Digger magazine

Serving the Northwest Nursery Industry for Over 50 Years

Are olives viable for Oregon?

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With a column title like What I’m Hearing, I am always listening for new ideas, new plants, trends in garden centers and new plant trials. Recently in a conversation with Ann Murphy, a communications and marketing manager at Oregon State University (OSU), I learned that the OSU North Willamette Research and Extension Center in Aurora, […]

A team effort for your success

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It was my great privilege to serve as president of the Nursery and Landscape Association Executives (NLAE) of North America for the past two years. I am the third Oregonian to serve in that role. Merv Belknap was the first in 1969-70, followed by Dan Barnhart in 1989-90. The NLAE is a team of committed […]

Fun and business

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It seems spring has just started, but it’s coming to an end already. Summer’s just about here. It’s a welcome transition. It means we can regroup after spring’s “harvest havoc” and start to focus on production and future planning. Because it is summer, hopefully there are plans that include something fun and relaxing. And hopefully, […]

Vancouver company launches new K-Pots container line

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KASO Plastics of Vancouver, Washington has introduced K-Pots, a new line of injection-molded nursery containers in 1-, 5- and 10-gallon sizes. The company’s containers are manufactured locally in Vancouver. KASO has longstanding expertise in engineering and manufacturing, and as a result can create custom containers for customers in addition to the stock sizes. Initial offerings […]

The continuing story of impatiens downy mildew

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  The more we learn about impatiens downy mildew (IDM), the more intriguing and cunning this disease seems. It came to light in 2004 after widespread infections were reported in several states throughout the US but then receded from the spotlight for several years. Since 2011, IDM has been more consistently visible and frustratingly present […]

Woodburn Nursery & Azaleas, Tom Fessler join Bower & Branch network

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Woodburn Nursery & Azaleas Inc., Woodburn, Oregon, announced that it has become a member of the Bower & Branch grower network, with Tom Fessler, president of Woodburn Nursery, set to serve on the organization’s board of directors. Bower & Branch is an e-commerce site populated with products from independent growers and garden retailers from the […]

Al’s Garden & Home celebrates seven decades in business

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On May 2, 2018, Al’s Garden & Home celebrates its 70th anniversary as a family-owned business this year. Over that time, the company has grown from a single fruit stand in Woodburn to a garden center and grower with four retail locations. Al and Ann Bigej founded the company in 1948, housing the fruit stand originally […]

Bower & Branch hires communications officer

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Bower & Branch, an e-commerce site populated with products from independent growers and garden retailers in the Northeast and Midwest, has hired Clint Albin as their chief communications officer. Albin runs a horticulture industry consulting business, and has previously held director-level positions at Garden Centers of America, the Independent Garden Center Show, and Garden Media […]

May 2018 — The Efficiency Issue

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The Efficiency Issue Rising costs, labor scarcity and competition create challenges for growers. Greater efficiency can be the answer. In this issue: Your efficient nursery business. 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. Managing for […]