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You are here: Home / Archives for Ryan Contreras

OSU Ornamental Plant Breeding Program developing new cultivars for city settings

By Ryan Contreras — Posted June 25, 2024

Lloyd Nackley and Carolyn Scagel Since 2009, the The Oregon State University Ornamental Plant Breeding Program has been dedicated to developing seedless varieties of resilient plant species that were previously considered invasive. This approach is crucial because when we introduce plants to urban and suburban areas, we need them to thrive despite facing challenging conditions […]

Filed Under: Growing Knowledge

What’s growing on?

By Ryan Contreras — Posted June 21, 2023

OSU plant breeding program shows progress on promising new cultivars The plant breeding program at Oregon State University is continually working to bring new plants to market that will make growers more profitable and perform well for consumers. On behalf of the program, I wanted to update the industry on these efforts. New plants build […]

Filed Under: Growing Knowledge Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, OAN Members, Plants

Bred for success

By Ryan Contreras — Posted July 21, 2022

These are some current and future cultivars from Oregon State University Ornamental Plant Breeding I am in my 13th year at Oregon State University (OSU). Spending more than a decade doing something sounds like a long time, but in the world of woody plant breeding, that is just getting warmed up. That is how I feel […]

Filed Under: Growing Knowledge Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Oregon State University, OSU

Restoring a conifer classic

By Ryan Contreras — Posted September 22, 2021

Breeding disease-resistant Port Orford cedar for reforestation and the horticulture industry By Ryan Contreras and Richard Sniezko Port Orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) is a long-lived conifer native to northwestern California and southwestern Oregon. It spans an elevational range from sea level to 5,000 feet or more. In forestry, the tree has both economic and ecological […]

Filed Under: Growing Knowledge, Phytophthora, Plant Pests and Diseases Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Oregon State University, OSU, Pests and Diseases, Trees

A new breed of Norway maple

By Ryan Contreras — Posted April 24, 2020

An update on efforts to grow sterile cultivars of this important shade tree for Oregon growers The nursery industry in the Pacific Northwest markets a great deal of plant material to the upper Midwest and New England. Overall, Oregon ships 75% or more of its nursery plant material out of state. Shade trees are among […]

Filed Under: Growing Knowledge Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Growing Knowledge, Plants

Get ‘em while they’re hot: New cultivars from OSU

By Ryan Contreras — Posted July 26, 2019

The Ornamental Plant Breeding Program at OSU is beginning to hit its stride and new cultivars are hitting the market – carrying the hopes of making a positive impact on the industry. Established in 2010, the Ornamental Plant Breeding Program at Oregon State University has worked to develop plants that work in production for landscapers […]

Filed Under: Blights, Boxwood Blight, Growing Knowledge, Plant Diseases, Plant Pests and Diseases Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Education, Oregon State University, Plants

A focus on function

By Ryan Contreras — Posted June 2, 2017

The Ornamental Plant Breeding Program develops new plants with an eye on how they function in modern, low-input landscapes.

Filed Under: Growing Knowledge Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Landscaping, Oregon State University, Plants, Science

Reining in rogues

By Ryan Contreras — Posted August 2, 2016

Breeding for sterility is one way to control non-native, invasive plants.

Filed Under: Growing Knowledge Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Oregon State University, Plants

NURSERY NEWS

Terra Gardens owner’s gesture for his mother opens the door to other wheelchair-bound gardeners

OAN announces 2025 Friends of Nurseries award winners

OAN leads grower-driven Japanese beetle solution

AmericanHort president and CEO to step down

In memoriam: Bill Van Belle

Longtime employee buys Heritage Seedlings and Liners

In Memoriam: Melvin John Steffenson

New USDA Census of Hort arriving in mailboxes this month

More Nursery News

From the pages of Digger

March: The Perennials Issue

February: The Greenhouse Issue

January 2026: The Retail Issue

November 2025: The Transportation Issue

October 2025

More issues of Digger

Pests and Diseases

OAN leads grower-driven Japanese beetle solution

Prioritizing nursery pest challenges

New tools in the battle against thrips

Aiming for precision in pest control

Oregon’s nursery licensing program aims to keep the entire industry healthy

More articles

FARWEST SHOW UPDATES

2026 Farwest Show issues calls for speakers

Excitement, optimism prevail at 2025 Farwest Show

Dazzling plants, products garner Retailer’s Choice Awards

Youngblood Nursery wins Best in Show booth honors at the 2025 Farwest Show

Glow Sticks Fescue wins top honors from judges at Farwest Show’s New Varieties Showcase 

More Updates from Farwest

The Value of Membership

AmericanHort president and CEO to step down

OAN honors industry leaders at 2025 Convention

Meet the Leader: Patrick Peterson

More member stories

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