Proceedings Library

• Alkalinity is typically expressed in units of concentration of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) or bicarbonate (HCO₃^-) equivalents.
• Units: mol·L^-1, mmol·L^-1, mmol_c·L^-1, mg·L^-1, or meq·L^-1.
• Generally reported in mg·L^-1 or meq·L^-1.
• For CaCO₃ unit conversion: 1 meq·L^-1 = 50.04 mg·L^-1.
• To convert mg·L^-1 HCO₃^- to meq·L^-1 CaCO₃ divide mg·L^-1 HCO₃^- by 61.
• 60–120 mg·L^-1 CaCO₃ could be used as an adequate guideline.
• 180–240 mg·L^-1 CaCO₃ acid injection likely required.

Melaleuca alternifolia, commonly known as "tea-tree," contains special oil in its leaves famous around the world for its antiseptic qualities. During the 1990s an elite clone of M. alternifolia (‘Clone 88’) was identified for its superior oil qualities and high oil yields, and my nursery was contracted to mass-produce this clone for a large plantation in north Queensland.

Tea-tree plantations are planted at a very high density of plants (25,000–30,000 plants per hectare), and because of the very large number of plants required for a plantation, there is considerable pressure on nurseries to supply the plants at the lowest price possible.

Between 1997 and 1999, my company produced by cutting propagation 10 million plants of M. alternifolia ‘Clone 88’. We became very proficient at the production process, achieving an average strike rate of 95% across the whole project and 99% strike rate on the final 2 million plants. Because of the high labour cost involved in cutting

We decided to stick two stem cuttings per 2¼-inch pot of the

The plants we chose for this system were all plants that would root fast so that we could transplant them by the middle of August. Genera that have worked consistently over the past 3 years are Spiraea, Cornus, Physocarpus, and Rosa. Genera that rooted well for us but didn't transplant well under this system were Rhus and Hydrangea.

Cuttings are taken in June and stuck in 32-count trays in a bagged commercial soil mix and set on the floor under mist. The cuttings root in about 3 weeks and are immediately put on a

Wastewaters from diverse sources including municipalities, composting farms, and anaerobic digesters have been used in crop production systems (Alam and Chong, 2006). The objective of this study was to propagate cuttings of different species in media irrigated with different sources and/or concentrations of wastewaters.

During the last decade, Hydrangea macrophylla has enjoyed a resurgence as a dominate landscape plant. Selection and hybridization has yielded many new cultivars. During the late 1990s we concluded little was known about the usefulness of the wide range of cultivars for establishment in landscapes in the Ohio River Valley. Starting in 2000, we have established several evaluation plots at three locations (Table 1) across Kentucky as material of landscape size (No. 1 container) became available for use. Cultivars established after 2000 have six replications at each site. Specific cultivars have been established at one, two, or three sites. Data is included for cultivars at multiple sites. We have now evaluated over 100 cultivars. Plants have been evaluated for winter hardiness and ability to flower. Quicksand and Lexington sites are on drip irrigation while the Paducah site is hand watered on an as-needed basis. All three sites are in USDA Hardiness Zone 6.

For the past quarter-century one of the primary missions of the Morris Arboretum has been domestic and international plant exploration, evaluation, and introduction. Since the late 1970s, staff of the Arboretum has participated in 19 plant collecting expeditions, including trips to South Korea, China, the Caucasus Mountains, and the United States. The goals of the plant exploration program include broadening the genetic pool of known species, conserving rare and endangered species, and introducing appropriate new species. These plant collecting expeditions have resulted in a living collection that contains approximately 4,000 plants of wild-collected and documented origin, representing just over 900 taxa. The diversity of Acer (maples) in the Arboretum is one of the most significant collections developed through our plant exploration efforts.

This paper reports on two aspects of Acer seed germination at the Morris Arboretum. One aspect is a compilation of germination

White oak (Quercus alba) is an important forestry species. The implementation of forest fire controls in the 20th century have resulted in a major decline of native stands of white oak (Abrams, 2000). Further complicating oak survival is their potential susceptibility to sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum). Propagated by seed in the nursery industry, white oak availability is limited due to nursery production difficulties. There is a need for a clonal propagation system for selection of desirable characteristics such as fall color, hardiness, pathogen resistance, and improved nursery production characteristics.

White oak seed can be sown immediately after collection without any special treatments. This method of propagation however does not provide superior cultivars to the nursery industry. A clonal in vitro system of propagation produced from superior mature clones could result in increased profits for both liner and field production of white oak. In addition,

The role of plant hormones during adventitious rooting has been studied for many years, yet their specific interaction(s) during rooting is still difficult to determine. It is accepted that auxin is the key hormone responsible for initiating adventitious roots. The other major hormones—gibberellin (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and ethylene—have been shown to promote, have no effect, or inhibit rooting depending on the species or rooting environment (Hartmann et al., 2002).

Part of the reason for this confusion is that traditional model systems used to study rooting (i.e., pea, mung bean, sunflower) were selected based on their ease of rooting and experimental manipulation rather than their genetic characteristics as a rooting system. Ernst (1994) described the characteristics of an ideal model system for conducting meaningful rooting studies. These included important genetic and developmental characteristics of the model species. He felt that Arabidopsis and tomato best

Lindera benzoin, commonly known as spicebush, of the Lauraceae family, is a shrub native to most of the Eastern United States from Maine to Florida and west to Kansas (Dirr, 1998). Spicebush has a dense, rounded growth habit in full sun, a more open growth habit in shade, and prefers moist, well-drained soil. It bears small clusters of yellow flowers in early spring and has smooth light green leaves in the summer that turn bright yellow in the fall. In addition to the aesthetic qualities, there are no serious insect or disease problems (Dirr, 1998).

There is an increasing interest in the introduction of native plant alternatives as concern grows about nursery production of species designated as exotic invasive plants. Thus, there is potential for spicebush to be utilized in the landscape industry as a marketable native shrub.

Previous anecdotal research shows that vegetative propagation of spicebush by cuttings has been difficult (Dirr, 1998). Therefore, propagation from

The western red lily (Lilium philadelphicum var. andinum) is the floral emblem of the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. This showy lily is protected under the Provincial Emblems and Honours Act, but its numbers continue to decline due to anthropogenic activities such as cultivation and fire suppression (Government of Saskatchewan, 1988). The SaskPower Shand Greenhouse undertook the task of propagating large quantities of the western red lily as part of the province's centennial celebration in 2005. Several research trials were initiated in order to determine appropriate propagation methods along with techniques for accelerating growth and blooming.

The fact is that the United Kingdom (U.K.) and European Union (E.U.) are entering very new territories which are in a rapidly changing market. The £ (Pound) and ? (Euro) are becoming elusive, along with spiralling costs and no increase, only decrease, in product value. Many factors have come about to create the situation that horticulture U.K. is now facing, some of which I will try to outline.

Conventional vegetative propagation of some Eucalyptus species has been carried out for some 50 years, although until relatively recently only on a small scale. The exploitation of the genera by countries other than Australia for the purposes of producing high-grade paper pulp have led to the development of a range of hybrids suited to particular environments and soil types.

The main concentration has been with subtropical hybrids particularly in Brazil and more recently temperate species in Chile, Uruguay, Portugal, and Spain. Selection of clones with high percentages of rootabilty combined with desirable growth rates, form, and fibre quality, is an ongoing process within the industry.

During the last 10 years, a great body of work has been undertaken especially in Brazil, where novel propagating systems have been developed to enable nurseries to mass produce clones. These techniques and some clones have been transferred to Australia and further adapted to suit local

The cone and seed processing of conifers is presented as a part of the Seed Handling System defined as all activities between cone collection and sowing in the nursery (Fig. 1). This presentation covers the activities of: (1) Post-collection handling of cones, (2) Cone processing, and (3) Seed processing with a general aim of increasing knowledge about conifer cone and seed biology and processing.

Conifers are a very diverse group of organisms and have been shown to be among the most heterozygous plants (Hamrick et al., 1979). This is not surprising given their long life spans and wide species distributions. This variation is important to maintain and although we continually are improving our processes it is not simply a matter of reducing variability in our product as this variability has an important role to play in our forests. There is a great deal of cone and seed biology behind cone and seed processing, but it is also subjective at times and requires highly

Every spring a seed need list is compiled, based on the following year's plant production schedule and the remaining seed inventory at the nursery. The list includes about 125 plant species native to British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest. The seed is collected by a number of plant collectors, including our own nursery team, from different geoclimatic zones in the region. We attempt, as much as possible, to match seed source with the eventual planting sites. This means, for example, that a species collected on the coast will not be used for planting in inland areas and vice versa.

