Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

Scholarship opportunities for hort students

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The Oregon Nurseries Foundation awards scholarships to students preparing for a career in ornamental horticulture and related fields. Sixteen different awards are sponsored by individuals and OAN Chapters as a way to support the next generation of green industry professionals. Scholarships are available ranging from $500 to $1,500 and multiple awards are possible. Applications must […]

The Oregon Garden to host American Garden Award displays

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Starting May 13, The Oregon Garden will play host to a special display garden — one that gets the public involved in selecting the best new flower varieties. Seven new flower varieties will be competing in the 2011 American Garden Award competition, which is entering its third year. The public will be able to view them […]

OAN Retail Nursery Guide now available

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Spring is here. How about a nursery road trip? You can now get the 2011 OAN Retail Nursery Guide at garden centers and visitor information centers all across Oregon and Southwest Washington. Here’s the press release: 2011 Retail Nursery Guide Available Free for Seasoned and Aspiring GardenersOregonians asked to “buy local” when it comes to […]

Scotts removing phosphorous from most lawn foods

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The Scotts Miracle Gro Company announced today it is removing phosphorous from most of its lawn fertilizers by the end of 2012. The company has been reducing use of the compound in fertilizers since 2006. Excess phosphorous is considered bad for the environment because the unabsorbed amounts can run off into streams, waterways and eventually […]

Heims appears on Martha Stewart Show

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Congratulations to Dan Heims of Terra Nova Nurseries, who made a guest appearance on The Martha Stewart Show on The Hallmark Channel last Friday afternoon (March 18, 2011). The talented Mr. Heims was there to talk about — what else? — new introductions, including Terra Nova’s signature heuchera selections. He also discussed the process of “sport […]

American Peony Society will bring convention and tour to Oregon May 27–29

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The Pacific Northwest Peony Society will be hosting the American Peony Society Convention and Exhibition Friday–Sunday, May 27–29, with the Holiday Inn Wilsonville serving as the host property. It is the first time the event will be held on the West Coast, and people from across the United States are expected to attend. APS members […]

Housing starts decline nationwide in February

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In what may be disappointing news for nursery growers, homebuilders across the United States pulled back from their planned new home production levels during February, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. “Total housing starts declined 22.5 percent from January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 479,000 units, the second-slowest pace on record,” the National […]

Honoring those who advance agriculture

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Here’s a good opportunity to honor someone that has advanced agriculture in the state of Oregon. The Agri-Business Council of Oregon is now taking nominations for two awards: The Ag Connection Award is designed to recognize and honor the organization, business entity or individual who has done an outstanding job of connecting the public with […]

Giving pests no quarter

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So you run a nursery and you’re dealing with an invasive pest that made its way over from Asia. What to do? This clever and funny video featuring PacMan (and a special surprise cameo from another legendary Namco video game) explains the concept of biological control. Thanks to Suzanne Wainwright and Robin Rosetta for passing […]

Researchers study turning poplar leaves into biodegradable plastic

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As noted in the upcoming April issue of Digger, various researchers have looked at such disparate ingredients as cow manure, bamboo, corn starch resins, recycled paper, feathers and coir fiber as the basis for constructing alternatives to the plastic nursery pot. Now one could add the leaves of hybrid poplar trees to the list. As […]