Nursery & Landscape Notes Winter 2018 by North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association

Winter 2018 | Vol. 52, No.1

Publication of the North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc.

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Nursery Landscape Notes &

Winter 2018 | Vol. 52 No. 1

COMMENTARY President’s Message

NCNLA Executive Vice President’s Message

NCNLA NEWS Two Nominated for 2018 NCNLA Board of Directors

In Memoriam

Apex Nurseries: 100 Years and Counting

Thank you to our NCNLA Premium Members!

Congratulations to Newest CPPs of 2017

NCNLA Brings Education Closer to Home

AROUND OUR INDUSTRY Legislative Update

North Carolina Sales and Use Tax Developments for 2017

Green Industry Council Update

Best Practice: Planting the Right-size Tree in the Right Place

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WORK ETHIC? 14 Eric Chester is one of North America’s leading experts on recruiting, engaging and training emerging workforces. Some call him “the millennial whisperer” — he’s cracked the code to connecting with younger workers.

RESEARCH UPDATE Crop Protectant Reduces Periodical Cicada Damage on Nursery Stock

How Green are Urban Trees

New Members

Calendar of Events

AERIAL INSIGHT 18

Advertiser’s Index

Shiloh Nurseries utilizes drone technology to take inventory and assess plant health.

WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 3

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Published by North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc. 968 Trinity Road, Raleigh, NC 27607

NCNLA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

NCNLA Staff Corey Connors Executive Vice President Cody Lewis Director of Finance & Administration Kathryn Stansbury Director of Business Development Kaley Jacobs Manager of Marketing & Communications Hannah Singleton Manager of Professional Development Nursery & Landscape Notes is published quarterly by the North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc. especially for nursery production, nursery research, interior and exterior maintenance and design build contractors in the landscape industry. The publication is distributed to approximately 1200 horticulture producers, landscape professionals and industry suppliers. NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES is provided as a member service.

2018 NCNLA Board of Directors Shanon Spivey President Spivey’s Nursery, Inc. Kernersville, NC Jamie Thomas Vice President/Secretary/ Treasurer Swift Creek Nursery Clayton, NC Chad Gragg Past President Buffalo Creek Nurseries, Inc. Lenoir, NC Hugh Crump Greenline Designs Charlotte, NC

Educational Advisors Justin Snyder Alamance Community College Graham, NC

Honored to Serve

am Shannon Spivey, and I am deeply honored to be your NCNLA president for 2018. This is my third year as a board

member for our organization. I served as Vice President in 2017. I look forward to serving the members of NCNLA in the upcoming year.

Chris Mitchell Ewing Irrigation and Landscape Supply Garner, NC William Bass Hawksridge Farms Hickory, NC Richard Gant Gant’s Nursery Marion, NC Leslie Herndon Greenscape Inc. Raleigh, NC *Nominated 2018 Jeff Allegood Old Courthouse Nursery Warsaw, NC *Nominated 2018

I am the owner of Spivey’s Nursery, located in Kernersville, NC. We specialize in field grown and container grown plants and have been in our current location since 1998. I am a firstgeneration nurseryman, having got my start at the age of thirteen at Gossett’s Nursery in the 1980s. I graduated from North Carolina

Shanon Spivey Spivey’s Nursery, Inc. Kernersville, NC

State University in 1992 with an Associate’s Degree in Ornamental Horticulture and Landscape Technology with an Ag Business Concentration. In 2009 I received the Bill Wilder Outstanding Young Nursery Professional Award.

Dr. Joe Neal North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC

Advertising

For Advertising rates and content submission, contact Stephanie Schaefer for a Marketing Opportunities Kit. 919-609-0803 or sschaefer@ncnla.com. The including of products or brand names in this publication is not an endorsement by the editor, or the North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association.

Purpose Statement

NCNLA’s purpose is to be a flexible, knowledgeable, responsive, environmentally-conscious organization providing the nursery and landscape industries with leadership, technological and business advancement opportunities and information services.

Goal Statement

NCNLA’s ultimate goal is to benefit its members’ economic, professional and personal growth. Tax Deductible Dues Contributions or gifts to NCNLA are not tax deductible as charitable contributions. However, they may be tax deductible as ordinary business expenses. A portion of your dues is not deductible as an ordinary business expense to the extent that NCNLA engages in lobbying. The estimated non-deductible portion of your dues assessment is 20%.

Connect to NCNLA  facebook.com/NCNurseryandLandscapeAssociation/  twitter.com/ncnlacom

I am very proud of my family. I have been happily married to my beautiful wife Beth for the past 23 years. We have two sons, Taylor and Lucas. I am an avid outdoorsman and enjoy hunting and fishing. I am so proud that my sons have developed a love of nature and an enthusiasm for the outdoors. One of the best things about our industry is that it gives us the ability to spend time outdoors. I truly enjoy this business and the opportunity it gives us to appreciate nature. I am really excited about the upcoming year and believe it will be a great selling season. Sales volume has increased and inventories this Spring were low. It promises to be a busy year for the nursery business. It is important that we recognize trends and work together to ensure the continued success of our industry. NCNLA strongly supports our industry and our members. I am very fortunate to be a part of such an incredible organization. It is an honor to serve as your president. I will do my best to continue with NCNLA’s traditions of excellence in the upcoming year.

WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 5

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NCNLA EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

A Successful Stew

2017

was quite a year. Most NCNLA member companies reported that they were running “wide damn open.” Unfortunately, we also lost some beloved members of our green industry family. At times, it seemed only a couple of days would go by before you would hear of another untimely passing. We hope that 2018 will bring everyone throughout the industry good health and continued prosperity. For its part, NCNLA recorded its largest annual gross revenue since the merger of NCAN and the LGMA. We had a terrific Green & Growin’ last January, continuing to buck the trend of decline seen at industry shows across the U.S. NCNLA introduced its new regional education series with “One-Day Profit Planning” in November and we hope to improve and expand upon that model in the coming year. We also honed in on advocacy with more robust representation of NCNLA member interests at the federal and state levels of government. Finally, we enhanced NCNLA’s considerable industry stewardship activities with the implementation of new grant, research and scholarship programs. The success of an organization is not unlike a good stew — it takes the right ingredients, added in the right proportions, simmered and blended slowly over time. NCNLA’s success over the last few years has been fueled by three main ingredients:

The first is an abundance of outstanding volunteer leadership and engagement by key stakeholders. This goes beyond the Board of Directors to include participants in the 2016 and 2017 Volunteer Leadership Summits, as well as the contributions throughout the year by key thought leaders across the state. We do not lack for a variety of opinions about the best ways for NCNLA to serve the industry. However, the fact that the conversation remains universally focused on the ends and not the means allows us to confront challenges effectively while also exploring opportunities that matter most to you.

The second ingredient for success is the economy. Demand for our members’ products and services continues to grow. Plants, in particular trees, remain in relatively short supply. Residential and commercial construction continues to boom across the state. Optimism remains guarded, but less so than in the waking months following a lengthy recession. With growth comes the confidence to reinvest in your business — including infrastructure, workforce education and technology solutions. Economists suggest that the time for a downtick is approaching, so we need to keep a watchful eye on leading indicators for our industry; but there is still time to solidify your business model to buffer against any potential downturn. NCNLA is positioned to provide you with business and professional development opportunities to sustain you through good times and the bad — whenever they may come.

The final ingredient? Listening. All of the feedback in the world can’t improve a thing if it falls on deaf ears. So, for all of the Volunteer Summits, all the one-on-one conversations we’ve had with you throughout the year, all the post-event surveys and any other feedback we receive, we have a process in place to digest and evaluate it. We put your ideas directly into the mix and see what we can develop to better meet your needs.

But the industry is changing with the times and we make every effort to adapt right along with you to ensure we serve the industry ways that are relevant and deliver value to each segment of our verticallyintegrated membership.

