February/March 2017 Volume 35 • Number 1 • $12.50
Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association
OVERCOMING
hallenges 7
What Does an Interview Say about your Company?
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Engaging the Millennial Consumer
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When Impatiens Downy Mildew Strikes
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Japanese Beetle: Colorado’s New Quarantine
Our Mission To create opportunities for horticultural and associated industry professionals to collaboratively grow their businesses through fellowship, education, advocacy and certification.
In This Issue 3
Cover Photo Courtesy of Colorado Department of Agriculture
Message from the Board: Elections Welcome Women & Youth
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Here for the Members: See You at ProGreen – Get Ready for Plant Something
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Member Profiles:
12 When Impatiens Downy Mildew Strikes
Colorado Department of Agriculture Marketing Garden
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14 Japanese Beetle: Implications of Colorado’s New Internal Quarantine
What Does an Interview Say about your Company?
16 CSU Research Update: 2016 Superior Perennials
Understanding Today’s Job Applicants
18 Safety Corner: Reducing the Risk of Lifting Injuries
19 Calendar, New Members, Classified Ads, & Advertisers List
10 Engaging the Millennial Consumer
Board Of Directors
Directors
Jesse Eastman, CCNP President Fort Collins Nursery 970.482.1984 j.eastman@fortcollinsnursery.com
Mandy Foster Welby Gardens 303.288.3398 mandyf@hardyboyplant.com
Sarada Krishnan, Ph.D. Denver Botanic Gardens 720.865.3601 krishnas@botanicgardens.org
Michelle Cadena, CCNP Sunshine Horticulture 303.301.5444 michellesunshine1973@gmail.com
Kirby Thompson, CCNP, CGG Britton Nursery, Inc. 719.495.3676 info@brittonflowers.com
Levi Heidrich Heidrich’s Colorado Tree Farm Nursery, LLC 719.598.8733 levi@coloradotreefarmnursery.com
Beth Gulley Gulley Greenhouse & Garden Center 970.223.4769 beth@gulleygreenhouses.com
Dan Wise, CCNP President-Elect, Secretary/Treasurer Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery 970.484.1289 dan@ftcollinswholesalenursery.com Kerri Dantino, Officer-At-Large Little Valley Wholesale 303.659.6708 kerri@lvwn.com
Ex-Officio Members
Publisher
Editorial
Contributing Writers
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, CAE Executive Director Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association 303.758.6672 agault@coloradonga.org
Jesse Eastman, CCNP Tanya Ishikawa Ben Northcutt
Printer
Staff
Dane Elias Dr. Jim Klett Ashlie Tagawa
Jim Klett, Ph.D. CSU Dept. of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture 970.491.7179 jim.klett@colostate.edu Allison Gault, MBA, CAE Executive Director Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association 303.758.6672 agault@coloradonga.org
Allison Gault Laura Pottorff, CGG
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 Ridgeline Blvd., Ste. 210 Highlands Ranch, Colo. 80129 coloradocommunitymedia.com
Display Advertising Ben Northcutt, CNGA 303.758.6672 info@coloradonga.org
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Allison Gault, MBA, CAE
Ben Northcutt
Chris Tolbertson
Executive Director
Membership Manager
Administrative Coordinator
agault@ coloradonga.org
bnorthcutt@ coloradonga.org
ctolbertson@ coloradonga.org
LooseLeaf February/March 2017
Elections Welcome Women & Youth 2016 brought many changes that will take some time to fully understand and absorb: changes in labor laws and wages, invasive pests, national elections, the list goes on. There are plenty of people much wiser than me to analyze all of that. At CNGA, we had our own election, a vote for new members of the Board of Directors, and what we can learn from our election is truly amazing. Before I get into all that, though, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Bill Kluth and Stan Brown, who have reached the end of their terms on the Board. Their guidance, wisdom and hard work have been invaluable to the ongoing success of our Association. It is often challenging finding enough candidates to fill a ballot. This year, we had an abundance of candidates like we’ve never had before, with eight candidates on the slate. This increase in outstanding candidates tells me the future of this industry is bright. Not only do we have a great number of people who are willing and able to help our industry thrive, but they are willing to step forward and shoulder the responsibility of representing the interests of all CNGA members. This kind of civic-minded attitude is very unique and makes Colorado a special place to run a business. Another encouraging outcome of this election was how many members voted. If the health of a democracy can be judged by the level of voter turnout, our industry is very healthy. In most Board elections, we see around 35 to 40 member companies vote for new Directors. This year, 64 member companies voted – an all-time high! With your feedback and participation, we can confidently say that we have a Board that represents you and your industry, and that is a responsibility we do not take lightly. Finally (and most exciting to me personally), there is the makeup of the individuals elected to the Board, and what their election means for the future of this industry. I am proud to welcome Mandy Foster from Welby Gardens and Michelle Cadena from Oregon Pride and Loma Vista
coloradonga.org
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD
Nursery as our newest Board members, as well as Kerri Dantino from Little Valley Wholesale Nursery who was reelected to the Board. For the first time in our history as CNA, CGGA or CNGA, the majority of our Board of Directors is women. Those of you in retail know that women make up 70 to 80 percent of your customers. In my own retail garden center, about 70 percent of my employees are women. While those numbers balance out as you get into landscape contractors, wholesale growers and suppliers, it should come as no surprise when I say women have been woefully underrepresented within CNGA for a long time. If our goal is to be a voice for our members, to advocate for their businesses and interests, we have taken a huge step forward by ensuring fair representation of women on our Board. Along those same lines, the directors on this Board have the youngest average age of any Board in our association’s history. New generations are taking the reins in family businesses and bright young entrepreneurs are starting their own endeavors. They bring with them innovative ideas, energy and motivation to keep our industry as vibrant as ever. However, as our group gets younger we lose some of the history and experience so deeply ingrained in our industry’s success. As a young Board, a key measure of our effectiveness lies in how we seek the wisdom of our predecessors so that our decisions are informed and prudent. Our job is to capture that youthful spirit while relying on our industry’s rich history to channel it in ways that are focused on long-term success.
