Oct/Nov 2015 Issue

Oct/Nov 2015 • Volume 33 • Number 5

Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association • Serving Colorado & New Mexico

Preparing for Tomorrow

9 2015 Plant Trials in Colorado 13 Stock up for Spring

Rush by Overwintering Plants 16 Energy Efficiency =

Higher Profits 18 Retaining Seasonal Staff

Cultivating Love & Life

NORTHERN GROWN ▪ QUALITY PLANTS ▪ DIRECT DELIVERY

C O L O R

I T

A family-owned wholesale perennial grower since 1979, Britton Nursery is Cultivating Love and Life in order to produce both healthy and beautiful plants as well as joyful and vibrant people. Our secret is that we are Rooted and Established in Love! (Ephesians 3:17) We invite you to come see what a difference love makes!

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Britton Nursery, Inc.

Deciduous Shrubs

7075 Wyoming Lane Colorado Springs, CO 80923 Office: 719.495.3676 Fax: 719.495.3749 . info@BrittonFlowers.com www.BrittonFlowers.com Proud Member

Licensed Propagator

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Licensed Grower

www.mckaynursery.com Tim Flood – 800-236-4242

Cary Hall – 303-702-1063

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© 2015 An ICL Fertilizers Company, Worldwide Rights Reserved.

LooseLeaf October/November 2015

Our Mission To create opportunities for horticultural and associated industry professionals to collaboratively grow their businesses through fellowship, education, advocacy and certification.

Cover Photo Courtesy of Colorado State University

In This Issue 4 Message from the Board:

Efficient 5 CNGA – Here for the Members:

Participation in CNGA Events & Campaigns Pays Off

13

Stock up for Spring Rush by Overwintering Plants

Tips for Overwintering Plants

16

Energy Efficiency = Higher Profits

6 Member Profiles: Eaton Grove Nursery, High Country Roses, Rootmaker®

18 Taking Care of Business:

Retaining Seasonal Staff 19 Safety Corner: Office Ergonomics 101

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2015 Plant Trials in Colorado:

Welby Gardens, Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens

20 Funding Research & Education:

CHREF Supports Critical Research 22 Calendar & New Members 23 Classified Ads & Advertisers List

Board Of Directors Bill Kluth CNGA Board President Tagawa Greenhouse Enterprises, LLC 303.659.1260 x205 bkluth@tagawas.com Jesse Eastman, CCNP CNGA Board Vice President Fort Collins Nursery 970.482.1984 j.eastman@fortcollinsnursery.com Dan Wise, CCNP CNGA Board Secretary/Treasurer Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery 970.484.1289 dan@ftcollinswholesalenursery.com

Sarada Krishnan, Ph.D. Denver Botanic Gardens 720.865.3601 krishnas@botanicgardens.org

Dan Gerace, CGG Welby Gardens Company, Inc. 303.288.3398 dangerace@hardyboyplant.com

Kirby Thompson, CCNP Britton Nursery, Inc. 719.495.3749 info@brittonflowers.com

Levi Heidrich Heidrich’s Colorado Tree Farm Nursery, LLC 710.598.8733 levi@coloradotreefarmnursery.com

Kerri Dantino Little Valley Wholesale Nursery 303.659.6708 kerri@lvwn.com

Publisher

Editorial

Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association 959 S. Kipling Pkwy., Ste. 200 Lakewood, Colo. 80226 303.758.6672 Fax: 303.758.6805 info@coloradonga.org coloradonga.org

Allison Gault, MBA Executive Director Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association 303.758.6672 agault@coloradonga.org

Printer

Ex-Officio Members

Stan Brown, CCNP Alameda Wholesale Nursery, Inc. 303.761.6131 stan@alamedawholesale.com

Jim Klett, Ph.D. CSU Dept. of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture 970.491.7179 jim.klett@colostate.edu Allison Gault, MBA Executive Director Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association 303.758.6672 agault@coloradonga.org

Contributing Writers

Staff

Bridget Blomquist Allison Gault Dr. Jim Klett Paul Pilon

Mindy Carrothers Tanya Ishikawa Bill Kluth

Debi Borden-Miller, CGG Mike Kingten Diana Mundinger, CCNP

The LooseLeaf feature writer and editor is Tanya Ishikawa of Buffalo Trails Multimedia Communications at 303.819.7784 and office@tanyaishikawa.com.

The LooseLeaf is published six times a year with issues scheduled for February/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November, and December/January.

Visit coloradonga.org for classified advertisements, plant publications, upcoming events, a member directory, and much more!

Colorado Community Media 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Ste. 210 Highlands Ranch, Colo. 80129 coloradocommunitymedia.com

Display Advertising Michelle Muñoz, CNGA 303.758.6672 mmunoz@coloradonga.org

coloradonga.org

Allison Gault, MBA

Michelle Muňoz

Ben Northcutt

Executive Director

Administrative Coordinator

Membership Manager

agault@ coloradonga.org

mmunoz@ coloradonga.org

bnorthcutt@ coloradonga.org

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MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD

Efficient –

achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense

At Tagawa’s, we routinely evaluate our processes and systems to ensure we are efficiently using our resources. We believe we are accomplishing this with consistent, accurate reporting and monitoring.

By Bill Kluth CNGA Board President

“Targeting specific efficiency goals is best: set realistic timelines, hold people accountable and achieve results before tackling the next project.”

Drilling down into our processes and systems over the past several months, we quickly discovered we are not nearly as efficient in some areas as we thought. And in those areas where we suspected we were not very efficient, we learned we need lots of improvement.

Consistent and accurate reporting and monitoring focuses on the right metric. It’s easy to compare current labor with last year’s labor.

Down from last year is good, but it’s only good if you are comparing apples to apples. We monitor each task so we have a metric that allows us to compare efficiency each day.

These principles apply to both big and small businesses. As you make improvements based on the inefficiencies that are found, it is easy to try to do more than can be accomplished with the resources available. We have missed our targets when we try to do all potential improvements at the same time. Targeting specific efficiency goals is best: set realistic timelines, hold people accountable and achieve results before tackling the next project.

To do our evaluations, we use “lean” as our guide. There are many books about lean production. We are currently using “Beyond Goals…Beyond Lean” written by Fred Conforti.

Lean production focuses on reducing or eliminating those tasks or actions that are not valued by our customers. Example: we could carry trays two at a time down the bench. We need to put product on the bench, but our customer doesn’t care how we move product down a bench; they only want good quality product. So, we need to reduce or eliminate the labor used for moving trays. Our solution: we use a sled or table to move 10+ trays at a time.

We are still using labor to move product to the bench, but we are doing it more efficiently.

we could have a one-minute wait between each rack that is loaded. If we have three people loading 50 racks in a day, we have 2.5 lost hours of labor (1 minute per rack x 50 racks x 3 people/60 minutes per hour). Once again, our customer doesn’t really care how racks are loaded, as long as the plants remain healthy and are not damaged. So, it’s in our best interest to reduce the wait time and the lost labor so we can save money for ourselves and potentially for our customers.

I have a friend who does triathlons. He carefully lays out his biking gear in the most efficient order for dressing after the swim segment, so no time is wasted stepping over shoes to get at socks, and glasses are efficiently positioned after the helmet but before the gloves. Similarly, you can plan on laying out your machines and processes in the most efficient order to get your jobs done.

Being efficient with spending is also a lean principle. When fuel prices are down, we use some of that savings to improve our energy curtains, side walls and doors. Infiltration of cold air is our enemy. Fuel will go up again someday in the future – best to use some savings now, rather then wish we had made improvements when fuel costs are high.

Finally, lean production means continual improvement. So, after you complete an improvement process, celebrate the success and immediately start looking at the same process again to take it to the next level of improvement.

For plants that feel perfectly at home, look for...