More on next page 

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We hope that 2018 will bring everyone throughout the industry good health and continued prosperity.

You said you wanted to hear from more nationally-recognized speakers at Green & Growin’ and we did that. The program at G&G this year includes a big-time keynote speaker (Eric Chester) and one of the industry’s leading retail consultants (Ian Baldwin), in addition to the most highly-rated speakers from past conferences. You told us the food was terrible at the Coliseum during Green & Growin’ Marketplace. So we’ve brought in a food truck rodeo with a number of delicious options. More examples: the aforementioned regional education events, increased efforts to fight on your behalf through advocacy, improved industry

GROWERS OF SUPERIOR QUALITY WOODY ORNAMENTALS PLANTS, SHRUBS, AND TREES

8 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | WINTER 2018

stewardship programs, additional improvements to the show…the list goes on and on. None of this is to say that NCNLA is perfect. We are not everybody’s bowl of stew. Not yet, anyways. But the industry is changing with the times and we make every effort to adapt right along with you to ensure we serve the industry in ways that are relevant and deliver value to each segment of our vertically-integrated membership. So, while we’re not perfect, we can promise you this — if you keep talking, we’ll keep listening; and together we’ll continue our efforts to be better tomorrow. Have a terrific Spring!

MEMBER NCNLA NEWS NEWS Two Nominated for 2018 NCNLA Board of Directors The NCNLA Nominating Committee, comprised of Past-Presidents Brad Rollins (Fairview Garden Center), Kirk Davis (Kirk Davis Nursery), Tod Williams (Worthington Farms) and Mark Gantt (Hefner's Nursery), has nominated a slate of two individuals to serve on the NCNLA Board of Directors beginning in January 2018 for a three-year term. Nominees include:

Leslie Herndon Greenscape Inc. Holly Springs, NC Leslie is Vice-President of Operations at Greenscape, Inc., in Holly Springs, NC. She began her career as a floriculture technician at Greenscape 16 years ago and today manages the company’s operations and customer service/sales teams. She holds two professional designations — NC Certified Plant Professional and NALP Landscape Industry Certified. A North Carolina native, Leslie graduated from NC State University with a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Horticulture and minors in Business Management and Botany. She worked at Turtle Creek Nursery and as a retail garden center employee during high school and college. A gardener at heart, Leslie has a passion for flowers. She also currently designs the living walls that Greenscape installs and maintains for its customers. See Leslie's Certified Plant Professional Profile on NCGreenprints.com.

Jeff Allegood Old Courthouse Nursery, LLC Warsaw, NC Jeff is the General Manager of Old Courthouse Nursery, a 40-acre container nursery in Warsaw, NC. A native of Greenville, NC, Jeff’s first job was working in the corn fields at the age of 15. He did landscaping and retail nursery work throughout high school and college, graduating from NC State University with a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management. Jeff is a recipient of both NCNLA’s Bill Wilder Outstanding Young Nursery Professional Award (2013) and the Southern Nursery Association’s David E. Laird, Sr. Memorial Award (2015). He is also a Past-President of the Johnston County Nursery Marketing Association. When Jeff isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Katie; daughter, Etta; and son, Luke. He also enjoys hunting, fishing and growing vegetables.

These nominations will be considered by the general membership at NCNLA's Annual Meeting and Breakfast, which will be held at 7:30 A.M on Thursday, January 18, 2018 at the Special Events Center at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. For more info on G&G'18, visit GreenandGrowin.com.

IN MEMORIAM It is with great sadness that NCNLA announces the passing of the following industry members, family and friends.

Nadine Nance Nelson

Nadine Nance Nelson, 92, of Mooresville, passed away on Friday, December 8, 2017, at Gordon Hospice House, Statesville. She was born on August 19, 1925, in Cornelius, NC to the late Lawrence and Annabelle Readling Nance. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, William Henry Nelson; infant son, William Gerald Nelson; brother, Hoyt Nance and sister, Barbara Mayhew. With her husband Bill, she founded Nelson Nursery of Mooresville in 1958. Nadine is survived by her sons, Brian A. Nelson (Lynne) of Terrell, Warren W. Nelson of Mooresville and Randy F. Nelson (Susan) of Davidson; grandchildren, Miles Nelson (fiancé, Katti Graham), Ian Nelson (fiancé, Sarah McMillan) and Matthew Nelson-Love (Pamela Nelson-Love).

Martha Ann Davis

Martha Ann Crater Davis, 78, of Locust, passed away Saturday, December 23, 2017 at The Gardens of Taylor Glen in Concord. Martha was an NCNLA Member and mother of former President of NCNLA Board of Directors Kirk Davis of Kirk Davis Nursery. Martha was born November 30, 1939 in Forsyth County to the late Spencer Nathaniel Crater and the late Pauline "Polly" Laxton Crater. She was also preceded in death by her beloved husband of 57 years, Johnny Lee Davis, who passed away in 2014. She is survived by her sons, Christopher K. (Shari) Davis of Midland, Greg (Julie) Davis of Cleveland, and Bart (Debbie) Davis and Andy (Angie) Davis, both of Concord; daughters, Leigh Ann Davis of Charlotte, and Sharri (Lee) McMillian of Stanfield; grandchildren, Christy Luckey, Danny Waltman, Matt Davis, Laura Beth Kiker, John McMillian, and Hailey and Brayden Davis, and Joshua, Jamison, and Jordan Funderud; great-grandchildren, Jackson Waltman, Harper McMillian, and Averie and Lane Kiker; and sister, Carolyn Blakely of Winston-Salem.

WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 9

NCNLA NEWS

Family-owned for 100 years, Apex Nurseries looks to the future

Apex Nurseries, Inc. Apex, NC Principals Will R. Copeland, Owner/ President Ronald W. Copeland, Vice President Karen D. Copeland, Office Manager/Secretary Kevin Martin, Nursery Manager Services Wholesale Nursery Years in Business 100 NCNLA Member 55 years Employees 10 Annual revenue $2 million +

Ronald (left) and Palmer Copeland

Apex celebrated its 80th Anniversary at Green& Growinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 1998. Left to right: Ronald Copeland, (then) Agriculture Commissioner, Jim Graham and Will Copeland. 10 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | WINTER 2018

Left to right: Justin Keck, Zack Strickland, Kevin Martin, Will Copeland, Karen Copeland and Ronald Copeland.

Apex Nurseries' founder, DS Copeland

What's the secret to keeping a family-owned business thriving for a century? That's easy - family members working together everyday with a common goal in mind. Keeping a family-business thriving for 100 years and four generations is a remarkable achievement.

Manager Kevin Martin, their cousin, has been part of the company for more than eight years.

D.S. Copeland founded Apex Nurseries in 1918, growing and selling mostly deciduous nursery stock. His son, Palmer, joined the nursery in the early 1920's. They’d take orders for fruit trees and flowering shrubs from rural farm families each summer and deliver them in late Fall and winter. Palmer’s son Ronald joined the company in 1961.

They sell a general nursery stock of shrubs and trees and produce mulch sold to both landscapers and homeowners. Large landscaping companies with mostly corporate accounts make up the bulk of Apex’s customer base today — along with smaller landscapers focused on homeowner services.

The fourth generation — D.S. Copeland’s great grandchildren — now stand at the helm today. Will Copeland is the current owner. Karen Copeland, Will’s sister, came on board to manage the office in 2008. Nursery

- Ronald Copeland

What sets Apex apart from its competition? “High quality products, excellent customer service and personal relationships,” they say. For the future, they plan to stick to that same path — keeping an eye out for fresh opportunities at every twist and turn along the way.

WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 11

MEMBER NEWS Thank you to our NCNLA Premium Members! NCNLA would like to express our gratitude to our premium members for setting the example and making their dues dollars go further in support of the green industry. Their support allows us to invest in research and to promote advocacy efforts at every level that positively impact the bottom line for green industry businesses.

