening system is extruded as an Integral part into gutters providing watertight seal and efficient installation of poly coverings Jaderioon's Quonset Greenhouses • Quonsets have a truss with every bow, providing superior strength over other types of greenhouse structures. • Unique system of cross connectors maintains 100% of structured integri- ty. Most other greenhouse companies bolt their purlUts to the bows resulting in a 25% loss of strength where the connection occurs • Free-standing greenhouses include 2x4 endwall brackets, a tremendously helpful feature in framing out your endJaialls QaUied OualiiyCreEnliouses& Equipment Contact Your Northeast Product Specialist: BobRimol 1-800-258-7171 -1-603-425-6563 NORTHERN NURSERIES WHOLESALE HORTICULTURAL DISTRIBUTION CENTERS U^. Route S, White River Junction, VT 05001 ^ 16 Pinkham Road West, Bairington, NH 03825 j SERVING THE PROFESSIONAL WITH ABOVE GROUND PLANT MATERIAL Distributors in the following lines: • Lofts Seeds , Biidunder Sprayen • DeWitt Weed Barrier • Lebanon TurfFcitilizcn • Corona Hand Tools • Mulch & Grow Hydrosecding Fiber • Eaithway Spreaders • Nuiseiy & Landscape Supplies Contact: Jim Babb, Mgr., White River Junction, VT, (802) 295-2117 Bob Avcrell, Mgr., Barrington, NH, (603) 868-7172 GOOD SERVICE • DEPENDABLE QUALnr» CONVENIENT LOCATION LANTSMAN FORUM Introducing Myself Dr Paul R Fisher I would like to take this opportu- nity, as the new faculty member in ornamental horticulture at the Uni- versity of New Hampshire, to intro- duce myself. I am very much ori- ented toward production floriculture, doing applied research that ends up in tools used by growers. My teach- ing tries to give students practical and problem-solving skills. I am originally from New Zealand, where 1 worked for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in a sus- tainable agriculture program. I have a PhD from Michigan State Univer- sity (MSU) where I worked with Dr. Royal Heins on a computer program designed to help growers monitor and control the height of poinset- tias, Easter lilies, and chrysanthe- mums. I also spent three years doing floriculture research and teaching at the University of California at Davis. My responsibilities at UNH are in teaching and research. The teaching work will include several courses in introductory and advanced floricul- tural production. My research will focus on production floriculture and the environmental issues associated with ornamental production. I am very open to specific research projects and am currently meeting with New Hampshire growers to learn about the industry and its pri- orities. UNH is very supportive of improving our greenhouses and strengthening the ornamental horti- culture program in the Department of Plant Biology. Several points about my program may be of interest to you. I would like my students to gain practical hands-on experience through intern- ships (short-term work experiences). Providing internships would be a way for you to support their educa- tion— and some of these students may work out to be long-term em- ployees. The advanced floricultural course will be first taught during the CLASSIFIEDS BUSINESS FOR SALE Plymouth area. Two complete greenhouses — one 80- foot, one 100-foot plus extension (they'll need to be moved). Many, many extras — pallets, Metro-Mix 510, seeders, dosatron, benches, displays, etc. All perennial and nursery stock included. Only serious buyers need respond. Call 603-786-9979, 6:30-8 am. Ask for Bob or leave message. |OB OPENINGS van Berkum Nursery is a family-run wholesale perennial nursery with a 'team' staff of about 10 people. We are seeking quality-con- scious workers with good 'people skills.' |obs start March-April. Assistant Propagator: Needs quick hands for cuttings, division, seeding, potting; Truck Driver: Needs great personality to deliver in our box truck around New En- gland. Knowledge of perennials helpful. Our driver is our ambassador. Field Crew: Needs hustle and enthusiasm working on orders, maintaining plants, potting, and helping customers. Please call Peter or Leslie van Berkum at 603-463-7663. FOR SALE: 188,000 Btu wood, coal, oil Newmac forced hot air furnace. Good for greenhouse or home. Never used. Still in original packing crate. $2750.00. Tanglewood Gardens. Bedford. NH. 603-472-3737. WANTED: Professional Plant Pathologist for Woody Ornamentals (Extension Educa- tor) at UMAss Extension's Urban Forestry Diagnostic Lab, UMass. Amherst. The person In this position will provide timely and accurate diagnosis of woody plant health problems, staff and maintain operations of the lab, and organize and present workshops and training sessions for field staff and clientele. BA/BS In plant pathology or related field and one-five years related profes- sional experience required. MS/MA in plant pathology and commercial experi- ence preferred. Ability to maintain diverse schedule of local, regional, and statewide activities; excellent interpersonal skills; knowledge and demonstrated ability to implement adult education theories and practices with diverse audi- ences— all are required. Starting salary — $30,400.00. By lanuary 10, 1997, send letter of application, resume, and names, phone numbers, and addresses of three current references to Search 38044. Employ- ment Office, 167 Whltmore Administration Building, University of Massachu- setts, Amherst, MA 01003. spring of 1998. A major requirement for that course will be that students will each work with a local grower on a short research project of inter- est to the grower. 