Another area we look at closely is down or wait time. Are people or machines waiting or standing idle for the next step to happen? Seconds add up quickly to minutes, which add up to hours. Example:

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LooseLeaf October/November 2015

Participation in CNGA Events & Campaigns Pays Off Greetings from the CNGA offices!

I hope your season has been productive, fun and financially profitable! In speaking with CNGA members at this summer’s BBQs, it sounds like the season was busy despite the very wet start. The CNGA staff has been very busy planning events this past season and will continue to bring you more great events over the coming months.

If you haven’t attended an event recently, I encourage you to attend the Owners & Managers Leadership Retreat on November 6 and 7 at The Lodge at Vail, and enjoy fellowship with your peers in the CNGA membership.

ProGreen will be held February 9 - 12, 2016, and has a great lineup of speakers. We’ve been working very hard to take the conference to the next level in terms of sessions, speakers and networking. When you receive the brochure in early November, I hope you can take a few moments to review the sessions, plan your schedule and sign up for the conference.

PlantSomething Colorado included radio ads promoting the locations of the contest sponsors: Fort Collins Nursery, Heidrich’s Colorado Tree Farm Nursery, and Harding Nursery. These sponsors saw anywhere from a 5 percent to 8 percent increase in likes on their company Facebook pages, which means more people will be seeing their posts about products, sales and other promotions.

CNGA — HERE FOR THE MEMBERS

By Allison Gault, MBA CNGA Executive Director

We’ve already begun talking about the 2016 campaign and have a list of ideas about how to further expand our reach. We hope you plan to participate next year, and will be offering a number of sponsorship opportunities for your consideration. If you have any specific questions about the campaign, please call, email or stop me to talk at the next CNGA event.

Over the summer, CNGA spearheaded the PlantSomething Colorado campaign. The 2015 campaign took a very different approach from previous years, and I’m happy to report we had great success. The campaign, which communicated mostly through social media, had more than 1,200 engaged consumers. Between the PlantSomething Colorado Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, we had more than 650 photos posted with the hashtag #plantsomethingco.

To post photos, consumers had to go through numerous steps from visiting a member retail location to get the campaign’s plant stakes and like-ing one of the social media pages to planting something and taking photos – so their active participation shows the excitement around the program. At the end of the campaign, we had 28 participating locations and gave away a number of prizes, all geared towards gardening and encouraging the public to purchase from their local nurseries and garden centers.

coloradonga.org

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MEMBER PROFILE

A Great Place to Buy & Learn about Plants Interview with Colin Cook, Nursery Manager

Eaton Grove Nursery and Garden Center 35901 CR 31 Eaton, Colo. 80615 tel 970.454.3856 fax 970.454.2556 ken.olsen@eatongrove.com eatongrove.com

Please tell us about your company’s owners and staff.

place with a good atmosphere where you can bring families to shop or even have lunch while the kids have fun at the nearby play areas.

Ken and Judy Olsen, both graduates of the University of Colorado, are the owners of the family-operated business. Ken earned a bachelor of science degree in landscape horticulture, and Judy earned a bachelor of science degree in floriculture. We have other horticulturists on staff, including a landscape designer from Colorado State University and a master gardener.

We have naturalized peacocks on site. Judy’s parents introduced them in the early ’70s, and we have become known for them and our other farm animals. We post Facebook updates about the peacocks, what they are up to and even when they lay their eggs in spring. They are good natured and helpful for cutting down on grasshoppers and other pests, as well as a great attraction to our facility.

How did you pick your company’s location?

The nursery is located on Judy’s parent’s farm at a rural, high-traffic intersection of Weld County. Concerned that the location was originally too far from city centers, we have ended up being a popular destination and now more centrally located, just a few miles outside of Severance and Eaton, and between Fort Collins and Greeley. With the strong rural growth in this area, we are now nicely positioned in this northern Colorado area.

What is your company’s niche?

Our nursery staff agrees that we focus on really good, quality products and educational service. Our customers have told us that Eaton Grove is where you buy plants, but so much more than that. The layout of the greenhouses invites guests to meander into the nearby retail tree and shrub areas. It’s a

What plants are gaining in popularity?

Perennials have increased in general sales over the past 30 years, as well as public awareness about and interest in xeric and more native Colorado plants. We can’t keep enough of certain sedums and other drought-tolerant perennials in stock. Apache plumes, Pawnee Buttes Western Sand Cherries, and Leadplant are selling well in the more noticeably dry years.

How do you overwinter your plants?

We overwinter in a few different ways. For our deciduous trees and shrubs, we like to clump them all together laying down, then cover with frost blanketing and white plastic to protect from the weather, keeping them dormant and making sure they don’t dry out. We keep other more cold sensitive plants in two or three cold frames.

We put some temperature sensitive trees, shrubs and evergreens in large sheds. The biggest challenge is the huge temperature differentials in Colorado winters, so we have to be really careful to avoid both frost damage and early thawing.

What are you interested in discussing at CNGA’s Owners & Managers Leadership Retreat in November?

Though I’m pretty young, I was recently promoted to manager. My age makes it easier for me to communicate with a lot of my younger employees. I help hire, train and bridge the gap between the different ages on our staff. I think it would be helpful for managers and owners to discuss the differences between older and younger employees, so they can foster respect and dedication.

Ken & Judy Olsen

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LooseLeaf October/November 2015

Hardy Roses Fit for Fanatics

MEMBER PROFILE

Interview with Matt Douglas, Owner

Please tell us about your company.

High Country Roses was founded in downtown Denver in 1970, by my stepfather, Dr. William Campbell. His mission was to collect and grow superior roses that would thrive in the tough climate of the Rocky Mountain region. His daughter, Melinda Campbell, managed the business in the 1980s, and daughter and son-in-law, Heather Campbell and Day DeLaHunt, managed the business and moved it to Utah from 1995 to 2011.

I started working in the business when I was a teenager in the ‘80s. After college and a career in the building industry, I took over the business in 2011, and moved it to Arvada in a shared greenhouse space at 72nd Avenue and Oak Street. We are primarily an online retailer with a few wholesale customers, and ship potted roses to every state.

How did you pick your company’s location?

I chose this location because it was convenient for our family and is a great set up in a shared facility. Four growers share the greenhouse with a farm behind it. Our greenhouse-mates are Emerald Leaf, selling interior and tropical plants, Rocky Mountain Fresh, selling hydroponically grown veggies, and Shalom, a branch of Jewish Family Services creating Peace Planters.

What is your company’s niche?

Dr. Campbell started the business to propagate and maintain older rose varieties that do well in the mountain west. We have expanded our catalog to more than 300 varieties, but we definitely kept a focus on old garden roses.

Our core customers are plant collectors and rose fanatics, in the most popular sense of the term. We serve people who are looking for unique varieties or roses that really meet a special purpose as far as location, cold hardiness, shade and drought tolerance. We propagate all of our plants on their own roots, which is a big deal as far as hardiness. That is a differentiator from most of our competition, because other growers tend to bring in grafted plants.

coloradonga.org

What plants were trending this season?

High Country Roses

I would definitely say the cold-hardy Canadian plants are incredibly popular. They sell especially well here in Denver and around Colorado.

People are always looking for hardy plants.

303.321.0899

10665 West 72nd Ave. Arvada, Colo. 80005 info@highcountryroses.com highcountryroses.com

Beyond that, we definitely bring in some new varieties from growers. The continuously blooming Floribundas are always popular, because they crank out the blooms, resist diseases and are cold hardy.

We had incredible luck with our own root, hardy hybrid tea varieties this last year. The Eleganza series did great, and we look forward to expanding our offering and seeing them again next year.

How do you monitor your company’s energy costs?