Gold Member

$275 - Annual Base membership plus a $50 donation towards the NCNLA Horticulture Research Fund and $50 towards the NCNLA Beacon Fund (Advocacy).

Christy's Nursery, Inc.

Coats Lawn Service, Inc.

DalaCasa Landscaping & Designs

Doug Thompson & Associates

Brookscapes, LLC

Dykes & Son Nursery

Carolina Creations Landscapes, Inc.

Freeman Landscape, Inc.

Clayton Constructors Inc dba Post Nursery

Fry & Associates, Inc

Commercial Pine Straw

Godley's Garden Center & Nursery

Creative Carolina Landscapes, Inc.

Goodman's Nursery

DJS Lawn & Landscape, LLC.

Greco Landscaping & Lawn Service

If you would like more information on becoming a Premium Member, contact Kathryn Stansbury at kstansbury@ncnla.com.

Evergreen Partners of Raleigh

Greenscape Tools, Inc.

Fair View Nursery, Inc.

Hamner Tree Farm

Franco's Nursery

Homewood Nursery and Garden Center

Platinum Member

Gibson's Landscape Management, LLC

Huffman Landscape and Lawn Pros.

Greensboro Shrub Nursery

JCB INC

Hefner's Nursery

Johnston County Schools

Hermann's Nursery & Landscaping, Inc

Kiefer Landscape Nursery

L.R. Griffin & Assoc., Inc.

Landscape Management Network

LanArc, Inc.

Lynch Landscape & Design Inc

Mountain View Landscaping & Design Inc.

M&M Contracting

Old Courthouse Nursery

Macon Gardens

New Earth Designs, Inc.

$375 - Annual Base membership plus a $100 donation towards the NCNLA Horticulture Research Fund and $100 towards the NCNLA Beacon Fund (Advocacy).

Alvarez Landscape & Lawn Maintenance LLC B.B. Barns, Inc.

Barefoot & Associates, Inc.

Panther Creek Nursery

Carolina Cat

Pender Nursery, Inc.

On The Job Lawn Care LLC.

Consolidated Landscaping, Inc

Piedmont Carolina Nursery

Painters Greenhouse, LLC

Cox Landscape Management Inc.

Pinnacle Landscapes

Paradise Landscaping

Ditch Witch of North Carolina

Powell's Nursery, LLC

Piedmont Mowing, LLC

First Rate Lawn Service

Rountree Plantation Greenhouses

Pine Knot Farms

Grants Creek Nursery, Inc.

Sampson Nursery, Inc.

Piney Creek Nursery

Green Resource

Sarah P. Duke Gardens

Quality Landscapes

Greenleaf Services, Inc.

Scottree

Reddick Equipment Company of NC LLC

Southern Garden, Inc.

Robbins Nursery

Swift Creek Nursery

Robert M. Gragg & Sons Nursery

University of Mount Olive

Samson Grounds Management, LLC

Yardscapes

Sharon K. Hopper Fine Gardening

Southern Images Lawn Service, Inc.

Superior Seeding, Inc

The Country Club of North Carolina

The Southern Landscape Group

Tim Johnson Landscaping

Tinga Nursery, Inc.

Greenscape Inc. Hawksridge Farms

Johnson Nursery Corp.

Kirk Davis Nursery

Silver Member

Mountain Advantage

Natives, Inc.

Parker's Landscape Services, Inc.

STI Turf Care Equipment

$225 - Annual Base membership plus a $25 donation towards the NCNLA Horticulture Research Fund and $25 towards the NCNLA Beacon Fund (Advocacy).

Taylor's Nursery, Inc.

A & A Plants, Inc.

Yard and Nursery Depot

Angel Creek Nursery

Tollies Landscaping Inc.

Lancaster Farms, Inc.

Back Road Farms

Turf Service, Inc.

Oldcastle Lawn & Garden

Bloomsbury Landscapes

Turtle Creek Nursery, Inc.

Star Roses/The Conard Pyle Co.

Blue Ridge Waterscapes, Inc.

Van Belle Nursery Inc.

C and J Nursery

Wakefield Nursery & Landscaping, Inc.

Capitol Broadcasting Co., Inc.

Williams PlantWorks

12 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | WINTER 2018

MEMBER NEWS NCNLA Brings Education Closer to Home In November, NCNLA, in conjunction with the CGIN, inaugurated its NEW, regional education program with One-Day Profit Planning intensive. Twenty-four participants spent the day at the Harris Conference Center in Charlotte, NC, exploring ways to boost their bottom line with speakers Marcus vandeVliet of MV Enterprises and Tim Smith of Ignite Business Partners, two of the country’s leading experts on landscape business profitability.

Congratulations to the Newest CPPs of 2017 Twenty-nine individuals passed the Certified Plant Professional exams held in Fayetteville and Wilson, NC, this past October. Congratulations to the industry’s newest CPPs.

Paul R. Adams III, NCDA & CS

Michael Massey, NCDA & CS

Samuel Bean, Tryon Palace

Travis Black, Arbor Enterprises, Inc.

Sarah Potter, University of Mount Olive

Currin Blakely, Sandhills Community College

Lisa Rayburn, NC Cooperative Extension

Aaron T. Bolton, Sandhills Community College

Kurt Ryan, Carolina Seasons Nursery, LLC.

Joseph Bratcher, Carteret Community College

Jessica Sellers, University of Mount Olive

Andrew Sileo, AAA Tree Experts

Jarred Driscoll, NCDA & CS

Gene Fox, NC Cooperative Extension

Austin Smith, University of Mount Olive

Michael Sober, Gardenology

Brad Hardison, NC Cooperative Extension

Matt Stevens, NC Cooperative Extension

Brooke Johnson, University of Mount Olive

Cindy, Sikes, Elon University

Bethany Tant, University of Mount Olive

Susan Tripp, Elon University

Gabriel Valente, University of Mount Olive

Paul Young, Jr., University of Mount Olive

Grant Kees, Taylor's Nursery, Inc.

Amanda Kook, University of Mount Olive

Karen Kottkamp, Bloom Designs

Branson Langley, North Carolina Zoo

Sam Marshall, NC Cooperative Extension

Designed for landscape business owners and managers interested in improving profitability and performance, the small group format and schedule afforded ample time for networking and one-on-one conversations with the speakers. Topics covered during the six-hour program included: budgeting & cost-based estimating, defining & sizing your team for profit, employee accountability and proactive sales. “Attendees told us they liked the program’s content and intimate format,” said NCNLA Executive Vice President Corey Connors. “We’ll be looking at ways to improve and expand upon the model in 2018.”

WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 13

Insight and advice from G&G’18 Keynote Speaker Eric Chester

January 15-19, 2018

Best-selling author and hall-of-fame speaker Eric Chester delivers his keynote presentation, “On Fire at Work,” at Green & Growin’ 2018 on Tuesday, January 16. For more information visit greenandgrowin.com

What Happened to the Work Ethic? (And what you can do about it.) Eric Chester is a leading voice in the global dialogue on employee engagement and building a world-class workplace culture. He's an in-the-trenches researcher on the topic of the emerging workforce and the dynamics of finding, developing, and keeping top talent. Chester is a Hall-of-Fame keynote speaker and the author of 3 leadership books including Reviving Work Ethic (2012) and On Fire at Work: How Great Companies Ignite Passion in their People without Burning Them Out (2015). Learn more about Eric at EricChester.com.

