Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

Natives shine on

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Thanks to climate change, sales of drought-tolerant, pollinator-loving native perennials are enjoying their time in the sun Concern for the environment and pollinators is inspiring gardeners to add native plants to their landscape. At the same time, climate change is driving an ongoing increase in demand for heat- and drought-tolerant natives. Sustainable landscaping with native […]

Spraying sustainably

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An intelligent spraying system can help growers reduce pesticide use, save money and better manage their crops Until about six or seven years ago, Hans Nelson and Sons Nursery in Boring, Oregon, would apply standard pesticides to its roughly 150 acres of shade and flowering trees using traditional air-blast sprayers. The sprayers, used throughout the […]

Remixing soil mixes

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More sustainable alternatives to carbon-sequestering peat moss are entering into the planting media equation Amid growing international concerns about the environmental impacts of depleting and permanently damaging peat bogs, a movement is underway to ban or restrict the sale and use of peat moss — a nonrenewable resource that takes thousands of years to form. […]

Learning, connecting, engaging

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Oregon’s Integrated Pest Management Center serves as an innovative pest management hub for growers Article and photos By Silvia I. Rondon Since the early 1960s, the Oregon Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Center has accumulated a rich history of leading and coordinating multistate research and outreach programs to help a broad audience in the agricultural and […]

Fall Creek promotes Amelie Aust to executive board chair

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Fall Creek Farm & Nursery Inc. has announced the promotion of Amelie Aust to executive chair of the family-owned blueberry breeding and nursery company’s independent board of directors. She has served as the company’s executive vice chair of the board since 2020, formerly served as co-CEO, and is a second-generation owner. Aust succeeds her father, […]

Going with the flow

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Research on plant hydraulics helps explain the effect of drought stress on shade trees By Sadie Keller, Rebecca Sheridan, Scout Dahms-May, Carolyn Scagel and Lloyd Nackley In Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the heart of the nursery industry, rainfall is scarce during the summer and humidity is low. The plant stress resulting from the low soil moisture, […]

The tribulations of big trees

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Growing bigger trees that will flourish in a changing climate takes a long-game approach For decades, tree-lined streets across the country — largely in the Southeast — would erupt in the bright white blossoms of Callery pear trees (Pyrus calleryana) every spring. Affordable, fast-growing and easily shipped, the trees had become the darlings of landscapers, […]

The eternal appeal of oaks

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Original species have stood the test of time and still sell well, while new smaller columnar hybrids of Quercus are coming on strong With fossils found as old as 55 million years, oaks have been entwined with human history since it began. Because of their longevity and massive proportions, the largest oak species in the […]