A seed/berry order collection form is sent to each collector, who then proceeds to collect the required species and quantities, depending on availability for that particular season. Collectors take care of shipping procedures, which often means sending seed/berries in sealed pails by Greyhound or courier. Nursery procedure Harvested, ripe seeds arrive from early summer through fall as berries

I attended my first I.P.P.S. conference in September 1994. I had recently started a small nursery specializing in native plants. Knowing successful propagation would be crucial to its growth and success, I wanted to gain some insight. The conference was held in Costa Mesa, California. The trip was entertaining for my family and very informative for me. The greatest single impression that remains to this day is how friendly and willing to share the people were. Over the years, I have benefited from the information made available by the members of the I.P.P.S. When I was asked to present, I wasn't sure I would have anything sufficiently scientific or new to offer. Upon reflection I realized that it is often tried-and-true methods and ideas that have value and have helped us continue to grow our business. This is our 15th year in business, and as is true of many small business owners, I find myself caught up in the pragmatic aspects of growing the business — staff, sales

We try to grow anything that comes true from seed by seeding, because we tend to get more compact and fuller plants that way. One exception is Helictotrichon sempervirens, since seeds are hard to find and germination is not good.

I prefer to have seeds sown in small-celled plug trays (e.g., 288s, 252s, or 128s) since they establish very quickly when transplanted into a 4-inch pot.

I have most of our seeding done by propagators that specialize in seeding and have efficient seeding machines. We get better consistency, and it works out to be more cost effective.

In most cases we multi-seed, putting up to five seeds per cell (see Table 1).

Most of our seeds come from regular seed companies. However, we do collect some of our own seed when seed is either too hard to find or too expensive.

Mycorrhizal fungi are specialized organisms that live on plant roots in a relationship that is mutually beneficial. The host plant supplies the fungus with carbohydrates produced during photosynthesis. In return, the fungus grows an extensive network into the soil, transferring water and nutrients to the roots and providing a protective environment.

Mycorrhizal fungi are very common in natural soils. They are less common in nursery growing media or in urban soils. From 2001 to 2005, our company tested commercial formulations of mycorrhizal products in nursery production and urban plantings. This article reviews trial results in plant propagation at Byland's Nurseries Ltd., Kelowna, British Columbia.

Parrotia persica ‘Inge’s Ruby Vase’ and Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’ are both upright plants with small leaves and good pest resistance, making them good street trees for urban areas. With the ongoing problems in North America such as emerald ash borer and Acer platanoides cultivars joining the invasive species list in New England and eastern Canada, the need for other species or taxa to take over is increasing. Grafting compatibility is always a consideration when dealing with large, mature specimens in the urban setting. Putting these two types of trees plus other difficult-to-root taxa onto their own roots can be very challenging.

Specimen Trees Wholesale Nurseries Ltd. is located in Pitt Meadows, part of the greater Vancouver area in southwestern British Columbia. The nursery is compromised of 480 acres; 20 acres of containers, 6 acres under polyethylene greenhouses, and 450 acres of field-grown conifer and deciduous trees and shrubs. The greatest hurdle we have overcome

There is, however, a new approach to propagation in certain greenhouse operations. The global connection between cutting production facilities around the world and some of the very sophisticated greenhouse operations here in the United States of America is a fascinating phenomenon.

New introductions of ornamental plants are developed constantly by plant breeders around the world. Once produced, these plants are nurtured through tissue culture to maintain the true genetics and then mass-produced in perfect greenhouse conditions. The nuclear/mother stock

In May 1985 I was Program Chairman of the Australian Region Conference held in Rockhampton, Queensland. One of the papers presented at that conference was prepared by Dr. Greg Moore of the Victorian College of Agriculture and Horticulture, Burnley Campus (now the University of Melbourne, Burnley). This paper, "Getting to the Roots of the Problem," was one of the most thought-provoking I have ever listened to. Greg outlined root development problems in an experimental planting of Eucalyptus regnans seedlings established by the Victorian Forest Commission. The seedlings planted in this experimental plot were some of the first forestry seedlings grown in nursery tubes, rather than being produced in outdoor field beds. Eight years after planting, the trees were approaching 20 m tall with a breast-height diameter of up to 35 cm. At this time large numbers of the trees began to fall over, and root system inspections revealed serious root system deformities.

Greg Moore concluded

Despite this increase in production and inherent appeal, daphne has acquired a poor reputation for long-term performance because of disease problems reported by both producers

The RSF will use the following means to achieve this mission:

• Acquire and maintain as comprehensive a collection of Rhododendron species as possible.
• Conserve Rhododendron species through the cultivation and distribution of selected forms and documented wild-collected material as obtained in the field and by other means.
• Support the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden — a living plant museum and effectively designed garden for the display and cultivation of rhododendron species along with other plants with which they associate.
• Provide information, education, and support of research for persons interested in the

The majority of the 4-inch crops are purchased as plugs. However, in-house propagation plays an important role with many crops. Our propagation facilities work well and are not particularly sophisticated. Annual premium cuttings, basket stuffers, cordyline, fuchsias, perennial asters, garden mums, and chocolate cosmos are rooted by cutting propagation. Ornamental grasses, cabbage, and kale are propagated by seed, along with other selected

The 31st Annual Meeting of the International Plant Propagators' Society — Southern Region of North America convened at 7:45 am at the Hilton Charlotte University Place, Charlotte, North Carolina, with President Bob Smart presiding.

Hydrangea includes approximately 23 species with a disjunct distribution in temperate and tropical regions of eastern Asia, Eastern North America, and South America (McClintock, 1957). Of these 23 species, Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris, H. arborescens, H. macrophylla, H. paniculata, H. quercifolia, and H. serrata are the most common in cultivation. Hydrangea macrophylla, with over 500 extant cultivars, is one of the most important flowering shrubs, and its popularity is due to its versatility as a garden shrub, florists' pot plant, and cut flower (Griffiths, 1994).

The IR-4 Project works with growers, researchers, registrants, and regulatory agencies to develop research data so that new products can be registered and new crops, diseases, insects, and weeds can be added to existing product labels. The IR-4 Ornamental Horticulture Program, one of several programs under the IR-4 project, develops information for non-edible specialty crops grown in greenhouses, nurseries, landscapes, Christmas tree farms, and forestry production nurseries.

The IR-4 Ornamental Horticulture Program is supported by two major funding sources: the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES). The ARS research staff conducts research trials across all pest disciplines and is critical in the effort to provide pest solutions to the green industry. The funding provided by CSREES typically supports research through the state university and State Experiment Station systems.

The CSREES

There are 15 deciduous azalea species native to the Eastern United States, but they are relatively rare in our gardens. In 1791, plant explorer William Bartram said of Rhododendron calendulaceum, the Flame Azalea (Fig. 1). "This is certainly the most gay and brilliant flowering shrub yet known." (Slaughter, 1996). Our native azaleas have been greatly admired for hundreds of years, but partially due to propagation difficulties, these species are still not widely available in the trade.

Native deciduous azaleas come in a wide range of colors, and many are delightfully fragrant. Species bloom at various times of year, from early spring to late summer. Most native azaleas are not bothered by mildew, a major problem with the deciduous Knap Hill and Exbury azalea hybrids. Adapted to local environments, native azaleas require less care than many garden shrubs. Their delicate flowers, which usually bloom over a long time period, are also less susceptible to weather. Many plants have

Since man started production of cropping for food, irrigation and the addition of water to supplement the natural rainfall has endured evolution and innovation in both the harvesting of water and the application of water to the crop.

Water has been taken for granted for many years in that it has always been there and been in abundance, which in turn promoted wasteful techniques in the application of the water.

Water is shaping up to be one of the 21st century's greatest challenges due to climate change, coupled with the increased demand of municipalities, industry, horticulture, and agriculture and the new requirements of environmental flows required to sustain the environment. This is evident in Australia, with initiatives being put in place with the Murray/Darling River system.

We are currently in a cycle being referred to as a 1- in 100-year drought, with below average rainfall being experienced in a large portion of the Australian continent for the last 5 years. As

Established in 1927 by an Act of Congress, the U.S. National Arboretum is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. The mission of the National Arboretum is to serve the public need for scientific research, education, and gardens that conserve and showcase plants to enhance the environment.

