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June 2023: The Shrubs Issue

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Shrubs take center stage in the June 2023 issue of Digger. Sharing the spotlight is the Farwest Show Planning Guide (PDF), a special insert detailing all the seminars, speakers and special events planned for this year’s extra-special 50th anniversary Farwest Show. Shrub-focused feature articles in the June 2023 issue include: Columns: Download a PDF of […]

Getting ahead by cutting back

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Advances in automated shrub trimming save time and labor With its wheels stretched 60 feet apart, a mowing machine makes its way over multiple rows of rhododendrons, leaving them uniformly trimmed on top. Powered by only one person riding on top of it, this machine gets the work done quickly, saving large wholesale grower Woodburn […]

High demand for low-water shrubs

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Growers and retailers capitalize on native and climate-adapted varieties for modern landscapes In the 1980s, the utility Denver Water coined the term “xeriscape” by combining the word “landscape” with the Greek prefix “xero” for “dry.” A niche movement was born. But the use of low-water shrubs and plants was at the time predominantly limited to […]

Where are the shrubs?

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Growers face recession and inflation concerns after pandemic depletes stock and strains availability The pandemic brought unexpected havoc to the nursery trade, just as it did to the rest of the economy. Strong sales volumes caused shortages and supply chain issues in all nursery sectors including shrubs. That in turn drove wide-ranging ripple effects that […]

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. […]

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. […]