Proceedings Library

The rooting potential of Douglas fir stem cuttings has been correlated with distinct phases of development, both in source tree aging (11) and in annual shoot periodicity (9). Even phases of adventitious root initiation and development after cutting excision respond to specific stimuli (12).

There are many, perhaps a hundred, "root weevils", larvae of the family Curculionidae, which feed on roots of plants. Some have very few hosts; others are nearly omnivourous. Some root weevils are widespread and some have a limited range. Nationally, the one of greatest concern to those who produce or maintain woody plants is Otiorynchus sulcatus, the black vine weevil (BVW).

During the past 12 years, I have become more and more aware of the tropical fruits and their potential in the Northern Territory. With the advent of drip irrigation and a better understanding of tropical techniques (instead of "modifying" southern Australian techniques) even those plants condemned for having origins in wet zone tropics become distinct probabilities for local cultivation.

Table 1 list some 40 species encompassing almost 200 fruit cultivars currently growing in Darwin. Most of these have been either introduced, or reintroduced, by the author and his92 associates in the past 6 years.

Obviously enough, the selection of seeds or

Stock plants are dug out of the fields in the fall and all leaf and stem remains cleaned off. They are packed in wooden crates with slightly moistened shingle-tow around their roots and crowns, leaving their tops exposed. The crates are stored at 36°F and brought into a cool greenhouse in mid-January to promote new growth. The greenhouse night temperature is set at 45°F and the house is well ventilated on sunny days to prevent the shoots from becoming too soft. They are left in the shingle-tow to facilitate easy removal of the cuttings. Shoots appear in about two weeks and the first cuttings are ready for

The K-4 Kyes Kubes is a blend of natural peat moss with minor trace elements, wetting agent and starter fertilizer. It measures approximately 1¾ in diameter and 2 inches in height with a prepunched hole of ¼ in. diameter and ½ in. deep.

We start by setting out the desired number of Kyes Kubes to be seeded and then water them in. During the process of watering we inject Banrot at 200 ppm. to kill any soil-borne diseases; wetting agent is added to speed up the process. It normally takes 3 hours to water in 10,000 kubes. To fill in void areas between the kubes and aid in expanding root growth we peat down the kubes with Canadian peat so that the kubes have approximately ¼ inch of peat between them. The kubes are again watered to wet the

In Ontario the first attempts at setting up a special block of virus-tested trees for budwood purposes was made in the late 1940's by Dr. G.H. Berkeley of the Plant Pathology Laboratory in St. Catharines and Dr. W.H. Upshall of the Horticultural Research Institute of Ontario at Vineland. They were interested in sweet and sour cherries that were free of Necrotic Ringspot and Sour Cherry Yellows. These were the first virus diseases observed in Prunus in Ontario. The first budwood was distributed to Ontario growers about 1952.

Because the mycorrhizal state is a universal, natural association, its importance in nursery crop production may only become apparent when we disrupt the

Leaf notching caused by adult feeding is unsightly and renders an infested plant unsaleable. The larvae feed on roots of both established plants and liners, restricting uptake of nutrients and water. High mortality in liners results from girdling at the crown by larvae.

There is usually only one generation of weevils per year. The adults emerge from pupae in late May to early June and begin laying eggs in 2 to 3 weeks. Eggs are laid throughout July, August and September. The insect overwinters as a larvae and pupates in May.

We are now finding that with container growing, the use of heated propagating benches and polyethylene covered houses, more than

After reading this paper, I decided to run a few tests on the value of soaking wounded cuttings of Rhododendron and Ilex in NaOH solutions at pH 10.5. Trials with Rhododendron cuttings were made November 11, 1977 using cuttings formed during the August growth period of 1977. The Rhododendron cuttings were double wounded and soaked for 20 minutes in the

MODERATOR SHUGERT: Has anyone propagated Viburnum nudum from seed? If so, what seed treatments were used?

DON SHADOW: The seed, unless picked a little green, will take 2 years to germinate. If picked green and planted in the fall it will often germinate the following spring.

MODERATOR SHUGERT: What is the most successful method of growing Taxus cuspidata (Syn.: T. cuspidata 'Capitata') from seed and how important is the seed source?

ED MEZITT: I collect and clean my own seed, plant them out the same fall, and cover the beds with hay. The seed germinates the second year. We have been using lead arsenate for rodent control.

CASE HOOGENDOORN: Put the seed in sane for one year and then sow it. The seed will germinate the next year. If it is dead it will never come up.

RALPH SHUGERT: Mr. Hoogendoorn hit a very salient point in this matter.

Organization and Planning. In general, this follows the same pattern as for grafting. Output is monitored weekly with occasional daily checks. Weekly meetings are held between executive and departmental management to review progress and highlight special problems such as shortage of material, etc. Progress is monitored by the use of graphs for quick appraisal.

Stock Plants. For many years the Hillier Arboterum, supplemented by local sources and stock

Tissue culture of fruit crops is underway at numerous locations around the world. In the United States, most such work is in state or federal research stations although several nurseries are now

Subsequent attempts to root Sciadopitys cuttings have given highly variable results even though the cuttings were taken during the recommended period. A considerable number of tests were carried out using a wide range of rooting hormones, concentrations and methods of applying them. The treatments found to be most effective were those in which the bases of the cuttings were submerged in dilute IBA aqueous solutions for

Seed Propagation. Propagation by seed using various peat and peat-perlite mixtures has met with a varied degree of success. The use of long fibered sphagnum moss has given the best results during the past three seasons.

