TNLA would like to thank the following companies for being Membership Sponsors
GOLD Membership Sponsors
Barky Beaver Mulch & Soil Mix, Inc.
BASF
Blankenship Farms and Nursery
BWI of Memphis
Cam Too Camellia Nursery, Inc.
Delta Mulch and Materials, LLC
Enviro-Scapes, LLC
Flower City Nurseries
Mid-South Nursery
Randall Walker Farms
Riverbend Nurseries, LLC
Swafford Nursery, Inc.
Swift Straw
Tennessee Valley Nursery, Inc.
Warren County Nursery, Inc.
Woodbury Insurance Agency
Youngblood Farms, LLC
SILVER Membership Sponsors
Dayton Bag & Burlap Co.
Carpe Diem Farms
Cherry Springs Nursery
Kinsey Gardens, Inc.
Mike Brown’s Wholesale Nursery, LLC
Old Courthouse Nursery
Rusty Mangrum Nursery
Samara Farms
Star Roses and Plants
It A Busy Year Ahead
is my honor to serve on the TNLA board as your President in 2025. I have been told that I am the first Hispanic to serve in this role in the organization’s 120-year history. My promise to you is that I will work as hard to represent you as you do in your own business. We have exciting things to celebrate and to look forward to this year. We recently published a Buyer’s Guide for the first time since 2011. 500 copies were distributed at the MANTS show in January by our Executive Director, Danae Bouldin. We were not able to attend the Mobile show due to a freak snowstorm, but the remaining copies will be mailed to members, available at the TNLA office for pick up, and distributed at our show TNGRO.
Speaking of TNGRO, mark your calendars and save the date. It will be held at the Farm Bureau Expo Center in Lebanon, TN from October 23–24th, 2025. There will be an email blast going out to all members soon that gives you exhibitor, sponsor, hotel, and education information. The direct link to TNGRO can be found here: https://tnla.com/TNGRO
After the disruption of the pandemic, we are back on an annual Fall show schedule at the Farm Bureau Expo Center and have dates reserved for the next three years. If you would like to serve on the trade show committee, please contact the TNLA office at 931473-3951, 115 Lyon Street, McMinnville, TN 37110. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 57 McMinnville, TN 37111 or email Danae at danae.tnla@gmail.com
I also want to mention that our educational Field Day hosted by the University of Tennessee at UT Gardens will be held on Thursday, June 12th. Registration and sign-up information will be coming out in the next couple of weeks. Thank you for the opportunity to serve and I look forward to seeing you at our big events.
Ozzy
Lopez TNLA President
The Tennessee Greentimes is the official publication of The Tennessee Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc.
115 Lyon Street
McMinnville, Tennessee 37110 (931) 473-3951
Fax (931) 473-5883
www.tnla.com
Email: mail@tnla.com
Published By
Leading Edge Communications
206 Bridge Street, Suite 200 Franklin, Tennessee 37064 (615) 790-3718
Fax (615) 794-4524
Email: info@leadingedge communications.com
Editors
Dr. Bill Klingeman
Dr. Amy Fulcher
Associate Editors
Dr. Karla Addesso
Dr. Becky Bowling
Dr. Midhula Gireesh
Dr. Nar Ranabhat
TNLA Officers
President Ozzy Lopez Ozzy’s Lawncare and Hardscape Services
1st Vice President
Sam Kinsey Kinsey Gardens
2nd Vice President
Trista Pirtle Pirtle Nursery
3rd Vice President
Jason Peace Home Nursery, Inc.
