Japan’s devastating tsunami last year has affected the production of cut flowers and plants in Japan. The Dutch magazine Vakblad voor de Bloemisterij, cited in Florist & Wholesaler Buyer, a British publication, quoted official statistics that showed a 5 percent drop in production in Japan. Imported flowers and plants are taking up the slack from the drop in domestic production in Japan, it stated.

Courtney Young will head floral operations for the newly merged Sprouts Farmers Market and Sunflower Farmers Market, it was announced in late July by Tom Foulds, vice president for perishable. The chain of 139 stores and three distribution centers will operate under the Sprouts Farmers Market name and all stores will carry a new program of cut and potted flowers.

More than 7,500 garden center and landscape professionals are expected to attend what is billed as the Southeast’s premier landscape and horticulture conference and trade event. The Landscape Show runs Sept. 27-29 in Orlando, FL, and will feature 200,000 square feet of trees, shrubs, equipment and more from some 400 exhibiting companies, according to a news release.

Todd Fryhover, president of the Washington Apple Commission, said apple volume to be shipped to export markets this season may decrease as a result of weather affecting the coming crop.

MONTE VISTA, CO — John McCormick has worked the potato industry for more than three years, and he said in mid-August that McCormick & Milne is holding the course in a tough year.

“There are too many potatoes this year,” he said of the domestic stocks. “It’s going to be a challenge, and it’ll be a challenge here in the San Luis Valley. We won’t have the yields we normally have, but we will have good quality. It’s a year to get out the marketing book.”