Seed is gathered the last week in August or early September depending on the season. The seed pods are dried in an oven at 100°F (37.8°C) for 3 days and prepared for sowing about the 5th to the 10th of September. Long fibered sphagnum moss is thoroughly soaked in pails of water, wrung out as you would a sponge, and firmly packed in plastic trays or seed flats. Holes for

The small leaved hollies, Ilex crenata and its cultivars, have been grown with moderate success for many years, but have never become popular. No studies have been undertaken by Canadian institutions to determine the adaptability of any or all of the species of Ilex which might succeed under the climatic extremes suggested.

In 1958 the Horticultural Research Institute of Ontario undertook a breeding, selection and cultivar trials project with the genus Ilex. This project was to include all known species, hybrids and cultivars which might show

It was reported about basswood seed nearly 50 years ago (3) that "the germ must have a year at least on the ground among the leaves and damp mold to ripen. In planting them it is, therefore, necessary to wait until the second spring for their germination." More recently, the summary of basswood germination in Seeds of Woody Plants in the United States (5) stated that "seed treatments that consistently result in good germination have not been developed." Certainly these

This report will not attempt to review in detail the great amount of work that has been done with glyphosate for weed control in ornamentals. Instead it will call attention to certain aspects that may influence successful use of this herbicide when it becomes available for use on ornamentals, and may account for some variability that is observed in weed control and crop response.

Timing of applications. To properly evaluate the effectiveness of a translocated herbicide

Cuttings should be 3 to 6 inches long with the soft terminal bud removed and the leaves cut in half. The cuttings should be wounded on one side. I have observed that when magnolias are wounded, many roots will be initiated along the side opposite the wound.

Before sticking, the cuttings are dipped in Hormodin 3, containing Benlate. The cuttings should then be stuck 2 inches deep. A groove is made in the medium before sticking, so as not to brush

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) Handbook, American Gardens - A Traveler's Guide, lists the names and addresses of over 100 arboreta and botanic gardens in North America. It also includes many other gardens that are open to the public. Many botanic gardens regularly publish booklets that are helpful and educational. Another BBG handbook that I often find useful is the Nursery Source Guide. It lists

Until last year these crops were rooted on raised benches. We, too, have been looking for ways to cut our fuel consumption and construction costs so we decided to use floor heat in our next house. Let me emphasize that this project is not a new thing in horticulture but I think that we have gained a few insights that I would like to

MODERATOR FORDHAM: Our first speaker on this portion of the program will be Tom McCloud who has four plants which he would like to discuss.

We started our chemical weed program in the 1950's with a few basic chemicals. In the years since then, we have added to the numbers of chemicals to develop an on-going program of application to a wide range of ornamental plant material on our 80 acres, including field plantings and some half a million containers. In the past, because of the risks and liability involved, I tried to do the major part of the application myself. Now, with a backlog of information and better new chemicals, this

This fact of procedural variation should be stressed, along with the fact that completely differing procedures do not indicate that one propagator is more correct than another. It simply means that there are several successful variations, and that these should be adapted to the particular needs of each propagator as to his particular time, facility, and condition of plant handling.

When one reviews the past issues of the Proceedings of our beloved Society, we read papers discussing plant discoveries and new woody ornamental cultivars. In 1971 Donald Egolf (1) told us that a new cultivar may arise as a selection from a seedling population derived from introduced seed, a naturally occurring or induced mutant, or a hybrid resultant from a controlled pollination. I shall limit my discussion to the former — selections from seedling populations. I will try to point out the unlimited possibilities in the selection of outstanding plant

In nature the ripe stone fruit is eaten by an animal, depulped in digestion and worked on by the stomach acids. However, for reasons that are not clear, scarifying stone fruit seeds with abrasives or sulfuric acid (as is done with numerous other seeds) does not seem to help and may harm. On the other hand, thorough leaching with water does help, especially with seeds that have dried out. Occasionally there can be a seed lot ready to germinate which

In the corner of our service building we have a 20 × 20 foot insulated room with a drain in the floor

The Rhode Island Nurseries, Inc., Newport, Rhode Island has always maintained a seedling production capability to meet both its propagation and production requirements. This policy is reviewed annually to reflect current needs and market trends. Great importance is attached to the needs of the propagation division in having a ready supply of understocks for grafting and for lining out.

Production output of the seedbeds is not

Cuttings can be treated by dipping the base in a hormone power, or in a concentrated solution or by total immersion. I will address my remarks to the latter method. This is a report on the use of naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) as the active ingredient.

There are four logical reasons for its use:

1. Faster sticking of cuttings, it saves one operation.
2. Cheaper than IBA.
3. IBA may be hard to purchase.
4. More uniform rooting; it probably does not wash off leaf bases.

The procedure for making

We produce container-grown rhododendrons. In earlier years we relied on our stock of container plants to provide cutting wood for all of our needs. But as demand for finished plants increased we realized that more thought and planning would be required if we were to be successful in providing a good grade of cutting wood for our operations.