This presentation will discuss two divisions at the National Arboretum: the Tree and Shrub Breeding Program of the Research Unit and the Gardens Unit. These units focus on plant propagation for distribution, breeding, and display. Our breeding program encompasses a wide range: from basic and developmental research on trees, shrubs, turf, and floral plants to the development of plants with superior characteristics through a program of testing and genetic improvement. We develop new methods of pest and disease detection and control, improve our understanding of the taxonomy and nomenclature of ornamental plants and their wild relatives, and collect

The current plant communities in the Piedmont of North Carolina differ greatly from the original landscape that existed prior to settlers coming to the region. Almost all virgin forest has been harvested, with much of the land being used for houses and development and the remainder being used for agriculture. As this land regenerates from the harvest, the countryside has become a patchwork of multiple different stages of regeneration taking place.

Disturbance of a plant community is usually followed by recovery, which we call succession. Succession represents a sequence of populations that replace each other, resulting in community change. A typical sequence of dominant vegetation is: Summer, winter annual weeds ⇒ herbaceous perennials ⇒ shrubs ⇒ early successional trees ⇒ late successional trees.

Succession is a continuous process of change in vegetation, which can be separated into a series of phases:

• Pioneer: 0–10 years
• Sub Climax: 10–100 years
• Climax: 100–300 years

There is some aspect of propagation going on at Simpson Nurseries during at least 10 months out of each year. Multiple propagation techniques have enabled us to grow and adapt to changes in the nursery business over the last hundred years. I will briefly cover four techniques of propagation used by our nursery.

The logistics and talent to propagate a hundred thousand or more of a plant is mind boggling to me. One hundred or less is within my experience. With very limited numbers and a premium price, we have found success with new introductions to our customers. Just selecting marketable plants is a challenge in itself. In this talk I wish to point out some plants and qualities that I've found customers yearn to have and how we have lured them to buy — without branding. Branding definitely profits those who find or create a winner. But it takes big numbers and lots of money to support and advertise this kind of venture. Not all of us have the wherewithal to pull this off. For sure, hot "new" plants draw customers and keep you on their radar screens.

Money is the bottom line in all our efforts. If the retail customer isn't interested, the money stops flowing all the way back down the horticultural line. Our job in retail is to make our customers delirious — well, satisfied — with their

Excess heat in above-ground containers has long been recognized as a major problem. The challenge has been to find a practical way to moderate temperature. Harris (1967) measured temperatures in California 8 cm (3 inch) below the surface and 2.5 cm (1 inch) from the exposed edge of metal containers painted black or white, covered by aluminum foil, or shaded by wood. Exposed sides of black containers reached 46° C (115 °F) and remained at or above 38 °C (100 °F). There were no roots in about 33% of the container volume due to excessive heat. Painting the container white reduced temperature only 3 to 4 °C (5 to 7 °F), while aluminum foil reduced temperature about 5.5 °C (10 °F), but temperatures were still above the lethal point for roots. Shading containers with wood was the most effective treatment; none of these treatments were commercially feasible.

Whitcomb (1980) compared injection molded containers made of white or black plastic and found the white container only about 3 °C

I have a crew of 12 women who collect and stick their own cuttings. They can do 18,000–40,000 a day depending upon the taxon. We go out first thing in the morning while there is either dew on the plants or just the coolness of the morning has the cuttings in a fresh state. We stop cutting and harvesting and come into an air-conditioned propagation room by 10:00 AM. We have to be careful that the moisture level does not get too low since the air conditioning removes the moisture from the air. We keep the temperature at 22 °C (72 °F). As we take the cuttings, they are brought in every 20–30 min, watered down, and placed on a screened rack. We do not dip them in a fungicide because we have a weekly spray program for the propagation area. If cuttings are from clean, healthy plants, a fungicidal dip is not necessary.

We place newspapers on the table where the cuttings are prepared, then throw away the paper at the end of the day. This is done so that if by chance a cutting

Liquid-based Micropropagation. Virtually all commercial micropropagation in the U.S.A. uses semi-solid "gelled" medium (agar or similar polymers) to support plantlets on medium surface. Gelling agents are the most expensive component of media. They slow laboratory operations, including medium preparation, dishwashing, subculture, and moving plants to greenhouse. Gels also slow plant growth by limiting the availability of water and nutrients. A variety of liquid bioreactor systems have been designed for micropropagation. The "motorized" function of these bioreactors is to provide oxygen to the propagules while their entire plant surface is wet with liquid medium. Cost and complexity are the largest barriers to commercial utility.

Our lab has shown a simple rocker system yielded more and larger plants than agar with herbaceous perennials including hosta (Adelberg, 2005), elephant ear (Adelberg and Toler, 2004), and daylily (Adelberg et al., 2005). Subsequent transfer to

Geraldton waxflower is one of the most spectacular wildflowers of Western Australia. Flowering occurs during the early spring wildflower season. The native flower and nursery industries have selected a range of superior colours and forms, and these have been introduced to the flower and nursery industries across Australia. The mass flowering effect creates a large, spontaneous demand from the flowerand plant-buying public.

The University of Queensland Plant Nursery Unit has propagation licences in place with the breeders in Western Australia, and these licences enable us to supply plants to flower growers and nurseries across Australia.

My love for baptisias began many years ago, but it was in 1994 that I went off the proverbial deep end for this herbaceous genus of glorified peas in the family Fabaceae (Leguminosae). Perhaps it was my numerous unsuccessful attempts to grow other Fabaceae genera such as Lupinus that led me to the virtually indestructible genus Baptisia and its 16 currently recognized species. It is obvious from their native range that baptisias are extraordinarily drought tolerant lovers of hot weather. Consequently, gardeners growing them in cool climates will benefit from siting them in the hottest of garden locations.

Baptisia is an Eastern North American genus of prairie plants that range from Canada south to Florida and west to Texas. The genus Baptisia made its debut in 1808, although it was not formalized until 1811 by Robert Brown. Species that had been described decades earlier under the genera Sophora and Crotalaria slowly began their migration into the new genus.While taxonomy

Casa Flora has traditionally specialized in production of tropical and hardy ferns over its 39-year history. That represents a long learning curve and a willingness to take risks. We have come a long way from those early days of producing tropical ferns from runner tips in beds of peat. We have gotten where we are today by introducing new taxa, insisting on quality, and pioneering new production methods. Fourteen years ago we bought a large tissue culture lab and two smaller ones in Florida producing tropical ferns. In 2 years we were producing 2 million plants. Two years later and with much difficulty, we started producing hardy ferns in the lab as well. Now we consistently ship over 106 fern taxa year round, many with their own protocols.

Ferns, going back 300 million years, are much more primitive than most of the plants commercially propagated, and so have unique opportunities and problems. Much of coal is made up of fern fronds, and many of the ferns today are

Sunlight management is the process of manipulating the sunlight quality and quantity to which plants are exposed. A new generation of agrotextiles has been developed and tested over the last 10 years. They allow the grower to choose both the duration of light as well as the particular wavelength that will produce the desired effect from the plants at all stages of development.

Albert Einstein won his Nobel Prize for describing the photoelectric effect. He proved that beams of light are made up of particles and wavelengths. He called the particles photons. He stated that we could neither affect nor measure both at the same time. Therefore, in order to manage light, we will need materials to affect the photons (light energy/intensity) and different materials to affect the wavelength (light quality). There are currently three fabrics that manage photons and two fabrics that affect wavelength. For photon management, use aluminized, gray, and pearl fabric and to manage

Almost all commercial ornamental production utilizes vegetative propagation to increase plant numbers. As such, the risk of inadvertently propagating disease-infected plants is on the rise. If a plant is infected with a root or crown rot disease, it usually dies or shows symptoms that prevent its propagation via cuttings or division. However, many foliar diseases do not kill the plant and can be present within symptomless leaf or stem tissues. There are several diseases that have become increasingly common on ornamental plants primarily due to either the lack of recognition of disease symptoms or the lack of symptoms at the time of plant propagation. In addition, with the increased use of off-shore production of herbaceous and woody plants, there is an increased risk of introducing new diseases into ornamental nurseries in the U.S.A.

The staff of Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, North Carolina, was thrilled to host I.P.P.S. when they met in Charlotte in October 2006. Attendees had a quick stroll through the gardens before enjoying a catered dinner in the Robert Lee Stowe Visitor Pavilion.

