5 Important Topics For The Garden Industry In 2021

It’s officially a new year and the highly anticipated Spring season is just around the corner! Here at Plant Sentry™ this new year means a fresh start, full of new opportunities. That’s why we’re diving into the new year head first to look at the “5 Important Topics For the Garden Industry In 2021”.

1. Integrated Pest Management Plans:

We wouldn’t be who we are today, if this wasn’t the first conversation that we asked you to have with your teams. Integrated Pest Management plans are the backbone of a grow operations pest management efforts. The efforts are both effective and environmentally sensitive. [1] They consider the life cycle of pests that threaten their stock, and how to best combat them.

Every growing season brings new challenges, and this year will be no different. Before and after the grow season sit down with your team that manages your IPM. Ask them how effective and efficient their efforts were before the big growing season, and what changes could be made now that it’s over.

Having a strong plan in place is how the best IPMs succeed!

2. Regulatory Compliance:

Not to be outdone by the importance of a quality IPM, Regulatory Compliance comes in at number two. While it may appear second ranked in this article, it could arguably have been number one. Regulatory compliance efforts are essential for any business in the green and garden industry.

Whether or not most buyers realize it, regulatory compliance is set out as rules and guidelines from the Federal and State governments [2]. Each of these regulatory bodies monitor and regulate invasive plant, pest, and disease movement throughout their lifetime within the U.S. As time passes they’ll pass rulings that can ban certain plants from moving from one place to another based upon their vulnerability.

Each part of the country belongs to a different ecoregion. Sometimes, the ecoregion will also be determined by government bodies as to what plants will do best in those areas. All of these tools guide and tell growers where their plants can and cannot be shipped or sold. However, it is the responsibility of the growers and sellers to seek out and apply these regulations.

Proper following of these regulations can have HUGE impacts on a company’s bottom line. If plants are shipped or sold by someone and they have rulings around them that say otherwise, officials will burn and destroy the entire lot of those plants. These damages can result in the loss of thousands to millions of dollars.

This is why Plant Sentry™ [3] is so important! We’ve developed a database with consistently maintained regulations for compliance to help growers and sellers from losing their plants.

3. Scalability:

Coming in at number three is the topic of Scalability. While the previous two topics were more focused on management systems for a business, we know that both of them play a bigger part in how successfully your business can grow.

2020 was a mad dash to pivot and create increased success from a booming opportunity within the green and garden industry. With a little bit more time for preparation this year, scalability should be easier to achieve for the expected influx of business.

But, the pivots and foresight for growth shouldn’t end with the Spring 2021 season. Scaling your business can continue to grow well after the season has ended as you put together the pieces for the next growing season. Topics that you might want to focus more closely on, if you haven’t already, are going to be E-Commerce developments, curbside pick-up and shipping opportunities, and increased labor to pace the growth of your business.

4. Sustainability:

If Sustainability wasn’t on your radar before, it most certainly should be in 2021. Across every sector and industry of the economy, businesses are pivoting in a greener direction. For much of the green and garden industry this idea of sustainable development has already been a large part of their practice.

But there are still many who haven’t quite made it that far. If you’re one of the many businesses looking to buff up the sustainability of your business, there’s a few things to consider.

While much of the efforts towards a more sustainable future focus solely on greener actions, that’s not the only part of being sustainable. When developing ideas that might be best adapted for your practices you should consider the longevity of your business as well. Greener efforts within your business should contribute to higher returns long-term.

Some sustainable ideas worth adapting might include container recycling programs, selling more native plants, using more compostable materials, and many more. We recommend you take some time to chat with your team, ask their ideas, and then see what could work best for your business.

5. Trade Shows and Conferences

With the exciting arrival of vaccines for COVID-19 it’s starting to look like there very well could be some Trade Shows and Conferences this year. We’re not sure about you, but we’re pretty excited about possibly seeing our colleagues again!

Trade show season is always fun, but can also be a little overwhelming if you’re new to the business. There’s so many!

Determining how many trade shows your business will attend should be a part of your business and marketing strategy for the year. If not every trade show will be feasible or possible due to other attendance barriers, look at attending trade shows that are going to have a maximum return for your attendance.

Things you’ll want to consider are the demographics of the show and ask if they’re your target audience. Look at how many people will be attending for the best brand visibility possible. Work with what is going to be the best price with the best quality to really make your trip worthwhile.

While this year is almost guaranteed to be better, let’s not hedge our bets! Consider these important topics throughout the year to help improve your practices and your business.

Citations:

[1] https://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/integrated-pest-management-ipm-principles

[2] https://www.usda.gov/topics/plants

[3] https://www.plantsentry.com

The 5 Most Challenging Invasive Species of 2020

(For the Garden Industry)

For months, I’ve been publishing content hinting at the end of the year. Well, it’s finally arrived, the actual end of the year. So here I am, participating in the annual moment of reflection for perhaps the most controversial and difficult year in recent history. As l look back, all I can think of is how much we’ve overcome.

This year was nothing short of a challenge and being here today feelings like nothing shy of a miracle. But, looking back at all of the hard work our industry put in to thrive and stay afloat it’s not surprising that more growers and sellers saw upsides rather than downs.

