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You are here: Home / Archives for Nursery Operations

Working wonders

By Jon Bell — Posted October 24, 2018

Despite pervasive labor struggles, nurseries find ways to find workers There was a time, up until 2006 or 2007, when Robinson Nursery in McMinnville, Oregon would lay off at least 30 percent of its workforce every year, just after the fall season and heading into winter. Back then, the nursery industry’s labor pool included a […]

Filed Under: Nursery Operations Tagged With: Business, Digger, Digger magazine, Immigration, Labor, People

The essentials of retention

By Bill Goloski — Posted October 24, 2018

Many growers can’t set the price of their products in the national marketplace. They are competing for business with growers from states that don’t have same high cost of doing business, which puts Oregonians at a competitive disadvantage. This means business owners must focus on collecting high-value returns on high-cost labor expenses. When compiling salaries […]

Filed Under: Nursery Operations Tagged With: Business, Digger, Digger magazine, Immigration, Labor, People, Retention

Grower guidance vs. customer demand

By Tracy Ilene Miller — Posted September 25, 2018

Sometimes customers want one thing and climate wants another, but this dilemma presents opportunities for the grower If Mick Jagger had been a horticulturist, he might have sung, “You can’t always plant what you want.” Case in point: Sean Hogan, owner of Cistus Nursery (Portland, Oregon), was driving home from work in late August and […]

Filed Under: Nursery Operations Tagged With: Climate Change, Consumer trends, Digger, Digger magazine, Landscaping, Urban Forestry, Wholesale Nurseries

Smart sprayer becomes commercially available

By Curt Kipp — Posted August 31, 2018

After years of research, nurseries looking for a machine to selectively apply fertilizers and chemicals to their plants — and only their plants — finally have what they wanted. The USDA Agricultural Research Service has licensed its smart sprayer technology to Smart Guided Systems LLC, the agency and the company announced. Orders are being accepted […]

Filed Under: Farwest Show, Nursery News, Nursery Operations

The next generation of green minds

By Bill Goloski — Posted July 31, 2018

Seed Your Future launches BLOOM!, a vibrant national campaign which packages a discovery quiz, short videos and a library of educational materials from Scholastic that even businesses can use Retailers and wholesale businesses alike know that launching a new marketing campaign comes standard with a certain number of uncertainties. Will your audience like your message? […]

Filed Under: Nursery Operations Tagged With: Business, Digger, Digger magazine, Education, Marketing, Wholesale Nurseries

Where plant demand is headed

By Jon Bell — Posted July 31, 2018

Nurseries navigate a new landscape as consumer demand evolves Americans love their pets. A lot. In 2017, they spent nearly $70 billion on their animal companions, and that number’s expected to rise to $100 million by the end of the decade, according to the American Pet Products Assocation. They also, it seems, love their smartphones, […]

Filed Under: Nursery Operations Tagged With: Business, Consumer trends, Digger, Digger magazine, Marketing

Excellence on display

By Tracy Ilene Miller — Posted June 25, 2018

Is it worth the trouble of creating a display or trial garden at your nursery? We spoke to several growers about the challenges and benefits Many wholesale and even retail nurseries establish a display garden on their premises. These gardens can impress, instruct and inspire customers, while showing them what the plants look like in […]

Filed Under: Nursery Operations Tagged With: Business, Digger, Digger magazine, display garden, Marketing, Retail Nurseries, Wholesale Nurseries

Money efficiency

By Carol Suruki — Posted April 30, 2018

These tips will help growers spend their business dollars wisely As a business owner, you want to spend your money on what provides true, long-term business value. Because nurseries can rely heavily on cash flow to keep their operations running, it’s important to understand where your money is going and plan for your capital investments. […]

Filed Under: Nursery Operations Tagged With: Business, Digger, Digger magazine, Efficiency, Finance, moss adams

Your efficient nursery business

By Curt Kipp — Posted April 30, 2018

Nursery profitability is always a challenge. We talked to more than a dozen growers and industry colleagues who have become more efficient, and increased their bottom line, by improving their management, workflows, inputs and workspaces. Whether it’s a daffodil or a giant sequoia, a plant is a relatively simple closed system. Its ultimate growth is driven by basic environmental factors such as light, water, soil and accessible nutrients. The nurseries that produce these plants, however, are much more complicated.

Filed Under: Nursery Operations Tagged With: Business, Digger, Digger magazine, Efficiency, lean, Operations, Wholesale Nurseries

Managing for efficiency

By Curt Kipp — Posted April 30, 2018

Efficiency begins at the top. It starts with company leadership setting an expectation and empowering employees to contribute their ideas and expertise. It’s about encouraging dynamic, back-and-forth conversations in the workplace. Companies such as wholesale propagator JLPN Inc. in Salem, Oregon; wholesale grower Skagit Horticulture in Mount Vernon, Washington; Eshraghi Nurseries in Hillsboro, Oregon; wholesale […]

Filed Under: Nursery Operations Tagged With: Business, Digger, Digger magazine, Efficiency, lean, Management

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NURSERY NEWS

Bailey Nurseries removed dams to build environmental resilience

The new NurseryGuide.com powers up with new features

Terra Gardens owner’s gesture for his mother opens the door to other wheelchair-bound gardeners

OAN announces 2025 Friends of Nurseries award winners

OAN leads grower-driven Japanese beetle solution

AmericanHort president and CEO to step down

In memoriam: Bill Van Belle

Longtime employee buys Heritage Seedlings and Liners

More Nursery News

From the pages of Digger

August 2026 Digger: Farwest Show Edition

July 2026

June: The Shrubs Issue

May 2026: the Sustainability Issue

April: The Tree Issue

More issues of Digger

Pests and Diseases

Box tree moths pose a threat to Oregon nurseries

Managing Phytophthora: timing, temperature and emerging threats

Managing slugs and snails in Pacific Northwest nurseries

OAN leads grower-driven Japanese beetle solution

Prioritizing nursery pest challenges

More articles

FARWEST SHOW UPDATES

2026 Farwest Show issues calls for speakers

Excitement, optimism prevail at 2025 Farwest Show

Dazzling plants, products garner Retailer’s Choice Awards

Youngblood Nursery wins Best in Show booth honors at the 2025 Farwest Show

Glow Sticks Fescue wins top honors from judges at Farwest Show’s New Varieties Showcase 

More Updates from Farwest

The Value of Membership

OAN members see benefits and rewards from serving ag industry organizations

AmericanHort president and CEO to step down

OAN honors industry leaders at 2025 Convention

More member stories

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