Maryland Nursery and Landscape Association Field Day

The heat and humidity of a typical June day in Maryland returned to Waverly Farm on Thursday, June 12, 2003 after what seemed like two months of constant rain. Waverly Farm hosted the Maryland Nursery and Landscape Association’s annual field day.

Jerry talks to field day participants about the use of a controlled droplet applicator used to spray post-emergent herbicides without any drift. Bill Reiss of BDI, Inc. stands in the foreground with his back to us. BDI represents several European and U.S. makers of specialized nursery and vineyard equipment.

The focus for the day was education and equipment. Topics for the educational sessions included updates on nutrient management, invasive species, MaGic and legislative issues, and an update on the Southern Nursery Association.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture and the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension presented information on insects, the calibration of spray equipment, EPA and water restrictions for 2003, and low toxicity pesticides for use in the nursery.

Jerry Faulring shared his experiences and insights into the success of Waverly Farm’s drip irrigation and fertilizer injection system.

Equipment demonstrations featured European Manufactured Nursery Equipment for low volume spraying, planting, and harvesting. Representatives from John Deere, Bobcat, Toro, Stihl, Echo, Damcon, Pazzaglia, and others demonstrated their machinery.

Additional vendors represented others aspects of the Green Industry, including landscape lighting, invisible fence for deer control, the Green Industry Yellow Pages, advertising and insurance.