Secretary-Treasurer
Bryan Tate
Mid-South Nursery
Associate Director
Eli Eldridge
H&R Agri-Power Farm & Turf
Ex-Officio
Jon Flanders
Botanico, Inc. & 3F - Flanders Family Farm
Executive Director
Danae Bouldin
Osvaldo Lopez, the first Hispanic President of TNLA, presents our annual donation to TN FFA President, T. Wayne Williams
TN FFA Slate of Officers with TNLA board members in front of our mural
Congratulations to the 2024 Graduates of the Tennessee Master Nursery Producer Program and Advanced Tennessee Master Nursery Producer Program
By Amy Fulcher, Extension Specialist and Professor for Sustainable Ornamental Plant Production and Landscape Management and Whitney Yeary, Extension Assistant
TheTennessee Master Nursery Producer (TMNP) program and Advanced TMNP program are professional development programs for nursery crop producers led by the University of Tennessee with support from TSU and the USDA. TMNP was the first program of its kind in the nation and was designed to provide Tennessee nursery producers with up-to-date, science-based information with the goal of enhancing nursery profitability and environmental, economic, and community sustainability. Growers from across the state can access the latest information on production, irrigation, fertilization, pruning, propagation, pest management, economics, and marketing. Those in the Advanced TMNP program experience a core and elective module structure which enables them to complete the program by selecting modules with greater relevance to their business. The ATMNP program offers topics such as advanced irrigation and water management, advanced pesticide application concepts, hydrangea production, and succession planning for the farm family.
Growers who take the TMNP and Advanced TMNP learn! There is on average a 57% increase for TMNP and 44% increase for the Advanced TMNP between pre-test and post-test scores!
Growers who take the TMNP acquire knowledge and skills that they convert into economic value! Graduates estimated realizing $11,269 in reduced costs and increased inventory value as a result of changes they anticipate making from knowledge they acquired through the TMNP or Advanced TMNP program, and estimate enjoying a reoccurring annual savings of 10% from refined use of inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides.
For more information, please visit the TMNP website: www.tnmasternursery.com
If you have questions about the Tennessee Master Nursery Producer Program, please contact Dr. Amy Fulcher afulcher@utk.edu, 865-974-7152. For questions about the TAEP, please contact producer.diversification@tn.gov, 615-837-5324.
Participating in the TMNP and Advanced TMNP can also help the nursery industry as a whole. Recent comments from graduates on the state of the workforce, as well as your participation in stakeholder listening sessions, led to the LEAP (Labor, Efficiency, Automation, and Production Nursery) Team receiving a USDA NIFA SCRI grant to address labor challenges.
Several nursery automation resources are already in print including UT Extension publications “The Role of Automation in Addressing the Nursery Industry Labor Shortage: Advances in Automation within Task” W1235 and “Using Smart Apply Variable-Rate Technology to Improve Air-Assisted Air-blast Sprayer Pesticide Application Efficiency in Nurseries and Orchard Crops” W1280.
Congratulations to the 2024 Original and Advanced Tennessee Master Nursery Producer Program graduates!
Advanced Tennessee Master Nursery Producer Program Graduates
Daniel Gibbons, Pope’s Plant Farm
Danny Hildreth, Hildreth Brothers Nursery
Marsha Scott, Hidden Valley Nursery
Beverly Ann Sisk, After Hours Nursery
Tennessee Master Nursery Producer Program Graduates
Ellen Casey, personal development
Katie Connaster, Wild Earth Gardens
Donald Durley, The Pointer Patch
Kayla Dyer, Breezy Sunset Farm
Daniel Gibbons, Pope’s Plant Farm
Justin Higdon, Hazy Daze Farms
Carl Keel, Keel Nursery
Sam Laws, Laws Farms
Moses Martin, Martin Country Greenhouse
Tiffany Wade, Wadey Bunch Farms
Melissa Wells, Wells 1918 Homestead
Jordan Underhill, Four Way Nursery
Advances in Automated Spray Technology
Can Lower Your Pesticide Costs
By Karl McKim, Extension Assistant, UT Department of Plant Sciences
Dave Lockwood, Extension Specialist and Professor, UT Department of Plant Sciences
Amy Fulcher, Extension Specialist and Professor, UT Department of Plant Sciences
Nursery producers are encouraged to use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to prevent and control pests in their nurseries, ensuring that plants remain healthy and marketable. IPM programs utilize a combination of proactive measures, such as:
• quarantining new plants
• targeted scouting to detect pests early
• selecting cultivars with insect and disease resistance
• maintaining healthy plants through appropriate amounts of water and fertilizer
Pests can refer to a variety of organisms, including insects that may infest and/or feed on the leaves, trunks, and roots of trees, as well as diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, or viruses that infect and damage plants.
