E6-Grower & Marketer Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 17, 2003
Future Of
(Continued from Page
mainly Oregon, then grow
them on a larger stock.
“Many larger nurseries in
Ohio export 70 percent of
what they grow in nursery
stock. Ohio is well positioned
geographically to increase its
market. It’s a shipping hub,”
said Mathers.
Ohio growers import ap
proximately $l4 million worth
of tree liners from the West
annually at an average cost of
$l5 per liner. It is estimated
that Oregon liner sales into
Ohio and surrounding states
total $5O million a year.
“Ohio growers can capture
that $5O million market, and
that’s just a conservative esti
mate, and they can do it with
retractable roof greenhouses,”
said Mathers.
She said the gold mine with
using retractable roof green
houses in Ohio tree liner pro
duction is that a grower can
extend the growing season.
Oregon’s growing season is
225 days, while Ohio’s is only
156 days. “All we are looking
to make up is 75 days,” said
Mathers. “Using retractable
roof greenhouses, we can start
with growth in March rather
than waiting until June.
There’s the 75 days made up
for right there.”
Mathers said with retracta
ble roof greenhouses, seedlings
can be grown into whips
under full cover through fall,
winter, and early spring and,
when conditions become more
favorable, retract the roofs
and/or walls and turn the
nursery stock into a commer
cial production site without
ever having to move the trees.
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• This hybrid is excellent for
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• Performs best in high fertili
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• Excellent grain quality and
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E 3)
Such convenience, said
Mathers, decreases labor and
equipment costs. The green
houses are also affordable to
build, costing only $1 a foot
for flat-roof houses and $3
foot for peaked-roof houses.
“When the average price of a
liner is going for $l5, it makes
economical sense to build a re
tractable roof greenhouse,”
said Mathers. “There is a con
siderable profit to be made
here and the thing that many
growers don’t realize is that
it’s doable.”
One argument behind the
use of retractable roof green
houses in Ohio is whether or
not they’ll stand up to the
state’s wintry conditions.
“Whether the roofs will stand
up to snow and ice is some
thing we won’t know until we
try it. During winter I’d like to
think that we’d just retract the
roof and let the snow cover
the stock, providing insulation
during winter much like
you would find in a natural
environment,” said Mathers.
The researchers are work
ing with red oak, red maple,
yellow wood, and magnolia
seedlings and are hoping to
have their first whips by this
spring.
The wholesale nursery in
dustry in Ohio is worth about
$5BO million. The landscape,
garden center, and nursery
sectors combined are worth
approximately $2.5 billion an-
nually. Nursery production is
estimated to be the fourth
largest agricultural industry in
Ohio, behind com, soybeans,
and dairy.
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• An early group 3 variety
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• Excellent no-till variety with
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• Excellent early group 111
Roundup Ready variety.
• High yielding, with very
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• Very vigorous plant that will
adapt to all row widths.
‘Overthinning ’ Not A Word
(Continued from Page E 4)
Best. “You have to do it your
self and keep real good data,
observe them. It will be a help
not a cure.”
At the conference, Dr.
Kathryn Taylor, Department
of Horticulture, University of
Georgia, spoke about the work
on new and existing peach va
rieties in the state.
Georgia peach production,
Taylor noted, peaked in the
19205, then declined through
the next six decades. The low
est point came in the 19905,
especially with the terrible
freeze in 1996. “That had a
tremendous impact on the
survivability of growers,” said
Taylor.
Consolidations have left the
industry in the hands of seven
ii\ Calendar
(Continued from Page ES)
Agricultural Research and Ohio Florists’ Association
Development Center’s Short Course, Columbus,
Muck Crop Branch, Cel- Ohio, thru July 16, (614)
eryville, Ohio, 10 a,m.- 487-1117.
noon, (419) 935-1201.
Tuesday, July 8
American Society For Enology
and Viticulture Wine Con
ference, Radisson Hotel,
Coming, N.Y., thru July
11,(765)494-6704.
Wednesday, July 9
Penn State Agronomy Indus
try Field Day, Landisville
Research Center, 9 a.m.-
3:30 p.m., (717) 270-4391.
Friday, July 11
High Pressure Produce Sprayers
Zimmerman’s manufactures several different model sprayers
designed for produce spraying. They are built for the small farmer
that cannot justify a large expensive sprayer. Trailer models are
available with a 200 or 300 gallon tank and 3pt hitch models with
a 110, 150, 200 or 300 gallon tank. The 25’ single sided boom
has 7' plus clearance and requires a minimal amount of drive rows
because of the wide span. It also has a hydraulic cylinder that
allows the operator to level the boom from the tractor seat. A Hypro
high pressure diaphragm provides up to 290 p.s.i. and non-drip
nozzle bodies keep chemical loss minimal. Stop or call
Zimmerman’s today to see how we can help you with your spraying
needs and improve your profit margin.
Paul B. Zimmerman Inc. • 50 Woodcemer Rd. ■ Lititz, PA 17643 • (717> 738-7350
growers/packers, representing
96 percent of the state’s peach
tree acreage.
Since 1999, there has been
some growth in the state’s
peach industry. No major
frosts have occurred, said
Taylor. Some of the issues
growers have had to face in
clude the Guest Worker and
H2-A Program with migrant
workers, adopting manage
ment expert systems, and
looking at improved varieties.
The peach industry in
Georgia is centered in the
town of Fort Valley in Peach
County, Georgia. Georgia has
a very complex plum pox
virus testing program and
monitors thousands of sam
ples yearly.
Research is looking at
peaches for wholesale measur-
American Society For Enology
and Viticulture Eastern
Section Annual Meeting,
Raddison Hotel, Coming,
N.Y., thru July 13.
Saturday, July 1 2
Thursday, July 1 7
Vineyard Tech Group Meet
ing, Lancaster Farm and
Home Center, 2 p.m.-5
p.m., (717) 394-6851.
Friday, July 25
Christmas Tree Growers As
sociation of New York
Summer Convention, Chip
Ellms Christmas Tree
Farm, Ralston Spa, N.Y.,
(315) 754-8132.
Tuesday, July 29
Trailer or 3 Pt. Hitch Models
ing 2.5-2.75 inches in width,
with a good balance of acids
and sugars, proper coloring,
high soluble solids (14 per
cent), improved disease resis
tance, and other factors. Vari
eties include Gulfprince,
Gulfking, Gulfcrest, Fire
prince, Flameprince, and oth
ers.
The Georgia Peach Council
is located at P.O. Box 1031,
Fort Valley, GA 31030. Taylor
noted the work of the council
in improving the viability of
peach growing for individual
growers and marketers in the
state.
This year, the state is plant
ing another 1,500 acres, which
equates to about 165,000 trees
using new orchard manage
ment systems and technolo
gies.
Penn Allied Nursery Trade
Show, Fort Washington
Expo Center, Fort Wash
ington, thru July 31, (717)
238-1673.
Saturday, August 2
Small Fruit Production Work
shop, Cornell Orchards,
Ithaca, N.Y., (607)
687-4020.
Thursday, August 7
Pennsylvania Christmas Tree
Growers Association Sum
mer Conference, Ramada
Inn, State College, thru
Aug. 9. (800) 547-2842.
Saturday, August 16
National Agricultural Plastics
Congress, Crowne Plaza
Hotel, Grand Rapids,
Mich., thru Aug. 19
El
Ag Progress Days, Rock
spring, thru Aug. 21.