Our initial problems concerned the removal of wood from plants we planned to sell. We were constantly making compromises on either the quality of cutting wood or the quality of the plants we were shipping. While we were able to live with these problems we soon learned that not all of the cultivars of rhododendrons we wanted to grow responded favorably to container culture. Some had very weak roots in containers. Others were very sensitive to cultural

Taking the hint, I dug up a kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) plant from one of my mother blocks and took the soil and roots and put them in a small cement mixer, added water and let it run for about an hour. Then I strained the muddy water through a window screen sized sieve and sprayed the diluted solution over 50,000 rooted cuttings of kinnikinnick which had recently

After working with kalmia for many years we have improved our method to the point where we can produce cuttings of kalmia cultivars in quantity and can expect an acceptable percentage of rooting, usually 60% to 75%.

In our attempts to root kalmia we have used many different rooting media, including sand, peat moss, perlite, pumice sand, decomposed sawdust and fresh sawdust, both of cedar and Douglas fir. We tried every commercial rooting hormone available and even took a try at mixing our own. We have tried rooting cuttings nearly every month of the year. Some cuttings are taken in late October, but most of them are taken in January at which

Our customers learn about the different foliage plants through a magazine or a book or advertisement where they see a perfect plant — no broken leaves, no leaf spots, and the plant has perfect shape. So, of course, that is what they want to buy.

There is our challenge, or half of it, to produce a perfect plant. The other half of our challenge is to grow those perfect plants and make a profit for the company even with the price of pots going up all the time and wages of our employees going up. This all means that of the 100 plants you start you had better sell 100 or you will not make it. There are several things that help. As you think about the kinds of house plants

An additional -8 bar stress treatment with 8-hr photoperiod and low nitrogen nutritional regime showed the smallest bud size, root and shoot weight, and collar diameter in the experiment; however, no practical effect on shoot growth was observed.

This is a basis upon which this Society was founded and it is in that spirit that I wish to share some of my ideas and discoveries in cutting propagation of roses.

For many years I have been interested in the propagation of roses from cuttings. In our nursery we grow thousands of miniature roses from cuttings and I have also proposed that most garden cultivars of roses be commercially grown on their own roots. I have tried to promote the idea to nurserymen, home gardeners, American Rose Society members, etc., whenever and wherever I can get an audience.

The idea is not new but for various reasons the propagation and growing of roses on their own roots has been overlooked, ignored or opposed. In a conversation with Dr. Walter Lammerts, the Dean of American rose hybridizers (‘Charlotte Armstrong

In early 1977, while revising our propagation program, we discovered an article in the 1968 I.P.P.S. Proceedings entitled, "Carbonized Mist in Plant Propagation" by J.M. Molnar and W.A. Cummings, C.D. of A. Research Station, Morden, Manitoba, Canada. This showed that CO₂ promoted rooting when sent through mist lines. Using this article as a model, we replumbled our mist lines in a poly propagation house. The results were striking. We did not have replicated trials so we cannot prove this statement by detailed measurements and rooting times, but we can attest to the results by visual means. There

Container production of reforestation stock in the U.S. Pacific Northwest is a relatively new technique that has been undergoing exponential growth during the first half of this decade, yet has diminished somewhat during the second half. In 1970, about 90 thousand plugs were produced in Oregon and Washington and by 1976 nearly 54 million were grown (1). After 1976, the enthusiastic growth for container production has actually decreased to 44 million seedlings. In relation to the bare-root tree production of 170 million, the container trees represent about 20% of the total production of reforestation stock in the Pacific Northwest.

The decline of container production in the Northwest is partly due to some reforestation failures on difficult sites where plugs had been used. These difficult sites are frequently areas with brush competition and mammal browsing. Small plugs have little chance of surviving, let alone growing, when brush forms an overstory above the seedling and provides

My story begins and ends with Kinsealy Research Centre, Dublin, Ireland. Not only did I find the encouragement which eventually led to the establishment of Barguillean Nurseries but also at Kinsealy the ingredients of what was to be, two years later, my own business.

Though relatively small as a research station the work that has been produced from the Institute is well known throughout the world of horticulture. Considering the scarce resources and manpower the

In addition, the extending medium must maintain the aeration of the seeds as the chemical changes appear to require a fairly high level of respiratory activity. Thus the stratifying medium

The judging committee of the Royal Boskoop Growers Association criticises plants at shows (for example Flora Nova). These plants may be awarded a prize of a gold or a silver medal. New selections have been planted at the owners' nursery, or at the trial ground. They will be criticized several times and eventually awarded with an Award of Merit or a First Class Certificate.

Another type of judging work is that of plant collections as complete as possible. These plants will be criticised several times and provided with merit stars as follows: — *** = excellent; ** = very good; * = good; s = for special purposes; o o = can be eliminated. This type of judging work is the most valuable one. (See Table 1).

