Proceedings Library

Chlorophylls a and b absorb very little green and yellow light between 500 and 600 nm but strongly absorb the violet and blue as well as the orange and red wavelengths. Some of the carotenoids in the thylakoids also transfer their excitation energy to the same

At the I.P.P.S. Conference in 1981, I gave a presentation on new developments in pesticide application technology, focusing mainly on methods to produce spray droplets. Electrostatic spraying was relatively new then so this and other developments such as controlled droplet application (CDA) were included in the discussion. Twenty years on, what new developments in this area are there to report? What are the significant issues with respect to agrichemical use now?

Developments in droplet production for spray application technology in the last 20 years have been more in the refinement of traditional spray delivery systems with no radically new method for creating spray droplets. However, there have been other technology-based developments all aimed at improved application precision.

In addition to the technical developments the other most notable change is the move to respond to increased demand from customers or consumers for evidence of good practice. Suppliers of

Seed of R. frangula ‘Columnaris’ (columnar buckthorn) had germination percentages and rate comparable to R. frangula. Therefore, based on seed germination, R. frangula ‘Columnaris’ is likely to become an invasive exotic plant in the United States and Canada.

The Chicago Botanic Garden's programs in plant breeding, evaluation, and introduction are dedicated to the development, assessment and recommendation, and introduction of ornamental plants for landscape and garden use in the Midwestern U.S.A. The goals, structure, and history of the plant introduction program, Chicagoland Grows^®, Inc., were previously presented (Brennan and Bachtell, 1998), as were those of the plant breeding and evaluation programs (Ault and Hawke, 2000). This presentation will highlight the top performing ornamental plants from the evaluation and breeding programs, and therefore plants that we are recommending for use in the Midwest. These plants were all grown at Chicago Botanic Garden in a clay loam soil, pH neutral to alkaline, USDA Zone 5B.

What is Stage III? The "stage" terminology used in micropropagation is something I've never really been comfortable with and avoid using. But since Dick Bir assigned the topic to me, I'll try my best to muddle through.Checking with a Plant Propagation textbook (Hartmann et al., 1997) gives this scenario:

Stage I. Establishment. Basically this is putting the plant into culture. It includes sterilizing the tissue and getting it to grow at a predictable rate. This is the tricky phase we call "stabilization". But this is not really relevant to the assigned topic.

Stage II. Multiplication. The text says, "After approximately 1 month or when the culture has grown sufficiently, cut into segments approximately 1 cm long…and transfer to fresh medium". I don't know what crops they're talking about but this is not the way it works with woody plants. It can take months or years to get some woody plants into the multiplication phase because they take so long in the stabilization

To have success with something usually means you have been unsuccessful at some point. Often what you have been unsuccessful with is more interesting than what you are now doing successfully.

What I intend to present in this paper is an outline of how Manor View Farm has moved from being unsuccessful with establishing Stage 3 to being mostly successful with Stage 3. However, we are still having problems with Corylus.

The use of tissue culture or should it be called micropropagation has proved to have many benefits for propagation of certain plants in our industry. It is used not only for hard to propagate species, but is being used more often for easier-to-produce subjects. The key issue with many species is the cost effectiveness of using this type of propagation when compared to more traditional methods.

We have had success with establishing a range of material using basically the same technique. Hydrangea quercifolia and Betula are two groups we have had great success

My name is Anne and I'm from Denmark. I'm in an apprenticeship as a nursery-gardener and at present I work for The Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences. I'm very honoured to be here today and I would like to thank I.P.P.S.Eastern Region, North America for making this exchange possible. Also, thanks to the Midwest Groundcover people and PeterOrum, and special thanks to Kathy Freeland for looking after me. It has been very beneficial and interesting for me to behere, meeting and talking to people, and listening to all the presentations — I'm very grateful for this opportunity.

I sincerely hope some of you will find the following presentation worth listening to.

Two years ago, I was asked to propagate an ailing Aesculus for replacement in the Arboretum collection. At thetime, I had no understock available and decided to use a technique that I had used previously to graft Castanea.

This technique of grafting is one that is less commonly used. I first became aware of it from an illustration found inearly editions of Hartmann and Kester (1983). The text there describes nurse seed grafting — a technique used by Moore (1963) for grafting Castanea and Camellia. He germinated seeds, removed shoot and root, and grafted a scion into the seed, between the cotyledons (Fig. 1). He reported that over time, successful grafts developed their own root systems. Jaynes (1967), working with Castanea, reported on experimenting with the method for 4 years and thathe considered it a "qualified success." One interesting note is that he found most roots developed from the seed, not from the scion, and he suggested the name "nut grafting" to be more

Fall color can be outstanding. Some trees develop glowing reds, oranges, or clear yellows. Unfortunately, many other individuals have disappointing dirty yellow to brown fall color.

Musclewood is seldom used in the landscape industry. One reason for this may be its reputation for being difficult togrow. Eighteen years of growing experience with this species has proved otherwise. This plant is not difficult; it is just not understood.

Musclewood is slow growing but growth can be accelerated in the production process by avoiding inbred seed lots. The species is definitely slow to recover from either bare root or B&B transplanting, however, our nursery has rarely lostplants due to

Amorpha nitens Boynton (smooth wild indigo) is an attractive shrub found along streams or lakes from southernIllinois to Louisiana (Wilbur, 1975). This legume is listed as endangered in Illinois and Georgia. Taft (1994) suggests the reasons for its decline are habitat disturbance and low reproduction rates. Amorpha nitens is easily confused with the more common A. fruticosa L. (false wild indigo or indigobush). Although found in habitats similar to A.nitens, A. fruticosa has a much wider distribution range in the U.S.A. Both species are relatively shade tolerant andform symbiosis with nitrogen fixing bacteria making them candidate species for inclusion in several agroforestry practices and restoration of natural ecosystems (Navarrete-Tindall et al., 2000).

Members of the genus Amorpha are normally propagated from seed or cuttings; however, little is known about the propagation of A. nitens. Seed of most Amorpha species can be hulled, but are usually left inside the

Hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) is an aphid-like insect that feeds on several species of hemlock in Asia, its homeland, and in North America, where it was introduced early in the last century. Damage occurs from feeding on needles, and can result in death of the tree in as little as 4 years (McClure, 1996). Adelgids are readily distributed by mammals, birds, and wind; and with multiple generations each year, populations can increase dramatically. For the most part, populations of hemlock woolly adelgid cannot be managed effectively. Integrated pest management (IPM) of hemlock adelgid utilizes pest monitoring, cultural practices that enhance tree vigor, and mechanical, chemical, or biological control.

Within its native range, hemlock woolly adelgid feeds harmlessly on several hemlock species: Tsuga chinensis in Taiwan, and T. diversifolia and T. sieboldii in Japan. The adelgid also has been innocuous on Western hemlock (T. heterophylla) and mountain hemlock

As a propagator of woody ornamentals, I have chosen to use my grafting skills to market my small, but growing company. Grafting woody plants is something not everyone can do. I use this skill to my advantage. It helps me create a marketing plan that helps my company sell plants, which we all must do to maintain, and hopefully thrive in our business. This skill is a marketing tool in the sense that it differentiates you from your competition. You are perceived to have more interesting,

In Japan, the numbers of plant species threatened with extinction have been increasing through various forms of environmental destruction. To protect the plant species from extinction, Environment Agency of Japan published a red data book in 1997. In this book, plants were classified into five categories; extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, and vulnerable. The total number of vascular plants listed in these categories was 1428. The Environment Agency also showed that several factors were driving these plants to a crisis point or extinction. The largest factor is development in rural regions. The second is theft from the wild for private interests, and the third is change in vegetation. From the point of view of environmental protection and conservation of plant species, we have studied propagation of several plants threatened with extinction.

Economic pressure to produce quality perennial plants in the least amount of time involves an intensive use of water, fertilizers, and pesticides. Unfortunately, these practices also provide optimal conditions for weeds and the necessity for frequent applications of herbicides. Furthermore, in order to reduce labor costs, many plants are propagated, grown-on as liners, and shipped in the same container. This opens a wide window for establishment of weeds. When these liners are potted up into larger containers the presence of weeds or weed seeds only exacerbates the problem.

Wulpak, self-felting wool pellets (Wilbro, Inc., Norway, South Carolina) show promise for potential use in weed management. They may control weeds alone or in combination with chemical herbicides. First, it is difficult to use many herbicides for propagation in an enclosed greenhouse due to potential volatilization or labeling restrictions. Second, many species, especially herbaceous perennials, are

The successful propagation of many desirable hardwood tree species by means of traditional stem cutting propagation remains an elusive goal. A number of species within genera such as Juglans and Quercus are highly prized for their timber value, and in the case of black walnut (J. nigra) and pecan (Carya illinoinensis) also produce marketable edible nuts. Black walnut, pecan, and several species of oak are also important tree species in agroforestry-based systems in Missouri (Garrett and Reitveld, 1995). Clonal propagation of superior trees on their own root systems is highly desired; however, most species from these three genera are usually classified as difficult-to-root species (Coggeshall and Beineke, 1997; Zaczek et al, 1997).

