Tennessee Greentimes - Summer 2012

VOL. 13/NO. 2

Summer 2012

The Best & Beautiful

Tropicals, Trees and Shrubs from the UT Gardens

Detecting and Managing

Fungus Gnats in Plantings and Ornamental Crops PGRs Can Improve

Nursery Crop Quality

Tennessee Green Industry Field Day June 19, 2012

University of Tennessee Gardens

Knoxville, TN

Tennessee Green Industry Expo January 3-4, 2013

Nashville Convention Center

Nashville, TN

Table of Contents

IN THE GARDEN UT Gardens Best & Beautiful Tropical Plants, Trees and Shrubs from 2011

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VOL. 13/NO. 2

Summer 2012

IN THE NURSERY Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) Can Improve Nursery Crop Quality

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OTHER FEATURES PLANT PROFILE Euonymus alatus Little Moses™....................................................................................20

DEPARTMENTS From the President, Michael Kassees................................................................................6 Industry News......................................................................................................................8 Calendar of Events............................................................................................................22 Index of Advertisers..........................................................................................................22

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PEST IN THE SPOTLIGHT Detecting and Managing Fungus Gnats in Plantings and Ornamental Crops

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The Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association serves its members in the industry through education, promotion and representation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the association, its staff, or its board of directors, Tennessee Green Times, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers, or their identification as Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association members, does not constitute an endorsement of the products or services featured in this, past or subsequent issues of this quarterly publication. Copyright Š2012 by the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association. Tennessee Green Times is published quarterly. Subscriptions are complimentary to members of the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association Third-class postage is paid at Nashville, TN. Printed in the U.S.A. Reprints and Submissions: Tennessee Green Times allows reprinting of material. Permission requests should be directed to the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association.

We are not responsible for unsolicited freelance manuscripts and photographs.

Contact the managing editor for contribution information. Advertising: For display and classified advertising rates and insertions, please contact Leading Edge Communications, LLC, 206 Bridge Street, Franklin, TN 37064, (615) 790-3718, Fax (615) 794-4524.

From the President Michael Kassees

More Opportunities to Grow Your Business!

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few nights ago, I was listening to my wife explain to our oldest son the importance of receiving and keeping good grades (he is almost 13 years old, for those sympathetic to our cause). In her talk, she explained that good grades show that he can muscle through the hard work, and by showing that he can work hard and diligently, more opportunities can open up for him in the future. She finalized her talk by explaining that success relies on the importance of giving oneself as many opportunities and options that can be possibly available.

As I listened, I humbly asked myself whether I have given myself enough options and opportunities for my business. Have I networked enough? Have I followed up with my customers to find room for improvement? What have I done to try to gain a stronger customer base?

On further reflection, I realized that is exactly what your TNLA board is currently doing right now. We are expanding our options — and yours — by introducing, in 2013, a new type of trade show in Nashville. We are proud to announce the formation of the TENNESSEE GREEN INDUSTRY EXPO on January 3–4 at the downtown Nashville Convention Center. We invite you to come as an exhibitor or attendee to network with others involved in the nursery and landscape industry. Come join us, and expand your business options.

Good luck, and have a profitable summer.

TNLA Would like to

Thank

the following companies for being

Membership Sponsors Gold Membership Sponsors Barky Beaver Mulch & Soil Mix, Inc.

Michael Kassees 2012 TNLA President

BWI of Memphis Envirotexx, LLC Randall Walker Farms Swafford Nursery, Inc. Tennessee 811

Allen Landscape Management, LLC Common Grounds Landscape Management, Inc. Stowers Cat Triple SSS Farm Warren County Nursery

tennessee greentimes

Tennessee Green Industry Expo

June 19, 2012

January 3-4, 2013

University of Tennessee Gardens Knoxville, TN

Silver Membership Sponsors

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Tennessee Green Industry Field Day

Summer 2012

Nashville Convention Center Nashville, TN

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, LLC 206 Bridge Street 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. Donna Fare Dr. Nick Gawel Mr. Mark Halcomb Dr. Frank Hale Mr. Gray Haun Dr. John Sorochan TNLA Officers President Michael Kassees Forest Nursery Co., Inc. 1st Vice President Bill Seaton TruGreen LandCare 2nd Vice President Matt Dawson Natural Creations, LLC 3rd Vice President Tony Graham Oak Brook Farms Secretary-Treasurer Randall Walker Randall Walker Farms Associate Director Mary (Strong) Pennington Landscape Support Services Ex-Officio John Watson, CLP Common Grounds Landscape Mgmt.