14 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | WINTER 2018

Picking up the slack. Why employers need to instill work ethic in the emerging workforce.

ull any business owner, leader, or manager aside and ask them to describe the emerging frontline workforce and terms like “entitled” and “poor work ethic” will enter into the conversation. I interact with thousands of employers each year and this I can say with certainty. At a large management conference last spring, a regional training manager for an international wholesaler lamented to me, “the work ethic has gotten so bad that our people are in the perpetual mode of trying to get something for nothing!” Getting something for nothing isn’t bad, or evil, or immoral. Who doesn’t appreciate a little good fortune coming their way? However, when finding ways to separate effort from reward becomes a passionate pursuit, any treasure obtained in the process is marginalized. There was a time when achievement meant more than possessions and when a person’s character was valued more than achievement. Americans felt good about putting in an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. This was when “Made in America” was the best label any product could bear. Quality was everyone’s priority. Companies made decisions to ensure long-term stability—not short-term gains for stockholders. I’m north of fifty and I remember that time. My five adult children don’t. They’ve grown up in a world where most people work hard to find ways of avoiding hard work. They’ve heard stories telling how lottery winners, day traders, bloggers, dot-commers and Internet marketers

WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 15

have managed to beat the system and derive a huge bounty with little or no effort. They’ve been inundated with reality television that turns talentless fools into millionaires in the blink of an eye and with the greatest of ease. To them, an apprentice is not a young worker learning a trade at the foot of a master craftsman but rather a devious schemer finagling to get a coworker fired by Donald Trump. Is it any wonder there is a burgeoning entitlement mentality among the new workforce? Work has degenerated to little more than a four-letter word; a necessary evil. It’s no longer viewed as something to be proud of, but rather something to disdain, to shortcut, or to elude all together. Employers can no longer afford to play employee roulette gambling on the chances that they can find good people who’ve already learned a proper work ethic at home or at school. Parents now focus most of their attention on ensuring that their kids are healthy, happy and have a high self-esteem. Meanwhile, schools are facing widespread criticism and massive cutbacks and are concentrating every available resource on increasing test scores and keeping their students safe. So, who’s teaching Johnny to work? Obviously, the burden of developing work ethic within the emerging workforce has shifted to employers, (i.e. 16 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | WINTER 2018

owners, managers, supervisors and trainers). Organizations that neglect this responsibility typically end up pointing the finger at parents and schools for the unsatisfactory product they are getting. But that does nothing to correct the problem and it exacerbates negative expectations.

Work ethic, by the book

Webster’s states that work requires activity, the exertion of energy, the process of doing. Ethic, it tells us, is based upon “ethos” or the knowledge of what is right and what is wrong. So simply stated, work ethic is knowing what to do and doing it. What is it that every employee in every job in every industry needs to know and to do (take action on)? I’ve asked more than 1,500 employers that question and have aggregated their responses to create a list of seven indisputable core values that I firmly believe every employer demands:

Positivity (positive attitude)

Reliability

Professionalism

Initiative

Honesty

Respect

Gratitude (cheerful service).

Five considerations to help instill and develop core work ethic in your emerging workforce 1. Revisit and recommit to core values and character traits that your organization demands from every employee. (If you don’t already have a list, create one starting with the non-negotiables of honesty, reliability, respect, etc.) Ask your senior leaders for input and invite open discussion as to why they believe each item on the list is crucial to the success of every employee on your payroll.

Look over the list for a minute. Would you want someone on your payroll who demonstrated six of them, but was deficient in the seventh? What if they were strong in everything with the exception of reliability, so you couldn’t count on them to show up … or had six of the values but were lacking in integrity? Of course not. Regardless of the nature of your business, you demand all seven core values in every employee. And likewise, they want to work for a company—and a manager—that demonstrates all of those traits. They are non-negotiables. Most training programs, unfortunately, assume employees already possess these core values, so they focus exclusively on developing job-specific hard skills. But if your worker is constantly complaining and bringing all those around him down…or arrives on the job site wearing a bathrobe and flip flops … or cheats on the time card… then an impressive skill set is not going to offset the negative impact that person has on your bottom line. It’s not enough to simply alert your workforce to the consequences (and requisite disciplinary actions) of absenteeism, dress code infractions, dishonesty, idleness, texting on company time, etc. You must have a plan and a process for developing and reinforcing work ethic values in your people. It’s too important to leave this to chance.

2. Revisit your hiring process to see how you’re evaluating job candidates based upon those values. Make certain you’re asking questions that get them to describe in detail how their past work-related performance demonstrates the values you hold sacred. For example: “Tell me about a time when you overcame a significant challenge to finish a project on schedule” or, “Give me an example of a rule or policy in a previous job you found stupid or outdated. Did you comply with it or find a way around it?” 3. Examine your training program to see how you can integrate these concepts into your present skills training. Remember, it’s not enough to simply mention values or provide a warning to those who do not exhibit them. For the values to be internalized and lived-out, they must be integrated into case studies, role playing, eLearning platforms, etc. 4. Take significant measures to foster a workplace culture that is centered around your non-negotiable core work ethic values. Begin meetings and team huddles by allowing employees to share personal examples of how they went out of their way for a customer, overcame a challenge to arrive to work on time, chose to do “the difficult right” as opposed to “the easy wrong,” etc. Share your own personal stories, as well. 5. Celebrate work ethic. Talk about people (employees, associates, even celebrities) who exhibit great work ethic and provide examples. When you see great work ethic exemplified by your employees, recognize and reward it with praise, awards, impromptu celebrations, or even incentives. Remember that what gets rewarded gets repeated. It’s time to stop complaining about the lack of work ethic you see in your emerging workforce and take steps to revive it. The payoff is huge. After all, your future depends on your ability to instill within them the work ethic they should have learned at home and school, but didn’t.

WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 17

Growing consumer demand and limited labor resources leave no room for inefficient processes or outdated technology. This is the beginning of a new series of articles and online resources designed to help NCNLA members understand and expand their technological options.

18 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | WINTER 2018

Aerial Insight I

t can take a month or more to inventory 350 acres of trees. “By the time you’re finished you almost have to start again,” said John Allen, owner of Shiloh Nurseries in Harmony, NC. “Tree sizes are already different, and there may be deer or insect damage.” To help bridge the information gap, he takes a look around in real time with Aerial photo of Shiloh Nurseries, taken by John Allen with a Phantom 3 drone. a DJI Phantom 4 drone. “I can cover up to 100 acres in about 25 minutes,” Allen said. The drone records the live video and captures still images of two to four acres at a time. “They’re good for doing a rough inventory count,” he said. Allen began flying drones for recreation but practical business applications are at the forefront of his mind. Unmanned aerial system (UAS) technology is revolutionizing agricultural production. Equipped with multispectral or thermal imaging camera sensors, drones collect data used to monitor soil and crop conditions, locate weed colonies, scout for signs of drought stress or pest infestation. “Sensor technology doesn’t discern between trees, turf, potatoes or bananas — it looks outside of what eyes can see,” said Greg Emerich of Sentera, a leading supplier of remote sensing solutions. A broken water line, for example, creates a change in temperature that will be picked up in a thermal image before anything is visible to the human eye. Sensor data can help growers proactively manage crop health, noted Allen. At the moment, however, he’s looking to improve Shiloh’s reaction time. “When the bugs start flying right in the middle of planting season I can’t always spare a manager to take care of it.” he said. “We’ve hired a helicopter to spray the fields the past couple of years” — a solution that is both expensive and inefficient. Sprayer drones able to deliver liquid fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides recently came on the U.S. market. Allen expects the cost to be between $10,000 - $17,000, and he’s ready to make the investment. “That’s roughly the same cost as an air blast sprayer,” he said, “but it will cover more ground faster,” and require less human oversight. Once a sprayer drone’s course is set, much of the process is automated, Allen explained. “It knows how high to fly and how much fluid is left in the sprayer. When it’s empty, it knows to go back for a refill and uses GPS navigation to return to the exact spot where it stopped.” Affordable, adaptable drone technology has enormous potential in horticulture “particularly for field-grown operations like ours” Allen said. “I’ve just barely scratched the surface.” WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 19

The AGRA MG-1 from DJI — one of the agricultural sprayer drones now available in the U.S.

