Perry's Perennial Pages

Perennial Publications--Commercial

Herbaceous Perennials Production: A Guide from Propagation to Marketing
Published July 20, 1998 by Dr. Perry is an update and expansion of the 1987 Cornell Guidelines on Perennial Production. All aspects from propagation to forcing and marketing for commercial growers are covered in over 200 pages. Over half of this is tables on propagation and pests. Click on title above for more details, ordering information.

Integrated Pest Management for Herbaceous Perennials (commercial industry publication)
Leanne Pundt and Tina Smith.  2003.  Univ. Connecticut
    This new publication presents information needed by growers to help address their pest management concerns for herbaceous perennials.  This 42-page publication covers specific information on developing an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program, including key insects and their life cycles, diseases, weed control, and the cultural needs of herbaceous perennials.     Specific information is included on the life cycles and management of insects, mites, diseases and weeds plus biological control options.  Eighty-five color photographs and 6 tables feature some of the key insects, mites, and diseases of herbaceous perennials plus  selected insecticides, fungicides and herbicides registered for use on herbaceous perennials grown in New England.
    This publication was written by Leanne Pundt from the University of Connecticut and Tina Smith from the University of Massachusetts.  Financial support was provided by a grant from New England Floriculture, Inc. sponsors of the New England Greenhouse Conference.  Integrated Pest Management Handbook for Herbaceous Perennials is available for $15.00 per copy (including U.S. postage and handling) from: Office of Communications and Information Technology, 1376 Storrs Road, Unit 4035, University of Connecticut,  Storrs, CT 06269-4035. Method of payment includes both check (made out to the University of Connecticut), Visa, Mastercard and Discover.

Establishing and Operating a Garden Center:  Requirements and Costs (commercial industry publication)
Barton, Susan et al.  2003.  NRAES, Cornell University.
    This newly revised book discusses planning, capital investments, product mixes, labor, customer profiles, garden center layouts, pricing, advertising, and financial analysis.  Two example businesses are analyzed throughout the book:  one with annual sales of $1million and another with annuals sales of $350,000.  The 66-page book is for potential and current garden center owners, their business advisors, educators, and researchers.  The book is available for $15 plus $4.25 s/h in the continental U.S.  Make checks payable to NRAES and send to PO Box 4557, Ithaca, NY 14852-4557.  For credit card orders, or more information, calle 607-255-7654.

Grower Talks on Perennials
Rick Blanchette.  2002.  Ball. paperback, 232pp.
    Here you'll find a handy reference and collection of over 50 articles from Grower Talks magazine on the commercial production of perennials.  They are grouped by crops and culture, propagation, height control, forcing and timing, pest and disease control, marketing, and grower profiles.

Pests and Diseases of Herbaceous Perennials, The Biological Approach.
S. Gill, D Clement and E. Dutkey. 1999.   Ball Publ.  304pp, hardcover.
    Written by specialists from the University of Maryland, this is an essential reference for commercial growers and caretakers of herbaceous perennials.  After a brief introduction into the IPM approach and beneficial organisms, are the main chapters on insects and diseases.  Each begins with a chart of perennials and their pests or diseases, then more in-depth treatment of each particular pest or disease with photos. The final chapter is a visual record of many perennials from A-Z with some of their main problems.

The AAN Standards for Nursery Stock
Mainly for the commercial industry, the American Association of Nurserymen Standards have been updated with much new material on containers and perennials. Copies are $20.75 postpaid from AAN, 1250 I St. NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20005 (202-789-2900).

Field Grown Cut Flowers
Produced by Wisconsin cut flower grower John Hurd and specialist Alan Stevens from Kansas State Univ., this new 400pp reference covers marketing, production and management, in step-by-step chapters from planting, care and harvesting to storing, drying, glycerin preserving and color processing-- plus lists of sources, references, directories and suppliers. Available for $39.95 from Avatars World, 800-884-4730.

The Ball Perennial Manual--Propagation and Production
Written by Jim Nau, field trial manager of Ball Seed Co. (one of the largest in the world), this 512 page, hardcover book has information on 149 genera and 300 species. The book covers seed germination, division, cuttings and other forms of propagation and much more. For more information or to order contact Ball Publishing.

Floriculture: Principles and Species
Published October 1998, this is a comprehensive book that covers production of floriculture crops, including cut flowers, potted flowering plants, bedding plants and foliage. Written by John Dole of Okla. St. Univ. and Harold Wilkins, professor emeritus of the Univ. of Minn., the book is divided into 3 sections that cover the basics of floriculture production, full-length chapters on 76 plant species and short chapters summarizing information on miscellaneous crops. The book is available from Prentice Hall, (800) 947-7700, for $88. jmdole@okway.okstate.edu

Firing up Perennials
Drs. Royal Heins, ARthur Cameron and Will Carlson. 1998. Meister Publishing (800-572-7740) $20. These researchers from Mich. State Univ. have compiled 12 of their articles on forcing perennials, covering their recent research, originally published in Greenhouse Grower magazine.