About 35 years ago, I penned a brief article on Baptisia cutting propagation for Nursery Manager, now Nursery Management. I grew seedlings of Baptisia australis, false blue indigo, in our first Georgia garden and noticed variation in intensity of blue flower color. I was able to root the selections and add them to the garden. More on seed and cutting propagation later. At that time, I thought Baptisia might be a worthy genus for improvement and a graduate student started the project, but the hand pollinations were not successful. Unfortunately, I did not realize the impact bees have on successful Baptisia pollen transfer. Breeding cages, isolation breeding (two or more different plants removed from others), or old fashioned open-pollination would have succeeded. Years of observation confirmed the variation in traits among seedlings, regardless of breeding methodology.

Baptisia have always been part of our personal gardens and are easy to grow. I observed them from Minnesota to Maine and south to Georgia, thriving with neglect. They have prospered and persisted in the Georgia silty clay loam as long as sited in full sun. Dr. David Creech, director at the Mast Arboretum at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, mentioned Baptisia are stellar performers in the garden. They fix atmospheric nitrogen similar to other legumes and thus prosper with less inputs than many perennials. Through the 12-years in our new home and garden, deer have been a constant nemesis. Baptisia are deer and rabbit resistant. The only insect I battle is a brown moth (Genista caterpillar, Uresiphita reversalis) whose larvae web and eat the foliage and may strip a plant clean. They emerge in July and can be controlled by an insecticide like Sevin (Bt was recommended) or remove the infected parts and destroy. From year-to-year, their presence is variable — heavy in 2020, scarce in 2021. Even when stripping the plants of foliage, I have not noticed reduced flowering the following spring.

There are approximately 20 species of Baptisia native to the United States. Taxonomy is muddled and Turner [Phytologia 88(3): 253-268. Overview of the genus Baptisia (2006)] listed 17 species with descriptions and distribution maps. A review of the maps showed at least one species in every state east of the Mississippi and several species in contiguous western states. GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) lists 18 legitimate species, two hybrid species, and five varieties.

Habitat in the wild is described as grassy, open areas and under light shade. Most garden types range from 2 to 4 feet in height and width in foliage, the inflorescence rising above the foliage 1 to 2 feet. I have a yellow-flowered seedling that is over 6 feet high when in flower. Foliage of the species and hybrids is composed of three leaflets, green to blue-green, persisting honorably until frost, then turning blackish brown. Although herbaceous, the summer foliage presents the plant as a deciduous shrub. Flowers are borne in elongated racemes 1 to 2 feet high, followed when pollinated, by inflated pods with small, brown, bean-shaped seeds. Not all Baptisia develop fruits, especially the yellow-flowered hybrids. In early April in the Dirr garden, the emerging foliage reminds of asparagus, often with a glaucous tinge, soon maturing and carrying the showy flowers, opening from base to apex, in late April into mid-May. Colors range from white, blue/purple, yellow, pink/rose, maroon, chocolate, brown and bicolor combinations. Flowers open one color, often aging to a different shade. After flowering, plants can be reduced in height by pruning 50-75% into bare stems. I did this with a splaying ‘Screamin’ Yellow’ in 2021 and six weeks later it was covered with new shoots. I read where the plants can be cut to ground level and will regenerate. Have yet to attempt this.

A Baptisia epiphany occurred when Bonnie and I moved into the new home and garden in 2009. I knew of the breeding work of Tony Avent of Plant Delights, Hans Hansen of Walters Gardens, Dr. Jim Ault from the Chicago Botanic Garden, the North Carolina Botanical Garden (‘Carolina Moonlight’), Niche Gardens (‘Purple Smoke’) and others. Soon there were too many cultivars to count and from 2012 to 2015, Mt. Cuba Center evaluated 46 selections representing 11 species. The results are available online at mtcubacenter.org/trials/baptisia. Top rated performers were ‘Screamin’ Yellow’, ‘Lemon Meringue’, ‘Ivory Towers’, ‘Purple Smoke’, ‘Cherries Jubilee’, ‘Sunny Morning’, ‘Blueberry Sundae’, ‘Dutch Chocolate’, and ‘Crème de Menthe’. Since this evaluation there have been more introductions. Dr. Armitage’s 2020 edition of Herbaceous Perennial Plants describes ~35 cultivars in detail. Proven Winners has taken the new introductions (primarily those from Hansen) and placed them in the Decadence series. Remarkably, a 2- to 3-stemmed plant sells for $15 to $25, often with only a single inflorescence. Patience for greatness is necessary with Baptisia.