Energy is certainly a challenge in a shared greenhouse. We all have different needs, so we’ve developed a shared way of dealing with temperature needs to maintain the greenhouse’s efficiency as much as we can. We section off the greenhouse to accommodate dramatic differences in temperatures.

That’s the most unique part of our situation, learning how to work together on energy use. It’s taken a little figuring, but we all have an eye toward keeping costs at a minimum. The facility is owned

by Carol and Gary Howard, and as former growers, they have been a great resource in this area. Just this year, they replaced the roof, and are migrating to high-efficiency heaters.

High Country Roses staff: Alex Mayberry, Matt Douglas, and Deb Lynch.

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MEMBER PROFILE

Providing a Better Way to Grow Healthy Plants Interview with Wayne Hinton, Owner

RootMaker® Products Company, LLC P.O. Box 14553 Huntsville, Ala. 35815 tel 256.882.3199 fax 256.882.0423

Please tell us about how your company came to be.

Our company was formed in 2000, to manufacture and market RootMaker® containers invented by Dr. Carl Whitcomb, a leading proponent of root-pruning containers since the 1960s. He holds a Ph.D. in horticulture, plant ecology and agronomy from Iowa State University and is a former professor and horticultural department chair at Oklahoma State University.

I met him at a show when I was operating a nursery in Tennessee, and I just had to get involved. His technology solved the two really problematic parts of tree production: circling roots and a lack of roots. RootMaker starts pruning roots in propagation and continues to shape the roots as long as a tree is in production.

Randy Harris of Harris Glen Farms in Oregon exhibits roots produced in the RootBuilder® High 5

I’ve always taken care of the manufacturing and marketing sides of the business so Dr. Whitcomb could continue his research. Our administrative staff is my family: my son, daughter and wife, as well as one part-time employee. We can keep our office staff small because we contract out all manufacturing.

Where are your operation’s located?

We located our office where we live in Huntsville, Alabama.

Due to how we set up the company, we could operate from anywhere as long as we have internet access. Our manufacturers are located in Alabama and Texas. Dr. Whitcomb is in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and continues to engage in research and development of horticultural products.

Who are your customers?

Our customers are discriminating growers with a desire to produce the best quality plants possible.

We sell in all 50 states and several foreign countries, directly to growers as well as through several distributors.

Our whole purpose in starting RootMaker was to change the way plants are grown, so we decided a long time ago that education is our primary marketing tool. When someone calls, we spend as much time as necessary so they understand the difference that can be achieved with their plants.

How do you handle employees in the slow seasons?

July to early August is one of our slow seasons, between our spring and fall orders. We start shipping for the spring season in December and January. This year, due to the weather, shipping lasted nearly until July.

We maintain a steady employment. I can always find something for them to do. You always get behind on updating your marketing materials, creating new ads, and those things that get pushed to the side because you don’t want to spend time to do them and miss a sale. All that extra work generally gets done mid-July to mid-September. Then, we’re off and running again.

What topics would you suggest for discussions at CNGA’s Owners & Managers Leadership Retreat?

Getting people to produce a better plant is what I would be an advocate for. Recently, a gentleman told me about a tree he had in his yard for 10 years that was dying. He dug it up and could still see circling roots from the container. I drive around to urban and suburban areas, and if the trees are starting to die from the top down, you can bet the farm that the roots are not developed to support the top. If people abused animals and kids like they do plants, they would be locked up. People in this industry need to know a better way exists to grow healthy plants.

Pot-in-pot production at Tim Fisher Nursery in Oregon using RootTrapper® inserts

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LooseLeaf October/November 2015

2015 Plant Trials in Colorado The process of plant trialing has been around for a long time. Growers have compared plants and different selections of plants for many years, but the modern trial garden process really got momentum in the 1920s and ‘30s. During those years, garden clubs were gaining popularity, and home, farm, seed and florist magazines were hungry for news about new varieties but had few resources of reliable information.

Official plant trialing in the U.S. came about when All America Selections was established in 1932, as a group to oversee a national network of trial grounds in North America. Three All America Selections gardens are in Colorado, located at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Denver Botanic Gardens and Welby Gardens in Denver. In addition to All America Selection varieties, all three sites look at many other annuals and perennials including Plant Select varieties.

Our plant trial events are important so we can see how new varieties handle Colorado’s soils and climate. They allow us to look at, evaluate and measure a plant through all stages of growth. They also give local people a chance to see real plants (not just pictures) of the new varieties, and compare them to the standard varieties. Everyone has a chance to preview what will be hot in the market next year and look for the latest trends in plant materials.

coloradonga.org

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Welby Gardens Flower Trials 2015 – A Sweet World of Flowers!

By Debi Borden-Miller, CGG, Sales & Marketing Manager

Welby Gardens has conducted flower trials for 24 years. A flower trial is a comparison look at new varieties. Welby Gardens planted and grew close to 1,000 new varieties this year in containers in our greenhouse.

This year, Welby Gardens held flower trials on August 4, with close to 400 industry people attending. This year’s top five winners at Welby Gardens are:

# 1: Petunia Sanguna Radiant Blue The prolific, gorgeous, deep blue flowers with a white center appear continuously through the whole summer. The plant has a vigorous, semi-trailing habit. This petunia has outstanding landscape performance in the ground or in containers.

#2: Petunia Moonstruck This petunia has a unique flower with a yellow center radiating out into the deep purple outside.

The plant habit was very nice in our containers.

This is still an experimental variety, so it will probably not be available next season.

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#3: Coleus Mainstreet Rodeo Drive This coleus has a robust growth habit with unique oak-shaped, lobed leaves that are green with dark burgundy edges and burgundy blotches on the undersides. It is good in sun or shade. The colorful foliage is great for containers.

#4: Coleus Under the Sea Fishnet This new coleus has eye-catching leaves of bright green with dark burgundy veins and markings, and uniquely serrated edges. It will grow up to 48 inches tall and 24 inches wide, making it a nice size for landscapes or in larger containers.

#5: Kwik Cherry Blossom This is a multi-species mix of Calibrachoa Callie White Rose Vein, Petunia Whispers Star Rose and Verbena Lanai Twister Pink. These mixes are great for creating instant combination containers and hanging baskets. This dark rose and white combination is very colorful and cheerful. It will take full sun, and bloom continuously all summer.

LooseLeaf October/November 2015

2015 Superior Annuals from the CSU Trials in Fort Collins

By James E. Klett, Professor & Extension Landscape Horticulturist, Colorado State University

The Colorado State University Annual Flower Trials continued during the 2015 growing season with approximately 800 plant varieties from 33 participating companies. The garden is planted and maintained by the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture with guidance from a committee of growers, flower seed and plant companies, and public garden horticulturists.

Initial evaluations were held on August 3, with close to 100 industry and advanced Master Gardeners participating. Plants were rated on a scale of 1 to 10 and a thorough set of pre-formed questions, as well as open comments for each plant. This was the first year that we offered the evaluation process using a digital format. Approximately two thirds of our evaluators (64 people) used this user-friendly mobile app, which was available on any mobile device. This was a massive step to improving our evaluation format.

A few of the preliminary top vote getters from this initial evaluation include:

Begonia – Whopper Red Green Leaf from Ball Ingenuity This begonia has a vigorous, full growth habit with exceptional glossy green leaves edged red with numerous red flowers. The contrast between the flowers and green foliage makes it a standout from a distance.

Plants were grown in full sun and were definitely taller than other begonias in the trials.

Celosia Dragon’s Breath from Sakata This plant has great redburgundy foliage but flowers mature on the plant later in the season. Even without showy flowers, it would make an excellent mass display plant due to the foliage color. It prefers sun and is more xeric once established.