When pests do arise, spraying pesticides is a common practice. Pesticide application should be done in a targeted manner to avoid unnecessary input and labor costs as well as to avoid harming non-target insect and mite species, including those that provide control of pest insects.
Air-blast sprayers are the most common method of pesticide application in US nurseries. These sprayers propel pesticide solutions as a cloud into crops with strong airflows generated by a large fan, often indiscriminately. Air-blast sprayers equipped with the Smart Apply variable-rate intelligent spray control system use sensors and pulse width modulating (PWM) solenoids to control each nozzle’s output and deliver a more targeted and efficient pesticide application than conventional sprayers (Figure 1). The system works by detecting crops with a LiDAR sensor that communicates with an onboard computer. An algorithm uses information from this sensor and an onboard GPS to determine the appropriate spray output. Each nozzle is responsible for delivering this calculated volume to a designated zone of the crop. A nozzle does not spray when a target (plant) is not detected in its dedicated zone. This reduces both the total volume sprayed and the amount of spray delivered to unintended areas such as the space between trees.
Figure 1. An air-blast sprayer equipped with Smart-Apply intelligent spray control system. The components include a LiDAR sensor, Android tablet, GPS, and PWM valves. The system detects crop characteristics within production blocks and delivers a calculated, targeted spray volume to designated areas. Photo credit: H. Zhu and S. Booher.
GPS for Speed & Coverage Maps
Air Filtration for LiDAR Lens
LiDAR (Laser)
Controllers for Spray Nozzles
Android Tablet Display Algorithms for Calculating Spray Volume
Nozzle & Solenoid
The University of Tennessee tested this laserguided variable-rate technology at nurseries growing trees in multi-row blocks of field and pot-in-pot production systems, as well as apple orchards utilizing a range of training systems. In each trial the technology effectively controlled insect pests and diseases including several leaf spots and powdery mildew, a common fungal-borne disease in Tennessee nurseries, and several different types of leaf and fruit rots common to apple orchards (Figure 2). In research at six different nurseries and orchards, variable-rate technology consistently sprayed between 34% and 74% less pesticide than conventional air-blast sprayers. The technology also reduced the amount of spray landing in unintended areas within production blocks, as well as spray carried outside of blocks on wind, known as drift.
Tennessee
Thinking about Buying Variable-Rate Technology? Here’s What You Should Know
Intelligent, variable-rate technology was conceptualized and developed by Dr. Heping Zhu and his team at USDA-ARS and tested for more than 15 years primarily by the University of Tennessee, The Ohio State University, and Oregon State University. The technology has been robustly tested especially for foliar applications, including in Tennessee nurseries and orchards. Variable-rate technology has proven to be as effective as conventional sprayers at controlling foliar pests while emitting a significantly lower spray volume, reducing a nursery’s environmental impact, and reducing chemical and labor costs.
Variable-rate technology is now commercially available at Smart-Apply, which is owned by John Deere. There is a one-time expense based on nozzle number and a yearly subscription. This technology has qualified for TAEP funding, although it is always best to verify a planned TAEP purchase before submitting your application.
pesticide achieved using laser-guided intelligent variable-rate spray technology
and orchards. Ranges reflect results for more than one type of experiment.
Figure 2. Reductions in
in
nurseries
Pesticide Reductions in Tennessee Nurseries and Orchards
The reduced output results in economic savings for growers, who spend less on chemicals, water, fuel and labor to apply pesticides, while the reduced off-target applications limit the impact of pesticide spray on non-target organisms such as beneficial insects, and residue that workers contact after re-entry intervals have passed. Nurseries also benefit from increased productivity due to recouping worker time that was previously spent mixing pesticides and refilling the spray tank.
Ongoing research at the University of Tennessee is evaluating efficacy of using intelligent variable-rate technology to apply contact insecticides to tree trunks (Figure 3) and further potential for reductions in pesticide volume when spraying for foliar pests.
