Grade & Standards for Selected Container-Grown Landscape Plants
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INFORMATION TEXT SERIES 046 Grades & Standards for Selected Container-grown Landscape Plants * Charlie Nagamine Paul Murakami Fred D. Rauch * * HITAHR * College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources * * University of Hawai‘i at Manoa * Fancy Number 1 Number 2 INTRODUCTION This is an effort to establish a set of grades for container plants in Hawai‘i. The intent is to make this available to the industry to determine if this is practical. If this model, with modification, is acceptable, it can be expanded in the future. These are only guidelines at present, but can be adopted as official grades in the future. THE AUTHORS Charles Nagamine is a research associate, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. Paul Murakami is a research associate, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. Fred D. Rauch is a specialist in Horticulture, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. Acknowledgments This project was established as a priority for the landscape industry by the Landscape Industry Council of Hawaii (LICH), and was made possible by funding from the Governor’s Agricultural Coordinating Committee (GACC). The guidance for this project was provided by the LICH Stan dards Committee chaired by Patrick Oka, Oka Nursery and Landscaping. Mahalo to all the industry members who served on this committee and who provided plant material for the photographs in this publication. We thank Jan McEwan for her assistance in taking the pictures and processing some of the, film. Also, we would like to recognize George Staples and Clyde Imada, Botany Department of the Bishop Museum for their technical assistance with the plant nomenclature. PURPOSE OF THIS BOOKLET This booklet gives standard descriptions ( ‘Standards”) for the sole purpose of grading container-grown plants com monly used for outdoor landscaping. Do not apply these Standards to finished, potted flowering plants (such as poinsettias, chrysanthemums, azaleas), liners, or rental plants. • HOW TO USE THIS BOOKLET DO NOT use this booklet to grade a plant which does not match the plant names and corresponding pot size listed in the Index o f Plant Names (yellow pages) at the end of this booklet. DO NOT use this booklet to grade plants to be used as potted flowering plants (such as poinsettias), liners, or rental plants. S T E P 1 Look up the page Look in the Index o f Plant Names (yellow pages) at the end of this booklet. Locate number for the plant’s Specific the plant’s name, container size, and its page number. This will lead you to the Standard. plant’s Specific Standard. Both common names and botanical names arc listed alphabetically. Look up botanical names whenever possible because common names are sometimes unreliable. If the plant and pot size (together) arc not listed, the plant cannot be graded using the Standards in this booklet. Turn to the page number for the plant’s Specific Standard. S T E P 2 Compare the plant's Look at all the pictures show n and choose the picture which best matches the height and spread to the plant’s height, spread, and foliage density. Do not over-grade. Note the grade for pictures shown in the Specific that picture; this is the tentative grade for that plant. Standard. Choose a tentative Picture GRID SIZE: 2 inches. grade. S T E P 3 Consult the General Using the General Standard (page 5), judge the plant’s foliage, branching, and Standard (page 5) to adjust root system. If necessary, adjust your tentative grade of the plant. The following your tentative grade of the arc some factors which may cause you to apply a downgrading adjustment: plant and decide on a final 1) Lack of health, vigor, or excessive succulence. grade. 2) Stems, Branches: (a) poorly distributed forming an undesirable plant, (b) weak or poorly formed; (c) show excessive scarring, scars not healing properly, or poor pruning cuts showing excessive protrusion; (d) with severe creasing, cracks, cambium peeling, cavities, holes, or dead wood. 3) Foliage: (a) leaves of improper shape, size, texture and color, (b) excessive chlorosis; (c) excessive pest injury or mechanical injury 4) Root System:(a) not established in container; (b) excessively rootbound; (c) large roots growing out of container; (d) hard-to-control weeds (such as nut grass’) in container. 