There is hope for the survival of the ash, according to Penn State researchers, who conducted a six-year study of ash decline and mortality.
The research shows some ash trees have varying degrees of resistance to the emerald ash borer. The study took place at a plantation of ash trees planted on Penn State’s University Park campus in the mid-1970s.
“We found that genetic variation exists in trees from around the country, and through time — especially as the emerald ash borer population collapses because host trees are rapidly disappearing — the resistance that we observed will likely ensure the survival of the species,” says Kim Steiner, professor of forest biology, College of Agricultural Sciences.
Steiner, who also is director of The Arboretum at Penn State, collected seeds from wild green ash trees in 27 states and Canadian provinces in the fall of 1975. He grew the seedlings for two years before methodically planting 2,100 of them, all 12 feet apart, in a seven-acre plot. Mixed in were a small number of white ash trees.
Steiner conducted a provenance trial — moving trees that had evolved in different climates to one location and carefully monitoring their growth and other characteristics — with the goal of understanding how species adapt to their environments. Over the last few decades, researchers maintained the plantation to study the effects of climate change on trees. The ash plantation is the largest collection of green ash germplasm in one location in the world and it may play a role in saving the species.
TOP: Researchers began measuring the decline of ash trees in the Penn State plantation in 2012, shortly after emerald ash borers arrived there, and they measured it every year through 2017. BOTTOM: The ash plantation, with nearly all the trees dead and deteriorating, is now being overrun by plant growth, as this recent photo shows.
Photos by Kim Steiner, Penn State and Lake Graboski, Penn State
“We began measuring the decline in 2012, shortly after emerald ash borers arrived in the plantation, and we measured it every year through 2017,” Steiner says. “As of August [2019], only 13 trees remained of the 1,762 that were alive when the emerald ash borer arrived.”
Genetics moderated the rapidity with which emerald ash borers injured and killed trees, says Lake Graboski, Steiner’s assistant.
“For the first time, this study demonstrated that there is genetic variation that could be captured in a breeding program to improve resistance to emerald ash borer in both white ash and green ash species," Steiner says.
There are three kinds of resistance to insects commonly exhibited by trees, Steiner explained, and more research will be needed to determine which ones the ash trees may be deploying.
krodda@gie.net
Source:Jeff Mulhollem, Penn State
Sempervivum sp.
Departments - Green Guide
These delightful plants go through beautiful color transformations through the seasons and make stunning focal points in the landscape.
Sempervivums require little or no heat inputs and have a long shelf life in retail.
Adobe Stock
Sempervivums have always been one of my favorite plants. My grandmother had pots of Hens and Chicks near her back door, and I remember being fascinated with them as a young child. I guess I found it interesting that a plant could produce “baby plants” and that they would grow into new individuals when separated from the mother plant. My grammy’s “Semps,” as we call them today, were quite a boring sort, being predominantly green most of the year. I have a feeling she would be absolutely delighted with all the wonderful colors and large rosette sizes that have been achieved through careful breeding over the years. I’m fortunate to live near a world-class Sempervivum breeder, Kevin Vaughn, whom I get to visit periodically to see his latest progeny. Kevin has bred close to 100 named varieties of Semps over the years. That’s out of over 7,000 named cultivars worldwide. His book “Sempervivum: A Gardener’s Guide to the Not So Humble Hens–and-Chicks” is a wonderful reference book about the genus.
Sometimes, you just get lucky. My current favorite Semp was discovered as a mutant sport by Chris Hansen and appropriately named Gold Nugget. Hansen patented the plant, which was the first time a Sempervivum had been protected by a patent. Gold Nugget is the flagship cultivar of the Chick Charms brand developed and marketed by Hansen and Garden Solutions, Inc. Gold Nugget won the “Best New Perennial of 2019” award at the IPM show in Essen, Germany.
