It takes a number of essentials to transform a healthy seed, seedling, cutting or start into a market-ready plant or tree. There’s water. Fertilizer. Pest management. Growing media for containerized plants, or healthy soil for those grown in the field. If any of these are missing or unavailable, the product will suffer or die, but […]
Nursery Operations
The leadership farm team
When people talk about the nursery industry’s human resource challenges, they often speak strictly in terms of labor. But the nursery industry needs people at all levels, from entry-level workers to crew leaders, supervisors, managers and above. To succeed in a challenging industry, nursery companies rely on the experience, technical knowledge, management ability and leadership […]
Working wonders
Despite pervasive labor struggles, nurseries find ways to find workers There was a time, up until 2006 or 2007, when Robinson Nursery in McMinnville, Oregon would lay off at least 30 percent of its workforce every year, just after the fall season and heading into winter. Back then, the nursery industry’s labor pool included a […]
Plant Features
The lowdown on low conifers
The interest and versatility of these slow growers makes them attractive for residential and commercial settings Conifers grow with such variation of habit that even of the low-growing types, the options are vast, offering a number of combinations of texture, color and height to meet a variety of landscape needs. From prostrate to spreading, low-growing […]
Native tree selections for urban shade
Approximately 80 percent of the population of the United States now lives in urban environments where trees are both beloved — and imperiled. Estimates are that urban environments are home to 77 percent of invasive species introduced for horticulture and 13 percent for forestry. Species such as Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) and Norway maple (Acer platanoides) […]
Plants for pollinators
Strong consumer interest drives demand for pollinator friendly plant selections As bees and other pollinators decline, the importance of building habitat in home gardens, parks, fields and commercial properties has edged into the public consciousness. Wholesale and retail nurseries can benefit from the market demand for plants that attract and nourish bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. […]
The Value of Membership
Meet the leader: Ron Kinney
Tell us about yourself. I was born and raised in Southern California, and my entire 33-year career in the horticulture industry has been in large-scale nursery production management. After attending Fullerton Community College I graduated with an A.S. degree in ornamental horticulture, and completed my education at Cal Poly Pomona with a B.S. degree in […]
House panel revives agricultural visa proposal
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee and Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia) on July 18 introduced a revised proposal to create an agricultural guest worker program. The Ag and Legal Workforce Act (bill / fact sheet) would create a new H-2C program to give farmers and ranchers access to a reliable workforce. It is similar to the Ag Act […]