Some of the

1. Bulbs, which are modified swollen leaves, usually but not always containing the shoots, made up to the compressed flower stem and bud; e.g. narcissus.
2. Corms, which are modified stems, with buds externally at the bottom; e.g. crocus.
3. Stem tubers, which are modified stems, with buds or eyes at the top; e.g. cyclamen.
4. Rhizomes, which are modified stems growing horizontally, either on the surface of or underneath the soil; e.g. some irises.
5. Stolons, which are again modified stems growing horizontally, but which have the shoots appearing at the ends and not all the upper surfaces; e.g. Scilla adlamii

Bulbs are the easiest of all to propagate and do so naturally with usually a year between each stage. The sequence is offset; single nose; double nose; double nose with offsets, one — occasionally two; mother bulb, i.e. a single nose bulb (occasionally absent) with numerous offsets clinging loosely together

This was only a small order consisting of: 25 Abelia grandiflora ‘Fracis Mason’; 25 Yucca filimentosa ‘Variegata’; 10 Pieris japonica ‘Pink Delight’; 10 Pieris japonica ‘Scarlet O'Hara’; 10 Pieris japonica ‘White Caps’; and 10 Pieris japonica ‘White Cascade’.

It was the Pieris that most interested me at that time as I was specialising in ericaceous subjects. I bought the other plants out of interest. In fact, since that time, I have widened my field of production, and annually increase my production of Abelia and Yucca as they are beautiful plants and sell very well.

Abelia grandiflora ‘Francis Mason’ has a green and gold variegated foliage and should be grown in full sun to bring out the best colour.

We take cuttings in May or June using a peat/grit mix. They root in

Propagation of conifers by cuttings is the most common method used, but there are usually several different ways of treating cuttings of the same cultivar. More than once I have seen another nursery propagating a cultivar which we find difficult; they tell me how they do it, I go home and do exactly what they told me using the same peat, same hormones, at the same time and everything, but still I don't achieve the results as they do.

We have almost all our cuttings in our propagating glasshouse which is 20 × 61 m and made of aluminum. All the cuttings are inserted in plastic flats 30 × 60 cm with holes in the bottom so the compost can be in direct contact with the sand on the floor of the glasshouse. That way the capillary system can work so the compost does not get too wet. This also means that the flats are the furthest practical distance from the mistlines so the mist can cover the cuttings with the required minimum of water, in just a few seconds.

Almost all cuttings are inserted

Recently a more scientific approach to the selection of nursery stocks, coupled with an investigation of their virus diseases, has been initiated in several countries. At Long Ashton propagating material of several common trees and shrubs has

There has been a lot said in the press, and by various people involved in the commercial aspects of compost manufacture, about the characteristics of the additives recommended. Many of the claims made for particular groups of additives have been exagerrated and I cannot help but feel that the horticultural industry and also the amateur grower, have been exposed to gimmickry.

Most textbooks advise using relatively thin growths, preferably without a flower bud and, indeed, for the more difficult to root cultivars this is sound advice. However, for easier rooting cultivars, such as ‘Pink Pearl’ ‘Sappho’, ‘Tortoiseshell Scarlet’ and ‘Cunningham's White’, we deliberately choose strong vigorous shoots because we find we can still obtain a high percentage of success with this type of cutting and, of course, we get a much stronger one-year-old plant for lining out. Incidentally, this is a philosophy which we use with all plants where enough material is available. The terminal bud, whether vegetative or flower, is removed to encourage bushy growth. A wound is made on each side of the base of the cutting and about four leaves are left on. In the case of large-leaved cultivars, or those which have a spreading habit, these are trimmed by as much as ½ to prevent overlapping and consequent decay in the cutting bench. A start is usually made on making cuttings during the

Since photoperiodism was discovered in 1911, thousands of researchers have studied the effect in detail, making painstaking observations on hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of plants to determine whether

Design. An oil-fired boiler installation was chosen as the source of heat, as 35 second oil is cheaper than electricity by a factor of 2. A polythene tunnel 100' × 17' was already erected on the nursery to a high standard. To accommodate 50,000 cuttings an area of over 1,000 sq. ft. of warmed bed is required. Normally the energy requirement for soil-warmed beds is calculated on the basis of 15 watts of electrical loading per square foot. This is equivalent to 50 BTUs per square foot.

A second-hand 60,000 BTU boiler and a 600-gallon oil tank was purchased cheaply due to the fact that numerous domestic consumers were changing over from oil to natural gas.

Warm water at a temperature of 104°F was fed by a

In the U.K. container production has increased from 19,000,000 plants in 1974 to 31,000,000 in 1977. The number of machines in use is somewhere between 150 and 200.

It is a difficult decision whether to go over to mechanised potting, not least because of the capital outlay (a minimum of £4,000 is required if you are to buy your own machine). This is where the hire service, which I offer, comes in useful as small nurseries, without enough work to justify the high capital outlay, can hire a machine for as little as one day. The big nurseries who have too much work for their existing machinery at peak times can also make use of the machinery over several weeks and sometimes months.

We will consider specifically mahaleb Mazzard crosses — called M×M. The mahaleb × Mazzard (M×M) stocks are assumed to be natural hybrids resulting from open pollination (1). The optimum time for taking cuttings in Canby, Oregon is in July to the middle of August. The percentage of success drops after the third week in August and in September. As the cuttings are so soft, we like to take them early in the morning. The wood is cut 12 to 14 inches in length, the bottom 3 inches is stripped of leaves, and a ½" diagonal bottom cut is used with a short back cut to keep the end from being too pointed. We soak the cuttings in a solution of Diazinon and Benlate for 15 minutes; when damp dry the cutting is dusted with Hormodin #3. We have tried many types and combinations of rooting media but for dependability and ease of use, we use straight

In 1973, however, two species of poplar rust, Melampsora medusae and M. larici-populina became established in New Zealand. These fungi cause severe premature defoliation, which can result in branch dieback and even in death of the very susceptible poplar clones. Many of the most common poplar clones were affected and their continued cultivation became impossible. As a result poplar planting decreased dramatically in the following years until the first resistant clones selected by the National Plant Materials Centre (now part of the Aokautere Science Centre) became available in 1976.