If you prefer to grow Sempervivums that are not patented or branded, here are a few other choices to consider. I should point out that at my “day job” as director of business development at Little Prince of Oregon Nursery, we grow nearly 400 varieties of Sempervivums, either in full production or in trials, so I feel like I’ve earned some street cred when it comes to Hens and Chicks. My current top-five list of non-branded Sempervivum includes, S. ‘Dea’, S. ‘Rocknoll Rosette’, S. ‘Lilac Time’, S. ‘Borisii’ and S. ‘Piloseum’. I asked Mike Hicks, head grower and nursery manager here at Little Prince the same question, and he had a completely different list which included S. ‘Reinhardt’. S. ‘Mona Lisa’, S. ‘Bunny Girl’, S. ‘El Toro’ and S. ‘Hausmanii’. The bottom line is, all these varieties and many more are beautiful, require little or no heat inputs and have a long bench life at retail. They are a crop that nursery and greenhouse operations should be considering for future production.
Why grow Sempervivum?
They have a nostalgic appeal to gardeners young and old.
They are highly collectible, with over 7,000 named varieties.
They can be grown cold, with little or no supplemental heat.
They present well and have a long bench life at retail.
They are drought tolerant.
Mark Leichty is the Director of Business Development at Little Prince of Oregon Nursery near Portland. He is a certified plant geek who enjoys visiting beautiful gardens and garden centers searching for rare and unique plants to satisfy his plant lust. mark@littleprinceoforegon.com
Employee investment
Departments - The Human Resource
People want to feel like they are a part of something bigger than just an office job.
one of the most popular reality TV shows on today is “Shark Tank” — the show where wealthy, mostly self-made business professionals help a small business owner achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. There have been many successful products to take over the market after appearing on “Shark Tank.” Take the Scrub Daddy, for instance. The concept is simple but has been sold over 10 million times. To date, Scrub Daddy is one of the most successful products to appear on the show. But where would Scrub Daddy be if it was not for this investment? According to Forbes, before Scrub Daddy presented on “Shark Tank,” it struggled to make $100,000 in over 18 months. Scrub Daddy has now made over $75 million thanks to the investment from Lori Greiner.
So, what happens when we invest in our employees the same way the sharks invest in these companies?
A steady paycheck and some PTO are no longer enough to satisfy employees. Employees want to feel like they are a part of something bigger than just an office job, something bigger than themselves. The feeling that they are a part of a team that values them as an individual and respects their ideas. They want to be invested in.
The workforce isn’t the same environment that our parents and grandparents grew up with. As the millennials and Gen Z populations start to take over, the “work ‘til you drop” mentality is becoming less and less potent. The newer generations are focused on the concept of belonging to a team that creates value, not merely just working for a paycheck. When employees don’t feel challenged or fully engaged in the work they are doing, employee turnover rates skyrocket.
The CEO of Virgin Group Richard Branson once said, “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” The conversation of employee engagement has been so prevalent in recent years that you would think it’s second nature by now. Our research shows that investing in the talents and capabilities of your employees is one of the best ways to increase employee engagement and instill loyalty.
If you’re not investing in your employees, you’re not investing in the future of your business. (Sean Kelly - People Management)
The same holds true for the inventors on Shark Tank. When you look at something as simple as a sponge you might not see a lot of potential in it. However, when you add a little ingenuity, time and care you can produce a multimillion-dollar product. It is the same with your employees. Invest in them, and they will invest their time, energy and passion back into the company.
When sourcing for a new candidate, you are putting the candidate in “The Tank.” The investors are the HR department, supervising manager, project leader or owner. The candidate’s resume is their pitch outline, showing a base overview of their strengths, hobbies and past experiences. Through the interview, the candidate will begin showing you their behaviors and talk a little more in-depth about their past and what they aspire for the future. Based on this pitch, the investor can decide if they want to invest in this pitch or keep looking for their million-dollar candidate.
“When employees don’t feel challenged or fully engaged in the work they are doing, employee turnover rates skyrocket.”
Investing in your employees does not have to be a million-dollar investment. To keep your employees happy, you do not need to single-handedly fund everyone’s master’s program (however, this would be very thoughtful and appreciated).
A study by PwC showed the top qualities that millennials look for in a job are opportunities for career progression and development programs. Therefore, employee engagement can be as simple as having an immersive and detailed onboarding program for new hires. A study by Axonify noted that only 31% of employees receive formal job training. Carol Leaman, CEO of Axonify, stated, “If employees don’t have the correct training to perform their jobs properly, they will disengage. This, in turn, will result in work quality, productivity and customer satisfaction issues.”