Want to know more? Don’t miss the Green & Growin 2018 educational session Drones in Landscaping and Nurseries: Data Collection and Analysis, Wednesday, January 17 in Greensboro, NC. Join Matt Mulhern of Go Unmanned for a look at the benefits of UAV technology in irrigation/land planning, plant counting and more. Landscapers, nursery owners and crop farmers interested in learning about cost-saving practices implemented through aerial technology are encouraged to attend. Visit GreenandGrowin.com for details.

20 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | WINTER 2018

Also check out these websites:

agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/2017/dec/drone/

american-robotics.com/newsblog/

auvsi.org

dji.com/mg-1

dronezon.com

gounmanned.com

sentera.com

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Provided by NCNLA and AmericanHort as a Lighthouse Program partner benefit. For the latest information about these and other federal legislative concerns, visit AmericanHort.org

thresholds on their use of cash accounting via the gross receipts test had their thresholds increased. The provision also retains the exemptions from the uniform capitalization rules that are not based on a taxpayer’s gross receipts. Details on this topic are found on pages 376-381 of the conference report. Expensing – The package allows full and immediate expensing of short-lived capital investments for the first five years.

Tax Reform Crosses the Finish Line Congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration left town on a triumphant note in December as their tax reform package passed both chambers during the last days of 2017. The passage of the bill marked a highwater mark for the first year of the Trump administration, as President Trump signed the bill into law on December 22.

The package passed by a party-line vote, 51-48 in the Senate and 224-201 in the House. The House had to vote on the package twice since the bill needed minor last-minute revisions to comply with Senate budget rules. It should be emphasized that the new tax law is a very complicated piece of legislation, and there are likely more changes than summaries would lead one to believe. It is likely to result

in hundreds of pages of new IRS regulations. The IRS will play a huge part in the development of these regulations, and the agency will have to work quickly as some of the changes begin almost immediately. A few top lines with regard to AmericanHort legislative priorities through the process: Cash accounting – The new tax law expands the universe of taxpayers that may use cash accounting. It retains the exceptions from the required use of the accrual method for qualified personal service corporations and taxpayers other than C corporations. Personal service corporations, partnerships without C corporation partners, S corporations, and other pass-through entities are allowed to use the cash method with regard to certain thresholds. Business operating models that previously had

Estate Tax – Exemption levels for the Estate Tax were doubled from 2018 to 2025. In 2026, the exemption level would revert back to current levels, indexed for inflation. More details can be reviewed in this summary table, provided in partnership with the Small Business Legislative Council. As with any comprehensive piece of legislation, there are likely to be certain elements that were overlooked by lawmakers, and upon implementation, it becomes clear that changes need to be made. It would not be unusual if there are additional needed tweaks to the law or new rules in the coming years. AmericanHort will continue to develop analysis and monitor and evaluate changes to the tax code, as well as providing programming in the coming weeks and months on tax changes and what they mean for the industry.

WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 21

H-2B First Half Cap Hit

Congress adjourned on December 21 after passing another short-term measure to fund the government, this time through January 19. This â&#x20AC;&#x153;cleanâ&#x20AC;? funding measure did not include H-2B cap relief or address other policy issues, but we continue to press Congress to include cap relief in the funding bill it plans to negotiate between now and January 19. The need for cap relief is even more crucial now. On December 21, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the cap for the first half of fiscal 2018 was reached on December 15, several weeks earlier than last year. According to USCIS, the agency will reject any H-2B petitions with an employment start date prior to April 1, 2018that were received after December 15.

USCIS will continue to accept petitions for current H-2B workers in the United States petitioning to extend their stay and, if appli-

cable, change the terms of their employment or change their employers. Fish roe processors and workers performing work in Guam

Boxwood Blight, More Boxwood Blight, a Bit of Xanthomonas Plant pathologists and the green industry were treated to a trifecta of disease headlines this holiday season. First, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture confirmed that a new boxwood blight quarantine will go into effect February 4, 2018. The new quarantine includes all material currently known to transmit the disease, including Buxus species, Sarcococcaspecies, and any/all material containing this plant material, such as compost, mulch, soil, and waste. Any regulated material entering Tennessee must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate and under compliance agreement in accordance with a boxwood blight cleanliness program, such as that outlined in the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI) suggested Boxwood Blight Best Management Practices for prevention of this serious pathogen. Second, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources confirmed that a Boy Scout troop sold boxwood wreathes infected with boxwood blight this holiday season. The material reportedly originated in North Carolina, and eight other states were confirmed to have received infected boxwood material from the same source. The Boy Scout troop asked the public to return the infected material so that it could be disposed of properly. Boxwood blight has not been confirmed in Indiana yet, so this incident was partic-

22 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | WINTER 2018

ularly alarming to state officials. It also serves as a reminder to our industry that even boxwood greenery can transmit this disease. Weather patterns of 2017 were considered to be especially conducive to boxwood blight development on the East Coast. A similar incident happened in the 2016 holiday season in Tennessee. Just a reminder that HRI revised the voluntary Boxwood Blight Best Management Practices last fall. The BMPs provide the production basis for complying with the Tennessee quarantine. HRI and AmericanHort continue to support the Systems

Approach to Nursery Certification (SANC) pilot, which also qualifies as a cleanliness program. Thirdly, reports have been circulating in green industry media sources of bacterial leaf spot, caused by Xanthomonas campestris, on begonia. One large cutting supplier acknowledged Xanthomonas-infected cuttings present from an offshore production facility, though best estimates indicate that only about 2% of stock was impacted. This is not a quarantine pathogen; however, begonia may be in shorter supply for 2018 production.

or the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands are also exempt from the cap. We expect the second half cap to be reached in early 2018, likely earlier than last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s date ofMarch 13. In fact, we expect that enough labor certification applications may be filed on January 1 (the first filing date for the April 1 date of need for workers) to cause the cap to be hit when employers with approved labor certifications move to the next step, petitioning for visas. We will continue to fight to ensure that our members continue to have access to this vital seasonal labor program.

WPS Notice and Neonic Assessments Highlight Year-End EPA Activity EPA has been busy issuing several year-end notices of interest to the green industry. First, EPA has announced that the new Worker Protection Standard (WPS) may be amended. The WPS amendments to be reconsidered include the minimum age requirements, the designated representative, and the application exclusion zone (buffer area). Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be

watching for a notice of proposed rulemaking and public comment request.

Public comments will be accepted until February 20, 2018 for all.

Secondly, special reviews for the neonicotinoid insecticides continue. Preliminary human health and ecological risk assessments were released for clothianidin, dinotefuran, and thiamethoxam, and a preliminary ecological risk assessments to birds, mammals, and nontarget insects and plants forimidacloprid was also published.

EPA noted a heightened interest in public comments relating to cotton and citrus crops, as both were flagged in previous pollinator risk assessments. Stinkbug and plantbug control in cotton and Asian citrus psyllid control in citrus were cited specifically, as neonicotinoid insecticides are critical for their management.

WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 23

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1-800-422-3560 Hwy. 801 North Visit our website at Mocksville, NC www.fairviewnurseryinc.com 336-998-3232 24 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | WINTER 2018

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BEST PRACTICE

By Ken Martin, Stancil & Company

North Carolina Sales and Use Tax Developments for 2017

fter two years of sweeping changes to North Carolina Sales Tax laws, the year 2017 was relatively quiet. Senate Bill 628 and an “Important Notice” issued by the North Carolina Department of Revenue (NCDOR) both were intended more to clarify existing law than to write new law. As a brief refresher, North Carolina enacted new legislation effective in 2016 that introduced sales tax on Repair Maintenance and Installation (RMI) services while continuing to exempt services associated with capital improvements. The practical impact is this.

For RMI services, contractors do not pay sales tax on the purchase of materials; instead, they charge sales tax on the full sales price of the service.