It also had become apparent that a small number of the existing poplar clones were resistant to the rusts, notably Populus alba (silver poplar), P. tremula (European aspen), and P. tremuloides (American aspen). These poplars, besides being disease resistant,

When evaluating factors that affect the propagation and growth of plants in soilless growing media, the physical characteristics of the medium are well known (4). However, the chemical activity of the medium is often overlooked or underestimated.

This situation has arisen partly because of the early work with container growing media in California where it was suggested that soilless media components should be of low fertility and not release or fix any plant nutrients (1). Where the growing medium is inert and of nil fertility it should be relatively easy to provide the required level of plant nutrition. If, however, the media components were supplying or withholding some nutrients then it would be difficult to maintain a particular nutritional status, unless the media

Hardwood Cuttings. Pencil thick basal cuttings 25 to 30 cms long are taken from one-year-old laterals borne on branches that carried fruit the previous summer. The cuttings are typified by short internodes and are only harvested from healthy, vigorous trees less than six years old. Care in selection of cutting material is important to ensure a good strike and rapid growth in the nursery. Cuttings are taken from late June to mid-July (mid-winter).

This method of running a business works for us with, I believe, real benefits, but I'm not

The acceptance of plastic materials for greenhouse construction has been much slower in New Zealand than elsewhere. Worldwide statistics on greenhouses suggest that generally the area of plastic greenhouses is three times the area of glasshouses. The reasons for this lag behind worldwide trends are undoubtedly very complex, but nurserymen and propagators in New Zealand are using a higher ratio of plastics to glass than greenhouse growers generally. The current emphasis on expansion of horticultural production in New Zealand and the general shortage of planting stock is causing many propagators to consider expanding their businesses. This involves difficult decisions on how best to do so. These decisions are not made easier by the wide range of alternative greenhouse covers already offered in New Zealand and the range of new material coming onto the market here and already available overseas (see Table 1).

For successful grafting, significant factors seem to be to use fast-growing seedlings for rootstocks and to obtain scions from current season's growth free of diseases and insect injury. Seedlings from October-November (spring) sowing are ready for grafting in late January or early February (late summer). At this time the scionwood is at a suitable stage of growth. Scionwood should be mature with no bud development in the axils of the leaves. Scions with two leaves are best. The leaves are removed

Results from patch budding varied dramatically from season to season. All attempts at variation in techniques gave no conclusive answers. For several seasons there would be almost complete failure but the next season the percentage would be high and the resultant growth of the buds was always very satisfying, generally growing an average of 1.5 meters in a single season.

I then realised that temperature subsequent to budding was an elusive factor and that, in seasons when the success was high, budding would have been followed by hot sunny calm weather for at least 10 days. This seems to be verified by the fact that successful commercial propagators of walnuts were located in climates where the weather at the time of budding or grafting could be relied on to be hot and settled.

A changing way of life in the nursery business. Anytime we break away from the familiar path of proven practices and procedures and embark upon the unknown trail of new systems, a certain amount of initiative, ingenuity and risk are involved. The comfortable thing for the short run would be to remain status quo. In the long run nothing could be more disastrous. The changing world we live in has dictated that we make changes, and from all appearances this will continue.

Thirty years ago the starting wage for a southern nursery worker was $3.00 for a nine hour day; there was no social security payment, unemployment compensation, or minimum wage.

Today in Alabama we have, for all practical purposes, a $3.00 per hour starting wage, a 6.13% social security tax on annual income up to $22,900.00, and an unemployment tax of 2.7% on $6,600.00 of a worker's annual wage.

The houses were first used as winter storage for the plants, which were propagated either in trays or in the ground and then transplanted into 3 inch round cups. One of the biggest savings we made was to eliminate the step of propagating in trays on

First of all, we use sand as a rooting medium because we can obtain this material within 15 minutes after we have ordered it. We use a mixture of 50 percent sphagnum and 50 percent Michigan peat for a potting mix. The liners are potted in rose pots and bedded in our lath house with about ¼ to ½ inch of sand over the top. The sand helps to keep them from freezing out of the pot and also helps to hold moisture. These liners are grown here for one year

Twenty-nine potting mixes were purchased off the shelves of all type nursery outlets. The following are the mixes that were tested and these include the U.C. mix which was used as a standard or check, since knowledge of its performance was well known.

Identification of the weeds to be eliminated is the first step. We have found the Growers' Weed Identification Handbook (1) published by the Agricultural Extension Service, University of California, to be very helpful. It has full color photographs and descriptions of most weeds. It also shows the weeds in both juvenile and mature stages.

Second, it is important to decide what course of action to take in the various areas of the nursery, including crop; areas fallow areas; and peripheral areas, such as turnrows, ends, roadsides, meadows, and ditches.