This presentation is in two parts: first an overview of the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden from a horticulturalist's perspective, and second, a look at a number of notable plants and groups of plants. Included in this second half are several suggestions of possible nursery crops that to this gardener's mind could be worthwhile additions to the nursery trade.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is primarily a horticultural display garden. The oldest gardens opened on 8 Oct. 1999. Our focus is creating the most aesthetically pleasing gardens of year-round interest. Within this framework we work with the whole range of plants: permanent trees and shrubs, winter-hardy herbaceous perennials (including grasses and ferns),

Environmental factors have many effects on plant growth and development. Indeed, plant propagators often take great care in managing the nursery environment to optimise plant propagation and growth. The environment includes physical or chemical (abiotic) and biotic components. In the nursery the biotic factors include not only insects and microorganisms but also other plants, including weeds. What may be less obvious in the nursery is that plants in turn may affect their environment. This interaction between the plant and its environment is the scientific discipline of "ecology." The main message of this paper is that plants growing in plant tissue culture (or in vitro) are also subject to these same interactions, hence the research field of "in vitro ecology." In this short paper I am going to focus on two aspects of the culture environment, light and gas exchange (ventilation).

Light can be described and measured by several characteristics, each having various effects on

The Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) is dedicated to growing, studying, and promoting Australian plants. It currently holds around 6,500 species of Australian plants, many of which are new to horticulture.

In June 2004, a new production nursery was opened. Major features of this modern facility include: twin-skin polytunnels, a computerized Building Management System (BMS), and "in slab" bench top heating.

The twin-skin polytunnels provide maximum light throughout the year and insulation for additional warmth in the cooler months to optimize growing conditions. The BMS computer controls and monitors the irrigation and ventilation within the polytunnels and growing areas.

"In-slab" heating bench tops are used to provide bottom heat to maximise root growth throughout the propagation and young plant development phases. These bench tops have been constructed to replace "in-sand" benches and heated cold frames in the old nursery. In this case, electric heating cables

Because Australian native plants originate from the Australian bush, they are inextricably tied to the Australian landscape, and so the growing of Australian native plants has always been about not only propagating and growing Australian plants in gardens, but also about getting out into the bush collecting propagating material and understanding the plants in their natural habitats.

Historically the plants most extensively collected, studied, and grown in gardens and landscapes have tended to focus on eight main genera in the "big 3" Australian plant families: Mimosaceae (acacias), Proteaceae (grevilleas, banksias, and hakeas), and Myrtaceae (callistemons, melaleucas, leptospermums, and eucalypts). This is no doubt because these are the genera and families that, more than any others, put that particular Australian stamp on the Australian landscape and that most Australians identify with typifying all things Australian. So, if you want to create a garden that looks

Figure 1 was photographed by Ian Tolley at the University of Florida, Lake Alfred Research Station, U.S.A., during his Churchill Fellowship in 1966.

It was an old record stuck high up on an office wall, and current researchers, at that time, were unable to provide the author's name.

Other Data Sources

• At this time I am unaware of any current trial evidence of this nature.
• The unknown researcher used commonly available cotton trash (mulch).

Relevance of the Charts

• I thought this information was particularly important to tree crop production in hot, dry climates.
• Technology to accurately convert the information (distorted by a parallax error) was not available at that time.
• Thirty-nine years later, I still felt the information was useful to enhance support for mulching, as a permanent tool towards sustainable soil management.

The Converted Charts

• Each chart has five integrated, scaled segments.
• For clarity three charts, each of five graphs have been

All ferns at our nursery are propagated by either vegetative material or spore. In the case of the vegetative material we do a range of material depending on the species. Some are from pieces of rhizome; some bulbils are removed and direct stuck; and some are from bulbils along the rachis and we layer these fronds onto mix. These bulbils over time will root into the mix and can then be picked off and plugged out. Of the approximately 40–60 fern species we grow, approximately five would be vegetatively propagated. Vegetative propagation is relatively simple, but in the case of some species, we have found that better plants are obtained through spore propagation.

Importance of pH. The pH is a measure of a liquid's acidity and alkalinity.

• pH is one of the most common parameters measured in a wide range of industries.
• The unit of measure for pH is the degree of hydrogen ion activity in a solution or aqueous base medium. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14.
• Although litmus paper is a common method of pH measurement, it can only provide a rough indication, which might be insufficient in most applications.
• The most accurate method is by using pH meter and electrode with a hydrogen ion-sensitive glass bulb.
• The movement of ions across the membrane produces a voltage that is measured in mV and converted via the pH meter and reflected as a pH value
• Thus, depending on the concentration of the ions in the solution, the mV and hence the pH vary.
• Variations in temperature do have an influence on pH; it is thus important to have a pH meter with Automatic Temperature

Welcome to a brief glimpse of the treasure that is the New Zealand native plant collection at Dunedin Botanic Garden. What I would like to do this morning is to tell you a bit about how the native plant collection is arranged and show you some of the plants I think of as special. The collection covers approximately three hectares and we've got about 20 minutes, so it's a whirlwind tour and I would like to think you will be inspired to go and see it for yourself.

It's amazing how the soil we have treated so badly continues to bless us with food, clothing, and beauty. To see whole areas stripped and dumped into huge anaerobic heaps and sold off as top soil is at the least depressing! To have spent hours double digging and "Bastard Trenching," was for me a waste of youthful exuberance if not character building. To have learned that mulching and no digging is the way to grow is a blessing in old age; it takes much time for soil to recover from poor husbandry and the mixing up of its vital ecological components. "Never use sawdust" an age old adage was and still is, the cry being that it robs the soil of nitrogen, a huge hangover from the trenching and bury it brigade. We use tons of sawdust with not a trace mineral or other deficiency. Thick mulch over gardens and tree areas keeps the soil cool, full of organisms, and rich in humus with few weeds; the type of sawdust (untreated) can be from any species. The only drawback

The Chelsea Flower Show was the highlight of a short visit back to London, the city of my birth. Visiting Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea on one of the Members Only days was exceptional. The area was lightly populated, allowing good viewing of the exhibits. The exhibits and exhibitors were fresh and sparkling.

The new Great Pavilion at RHS Chelsea contained a mix of show gardens, floral, and plant exhibits. Although our visit was on an overcast day, the light conditions in the marquee were excellent, and the colours almost natural. Walking in, we were overcome by the vastness of the Great Pavilion and by the sights and the scents held within its walls.

Outside, the show gardens, allied traders, floral arts, and horticultural displays drew much attention from all visitors. It was interesting to observe the medals system, in that excellence of display to a certain standard gave awards and that more than one medal could be awarded in each class if each exhibit

On the first day, we had a keynote presentation from IPPS Japan Region member Mr. Mamoru Noguchi, who was formerly of National Institute of Hygienic Science in Osaka; the subject of his address was "Search for Medicinal Wealth" (Fig. 1).

He discussed a new method that is used to evaluate for positive effects of herbal dishes using radar charts and discussed its theoretical background in detail. He compared the radar charts for some Kampo medicines (Chinese herbal medicine) as well as herbal dishes that have been prescribed for the same disease. He also introduced cooking recipes for the herbal dishes. Additionally, he showed similar patterns in most cases,

On the 2nd day, 16 July 2006, participants enjoyed the field trip in Wakayama area. It was a very fine day and exceptionally hot for the rainy season in July. The group drove to the south from Wakayama city and visited Koike Nursery Co. Ltd. (Fig. 1A, B, and C). Koike Nursery is one of the biggest in the western part of Japan and propagates seedlings of vegetables and flowers. The products are sold to farmers and wholesalers as well as DIY shops for amateur gardeners. The seedlings are propagated under an enclosed environmental systems controlled by computers.

The next visit was to Bio-Center Nakatsu (Fig. 2), which is run under the subsidy of Nakatsu village municipality. Seedlings of Gypsophila and Lilium japonicum, which is indigenous to the Kii peninsula, Japan, are propagated by tissue culture methods.

A decrease in auxin sensitivity was found by two kinds of auxin sensitivity tests. Therefore, two genes, AXR1 and PIN1 that relate to auxin-signal pathway, were isolated and sequenced, and G specific sequence was seen in PIN1. Future studies investigating the expression and sequencing of these genes would be important in understanding this phenomenon.

Many researchers have investigated the field performance of double grafted trees in which potentially dwarfing interstocks were

Ask yourself the following three questions:

1. What is my problem?
2. What is the reason behind this problem?
3. What are some manageable solutions?

Synthetic pesticides often cause environmental contamination and can be a great risk to human health. As a consequence, there has been an intense search for safer pesticides. Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss, syn. Melia azadirachta L., Antelaea azadirachta (L.) Adelb.) is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is the only species in the genus Azadirachta, and is native to India and Burma. It became naturally distributed throughout much of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in drier areas. The medicinal properties of the neem tree have been well known in the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years. The bark, leaves, flowers, seeds, and fruit of neem plants are used to treat a number of diseases, and the tree had a cherished place in all ancient Indian treatises on medicine (Musabyimana and Saxena, 1999). Neem oil is pressed from seeds of the neem tree and has powerful pest controlling activities and medicinal properties (Singh and Singh, 1998; Pavela et al., 2004

In Belgium a pest early warning system was introduced in 1996 by the extension service of the Belgian Ministry of Agriculture.

