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You are here: Home / Archives for Growing Knowledge

Growing Knowledge archive

Note: This article is part of the Growing Knowledge series in Digger magazine. This series is provided by Oregon State University in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture and in partnership with the Oregon Association of Nurseries.

The fight against flatheaded borers

By Lloyd Nackley — Posted October 3, 2022

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.

Filed Under: Borers, Flatheaded Borer, Growing Knowledge, Insects, Plant Pests and Diseases

An integrated plan of attack against pests

By Chris Hedstrom — Posted September 12, 2022

The Northwest Nursery Crop Research Center (part of the USDA- Agricultural Research Service, or USDA-ARS, Horticultural Crops Research Center) in Corvallis, Oregon recently funded the creation of the first Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Strategic Plan for Oregon’s ornamental nursery industry.

Filed Under: Beetles, Blights, Boxwood Blight, Growing Knowledge, Insects, Plant Diseases, Plant Pests and Diseases, Spotted Lanternfly, Thrips Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, integrated pest management, ipm, Oregon State University, OSU, pests

Bred for success

By Ryan Contreras — Posted July 21, 2022

These are some current and future cultivars from Oregon State University Ornamental Plant Breeding I am in my 13th year at Oregon State University (OSU). Spending more than a decade doing something sounds like a long time, but in the world of woody plant breeding, that is just getting warmed up. That is how I feel […]

Filed Under: Growing Knowledge Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Oregon State University, OSU

A beneficial breath of fresh air

By Jana Lee — Posted June 22, 2022

Testing the use of wintergreen oil to attract beneficials that kill nursery pests By Jana Lee, Victoria Skillman and Katerina Velasco Graham Can minty odors really enhance pest control? When pests feed on a plant, the plant releases odors, one of them being methyl salicylate (MeSA), also known as oil of wintergreen. When MeSA is […]

Filed Under: Growing Knowledge Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Oregon State University, OSU, Pests and Diseases

Nostoc: A nursery nemesis

By Luisa Santamaria — Posted May 25, 2022

Exploring novel approaches to long-term, sustainable management, and even use, of cyanobacteria By Luisa Santamaria, Maria Marlin and Katie Gregor One mention of nostoc is likely enough to fill any nursery manager with intense terror and agony. Nostoc, a green jelly-like film growing over gravel or on ground surfaces that are constantly wet, is a […]

Filed Under: Growing Knowledge Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Nursery operations, Oregon State University, OSU, Pests and Diseases

Keeping lawns healthy

By Alec Kowalewski — Posted April 20, 2022

Research points to certain practices for minimizing invasive annual bluegrass By Alec Kowalewski, Clint Mattox, and Alyssa Cain Desirable turfgrass species in western Oregon include, but are not limited to, perennial ryegrass and tall fescue. Perennial ryegrass will produce a dense, dark green lawn when regularly mowed, irrigated, and fertilized. Tall fescue, on the other […]

Filed Under: Growing Knowledge Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Growing Knowledge, Oregon State University, OSU, Pests and Diseases

The solitary life of pocket gophers

By Dana Sanchez — Posted March 18, 2022

These territorial animals can cause major problems in nursery production Both moles and gophers can be a menace to nursery production fields. As these animals look to survive a lack of available food during summer heat or winter cold, they often look to nursery crops, killing them or causing severe damage. The difference between gopher […]

Filed Under: Growing Knowledge Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Growing Knowledge, OSU, Pests and Diseases

Villains of the greenhouse II

By Jay Pscheidt — Posted February 22, 2022

When seedlings fail, Fusarium damping-off or wilt could be another cause Part two of a series. Part one of Villains of the greenhouse, published in the April 2021 issue of Digger, covered Rhizoconia damping-off, root rot and stem rot. It can be viewed at www.diggermagazine.com/villains-of-the-greenhouse. There are many fungi that live and survive in the […]

Filed Under: Fusarium Root Rot, Growing Knowledge, Plant Pests and Diseases, Pythium Root Rot, Rhizoctonia Root Rot, Root Rots Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Growing Knowledge, Oregon State University, OSU, Pests and Diseases

A bee’s eye view

By Gail Langellotto — Posted January 25, 2022

Testing for UV reflectance to gain insight into the benefits of nativars compared to native plants Market demand for native plants in ornamental landscapes has drastically increased since the early 2000s, as consumers, landscapers, landscape designers and landscape architects are increasingly aware of the environmental benefits provided by native plants. But despite their popularity, native […]

Filed Under: Growing Knowledge Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Growing Knowledge, OSU

Knowing your cedar pests (Part 2)

By Jay Pscheidt — Posted December 20, 2021

Part 2: Thuja, Juniperus and Cupressus It’s important to be aware of issues in the landscape and forest, as these can become problems in the nursery or for your customers. On the flip side, problems not detected in the nursery can become big issues when planted out at the customer’s end. Cedar trees have a […]

Filed Under: Beetles, Blights, Borers, Cankers, Growing Knowledge, Mites, Plant Diseases, Plant Pests and Diseases, Root Rots, Rusts Tagged With: Digger, Digger magazine, Growing Knowledge, Oregon State University, OSU, Pests and Diseases

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NURSERY NEWS

In Memoriam: Melvin John Steffenson

New USDA Census of Hort arriving in mailboxes this month

Oregon Association of Nurseries honors the industry’s best at 2024 Convention

Eason Horticultural Resources is now employee-owned

Oregon’s nursery licensing program aims to keep the entire industry healthy

Building trust is key to establishing clientele base for new nurseries

Five owners share their experiences on what it takes to start a nursery businesses

Bailey hires new CFO and chief HR officer

More Nursery News

From the pages of Digger

May 2025: Sustainability Issue

April 2025: The Tree Issue

March 2025: The Perennial Issue

February 2025: The Greenhouse Issue

January 2025: The Retail Issue

More issues of Digger

Pests and Diseases

Prioritizing nursery pest challenges

New tools in the battle against thrips

Aiming for precision in pest control

Oregon’s nursery licensing program aims to keep the entire industry healthy

$250,000 shifted to P. austrocedri research

More articles

FARWEST SHOW UPDATES

Sense of excitement prevailed at Farwest as nursery industry ‘Meets the Future’ 

Farwest Show attendees select favorites for the Retailers’ Choice Awards

Starway to Heaven™ Japanese Snowbell wins People’s Choice balloting at Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase

Hopper Bros. wins Best in Show booth award at 2024 Farwest Show   

Starway to Heaven™ Japanese Snowbell wins Judges’ Best in Show at Farwest Show New Varieties Showcase

More Updates from Farwest

The Value of Membership

Meet the leader: Sam Pohlschneider

OAN honors the industry’s best

Oregon Association of Nurseries honors the industry’s best at 2024 Convention

More member stories

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