Blow over is a real problem for container-grown tree nurseries, from damage to branches and extra labor spent picking the containers up.

The patented Tree Collar from High Caliper can be used with a cabling system for securing trees and preventing wind blow over. The Tree Collar fastens to a cable line to hold a row of plants in a production or retail setting. Growers like them for two main reasons, according to Corey Von Rhames, commercial sales manager with High Caliper Growing Systems.

“They work and they last,” he says.

Made with heavy-duty polypropylene webbing, the Tree Collar bolts on to the cable with versatile stainless steel cable clamps. A rubber padding inside the polypropylene webbing further protects against trunk scarring.

This is an improvement from the system some growers use.

“Most people on a cable system are just tying the tree on somehow,” Von Rhames says. “Sometimes it’s wire running through a garden hose. A lot of times it’s just twine. With the collar, it’s securely attached to the cable and securely attached to the tree. Also, it protects the tree against any scarring or damage rubbing against the cable line or a tie itself.”

The Tree Collar fastens to the tree with both Velcro and a latch, which will not slip or accidentally come off. High Caliper claims the collars last 5-7 years but Von Rhames has talked to growers who have used them for upwards of 10 years.

There are several size options. Each is easy to adjust, open and close, which helps as the tree grows.

TF #1 Fits a 1” to 2” plant DBH (usually a 15 gallon)

TF #2 Fits a 2” to 3” plant DBH (usually a 20 to 30 gallon)

TF #3 Fits a 3” to 4” plant DBH (usually a 30 to 65 gallon)

TF #4 Fits a 4” to 6” plant DBH (usually a 100 gallon or larger)

Another problem-solving product from High Caliper is the Smart Pot^® PRO. This above-ground fabric container for field growers has several advantages over traditional smooth-sided plastic containers. First, the soft-sided fabric aeration container air root prunes your plants for healthier roots and faster growing plants. It also leads to a denser root ball.

“The Smart Pot^® PRO is a root-pruning fabric container with aeration so you do not get root circling,” Von Rhames says. “That gives you more leeway and flexibility with timing before you have to sell or ship the plants.”

Compared to plastic or box containers, the fabric of the Smart Pot^® PRO releases heat much more effectively. Roots of plants grown in the Smart Pot® PRO are virtually at air temperature inside the container. That’s a marked contrast from plastic containers, in which the temperatures can rise to 125 degrees on a 100° day. That trapped heat creates dead zones for the roots, which won’t grow as well.

Lastly, as a straight-sided container with no taper, the Smart Pot^® PRO is less susceptible to blow over. The fabric bottom contours to the ground, so they won’t wobble on uneven ground.

Some feeder roots even will bite through the fabric bottom to help anchor the plant. And if there is moisture or nutrients to be had from the ground, they have the ability to find it through that ground contact.

For more: www.treebag.com

Enstar^® AQ is an insect growth regulator (IGR) that prevents the development of target insect larvae into adults. It’s a water-based formulation that features broad-spectrum, long residual control of whiteflies, thrips, aphids, mealybugs, leaf miners, fungus gnats, soft-bodied and armored scales, and glassy-winged sharpshooters. Classified in IRAC Group 7a, Enstar’s active ingredient is s-Kinoprene. It’s labeled for use on ornamental plants in greenhouses, shade houses, lath houses, and interiorscapes. Methods of application include conventional spray, drench, through irrigation systems including drip, microjet, and overhead sprinklers, or through a fogging system.

Enstar AQ is a low-use frequent treatment product that lacks spreaders and stickers, which makes it easier to water in, says Mel Whitson, director of field technical services and training at Central Life Sciences.

Enstar AQ is easily integrated into an existing integrated pest management (IPM) program.

“Enstar AQ fits in nicely with many other products a grower may be using,” Whitson says. “The labels are straightforward and it’s a great preventive to use as the growing season begins. Applications at 14-day intervals provide consistent control without putting pressure on beneficials.”

Mavrik Aquaflow^® controls insects and mites with flexible use rates, for high and low infestations. It’s a pyrethroid that offers broad-spectrum control that works through contact action and ingestion. Its active ingredient is tau-fluvalinate 22.3%, which is a flowable water-based formulation.

“A lot of pyrethroids are formulated for longer control, which can lead to issues, but Mavrik provides a clean formulation designed for application every 14 days,” Whitson says. “It’s highly concentrated, so growers use a small amount with frequent re-application.”

It’s labeled for use indoors and outdoors, for greenhouse flowers and foliage, cuttings and on ornamental plantings, trees, shrubs and plantscapes, and is gentle on plants.

