January-April May-August September-December


January - April

Millican Nurseries and ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition
March, 2008
Millican Nurseries participated on the ABC Network program, 'Extreme Makeover Home Edition'. In the episode, Ty and the crew help the Voisine's,  loving, close-knit family, whose home was demolished after a devastating flood. Country music star, Rodney Atkins helps kick off the build.

Millican Nurseries donated the plant material for the home as well as provided staff to help supervise the planting.
For more information and additional video, click here.

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2007 Young Nursery Professional of the Year Award
January, 2008
Congratulations to Doug McElroy of Newton Greenhouses, Newton, NH. Doug is the recipient of the 2007 Young Nursery Professional of the Year award from the New England Nursery Association. This annual award was developed to recognize, honor and encourage participation, achievement and growth by an individual in the industry who has not yet reached the age of 40; who has shown involvement in his or her state association; who has contributed to the success of their company; and has portrayed a positive image of the nursery industry to the public. Nominations for the Young Nursery Professional of the Year are made by the individual New England state associations. Congratulations Doug!

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Welcome Dr. Brian Krug, UNH Specialist, Greenhouse Floriculture
January, 2008
We are pleased to welcome to New Hampshire the newest UNHCE Specialist, Dr. Brian Krug. Brian has a keen interest in sustainable production to greenhouse crops...how to produce crops more efficiently and cost effectively with decreased inputs (energy, labor, pesticides, fertilizers, etc.) and less impact on the environment. This will undoubtedly involve cross-disciplinary activities with other specialists - a wonderful benefit of working in a collborative university setting. 

He will be continuing plant growth regulator experiments this spring for 6-8 weeks on crops such as marigolds, cosmos, geraniums, begonias, salvia, vinca, and Easter lilies. Brian will also be expanding his tissue analysis nutrition experiments with geraniums to better interpret desirable nutrient levels throughout the plant's growth cycle.

Brian will be spending a good deal of time traveling throughout the state with local county Extension agriculture educators this spring & summer meeting growers, refining research needs, offering guidance on production problems, and generally getting a handle on New Hampshire horticultureal opportunities and challenges.

If you have a problem which falls within Brians purview, don't hesitate to contact him or request a visit. He's looking forward to learning more about New Hampshire floriculture and is excited about his future here in the Granite State.

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May-August

UNHCE Greenhouse Energy Conservation Workshop
August 2008
A two-day workshop on conserving energy in your greenhouse will take place on September 16th and 17th in the Manchester area. The workshop on the 16th will be held from 9 am to 3:30pm at the Masabesic Audubon Center in Auburn. Featured speakers will be Dr. Brian Krug, UNH Cooperative Extension greenhouse and floriculture specialists, Dr. John Bartok from the Univ. of Connecticut who specializes in greenhouse engineering and Sadie Puglisi, UNH Cooperative Extension educator in agriculture. 

Talks will focus on alternative fuels (the options, pros and cons and what it takes to make the shift) and will include a panel of growers who are using alternative fuels, a walk through the USDA virtual grower tool which can help calculate the cost of your fuel several years into the future, a talk on using crop scheduling to keep fuel costs down and a checklist of inexpensive and easy ways to cut costs in your greenhouse.

On the 17th, participants will be touring greenhouses and conducting hands-on energy audits to learn how to conduct their own audits. The cost for the workshop is $38.00 for both days with snack and lunch provided on the first day.

For more information contact Margaret Hagen at Margaret.Hagen@unh.edu

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Studley’s Announces Second-Generation Owners
August 2008
One of Rochester’s longest-running family-owned businesses has been handed down to the next generation. David and Jeffrey Meulenbroek purchased Studley’s Flower Garden from their parents, Pieter and Betty Jane Meulenbroek, May 13, 2008. Studley’s Flower Garden, which has specialized in providing its customers with fresh flowers from its downtown location for 80 years, was founded by Joshua Studley in 1928. From its origins as a florist with greenhouses, Studley’s has evolved through the years with market changes to provide a wealth of different products and services, from full service florist and garden center to landscaping and irrigation services. The Meulenbroeks bought the business from Studley in 1971. As evidence of its satisfied local customer base, Studley’s has been voted Rochester’s favorite florist for the past 14 years in an independent survey.

David and Jeffrey plan to continue offering cut flowers as well as flowering and foliage plants, annuals, hanging baskets, perennials and holiday plants. David will direct Studley’s extensive landscape and irrigation service operation while Jeffrey will devote most of his efforts to growing the greenhouse crops and managing the garden center. Both are New Hampshire Certified Landscapers by the New Hampshire Landscape Association.

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Boston Flower Exchange, Inc. Announces Floriculture Scholarship
July 2008
The Boston Flower Exchange, Inc. announces the annual Rachel Butterworth Dietz Scholarship. This is an award of $5,000 to a student in the New England region pursuing higher education in floriculture or ornamental
horticulture.
Applications will be accepted until September 15, 2008. The award is open to enrolled full-time students in higher education or graduating high school seniors who have been accepted into an accredited full-time floriculture or ornamental horticulture program. The Boston Flower Exchange requires that the application include an essay of one to two single spaced pages demonstrating the applicant's experience in the industry as well as future plans and ambitions in floriculture or ornamental horticulture.

