Working for You May 27, 2022

TEXAS NURSERY & LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATION

TNLA E-NEWSLETTER

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TNLA Updates Have you seen the NEW 2022 EXPO Education Line-Up?

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Jujube Ordered in 2019 and came in 2022!

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TNLA Tailgate Topics Blowers

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TNLA Advocacy Report USDA Announces First Phase of Disaster Relief For Growers

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Discount Program

Changes to Home Depot Discount Program

AD INDEX Inside Front Cover: OHP, Inc. 14: Horizon 20: Office Depot

22: Repair Smith Back inside cover: Hotchkiss Insurance Back cover: Merchant Owl

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TNLA

Updates TNLA DEADLINES The 2023-2024 Texas Nursery & Landscape Association Foundation Horticulture Scholarship program will begin July 1, 2022. If you are a deserving student or know of one interested in this field of study, please go to the following website for more details: apply.mykaleidoscope.com/scholarships/tnlafoundation-scholarship

HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW 2022 EXPO EDUCATION LINE-UP? This year, EXPO is offering a new schedule with a Wednesday CEU Day on August 10, 2022, and then will be conducting LIVE demonstrations on the show floor on both Thursday and Friday, August 11 - 12, 2022. The Wednesday CEU Day will give your team the chance to earn CEUs from TNLA, TCEQ, TDA, and OSHA. You can also get in on the action to earn CEUs during the demonstrations on the show floor which include tree climbing, drones, lighting, irrigation, retail merchandising, and more! To register for EXPO and review this year's education schedule visit www.NurseryLandscapeEXPO.org. (Save Now and Register Today as Advance Rates end July 22, 2022.)

REMINDER: CHECK YOUR CERTIFICATION STATUS It is renewal time for Certification. This is also the chance for everyone to check on the total number of CEUs TNLA has recorded in your file to make sure you are eligible to renew your certification. If you have any questions about when to renew or want to check your total number of CEUs contact Certification@tnlaonline.org or log into the Member's Only Portal.

If you are a Certified Professional, below are the total number of CEUs that are required every two years.

Texas Certified Water Smart Professional (TCWSP) 8 hours of CEUs Texas Certified Landscape Associate (TCLA): 8 hours of CEUs Texas Certified Nursery Professional (TCNP): 8 hours of CEUs Texas Certified Landscape Professional (TCLP): 16 CEUs Texas Master Certified Nursery Professional (TMCNP): 16 CEUs UPCOMING REGION MEETINGS TNLA Region IV Meeting Friday, June 3, 2022 5:00 PM - 10:30 PM CST Visit here for more information: https://web.tnlaonline.org/events/RegionIV%20Mee ting-630/details TNLA Region II Meeting Tuesday, June 14, 2022, 6:00 PM Visit here for more information: https://web.tnlaonline.org/events/Region-IIMeeting-633/details

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Explore the Brochure

Beyond Paradise Nursery

Calloway’s Nursery

Cornelius Nursery

Tomball, TX

Lewisville, TX

Houston, TX

Beyond Paradise Nursery

Calloway’s Nursery

Cornelius Nursery

Cypress, TX

Fort Worth, TX

Katy, TX

Calloway’s Nursery Blooming Colors Nursery

Hurst, TX

Grapevine, TX

Cornelius Nursery Sugar Land, TX

Calloway’s Nursery Bobo’s Nursery & Florist Inc.

Denton, TX

Buffalo, TX

Cornelius Nursery Galveston, TX

Calloway’s Nursery Bobo’s Nursery & Florist Inc.