Its creation was prompted by the withdrawal from the market of several broad-spectrum pesticides and the growing environmental consciousness of both growers and their customers. The warning system meant that existing routine calendar-based treatments could be replaced by a more integrated pest management approach with selective pesticides and more attention paid to use of natural enemies. The aim of the system is reduced and more effective use of pesticides by limiting treatment to the moment in the lifecycle of a pest when it is most vulnerable. The number of treatments and thus the cost therefore decrease. The system is available to nurseries, garden contractors, and local authority parks and open spaces managers.

The service initially provided warning messages regarding five pest species. In 1997 operation of the warning system was transferred to

The dahlia is a member of the Asteraceae and comprises 30 species of perennial herbs and sub-shrubs. It is found growing in the wild from the mountains of Mexico to Columbia. The genus was introduced into European cultivation in 1789 at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Madrid, from where it was distributed across Europe, reaching the U.K. (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew) in 1798.

Dahlia coccinea and D. pinnata are the origin of the vast majority of garden hybrids. Dahlias hybridise readily and today there are more than 50,000 registered cultivars.

Each year the dahlia trial at RHS Garden, Wisley, produces an unrivalled display from late summer until the November frosts. Wisley's propagators produce three 13-cm pots each of 120 to 150 entries trialled each year. The trial includes a selection of the best new cultivars and a selection of old standards with which the new ones can be compared.

Peat moss is the primary component of growth substrates in the production of greenhouse-grown herbaceous annual crops. Rising transportation costs of peat moss from Canada or Europe is affecting the profitability of many greenhouse operators (personal growth communication). Alternative substrate components have been evaluated in the U.S.A. for use in greenhouse production. Some substrates have been evaluated as additions to reduce the quantities of peat moss in a given substrate and others as replacements for peat moss. A cost-effective sustainable alternative substrate is processed whole pine trees. Gruda and Schnitzler (2004) demonstrated the suitability of wood fiber substrates as an alternative for peat-based substrates in cultivation of greenhouse tomato plants. Wright and Browder (2005) showed that whole chipped pine logs ("clean chips") could be used successfully for nursery crop production with attention to nutrition and irrigation. Substrates composed of whole pine

Lean manufacturing is a simple and effective way of improving systems. The costs of the lean approach are proportionate to the scale of the business. However, the lean way of operating must be embraced by organisations as a whole; trying to apply it to selected parts of an organisation will not be effective. The processes of plant production can be analysed and improved in just the same way as those in any other industry. The fact that the product is a living organism is no justification for inefficiency on the nursery. This paper will cover the basic principles of lean manufacturing, the practicality of its application, and the reality of trying to operate under the philosophy of a lean regime in an industry where investment cash is scarce.

Optimising fertilization requires up-to-date information on the composition of the growing medium and water. With this information one can do a calculated fertilization schedule according to the fertilizer requirements of the specific crop.

The key aspects to consider are the pH and EC of the substrate and the water.

GroeiBalans is a small company operating in The Netherlands supplying advice on sustainable crop management to nurseries. This paper describes a biological water treatment system that it has been developing with a number of nurseries in The Netherlands.

The Importance of Water Treatment. The health of the water used to irrigate the plants on the nursery is fundamental to the health of the soil or container medium in which the plants are growing. It is important for introducing and maintaining good soil biology. With healthy, biologically active water the introduction of beneficial microorganisms, including mycorrhizas, is more successful. Growers need to recycle irrigation run-off in order to meet government regulations and restrictions and because there is a limited supply of good quality water. It is important that recycled water is treated in a way that maintains or improves its biological quality.

My business offers seeds and seed treatment services to the large number of tree nurseries in the Zundert area of The Netherlands and produces plug-grown nursery stock seedlings. We use a seed stratification technique based on controlling the moisture content in the seeds. The aim is to reduce premature germination while increasing the proportion of seeds which go on to break dormancy and germinate after sowing.

This paper explains how the technique is applied to Acer platanoides and Fagus sylvatica, with reference to the traditional stratification treatments for each species. The treatments and germination results shown are based on our own trials and experience.

Tree seed performance has benefited considerably from the development of controlled methods to overcome dormancy. Traditionally tree seeds have often been stratified outdoors. Depending on the types of dormancy, stratification starts before or during summer and continues during winter, or it starts before winter. Seeds become ready to germinate during winter, and they may start to germinate before sowing. Reducing the water content of the seeds during pre-treatment can prevent this premature germination.

If premature germination is prevented, treatments at slightly reduced and controlled moisture content (MC) can be prolonged. As a result, percentage, rate, and uniformity of germination increase. Moreover germination proceeds over a wider range of seedbed conditions. So far, controlled MC treatment has been developed for about 20 species, both broad leaved and conifers.

Seed quality is often a limiting factor in tree seeds, which are often collected from the ground.

This paper considers the general benefits of green manures, cover crops, and biofumigants for the nursery industry and reviews the three green manure/biofumigant crops currently of interest to growers in Great Britain and Ireland.

It is important to understand the distinction between a green manure, a cover crop, and a biofumigant crop:

Green Manure. The soil incorporation of any crop (green or soon after flowering) for the purpose of soil improvement.

Cover Crop. Any crop grown to provide soil cover, regardless of whether it is later incorporated. The crops are primarily grown to prevent soil erosion by wind or water.

Biofumigation. Growing and incorporating a crop in a way that exploits its defensive enzymatic systems or biocidal activity, as a strategy to control weeds or soil-borne pests or pathogens.

General Benefits of Green Manures and Biofumigant Crops. These crops can help improve soil structure and moisture retention and provide and provide

Until recently chemistry was seen as the best way to understand and work with crop production, turning it into an industrial process: seeds and chemicals are the inputs and the crop is the end product. But what happens in the middle is biology — and bionomics is about looking at soil chemistry from a biological standpoint.

Biology is mostly about organic molecules rather than inorganic chemical salts or ions. Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and the trace elements are important for the crop's nutrition. From these elements plants can synthesize all they need. It is the soil's organic compounds however that determine the availability of these nutrients to a crop.

Soil bionomics is about the soil economy and the maintenance of soil organisms, which in turn maintain the nutritional quality of the soil. Bacteria and fungi prepare the nutrients in a form suitable for everything else living in and from the soil. Economics is based on numbers and counting to measure financial

Vzw Lochting-Dedrie is a nonprofit organization that offers employment to people who, for a wide variety of reasons, aren't able to be part of the regular work force. On average, we have about eight people working in the organic growing section lead by two instructors. The organization is supported by national and local government in the form of wage subsidies and the use of land; 30% of the income is in the form of wage subsidies but 70% has to be earned selling what is grown.

The organisation has a 1-ha greenhouse and 25 ha of outdoor land, which is used to grow leeks. The greenhouse activities are almost exclusively carried out by our own work force. Work on the fields, apart from harvest, is outsourced.

Since 2005, our aim is to base the entire fertility management on the soil foodweb approach as developed by Elaine Ingham. She is the founder and director of the Soil Foodweb Institute, Corvallis, Oregon, U.S.A.

A number of European environmental laws are making it more difficult to produce nursery stock. In particular, the availability of pesticides and fertilizers is being reduced to prevent pollution of the water supplies. To counteract this trend, a number of nurseries are beginning to work with compost and compost tea, which can contribute to a more environment-friendly way of growing nursery stock.

In partnership with my wife, I run a nursery at Jabbeke. We specialise in liners propagated by grafting. Our customers are street tree growers, container nurseries, and, for some lines, garden centres.

Our propagation program has two main elements: summer grafting from August to the end of September and winter grafting from January to the end of February. In winter, bench grafting is done with the hot-pipe callusing system. In summer we work with potted rootstocks in P9s, which are grafted under polyethylene tents. All grafts are potted in P14s in March and covered with tunnels

Compost tea is a liquid extract of humic compost containing large numbers of beneficial microorganisms. It is already in use in many nurseries in Europe as an aid to pest and disease management in plant production, but this paper highlights some potential uses in propagation.

The presence of invasive alien plants in South Africa is due to human intervention. Many alien plants become naturalized and start to multiply and spread far from their original planting. Their invasiveness is harmful to the environment.

What Makes Some Alien Plants Invasive?

• These plants have no natural enemies.
• The rapid reproduction by means of seeds.
• Easily reproducing by vegetative means.
• Natural chemical defences.
• Hybrid vigour
.

