Digger magazine

Written to make you a nursery industry expert.

J. Frank Schmidt creates anniversary special virtual tour

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According to a release from the company, J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. has not been able to host as many tours as usual during the pandemic. However, 2021 will mark the 75th anniversary of the world-renowned tree grower and breeder. So, they have created a 23-minute “Growing New Ideas” video of the history, cultural […]

Philadelphia Flower Show schedules outdoor June event

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The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) has reimagined its Philadelphia Flower Show as an outdoor event, according to a release from the company. The show will take place outside June 5–13, 2021 at the historic Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park (FDR Park) in South Philadelphia, adjacent to South Philadelphia’s Sports Complex area. The show previously took place […]

December 2020

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In this issue, growers share some advice for confronting the plant shortages coming in 2021.  Our writers also explore honeylocust as a fast-growing crop that adapts to extreme conditions; Mike Darcy shares the resilience of home gardeners who lost everything in the Oregon wildfires; and OSU researchers look at silicon as a soil amendment to […]

Silicon: the non-essential beneficial nutrient for plant defense?

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Rhododendrons and azaleas are the backbone of many ornamental landscapes in the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, since 2016, a beautiful little insect has been plaguing the genus Rhododendron, causing aesthetic and physiological damage, which may lead to plant death if left unchecked (Figure 1). Preliminary studies suggest that cultivars vary in their tolerance to azalea lace […]

Tough, tall and reliable

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Honeylocust provides abundant shade, grows quickly and adapts well to extreme conditions Acer (maple) and Quercus (oak) may monopolize spotlights on shade trees, but Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis (honeylocust) holds its own as a major crop and it’s an important addition to the catalog of reliable tall trees. Oregon nurseries grow more honeylocust than any […]

A demand ‘renaissance’ for nurseries

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Growers advise flexibility as they anticipate shortages, substitutions and sustained demand for 2021 In 2020, North American nurseries experienced a rollercoaster ride of escalating dread, stomach-churning twists and unexpected thrills. There was uncertainty in the early spring due to COVID-related shutdowns in the U.S. and Canada, but nurseries were allowed to stay open, resulting in […]

A gardener’s optimism has no limits

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Resilient is a good word to use to describe Diana and Colby Lamb. Resilience is defined as spirit, hardiness, toughness, strength, buoyancy, and resistance. On September 8 at 12:15 a.m., there was a banging on the door of their Gates, Oregon house. It was a Marion County sheriff’s deputy telling them that there had been […]

Leading with a purpose

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The Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN) remains, by its very definition and mission, a member-driven, service- and advocacy-oriented green industry force. It seems like a decade ago back in March 2020 when the industry and country were tossed into the abyss of COVID-19. Now that the last chapter of 2020 is being written, we should […]

McHutchison and Vaughan’s Horticulture appoints new leadership, sales team

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McHutchison and Vaughan’s Horticulture have made a series of organizational changes to their leadership roles. Nathan Lamkey has been promoted to president of both McHutchison and Vaughan’s Horticulture. He previously served as vice president of sales and marketing for McHutchison since 2017, and has 20 years of industry experience from TERRA NOVA Nurseries, Inc., Shemin […]