Ask the professor: What’s new, Doc?

Travel season has kicked into gear around here, and my first trip of the year will be to the National Floriculture Forum at NC State. It’s a great event where hort professors get together and talk about what’s new and exciting.

The theme of this year’s event is Reaching Out – and that includes reaching out to growers through trade magazines. I’ll be presenting along with a few other editors on what the trade press is looking for from professors. In the end, we’re looking for what you’re looking for, so here’s your chance.

You have the ear of university. What kind of information do you want to hear about from university research? Fertilizers, irrigation, pest management, lighting, growth regulation? Please leave me a note by clicking comment below. Anonymous comments welcome.

Photo by hyku on Flickr.

This week in varieties: Light-O-Day and darling Darla

This is the beginning of my favorite time of year. We’re getting the details on some of the new varieites for 2008, and I’m sure you’re starting to see availabilities e-mails from breeders. Here are a few cool ones I’ve seen lately.

Light-O-Day hydrangea: A lacecap hydrangea with white variegation by Bailey Nurseries, Light-O-Day (left) is hardy to Zone 5.

ForemostCo has started full production of tissue culture liners of the Exotic Plant bromeliad program at its in Winter Garden, Fla., facility. Here’s a picture of the program’s guzmania Animosa.

Garden Design magazine’s annual “Way Hot” cover story in the March 2008 issue will feature Ball Horticultural Company’s Blazin’ Lime iresine (left), Radiance rudbeckia, Limon talinum, and catalpa ‘Purpurea.’

Syngenta Flowers is featuring its Darla diascias (right), which feature a mounding to semi-trailing growth habit. Six-inch pots finish in eight to nine weeks.

Where do the candidates stand on immigration?

I just came across this article on where the presidential candidates stand on immigration. It is a difficult and complicated issue, but maybe one of these candidates will finally do something about immigration.

Based on this article and in a nutshell, Edwards, Obama, Clinton, Giuliani and McCain are for some type of guestworker program (with conditions) or even legalization. Huckabee, Paul and Romney are against legalization.

Urban Outfitters' Terrain is on the move

Heard this week that Urban Outfitters' Terrain is making its move, agreeing to buy the Philadelphia-based J. Franklin Styer Nurseries chain.

I'm wondering what current suppliers to the Styer's chain think about the move. I think it's a good sign for the new UO venture. Based on the purchase, it seems the Terrain model will be garden center and gift retailer, not just a store with plants as an afterthought.

Unusual retail outlets: Do you sell to any?

I'm thinking about non-traditional retail outlets lately. Urban Outfitters' soon-to-be unveiled Terrain greenhouse-themed concept is in the works, and our February cover story subject is in with a unique retailer.

Jim Hessler of Green Valley Growers, told me that his business sells to military exchange services -- the PX on military bases. There’s a lower margin on plants sold there because they’re non-profit outfits. But they can move quite a bit of product, especially the ones with the most retired military nearby.

I was in a bookstore about this time last year looking for a Valentine's Day gift, and it occurred to me that what I was looking for was a small potted plant. A small red cyclamen or kalanchoe. If customers aren't going into garden centers this time of year, why not go where they are shopping?

Variety News: PPA and Terra Nova

The Perennial Plant Association has chosen its 2009 Perennial Plant Of The Year. The winner is Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola,’ a medium-sized (14 inches tall) grass with yellow leaves and narrow green stripes. You can find a nice photo and a consumer review of it at Rainy Side Gardeners.

For 2008, Terra Nova has introduced ajuga 'Toffee Chip,' (pictured) an exclusive groundcover. Blue flowers emerge from 5-inch spikes. It's a variegated sport of 'Chocolate Chip.' Click here for more from Terra Nova on 'Toffee Chip.'

Industry collaborates to bring youngsters into horticulture

Twenty-seven green industry associations have announced they're working together on an industry career Web site aimed at high school students. The Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association (MNLA) and the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) initiated the project, and the American Society for Horticultural Science (AHS) and the American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA) are sponsors. And if you're part of an industry association, it's likely involved.

The group is putting together focus groups and surveys now to see what will work with the younger audience. My advice is make sure the site is compatible with cell phones. I think it's great, though, that such a big group of organizations isn't just sitting around, lamenting the problems of the industry. They're tackling one of the big ones. Nice job!

The site isn't live yet, but I'll post a link when it is.

What I Learned In The January 2008 Issue Of Greenhouse Grower

- 93 percent of our Benchrunner e-newsletter readers would be interested in knowing how their operations measure up in terms of sustainability. And 61 percent do not produce painted poinsettias.

- If you place 100 pounds of plant material into a drying oven, only about 10 pounds of dry plant material would be left. Plants are about 90 percent water, according to Bill Argo and Paul Fisher in their new series on plant nutrition.

-Three new Hort Couture programs will debut at Short Course 2008.

- Five fall sale weekends at Swanson’s added up to $1 million in plant sales.

- California Pack Trials are earlier this year, March 28 – April 6.

- I think our new Variety Central section will be really helpful in finding out what’s new. And our first shot at it in the January issue came out really well.

- Mercer Botanicals has possibly the best grower logo – a lizard in a labcoat.

Pajaro Valley Sold

There is always a ton of good information in SAF's E-Briefs. The one I received yesterday included the news that Pajaro Valley Greenhouses, Watsonville, Calif., has been sold to Rocket Farms based in Salinas, Calif.

It's interesting to us because Pajaro Valley is No. 79 on our Top 100 Growers list. So we'll be getting to know Rocket Farms a bit better now. The news is interesting, as there is so much going on with our list.

In addition to Pajaro Valley, Powell Plant Farm (No. 18), Bell Nursery (No. 20), Baucom's Nursery (No. 62t), Boven's (No. 71) and Ulery Greenhouse (No. 97) have all made major moves in the last year. The 2008 version of our Top 100 list will appear in the May issue of Greenhouse Grower.