Landscape Alberta does not assume responsibility for and does not endorse the contents of any advertisements herein. All representations or warranties made are those of the advertiser and not the publication. Views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Landscape Alberta or its members. Material may not be reprinted from this magazine without the consent of Landscape Alberta.
ISSN No: 1929-7114 (print)
ISSN N0: 1929-7122 (online)
Landscape Alberta Board of Directors
Brian Gibson, Green Drop Lawns Ltd., Chair
Ken Ruddock, ULS Maintenance & Landscaping Inc.
Cody Brown, Tree to Tree Nurseries Ltd.
Jeff Oudyk, CSLA, AALA, JLG, Land Tec Landscape Contractors Ltd., Vice Chair
John van Roessel, CLM, CLT, JVR Landscape (2006) Inc., Treasurer
Matthew Chausse, Seasonal Impact Vacant
Vacant
Landscape Alberta Staff
Joel Beatson, CAE, CLHM, Executive Director joel.beatson@landscape-alberta.com
Marnie Main, Member Services Director member.services@landscape-alberta.com
Lisa Brick, Events Manager lisa.brick@landscape-alberta.com
Kyla Hardon, Communications Coordinator kyla.hardon@landscape-alberta.com
2023 Landscape Award of Excellence Winner, Seven M Construction Ltd., Commercial Landscape Construction
Follow Our Social Media
Instagram: @landscapealberta
Facebook: @landscapealberta
Changing with the times How landscaping trends differ from one generation to the next
BY KARINA SINCLAIR
Baby boomers. Millennials. Gen-Z: These demographic labels get thrown around a lot. They define the span of years in which people were born and you’ll find avid nature lovers and gardening enthusiasts in all. But from one generation to the next, people may have very different perspectives, budgets and priorities. Understanding this can help green professionals promote the right services and materials to the right target market, and foster a love of landscapes from the twenty-something homeowning hopeful to the downsizing retiree.
Experts in the landscape contractor, turf management, grower and garden centre sectors have observed distinctly different habits and trends between baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1965) and millennials (born 1981-1996 and also known as generation Y). These two generations are the most populous and have the most spending power. Gen-X (born between 1966 and 1980) is also a key generation, but it’s a much smaller cohort that bridges the differences between their parents’ and childrens’ generations.
Because of their distinct generational characteristics, preferences and current life stages, these cohorts have different priorities. If you’re selling supplies or services, identifying these differences may provide an opportunity to diversify and expand to meet their needs.
Homeownership
Many baby boomers have had decades of wealth accumulation and with this, have had the benefit of upscaling their homes over the years. This generation of more than eight million Canadians is now at or reaching retirement and most will be considered senior citizens within this decade.
According to Statistics Canada, Canadians 85 years and older have the highest homeownership rates, and you’ll most often find them residing in suburbs or rural areas. Canadians are also living longer; celebrating a 100th birthday isn’t so rare anymore. Where better to host a centenarian birthday party with all the great-great-grandkids than in a beautiful, accessible backyard?
“Boomers are still entertaining at home and they still want that space to be well received and curated,” said Valerie Kristjanson, marketing and media manager at Ontario-based Connon Nurseries. Kristjanson has been in the landscape and horticulture profession for over 30 years and has noticed the purchasing habits of her longtime customers are still going strong. “Lifestyle plays a big part of it. If they’re travelling a ton then it probably changes how much they’re investing in their landscape itself, but I feel like the outdoor living and entertainment factor is still huge. Plants really play a big part of that for them.”
Other seniors may be downsizing but still want to retain a relationship with greenery, Kristjanson notes. “You see them trying to incorporate that plant life back into their space, whether it’s a planter or herbs on the balcony or a potted plant on the windowsill.”
The recent surge of borrowing costs has handcuffed younger generations, pushing the dream of buying a house (with even a postage-stamp sized property) further down the road for many. As a result, millennials are more likely to rent a condo or apartment. The 2021 Canadian Housing Survey reported the growth in renter households (+21.5 per cent) is more than double that in owner households (+8.4 per cent).
Small scale landscaping
Do these younger Canadians have any interest in landscaping and plants? Kristjanson says absolutely. “Our demographic used to really sit in the 45 to 65 range. Even 50 and up. But during and after the pandemic, we really saw that stretch to age 25. Gen-Xers, gen-Y and gen-Z (born between 1998 and 2012), they’re all there now,” she said. “We saw university students in late August and September showing up, sometimes with their parents, sometimes with friends, and grabbing a plant or two for their dorm space.” This early appreciation for green is a hopeful sign that landscaping will be a priority for the next wave of homeowners.