Mezitt (1978) first proposed the use of the subirrigation method as a propagation technique for difficult-to-root plants. Subsequent papers by Holt and Maynard (1997) and Regan and Henderson (1999) indicated that a broad range of genera could

In the landscape, astilbes are best massed as drifts in the sun or the shade. They vary in size with the bodacious boldness of the giants like A. grandis or A. ×arendsii ‘Moerheim's Glory’, the exquisitely graceful arching plumes of ‘Straussenfeder’, the pat-em-on-the-head tufts like ‘Siska’or the diminutive demeanor of A.‘Yakushima’ (syn. A. yakushimansis). They all enjoy a moist soil, and resent hot dry areas. In their native habitat, they grow along stream banks in full sun or partial shade. If the pHrises above 7, iron

The genus Hydrangea is comprised of approximately 80 species (McClintock, 1957), the most widely cultivated of which are the bigleaf (H. macrophylla), panicle (H. paniculata), oakleaf (H. quercifolia), and smooth (H. arborescens) hydrangeas. The increasing popularity of these species has created a demand for new and improved cultivars. This paper summaries the breeding projects in this genus that are currently underway at the U.S. National Arboretum.

The genus Chamaecyparis includes many desirable and commercially important taxa. Although there are only 6 to 7 species in the genus, there is considerable variation among taxa including over 240 cultivars of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana alone (Krüssmann, 1985). Unfortunately, many of the Chamaecyparis spp. are native to cool, temperate climates and often perform poorly in stressful landscape situations, particularly under conditions of poor drainage (hypoxia), high temperatures, and Phytophthora spp. pathogens (Dirr, 1998; Hunt and O'Reilly, 1984).Chamaecyparis lawsoniana and C. nootkatensis, for example, are both native to the mountains of the Pacific North West and often have poor survival in less than ideal landscape settings.

Grafting poorly adapted plants onto superior rootstocks is one approach for engineering compound plants for greater environmental adaptability. Since Chamaecyparis species exhibit considerable ecological latitude, with some species found in cool,

One of the most fundamental things about collecting seed is determining when is the best time. Since so many plants vary from one another there is no set rule, but rather a series of questions that must be answered to determine when the time is right.

Many woody plants have set patterns for seed dispersal and this occurs on their schedule not ours so we have to look for signs that indicate whether we are on the right track. Members of the genus Pinus often set seed every other year. This is because during the opposite year the plants literally switch sexes so those that flowered as female trees in year one will flower as male trees in Year 2. Since not all of the pines in a given group are on the same wavelength this method insures a cross-pollination sequence. Some plants like oaks and beech vary considerably from good seed years to long periods of little or no seed. Fagus grandiflora is known to have good seed every 7 to 11 years. Again not all the trees are following the

Any sampling of local plants has to pay tribute to the plantsmen who came before us. We stand on the shoulders of people like Buddy Hubbuch, the former horticulturist at Bernheim Arboretum, nurseryman Theodore Klein, and nurseryman Bob Simpson.

Buddy and Theodore were particularly great influences on me. When I met them about 15 years ago, I didn't know thedifference between an oak and a maple, even though I had both in my front yard. Both were kind and generous mentors.

Buddy did not breed or select, but he did collect and display plants at Bernheim like the large exhibit of bottlebrushbuckeyes which both Michael Dirr and J.C. Raulston have called the best in the world.

He saved the Euonymus alatus ‘Rudy Haag’, a true dwarf, found by Jeffersontown, Kentucky nurseryman, Rudy Haag. A 40-year old group of six plants

We at WE-DU Nurseries grow several thousand different plant types that necessitates a wide range of propagation techniques. We grow over 50% of these plants from seed, most of which were collected from our own stock. Of our seed-propagated plants, 60% to 75% are native to the eastern United States. Our main reason for growing from seed is to promote genetic diversity in the species and to produce plants not commonly offered in the trade.

Our native phlox, lobelia, asters, azaleas, and others offer great opportunities for selecting superior and unique cultivars from wild-collected seed. Trillium, Helonia, Chamaelirium, and Cymophyllus are good examples of plants not readily available in the commercial trade. We must produce the seed of these plants to use in our finish production facilities.

Current commercial seed production has allowed thousands of species to be available for growers. In perennials especially, many species have become available through many seed houses.

To maintain confidentiality of production figures, we grouped labs into 5 areas as follows: (1) Florida, (2) California and Hawaii, (3) Oregon and Washington, (4) Eastern U.S. (all states east of the Mississippi River except Florida) and (5)West-Central U.S. (all states west of the Mississippi River except those in (3) and (4) above). Similarly, we groupedcrops produced into the following categories: (a) foliage plants, (b) greenhouse flowers and orchids, (c) herbaceousperennials and annuals, (d) trees and shrubs, (e) vegetables, (f) fruits and (g) miscellaneous

This clonal selection was propagated from a 13-year-old 8 ft tall by 6 ft wide shrub, grown at the North Central Plant Introduction Station in a population of remnant seedlings after a 1986 NC-7 plant distribution. This particular tree has a compact dense form, slow growth, very uniform spherical habit, and a wine red fall color. Introduced for evaluation in the NC-7 Trials in 1997, cooperators have reported that the rooted propagules exhibit the traits of the original parent plant. The original seedling population (PI 477992) was grown from a seed lot collected in Canada in 1968 and also evaluated at the Bismarck, North Dakota USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Center (ID# T 5645). Probable hardiness USDA Zone 3a. Plans to name and release this accession are underway, but cuttings are nevertheless available from NCRPIS.

Hamilton Gardens has attempted to be different from other city gardens in New Zealand. Rather than the traditional focus on plant collections, more emphasis has been given to the visitor experience of a diverse collection of garden environments.

This paper sets out to:

• Provide some background behind the development of Hamilton Gardens,
• Explain the ethnogarden theme which has lead us to a different way of looking at plant collections, and to
• Outline the unusual objectives behind the Gardens.

Over the past 20 years Hamilton Gardens has had an evolving concept and without our being aware of a precedent it was initially something of an experiment. However in terms of use and local support it is an experiment that has had a very successful outcome.

Para formaldehyde is the polymerized solid form of formaldehyde. Formaldehyde's role as a sterilant and a preservative is well known in scientific circles and is a common component for the sterilization and preservation of animal specimen and tissues in laboratories. In the mid 1920s the nursery industry used an aqueous solution of formaldehyde (Kains and McQuesten, 1950; Mahlsteade and Haber. 1957) for soil sterilization at a rate of 200 ppm formaldehyde. However, liquid formulations of formaldehyde due to the fumes and toxicity are difficult and hazardous to handle and the use of this material has fallen out of favor. Fast forward to the last 10 years or so and things have changed. Much of the work of aqueous formaldehyde was replaced by methyl bromide, another hazardous and difficult chemical. Scientific studies showed that methyl bromide is a culprit with atmospheric contamination and it has subsequently been scheduled for removal from the market place by the year 2005

Its is anticipated that this meeting will be unprecedented with the combined attendance from both regions expected to be close to 700 people.

The local site committee, headed by Dick Marshall from the Southern Region and co-chairs of Steve Castorani and Bill Barnes from the Eastern Region, North American, has been actively pursuing a meeting to be remembered. Program chairs or next year's meeting are Jim Johnson for the Eastern Region, North American, and Randy Jacobs for the Southern Region and I am sure they will want to hear from YOU about giving a talk for the 2002 meeting. Alan Jones will be the poster chair for our contingent and Donna Fare will be bird dogging the Southern Region. The Southern Region is also looking for likely participants. So don?t be bashful

Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’ was discovered at the North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, by curator Rob Gardner. It is a putative hybrid of blueflowering B. australis and white-flowering B. alba. ‘Purple Smoke’ flowers are smoky violet with the charcoal gray flower stems of B. alba. It was introduced by Niche Gardens and North Carolina Botanical Garden in 1996.

Propagation is accomplished via late softwood to semihardwood terminal stem cuttings. However, winter survival percentages were disappointing even when plants were placed in unheated white polyethylene-covered quonset structures for protection. Similar problems exist with other herbaceous perennials propagated by stem cuttings (Bir and Conner, 1998.).

Cuttings from container-grown stock plants were direct stuck and rooted under intermittent mist in Lerio 325 containers in a medium comprised of pine bark and sphagnum peat (3 : 1, v/v) in which 4.5 lb dolomitic limestone and 2.5 lb Esmigran had been

This study compared the response of red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea), ninebark (Physocarpus opulifulius), and weigela (Weigela ‘Bristol Ruby’) grown from liners through one season in #2 containers filled with either a pine bark, peat, and soil mix (80 : 15 : 5, by volume) or a peat mix (a commercial peat-based formulation containing also compost, perlite, and vermiculite) incorporated or topdressed with one of three slow-release fertilizers, Osmocote 15N-2.6P-12.5K (15N-11P₂O₅-13K₂O), Osmocote 19N-2P-8.7K (19N-6P₂O₅-12K₂O), and Sierra 17N-2P-8.7K (17N-6P₂O₅-12K₂O) (Table 1). Plants were arranged by species in separate factorial (3 fertilizers × 2 placement methods × 2 mixes) randomized

Over the past few years nurseries were being asked and required to retain and re-use the irrigation water that they apply to their crops. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in Connecticut asks that no run-off be allowed to leave the property to ensure that any contaminants remain within the nursery and not affect waterways down stream. Prides Corner Farms has effectively accomplished the goal of retaining 100% of its irrigation water and re-using it within its irrigation system.

