Acknowledgments This publication is an update and expansion of the 1987 Cornell Guidelines on Perennial Production. Informa- tion in chapter 3 was adapted from a presentation given in March 1996 by John Bartok, professor emeritus of agricultural engineering at the University of Connecticut, at the Connecticut Perennials Shortcourse, and from articles in the Connecticut Greenhouse Newsletter, a publication put out by the Department of Plant Science at the University of Connecticut. Much of the information in chapter 10 about pest control was adapted from presentations given by Tim Abbey, extension educator with the Integrated Pest Management Program at the University of Connecticut, and Leanne Pundt, extension educator at the Haddam Cooperative Extension Center at the University of Connecticut, at the March 1996 Connecticut Perennials Shortcourse, and from presenta- tions by Margery Daughtrey, senior extension associate in plant pathology at the Long Island Horticultural Research Laboratory, Cornell Cooperative Extension. This publication has been peer-reviewed by the persons listed below. It was judged to be technically accurate and useful for cooperative extension programs and for the intended audience. The author is grateful for the comments provided by reviewers, as they helped to add clarity and depth to the information in this publication. • Raul I. Cabrera, Extension Specialist and Assistant Professor Nursery Crops Management Cook College, Rutgers University • Stanton Gill, Regional Specialist Nursery and Greenhouse Management University of Maryland Cooperative Extension • George L. Good, Professor Department of Floriculture and Ornamental Horticulture Cornell University • Leanne Pundt, Extension Educator, Commercial Horticulture Haddam Cooperative Extension Center University of Connecticut • David S. Ross, Extension Agricultural Engineer Department of Biological Resources Engineering University of Maryland • Thomas C. Weiler, Professor Department of Floriculture and Ornamental Horticulture Cornell University This book was edited and designed by Cathleen Walker, NRAES production editor. Special thanks to the Art Department in Ithaca, New York for preparing the illustrations in this book. Disclaimer Neither the authors nor NRAES guarantees or warrants recommendations or products discussed in this publi- cation. Use of a product name does not imply endorsement of the product to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable. On the Cover Clockwise from the upper left: (1) Quonset houses on Long Island, New York, uncovered for summer produc- tion with overhead watering. Ground cloth under the pots in houses and outside in container production areas helps control weeds. (2) Typical field production in the Great Lakes region of Ohio — plants are in rows in beds set up for mechanical cultivation. (3) This large, wholesale perennial nursery in Nebraska has display and trial beds in front of some of their many polyhouses. Shade cloth is placed over the plastic on the houses for cooler summer temperatures and for shade-requiring perennials. (4) These display beds in Ontario, Canada are well labeled, show mature sizes of perennials, and illustrate a monochromatic design. About PALS PALS, Plant and Life Sciences Publishing (formerly NRAES), is a not-for-profit program dedicated to increas- ing public availability of science- and experienced-based knowledge. The program is sponsored by six land- grant universities in the eastern United States. It is part of the Department of Horticulture, in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, at Cornell University. PALS publishes practical books of interest to fruit and vegetable growers, landscapers, dairy and livestock produc- ers, natural resource managers, SWCD (soil and water conservation district) staff, consumers, landowners, and professionals interested in agricultural waste management and composting. PALS books are used in cooperative extension programs, in college courses, as management guides, and for self-directed learning. Contact PALS for more information. Plant and Life Sciences Publishing (PALS) Cooperative Extension, PO Box 4557 Ithaca, New York 14852-4557 Phone: (607) 255-7654 Fax: (607) 254-8770 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: palspublishing.cals.cornell.edu Marty Sailus, PALS Director PALS is sponsored by these Land Grant Universities: University of Connecticut University of Maine University of New Hampshire Rutgers University Cornell University West Virginia University Cooperative Extension NRAES–93 Herbaceous Perennials Production A GUIDE FROM PROpagaTION TO MARKETING Written by Leonard P. Perry Professor University of Vermont Extension System Plant and Life Sciences Publishing (PALS) 34 Plant Science Building Ithaca, New York 14853 NRAES–93 July 1998 ©1998 by the Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service All rights reserved. Inquiries invited. ISBN 978-0-935817-29-4 __________________________________________________ Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Perry, Leonard P. Herbaceous perennials production : a guide from propagation to marketing / written by Leonard P. Perry. p. cm. -- (NRAES : 93) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-935817-29-8 (pbk.) 1. Perennials. 2. Floriculture. I. Title. II. Series: NRAES (Series) ; 93. SB434.P4755 1998 635.9'32'068--DC21 98-18961 CIP Requests to reprint parts of this publication should be sent to PALS. In your request, please state which parts of the publication you would like to reprint and describe how you intend to use the reprinted material. Contact PALS if you have any questions. Plant and Life Sciences Publishing (PALS) 34 Plant Science Building Ithaca, New York 14853 Phone: (607) 255-7654 • Email: [email protected] ii Reprinted May 2017 About the Author Dr. Leonard Perry has been growing perennials in the United States for twenty-eight years, first in the South and later in the North. He has an undergraduate degree from Auburn University and graduate degrees from Cor- nell University. Dr. Perry has spent summers working in industry and at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. He has been with the cooperative extension system at the University of Vermont since 1981, working directly with the industry and region and touring peren- nial gardens and nurseries worldwide. Research during his tenure in Vermont has focused primarily on herbaceous perennials and has covered all aspects of perennial cul- ture, particularly overwintering and hardiness. At grower programs in the United States and Canada, Dr. Perry has shared what he has learned from industry and research, and this publication collects that information for the first time. iii Table of Contents LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................... x LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................................xi INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................1 About This Book ...........................................................................................................................................2 CHAPTER 1 STARTING A BUSINESS .........................................................................................................................3 What Can I Expect to Earn?.........................................................................................................................3 Will I Need to Work Full-Time? ..................................................................................................................3 Is There a Market for Perennials in My Area? How Can I Find a Niche? ....................................................4 I’ve Decided on a Perennial Business — What Now? ...................................................................................4 Where Can I Get Help with Financing and Business Decisions? ..........................................................4 What Kind of Business Should I Have? ..................................................................................................5 Which Perennials Should I Sell? .............................................................................................................5 If I Grow My Own Plants, Should I Grow Them in the Field or in Containers? ..................................5 How Do I Price My Plants? ....................................................................................................................5 Where Do I Get More Information? ............................................................................................................6 CHAPTER 2 SPECIES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS ......................................................................................7 Taxonomy and Nomenclature .......................................................................................................................7 Standards .......................................................................................................................................................9 Hardiness .................................................................................................................................................... 10 Potentially Harmful Perennials ...................................................................................................................