McKinney, TX

Buffalo, TX

Calloway’s Nursery

Cornelius Nursery Spring, TX

Arlington, TX Calloway’s Nursery Richardson, TX

Amarillo, Tx Calloway’s Nursery Flower Mound, TX

Calloway’s Nursery Mesquite, TX

Calloway’s Nursery Southlake, TX Calloway’s Nursery

Calloway’s Nursery

Bee Cave, TX

Calloway’s Nursery Calloway’s Nursery

Calloway’s Nursery

Garden-Ville Georgetown Georgetown, TX

Calloway’s Nursery Dallas, TX

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Garden-Ville Buda/Creedmoor Creedmoor, TX

Hebron, TX Plano, TX

Garden-Ville Bee Cave

Calloway’s Nursery Mansfield, TX

Dallas, TX

Fannin Tree Farm Frisco, TX

Little Elm, TX Arlington, TX

Enchanted Gardens Richmond, TX

Calloway’s Nursery Plano, TX

Coulter Gardens and Nursery

Garden-Ville San Antonio (Evans

Calloway’s Nursery

Road)

Prosper, TX

San Antonio, TX

Garden-Ville San

Living Earth

Living Earth

Nelson Nursery & Water

Antonio (Starcrest)

Dickinson, TX

Plano, TX

Gardens

San Antonio, TX Garden-Ville San

Katy, TX Living Earth

Living Earth

Freeport, TX

Lancaster, TX

Living Earth

Living Earth

Center

Katy, TX

Rockwall, TX

Dallas, TX

Living Earth

Living Earth

Rainbow Gardens #3

Iowa Colony, TX

Lakeside, TX

San Antonio, TX

Living Earth

Lone Star Nursery

Redenta’s Garden Shop

Houston, TX

20401 Trappers Trail,

Dallas, TX

Antonio Converse, TX

Nicholson-Hardie Nursery & Garden

Garden-Ville Victoria Victoria, TX Gardens at The Ridge Kerrville, TX Green Planet Scapes

Manor TX 78653

Garden Center

Living Earth

Austin, TX

Richmond, TX

Green-Eco Provisions

Living Earth

Houston, TX

Houston, TX

Round Rock Garden Marshall Grain

Center

Company

Round Rock, TX

Grapevine, TX Shades of Green, Inc Mason Building

Living Earth

Living Earth

Supply

Missouri City, Texas

Houston, TX

Mason, TX

Frisco, TX Smith's Gardentown Wichita Falls, TX

Living Earth

Living Earth

Mike’s Garden Center

New Caney TX

Houston, TX

Fort Worth, TX

Spring Gardens Nursery Spring, TX

Living Earth

Living Earth

Mike’s Garden Center

Conroe, TX

Roanoke, TX

Southlake, TX

Living Earth

Living Earth

Moonlight Nursery

Houston, TX

Double Oak, TX

Melissa, TX

Trees of Central Texas Brenham, TX Turner's Gardenland Corpus Christi TX

Living Earth

Living Earth

The Natural Gardener

Hockley, TX

Dallas, TX

Austin, TX

Taylor Garden Center Taylor, TX

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TNLA Foundation Leadership Bootcamp Deadline to Submit Applications: June 8, 2022

Make your mark this year by enhancing your personal skills and becoming an even better leader and manager through the TNLA Foundation's Leadership Bootcamp. The deadline to apply is June 8, 2022, download the application by clicking here. Limited spots are available, and only 20 individuals will be accepted. TNLA's Leadership Bootcamp is designed to bolster your professionalism through sessions focussing on business management, communications, finances, and more. For more information about the program, visit here.

"Participating in this program has been a great experience broadening multiple items in my career growth. It opened doors for networking, provided ideas on how to improve communication, and discussed different types of management styles for me to apply in my career. I highly recommend this program if you are interested in growing yourself personally and professionally." - Blake Freis, Leadership Bootcamp Class I

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TNLA

Jujube: ordered in 2019 and came in 2022!

Runshi Xie, Bin Wu, and Dr. Mengmeng Gu Bin Wu and Runshi Xie are both Ph.D. students working in the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University fushe001@email.tamu.edu, bin.wu@tamu.edu Professor/Extension Specialist, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, mgu@tamu.edu We all know that the current plant market is a seller’s market. Everything flies off the nursery shelves. Many nurseries are working very hard to keep up with demand. Lots of buyers are having a hard time finding what they need. What I needed were jujube plants.

To increase my jujube collection, I ordered jujube plants from a wholesale nursery on the west coast in 2019. The earliest time they had availability was spring, 2022. Not all plants that I ordered came about in February because they are simply just not available.