Cleome – Senorita Blanca® from Proven Winners This plant has a great bushy growth habit, and smaller but very abundant white flowers creating a lot of flower power. It is a very vigorous plant with good, dark green foliage. It could be used as a temporary hedge due to its height, vigor and stronger stems. No lodging occurred, even with overhead irrigation, and no deadheading is required. coloradonga.org

Impatiens – Big Bounce™ Lavender from Selecta This plant was grown in about 50 percent to 60 percent shade, but had very abundant, larger lavender flowers. It is very uniform but has a vigorous, taller growth habit. As its name implies, it is larger in growth habit and flower size. The various colors in the Big Bounce series performed exceptionally well in trials and all ranked close together.

Petunia (Vegetative Spreading Category) – Cascadia Indian Summer from Danziger This plant had a vigorous growth habit, covering the entire container. Its flowers were abundant, changing from yellow to a more rose-orange color.

Its overall flower color matures to real sunset hues. This variety was also ranked high in previous years in our trials. The very unusual flower color is an excellent choice for customers demanding a new color and top performer.

Vinca – Mega Bloom Deep Lavender from Ameriseed This plant’s flowers were larger in size and had a deep vibrant lavender color. They glistened against the darker color of the foliage on very uniform plants.

Vincas have performed well with low moisture once established, and prefer sun and warmer weather. Faded flowers on this variety seem to disappear and are not a problem. The whole Mega Bloom series performed exceptionally well in our trials.

Zinna – Zahara® Double Yellow from Pan American Seed These compact plants had a uniform growth habit and many fluorescent yellow flowers. The spent flowers are not really objectable. The whole Zahara series performed exceptionally well in our trials. They seemed more mildew resistant and had a mutual self-branching with a continual flower show.

These seven varieties of annuals are just some of the outstanding plants from the 2015 growing season. To view a complete listing, go to www.flowertrials.colostate.edu.

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2015 York Street Annuals Trial Garden at Denver Botanic Gardens

By Bridget Blomquist, Horticulturalist, Denver Botanic Gardens

Since its incorporation in 1951, Denver Botanic Gardens has conducted many horticultural research activities that have helped achieve the organization’s mission to connect people with plants. Started in 2013, the York Street Annuals Trial Garden has provided an opportunity for horticultural evaluation of annual flowers. The trial garden is dedicated to growing and testing new annual varieties from seed and breeding companies, to monitor and document the plants’ success in our climate.

This gives the companies an idea of what new varieties to develop for commercial sale.

In the trial’s third year, the varieties were planted in a cooler than usual May and weathered two severe hail storms within three weeks of each other in June. Some of the plant entries were so damaged, they never recovered and performed poorly in the trials. Those that survived the elements had a slow start.

Plants were measured for growth rate, attractiveness of flowers, foliage and plant form, monitored for pests and disease, and photographed biweekly. The data collected will be submitted to the National Plant Trials Database, which provides a central online location for participating companies to track plant performance.

In addition to the biweekly collection of measurements, the Botanic Gardens held an evaluation day on August 4. Employees, volunteers, annual members and professionals in the green industry were invited to evaluate the plants. Evaluation participants rated plants for the following criteria: uniformity of growth habit and flowering, insect and disease resistance, uniqueness, and overall quality of the plant. Evaluators also had the chance to pick a best plant in the show on their ballots.

Ballots were tallied and this year’s Best In Show and other top-rated plants are:

BEST IN SHOW:

Bidens CAMPFIRE™ Fireburst

This entry from Proven Winners was chosen by our evaluation participants as the Best In Show. The two-tone, bicolored scarlet and golden yellow flower is a breakthrough in the Bidens genus. The foliage has nice dark green to purple hues, a striking contrast to the blooms. This plant is covered in flowers, attracting many pollinators. Evaluators commented on the airy texture of the flower and noted a nice, mounded understory that could make a nice ground cover after it is finished blooming. This plant needed zero deadheading, making it an easy plant to grow and maintain.

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RUNNER UP:

Verbena ‘Baledopin’ ‘ENDURASCAPE’™ Hot Pink

‘Endurascape’™ Hot Pink was another excellent trial entry and a runner up for the Best In Show. With an excellent display of color, this plant provides a blanket of hot pink flowers. Many commented on its strong vigor. This verbena proves resilient in heat and recovered beautifully after the hail storms. This dense ground cover produces many flower blooms with minimal to no deadheading. Another strong annual that is easy to maintain, this verbena will perform well in garden beds and containers. It made quite an impact and is one of the showiest of the entries from Ball FloraPlant.

Petunia ‘SUPERTUNIA’® PICASSO IN BURGUNDY™ Many evaluators gave this Proven Winners petunia high marks across the board. Its unique color, a deep burgundy base flower with a chartreuse edge, is classy yet understated. Take a closer look and you will find the slight chartreuse edge of the blooms against the lighter green of the foliage makes this plant pop! This petunia is suitable for containers and garden beds, with no deadheading necessary.

With its vigorous growth habit, PICASSO IN BURGUNDY™ quickly covered the space where it was planted. I gave this petunia high marks for recovering well after the hail storms.

Plectranthus ‘UF104512’ Coleosaurus Ball FloraPlant’s coleus entry was another standout in our trial garden.

Many loved the vivid yellow leaves with the dark red-purple veins of the foliage, reminiscent of what a dinosaur’s skin may have looked like. The lush foliage creates a dramatic swath of color perfect for any garden bed or container. Coleosaurus’ growth habit is strong and uniform, receiving praise from many of our trial day evaluators.

Plectranthus COLORBLAZE® VELVETEEN™ Another coleus that caught our evaluators’ attention was the bold Coleus COLORBLAZE® VELVETEEN™.

Its name says it all – a velvety looking leaf, cupped in shape with bright magenta hues and a darker purple serrated margin.

Each purple leaf margin is highlighted by a slight green edge.

This sun-loving coleus from Proven Winners would make a great addition to a garden bed or container.

LooseLeaf October/November 2015

Stock up for Spring Rush by Overwintering Plants “If you want plants to be rooted in the spring, they have to be rooted when they go into wintertime. We’ve had losses when plants were not well established enough.”

– Britton Nursery Owner Kirby Thompson, CCNP

Kirby Thompson, CCNP

Successfully overwintering plants in Colorado is a labor-intensive process, requiring careful planning and preparation, but the investment of time and effort has proven profitable to Britton Nursery in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Specializing in growing high-quality perennials since 1979, Britton designed a time table and method for overwintering in recent years that ensures a full inventory of Colorado-grown plants are ready for customers each spring.

As one of several companies in the state participating in CNGA’s Grown in Colorado® program, the nursery “can’t bring in product from California in the spring and grow it like it was flushed out and grown here,” Thompson said.

“Back in the ‘80s, we tried to sell out of stock in the fall, because we didn’t have good success in keeping the plants alive over the winter,” said nursery owner Kirby Thompson, CCNP.

Starting around July 15 each year, Britton begins shifting its production time table from the current year to the next year. Stephanie Thompson, Kirby’s wife and Britton’s production

“What proper overwintering allows us to do is stay green but not growing – in a hyper sleep.

When we figured out we could do this, we realized we could be really aggressive with fall potting in preparation for the spring season.”

Stephanie Thompson

Photos courtesy of Britton Nursery

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manager, looks at the “proverbial crystal ball” to calculate what plants will be needed the following spring, and plans the production and staging of up to 120,000 plants.

“We stage perennials for a gorgeous finish in the spring,” Kirby said. “We start canning up the ones that are slow to root first so they have time to establish before the first freeze. If you want plants to be rooted in March, April and May, they have to be rooted when they go into wintertime.

We’ve had losses when plants were not well established enough and had to dump them in the spring. Our absolute cutoff time for potting is September 15; that gives us four to six weeks before we get any deep overnight freezes.”

Britton has no heated greenhouses, so places roughly half of its pots under plastic in cold-frame greenhouses and the other half in the fields with overhead hail netting. Plants are placed based on their hardiness, with the more cold-hardy plants out in the fields.