For capital improvements, contractors continue to pay sales tax on the purchase of materials but charge no sales tax on the sales price on the service.

Landscapers largely escaped the application of this new RMI sales tax because landscaping services were included by law in the definition of capital improvements. The definition of Landscaping Service was changed in Senate Bill 628 (see far right for updated definition).

Overall, this is a broader definition than before, notwithstanding the new limitations in the last sentence. In addition, the application of pesticides has been deleted as an example of landscaping. Senate Bill 628 contains another change that may impact landscapers. Replacement or installation of decks and patios are now specifically listed as capital improvements. NCDR’s notice provided examples of capital improvements and RMI services, including several related to landscaping and lawn care. The following are considered capital improvements: installation or complete replacement of fences, walks, fountains (except freestanding) and sprinkler systems. On the other hand, these were found to be taxable RMI Services: repair, maintain or replace landscape lights; repair, maintain or install moveable ponds or free-standing fountains; repair fences and gates; repair, maintain or replace component parts of underground lawn sprinkler systems.

“Landscaping: A service that modifies the living elements of an area of land. Examples include the installation of trees, shrubs, or flowers on land; tree trimming; mowing; and the application of seed, mulch, pine straw, or fertilizer to an area of land. The term does not include services to trees, shrubs, flowers and similar items in pots or in buildings.”

You are advised to consult a professional tax advisor regarding application of these new rules to your business and specific transactions. WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 25

NCGreenPrints.com NCNLA’s consumer website is an update to TarheelGardening.com. It’s purpose is to engage both “next generation” young consumers and traditional audiences by connecting the quality of life, economic and environmental benefits that come from a well designed/maintained landscape using NC nursery crops. In addition to increasing the perceived value of NC trees and landscape plants, the site emphasizes the importance of hiring certified professionals and promotes green industry businesses across North Carolina. NC GreenPrints.com is designed to provide next generation consumers with a clear, straightforward and easy way to learn more about NC nursery crops — and to connect with NCNLA’s community of members as the people who can provide those products and services. It offers all the knowledge, tools and product information consumers need on an accessible digital platform.

26 48 || NURSERY NURSERY && LANDSCAPE LANDSCAPE NOTES NOTES ||WINTER SPRING 2018 2017

GREEN INDUSTRY UPDATE NCGIC Keeps Efforts Rolling Through the New Year

The North Carolina Green Industry Council (NCGIC) had a busy and successful 2017! NCGIC successfully monitored and evaluated the potential impact of legislation and met with legislative teams to suggest improvements in bill language, for hurricane relief efforts, tax on services, immigration issues and more. NCGIC representatives attended North Carolina’s Ag Day in Raleigh and AmericanHort’s IMPACT Washington event, in Washington, D.C., to promote North Carolina’s green industry, meet legislators and political officials and learn about the current political climate. NCGIC scooped more than 1,000 bowls of ice cream while making contacts and providing information to NC legislators, legislative staff members, state officials and others. NCGIC once again successfully advocated to have July proclaimed ‘Smart Irrigation Month’ to recognize the importance of efficient outdoor water use and the responsibility of all North Carolinians to use water wisely. At the 7th Annual NCGIC Water Symposium, another sold out crowd of 200+ green industry professionals heard ten dynamic presenters from across the country speak about projects and ideas that focused on ‘Water in the Performance Landscape.’ Thanks to the generous donations of green industry professionals, the NCGIC PAC raised $5,200 to help support legislators and elected officials who support NC’s green industry. NCGIC will continue its efforts throughout 2018. “Our fight for North Carolina’s green industry is never over,” said 2017 NCGIC President Jonathan Richardson. “Maintaining and building relationships with existing and newly-elected legislators and officials ensures our voice is heard during policy discussions.” 2018 is an election year and every effort counts. NCGIC urges you to vote, get to

know your local legislators and attend a 2018 NCGIC event – all of which will help educate and build relationships with elected officials to ensure the green industry is represented at the policy table. Please visit the NCGIC website – www. ncgreenindustrycouncil.com – for the most up to date news and information.

NCGIC is Looking for Board Members and Volunteers!

Interested in making an impact for NC green industry? We need your help, so get involved for your business and the NC green industry. Call the NCIGC office at 919-372-1586 or visit www.ncgreenindustrycouncil.com/get-involved.html to get started.

Many Thanks to the 2017 NCGIC PAC Donors:

Dean Baker

David Goodson

Scott Makey

Scott Reeder

Phil Beaumont

Michael Hall

Todd McCabe

Arthur Bruneau

Conrad Hayter

Greg McDanel

Jonathan Richardson

Doug Chapman

Kevin M. Herrmann

James D Morris

Mike Rodgers

Charles Peacock

Gary Sikes

Daniel Currin

Michael Currin

Steve Hill

Mark Peters

Doug Torn

John Dole

Jerry M Holder

Fred Pittillo

Joe Fountain

Connie Hoyes

LaRue Powell

Suzanne Wilkerson

Gary Gittere

William Jones

CD Prillaman

Tod Williams

King's Greenhouse, Inc.

Thanks to the 2017 NCGIC Sponsors: $2,500

$300 - $500

$1,000 - $2,000

Rockwell Farms

$750

As You Like It Landscapes, Inc.

Banner Greenhouses

Baucom's Nursery

K2 Irrigation Services, Inc.

Myatt Landscaping Concepts, Inc.

Rountree Plantation, Inc.

Turftenders Landscape Services, Inc.

Syngenta

$150 - $299

A to Z Farms, LLC

Arborscapes, Inc.

Big Branch Nursery

Landvision Designs, Inc.

Brookscapes, LLC

Bryan Wagoner Tree Farm, LLC

Pender Nursery, Inc.

Powell's Nursery

Rodgers Landscape Services, Inc.

The Morgan Landscape Group, Inc.

TILS, LLC

Dorsey Landscape & Irrigation

Fair View Nursery, Inc.

Brad Goodrum

Goodson & Associates

King Green of Charlotte, Inc.

Save the Date: 8th Annual NCGIC Water Symposium Thursday, June 21, 2018 McKimmon Center, 1101 Gorman Street, Raleigh NC 27606

WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 27

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BEST PRACTICE

Planting the Right-size Tree in the Right Place

ver the last several years, great strides have been made in putting the right tree in the right place. People are beginning to understand putting trees under power lines and beside concrete are bad ideas. Trees are living, ever-changing things that impact the world around them. There are times when a much larger tree should be installed for aesthetic reasons. Let’s face it, sometimes a 2” caliper tree just looks out of place in certain circumstances — such as replacing large specimen trees or planting in front of large structures. We know the immediate visual benefits of installing larger trees and right now there is a good supply of 4-7” trees; but planting larger trees is a much different process than planting a standard, 2” tree. When installing large trees, survivability and performance hinge on selection, installation, care and maintenance. If done properly the large tree can thrive and make an immediate visual impact.

Most important is water management. Larger trees require a greater volume of water, but less frequently. Installers must remember that they are watering to a depth of 48” vs. 24”; and just because the tree shows stress does not always indicate a need for more water. More large trees die from too much water than too little. Use a soil probe to check soil moisture and only water when needed. Supplemental watering may be necessary for two growing seasons.

By Danny VanDevender, North Carolina Urban Forest Council Board of Directors and Owner of Jericho Farms

Trees need to be sourced from a nursery that specializes in growing larger trees. It is important to know that the tree has been cared for each year and is not just a leftover cull. Finally, the staking and guying must be strong enough to support the heavier and broader tree. If you are willing to put in the extra time and effort, you can capitalize on the immediate impact of a large tree — but you cannot just plant it, water it and walk away. WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 29

INDUSTRY RESEARCH

By Amanda Taylor, North Carolina State University

Crop Protectant Reduces Periodical Cicada Damage on Nursery Stock

A female periodical cicada lays eggs in a branch.

or most of us in Western North Carolina, the emergence of the 17-year periodical cicada this Spring was a chance to witness one of nature’s oddities. But for some nurserymen, it was an unwelcome guest in fields. Females damaged trees in some areas by laying eggs under the bark of small branches. Sites of egg laying become weak spots where branches may break. Management of periodical cicadas in field nursery production is a challenge. Typically, growers would spray a broad-spectrum insecticide like bifenthrin on trees, with the hope of killing cicadas that land on them and therefore preventing damage from egg laying. There are several problems with this approach:

Periodical cicadas are large, hard bodied insects that require a relatively large dose of insecticide to be effective.