1 will provide more information on that course to you next year. Although my position does not contain any Extension component, I do intend to work with the Cooperative Extension person- nel and the New Hampshire Plant Growers Association to help pass re- search information along to you. Fi- nally, 1 am excited about the oppor- tunity to develop a teaching and re- search program in our important in- dustry and 1 look forward to the op- portunity to meet with you. PflMl can be reached at 603-862-4525. The Final Version This is the final version of the bill that has now been sent to legisla- tive services. They will rewrite the bill and put it into a legislative for- mat. We will then review it one more time to make sure there are no changes to be made. The bill is being sponsored by Derek Owen ((D-Hopkinton), William Phinney (RD-Bristol), and Leighton Pratt (R- Lancaster). 72:12-d Exemption. Temporary, de- mountable, plastic covered green- houses with no permanent under structure shall be exempt from taxa- tion as real estate if all of the fol- lowing qualifications are met: DECEMBER 1996 ♦ |ANUARV 1997 F O R D M THE lorticultQre Coorses at the Tfaonpson School GRIFFIN GDRD End Wall Groviing — A New Niche in the Marketpace We Te ised :'-e f'loor tte oeackes tie p»rli»s aad tke trasses as places to grow a crop. Hov abo«t the e»d waDs? Bt growimg a crop iB waD pots or ia tke aev flower ba$s. the coataiier ca* be siapty hum% oa the e»d vaD froa aa eig^t-peaaj aaiL la the case of the flower bag lor poach, as soae are called), the crop is started oa the beach aad ia two-to-fo«r weeks, is readr to be sored- It caa be haag di- rect}; oa die wall or oa exteasioa haagers back-to-back itwo for the price of oaei. H yoa re coaceraed aboat the siaats hariag eaoagh soil, the newer bags capacity is a bit more tkaa the wall pot— which has serred the pvpose for maay years. This Bay be jast the aiche Toa caa fiD. Thank yoa Marraf Fara&s. THE PLARTSMA When i^laible service % is just as impoptarrt g as the quality of ^evergreen seedlirigs ■W and transpksnts M- you order, call ^1-300-447-4745 Homes • Bams • Livestock Machinerv • Farmer's liabilitv livestock Health & Mortalitv Workers Compensaiions • Auto laTici: -.iere-ier.: i. 1-800-439-.2451 /r NURSERIES, INC HERBACEOUS & WOODY \^TTLA>T) PLANTS JIAUH FOR BON TERRA \*TTLaVD FABRICS :OVTR.\CT GRO^TVG AVaHaBLZ SLKZSz. I^Xf CALL FOR A QUOTATIOV OR A COFi OF OUR C\TALOG- -^T DELRTR- Northern Gro^n tees Evergreens Shrubs O'DONAL'S If NURSERIES -■•^-- ~- decembe: : «••«!*!•■«■« i«9T NEW HAMPSHIRE NEWS Coming Up: Cultivating Your Best, "Cultivating Your Best Assets — Person- nel Management for Ornamentals Firms" is the focus of a day-long semi- nar sponsored by UNH Cooperative Extension, the New Hampshire Plant Growers Association, and the New Hampshire Landscape Association. To be held on Wednesday, March 5, at the Fish & Game Facility in Concord, topics addressed in the morning include developing an em- ployee manual, understanding labor laws, and employee safety; the af- ternoon program will deal with "mo- tivating employees and dealing with family members — getting everyone excited and involved" — something worth thinking about before the start of the spring season. Speakers include Bob Farquhar (head grower, Pleasant View Gar- dens, Loudon), Norman Roux (Nor- man Roux Landscaping, Concord), and M.L. Hannay (M.L. Hannay As- sociates, Portsmouth). Ms. Hannay — who's described as a 'leadership consultant, motivational speaker, and management & staff develop- ment trainer who's provided custom- ized programs and services through- out the United States since 1978" — is providing the afternoon's program. The day was specifically designed for persons operating a greenhouse, nursery, or landscaping firm and who've hired or are about to hire employees for the first time, but any Green Industry supervisor who wants to improve management skills would find the day useful. Fliers with more details and reg- istration information will be sent out at the beginning of the year. For other information, contact Mike Sciabarrasi at 603-862-1700. Farm & Forest, It's for two days — February 7-8, at the Center of New Hampshire Holi- day Inn & Convention Center in Manchester. The Food Festival will be there— and the Petting Farm (provided by Charmingfare Farm of Candia) A wood product fair (Woods Goods) is being put together. And FARMO — a game involving the matching of facts and interaction with exhibitors — will return. Demonstrations include