A fair question to ponder is…What’s next? I hopped on the cultivar train and purchased via mail order and at retail ~10 cultivars, producing seedlings from most. Baptisia alba (first to flower in garden, white flowers, purple stems), ‘Twilight Prairie Blues’, ‘Carolina Moonlight’, ‘Lemon Meringue’ and ‘Brownie Points’ produced the most variations. In fact, from seedling populations of B. alba and ‘Twilight Prairie Blues’, yellow foliage types emerged. Surprisingly, they are vigorous and the yellow foliage color persists into fall, some seedlings brighter than others. Every yellow foliage seedling though 2020 produced only yellow flowers. In 2021, two yellow seedlings had blue flowers, one indigo blue. Another pretty seedling phenomenon is the dusky violet to purple stems (somewhat evident on foliage) on white, yellow, and deep indigo-flowered seedling selections. I named one ‘Violet Haze’. I did not “see” (envision) my backyard efforts as commercial, simply the joy of gardening and, with the plethora of cultivars available, who but me cares about “new.”

Well, Premier Introductions, Inc. (PII) initiated the new breeding adventure on January 1, 2020. Baptisia seeds of cultivars mentioned in the previous paragraph collected from the Dirr garden were sown in January-February 2020, transplanted to cells about six weeks later, then out-planted to the field in June. Most flowered late April to mid-May 2021. Fourteen selections were made and cuttings of all were rooted (procedure described below). The most promising were transplanted to 1-gallon containers on July 8. 2021. The indigo blue/yellow foliage selection, the most prized/unique, is vigorous and the foliage color persists in the heat. PII learned from Tom Demaline at Willoway Nursery and Mark Sellew at Prides Corner Farm that for best survival of rooted cuttings, bury at least one node. In the past, I lost as many as one-half of the rooted cuttings of a selection after transplanting. With transplanted seedlings there are essentially no losses.

Seeds

Collection, cleaning, storage: Seeds are collected in June-July (Athens) when pods are crispy brown/black. I place pods in a 5-gallon bucket, crush them with a rubber mallet, sieve through a strainer with 3/8-inch holes, store in glass jars at 41°F. Dry seeds can be stored for years and maintain high viability. If moist/wet in storage, the seeds germinate in the cold.

Sowing: Before sowing, seeds are steeped in hot water for approximately 24 hours. Seeds have a hard seed coat of variable thickness. The soaking facilitates water imbibition into the seed and initiates the germination process. Only seeds that sink are used. Seeds can be sown in a well- drained germination medium. At PII, Sungro’s Horticulture Propagation Mix is used with outstanding results. It contains 75-85% Canadian peat, perlite, dolomitic lime and I believe a wetting agent. Seeds are covered with ¼-inch to ½-inch of the media and watered. This media is used for more than 90% of our seed work.

Germination: Seeds germinate in 10 to 21 days and are transplanted to cells when about 2 inches high. Roots of seedlings are long and stringy, so a deep hole is punched in the media. Seedlings are lightly fertilized once per week with 100 ppm N from Miracle-Gro. Seeds of eight Baptisia taxa sown on July 23, 2021, produced transplantable seedlings by August 20, 2021.

Transplanting to field or containers: The sooner the liners/seedlings are in the container medium or soil, the faster to flower. Typically, it takes two to three years to build a strong root system. Based on PII’s 2020-21 field success, 15 months from seed sowing to flowering closed the loop. The field-grown seedlings were not fertilized.

Cuttings

Cuttings are collected in the field in June, July and August and from previously rooted cuttings in the greenhouse. Single-stemmed and multiple branched shoots are taken, striped of lower leaves, treated with Clonex or 0.15% KIBA, placed in bark/perlite/peat medium under mist. Cuttings root in a month, are removed, lightly fertilized and then transplanted to containers or the field about one month after removal from mist.

Epilogue

Bonnie and I developed a pollinator garden five years ago. Any plant that remotely interested an insect was included. Amsonia, Asclepias, Buddleia, and Baptisia were planted by the hundreds. In spring, 2021, the garden had “filled in” to the delight of the insects and gardeners. The Baptisia (all seedlings) were spectacular. I believe there are opportunities to entice/educate gardeners who have little knowledge of the genus. In fact, during a late April tour of our garden, Bonnie overheard a lady tell her friend that those snapdragons are beautiful.

Jim Berry, founder of J. Berry Nursery, sports two common looks as he hustles around the Texas-based nursery. The serious look of steadfastness takes over his countenance when he’s contemplating the next marketing idea, hand-pollinating a hibiscus, or working through a distribution plan for his expansive box-store customer base. When he dons that jovial grin, the one you can read across his entire face, it’s fair to say it’s spurred by the delight and contentment in the dynamic team of next-generation professionals he has built.

Jim and his business partner (and son), Jonathan, attracted young, enthusiastic people in key areas of the nursery, including head and section growers, a production manager, a propagation manager, a research and development coordinator, an inventory manager, key account managers, a plant health manager, and a construction manager.