2 Shrub Classification Shrub classification is important because it determines a plant’s height-to-spread ratio which will be used to grade the plant. (A) SEMI-BROAD SPREADING (see table 1 below) Carissa macrocarpa (C. grandiflora) (Natal Plum) (1-gal.): 8 to 12” high Carissa macrocarpa (C. grandiflora) Tuttlei ’ ( Tuttle’s Dawrf Natal Plum) (1-gal.): 6 to 10” high Juniperus chinensis ‘Pfitzcriana’ (3-gal ): 6 to 10” high Tecoma capensis (Cape Honeysuckle) (1-gal.): 14 to 18” high Ficus microcarpa var. crassifolia (Wax Fig. Taiwan Fig) (1-gal.): 6 to 10” high (B) SPREADING Allamanda cathartica (Common Allamanda) (1-gal.): 14 to 18” Bougainvillea ‘Miss M anila’ (1-gal.): 8 to 12” Lanlana camara (Lantana) (1-gal.): 6 to 10” Plumbago auriculata (P. capensisj (Cape Leadwort. Plumbago) (1-gal ): 18-24" Pittosporum tobira (Japanese Tobira) (1-gal): 14 to 20” Pittosporum tobira ‘Wheclerii’ (Wheeler’s Dwarf Pittosporum) (1-gal ): 6 to 10” Scaevola sericea (S. frutescens) (Beach Naupaka) (1-gal ): 10 to 16” Si da fallax (Tlima) (1-gal.): 12 to 18” (C) GLOBOSE Acalypha hispida (Chenille Plant) (1-gal ): 14 to 18” Acalypha wilkesiana (Beefsteak Plant; Copperleaf) (1-gal.): 18 to 24” Breynia disticha (B. nivosa) (Snowbush) (1-gal.): 14 to 18” Rhaphiolepis umbellata (Kokutan; Yeddo Hawthorn) (1-gal.): 6 to 10” (D) UPRIGHT SPREADING Citrus limon (Lemon) (5-gal ): 36 to 48” Codiaeum variegatum ‘Gold Dust’ (Gold Dust Croton) (1-gal.): 12 to 16” Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Chinese Hibiscus) (1-gal ): 18 to 24” Ixora coccinea (Common Ixora) (1-gal.): 12 to 18” Ixora macrothyrsa ‘King’ (King Ixora) (1-gal ): 14 to 20” Ixora sp. (Thailand Dwarf Ixora) (1-gal.): 6 to 10” Juniperus chinensis Pfitzeriana’ (Pfitzer Jumper) (1-gal ): 6 to 12” Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’ (Hollywood Juniper) (1-gal.): 18 to 24” Ligustrum japonicum (Japanese Privet) (1-gal ): 18 to 24” Nandina domestica ‘Nana’ (Dwarf Nandina) (3-gal ): 6 to 10” Shrub Classification (continued) (E) UPRIGHT Leea guineensis (L. coccinea) (Leea; West Indian Holly) (3-gal.): 24 to 36” M urraya paniculata (M. exotica) (Mockorange) (1-gal ): 12 to 16” Nandina domestica (Nandina; Heavenly Bamboo) (3-gal ): 18 to 24” Nandina domestica ‘Nana’ (Dwarf Nandina; Heavenly Bamboo) (3-gal.): 18 to 24” Nerium oleander (Common Oleander) (1-gal.): 18 to 24” Pseuderanthemum carruthersii ‘Atropurpureum’ (Purple False Eranthemum) (1-gal): 12 to 24” Pseuderanthemum reticulatum (False Eranthemum) (1-gal): 12-24” (F) COLUMNAR Podocarpus macrophyllus 'Maki' (Buddhist Pine) (1-gal ): 18 to 24” Polyscias Scutellaria ‘Pcnnockii’ (Balfour Aralia) (1-gal ): 18 to 24” Polyscias fruticosa ‘Elegans’ (Parsley Panax) (3-gal.): 18 to 24” Polysciasguilfoylei (Lace Aralia) (1-gal ): 12 to 18” Table 1. The relationship of plant height to spread for various shmb types. Shrub Type Fancy grade Number 1 grade Number 2 grade (1, 3 or 5-gallon size plants) SPREAD SPREAD SPREAD A Broad Spreading 3 times height 23/a times height 2 V2 times height A Semi-broad Spreading 2Vr times height 2 times height P /4 times height B Spreading IV 2 times height EQUAL to height 2/ i of height C Globose EQUAL to height V3 of height V2 of height D Upright Spreading V4 of height V2 of height V3 of height E Upright V2 of height V3 of height V 4 of height F Columnar V3 of height V 4 of height Vs of height Container Classification In this booklet, container sizes are given in '‘gallons ’. This chart shows how the ‘gallon” sizes match the container classes set by the American Association of Nurserymen (AAN) (see the bottom table. Nursery Plant Container or Pot Sizes). Container Size Container Class [or Volume1 ] (AAN recommendations) 1 -gallon #1 2-gallon #2 3-gallon #3 5-gallon #5 7-gallon #7 15-gallon #15 1 The “gallon” size is about equal to the volume of fill material if the container has the maximum dimensions shown in the AAN’s chart below and is filled to a level 0.5” from the topFor example, a 1-gallon container, 7" tall, with a 7 5" inside top diameter, and a 6" inside bottom diameter filled to a level 0.5” from the top will contain about 232 cubic inches o f fill material (1 U.S. gallon = 231 cubic inches) Nursery Plant Container or Pot Sizes* The following plant container maximum and minimum dimensions are the limits recommended for plant containers classed as #1, #2, #3, #5, #7, and #15. The three dimensions are height, inside top diameter, and inside bottom diameter. Inside Inside Vertical Top Bottom Container Height Diameter Diameter [class] (Max.-Min.) (Max.-Min.) (Max.-Min.) #1 7.00" - 6.00" 7.50" - 6.00" 6.00" - 5.00" #2 8.75" - 7.50" 8.75" - 7.50" 7.75" - 6.50" #3 10.00"-8.50" 10.00"-9.50" 9.50" - 8.50" #5 12.50" - 11.00" 12.00" - 9.75" 10.25" -8.75" #7 12.50" - 11.00" 14.00" - 12.25" 12.25" - 11.00' #15 18.00"- 15.00" 17.25" - 15.00" 14.50" - 13.50' * This chart is from a publication, American Standard for Nursery Stock, American Association of Nurserymen, Inc., 1986. General Standard Fancy grade Number 1 grade Number 2 grade An exceptionally healthy and A healthy, vigorous plant which is A healthy, vigorous plant which is vigorous plant which is very well well-shaped, well-branched, and fairly well-shaped, with fair branch shaped, heavily branched, and well-foliated (subject to natural ing and fair foliage (subject to densely foliated (subject to natural growth o f the variety').