Back in winter 2018, I wrote about my jujube trial in College Station and some benefits of jujube for TNLA GREEN. When visiting the pre-pandemic FarWest Show in Portland, Oregon in 2019, I was gladly surprised by the number of nurseries offering jujube plants, although limited selections and availabilities. I wish I had bought some kind of ‘jujube stock’ back then. I would’ve probably made a lot of money. I should’ve foreseen it.

FIG. 1. ROADSIDE JUJUBES IN ALPINE. PHOTO CREDIT: LAURA MILLER.

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TNLA

Jujube continued.

All jokes aside, I strongly encourage our green industry, especially the wholesale and retail nurseries, to take a closer look at jujube plants. It has so many benefits and right now the consumer demand is very high.

Not many disease and insect issues----Our beloved Dr. Kevin Ong is a plant pathologist working closely with the Texas Green Industry. In one of the previous Chat with Green Aggies (CWGA) episodes, he mentioned that one IPM strategy was using disease/insect resistant/tolerant plants, a major reason for the jujube trees in his backyard. Do jujube plants have disease/insect issues?

Of course, as pointed out by Dr. Young-Ki Jo in another CWGA episode, He has seen jujube anthracnose fruit rot (Caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) in Korea.

Other diseases including jujube witches’ broom, leaf-rust, and jujube fruit shrinkage disease, caused by fungal and bacterial pathogens such as Alternaria spp. and Erwinia jujubovora, were known to cause yield loss of jujube production in Asia.

However, anyone growing jujube, to sell or for fruit production, is probably way ahead of the disease and insect curve in the U.S. Drought tolerance-----One of the reasons that Dr. Shengrui Yao trials and promotes jujubes in New Mexico is their drought tolerance. Laura Miller, our Hort. Agent in Tarrant Co. shared a picture on her Twitter of fruiting roadside jujubes in Alpine, TX (Fig. 1) with no care whatsoever.

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FIG. 2A. THE ARROW INDICATES THE SECOND FLUSH OF FRUITING BRANCHES RIGHT ABOVE THE FIRST FLUSH OF FRUITING BRANCHES FROM THE SAME PRIMARY SHOOT ON JULY 28, 2021.

PHOTO CREDIT: DR. MENGMENG GU.

TNLA

Jujube continued.

Susan Himes, the Texas AgriLife Today writer who helped promote my jujube workshop finally found out the mysterious fruiting trees at her property NW of San Angelo is called jujube. Annual precipitation at Alpine and San Angelo is about 10” and 20”, respectively.

Late frost avoidance-----The freezing temperatures forecasted in the Southeastern U.S. over the past weekend (March 12, 2022) got a lot of growers (nursery, blueberry, peach, etc.) worried.

Tender landscape plants have been enjoying the mild winter and were flushing out. In many areas, blueberry and peach are in full blooming, when they are most vulnerable to freeze damage and potential yield loss.

Jujube is a late bloomer, literally. In my field trial in College Station, the jujube plants bud out around mid-April, when most frost danger is gone. They flower and fruit on the current year's growth, so even for some reason that first flush of branches is damaged due to some reason, there should be enough energy to push out another flush of branches and flower/fruit.

Two crops per year (?)----- Although some literature mentions chilling hours requirements for jujube, that may not necessarily be true or could be substituted. Here in College Station, after the first crop of jujubes is harvested, the second flush of new shoots will grow and from that, the second flush of fruiting branches brings the second round of flowering and fruiting (Fig. 2a and 2b).

FIG. 2B. THE CIRCLE INDICATES THE SECOND FLUSH OF FRUITING BRANCHES FROM THE CURRENT YEAR FLUSH OF PRIMARY SHOOT RIGHT ABOVE (‘LEFT’ IN THE PICTURE DUE TO BRANCH BENDING) THE FIRST FLUSH OF FRUITING BRANCHES ON JULY 28, 2021. PHOTO CREDIT: DR. MENGMENG GU.

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TNLA

Jujube continued.

The second flush largely depends on the amount of rain in July. Supplemental irrigation may help, but the amount of natural rainfall may be the key on the amount of the second flush. Maybe the drought period often occurring in May and June here substitutes the chilling requirement. Maybe and just maybe, for areas not ‘blessed’ with the late spring early summer drought, treatments such as gibberellic acid application, could be adopted to induce the second crop.