By Jesse Eastman, CCNP CNGA Board President
“If our goal is to be a voice for our members, to advocate for their businesses and interests, we have taken a huge step forward by ensuring fair representation of women on our Board.”
I am truly excited and proud to work with this group of bright and thoughtful leaders as we work to strengthen our industry, to provide tools to help your businesses thrive, and to ensure a sound foundation for many more generations of plant-loving businesspeople to succeed. From where I stand, the future is bright and we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and get some dirt under our nails.
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CNGA — HERE FOR THE MEMBERS
See You at ProGreen – Get Ready for Plant Something Greetings from the CNGA offices!
By Allison Gault, MBA, CAE CNGA Executive Director
“Last year, we had 86,000 people talking about Plant Something Colorado on Facebook alone, and our engagement on Instagram was higher than previous years.”
Cold-hardy specimen trees. Shade, flowering and evergreen.
Baxter
WHOLESALE NURSERY
888-777-8199 Emmett, Idaho | baxternursery.com 4
The 2017 ProGreen Expo is just around the corner and the CNGA staff and I are looking forward to seeing many of you and visiting with you about the previous year and what you anticipate 2017 holds for your companies. We like to hear what your current challenges are, what you’ve found to be successful and what we can do to serve you better. Make sure to stop by the CNGA booth at the back of the exhibit hall to say hi. We’ll also be coming around to those of you who are exhibiting. Before you know it, the season will be in full swing, so I want to take the opportunity to remind you about the Plant Something Colorado campaign. The campaign is focused on creating general awareness about planting and its benefits, and driving new consumers to local garden centers and nurseries. This campaign is aimed at ensuring you’re attracting new consumers, which will grow your sales on both the retail and wholesale side. To do this, we use target marketing via social media and face-to-face events to gain access to female consumers between the ages of 25 and 45. This group has been identified as the largest growth opportunity. Building on the success from the last two years, we will continue to capitalize on our previous tactics, by holding a contest via social media. Last year, we had 86,000 people talking about Plant Something Colorado on Facebook alone, and our engagement on Instagram was higher than previous years.
Participation in this program is at no cost to you. We will be contacting the retail centers in March to confirm your participation, and in May, we’ll send the contest supplies for display (plant stakes, contest cards and seeds). The benefits of the program to retail members are very clear, but it also benefits our wholesale members. The more the retailers sell, the more they buy from you. Plant Something Colorado is an additional marketing tactic that you have the opportunity to utilize; participation is one of the benefits of your CNGA member dues. We have many ways you can support the program and would encourage each of you to do so. I will be in contact over the coming months with a variety ways in which you can support the program and ensure that we have continued success. LooseLeaf February/March 2017
The Partner for a Healthy Green Industry
MEMBER PROFILE
Interview with Laura Pottorff, CGG, Program Manager, Plant Industry
What is CDA’s role with horticulture?
What trends are influencing your programs?
Our main role is to support and strengthen the horticulture industry. We strive for “Pest Freedom” whereby we secure our borders to protect the horticulture industry and our natural resources from new pests. While we recognize the importance of Colorado’s nursery trade, we also know it is a high-risk pathway for pest movement since most pests can be traced to nursery stock. So to keep trade strong, we employ a variety of programs to assist growers and educate consumers. These include numerous awareness and outreach efforts, quarantine programs, regulatory oversight, and inspections.
There are two that I think will continue to direct our priorities. First is a movement towards a better and more powerful certification for plant material. Rather than doing a single point in time inspection, we’re looking at a comprehensive systems approach that evaluates a number of factors including stock source, inputs used to grow the stock, and how pests are managed once detected. Another trend that is having a big impact is how the market is shaping nursery practices. Consumers have become very interested in pollinators and pesticides. Their knowledge, or lack thereof, of these issues impacts their buying decisions. Our role is to help the consumer understand what it takes to produce a healthy plant. We favor the science-based management processes, but that’s sometimes contrary to public opinion.
Up until about three years ago, a primary function of CDA’s nursery program was to regulate the root ball size of nursery stock. However, we no longer do this and as a result, we have been able to give high priority to our pest control issues.
How is CDA funded? Unlike most states, CDA receives very limited taxpayer funding. Instead, the industry provides the majority of funds by which we administer our nursery, pest, quarantine, seed and apiary health programs. This is done through an annual registration/license process and inspection fees.
How can members use your services? CDA can help evaluate new markets where a member may be considering shipping plants. We can guide the member through any quarantine regulations that may be in effect, which can definitely save them time and money. The last thing you want is to have a shipment stopped at a state border because it doesn’t have the correct quarantine paperwork completed. So, please call us ahead of time before shipping to a new state. We can also inspect nursery crops for pests, and help set up a good inspection program. Lastly, we can be used as a third-party inspector for incoming shipments that may show symptoms of pests or disease.
coloradonga.org
Colorado Department of Agriculture 305 Interlocken Parkway Broomfield, Colo. 80021 tel 303.869.9070 fax 303.466.2860 laura.pottorff@state.co.us www.colorado.gov/ag
How does your CNGA membership help CDA? One of our primary goals is to educate consumers and growers about harmful threats to their businesses or landscapes. CNGA gives us exposure to both. CNGA members play a very important role in giving us feedback that shapes our policies – it’s a critically important collaboration. The networking provided by CNGA events is great, too. It is a very interactive relationship for us that helps us protect and strengthen the nursery industry.
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MEMBER PROFILE
Bridging the Gardening Information Gap Interview with Ken Klopp, Business Development
Marketing Garden 8332 S. Louden Crossing Ct. Fort Collins, Colo. 80528 tel 970.646.5183 ken@themarketinggarden.com www.themarketinggarden.com
How did your company get started?
Does your company offer other services?