ones on putting up electric fencing, caning a chair, pruning a lilac, sharpening your chain saw, and healing with herbs — something for everyone. Commodity groups meeting in- clude those of New Hampshire fruit growers, vegetable growers, bee- keepers (topic: "Honeybee Pollina- tion of Commercial Crops"), pork producers ("Raising a Back Yard Pig"), sheep and wool producers, and the dairy goat association. Other groups meeting include NOFA, Granite State FFA, Ag in the Classroom, the North- ern New England Deer Farmers Asso- ciation ("The Deer Farming Alterna- tive"), and the Timber/ Agriculture/ Tourism Coalition. The awards ceremony is on Friday evening at 7pm; a reception follows from 8-10. (Reservations are needed — the cost is $2 per person; there will be a cash bar and food.) The tradi- tional auction will be on Saturday. Times are 9am-8pm on Friday and on Saturday, 9-5; admission's free. There's more than what's listed here: for a complete program, con- tact Susan Rice at 603-271-3788. and Some Compliance Assistance. The New Hampshire Division of Pes- ticide Control is offering three pesti- cide compliance seminars. Their purpose is to present certain areas in which it is sometimes difficult to adhere to the rules. Topics include certification, groundwater protection, storage, record-keeping, worker pro- tection, and personal protective equipment. Questions are encouraged. The first was in Concord on De- cember 5; the second will be in Lancaster (10:30 a.m. -2 p.m. at the North Country Resources Building) on lanuary 17; the third (2-5pm, February 7) will be held in conjunc- tion with the Farm & Forest Exposi- tion in Manchester. Three credits toward recertifica- tion will be offered to those who at- tend. For information or to register, contact the Division of Pesticide Control at 603-271-3550. FFA — a Big Day Over 100 students from nine schools — Alvime (Hudson), Coe-Brown (North- wood), Dover, Fall Mountain Regional (Alstead), Kennett (Conway), Region Nine Vocational Center (Wolf-boro), Seacoast School of Technology (Exe- ter), White Mountain Regional (White- field), and Winnisquam (Tilton) at- tended the FFA Invitational Career Development Event held at the UNH Thompson School in Durham on Oc- tober 19. Events included Dairy judging, Dairy Showmanship, Forages, Tool ID, Welding, Forestry, and Horticulture. In the horticulture event, four schools competed and Winnisquam received the high score to take first place. Dover was second and the Seacoast School of Technology, third, jon Howe (Winnisquam) was indi- vidual high scorer; William Storey (Seacoast School of Technology) was second, and Wendi Lee (Dover), third. Congratulations go to all partici- pants; thanks go to all those who worked to make the event a success. Moving Forward: In Alton, Sunflower Industries now has two lo- cations— both on Route 28 in Alton. In September, Bruce and Linda Holmes moved from their Wolfboro home to a farmhouse one mile south of their original Alton location. THE PLANTSMAN J.D. Power and Associates ranks International Best conventional medium duty truck in customer satisfaction. 4V INnRNATIONAL Bug FORVDUR BUSINESS. LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL TRUCKS, INC. 1400 South Willow Street, Manchester, NH 03103 (603) 623-8873 NE WATS: 1 -800-562-381 4 Fax #1-603-641 -9486 Cadpentedc "The Geranium Specialists" Wholesale Qrowers 2 1/2" Geraniums (year round) 4" Pre-finished Geraniums 2 1/2" Ivy Geraniums &. Fuchsia Martha Washington Geraniums Spring Hanging Baskets, Lilies/Bulbs Azaleas, Cyclamen, Poinsettias, Foliage J.B. CARPENTER & SON, INC. 603/659'3391 220 SOUTH MAIN STREET NEWMARKET, NH 03857 Red Maple 1 .5-3" caliper Varieties: Red Sunset®, Autumn Flame ® (P.P. 2377), and Armstrong specimen quality, own root (no incompatibility problems), high limbed for street and commercial use 604 Main Street, Cromwell, CT 06416 Phone (203) 635-5500 FAX (203) 635-3685 ^^^^K^ Trees Since 1 929 ^illane 9?ursenes,%c. Growing 500 Acres of New England s Finest Trees & Shrubs Time to order young plants for Spring *97 rr D.S. COLE Growers 251 North Village Road, Loudon, NH 03301 Phone 603-783-9561 Fax 603-783-9562 DECEMBER 1996 ♦ |ANDARV 1997 NEW HAMPSH The original location has four plastic greenhouses with about 8000 square feet of growing space. Since September, four houses with ap- proximately the same square foot- age have been put up at the farm site. Now, crops and functions are be- ing organized within the two places. The original site still does some re- tail business, but the wholesale as- pect is growing: in November, its houses were being used to grow Christmas cactus, cyclamen, and azaleas. The farm site is strictly wholesale, with two houses of foli- age plants (for re-wholesaling) and a crop of poinsettias. Post-Christmas crops now planned include prim- roses, cineraria, kalanchoe, and hi- biscus. Spring plans include four-inch dahlias and more "vine crops" — two-pacs, each cell 3 1/2 inches square and three seeds per cell, of squash, cucumbers, pumpkins... "people