Times are changing, and the number of jobs a single person holds in their lifetime has increased from past years. Investing in the capabilities of your employees by providing experiences and creating mobility ensures that they are building a lifelong career, not just a pit-stop for some experience before they move on to bigger and better things.
Be bigger and be better by investing in your employees the same way Lori invested in Scrub Daddy: provide them the resources and support they need to create their million-dollar idea.
Todd Downing is a partner at BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group, through which he provides retained executive recruiting and human resource advisory services including HR auditing, retention strategies, onboarding development and succession planning for horticultural industry companies.
Tessa Rasmussen is a human capital advisor at BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group with a background in customer service, marketing and sales. She’s a recent graduate of Bradley University.
Putting the ‘green’ in green industry
Departments - Native tongue
All nurseries can be better stewards by cutting down plastic waste and looking for alternative energy sources.
Reducing plastic waste is one of many steps needed to make the green indsutry more ‘green.’
Nursery Management Staff
I know we can be a better green industry. Does the amount of single-use plastic our industry uses bother you? Have you ever been to a large landscaping firm and seen a mountain of assorted empty pots? In the spring, as you rip a huge amount of single-use overwinter film off your cold frames, do you wonder if it really gets recycled or ends up in the landfill? Have you looked for alternatives for any of this plastic at all? Does trucking plants all over the country make ecological sense? What about electricity usage? I bet many of you have thought about these issues. Perhaps it is time we examine more of our practices looking for ideas and solutions to reduce our carbon footprint and plastic use, and truly be green.
It is amazing how many different designs there are in plain plastic pots. Carolina Native tried desperately to recycle when we were a young company. We travelled to landscaper yards, spent a lot of time sorting through big piles of pots and allowed landscape clients to return pots, too. I know it saved us some money when things were tight. But the discrepancy in appearance was unacceptable for garden centers. We worried about cleanliness. Plus, branded pots weren’t reusable and ended up in the trash. Consequently, we were forced to stop the program. What can we do?
Carolina Native is currently looking and experimenting with some alternatives. I hope that you will look at alternatives, too. We are now using containers that are made from recycled plastic. While these may end up in the landfill, at least it is a step in the right direction. In our research, we discovered a company examining a compound that can replace plastic and is biodegradable. Tennessee-based Mobius is in the process of developing a product to replace plastic with the nursery and greenhouse industry in mind. We have talked to these guys and look forward to watching their progress.
We are very excited to do a large test this year using pots that are completely compostable and biodegradable. Many of us have bought vegetable starts that come in a fiber-based pot and plant them directly into the garden. We will experiment with some liner and 1-gallon biodegradables for our native azaleas. We plan on finishing the liner and 1-gallon azaleas then planting them directly into larger pots next spring. If the quality of the plants meets our high standards and transplanting working well, it will save time and money. We will also try some perennials and grasses in these same pots. In talking to a couple of our best landscaping clients, they are anxious to try these, too. Not having plastic waste plus the time savings is very attractive. We will see.
Does anyone like to pull white plastic over cold frames? In our area, no one will take it for recycling purposes. Sometimes I doubt it gets recycled even by those that say they do, especially since China now refuses to take our plastic waste. We reuse our plastic for three years. How do we do it? We use wiggle wire track around every house to eliminate the use of webbing, wood, staples, screws and nails. We try to eliminate all punctures and holes. We remove, roll up, label and store it. Plus, we have two sizes of cold frames purposely, so we downsize pieces of plastic as needed. So now we only order plastic for a third of our cold frames annually. Would that save you some money, too?
Sometimes I feel like we have a golf cart racetrack around here. It seems like a constant drone. We have started to replace our gas carts with electric, which saves us money with no more gas engines to maintain. Having a quieter vehicle is also nice. I don’t know if we can afford an electric truck, but no longer buying diesel and diesel exhaust fluid would be nice. We will examine electric for all our equipment as it becomes available. Our new electric blowers are great. Can you imagine your neighborhood without the squeal of obnoxious gas lawn equipment in the summer?
I spoke with Brian Decker at MANTS about it. To say he is enthusiastic about it is an understatement, and the money he saves was unbelievable. He’d do more but the local electric company is holding him back. His story is wonderful, check it out.