It was no simple task assembling this team. J. Berry Nursery is a successful nursery with a lot to offer, but it takes internal evaluation and introspection to become a company that the next generation of nursery leaders wants to join.

“First, we had to establish ourselves, determine our core values and know both our strengths and weaknesses,” Jim says. “We also had to determine our market position and each of our personal natures.”

Creating a solid job description was another critical step, he adds.

“We tried to create as large as possible pool of candidates. We positioned ourselves as an employer of choice. It seemed to be well known that we were a fast-growing nursery and a market leader in branding and product development. So our reputation helped a lot,” Jim says.

The Berrys used a tool called The Predictive Index to help

Jim, Jonathan, and their directors used the tool on themselves and prospective candidates.

“Everyone has basic tendencies as to how they behave and interact. We looked for people that fit our company culture and fit with our team based on the behavior we learned from The Predictive Index,” he explains. “The first interview was a Zoom meeting with my leadership team. When someone was selected for an on-site interview, they were introduced to the whole team where we all got a great sense of whether they were a fit or not a fit. We had to sell our company and our team. Job searchers have choices. And like any company, we wanted to be wanted.”

Since assembling this young team of phenoms, he’s imparted some essential advice to each of them: Do not be afraid to make mistakes as they are great teachers. He asks them to speak their mind as “their voice and intellect are to be appreciated,” he says. He also encourages them to appreciate and support one another.

Having a group of next-generation nursery leaders choose J. Berry Nursery as their employer prompted Jim to fine-tune his leadership and teaching skills.

“The better teacher I am, the quicker they feel empowered and important,” he says. “When you make the right hire, within months they make significant contributions to the operation. I don’t necessarily need to learn from them. I need to get out of their way and admire how great they are and how great they will be.”

Jim refers to himself as “sort of a fossil” with a chuckle, and the nursery’s leadership team as “seasoned,” which is why it was imperative to find a young team that will lead the nursery during the next generation.

“I’m so proud of this team,” Jim says. “We have high aims as a company, and to reach greatness that endures, we must identify and develop leaders that will lead in 2030, 2040 and beyond. We have them on board now.”

Brooke McCown, research and development coordinator, works directly with Jim.

“I’m learning from the best,” she says. “Jim is open minded and he’s all about innovation. He’s not afraid of change or taking risks.”

Brooke joined the nursery three and a half years ago right out of college. She shadowed people in all departments, which allowed her to learn about the nursery at a slower pace. Raised down the road from the nursery in Grand Saline, Texas, she raised and showed cattle. With a degree in ag services and a minor in horticulture, she envisioned a career in the cattle business. But a chance encounter at a local chamber of commerce event got her foot in the door at the nursery.

“My dad, who’s never met a stranger, was talking to Jim at a chamber lunch said, ‘I have a daughter about to graduate from Tarleton [State University]’, and Jim, who also attended Tarleton, said ‘Tell her to stop by the office. I may have a job for her.’ I interviewed for an assistant position and got the job. It’s been a great experience ever since.”

Brooke and her colleagues bring a fresh perspective to the mix.

“We are a young team, and we are driven,” she says. “We all come from different backgrounds, and we rely on each other’s perspective. We work things out together and ask a lot of questions.”

Accelerated growth

J. Berry Nursery has enjoyed consistent double-digit growth during the last 15 years. At the end of 2021, sales were 25% higher than the two previous years and Jim says he expects that growth trajectory to continue. His new team couldn’t have come at a better time.

With the growth in sales, it was necessary to invest in more distribution. In 2021, the nursery significantly expanded its dock to better serve its box-store distribution.

“That’s our wheelhouse and there’s still so much market opportunity to be had,” Jim says.

The nursery also recently partnered with Plant Haven International, which will take over the management of JBN’s intellectual property, with the exception of the Hollywood Hibiscus line. It’s a partnership that Jim says will “open up opportunities for more nurseries to become licensed growers of our genetics.”

The nursery’s genetics division has released several varieties, including: the tropical Hollywood Hibiscus, Summer Spice hardy hibiscus, Black Diamond and Emerald Empire crapemyrtles, Déjà Bloom Azaleas, Cabana Canna, and Crown Jewels begonias. The nursery also grows a large selection of Proven Winners and First Editions shrubs and perennials, as well as shrubs and perennials. Jim has partnered with Dr. Dariusz Malinowski, Texas A&M AgriLife Research breeder of winter-hardy hibiscus, and released nine cultivars in the Summer Spice brand.

The nitty-gritty

When it comes to selecting hibiscus for new introductions, Brooke and Jim inoculate plants with pests then weed out all the ones with susceptibility -- whitefly and leaf spot are the main culprits.

They’re also looking for high bud counts, stacked buds per petiole, exotic-looking flowers, and flowers that last two or three days.

There are several varieties in the R&D greenhouse that have dark stems – a characteristic that is proving to be a lovely addition, Brooke says.

