Tennessee Greentimes - Spring 2018

VOL. 19/NO. 1

Spring 2018

Plus, Biochar: Black Soil

for a Green Industry

UT Gardens’

2017 Best & Beautiful Plants

VOL. 19/NO. 1 •

In The Nursery Biochar: Black Soil for a Green Industry

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Cast Your Vote 10 Plants That Have Changed Tennessee

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Departments From the President, Justin Stelter....................................................................................6 Welcome, New TNLA Members.......................................................................................7 News from TNLA: Field Day Schedule...........................................................................17 Index of Advertisers.........................................................................................................18 Calendar of Events...........................................................................................................18

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tennessee greentimes Spring 2018

Spring 2018

In the Landscape UT Gardens’ 2017 Best & Beautiful Plants

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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 GreenTimes, 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 ©2018 by the Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association.

Tennessee GreenTimes 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.

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. Nick Gawel Dr. Frank Hale Dr. John Sorochan TNLA Officers President Justin Stelter JS Gardening, LLC 1st Vice President Jon Flanders Botanico, Inc. 2nd Vice President Bert Driver Bert Driver Nursery 3rd Vice President Morgan Adcock Scenic Hills Nursery Secretary-Treasurer Cody Walker Walker Nursery Co. Associate Director Milton Whitsett Griffin Greenhouse Supplies Ex-Officio Josh Woodlee David’s Nursery Executive Director Louree Walker

From the President Justin Stelter

The Promise of

Tomorrow TNLA Would like to

Thank

the following companies for being

Membership Sponsors Gold Membership Sponsors Barky Beaver Mulch & Soil Mix, Inc. Blankenship Farms and Nursery Cherry Springs Nursery Flower City Nurseries Living Earth Monrovia Nashville Landscape Systems, Inc. Putnals Premium Pine Straw, Inc. Randall Walker Farms Samara Farms Swafford Nursery, Inc. Tennessee 811 Trivett’s Nursery Warren County Nursery, Inc.

Silver Membership Sponsors Botanico, Inc. Carpe Diem Farms Dayton Bag & Burlap Co. Lee-Smith Isuzu Nufarm Americas, Inc. Southern Ag 6

tennessee greentimes Spring 2018

I

live in Franklin, TN in the middle of a 15-acre garden-in-progress with my beautiful wife, three young daughters, and two loyal dogs.

I have been the Director of Gardens & Grounds for Carnton Plantation since 2003. I also own and operate a landscape gardening company that has served Williamson County since 1996.

With the emergence of spring, I am reminded of how much we all have been given and I am thankful.

I am thankful for this warmer weather and, accordingly, new growth and the renewal of life that surrounds us this time of year.

I am also thankful to be serving as the president of TNLA. This dynamic organization has adapted to the challenges of well over a century of change.

Time-tested, like the old oak, or the ‘witness’ tree, a tree that lives long after an important historical event.

Not many organizations have endured the rigors of time and as the adage oft prescribed in horticultural circles proclaims, ‘right plant, right place’, this organization has been the ‘right plant at the right place’, has ‘witnessed’ decades of service, and has continued to prove resilient.

As we begin this prosperous growing season, I want to encourage all of you to be thankful.

Let us not take today for granted. Let us continue to sow, plant with precision, and hope that we can witness the growth and benevolence of those deeds, not just in this season, but like this wonderful organization, for decades into the future.

Justin Stelter TNLA President

2018 Tennessee Green Industry Expo September 27–28, 2018 • Wilson County Expo Center

New TNLA Members

Welcome,

TNLA New Members!

Active Member Landsculptures, Inc. Jeff D. Hutchison, Pres. CEO 11111 West Broadway Avenue Maryville, TN 37801 Lawn Butler, Inc. Seth Kehne 1815 Jackson Road Knoxville, TN 37921 Associate Members Arrowhead Ornamentals Mike Coleman P.O. Box 157 Hubbard, OR 97032 Berger Peat Moss (Reinstate) Adam Lyvers 1941 Saint Gregorys Court Knoxville, TN 37931 Bobcat of Nashville (Reinstate) Steve Dickey 149 Industrial Blvd.