The idea came to me back in 2007, when I was looking for plants at a garden center and was overwhelmed with choices. I honestly didn’t know what to do. But along with my confusion came a light bulb moment where I thought, “What if I could find a plant quickly? Wouldn’t that make my buying experience easier and faster?”
Yes, we provide website design/build and social media marketing for the gardening industry. Our goal is to simplify the buying process and maximize the ease of doing business, which we believe The Perfect Plant does very well. Combined with a strong social media presence and an informative, interactive website, we can help a business use these powerful tools to drive and sustain sales. In today’s marketplace, you really have to be relevant to your customers and we believe our products and services help achieve that.
However, it wasn’t until 2015, when I found myself at the right place at the right time to make my idea come to life. I started to develop a product that could help a customer find just the right plants – that became The Perfect Plant® software. It is the backbone to a kiosk information center that uses simple choice questions to help customers quickly find the plants they want. Best of all, the plants that are in The Plant Perfect database are the same plants the garden center sells.
Who benefits from your product? The Perfect Plant bridges the information gap between the garden center and the customer and provides great value to both. For the garden center, it can be a labor-saving tool. It streamlines the decision making and buying process, which can eat up a lot of a sales person’s time. For the customer, especially the ‘search before you buy’ smartphone crowd, it gives them the satisfaction of finding things on their own with good information. Once they know the specific plants they want, they can then find the plants with the sales person’s help.
Why did you decide to join CNGA? It was recommended by one of our clients as the best way to connect with the local horticulture industry. That’s important for a young company like ours. Through CNGA we now have a good pulse on the industry, are tapping into the available networking opportunities, and hope to help fellow members create a better experience through technology for their customers. We will be attending ProGreen this year where we look forward to networking and developing new relationships with other CNGA members.
Is your product being used now? Yes, we’re off to a very encouraging start. There are several garden centers/retail nurseries in Colorado using the kiosks, along with some out-of-state garden centers, and it has been very well received. We’re getting a steady flow of inquiries, too. In fact, some garden centers are sharing how they see additional applications for where The Perfect Plant can benefit there business beyond the initial reason of why we created it. It is exciting to be a part of those conversations.
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LooseLeaf February/March 2017
What Does an
NTERVIEW Say about your Company?
By Ashlie A. Tagawa Assistant Human Resources Manager Tagawa Greenhouse Enterprises
There’s no denying it – attracting quality employees in a labor shortage is a struggle. In a world where “Help Wanted” signs litter the windows of every shop, and where your local fast food joint is paying higher than you could ever afford, how do you keep candidates hooked? Even when you manage to keep them through an interview, do they seem to drop off the map, fail to come into orientation, or call back a day later to tell you they have accepted a different job offer? CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
coloradonga.org
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7
A few years ago I was just out of college. I had just come back into the country from a teaching opportunity abroad, when I began to place what felt like a hundred applications and send my resume to anyone with an inbox. From my application spree, I landed four interviews. I was called back for a second interview for one job and given two other job offers, and what may seem odd is I ended up taking the job 45 minutes away from my house even though it didn’t pay as well as the other two jobs. Was this just a fluke? What do applicants really look for in a position? All too often, we fall into the mindset that an interview is only to determine whether someone will be a good employee. We start thinking that money is the only thing entry-level candidates care about. While compensation is important, it is also easy to overlook a critical moment for a candidate: the moment they form their first judgement about their prospective employer.
And that moment begins the second their first interview starts. The job I took ended up promoting me into their recruiting department where I learned the basic format of how I normally complete my interviews. Here are four easy tools that I’ve used ever since to find and keep quality candidates hooked. #1 – Get basic qualifications immediately in the application/ phone screen Instant dis-qualifiers like availability, experience, reliable transportation, and basic essential requirements are best left on the application. While some applicants will twist the truth to make themselves look better on paper, it’s easier for you to recruit people when you’re not looking at people who wouldn’t be able to complete the job even with reasonable accommodations. Not to mention, these cold details are too impersonal for an interview setting. For me, answering these basic
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questions made recruiters seem like they were more interested in completing a checklist than in getting to know the actual person sitting before them. #2 – Sell the company As much as you’re interviewing the candidate in front of you, they are also trying to decide whether or not this job will work for them. In conversations about how to attract and retain people, too often I hear the phrase: “maybe we should raise our wage.” Don’t get me wrong – you have to pay employees above minimum wage and hopefully something that is competitive in their level of position. But once you pay them enough to take money off the table, employees are looking for more. I don’t mean you have to lead the market on salary, instead “more” in the sense of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Candidates wonder: How will the company take care of me? What makes this job something I can come to everyday? How does my recruiter – a current employee – feel about the company they’re working for? What does this job say about who I am? How does this job fit into my life? No two companies will have the same culture, structure, benefits package, or opportunities for their employees. Likewise, employees will not always value the same things when looking for a new job. For some, a comprehensive benefits package is a necessity. For others, it’s the amount of experience or exposure. And even still, some others are looking for a culture and a community. Whatever your company’s strengths may be, if you can sell them to your applicants, they will be more likely to pause on the job hunt and turn down other offers to see what you have to offer long term. #3 – “Tell me about yourself.” In every single interview (regardless of the position), I start the conversation with one simple phrase: “So, tell me about yourself.” It’s like opening a faucet and letting the truth gush out. For an applicant, it makes them feel like they have control over the conversation, or that you somehow care about who they are as an individual. From the recruiter’s perspective, it gives you the opportunity to catch a glimpse into your candidate’s work history and values. There are some questions you must ask per company policy during interviews, and I typically prefer to have applicants sign some sort of form with their availability on it. However, leaving questions open ended allows the candidate to let you know a little more than you may have otherwise. Another favorite of mine is: “Tell me why I would choose someone else for this job instead of you?” And then: “This is the job I’m trying to hire for (explain the position); what type of person would you hire if you were in my shoes?” #4 – Here is a position that is great for you (and only you), and I’m relying on you to…” The final tip I have is something I am still practicing on perfecting. The idea is to make a strong connection with a candidate, and entrust them to do something – whether that’s coming to orientation, making it to training, LooseLeaf February/March 2017
Understanding Today’s Job Applicants An interview with Justin Boland, Ph.D., New Mexico State University Counseling Center
What is most important for a company to offer? Students have a pretty wide variety of desires about work. For some students, a career is a major concern, but a substantial amount of students are unsure what the next step is. They are searching for what to do after they graduate, what kind of environment they want, and what skills they will need to do different jobs. A lot depends on whether they are planning to continue to graduate school and whether they have previous work experience. A common theme, it’s safe to say – it can’t capture everyone, but is generally true of traditional collegeage (18 to 23-year-old) students – is they are trying to find a job that gives them structure but allows them to maintain their independence. They want to do what they want to do and have the freedom to use their skills to learn more. Photos courtesy of Tagawa Greenhouse Enterprises
Is pay, good benefits or training more important? It varies by field. Training and internships can be appealing for people who want to understand if they want to do a job as a long-term career. Others are practical, and ready to work and earn money. They are willing to take a job that maybe isn’t the perfect fit, but where they can investigate the possibilities.
