Anyone who's a member of AmericanHort has access to a multitude of resources that can help cut time, drive connections and improve businesses. You can find these resources in many places like trade shows, meetings, colleagues, newsletters and, of course, the website. Wouldn’t it be nice if some of these were compiled into a helpful guide? Well, we’re in luck, as the AmericanHort 2026 Resource Directory has been published. 

 

For years, the AmericanHort resource directory has been a one-stop-shop for information. From member directories to buying guides and company listings, if you need to find someone, chances are they're listed in this directory.

 

Seriously, have you ever needed to find something obscure and spent hours looking online? Well, this directory can connect you with what you need fast. Plus, it has a bunch of information about different communities in AmericanHort and how to contact the people in those groups, along with information on research activities, advocacy and scholarships. This isn’t a small packet—it's over 125 pages long (almost as long as my dissertation!). 

 

You can check out the 2026 directory HERE and feel free to peruse some older editions while you're at it. 

Here's a great opportunity for anyone in the Mid-Atlantic region. On May 20, scientists from across the country (myself included) will gather in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to talk about nursery water management in a fun setting.

 

Kristopher Criscione, Virginia Tech University's nursery specialist, is hosting a grower workshop that will follow water’s journey through the nursery. Experts will talk about pondwater management, irrigation, substrates, fertility, managing runoff, and will also have some drone and pondwater management demonstrations. Attendees will get a free lunch and if you're local (from Virginia) you can also receive pesticide credits.

 

This is a rare and unique opportunity, as the leading nursery researchers in the country will be speaking and ready to assist growers with any questions or needs. Tap on the flier for more information and feel free to EMAIL Kris if you have any questions. Also, make sure you REGISTER in advance to save your seat. 

 

The Water Loop From Pond to Pot: Managing Ponds, Irrigation, Substrates and Runoff for Better Production Profit

When: May 20, 2026, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Where: 1444 Diamond Springs Road, Virginia Beach, Virginia (Hampton Roads AREC) 

 

After 45 years of dedicated service, McCorkle Nurseries, Inc. has announced the retirement of Tony Rogers. Tony joined McCorkle in 1980 as the company’s first professional salesman. From the early days of building customer relationships one call at a time, he played a central role in establishing and growing McCorkle’s sales organization. He later served as VP of Sales & Marketing, helping guide the company through decades of growth and change.

 

Throughout his career, Tony was known for his steady leadership, integrity and genuine respect for others. He built lasting relationships with customers and colleagues alike and set a consistent example of professionalism and humility. In addition to his leadership role, Tony was a trusted mentor to many within the organization. He invested time in developing others, offering guidance, encouragement and practical wisdom that shaped the careers of countless team members.

 

Skeetter McCorkle, president of McCorkle Nurseries, said, “Tony was our first dedicated sales hire and has been a constant presence since the beginning. His loyalty, character and commitment to doing things the right way have meant more to this company than words can fully express.”

 

The Georgia Green Industry Association also expressed their thankfulness for Tony’s many years of service, including his time as Chairman in 1998.

 

"[Tony] offered thoughtful leadership and a strong industry perspective that helped guide the association during important years of growth and change," they said in a statement. "His contributions to our Board and to Georgia’s green industry will be remembered with deep appreciation."

 

Please join me in wishing Tony all the best in his retirement!

If you’re like me, you're always looking for more substrate science. Well, it’s time to mark your calendars for the upcoming Grow Pro March Webinar with Dr. Brian Jackson of North Carolina State University. On Tuesday, March 24, Dr. Jackson is going to talk about floriculture production practices in peat-reduced substrates. He'll talk about the latest wood fiber research and how factors like pH, fertility and irrigation need to change when reducing peat. What an incredible session that will be.

 

To attend the webinar, register HERE. 

We all want to be more sustainable, but what does that really mean?

 

Sustainability can be an ambiguous term and it doesn’t have to be just a buzz word. If you ask me, sustainability means to meet current demands without sacrificing the future—and how could you not want that? This typically has a three-tiered platform, which includes being sustainable on environmental, economic and social aspects. Think about supporting planet, profit and people!

 

Now if we take that a step further and ask how sustainable practices can support our businesses, the answer can sometimes get a bit less clear. If we want to dive into this topic, perhaps an upcoming webinar from Sustainabloom might be a good place to find information.

 

On March 25, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, Sustainabloom will host a webinar to discuss how “Sustainability Shows Up in Everyday Floral Operations.” This webinar will feature a panel of experts from across the industry to discuss:

Grace Hungerford, a sustainability officer from Growscape, will join Seth Reed of Ball Horticultural Company and Pilar Zuniga, founder of Gorgeous and Green, to share their experiences and insights. You can register HERE and get more information about this webinar. 

I’d like to finish this newsletter with a preview for the upcoming Nursery & Landscape Insider newsletter. I'm writing most of this from a hotel room in New Jersey, as I'm wrapping up a fun and unique road trip with my friend from Oregon State University, Lloyd Nackley.

 

A couple of years ago, Lloyd asked me if I wanted to join in writing a guide for growers to help with substrate management and provide useful and practical information. Of course I instantly said yes and we set to work. We wanted the book to help growers across the country. We have a unique collaboration being from the Southeastern U.S. and the Pacific Northwest—just about as far as we can get from each other and where our nursery production practices differ as much as our weather (this week has been very informative to a Florida guy like me).

 

As we started working on this project, we realized that we needed to make sure we covered other regions of the country, so in addition to calling and talking to  several colleagues, we decided we needed to take some time and visit growers around the country (I sometimes cannot believe this is my job).

 

This week we set out on our maiden voyage and took a road trip up the eastern seaboard visiting growers, substrate plants and colleagues in states from South Carolina up to New Jersey. I can say that this has been a busy and educational five days. (And for those of you in IPPS, think about an IPPS tour that lasts a whole week.) 

 

 

We’ve had hot southern weather one day and a winter wonderland the very next. It's amazing how quickly things change as you travel north. We aren’t quite done with the trip, so I can’t give a full debrief yet, but needless to say we’re having a blast. That being said, I want to give a special thanks to Brian Jackson, Kris Criscione, Andrew Ristvey, Raul Cabrera and, most of all, all the growers and operators that welcomed us over the past week. And I cannot forget the Horticulture Research Institute, which is supporting our guide development.

 

I'll be sure to keep more stories from our trips coming and, of course, keep you posted on the grower guide’s development. Hopefully, once it's all said and done, you'll agree that this was in fact an excellent adventure and not a bogus journey!