Third, the tools that are available should be reviewed. These can be mechanical or chemical. Mechanical tools include cultivators

A representative sampling of propagators was asked to rate certain basic principles, technical knowledge, and applied skills as to their importance. A form, given as Figure 1, was sent to the propagators with the request that each one circle the 10 items most important for an individual interested in becoming a

Acclimation is the seasonal transition of plants from a tender growing condition to a hardly overwintering condition in species that go into a rest period. During rest internal factors prevent growth until certain biochemical and physiological requirements have been satisfied. After these changes have occurred, it is possible for growth to resume when there are good environmental conditions. Shortened days in fall and winter with decreased temperatures trigger various biochemical, biophysical and physiological changes in plants. Cells also undergo dehydration at this time. Plants can resist freezing either by avoidance or tolerance of low temperatures. Annuals live over

Lack of acceptance of this tool in the container nursery industry is basically due to three factors: (1) lack of experience by nurserymen in its use, (2) lack of confidence in interpreting the results due to the wide variations in testing procedures, and (3) cost. Most reliable instruments are in the $200 to $300 range.

Commercial and State University labs will make soluble salts determinations for nurserymen; however, this usually

Many factors affect soil fertility and productivity. Some of these factors are subject to control or change and some are not. We shall not attempt to consider all factors here. However, it should be remembered that when considering the nutritional needs of plants, the controllable, as well as the uncontrollable factors will have a bearing on the fertility program plan and the resulting quality of plants produced.

Crops vary in their nutritional requirements. Soils vary in their ability to supply those nutrients needed to satisfy those requirements. Climatic factors affect crop growth and fertility response as well as management and cultural practices. Standardization of

We machine pot all of our 1 gallon and 3 gallon containers and hand pot 7 and 15 gallon containers.

We buy our potting mix already prepared. This consists of three parts local peat, one part builders' sand, and two parts cypress shavings; 110 lbs Hy-cal lime, 70 lbs dolomite, 72 lbs Perk minor element mix and 5 lbs chlordane are added to an 18 yard load of the potting mix. Fertilizer is applied to one gallon containers by using a plastic teaspoon, which holds ½ ounce of 6-6-6 or Osmocote. The first application is made within a few days after potting, using a 6-6-6 formulation containing minor elements. The nitrogen is all derived from organic material. The 6-6-6 is used as a starter because no fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus or potash is added to our potting mix. This application is made after plants are placed in the beds.

The second fertilizer

In attempting to overcome these problems economically, we divide our program into three basic methods: 1. Premix the medium and

Greenleaf Nursery has adopted a modified combination of top-dress application and a

The tissue culture lab at Oglesby Nursery is just into its fourth year. Our present facility occupies 2,000 square feet and has a capacity of over 60,000 culture tubes, or a productions level of over four million plants per year. We employ 13 people. High school students are used to wash the glassware. The development of the lab has been a tremendous expense; its operation is also expensive. Its function is to utilize

Peat is far from being a uniform product (3,11). Nursery and greenhouse growers experience variable performances with use of different peat sources.

Varying physical and chemical properties of peat depend primarily on the nature and origin of the plant remains of which it is composed and their degree of decomposition (14). Commonly used peats consist mostly of decayed sedges, mosses, reeds, and grasses. Different types of peat, in varying states of decomposition, occur at specific locations throughout the world, mostly in the boreal climates of the Northern Hemisphere

Plant tissue culture is not a new science as Haberlandt was the first to place leaf tissues into a nutrient solution for observation in 1902. Successful embryo cultures were achieved in 1904 by Manning. In 1934 White succeeded in culturing tomato roots, which display unlimited growth. These cultures are still being maintained; 1934 was also important due to the discovery of the auxin, indoleacetic acid. Gautheret and Nobecourt in France, and White in the United States, all reported the indefinite culture of callus on an artificial medium. Van

The average combined number of cuttings stuck each year is 240,000. Of this number, 160,000 are French lilacs.

Cutting beds: Our cutting beds are 60 feet by 40 inches mini-Quonset structures. Retaining walls are constructed of 2 by 6 inch lumber. A 2 by 4 inch board is used to frame the beds. In our older beds a clay drain tile is run down the center of each, and in our newer beds French drains are used. A French drain is a ditch filled with gravel and is not too satisfactory. We use a medium of native soil (light clay loam) with peat moss added each year to increase the organic matter. The amount of peat added varies with each individual bed. Osmocote 18–6–12 is then added at the

We use Acer palmatum for understock, shifting a heavy seedling or rooted cutting from a 2¾ inch rose pot to a standard 1 gallon container. This is done in the early spring to assure growth by the dormant season of the following fall. This understock is grown in a covered plastic structure and reaches a height of 3 to 4 feet with a caliper of a lead pencil size or larger by the time it is budded. In the Southeast the shade house would do the same job.