Really, I haven’t heard a whole lot reapplying for their of students mention benefits. It expired licenses, or may not be a concept for anything else you would need them if they haven’t worked to get them hired. But the before. I have had students candidate now knows that you – a express that flexibility in current company employee – think that their schedules is as they could be successful, and even important if not more more: you have a job that they would important than salary. They be perfect for. And as long as they agree want to maintain a certain to show up, then you will pave the way lifestyle and not for their success. If the employee feels necessarily high that you are buying into them pay, especially specifically, they will hesitate before calling you back and declining a position (even for one that pays higher). It is easy to tell a stranger that you won’t be taking a job, so make that initial connection with an employee count.
during the transition from being in college when they have so much independence. I’m not seeing a lot of people who want to work six or seven days a week, but that may be because those students are not seeking career counseling. What can companies do to attract students and graduates? For a lot of students, especially those with no work experience or none in the field they want to pursue, it would be helpful for them to have a picture of what a typical work day would look like. To understand if the job is a good fit for them, they need to know what the job is (task and duties), the time commitment (will they be working 9to5?) and will they take work home? One job characteristic that will help students differentiate between jobs is the work environment. Knowing they will work with other people will be important if their social interests are pretty high. If they are more analytical, working on their own will be a good person-environment fit. How can companies know if the person is a good fit for the job? The person-environment fit is important. When I am talking with clients at the counseling center, I want to find out how they know the job is going to be a good match for them. We try to find out if they are the more hands-on type of worker, more artistic, more social, or more enterprising (good for sales people), for instance. Then, we figure out if the job offers opportunities to express their personalities in those ways. If you are a hands-on person, you are not going to like being stuck behind a computer in a room without windows. Students who are interested in agricultural fields like soil science majors are more analytical and science minded. Being able to solve problems, figuring out how to grow the best, healthy plants and get the best yield could be appealing in a job for them. Being guided by others with the same background is definitely interesting to them, while being able to be more active in the process.
Following these four tips, I have been better able to keep candidates attracted to our jobs and industry in this hiring drought. Even if the candidate doesn’t end up working for our company, I usually receive correspondence back that says: “Thank you for the opportunity, and if I’m looking for a job in the future (or if I have a friend who needs a job), I’ll be sure to keep you in mind.” And really this type of referral goes a lot farther than a “Help Wanted” sign in a drive thru window. coloradonga.org
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E N G AG I NG TH E
Millennials were once perceived as a generation of jobless, parent-dependent kids. Now, those kids are adults with real jobs and incomes. Millennials are backed by the purchasing clout of $200 billion and rising. With this kind of money to spend, the green industry would be wise to find ways of attracting and engaging this young market. Younger millennials are starting to age to a point in their lives when the economy has improved and home ownership is more of a possibility. They’re past the point of focusing on going to work and school simultaneously, and instead are focusing on lifestyles that revolve around home and family. As soon as one enters homeownership, the question becomes: how will I personalize my piece of the world? Greenhouses and nurseries are the greatest resources for helping millennials to create and become a part of a lifestyle where nature, urban homesteading and landscape design coalesce. Domestic agriculture evokes tremendous possibilities, from something as simple as planting a tree to creating a complete urban homestead filled with chicken coops and bee hives. The consumer has the ability to choose their level of involvement. To grow with the millennial consumer, you have to foster long-term relationships and involvement with plants. If you instill an affinity for the process of a project, it becomes a part of their lifestyles. For example, if a nursery held a workshop on growing apple trees, this could lead to involvement in cider making or fruit preservation. This tactile experience gives the consumer the confidence to take on new agricultural projects and the desire to take them to the next level. Along the way, the customer feels like the nursery or garden center staff is there to help and the relationship builds. Millennials are a proud group of people, and like to share everything about their daily activities, almost to the point of ridiculousness. If you’ve seen too many posts of someone’s nightly dinner on Instagram, you know what I mean. Just think, if everyone knew how the food got there, it would be more meaningful.
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ILLENNIAL The millennial generation even exercises social media as a way of competing with one another and to show how devoted one is to a craft. Being a millennial and discussing urban agriculture ideas with my brother, I can relate. One week, I would see a post of my brother’s chicken coop, shortly after I shared my latest greenhouse design. Next thing you know, he’s posting pictures of a new litter of bunnies. It never ends; one of us is always trying to outdo the other – in the friendliest way of course. Nurseries can take advantage of millennials’ constant social media interactions for marketing purposes by providing inspiring and unusual displays, products and events. These photogenic sights are the fodder of popular social media posts – marketing your business and products. Still, a digital connection is not by itself the final answer to reaching millennial consumers. You can have a social media plug that attracts attention to a company but may not lead to long-term business involvement. If you are looking for more engagement, an effective post would offer a discount on products to people who attend a workshop on a coinciding topic. After customers have had a hands-on experience with your company, most definitely encourage feedback. Whether it’s positive or negative, feedback is the barometer to your success. If it’s positive, millennials will want more and share with others. If it’s negative, you will know it, and need to assess what went wrong.
