Southern Living Collection hits stores in spring 2008
Southern Living magazine has entered into an agreement with Plant Development Services Inc. to develop and market a collection of plants in the U.S. and Canada. Plants, which will be marketed under the Southern Living brand, will be available to consumers in spring 2008. The collection will include bedding plants, grasses, tropicals, groundcovers, trees and shrubs. The collection will feature plants aimed at solving consumer landscape problems. PDSI is expanding its grower group network, identifying suitable plants to fill the various crop categories and soliciting new plants from breeders worldwide.
Lack of bees could affect crop pollination
During 2006, an alarming number of honey bee colonies began to die across the U.S. without a recognizable cause. This Colony Collapse Disorder threatens the pollination industry and production of commercial honey. A group of researchers, extension agents and regulatory officials is trying to determine the cause. The loss of colonies could seriously affect crops that rely on commercial pollination services. Penn St. Univ. officials, who are studying the disorder, said honey bee pollination contributes about $55 million to the value of crops in their state.
CD offers info on high tunnels
Ohio St. Univ. Ext. released an audio CD and printed reference packet based on a high tunnels workshop in Nov. 2006. The CD contains 6 hours of discussion on design, construction and management, including organic systems. The packet compiles materials used during the workshop. The CD and packet contain different but complementary info. Cost is $10 for the CD, $20 for the packet or $25 for both.
Oregon seeks exemption for liverwort control
If you have dealt with liverwort control in your growing operation, then your assistance is needed. Oregon has applied for an emergency-use exemption with U.S. EPA to use Gentry (quinoclamine) on liverwort. U.S. EPA will accept comments on the exemption until Feb. 22. Docket # is EPA-HQ-OPP-2007-0028. Paul Pilon, owner of Perennial Solutions Consulting in Jenison, Mich., is requesting that growers nationwide comment on the exemption in an effort to sway U.S. EPA to approve the Oregon application and, subsequently, in other states. He said Michigan, California and Alabama are applying for the same exemption. Comments should include the economic impact liverwort has on the industry.
U.S. EPA to review chloropicrin
If you use the soil fumigant chloropicrin, Society of Am. Florists wants you to complete a survey on this chemical. U.S. EPA is going through the re-registration process for chloropicrin. SAF said the agency's risk assessment documents, which are one part in the process, use estimates that may be unrealistic. These estimates may cause U.S. EPA to be overly conservative in how or whether it allows use of the product. Comments are due to U.S. EPA by Feb. 28.
Worth a visit
Ball Landscape business development manager Jeff Gibson talks about working with growers and landscapers in the company's EasyScape program. Only on GreenBeam.com.
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The OFA Short Course, U.S.'s premier educational and trade show event. Get your own worldwide perspective on floriculture at the 2007 OFA Short Course.
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