NEW HA 



PSHIRE NEWS 



Collins Flowers, Inc., Nashua, NH, 

 received FTD's John A. Valentine 

 Award in Denver. This national 

 award, named after the founder of 

 FTD and given in his hometown, 

 recognizes outstanding leadership 

 in the floral industry. Frank is the 

 father of Peter Collins, who cur- 

 rently operates Collins Flowers, 

 and the son of Frank, who began 

 the business in 1930. He has been 

 active in promoting the industry 

 and in the FTD organization 

 throughout his entire professional 

 life Nominated by the FTD's local 

 regional chairman, Ray Savage, 

 Collins and Savage were flown to 

 Denver where Collins received a 

 plaque at a banquet in his honor 

 "The food and hospitality were 

 wonderful — it was a great honor. " 



FloraStar has named 'Pink ice,' 

 an impatiens variety developed at 

 D.S. Cole Growers, Loudon, as a 

 Fall, 1994, Winner. The variegated 



plant with lavender-pink double 

 blossoms is part of an ongoing series. 



A Sabbatical in Poland 



Nancy Adams, the UNH Coopera- 

 tive Extension Educator in Agricul- 

 tural Resources in Rockingham 

 County, is currently in Poland par- 

 ticipating in the "Polish/American 

 Extension Project ' This USDA-spon- 

 sored program is helping Poland start 

 its own Extension Service 



Nancy, who left in |une, will 

 spend six months in Poland, where 

 she is the member of a team (con- 

 sisting of a state-level extension 

 educator from Montana and herself, 

 as well as an interpreter) working 

 with Polish officials at a provincial- 

 level advisory center 



Although Nancy is missed in New 

 Hampshire (she will be back in De- 

 cember), it sounds like an opportu- 

 nity for growth and adventure. 



Poinsettias...and Water 



As you begin this year's polnsettia crop, think about having your 

 water tested. This Is Important because a proper feed program 

 should be based on the results. Ph, alkalinity, and calcium levels 

 are some of the factors that affect the success of your crop. For ex- 

 ample, calcium levels of SOppm from the very beginning will reduce 

 the chance of bract edge burn later. 



October Is not the time to be making ma)or nutritional adjust- 

 ments; plants don't respond well to drastic nutritional or Ph changes: 

 stunting can occur— which could contribute to a pythlum problem. 



A steady feed of 15-5-15 Excell enables you to give the crop Ca 

 and Mg at appropriate levels, although early test results may require 

 you to alternate with 31-5-20 to adjust the Ph. Start with 350ppm of 

 N at planting. Then lower to 200ppm four to six weeks later. 



A fungicide drench (eg: Banrot) Immediately at planting will re- 

 duce any later Infections of pythlum or phlzoctonla. As the canopy 

 develops, horizontal air movement Is Imperative to reduce botrytls. 

 Should an outbreak occur, an application of Ornalln may be re- 

 quired. 



So before you begin, test the water. 



\im Zabocki, Territory Manager 

 (603) 224-5583 



The Scolls Co.. Northeast, can be reached al 



MEETINGS, WORKSHOPS... 



Polnsettia Pest Management 

 School 



UNH Cooperative Extension will run a 

 polnsettia IPM School at Pleasant View 

 Gardens, Loudon, beginning at 9 AM 

 on Monday, August 22. It will take 

 about three hours and will cover such 

 topics as identification of insects on 

 sticky cards, disease management, 

 whitefly management, and insecticide 

 use For more information, contact Dr. 

 Alan Eaton at (603) 862-1159. 



Twilight Meeting 



Nada Haddad 



Have you ever considered — or 

 even imagined — using on your farm 

 a vehicle powered by solar energy? 

 A solar-powered vehicle that can 

 be used to transport pickers, work- 

 ers, or clients to the fields, as well 

 as transport tools and harvested 

 produce? A vehicle that uses no 

 fossil fuels and is nonpolluting? 



Caroline and Buck Robinson, 

 Berry Hill Farm, Stratham, New 

 Hampshire, have retrofit a golf cart 

 to be powered with solar energy 

 and have been experimenting with 

 it and using it for their daily trans- 

 portation needs at their organic 

 farm here in Stratham. If you're ex- 

 cited by the idea and would like to 

 know how it works, join us on Sep- 

 tember 21 at 4:30 pm at Berry Hill 

 Farm In addition, there will be a 

 discussion on growing berries. 



For directions and more informa- 

 tion, call Nada Haddad, UNH Coop- 

 erative Extension, Rockingham 

 County, at (603) 679-5616 (Pesti- 

 cide credits have been requested.) 



Workshop — Back to Basics 



The most serious problem in the 

 SBA tree planting program, accord- 

 ing to Mary Reynolds, Urban For- 

 ester in charge of the program in 

 New Hampshire, has been im- 

 proper planting techniques. What 

 are the correct techniques? You'll 

 have an opportunity to find out 

 Marys planning to offer a Back-to- 

 Basics Seminar this winter Dates 

 and details will be forthcoming 



The Planlsman 