Since it’s becoming increasingly more expensive to get into the housing market, Kristjanson wonders if we might be more likely to see multigenerational living. “Maybe that’s what will keep it alive for these people because if your parents or grandparents garden, you might garden alongside them,” she offers. Even in tighter spaces, Kristjanson thinks people will still make room for green. “If housing stays the way it is right now, you hope that everybody will still want to have a house plant or two. The positive benefits of plants on mental health and well-being will still play a role. It’ll just be the scale in which that changes.”
Art Vanden Enden, a horticultural advisor with over 44 years of experience in the garden centre sector, says his 30-something daughter manages to indulge her green thumb while living in a townhouse. “She gets great joy out of container gardening, whereas the generation before that was more about in-ground gardening,” said Vanden Enden.
“Eventually, when these folks get their own piece of property, I think they’re going to be excited about being able to garden and bringing nature into their property naturally.” Since it’s taking longer to save up for a down payment on a house, it might take a few years after a home purchase before millennials can afford to look for landscaping services. “Sometimes first-time homeowners, they’re limited on budget,” says landscape architect María del Sol Galdón. “So landscaping is the last thing to get completed.” Del Sol Galdón has also observed that young families with children
Changing with the times
tend to focus on play space, like an open lawn or room for a trampoline. These clients might appreciate phased designs that ease them into landscaping and mature with their family’s changing needs.
DIY vs DIFM
Right now, millennials may be more inclined to tackle landscape projects by themselves, but as they get older, this will likely change. StatsCan’s population projection suggests millennials will become the largest generation in the country by 2029, outnumbering baby boomers. That’s approximately 8,616,900 adults who will eventually (fingers crossed) purchase a home with some property and be financially stable enough to shift from DIY to Do It For Me (DIFM).
Vanden Enden says boomers used to be more interested in DIY. “When I started working as a landscape designer, there was an expectation that you did these things yourself,” he said. “Eventually people recognized how valuable their time was and how much easier it was to have somebody do it for them without having to worry about failing.”
Now retired, Vanden Enden cites himself as an example. “The first time I built patios and decks, I did them myself. But after 20 years when they needed to be replaced, I chose to have them done professionally. I was personally more experienced the second time around, but I did not want to do it. I wanted to have a lot of say in what it was going to look like, yeah, but I didn’t want to sacrifice my few days off [by being] away from my family doing something like that either.”
Del Sol Galdón has noticed the same trend. Her design/ build company, Planta Landscape in Calgary, Alta., specializes in high-end projects, often for clients who are closer to retirement age and are planning their dream house. “Usually budget is not a concern, especially if they’re building a brand new custom home. They’re going to spend five to 10 million dollars on the home, so spending 500,000, a million even, on landscaping is not a concern. They want it done 100 per cent. They don’t want hassle.”
Retirees are also more inclined to invest in lawn care and maintenance services. Dr. Sara Stricker, communications and outreach coordinator for Guelph Turfgrass Institute, points to a United States Consumers’ Landscaping Expenditures study that reveals the higher the median household income, the more likely an owner will spend money on lawn care — especially when owners are 55 years and older. This trend has remained steady over the last decade.
Sometimes, the desire to hire isn’t motivated by saving time or money, but rather a sense of community. “Older clients might say, ‘I don’t want to shovel my driveway so we’re going to heat trace it. I don’t care how much it costs,’” said del Sol Galdón. “Whereas the younger generation, when they can afford it, might say ‘I’d rather pay somebody to do it because I’m helping out the economy.’”
Changing
with the times
Environment and climate awareness
The award-winning landscape architect acknowledges there’s a wide spectrum of opinions through the age ranges, but observed that her younger clients are more interested in preserving old materials even if the budget allows for new. “They’ll say, ‘We have these pavers, can we do something cool with them?’ If there’s no way of reusing the materials, the younger generation is willing to post them online in case someone else could make use of them. They’re all about the climate and environmental preservation where possible.”
While younger generations may seem more in tune with biodiversity and climate change, Dr. Stricker feels older demographics care about these issues too. “Millennials have been brought up being told that the Earth is burning and it’s all our fault, but baby boomers are the original ‘flower children.’”
Kristjanson has also noticed that boomers and millennials share many environmental concerns, such as whether a plant will play nicely in their landscape, but each approach it from different perspectives. “For example, some of our older customers would say, ’Is this going to spread really far?’ Whereas somebody in their 30s or 40s would ask, ‘Is this invasive?’ They’re saying the same things; they just have different language and terms associated with it.”