“Dried residues of Mavrik are nontoxic to honeybees,” Whitson adds.

Mavrik offers both preventive and curative rates. Apply low-use rates when insects are first noticed and populations are manageable. Like Enstar, Mavrik Aquaflow does not contain spreaders and stickers, which eases application.

Mavrik Aquaflow and Enstar AQ are tank-mix partners that can be applied at seven- or 14-day intervals.

“Both of these products may also be tank mixed with a third product to get a triple effect, but like with any product, it’s a good idea to do a compatibility test,” Whitson explains.

When used at a 14- or 28-day interval, Mavrik will not put pressure on beneficials, especially with outdoor crops.

“A lot more people are using and releasing biocontrols,” Whitson says. “If you have some aphids in outdoor containers, for example, and the aphids are at the treatment threshold and you see them being parasitized, you can make the decision if you want to treat for aphids at that time.”

It’s also ideal to apply both Enstar AQ and Mavrik Aquaflow to crops just prior to shipping.

With any IPM program, avoiding resistance management is crucial.

“Avoid broad-spectrum insecticides that are applied on a calendar basis. It’s better to use narrow-range and shorter-lived products with a more targeted application,” Whitson says. “If you’re having issues with a particular insect, make sure you rotate to a different class of chemistry with each insect generation.”

For more: www.centralgrower.com

Airtec Air Sprayers improve spray coverage by eliminating the waste created by high pressure boom sprayers, handgun spraying, and traditional air blast sprayers. The waste eliminated includes spray drift, material runoff, lost time, and overall spray efficiency. Airtec Air Sprayers generate high wind speed with the spray material injected in the Air Nozzle or Cannon with a standard spray tip sized for the intended spray rate. This process atomizes the spray further creating a powerful air stream of spray droplets that are then targeted directly at the plant canopy. This process creates leaf movement and turbulence in the plant canopy allowing for the spray droplets to get inside the plant where pest and disease thrive.

The elimination of spray waste by the utilization of Airtec’s Air Sprayer allows growers to use the amount of chemicals needed to achieve control rather than accounting for excess material lost to spray drift, runoff, and waste. This leads to a reduction in water usage, fuel savings, equipment savings, and labor. The Airtec Air Sprayer helps your nursery become more sustainable environmentally, operationally, and financially.

• Sustainable Coverage – The accurate and targeted application of spray material with pressurized air significantly improves spray coverage throughout the plant canopy leading to better pest and disease control
• Sustainable Environmentally – Reduced spray drift and runoff helps the environment
• Sustainable Economically – Better coverage leads to reduced chemical cost, reduced labor, and improved plant health improving the bottom line

Airtec’s Nursery Air Booms are the ultimate in spray efficiency for a container nursery. The Air Boom’s provide superior coverage due to reduced drift improving both pest and disease control and overall plant health. Airtec’s Air Booms can apply all fungicides, insecticides, and liquid herbicides. Additionally, Airtec’s Nursery Air Boom can incorporate a granular application system allowing for all forms of dry fertilizer and granular applications. This allows for the same piece of equipment to be used for liquid and dry applications increasing ROI.

Airtec’s Nursery Cannon sprayers provide growers a more targeted solution than traditional air blast or cheap foreign made sprayers. Airtec specializes in single and double cannon sprayers designed to target the plant bed for reduced drift, increased efficiency, and a more consistent application of spray. Airtec’s Cannon Sprayers come in both big and small models sized to the size of the tractor and the spray requirements of the grower.

Airtec Sprayers has sprayer models designed for nurseries of all sizes including container nurseries, bare root nurseries, Christmas trees, tree farms, woody ornamentals, flowers, fruit plants, and all other outdoor nursery stock. Airtec Sprayers offers a full line of nursery spray equipment from small handgun sprayers, to cannon sprayers, to air boom sprayers to service all your nursery spraying needs.

For more: www.airtecsprayers.com

The yellowhorn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium) is surprisingly underutilized in our North American landscapes although its availability is certainly associated with its obscurity (and vicea versa). Also called goldenhorn, white raintree and Chinese flowering chestnut, this small, deciduous tree from northern China is hardy in Zones 4-7 and is surprisingly durable and long-lived once established. First collected and named in 1833, this member of the soapberry family (Sapindaceae) initially became cultivated in Europe (Paris) by 1868. Joseph Hooker, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens - Kew (1865-1885), described this plant in 1887 as “one of the most attractive and interesting hardy garden shrubs that has been introduced in many years.” Yellowhorn has also received the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit which should hint at its potential value and impact in the landscape.