Laser-guided variable-rate spray technology is proven to reduce the volume of pesticide sprayed and enhances the efficiency of pesticide application versus conventional air-blast sprayers. Studies conducted at Tennessee nurseries and orchards have shown significant reductions in pesticide use, generally around 50%, and off-target ground loss, while
still achieving comparable pest control. For detailed information on this technology, see UT Extension Publication W1280 “Using Smart Apply Variable-Rate Technology to Improve Air-Assisted Air-blast Sprayer Pesticide Application Efficiency in Nurseries and Orchard Crops”
The authors thank Blankenship Farms and Nursery, Hale and Hines Nursery, Oren Wooden’s Apple House, Pleasant Cove Nursery, The Apple Barn, University of Tennessee East Tennessee Research and Extension Center, and Walker Nursery for their partnership, Grace Pietsch and Wesley C. Wright for their invaluable research contributions, and USDA SCRI Grant # 2020-51181-32199 and USDA ARS SCA 58-5082-9-012, without which the research described in this article would not have been possible.
Figure 3. As part of a USDA NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant led by Dr. Karla Addesso at Tennessee State University, Dr. Fulcher’s lab at the University of Tennessee is testing the limits of both air-blast sprayers and variable-rate technology to determine their feasibility for trunk applications of contact insecticides for preventing flatheaded borer attacks.
Impacting the Green Industry ECONOMIC CORNER
An Update on Key Economic Factors
By Alicia Rihn
Several U.S. economic indicators can provide insights on what green industry firms may expect in the upcoming year. Key economic indicators include the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Leading Economic Index (LEI), and housing starts. Here, all three indicators are covered and what they may imply for the upcoming year for green industry firms.
The U.S. GDP is an indicator of the overall health of the economy. Since rebounding after the 2020 Covid pandemic, the GDP has been relatively stable, coming in at 3.1% in the third quarter of 2024 (Figure 1). The GDP was bolstered in late 2024 by an increase in consumption of goods, spending on services, fixed investments, and equipment investments. Conversely, there were declines in structural and residential investments.
Figure 1. U.S. Gross Domestic Product through December 2024. Source: GDP - Trading Economics (https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/gdp-growth).
STAINLESS COVERCROP SEEDERS
500 lb. capacity
Adjustable from 36" – 72" wide
Ground drive for consistent application
Linkage for positive height adjustment
Four easy change sprockets for feed rate adjustment
Stainless steel hoppers and metering system Approximate feed rates: 16-16-16
CULTIVATORS
Side shields float
Pneumatic gauge wheels
Works great for planting covercrop with seeder
or
INCREASE PROFITS WITH THE SPEED OF A DISC VERSUS A TILLER. SIZES FROM 34" – 40"
Greasable agriculture disc bearings
Shovel eliminates center line
12, 16" notched blades
Four adjustable cutting angles
float in rear 2 1/2 square tube frame
Adjustable side shields contain soil
Custom sizes up to 60"
HOOVER & SON INSURANCE
“Since 1901”
hooverins@blomand.net
645-1342 Fax (503) 645-6856
The LEI incorporates ten economic indicators and demonstrates the direction of the economy. A downward trend in the LEI is a recession indicator while an upward trend indicates economic growth. At the end of 2024, the LEI trended upward further away from recession signals and slowed slightly in December due to lower consumer confidence, weak manufacturing, increased unemployment, and fewer building permits (Figure 2). However, the other economic indicators were positive which offset any major declines. Furthermore, U.S. unemployment rates were at 4.1%.
Of particular interest to the green industry, U.S. housing starts often align with ornamental plant sales and landscape projects. Throughout 2022 and some of 2023, U.S. housing starts trended downward partially due to increased interest rates and inflation concerns. Through 2023 and 2024, inflation concerns dissipated, and interest rates stabilized between 6-7%. As of January 2025, U.S. 15-year mortgage rates were at 6.16% while the 30-year mortgage rates were at 6.96% (Trading Economics, 2025). Partially attributed to these trends, housing starts increased by 15.8% between November and December 2024, to 1,500 million units in the U.S. (Figure 3). In the southern U.S. (including Tennessee), housing starts increased by 17.7% to 853,000 units in December.