In South Africa there is not enough information available for accurate assessment of risks. Precautionary measures must be taken that sometimes clash with trade interests.

How Did the Invasive Alien Plant Get Into the Country?

• As garden ornamentals.
• As barrier plants — to prevent soil erosion, etc.
• As forestry or agro-forestry species.
• Unintentionally — people bringing in small quantities of seeds without declaring them at the border.

Main Proportion Invaders Among Different Users.

• Ornamentals 55%

Plant viruses are fascinating pathogens that can induce beautiful symptoms on their hosts but also cause serious damage to commercial crops. To prevent damage from viral diseases it is important to understand and control virus spread. Recent research has given new insights into the mechanisms of plant defense against virus infection. This has enabled researchers to generate resistant plants. In addition, studies of viral defense reactions have contributed to the understanding of gene regulation.

Plant tissue cultures have been used for various purposes such as mass propagation, production of disease-indexed plants, and genetic engineering. Plant tissue culture is defined as culture of plant cell, tissue, or an organ under sterile conditions in an artificial medium under aseptic conditions. This statement clearly indicates that for a successful tissue culture operation there should not be any contamination by microorganisms during the entire culture period. Contamination by microorganisms will not allow the plant cultures to grow, and the contaminants will eventually destroy plant cultures. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the major contaminants, the sources of such contaminants, and the methods available for sterilizing plant material before the introduction into tissue culture medium and to know the methods for an overall hygiene in a tissue culture operation.

Contamination caused by some common microorganisms can result in large losses during

We have an outstanding program and an action-packed 3 days planned for you.

I would like to inform you that we have members attending from the Southern and Western regions as well as Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Netherlands, Great Britain, plus five attendees from China. We also have members and representatives from Quebec where next year's meeting will be held.

I would like to ask all the new members to stand as well as all of you who have signed up to be their buddies during the meeting. Please meet each other at the registration desk at the break. It's important that we spend time with our new members and make them feel welcome among us. That also holds true for all of the students that are attending. The students are the next generation of I.P.P.S. members. We welcome you and hope you find your time here interesting and rewarding.

I would

So what will it take? Are you ready to leap into branding?

• Today you have heard what patenting and trademarking does, doesn't do, and why.
• A grower perspective on why branding is important.

So let' get branding, this is easy, right? All we need is a colored pot and some Point of Purchase (POP) materials, and watch the dollars roll in. Well not so fast. The industry today is showing a decline in sales with sales per participating household slowing or not increasing.

Members of the business world from outside horticulture emphasize the importance of branding products. Plant developers and growers frequently express that plant branding is the wave of the future.

Garden centers however, often convey differing views. I surveyed personnel at over 50 garden centers throughout northeastern United States. What follows is a synopsis of the information, ideas, and opinions expressed by plant retailers, peppered with my experiences working at a garden center in central Pennsylvania for 13 years.

Where Did It Come From?

• Nineteen drafts dating back to 1992
• Part of an International initiative
• Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit — 1992
• Johannesburg Earth Summit — 2002
• Gazetted as law in June 2004

Integrated Legislation to Protect Biodiversity: National Environmental Management Act (NEMA)

• Protected Areas Act — 2003
• Biodiversity Act — 2004
• Coastal Zone Bill

Pick up any biology textbook and there will be a description of the typical sexual life cycle for plants. In higher plants, the life cycle starts with seed germination followed by vegetative growth leading to flower and gamete formation with the ultimate goal of creating genetically diverse offspring through seed production. The fern life cycle is more primitive but follows a similar progression from spore germination to the gametophytic generation leading to sexual union of gametes resulting in the leafy sporophyte, which in turn creates the spores.

Interestingly, plants have evolved unique alternative life cycles that bypass typical seed production in favor of clonal reproduction systems. This may seem counterintuitive because sexual reproduction should lead to greater genetic diversity in offspring compared to clonal plants. These sexual offspring should have a higher

This paper is a review of equipment used to provide the best environment for propagation. For some it may seem a rather basic review, but sometimes going back to basics is not a bad thing.

It has always been said by propagators "If you have the basic understanding of plant propagation and the required environment, you can root cuttings in any type of structure." History and I.P.P.S. tours have proven that sophisticated propagation structures are not always necessary to be a successful propagator. As many of us have learned over the years by attending I.P.P.S. meetings, no two nurseries have the same system or the same way to propagate and grow the same plant.

While most nurseries now use a mist or fog system for propagation, cuttings have been rooted for hundreds of years using very simple methods. These simple structures and systems were used before the advent of more automated systems like the mist system. The I.P.P.S. was founded at a time when mist

Rooting of cuttings and growth of seedlings is dependent upon providing proper environmental conditions for root growth and anchorage for plants. The decisions include selecting the appropriate media components, type of pot, pot filling technique, and watering methods.

What Do Roots Need? The rooting process requires the presence of water and oxygen in a medium. Water is necessary to keep plants hydrated, allow for nutrient uptake, and for metabolic processes, which maintain cell processes. Oxygen is required for the process of respiration to occur in a rooting environment. For a root to function the proper balance of water and gas exchange must be provided. In addition to the necessary water and gas exchange, roots require appropriate temperatures for growth and nutrients available upon root initiation.

WHAT IS A MEDIUM? A medium is a substrate that provides for growth of roots. William Fonteno writes in the Ball Grower's Guide for Greenhouse Crops, "A major misconception

Although the issue of invasive landscape plants emerged publically only in the mid-1990s, it has quickly become one of the foremost challenges for the nursery industry. Initially started as a concern that non-native plants were overrunning natural areas, it has evolved into a complex and challenging puzzle for all of us who produce, maintain, and market landscape plants. Depending upon which perspective we choose to take, the challenge presented by invasive plants can be a threat to our well being or an opportunity to improve our industry. In any case, this issue will not go away anytime soon, and it holds potential to become a fundamental base for building the future of our industry.

This session is intended to offer an overview of the invasive plant issue and provide specific examples and resources for additional information. The expectation is that all members of I.P.P.S., and soon the entire nursery industry, will more fully understand and appreciate the importance

Invasive plants have been a topic of discussion for the past several years and will continue to be in the future. We have witnessed legislation, plant bans, and all sorts of negative information across the country targeted at "non-native" plants. The intent of this article is to review some background on the invasive species issue and highlight information that will aid in our understanding and shape the way we address the issue. Our background review will focus on: Executive Order 13112; National Invasive Species Council, Regulatory Action; the two workshops titled "Linking Ecology and Horticulture to Prevent Plant Invasions" held in St. Louis and Chicago; Assessment of Plant Invasiveness; Research Needs; Position Statements by Stakeholders; and Key Concerns impacting the horticulture and landscape professions. The invasive plant issue is extremely complex and crosses many discipline and commodity boundaries. Each has their own perspective…their own

After reviewing invasive plant categorization schemes developed by several states and organizations, the Invasive Plants

Is there any reason to believe it will be any different in the nursery business?

Many of you already know that Ball Seed, in the next few years, is rolling out a softwood cuttings program from Costa Rica and Guatemala. Ball has been selling perennial cuttings for a while, as has Yoder Brothers. These floral breeding programs don't take any cuttings until the stock plants have been cleaned up of

• North Creek Nurseries began buying unrooted cuttings (URC) about 5 years ago (2001).
• We currently purchase about 500,000 annually from all the major perennial URC producers, Yoder, Florexpo (McGregor), and Maya Crops (Foremostco).
• North Creek grows over 400 different taxa of perennials. We purchase about 70 taxa as unrooted cuttings. Some of the genera we purchase are: Achillea, Agastache, Aster, Coreopsis, Eupatorium, Gaura, Phlox, Salvia, Sedum, and Veronica.
• Offshore-unrooted cuttings currently make up about 8% of our total yearly production.

The woody ornamental breeding programs at the U.S. National Arboretum were started in the late 1950s and are known for the release of improved selections of such landscape staples as viburnums, crapemyrtles, maples, and elms. However, breeding and selection work is also under way on several less common flowering shrubs (Cercis, Corylopsis, and Gaylussacia) and trees (Celtis, ×Chitalpa, and Halesia). Challenges in breeding these genera can include a scarcity of available germplasm; lack of information on seed germination or propagation; unknown taxonomic and genetic information on species relationships; and marketing challenges for the new plants. However, these plants can also offer new opportunities for growers, landscape architects, and gardeners and can serve to broaden the palette and genetic diversity of cultivated landscape plants.