Vanden Enden agrees — and says concerns about the environment present an opportunity for landscape professionals to make a difference for clients and climate. “The industry is shifting towards healthier biodiversity. And it’s not happening fast enough for some people. There are people who are so passionate about it that they get frustrated. We need to put people on a path where their gardening journey is fun.”
Picky plant owners
This sense of instant gratification can be an opportunity. “We used to sell the majority of our tulips and daffodils in the fall as bulbs, but now people buy these in the spring as forced potted plants and enjoy them indoors or plant them directly outdoors. They don’t want to plant it in the fall and wait till the spring,” Vanden Enden said. “I don’t think that’s a bad thing for our industry because not everybody’s going to be a gardener. So what can we provide them that makes them happy?”
The digital age
Vanden Enden feels hopeful about the more diverse, upand-coming generation of plant parents. “There are a lot of younger people who are really interested in plants and soil biology. There are more highly educated consumers now than there were 30 years ago,” he explained.
In the past, customers would turn to landscapers and garden centre staff for selection and plant care advice. Perhaps they’d attend an in-store workshop or pick up a pamphlet. Now, customers are more likely to look online for information and inspiration. Kristjanson recalled, for example, a sudden spike of interest in succulents a few years ago sparked by social media influencers.
“Millennials have been brought up being told that the Earth is burning and it’s all our fault, but baby boomers are the original ‘flower children.’”
“Succulents were all over the place and our [boomer] parents likely never had succulents other than a jade plant, so it definitely broke out of the box,” Kristjanson said. Once influencers felt they had covered succulents, they began looking for other plants to get excited about.
This trend led to breeders introducing cultivars with new colours and foliage, as well as old favourites, like spider plants and philodendrons. ”I think it started as ‘Let’s be different from what our parents may have had.’ Then it circled back to ‘We’ve covered succulents. What else is out there?’ So nostalgia probably does play a big part of it, and I think vintage will always have a role in every generation.”
Vanden Enden has noticed another trend in younger customers: the expectation of a well performing plant is getting higher. “Some people are more accepting that plants look different at different times of the year. But now we also have a huge generation of people for whom gardening is not an activity but a thing,” Vanden Enden said.
This could affect garden centres and nurseries, as customers expect warranties and the option to swap out a languishing plant for a fresh one. “Sometimes people don’t account for their own actions on what happens,” Vanden Enden said. “There are people who just think plants are possessions. It’s much less about the journey of the plant as it is to enjoy it when it’s in bloom and then be done with it.”
Shift in professional perception
One trend that’s very heartening for green trade professionals is an improved appreciation for their skills and knowledge. “I think there’s a greater need and respect for what we do now as an industry compared to 30 or 40 years ago. We’re being seen as experts and caregivers of plants and nature. That’s really exciting because people who are interested in landscaping will see it now as a more viable career path,” Vanden Enden said.
“It’s on us as educators who are training the next landscape architects who are going to be working with the next generation of clients,” del Sol Galdón said. “When I teach
[at the University of Calgary], I always tell my students if you want to be good at what you do, you have to be passionate about it. Go out and dig the garden. Smell the roots. Prune a tree. Really get your hands dirty and get immersed in it.”
Del Sol Galdón finds that having employees from different generations, including former students, brings in lots of fresh knowledge and helps her team keep up with trends. As a registered landscape architect, she also finds there’s more respect for her profession from other sectors than there used to be.
“We work with a lot of architects and builders and they bring us into the project right away. That’s changed a lot.” Del Sol Galdón added 10 years ago, landscapers wouldn’t have been brought in until the house was already built and then only to add some grass and a few trees. “Now more value is given to our profession as landscape architects and landscapers. It’s something that’s new for our profession.”
Bringing all ages together
Landscape and horticulture professionals in all sectors can continue to promote the value of green spaces, plants, sustainability and biodiversity for all ages. As the large millennial cohort comes into greater income growth and homeownership, landscape professionals will have even
FUTURE TRENDS TO WATCH
Vegetable gardens
The garden-to-table trend is on the rise. Inflation and the pandemic are partially responsible for this, but people of all ages find joy in pulling fresh food from the soil to feed their body and soul. Landscape designers can delight clients by thoughtfully incorporating these functional spaces within an ornamental landscape. Valerie Kristjanson says Connon Nurseries has expanded their selection of herbs, fruits and vegetables due to customer demand and suggests this could be a niche worth specializing in as millennials and younger generations eventually become homeowners. “They’ve been embracing this ideology along the way. When they go to landscape their property, it’s going to be an important factor for them. They’re not going to just give up on that.”
Gateways to bigger gardens
Garden centres will continue to be a source of discovery and education for
Changing with the times
more opportunities to design, install and maintain green spaces for this maturing generation.