Spring Garden Festival photo courtesy of Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
LooseLeaf February/March 2017
CONSUMER Another strategy is to team up with other companies or organizations that are already popular with millennials. By creating an event which supports both parties, you have the opportunity to expose your company to millennials, who may not have known about you, and are now more interested in knowing you. Creating a business model that supports the millennial consumer is important, but almost useless if you don’t back it up with one-on-one support from actual millennials. The social media environment needs to reflect the feeling they get when they enter your store. By hiring millennials, you offer a smoother transition from web to store because they find themselves welcomed by a familiar culture. For employees not familiar with millennial culture, hiring millennials becomes an excellent opportunity for working together and understanding the strengths of one another while achieving a common goal. If you have millennials on staff, utilize them as a powerful resource when it comes to building a connection with this growing market. Their perspective is key to preparing your company for the economic future to come.
By Dane Elias Sales Manager Plant World
ANOTHER GREAT WAY TO ENGAGE MILLENNIALS! Find out more about this CNGA member marketing campaign and how participation will attract and keep customers involved. As part of last year’s campaign, 86,000 people were talking about the Plant Something Colorado contest on Facebook as well as other social media channels. Check out the customer-facing website at plantsomethingco.org, and sign up to participate through CNGA by calling 303.758.6672 or emailing info@coloradnonga.org.
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HEN
IMPATIENS DOWNY MILDEW A DEVASTATING WATER MOLD Impatiens downy mildew is caused by Plasmopara obducens. Not a true fungus, the pathogen is a member of the Oomycota, often referred to as water molds. It can be introduced into a garden on infected transplants. In addition, impatiens planted into beds that were infected in previous seasons may become infected through long-lasting oospores. Plasmopara obducens also produces sporangia on the lower surface of infected leaves. Sporangia can be splashed short distances to spread from plant to plant, and can become airborne and travel long distances on moist air currents. It thrives in cool (63 to 73 degrees F), moist conditions. Four hours of leaf wetness is necessary for sporangia to form. Under hot dry conditions, infected plants may show no symptoms of disease and produce no sporangia on the lower leaf surface. Source: University of Minnesota Extension
STRIKES
After producing two healthy, beautiful crops of impatiens in 2016, Brown’s Greenhouse discovered downy mildew on its third and final crop of the popular flowering plant. As Grower Tim Johnson explained, “Luckily, it was late enough in the season to only affect that one crop, but it wasn’t good.” Downy mildew is a death sentence for impatiens walleriana and its hyrbids, reducing colorful plants to defoliated, sickly yellow stems. Frustratingly, even with careful maintenance of growing areas, the plant disease can appear with no obvious pattern of timing or location, and is incurable once it starts to spread. Brown’s, a wholesale grower of annuals, perennials and vegetables, has been operating in Arvada, Colorado since 1981. Johnson joined the staff four years ago, after working at a greenhouse on the Western Slope for several years. “It seems like some years you don’t hear anything. Then all of a sudden, it blows up again. It keeps you on your toes as a grower,” Johnson said. “It’s much less common than many other pests or diseases; however, the affects of it are devastating. If you get it, you lose your plants. If you get aphids, you lose quality but not a whole crop.” With the potential for such terrible impacts from downy mildew, greenhouse growers might be tempted to eliminate the crop from their production. That’s just not possible, he admitted, because customers really love impatiens,
especially during spring and bedding season. Keith Helm, the owner of Helm Gardeners and Landscaping, agreed. “We use impatiens for several of our clients because it is such a nice flower. I like to put in something with a lot of color,” Helm said. He has the plant in his own yard and has never experienced a downy mildew problem there, even with no special fungicide treatments. He is also a careful shopper and insists on visiting his wholesale suppliers before each order to check on plant quality. Still, he was unable to avoid downy mildew last year. “Brown’s and our other greenhouse suppliers gave us fair warning that there could be a downy mildew problem at some point. When they started getting affected and we noticed it, we just pulled everything out and used different flowers,” Helm said, adding that he absorbed much of the cost for replacing the flowers with the greenhouse assisting with reduced costs on the replacements. “For me, it’s much more important to make customers happy and make sure they have nice flowers.” He has started to steer his customers away from filling their yards with lots of impatiens. Some of his longtime customers are a little reluctant to try alternatives to impatiens, but he works with them to scale back from doing full beds of impatiens to planting only one or two rows in the front. “That way, if impatiens doesn’t work out, we just start with a new border and that works out pretty well,” he said.
Left: Impatiens planted around a tree before the downy mildew infection. Right: The remnants of impatiens after the downy mildew infection. Photos Courtesy of M. Daughtrey
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LooseLeaf February/March 2017
PROACTIVE WAYS TO PREVENT & ADDRESS IMPATIENS DOWNY MILDEW ISSUES • Completely remove debris, clean and sterilize production areas including benches, walkways and hoses between crops and at the end of the season to ensure removal and destruction of mildew spores.
If a new client wants lots of impatiens, he tells them about the risk and lets them know he would pull the diseased plants without charge but would have to charge for the plant replacements. “I always caution them in advance. I’m limiting my financial risk from impatiens more and more,” he admitted. Johnson said the Brown’s Greenhouse sales staff also speaks with customers about the risk of impatiens downy mildew, explaining that even when taking all the recommended precautions, nobody can guarantee mildewfree impatiens. And when it leaves the greenhouse, it’s still susceptible all season wherever it’s planted. “I would like to say all of our customers (garden center owners and landscapers) that purchase impatiens are aware, but the end consumers are still learning about it and the risks involved. Most of our customers have adjusted their demand to reduce risk, and the retailers have been proactive in posting signage and educating their customers about the risks. Still, the demand is there and the die hards gotta have them,” he said.