Overall, both the GDP and LEI demonstrate the economy is in relatively good shape as of December 2024. The housing market is still an area that can go either way. Currently, an increase in housing starts indicates that the U.S. economy is headed in a growth direction. This trend implies that plant sales and demand for landscaping projects should continue to grow. However, as house prices increase (median=~$427,000) and if mortgage rates also increase, consumer demand will respond and ultimately impact plant sales. In the current market, plant sales are likely to be like what was observed in 2024 rather than in the years closer to the pandemic. Given the state of the economy today, the housing market is going to be a key indicator of the green industry’s performance in 2025. If you are interested in staying up to date with these economic indicators, the www.tradingeconomics.com website provides the GDP, housing starts, and many other indicators. The LEI is available at www.conference-board.org.
Figure 2. U.S. Leading Economic Index through December 2024.
Source: LEI - The Conference Board (https://www.conference-board.org/topics/us-leading-indicators, accessed 1/27/2025).
Figure 3. U.S. Housing Starts through December 2024.
From the Classroom to the Canopy: How UT Urban Forestry Students become Protectors of the Power Grid
By
1National Director of the Champion Tree Program; 2Utility Forester with Knoxville Utility Board (KUB); 3Professor, School of Natural Resources, The University of Tennessee
Above our heads and lining our roads, electrical wires hum with power (Figure 1). This energy keeps the lights on, helps operate machinery and medical devices, and even provides lifesaving services such as heat in the winter. When trees grow into power lines (or fall onto them), not only does this disrupt the flow of energy to homes and businesses, but if the tree itself becomes energized, the tree is dangerous to be around and even can start fires. Underground, shrub and tree roots may grow to interact with gas lines and plumbing, leading to similarly problematic outcomes. To reduce these types of conflicts between plants, people, and essential infrastructure, we train students, staff, and technicians to use Utility Vegetation Management (UVM). UVM involves removing or modifying vegetation, especially trees and woody plant parts, to reduce the potential for conflict. In practice, UVM results in control of plant growth near and around powerlines (Figure 2), pipelines, and railroads. This proactive effort is critically important in safely preventing disruptions across utility infrastructure.
Students studying Urban Forestry in the School of Natural Resources (SNR) at the University of Tennessee (UT) are now recognizing that Utility Vegetation Management can be a lucrative and impactful career path (Figure 3). After graduating in 2005 from the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries (now the School of Natural Resources), Nick Bridgeman worked for the City of Lakeland, TN as the city’s Natural Resources Technician. In 2011, Nick B. had the opportunity to return to “Rocky Top” in the role of a Utility Forester with the Knoxville Utility Board (KUB). Once established at KUB, Nick B. found a way to give back to his alma mater by developing an internship experience for UT forestry students.
Figure 1. A KUB Vegetation Management intern assessing hazards from street trees
Figure 2. Intern Alec Connelly and ACR Team members protecting power lines
Jaq Payne 1, Nick Bridgeman 2, Nick Herron 2, and Dr. Sharon Jean-Philippe 3
Autumn Blaze Maple
Bur Oak
Red Pointe Maple 2”
Willow Oak
Since 2016, KUB has provided internship opportunities for students across several majors at University of Tennessee, including forestry. Interns’ hands-on experiences with KUB helped them learn more about UVM and potential career paths in Utility Forestry. Now, KUB is home to eleven Utility Foresters that graduated from UTK. Nick B. shared that “through FWF (now SNR), we have graduates that represent forestry recreation, wildlife, traditional forestry and urban forestry. You all are our pipeline!”
Utility Forestry and UVM jobs are not the kind that children grow up dreaming about. Toymakers don’t sell “Utility Forester” playsets, like we see kids using while pretending to be doctors and police officers. To better understand how Utility Foresters find their path, we spoke to a UTK Graduate, Nick Herron (Figure 4), whose KUB internship led to full-time employment.