basically buy just two hills and this allows them to choose more than one variety for the lim- ited space in their gardens." Future plans include a new work area/office at the farm site. A sign for the original site is at the Alton traffic circle (the farm site is a mile beyond that), but "call before you visit." The new phone number is 603-875-4444; the fax, 603-875-4446. New Durham, Merrymeeting Garden Center — for- merly on the corner of Route I I and Depot Road in New Durham — has a new name and a new location. Merry- meeting Gardens is now one mile south on Route 1 1 . The changes were ones of con- solidation. Les and Nathalie Turner decided to stop renting their busi- ness location. To buy the spot was too costly, so they sold their old home and bought a house on 3 3/4 acres of land one mile south on Route 11. Consolidating the loca- tions of their home and business was the first step; the second was to specialize — he'll concentrate on a broad range of perennials. The trees on the land also suggests emphasis on shade material and wildflowers. Merrymeeting Garden Center closed on Labor Day. The show greenhouse was moved to the new location; the tomato greenhouse was moved and made into two smaller houses; the first 1000 perennials are already in the ground. Work will Biological Pest Control Works! And here's who to contact so it can work for you: The Green Spot. Ltd., Dept. of Biolngenuity 93 Priest Rd.. NotUngham, NH 03290-6204 Tel: 603/942-8925 Fax: 603/942-8932 Complete Landscape "The landscape professional's choice for unique, landscape size plant materials" ♦ Largest tree & shrub inventory in Seacoast NH ♦ Accessible & convenient location at Stratham Circle (Rte. 108/33) ♦ Informative tree and shrub tagging system ♦ Quality ♦ Selection ♦ Friendly & knowledgeable staff (603)778-3711 FAX: (603) 778-3773 Monday to Saturday, 7-7; Sunday, 9-5 Other hours arranged by appointment STRATHAM CIRCLE Nursery & Landscape B ^ THE PLANTSMAN NEW HA RE NEWS PIONEER POINTERS 4^0 ^i^ Using Fringe Benefits to Tax-Plan Tax planning is a method to manage income tax liability in your busi- ness. Planning for retirement and having a medical plan are, of course, necessary facts of life, but — at the same time — they can provide you with attractive tax benefits. Here's an example: Assume a grower is in the 31% tax bracket. His spouse is the book- keeper, but is not on the payroll. The grower pays for medical insurance and a retirement plan for his employees. By adding his spouse to the pay- roll, the grower can deduct the medical insurance premiums for his spouse's family coverage as well as a contribution to a retirement plan — such as a SEP (Simplified Employee Pension)— for the both of them. These deductions can provide real tax savings. If, for example, the medical insurance were $4,000 annually, the savings would be $1,240 ($4,000 x 31%); if the SEP contribution was $10,000, the sav- ings would be $3,100. The total tax savings the grower could realize is $4,340. Proper tax planning is often overlooked, usually because of unfamiliarity with agricultural tax laws and the benefits to which growers are entitled. Keep in mind that it is sometimes impossible to escape/eliminate Uncle Sam's tax bill if your business is beyond a start-up phase and is achieving healthy growth and profits each year. However, there are ways — such as the above — to minimize and manage your tax liability. (S.W.) First Pioneer has an experienced lax staff knowledgeable in farm lax law. Our staff can help meet your lax needs regardless of how your business is organized or the type of returns required. For information, contact the Bedford office at 1-800-825-3252. continue all winter and Merrymeet- ing Gardens will be open next spring. For more: Les and Nathalie Turner at 603-859-3030. And Manchester. The New Hampshire Orchid Society now meets at a new spot — the IVlanchester City Library on Pine Street. With members attending on a regular basis increasing, they needed more room and now have use of both a 75-seat meeting hall and a 100-seat auditorium; other fac- tors deciding the move were better audio/video facilities, more parking, and better public exposure. The Society still meets on the second Saturday of each month. Meetings usually include a workshop and a speaker. On lanuary 11, the speaker will be Fred Hillerman from Angraecum House of California, who'll be speaking on angrae-cums. On February 8, the speaker's Robert Fuchs, from RF Orchids of Home- stead, Florida; his topic is "the Vanda Family." For more information, contact loanna Eckstrom at 603-456-5070. Proven Winners It's not unusual to see NHPGA bisomesses featured in various pub- lications. Demers Garden Center, D.S. Cole Growers, Rye Ridge Green- ery, and Spring Ledge Farm all come to mind. But it is special to be part of a cover story of a na- Association Officers President BOB DEMERS, |R. Demers Nursery & Garden Center 656 South Mammoth Road Manchester, NH 03103 625-8298 Secretary I Treasurer CHRISTOPHER ROBARGE