Tennessee Greentimes - Winter 2022

The Official Publication of The Tennessee Nursery and Landscape Association

Community

VOL. 23/NO. 4

• Winter 2022

BASF

Blankenship Farms and Nursery

Bobcat of McMinnville Botanico, Inc.

BWI of Memphis

Cherry Springs Nursery

Flower City Nurseries

Gravely

Nashville Landscape Systems, Inc.

Nufarm Americas, Inc.

Putnals Premium Pine Straw, Inc.

Randall Walker Farms

Riverbend Nurseries, LLC Super-Sod

Swafford Nursery, Inc. Tennessee 811

Tennessee Valley Nursery

Tennessee Wholesale Nursery

Warren County Nursery, Inc. Youngblood Farms

THANK YOU

As

I write my last green times from this column, I find myself reflecting over the past few years and how this organization has changed not only our company but also my life in a lot of aspects. This past summer my wife and I welcomed our first child together into the world. My wife works with the lady that makes this organization run so smoothly. Louree Walker, TNLA’s executive director and one of the most charismatic and smartest women in this industry. Without her, our organization wouldn’t be what it is today.

My wife and I are very grateful for the opportunity to serve on the board together. As some of you may know this has been a very challenging year for us. Our daughter was brought into the world early and unexpectedly, she spent three long weeks in the NICU, and recently my wife has experienced some unexpected health concerns. It has really put things into perspective for us. We both know that if we need anything at all, the board would go above and beyond to help us in any way they possibly could. There are no words to describe how thankful we are.

For now this may be my last time writing in this column, but we will continue to do ev erything we can to help support TNLA’s future endeavors and to give back all the support they have shown us in the most trying year of our life. Heather Farms thanks you from the bottom of our hearts for allowing us to be involved in an organization that gives back so much. We will continue to be a member and to help in any way we can. The TNLA board sincerely hopes everyone has a prosperous winter and a great 2023.

Bert Driver Nursery

Cam Too Camellia Nursery, Inc.

Dayton Bag & Burlap Co.

Drees Plant Wholesalers

Furbee Nursery Sales

Old Courthouse Nursery

Rusty Mangrum Nursery

Samara Farms

SBF Plant Sales

Turf Mountain Sod

Michael Gallagher TNLA President

TNLA

Barky Beaver Mulch & Soil Mix, Inc.

Michael Gallagher

TNLA /TSU FIELD DAY and AWARDS BANQUET

The

TNLA Field Day Event and Awards Banquet was held August 25 – 26, 2022. As ever, it was a wonderful occasion to gather and celebrate the year that has passed and plan and prepare for the one to come. Thank you to all attendees and sponsors for making this event a great success!

TNLA 2022 Awards

Special Thanks to our Sponsors

PLATINUM

BASF

Botanico, Inc.

Harrell’s, LLC OHP, Inc.

SiteOne Landscape Supply

SILVER

Carquest Ozzy’s Auto Parts

Douglas & Lanier Insurance Agency, Inc.

Farm Credit Mid-America

Mid-South Nursery NYP Corp.

TriGreen Equipment, LLC

Trivett’s Nursery, LLC

Tupper Tree Farm

BWI Companies

Heather Farms Nursery

Scenic Hills Nursery

Turner & Sons Nursery

GOLD BRONZE

Bert Driver Nursery

Champion Chevrolet, Buick, GMC

Circle J Tree Farm Drees Plant Wholesalers

Mize Farm & Garden

Southern AG

Woodbury Insurance Agency, Inc.

Committee Chair of the Year: Morgan Adcock

Young Nursery Professional of the Year: Austin Green

Tennessee Nurseryman of the Year: Rickey Minton

Chris Hackler

TNLA Associate 2021 – 22

William James “Bill” Reilly, Jr. Salesperson of the Year: Todd Locke

Green Goods Distributor: Bert Driver Nursery

Terri Turner presenting Michael Gallagher framed photo

Hall of Fame: John L. Turner

Hall of Fame Posthumous: Al Brostrom (accepted by Bob Flanders)

TNLA Board Members. Thank you for serving the industry!