And the next generation won’t be far behind. Wise landscape professionals will look to the future to imagine the most meaningful (and lucrative) services they might provide to gen-Z, the alpha generation (born between 2013 and 2021) and beyond, to foster the love of green, from the simple potted spider plant to the upscale estate and everything in between.
Championing public and collaborative green spaces are opportunities for landscapers to instill a broader love and appreciation of plants across all generations. “I think about our own community garden — it runs the gamut of demographics,” Kristjanson said. “There are older retirees who don’t have the space but still want to garden. There are young families who maybe aren’t in their forever home right now and in a townhome and they’re there gardening with their kids. It’s kind of cyclical; this person has been gardening this entire time and now has a different space to do it, and this person is starting their journey in the space that this person’s finishing in.”
In the end, perhaps what matters most isn’t the differences between generations, but cultivating shared landscapes that bring them together.
Reprinted with permission by Landscape Trades.
all ages, so providing no-fail options that suit new plant parents choosing greenery for their first apartment could help set them up as repeat customers for life. “Our indoor houseplant selection has increased to meet a surging demand,” said Kristjanson. “The benefits of plants indoors and out is being recognized by the changing demographic and this is welcomed and embraced by our teams.” Art Vanden Enden added, “That whole trend of rare and exotic plant collecting hooked a whole generation on gardening and I see houseplant gardening as a gateway to bigger gardens.”
Future-minded function
Dr. Sara Stricker from Guelph Turfgrass Institute senses a shift in aesthetics. “I would predict that the landscaping future will focus on local/ green/ethical/functional green spaces as opposed to ornamental,” she said. This may be due to millennials now at the young family stage of life, who value playgrounds, play spaces and having access to nature within urban centres. There’s also better appreciation for the effect green spaces have on mental and
physical well-being. See Nadina Galle’s column on page 50 to learn more.
Naturalization and wildscaping
Dr. Stricker also points to a University of Guelph study that examined non-traditional lawns in Kingston, Ont. The study revealed a positive trend toward embracing lawn alternatives, such as messy wildscaping, even in upscale enclave neighbourhoods. Landscapers with a strong understanding of native plants could help support pollinator habitats by designing and maintaining naturalized gardens that fit the locale.
Annuals
Trending annuals have moved away from traditional bedding plants, such as impatiens and petunias. Kristjanson has observed that if a plant lover starts with indoor houseplants, that look will likely be mimicked outdoors. “The annuals that we see growing in trend are foliage plants, leafy stuff like really big, vibrant elephant ears and ornamental grasses that’ll give them big plumes. High impact stuff. That’s the move from the indoors to outdoors.”
Industry and Association News
Take Advantage of these Member Perks!
FCA Canada Inc. - Chrysler/ Dodge/Jeep/RAM: Save on select new and unused Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles. Administration fees apply.
Makita: Purchase select Outdoor Power Equipment Products from an Authorized Makita Dealer in Canada, verify your membership, and redeem for Free Tools and Accessories.
Merchant 1 Payments: Members benefit from preferred pricing, no setup fees, rates guaranteed never to increase and much more! Get a FREE terminal!
Travelodge: Save 16% to 20% off stays at Travelodge Canada.
Wacker Neuson: 5% off MSRP on select Wacker Neuson products. Administration fees apply.
LHCP: Members receive discounted rates on training manuals and exam registration for landscape industry certified designations. Visit www.cnlagetcertified.ca for more information. Get Certified. Get Hired.
Greenius: Members receive a FREE 2-month license of Greenius Training Software, Unlimited users for 2 months and Unlimited training courses + FREE custom implementation.
Equinox: Members will be eligible for a discount, plus an additional 2.5% CNLA partnership discount.
Are you a member of the Landscape Alberta? Are you taking advantage of your Member Benefits? We offer discounted pricing on vehicles & equipment, industry training, financial services & much more! To access the Member Benefits portal, click here. If you don’t have a log-in please reach out to memberservices@cnla-acpp.ca to request one.
GISC 2024: Reserve Your Booth
We’re thrilled to announce that Exhibitor Booth Registration is officially open for the highly anticipated 2024 Green Industry Show & Conference (GISC)! Mark your calendars for November 20 - 21, 2024, as we gather once again at Westerner Park in Red Deer, Alberta.
Don’t miss your chance to showcase your products and services to a targeted audience of landscape, greenhouse, garden center, nursery, turf, and tree care professionals. Exhibiting at GISC provides a proven track record of success, allowing you to forge meaningful relationships and drive business growth.
