US (CA): Village Nurseries donates 300 plants to irrigation trials
There will be two trials, one at UC Davis and the other at the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) South Coast Research and Extension Center in Irvine. Their goal is to develop information on water use of landscape plants in both locations.
UC Davis horticulturists are evaluating the plants for their potential as good performers in low-water-use gardens. Plants like those donated by Village Nurseries will help growers and breeders evaluate new plant varieties in California gardens with the goal of successfully distributing and marketing these plants to the public.
Lorence R. Oki, Ph.D., UC Davis CE specialist, Environmental Horticulture and co-director, UC Nursery & Floriculture Alliance, commented, “These trials were initiated to develop information of landscape plant water use under experimental conditions and to fill a void of information on urban water conservation regarding how to irrigate landscape plants. With recurring drought in California, this information can be used to develop specific and detailed irrigation programs. We install the plants in the fall, and allow them to become established during the following year on regular irrigation. In the second summer after planting, the plants are exposed to different irrigation treatments. Each month during the second year the plants are measured for growth and evaluated for quality. The evaluations and measurements end at the end of the second year are used to determine the irrigation recommendations for each plant.”
Principal investigator of the project is Karrie Reid, the UC Cooperative Extension Environmental Horticulture advisor in San Joaquin County with the assistance of Project Manager Jared Sisneroz. Dr. Darren Haver and Mr. Grant Johnson are the project collaborators in Irvine. Information on the trials is posted online at http://ccuh.ucdavis.edu/Resources/plant-trials.
“Village Nurseries has always been about providing the very best plants to landscape architects, designers and contractors, so whenever we have an opportunity to get involved in a fully-fledged trial and evaluation program, we’ll be there,” explained Nicholas Staddon, Village Nurseries Plantsman. “It’s not just about the end result; it’s also about observing the plants throughout the trial period. The University offers regular dates where the design community and other interested parties can examine how the plants are faring in the field.”
“Our goal is to bring the very best landscape plants suited for the region,” Staddon added. “Working with the University of California will greatly aid in making this happen.”
The varieties donated for the UC Plant Trials include Cotoneaster d. ‘Coral Beauty’; Cotoneaster d. ‘Lowfast’; Rhaphiolepis umbellata ‘RutRhaph1’ PP# 20730 Southern Moon; Muhlenbergia capillaris ‘Irvine’ Plumetastic; Rosa ‘Meiradena’ Icecap; and Acacia cognata ‘ACCOG01’ Cousin Itt.
For more information:
Village Nurseries
www.villagenurseries.com