Hall of Fame: Jerry Blankenship

Hall of Fame: Rickey Magness

THE HARD WORK BEHIND “GOING

THE FLOW”

By Madison Johnson, FWF Masters student, Dr. Andrea Ludwig, Associate Professor, Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science, and Dr. Sharon Jean-Philippe, Professor, Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries Department, The University of Tennessee

Riparian buffers, or riparian forests, are unique ecosystems that act as transitional parts of the landscape occurring between land and water (Figure 1) and that are typically bordered with a mixture of woody (Figure 2) and herbaceous vegetation (Figure 3). These riparian areas provide their buffer as a first line of defense in mitigating against anthropogenic impacts resulting from residen tial, commercial and/or agricultural activities (Figure 4). A healthy riparian forest provides essential ecosystem services to both the aquatic and terrestrial communities around them, such as erosion prevention, pollution reduction, and increased habitat biodiversity (Figure 5).

Multiple issues confound efforts to successfully establish healthy riparian buffers in urban areas in Tennessee and nationwide, ranging from lack of public education to challenges in finding landowners willing to install riparian features and habitat. These challenges are made more difficult by increased development, harmful residential and agricultural management practices, and spread of invasive plant species (Figure 6). In response to these challenges, Tennessee’s Community Riparian Restoration Program (CRRP) is funded by the Tennessee Division of Forestry and operated through the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. This partnership serves as a multidisciplinary initiative that is focused on driving community involvement in riparian restoration through participation in applied research efforts. The CRRP team’s aim is to foster a sense of stewardship for riparian forests and waterways among Tennesseans through four main objectives:

1) Community Education

2) Community Involvement in Restoration

3) Development and Dissemination of Watershed Materials

4) Research and Analysis of Watershed and Forest Health

Each of these objectives is essential for providing the resources needed to facilitate riparian restoration projects across Tennessee. Currently, the CRRP team are centering efforts in ten counties in East Tennessee, but the program will be expanding into Middle and West Tennessee during the next few years. Understanding each objective helps to detail the scope of these efforts.

Community Education

Although we may not consciously think about their purpose and function, streams, and waterways contribute a valuable role to sustain ing the health and resilience of our communities. Whether you own a home next to a creek or small tributary stream, take a walk on a greenway, or enjoy outdoor recreation activities such as kayaking & fishing, the quality of the riparian forests in your regional environment is something that has profound daily impacts on our lives. Unfortu nately, many people may not recognize what a riparian buffer is or what a healthy riparian buffer looks like (Figure 7). The public may not be aware of the many pressures that challenge riparian buffer health. In addition, it is often daunting for the public to identify what resources are available to help interested stakeholders to improve and repair their degraded riparian buffer habitats. These problems can be especially difficult navigate for landowners trying to manage streamside proper ties. Landowners often want to care for their stream yet may not know where or how to get started.

Through Community Education outreach and programming, the CRRP addresses these issues by developing educational workshops for landowners, schools, neighborhoods, as well as anyone who wants to learn how to care for riparian forests in their area. These hands-on, interactive sessions are focused on identifying signs of an unhealthy stream and riparian forest, invasive plant identification and removal (Figure 8), and resources and demonstrations of Best Practices for bank re-vegetation (Figure 9). Our goal with this objective is to empower individuals by providing the knowledge they will need to take small steps towards healthier waterways in their neighborhoods.

Community Involvement in Restoration

Planting trees is a great way to improve the health and sustainability of our cities and neighborhoods. Trees provide ecosystem services that contribute to improved human and biological system health, and that sustain community well-being with enhanced experiences. In riparian systems, planting trees for biodiversity, tree and shrub regeneration, and bank stabilization provides far-reaching beneficial effects. We will be partnering with community groups and public citizens on projects that will target sections of streams in Tennessee that are prioritized for restoration. Prioritization will be based upon a variety of factors associ ated with watershed quality and community demographics.

For example, high priority areas will include watersheds that display characteristics of systems contributing to lower downstream water quality. Features in this category often include high impervious cover and heavily managed, vegetated areas like agricultural fields and suburban lawns. Other impacted watersheds have low forest cover or highly erodible soils. Other restoration priority areas will address habitats within low-income urban, suburban, and rural community areas that are often challenged by limited green space and reduced forest cover.

Our goal is to empower community members to take ownership of their waterways and forests, and to become stewards of their riparian forests long after these trees are planted. To help meet that goal, the CRRP will facilitate communication and planning with local watershed organizations, stormwater departments, landowners, and volunteer groups, and provide planting plans, and help coordinate events.