UNH / TSAS Horticultural Facilities Manager Durham, NH 03824 862-1074 Directors TAMMY HATHAWAY 61 Squamscott Road Stratham, NH 03885 778-3912 ANN HILTON 4 Karacull Lane Pittsfield, NH 03263 435-6425. HENRY HUNTINGTON Pleasant View Gardens RFD #3, PO Box 3701 Pittsfield, NH 03263 435-8361 ROBERT RIMOL 17 Wyndmere Drive Londonderry, NH 03053 425-6563 PETER VAN BERKUM 4 lames Road Deerfield, NH 03037 463-7663 tional magazine and Henry and Jeff Huntington's appearance on the cov- er of October's Greenhouse Grower in relation to an article on Proven Win- ners should be duly noted. It should also be noted that Henry will be speaking about Proven Win- ners at the NHPGA Winter Meeting on January 21 and that he may more fully discuss some of the new mar- keting and expansion plans touched upon in the article. DECEMBER 1996 lANDARV I 997 E W H E R E IN THE NEWS Publications: On Mums, A recent publication of the Ohio Florists Association (OFA) "can pro- vide you with the most comprehen- sive and up-to-date information available on the production and mar- keting of garden mums." Tips on Crow- ing and Marketing Garden Mums is an 84-page text with 101 color figures, 31 tables, and ten black-and-white illustrations designed to help both novice and experienced growers. The book was compiled through the combined efforts of 20 floricul- ture academicians and industry pro- fessionals; and it was planned and edited by Peter Konjoian, Konjo- ian's Floriculture Education Services, Andover, MA, and Michelle Gaston, Stephen Carver, and Cheryl Irwin of the Ohio Florists' Association. For a copy, send $25.00 (for OFA members, $20) to OFA Services, Inc., 2130 Stella Court, Suite 200, Colum- bus, OH 43215-1033. Native Plants, The 15th edition of the UMass Ex- tension Garden Calendar is now available and the theme for 1997 is "Using Native Plants in Managed Landscapes." Each month features original color illustrations along with plant information. Written and re- searched by UMass Extension staff specifically for southern New En- gland growing conditions, it makes both a fine gift and useful tool for the home gardener. Cost is $8.00 per calendar (this in- cludes handling and shipping). Make checks payable to UMass and send to Bulletin Distribution Center, Draper Hall, Box 32010, University of Massa- chusetts, Amherst, MA 01003-2010. For more: 413-545-2717. and Turf... Turf 1PM Facts is a packet of over 50 fact sheets written by turf specialists from the University of Massachu- setts. Sheets cover such topics as white grubs, grass choices, and an- nual grassy weed control. Basically they cover general turf maintenance and pest management based on in- tegrated pest management (IPM) strat- egies. Sheets sizes vary from one to four pages A 13-page turf monitoring calendar is also included. The price is $25.00. Make checks payable to the University of Massa- chusetts and send to the Bulletin Dis- tribution Center in Draper Hall. Plus a New Pest Guide from Vermont (from The Dirt. Fall, 1996) The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation has recently re- leased A Field Guide to Common Insect Pests of Urban Trees in the Northeast. Writ- ten by Dr. Trish Harrison of the Ver- mont Forest Biology Lab and illus- trated with full-color photographs by E. Bradford Walker, this 86-page guide, designed to be a convenient reference for field foresters and ar- borists, is "just the right size to slip into the inside pocket of your field vest or carry in the glove box of your vehicle." The price is $15, postage paid For a copy, send a check payable to the State of Vermont to VT Dept. of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, 103 South Main Street, Waterbury, VT 05671-0603, Attn: Tess Greaves. The phone number is 802-241-3678. Two Pluses and a Minus: A Donation {Greenhouse Grower, October, 1996) The New England Florist Credit As- sociation donated $44,000 to the University of Massachusetts Founda- tion to establish a Floriculture Re- search Endowment Fund at the school. The goal of the endowment is to support UMass Extension pro- grams that provide education and research in the commercial applica- tions of new technologies for the greenhouse floriculture industry in Massachusetts. A Beetle [Country Folks Grower, November, 1996) Cornell scientists have confirmed what they believe is the first know report outside Asia of a longhorned beetle, Knoplophora glabripennis, that is currently attacking Brooklyn's Nor- way maple and horse chestnut tree populations. The beetle, with coal-black wing covers sprinkled with white spots and long black-and-white antennae, isn't harmful to humans. It is, how- ever, devastating trees in Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighborhood. Three- quarter-inch circular holes in the Brooklyn trees first led authorities to think that teenage pranksters were, for some reason, drilling, but adult beetles turned out to be the culprits. There is apparently little to be done to curb the infestation as the beetle has no known natural enemies. and a