June updates from Teagasc for the Nursery Stock and Ornamental plant industry.
New plants, trade shows, sprayer training, mildew, woolly aphid and botrytis.
Teagasc Advisory - Nursery Stock & Ornamentals Newsletter June 2019
Sales for many have taken a dip for the first weeks of the month.
Bedding plant suppliers needed a good few weeks to clear up the last of the stock but the weather has had a big impact on these sales, leaving an excess of stock destined for growing on for hopeful container sales. The weather has a significant impact on our day to day operations and sales. This time last year we were looking at a hose pipe ban in Dublin. Right now continental Europe is seeing some exceptionally high temperatures again. Any one who prepared for such weather will cope the best and recover the quickest.
Coming up in August, Baumschultecnik will introduce some of the latest technology in field production. Weeding robots, high precision inter rowers, autonomous mowers, electric weed control. lifting and spacing robots, drones will all be demonstrated. There are just 5 spaces left on the Teagasc study tour to the event see details at the end of this bulletin.
June - New plants and trade events
June is a key month for new plant introductions. IPM Essen in January sees launches for many of them but it is the June shows where growers can respond to their recent sales period and make orders for the following year.
Flower trials Netherlands/Germany Bedding and perennials plant breeders and young plant suppliers display their new and current lines at a select number of sites over week 24. The event is one of the biggest in the global plant sales calendar; over 7000 visitors attended from 66 countries. Irish growers and plant buyers were well represented. Many Irish growers traveled with their customers helping to plan their product lines for 2020. Sales reps for Ireland can walk growers through the ranges and displays of mature plants, what the final customer will see. As with any trade show it’s a great time to network and to make new contacts.
The star attractions of the event are the new plants and the associated marketing. A lot of the suppliers will have polished sales displays, promotional material and marketing displays for the new varieties. Trends that were seen across a lot of the sites include: foliage, edibles, pollinators, artificial colours, reto plants e.g. sedum, calceolara and coleus... Sustainable plastic solutions were seen also with paper or PLA bioplastic plant sleeves, clear recyclable marketing trays and compostable plant labels.
Rudbekia Summerdaisy series from Volmary has some excellent colours on sturdy dark green foliage. Picturesd is the new Bicolour Bronze.
Hydrangea French Bolero is a striking soft pink, compact hydrangea, described as having long flowering season and high flower count. It flowers along it stems similar to Runaway Bride. Marketed by Horteve/Kolster it will be available in good numbers late 2020.
Disease resistant Impatiens
Pictured above Impatiens Beacon series alongside Imaptiens Elfin, both inoculated with impatiens downy mildew.
Impatiens Imara XDR from Syngenta and Impatiens Beacon from PanAmerica have been getting a lot of attention. Their resistance to impatiens downy mildew has helped get Impatiens back on the young plants growers AV lists. I have never seen the disease in Ireland but it was such an issue on the continent that production was stopped for a number of years. Impatiens are a very useful bedding plant for dry shade. Its not easy to find a similar plant for this environment.
Both series of Impatiens have shown fast breeding programs in action - learn more by listening to the podcast from Ball America
Syngenta presentation of the disease resistance in Impatiens Imara
HTA National plant show
Closer to home the UK plant show in week 25 was well attended and a lot of Irish visitors here also. Irish company Emerald Christmas trees were exhibiting and keeping in touch with their clients. SAP were also exhibiting some new lines of potted trees at the show .
Best in show was won by Agapanthus Fireworks the breeder is South African Andy de Wet and Plantipp are the agents. Its described as filing pots more quickly than its predecessor dazzler and is more robust. It is a re-blooming bicoloured variety with short foliage. Clematis Elodi won the public vote for best in show.
Annuals Gold and Best in Category - Impatiens walleriana ‘Beacon®’
Herbaceous Perennials Gold and Best in Category - Agapanthus ‘AMB001’ 'Fireworks'
Houseplants Gold and Best in Category - Aloe zebrina ‘Danyz’
Shrubs and Climbers Gold and Best in Category - Clematis ‘Elodi™ Tudor Patio® Evipo 115 (N)’
Trees and Conifers Gold and Best in Category - Tilia x europaea ‘WILTIL’ 'Golden Sunset'
Plant judge and RHS show trials manager Sabatino Urzo is in a unique position to asses Agapanthus as the RHS have been running a field trial of the species for the last 4 years, so best in show is a high accolade to win. Other varieties to win were Agapanthus Poppin' Purple ('MP003') also winning a gold medal, Agapanthus Ever Sapphire ('Andbin') was awarded silver and Agapanthus Ever White (‘WP001’) received a bronze medal. All of these varieties have been bred by De Wet.
Pictured from top, Agapanthus fireworks, Clematis elodi (in the new taupe recyclable pot) and award winning Colour Flower Mix from Javado, that is sold plastic free.
Garden trials - Netherlands
The Plantarium hardy nursery stock display was held at the same time as the Fleuroselect flower trials. Unfortunately it didn't attract the same crowds. However there were some great new introductions highlighted at the event.
Clematis 'ST17333’ (Multi Pink) has a unique combination of flower shape and colour according to the KVBC (Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society) jury, it is an excellent and innovative introduction. Winner of best novelty in show.
Hydrangea macrophylla Hocomagicevo Kolster introduction of a mutation of Hocomarevo with bigger flowers with uniform plant shape and dark green foliage. - see below right
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmacfive' (ENDLESS SUMMER SUMMER LOVE®) Commercially suitable compact and sturdy shape. Red to deep purple flowers (if treated with aluminium sulphate) untill autumn. Bred by renowned US plant breeder Michael Dirr. see below left
Pest, disease and plant protection product updates.
Keep up-to-date with the latest pesticides new by visiting the Teagasc pesticide blog. You can see the latest Teagasc Pest updates here.
Botrytis, Downey mildew and Powdery Mildew are now becoming more common, you can look back on treatment in last months bulletin. Likewise woolly aphid on beech has become a problem, possibly a result of the milder than usual winter.
Boom/ Mist Sprayer training
The Irish Apple growers association are organising a sprayer training course covering the use of boom and mist blowers. It will be held in the next few weeks, likely in the south Kilkenny area. It is certified and will cost €125 per person. Contact me for further details
Teagasc, Nursery Stock Study tour to Germany and visit to Baumschule Technik Tradeshow 27th -30th August.
Four day study tour to the centre of German Nursery Stock production. Includes seven nursery visits and attending the world famous trade show. There is enormous variety of plants produced in Pinneberg district with a high degree of specialization. World famous nurseries in the area include Kordes young plants and roses and Lorenz von Ehren,
Direct flights available from Dublin to Hamburg. See here for proposed itinerary and costs.
Please get in touch if you would like further information, if you have any issues you would like to discuss or topics you would like to hear more about. Feel free to forward the bulletin to friends or suppliers; they can subscribe or view past bulletins from the Teagasc web site. Please seek permission before reproduction of any part of the bulletin.
*All recommendations are made in good faith. As plant protection products recommendations can change please read the product label fully and check the PCS web site. The Teagasc nursery stock bulletin is now on the approved list for IASIS continuous professional development points. Subscribers will receive 5 CPE points per annum.
