It’s election season – but that’s not why I’m doing a blog on “graft and corruption.” Instead, let me back up and explain that today I gave a seminar on diagnosing urban tree death. One of my points to the group was the importance of knowing the history of a site – what species were selected, how trees were planted, whether there had been any major construction activity, etc. I thought I’d continue the importance of site history into today’s posting.… Continue reading this article “Graft and corruption”
Category: Stories
The Flap Over Burlap
This month’s issue of the Oregon Association of Nursery’s Digger magazine includes the second part of a two-part article on urban foresters’ perspectives on nursery stock. It was interesting to note that some urban foresters felt they were in a quandary because their specs require removal of burlap from B&B trees, yet many nurseries will void their warranty if burlap is removed from the root ball.
Removing burlap from B&B trees is a practice that is widely recommended, yet there is little, if any, data to support it. … Continue reading this article “The Flap Over Burlap”
Chad and Jeff’s Excellent Nursery Adventure
About 3 months after I started my job in Minnesota I hired a technician to help me run the nursery and to manage research plots. His name is Chad and he stands about 6 foot 4, has shoulders that threaten to pop the sides of the skid steer loader whenever he enters it, and he knows his stuff because he needs to (and even if he didn’t know his stuff you’d be scared to tell him that because he looks dangerous with his frightening Fu-Manchu moustache). … Continue reading this article “Chad and Jeff’s Excellent Nursery Adventure”
Size matters.
Yesterday I received a call from an administrator at a large military base. (I have to tell you that anytime I get a call from someone in government I immediately start wondering about “the file” that I’m sure is kept on me. No, I’m not paranoid, but I’m an outside reviewer for a number of graduate student theses from the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad, Pakistan. In fact, I’m doing two right now. So every once in a while I am sent a brown paper package from Pakistan. … Continue reading this article “Size matters.”
Whoo hoo!
I promise I’ll post something more substantial today…but I had to pass this email message along that I received this morning. Way to go colleagues and commenters!
Hi Linda,
Your new weblog, the Garden Professors, is an impressive piece of work! I plugged it today in the consumer horticulture CoP blog [http://www.consumerhortcop.wordpress.com].
Regards,
Bill Hoffman
National Program Leader (Ag Homeland Security)
CSREES/USDA
More Good Stuff from the Garden Writer’s Conference in Raleigh
I should add “in absentia”… Played hooky from the convention center Thursday afternoon for a trip out to Plant Delights Nursery, Inc. with my former grad student and plant geek extraordinaire, Paul Westervelt. We followed proper Plant Delights etiquette: you make an appointment to visit at a time other than open house or tour. I teach herbaceous landscape plant i.d. as well as ornamental plant production courses, and take every opportunity to bring back images of new technology, growing systems, and great plants to my students. … Continue reading this article “More Good Stuff from the Garden Writer’s Conference in Raleigh”
I *heart* My NRG Pro Transplanter
[Disclaimer: I do not endorse any particular product over another, nor do I receive ANY compensation (darn it), free stuff, etc. from any companies, whether recommending or dissing their product.]
Seeing Linda’s favorite mulch fork prompted this post – scroll on down past the Great Root Debate (rowr)! I remember first laying eyes on this beauty at a local garden center…shiny stainless steel,comfy chartreuse handle, large step area, nice and solid…”I must have eet!” But it’s the functionality that makes me reach for it every weekend.… Continue reading this article “I *heart* My NRG Pro Transplanter”
The other side of nurseries
As some of you know, my background is somewhat different from most faculty members in Horticulture in that my roots (no pun intended) are deepest in forestry. I’m sometimes asked to compare and contrast various aspects of horticulture and forestry. There are certainly differences – some of which I’ll get into in later posts – but there are also a lot of similarities. One of the truisms that seems to pervade both fields goes something like this: “When all else fails, blame the nursery”. … Continue reading this article “The other side of nurseries”
What’s in YOUR soil? (with apologies to Capitol One)
Urban environments are always challenging for landscape plants just because they are anything but “natural.” Temperatures are higher, water is often less available, and compacted soils have all the nourishing qualities of concrete. The single most important thing you can do to ensure long-term success of landscape trees and shrubs is to get their roots well established in the soil.
I’m going to leave the topic of soil amendments to another day (but you can find my myth columns about them at http://www.theinformedgardener.com… Continue reading this article “What’s in YOUR soil? (with apologies to Capitol One)”
What I Learned This Summer (part 2): Pot Recycling, a Photo Essay
A big “score” at a great garden center or nursery results in guilt. Not about the money I spent, but the giant pile of pots and tags left in the wake of the planting frenzy. I plan to provide a more thorough review/discussion on this topic in the future – but for now, I want to share what I learned in a visit to the Missouri Botanical Garden’s (MOBOT) recycling center in St. Louis (part of the Perennial Plant Association’s annual conference). … Continue reading this article “What I Learned This Summer (part 2): Pot Recycling, a Photo Essay”