By re-using the irrigation water a substantial increase in water-born pathogens has also occurred. Organisms such as Phytophthora and anthracnose have become a greater problem in spite of rigorous cultural practices and increased fungicide applications. These control methods can only go so far. A system had to be found to

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is defined as the material that remains after a mushroom production cycle. The substrate for the bulk of commercially produced mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) is generally composed of horse and chicken manure, hay and wheat straw, as well as supplements such as cottonseed meal, husks and hulls, corn cobs, limestone chips, gypsum, urea, and minerals that is first composted then used for mushroom production. Large quantities of SMS are being produced every year and in concentrated areas, so its disposal poses an issue. One of the major problems with storing or holding SMS is that it continues to compost and goes anaerobic producing of an offensive odor. Other problems include nutrient leaching from the SMS into the ground water and unsightly appearance when piled on farmland. Currently the SMS that is used by the nursery and greenhouse industry is aged 1 or more years. To reduce the time and space needed to store SMS, Young, 2000 demonstrated

Carbohydrates produced in green tissue by photosynthesis are used as substrate for other synthesis reactions in plant cells. Among the products normally manufactured from these carbohydrates are fats, proteins, growth regulators, and many secondary metabolites. Secondary metabolites are responsible for many of the defense mechanisms a plant needs to thwart infectious diseases and certain insects. These metabolites include oleoresins, tannins, and alkaloids. Initially, there may be an increase in the production of secondary metabolites in drought-stressed plants as

A decision on whether to import or release a genetically modified (GM) plant, animal, medicine, or other product is ultimately a political decision, rather than a technical one. Politicians make the final decision, not scientists (Wilkinson et al, 1996). Since part of the decision-making process of politicians involves considering public opinion, public perceptions of the technology and its benefits and hazards have a real influence on the decision. These perceptions may not be in accordance with scientists' understanding and knowledge of the technology but, to all of us, our own perceptions — whatever their basis — are real.

Aesculus parviflora (bottlebrush buckeye) has made many recommended plant lists during recent times. However, few plants are available on a regular basis in the nursery trade. Seed was the main method of propagation until the 1990s when Bir and Barnes (1994) established a protocol for cutting propagation. Fordham (1987), in his discussion of propagation of bottlebrush buckeye, devoted his explanation to seed, except for a final comment that root cuttings and root suckers, can be a source. Seed availability, timing, or facilities may still limit this plant from being propagated in significant numbers by either seed or cuttings.

Layering has been recommended as a form of propagation for plants forming suckers by several authors during the 1900s (Bailey, 1920; Wells, 1985). While addressing layering in one form or another, neither Mahlstede and Haber (1957), Macdonald (1986), Dirr and Heuser (1987), nor Hartman et al. (1998) defines layering as a technique for bottlebrush

The University of Rhode Island Agricultural Experiment Station is enthusiastic about introducing new species into the New England nursery industry. In recent years we have focused on propagation and cold hardiness of new or underused woody plants. In 2000 – 2001, 13 species (Table 1) were propagated with a range of hormones and overwintered. Rooted cuttings that are not under patent are distributed to Rhode Island nurseries for evaluation.

Micropropagation consists of four stages that include establishment, multiplication, rooting, and acclimatization. Acclimatization involves the shift from a heterotrophic (sugar-requiring) to an autotrophic (free-living) condition and the acclimatization of the microplant to the outdoor environment (Hartmann et al., 2002). It requires that the propagule be slowly moved from a condition of low light and high humidity to ambient greenhouse conditions. Plant loss during the acclimatization phase can be a serious impediment to commercial micropropagation of some crops (Preece and Sutter, 1991).

The three key factors for optimal acclimatization are relative humidity, temperature, and irradiance (Isutsa et al., 1994). The objective of this experiment was to control atmospheric moisture independent of medium moisture in order to study their relative importance during the acclimatization process. This was attempted using controlled-water-tables in constructed Plexiglas growth

Interest and installation of pot-in-pot systems for production of trees and shrubs continues to grow throughout the nation (Mathers, 2000). Pot-in-pot systems offer numerous benefits for production nurseries and retail outlets including improved root growth during the hot summer months, elimination of tree blow-over, reduced need for overwintering structures, reduced water usage, less impact on field soil and loss of organic matter, and year-round harvest potential (Fidler, 1999). Year-round harvest also means a potential for increased weed management requirements. Traditionally, weed control in field production nurseries employ mechanical cultivation in combination with pre-emergence and postemergence herbicide applications. Similarly, container production nurseries employ a variety of techniques to maintain weed-free growing areas including well-drained gravel, concrete or geotextile covered surfaces, soilless growing media for nursery stock, pre-emergence herbicides

The American chestnut (Castanea dentata Marsh. Borkhausen) once made up one-third of northeastern U.S.A. forests. Today most chestnut trees in the United States are little more than stumps that sprout and occasionally flower, but rarely produce fruit. In one of many efforts to change the future of the American chestnut and return it to its glory in the landscape and wood-lots of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation (PC-TACF) has been acquiring seed from the American Chestnut Foundation initiated back-cross breeding program to produce blight-resistant American chestnuts. A successful breeding and disease-screening program requires that all possible progeny representing the crosses survives and can be screened. The PC-TACF's approach to seed germination and seedling production relied exclusively on field planting of seeds in the fall allowing natural stratification and germination or direct seeding in the spring after controlled

In vitro procedures have already been reported for white ash (Fraxinus americana L.) to establish cut dormant seeds, force axillary shoot proliferation, and induce rapid rooting to produce clonal plantlets (Preece et al., 1987, Navarrete et al., 1989, Preece et al., 1989, Preece et al., 1995). Hypothetically, a production cycle from seed to greenhouse-acclimatized plantlets can be achieved in 24 to 28 weeks. Navarrete (1989) found no differences in proliferation rates among progeny for 12 open-pollinated families; however, differences were found among selected clones when rooting microshoots. We have established field plantings with white ash microplants that continue to show normal development and growth (Van Sambeek et al., 1995, Van Sambeek et al., 1999). We attribute our success with white ash to using the cut seed technique to germinate nonstratified seed (Preece et al., 1995), incorporating thidiazuron (TDZ) and benzyladenine (BA) with MS medium to induce

The Twenty-Sixth Annual Meeting of the International Plant Propagators' Society Southern Region of North America convened at 7:45 AM at the Wyndham Greenspoint Hotel, Houston, Texas with President Eelco Tinga, Jr. presiding.

In this session on plant biotechnology, I have been given the charge to address the subject on a more global scale. This is not an easy task considering the complexity of not only the science involved but also the diversity of perceptions of the commercialization of that science. My approach is to breakdown the topic into a number of questions, many of which I find are of common concern throughout the world.

The Stephen F. Austin (SFA) Mast Arboretum has experienced steady growth and development since its inception in 1985. Most of the 8-ha (20-acre) on-campus property lies in the floodplain of LaNana Creek, a normally docile stream that bisects the garden. Soils are generally well drained, slightly acidic, and loblolly pine, oaks, river birch, sweetgum, sycamore, Florida maple, hornbeam, elm, hackberry, pecan, and hickory dominate the native flora. Nacogdoches is Zone 8 with an average annual rainfall of 1219 mm (48 inches). June through August is characteristically hot and dry. In recorded history, 1 Sept. 2000 was the record high 44.4°C (112°F), and 23 Dec.1989 was the record low -17.8°C (0°F).

Overshadowed by modern hybrids, old roses have been overlooked in this century; but now there is a renaissance afoot to restore the older cultivars to their rightful place in the garden. Their historic interest, color, fragrance, and form make old roses as indispensable to today's gardens as those of centuries past. And, as many gardeners will attest, the best thing about old roses is that they provide all the landscape values without becoming a maintenance burden.

Long before its extensive hybridization, the rose had survived cheerfully in the gardens of history. Early rosecultivars retained the resilience and fortitude programmed by nature, but these qualities have been neglected in modern hybrids developed primarily for showy blooms. Unlike modern roses which grow poorly without many hours of devoted attention, most old roses will give today's busy homeowner an appreciated rest from much of the heavy fertilizing, spraying, and nurturing demanded by their younger

Consumer demands during the 1990s were for picture-perfect plants. In a baseline study done in 1996, there was a heavy reliance on pesticides and chemicals. New economic, environmental, and regulatory issues are driving growers to explore other environmentally friendly practices. Such practices include scouting (frequent monitoring of the crop) and incorporating biological controls when possible.

Other realities include stronger regulation of water use, increased monitoring of groundwater quality, loss of effective chemicals for pest control, and a greater concern about pesticide application procedures and worker protection standards. At the same time, producers must compete in markets that often support the lowest price structure for finished crops.

The 1996 Food Quality Protection Act, established the goal of having 75% of all crop acreage in the United States under integrated pest management by the year 2000. Once the Food Quality Protection Act is fully implemented,

In Spring 2001, the Water Management District that oversees water withdraws in the East Central to Northeast Florida restricted all irrigation of nursery stock to between 7 PM to 7 AM every other night in response to a 3-year drought. There was no consideration of water source (ground water vs. collection basins). The only exception was no restriction for microirrigation systems. Fortunately the restrictions were rescinded before warm weather and the region received near normal rains over the summer. However, this should serve as a wake-up call to all nurseries, even those that overhead irrigate from collection basins. Overhead irrigation is a visible practice that is noticed by those empowered to restrict water use.

