Nursery and Greenhouse Growers COVID-19 Updates

From

Stacey Jones

Central Region Greenhouse and Nursery News

COVID-19 Update

NCDA Plant, Solution, and Water Lab

As a reminder, the Plant/Waste/Solutions and Media (PWSM) Lab will be operating this week from Tuesday through Friday and will accept all samples except routine liquid manures. As part of our planned ramp down in staff in-house hours, lab operational hours will be reduced to Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday beginning next week. Barring unforeseen circumstances, this will be the PWSM schedule moving forward. Samples can still be delivered/submitted on Mondays and Thursdays.

Practically: Plant tissue samples submitted on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays should be completed in one business day and plant tissue samples submitted Wednesdays and Fridays should be completed in two business days. This is the only delay in services that we anticipate at this time.

NCSU Plant Disease and Insect Clinic

We are still working remotely to help our commercial clients deal with plant problems. With the right photos, we can often identify possible causes for plant symptoms or at least narrow down the list of possibilities. It is essential to get the right photos, however. For landscape plant problems, we need to see at least one photo of the plant, tree, or shrub with the surrounding site visible – this allows us to see problems like excessive shading, berms, or swales that could indicate drought or excessive moisture, and other site factors. We also need a few photos of the symptoms of concern. If the entire plant is brown or wilted, it can be helpful to get a photo of the base of the stem, where the plant emerges from the ground or mulch (these photos can indicate deep planting or excessive mulching as a possible problem). It should go without saying (but based on the photos we sometimes receive, clearly it needs to be said!) – the photos must be in focus!

Please look at them before you send them, to make sure that the plant in question is easily identified and the symptoms are clearly apparent. Along with the proper images, we need information on the plant in question – what is the species, how long has it been in the site, when did symptoms first appear, what is the distribution of the problem (all plants of many species showing symptoms, or is it just this one species?), and what if any pest management applications have been made.

Green Industry is Critical Industry

Green Industry is considered a critical industry under Governor Coopers Executive Order. Social distancing policies for employees and customers required!

Section 2, Paragraph C, Subparagraph 1, Businesses that meet Social Distancing Requirements

Nurseries, greenhouses, garden centers, landscapers and other agribusinesses serve the public in open spaces, “except at the point of sale or purchase” in some cases as allowed by the executive order.

Section 2, Paragraph C, Subparagraph 5, Essential Infrastructure Operations

This section references “building and grounds management and maintenance including landscaping.”

Section 2, Paragraph C, Subparagraph 8, Food, Beverage Production and Agriculture

This section references “other production agriculture, including cultivation, marketing, production, and distribution of animals and goods for consumption.”

Section 2, Paragraph C, Subparagraph 15, Critical Trades

This section references “landscaping and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of residences and COVID-19 Essential Businesses and Operations.”

Section 2, Paragraph C, Subparagraph 26, Manufacture, distribution and supply chain for critical products and industries

This section references “manufacturing companies, distributors and supply chain companies producing and supplying essential products and services in and for industries such as…agriculture.”

Section 2, Paragraph C, Subparagraph 30, Additional COVID-19 Essential Retail Businesses

This section references “lawn and garden equipment retailers.”

Some counties do have stricter rules than the state. Mecklenburg County is restricting landscape beautification. NCDA as been alerted and is working with local counties to come to an agreement on this issue.

NCDA Press Release

Commission Troxler released another statement declaring Agriculture a Critical Industry and it included the Green Industry on 3/27/2020.

"Because of their vitalness to North Carolina agriculture, work authorization letters have also been provided to green industry operations such as nurseries, garden centers and landscape companies."

Press Release

Work Authorization Letters NCDA

NCDA released a law enforcement letter and work authorization forms for your employees to carry with them while traveling to and from work. You should have received these last week over email, but I wanted to include them again to make sure you saw them.

Letter to Law Enforcement

Work Authorization (English)

Work Authorization (Spanish)

Current Growing Degree Day

Here are the current growing degree days to help you monitor when to treat for Redheaded Flea Beetles. Please see my past newsletter below for more information about this.

Redheaded Flea Beetle Update

Greensboro- 323.5

Concord- 384

Southern Pines- 428