Side graft. About two weeks before we are ready to graft, we shift

We began by sticking a limited number of cuttings in December in the manner that we stick Taxus cuttings. The cuttings were stuck in ground beds in a poly house. The medium consisted of soil, finely ground pine bark and coarse sand. Since there was no heat in the house, the cuttings did not root until early summer after the soil had warmed to about 70°F. During the winter, the cuttings were kept turgid by light intermittent mist. The mist was removed after rooting had been accomplished. The plants were grown under 50 percent shade and responded well to fairly heavy

In our budding procedure of this plant. we start out with a good balanced, pliable soil with a pH close to 6.1. We apply 275 to 300 pounds potash and phosphate per acre. We then line out seedling understock of Pyrus calleryana, pencil caliper with a good fibrous root system. We had trouble with our seedlings but finally found a selection out of Whiterock Nursery, Crockett, Texas, which is one of the best. It has good root system and we have had excellent success. For example, in one row of 510 seedlings, we may have only 30 misses. We consider this a good stand. We like to plant our understock especially deep to help prevent drying. In addition herbicides that are used have a harder

Recently, there has been a demand for hardy landscape plants that do not grow rapidly, require little maintenance, and have good foliage and form contrast. We have been surprised by the interest in new and unusual dwarf conifers. Color is receiving the most attention. Any plant that is blue, gold, or variegated is

Although most of our work has been with softwood cuttings, I think we should get into the Proceedings our experience with dormant cuttings since we have seen no papers on this subject. Dormant Cuttings have one distinct advantage over softwood cuttings in that no special protection is required during the winter. However, after our experience during 3 years' work, we have decided to give up on this approach. At best we were able to get only about 30% of the cuttings to root as compared to 85% from softwood cuttings.

Our procedures were as follows:

1. Cuttings were taken in mid winter when completely dormant. This is a must. Cuttings taken a little early or a little late produced leaved in the spring and then died.
2. Cuttings

The literature on pine bark usages and problems id becoming voluminous but with several years of usage in many geographic areas, a clearer picture is now arising as to desirable grades, effect of aging, effect of composting and problems of disease and fertility.

Grades. Grades refers to particle size and composition. Both particle size and composition from a single species of tree

The already composted hardwood bark delivered to our nursery is $20.50 per cubic yard in 55 cubic yard loads. To this we add coarse sand and Kenlite

The importance of a good growing medium has been recognized at Wight Nurseries. Several changes have been made since our original mix of two parts peat moss and one part sand. Today we use a mixture of three parts pine bark, one part sand and one part shale for all plants. For years growing media using peat moss, or peat moss and sand, were the most widely accepted. Other soil media were evaluated only when the increasing cost of peat and the spiraling freight cost of transporting high quality German peat made its cost prohibitive. It was in

Introduction of plant pathogens in peat moss has received little attention among plant propagators. Kim, et al. (4) isolated several pathogenic fungi from foreign and domestic sources of peat moss and stated that peat may serve as a vehicle for the entry of plant pathogens from foreign countries. Their observations also suggest that plant propagators might introduce pathogenic organisms into cutting beds, seed flats, etc. through the use of contaminated peat moss.

An example of such contamination occurred several years ago in Oregon when Penicillium spp. infected the basal portion of

Our initial problem was one of drainage. While attempting to solve this problem, we devised a system of water table control, with the help of the Soil Conservation Service, that presently serves 108 acres. This system has provided us with drainage as well as protection from drought. It has enabled us to transplant successfully during the growing season. A water table control system with modifications to fit other situations may be of benefit.

We own two farms that are located just east of the city of Orangeburg, South Carolina, in an area that is commonly known as the "Flat Woods." The nursery is located on the farm nearest to town. The other we refer to as the "Lower Farm". We had a serous drainage problem during

JAKE TINGA: Dr. Charles Hendershott, who is now at the University of Georgia, made his fame on studying freezing and thawing in plants. He prevented freezing in several crops of Florida oranges. When water freezes, it releases a tremendous number of calories. This is called heat of fusion. When liquid water is put on from an irrigation system and it freezes on impact, heat is released. I prefer to say cold is absorbed. As long as liquid water is put on, temperature will stay right at 32°F. If the water is turned off and ice forms, that ice will go to 31°, 30°, 29° and on down. When the temperature drops as far as 15 degrees below freezing, it is very difficult to put the water on fast enough to keep the temperature at 32°. I have iced out a field and saved that field just by turning on the irrigation. It must be turned on before freezing starts and left on until after all the ice is melted. Do not turn it

The sexual cycle in plants. Seed formation is the result of

Cuttings are taken around November at the beginning of the summer months, although when I have been very pressed for stock I have taken cuttings during the winter months and had quite good results. There are two types of wood used depending on the cultivar. Half-ripened tips are used for

1. a susceptible plant
2. the disease-causing organism, and
3. a favourable environment for the pathogen.

Unless all three are present at the same time disease will not develop.

1. The susceptible plant. All plants are not susceptible to the same diseases. Even within the same broad group of plants, some are resistant while others are susceptible. With the resistant plants they can be susceptible at the very early stages of growth, but with susceptible plants they are more liable to attack by disease causing organisms only at certain growth stages, e.g. just after emergence as tender seedlings.
2. The disease organisms (pathogens). These may be bacteria, fungi, nematodes or viruses. Some organisms, e.g. Botrytis, are almost ubiquitous in their

The pecan tree can produce fruit for over 100 years and it can grow to an enormous size. To illustrate, there are old orchards in the U.S.A. where four trees occupy a full acre. The trend there and elsewhere is to select or breed cultivars and match them with rootstocks which will produce medium sized trees, rather than the giants of the past. Of course, as with all relatively uncommon crops such as avocadoes,

The acceptance of the U.C. system for container grown plants saw, for the first time, a soil mix with actual measured amounts of the elements required for plant growth. Sphagnum peat and fine sand provided the basis of inert material. Problems continued with the volume of sand used. The local sand supply was abundant although the particles sizes were considered small. Variable pH meant a close watch was needed on this. The weight factor was a problem in loading up mixing machines, conveyors, conveyances and caused increased delivery costs.

