Pest Alert Updates; Weekly Feature

Recently a letter was sent by USDA and the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA) to all licensed nursery stock growers and dealers in the state of Missouri. The purpose of the letter was to bring attention to the federal emerald ash borer quarantine that now includes the entire states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, portions of Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and the lower peninsula of Michigan and parts of the upper peninsula of Michigan.

The emerald ash borer (EAB) has NOT been found in Missouri to date. Since the initial discovery of EAB in Michigan in 2002, USDA, MDA and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) have conducted extensive surveys throughout the state in search of EAB. In 2008, these agencies will continue these extensive surveys including the use of a newly developed EAB detection trap that USDA will deploy in high risk areas.

Furthermore, contrary to some sources, there are no effective treatments available for emerald ash borer at this time. If you suspect you have emerald ash borer you may call Collin Wamsley, MDA State Entomologist at 573-751-5505 or Collin.Wamsley@mda.mo.gov for assistance in identification. You may also contact Robert Lawrence, MDC Forest Entomologist at 573-882-9909 ext 3303 or Robert.Lawrence@mdc.mo.gov. The following website has information on EAB http://www.emeraldashborer.info/

MLNA’S GREEN LEADER, FORREST KEELING NURSERY WILL FEATURE LIVE BROADCAST ON KTRS 550 “On Air” INSTALLATION OF DISPLAY RAIN GARDEN May 3rd, 2008 !

Contact information: MaryAnn Fink, Coordinator/Executive Director of MLNA (636-939-9079) 6209 Mid Rivers Mall Dr. Suite 128 Saint Charles, MO 63304, March 17th, 2008

For Immediate Release:

As part of Missouri Landscape & Nursery Association’s stewardship commitment, Forrest Keeling Nursery, MLNA Green Leader, will educate the public and professionals on ways they can conservation water in the landscape at their nursery in Elsberry Missouri.

Forrest Keeling Nursery, MLNA Green Leader, will educate the public on ways they can conservation water in the landscape during an on air broadcast with KTRS’s popular” Inside Out” gardening and home improvement show. Co-hosted by Rolling Ridge Nursery’s President, Jim McMillan and John Shea, President of Callier, Thompson, Shea Construction & Design, the Inside Out show will broadcast during the actual rain garden installation process.
Kim Lovelace Young, Vice President/General Manager of Forrest Keeling will be featured during the radio show discussing how residential and commercial property owners can create an attractive garden while the reducing water run off. “This is a way for MLNA members to be role models for our professional industry as well as examples for homeowners!” says MaryAnn Fink, Inside Out’s green industry expert and weekly KTRS Inside Out guest. I know this will be a fun challenge. We want listeners to come, meet the radio personalities and watch during the show and come back to Forrest Keeling Nursery to visit the garden. We want them to see for themselves how much easier it is to work with site challenges”.

This rain garden will also be a featured part of the education displays at Missouri Landscape & Nursery’s Professional Field Day, June 26th, 2008 . A free event for MLNA members, horticulture and allied professionals interested in connecting with product suppliers and service providers, it will be a full day of spotlighting sponsors, visiting vendors, networking with industry associates, BBQ and fun. (Field Day Vendor Registration)
MLNA has challenged all of its members to become green leaders, active professionals in their community. "Currently we are promoting MLNA’s “Water as a Resource” initiative. as part of our stewardship commitment” states MaryAnn Fink, Coordinator/Executive Director of MLNA. (Contact MLNA for Plant List for Rain Gardens @maryannfink@mlna.org) Says Fink, “We are creating and sharing horticulture success stories to demonstrate and educate each other and the homeowner". For more information about this MLNA Green Leader and that day’s event contact them directly.

“Sustainability defines our success, so we are showcasing MLNA members as GREEN LEADERS. These members are creating opportunities, presenting workshops and offering programs to educate the public and our industry about stewardship in the lower Midwest. Pretty thriving plants are in investment in our property, the future, and our environment. Landscaping is not a luxury but a necessity", says Fink. For more information about MLNA, its members, their workshops, programs and events visit http://www.mlna.org/ or call 636-939-9079. Missouri Landscape & Nursery Association 6209 Mid Rivers Mall Drive Suite 128 St. Charles MO 63304 636-939-9079

IMAGE: Hibiscus lasiocarpos / Rose Mallow, image credit Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder

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The Missouri Landscape and Nursery Association, founded in 1921, is a not-for-profit professional trade association representing the green industry throughout Missouri. Its mission is to enhance the success of its members through knowledge, advocacy and communication. It promotes horticulture education, professionalism, integrity, and environmental stewardship.
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Forrest Keeling is a family-owned and operated nursery that has been growing quality stock for over 50 years. They welcome visits in person or contact them from their Web site. Use this map to locate us.
Forrest Keeling Nursery specializes in seedling liners and is the originator of the RPM® (air-root pruned) liners. Forrest Keeling has worked closely with conservation and private organizations to develop ways to utilize root production method technology in Wetland Restoration. Forrest Keeling Nursery

MLNA Member Judy Allmon keynote at "Beautiful Environment, Beautiful Habitat" Event

Judy Allmon, Jefferson City, Missouri, will be featured as keynote speaker at the "Beautiful Environment, Beautiful Habitat" symposium. The symposium will be held April 23, at the Cox Arboretum-Metro Park, Dayton, Ohio and is the inaugural event for the Arboretum's 10-week Earthwise Celebration.
Allmon consults regionally to commercial and government projects on native plants for working landscapes and visual management and on communication strategies for improved landscape success. She is currently consulting to Kansas City's 10,000 Rain Gardens regional initiative on education and outreach. Her company, Bluestem Landscapes www.bluestemlandscapes.com, is a State of Missouri WBE (Women’s Business Enterprise).

Congrats to Becky Homan- MLNA Member

Becky Homan not only is an MLNA member and a St. Louis Master Gardener, but she's also the author of a new book called “Missouri Gardener’s Companion, an Insider’s Guide to Gardening in the Show-Me State.” It's part of a new state-by-state series of gardening books by the Connecticut-based Globe Pequot Press, the largest publisher of regional travel in the United States, with an exceptional concentration on outdoor recreation -- exactly, says Becky, what home gardening should be about! Watch MLNA blog for the upcoming book review!

The publisher solicited the following book-jacket reviews for her "Missouri Gardener's Companion":“This is a great go-to book for every gardener in the state. It is ideal for the beginner and for those of us who need to brush up on our gardening information from time to time. Becky's easy-to-read style and thorough listing of resources make it a superb guide.”--P. Allen Smith,

“Becky’s knowledge and gardening connections make this an enjoyable and invaluable resource for all Missouri Gardeners—from novice to master gardeners.”—Eric Tschanz, president and executive director, Powell Gardens.

So far, her first first three book signings are on:-- Saturday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Missouri Botanical Garden (www.mobot.org) in the Garden Gate Shop, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, 63110, during the St. Louis Herb Society's popular, annual herb sale.-- Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Powell Gardens (www.powellgardens.org), 1609 N.W. U.S. Highway 50, 64061, about 30 miles east of Kansas City, during the garden's heavily attended annual Spring Plant Sale. -- Saturday, May 10, 2 to 4 p.m., just before Mother's Day, at Bowood Farms, 4605 Olive Street (between Euclid and Taylor avenues) in the Central West End of St. Louis, 63108.

For more information contact her at becky.homan@sbcglobal.net, or at (314) 852-1171.

Ask landscape questions or share a topic! Tell us how you’re handling weeds this spring!

Q. What do I to do need when I have a fall weed extravaganza like last year? These winter weeds are everywhere!

A. Last year produced a bumper crop of cool season weeds with enough seed to ensure a vigorous new crop this spring. The key for this year is to plan a control strategy that will get a head start on weeds and keep weed encroachment to a minimum. Here is a description of one common weed growing rampant this spring:

Common chickweed (Stellaria media) is a matted, winter annual that is a prolific spring weed that thrives under cool, wet conditions. It rarely tolerates hot, dry conditions that occur in late spring or early summer. It develops low growing, tender, free branching stems that root at each node. It has opposite, smooth, leaves and shallow, very frail roots. The tiny but noticeable flowers are single or in small clusters at ends of stems. The plants form a thick mat of succulent tender vegetation in the early spring that is not eradicated by close mowing. The rough dark brown seeds germinate from late fall through early spring. Common chickweed is effectively controlled by timely applications of pre-emergent. Pre-emerge applications should be made in early fall prior to the emergence of chickweed. Post-emerge control of chickweed in early spring can be achieved by mechanical removal or with control products specifically labeled for this use.

R&R-not rest and relaxation-but Research and Results!

(MLNA has inquiring minds….let us know your topic of interest and we will gather the research & results!)