“It’s really important where you put the plants because different plants have

different personalities. Some don’t wake up as quickly as others, so if you put them in the field, they are not salable until several weeks after you need them,” said Kirby, describing echinacea as a good example of a plant that needs to go under plastic where it’s warmer so it can get a head start to be ready in the spring.

Stephanie is strategic about the placement of plants during production to avoid having to move plants in the fall or winter.

“You can flush a lot of money down the toilet on unnecessary labor,” the nursery owner explained.

In the cold days of October, plants are pruned and stacked closely together. “We use buffer pots around the inside of the greenhouses. We will put a row to three rows of pots filled with dirt around the live plants as a temperature barrier. These dirt pots absorb the cold along the edge, protecting the inside plants from dying,” he said.

Since the nursery is next to a field and mice seeking a nice winter home can damage plants, mouse bait is set out next to every 10th row of pots. The staff also

follows its Integrated Pest Management plan before winter, identifying and treating possible aphid or mite infestations to head off any larger problems.

In November, sometimes as late as Thanksgiving, just before the first major hard freeze, is saturation day, when the plants are watered until they are sopping wet to the bottom – sometimes a double watering cycle.

After the freeze, the saturated soil and roots will be frozen, which is perfect, he explained. “If roots are dry, they will actually split and kill the plants.”

This “hardening” or “cold treating” of all plant parts helps prevent temperature damage. “Once the plants are totally dormant and frozen then they really don’t suffer damage from the cold especially if they are covered with insulation blankets,” he said.

Even though using frost protection blankets requires a lot of labor, they are the “secret sauce in keeping perennials alive,” Kirby shared. “It’s absolutely, staggeringly apparent in our experience

Tips for Overwintering Plants

By Paul Pilon, Perennial Solutions Consulting

Whether overwintering perennials for vernalization, to ensure sufficient spring inventory or to preserve last season’s leftovers, success can be achieved by taking steps to minimize risk and actively managing the environment around the plants.

Plants can overwinter indoors or outdoors with the proper preparation based on hardiness and acclimation. Having healthy plants with strong root systems in the fall increases their ability to be successfully overwintered.

Preserving plants’ dormant state until springtime is also key.

Preparations for Winter • Plants must be well established and have healthy root systems before exposure to cold. They must grow for six-plus weeks before winterization. Non-established plants will overwinter poorly!

• When using protective blankets, removing the existing foliage reduces the occurrence of pathogens under the coverings.

• Plants should be trimmed to two to four inches prior to covering.

(Do not trim or only trim slightly evergreen varieties.)

• Preventative fungicide drenches should be applied in the late summer or early to plants with unhealthy root systems. This early application allows time to regrow a healthy root system.

• Weeds should be removed.

• Pre-emergent herbicide should be applied to floors or ground coverings.

• The production site should be cleaned of dirt and plant debris.

• Groups of similar plants should be consolidated for purposes of culture and inventory. Consolidate into a pot-to-pot configuration toward the center of the house to protect from freezing and thawing, and reduce air movement between the pots, which reduces heat loss from the root zone.

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Acclimation in the Fall • Unless the plants need to be bulked up before going dormant, fall temperatures should be kept as close to outside temperatures as possible.

• Greenhouses should be covered with poly as late as possible, preferably when plants are near dormant.

• LOTS of ventilation should be provided if structures are covered.

• Light intensity affects a plant’s ability to become acclimated. Plants acclimated under shade will acclimate slower than those grown at ambient levels.

• Adequate fertility levels should be maintained going into the overwintering period.

• Nutrient stress should be avoided. Only apply enough nutrients to sustain normal growth; do NOT apply luxury feed levels. The feed should match the current growth rate of the plant (at least 50 percent less than the amounts provided of during the growing season).

• Slight water stress before and during acclimation can hasten the time to reach dormancy and can increase the cold hardiness of many perennials • Drought-like conditions should be avoided. Only allow plants to dry out slightly more than during the normal growing season.

Water thoroughly when necessary.

• The last irrigation of the season (before covering) should be a good, thorough irrigation.

Protective Coverings • Covering plants even inside covered houses can reduce crop loss caused by cold injury, which appears as crown rot (roots are good, but the crowns are soft and rotted due to cold temperatures).

• To help hold heat in the root zone, covering options include thermal blankets and plastic or straw blankets.

LooseLeaf October/November 2015

that, both inside under plastic and outside, we have tremendously better results when plants are under frost blankets.”

The blankets insulate against extreme temperatures and some of the temperature fluctuations, keeping the right amount of cold in and extreme cold out. The blankets’ white color keeps them cool, not attracting heat on warmer days, and helping the plants stay dormant.

The “biggest enemy” of keeping plants alive through a Colorado winter is the warmth. “What we really want the plants to do is go into a hard dormant freeze and not wake up, but in January, we are always getting those 60 degree days. The plants start to transpire, and we have to take the blankets off and water them. It’s extremely labor intensive,” he commented.

With the constant weather fluctuations, there’s no way to set up automated watering systems during the winter. Instead of using moisture meters to monitor when moisture content is too low, Britton uses “the old-fashioned” method of pulling off blankets and dumping out pots to check if watering is needed.

“Sometimes we need to pull blankets several times between January and April, which can be expensive on the payroll side. We also have roll-up sides on our greenhouses, which we use quite often in the spring to regulate the temperatures,” he said.

“Our philosophy is: it takes manpower to come and pull blankets off, but it is a much better environment for plants under blankets,” he noted, adding that with proper care, maintenance and summer storage, blankets can be used over and over again for several years.

He concluded, “If the plants are dead you don’t get ANY revenue. We take care of our crop because it’s our livelihood, so the expense we put into keeping them alive more than pays for itself in the long run. The alternatives are to either bring in plants from out of state or to heat your greenhouses, neither of which are viable options to line up with our business model of producing Colorado-Grown hardy perennials!”

• Covering moderates the temperature of the root zone under the materials. Temperatures beneath a thermal blanket can be 8° to 10° F higher than the air above the blanket.

• The temperature protection of frost blankets based on weight is approximately: • 0.5 ounce per square yard = up to 4° F warmer than outside • 1.0 ounce per square yard = up to 4-6° F warmer than outside • 1.5 ounce per square yard = up to 6-8° F warmer than outside • 3.0 ounce per square yard = up to 10+° F warmer than outside • There is no magical date when to cover plants; it depends on the location and the season.

• Frost in the fall is acceptable and beneficial. Allow the root zone to drop to near freezing, when it is anticipated to remain at or below these temperatures, before covering.

• Covering too early can delay/reduce acclimation.

Fertility and Irrigation in the Winter • Plants should be watered thoroughly before covering to ensure adequate protection of the root zone.

• Moist medium is beneficial because: • it freezes slower than dry medium and releases heat to protect the roots.

• it increases the RH under the covers, which slows transpiration and desiccation.

• Moisture levels should be checked throughout the winter and water applied as necessary.

coloradonga.org

• Coverings should be removed, if possible, during extended periods of temperatures above 40° F to check the need for irrigation, monitor diseases and rodents, avoid excessive moisture build up, and reduce heat build up to keep the plants better acclimated to cold.

• Irrigation may not be necessary until the pots thaw out in the spring.

• Application of nutrients is usually not necessary.

Maintaining Dormancy • Plants need to be kept cold during the winter.

• Plant temperatures should be controlled and humidity levels reduced by ventilation: opening doors and vents or partially removing blankets.

• Temperature fluctuations should be minimized. Provide ventilation when temperatures are above 28° F. • Once the plants become de-acclimated and begin to grow, they are much more susceptible to cold injury, which occurs at this time.

• In the late winter and early spring, plants should be brought out of dormancy gradually. It is more important to manage temperatures at this time than at any other time during the overwintering process.