In recent years, because of the high cost

Plants use very large quantities of water growth, yet comparatively little of this water is retained in the plant. In the lower surface of the leaves are the stomata; during daylight hours these are open to permit air to enter the leaf. Inside the leaf the air comes into contact with cells whose walls are bathed with water; carbon-dioxide is absorbed into this water, and passes into the cells, where it is used in photosynthesis. At the same time, water is evaporated from the cell wall and carried outside the leaf in the air current. This process, called

Culture methods that induce multiple shoot production form excised shoot tips or axillary buds, and the subsequent rooting of these shoots without the involvement of excessive callus offer greatest potential. One such method, that developed by Jones and coworkers (37) for apple, is described and is being applied to apple rootstocks in quarantine in Western Australia. The question of the role of the phenolic compound phloroglucinol is discussed.

The interactions of IBA, BAP, gibberellic acid (GA₃), riboflavin, and sucrose in the culture medium and their effects on the multiplication and rooting of adult material are described. Riboflavin and GA₃ inhibit callus and rooting; GA₃ is antagonistic to BAP; IBA is essential for callus and rooting and these effects are enhanced by a low concentration of BAP. High concentrations of sucrose impair the health of cultures. More callus and rooting is induced on media with low concentrations of nitrate.

The growing on of cultured plants in soil has presented some problems, and it is obvious that they require more careful attention than normal cuttings.

The methods of propagation are described and successful media for the multiplication and rooting stages are given.

Chemical Environment. There are four factors to be analyzed:

1. What are the ideal nutrient levels;
2. How does the applied fertilizer's output vary with time;
3. What are the detrimental by-products within the fertilizers;
4. What beneficial chemicals are present.

Firstly, the question of ideal nutrient levels. Below is a roughly ideal general soil analysis (ppm): nitrogen (total) 170; phosphorus 85; potassium 185; magnesium 320; iron 500; calcium 1750; copper 2; boron 2.5; manganese 50; molybdenum 2; zinc 25.

One may well have an analysis like this but those nutrients may not be available to the plant. Since nutrient availability is linked to soil pH, aeration, water supply, soil texture and symbiotic micro-organisms, these factors must be considered too.

A pH of 5.8 to 6.2 results in a happy trade off between the

Webb (5) has, following extensive observation as to the soil environment of successfully grown Western Australian species and on the basis of field trials, concluded that the addition of high levels of lime to soils permitted the successful growing of many Western Australian Banksia species in Canberra.

At the National Botanic Gardens there has been considerable difficulty in propagating Western Australian Banksia species. In most cases death occurred soon after pricking out into the standard UC mix used at the Gardens. This mix contains a high level of phosphate (1200g superphosphate, 1200 g blood and bone/m³). Since most Australian species, and Western Australian species in particular, have evolved in an environment low in phosphate it was felt that the high levels of superphosphate in the mix might be

Roses do very well in Western Australia where dry summers that we have no fungal problems for at least half of the year. Our deep sandy soils have little water holding capacity so permanent irrigation systems are needed to provide regular and frequent waterings. Selection of rootstock to suit this soil type is most important. We use Rosa fortuniana rootstock for its vigour in our hot dry summers and its roots thrive in the high soil temperatures that we have.

We have changed from field growing of roses to fully containerized production largely to reduce the pressure of handling all the stock in the winter months. With containerization we have year-round sales. We do most of our promotion for autumn sales and are generally running low on stocks by the beginning of summer. Containerization also results in

The flora of Western Australia contains a very large number of species and includes some of the showiest plants in the world. The majority of West Australian wildflowers are no different from any other plants in terms of propagation. It may be argued that all plants can be propagated but considerable difficulty is experienced when attempting to propagate many of these species in commercial quantities and at acceptable prices. It does not necessarily apply that it is easier in quantity; for example, try making 10,000 Hemiandra pungens cuttings. Because of its uniqueness there is much to learn about the flora of Western Australia. It ranges from those species found deep in the Karri forest to those thrashed by the elements on the coastline and to inland species bordering the desert. As further progress is made more and more of these magnificent specimens will be marketed and displayed happily in home gardens.

Consider some of the reasons why more of our native plants do not appear in the

Hygiene is the most important factor we have to contend with. We must be certain our clothes, shoes, hands and even fingernails are clean and sterile in a hygienically controlled propagation system. Everything we use must be clean and free of infection, from the trolleys we use for transport, to the benches where we

The quality of underground water we use is approximately 800 ppm of total soluble solids; the majority of the salts being sodium chloride 350 ppm; iron 0.3 ppm; calcium 34 ppm; zinc 0.10 ppm. The pH is approximately 7.5.

While cuttings of most species can be struck successfully, the overall percentage is poorer than if superior quality water is used. A fairly wide range of species are propagated, including both natives and exotics. Some susceptible species, such as soft-leaved deciduous shrubs and trees and azaleas are no longer attempted as the results are too poor to warrant the perserverance.

The damage to plant tissue from poor water quality seems to follow a fixed pattern, namely:

1. The first signs are damage to the leaf tips and