An East Tennessee Introduction to the State’s New Community Riparian Restoration Program

WITH

Figure 1. An example of healthy riparian habitat as the stream enters bordering woods. Figure 2. A seedling sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) establishes its roots to stabilize the moist soil next to a riparian waterway. Figure 3. Native herbaceous perennials can be encouraged or restored in impacted riparian habitats to increase biodiversity and enhance community partner experience with their landscape. Figure 4. Undergraduate student volunteer Jessie Loewen takes notes along a stretch of urban/waterway intersection where the stream has become contained within a channel. Figure 5. An American green tree frog (Hyla cinerea) “hides” in plain sight along an east TN stream. Figure 6. Undergraduate student volunteer Katherine Ballard works to cut and remove invasive plant materials from an impacted riparian habitat. Figure 7. A native Lobelia cardinalis adds a pop of color to a sun-dappled riparian shoreline. Figure 8. Undergraduate student volunteer Jamie Pretorius prepares to flag native and invasive plant species along a section of riparian steam. Figure 9. Lobelia siphilitica, another native lobelia species.

Development & Dissemination of Watershed Materials

This state-wide program is providing ready access to new and existing public resources that are related to riparian forest health. At our website riparian.utk.edu, we are creating a public database and interactive

map that will showcase common problems impacting riparian forests in different watersheds in Tennessee. Information about current and future restoration and monitoring efforts will be available. In coming months, our leadership team (Figure 10) will also be creating tutorials and guides for riparian forest management packed with information on native plant selection and identification of invasive species. We are also excited to share progress updates and educational posts, as well as network with community members and organizations through Instagram & Facebook social media.

Analysis and Research in Watershed & Forest Health

To accomplish this objective, our team will initiate projects that will be designed to help identify the functional role that vegetation contributes to stream health, identify specific problems facing riparian forests in Tennessee, and track progression of mitigation in impacted systems following restoration activities. Success depends upon long-term documentation of benefits resulting from the methods that are deployed to support peer-reviewed research. For example, our team is actively assessing vegetation composition and stream temperature data

Figure 10. Maddy Johnson, Andrea Ludwig, and Sharon JeanPhilippe prepare to categorize a riparian site out of 10 east Tennessee counties participating in the CRRP program.

on 45 impacted sites located across the most developed counties in East Tennessee (Figure 11). Most of these sites are privately owned, and partnerships will allow helpful insights into management practices available to private landowners. We will also be able to document the prevalence of invasive species and inadequate buffer widths that are occurring across these sites. The data we get will be used to inform future efforts and design modifications.

Community will always be our greatest resource in our efforts to restore and maintain the biodiversity and habitat around our waterways. Our mission for riparian restoration is to cultivate the knowledge and skills that individuals need to protect riparian forests in their neighborhoods. We are excited to be a partner in initiatives that we are forming between the CRRP and diverse groups of interested people across Tennessee who all are working toward a common goal.

Figure 11. Undergraduate research assistant Sam Neary assists with taking water temperature measurements.

with the Tennessee Division of Forestry, and Tennessee Stormwater Association, and the Knox County Stormwater Department coopera tors. We would like to particularly credit the hard work and help of our UT undergraduate student volunteers: Katherine Ballard, Jessie Loewen, Jamie Pretorius; and Sam Neary, our undergraduate research assistant, who were all vital members of our project team. BioSafe Systems is your true partner in horticulture with accessible service, technical support, and sustainable chemistries for all stages of production.

CRRP Project Acknowledgements

By

VASCULAR STREAK DIEBACK of REDBUD

What Plant Pathologists Know So Far

The Problem

In recent years, nurseries in multiple states have reported moderate to severe dieback (Fig. 1A), chlorosis and stunting of redbud (Fig. 1B). Dieback is defined as “the gradual but progressive death of individual branches or shoots from tips toward the main stem.” Dieback is a catchall phrase that describes a constellation of symptoms that include dis colored, blighted leaves, followed by wilting, flagging and branch death. Declining trees may produce water sprouts/epicormic shoots below the dead branches. This dieback may continue into the main stem or stems of the tree and ultimately cause tree death. Streaking may be observed within the water-conducting tissue (xylem) of infected branches (Fig. 1C). This issue is impacting seedlings, grafted plants, older nursery stock produced in container and field production settings, and plants in established landscapes.

