Space is limited for an upcoming boxwood health workshop for growers, set for 8:30 a.m.–noon Thursday, October 20 at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center, 15210 N.E. Miley Road, Aurora, Oregon. Registration is now open and is limited to 40 people; those interested can sign up online. There is a $15 cost.

 The workshop is sponsored by Oregon State University (OSU), the USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA), the Horticultural Research Service (HRI) and the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN). It will cover best management practices and recent research updates, giving growers actionable tactics to help ensure the production of clean, market-ready plants. Speakers include experts from OSU, USDA-ARS, and ODA, including Dr. Luisa Santamaria, Dr. Jerry Weiland, Dr. Mana Ohkura, Dr. Len Coop, Dr. Brittany Baker, Dr. Jay Pscheidt, and Dr. Kara Mills.    

Boxwood is the top-selling broadleaf evergreen shrub in the United States, and more than 25% of all boxwoods sold are grown in Oregon, California or Washington. The shrub faces a number of pest and disease threats, including perhaps the most significant, boxwood blight. Growers in the Northwest have particular reason for concern, because the symptoms of boxwood blight are more subtle there than in other regions.

The 3.5-hour workshop will include five distinct sessions, to include scouting and disease management tips; how nursery production practices and environment influence disease outbreaks; the boxwood blight infection risk app; fungicide selection and coverage; and the ODA boxwood blight cleanliness program.  

After the last session, participants will have the option of visiting an onsite boxwood blight research plot along with researchers.

Pesticide recertification credits from the state of Oregon are pending and anticipated. The registration page has additional details regarding the event.