Ready to secure your spot? Click on the button below to reserve your exhibitor booth today. Spaces fill up quickly, so act fast to ensure prime placement at this must-attend event.
2024 Landscape Awards Package Now Available
Showcase your expertise and creativity... Download the Landscape Awards Entry Package with all the information you will need for this year’s awards below.
All active members get their first entry free! If you have never entered before we hope this helps you take your first step into the awards program. Or if you have entered in a while, what a great time to get involved again.
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Found in Vancouver
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer (EAB - Agrilus planipennis ) in the City of Vancouver, British Columbia. These detections, which are outside of currently regulated areas for emerald ash borer in Canada, are the first detections of EAB larvae in BC.
Emerald ash borer is a highly destructive insect that attacks and kills ash trees ( Fraxinus sp.). It is a federally regulated pest in Canada. EAB is currently found in parts of six provinces and is spreading to new areas via the movement of firewood and ash material (such as logs, branches and wood
chips). This pest poses no threat to human health.
The CFIA has put movement restrictions in place to protect Canada’s landscape and economy by preventing the spread of emerald ash borer to non-infested areas of Canada. Effective April 2024, the movement of all ash material such as logs, branches, and woodchips, and all species of firewood from the affected sites, is restricted. The property owners in the affected area have been notified of these restrictions.
Infested ash trees in North America generally die after two to three years, but heavily infested trees have been observed to die after only one year of beetle attack. In Alberta the number of ash trees growing in municipalities can often reach as high as 40%!
EAB is not listed under the Agricultural Pests Act (APA) making it difficult to prevent and control EAB in Alberta. Having a pest named on the act empowers urban and rural municipalities to enforce control measures under the authority of the APA. Landscape Alberta along with other stakeholders like STOPDED, ISA Prairie Chapter, Alberta Parks & Recreation Association (APRA) and others will be asking for immediate action from the Provincial government to help protect the nursery industry and Alberta’s urban forests.
TFW Inspection Checklist
CNLA Launches Youth Committee
Are you under 40? Are you interested in helping to shape the future of your indus try and association? If yes to both, please connect with Executive Director, Joel Beatson (joel.beatson@landscape-al berta.com) about how to be involved in the inaugural meeting of the new national Youth Committee.
Industry and Association
Invasive Species Training Program: New Course Alert!
Asian Longhorned Beetle Training is Now Live. The Invasive Species Centre’s Training Program is now offering Asian Longhorned Beetle Training, a self-guided online course covering the invasive insect’s biology, pathways of spread, impacts, and more. This course will also dive into the history and management of Asian longhorned beetle in Canada and the United States. Each lesson is accompanied by short quizzes to check your learning, and you will receive a certificate of completion for achieving a minimum of 80% on the final exam. Eligible participants can also receive continuing education units from the International Society of Arboriculture upon completion of the course. Register: https://invasivespeciestraining.ca/
YEG’s highest value public tree a laurel leaf willow valued at $109,000
Edmonton’s highest-valued public tree is a laurel leaf willow on Mackenzie Drive NW near 95 Avenue NW, whose value in 2020 was $109,552.38. An American elm in Rossdale, near 102 Street and 97 Avenue NW, is estimated to be 100 years old, the same age as the neighbourhood, and is valued at $81,127.69.
The city maintains an inventory of trees growing on or along cityowned boulevards, roadways and parks which account for 380,000 of Edmonton’s estimated 12.8 million trees. City crews update this inventory over the course of two years, canvassing one half of the city’s canopy one year, as they will do in the east this year, and the other half the next, recording the health and growth of each of the 380,000 trees.
Tree Diversification
Why Your Local Nursery Struggles to Be Your Solution
BY BRETT MATTSON, MATTSON TREE FARM, OLDS AB
To grow a proper tree takes a lot of time and energy. Mother nature has been doing this for millions of years and yet even she can only grow certain varieties in certain areas of the world. The biggest factor contributing to this is in the name of Climate Change and how we have scientific data to properly predict what our climate is going to look like in the next 50 years. Our world tends to be more cyclical in nature and not linear so are we prepared for any potential cooling affects that may come up? It’s not global warming, it is climate change, which means long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. This includes temperature variations but also more extreme weather conditions, including droughts, flooding and extreme temperatures outside of regular seasons.
If the entire history of the Earth were condensed to a single calendar year, humans would only have existed for 10 hours so far.