Figure 1. A) Discolored foliage, B) dieback, and C) vascular streaking and injury are a few of the symptoms observed with redbud dieback.

Photo Credits: (Left, A) NCSU Plant Disease and Insect Clinic, (Center, B) Janna Beckerman, (Right, C) Tom Creswell.

Dr. Janna Beckerman1, Dr. Tom Creswell 2 , Dr. John Bonkowski 3, and Dr. Fulya Baysal-Gurel4

1Professor of Plant Pathology, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University: 2Director and 3Plant Disease Diagnostician at the Purdue University Plant and Diagnostic Laboratory; and 4Interim Associate Dean for Research and Research Associate Professor, Otis L. Floyd Nursery Center, Tennessee State University

The Problem Diagnosing the Problem

Multiple laboratories throughout the country have received samples of redbud with symptoms of dieback with vascular discoloration. These laboratories have isolated a diversity of fungi; however, no known redbud pathogens have been identified to date to explain the vascular streaking symptoms. Multiple isolation attempts to check for Verticil lium wilt were negative. One type of fungus that has been repeatedly isolated from symptomatic plants has been tentatively named Rhizoc tonia theobromae. It belongs to the Rhizoctonia complex that includes Rhizoctonia species, but also members of Ceratobasidium, Thanatepho rus, and Tulasnella. These superficially similar fungi primarily spread via thick hyphae that grow at right angles (Fig. 2).

To date, no one has successfully completed Koch’s postulates with the fungus isolated from symptomatic redbud. This is both good and bad news: Good news, in that if this was a virulent pathogen that could spread easily from plant to plant then Koch’s postulates would have been confirmed and reported. It is bad news in that we still do not know if a single pathogen is responsible for the symptoms that are being reported in nurseries in multiple states or whether the problems may be attributed to a complex of stress factors or other biotic stressors. The fastidious nature of this fungus (hard to isolate, grow and maintain in culture) presents challenges to obtaining sufficient material for DNA analysis and for fulfilment of Koch’s postulates.

Best Management Practices with Incomplete Information

It is possible that this issue has been in the United States for some time but has been overlooked and/or misdiagnosed. This problem appears to also involve environmental factors and/or poor cultural practices, so any remediation of underlying problems will go a long way in reducing symptoms and potential infection events. Plants should be planted to the appropriate site, appropriate depth, and properly spaced. Remem ber, redbud is tolerant of a wide pH range but grows best where the pH is above 7.5; it cannot endure flooding or survive in poorly aerated soils. Drought stress should also be avoided. Keep in mind that redbud are also highly susceptible to phenoxy/2,4-D herbicides and other postemergent herbicides; care should be taken whenever these are being used around young trees to avoid injury.

Excess nitrogen fertilization has been implicated in increasing plant susceptibility to several plant pathogens. Nitrogen fertility should be on the lean side, 50-100 ppm nitrate when plants are actively growing. Scouting for known pests (borers, Botryosphaeria canker, and Verticilli um wilt) coupled with preventative chemical treatments are appropriate along with rigorous sanitation. Any symptomatic plants found during scouting should be sent in for diagnosis. Use only healthy, asymptom atic plants for any type of asexual propagation (chip or bud-grafting).

Fungal hyphae rarely produce spores, making conclusive identifi cation by microscope alone impossible. Fungi in this group include not only plant pathogens, but also wood-inhabiting endophytes and mycorrhizal associates. Identifying the causal agent is the first step in diagnosing what is causing this redbud dieback. Remember, these vague symptoms can be due to other plant pathogens and abiotic disorders. To determine if any of these Rhizoctonia-like fungi are causing redbud dieback, Koch’s postulates must be performed. Koch’s postulates de scribe a process developed in the 1880s and still used today to reliably and reproducibly confirm that the isolated microorganism is in fact the cause of the observed disease problem. Koch’s postulates provide four criteria that need to be fulfilled for an organism to be implicated in causing a specific disease. These criteria are:

1. The causal agent must be consistently associated with symptomatic plants but should not be found in healthy plants.

2 The causal agent must be isolated from a diseased host plant and grown in pure culture (where applicable).

3. Pure culture of the causal agent incites disease when inoculated into a healthy host.

4 The causal agent must again be reisolated from the inoculated, infected host and confirmed as identical to the original specific causative agent.