Mulch and Nutrient Cycling: Research Results

(See complete research results at: http://ohioline.osu.edu/sc186/sc186_14e.html )

Mulching with composted yard waste and ground wood pallets has a dramatic effects on soil organic matter, microbial activity, and nitrogen cycling according to Ohio State Agriculture Research & Development Center.
Research results were apparent after only one season. Both mulches increased organic matter content of the soil relative to the bare soil control, with the yard waste mulch having the most substantial effect. Both mulches also increased microbial biomass as indicated by increased microbial nitrogen and a doubling of soil respiration (Figure 3). These results are consistent with the hypothesis that soil microbes are carbon limited, and that the addition of organic carbon can increase microbial biomass in the soil.
Previously increased plant growth in response to mulching has been attributed primarily to conservation of soil moisture and weed suppression. In this study, neither of the mulches had any effect on soil moisture or average soil temperature, and plots were fastidiously weeded, so these variables were not a factor. Rather, the primary effects of mulches were conclusively linked to the impacts of their C:N ratio on microbial biomass and nutrient cycling as they decomposed. Clearly, understanding the dominating influence of soil microbes on nitrogen availability is key to understanding the dynamics of soil fertility.

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) Survival At Risk

TLC is needed when planting dogwood trees this spring. Recent study indicates canker infection ( Collar Rot / Phytophthora cactorum) frequently occurs through injuries caused during transplanting, lawn care (mowing injuries) and soil cultivation in the root zone!This disease causes injury to flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) and may kill the affected tree or weaken the tree and make it more susceptible to attack by other organisms.
The first symptom noticed is usually a reduction in the number and size of leaves. The leaf color is lighter than normal during the summer and in late summer the leaves turn prematurely yellow or red and drop early. Affected trees in the later stages of the disease may produce an abnormally large number of flowers and fruits. During dry times in summer, diseased dogwoods are much more likely than healthy trees to have large numbers of leaves curl or shrivel or to show wilting of all foliage. Affected dogwoods exhibit gradual dieback of twigs and branches, sometimes starting only on one side of the tree, but eventually ending in death of the entire tree.

Dogwood-Missouri’s State Tree…

Always a favorite, the Flowering Dogwood is a frequently requested selection yet a success challenge. Studies have been done to determine how this native tree of Missouri might be able to adapt to a cultivated situations. MLNA would like to share your positive experiences and recommendations. We wish to increase everyone’s success level, reduce tree loss and educate our professionals. Please share your comments and information with maryannfink@mlna.org . Watch in upcoming newsletter for follow up contributions about care and management practices for this favored tree. For more information about this research visit: http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactSheets/collarot/collarot.htm

June 26th, 2008 Field Day: Call To Sponsors & Vendors

The Missouri Landscape and Nursery Association is having our annual Field Day on Thursday, June 26th from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm at Forrest Keeling Nursery in Elsberry, Missouri.

MLNA Field Day is FREE
For all our Members & Guests!
Please Join Us!

We plan on having many events throughout the day, including a hands on pond building classroom as well as brick paver patio building classroom. We will have areas for vendors to set up and display their products and services to our members and guests. Forrest Keeling will demonstrate the installation of a Rain Garden and offer guided tours of their facility.

We would like to invite you to participate in MLNA’s Field Day as a Vendor or an Event Sponsor. As a vendor you will be able to set up a display of your products and have the valuable opportunity to visit one- on -one with MLNA members and guests about what your company and products can offer. As an Event Sponsor, in addition to your display area, you will be highlighted during the Field Day as providing one of the many services that makes the day’s events possible.

The cost to set up a booth as a Vendor will be $150. You will need to bring your own setup materials, such as a pop up tent if needed and a table and chairs if you need them. The cost to be an Event Sponsor will be $500 and you will receive a vendor slot as well as being featured during the event you choose to Sponsor, such as lunch, coffee and doughnuts or entertainment sponsor.

If you would like to attend this event as a Vendor or an Event Sponsor please contact MaryAnn Fink, Executive Director, at 636-939-9079 or maryannfink@mlna.org. MaryAnn can give you more details on the event and arrange for your arrival on the 26th of June. A link to the Vendor/Sponsor .pdf file and an R.S.V.P. Form is at http://www.mlna.info/.

The MLNA is a non-profit organization and this event is used to help fund our operating costs for the year so we can continue to provide valuable benefits to our members and future members in the Green Industry. We appreciate your support with our organization and our member events!