Executive Director Louree Walker Administrative Assistant Pam Stern

Industry News

QuickBooks Workshop July 24–26

McMinnville, TN

The

University of Tennessee Extension will sponsor a financial record-keeping workshop for nurseries and small businesses.

The record keeping software taught at the workshop will be QuickBooks Premier 2011. This is also an opportunity for people to learn about QuickBooks Pro, since both of these software programs are similar.

The workshop will be held at TSU Nursery Research Center in McMinnville on July 24-26, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The cost of the workshop will be $175 per company (for one representative) and an additional $90 for a second company participant. For further information or to register for the workshop, contact the Warren County Extension Service at (931) 473-8484. C

Meet Prabodh Illukpitiya,

Agricultural Economist at Tennessee State University

By Prabodh Illukpitiya, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Tennessee State University

H

ello! My name is Prabodh Illukpitiya (pronounced as Pra-bōd), and I am a new faculty member in the Dept. of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at Tennessee State University (TSU).

My new position at TSU provides opportunities to conduct research in the areas of nursery economics and bioenergy.

I grew up in Sri Lanka where I went to college and next studied for my MS degree in natural resource management at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. My major research focus has been on green energy. I also worked in the Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences greenhouse facility with Texas A&M University’s AgriLife Research program. I have hands-on experience growing flowering plants and other tropical-tree species, and I have also worked with Hawaii’s forestry industry and forest nursery producers.

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Since joining TSU in August 2011, I have visited TSU’s Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center, as well as several nurseries. Because Tennessee’s nursery industry is so diverse, I plan to visit and listen to nursery producers whenever the opportunity arises.

I enjoy working with multidisciplinary teams, so I would like to collaborate with researchers, Extension specialists and others working with the Tennessee nursery industry.

In planning my own applied research program, I would like to focus on improving the efficiency of nursery production and product diversification for niche markets. I am also interested in designing user-friendly production cost estimate methods for

Dr. Prabodh Illukpitiya Assistant Professor Tennessee State University

different nursery crops. My goal would be to help nursery producers determine their optimal plant-product mix that is most profitable for their operation. I would also like to collaborate with plant-protection specialists in the nursery sector to assess the economics of managing invasive-plant species in nursery production.

I always welcome new ideas from you, and I look forward to contributing to nursery-sector research in the future! For suggestions and ideas, you may contact me at 615-963-1877 or pillukpi@tnstate.edu. C

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In the Garden

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UT Gardens 2011 Best & Beautiful

By Susan Hamilton, Ed.D., Associate Professor and UT Gardens Director, The University of Tennessee; James Newburn, Assistant Director; Jason Reeves, Curator of the Jackson UT Gardens; and Beth Willis, Trials Coordinator

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Note: A ‘K’ for Knoxville or ‘J’ for Jackson at the end of each plant description indicates that it is growing only at that test garden. No symbol indicates it is growing at both gardens. Check local nursery availability of listed varieties at the UT Gardens website (http://utgardens.tennessee.edu).

This and additional information can be found at: UT Gardens website at http://utgardens.tennessee.edu/ and UT Gardens Jackson at http://west.tennessee.edu/ornamentals/

TOP TROPICAL PLANTS Cyperus Graceful Grasses® Series (King Tut™ and Baby Tut™) (Photo 1) The unusual foliage textures of these two grass-like plants (Baby Tut™ shown) provide a wonderful contrast to neighboring plants. Bold and striking, these are not for the faint of heart; they can reach up to 6' tall. (Proven Winners) Carica papaya (Photo 2) This tree-like tropical garners a lot of attention, particularly once the large fruit begin to develop. The deeply lobed foliage provides a lot of texture interest.