About the Contributor: Paul Pilon founded and works exclusively as a horticultural consultant and contract researcher for Perennial Solutions Consulting.

Having earned a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from Michigan State University, he has more than 22 years of hands-on greenhouse growing experience. He writes a monthly column called “Perennial Solutions” in Greenhouse Product News and publishes articles in several trade publications.

He wrote the book “Perennial Solutions: A Growers Guide to Perennial Production” published by Ball Publishing. He can be reached at www.perennialsolutions.com or 616.366.8588.

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Energy Efficiency = Higher Profits Monitoring energy use and increasing efficiency boosts the bottom line

Jim Rearden

Knowing the efficiency of a greenhouse’s energy usage is critical to understanding how fuel costs are being managed as a business expense.

Because heating is one of the largest expenses in greenhouse production and can be 80 percent of total energy costs, monitoring energy efficiency can provide significant opportunities for saving money and maximizing the bottom line.

“Every grower should track what their fuel usage is every year and do comparisons, not so Joel Rechin much based on price but based on quantities,” said Jim Rearden, the CEO of BioTherm. “In the case of natural gas, they should be keeping track of how many therms they are using per month and comparing those numbers year to year. But you also have to pay attention to both air and media temperatures, weather patterns and crop mixes.”

Founded in 1980 and located in Cotati, California, BioTherm prides itself on selling innovative, high-efficient boilers and heating systems for commercial plant growers. “Our focus is assisting our

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customers with finding the appropriate equipment for their crops and locations,” Rearden said.

“Most growers know how to grow plants, but don’t spend much time figuring out their basic efficiency,” he explained.

“Being a pretty mature industry, there are a lot of established greenhouses with older owners or those who are the second, third or fourth generation. Having been in the business for a long time, they usually have a patchwork of different structures, which have pretty long service lives in general.”

Often, the older facilities will have older heating systems and boilers that are not as efficient as most of the newer models developed in the last 10 years, which can be up to 20 percent higher in efficiency.

With fuel prices increasing over the longterm, low efficiency systems can suck dollars out of a business.

As a key account manager for BioTherm, Joel Rechin is frequently opening his prospective customers’ eyes to the financial realities of energy waste. Over the past year or so, BioTherm has streamlined its process of energy assessments, offered to prospective buyers to help them understand their energy efficiency. Rechin sends a package of materials with instructions for gathering data about structures, energy use and seasonal crop information. He uses the information to create an energy efficiency score.

“These days, getting a useful number is much simpler. It used to require us to go on site with an engineer for a couple days and was expensive. Now, with satellite tools like Google Earth that let

you tap into weather data from any weather station, we don’t need to go on site, but can still give people a very broad indicator of what their efficiency is.

We also like to collect data including energy costs for more than one year from the grower, so we can be as accurate as possible. With that data, we can kick back a report that shows where they stack up compared to peers in their market and other places,” Rechin explained.

BioTherm’s energy assessment also offers recommendations for new technology to improve efficiency and the related costs and savings. Energy efficiency grants, rebates and loans are available through utilities and local, state and federal government agencies to help fund equipment upgrades, but many of them require a more complete energy audit to be conducted by an engineering consultant. Rechin and Rearden are quick to point out that their assessment is not a traditional audit, which can take as much as a year to complete and be costly.

“A typical greenhouse with an older heating system will score in the low 60s and high 50s. We would like to see growers all be in the high 70s to 80s. If they’re not doing that, they’re probably not heating their plants well. We help people figure that out and point out where their weaknesses are,” Rearden said.

“Some growers are spending $1.50 to $2 per square foot for energy, which is a general indication they are using some really old equipment and could probably cut that cost in half with a new system,” he added.

Though new highly efficient boiler systems could typically cost $3 per square LooseLeaf October/November 2015

foot, when calculating the expense across a greenhouse, that amount could be paid back in energy saving within three to four years. For example, a one-acre greenhouse, spending up to $80,000 a year on heating, could save $40,000 a year on heating costs, which could pay off the investment in the new system.

“The industry has gotten a lot better in the last 10 to 15 years about being aware of not wasting, but we still see situations where people may still be trying to use single glazings or old control systems, because they are afraid of new microprocessor systems. That is shortsighted, when you consider the longterm investment,” he noted.

BioTherm recently completed an energy assessment for Plantpeddler in Cresco, Iowa. The plant grower and supplier with multiple divisions, serving a broad clientele ranging from gardeners to retailers and commercial growers, has a variety of new and old structures at two locations. The assessment took place at the original location that has facility ages ranging from 20 to 55 years old.

“We have pretty cold winters in the midwest so we rely a lot on natural gas, especially for our young plant propagation.

coloradonga.org

We are burning gas 360 out of 365 days each year. Since we are always heating, energy efficiency is important to us for cost savings and input,” said Operations Manager John Gooder.

Last fall, the company faced a situation where it needed to decide whether to repair an old boiler in one structure or replace it with a new higher efficiency boiler. “We discovered it was more economical to install a new boiler from BioTherm. We probably went from 38 percent to 70 percent efficiency, almost doubling our energy efficiency with the new boiler system. I expect the savings will give us a return on the investment within five years,” said Gooder.

Plantpeddler looked into some grants through its natural gas provider before installing the new boiler, but did not have time before other production activities got busy to determine if it was qualified for the few available programs.

With a year window after installation to apply for grants, the company is looking into it again. “We want to make sure we are covering all our bases so we can save as much as possible,” he said.

Signs that Energy Efficiency Could Be Improved • The growing set point temperatures are lowered to save fuel. A common strategy for saving fuel is to lower the optimal growing set point temperature a few degrees. Although this may use less fuel, your plants are not getting adequate heat to grow to their full potential, compromising your end product and ultimately your bottom line.

• The age of your heating equipment is older than 10 years. New technologies have been developed within the last decade that have improved heating equipment efficiencies up to 20 percent.

• You have mechanical thermostats. Newer automatic control systems now have microprocessors that can anticipate outside temperature changes and correctly adjust the heating system to an optimal running capacity.

• You are heating with just unit heaters. Do unit heaters provide heat? Yes. Do they provide heat efficiently? Not really. And the answer to the latter question is twofold. Not only are unit heaters less fuel efficient, they provide heat where it is least needed, at the top of the greenhouse. Utilizing a heating system that can direct heat exactly where it needs to go, like under bench heating, is a much more efficient way to use the precious heat that you pay for.

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TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

By Diana Mundinger, CCNP General Manager Eagle Crest Nursery

“Employees’ reasons for coming back to our seasonal jobs are as varied as the employees themselves,

Retaining Seasonal Staff As anyone managing a garden center knows, staffing a seasonal business may be a challenge.

Hiring an all new crew each year presents problems with continuity for customers, product knowledge and teaching a myriad of small details about “how we do things”. Although retaining employees may be more expensive with increasing wages and benefits, training a new seasonal employee has many costs associated with it, too.

We, at Eagle Crest Nursery, have had good success (luck?) with having employees return season after season. We have a year-round staff of approximately eight, which swells to 40 during the “100-day war” that is the spring garden center season. Some seasonal employees have been with us for 15 years or more. Why do they keep coming back? We have found there is not just one answer to that question.

Their reasons are as varied as the employees themselves. That means we must create various incentives for them to return.

The most popular reason they give for wanting to come back is this is a fun place to work. It is a conscious decision on our part to make efforts to create a fun work environment.

Our staff is trained to be present each day, choose a positive attitude and include other employees, and especially customers, in the fun.

Our customers frequently comment on the pleasant atmosphere of the nursery and how it must be such a great place to work. Some of our best new recruits come from our customer base.