Over the past 6 years, I, in collaboration with Tom Yeager, Gary Knox, and others at the University of Florida, have evaluated systems of growing plants with overhead irrigation. The research has focused on those systems that require less water than the

The production of landscape plants in large containers [57, 95, and 170 liter (15, 25, and 45 gal) is becoming commonplace in the nursery industry. The growth rate of these plants is directly related to the level of nutrients in the substrate solution (the water that remains in the container following irrigation and drainage). A means of extracting this solution from the container for analysis is thus necessary. The most common procedure used for this purpose is the pour-through method developed for container-grown nursery and greenhouse crops at Virginia Tech (Wright, 1986; Yeager et al., 1983). This procedure consists of elevating a container above a collection vessel and pouring water on the surface of the container. The displaced substrate solution that leaches out the bottom of the container is then analyzed for nutrient content, electrical conductivity (EC), and pH. This procedure is very convenient for small containers [up to 11 liter (3 gal)] but becomes

Nutrient management regulations are a reality or on the horizon for agricultural operations in many states of the U.S.A. The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may soon enforce laws regarding non-point (diffuse) sources of nutrient loading to the nation's rivers and streams. These are the section 303(d) provisions of the Clean Water Act that have been law since 1972 (EPA, 2000a), which have not been enforced until now. Knowing the efficiency of irrigation water and nutrient applications in nursery and greenhouse operations is important, since it not only allows for a proactive environmental assessment of management practices, but it also can allow for cost savings in water and fertilizer inputs. A water and nutrient management planning process will help a grower assess the efficiency of these cultural practices, and gain the necessary information to write a plan. This information will allow a grower to evaluate changes that can improve his production efficiency

A selected palette of woody plants with commercial potential are:

• Hydrangea quercifolia ‘;Amethyst’, ‘Vaughn's Lillie’
• Hydrangea macrophylla reblooming selections: ‘Penny-Mac’, ‘David Ramsey’, ‘Decatur Blue’, ‘Oak Hill’, and ‘Endless Summer’ (will be patented); preliminary DNA "finger printing" indicates the above five are very similar.
• Ceanothus americanus
• Ceanothus delileanus ‘Gloire de Versailles’, ‘Henri Desfossé’
• Ceanothus pallidus ‘Roseus’, ‘Marie Simon’
• Spiraea japonica ‘Snowball’, ‘White Gold’
• Cercis chinensis ‘Don Egolf’ (fruitless)
• ×Cupressocyparis leylandii ‘Gold Rider’

The United States now leads the world in the issuance of certificates of plant protection. Moreover, the U.S.A. was the first country to offer statutory protection to plant breeders, and it can reasonably be argued that that foresight has allowed the U.S.A. nursery industry to become world class in little more than three generations. Declaring the interest that PlantHaven exists to service plant breeders, this paper seeks to explain and encourage the process of plant patent application within a framework of "best practice".

After a new plant selection is discovered, evaluated, and propagated to ensure genetic likeness, and patented and/or trademarked—the next steps for the plant owner should include promoting, distributing, and servicing. The following will elaborate on these three important steps through some of Tree Introductions' own experiences. In recognizing the need for more new tree cultivars—particularly for the southern United States, Tree Introductions, Inc. was founded. Tree Introductions is a research and development, licensing, distribution, marketing, and customer service entity focused on new and improved cultivars. The first goal is to select, evaluate, and introduce superior landscape plants with a focus on trees that are sustainable in the urban landscape. Most of the introductions come from other growers, researchers, and industry professionals. These plantsmen may not have the time, resources, or network of growers that is required to have a plant propagated in large

Effective operation of a commercial propagation program goes beyond the essential knowledge of propagation practices such as cutting, seeding, and grafting. Various aspects of propagation as a business must also be considered if the propagation operation is to be successful. A commercial propagator will seek to focus on ways of improving and maintaining the effectiveness of the operation for reasons of personal career enhancement, company profitability, and employee relations. This discussion focuses on some key issues in commercial production that, if made a part of a propagator's scope of operations, can help a propagator to be a more effective manager in day-to-day operations and over the long run.

At Bennett's Creek Nursery we grow a full line of camellia cultivars to supply customer demand. All cultivars are propagated from cuttings and container grown. Spring bloomers consist of Camellia japonica cultivars and related hybrids. Fall bloomers are either C. sasanqua or C. hiemalis cultivars and related hybrids. To date over 200 cultivars have been evaluated for commercial production. We continue to trial promising new cultivars in order to supply the best possible marketing mix to our customers.

Magnolias are prized worldwide for their spring flowers and have become some of the most widely planted flowering trees. Star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) and saucer magnolia (M. ×soulangiana) are two of the best known deciduous flowering magnolias, with star magnolia valued for its cold hardiness and saucer magnolia planted for its flowering display. However, thanks to breeders August Kehr, Philip Savage, Mark Jury, Todd Gresham, and many others, flowering magnolias today offer much more than the old star magnolia and saucer magnolia of yesteryear. Many new hybrids offer larger flowers, later blooming (so as to avoid frost damage), and a wide range of flower colors and plant sizes and habits. Particularly noteworthy are the Gresham hybrids and yellow-flowering hybrids.

A number of studies have been conducted seeking to determine the basis for differences in field production and landscape performance for specific cultivars of ornamental trees when grown in various regions of the country. When cultivars are introduced in the northern United States and then sold in the south, poor performance is often attributed to poor heat tolerance. Likewise, southern selections performing poorly in the north are frequently categorized as non-cold-hardy. Research suggests that performance of cultivars and selections of woody ornamentals can vary greatly depending upon their provenance or area of origin. This has been shown in studies of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall) and red maple (Acer rubrum L.) as well as other species (Kriebel and Wang, 1962; Perry and Hellmers, 1973; Sibley et al., 1995, 1999; Townsend et al., 1982).

The influence of chilling temperatures on fruit-producing trees in the dormant season is widely known, while there is less

Consider What Happens in Nature. When a seed germinates in the wild, a strong primary or taproot plunges downward. The tip of the taproot has a strong apical dominance that suppresses secondary root branching in the same manner as the tip of a new shoot suppresses production of side branches. The objective of the taproot is to extend deeply to anchor the new plant and access moisture to avoid dehydration. The objective of the new shoot is to reach sufficient vertical height to access light to support leaf functions and to avoid being overshadowed by competing vegetation. A typical tree seedling top response is to develop few, if any, side branches until the leaves on the main stem are positioned in sunlight. Likewise, a typical response with the taproot is to produce few, if any, branch roots until the taproot has extended considerable distance, often 3 ft or more, and provisions for the plant have been secured. Since there are limited energy resources stored in the seed,

Sweet viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum, Ker-Gawl.), an evergreen shrub native from Japan and the Himalayas, is widely used in Florida landscapes as a foundation plant for large buildings, borders and hedges (Dehgan, 1998). Because of its fast growth and prompt response to nitrogen fertilization, sweet viburnum is being used as a model plant to study root and shoot growth cycles and nitrogen nutrition (Martins et al., unpublished data). However, the use of non-clonal material leads to asynchronous flushes among plants. This problem has been reported not only on sweet viburnum but also on cacao (Greathouse et al. 1971), lychee (Marler and Willis, 1996), and oak (Borchert, 1975). Borchert (1973) suggested the use of clonal material to overcome this problem.

Sweet viburnum can be vegetatively propagated by cuttings (Dehgan, 1998), however, in vitro propagation (micropropagation) techniques could be applied to produce physiological uniform clonal plants in a relatively short

Daltons Limited is a family-owned company established 54 years ago by Mr. John (JD) Dalton and his wife Mrs. Francie Dalton. The core business at that stage was river shingle for roading, milk tanker tracks, and building projects. From this start, general freight was then undertaken with transport plying between the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. Eventually the freight division of the business was sold and the present site of 100 acres was purchased for its deposits of sand and pumice. Over 2000 years ago Lake Taupo erupted and huge deposits of sand, pumice, and silt were left in the old original river bed of the Waikato River.

Since quarrying began at Hinuera, the diverse product range has been widely used. It very quickly became evident to JD that this Hinuera sand was perfect for the ready-mixed concrete industry and two major projects; the Kaimai Rail Tunnel (over 4 km long) and the Arapuni Dam refurbishment, are testimony to this. Today the sand division still

Coastal dunes and beaches comprise between 2800 to 4800 km of seashore in the five Gulf states, Georgia, and Puerto Rico. Use of plants to control dune erosion along this seashore is a high priority of Natural Resource Conservation Service plant materials programs. In addition to the high demand for coastal species used in dune restoration and stabilization projects, demand is increasing for transplants to address the needs of developers, homeowners, municipalities, nurserymen, and landscapers as development accelerates near coastal areas.

Commercial propagation protocols for these four species are lacking while the commercial demand for a diversity of coastal species has increased following hurricane activity. The objectives of this project were to determine the optimum auxin treatment and concentration for the propagation of the four coastal dune species False rosemary (Conradina canescens Gray [Lamiaceae]), Atlantic St. Johnswort (Hypericum reductum (Svens.) P. Adams

New Zealand has a range of trees and shrubs which are able to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere through root nodules. They consist of legumes and some N-fixing nonlegumes known as actinorhizal plants. The objective of this paper is to review the species involved (particularly Sophora species), and discuss any implications for nursery production.

Hamilton City has only a few tiny remnants of the former indigenous forest cover, perhaps less than 20 hectares in total of high quality indigenous habitat. The largest remnant is Jubilee Park (Claudelands Bush), a 5.2 ha reserve comprising kahikatea (New Zealand white pine, Dacrycarpus dacrydioides) forest (Whaley et al., 1997). Another important remnant is Hammond Bush (Fig. 1), floristically the richest of the Hamilton indigenous remnants. Despite its small size (1 ha), it supports an impressive 145 native plant species (de Lange, 1996) and is regularly visited by kereru (New Zealand pigeon, Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae subsp. novaeseelandiae). Recently, native long-tailed bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) have also been recorded in the area (E. Ganley, pers.comm. 2001).

Although the indigenous biodiversity resource is very limited, Hamilton City does possess an extensive network of gullies. These extend from the Waikato River through many suburbs of the city, and are

I want to share with I.P.P.S. members my experiences when I visited Armidale, NSW, Australia, and the plants we saw and collected for the New England University Herbarium. I flew from my home in Hamilton, New Zealand, in Spring 2000, and a few hours later arrived in Sydney where I took an 8-h train journey to Armidale in the north of NSW. On the train I met the other six members of an over 50s holiday group. We had all booked through Odyssey Travel to take an 11 day NSW Flora Research Programme. We would be helping to collect and set up a new student herbarium for the Botany Department, at the University of New England. The programme attracts a national grant with participants paying their way, in collaboration between the University and Odyssey Travel members. We were all excited with the prospect of working on this project but some members were uncertain about what we would be expected to do, and how expert we would need to be.

