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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 2016)
11A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016 Plants: Christmas crops are niche for Northwest farmers Continued from Page 1A Across the U.S., farmers sold more than $1.3 million worth of cut conif- erous evergreens in 2014, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture data. To compare, the total value of cut Christmas trees — the king of the holiday’s crops — topped $366 million that year. Despite the relatively small mar- ket for boughs and Christmas-related plants such as poinsettias and holly, they provide an important niche for Northwest growers, tapping a source of cash flow at a time of year when most other crops have long been harvested. Christmas cactuses are grown at Fessler Nursery near Woodburn. The plants must be covered part of each day to make them flower. Christmas color Poinsettias provide a way for greenhouse nurseries that sell flow- ering bedding plants in springtime to keep their employees busy during the fall, too. Last year, growers nationwide sold nearly $140 million worth of potted poinsettias, according to the USDA. Though the plant isn’t particularly profitable, it does provide enough rev- enue to keep workers who might not otherwise return from being laid off, said Vern Johnson, owner of Johnson Brothers Greenhouses near Eugene. Because they’re a tropical plant, poinsettias need more heat during the cool months preceding Christmas, adding to the cost of growing them, he said. They’re also prone to fungal dis- ease, requiring frequent sprays and more spacing between plants to ensure proper air circulation. “It’s not a bread-and-butter crop,” said Johnson, who also produces bed- ding plants, perennials, shrubs and trees. Photos by Mateusz Perkowski/EO Media Group A worker harvests holly with red berries at Mill Creek Holly Farms near Stayton. Vern Johnson, owner of Johnson Brothers Green- houses near Eugene, examines poinsettias growing in one of his green- houses. International crop Poinsettias are a truly international industry, he said. Breeding occurs in tropical coun- tries such as Costa Rica and Guate- mala. Cuttings are then shipped to large greenhouses, where they’re rooted. The rooted poinsettias are then sold to greenhouses such as the Johnson Brothers operation for the final stage of production. Night temperatures must be kept above 65 degrees for poinsettias, though breeders in recent years have turned their attention to developing varieties that can withstand lower temperatures, Johnson said. “We’re loving that, because a lot of your money goes to heating these things,” he said. Improved genetics in poinsettias have also reduced the need to screen many varieties from the sun to induce flowering, said Kyle Peterson, pro- duction manager at Fessler Nursery near Woodburn. Within the greenhouse, wires are suspended above the crop, which is manually covered in plastic each day and uncovered in the morning. “It’s quite a chore pulling that plastic each day,” he said. While fewer poinsettia varieties now require this treatment, Fessler Nursery has in recent years also Several varieties of poinsettias are grown at Johnson Brothers Greenhouses near Eugene. begun growing Christmas cactuses, which must be covered from 4 p.m. to 8 a.m. beginning in September to ini- tiate flowering, he said. Despite the extra labor, Christmas cactuses are more profitable because they’re not as sensitive to cold and prone to diseases as poinsettias, Peterson said. “They require a lot of attention,” he said. The nursery has dispatched an effi- cient remedy to combat the white flies, aphids and thrips that feast on poinset- tias: Baskets of mullein — a common roadside plant with leathery leaves — are hung throughout the greenhouse. The mullein harbors a benefi- cial bug, dicyphus hesperus, which eats the pests, Peterson said. “We’re always trying to find additional ways to reduce pesticide use.” Holly threats While poinsettias are finicky due to their tropical origins, farmers also encounter difficulties with a Christ- mas crop that naturally thrives in the region — holly. The plant is vulnerable to phy- tophthora, a genus of fungal-like pathogens that damage it. “There’s no cure for it. All you can do is try to prevent it,” said Don Har- teloo, who owns Mill Creek Holly Farms near Stayton. More than $1 million worth of cut holly was sold in the U.S. in 2014, according to the latest USDA data. Fungicide sprays are necessary during the rainy season, and during summer dead leaves and other debris are vacuumed from beneath the holly trees to keep the disease away. Unless a grower is aggressive in fighting the pathogen, it can defoli- ate and wipe out an entire orchard, especially in a year like 2016, when disease pressure has been high, said Harteloo. “It seems to be getting worse all the time, and this seems to be a par- ticularly bad year,” he said. Once a healthy holly tree is estab- lished, which takes about a decade, branches can be cut vigorously each year, Harteloo said. Cutting seems to stimulate growth, so overly zealous harvesters have never been a problem, he said. Harteloo and his wife, Sue, sell their holly to wholesale buyers. They also make wreaths and other decora- tions, which are sold online. Most buyers want red ber- ries on their holly and prefer varie- gated cultivars with leaves that have cream-colored edges, Sue Harteloo said. To prevent leaves and berries from falling off after harvest, the branches are dipped in a rare plant hormone, Don Harteloo said. “It’s very expensive. A thousand dollars a gallon,” he said. Harvest by shotgun The Harteloos also sell “kissing balls” that incorporate mistletoe, a parasitic plant that infects oak trees. A farmer near Silverton has enough mistletoe growing wild on his property to supply their yearly needs. “It doesn’t take much to go a long ways,” Harteloo said. The mistletoe is collected using ladders or shears on long poles, but when it’s particularly inaccessible, Harteloo resorts to firearms. “You can shoot it down, usually with a shotgun,” he said. Feeling like just another face in the crowd with your current Mortgage Lender? Come to Wauna Credit Union! We‘ll treat you like Individual you are, with Personal Care & Excellent Service! waunafcu.org l 800-773-3236