It is possible that this issue is associated with or exacerbated by coinfections with other soilborne pathogens such as Phytophthora spp., Pythium spp. or Fusarium spp. that are commonly found in woody ornamental nurseries. Proper management of soilborne pathogens might be beneficial in reducing the damage caused by redbud vascular streak dieback issue. At this time, there are no chemical treatments rec ommendations as a specific pathogen has not been identified. If using preventative fungicide drenches to protect roots against Rhizoctonia and other soilborne pathogens, they should be applied in rotation. Some recommended rotations include:

• Empress or Heritage (FRAC 11), rotated with o Prostar (FRAC 7) or Medallion (FRAC 12) or Terraguard (FRAC 3). OR

• Mural or Orkestra (both FRAC 7+11) rotated with o Terraguard (FRAC 3) or Medallion (FRAC 12).

Figure 2. Fungi belonging to the Rhizoctonia complex are characterized by thick hyphae that commonly grow at right angles. Photo courtesy of John Bonkowski.

LABOR of LOVE

Part 2: Addressing Labor Shortages and Factors Affecting Business Strategies

By Alicia L. Rihn 1, Amy Fulcher 2, and Anthony LeBude 3

1Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at The University of Tennessee

2Professor in the Plant Sciences Department at The University of Tennessee

3Professor in the Horticulture Department at North Carolina State University

Labor continues to be a challenge in the U.S. including the green industry as unemployment rates are near 3.5% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022). Our first article in this two-part series (see the Fall 2022 Tennessee Greentimes issue) addressed labor trends in green industry firms for the U.S., the five-state region surrounding Ten nessee, and the state of Tennessee. Overall, there was a decline in the number of employees reported across the industry. To help address this challenge, this article focuses on actions taken by green industry firms and potential strategies to address labor shortage issues. Results from two national studies are presented. The first study was conducted in 2019 and asked firms about their employment practices in 2018. The second study took place in 2021 and asked about employment practices in 2020.

Several actions that green industry firms reported they had taken to address labor shortages in 2018 were identified (Figure 1). In the U.S., paying higher wages was the primary action taken by green industry firms (40% of the sample; green blocks), followed by nothing (34%; blue blocks), adopting labor-saving technologies (25%; yellow blocks), training employees to improve skills (22%; gray blocks), other actions

(13%; orange blocks), and adding employee benefits (9%; peach blocks). In the five-state region (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN), similar trends were observed. However, doing nothing, adopting labor-saving technologies, and training employees to improve skills were more closely distributed at 46%, 45% and 44%, respectively, with the five-state region training employees twice as frequently as was observed nationally. Additionally, other actions and adding employee benefits were both being adopted by 31% of the sample, more than 2.4 and 3.4-fold greater, respectively, than was observed among the national response. A different frequency was observed for Tennessee firms. Paying higher wages was still the most often used tactic at 51% of the sample, followed by adopting labor saving technologies (48%), training employees to improve skills (47%), doing nothing (45%), adding employee benefits (45%), and other actions (32%). Tennessee firms are adding employee benefits at a 5.0 and 1.5-fold greater frequency than national and regional firms. These results suggest that firms in Tennessee and the five-state region may have lagged behind the nation for creating competitive benefits packages that can attract and retain employees, yet now are making gains.

Figure 1. Actions Reported to Have Been Taken by U.S. Green Industry Firms in 2018 to Address Labor Challenges. States represented in the five-state region include GA, KY, NC, SC, and TN.

The 2021 study, conducted for the 2020 season, provided additional options for nursery growers to explain actions that they had taken to address labor concerns (Figure 2). Consistent with the previous study, U.S. nurseries indicated that paying higher wages was the primary action taken to address labor issues at 66% of the sample. Fifty-six percent of the sample indicated they were adopting labor-saving technologies, followed by training employees to improve skills (45%), reducing production of

labor-intensive crops (38%), adding benefits (29%), adopting LEAN processes (28%), shifting high-skilled labor to more low-skill/manual tasks (27%), applying or already using H-2A labor (27%), putting expansion plans on hold (23%), increasing outsourcing (21%), and scaling back the operation (14%). Approximately 26% of respondents indicated that they were not experiencing labor scarcity. In 2020, fewer firms reported “doing nothing” compared to the prior survey, while paying higher wages and

Shortages in 2020 by U.S. Nurseries (n=154)

adopting labor saving technology were reported by more than half of firms. The change in response may be due to firms adopting strategies at a greater frequen cy in 2020 than in 2018 or could reflect practices shared by a different sample of respondents. Anecdotal observations support that these changes are occurring across nurseries as they attempt to fill numerous vacant positions.

