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News Archives December 2006
Plant Pathogen Becomes Protector
The University of Florida Institute
of Food and Agricultural Sciences has genetically engineered tobacco mosaic
virus to produce an insect-killing growth factor. Tobacco mosaic virus is a
well-known plant pathogen that infects tobacco, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants,
peppers, and several other plants.
This technique has some unique advantages. Plant material remaining after harvest can be processed to make mosquito controls, reclaiming the TMOF in the tissues. Crops that are not capable of hosting tobacco mosaic virus, like citrus, could be protected against root weevils by growing virus-enhanced alfalfa around the trees, killing the adult stage of the pest. This process is still considered a prototype, but offers a new idea in pest control with low environmental impact.
Try a New Christmas Plant Next Year
Do
you find it against your nature as a gardener to (gasp) throw
away a poinsettia after Christmas? Are you tired of trying to keep them
looking good over winter and then trying to get them to rebloom for Christmas?
Here is a new option for a Christmas plant that can be transplanted to the garden in late
spring where it will thrive for years to come. The
Christmas Rose (Helleborus
America In Bloom Opens 2007 Registration
America In Bloom is a non-profit organization promoting community beautification programs through the use of flowers, plants, trees and other environmental and lifestyle enhancements. Cities compete with other cities of similar size in overall achievement, plus the categories of best Floral Displays, Environmental Awareness, Landscaped Areas, Tidiness, Urban Forestry, Heritage Preservation, Turf and Groundcovers and Community Involvement. This program has been widely praised by communities, civic groups, garden businesses and individuals who have been involved. The America In Bloom contests foster community pride, provide educational programs and improve the city landscape. Registration is now open for the for the 2007 contest. Last year, the Ohio communities of Oberlin, Wickliffe, Gallipolis and Logan won in their population groups or in categories. Hopefully this year Ohio cities can win even more acclaim.
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to all my readers. Have a safe and happy holiday. Please follow the Scandinavian tradition and feed the birds on Christmas for good luck!
Future of Garden Centers
What kind of New Year's resolutions should garden centers make if they want to grow, stay at the forefront of the industry and remain profitable? Independent garden centers are under enormous pressure to differentiate themselves from competitors. Large chains can purchase in quantity, so they have lower costs and offer better prices. The internet presents a much wider selection of goods than any brick-and-mortar outlet can, plus tremendous knowledge and expertise. It is likely that independent garden centers will undergo a "repurposing", or a shift in what a garden center is supposed to be.
Years ago, large bookstore chains began putting in coffee bars and cafés to draw more customers and get them to stay longer. Soon local musicians were providing live "coffee house" music. The bookstores became more than a bookseller, but a destination, a place to enjoy your time shopping, and even a place for singles to meet. Grocery stores are now adding pharmacies, banks, dry cleaners and video stores. Drug stores are adding clinics. Many garden centers, especially in the UK, are following the bookstore model by adding bakeries and cafés. What else would customers like in a garden center? What would make them stay longer, enjoy the visit more, and spend more money? What do consumers think a garden center should be, as opposed to what garden center operators think they should be?
The connection between gardens and the environment will become more important to the definition of a garden center as ecological concern grows and consumers become more interested in organic foods and products. Years from now, garden centers could be the place to find natural personal care products, household cleaners, and fresh organic produce. Some centers might draw part or all of their power from solar panels or windmills, and might offer products and hardware to help customers reduce their ecological "footprint." Some garden centers with ample land have created display gardens to inspire customers, and rent it out for wedding photos and small gatherings. Most are not profitable. Some have created bird watching stations that overlook a naturalistic pond with native plants and a bird feeding station.
Leading independent garden centers are seen as destinations, or places to go not just for specific items on a shopping list, but as places to find inspiration, to see new products and new designs, and to have a good time. The new attitude of shopping as entertainment is a motivator for the food and drink offerings and the seasonal festivals garden centers now provide. Live music would be nice, but will it draw enough customers and encourage more spending to justify the cost? What about televisions playing gardening shows that demonstrate how to use the products nearby? The key to successful repurposing is to listen carefully to customers, read between the lines of what they say, to find out what they want. Keep watching what other garden centers are doing, successfully or unsuccessfully, and continue to try new ideas. These days, it could be the difference between growth and success or stagnation and failure.
Housing Slump May Hurt Landscape Sales
U.S. Commerce Department figures show that new home construction in October and November had dropped to its lowest level in years. This could lead to reduced sales in landscape plants and materials in the next year or so. A substantial proportion of nursery sales go to new homes, which put in an entire new landscape. A lag of about a year is typical between housing trends and landscaping needs, since the landscape is the last improvement to be installed. New homeowners also account for the majority of new gardeners, so the number of new customers may decrease next year. Housing starts is also an indicator of the economy at large, so declining construction suggests that consumers have less money to spend in general.