There are about 10,000 succulent species in the world of which 30% are native to South Africa. Main succulent plant families found in Southern Africa — 35 main plant families

• 1344   Mesembryanthemaceae     46%
• 392     Asclepiadaceae                   14%
• 334     Asphodelaceae                   12%
• 239     Crassulaceae                          8%
• 180     Euphorbiaceae                       6%
• 131     Asteraceae                             5%
• 34        Portulacaceae                        1%
• 28        Families (249)                         1%

• Astilbe — Many flowers and colored leaf forms including a new yellow-foliaged form.
• Bergenia — Fleshy leaves, earliest spring bloomers, some repeat like Bergenia ‘Herbstblüte’.
• Darmera — Large-leafed northwest native, hardy in Vermont.
• Francoa — Chilean relative of Heuchera with full rosettes of foliage and wand-like flowers from pink to blue to white.
• Heuchera — Evergreen groundcovers in myriad foliage colors.
• ×Heucherella — Bigeneric hybrids of Heuchera and Tiarella.
• Mitella — Quiet woodlander. Asian species have larger leaves and better color and texture.
• Mukdenia — Perfect woodland plants that prefer acidic soils. Mukdenia prefer cooler evening temperatures although they are grown in hot/humid areas of Japan in an all-mineral mix.
• Rodgersia — Large leaves in different shapes (palmate, pinnate) Flowers from buff-white to strong pink. Must have moisture and acidity.
• Saxifraga — Woodlanders and montane

The constant search for new forms and colors of plants for the horticultural industry is making the development of new cultivars a permanent endeavor. There exists a tremendous potential to introduce noncultivated species from nature and to breed new ornamentals from these native species (Bridgen, 2001). There are several native Chilean geophytes that have potential as commercial and ornamental plants. Species such as Leucocoryne, Conanthera, Rhodophiala, Alstroemeria, and Zephyra could be bred and used as cut flower crops, potted plant crops, and garden flowers.

The Chilean territory is an "ecological island" with geographical barriers that have isolated the biological communities from the rest of the continent and produced a high percentage of endemism. The Atacama Desert to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, and the Andes Mountains to the east have made Chile one of the world's few biodiversity hotspots. Continental Chile is home to some 5,100 species

Hellebores have proven to be one of the ultimate perennials for shade: long lived, long blooming, evergreen, and virtually disease free. It is certainly no wonder they were selected "The 2005 Perennial Plant Association plant of the year."

Still, improvements in this genus are occurring at a rapid pace. Colors have been much improved on in the past decades. New colors, richer color saturations, and superior flower forms are the hallmarks of the new generation of hellebores. Recent improved leaf color … and shapes only hint at future possibilities.

The role of grafting in contemporary plant propagation has declined with advancements in conventional cutting propagation and subsequent micropropagation. However, grafting is sometimes still the method of choice when dealing with certain rare and unusual woody plants and is therefore currently employed by a handful of specialty nurseries and a few larger firms that still market specialty crops.

The purposes of this brief paper are twofold: (1) To enumerate the advantages and liabilities of grafting with the implicit question: Is grafting a viable method for a given nursery to adopt and use in its production? (2) To describe the basic steps in grafting while examining a few unique requirements of grafting evergreen conifers relative to deciduous plants.

INTRODUCTION

The Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project is being funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health to find and share work efficiency tools that maintain health and safety and increase profits for nursery growers in the upper Midwest (NIOSH award No.U01OHO8100).

Nursery work is associated with relatively high rates of musculoskeletal problems (i.e., 400 per 10,000 for California nursery workers) (Faucett et al., 2001; Hildebrandt, 1995). The two types of injury risk that we are concerned about are cumulative injury and traumatic injury. Cumulative injury refers to pain that builds up over time. This is often musculoskeletal pain such as back pain, knee pain, and repetitive stress on hands, wrists, and joints. Traumatic injury refers to pain caused from a particular event such as crushed fingers from improper hitching or internal injuries from a worker being pinned between tractor and wagon.

Three tools in

• Time-consuming and often laborious.
• Require extensive knowledge in both classical taxonomy and culture methods.
• Exclude culture-independent organisms.
• Detect few organism at a time.

Molecular and serological identification methods, on the other hand, generate accurate results rapidly but detect few organisms at a time. The solution is DNA-array technology:

• Originally developed to screen for human genetic disorders in 1989.
• Successfully applied to detect and identify different microorganisms in clinical laboratories in 1992.
• Successfully applied to discriminate and identify DNA samples isolated from specific oomycete (1998), nematode (1999), and bacterial cultures in plant pathology (2003).

The advantages of DNA Multiscan include:

• Multiplex detection.
• Rapid, accurate, simple, and sensitive.
• Semi-quantification.
• Analysis of samples from different

Can very warm water kills pests and make a nursery plant propagator happy and rich? Yes to the warm water killing pests and yes to the part about making nursery professionals happy. Whether you can get rich using this method is up to you. We think that multiple potential benefits can be found using a hot water immersion system to decimate insects, or should we say cook insects, at the propagation stage. This method was developed through University-based research in Hawaii and at the University of Maryland.

Many nursery plant propagators are anxious to adopt effective, cost-efficient methods of nonchemically controlling pests. Concerns over worker's unnecessary exposure to chemicals has prompted many owners to look for alternative methods to deal with insect and mite control that places less reliance on pesticides. Greater regulation on the use of chemical pesticides has created an opportunity to look to other methods of dealing with

Let us begin by looking at the reasons we would change recipes in the first place. Ingredients offered over the years have changed. We are witnessing peat moss shortages from the East and bark shortages from the South, and we all know with shortages come price increases. In our generation of recycling, more compost is being produced, and the quality continues to increase whereas cost remains stable or decreases. While we seldom experience completely new

Algae cause a number of problems relating to greenhouse management. It forms on sidewalls of the greenhouse, particularly when plants are grown close enough for fertilizer solution to splash, drip, or drain onto the glazing material (Fig. 1). The advanced stage of development reduces light transmission through the sidewall and growth of plants in the immediate vicinity. It is viewed by many as a nuisance and can lead customers to form a negative impression of the operation by suggesting that cleanliness and good sanitation practices are not priorities.

Its presence is known to provide feeding and breeding areas for insects such as fungus gnats and shore flies (Fig. 2). Populations of these insects are known to vector plant diseases, particularly those that occur in the growing medium. A shore fly population, if present in a retail area, can be quite distracting and cause shoppers to question whether the "bugs" are going to harm the plants they purchase. Until recently

Evolution.

• Constant, natural phenomenon.
• Caused by cosmic or ultraviolet rays.
• Faulty DNA replication.
• Can be encouraged or accelerated where needed.

Crop Improvement. Agricultural crops today have all undergone improvement by means of:

1. Selecting the best plants.
2. Crossings to combine good qualities.
3. Resorting to other sources of variation when existing germplasm fails to provide the desired recombinant.

• By means of mutation techniques.
• In vitro techniques.
• Molecular techniques.

Staying abreast of research developments is a challenge in any area of science and, perhaps, even more so in the relatively obscure area of fundamental and applied research of adventitious root formation on cuttings. There are not a large number of scientists doing plant propagation research, certainly fewer than there were even a few decades ago. As well, there are several journals that publish propagation findings, so there is not just one place to turn for timely information. Traditionally, more applied work was found in the Combined Proceedings of the International Plant Propagators' Society (CPIPPS), and more fundamental research was published in the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science (JASHS) or HortScience (HS).In the last 15 to 20 years, however, several other publishing venues have gained in popularity, including the Journal of Environmental Horticulture (JEH),the Proceedings of the Southern Nursery Association (SNA)and Hort Technology. Add to

In determining which plants to introduce under the Proven Winners brand we developed a selection criteria that is based heavily on a criteria list developed by J.C. Raulston.

Edward H. Scanlon started several professional organizations devoted to trees and especially to people who worked with trees. He capitalized upon his position as editor/publisher of Trees Magazine to promote the need for the new organizations and their various events. Unfortunately, this widely read magazine was no longer published after his death in 1976.

"It is the belief of Trees Magazine," Scanlon wrote, "that a new organization is badly needed and would be enthusiastically supported by progressive nurserymen, scientists, and arborists" (Scanlon, 1951a).He proposed to name the new group the Plant Propagators Society and invited

The Guernsey Clematis Nursery Ltd. and Raymond J Evison Ltd. are two companies based on the small island of Guernsey situated just 50 miles north of the coast of France and 100 miles south of the coast of England (in the English Channel). The island itself is just 24 sq. miles. Its size and location gives it a very mild and moderate climate with a maximum summer temperature that seldom reaches 30 °C (85 °F) and winter temperatures that rarely drop much below freezing and never for prolonged periods. With the history of horticulture on the island and infrastructure in place, plus the beneficial climate, Guernsey became an excellent location for glasshouse production. The main disadvantage of growing on Guernsey is that of export, with an ever-increasing cost to transport goods from the island to mainland Europe.