LaVergne, TN 37086 Living Earth Scott Bort 1511 Elm Hill Pike Nashville, TN 37210 Utility Equipment Service, Inc. Jim Stennett 4584 Tom Lunn Road Spring Hill, TN 37174 Van Belle Nursery Bill Heinrichs 34825 Hallert Road Abbotsford, BC V3G1R3

In the Nursery

Less Water Use Leads to Less Nutrient Loss

Nastaran Basiri Jahromi, University of Tennessee, Ph.D. Candidate, Amy Fulcher, UT Extension Specialist and Associate Professor, and Forbes Walker, UT Extension Specialist and Associate Professor

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ine bark is the substrate component most commonly used by the southeastern US nursery industry.

It has high porosity and relatively low water holding capacity, so it drains well, provides adequate oxygen levels to roots and the light weight of pine bark helps reduce shipping costs compared to B&B crops. However, these desirable qualities have a down side. When grown in most pine bark substrates, plants must be irrigated frequently during much of the growing season in order to provide enough water to maintain growth. With that frequent irrigation comes the potential to flush nutrients from the container.

Incorporating different substrate amendments into a pine bark substrate can potentially increase the water-holding capacity and help growers get more growth 8

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from the water that is applied, while still keeping the substrate properties within established, desirable ranges. For more information on the recommended ranges for container substrate physical properties see the Southern Nursery Association’s Best Management Practices Guide (http:// contents.sna.org/bmpv30.html).

Biochar is a carbon-rich by-product of pyrolysis, a high temperature process that generates energy from organic material.

It is becoming increasingly available for use in agriculture. Biochar can be made from switchgrass, hardwood bark and other plant products, so it has the potential to be locally available and therefore have a relatively low freight cost. Biochar amendments can increase soil fertility in the longterm by supplying some nutrients (such as potassium and phosphorus). Biochar

can also increase water retention of soilless substrates and soils, which can reduce the amount of nutrients that leach from containers. Biochar generally increases soil pH in acidic soils, thereby increasing the nutrients that are available to plants.

This, in turn, can lead to higher agricultural crop yields and greater plant growth of horticultural crops. For example, pepper, tomato and the houseplant Calathea grew bigger with biochar-amended substrate.

Researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville have been investigating the potential of using locally produced biochar during nursery production for the past few years. For some experiments, we compared two plants, hydrangea (Pinky Winky® hardy hydrangea) and boxwood (‘Green Velvet’ boxwood), grown in 100% pine bark and pine bark

amended with either 10% biochar or 25% biochar. These two plants were selected because their typical water use requirements are relatively high (hydrangea) and low (boxwood). Plants were monitored by moisture sensors and irrigated when the container substrate dried to a pre-set threshold by the sensors. The biochar amendment reduced hydrangea water use by at least one third. Leachate volume from both hydrangea and boxwood was also reduced. These reductions are due to improvements in the water holding capacity of the substrate and the fact that crops growing in the biocharamended substrate required fewer irrigation events than those grown in 100% pine bark. Reducing nutrient loss with minimizing leaching can increase the nutrient efficiency, in other words, provide more plant growth for the amount of fertilizer applied, while reducing nutrientrelated water pollution. Additionally, by minimizing leaching, the normal fertilizer application can be reduced while still supplying plants with the same amount of nutrients, so growers can potentially increase profits by reducing fertilizer and water costs. Greater efficiencies can increase both the profitability and sustainability of nurseries. Keep in mind that any savings from applying biochar is contingent on relatively low biochar and freight costs. A reduction in water use also gives growers the chance to expand production as water becomes more available due to the reduced irrigation run time. Other results from our experiments suggest that the switchgrass biochar tested might replace some or all of the phosphorus and potassium normally provided by fertilizer applications.

Boxwood total water use and final dry weight were not affected by biochar rate, as the plants grown in 100% pine bark performed comparably to those grown in pine bark amended with biochar. In hydrangea, total irrigation applied was reduced by 32% for plants potted with the 10% biochar amendment, but it did not affect the size or marketability of plants.

However, for hydrangea plants grown with the 25% biochar amendment rate, the irrigation applied was reduced by 70%, which also reduced the final plant size.

Further research is required to more fully understand the effect of biochar on plant water availability, the ideal percent to use

Leachate traps were devised to collect water that drains from containers at the University of Tennessee North Greenhouse Complex, Knoxville, Tennessee.