In the 2018 study, U.S. green industry firms provided a gauge for the level of importance that the different factors had on their business strategies. They indicated importance using a five-point scale where 1 represented “not at all important” through 5 that was a “very important” part of their business strategy. Importance levels differed within the U.S., five-state region, and Tennessee (Table 1). Regardless of location, market demand and weather uncertainty were rated as most important, followed by own managerial expertise, labor costs, competition/price undercut ting, and ability to hire competent hourly employees. In Tennessee, water supply, environmental regulations, and other governmental regulations were all rated as moderately important. In the U.S., these factors were rated with slightly lower importance. In the five-state region, water supply was viewed as moderately important, but both types of regulations were only slightly important. Other factors that were rated slightly important across the areas were balance of power with buyers/customers, land, ability to higher competent management, equity capital, debt capital, and balance of power with suppliers/vendors. Market uncertainty may influence adoption of automation. While many growers have some capital available for investment now due to strong demand during the pandemic (McClellan, 2021), anticipated uncertain market demand complicates investing in automation and making expensive infrastructure changes often needed to accommodate new equipment. Many firms invest in automation with plans to increase production. Even the threat of demand decreasing, such as from an economic downturn, may alter decision-making.

Based on these findings, the matrix in Table 2 was developed as a decision aid tool for growers who are exploring their options to address labor challenges. Options broadly fall into three categories: those that make more efficient use of a limited work force, those that aim to recruit or retain labor, and a third category that addresses new or alternative labor supply. The matrix provides an overview of how these different actions could impact business outcomes, including recruit ment and maintaining staff, company culture, performance, expense, infrastructure changes, and long-term sustainability. Tennessee nursery owners and managers can utilize this tool when navigating the options for addressing an insufficient labor pool.

Summary

Although labor challenges are occurring throughout agriculture and other industries, many green industry firms are being proactive and taking steps that are intended to mitigate potential labor shortages. To date, green industry firms primarily rely on employee-related actions such as increasing wages and providing professional develop ment opportunities (i.e., training) and production efficiency and labor reduction-related actions (i.e., adopting technologies, reducing production of labor-intensive crops). Tennessee nurseries interested in making capital improvements that include purchasing labor-saving automation can apply to the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) Tennessee Ag Enhancement Program to participate in the 35% cost share program. Growers wishing to train existing or new workers can refer employees to the University of Tennessee’s (UT) Tennes see Master Nursery Producer (TMNP) programs. Pending applica tion approval, UT and the TDA partner together to offer enhanced levels of cost share to growers with TMNP certification. Given the

diversity of green industry firms and options available to them, each operation needs to carefully consider what they can implement as long-term strategies to attract and keep good employees as well as supplement the insufficient workforce available through automation, other technologies, or an alternative work force supply. An important note is that economic conditions are continually changing, and that these conditions also impact consumer demand for ornamental plants. At the time of these surveys, the economy was strong and demand for ornamental plants was high. Firms should continue to monitor the economy and adjust production practices to accommodate changes.

Acknowledgments and Resources

This research was supported by USDA SCRI grant #2020-51181-32137 and USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch projects TEN00581 and TEN00575 and NCState02809.

McClellan, M. 2021. Money matters. Nursery Management. GIE Media Inc. https://www.nurserymag.com/article/how-are-nurseries-spending-cash/ Rihn, A.L., A. Fulcher, H. Khachatryan. 2021. A ten-year review of the southeast U.S. green industry, part I: Labor and firm characteristics. University of Tennessee Extension Publication W 1026.

Rihn, A.L., A. Fulcher, H. Khachatryan, A. LeBude, L.A. Warner, S. Schnexnayder. 2022. A ten-year review of the southeast U.S. green industry, part II: Addressing labor shortages and internal and external factors affecting business strategies. University of Tennessee Extension Publication W 1080.

Velandia, M., A. Fulcher, K. Jensen. 2021. Labor use and challenges faced by Tennessee nursery and floriculture producers. University of Tennessee Extension Publication W 984.

https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W984.pdf

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