Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

Don’t get burned by charcoal rot

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Soilborne fungus can afflict hebes and a wide range of other host plants Hebes (pronounced heebees) are an interesting group of evergreen shrubs, mainly from New Zealand, although there are also a few from South America and French Polynesia. Botanically, they are now placed in the genus Veronica, but many will know them by their […]

Protecting your office against cyberattacks

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Hacking and cybersecurity issues have been steadily increasing in the green industry. But for horticultural businesses facing a variety of challenges, addressing these issues is rarely the top priority. Nonetheless, this is an increasing issue that owners and managers should pay attention to. Cybercriminals target everyone. Cybercrime for hire is big business and is a […]

Your vote is your voice

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The 2022 election cycle has more angst, absurd assumptions, and consequences than I have seen in some time. No doubt, regardless of discussions are at the fence post, supply stores or at family dinner, there is tangible uncertainty about the economy, crime, and our social fabric. In Oregon, a high number of voters believe the […]

The values of farm life

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For more than four generations, farming has been an integral part of our family. It’s in our blood. My father, Jay Nelson, decided to leave his father’s turkey farming operation in Utah as a young man, determined to leave its challenging work behind. But after successfully running his orthodontic practice for years, he recognized that […]

A strong crop of leaders

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OAN Executive Director Jeff Stone reflects on the current crop of OAN leaders, and how the times will always produce the leaders an organization needs.

The fight against flatheaded borers

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Oregon State University researchers from the Nackley (nursery) and Wiman (orchards) programs have teamed up with scientists from across the country to study the biology and management of flatheaded borers. Flatheaded borers are beetles, from the order Coleoptera and the Buprestidae family, that can be devastating pests of ornamental trees grown in nurseries, transplanted landscape trees, trees grown for wood or other products, and fruit and nut crops.

Trendy shade trees, part two

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In a prior installment regarding shade tree trends, published in the August issue of Digger, we talked about flowering shade tree trends. This time, we will discuss shade trees that don’t necessarily have prominent flowers, from Acer to Zelkova, and we’ll also include some columnar and native options.