Ph.D. candidate Nastaran Basiri Jahromi collects container leachate samples to measure volume and conduct nutrient analyses.

Boxwoods, which have low water-use requirements, are an important crop for Tennessee nurseries. tennessee greentimes Spring 2018

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In the Nursery continued in container substrates, and performance of individual species when grown with a biochar amendment.

Amending a pine bark substrate with biochar can increase water-holding capacity and reduce water consumption of a high water use crop, hydrangea. However, only the 10% amendment supported normal hydrangea growth. For boxwood, plants grown in biochar-amended pine

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bark grew comparably to plants potted in 100% pine bark. There were no advantages or disadvantages in terms of water savings, but leachate volume was lower. Reducing nutrient losses and improving nutrient and water management could increase grower profits by reducing fertilizer and water costs as long as a biochar supply can be sourced cost-effectively. For crops like boxwood, even though there may not

be a water savings, a locally produced, affordable biochar source could help extend pine bark supplies. The results of these experiments suggest that amending with biochar could help nursery growers who are trying to conserve water, extend pine bark supplies, or expand production on existing or limited water supplies.

Note: Any change to your substrate should be carefully considered. Before selecting a biochar, be aware that the physical and chemical characteristics of biochar are affected by the type of biochar source feedstock, biochar production conditions, and the cropping systems to which it is applied. Conduct a small test with a few plant species and a few biochar amendment rates using the biochar available in your area before using it on a larger scale in your nursery. Observe and evaluate plant growth, health, and any changes in water use. Keep in mind that amending your substrate will also likely affect both fertilizer and irrigation management. C

We invite you to help choose the 10 plants that changed Tennessee!

Cast Your Vote

Visit tenplants.tennessee.edu to submit your nomination.

10 Plants that Changed Tennessee

Categories

• Is the plant important for the Tennessee economy or businesses or industries?

• Was the plant important in Tennessee history?

• Are there spiritual or cultural factors that make this plant important to TN? • Is this plant important in some way in protecting or degrading our environment?

• Is this plant an important food or sustenance crop?

• Is this plant important in our landscape?

Other ways to connect On the website:

tenplants.tennessee.edu (electronic form written submissions) On Facebook:

fb.me/tenplants (digital submissions, video, photos, etc.)

By Mail:

(submissions of artwork, drawings, creative work, etc.)

Ten Plants That Changed Tennessee Attention: Dr. Andy Pulte – PLSC #267 2431 Joe Johnson Drive Knoxville, TN 37996

10 Plants that Have Changed Tennessee

By Andy Pulte, PhD.,UT Plant Sciences, Senior Lecturer and Undergraduate Coordinator

T

here is a lot to appreciate and enjoy about Tennessee! This region’s earliest inhabitants foraged, hunted and camped thousands of years ago on land that is now the state of Tennessee. The Spanish passed through our lands on three separate expeditions in the mid-1500’s. The 1795 territorial census revealed that the region had achieved a sufficient population for statehood. A year later, Tennessee became the 16th State in the Union.

Tennessee covers a broad and diverse geography. Our slender state is just 112 miles wide, yet stretches across 400 miles from the Appalachian Mountain boundary with North Carolina in the east, to the Mississippi River in the west. Tennessee is a well-respected center for blues and country music; our stages have played host to some of histories most famous musicians.

Our barbeque is famous, too! People from all over congregate in Memphis each year for its famous barbecue event “Memphis in May.” We have a lot to celebrate in Tennessee – but what about the plants that have impacted this great state? A closer look shows that Tennessee has a strong agricultural and horticultural history. From the Cradle of the Nursery Industry to fertile soils for cropping and rich pastures that support cattle and equine industries: many plants have played important roles in

shaping Tennessee’s history, economy and cultural heritage.

During the first half of 2018, the UT Institute of Agriculture will be accepting nominations of key plants from people across the state. Please participate and help us to choose the “Top 10 Plants that Changed Tennessee.” Participants will be asked to nominate and submit the name of a plant that they believe fits best into one of 6 categories: food, economy, health, history, landscape, and spiritual or cultural. Plants will be judged by their impact – both positive and negative across all of our state’s history.

