Fall is a Great Time to Landscape with Plants from Maryland Nurseries

Green industry produces more than $560 million in retail sales annually

ANNAPOLIS, MD (Oct. 1, 2009) – Marylanders are reminded that fall is an outstanding time of the year to purchase and plant turf grasses, perennials, and both evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs.

“Maryland is fortunate to have some of the best producers of high-quality ornamental plants in the country,” said Maryland Secretary of Agriculture Buddy Hance. “Fall is the best time to plant so that landscaping is established in the spring and will look its best.  We encourage all Marylanders to look to their local nursery operations first when considering the purchase of plants.”

In the fall, the warm soil encourages roots to develop on newly planted ornamentals. Roots continue to grow through the winter until the ground freezes. Then, in spring, roots begin new growth or continue to develop at a faster rate, and top growth begins. When summer finally arrives, the fall-planted plant is often better equipped to deal with heat and drought because its roots are better established.

Maryland has many local producers of ornamental plants. In fact, the nursery and greenhouse sector produces more than $560 million according to the Maryland Nursery and Landscape Association and delivers more than $1 billion in economic impact from gross sales according to a 2003 study. To find local supply, visit www.marylandsbest.net, your resource for finding products from Maryland farms. Another good website is the University of Maryland, College of Agriculture’s Home and Garden Information Center:www.hgic.umd.edu.  And to find a Certified Professional Horticulturist near you, visitwww.cphquality.org.

For more information about Maryland’s Best, contact Kate Mason at (410) 841-5779 or[email protected].