HortNews
by: Eric Honeycutt
volume 2, number 3
August/September, 2003

Contents
Green Industry Report
Spider Mites
Techniques for Cleaning and Preparing Pesticide Sprayers

Green Industry Report

Overview:
Moore County's green industry is a thriving industry that continues to grow as demand for plant material increases. Over the years, Moore County has proven to be a very suitable location for all sectors of the green industry for several reasons. Population demographics indicate that Moore County consists of a large and growing retirement population. As many retirees relocate to this area they bring varied amounts of wealth along with many different hobbies, gardening being one of the most common. The golf and tourism industry also create a large demand for quality plant material for landscaping around entry ways, hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, and along golf courses. Moore County's geographic location in central North Carolina makes it a great location for commercial nursery and greenhouse operations. Since Moore County is located within 2 hours of almost all major metropolitan areas of the state, nursery and greenhouse operations find the area convenient when shipping large quantities of plant material.

The local green industry can be broken down into three major sectors; production, service, and retail. Below is a break down of the types of operations that make up each industry sector.

Production

Service

Retail

Although not an official industry sector, the "end-user" category strongly determines profitability of all three green industry sectors. "End-user" includes homeowners, commercial properties, golf courses, etc.

Economic Value
Due to the high demand for plant material both locally and across the state, the commercial green industry is a viable component of Moore County's local economy. It is estimated that Moore County's green industry alone represented over $25 million in gross sales and contracts in 2002. This value does not take into account the economic contributions from the purchase of maintenance equipment, vehicles, and other maintenance items. However, the value of gross sales and contracts does directly affect the business operations of maintenance equipment and material suppliers. The table below lists type of operation according to industry sector as well as the value of gross sales and contracts estimated for each operation.

Industry Sector Operation Number of Operations Estimated Average Value per Operatioin
Production Plant Nursery 15 $500,000.00
Commercial Greenhouse 4 $160,000.00
Service Landscape Design, Maint./Installation 23 $500,000-$700,000.00
Retail Retail Garden Center 6 $160,000.00
*Due to the inability to track all landscape operations this value represents firms with gross profits of greater than $100,000.

The production sector of the industry sold approximately $7.5 million dollars in plant material in 2002. Nursery operations, both container and field stock represent the majority of the estimated value. Commercial greenhouse operations primarily produce bedding and potted plant material for sale to the local public and garden centers. Although greenhouse operations are small compared to nurseries, they do represent a substantial value to the industry.

The service sector appears to be the largest sector of the green industry comprised of 23 major landscape operations. Many landscape operations were not included in the survey due to the inability to track all landscape maintenance businesses. It is common for someone to operate a small landscape maintenance operation on a part time basis as a source of supplemental income. However, if all landscape maintenance operations were included the number may double.

Retail sales accounted for an estimated value of $960,000 in 2002. While this sector is small compared to other sectors of the industry it strongly determines the profitability of the other two sectors, especially production. When sales at retail garden centers are down, the demand for nursery/greenhouse grown plant material drops thus affecting sales in the production sector.

Employment
When combined all three sectors of the green industry employed approximately 725 individuals in 2002. The table below offers a break down of the estimated number of employees per operation type. The data indicates the estimated number of full and part time employees per operation.

Operation Employment Status Total
Full Tiime/Part Time
Nursery 171/165 336
Greenhouse 20/14 34
Landscape 230/46 276
Garden Center 49/30 79
Total 470/255 725

According to data issued by the US Department of Agriculture, nursery operations with a gross value of sales of approximately $500,000 employ 11.2 full time and 8.0 part time staff. The data collected for nursery operations located in Moore County indicate very similar employment statistics. United States Department of Agriculture employment statistics for businesses classified as greenhouse, landscape, and garden center were not indicated.

Greenhouse operations in Moore County employ approximately 5 full time and 3.5 part time workers. Landscape maintenance, installation, and design operations employ on average approximately 10 full time and 2 part time workers. Retail garden center operations employ approximately 8 full time and 5 part time workers per operation.