Your contributions will be more than just a fun exercise; your nominations will be evaluated by a panel of experts who will ultimately decide upon an official list of the 10 individual plants that have had the broadest impact on Tennessee. This information will then be used to create an educational curriculum for Tennessee’s elementary schools on a variety of subjects including biology and history.

This is your chance to play an important role in this initiative, and we need your input. Please take time to ponder a plant to nominate, then go to the website tenplants. tennessee.edu and make your submission.

The online submission process is quick and easy. Please participate and help us spread the word about this project. C tennessee greentimes Spring 2018

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In the Landscape

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1: Best in Show Winner – Coleus Flamethrower™ Salsa Verde • 2: Top Seed Cultivar – Ornamental Pepper (Capsicum) Midnight Fire • 3: Top Rooted Cutting Cultivars Salvia Rockin’ Playin’ the Blues • 4: Top Series – Begonia Whopper (Bronze Leaf Rose shown)

UT Gardens’

2017 Best & Beautiful

Plants

By James Newburn, UT Gardens Assistant Director

Top Seed Cultivar

Top Annuals

Ornamental Pepper (Capsicum) Midnight Fire – PanAmerican Seed

Best in Show Coleus Flamethrower™ Salsa Verde-Ball Floraplant (Photo 1) New in the Flamethrower series, this coleus can tolerate sun or shade. Grown in full sun at UT Gardens Knoxville, the chartreuse color did not scorch. Plants exhibited a nice, dense, compact habit that ultimately grew to about 2.5 feet tall. Narrow, incised leaves present a finer texture than more broadleaf cultivars. Flowers were almost non-existent which kept this cultivar neat and tidy throughout the season. Great for landscape beds or mixed containers.

(Photo 2) This new ornamental pepper has outstanding growth habit, foliage and fruit color. The plants are well branched with a mounded, yet spreading habit that mass together well when planted in a landscape bed. Plants mature to about 12" tall by 10" wide. The very dark foliage is as close to black as you can get. The peppers that start off purple ripen to red, creating a dramatic contrast to the foliage.

Top Rooted Cutting Cultivars Salvia Rockin’ Playin’ the Blues – Proven Winners

(Photo 3) You will feel the beat with this exceptional salvia cross species selection.

Outstanding, rich deep-blue flower is long blooming, providing color all summer long. Plants in our garden averaged about 36" tall with strong stems that kept the flower heads upright.

Top Series Begonia Whopper – Ball Seed (Photo 4) Do away with the little balls of begonia and up the game with Whopper begonias. Plants are vigorous and mass together well with huge blooms that create a season-long show up until frost. Available in green-leaf and bronze-leaf varieties for sun or shade situations. Great for commercial landscapes where a large mass of color is needed.

Photo Credit: 1, 9, 12, 13, 14, 17 and 19 courtesy of Ball Horticultural. • 3, 10, 11 and 18 courtesy of Proven Winners www.provenwinners.com. • 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15, and 16 courtesy of James Newburn 12

tennessee greentimes Spring 2018

Section Name

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5: Canna Toucan™ Scarlet • 6: Pentas Lucky Star™ Lavender 7: Zinnia Zahara Raspberry Ripple • 8: Begonia: Megawatt™ Red Bronze Leaf

Canna Toucan™ – Proven Winners (Photo 5) These cannas contribute to a great series that provides a tropical look.

Plants are prolific bloomers and stay nice and compact at 42-48" tall. Plants tolerate heat well, and bloom like crazy as the temperature climbs. Wonderful selection of colors including yellow, coral, dark orange, coral pink, and scarlet. Scarlet even has bronze foliage that contrasts nicely with the flowers.

Pentas Lucky Star™ – PanAmerican (Photo 6) Ideal for attracting pollinators, these pentas love full sun and hot temperatures. Plants are very uniform in height, reaching about 10-12" tall, and mass together well providing a striking display in the front of the border.

Tried and True Zinnia Zahara series – PanAmerican (Photo 7) These bedding plant zinnias are disease-resistant with flowers that come in a variety of solid and bicolor colors, and in single and double forms to suit any palette. Plants are very uniform in height and great for mass plantings.