Now to focus on what the hardiness zones of Alberta are and where they have been versus where they are going, we have two hardiness zone maps below. The one on the left is from 1961 vs the one from 2000s on the right. I already can feel the readers of this article staring at these maps and arguing in their heads that they are wrong because we should either be half a zone higher or lower than what is being shown below. The reality is, these zone maps are just a suggestion and only consider average temperatures of the coldest months, average temperatures of the hottest months, annual precipitation, and frost-free days. It does not consider soil structures, late spring frosts or early winters, wet falls, etc. These other
Tree Diversification - Why Your Local Nursery Struggles to Be Your Solution
items are just as important for the survivability of plant material and is where growers in Alberta struggle the most for our plants to thrive and survive the winters versus growers in British Columbia.
The natural soil that exists in your landscape and/ or farm is the most important aspect to understand. There are practices you can implement to amend your soil to help correct a few traits slightly, but these practices are only short-term solutions and once the soil is in place with plant material growing in it, it becomes extremely difficult to continue to amend it. Usually, the biggest thing we are striving to change in the soil when we amend it is the natural pH level in the soil. pH in the soil is extremely important to understand since the element your plant requires to thrive may be present in the soil in relatively large amounts, but the pH of the soil ties up the element and does not allow the plant to access it. The graphs below depict the different ranges of pH found in soils versus what elements are available at the different pH levels. The wider the band is for that element, the more readily available it is for the plants. All elements contribute to the success of a plant, however, the focus on this article is on iron and the importance of it.
The majority of the farmland in Alberta and soils in the major city centers were built from grasslands which tend to be moderately to strongly alkaline which means pH levels in the 6.5 to 8.5. British Columbia soils came from forests which tend to produce more acidic soils and tend to have good draining structure. Drainage is another important factor to consider. If your farmland or landscape tends to have areas where water can sit and the soil is heavy in clay and stays wet for long periods, it allows for minerals such as calcium and salt to build up in the soil creating a more alkaline soil which raises the pH. Areas in BC can have alkaline soil because the natural soil structure allows for water to pool and slowly evaporate into the atmosphere leaving all the dissolved minerals in the water to be left in the soil such as calcium, salts, etc. If you ever seen a dugout or wetland by a farmer’s field, you can see the minerals being left behind when the water level starts to drop down, and white substances are left behind on the soil surface. This is important to understand because if your soil drains very well, these minerals that have been built up in the soil will dissolve into the rain runoff and be removed from the soil causing the pH level to become more acidic. Periods of drought are also rough on the alkalinity of your soil because the soil will utilize its capillary action to try to draw in groundwater to the surface which then sits and evaporates leaving behind more dissolved minerals behind. Ultimately, we can do some soil amendments to try to correct the soil, but the reality is, these amendments wont permanently fix the soil as it will always go back to its general state over time. Depending on the weather and drainage of the site, it could take a few years to multiple years before it goes back to alkaline, but the reality will always be, the soil will go back to what it was.
Tree Diversification - Why Your Local Nursery Struggles to Be Your Solution
“Typically, they (Autumn Blaze Maple) will do well for the first 3-5 years, but once the roots start establishing in the native soil, then the issues begin. I’ve also seen them fail in storms even after 15 – 20 years of doing great.” – Dr. Todd West
The one question I get asked the most by contractors and municipalities is why a variety of tree can fail at my place but survive in the landscape. The main variety being asked about is the Autumn Blaze Maple tree. When a landscape is being built in a municipality, usually soil tests are done to see what the minerals and pH are and if we need to amend it. Typically, the soil is amended to bring down the pH level to a more acidic level. Since amending the soil can be costly, usually the focus area is in the tree and shrub beds. Once the soil has been amended, the product is brought in from other areas where the natural soil is already acidic in
nature, so the plant material does not have to deal with any alkalinity yet. The plant material then is maintained for a few years where it slowly starts to root out and since the soil was amended, the soil is no longer as alkaline as it once was, so the product can access the nutrients it needs to thrive. Over time the trees will start to root into soil more alkaline in nature, as well as the amended soil will start to revert to its natural state which will cause the trees to become chlorotic. The 3 main factors that cause a tree to become chlorotic are: cool weather, soil becoming more alkaline, and wet, heavy, compacted clay soil. To correct the iron chlorosis in the landscape, another soil amendment would need to be completed which could become difficult to apply in a well rooted environment or annual foliage treatment completed in the springtime would also relieve the trees. No matter what, more maintenance will need to be conducted to keep this variety alive and happy in our urban forest. If it’s not treated, the chlorosis would stop the leaves from producing the green pigment called chlorophyl. This can be seen in trees that start producing a more yellow leaf in the summertime. Since the leaves cannot function properly, they will continue to become more and more pale in color and the edges will start to turn brown and crisp. Branch dieback will result, and the decline will continue until the tree perishes.