Research is definitely needed on this.

Most of jujube fruits sold in Asian markets in the U.S. are imported from Asia. The quality of fresh local fruits could beat any imported ones in a heartbeat. That’s probably why so many people are growing their own trees, and thus a huge demand of jujube plants for wholesale and retail nurseries. A private Facebook group ‘Jujube Growers’ has 5.6k members. The increasingly huge interest in jujubes is definitely a reason that my jujube plants ordered in 2019 came in 2022. I am still learning how jujube does in Texas with my first group of jujubes planted in 2018, and I’d love to chat with you if it has any potential to raise your profit just a little.

Nursery considerations----- Jujube plants as a nursery crop being offered to homeowners is definitely not new, however, the increasing in popularity is more a recent phenomenon in the past 10 years, as more people seeking more sustainable edible landscape materials.

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FIG 3. WHOLESALE AND RETAIL NURSERIES MAY WANT TO OFFER JUJUBE CULTIVARS WITH DIFFERENT FRUIT SIZES AND SHAPES, AS SEEN IN OUR TRIAL. PHOTO CREDIT: SOON-TO-BE-DR. BIN WU.

TNLA

Jujube continued.

Mail order nurseries having ‘out of stock’ sign next to their jujube offerings most time of the year and my order (not complete) placed in 2019 arriving in 2022 from a west coast wholesale nursery should probably give you some idea about how hot it is.

There are more cultivars (Fig. 3) than ‘Li’ and ‘Lang’. These two both have fairly big fruits as ‘Redland’ (Fig. 4). Offering a relatively large selection may satisfy customers both new and familiar with jujubes.

FIG 4. A LARGE REDLAND JUJUBE FRUIT. PHOTO CREDIT: SOON-TO-BE-DR. BIN WU.

FIG 3.FULL PHOTO

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Save the Date TNLA Foundation Horticulture Scholarship The Texas Nursery & Landscape Association Foundation established a scholarship program for students interested in the field of Horticulture.

The 2023-2024 Texas Nursery & Landscape Association Foundation Horticulture Scholarship program will begin July 1, 2022.

If you are a deserving student or know of one interested in this field of study, please go to the following website for more details: apply.mykaleidoscope.com/scholarships/tn la-foundation-scholarship We appreciate your support and promotion of this worthwhile program. If you are interested in finding out more, please visit our website tnlaonline.org or contact Cheryl Staritz at (512) 579-3863 or cheryl@tnlaonline.org.

TNLA Career Center Update!

Check out these great opportunities!

Sales Associate Earthtones Greenery Nursery Midlothian, Texas

Purchasing Manager LMI Landscapes, Inc. Carrollton, Texas

Regional sales Abbott-Ipco Dallas, Texas Featured!Featured!

Landscape Purchasing Manager Glasco & Co. Landscaping, Inc. Brenham, Texas

Heavy Equipment Operator I Spray Technician City of Denton Denton, Texas

Wholesale Account Manager JustPots LLC San Antonio, Texas

Senior Horticulturist Houston Botanic Garden Houston, Texas Key Account Sales Representative Greenleaf Nursery Company El Campo, Texas

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Landscape Project Manager/Designer Lawns LTD Inc. Waco, Texas

Plant Procurement Specialist Landvisions Tyler, Texas Assistant Yard Manager Oakstreet Wholesale Nursery Fairview, Texas

Head to https://careers.tnlaonline.org/jobs/ for more details!

TNLA TAILGATE TOPICS

BLOWERS

Objective: Participants will be able to correctly and safely operate a blower.

APPLICATION: The last time we checked, blowers didn’t have any spinning blades. Blowers are safe, but accidents can happen; dust and pollen can get blown into a pedestrian’s face or gravel can be blown onto a car. Knowing how to correctly use a blower keeps unwanted accidents from happening, which keeps costs and time consumption down. The best way for participants to learn how to correctly use a blower is through practice. When practicing, be sure that participants are using safe procedures.