Zinnia Profusion series – Sakata Since their introduction, we have been most impressed with the Profusion zinnias for their disease resistance, heat and humidity tolerance, long-blooming time,

self-cleaning capability, growth uniformity, and intensity and pureness of flower color.

The line has now expanded to include most every shade in the rainbow. This series has it all.

Awesome Annuals Alternathera ‘Purple Prince’ – PanAmerican; Plum Dandy™ – Proven Winners Whether it is from seed (‘Purple Prince’) or rooted cutting (Plum Dandy™), these dark, burgundy-purple foliage plants are sure to be eye-catching and provide a great resource when contrasting and seeking complementary flower colors in combination plantings. The low growing plants get up to 12" tall and are ideal for the front of the border, in mixed containers or in hanging baskets.

Begonia Megawatt™ series (Red Bronze Leaf, Rose Bronze Leaf; Pink Bronze Leaf) – PanAmerican (Photo 8) Light up the landscape with these prolific bloomers. Large flowers and rich colors give this begonia a huge impact whether in a mass planting or as a single specimen in a container.

‘BIG® Rose Bronze Leaf’ – Benary Seed. With one of the best evaluation

scores this outstanding selection is wonderful for its large blooms. With bronze leaves it can tolerate full sun and heat and humidity. Great branching habit and bloom coverage. ‘Senator Rose Bicolor’ – Sakata. A champion in European trials as well as in North America, this white and pink bicolor has a delicate appearance but is anything but delicate. Tolerates heat and humidity, tolerating sun or partial shade.

Canna ‘South Pacific Scarlet’ – American Takii An AAS winner, this canna is an outstanding cultivar that flowered from seed during its first year. Plants are very disease resistant and tolerate heat and humidity while maintaining their vivid colors.

Cannova ‘Orange Shades’ – Ball Seed.

Bronze foliage contrasts nicely with this big orange flower color. Compact plants (30"-48") keep flower heads erect without need for staking. Tropical™ Bronze Scarlet – Takii. The shortest, most compact of the dwarf cannas. Tropical™ Bronze Scarlet has very dark burgundy foliage topped with a bright scarlet bloom. Works well in flower beds or containers.

Celosia Twisted™ series (Yellow, Orange, Red Improved) – Ball Ingenuity (Photo 9) For a unique look in the garden, tennessee greentimes Spring 2018

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In the Landscape

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9: Celosia: Twisted™ Red • 10: Colocasia: Royal Hawaiian® Aloha • 11: Hypoestes: Hippo™ series 12: Marigold (African) ‘Taishan’ series mix • 13: Marigold (French): ‘Bonanza’ series, Bolero Improved 14: New Guinea Impatiens: Divine™ series, Red • 15: Petunia: Supertunia® Vista Fuschia 16: Supertunia® Lovie Dovie

these crested celosia are the ticket. Strong, sturdy 12" tall stems hold the flower heads upright. Colors stay bright and vivid for several weeks before slowly fading, then new blooms take their place.

Colocasia Royal Hawaiian® Aloha – Proven Winners (Photo 10) Shiny, dark foliage makes this elephant a standout. Tolerates and thrives in full sun. Create a tropical look no matter your location with this outstanding plant. Forms clumps that reach 36" in height and spread.

Guara ‘Sparkle White’ – Keift Seed This All-America Selections bedding plant winner has been on our top lists since winning in 2014. Creating an airy, wispy look with its slender stems and white flowers with a tinge of pink, this plant exudes an air of elegance in the garden. Very manageable height with a compact growth habit of a maximum 24", ‘Sparkle White’ can enhance a mixed container or create a dramatic look when mass planted in a garden bed.

Hypoestes Hippo™ series (Rose, Red) – Proven Winners (Photo 11) Polka Dot plant used to be seen only as a houseplant, but Hippo 14

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Rose and Hippo Red are great for the outdoor landscape bed as well. Very heat tolerant and can tolerate sun or shade.

Splotches of Rose or Red and green create a unique foliage pattern that works alone or paired with a complementary flower color. The Hippo™ Rose cultivar seems to show up a little better in the shade, but both cultivars are worth exploring.

Lantana Luscious® Royale Cosmo – Proven Winners Ideal for the Southern garden, nothing beats lantana for heat and humidity tolerance and for attracting pollinators.