In North Dakota where the hardiness zone is slightly better than Alberta’s, the Autumn Blaze Maple tree is inconsistent, and failures are being recognized on mature trees. Dr. Todd West, professor with North Dakota State University’s Woody Plant Improvement Program says that “It can be an amazing tree or a complete failure. The reason it is such a hit-or-miss tree is because the tree doesn’t match our climate. Waterman Illinois where it was developed, is classified as USDA Hardiness zone 5b, which explains the variable hardiness in North Dakota’s hardiness zone 3 and 4. The soil pH in this region is also neutral and doesn’t match our alkaline soil”.
The main reason my nursery struggles with special varieties municipalities and contractors are after is the results we are seeing with trialing new varieties. Every grower I have chatted with always tends to grow new varieties to see if they can perform in the fields. The capital invested in these varieties only pays us back if we can get them to marketable sizes and the demand for these trees exist in our marketplace. During those 4 to 10 years, it takes us to grow the trees, we must ensure the product can handle the soil they are growing in, and the weather mother nature throws at it. If mother nature decides to kill off those trees,we cannot recoup any capital spent to purchase, plant, and maintain the trees. For my own mental health, I would much rather remove a tree from my field because it got too big than removing them because they perished. Nursery fields are much more pleasant places to be in when the product is healthy and thriving.
My only word of caution when we are trying to diversify our urban canopy is to genuinely think about what we are
Tree Diversification - Why Your Local Nursery Struggles to Be Your Solution
trying to accomplish. If it cannot be consistently grown in your rural farm fields, should we feel confident in its ability to successfully grow in the landscape for years to come. Right now, we are redirecting our landscapes to new varieties because the varieties that are prospering in our landscapes have potential outside threats that could affect our urban canopy. What is worse, planting a tree that could have an outside pest/ disease affect it or planting a tree with no history that could fail in 5 to 20 years from now due to poor hardiness for our harsh climate. The majority of the trees that populate our urban canopy do not grow naturally in the forests around Alberta so our buffer for disease and pests is quite large which is a large reason for our remarkable success of keeping DED and other pests out of Alberta. As for me, I will continue to grow the varieties that will thrive in our farm but just at a much-reduced quantity until our local market decides commercially viable tree varieties are acceptable to the urban landscapes.
Editor’s note: the opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official opinion of Landscape Alberta or Green for Life magazine.
“The majority of the trees that populate our urban canopy do not grow naturally in the forests around Alberta so our buffer for disease and pests is quite large which is a large reason for our remarkable success of keeping DED and other pests out of Alberta.”
Cultivating Tomorrow
BY KARINA SINCLAIR
The AI revolution in nursery growing If you mention Artificial Intelligence (AI) in conversation, you’ll likely be met with a full range of responses, from wariness to wonder.
To many, the concept of AI may be as far-fetched as time travel, living in space and driverless cars. Once the purview of sci-fi, many of these futuristic concepts have become reality. The International Space Station has accommodated astronauts since 1998. And autonomous vehicles are on the brink of social acceptance. In fact, some AI technology has already been successfully implemented for robotic lawn mowers and even airport snow clearing efforts.
From water and waste reduction, to predictive models for risk mitigation, to labour issues: in this feature, we’ll explore just a few of the ways AI is being applied to horticulture and nursery grower operations.
What IS AI?
Artificial intelligence is not actually all that new. Famous WW2 codebreaker Alan Turing, the “father of computer science,” published his seminal work “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” in 1950. Even then, the computer scientist proposed that machines could eventually think for themselves. So why all the fuss about AI now?
Enter ChatGPT — it’s not the only AI tool out there but it has received a lot of attention in the media since a
free version became publicly available in November 2022. ChatGPT is a language model tool that has been trained on a vast amount of input data, largely scraped from the Internet (think of all those questions and answers posted online). It then combs through that data to generate human-like responses. It’s available for anyone to use, and thanks to “machine learning,” the tool is getting more sophisticated as more people use it because it’s analyzing how people use it. Since ChatGPT is supposedly so smart, I prompted it to define AI.
Here’s what it said:
“AI refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are
programmed to think and learn like humans. The goal of AI is to create systems that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making and language translation. While AI offers numerous benefits in decisionmaking, human judgment and oversight are crucial to validate AI-generated insights and decisions... ”
ChatGPT is just one example — there are plenty of other applications for all kinds of tasks. If you’ve used digital map navigation, search engines, social media or online banking, you’ve already interacted with AI.
Dr. Brian Lynch, director of Horticulture Technology Systems at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in Ontario.