Blowers: The manufactures that make maintenance equipment put a safety recommendation sheet in with the blower for a reason. READ IT. They know better than anyone does how to correctly operate the equipment.   Have safety recommendation sheets for participants to become familiar with.

Demonstrate and practice the correct way to mix fuel with 2-cycle oil.  Demonstrate how to properly do the following (then have those participating practice): 1. Wearing all safety equipment (safety glasses and earplugs).  2. Putting blower on your back safely.  3. Adjusting straps.

4. Adjusting/setting the correct throttle speed (RPM) for the area that is going to be blown.

5. Hold the nozzle flat to the surface.  6. Use the proper sweeping motion.

7. Knowing when to release the throttle or turn the blower off when others are in the area.   Practice using a blower. Be sure to follow these steps. Have an area already marked off for practice or set aside a time for participants to practice. Be sure to evaluate based on proficiency and safety.

It’s already been said, but it is very important to use all necessary safety equipment!

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TNLA

ADVOCACY REPORT Winter Storm Uri Update: USDA Announces First Phase of Disaster Relief For Growers The USDA has announced the first phase of the Emergency Relief Program (ERP, formerly WHIP+) to the tune of $6 billion dollars to be provided to producers for 2020 and 2021 disasters. Phase One of the program is reserved for growers who carry federal crop insurance or NAP coverage. Phase Two to be announced in the coming months will cover uninsured losses.

Growers in Phase One will receive pre-filled applications based on claims data available through the FSA. Receiving a pre-filled application does not automatically mean your business qualifies and growers should be aware of the limitations & formula used for relief payments.

TNLA has long been pushing disaster relief for the green industry for Winter Storm Uri. Congress finally authorized $10 billion in September of last year and this is the first installment of those relief dollars for growers by the USDA. TNLA will remain engaged to urge the administration to release details of Phase Two quickly.

More Details on Phase One of ERP: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/news-room/newsreleases/2022/usda-to-provide-approximately-6billion-to-commodity-and-specialty-cropproducers-impacted-by-2020-and-2021-naturaldisasters https://www.fb.org/market-intel/from-whip-to-erpa-new-name-for-2020-2021-ad-hoc-disasterassistance

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TNLA

ADVOCACY REPORT continued FY 2022 H-2B Supplemental Visas Finally Released; New Strings Attached

Election Update: TNLA PAC Endorsed Candidates Successful in Run-offs

Cap relief for the green industry companies using the H-2B program continues to be a major federal priority of TNLA and our allies in the Workforce Coalition. After much delay, the administration finally released the 35,000 additional visas for 2022. Employers should be aware of new provisions included in the petition process:

Two TNLA PAC endorsed candidates were successful in their respective state legislative run-offs on Tuesday. State Reps. Glenn Rogers and Kyle Kacal were re-nominated for their newly configured Texas House seats. Both Rogers and Kacal have been influential leaders in the Texas House and helped our industry by advocating for the green industry on key issues in the most recent session. Neither candidate faces an opponent in November.

- Supplemental visas only apply to the 2nd half cap for work - April 1 through September 30.

DHS will only accept petitions through September 15, anything pending after October 1 will be denied.

- Any unused Northern Triangle visas will not be rolled over to returning worker visas for other countries.

- Requires enhanced recruitment for most petitions.

- The rule added a requirement to contact AFLCIO if the occupation is traditionally or customarily unionized. OFLC posted a lengthy list of occupations that need to comply with the requirement. The list can be found at: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-202205-18/pdf/2022-10631.pd

In addition, Congressman Henry Cuellar declared victory on his re-election by a margin of less than 200 votes. Votes are still left outstanding in this contest and likely litigation to follow. For context, Cuellar is the primary champion in Congress for the landscape industry on workforce issues and is the author of the permanent H-2B cap relief bill. In addition, he has been a key ally on delivering funding and resources through the appropriations process to Texas for our industry.

- There will be additional scrutiny for petitions from Employers with violations of the H-2B program in the last two years. DHS will ask for RFEs for employers that fall in this category, -New attestation forms can be found here: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/oflc/p dfs/Form%20ETA%209142-B-CAA6_Attestation%20Form_508%20Compliant.%20Fi nal.5.18.22.pdf

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