Yellowhorn features lustrous green, compound leaves that resemble the foliage of mountain ash (Sorbus), hence the specific epithet of sorbifolium. The pinnate foliage features very narrow leaflets that are quite glossy. This plant certainly contributes a fine texture in the landscape and the fall color can range from a muted gold to a clear yellow. Yellowhorn will reach heights between 8-25 feet with a width of 10-15 feet in time and should be considered slow to moderate in terms of growth rate. This size fits right in between the loose definitions of a large shrub and small tree. With age, the form becomes more upright with a stiff, coarse branching habit although the significant flowers (mentioned below) may bend the branches to a certain degree when at peak bloom.

Specimens are frequently multiple trunks although some are single trunks and branched fairly low to the ground. Yellowhorn may slowly colonize a space with some root suckering which is not a characteristic of every specimen. The fleshy, fibrous roots make this plant challenging to transplant which is noteworthy. The commonly observed high transplant mortality seems to be associated with a sensitive root structure. Gentle handling is prudent during all phases of planting.

Blooming in May, the fragrant flowers, appearing on terminal racemes, are white with very light green streaks and a center that age from yellow on the newest flowers to a gorgeous red orange on older flowers. These proliferous flower clusters can be up to 10 inches long and individual flowers are roughly 1 inch in diameter with five petals.

Another common name for this plant is “popcorn shrub” due to the appearance of the flowers upon opening. The duration of bloom is only about two weeks, but it is a gorgeous and memorable display. Plants as young as two to three years old will start to bloom readily. William (Ned) Friedman of the Arnold Arboretum (Harvard University) writes about the value of the yellow to red color shifts in the flowers of yellowhorn and other woodies with a similar flowering characteristic. Ecologists have shown that insects have an innate preference for yellow flowers over red and by targeting the younger flowers with yellow accents, they are assured of more nectar and pollen. Those that have faded to red have likely been visited already. Friedman mentions that this yellow to red color shift has evolved to help steer insects to newly opened flowers.

The fruits, more common on older specimens, are 2 ½-inch, pear-shaped, leathery capsules. The capsules are initially green and resemble a black walnut husk but later age to a brown and split open in to three chambers that contain the glossy, pea-sized black seeds. The half-inch seeds are edible and when roasted, have the flavor of macadamia nuts. The seeds are also used to produce a quality cooking oil and aside from being roasted, can be boiled or dried and ground into flour. Apparently, this plant also has edible flowers and foliage which are traditionally boiled in advance of consumption.

Yellowhorn can be found in Beijing, China as a small urban tree and is also commonly found throughout a wide range of other urban settings. There are actually large plantations of yellowhorn in China as the seeds are showing great promise as a highly suitable biofuel.

Yellowhorn is commonly propagated from seed or cuttings (stem and root suckers). A higher germination rate for the seeds has been observed with three months of cold stratification. Soaking the seeds for 24 hours before sowing combined with scarification is also recommended by some sources.

The first challenge in growing yellowhorn initially starts with sourcing it. Finding this plant will certainly be a quest but one ultimately worth the time. This unique and beautiful woody plant has impressed those that have grown it over the many years since it was introduced into cultivation.

In the landscape

Yellowhorn doesn’t mind slight dampness but is quite sensitive to excessive moisture or heavier soils that stay wet. In general, this plant isn’t overly picky about soil although again, drainage is important. A loamy soil would be ideal but isn’t essential for the success of this durable woody plant and slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soils are just fine. A pH range between 5.5 to 8.5 is recommended. Yellowhorn is very sensitive to too much shade where it will simply not thrive or flower well. A full sun location is ideal as is plenty of summer heat associated with that exposure. This plant has no significant insect or disease problems although coral spot fungus has been observed on occasion.

Keep in mind that yellowhorn also flowers on old wood so any pruning should be accomplished immediately following the bloom cycle similar to the approach with lilacs (Syringa). An isolated yellowhorn can still flower and fruit although multiple specimens will assure more significant fruiting.

There is a variety called Clear Creek (‘Psgan’) selected by Green Acres Nursery in Golden, Colorado, and promoted by Plant Select, which markets a brand of plants designed to thrive in high plains and intermountain regions. This selection has all the same features of the species but is thought to have increased cold tolerance and hardiness.

Whether yellowhorn is used as a specimen plant, in a mixed border or as spring feature in a prominent location, it certainly deserves broader awareness, availability and enjoyment of its attributes.