Testing is rigorous and not for the weak.

“We start at the liner stage, and if we see a problem, they’re culled,” Brooke says. “They won’t even get a chance to be potted up into quarts.”

They often start with some 2,000 seedlings to evaluate, of which many are culled.

“Then we keep culling until we eventually get down to 15 or so, then down to five. Those five are sent to our growers in Florida for trialing,” she explains.

Crosses are hand pollinated.

“Anything we introduce starts with science and genetics,” Jim says. “We must deliver an exceptional product to the consumer. After all, we’re here to serve the end-user.”

For more: www.jberrynursery.com

Courtesy of Eric Hildreth

There have been Hildreths farming the land in Tennessee since before the Civil War. Eric Hildreth represents the fifth generation of Hildreth nurserymen. He learned the trade working for his dad at Rickey A. Hildreth Farms. After 15 years, Eric decided to strike out on his own. He founded Carpe Diem Farms in 2014 and employs five year-round workers at his tree nursery. His customer mix is about 25% garden center, 25% landscaper and 50% rewholesaler.

Eric is 35, and he and his wife Laura welcomed a baby girl, Amelia June, in April 2021. “Millie” joins her two-year-old brother Warren Brown Hildreth.

NM: What’s it like running a small nursery business with two kids under three years old?

I know where the coffee pot is.

NM: How do you take your coffee?

I take it black. My wife will talk me into an iced coffee every once in a while, but I typically just want it straight black.

NM: What was it like growing up in a family where everybody is either a nurseryman or understands the trade?

It meant that you didn't have much free time. If you had a sleepover, you still got picked up to go to work the next day.

NM: What made you decide to start your own nursery?

I was getting married, and my soon-to- be future wife told me I had to make more money.

NM: What does your wife do?

She's a dental hygienist. She really wants to quit, but I told her behind every successful nurseryman was a wife that worked in the city.

NM: What are the most popular trees you sell?

Our top sellers are dogwoods, maples, oaks, and quite a few elms as well.

NM: How do you decide what to add to your production schedule?

Looking into the future, I'm looking at increasing columnar and fastigiate-type plants. Because I'm seeing from landscapers that lot sizes are getting smaller. And I feel like that'll be the future for street trees — and also for planting around nosy neighbors. I don't think red maples are going away by any means. But I think columnar is going take up a larger market share than it has.

With the garden center side that is dealing with homeowners, we’re seeing more awareness of cultivars. They're not just looking for a red maple. They want a specific red maple.

NM: How has running your own business changed since you got started in 2014?

It used to be a lot more phone calls. Now for a lot of my business, I'm dealing with either email or text messages. And I like that, to be honest, because with text message and email, there's a trail for what was said and what was agreed to. Whereas sometimes people forget or change their mind when you talk to them on the phone.

NM: What's your favorite thing about running your own business?

I like the sales side. I like interacting with the customer. I used to think that I wouldn't like it as well, but it sure is easier dealing with the sales side than actually driving stakes and doing everything else. I still enjoy shaping the tree and having in my mind what I want the plants to do. But I'm thankful that I'm not having to physically do it as much as I used to.

NM: What are the toughest parts of running a small business?

I think the hardest part, at least for me, is being a mobile secretary. I don't have a secretary that sits in the office and takes calls as a buffer for me. But I market that: When a company deals with my company, they're dealing with me directly. But the trouble with that is I might be welding or repairing something, and if the phone rings and it's a customer, everything else has to stop. I used to run the digger myself. But I noticed if I got phone calls, it could stop production too much. I have to be available. And sometimes that means I'm taking calls at 8:00 at night and sometimes that means I'm getting woke up at 6:00 in the morning with somebody calling or a truck that's wondering where they're supposed to be for a pickup. I think the toughest thing for a small business owner is it's literally your life. It doesn't matter if you're on vacation. You've got a lot of flexibility as a small business owner, but at the same time it's a ball and chain you're carrying around.

https://carpediemfarmstn.com

Botrytis cinerea is in the Ascomycete family Sclerotiniaceae. Like its cousin Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (white mold or rot of bedding plants), it forms sclerotia (hardened, asexual resting structures) in decaying plant matter that has rotted as a consequence of infection and fungal colonization.

Crops like coreopsis, dianthus, heuchera, lavender and rudbeckia can be especially vulnerable to botrytis blight in the spring when they have a full flower canopy. Weather conditions are also an important factor in botrytis blight outbreaks. This is a fungus that prefers cloudy, rainy weather. Showers followed by cool weather are ideal conditions for the gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea to develop in ornamental nurseries. While diseases caused by Botrytis are not aggressive on mature tissues or woody plants, the fungus rapidly attacks fleshy or juvenile tissues such as flower petals, new shoots or tender growth of bedding plants or other annual crops.