Last Minute Gifts for Gardeners
Buying gifts for gardeners can be tricky, since the more passionate they are about gardening, the more particular they are about what they want. This makes it difficult to find something personal and unique, unless he or she is very good at dropping hints or you are very good at finding out. The time for personal and unique is now over; it is time to settle for something that a gardener would actually appreciate and use. Here are some ideas:
Pre-lit Trees Too Much Trouble?
The resurgence in real Christmas trees over artificial trees may be caused in part by the unreliability of miniature lights on pre-lit trees. Artificial Christmas tree sales rose when trees became more realistic and life-like around ten years ago. In the last few years the market experienced another surge with the convenience of pre-lit trees with strings of lights already wrapped around the branches. Now that these trees have aged a couple of years, consumers are beginning to complain more and more about malfunctioning light sets. Miniature light sets can often be repaired, but most tree owners lack the tools, knowledge or patience to locate and fix the problem. It is also difficult to remove the faulty lights and then replicate the intricate winding around branches with a new set. As a result, consumers are returning $200 to $300 trees due to a problem with the $20 to $30 worth of lights.
Manufacturers are likely to either find a way to make pre-lit trees more reliable, or eliminate them from their catalogs, since the rate of returned merchandise is unacceptably high. Retailers may respond by offering fewer models of pre-lit trees, especially models with non-standard decorative lights that require special replacement bulbs. More pre-lit trees may appear that use LED (light emitting diode) lights instead of incandescent lights. Since LEDs last much longer, as much as twenty years continuous operation before burning out, fewer light set issues should arise. LEDs are also less susceptible to damage in shipping since they have no filament to break. In the meantime, consumers seem to be returning to the methods they are used to - buying a real tree and lighting it themselves.
Battle Against Invasive Plants
Nearly
all plants introduced to new areas pose no problems for the environment, but
some begin to spread into natural areas and displace native vegetation. Public
awareness of these invasive plants is growing. The
USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
is considering how to deal with this problem, and has begun an electronic
public discussion through January 26, 2007. This discussion allows experts
and interest parties to share information with other participants and with the
APHIS Weed Team. Meanwhile, Meijer
supercenters will donate $450,000 to The
Nature Conservancy over the next 3 years to reduce invasive plants and
rehabilitate the
Wild Oats Gardening with Kids Award
Local kids have an opportunity to learn to garden, eat better and appreciate fruits and vegetables through the Wild Oats Gardening with Kids Award. Wild Oats Marketplace, a full-service supermarket offering natural and organic food, supplements and environmentally friendly household and body care products, has a store locally at 27249 Chagrin Blvd., Beachwood, Ohio. The award will give ten schools and youth organizations supplies to establish kitchen gardens, and provide tools and training for preparing nutritious meals with the resulting produce. To be eligible, schools and youth organizations must plan to garden with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18 during 2007, and must be within a 30-mile radius of a Wild Oats Marketplace in the following cities:
Applications must be received by February 1, 2007.
Gardening in a Video Game
Viva Piñata is an animated
television show on the 4Kids network where Piñatas
happily play, filling themselves up with goodies as they await the day when they
are chosen to attend celebrations. Now Viva
Piñata is a game for the Xbox 360. Players create and tend to a
garden in order to attract over sixty different species of Piñatas. They begin
by softening the soil with a shovel, then planting grass seeds to make a lawn.
As the game moves forward, players can sow seeds of trees and flowers to create
a dream-world garden. Certain tasks must be performed to attract particular
types of Piñatas, such as patting down the soil with a shovel (which attracts
wormy Whirlms) to sticking a torch in your garden (which attracts Flutterscotch
moths). Visiting Piñatas must find the garden conditions to their liking before
they decide to stay. Weeding, watering plants and killing pests are part
of the maintenance, and unlike my garden, players can dig for buried treasure.
Viva Piñatas has had excellent reviews and has been compared to last year's
successful Animal Crossing game.
Why Garden?
The National Garden
Bureau has issued the top ten reasons to garden: 1.
Garden for safe, healthy food. 6.
Garden to meet people. 10.
Garden for lasting memories.
Pear Tree Prices Increase Most in Christmas Song
Plant Select 2007 Choices Announced
Plant
Select®, a program by 1) Hot Wings® Tartarian Maple (Acer tataricum 'GARANN'), a 10’-15’ tree with brilliant red samaras all summer long, with showy fall color, ideal for home landscapes. 2)
Red Mountain™ Ice Plant (Delospermum dyeri 'Psdold'),
a 2” high perennial that produces a glowing red carpet of flowers
throughout the growing season. 3)
Kannah CreekTM Buckwheat
(Eriogonum umbellatum var. auerum 'Psdown')
a 12”-15” tall with yellow-orange flowers May through July. Spreading green
foliage changes to a vivid purple-red in winter. 4)
Shadow MountainTM Penstemon (Penstemon
x 5)
Vermilion Bluffstm Mexican Sage
(Salvia darcyi 'Pscarl'), a 3’
perennial with brilliant cardinal-red spires August to October, and it
attract hummingbirds. 6)
Purple Winter Savory (Satureja 7)
Clear CreekTM Golden Yellowhorn (Xanthoceras
sorbifolium ‘Psgan’),
a 20’ high by 12’ wide, vase shaped large shrub or small tree
with masses of white flowers with yellow maroon eyes. Unique ornamental seedpods
persist into winter.