Often covered in butterflies, the magenta flower clusters with yellow-orange center flowers contrast with dark green, disease resistant foliage. Truly a “set it and forget it” plant, this low maintenance wonder has about a two foot spread and height that means fewer plants are needed to fill a large bed for a mass showing. Or, use one plant for a specimen in a smaller garden.

Marigold (African) ‘Taishan’ series (Gold, Orange, Yellow) – PanAmerican (Photo 12) A dwarf African marigold that tops out at 10" tall but still maintains a large flower head with tightly packed flowers. ‘Moonstruck’ series (Orange, Yellow) – Syngenta. Large flower heads and sturdy stems are the hallmark of this outstanding performer that tolerates humid-

ity well. ‘Dune’ series (Gold, Yellow) – Thompson & Morgan. Another top performing African marigold with dense petals that shed water making them less prone to botrytis and other fungal diseases.

Marigold (French) ‘Bonanza’ series (Bolero Improved, Orange, Yellow)– PanAmerican Seed (Photo 13) Great color selection with solid and bicolor cultivars, any of the Bonanza selections are a recipe for success in the garden. Height is very uniform in mass plantings, generally about 8-10" with a spread 6-8".

New Guinea Impatiens Divine™ series (Lavender Improved, Orange, Red) PanAmerican Seed (Photo 14) A great alternative to garden impatiens (I. walleriana) that have been decimated by downy mildew. These New Guinea impatiens will brighten up any partial sun location. Very large flowers on a nice mounded plant of 12-14" are stunning in mass, hanging baskets or mixed containers. Vivid, bright colors bring light to a shaded area.

Pelargonium Pinto™ Premium White – Syngenta The purest white blooms on strong sturdy stems on a well-branched plant: these

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characteristics make this seed-grown cultivar a winning selection. Other colors in the Pinto™ series are equally appealing.

Petunia Supertunia® Vista Fuschia – Proven Winners (Photo 15) Supertunia Vista Bubblegum now has a rival for our affections. Fuschia is such a bright, cheerful color that you can’t help but have your attention drawn to it. Ideal for landscape beds, this showstopper is like its better-known cousin in that it has a spreading, mounding growth habit where a single 4" plant can grow up to 24" tall, and spread up to 36". Can be used also in large containers. Excellent performer. Supertunia® Lovie Dovie. (Photo 16) New for 2018, this bicolor, pink and white striped Supertunia has the same mounding and spreading habit, though for us it was not quite so vigorous. The color pattern was very uniform and quite striking.

TriTunia Rose Star – Syngenta This seed grown cultivar had an outstanding star pattern of rich rose-pink and white. This grandiflora is ideal for containers and hanging baskets. Tidal Wave® ‘Red Velour’ – PanAmerican.

This AAS 2015 Flower winner will bowl you over. Lush, rich, velvety red mounds up to two feet tall and spreads outward at least three feet. Doesn’t need deadheading and never gets that leggy look late in the season but just keeps on blooming. Headliner™ Banana Cherry Swirl – Selecta. (Photo 17) A new variety for 2018, this mounding

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In the Landscape 17: Headliner™ Banana Cherry Swirl 18: Thunbergia: A-Peel® series, Lemon 19: Titan™ Polka Dot

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type petunia grows up to 16" tall with a 30" spread. The color is noteworthy with a buttercream or pale banana cream bloom with a burgundy star. Will be eye-catching in a mixed container or in a hanging basket.

Thunbergia A-Peel® series (Lemon, Orange, Tangerine Slice) – Proven Winners (Photo 18) These black-eyed Susan vines were outstanding. Vigorous is the first word that comes to mind, but if you have a support for these to grow on,

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these are oh so fun. Stunning colors that are clear and bright. Grow on a tri-pod bamboo stake tee-pee and the kids will love them as a fort and you will love them as garden flowering vine.

Vinca ‘Vitesse Peppermint’ –Floranova ‘Vitesse’ series of vinca are outstanding plants with many colors from which to choose. All are very uniform and tolerate a variety of soils and hot and humid conditions, ‘Vitesse Peppermint’ is just our current favorite with its pure

white petals that are punctuated in the center with a spicy red dot. Titan™ Polka Dot – PanAmerican. (Photo 19) Similarly, this cultivar performed equally well with great branching and uniformity.

