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JANUARY 8, 2008

Florida growers escape serious damage from freeze
Florida nursery owners were relieved last week to find minimal damage after a hard freeze. "We came through pretty well. I was surprised," Brightman Logan, owner of All Native, a nursery near San Antonio, Fla., told Tampa Bay Tribune. Logan started bringing smaller plants into greenhouses last Tuesday in preparation for Wednesday's predicted cold snap. He spent the evening riding around in his truck making sure the wind didn't rip coverings off greenhouses and that irrigation systems were working properly. He said the temperature dipped to 25°F, 6 short of what forecasters had predicted for his area. That made the difference. "It wasn't 19, but it was still pretty cold," he said. Mike Waldron of Hidden Acres Nursery in Sebring said the near-record heat that preceded the storm didn't help. "That's (the warmth) going to encourage new growth. Some of that new growth pops out, especially the plants that we need to freeze in."

Promotion will lead gardeners to retailers, growers
Consumers will be directed to Connecticut nurseries and garden retailers in a new marketing plan planned by Conn. Nursery & Landscape Assoc. and Conn. Greenhouse Growers Assoc., and partially funded by a $30,000 2-year federal specialty crop grant administered by the state Ag. Dept. The plan calls for a Connecticut Garden Trail with a road map and Web site directing visitors to garden centers, greenhouses, nurseries and landscapers across the state. The 2 associations are modeling the program after the state's wine trail.

Citrus nursery growers join Florida association
Fla. Nursery, Growers & Landscape Assoc. established a new division to address the business interests of the citrus nursery industry. "The recent squeeze of federal and state regulations governing citrus tree nursery production has profoundly impacted our daily business operations," said John Gose, Fla. Citrus Nurserymen's Assoc. pres. and the new FNGLA Citrus Nursery Division representative. Dave Self, FNGLA president, said: "Citrus nurseries are a unique segment of Florida's vast environmental horticulture industry. They have special interests and experiences that will enrich our association's aggressive role in government affairs and political advocacy."

H-2A wage rates released for 2008
ANLA consultant James Holt unveiled the expected H-2A program wage rates for 2008. The 2007 average wage rates do not become the Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs) until they are published in the Federal Register by Dept. of Labor. Legislation pending in Congress could result in these AEWRs being nullified. H-2A applicants are advised to continue using the current AEWRs in applications until new AEWRs are published. Click here for guidance and the wage chart.

Danish Christmas tree group charged with price fixing
The Danish Christmas Tree growers' association has been charged with rigging prices for the trees, which cost 20% more in Europe in 2007, the group's manager told USA Today. The prosecutor for serious economic crimes in Denmark, the continent's leading exporter of Christmas trees, charged the association last month after a year-long investigation. The charge came after warnings from Denmark's competition authority in 2001 and 2005, urging the Christmas Tree Growers Assoc. to stop giving its members wholesale price guidelines in an attempt not to undercut one another. No date for a trial has been set.

Ohio arboretum receives $1M for sustainable greenhouse
Cox Arboretum in Dayton, Ohio, received a $1 million gift from the James M. Cox Jr. Foundation to support the development of a sustainable greenhouse. The greenhouse is the centerpiece of a $3.5 million project dedicated to sustainable horticulture. The center is part of a long-term plan for the 189-acre Miami Township arboretum, said dir. Jay Woodhull. The new greenhouse would be operated with alternative sources of energy, such as wind or geothermal, Woodhull said. "We hope to design a greenhouse that doesn't consume a lot of fuel. We hope that it has a zero carbon footprint and is completely off the grid," he said.

Discovering the world of sustainability
Two sustainable plant tag products, EcoTag and BioTag, satisfy the need for environmentally friendly packaging options, its developers say. Project: Green Industry blog

Worth a visit
For an industry focused on sustainability, there aren't a lot of suppliers of plants grown in sustainable ways. In short, green plants in the green industry are in their infancy. Only on GreenBeam.com.

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