TOP TREES AND SHRUBS Buddleia Lo & Behold® ‘Blue Chip’ Butterfly Bush (Photo 3) This is a breakthrough variety of buddleia, with all the fragrance and butterfly appeal of traditional varieties in a small, easy-to-maintain package. ‘Blue Chip’ stays under 3' tall without any pruning, and it blooms continuously from midsummer to frost without deadheading. It is frost tolerant, non-invasive and very easy to grow. Pruning is generally not needed, but it may be trimmed in spring. Deer resistant, it attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

Callicarpa dichotoma ‘Duet’ Variegated Beautyberry (Photo 4) Discovered at Tennessee Tech in 2000 and released jointly by them and the U.S. National Arboretum, this exciting new introduction of a white-berried beautyberry is unique for its variegated foliage. Having the graceful rounded habit of other beautyberries and reaching a height of about 6' tall in 4 years, it will have a spread of about the same. Its berries are produced in fall and will remain for about 2 to 3 weeks after the foliage drops. It can be grown in full sun without much scorching of the variegation, but light shade in the afternoon may benefit the plant in hotter climates. Great plant when used as a specimen, in the deciduous hedge or in the shrub border. The variegated foliage, berries and growth habit extend its season of interest to year-round.

Chionanthus retusus ‘China Snow’ Chinese Fringe Tree (Photo 5) This pest-free small tree is noted for its showy spring bloom and clean green foliage throughout the heat of summer. Two

distinct forms are available; one is more upright, and the other is spreading and multi-stemmed. The wide-spreading form has a more leathery, rounded leaf and a peeling, shiny brown bark that adds ornamental interest. A particularly fine specimen of this type, called ‘China Snow’ (shown), was propagated from a tree in Knoxville by Tennessee nurseryman Don Shadow. Fist-sized snowy panicles of numerous lacy small flowers top the lustrous foliage in late spring. A generous and precocious bloomer, this tree is easily grown in any soil except wet, and it is tolerant even of partial shade.

20' tall and wide, occasionally larger.

Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire (Photo 6) Also sold under the name ‘Winter Flame’. Commonly called bloodtwig dogwood, this is a hard plant to beat for a colorful show in the winter landscape. The standout features of this selection include golden fall foliage, followed by branches and stems that start out yellow at the base of the plant and gradually turn bright orange to red towards the tip of the plant. Plant it in full sun to part shade and in well-drained to moist soil. Small white flowers similar to Queen Anne’s Lace appear in late spring and give way in summer to clusters of dark-purple berries that are good for attracting birds.

Cotoneaster lacteus Parney cotoneaster (Photo 7) Formerly C. parneyi, this large, dramatic evergreen cotoneaster can grow to 6' to 10' tall and wide. Its loose, upright and spreading habit is loaded with bright and showy red berries all winter. Sun to partial shade; prefers a moist, well-drained soil, but tolerates a range of site conditions.

Drought tolerant; good resistance to lace bugs and fireblight disease.

Edgeworthia chrysantha Paperbush Plant (Photo 8) This well-branched shrub often begins blooming in midwinter, long after its foliage has fallen, and its silhouette is a tracery of thick, upright branches, somewhat like a young fig tree with more spread. Each flowerhead is creamy yellow, composed of masses of tiny florets to form a 1½" to 2" cluster. The blooms are set on the very tips of the branches, and once they open, expect them to remain for 6 to 8 weeks, releasing a fabulously sweet, intense scent. If you have a spot of partial shade or dappled sunlight, consider transforming it with this spectacular shrub. Grows 8' tall and just as wide.