Nick H. started working for the KUB as a student in the 2017 fall semester. These internships usually involve on-job training while traveling with the contractors who remove vegetation, interacting with the public (Figure 5), and documenting work accomplished. Internships are vital for students to get real-world experience in their field – sometimes, it helps clarify a student’s interests, needs, and wants about their future career desires. In best-case scenarios, the internship is so aligned with a student’s career goals that they end up continuing with the organization after the internship ends. In Nick’s case after graduating in 2018, he was hired by Assessment Consulting Representation and Training (ACRT), a team of utility foresters who are contracted through KUB. The amount of work required to maintain the integrity of utility lines across a city is far beyond what a small team can accomplish. Most utility boards rely on contracted workers, like ACRT team members, who carry out the maintenance plans that the boards develop. After working two years as part of a contracted team, Nick H. was hired internally in 2020 as a Utility Forester within KUB. Five years into the job, he loves his work. “I spend the vast majority of my day outside, walking right-of-ways and working hand-in-hand with tree trimming contractors to keep the maintenance zone free of hazards.” It’s not just the joy of getting to work outdoors that draws many students into the forestry and natural resources jobs, Nick H. also sees the direct, tangible impact of his work.
Figure 5. A KUB Vegetation Management intern works with a homeowner to manage trees in the right-of-way
Figure 3. SNR undergraduate students in the Urban Forestry program learn from a Bartlett Tree Experts guest lecturer
Figure 4. Nick Herron is a KUB Utility Forester
COOSA VALLEY TURF FARMS LLC
As he explains it, “Knowing that the electric reliability [around the KUB service area] has increased due to my efforts is very rewarding.”
Nick H. also heads up the replacement tree program (Figure 6), which provides new trees for customers who have allowed KUB to remove a tree that posed a risk to the utility infrastructure. These trees are often beloved by homeowners, and many people are heartbroken when they learn “their tree” has to come down for the greater good. Planting new trees that reach a shorter maximum height and are more appropriate for the location can help ease the pain that homeowners and businesses often feel over the loss of a tree. The trees in front of people’s homes are more than just a green blur in the landscape. For some people, the trees in their yards and rights-of-way are almost a member of the family. They see the tree in the morning as they leave for work, and drive home to its welcome at the end of the day.
Nick H. explains that we must do everything possible to keep our infrastructure secure, but it’s also important for us to honor the grief that arises when a beloved tree is removed. Replanting programs are an excellent way to acknowledge the reality of that loss and look toward a greener, safer future.
Nick H. especially appreciates the variety of tasks his job requires of him. “As foresters, we wear many hats from customer service to project managers. Each day is a little different and that’s why I love my job.” He also credits his experience at UTK for the opportunity. “I thank the Urban Forestry program at the University of Tennessee for helping me get my foot in the door back in 2017.” The School of Natural Resources is proud to have become such a well-connected field of study at the University of Tennessee. Its programs offer experiences both in and out of the classroom (Figure 7) that help connect students with career paths that they become passionate about. The future for the program is bright – thanks in no small part to the Utility Foresters who help keep the lights on!
To learn more about the SNR program at UT, visit https://naturalresources.tennessee.edu/ or contact Dr. Sharon Jean-Philippe. The Utility Arborist Association (UAA) will host their annual conference in Knoxville this September. For more information, visit https://treesandutilities.org/.
Figure 6. Nick Herron plants a replacement tree at a residential home
Figure 7. KUB Vegetation Management Intern Alec Connelly shares outreach about their work with school-aged youth
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS!
CONTAINER LINERSLANDSCAPE READY
Good foundations matter. That's why we utilize air pruning pots to give our container materials the best root system early in their lives. Our container liners are used by premium growers in both field and container production as well as conservation, restoration, mitigation, and remediation efforts.
We take pride in our work. With our consistent grading & attention to detail in nutrition and pest management growing practices, we aim to deliver a sustainably grown, vigorous product. We just grow great plants.
