Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

Variegated plants add variety and texture to gardens

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Heucheras were once known for their flowers. Now, they’re regarded for their flashy foliage in different shades of red, purple and yellow. Dan Heims, president of Terra Nova Nurseries Inc. in Canby, Oregon, is known for introducing many variegated plants to the market, including variegated Heuchera. “I’ve always had a fascination with variegated plants,” Heims […]

Greenhouse structures vary, so pick the one that suits your operation best

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At Little Prince of Oregon Nursery, a wholesale annuals/perennials grower in Aurora, Oregon, Mark Leichty works with several styles of greenhouses, including gutter connect, Quonset-style and peak-roofed structures. His preference is a GK Machine peak-roofed greenhouse, part of the Donald, Oregon, company’s 5000 series. And, fitting with Leichty’s philosophy, you can find several of the […]

Change is constant

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Change is inevitable. Whether we like it or not, change is constantly with us and the nursery business is no exception. Sometimes the change can be a step forward with the result either creating a better environment, or perhaps the change could be keeping a business, like a garden center, alive. We, as gardeners, have […]

The short and long game

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February is here! The shortest month of the year still packs a big punch. Scrambling to finish our winter grafting, harvesting spring orders, and trying to keep up on our current short Oregon legislative session makes for an exciting February here at Columbia Nursery, as well as for many of my fellow members, I am […]

Welcome to the Hall of Fame Class of 2024

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It is no secret, I am a sports nut. So whether or not we are talking about Canton, Ohio (football), Cooper-stown, New York (baseball), Springfield, Massachusetts (basketball), Toronto, Ontario (hockey) or Atlanta, Georgia (college) as shrines to legends, leaders or innovators at a Hall of Fame — the OAN has its own in Wilsonville, Oregon. […]

OAN members report damage to businesses

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With Oregonians still recovering from the weekend’s winter storm that rolled in with high winds and covered the area in a blanket of snow, ice and freezing precipitation, cut power to thousands, and downed trees in neighborhoods, reports are starting to come in to the Oregon Association of Nurseries that some members have received damage […]

Near-total chlorpyrifos ban takes effect in Oregon

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A rule banning almost all uses of chlorpyrifos, a commonly pesticide used in conifer production and other crops, has now taken effect across the state, effective December 31, 2023, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported . The chemical has been associated with neurological damage to humans, prompting states and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to consider stricter […]

Pulse electric field technology may be a viable pest control alternative to methyl bromide

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Pulse electric field (PEF) employs bursts of high-voltage electricity to inactive microorganisms. Primarily used in the food industry, some researchers have reported promising results in nematode and plant disease control (Riga et al. 2020). We are collaborating with Lisi Global to adapt an existing technology for a new use in the ornamental nursery industry.