We are also fortunate to be a ski resort community, where the ski season is opposite to ours. Many people come to Aspen to be ski bums and work in the ski business, but they find they enjoy the summers as well and need a summer job to allow them to keep up the ski lifestyle and live the dream. Works for us!

Being a resort community has its downfalls. It is an expensive place to live. We do our best to provide a living wage. Seasonal businesses are not well known for the best pay rate, but we do what we can while still making the finances of the business work. All new hires start well above the federal minimum wage. Even so, there are members of our staff who choose to work a second job in the food service industry or elsewhere. We make efforts to accommodate those schedules as much as possible.

Other financial incentives include our end-ofseason and end-of-year bonuses, some paid holidays, wage increases, available overtime at the height of the season, employee discounts on our products, and job-attached unemployment status for many of our staff during the winter.

Full-time, year-round staff members (defined by us as those working 10 months or more per year and 32-plus hours per week) are also given health insurance benefits, more paid holidays, paid vacation and the ability to participate in our IRA program with employer contributions.

We extend our season to keep key staff employed with a Christmas Shop and a Winter Farmer’s Market in our greenhouse.

which means we must create various incentives for them to return.”

Eagle Crest Nursery employees

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LooseLeaf October/November 2015

Many of our new hires come to us with the desire to learn all they can about gardening.

Lucky for them, they work in a place where learning opportunities are endless. Nurturing the desire to learn makes for happier employees who will want to return each season. Better customer service is a side benefit.

Returning employees are encouraged to become mentors to any new hires. New employees can teach some of us old timers about new ways of doing things, too! Product knowledge sessions are part of our weekly all staff meetings. We also encourage and pay for staff to take advantage of any education sessions such as ProGreen and Colorado Certified Nursery Professional (CCNP) training available through CNGA. Eagle Crest has eight current CCNPs on staff and hopes to add a few more in coming months.

Regardless of how many employees return each year, we always have the need to hire new seasonal employees. The challenge continues each spring to find the perfect upbeat, positive, sharp, potential employee who wants to work really hard, lift heavy objects and sweat while smiling for three months, and then get laid off for the majority of the year. Is anyone out there looking for a fun spring job next year?

Cold-hardy specimen trees.

Shade, flowering and evergreen.

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FUNDING RESEARCH & EDUCATION

By Mike Kintgen CHREF Vice President

CHREF Supports Critical Research Over the years, CNREF and now CHREF (Colorado Horticultural Research & Education Foundation) has supported research conducted

by Colorado State University, aimed at supplying the best information to regional nurseries and horticulturalists. In addition to those projects, CHREF donated money for the construction of a new greenhouse experiential learning lab in Westminster, Colorado in 2014. This project created improved facilities for Front Range Community College students to experience and gain firsthand knowledge of horticulture and greenhouses.

Projects of regional importance would not be possible without support from CHREF. Dr. James Klett, professor and extension landscape horticulturist at Colorado State University, explains how the funding has helped him and the university: “Funding from CHREF allows me to continue both applied and more fundamental research to help the nursery and greenhouse industry in Colorado and beyond. Without these dollars, I would not be able to continue to do this research and hire students who are future industry members to help conduct this research.

“Currently I receive no operational or research dollars from the Agricultural Experiment Station, and I have to generate grant funds to do any of this work. I am very thankful that CNREF and now CHREF have helped me continue to do research that ultimately helps you in your businesses and helps train future members of our industry.”

Not only does funding help support research, it gives graduate and doctoral students opportunities to work on meaningful projects.

Since 2009, five students have received masters of science degrees and one student, Alison O’Connor, received her doctorate with partial funding from CNREF. In a recent email to Klett, I asked him what he felt were worthwhile projects for future funding. He replied, “Research on water requirements of landscape plants needs to continue to be a high priority, along with more suitable woody plants that can survive in our stressful environment especially due to EAB and other newer pests.”

Additionally, as described in past CHREF articles in the LooseLeaf, CHREF also provides financial support through scholarships to undergraduate students pursuing careers in

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horticulture at CSU and Front Range Community College. The CHREF board welcomes ideas and feedback on projects or students that are worthy of funding.

Past Research Projects Supported by the Foundation 2014 Woody Plant Evaluation Multi-site Woody Plant Evaluation Ornamental Grass National Trials and Water Use Study Container Effects Study 2013 Woody Plant Evaluation for the High Plains and Rocky Mountain Region Ornamental Grass National Trials and Water Use Study Transplant Success of Chanticleer® Influenced by Container Type & Overwintering Treatments Multi-site Woody Plant Evaluation 2012 Woody Plant Evaluation Nursery Tree Production Research Publication Multi-site Woody Plant Evaluation 2011 Woody Plant Evaluation Nursery Tree Production Research Plant Publication Multi-site Woody Plant Evaluation 2010 Nursery Tree Production Multi-site Woody Plant Evaluation Woody Plant Evaluation for the High Plains and Rocky Mountain Region Tree Recommendation publication 2009 Woody Plant Trials Multi-site Plant Project Shrub Study

LooseLeaf October/November 2015

Office Ergonomics 101 Think you can’t get hurt in an office environment? Think again. Even though your employees may not be handling heavy machinery, there’s still the potential for musculoskeletal injuries related to repetitive movement, materials handling and more.

Employers often neglect office staff due to an assumption of reduced risk and hazard exposure. Make sure you’re avoiding office employee injuries by evaluating your office for safety, using Pinnacol resources.

A whopping 80 percent of our policyholders have reported that they were able to resolve their office ergonomic issues themselves after watching our Office Ergonomics Interactive DVD. The video is an easy-to-use tool designed to help policyholders ensure their office employees are safe and comfortable. Watch and you’ll learn how to: • Reduce soft-tissue injuries to office workers, customer service workers and other employees resulting from overuse.

SAFETY CORNER

• Click on the Office Ergonomics link on the middle of the page. It will ask you to enter your policy number.

• The video will take a few minutes to load.

• The employee self-evaluation videos are covered in modules 1 and 2.

• Module 5 has some good tips on what to consider before providing training.

• Handouts and FAQ documents are located under the downloadable Resources section.

From Pinnacol Assurance

Please take advantage of this important, free resource. If your employee is still experiencing some discomfort after making the suggested modifications with the appropriate resources, please contact us on our Safety On Call hotline at 303.361.4700. We’re committed to helping your organization build a culture of safety, so please let us know how we can help you.

• Teach employees how to properly set up their workstations.

• Lower workers’ compensation costs, and keep employees safe on the job.

• Establish an effective office ergonomics program.

Like all Pinnacol safety materials, this resource is complimentary, and it’s easy for you and your employees to access. You can even copy it to your intranet as a training resource for your employees. Order a physical copy (under the Safety tab, click on the Order Materials button, then click on the DVD Training and Resources section) or stream it on our Resources page. Just follow these instructions:

Don’t Just Sit There!

PlantSomethingCO.org coloradonga.org

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CNGA calendar

SAVE THE DATES for these events, and mark your calendars now!

Commercial Pesticide Applicators Exam Prep Seminars CNGA Offices, Lakewood, Colo.

October 2015 The Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association and Colorado State University offer the Commercial Pesticide Applicators Exam Prep Seminars to help you prepare for and pass the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Commercial Pesticide Applicators Licensing Exam. Your instructors are Urban IPM Extension Agent Mary Small and Plant Diagnostic Clinic Research Associate Curtis Utely with the Jefferson County Extension office.

The CNGA/CSU Exam Prep Seminars are designed to double your chances of success when taking the exam, saving you time and money. Four seminars are offered: General parts I and II, Turf, and Ornamental. All seminars are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and include lunch. The general seminars are $63 each and the category seminars are $88 each, and include the corresponding book. Registrations can be made at www.coloradonga.org.