Spider Mites

Tetranychid spider mites are tiny, warm season arthropods that insert their tiny, scissor-like mouthparts into leaves and petals and cause tiny yellow spots to form as they suck out the contents of plant cells. Hot, dry weather accelerates the life cycle of the spider mites. Hollihocks, roses, butterfly bush, some euonymus and bedding plants are often infested by spider mites during the summer. Because spider mites flair up in dry weather, their control is somewhat difficult. Plants that have wilted slightly are much more susceptible to pesticide injury than turgid plants. Also, plants are much more likely to be burned if pesticides are applied during midday. Plants should be watered thoroughly before spraying them with pesticide and should be sprayed in early morning or late afternoon so that the pesticide residue is dry before the bright, noon sun hits it. Horticultural oils and soaps are moderately toxic to spider mites and they are relatively safe for humans. Soaps and oils have virtually no residual activity so both pesticides must be applied two or three times for complete control (about 5 days between sprays). Horticultural oils have been shown to be less harmful to beneficial predatory mites.

There are a number of miticide products for commercial nurseries and greenhouses. Rotation of products is important for resistance management. Floramite controls mobile stages, while Hexygon kills eggs and sterilizes females. Akari (greenhouse only), Pylon, horticultural oil, and Ovation are also options. Avid is now labeled for spider mites outdoors except on coniferous evergreens. Nurseries and greenhouses have a long list of possible treatments in the North Carolina Agricultural Chemicals Manual. More information is contained in Ornamental and Turf Insect Information Note No. 25.

Techniques for Cleaning and Preparing Pesticide Sprayers
by: Dr. Gary Robertson, NCSU

Why Clean Sprayers?
Proper cleaning of sprayers is one of the most important practices in chemical application. Serious damage to susceptible plants can result from small amounts of herbicide left in sprayers. Since some pesticides degrade very slowly in solution, this damage can occur for up to several months after the sprayer was last used if the sprayer was not properly cleaned. Dried pesticide residues can also redissolve in the sprayer during later use, causing damage to susceptible plants. To prevent this damage, sprayers should be cleaned daily, between applications on different plants or with different products, and at the end of the season.

General Cleaning Guidelines
Begin by checking the label of the product or products used in the sprayer. Product labels may contain information on disposal of left over spray solution, personal protective equipment (PPE) recommendations, and recommended cleaning agents. Follow these instructions carefully. Be especially careful in selecting the correct cleaning agent, if any. Incompatible chemicals and cleaners can cause more harm than good.

Disposal of left over spray is the first problem to deal with. Try to avoid mixing too much spray solution to start with . The goal should always be to end the day with an empty sprayer. Measure the area to be sprayed and calibrate your sprayer to avoid mixing too much. If you have left over spray material, it can often be diluted and applied on another target as long as the label allows it. The sprayer should be washed inside and out immediately after use. Some products can settle to the bottom of the tank very soon after spraying is stopped. Therefore, it is important to keep the solution well mixed. When washing the sprayer, be sure to wash only on a properly designed and constructed containment area or pad.

If the next day's spraying is going to use the same product, flushing and rinsing with clean water may be the only cleaning step required. Rinse the outside of the sprayer, and the inside as well. Be careful not to create puddles if not on a containment pad. A triple rinse with clean water is more effective than a single rinse. Triple rinsing with rinse nozzles and good agitation of the solution has been shown to reduce pesticide residue more effectively than simple flushing of the sprayer.

For some chemicals, triple rinsing alone may not be satisfactory. More thorough cleaning using a cleaning agent such as a commercial tank cleaner, ammonia or detergent may be required. When choosing a cleaning agent, be sure to consult the chemical label to determine the proper cleaner and amount to use.

Next, rinse the sprayer thoroughly with clean water and flush the system. Mix the cleaning solution and fresh water in the tank. Fill the tank completely with water and cleaning solution. Agitate the system and spray out just enough to allow the sprayer hoses, valves, and nozzles to fill with the cleaning solution. The let stand for a period of time. This may be a few minutes to overnight, depending on the product you are cleaning. Finally, spray out the solution as recommended on the label and rinse the sprayer again with clean water.

Final Inspection
While cleaning a sprayer, take time to thoroughly inspect the sprayer and all its components. Look for bad nozzles, damaged screens and strainers, damaged hoses and worn pumps. Also check the tank, frame, and assembly for potential problems. Repair or replace any damaged components now and the sprayer will be ready to go when you need it again.

Disclaimer

Recommendations for the use of chemicals are included in this publication as a convenience to the reader. The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or services in the publication does not imply endorsement by North Carolina State Unversity. North Carolina A&T State Unviersity or North Carolina Cooperative Extension nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned. Individuals who use chemicals are responsible for ensuring the the intended use complies with current regulations and conforms to the product label before applying any chemical. For assistance, contact an agent of North Carolina Cooperative Extension.