High populations are common, so a lot of chemical has to be applied to be effective.

These products are contact poisons, so if the insect is not sprayed directly, the residual is responsible for killing the insect.

Traditional pesticides have to be applied often because they begin breaking down as soon as they are applied.

30 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | WINTER 2018

What is Surround WP? Surround is a kaolin clay product that most often is used in organic fruit production. It forms a thin coating over whatever it is sprayed on and acts as a physical barrier that protects trees from some insects and diseases. It has also been shown to enhance photosynthesis of some plants by reducing leaf temperature during mid-day heat stress.

Extensive periodical cicada egg laying on a dogwood tree causes dieback.

Effectiveness of Insecticides on Reducing Oviposition of Periodical Cicadas in Nursery Stock

Treatments with the same letter are not statistically different at alpha=0.05

Treatments for Periodical Cicadas Product

Active Ingredient

Mode of Action

REI Rate (hours) (per 100 gallons)

Scimitar

Lambdacyhalothrin

5.0 fl. oz.

Surround Kaolin clay WP

----

50 lbs.

Moisturin Polymer

----

10 gal.

Azatin

Azadirachtin UN

16 fl. oz.

Talstar

Bifenthrin

43.5 fl. oz.

Acelepryn Chlorantraniliprole

32 fl. oz.

Captiva

32 fl. oz.

Capsaicin

Trees treated with Surround had less egg-laying damage than other trees in the study. There were fewer egg-laying slits in each series on trees treated with Surround (left) than trees in any other treatment (right). This may indicate that the clay coating was an irritant to the cicada.

Periodical cicada egg laying lasts for three to four weeks, during which treatments must be reapplied regularly.

Broad spectrum insecticides also kill natural enemies and often result in outbreaks of secondary pests like mites.

In the spring of 2017, a study was initiated to evaluate the efficacy of several insect repellant products and insecticides in preventing periodical cicada egg-laying. Treatments began on May 10, two days after the first

female cicada was observed laying eggs in the block of trees. All treatments except Captiva were applied once every seven days, or earlier if it had rained. Captiva was applied every three to five days, per label directions. Treatment dates were May 10, 13, 17 (Captiva only), 20, 25 and 28 (all except Surround). Applications stopped when cicadas were no longer present in the block of trees. All treatments were applied to runoff using a gas-powered backpack mist blower.

Amanda Taylor is the Western Region Area Specialized Agent for Nursery and Greenhouse with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. She is the go-to resource for commercial nursery and greenhouse producers in approximately 30 counties across Western NC that include some of the largest field production nurseries in the state. Her superior integrated pest management skills and training teach field and container growers best practices in pesticide application. She also helps growers save money and create a safe working environment for their employees.

WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 31

32 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | WINTER 2018

INDUSTRY RESEARCH By Jill Calabro, PhD, Horticultural Research Institute

How Green are Urban Trees?

great deal of research illustrates how trees benefit urban environments, such as filtering particulate matter, lowering urban heat island effects and storm water mitigation. One more attribute to consider is a tree’s ability to sequester carbon over its lifespan. Trees are natural contenders to sequester carbon in efforts to mitigate climate change. In this process, trees (and other plants) absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and then store it as carbon in biomass, either in plant material or soils. This is a good thing! However, carbon is released into the atmosphere during production and maintenance practices, such as planting, pruning, irrigation and even removal upon tree death. Pruning styles and frequency, for example, have a great impact on carbon emissions. Common sense says that pruning manually instead of using a chainsaw reduces carbon emissions, but even the accessories used affect the amount of carbon released. A bucket truck emits more carbon than an aerial lift or a tree climbing rope system. Researchers led by Dr. Dewayne Ingram, University of Kentucky, set out to determine at what point urban

trees sequester as much carbon as is emitted during maintenance practices over their lifespan. Another way to phrase this is: at what point do urban trees become carbon neutral? “Our research shows the importance of selecting good quality trees that are suited for the planting site and doing what we can to enhance their longevity,” said Dr. Andrew Koeser of the University of Florida. “Failed plantings and premature tree death can end up causing environmental disservice.” After accounting for many possible maintenance factors, the answer, as it turns out, is not so simple. Certain practices, especially pruning, during the tree’s lifespan have a great impact on how quickly a tree becomes carbon neutral. Dr. Ingram’s team conducted a series of surveys of urban forestry programs in the Chicago metro area to gauge the scope of urban tree maintenance. Based on the 48 respondents, the information gained was factored into a model to estimate at what point an average urban tree reaches carbon neutrality.

“Our research shows the importance of selecting good quality trees that are suited for the planting site and doing what we can to enhance their longevity,” said Dr. Andrew Koeser of the University of Florida. “Failed plantings and premature tree death can end up causing environmental disservice.”

Before the models were run, researchers standardized a few key variables. Red maple, Acer rubrum, was chosen as the model tree and the target tree size was set at 2 –

The Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), founded in 1962, has provided more than $7 million in funds to research projects covering a broad range of production, environmental, and business issues important to the green industry. Nearly $11 million is committed to the endowment by individuals, corporations and associations. For more information about HRI, its grant-funded research, or programming, visit hriresearch.org or contact Jennifer Gray at 614.884.1155. WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 33

How Green Are Trees? When do urban trees become carbon neutral?

Trees are natural contenders to sequester carbon in efforts to mitigate climate change. Of course, carbon is released into the atmosphere during production and maintenance of trees. So, at what point do trees become carbon neutral? Researchers led by Dr. Dewayne Ingram at the University of Kentucky set out to discover the answer for trees in the urban landscape.

CO2

absorbed through photosynthesis

carbon stored as biomass

oxygen exported

Factors Impacting a Tree’s Carbon Neutrality include activities such as plant selection, planting processes, and plant maintenance (i.e.: pruning and irrigation). Each of these processes impact the lifespan of a tree and, depending on the method, can increase the time it takes a tree to become carbon neutral.

choose the right tree for the planting site

Infographic credit: Jennifer Gray, HRI

C C

car·bon-neu·tral (adj.) making no net release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere

FACTORS

plant properly and use low-impact tools

select low-impact irrigation methods

2.9” caliper at the time of purchase. Information on the tree’s carbon balance when it leaves the nursery was generated from previous research and this value, 8,213 kg, was the starting point for calculations. Additional carbon emissions were based on four possible scenarios: highly mechanized, moderately mechanized, slightly mechanized and, the ideal

34 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | WINTER 2018

use manual labor whenever possible

situation – relying on manual labor whenever possible. Two urban site types were defined as likely to impact tree growth differently, residential and commercial/ industrial. On average, residential trees live longer than trees in commercial/industrial settings. The model estimated the carbon balance for red maple trees over their lifespan when maintained under each scenario in both the residential and commercial/industrial sites.

Average lifespan of red maple: Residential = 48 years Commercial-Industrial = 30 years

LIFESPAN

Emissions associated with the manufacture of planting and maintenance equipment such as chainsaws, trucks and chippers were not included in this study. However, emissions associated with tree stabilization, such as T-posts and wire and tree bags for watering were included. This study illustrates that by using less mechanized planting, pruning, and removal processes, carbon emissions can be reduced significantly on a single tree.