The Guernsey Clematis Nursery Ltd. began in 1985, set up by its founder, Raymond Evison, for the production of young clematis. This has developed over the last 20

Methods to break seed dormancy are of great interest to plant propagators, with many papers on this topic presented at past I.P.P.S. meetings. For example, in Vol. 54 of our Combined Proceedings of the International Plant Propagators' Society, there were reports on embryo culture to avoid dormancy (Douglas, 2004) and recommendations on dormancy-breaking techniques for Helleborus (Bush, 2004), Salvia (Navarez, 2004), and many wildflowers and grasses native to the North Central U.S.A. (Diboll, 2004). As propagators, we typically want quick methods that consistently result in high germination rates without large labor inputs. But if we can afford to be more patient, some seeds may eliminate their primary dormancy mechanisms during storage. This progressive loss of dormancy after maturity in "air-dry" seeds is known as after-ripening (Murdoch and Ellis, 2000). Typically, after-ripening is thought to occur under warm, dry conditions (Foley, 2000; Probert,2000),but the literature

Polyploidy is an intriguing phenomenon in plants that has provided an important pathway for evolution and speciation. Although the first polyploid was discovered over a century ago, the genetic and evolutionary implications of polyploidy are still being elucidated (Bennett, 2004; Soltis et al., 2003). On a more practical level, there are many opportunities for utilizing polyploidy as a valuable tool in traditional plant breeding programs.

Most of the subjects chosen exhibit one or more outstanding ornamental features, including flowers, fruits, foliage, and overall form or habit. By considering this "Four F Factor" when initially selecting plants, one can greatly enhance the worthy goal of extended seasonal ornamental interest. Selections are broadly listed by their main seasons of ornamental interest with a general hardiness range indicated

Alstroemeria ‘Mauve Majesty’ PPAF is a new garden lily-of-the-Incas that was selected for its distinct mauve flower color, continuous flowering, and strong, upright flower stems. It was also selected because it is winter hardy to temperatures as low as those experienced in U.S.D.A. Zone 5. Plants grow neat and upright in habit and produce an abundance of speckled, mauve flowers all summer and fall until frost. Flowering of 'Mauve Majesty’ begins in late June in Zone 5 and in May in Zone 7. The flowers of this plant are excellent for cutting because flower stems last for up to 2 weeks in arrangements. The flowers of ‘Mauve Majesty’ are sterile and do not produce seed. Plants are asexually propagated by rhizome division and tissue culture. This cultivar is patented through Cornell University; propagation is permitted with license from the University.

This herbaceous perennial plant thrives in fertile, well-drained garden soil in full sun or partial shade.

This paper reports on the progress of the development of the unit to date and the results obtained during the first rooting experiment. For this experiment hedge plants of an Eucalyptus grandis × E. camaldulensis clone were grown in the glasshouse at the University of Pretoria. Micro cuttings were placed in two media, namely a vermiculite medium and air to test for aerial rooting. The cuttings were "washed" in Benomyl (Benzidimazole) to prevent fungus infections and the cut edge was dipped in a rooting hormone, Seradix B2, before placement. Survival decreased rapidly within the first 5 days to about 54% plant survival. The first roots were observed 15 days after placement; at this stage plant survival stabilized at 44%. After 18 days the rooting percentage of the surviving plants was 6% for aerial rooting and 53% for the surviving cuttings placed in vermiculite. During this experiment the floor heating pads could not be used. However, the heat generated by the T5 Extra high output fluorescent tubes was enough to maintain an average temperature of 27 °C in the chamber. Temperatures never went below 25 °C or above 30 °C. The average relative humidity was 81%.

The results of this experiment indicate that there is sufficient potential for successful rooting of cuttings to warrant further development of this mobile propagation unit.

Fraxinus chinesis Roxb is found in the more northern areas of China and Korea. Griffiths (1994) gives it a Zone 6 rating, and trees growing in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a Zone 6 climate, have shown no climate-related difficulties. Since there has been no damage to temperatures as low as -10 °F there, a suggestion can be made that perhaps it is more cold hardy considering the natural origin of the species. It would be worth testing in Zones 5 and 4.

Industry experience indicates that for the most part cultivars of many white-barked birches are commonly grafted onto Betula pendula, European white birch. Examples such as B. pendula ‘Youngii’, B. pendula ‘Laciniata’, and B. pendula ‘Tristis’ grafted on to B. pendula seedlings are fairly common. When these graft combinations were grown in their native habitat or situations close to that, this should not present any particular problems. However, when these graft combinations are used in the United States where the climate considerations are significantly different they are frequently short lived and prone to insect and disease problems.

Dr. J.C. Raulston of North Carolina State University, Department of Horticulture, and I decided to look at this phenomenon and thought that by grafting whitebarked birches onto a more appropriate rootstock a more adaptable plant could be obtained. We made a general supposition that if some of the stress factors that contributed to white bark

Jamesia americana Toor. and A. Gray., cliffbush, is a western North American species occurring in the Rocky Mountain states of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Idaho, California, and New Mexico (Anonymous, 2005). It grows primarily in high, well-drained sites. A member of the Hydrangeaceae, it becomes a shrub to around 1.5 m or close to 5 ft. Stems are pubescent and slowly develop peeling bark. Flowers are generally white with a pink form being reported (Griffiths, 1994).

Adina rubella, (Rubiacea) Chinese buttonbush, or glossy Adina is from eastern China (2003), Japan (Woodlanders, 2006), and other parts of Asia. It is an upright open shrub and will attain heights of 8–10 ft with an equal spread. It occurs naturally along stream banks, ditches, and other areas of water, although there are conflicting references to the plants acceptance of poorly drained sites with Evans (2003) listing wet conditions as possible while others (SmallPlants.com, 2006) indicate such conditions can be deleterious. Evans (2003) also lists it with a hardiness of Zone 6 while others (Plants for a Future, 2006) stipulate that Zone 5 is applicable. In Zone 6 and higher the plant is user-friendly and will accept conditions from full sun to partial shade. Soil conditions do not seem to be particularly significant, with pH differences from acid to alkaline being tolerated.

The overall appearance of the plant is satisfactory with the bright shiny dark green leaves being a

Fortunearia sinensis Red. & Wils. is a little known member of the Hamamelidaceae, and little if any information is available for either horticultural or research purposes. It is a large shrub with pubescent leaves that are obovate and look similar to a pubescent Corylopsis to which it is related. The green flowers are insignificant and occur in terminal racemes and are not particularly showy. Female flowers emerge with leaves and the male flowers are catkin-like in appearance. Fall color is yellow. Griffiths (1994) suggests a Zone 8 designation but plants growing at the Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia suggest a much hardier plant. Zone 6 is a more likely and appropriate classification. The plant occurs naturally in central and eastern China.

While sparingly effective as an ornamental horticultural plant, it deserves recognition and study to further understand the nuances of the Hamamelidaceae.

Sinojackia rehderiana Hu, jack tree, and S. xylocarpa Hu are two deciduous members of the Styraxcaceae from Eastern China (Griffiths, 1994). Both trees are hardy to Zone 6 and could be significant additions to the flowering tree market from Zone 6 to 8.

In the landscape the trees are somewhat shrubby and can form a single stem, which persists for a limited time only to be followed by fast growing basal shoots that quickly convert the tree to a clump form. However in deep shade this tendency is reduced, and single stem specimens can be found. Flowering is in the spring for both species, and the trees have a strong resemblance to other members of the Styrax family, particularly S. japonica. Differences between the Sinojackia and Styrax pertains to the strong central leader and stem of S. japonica as contrasted to the more open clump characteristics of Sinojackia species and pubescent leaves of Styrax as opposed to the glaucus leaves of Sinojackia.

Culturally they are pretty

There appears to be little information available documenting the heritability of precocity and acorn production in swamp white oak. In addition, we have found no information on how scion and/or rootstock source may affect precocity or productivity of grafted

Producing compact, well-branched shrub liners often requires pruning several times during a plant's production cycle. This process requires significant labor and often results in severe plant stress. The goal of the experiment was to determine if plant growth regulators could be used to effectively control growth of shrub liners and also to determine to what extent water stress alone could control growth. The effect on branching was also a point of interest.

We have found that there are several advantages in using flood floor technology to grow shrub liners: consistency of water delivery, crop uniformity, reduced foliar diseases, reduction in water and fertilizer requirements, reduced labor, and zero water run-off. Foliar diseases spread by splashing water can be eliminated