With the ever present threat of invasive species, disease, and pests learning from this past year’s challenges will be just what we need to tackle 2021.

Let’s take a look back at this year’s 5 Most Challenging Invasive Species.

#1. The Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire)

This pest officially became so widespread this past year, that the USDA has ruled to roll back the quarantine efforts of the invasive species.

This pest officially infests all but 13 states of the contiguous United States of America.

Despite best efforts to quarantine and control the pest, the spread of the beetle has left many states with no other option but to remove the coveted Ash trees from their lands, and discontinue efforts of regulations.

The new USDA approach hopes to reserve funding and efforts currently used for quarantining the Emerald Ash Borer, so that more effective management can be developed and executed. [1]

#2. Asian Citrus Psyllid (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama or ACP)

This particular pest is always at the top of our list when it comes to terrible, no good, invasive species. As we’ve discussed in some of our previous blogs, the Asian Citrus Psyllid spreads the Huanglongbing (HLB) disease, also known as Citrus Greening, that currently has no cure.

Citrus Greening is responsible for a 21% decline in the fresh citrus fruit market, as well as a 72% decline in the production of oranges as of 2019. [2] The pest and its disease is currently found in 9 states throughout the contiguous United States, all residing within the citrus belt of the U.S.

The ever growing threat of this pest and the disease it carries is the root of the numerous citrus agreements, certifications, and licenses that are necessary for the Green Industry. Maybe in 2021 we’ll finally be able to get rid of this sucker for good!

#3. Gypsy Moth (Asian & European)

Besides being my least favorite invasive pest to look at, this pest sure is a doozy!

It has many technical names. The Asian Gypsy Moth is scientifically identified as “AGM, including Lymantria dispar asiatica, Lymantria dispar japonica, Lymantria albescens, Lymantria umbrosa, and Lymantria post¬alba” [3]. The European Gypsy Moth is scientifically identified as “lobesia botrana or EGVM” [4].

See? A doozy.

But what’s more frustrating about this pest is the way that it invades its host trees and does just enough damage before leaving and making way for more dangerous diseases and pests to kill it off. Some of their trees of choice are Oak trees, Sweet Gum trees, Willow trees, Birch trees, Apple trees, and Boxelder trees. However, there are plenty of other trees they seek. The Asian variety of the gypsy moth eats both evergreen and deciduous tree varieties, while the European variety only targets deciduous trees.

But as if their damage wasn’t enough, these apparently evolved species of moths also are difficult to prevent and control. Their unique “ballooning” method of transfer that their egg sacs can have, allows for them to be carried by wind instead of just flight.

It was estimated back in 2011 that for the 20 years prior this pest had caused $30 million dollars in damages A YEAR! [5].

#4. Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula)

If you follow us on social media @PlantSentry, or frequent our blogs, you’re probably familiar with this pest!

This pest has been around since it was first found in Pennsylvania in 2014. Since then, management efforts against the pest have been challenging to say the least. Part of the difficulty in managing this pest is that their eggs, larvae, and adults easily travel undetected through contaminated material. These materials can include your shoes, firewood, and really anything else they can attach themselves to.

Educational efforts such as Play Clean Go help provide guidance to many of us who unknowingly transfer this pest in our outdoor activities.

This pest favors grape vines, hardwoods, and fruit trees, but will devor just about any plant. The fruit industry has been particularly impacted by this [6]. So far their cost in damages has resulted in a $50 Million dollar decline throughout the state of Pennsylvania. [7]

Part of this economic decline as a result of the pest has also been 500 jobs lost throughout the state of Pennsylvania. [7]

#5. Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata)

Ah, finally #5, Kudzu! Now here’s a real handful of an invasive species. This guy has been in the U.S. for years, all the way back to 1876, and was an introduced species originally used to help control erosion. Since its arrival this invasive species has become perhaps the most invasive plant species in the U.S.

This plant currently inhabits mostly the Southeastern portion of the country but can be found in 30 states throughout the U.S. 13 of the 50 contiguous states currently list this plant as a noxious weed, although it is no longer a federally listed noxious weed. [8]

With the ability to overgrow even trees in a forest, this plant overcrowds existing vegetation and prevents healthy growth of native species in their regions. It is currently estimated that this plant covers about 20,000 to 30,000 square kilometers of land throughout the U.S. [9]

Nationwide this invasive species contributes to roughly $500 million dollars lost in cropland and control efforts. [9]

Looking Forward in 2021

So there you have it, the 5 most challenging invasive species that we faced in 2020 throughout the Garden Industry.

It’s difficult to look at this list without concern for the future and wonder what combative steps we might take as an industry against these species. At Plant Sentry™ we ask these same questions and we have these same concerns. This is why as a company we’ve set the standard to provide the best possible guidance not just for ourselves, but for those we serve in resolving the challenges that invasive species bring.

Our company, Plant Sentry™, started out as a small idea, but it has turned into a component for much greater change. Throughout our industry companies and clients are showing more interest in working to resolve the challenges and issues that invasive species bring. As we greet the new year of 2021, we’re confident that our community will continue to encourage a brighter future with less invasive species.

Until then,