Nursery operators have known for some time that cultivars of the butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) are on the way out of Oregon nurseries, deemed invasive by the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Nurseries can’t propagate it, and they have until the end of 2009 to get rid of their remaining stock. Now the word is getting […]
Black market metal
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Metal thefts are a huge problem for many, from nurseries to cemeteries. Here’s a very good news story from KMTR-16 TV in Eugene, Ore., explaining what is being done in the Willamette Valley to stop it.
Fewer trucks on the road
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Bad news for nurseries and others who are dependent on the trucking industry. Massive bankruptcies and shutdowns have taken some 127,000 trucks off the road, with many being sold to companies in Eastern Europe and Russia, the Capital Press (Salem, Ore.) reported. According to Donald Broughton, an analyst with the Avondale Partners research firm: “A […]
Death metal
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Metal thefts have been a longstanding concern for nursery operators, who must guard against having their irrigation pipe and other equipment stolen by meth-addled thieves who then sell the scrap to feed their habits. Said tweakers have also targeted building contractors (by stealing appliances and ripping wire right out of the sheetrock of unfinished homes), […]
Chemeketa offers native plant class among winter offerings
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Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Ore., has announced its winter term offerings in horticulture, landscaping and pesticides. Registration begins Dec. 8, and classes run Jan. 5-March 21, 2009. The offerings include a new class titled “Native Plant Propagation and Use.” Others cover plant propagation, greenhouse production/management, woody plant identification, soils/media/nutrition, viticulture, landscape design, landscape irrigation, […]
Obama and nurseries
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What will the election of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) mean for nurseries? According to John Aguirre, executive director of the Oregon Association of Nurseries, the Obama ascendancy offers opportunities as well as challenges. In terms of opportunities, Obama is likely to favor a federal energy policy with incentives for efficiency and alternative sources, greater attention […]
Online Phytophthora course now in Spanish
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Since earlier in the year, Oregon State University eCampus has been offering an online course for nursery growers on the management of Phytophthora, a genus of pathogens including the notorious P. ramorum, also known as sudden oak death. The course is free and available to anyone, and participants can try for a certificate of mastery […]
Compost rule changes are on forum agenda
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Nick Andrews, extension agent at NWREC, wrote (via Robin Rosetta) to tell us about an upcoming forum that will be of interest to nursery growers who do composting: As you know, DEQ is drafting new Rules for Composting Facilities in Oregon that will impact on-farm composting. In response to critical public comments after they released […]
Reporting your pesticide use
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A series of help classes on the mandatory Oregon Pesticide Use Reporting System begins next Monday, Nov. 3, and continues through Dec. 5. It’s going on in locations throughout the state, so there should be one at least somewhat near you. Those attending these classes will be able to learn more about PURS pesticide use […]
Pesticide Notification Network notes two proposed deletions
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The Pesticide Notification Network, operated by Washington State University, provides pesticide users with up-to-the-minute information on proposed regulation changes that could affect them. It includes a searchable database of chemicals. Today’s notifications include an announcement from the EPA regarding the insecticides Furadan 4F and Furadan LFR. The manufacturer, FMC Corporation, has requested the the deletion […]