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In the Garden continued

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Heptacodium miconioides Seven-Son Flower (Photo 9) Native to China, this small, multi-stemmed tree (15' to 20') grows in full sun, tolerates a wide range of soils and blooms for a long period in late summer. With age, the bracts of the white blooms deepen to a fuchsia color, and the tree appears to have pink blooms. The tree is drought tolerant, and with age, the bark peels off in long strips, so it has a long period of attractiveness. Hardy to Zone 5.

Hydrangea paniculata Little Lime™ (Photo 10) A new dwarf form of the ever-popular ‘Limelight’ hydrangea, Little Lime sports the same great flowers and coloration as ‘Limelight’ but in a smaller package. At one third the size of traditional hardy hydrangeas, this new variety fits well into any landscape. Summer flowers open soft green and turn pink and burgundy in fall. Full sun to part shade.

Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Little Honey’ (Photo 11) This unusual yellow-leafed form of the oakleaf hydrangea begins to bloom in June and continues throughout the summer, with the same great fall-colored red leaves as other oakleaf hydrangeas. Also, as with other oakleafs, the bark peels and is quite attractive. It seems to be a slow grower, but once established, it will grow to 5' tall. A branch sport

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of H. ‘Pee Wee’, ‘Little Honey’ is best sited in morning sun and afternoon shade.

Illicium parviflorum ‘Florida Sunshine’ – Anisetree (Photo 12) Chartreuse gold foliage during the spring and summer brightens to screaming yellow in the fall and then becomes a bit more muted in winter, with the upper stems taking on a red cast, contrasting with the leaves. Best grown in average to moist soil in light shade (to prevent leaf scorch). Its mature size is unknown, but expect it to reach 5' tall x 3' wide in 7 years.

Juniperus x media ‘Daub’s Frosted’ Juniper (Photo 13) This sun-loving, drought-resistant, spreading shrub is sure to delight in the landscape. ‘Daub’s Frosted’ grows low to the ground, stays around 2' and spreads 4' to 6' wide. Foliage is yellow in the spring, fading in summer to green/yellow bluish undertones. During winter, it becomes a soft blue green with subtle gold frosting, making this a great juniper for fourseason interest.

Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette’ Sweetgum (Photo 14) Truly an exclamation point in the landscape, this very narrow form is a stunning columnar tree. Fall foliage is typically yellow. Grows to about 50' tall at maturity, with a spread of 8'.

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In the Garden continued

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Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’ ‘Goshiki’ False Holly (Photo 15) Osmanthus are similar in appearance to holly, but the leaves are opposite, while holly leaves alternate. This species of osmanthus is proving to be hardier than first supposed, and it can be successful as far north as Zone 6 if carefully sited.

‘Goshiki’ is a variegated form, with new foliage emerging surprisingly pink, then becoming generously splashed with white and green speckles. It is a densely growing form (described by Michael Dirr as a “robust haystack”) and will slowly reach 6' and half that in width. One of its assets is its adaptability to shade, and in fact, it prefers shade in hotter regions. Another is its slow growth habit, making it a good candidate for sites where an evergreen shrub of small stature is preferred. It is pest free and easily grown, provided the soil is well drained.

Xanthocyparis nootkatensis ‘Glauca Pendula’ and ‘Green Arrow’ (Photo 16) Formerly Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, the Alaskan cedar is hardy from Alaska to the mid-South (hardiness zone 5). Its main features are drooping branches and dark green needles.

‘Green Arrow’ (shown) grows only 3' wide and matures at 35'. ‘Glauca Pendula’ grows 10' wide and up to 15' to 25' tall. Both will grow in full sun to part shade. The sculptural form of this conifer really attracts notice in a landscape.

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BEST ROSES ‘Carefree Marvel’™ Shrub Rose (Photo 17) A beautiful no-spray shrub rose that is showy all season, this bright, deep-pink rose gets 2' to 3' tall and can be somewhat of a ground hugger. It would be ideal spilling over a rock wall or ledge, and with a profusion of blooms steadily flowering throughout the growing season, it makes for a low-maintenance, high-performing show.