• Treat crops throughout the season with appropriate fungicides. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, trials showed that plants drenched or treated with a granular application of Subdue Maxx at planting remained disease free for 46 days to two months. In another study, Adorn plus Heritage or Adorn plus Vital protected landscape impatiens for five weeks. • Change up the fungicide application regularly to help avoid impatiens downy mildew becoming resistant to certain fungicides due to overuse. Rotate between different chemical families of fungicides (each family has a different FRAC Code) or tank mix two fungicides from different chemical families to avoid fungicide resistance development. Begonia
• Recommend customers cut back on impatiens walleriana orders. • Caution customers that the risk of downy mildew is present, and clearly outline your policies related to customer orders in advance. • During production, space plants so that air moves easily between them and leaves dry quickly. Crowded plants with poor air circulation are ideal for disease development.
Coleus
Brown’s has also cut back its impatiens production to minimize the risk. Meanwhile, Johnson said, “We are doing everything we can to prevent downy mildew, and hedge our bets by beefing up our cleaning and chemical rotations.” Similar to the landscaping company, when the disease does strike, “We do everything we can to help customers find replacements, and depending on where and when it happened, we might be looking at credits also. We want our customers to be successful so their customers can be successful,” he concluded. coloradonga.org
• Inform home gardeners to contract with only licensed pesticide applicators to manage impatiens downy mildew fungicide applications.
• Avoid high humidity and high moisture, which also create a welcoming environment for downy mildew. Set sprinkler irrigation for early morning watering and providing deep and infrequent irrigation to reduce leaf moisture. Avoid evening applications of sprinkler irrigation. Use drip irrigation if possible to keep foliage dry. • Be aware of signs of early stages of downy mildew: leaves appear off color and may curl under. Leaf undersides will have a white coating. As the disease progresses, leaves drop and only stems remain, which eventually die, too. • Pull and dispose of infected impatiens plants, fallen leaves and blossoms, and the closest neighboring plants immediately upon diagnosis. (Do not compost infected plant material.)
Sweet Potato Vine
• Be prepared with popular alternatives such as New Guinea impatiens and Sun impatiens, which are resistant to downy mildew. However, sun impatiens, as the name suggests, are better in the sun – not the shade like walleriana varieties. Begonias and coleus are common alternatives, while sweet potato vines or fuchsia are also good options. Helm also recommends ornamental cabbage as a really pretty bedding plant. (Avoid Touch-me-not and several wild species of impatiens, which can also be infected.)
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apanese Beetle
Implications of Colorado’s New Internal Quarantine
By Laura Pottorff, CGG Nursery and Plant Pest Quarantine Program Manager Colorado Department of Agriculture
Colorado was originally thought to be protected from invasive Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, colonization and establishment due to our semi-arid climate. Larvae and eggs of Japanese beetle need at least 10 inches of soil moisture to thrive. Without supplemental irrigation, Colorado’s environment would not be conducive to Japanese beetle survival. However, irrigation does occur to support many of our agricultural crops and urban landscapes, thereby making the pest a risk to certain areas of the state. The pest will move long distances on nursery stock from the East and Midwest, and has become established sporadically along the Front Range from Pueblo to Fort Collins. An additional population of the invasive pest that became established in Palisade, Colorado was eradicated as of 2011, due to the hard work and dedication of the Upper Grand Valley Pest Control District. Japanese beetle has a very wide host range and is difficult to control. Management of Japanese beetle relies heavily on insecticide use, and changes to the types of plants we use in our yards as well as to the way we irrigate our landscapes. A quarantine on nursery stock imported from Japanese beetle-infested states, adopted by the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) at the request of the Colorado Nursery and Greenhouse Association in 2010, helps slows the progression of the insect and prevent new Colorado introductions. Nursery stock may
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only enter Colorado if treated with certain insecticides or certified to be Japanese beetle free. Recently the Agriculture Commission adopted a proposal to expand our state’s quarantine to include the Colorado counties of Pueblo, El Paso, Douglas, Arapahoe, Jefferson, Denver, Boulder, Broomfield, Adams, Weld, and Larimer, to prevent the spread of the pest from known infested areas in the Front Range to locations in eastern Colorado and the Western Slope. Effective December 30, 2016, nurseries and landscape contractors in Front Range counties will now need to make sure plant material that is grown or held within the Front Range is certified Japanese beetle free before transporting to other areas of the state.
What does this mean for nurseries located within the 11-county Front Range quarantine area? If your clientele base is only in the Front Range corridor: there is no change and little to no effect on your business. If your clientele base is located outside the Front Range and the nursery stock you sell originates or is held in the Front Range counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder,
Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Pueblo, or Weld: You must meet one of the criteria (see chart on facing page) before moving stock to other Colorado counties and regions (Western Slope, Mountains, Eastern Plains).
What does this mean for nurseries and landscape contractors outside the Front Range quarantine area? Nurseries, sod farms and agricultural producers of fruit trees and wine grapes outside the Front Range should not be complacent. Help protect yourself and your industry by making sure the nursery stock you bring in meets Colorado’s Japanese Beetle Quarantine. All nursery stock from the eastern and midwestern U.S. and the 11 Colorado counties under quarantine will have certification documents that accompany the stock. These documents describe how that stock meets Colorado’s quarantine. Check with the nurseries where you order to make sure they meet our quarantine, before you order. CDA inspectors will be making a special effort to educate everyone impacted and answer questions during the 2017 inspection season. Enforcement of the new quarantine provisions will begin in 2018.
