Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

January 2023: The Retail Issue

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The New Year’s issue of Digger tracks the trends steering sales for retail nurseries and garden centers: A string of succulent successes: Thanks in large part to social media, the market for indoor succulents is larger, more varied and more popular than ever before. By Emily Lindblom. Taking your plants to market: Farmer’s markets, gardening […]

A string of succulent successes

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Thanks in large part to social media, the market for indoor succulents is larger, more varied and more popular than ever before Ann Patterson, houseplant buyer at Portland Nursery, said she has been collecting succulents for a long time. She called them lovely, intriguing little plants. “They’re interesting looking with lots of different textures,” Patterson […]

Events to bring in the masses

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In a post-pandemic world, retailers can use classes and events to establish new traditions and spur repeat customer interactions Retail garden centers and nursery operations looking for more customer traffic often turn to in-store special events and classes. These give customers an added reason to drop in. While there, they may be tempted to buy […]

Boxing out boxwood blight

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Growers must work vigilantly to keep the fungus that causes boxwood blight out of their nurseries Boxwood is one of the most popular landscaping plants around. It’s evergreen and pretty, it provides natural privacy, it’s easy to maintain and it can be shaped into attractive ornamental topiaries. In fact, so popular is boxwood that it’s […]

How to catch a thrips

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Rigorous scouting can help manage tip-feeding thrips before they cause irreparable damage By Lloyd Nackley and Melissa Scherr Thrips belong to the insect order Thysanoptera, of which there are several species that are damaging to nursery and ornamental crops. Whether there is only one or many, we call them thrips regardless, just like with other […]

Time to go big and green

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Look around us. There are so many exciting innovations and breakthroughs happening all over the world. Many of these are happening in agriculture, which is no surprise. We are the stewards of working lands. We know from deep experience how to take what we have, and make something even better from it. It’s in our […]

Looking forward with impact

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The holidays are always a wonderful time. It all starts with Thanksgiving, a time for reflection. We pause our busy lives and take time to experience the power of gratitude. This clears the lens of how we view the world, allowing us to see more fully. With clearer vision, the holidays transition to Christmas, a […]

Plants Nouveau to manage Chicagoland Grows Plant Collection

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Beginning with January 2023 royalty collections, Plants Nouveau will manage the administration, supply chain and marketing of the Chicagoland Grows Plant Introduction Program, according to a company press release. Plants Nouveau was founded in 2005 by Angela Treadwell-Palmer, who managed the Chicagoland Grows program from 2002 to late 2004, before relocating to the East Coast […]