‘Vavoom’™ Floribunda Rose (Photo 18) We always need orange flowers in Tennessee, and this really fits the bill. It keeps the color even as the flower begins to decline. The bloom contrasts nicely with the mahogany-red new foliage growth. From Weeks Roses.

‘Love and Peace’ Hybrid Tea Rose (Photo 19) This rose drew lots of favorable comments from our visitors.

It is bicolor with golden-yellow petals fading to pink margins.

Vigorous growth without becoming spindly.

‘Legends’ Hybrid Tea Rose (Photo 20) One of the largest blooms of any plant in the garden, with tremendous staying power. A beautiful ruby red color on a nice sturdy stem, the bloom is delicately fragrant. Ideal for cutting, this rose was developed with the help of Oprah Winfry in honor of the women of her Legends series. C

In the Nursery

Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) Can Improve Nursery Crop Quality

By Amy Poston, Dept. of Horticulture, University of Kentucky; Amy Fulcher, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Dept. of Plant Sciences; and Winston Dunwell, Ph.D., Leah Dougherty and Robert Geneve, Ph.D., Dept. of Horticulture, University of Kentucky

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urning bush species and its cultivars, especially Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’, are popular landscape plants. Perhaps due to their widespread use, these shrubs have also been noted to escape ornamental cultivation throughout much of the eastern United States. Their success as non-native colonizers can be partly explained by their abundant seed production.

By contrast, ‘Rudy Haag’ and Little Moses™ are nearly seedless cultivars that could be utilized as an alternative to prolific seed-producing cultivars like ‘Compactus’. Growers have been concerned, however, that ‘Rudy Haag’ has a slow growth rate, particularly when compared to other burning bush cultivars that are already considered to be relatively slow growers. In practice, the added time needed to grow a salable ‘Rudy Haag’ plant has limited its adoption by the nursery industry.

For many foliage, bedding and woody ornamental plants, plant growth regulators (PGRs) have been used to

increase branching and promote elongation of axillary shoots and a denser canopy shape. This strategy can yield more desirable, higher-quality plants

Table 1. Plant growth index and branching in Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’ and ‘Rudy Haag’ burning bush cultivars grown in one- and three-gallon Classic containers and either left untreated (water only) or treated with 1,500 ppm Fascination in July 2006 and evaluated at the end of the growing season in 2006 and 2007.

2006 Cultivar

Container size

‘Compactus’

1 gallon 3 gallon

‘Rudy Haag’

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Plant growth regulator

Branch No.

Water

Growth index 23.2ay

Fascination

25.5a

Water

23.4a

2007 Branching (%)z

Growth index

Branch No.

21.8a

0

41.3a

63.8a

22.8a

6.7

42.2a

66.8a

22.0a

0

45.7a

69.8a

Fascination

26.6a

23.4a

3.3

42.2a

66.8a

Water

15.4b

15.3b

0

27.4b

39.9b

Fascination

24.1a

27.3a

53.3

32.5a

60.7a

Water

18.2b

17.0b

0

31.6b

48.6b

Fascination

24.2a

27.9a

63.3

36.7a

78.2a

z Percentage branching indicates the percentage of plants in which branching resulted following application of Fascination®. y Means within a column for each cultivar followed by the same letter were not different as indicated by a single degree of freedom contrast between water and Fascination® at each container size.

Rudy Haag Fascination study Treated

1 gallon 3 gallon

Photo 1. Treated with Fascination® PGR in July 2006 and photographed in September 2007, ‘Rudy Haag’ plants (three gallon, left; one gallon, right) had increased shoot growth and were noticeably larger than untreated control plants.

Non-treated

and can even shorten crop production times. Below, we report on a study that evaluated the use of Fascination® PGR (a cytokinin plus gibberellin growth

Photo 2. Treated with Fascination® PGR in July 2006 and photographed after the 2008 spring flush of growth, ‘Rudy Haag’ plants (right two) had greater branch number and growth index than untreated controls, but were still smaller ‘Compactus’ plants (left two), which were not affected by PGR treatment.