LooseLeaf February/March 2017
1 Drench is not allowed on pot and B & B sizes larger than 12”. Dip remains as a treatment option for B & B and containers between 12” and 32” diameters. 2 Ornamental grasses and container certification: CDA may allow container certification of ornamental grasses under special circumstances; exceptions may be granted upon written request and upon investigation and finding that unusual circumstances exist, justifying such action. 3 Pre-Harvest soil insecticide application still remains a viable option for shipment of large B & B stock. NO treatment of pots and B & B larger than 32” is allowed. Soil survey is not allowed. 4 If B & B plants or larger containers (16” and larger) go through a subsequent JB flight season, THEY MUST BE DIPPED if between 12” and 32” diameter, and remain in the Front Range quarantine area. * Nursery stock that cannot meet the conditions above must remain within the 11-county Front Range area.
coloradonga.org
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CSU RESEARCH UPDATE
By James E. Klett, Ph.D.
2016 Superior Perennials Three-year, two-winter perennial trials continued in 2016 at the Colorado State University Annual Trial Garden, directly west of the University Center for the Arts on the CSU campus in Fort Collins, Colorado. The garden was established to observe garden performance, along with winter hardiness of newer herbaceous perennials. Sixteen different companies from around the world entered 79 taxa in 2016. There is a total of more than 233 different taxa of perennials currently in the trials. Six superior perennials were planted in 2014, and grew for three complete growing seasons and two winters. The top performers are described here.
silvered leaves result in a dramatic statement for the garden. It is a great foliage plant for shady areas, but also has a good display of blue flowers in the spring that creates a light, airy appearance. It can be an attractive ground cover but is about knee high and also makes a striking specimen.
Professor & Landscape Horticultural Specialist Colorado State University
For a complete listing of photos of all these plants, go to www.flowertrials. colostate.edu, click on the Perennial button and go to “Top Performers 2016”.
Andropogon gerardii P0035 – Windwalker® Big Bluestem from Plant Select® This is an ornamental grass with great multi-season interest. The beautiful soft blue foliage changes to a dark maroon-lavender in the fall that persists even into the winter. The narrow growth habit that reaches to about six feet tall adds impressive height to a perennial border. It is a great xeriscape plant and can thrive with little or no supplemental irrigation. Avoid overhead watering and over-fertilization to maintain more compact plants and prevent lodging.
Brunnera macrophylla ‘Alexanders Great’ PP25,789 – Alexander’s Great Brunnera from Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc. This Brunnera grows to a “monster” size, which can add structure to a garden. The
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Heuchera x hybrid ‘Carnival Rose Granita’ PPAF – Cardinal Rose Granita Heuchera from Darwin Perennials Rose Granita is one of the best in the Carnival Series where the foliage reflects light and even seems to glow at times. The foliage is a composite of pink, purple and green, combined with a silver overlay that seems to change with the angle of the sun as well as the season. It can be used in mass plantings or as a small specimen in the shade. The plants have a very uniform growth habit and a light pink flower that complements the foliage nicely.
Heuchera ‘Forever Purple’ PPAF – Forever Purple Coral Bells from Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc. Aptly named, Forever Purple’s leaves are a deep, rich purple color that is maintained all season without fading. The glossy foliage seems to make the color “bounce” off the leaf. It is mainly grown for the attractive foliage, which also has flattened edges. The plant has good vigor and a very uniform growth habit. It is a great choice for shady areas or combos.
LooseLeaf February/March 2017
Hibiscus x Summerific® Cherry Cheesecake – Summerific® Cherry Cheesecake Rose Mallow from Walters Garden/Proven Winners Saucer-sized flowers are a stunning contrast of the rich cherry-red and bright white, which gives the plant a very tropical feel in the landscape. This selection is rated highly for its ability to produce large flowers evenly over the entire plant. Plants are very uniform with foliage that reaches all the way to the ground. Be patient with this hibiscus as it comes up late in the spring.
Perovskia atriplicfolia ‘Crazy Blue’ USPP 25639 – Crazy Blue Russian Sage from Darwin Perennials Besides the prolific blue flowers, this plant is noted for a growth habit that is smaller than many Russian Sages and not susceptible to lodging even with overhead irrigation. The compact growth habit improves with age and has good silver gray foliage. Plants appear dense with good branching and have a long period of bloom. It prefers a dry location to maintain its compact habit.
Phlox paniculata ‘Glamour Girl’ – Glamour Girl Garden Phlox from Walters Garden/ Proven Winners This variety is described as “one of the best garden phlox introduced in a very long time.” The period of bloom is impressively long and provides the garden with abundant vibrant salmon-colored flowers. The flower color did not fade and the plants create a very upright and uniform appearance with no lodging. It seems to be fairly mildew resistant when compared to other garden phlox in the trials.
ver gO win rado o r o G Col ended 50 m om ties! c e R rie Va
Shade, Ornamental, and Fruit Trees B&B and Containers Located in Southwest Idaho 208.482.6600 www.claytontreefarm.com coloradonga.org
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SAFETY CORNER
Reducing the Risk of Lifting Injuries This is the second in a series of Safety Tips Sheets developed by the Professional Landcare Network concerning the four major hazards identified through the OSHA-PLANET Alliance.
From the Professional Landcare Network
Lifting injuries are common. • Lifting or moving heavy materials — as well as working with a shovel — can result in injury to your back, shoulders, knees, or other body parts. • Heavy materials may include trees, shrubs and other plant material; cement blocks; flagstone; and bags of fertilizer or seed, to name a few. • Lifting-related injuries can be costly, painful and last a lifetime. But you CAN reduce your risk of injury. Lifting safety tips: • Use mechanical lifting devices, such as forklifts, skid-steer loaders and overhead cranes, when available. • Make use of manual lifting aids, such as dollies or hand trucks. • Know when to ask for help. If you suspect a load weighs 50 pounds or more, do NOT lift it by yourself. You may also need assistance with lighter loads, particularly those that are bulky.