Zinnia ‘Giant Coral’ – Benary This wonderful Z. elegans is absolutely beautiful. Ideal as a cut flower, the color is a rich deep coral that shows up even in the brightest time of the day. Bloom size is amazing with double “dahlia-like” blooms reaching 4-6" across. C

News from TNLA

2018 TENNESSEE GREEN INDUSTRY

FIELD DAY PROGRAM

Morning Session UT Gardens Plaza

Divisions into Three Groups

*H erbaceous and Woody Plants Tour

and Pest Management Dr. Alan Windham, Dr. Frank Hale, Mr. James Newburn and Dr. Sue Hamilton 8:30 to 11:30 (talks repeated 3 times)

*Z oysia Turf Care and Pest Management Dr. Tom Samples

*R esearch Update & Demonstration

of a Soap Flush For Insects Dr. Amy Fulcher and Dr. Bill Klingeman

Afternoon Sessions Brehm Animal Science Building

11:30–12:45

* Lunch, vendor time

12:45–1:45

2:00–3:00

* Sampling, Testing, and Interpretations for Urban Soils,

3:00–4:00

* Landscape Management to Reduce Tick Encounters and Mosquito Bites

classrooms 134, 135, and 136

* Dicamba Herbicide and Possible Effects on Landscape Plants Mr. Joe Beeler

Nursery Potting Substrate, and Bio-Retention Mixes Dr. Robert Florence Dr. Becky Trout Fryxell and Mr. Devin Rowe

* Pesticide Credits Available for all 6 sessions in categories C03, C10, C12. Must sign roster in each session.

Digital Marketplace

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

tennessee greentimes Spring 2018

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Calendar of Events

June 14

Middle Tennessee Nursery Association Field Day McMinnville, TN Contact: 931-507-7322 Fax: 931-507-9601 mtna@mtna.com • www.mtna.com

June 26

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

July 14 – 1 7

Cultivate ‘18 Greater Columbus Convention Center Columbus, OH www.americanhort.org

July 15 – 1 7

NALP Legislative Days on the Hill (National Association of Landscape Professionals) Washington, D.C. Contact: 800-395-2522 www.landscapeprofessionals.org

Index of Advertisers

July 24

Tennessee Nursery Field Day TSU Nursery Research Center McMinnville, TN Contact: 931-668-3233 ngawel@tnstate.edu

July 30 –August 3 Perennial Plant Symposium Hilton North Raleigh Midtown Raleigh, NC Contact: 614-771-8431 ppa@perennialplant.org www.perennialplant.org

September 27–28

Tennessee Green Industry Expo The Tennessee Nursery & Landscape Association and the Middle Tennessee Nursery Association Wilson County Expo Center Lebanon, TN Contact: 931-473-3951 mail@tnla.com • www.tngie.com

Boshancee Nursery, Inc..............................................18 www.boshanceensy.com Braun Horticulture.......................................................16 www.braungroup.com Cam Too Camellia Nursery, Inc................................15 www.camtoocamellia.com Center Hill Nursery........................................................7 www.centerhillnurseries.com Coosa Valley Turf Farms..............................................7 www.coosavalleyturffarms.com D & D Agri.....................................................................15 Fairview Evergreen Nurseries....................................10 www.fairviewevergreen.com Hidden Valley Nursery.................................................17 www.hiddenvalleynursery.com John Holmlund Nursery................................................5 www.jhnsy.com Mid Tenn Turf, Inc.........................................................3 www.midtennturf.com Motz & Son Nursery....................................................18 Neely Coble Co................................Inside Front Cover www.neelycoble.com Richey Nursery Company, LLC..................................15 www.richeynursery.com Smith Seed Services.....................................................5 www.smithseed.com Surface Nursery Inc......................................................3 www.surfacenursery.com Swafford Nursery.........................................Back Cover www.swaffordnursery.com Tennessee 811.............................................................16 www.tnonecall.com Thomas Nursery...........................................................17 www.thomasnurserytrees.com Tree Equipment Design, Inc......................................10 www.treeequip.com Wellmaster Carts.............................Inside Back Cover www.wellmaster.ca

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tennessee greentimes Spring 2018