One gallon Fascination study

Treated

Compactus Non-treated Treated

Rudy Haag Non-treated Treated

regulator) and compared the growth of ‘Compactus’ and ‘Rudy Haag’ burning bush cultivars during typical nursery container production.

Our research

In the experiment, 30 plants each were sprayed with water (the controls) or with 1500 ppm of Fascination® to foliar runoff using a backpack sprayer on July 26, 2006. Growth index and branching were evaluated at the end of the growing season in 2006 and 2007 and after the spring flush in 2008.

Euonymus alatus ‘Compactus’ is considered to be a dwarf burning bush cultivar, but ‘Rudy Haag’ plants were on average 30% smaller (Table 1). A single application of Fascination® to ‘Rudy Haag’ grown in both one- and three-gallon containers had a dramatic effect on finished plant size and branching. This benefit was carried over into the following season (Table 1 and Photo 1). In contrast, ‘Compactus’ plants were not significantly affected by treatment with Fascination®.

Interestingly, more than half of treated ‘Rudy Haag’ plants produced a second flush of growth within two weeks of Fascination® treatment and grew larger than untreated plants. This additional canopy growth translated into similar numbers of branches between Fascination®-treated ‘Rudy Haag’ and ‘Compactus’ plants evaluated in 2006 and again in 2007. Treated ‘Rudy Haag’ plants were consistently smaller than ‘Compactus’ in 2006 and 2007 as well as following the 2008 spring flush of growth (Table 1 and Figure 2).

Our conclusion

Fascination® may be used by nursery producers to decrease production time for this slow-growing cultivar and, consequently, will be able to provide consumers with an alternative non-invasive burning bush cultivar. C Acknowledgments: The authors wish to thank Chlodys Johnstone, Bonka Vaneva and Sharon Kester for their technical assistance with this research.

Pests in the Spotlight

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Detecting and Managing Fungus Gnats in Ornamental Crops and Plantings

By Frank A. Hale, Ph.D., Professor, Entomology and Plant Pathology, The University of Tennessee

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ungus gnats are important pests in propagation beds, greenhouses and interiorscape plantings. Although propagation stock, perennials and greenhouse plants are most commonly attacked, houseplants may also become infested. Several fly genera in the family Sciaridae are of economic concern, such as Sciara, Orfelia, Lycoriella and Bradysia species.

Plant injury

Plant injury is caused primarily when the larvae, which feed in highly organic soils, infest the plant roots. Symptoms first appear as a loss in plant vigor. As the damage progresses, the plants may fade, begin to wilt suddenly and finally lose foliage (Photos 1 and 2). Also, both the adults and larvae of fungus gnats are able of spreading plant pathogens among plants, with flying adults capable of cross-contaminating plants located throughout the production area or interiorscape.

Pest description and life cycle

Adult fungus gnats (Photo 3) are about 1/8" long and grayish-black. Their bodies are slender, with long, delicate legs and antennae resembling mosquitoes.

Adult flies have one pair of clear wings.

Most abundant in greenhouses in winter and spring, fungus gnats

complete their development in moist, shaded areas in decaying organic matter, such as leaf litter, in gravel beneath plant benches and in algal growth adjacent to water sources like cooling pads. Adult gnats, which live for 7 to 10 days, may deposit up to 150 eggs on the moist soil surface and adjacent to the plant stem. Eggs, laid in strings of 3 to 40, begin to hatch within 4 days.

The larvae or maggots (Photo 4) have shiny black head capsules and threadlike white bodies that are up to 1/4" in length.

Larvae feed primarily on fungi and decaying organic matter. After their normal food supply is exhausted and populations become very high, larvae may begin to feed on fine root hairs or other tender plant tissues. Chewed roots and underground parts of the injured stem develop brown callus and scar tissues.

Major problems occur when root rot organisms have begun to damage roots. Fungus gnat larvae will then begin to attack the rotting tissues and can greatly increase the amount of damage by their feeding, while also disseminating plant pathogens across the crop. Fortunately, recent studies suggest that fungus gnats may not be good vectors of Pythium sp. root rot pathogens, in contrast to some other plant diseases.