Organics Market Keeps Growing
Market
research firm Packaged
Facts predicts organic fertilizer and soil sales will increase steadily over
the next five years. Organic growing products sales are projected to climb from
$360 million in 2006 to $670 million by 2011. Organic pesticides are also
growing, but much slower than fertilizer and soils. Organics currently account
for 6% of the lawn and garden products market, and will steadily gain as
consumers become increasingly concerned about the environment.
Packaged Facts believes this growth is due to
environmentally-conscious baby boomers entering the “gardening years” of
retirement, but my experience is that it is the younger Generation Y families
driving this category. The organic foods movement, which is also slowly
building, feeds into this trend. People who purchase organic foods, even if they
aren’t interested in gardening, will be likely to buy organic lawn fertilizer
and potting soil.
Road Lily Deemed Invasive
The American Hemerocallis Society has issued a press release stating that Hemerocallis fulva is becoming commonly listed as an invasive species. H. fulva is the common orange daylily that spreads by underground rhizomes forming large colonies that exclude other plants. It was often used to control erosion along ditches, giving it the name common road lily or ditch lily. It was also planted around older homes as an ornamental, where the residents may call it tiger lily. It is being considered invasive because of its spreading nature that excludes wild native plants. The AHS recommends any of the thousands of clump-forming non-invasive daylilies as alternatives to H. fulva.
EAB Epidemic Hurts Growers
The
growing quarantines on ash trees and ash tree materials have not been a surprise
to tree nurseries. The demand for ash trees has dropped considerably since
emerald ash borer became a problem in the Detroit, Michigan area. Even though
growers in the lower Great Lakes area have scaled back production of ash trees,
there are still millions of dollars worth of trees in nurseries that are going
to waste. Some nurseries dumped their ash tree stock for pennies on the dollar
when it became clear that EAB was spreading, and soon the grower's county would
be quarantined. Other nurseries have been forced to destroy the trees, since the
quarantine prevented them from selling to distant areas, while at the same time
local demand for ash disappeared. Even after the ash trees are off the nursery
lot, growers still lose money because ash is one of the most profitable trees to
grow, and replacement crops can't offer similar returns. While the ecological
impact of EAB will likely be much greater, the economic impact of this pest has
already hit the industry hard.
Two Quarantines Equal One Headache
As of December first, there are two separate quarantines for emerald ash borer in Ohio. The federal quarantine of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and the lower peninsula of Michigan is enforced only on interstate transport of ash tree materials. Companies and individuals who wish to ship out of these states must meet federal compliance agreements or certification.
This does not affect the state quarantine of twenty-five counties. Ash tree materials may not be moved out of these counties, including Cuyahoga, Medina and Lorain counties, unless they have met the state's compliance agreements. The Ohio quarantine is being enforced by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
This situation emphasizes the fact that emerald ash borer is being spread by human agents, particularly through the movement of firewood. These complicated regulations are necessary to try to prevent the loss of all native ash trees in eastern North America, an ecological disaster equivalent to the loss of native elms to Dutch elm disease. Transport of firewood is also a major transport mechanism for other exotic pests, including gypsy moth and Asian longhorned beetle.
Alpine Plants Rock
Rock gardens featuring alpine plants (small plants native to high elevations) are growing in popularity once again. Alpine plants are unfamiliar to most gardeners, but one grower is doing something about it. Valleybrook Gardens has introduced Rock Stars, a collection of 150 short, hardy, alpine plants that thrive in rock gardens and year-round outdoor containers. These plants are really interesting and require minimal care once they have been planted with the conditions they require. To enjoy alpine plants without finding space for a rock garden, plant them in troughs or winter-proof containers. Put the container on a table or other elevated surface so it is easy to view these plants up close.
Real Christmas Trees Coming Back
After a number of years of decline, more people are purchasing real trees for Christmas. The National Christmas Tree Association says that Americans bought 32.8 million live trees last year, up over 20% from 2004. from 22.2 million in 2002. This year's consumer survey found that 27% of households plan to buy a real tree for Christmas this year, the highest percentage since the survey began. Growers attribute the trend reversal to a renewed interest in tradition and a growing awareness of the environmental benefits of growing and using real trees versus production of artificial trees.
Bird Seed Prices Climb
The trend in food production to reduce or eliminate trans fats has increased the cost of sunflower used in bird seed. Sunflower oil consists mainly of mono- and polyunsaturated fats with little saturated fat. Frito-Lay and KFC are only two of the large companies creating high demand for sunflower, resulting in higher prices for the popular bird seed. Corn and wheat prices are also high because wet weather this fall has delayed harvesting and increased mechanical drying time. Harvest yields in other bird seed crops are slightly below average this year.
'Walker’s Low’ Catmint is 2007 Perennial of the Year |
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