• Stay in good physical shape. Performing stretching exercises before starting work is one technique to help loosen your muscles. • Avoid prolonged periods of lifting. Be sure to take breaks. Alternate between lifting and non-lifting tasks. Proper lifting techniques: • Size up the load to see if you will need help. Slide loads when possible. • Make sure you are wearing sturdy boots or shoes with nonslip soles. • Get a firm footing. Then part your feet and put one foot slightly in front of the other. • Keep the load close to your body and directly in front of you. • Keep your back as straight as possible. Bend your knees and lift with your legs, when possible. • Get a good grip on the object. Use handles, when possible, and make sure gloves fit properly. • Avoid lifting loads higher than chest high. • Don’t toss objects that weigh more than five pounds. • Lift in a smooth, controlled manner. Don’t jerk the load or twist your body.
Cultivating Love & Life
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!
Britton Nursery, Inc.
7075 Wyoming Lane Colorado Springs, CO 80923 Office: 719.495.3676 Fax: 719.495.3749 . info@BrittonFlowers.com www.BrittonFlowers.com Proud Member
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Licensed Propagator
Licensed Grower
LooseLeaf February/March 2017
CNGA calendar To get more information about CNGA programs and events, go to coloradonga.org and click on the Events tab to view the calendar, or contact the office by phone: 303.758.6672, fax: 303.758.6805, or email: info@coloradonga.org. Colorado Certified Nursery Professional Exam Tuesday, Feb. 7, ProGreen EXPO, Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colo. Certified Greenhouse Grower Certification Seminars and Exam Tuesday – Thursday, Feb. 7 – 9, ProGreen EXPO, Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colo. ProGreen EXPO Tuesday – Friday, Feb. 7 – 10, Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colo.
Industry Celebration Feb. 9, ProGreen EXPO, Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colo. New Mexico Certified Nursery Professional Seminars and Exam Sandoval County Extension Office, Bernalillo, N.M. All seminars 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Wednesdays • Feb. 15 – Perennials • Feb. 22 – Shrubs • March 1 – Trees • March 15 – Landscape Design • March 22 – Exam, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Albuquerque Garden Center, Albuquerque, N.M.
Commercial Pesticide Applicators Exam Prep Seminars CNGA Offices, Lakewood, Colo. All seminars 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Tuesdays • March 14 – General Seminar I • March 16 – General Seminar II • March 21 – Ornamental • March 23 – Turf
NEW members Campbell’s Flowers 927 Claremont Ave. Pueblo, Colo. 81004 Zachary Stanifer 719.543.1521
CPS Distributors, Inc. 1105 W. 122nd Ave. Westminster, Colo. 80234 James Martin 303.350.3248
High Country Gardens 29428 Highway 92 Hotchkiss, Colo. 81419 Russell Ochs 970.872.4402
Silver Bullet Water Treatment 10515 E 40th Ave. #116 Denver, Colo. 80239 Kyle Lisabeth 303.552.2383
Carolyn Toole 3080 29th St., #20 Boulder, Colo. 80301 720.440.9244
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 classified listings below and to see other current postings, visit coloradonga.org, click on the Resources tab and click on Classifieds. FOR SALE Fine Garden Company for Sale Serving dedicated clientele in metro Denver and surrounding communities for over 15 years. Services: design, install and maintain seasonal, weekly, monthly and bi-monthly care of high-end residential landscapes. Loyal staff would be part of the conversation to transition ownership. Two trucks, trailer, tools. Owner will assist in transition. Please contact Lily at lnierenberg@ bknmurray.com HELP WANTED Assistant Nursery Manager, Nursery Sales, Landscape/ Maintenance Technicians, Design Assistants, Supervisors, & Managers in Summit, Eagle & Grand Counties Neils Lunceford, Inc., P.O. Box 2130, Silverthorne, Colo. 80498 Horticulturists/Gardeners, Landscape Architect/Estimator, & Tree Farm Position Steve Koon Landscape & Design, Inc., 2301 W. Oxford Ave., Englewood, Colo. 80110
Outside Sales PlantRight LLC, 30050 W. 135th St., Olathe, Kan. 66061 Wholesale Nursery Sales Assistant & Assistant Grower Trees of Corrales, P.O. Box 1326, Corrales, N.M. 87048 Experienced Nursery Professional, Store Cashiers/Inside Customer Service, Sales & Service Trainee The Tree Farm, 11868 Mineral Rd., Longmont, Colo. 80504 Delivery Driver, Inside Sales, & Retail Manager Harmony Gardens, 4315 E. Harmony Rd., Fort Collins, Colo. 80525 Wholesale Sales Associate Todays Nursery, 9610 Motsenbocker Rd., Parker, Colo. 80134 General Labor Positions Gulley Greenhouse, 6029 S. Shields, Fort Collins, Colo. 80526
advertisers LIST ACW Supply.................................................................. 11 Baxter Wholesale Nursery, Inc........................................... 4 Britton Nursery, Inc. ........................................................ 18 Circle D Farm Sales, Inc. .................................................. 15 Carlton Plants ................................................................ 18 coloradonga.org
Clayton Tree Farm, LLC .................................................... 17 Fort Collins Wholesale Nursery ........................................ 11 Harding Nursery, Inc....................................................... 15 McKay Nursey Company ................................................. 17
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Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association 959 S. Kipling Pky, #200 Lakewood, CO 80226
LET THE CNGA HELP YOU
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INTO YOUR STORE Let us help you with our marketing to new customers by joining our award winning Plant Something Colorado campaign. Building on our success in 2015 and 2016, we are continuing to expand the campaign in 2017. We’ll provide you with a Plant Something kit to help drive consumers to your store to get the plant stake and seed packet. We have sponsorship opportunities available to extend your reach to consumers. Last year, our sponsors increased their company social media page followers by an average of 7% in three short months.
Exciting tactics planned for the 2016 campaign include: Participating in live events Continuation of the contest with great prizes Increase member participation via live videos Gain more social media followers Increase press release opportunities
SIGN UP! Contact Allison Gault
agault@coloradonga.org | 303.758.6672
In 2016:
86,000 people talking about Plant Something Colorado on Facebook Over 7,000 new visitors to the website 3,000 followers on our social media sites 1,000 photographs posted in our contest