AI and horticulture
What does all this have to do with horticulture? Plenty. Companies like Moasure, Deep Lawn and Attentive offer AI-driven solutions designed for landscape professionals, which streamline administrative tasks such as measuring properties, creating estimates and sales automation.
AI solutions are also being developed for field operations. Dr. Brian Lynch, director of Horticulture Technology Systems at Vineland Reseach and Innovation Centre in Ontario, says using artificial intelligence is a great way to help robots and machines learn new environments and manage large volumes of data for decision-making in a horticulture setting.
Dr. Lynch is an expert in robotics, data science and artificial intelligence machine learning. He leads a team of R&D engineers and technicians to test and optimize technology for the horticultural industry. As third-party validators, Dr. Lynch and his team are privy to emerging AI solutions and says more are coming to
help growers and greenhouse operators with manual labour.
He described an experiment conducted at Vineland where researchers had to measure the angle of leaves on new plants. The R&D team explored the idea of a camera and AI system that would allow them to automate those measurements. Dr. Lynch asked his researchers if they worried that such a system would affect their job. “They immediately said, ‘Are you kidding me? I can only do 20 measurements a day when I have to pull out my ruler. If a camera can help, I can do 600 per day.’ So their job doesn’t actually change in the sense of them being useful,” Dr. Lynch said. “It just means they can do more with their time and the high tech tools just make life easier.”
Colin Upson, field manager at Foothills Tree Nursery near Calgary, Alta.
Man vs. machine...or is it?
If a machine can learn to do human tasks, where do said humans fit in? Professionals possessing knowledge passed down and perfected with handson experience might be wondering how a machine powered by AI could learn the nuance of what they do.
Colin Upson, the field manager at Foothills Tree Nursery (FHN) near Calgary, Alta., is curious about the promise of AI, but acknowledges he doesn’t see AI as capable of performing more complex tasks at this time. “I would feel comfortable and can see the benefits of using AI with certain tasks, such as potting plugs or re-potting,” Upson said. “I would still like the actual planting part done by trained people. This is a very important stage of a plant’s life, especially recognizing things like girdling roots and how to remove them properly.”
According to Upson, FHN is working with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology on a project that involves
using drones to measure the height of the conifer trees on their 450-acre nursery, but other tasks, like pruning, will continue to benefit from a human touch. “This is a very specialized skill in my mind. When we receive a shipment of bare root trees, we break apart every bundle, inspect for quality, prune and prepare them the best we can for planting. We do this with roughly 10,000 trees a year,” Upson said. “By being so hands-on with every tree or shrub we grow, it helps increase the knowledge of the people working here, and gives them a sense of ownership.
Data-based decisions
“The database required to prune effectively would have to be astronomical. Things like bud arrangement, whether its opposite or alternate arrangement, are very important when deciding where to make a cut. Branch attachment is another thing that requires a certain level of judgement,” Upson said. “Sometimes you make these [pruning] calls based on the tree’s history; for example, was it a good growing year or did the tree struggle? As a field manager or owner of a tree farm, the trees almost become like your children or a part of your family.”
Jeff Olsen, CEO of Brookdale Treeland Nurseries (BTN) in Ontario and British Columbia, is very excited by what AI can do to better serve clients and manage inventory.
“When supplying retailers, you’re renting shelf space. You’re not just making a sale, you have to own that space and manage it. You can only do that with data,” Olsen said. “If you’re dealing with a national retailer that has 500 locations, and you sell them 20 products per day, that would be 10,000 lines of information that you would need to slice and dice in order to forecast for the next day and week,
Cultivating Tomorrow
Using AI to streamline your business
For passionate growers, like Colin Upson, who want to stay connected to their plants, AI could help streamline administration or other back office chores to free them up to deliver hands-on care across their operations. Here are just a few of the many ways you can implement Artificial Intelligence to your landscaping or horticulture business:
• Communicate with temporary foreign workers with language translation apps
• Engage potential clients and answer frequently asked questions on your website with a chatbot
• Brainstorm ideas and create rough drafts for marketing and blog content
• Edit written content for grammar, spelling and punctuation
• Visualize landscape concepts with generative fill design software
• Measure properties and calculate size, slope and other features, then upload measurements directly to design software
• Automate estimates, billing and follow-up emails
• Track fleet routes, fuel usage, idle time and detect driver risks
• Program cut patterns for autonomous mowers
• Trigger greenhouse operations, such as opening shutters or controlling humidity, based on real-time conditions
• Monitor for pests and deploy drones to destroy them
• Observe large crops for plant growth and development
• Deploy irrigation and nutrient inputs based on sensor data
• Identify plant type through photo recognition
• Command autonomous vehicles to move heavy loads around operation sites
