California seeks to stop spread of invasive moth
Calif. Dept. of Food and Ag. established an interim regulatory action to halt the spread of light brown apple moth, an invasive species, in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and San Francisco counties. This action will remain in place until CDFA, USDA and ag. commissioners in infested counties establish a quarantine for the pest. The first detection of the moth in the area came on Feb. 27. More than 250 plant species are known to be susceptible. Wholesale nursery operators are being asked to sign compliance agreements stating that they will inspect host plants before shipment and certify that they are moth-free. For infested nurseries, plants must be treated and re-inspected before shipment. Retail nurseries will be inspected and, if infested, will be asked to remove and discard infested plants.
Investment group buys Jackson & Perkins
An investment group led by Donald and Glenda Hachenberger, owners of Southern Sun BioSystems in Hodges, S.C., has acquired Jackson & Perkins from Harry & David Holdings Inc. in Medford, Ore. The transaction includes the sale of the direct marketing and wholesale business, the J&P brand, catalog, e-commerce Web site and associated inventory, including rose plants, hort. products and home and garden decor. Harry & David is also selling 3,200 acres in Wasco, Calif., and associated buildings and equipment to a Calif. private investment group. The total of both transactions is $49 million.
Keep plants under control in mixed containers
The best way to manage varying growth rates of different plant species in mixed containers is to treat individual plants before they are combined in the containers, said Rich McAvoy, hort. professor and ext. specialist at Univ. of Conn. The best option is to pre-treat transplants with a plug dip. Place plug flats into a tray of PGR solution, allowing the rooting medium to soak up the chemical. Only root-active PGRs can be used for this purpose. For plants that need to be treated with Florel to increase branching, the best option is to treat plants separately.
Plugged, worn irrigation nozzles can cause uneven growth
If you're noticing uneven growth from one side of the bench to the other, Mich. St. Univ. ext. greenhouse educator Dean Krauskopf suggests checking irrigation nozzles on water booms and overhead watering systems. Plugged nozzles could be the problem due to a buildup of calcium carbonate or calcium bicarbonate. Even if you are injecting acid, test the water to make sure the bicarbonate level hasn't changed; it can vary from season to season and year to year. Look for worn-out nozzles. Water is abrasive and can alter nozzle flow rates, causing growth rate differences.
Storm prognosticators forecast active hurricane season
The Atlantic basin will likely see a very active hurricane season this year, according to a Colo. St. Univ. forecast team. Seventeen named storms are expected to form in the Atlantic between June 1 and Nov. 30. Nine are expected to become hurricanes with 5 of them expected to develop into intense or major hurricanes with sustained winds of 111 mph or greater. No hurricanes made landfall along the U.S. coastline in 2006, even though there were 10 named storms and 5 hurricanes (2 severe).
Worth a visit
The nursery business deserves its own action/adventure serial, "The Great Nursery Adventure: A Year in the Life of Greene Family Nursery." This month, the family faces a menacing weed. Only on GreenBeam.com.
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