After 14 days, larvae construct a pupal case made of silk and debris in the soil. The pupal stage lasts about three days. All stages of the life cycle may be present simultaneously due to overlapping generations.

Scouting

Plants should be inspected carefully for signs of infestation before purchasing them. Adults are weak fliers and are normally seen running rapidly across the surface of the soil when disturbed.

To monitor for fungus gnats, yellow sticky cards can be hung vertically just above the top of the crop and/or laid horizontally across the potting media to the edge of the container. The low traps will catch fungus gnat adults as they emerge from the soil after pupation, along with adults going to the potting media to lay eggs.

To detect fungus gnat larvae, raw potato slices can be laid on the soil.

Soon after, the larvae will move from the potting media to the slices and tunnel into the underside of the potato.

Monitoring is as easy as lifting up the potato and observing the underside for the presence of larvae sticking out of the potato.

Decoy pots of sprouting grain may be used to attract adult females, which lay their eggs in these pots. Remove and dispose of infested decoy pots

Above, left to right: Photo 1. Damage from fungus gnat larvae on Osteospermum (cape daisy). Photo 2. Damage from fungus gnat larvae on Vinca (periwinkle). Photo 3. Fungus gnat adult. Photo 4. Fungus gnat larva.

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every two weeks, and replace them with new decoy pots of sprouting grain.

Control

Prevention and sanitation are two of the best control measures. Sterile potting mix should be used to prevent introduction of fungus gnats. Plants taken outdoors when the weather is warm may become infested before being brought indoors. Avoid overwatering, since fungus gnats prefer abundant moisture. Poor drainage and water leaks may also increase populations. Inspect plants carefully, destroying those plants that cannot be saved. Old plant material and debris in and around the greenhouse should be removed.

If fungus gnat populations become unmanageable, insecticides may be necessary. For effective control, it will be necessary to control both the adults and the larvae. Adult fungus gnats are easily killed with insecticide aerosols or sprays. To control larvae, insecticide or biological control organisms can be applied to soil drenches or coarse sprays directed at the soil surface. It is best to make applications to moist potting media so that at least the top 2" of media are treated. C

Insecticides for Fungus Gnats Commercial Greenhouse

http://eppserver.ag.utk.edu/ redbook/pdf/ghinsects.pdf

Interior plantscapes, such as hotels, shopping malls, office buildings, etc.: http://eppserver.ag.utk. edu/redbook/pdf/ interiorscapeinsects.pdf

Home-Use Indoors

azadirachtin (Safer Brand Bioneem and others), insecticidal soap (Bayer Advanced Natria Insecticidal Soap), horticultural oil (various brand names), neem oil (Monterey 70% Neem Oil), cotton seed oil, clove oil, garlic extract (Bonide Mite X ready-to-use), insecticidal soap, neem oil, pyrethrins (Safer brand EndAll Insect Killer) and pyrethrins formulated with piperonyl butoxide (Pyrenone Crop Spray, PT 1600 X-clude A)

Plant Profile

Euonymus alatus Little Moses™

By Amy Fulcher, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Dept. of Plant Sciences

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uonymus alatus ‘Compactus’, commonly known as burning bush, is a versatile and widely planted shrub in the US. It is used heavily in both residential and commercial landscapes in hedges, masses, borders and foundation plantings and as specimens. For the last several years, however, burning bush has come under scrutiny for its invasive characteristics.

Little Moses™ is a selection from Odom Nursery (in Morrison, TN) with tolerance for a range of environmental conditions, pest resistance and stunning fall color — the hallmark of burning bush (Photo 1). Little Moses™ is truly compact — 3.5' by 3.5' — making it ideal for small American yards and landscapes (Photo 2).