Dr. Jeremy Bruhl, Senior Lecturer in Botany

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) leaf extract is the largest selling herbal product with annual sales of about NZ$1 billion. In America approximately 11 million people take a ginkgo extract pill daily resulting in sales of US$138 million in 1998 in that country alone (Brevoort, 1998). Sold mainly as an aid to improving brain function, ginkgo is famous for its link with antiquity. As a species it has remained virtually unchanged for over 125 million years, while the family Ginkgoaceae has its origins in the Permian some 200 to 225 million years ago (Hori et al., 1997). Ginkgo has long been associated with Asia, where it is used as an ornamental plant, as a medicinal, and as a food. The wood is used for products where there is frequent wetting and drying, such as chopping boards, bowls and sake barrels as it does not crack, warp, or shrink rapidly (Hori and Hori, 1997). Ginkgo is believed to have religious significance and is frequently found around temples (Handa et al., 1997).

Ireland lies on the margin of one of the earth's major land masses, with its western shores washed by the Atlantic Ocean. With its position, between 55.50° and 55.5° degrees north latitude, it lies rather nearer the North Pole than the equator which places the whole island well within the temperate climatic zone. The resultant benign if somewhat monotonous climate is extremely favourable for the growth of a wide range of trees and shrubs as well as smaller plants. At the same time the variety of rock types, land forms, and soils have created a pleasing degree of diversity in the landscape so the horticulturist may put his/her skills against the challenges of granite or limestone outcrops, hillsides or marshy plains, and peaty or alkaline soils.

Temperatures in Ireland vary on a day-to-day basis. In winter it is often experienced to have 8°C and rain all day and by 17.00 h it is dry and settling in for a reasonable night frost of -2°C only to revert to 10° with wind by morning.

Lilacs have always been a mainstay of the ornamental shrub repertoire in the temperate zones of the U.S.A. Rapid clonal propagation using cuttings was always a challenge. Increasingly, micropropagation has solved this problem and is being used to generate both stock plants and liners. With the increased interest in lilacs, stimulated both by new introductions and a consumer demand for heirloom plants, lilac propagation using micropropagation has become even more important.

One series of new introductions is the Fiala lilacs (Fiala, 1988). Father John Fiala was a Roman Catholic priest who bred lilacs and crabapples for 50 years in his garden in Ohio. In 1989, Fr. Fiala asked Knight Hollow Nursery, Inc. (KHN) if we would micropropagate his lilac selections and introduce them to the commercial market. We happily agreed since these are really superior selections. Over the years we have added many other members of the genus Syringa to our catalog, including both shrub and tree

The performance of a seedlot of any species in the field depends on a range of factors. One of these factors is seedlot quality or vigour. It is becoming increasingly clear that seedlot quality is difficult to define and the ability of a seedlot to perform depends partly on the history of the seedlot, and partly on the environmental conditions during germination (Bradford, 1996). Factors including environmental conditions during maturation, harvest time (and thus seed maturity), seed storage, pretreatment prior to sowing, and field conditions during emergence can substantially affect seedlot performance (Coolbear, 1995; Finch-Savage, 1995). Technologies applied to crops grown commercially from seed in Tasmania have the capacity to increase the value of the seed to the producers, by improving the ability of a seedlot to perform in the field. This paper presents some examples of Tasmanian crops, which have benefited from technologies that improve seed quality.

The island

The transition from the vegetative to the reproductive stage in plants is an immensely interesting developmental process. Plants and animals are quite different. In animals, the germ line cells are set aside early and the nonreproductive tissue, the somatic tissue, gives rise to other somatic tissue. In contrast, in plants the growing apex gives rise first to leaves and stems and other vegetative tissue and then following floral induction switches to give rise to reproductive tissues such as petals, stamens, and ovules.

We are using molecular tools to study this

Alice Springs is situated in the centre of Australia. The elevation is 580 m above sea level. The average annual rainfall is about 240 mm a year, with some good years (such as last year) recording up to 800 mm. The evaporation rate per year is 3600 mm. In the immediate area there are approximately 2000 known floral taxa, but still new discoveries are being made.

Central Australia has a very unique flora, which is currently not well known to the horticultural industry. Perhaps as a result of this limited knowledge, Alice Springs has an unimpressive history when it comes to horticulture and the use of indigenous plants in the landscape.

In a greenhouse we can influence the growth and development of plants by controlling the environment. This also makes it possible to grow out-of-season crops. Greenhouses with environmental control are designed to optimise the factors that contribute towards favourable conditions in the greenhouse. Heating and labour are major cost items in greenhouse crop production and any increase in the efficiency of heating systems can have a significant effect on reducing production cost. In order to maximise the effectiveness of heating, it is also essential to have an effective control system, as poor control of the air temperature wastes energy.

While the focus is on species used in rehabilitation, Floradata will be useful to anyone planting native species, whatever the purpose. It will allow those interested in native species to effectively plan seed regeneration programmes using best practice information.

Floradata is due to be released in 2001 as a CD-Rom. The major

It is important that the nursery industry find alternate methods of applying water to their plants to counteract the current problems of dryland salinity, groundwater contamination, disease spread, and water waste.

Australia is the driest continent on earth and as a broad-acre farmer with over 35 years experience in grain production, I have had closer exposure to the effects of salinity and drought than most.

The application of excess water to our soils raises the water table and brings salt deposits within reach of the root systems of soil-grown plants. Overwatering or overhead watering leaches nutrients out of containerised plants into the groundwater where it may build up to toxic levels as it has in Holland. In that country, run-to-waste hydroponic systems have been responsible for an unacceptable build up of nutrients and have been disallowed.

Disease may be spread between plants by droplet splash or by infected water flowing past clean stock. Water falling between

To achieve even watering in polyhouses many systems are installed with a single line of inverted sprinklers so close together that the application rates are well in excess of the potting media absorption rate. This leads to excessive water use and leaching of nutrients that both affect the bottom line.

When irrigating containers with overhead sprinklers in polyhouses it is important to:

• Select sprinklers that apply water at a rate that suits your crop.
• Match application rate to the absorption rate of the potting media.
• Select a layout and sprinkler that achieves even watering.
• Select a layout that eliminates dry spots.

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis Link. Schneid.) is an arid zone shrub that is native to the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, California, and northern Mexico (Gentry, 1958). The species is an extreme xerophyte and follows the flowering pattern of a number of desert species in that it is dioecious and wind pollinated.

The taxonomic position of the species is obscure. The species was originally placed in the family Buxaceae but has now been transferred to the monospecific family Simmondsaceae and there is some debate about the likely evolutionary history of the plant. The inappropriate specific name (chinensis) is a result of a mix up in the labeling of collection boxes from an expedition that visited both Western U.S.A. and China during the 19th century.

Jojoba produces annual crops of large brown seeds that may be crushed to yield a liquid wax (often referred to as jojoba oil) that is valued as a moisturiser in cosmetics and as a high pressure, high temperature lubricant.

The high

A major constraint to the further development of the Ixodia industry has been the export of poor quality product which has had an adverse affect on price and market demand on some overseas markets. Poor quality is directly tied to the use of unselected or unsuitable cultivars or incorrect harvest and handling procedures.

To address problems related to poor cultivar use in production, a plant improvement program was started in 1995. Commercial cultivars, new collections from the wild and previously selected forms were assembled for comparative field trials. Plants were assessed for cultivation performance, disease tolerance, appearance, and suitability for alternative markets (fresh, pot plants). Yield and quality standards for ixodia daisy grown as a cut flower crop were established, then used to assess new progeny from a breeding program. Ten cut flower and three-pot plant and landscape cultivars are now ready for commercialisation.

"Protea" is used loosely to refer to any member of the Proteaceae family. The main genera of interest to us are South African protea, Leucadendron, Leucospermum, and Serruria and Australian Banksia and Telopea.

The protea cut flower industry had its beginnings in the 1600s when Dutch traders used South Africa as a staging post on their way to the East Indies. Of course they were only a curiosity at that stage.

With the advent of airfreight an industry developed in South Africa based on harvesting a natural resource. There was a similar development in Western Australia based on harvesting banksias. The resource seemed unlimited. Gradually harvesters began wanting more control, e.g., why not have some of the more popular varieties closer to the packing shed? The natural balance of varieties didn't reflect the market

Mass vegetative propagation of some species of eucalypts is now an accepted part of plantation forestry worldwide. In Australia, we have been slow to adopt the process until recently, due to an escalation in the rate of hardwood plantation establishment and the need to increase productivity. Not all of the eucalypts lend themselves to this form of propagation and some that can be, often have low rates of rootability. This factor coupled with the cost of labour in Australia, in comparison to our forestry competitors in other countries, has led to the search for clones with high rootability and propagation techniques and nursery practices that will allow us to be globally competitive. This paper attempts to look at the process involved and the options we have available to us to achieve these goals.

Lycopodium. Terrestrial, surface creeping, or climbing plants. A genus of c. 40 species widespread in temperate and tropical regions. Four species (L. scariosum, L. fastigiatum, L. volubile, and L. deuterodensum) occur in Australia.

Lycopodiella. Terrestrial, creeping plants. A genus of c. 40 species (some of which in the past have been classified in Lycpodium) widespread in moist-temperate and tropical regions of the world, but especially diverse in the Americas. Five species (L. cernua, L. limosa, L. serpentina, L. diffusa, and L. laterale) occur in Australia.