Registrations are rolling in for native plant workshops

Landscape Design with Missouri in Mind is coming to the northwest and southeast corners of the state with in-depth information on how to use native plants in landscapes large and small. Grow Native!, a joint program of Missouri Department of Conservation and Missouri Department of Agriculture, along with local partners, is sponsoring the day-long workshop Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22, and 24, in St. Joseph and Friday, March 7, in Cape Girardeau. Landscape professionals are encouraged to attend the Feb. 22 or March 7 sessions and homeowners the Feb. 24 session in St. Joe. A naturescaping symposium for homeowners will take place Saturday, March 8, in Cape Girardeau.

The workshops include sessions on natural communities, how to match plants to property conditions, how to establish a prairie planting and how to select trees for your landscape. The day begins with a presentation by Dave Tylka, author of Native Landscaping for Wildlife and People, who will set the stage for the rest of the day by helping attendees understand the benefits of native plants for both landowners and wildlife. MNLA’s MaryAnn Fink will wrap up the day by describing outstanding native plant combinations and how use them in a landscape.

Complete details are available at http://www.grownative.org/. Click on Workshops and Events, then the day of the event. You will find more details and downloadable registration forms.

TODAY"S GARDEN CENTER MAGAZINE FEATURES HILLERMAN NURSERY

POSITIVE NEWS FOR INDEPENDANT GARDEN CENTERS!

Hillermann Nursery & Florist recieves recognition and is featured on cover of Today's Garden Center magazine! http://www.todaysgardencenter.com/pdf/tgc_cover_story200802.pdf

A recent survey of 1,382 independent retailers found that consumers’ desire to support independent, locally-owned businesses appears to be growing, Retail Merchandiser reports. Retailers in all 50 states were included in the survey, which found that "even in a difficult economic climate, many independent retailers are holding their own and even seeing sales gains by emphasizing their local ownership and community roots," the story says. Locally-owned retailers in cities with Buy Local campaigns saw bigger increases in holiday sales compared with those without campaigns. The study also found that 82 percent of those surveyed believe the fact that they’re locally-owned matters to customers. "We’re seeing the beginnings of a shift in people’s shopping choices, particularly in places where ‘buy local’ campaigns have brought this to the forefront of public consciousness," says Stacy Mitchell, author of "Big-Box Swindle" and senior researcher for the Institute For Local Self-Reliance. "‘Locally-owned’ is following in the footsteps of ‘organic’ as people look for ways to support a more sustainable economy and revitalize their communities." The Independent Business Forum, a new network of organizations that represent independent businesses, conducted the survey. Read the full story here.

USA Today Features Green Industry Immigrant Issue

A recent USA Today cover story described experienced immigrant workers packing up and leaving Oklahoma for less hostile places. Those immigrants are not returning to home countries either, but rather relocating to other states, in response to H.B.1804 a tough anti-business immigration enforcement law passed in the state late last year.
The story that ran on January 10, "Strict immigration law rattles Okla. Businesses " featured quotes by Greenleaf Nursery Co. president Randy Davis, as well as a front page color photo of workers at the nursery. ANLA worked with the paper and with Greenleaf to facilitate the story as part of a broader effort to educate the American public on the need for immigration law reform.
USA Today has been following the issue and highlighted nursery businesses and immigration reform topics. In 2006 it ran a story entitled 'Guest workers' at core of labor dispute highlighting how Ohio industry leader Tom Demaline of Willoway Nurseries was affected. A more recent story focused on Rhode Island landscape professional Jonathan Zeyl, whose H-2B guest workers are unable to return to the U.S. legally this year because Congress has failed to renew a visa provision. For more:
http://capwiz.com/anla/utr/1/HZRLIBTZQA/AAVTIBTZWM/1729272176

To All Members of the Garden Center Industry

2008 Gateway Wholesale Flower Grower Expo

Wednesday, February 27th 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.


Meet the local growers of annuals and perennials, discover what they have in store for Spring 2008! Find new sources or strengthen current relationships!

Featured Panel Discussion Topics: “How To Go Green & Make Green” “Why Buy Local?” “What’s Hot In Retail?”


FREE TO ATTEND

FREE HOT LUNCH

Location: The Columns Banquet Center 711 Veterans Memorial Parkway St. Charles, MO 63303 (Located near the intersection of I-70 and 5th St.- just across the Blanchette Bridge) RSVP to Chris Nejelski by Wednesday, February 20th at chris.nejelski@mobot.org