ORANGE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–To meet California’s mandatory landscape ordinances for water conservation, Village Nurseries Wednesday announced it has donated 300 plants to the University of California Landscape Plant Irrigation Trials to help determine water needs for landscape plants.
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.
About Village Nurseries, a division of TreeTown USA
Village Nurseries, founded in 1976, currently has major wholesale sales offices in Orange and Sacramento, California, with more than 900 acres under cultivation in growing facilities located strategically throughout Northern and Southern California. The company serves the re-wholesale, retail and landscape contractor markets throughout the western United States while maintaining four specialty locations to serve landscape professionals. Village Nurseries has forged strategic partnerships with respected growers and breeders such as Monrovia, Anthony Tesselaar International and Sunset Western Garden Collection. For more information, visit http://www.villagenurseries.com.
About TreeTown USA
TreeTown USA is a 16-year-old privately-owned business headquartered in Houston, Texas, with three locations in Texas (Winnsboro, Colfax and Glen Flora) and four in Florida (Pahokee, Canal Point, Homestead and Bunnell). The company is known for its high-quality container-grown trees, shrubs, perennials, tropical and cold hardy palms, as well as container and field-grown palms. TreeTown USA grows over 1,000 unique plant selections and variations. To learn more about TreeTown USA, visit the company’s website at http://www.treetownusa.com.