Phylloglossum. Small terrestrial plants with a subterranean tuber. A monotypic genus endemic to southern Australia and New Zealand. One species (P. drummondii) occurs in Australia.

Huperzia. Lithophytic or

Soil pasteurisation/sterilization with steam is a common practice in Europe and parts of the United States of America, where boilers have in any case been available for heating. For the past 8 years Agrelek has done a lot of research and development with low-pressure steam boilers. This electrode steam generator has been successfully introduced into the nursery industry.

In commercial plant production, the size and shape of cuttings is often strongly determined by the propagation environment they are placed in to root. In an attempt to minimise stress effects, particularly water stress, nurserymen will often select relatively short nodal cuttings, trim-back or remove a number of the leaves, and pinch-out the soft nonlignified apical tip. By understanding more about the environmental constraints imposed on cuttings (Harrison-Murray and Knight, 1997), and developing more "supportive" rooting environments, however, there may be opportunities to use larger or better-formed cutting material. The research outlined here aimed to examine whether the use of larger cuttings, or cuttings that had branches pre-formed on them, had any advantage over conventional cuttings in terms of rooting ability and speed of development. If any advantage proved commercially significant, then future research resources could be targeted at improving existing propagation

Traditionally most cuttings were made with a node at the base and were cut neatly above a leaf joint, i.e., a nodal cutting. However there were exceptions. Clematis and Hedera have for many years been propagated as internodal cuttings. When I first joined Notcutts Nurseries Propagation Department, as assistant to propagator Ivan Dickings, he set me the task of trialling various taxa of plants as internodal or internodal length cuttings. An internodal length cutting is the term used to describe a cutting that has been cut anywhere on the stem whether it be below or above a node. Examples of these were Potentilla, Spiraea, Escallonia, and Lavandula. We found that wherever they were cut, they still rooted regardless, because these plants all had relatively close leaf joints and when inserted there was always a node in the compost. It was also found that plants with long internodes, such as, Buddleja and Cornus, could be propagated as internodal cuttings, creating a plant

Commercial daffodil (Narcissus) production currently accounts for some 7500 ha of field-grown crops worldwide, mainly in the UK (4400 ha), the Netherlands (1800 ha) and north-western USA (400 ha) (Hanks, 2002). Typically, growers plant the bulbs at a rate of 15 to 20 tonnes ha^-1, there being some 20,000 bulbs per tonne. Well-grown narcissus plants would be expected to double in bulb numbers and weight each year through bulb splitting and offset production.

Compared with sexual plant propagation, this multiplication rate is low, imposing a severe restraint on the introduction of new cultivars or elite stocks, a situation amplified by the long juvenile phase of several years before bulbs are large enough to flower (Rees, 1972). With natural vegetative propagation it takes 16 years to produce 1000 bulbs from one original bulb (Rees, 1969). It can take 20 to 25 years to produce commercial-scale stocks—a few tonnes of bulbs—of a new narcissus. Thus, new commercial cultivars from

The Fiftieth Anniversary of the formation of I.P.P.S. is a major milestone and provides an excellent opportunity to take stock and reflect on the way plant propagation technique and practice has progressed. This paper presents a personal view of some of the major advances I have witnessed and considers the significant contribution that I.P.P.S. has made to the understanding and sharing of propagation knowledge and skill during the past half century.

In the not so distant past, the plant propagator was portrayed as the eccentric whose role was only to put roots on the cuttings, graft the scions, and peg down the branches of stock plants in the layer beds during winter. The only apparent measure of success was technical excellence as measured by rooting percentage or graft-take: Glory! Yes! Roots! "The euchryphias have rooted, not quite 100% but next year we will strive to get the 100%. A little more heat, less humidity, maybe a different hormone." Plant propagators had their office in the shed where they were surrounded by a library of "Black Books" they called their "bibles", together with authoritative monographs and periodicals giving many useful tips on different species — not always relevant to the task at hand.

Today's propagators are no different. They are passionate about all plants. They still have their black bibles—books of religion, guides for life in the future: the propagator has only an average of 47 shots at

This review of the theory of grafting will examine the main requirements for a successful graft. Whatever the degree of experience in grafting a propagator has it is necessary at times to go back to the basic principles to improve the success of a particular graft or successfully graft an unfamiliar species.

To carry out a graft both the scion and rootstock have to be cut and brought together so that they will form a single plant. The initial phase of this union is the adhesion of the scion and stock by the polymerisation and deposition of cell wall materials in response to wounding. All species traditionally grafted have been found to be strong "wall compartmentalizers" (Santamour, 1996), forming a necrotic layer of cells that prevents further decay. A callus bridge of parenchyma cells then extends into the necrotic layer from stock and scion, giving tensile strength to the graft. New vascular cambium then differentiates from the parenchyma cells and finally, secondary

The basic concept of hydroponics was applied as early as 1699, while the first acknowledged research done in this field was in 1804. Tomatoes were the first crop to be grown commercially in hydroponics as we know it today.

A modern definition of hydroponics is: "A crop production system where plants are grown in an artificial medium other than natural soil. All the nutrients are dissolved in the irrigation water and supplied on a regular basis to plants." Hydroponic systems are used throughout the world in areas where normal field agricultural practices are not possible.

The future of all sectors of commercial horticulture is in part dependent on the production of new cultivars of plants that possess improved characteristics, such as growth habit; attributes of flowers, fruit, and foliage; and resistance to pests and diseases. The genetic improvement of plants by selection has been practised for centuries, going back to the beginnings of agriculture, and is still used today, for example in tree breeding programmes. In contrast, it is only in much more recent times that the potential of artificial hybridisation has been realised and used to improve specific traits of plants. In the late 1700s, crosses were made between many species of Nicotiana and to produce new fruit varieties. At this time, from studies on peas, it was concluded that male and female parents contribute equally to offspring in the first filial generation (F1) and that segregation occurs in the F2. Later, in 1866, Gregor Mendel, in crossing different varieties of peas and

The generation of new plant varieties is an on-going process that provides material for the commercial market. Conventional breeding involving self and cross-pollinations, fertilisation, and seed production followed by rigorous selection of plants with desirable traits, is a long-established and reliable procedure for generating novel germplasm. In addition to this traditional approach, techniques involving the culture of plant cells, tissues, and organs in the laboratory provide a means for direct and indirect plant improvement. A unique characteristic of plant cells is their so-called totipotency—individual viable cells of almost any origin carry the genetic information needed to develop into complete fertile plants. This developmental pathway can be induced in the laboratory. Major advances have been made in plant biotechnology during the last two decades, several of which exploit cell totipotency, the basis of plant tissue culture, and which can underpin conventional

There are two potential interpretations of the theme of the science behind seed propagation. The first is to attempt to review all the detailed scientific investigations which have taken place that are relevant to the propagation of plants from seed. The second is the determination of a logical and analytical (and hence scientific) approach to the complete process of seed propagation. The purpose of this short paper is to concentrate on the latter but using examples from the first.

Generally and historically the whole process of seedling production, in the nursery trade, has normally been dealt with on an empirical basis—as the starting material has been perceived as cheap. In a modern context any commercial process should look for the highest productivity that is reasonable.

Despite the fact that scientific investigation has elucidated many of the difficulties encountered in the process of seed propagation, there is still much which needs to be determined. Research

The Millennium Seed Bank Project (MSBP) was instigated as a means of addressing the large-scale loss of plant biodiversity. Human numbers have increased two-fold since 1960 and the United Nations predicts a further 50% increase by 2025. Land conversion for development and agriculture leads to an inevitable loss of biodiversity for there is a direct relationship between species numbers and land area available. Over the last 400 years, the extinction of 584 plant species has been recorded, most of them in the last 100 years. This rate is 70 times faster than expected from the geological record.

Raising plants from seed involves many variables which need constant monitoring and appropriate and timely action. Success depends on attention to detail in every operation from seed collection to the point the seedling is despatched. Failure to achieve this often results in poor stands of unusable and unsaleable plants. As the subject is so diverse and many aspects have already been covered and recorded in past papers in Combined Proceedings International Plant Propagators'Society this paper will only attempt to cover two important aspects which have a significant impact in decision making to determine the final germination. These are the keeping of crop records and the use of data on plant density, seed viability, and field factors in determining sowing rates.

When I was in graduate school, the study of forest canopies was at a very young stage of development. People had not climbed into forest canopies—they knew different plant and animal species lived up there

Rooting Begonia hiemalis tip cuttings is quite easy and there are many different methods used by different growers. Some use propagation tents, some use mist, and some don't use either. We root our cuttings in a double-layer system with mist. The cuttings start on a warm heated floor for 2 weeks where they receive just enough mist to keep them from stress. On tray tables just above this crop is a crop 2 weeks older. The cuttings receive minimal light, provided by fluorescent lamps, under the tray tables. After 2 weeks the cuttings are moved up onto the tables and the floors are cleaned and disinfected in preparation for a new crop of cuttings. A new crop of cuttings is put under mist in the same process that takes the 2-week-old crop out of the mist. The table that is emptied into the just-cleaned space is immediately filled with the next 36 flats of 2-week-old cuttings, and the process repeats until all of the 2-week-old cuttings are up on tables and the new

• Used inside; i.e, in a frost-free enclosure, not subject to outside precipitation
• Used from late November to early February (sun is too strong before and after and will heat air above root temperature)
• Used for direct-stuck cuttings that do poorly under mist; e.g, Cistus, Daphne, and grey-leafed plants, such as, Brachyglottis, Senecio, Lavandula, etc.