Breakthrough (Greenhouse Grower, October, 1996) A team of researchers at The Penn- sylvania State University (Penn State) and Brookhaven National Laboratory have identified a geranium gene that is linked with a mechanism that makes plants resistant to insect pests. The breakthrough is the cul- mination of years of interdisciplinary studies at Penn State, beginning with research looking at the suscep- tibility of garden geraniums to spi- der mites and aphids. The resistant plants produce a sticky liquid that traps insects and mites or kills them by inhibiting the ability of the fe- males to lay eggs The discovery could have signifi- cant implications for agriculture as well as other industries that use specialized oils. Penn State is in the process of patenting the use of this gene. THE PLANTSMAN Tanglewood Gardens : Growers of Fine Plants 424 State Route 101 Bedford, NH 03110-5029 ; 603/472-3737 Wholesale & Retail 2 1/2" - Geraniums • Fuchsias Dracaenas • Vinca Vine Ivy Geraniums & Poinsettias 4 1/2" - Prefinished Geraniums & New Guinea Impatiens ALSO Over 100 Herb Varieties Open seven days a week Located on Rt. 101; 1000 ft West of Weathervane Restaurant pUANy New England's Leading Full Une Seed House • Packet Seeds • Lawn Seed • Fertilizer • Grounds Maintenance Chemicals 1 (800) 326-HART FAST. COURTEOUS SERVICE The Chas. C. Hart Seed Co. RO. BOX 9169 WETHERSFIELD, CT 061 29-01 69 1 (800) 326-HART ^<>^I^"Our goal, quality Our strength, our employees" FOR A GREENHOUSE VEFINTTLV VJFFERENT CONTACT: ELLIS B.SPRAGUE OMNO, UAJNE TEL 207-866-7919 FAX: 207-866-4747 ^O HPROOIS Temperature & Misting Controls for Greenhouses of all sizes Misting automatically adjusts with changes in sunlight rain or shine!!! increase yields, reduce disease, reduce labor, reduce rooting time Sunny day rnisitng ,^, ^^— Rainy day rnisitng Solar 3B (3 zones , S385) Solar 12B ( 1 2 zones. $890) ^ a- Set separate temperatures for night,sunrise and day. DIFtrol 22 ($385) Electronic Temperature Control 2-stages of heating control, and 2-stages of cooling control with horizontal airflow (circulation); or 4-stages of cooling; or roof vents; or side-curtains. DIFtrol24A ($890) Northeast Distributors Brighton By-Products (800)-245-3502 Fred C. Gloeckner Co (800)-345-3787 % AVIS ngineering Tel: (818)-993-0607 FAX: 0472 DECEMBER 1996 ♦ |ANOARV 1997 "It's All in the Scheduling." Dr. Peter Konjoian Make no mistake about it, crop scheduling is one of the most important tasks you and I have to perform in our greenhouses. One can not play this game without properly scheduling and timing our crops. Learning how to schedule successive plantings to provide uninterrupted, uniform material from the first day of the selling season to the last is a challenge every one of us must face. In my family's 55,000-square foot greenhouse range in Andover, IVlassachusetts, one of my responsibilities is crop scheduling. All of our production is marketed at the retail level right out of our greenhouses. During the spring season, we need to have fresh, perfect plant ma- terial available from the last week of April to the last week of July. Because this season of the year brings in over eighty percent of our annual revenue, careful atten- tion to detail is an absolute must, not only for me in the scheduling department, but also for every other family member who is involved with production in any way. During my brief stay in academia as an assistant professor of horticulture at the University of Maryland, I assigned a special project to my greenhouse-manage- ment-and-crop-production students. I required them to simulate a year's operation of a greenhouse business They chose whether to market at the wholesale or retail level or operate seasonally or year round. They made crop selection decisions, cultivars decisions, culture and management decisions, and many others. 1 still remember the comments of one student after having gone through this rigorous exercise. His words were, "it's all in the scheduling." It has been thirteen years since I graded those projects and thirteen years since I left academia for commercial production. After going through the procedure this many times, I find my former student's words still ring loud and clear. There's a list of important pieces of information that should be kept in a crop schedule. And keeping schedules from year to year is also important. I often re- fer back to previous years' schedules to adjust and fine- tune my current or upcoming cycle. Let me use a page in my scheduling notebook for annuals as an example. The table has several rows and many columns. There is one row for each cultivar in production. At the bottom are a few extra rows for last-minute additions or trials that my seed salesmen drop off. These rows come in handy also in late luly when notes and cultivar changes are recorded for next year's production. The next two columns are used for seed-ordering informa- tion. First, I code the seed company's name, using "B" for Ball, "V" for Vaughn, "M " for IVIichelle, "I" for