Even more exciting, Little Moses™ has a unique feature that sets it apart from ‘Compactus’, the predominant cultivar in the trade. After a decade of trials, Little Moses™ has been largely fruitless or has only occasionally developed a few fruits, which are apparently sterile. This may be the feature that carries Euonymus alatus forward in the trade. C For more information about Little Moses™, contact Odom Nursery at 931.635.2850 or sales@odomnursery.com Below, left to right: Photo 1. Euonymus alatus Little Moses™ has dramatic fall color; it is an intense, uniform fire-red, on foliage that is free of insect or disease damage. Photo courtesy of Odom Nursery. Photo 2. Euonymus alatus Little Moses™ is a dense, compact form suitable for small urban and suburban landscapes. Photo courtesy of Odom Nursery.

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Calendar of Events

June 19

July 9–13

Tennessee Green Industry Field Day University of TN Gardens Knoxville, TN Contact: 931-473-3951 Fax: 931-473-5833 Email: mail@tnla.com www.tnla.com

Canadian Buyers Trade Mission to Tennessee Host: TN Dept. of Agriculture Contact: 615-837-5322 Email: kyle.holmberg@tn.gov

July 24–26

July 4–10

Perennial Plant Symposium Boston Park Plaza Hotel Boston, MA Contact: 614-771-8431 Email: ppa@perennialplant.org www.perennialplant.org

July 8–10

PLANET Legislative Day on the Hill Washington, DC Contact: 800-395-2522 www.landcarenetwork.org

QuickBooks Workshop TSU Nursery Res. Center McMinnville, TN Contact: 931-473-8484

July 31 – August 2 Penn-Atlantic Nursery Trade Show (PANTS) Greater Philadelphia Expo Center Philadelphia, PA Contact: 800-898-3411 www.pnla.com

August 20-24

October 13–16

August 24–25

January 3–4, 2013

Horticulture Trade Mission to Holland Floriade World Horticulture Expo.

Sponsor: TN Dept. of Agriculture Contact: 615-837-5322 Email: kyle.holmberg@tn.gov

Middle Tennessee Nursery Assn. (MTNA) Trade Show Murfreesboro, TN Contact: 931-507-7322 Email: mtna@blomand.net www.mtna.com

IPPS Southern Region Annual Meeting Auburn, AL Contact: 803-743-4284 Email: scplant@bellsouth.net ipps-srna.org

TN Green Industry Expo Nashville Convention Center Nashville, TN Contact: 931-473-3951 Email: louree@TNLA.com

January 24–25, 2013

KNLA Trade Show Louisville, KY Contact: 502-695-0106 Email: knla@gmail.com

Index of Advertisers

Boshancee Nursery, Inc......................... 7 www.boshanceensy.com

OHP, Inc................................................ 22 www.ohp.com

Braun Horticulture.................................. 5 www.braungroup.com

Southern Growers........ Inside Front Cover www.southerngrowers.com

Cam Too Camellia Nursery, Inc............ 20 www.camtoocamellia.com

Surface Nursery Inc.............................. 13 www.surfacenursery.com

D & D Agri............................................. 19

Swafford Nursery Inc.............. Back Cover www.swaffordnursery.com

Dayton Bag & Burlap Co....................... 15 www.daybag.com Ewing Irrigation.................................... 13 www.Ewing1.com Gowan Company..................................... 9 www.gowanco.com Heather Farms Nursery Inc.................... 7 www.heatherfarmsnursery.com John Deere Landscapes....................... 19 www.johndeerelandscapes.com Low Falls Wholsale Nursery................. 19 www.lowfallsnursery.com Mid Tenn Turf....................................... 17 www.midtennturf.com

Tennessee 811 / Tennessee One Call.............................. 17 www.tennessee811.com Thompson Machinery / Stowers Machinery............................... 21 Tree Equipment Design, Inc................... 6 www.treeequip.com Vis Seed Company.................................. 7 www.visseed.com Walker Nursery Co. & Walker Gardens...................................... 3 Wellmaster Carts......... Inside Back Cover www.wellmaster.ca

Motz & Son Nursery............................. 20

22

tennessee greentimes

Summer 2012

Digital Marketplace Scan the QR code: Download your favorite QR reader to your phone and scan the code to learn more about these companies.