General Seminar Part I – Tuesday, Oct. 13 General Seminar Part II – Thursday, Oct. 15 Ornamental Seminar – Tuesday, Oct. 20 Turf Seminar – Thursday, Oct. 22 Colorado Certified Nursery Professional (CCNP) Seminars Denver Metro Area, Colo.; Tuesdays Employers can be assured that a Colorado Certified Nursery Professional is dedicated to the industry and can provide exceptional customer service, knowledge and professionalism. The CCNP exam can be taken on its own – enrolling in the seminars is not required.

Perennials – Echter’s Greenhouses, Arvada – Nov. 3, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Trees – Little Valley Wholesale Nursery, Brighton – Nov. 10, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Shrubs – Alameda Wholesale Nursery, Englewood – Nov. 17, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Landscape Design – CNGA, Lakewood – Dec. 1, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Exam – CNGA, Lakewood – Jan. 12, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Exam – ProGreen EXPO, Colorado Convention Center, Denver – Feb. 9, 1–5 p.m.

new members

Owners & Managers Leadership Retreat The Lodge at Vail, Vail, Colo.

Friday & Saturday, Nov. 6 & 7 Mark your calendars for this must-attend meeting, designed for all decision makers to share experiences, ideas, and practical information both in the meeting and social offerings.

• $70 per person includes Friday & Saturday sessions, Friday dinner, and breakfast on Saturday.

• The Friday session is from 3 to 5:45 p.m. with happy hour immediately following and dinner at 7 p.m.

• The Saturday session begins with breakfast at 8 a.m. and the session beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 12 noon.

• $109 hotel room rate. Remember you must make reservations directly with the hotel at 888.328.1005 using reservation code VC2CNG. This rate will be honored three days before and after, based on availability. Watch the E-Leafs for upcoming details and to make your seminar reservations with CNGA. Thank you to our sponsors: Tagawa Greenhouses and Wells Fargo Insurance Services.

ProGreen EXPO 2016 Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colo Tuesday-Friday, Feb. 9-12, 2016 If you’re looking to take the pulse of the business year ahead and keep your competitive edge, then plan now to attend Colorado’s largest annual gathering of horticultural professionals. There’s no other place where you can accomplish so much in such a short amount of time – from specialized training to viewing new, cuttingedge technology and socializing with people who might just give you new perspectives on old problems. Four days of educationpacked sessions combined with the region’s largest and most diverse trade show offer unmatched value for your time and money.

Exhibit spaces are going fast, so if you’re thinking about reserving a spot contact ProGreen EXPO now before they are all gone! Looking for added exposure and branding opportunities? You should consider becoming a ProGreen Sponsor. In 2015, nearly 6,000 people attended the conference. For exhibit and sponsor information, please visit the ProGreen website at www.progreenexpo.com, call 303.798.3664, or email progreen@kinsleymeetings.com.

Sopris Tree and Landscape Supply 1111 Village Road Carbondale, Colo. 81623 Paul Mansolilli 970.963.3070

Register for calendar events with CNGA unless otherwise noted.

Tel: 303.758.6672 • Fax: 303.758.6805 Email: info@coloradonga.org CNGA is the host of calendar events unless otherwise noted. For more information, registration forms, and directions to programs, go to coloradonga.org and click on the Events tab to view the Calendar.

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LooseLeaf October/November 2015

classified ADS CNGA offers free posts of online classified ads to members, including items for sale or lease and job openings. For more details about the help wanted listings below and to see other current postings, visit coloradonga.org, click on the Resources tab and click on Classifieds.

Help Wanted Various Irrigation & Gardening Positions in Aspen Fitzgerald Landscaping and Design, Inc., P.O. Box 423, Aspen, Colo. 81612, has positions available for an experienced irrigation technician, a garden and irrigation installation/maintenance technician, and a foreman for maintenance and installations crews.

Please contact Katherine Fitzgerald at info@fitzgeraldlandscaping.com or 970.920.3005.

Shrub &Tree Grower Silver Sage Garden Centers, 9010 S. Santa Fe Dr., Littleton, Colo. 80125, is looking to hire a grower to head up an expanding production line of shrubs and trees. This is an exciting opportunity to help create a new line of business at an established garden center. Prior experience is required. Please email resume to teddy@silversageco.com.

Inside Sales Associate & Retail Sales Manager Harmony Gardens, 4315 E. Harmony Rd., Fort Collins, Colo.

80525, is looking to hire an inside sales associate to serve as a direct assistant to the branch manager and as a customer service team member. Also available is a retail sales manager position, responsible for day-to-day operations, promotions and merchandising, staff training and maintaining exceptional customer service. Please send resume to toby@harmonygardens.biz.

Tree Farm Position Steve Koon Landscape & Design, Inc., 2301 W. Oxford Ave., Englewood, Colo. 80110, seeks a qualified person for growing, maintaining and selling trees and other related duties such as pesticide application and irrigation. The position is full-time with Saturday or Sunday work required, along with a horticulture background, sales experience, and a valid driver’s license with a clean MVR. Apply in person or email resume to SteveKnLandscape@aol.com or fax to 303.781.4525.

Assistant Nursery Manager & Sales Positions Neils Lunceford, Inc., P.O. Box 2130, Silverthorne, Colo.

80498, is seeking an assistant nursery manager for Summit County, Colo. garden centers. We also have nursery, landscape and maintenance sales position available for the right individual in Grand County. Please contact Rob Milstead at 970.509.0393 and complete an employment application at www.neilslunceford.com.

Professional Gardener Gardening By Tess, 1669 Hoyt St., Lakewood, Colo. 80215, seeks qualified gardeners with a good sense of humor to join the team. Please send your resume to tess@gardeningbytess.com.

Delivery Driver/Greenhouse Worker The Plant Ranch, 5468 Carr St., Arvada, Colo. 80002, a wholesale distributor of tropical foliage, is expanding and seeking a full-time customer service-oriented delivery driver/greenhouse employee. Candidate will be delivering orders to customers when needed and pulling orders at other times. Candidate must provide a CLEAN Driver’s License record from the Colorado DMV, and must be able to lift a minimum of 50 pounds. Horticulture industry experience is preferred. Email resume to cindy@plantranchco.com.

Applicant must pass a drug/alcohol test. We are not associated with the MMJ industry. coloradonga.org

Social Media Expert, Sales Manager, Organic Certification Assistant, & Sales Positions Key To Life, 3881 C Steele St., Denver, Colo. 80205, is a high-growth, organic nutrient and fertilizer company with a fun culture, looking for qualified applicants who share a passion for organic nutrients and making our food supply and planet healthier.

We are seeking a social media marketing expert to drive traffic and orders to our website through all forms of social media; an experienced sales manager in the greenhouse, wholesale, agriculture industry; a detail-oriented assistant to help obtain OMRI organic product label certifications and additional state registrations for our products; and salespeople who can hit the ground running and tell others about our products. Send resumes to kellyo@keytolifegarden.com.

Full-Time Grower Paulino Gardens Inc., 6300 N. Broadway, Denver, Colo.

80216, has a position open for an experienced grower. This is a year-round position. Applicant must know growing of bedding plants, hanging baskets, vegetables and poinsettias, as well as pesticide application. Apply in person with resume or email to john@paulinogardens.com

advertisers LIST American Clay Works & Supply Company . . . . . . 19 Baxter Wholesale Nursery, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Britton Nursery, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Circle D Farm Sales, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Clayton Tree Farm LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Everris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Harding Nursery, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Jayker Wholesale Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 McKay Nursery Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

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Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association 959 S. Kipling Pky, #200 Lakewood, CO 80226

Plant evaluators congregated at the Colorado State University Annual Flower Trials in Fort Collins in August. Starting on page 9 in this LooseLeaf issue, read the results of annual plant trials at Welby Gardens in Denver, CSU and Denver Botanic Gardens.

Photos courtesy of Colorado State University

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LooseLeaf October/November 2015