An application is available at here

For more information please contact Tyler Matteson at the Boston Flower Exchange, 540 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, by phone at at (617) 426 6700 x101 or by e-mail at info@thebostonflowerexchange.com

September - December

UNH Poinsetta Trials Open House - Grower Day
December 4th through 6th

The UNH Research Greenhouses and UNH Cooperative Extension is hosting an open house for this year's poinsettia cultivar trial.  There will be 80 cultivars displayed as well as some recent poinsettia research.  The open house is Thursday, December 4th from 10:00am to 6:00pm, Friday, December 5th and Saturday December 6th from 10:00am to 4:00pm both days.  The open house is available to the general public but professionals are suggested to visit on Thursday.

The open house is located at the UNH Research Greenhouses on the west edge of campus, 296 Mast Road Extension.

Please contact Brian Krug at brian.krug@unh.edu or 603-862-0155 with any questions.

Download pdf >

ALERT: Asian Longhorned Beetle Found Within 40 Miles of New Hampshire Forests 

The Asian longhorned beetle is a serious threat to the hardwood forests of North America and has recently been found killing trees in Worcester, Massachusetts. A massive effort is underway to eradicate this infestation and in New Hampshire we need to heighten our awareness of this pest and diligently search for any possible infestation we may have.  Please contact the Division's Forest Health staff ( 603-464-3016 ) if you find a suspect insect or damage.
More information can be found through UNH Cooperative Extension here

UNH Cooperative Extension Specialist, Entomologist, Dr. Stan Swier, talks about this growing threat to our New England Forests in a special video presentation.

Here are additonal links to information on the Asian Longhorned Beetle:

• U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Pest Information
• University of Vermont
• Worcester Telegram & Gazette Special Feature 

It's Fall Clean-Up Time Again!

• Here are some tips to make fall clean-up a success:
• Spread an inch of manure or compost on the garden and cover with mulch. You can work it into the soil when spring comes.
• Set up your cold frame now, trust us it's not fun to do this in the snow!
• Plant spring bulbs like daffodils and tulips. But pay attention to the weather. planting too early can cause bulbs to sprout before winter, and planting them too late can mean their roots don't have enough time to develop before the ground freezes.
• Empty clay pots, bring indoors for winter to avoid cracking.  Add container contents to compost pile when frost kills plants.
• Stake young trees to prevent wind damage.
• Discard any diseased plants, diseased vegetation should always be removed so eggs won't hatch early and infect your plants next year.
• Rake all leaves before the first snow fall.

How to Protect Arborvitae from the Harsh, Cold Winter

Winter injury can occur on a broad range of evergreen and deciduous plants. Damage results from many environmental factors including temperature extremes, freeze-thaw cycles, drying winds, lack of snow cover, and warm autumn temperatures that promote late-season growth. You have several options for protecting these plants from winter injury:

• Mulch: Applying a layer of mulch 2 to 21/2 inches deep after the soil freezes helps maintain a more even soil temperature and retain soil moisture.
• Tie: Arborvitae may be damaged by the weight of snow or ice, so to prevent plant breakage fasten heavy twine at the base of the plant and wind it spirally around and upward to the top and back down in a reverse spiral. This technique is needed when the plants become larger and begin to open at the top.  
• Wrap: A wrap of burlap or canvas can offer protection to plants against desiccation from sun and wind, and drift from de-icing salts applied to roads and driveways. Wrap the “body” of the evergreens, but don’t cover the top of the plant, as some light is necessary during the winter.
• Apply anti-desiccants: Anti-desiccants can help reduce transpiration water losses. Two applications per season, one in December and another in February, will provide protection all winter.
  

Got questions? UNH Cooperative Extension's Family, Home & Garden Education Center Info Line offers practical help finding answers for your lawn and garden questions. Call toll free at 1-877-398-4769, M-F, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m., and W 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., or e-mail us at answers@unh.edu

Blooming Fall Beauties
As recommended by Marie Iannotti, long time master gardener, in her blog.

• Aster novi-belgii (Michaelmas Daisy)
• Caryopteris (Blue Mist Shrub)
• Chelone (Turtlehead)
• Chrysanthemum
• Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed)
• Helenium (Sneezeweed)
• Helianthus (Perennial Sunflower)
• Heliopsis (False Sunflower)
• Sedum (Stonecrop)
• Solidago (Goldenrod)

5 Best Plants for Indoor Air Quality
According to a study done by NASA, the top 5 plants for improving indoor air quality and removing harmful toxins such as Formaldehyde, Benzene, and Trichloroethylene are:

1. Philodendron scandens `oxycardium', heartleaf philodendron
2. Philodendron domesticum, elephant ear philodendron
3. Dracaena fragrans `Massangeana', cornstalk dracaena
4. Hedera helix, English ivy
5. Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant

Just 15 samples of these plants can clean the air in a 2,000 square foot house. You can purchase these plants at your local NHPGA nursery and start breathing clean air today!