IVK, etc. I use this information for cataloging the source of each seed packet. And, if 1 have any germination problems, it is easy for me to look up the seed source and contact the right company. Next to this column is one for seed amount. It is very important to me to order seed wisely and not let the bill get out of hand This can happen easily with all the exciting new cultivars available. I hate having a lot of seed left over after my last sowing. Wasted seed just cuts into the profit as far as I'm concerned. Be careful though, because cheating on seed can cut into profits even more. Running out of seed for a July sowing of pe- tunia or snapdragon costs me plenty in terms of lost revenue. Each 1020 tray of annuals I am short at trans- plant costs me $14.99 in revenue that would have been generated by growing and selling that tray. 1 have a ritual of getting down on my hands and knees whenever my seed salesmen drop by and beg- ging them to convince the home office to accelerate their shift from selling seed by weight to selling by count. My life is so much easier when ordering and han- dling seed count instead of weight My rule is to order 1000 seeds for every three 288 plug trays that need to be sown. This gives me a little cushion, yet trims the fat in terms of wasted seed The next series of columns is used for sowing infor- mation. One column is used for each sow-date and con- tains the number of 288 plug trays for each cultivar. Of- ten I sow less than a full plug tray and am able to keep track of partial trays here as well. Totalling each column lets me know how much propagation space I will need from sow-date to sow-date. Another series of columns follows and is used for transplanting- and finishing-container numbers. Most of my bedding plants are produced in 606 packs and are accounted for in terms of 1020 flats There is one column THE PLANTSMAN Laughton's Garden Center Inc. Cal Laughton, Florist Distributors of Nursery Overwintering Blankets WHOLESALE AND RETAIL NURSERY NURSERY STOCK • ANNUALS • PERENNIALS • FERTILIZERS • INSECTICIDES 1-800-633-0159 155-165 Princeton Blvd., No. Chelmsford, MA 01863 CHARLES LAUGHTON. PRESIDENT • DAVE POLGREEN. NURSERY SALES 1028 Horseneck Road, Westport, MA 02790 508-636-4573 508-636-5615 508-636-3397 FAX Specializing In Heath... Heather... Bearberry... Perennials... Seashore Plants... also, a full line of quality nursery stock "Our Seriice Keeps Grouiitg and Groiiing. PRUNERS ■ LADDERS ■ SPRAYERS ■ FORKLIFTS ■ PUMPS ROUTE 116, P.O. BOX 540 CONWAY, MA 01341 413-369-4335 For Friendly, Courteous, Efficient, Technical Service CALL US AT 1-800-634-5557 FOR INFORMATION AND CATALOGS HOSE ■ TANKS ■ REELS ■ MOWERS ■ SAFETY EQUIPMENT 75 Chestnut Hill, Rte 190 Stafford Springs, CT 06076 W. H. MILIKOWSKI, INC. Greenhouse Supplies & Equipment Plants Bulbs Seeds All Your Greenhouse Needs Grow" With Us David E. Goudreault Conn. 860-684-5811 NH & Maine Representative Out-of-state 800-243-7170 ext. 723 Garden Center Consultations and Landscaping Designs Greenhouses, Nursery, Craft, and Christmas Shop 656 South Mammoth Road (Rte. 28A) Manchester, NH 03109 (603) 625-8298 DECEMBER 1996 lANDARV 1997 to correspond with each column of sowing. Each plant date column is wide enough to record how many plug trays of seedlings were left over or whether there were not enough. If we consistently have extra plug trays, 1 can trim the number for the next year and save some money. Lastly, there is a series of columns for miscella- neous sizes, containers, etc. We offer some bedding plants in 4 1/2-inch pots, hanging baskets, color bowls, and odd cell pack configurations. Each column is headed by the particular sow-date that provides the seedlings. As I proceed through the growing season, every- thing gets recorded in this table or on this crop's page. Any deviations in plug trays sown, 1020's trans- planted, or any other container size discrepancy is re- corded in red ink in the appropriate cell of the table. Blue ink is used as the original table color. Immedi- ately after the season ends, in late |uly, pencil is used to make changes for the next year. Later in the fall, usually in November before I get too busy with poinsettias and Christmas, I spend a week at my desk making tables in a new notebook for the upcoming year. Every pencil note finds its way into the new table. If there is one thing I hate it is making an ad- justment to solve a problem and not seeing the ad- justment find its way into the next cycle's production. In conclusion, I can not understate the impor- tance of a scheduling notebook. Someday I will find the time to computerize the procedure and make life a bit easier. But for now, if I am on an airplane and the pilot tells me that we are about to crash and there are not enough parachutes for both me and my notebook, my notebook gets the parachute and not me. That's how important I consider scheduling to be in my business. Dr. Peter Konjoian is part-owner of Konjoian's Greenhouses in Andover, MA. Peter is also president of Konjoian Floricul- ture Education Services, Inc., 48 Brundrett Avenue, kndover 01810. He can be reached via phone at 508-683-0692 or fax at 508-683-6962. THE GREEN SPOT ^^ A Narrative with a Lesson THE SITUATION. 