I think our industry can make some great progress becoming the green industry we believe we are by examining our practices, eliminating plastic where we can and as soon as possible and looking at alternative energies. There are many possibilities for those willing to try, and it will keep getting better. Join us.
Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of GIE Media, Inc.
Bill Jones is president of Carolina Native Nursery in Burnsville, North Carolina, a specialty grower of native shrubs, perennials, ferns and grasses. www.carolinanativenursery.com
Sales culture eats strategy for breakfast
Departments - Tip Jar
Create a sales culture for increased profits, faster revenue growth and better salesforce retention.
Don’t you wish your salesforce sold twice as much as your competitors, your business was extremely profitable and your salespeople and customers loved you? Is this even possible? Chick-fil-A produces twice as much revenue as any other fast food chain and they are closed on Sundays. An investment in Southwest Airlines in the early 1970s of $10,000 dollars was worth close to $12 million in 2000 — the highest return of almost any company in a 30-year period — and it’s a low-cost airline in a very competitive industry. Zappos shoes went from start-up to being bought by Amazon in 10 years for more than $1 billion. These companies all have at least one thing in common.
When sales managers are asked what makes a great salesforce, they often cite great products and services, excellent strategies, sound processes and systems and being in the right place at the right time. Although these elements are important, there is one secret that the really successful sales leaders have.
When the founder of Chick-fil-A was asked about their success, he said it comes from its people. Regardless of your industry, once you establish the mindset that you are in the “People Business” then it almost does not matter what you sell. The mindset of the great salesforces starts with focusing on the salespeople and their attitudes and behaviors.
Here are three mindsets to work on with your sales leaders to have much better employee and customer loyalty and amazing financial results.
Salespeople first, customers second, money third
Let’s face it, we are driven in companies to push the salesforce for results, and in many cases, financial results. This focus on money first leads us to then focus on customers (where the money comes from) and then as a distant third, fourth, fifth or more, we spend some resources on the salespeople.
This order is leading to reduced profits, upset customers and high employee turnover. What would happen if we changed the order in which we focus on these three elements to employees first, customers second and money third?
Richard Anderson, former CEO of Delta Airlines, realized that if his company was to survive (he helped bring Delta and Northwest out of bankruptcy) it was going to be because of the people. At Delta he focused his time and communication on employees (who he thought of as all selling the Delta brand) and making sure they followed the company founder’s values and behaviors. Richard found an employee manual from the 1940s and rewrote it into what became the driving principles at Delta. This led to a rebirth in a sales and service culture which led to record profits.
Change the order in your mindset to focus on salespeople/employees first; this drives customer satisfaction and as a result more profits.
Sales culture first, structure second, strategy third
For at least the last century, the focus has been on sales/company strategy, creating a structure to support it and finally (as an after-thought many times) creating a generic culture. What has this led to?
As companies focused on getting things done, too many strategies were completed which did not fulfill the key element of strategy, which is to create a sustainable competitive advantage. While sales managers pushed to get things done, they created structures to support this frantic activity. After the strategy and structure were created (with little employee involvement) sales managers wondered why employees did not want to execute the strategy and why restructuring the salesforce was not working.
Make your sales culture the focus of your efforts and then the structures and strategies to support that culture. This will lead to highly productive and happy salespeople who customers love and buy more from. A good culture to start out with is based on the C.A.P. values of Curiosity, Accountability and People Skills.
Sales leaders first, coaching second and managing third
A leader focuses on salespeople and sales culture, a coach on sales processes and a manager on sales strategies and results. It is important as a sales leader to focus on all three of these areas, in the order mentioned, as people first need to be inspired and have a culture to live, then be in a structure that grows and then be held accountable for producing great results.
There are currently too many sales managers, a few sales coaches and hardly any sales leaders. This heavy emphasis on managing the salesforce with quotas and a “Beatings will continue until morale improves attitude” is leading to salespeople who sell because they have to, customers that buy because they have to, and profits that come in below expectations.
When you lead first, coach second and manage third you will have a salesforce that likes and is successful at selling, treats customers well and produces great results.
A secret to having a great salesforce is to hire and promote well and this is again done with an emphasis on hiring people that fit your culture, growing them with coaching and training and holding them accountable to reach the high levels they are capable of.