Materials:

• Wood frame (made from four 2 inch × 12 inch boards) (our frame size is approximately 3 ft × 6 ft and has space for two rows of four 17 inch × 17-inch flats)
• Fasteners
• Styroboard (bottom layer, sits on the floor)
• Electric heating cable (sits on styroboard) with thermostat
• Sand, 2 inches (for bedding heating cable)
• Aquarium gravel, 2 inches (sits above sand to discourage weed growth)
• Heavy gauge wire (attached across top of frame to prevents cover from sagging)
• Vispore perforated plastic sheeting (3 ft × 8 ft)
• 2 ft to 3 ft 2 inch × 4 inch boards — one 2 × 4 secures Vispore to the frame at one end, the other is

The manufacturer of our vacuum is Trac-Vac located in Indiana. We purchased the Model 2100 in 1994 from a local equipment dealer. It has been relatively troublefree. An 11-hp Briggs and Stratton engine powers the vacuum.

We run the cuisinart for about 1 minute until we have a puree of berries. Next we add the puree to an empty bucket and slowly add water. The viable seeds sink to the bottom of the bucket while the voided seeds and pulp float to the top. We keep adding water until we are left with clean seeds at the bottom of the bucket. The reason why we take the berries off the stems is because the cuisinart chops the stems up into little pieces and they sink to the bottom with the clean seed. We then drain the water and place the seeds on newspaper to dry. Because of

We typically sow fresh Japanese maple seed in late September directly into outdoor seedbeds. After the seed is sown, we form hoops over the seedbeds with concrete reinforcing wire. This wire is 10-gauge steel wire welded into a 6 inch × 6 inch grid and it is available in sheets that measure 7½ ft × 20 ft. To prepare this sheet to become a seedbed cover

I have chosen to share a simple method to create a germination environment that helps to provide stable moisture content, relatively warm temperatures, and physical protection for very tiny seedlings.

Liverwort control has become a hot topic. We've seen lots of research effort into a range of control measures. Cinnamite, hazelnut shells, and meadowfoam have all been researched. The Zerotol people gave us Terracyte, which needs to be applied pot-by-pot with a specialized applicator. None of these methods seemed very userfriendly or effective.

My research led me to two other products, one new to the United States, but not the florist industry of Columbia — Timsen.

Timsen turns out to contain both urea and a quaternary disinfectant and now boasts a label that allows us to drench plants at 1600 ppm. This, provided it is truly a drench and not a spray, controls liverworts quite inexpensively. Phytotoxicity has not been a concern so far, but I wouldn't want to try 1600 ppm on unrooted tissue culture liners or seedlings with just one pair of leaves. Great stuff and it may also work as a chemigated algaecide at just 25 ppm. I have trials underway. Theoretically, Timsen would be

I use a Diamond Whetstone medium grade. These stones are available from Western Tool Supply. There are industrial-grade diamonds imbedded in steel which is then laminated to a plastic base. These stones cut into the knife blade very quickly requiring a minimum number of strokes to make a sharp knife.

These stones do not wear down like a carborundum stone so that the surface always stays flat, which will insure that the knife blade will stay with a straight cutting edge. The knife blade should be at a 2° angle to the stone and pushed as if you were cutting into the stone. For more detailed information check the Boy Scout Manuel on knife sharpening.

Management of ornamental plant diseases is generally based on a combination of cultural practices, environmental manipulations, use of biologicals, and application of fungicides (Bilderback and Jones, 2001; Dreistadt, 2001; Jeffers et. al, 2001; Krause, 1991). Recently, there has been an increased interest in using general biocides or disinfectants for the

Plants with roots colonized by mycorrhizal fungi are more effective at nutrient and water acquisition, less susceptible to disease, and can be more productive under certain stressful environmental growing conditions than plants without mycorrhizae. There is little available information describing the benefits of inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi on different aspects of productivity and flowering of liliaceous bulb crops except onion (Giovannetti and Riess, 1980; Tawaraya et al., 1999), and little information describing the effects of mycorrhizal fungi on flowering (Byla and Koide, 1998; Johnson et al., 1982). Members of the Liliaceae form mycorrhizal associations with vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (VAMF) (Ames and Linderman, 1977). This paper presents results from several inoculation experiments with VAMF on bulb, corm, and flower production in several liliaceous plant species.

In conventional plant production systems, single-species planting has often been used to obtain optimal biomass production, with concomitant high reliance on fertilizers, water, and high light intensity. Continuous single-cropping, however, can lead to soil conditions that cause an imbalance of soil microorganisms or an accumulation of toxins released from decomposing plant residues. Intercropping and crop rotation are promoted in attempts to alleviate problems associated with monoculture. Whatever the plant production system used, modern cropping are often perceived to involve excessive inputs of fertilizer, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, etc., which supposedly result in increased risk to the physical properties of the soil and pollution of the environment. It is in this context that the concepts of organic farming and biological control are being promoted as alternatives to agrochemicals, and consequently receive a lot of public, financial, and research support.

The Landscape Plant Development Center is a relatively young organization. It was established in 1990 with a mission of developing superior landscape plants with emphasis on plants that are more tolerant of biological and environmental stresses. The Center was started because there is a need for greater diversity of landscape plants that are tolerant of environmental and biological stresses. Unfortunately, many landscape plants presently available are not well adapted to withstand the harsh conditions of the man-modified environments found on many landscape sites. I have seen figures and surveys indicating that the life span of the average tree planted in city conditions may only be 7 to 10 years.

The Center is a nonprofit corporation with a Board of Directors from all over the United States. The Center relies completely on grants and donations for the support of its research efforts. It operates as a cooperative effort of researchers located at many different

Propagators are familiar with growing bedding plants and rooting softwood and hardwood stem cuttings under intermittent mist, fog, or high humidity. These plants require hardening-off prior to transplanting to ensure good survival. The same logic holds for micropropagated plants; however, they are even more sensitive than plants that are propagated by more traditional methods.

Cuttings are weaned from the propagation bench by gradually reducing the frequency and duration of misting, or by slowing exposing them to lower relative humidity levels. Bedding plants are hardened off by reducing

This year's I.P.P.S. Western Region meeting should go a long way towards rectifying the situation with two pages at the Eastern Region, including one by Deb McCown and three papers from this conference.

The first consideration in this topic is that of economics. The book, Plants from Test Tubes, An Introduction to Micropropagation, tells us about costs and labor in the lab, how to analyze costs through crop planning, space scheduling, etc., however, the grower on the receiving end of the tissue-culture labs scheduling has an entirely different set of cost factors to weigh before an analysis of profitability can be performed.

Carlton Plants utilizes tissue culture to propagate targeted items where it has proven to yield more satisfactory results than other propagation methods. Tissue culture is used to propagate approx 150,000 plants every year, which represents about 6% of our planting needs.

It all begins with a reputable supplier, if you have a lab nearby that makes it all the better. I like to have the option to check up on the plants to see how things are progressing if the lab allows. Once you have your order of tissue culture material from a lab I recommend checking with them periodically to be sure everything is going as planned. Sometimes, plants don't respond to the treatments as well as expected.

Clematis ‘Paul Farges’ (C. potaninii × C. vitalba) syn. C. ‘Summer Snow’. Vigorous climber with fragrant white flowers from July to September or October; followed by silvery seedheads (seeds are sterile). Zone 6 or possibly hardier. Propagated from layers and cuttings.

Aconitum vilmorinianum. Stems start erect, then twine and scramble up to 2 or 3 m. From western and central China. Zone 6 or hardier. Grown from seed or division of the tuberous roots in autumn. All plant parts are poisonous.

Somatic embryos have been used for woody plant micropropagation. In Coffea, Afreen et al. (2001) showed that C. ×arabusta cotyledonary embryos had photosynthetic ability and could be cultured photoautotrophically (sugar-free culture) (Kozai, 1991). Therefore, application of photoautotrophic culture from the cotyledonary embryo stage through the rest of the production stages potentially shortens the transplant production period and enhances the establishment of transplants ex vitro as compared with photomixotrophic culture (sugar-containing culture). In this study, effect of CO₂ concentration on the net photosynthetic rate of C. ×arabusta somatic embryos was investigated to determine the environmental conditions for the photoautotrophic culture of somatic embryos.

Cutting propagation is used to produced the three main rabbiteye blueberry cultivars, ‘Woodard’, ‘Tifblue’, and ‘Home Bell’. It usually takes 7 months for cutting propagation (from September to April) and the costs are very high. To reduce production costs container-grown plants were examined for the production of cuttings. In addition to the above three cultivars container planting was applied to two other taxa, ‘Mayards’ and ‘Blue Shower’.

From the survey it was also clear that insect resistance is a major concern to growers, but that attempts are made to manage it by alternating insecticides in the spray programmes. In extreme cases insecticides are applied every 2 to 3 days, usually as preventive sprays. A further obstacle is the lack of approved and registered chemicals under Act 36/1947, but growers try to use products that are registered on edible crops, especially when treating commodities for the export market.

Consequently, Bayer decided to obtain registration for a number of pesticides (insecticides and fungicides) for use in floriculture. The obvious first choice was imidacloprid, a new insecticide in the chloronicotinyl group. It is currently

The grafting of the grapes is required if they are to be successfully grown in soil. Grafting is necessary because, even though a cutting may root well, the cutting can be attacked by phylloxera if the soil is infected with this pest. Plant vigor can additionally be modified by rootstock selection as can yield and quality.

The main propagation method for grape grafting in Okayama was the "English-style" saddle graft which was preformed by hand. When using the saddle graft the rootstock and scion should be as equal in size (diameter) as possible. The number of grafts completed per day was limited by the complexity of the graft and the skill needed.

