Segments

The Department of Labor recently announced a compliance and enforcement initiative targeting the landscape sector.  And, horticulture businesses – especially those using the H-2 seasonal worker visa programs – have long been disproportionately targeted.  What’s a business owner to do?  Put simply, prepare! 
 
To assist, AmericanHort is ho...

New York State announced new regulations targeting the spread of spotted lanternfly (SLF). Certificates of inspection are now required for the following materials originating from Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia:
 

• Brush, debris, or yard waste
• Landscaping or construction waste
• Logs, stumps, or any tree parts
• Firewood of a...

The USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is responsible for inspecting live plants, plant cuttings, and most other propagative material imports, collectively known as “plants for planting.” Plant imports are typically inspected at APHIS plant inspection stations, located at or near many major U.S. ports.
 
During the past several years...

Several box tree moth specimens were recently reported in the Toronto, ON area, marking the first reports of this Buxus pest in North America.
 
The reports come by way of iNaturalist, a citizen science site. The photog...

Authors: Craig Regelbrugge and Laurie Flanagan

Both the House and Senate are on recess until November 13. When Congress returns for a post-election “lame duck” session, it faces a daunting to-do list. First, Congress must wrap up the outstanding fiscal 2019 federal spending bills, including a funding measure for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Departmen...

AmericanHort submitted official comments last week regarding potential changes to the Hours of Service Rules (HOS) that were floated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in late August.
 
AmericanHort praised the proposed changes — which include giving drivers added flex...

A café covered from floor to ceiling with coffee plants, bumblebees made from hay bales, creative bonsai displays, and extensive opportunities for learning and networking… that was just the tip of the iceberg at the International Garden Center Association’s (IGCA) 2018 Congress.

The IGCA Congress is a week of touring cutting-edge garden retail centers in a destinatio...

How do you define a green roof? The first image that comes to my mind is a little, hobbit-like house somewhere in Scandinavia with a goat eating grass on the roof. That may be a bit simplistic; the green roofs of yore have come a long way.
 
The ‘urban renaissance,’ a term used to describe the comeback of many city centers in the US, coincides with the revival of ...

We are beginning to hear reports that U.S. growers are having to pay very significant tariff charges on certain supplies and inputs, including items like fiberglass tree stakes.  And as of September 24, an additional $200 billion worth of goods coming from China to the U.S. became subject to a 10% tariff.  These latest tariffs include over twenty specific tariff codes related to plant...

USDA’s Animal & Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) is recommending an end to the federal quarantine for emerald ash borer (EAB), citing that such quarantines have “outlived their usefulness.” This follows APHIS’ announcements earlier this year of newly regulated areas in Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
...