Researchers studied Red Maples for this project. The average lifespan of a red maple in the urban landscape:

years

RESIDENTIAL LOCATION

COMMERCIAL LOCATION

Residential

Highly mechanized = 2919 kg

Moderately mechanized = 1725 kg (reduces emissions by 1194)

Slightly mechanized = 1693 kg (reduces emissions by 1226)

EMISSIONS RESIDENTIAL

COMMERCIAL

Ideal = 1340 kg (reduces emissions by 1579)

Commercial-Industrial

Highly mechanized = 2127 kg

Moderately mechanized = 1296 kg (reduces emissions by 831)

Slightly mechanized = 1264 kg (reduces emissions by 863)

Ideal = 1034 kg (reduces emissions by 1093)

Urban red maple trees reach carbon neutrality in commercial/industrial sites faster than in residential sites, due to their shorter lifespan and therefore fewer pruning requirements. Residential

Highly mechanized = 33 years old

Moderately mechanized = 26 years

Slightly mechanized = 26 years old

Ideal = 26 years old

Commercial-Industrial

Highly mechanized = 30 years old

Moderately mechanized = 24 years

Slightly mechanized = 24 years old

Ideal = 24 years old

All surviving urban red maples are expected to achieve carbon neutrality over their functional life, whether they are located in a residential or commercial/industrial site. However, additional carbon sequestration benefits can be realized if modifications are made to planting and maintenance practices.

Reducing mechanization in maintenance practices has a big impact on carbon emissions.

HIGH 2919 kg

HIGH 2127 kg

MODERATE reduced by 40.9%

MODERATE reduced by 39%

LOW reduced by 42%

LOW reduced by 40.5%

IDEAL* reduced by 54%

IDEAL* reduced by 51.4% *relies on manual labor whenever possible

AGE OF NEUTRALITY RESIDENTIAL

When Red Maples attain carbon neutrality:

COMMERCIAL

HIGH

MODERATE LOW IDEAL

HIGH

MODERATE LOW IDEAL

years

Why does it take longer to attain carbon neutrality in a residential setting? Because trees live longer, and require more maintenance over their lifespans!

Infographic based on an article published in the Journal of Environmental Horticulture, HRI’s peer-reviewed research publication. www.HRIresearch.org.

For more information, please see the full journal article on the newly launched Journal of Environmental Horticulture website: hrijournal.org.

The Horticultural Research Institute, the foundation of AmericanHort, provided funding for this research.

WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 35

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help you get the job done. 6 locations in North Carolina Apex 919.387.8054 1700A North Salem St., 27523 Castle Hayne 910.675.9030 4805 Las Tortugas Drive, 28429 N. Charlotte 704.597.8955 6829 Statesville Rd., 28269

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Welcome New Members!

As of December 20, 2017

Member Company

City

State

Mem. Type

Piney Creek Nursery

Durham

Silver

All American Gutter Protection

Morrisville

Regular

Arthur's Lawncare

Sanford

Regular

Baker Professional Lawn INC.

Nashville

Regular

Bethany Plants and Produce

Reidsville

Regular

Carver Bros. Turf

Roxboro

Regular

Crumpler Plastic Pipe, Inc.

Roseboro

Regular

Gardens by Mardi

Asheville

Regular

Gatehouse Landscapes

Greensboro

Regular

Guilford Garden & Lawn LLC

Greensboro

Regular

NC Landscape Solutions Inc.

Garner

Regular

Refresh Garden Design

Raleigh

Regular

Sandy Creek Plants

Ramseur

Regular

Tucker Landscaping Inc

Corolla

Regular

Watson Development

Swansboro

Regular

Willifords Nursery

Nashville

Regular

Bluefields Nursery Co. LLC

Mayesville

Regular Affiliate Member

Davis Floral

Dewy Rose

Regular Affiliate Member

Eco Fabriks LLC

Gaithersburg

Regular Affiliate Member

New England Ladder Co., LLC

Kings Park

Regular Affiliate Member

Ruppert Landscape

Laytonsville

Regular Affiliate Member

SCAG Power Equipment

Indian Land

Regular Affiliate Member

Stone-Mart

Tampa

Regular Affiliate Member

Tree Town USA

Bunnell

Regular Affiliate Member

Member Name

Organization Name

City

State

Mem. Type

Joseph Bratcher

Carteret Community College

Arapahoe

Regular for Individual

Wes Bray

Lawns & Gardens Plus Of Virginia Beach Inc.

Virginia Beach

Regular for Individual

Charlotte

Regular for Individual

Karen Kottkamp Kathleen Martin

Earth's Answer Gardening & Ecological Rehabilitation

Durham

Regular for Individual

Jeremy Shaver

Piedmont landscaping Inc

Richfield

Regular for Individual

Who is NCNLA? NCNLA members include:

Wholesale Growers

Retailers

Suppliers

Landscapers

Horticulture Students

Educators

When you become an NCNLA member, you become connected to a network of peers, legislators, research and customers.

Join Today 

NCNLA 968 Trinity Road, Raleigh, NC 27607 Phone: (919) 816-9119 | Fax: (919) 816-9118 www.ncnla.com | Email: info@ncnla.com

WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 37

January 14 - 18, 2019 | Greensboro, NC

Piece It Together

38 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | WINTER 2018

NLN CALENDAR OF EVENTS NCNLA Events

North Carolina Events

January 15 – 19, 2018 Green & Growin’

February 13, 2018 Eastern NC Nursery Conference

Sheraton Four Seasons Hotel – Education Greensboro Coliseum – Marketplace Greensboro, NC (919) 816-9119 GreenandGrowin.com

Wilson County Agricultural Center 1806 Goldsboro St SW, Wilson, NC 27893 danny_lauderdale@ncsu.edu

March 14 - 17, 2018 National Collegiate Landscape Competition Alamance Community College 1247 Jimmie Kerr Rd Graham, NC 27253 landscapeprofessionals.org/collegiatelandscape-competition

National Events

January 10 – 12, 2018 MANTS Baltimore Convention Center One West Pratt Street Baltimore, MD. 21201 mants.com

January 24 – 26, 2018 WINTERGREEN 2018 Infinite Energy Center 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway Duluth, Georgia 30097 ggia.org

February 13 – 16, 2018 PROGreen EXPO

January 8 – 9, 2018 The SNA Conference

Colorado Convention Center 700 14th St. Denver, Colorado 80202 progreenexpo.com/

Baltimore Convention Center One West Pratt Street Baltimore, MD. 21201 sna.org

For the latest events, please visit ncnla.com

Advertisers’ Index Buy NC Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Cam Too . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Carolina Bark Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 EWING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

P.O. Box 395 Seaboard, NC 27876 Phone: (252) 589-1324 • Fax: (252) 589-1642 email: Stephanie@carolinabark.com • Suppliers of bulk aged pine bark fines. • Custom mixes available containing lime, sand and/or minors/ • Fast, dependable service

Fair View Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 GRA-MAC Irrigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Green & Growin’ 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Gossett’s Landscaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 JOCO Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 NCGreenPrints.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 OHP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Old Courthouse Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Parker Bark Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Pender Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover Proven Winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Sampson Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Memberships: North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association

Signature Horticultural Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Triangle C.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Turtle Creek Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

WINTER 2018 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | 39

North Carolina Nursery & Landscape Association, Inc. 968 Trinity Road Raleigh, NC 27607

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PA I D Raleigh, NC Permit # 2255

Rediscover PENDER NURSERY

Meet Your Pender Nursery Sales Team!

Doug Wright NC, NC SC, GA dwright@pendernursery.com

Nick Wright Central NC and In-house Sales nwright@pendernursery.com

Craig Banton VA, WV, MD, DC, DE, DE TN cbanton@pendernursery.com

Joseph Reynolds Sales Trainee SC, TN, GA jreynolds@pendernursery.com

PHONE: 800-942-1648 • FAX: 919-773-0904 • ONLINE: www.PenderNursery.com 40 | NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES | WINTER 2018