'This apple," the woman said, showing the produce manager an apple from the dis- play, "has a spot on it." it had been a long day and manager wondered how many more "bad" apples — and complaints — were in the pile. They all had to be perfect, he thought; from pile to carriage, from pile to carriage — that's how it's supposed to work. He made a note to call the distributor. The distributor really didn't see the harm of a spot on one apple, but he needed the supermarket's busi- ness and, after the call from the manager, he decided to call the grower. The grower didn't want to spray more — it was ex- pensive; it took time, but he needed the distributor to move his product into the stores and after the phone call, he decided to increase pesticide applications. THE MORAL. Growers, wholesalers — educate your cus- tomers! The spot wasn't bad. The woman just didn't know. Natural growing techniques will often produce crops of superior health. Many though, will produce less than perfect plants — perfect by nature's standards, but not the consumers' and these consumers are often the people demanding less pesticides. Some of Nature's imperfections are already in our lives. Are you bald? Do you wear glasses? is an apple with a spot on it on your kitchen table? Don't be easy: aim for quality. But help your cus- tomers to lighten up and put things in perspective. Mike Cherim of The Green Spot, Lid , a New Hampshire Com- pany supplying biological conlrol agents and associated pest and disease management supplies nationwide, can be reached at 603- 942-8925. Route loi PO Box 266, DubUn, NH 603-563-8180 Perennials ♦ Herbs ♦ Wildflowers no Varieties in 6-cell Packs UPS shipping Available Annual Bedding Plants (6-cell packs) Zonal Geraniums (4 i/z" pot) Hardy Mums in Season Perennials (available in 2, 3, 4 and 6 qt. pots) THE PLANTSMAN At VAN BERKUM NURSERY. 500 varieties including an expanded line of herbs and native wild/lowers/ 4 James Road • Dcerfield, New Hampshire 03037 For catalog or inquiries (603; i63-''663 • Fax (603) 463-7326 LAN NURSERIES, 259 College Street, Magog J IX 2K4 Phone & FAX: (819) 843-5071 Lan is owned by a group of Quebec growers In order to present a large variety of hardy flowering shrubs and perennials showing THE NORTHERN BEAUTf Dogwood - Forsythia -Hydrangea Honeysuckle - Lilacs - Ninebark Potentilla - Rugosa Rose Spirea - Sumac Viburnum - Vine The supplier of choice for the Northeast. GRIFFIN GREENHOUSE & NURSERY SUPPLIES riASSACHUS£TTS«NiWYQRK«MAINE»CONNECTICUT CALL 508-851-4346. Winter Meeting, 1997 f M f he 1997 New Hampshire Plant M Growers Association/New Hamp- M shire Landscape Association ■■ Winter Meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 21, at the Old Mill Restaurant in Epsom, New Hampshire. In the morning, after coffee and muf- fins and the annual business meeting, Henry Huntington, Pleasant View Gar- dens, Loudon, will be speaking on "Proven Winners" — both the introduc- tions themselves and the ongoing program to locate and trademark un- usual and appropriate annuals for North American gardens. Following this, Leslie van Berkum, co-owner of van Berkum Nursery in Deerfield, will give a talk — illustrated — on color, the rules of color theory, and ways in which to break these ^ rules to best reflect the light of each season and the mood of the gardener After a short break, Paul Fisher, new member of the UNH Plant Biol- ogy Department (and who introduces himself in this issue's Forum), will talk on "Upgrading Greenhouses." One of his first projects at UNH is the up- grading the research greenhouses; he will talk about the specifics of that project as well as general principles ap- plicable to any greenhouse upgrade. In the afternoon after lunch I'Herb-and-Lemon-Marinated Chicken Kabob on Brown Rice" — a more plant-oriented dish es- pecially created for this plant- oriented group), the featured speaker will be Phil Nilsson, Nilsson Associates — Green In- dustry Consultants, of Southing- ton, Connecticut. Phil has had extensive experience as an ac- countant, has spent 15 years as a landscape and landscape management contractor, and the last seven as author, speaker, and consultant to the Green Industry. Phil, "known to give a rousing presentation," will speak on advertising and marketing. It's a full day. Worthwhile too. For members who prereg- ister, the price is $29.00 and $20.00 for each guest from the same business. For non-member pre-registrants, the price is $35.00. Registrations should be sent to Guy Hodgdon, NHLA Business Manager, 18 Debbie Lane, Eliot, Maine 03903; or you can register over the phone (1-800-639-5601). So circle the 21st on your calendars. See you there. NH PLANT GROWERS ASSOCIATION The Plantsman Editor UNH Research Greenhouses Durham, NH 03824 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 43