About 20 years ago, grape propagators in Okayama switched to an automatic-type grafting machine (that was manufactured in Germany). Techniques for grafting using this new automated machine were developed and these are used today. After changing to the automated grafting machine, the number of grafting per day and success rate rose

The system is even more effective inland. Inland, 100 km from shore, the air temperature is above 40°C and the relative humidity is below 20%, so the air temperature inside of the greenhouse with a cooling system is about 30°C. In UAE, the pad and fan cooling system is widely used in greenhouses. However, in large greenhouses used for vegetable and flower production, there is a large difference in temperature and humidity between the end with the cooling pad and the end with the fan. For example, in a greenhouse 30 m long, the temperature differential is more than 10°C.

The pad and fan cooling system currently used

The first general step in the heat island countermeasure is in the search for the function and the cost. However, people will not be satisfied unless the view of the planting scene is attractive; therefore, the garden type selected must be cost effective or it isn't realistic.

The time will soon come when rooftop plantings will need to have not only the potential to reduce the heat island phenomenon but also provide a view that is attractive. When attractiveness becomes important the selection of plants will be taken more seriously. Plants suitable for the environment of the roof will not

Crown Gall. The disease caused by Agrobacterium vitis produces galls on the seedlings and the trunks of affected grapes. The pathogen is easily detected from the grape sap of infected grape using selective media.

Berry Inner Necrosis Disease. In grape cultivars, ‘Kyoho’ and ‘Pione’, infected leaves become small, mosaic, and deformed, and necrosis occurs in the flesh of affected berries. The causal agent, grapevine berry inner necrosis virus (GINV), is transmitted by Colomerus vitis and grafting.

Leaf Roll Disease. Leaf symptoms include rolling and a violet-red color. The grapevine leaf roll-associated viruses (GLRaV-1 to 7, especially GLRaV-3) belong to the Closter virus and have been reported as causal agents. Though it has

Prostanthera rotundifolia, R. Br., Australian mintbush, with attractive purple flowers in spring and fragrant foliage, has been reported in production in Australia and Europe (Erhardt and Erhardt, 1997; Philip, 1997). Because of its attractive flowers and scented foliage, Australian mintbush is a potential plant that can be introduced into the Danish market.

In the process of introduction of a new pot plant, one of the main prerequisites is to have enough plant material to carry out all the experiments required in the process (Christensen and Friis, 1987; Roh and Lawson,1987; von Hentig,1998; Wilkins and Erwin, 1998). Another criteria to bear in mind is that a potential new plant should be easy to propagate (Von-Hentig and Grüber, 1988; Armitage, 1990a and 1998; Masvidal, 1992). In most cases, little to nothing is known regarding the propagation requirements of the plant. However, in addition to such factors as the condition of the stock plants, the "positional effect"

Aqua-Hort implements a copper nutrition and electromagnetic treatment of the nutrient solution. Research at the Aarslev Horticultural Research Center has contributed to a basic understanding of the benefits of this equipment.

With Aqua-Hort in your nursery you can achieve the following production improvements:

• Better roots,
• Better plants,
• Prevent attack by pathogenic fungi,
• Stabilize copper supply.

It has been known for a long time that a controlled level of copper ions in the water can contribute considerably to the prevention of attacks from pathogenic fungi, especially from Pythium and Phytophthora. Both fungi can be very destructive. These two fungi produce zoospores which are spread in watery environments. Laboratory tests show that the zoospores are killed when exposed to Aqua-Horttreated water.

• Certain chemicals, for instance it converts NH₄ + (ammonia) to NO₃ - (nitrate),
• Pathogenic organisms,
• BOD (oxygen demanding chemicals),
• TOC (toxic oxygen demanding chemicals).

The BMT biofilter will not:

• Remove nutrients except for some metals during the start up phase,
• Lower the concentration of salts. It will for instance not remove nitrogen and phosphorus, or remove particles from the water, that are not biologically degradable,
• Produce a sterile water. Rather it will produce a water with a biological balance.

What to Think About. The BMT biofilter is a biological water-treatment system. This means that it is not possible to control what actually goes on in the BMT biofilter. The only thing we can do is to

Water normally used for irrigation in agriculture and horticulture is from streams, lakes, and ground water from deep wells. In addition for different reasons, rainwater has become more popular. The nutritional value of water from different sources can vary strongly, depending on:

• Different emissions and their local and regional impact on deposition and water;
• Soil and bedrock mineral chemistry, soil texture, and structure;
• Climatic conditions (rainfall and temperature) that determines the weathering rate of soil particles;
• The combined effect of deposition and bedrock on runoff water;
• Soil management (agriculture or forestry, fertilisation or no fertilisation) that has a determining impact on surface water.

Below is presented some examples of the normal variation in water chemistry, together with some evaluating aspects on the chemical variables of interest from an ecological point of view. The input to these results are mainly from Sweden and my own experiences

Plants require certain properties from the growth medium, including water, nutrients, oxygen, buffering, and anchoring. When the growers comply with certain basic aspects in the preparation of their growth media some of these requirements are met.

Two aspects of growth media, that have to be consider are the physical and chemical properties.

• Physical properties: Air filled porosity, water holding capacity, and density.
• Chemical properties: pH, EC, and nutrient content.

When using artificial growth media, such as sawdust, bark, or any other organic component it can be expected that the physical and chemical properties will be different and that the analytical results will have to be interpreted differently.

Sampling is very important and any analysis can't be better

I hope those who attended the pre-conference tour yesterday had as enjoyable a time as myself on such a glorious day.

First order of business is to recognize some fellow members who have invested themselves and a tremendous amount of time organizing this informative program that we will be enjoying the next 3 days.

First and foremost is our Executive Secretary/Treasurer, Margot Bridgen.

Secondly, The First Vice-President and Program Chair, Richard Bir.

Thirdly, The Second Vice-President and Poster Chair, Jim Johnson.

Lastly, The Local Site Committee who have organized and formulated the inner workings of this program in Lexington. They are: Bob NcNiel, Chairman; Bob Geneve; Winston Dunwell; Paul Cappiello; Brian Roach; Steve Foltz; and Tony Nold. Let's all give

It is always interesting to take a few steps back and view a subject from a historical perspective. Invariably, you come away impressed with the knowledge available in the literature including ancient references. You may also find that techniques that are considered new today were available at much earlier times. In this brief review, I will try to provide a perspective on modern plant propagation techniques as it relates to earlier times.

Rivendell Nursery is a wholesale nursery of 200 acres in Southwest New Jersey. We grow a wide range of plant material in ground for B&B sales. When we started in 1988, we purchased 100% of our lining-out stock. This year, 2001, over two-thirds of our lining-out stock is produced by our propagation department. Initially, our aim was to be a deciduous tree grower but we soon realized that we needed to add a line of evergreen trees and shrubs to extend our digging/sales season and produce a more even cash flow. One of the first shrubs we tried to grow was Taxus. Due to a large and hungry population of whitetail deer this was a failure. In an attempt to fill this void we then tried to grow Cephalotaxus since it is similar in appearance and quite resistant to deer browse. We have only propagated this plant for a short number of years so the information which follows is what we are doing now and may change over the next few years.

1. Clear plastic strips in roll in various thickness.
2. Clear pre-cut plastic strips of various thickness and stretchability.
3. Conventional elastic strips.
4. Wide elastic strips primarily for ground budding.

All materials have advantages and disadvantages. One of the main disadvantages of all these products is that not one of them disintegrates completely after application. Each of them must be gone over again to remove all or some portion of the tie in order to allow the bud to grow out without inhibition.

A few years ago, we were introduced to a product called "Buddy-Tape". Buddy-Tape is a parafilm-like material, 2¼ cm wide and precut into 7-cm lengths (about 1 inch × 3 inch). The material is very stretchy and seals upon

Green roofs are, as the name implies, plantings that are placed on the roof of a building. Plant size and selection depends on the depth of the roof overburden (growing medium) and local climate, but the plants are almost always drought tolerant. Low-growing plants such as grasses, sedums, and other cactus-like plants are used where the depth is only a few inches. Where the medium depth is several feet, shrubs and even small trees can be used. Although most easily used on flat roofs, a low pitch roof can also be "greened". Green roofs also

Acer oblongum, smoothleaf maple. Supposedly an evergreen maple, but one shouldn't believe all that the books say, as our plant has displayed vivid red fall color. In all respects, our plant is correctly identified. This illustrates the inadequate testing that many uncommon species undergo in the U.S.A.

Spiraea thunbergii ‘Fujino Pink’. A superior form of a commonly grown spirea in the U.S.A. with better "flower power." Flowers are tinged pink in bud, but open white. Newly introduced from Japan and named after its discoverer.

Cotinus coggygria ‘Ancot’, Golden

Turkey litter compost (TLC) has been evaluated as a soil amendment and disease suppressant in ginseng production in Ontario (Reeleder and Capell, 2001). It is also sold granulated as fertilizer.

As part of our on-going research to examine industrial and farm organic wastes and composts as soil and potting amendments (Chong, 1999), we have been investigating TLC. Tyler et al. (1993) grew nursery crops in unfertilized substrate containing TLC. Ku et al. (1998) grew potted poinsettia in poultry litter compost-amended substrate fertilized at different times. Similar in chemical and physical analysis to spent mushroom compost (SMC), TLC contains excessive nutrients and high EC (an indication of soluble salts concentrations) (Table 1), which are potentially damaging to crops and, thus, a major deterrent to its use in potting mixes.

This paper presents an alternate method that first places the cutting into the rooting bed, tray, or pot, and then places the rooting medium around it. Actually multiple cuttings are placed in the tray up to a handful of 30 cuttings at a time. As usual, this is much easier to explain and to understand with photos than it is with words.

We have successfully used this method for rooting Vinca minor (myrtle, periwinkle) and Galium odoratum (sweet woodruff, bedstraw). These plants have in