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Keeping our world ‘Wonderful’

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SpaceX recently conducted an orbital test flight of their Starship spacecraft. The tallest, most powerful spacecraft ever constructed, “designed to both carry crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond,” according to SpaceX. The test lasted four minutes and the starship self-destructed before it was able to make it into orbit. Was […]

May 2023: The Sustainability Issue

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The May 2023 issue of Digger explores the myriad ways the nursery and greenhouse industry of today is implementing sustainable measures and building on the legacy of pioneers in sustainability, such as Mahonia Nursery owner John D. Miller and agricultural inventor Heping Zhu, who developed the technology that would become the Intelligent Spray Control System. […]

Answering nature’s challenges

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On October 17, 1989, the Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants assembled to battle it out in game 3 of the World Series. Then, an hour before the first pitch, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake rocked northern California. There were reported 3,700 injuries, 63 deaths and over $6 billion in damages reported. The series was postponed […]

Member Profile: Mahonia Nursery

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Founded: 1983 by John D. Miller Mahonia is a native plant species that plays an important role in Oregon’s ecosystems. These hardy, evergreen shrubs were used extensively by Native American tribes ­— as a food source, as a natural dye for textiles, and as medicine to treat a variety of human aliments, from digestive problems […]

Natives shine on

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Thanks to climate change, sales of drought-tolerant, pollinator-loving native perennials are enjoying their time in the sun Concern for the environment and pollinators is inspiring gardeners to add native plants to their landscape. At the same time, climate change is driving an ongoing increase in demand for heat- and drought-tolerant natives. Sustainable landscaping with native […]

Spraying sustainably

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An intelligent spraying system can help growers reduce pesticide use, save money and better manage their crops Until about six or seven years ago, Hans Nelson and Sons Nursery in Boring, Oregon, would apply standard pesticides to its roughly 150 acres of shade and flowering trees using traditional air-blast sprayers. The sprayers, used throughout the […]

Remixing soil mixes

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More sustainable alternatives to carbon-sequestering peat moss are entering into the planting media equation Amid growing international concerns about the environmental impacts of depleting and permanently damaging peat bogs, a movement is underway to ban or restrict the sale and use of peat moss — a nonrenewable resource that takes thousands of years to form. […]

The tribulations of big trees

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Growing bigger trees that will flourish in a changing climate takes a long-game approach For decades, tree-lined streets across the country — largely in the Southeast — would erupt in the bright white blossoms of Callery pear trees (Pyrus calleryana) every spring. Affordable, fast-growing and easily shipped, the trees had become the darlings of landscapers, […]