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Note: This article is part of the Growing Knowledge series in Digger magazine. This series is provided by Oregon State University in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture and in partnership with the Oregon Association of Nurseries.

Get ‘em while they’re hot: New cultivars from OSU

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The Ornamental Plant Breeding Program at OSU is beginning to hit its stride and new cultivars are hitting the market – carrying the hopes of making a positive impact on the industry. Established in 2010, the Ornamental Plant Breeding Program at Oregon State University has worked to develop plants that work in production for landscapers […]

Solving irrigation drip tape damage

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Managing the pests that are causing the problems Who has been chewing through our irrigation tape? A grower contacted us after detecting a large number of irrigation leaks of uncertain origin. The grower found holes in the tubes where the leaks had occurred. Many of the holes showed frayed edges and were less than 1 […]

Testing the waters

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How to test your irrigation system for the presence of Phythophthora By Neelam R. Redekar and Jennifer L. Parke Phytophthora is a fungus-like organism — called a water mold — that can infect a wide variety of nursery plant species. One of the ways it can spread is through irrigation water. Depending on size, a […]

Native plant production and marketing

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There are barriers to full adoption of these plants, but also opportunities to promote their adoption By Aaron Anderson Native plants represent an area of untapped growth and expansion for the nursery industry. For example, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) ranked native plants and native/adapted drought-tolerant plants as the top two landscape and […]

Emerging threats to conifer foliage

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Growers and nurseries should be on the lookout for these diseases By Jared LeBoldus, Dave Shaw, and Paul Reeser Two new foliage diseases of Douglas fir and several other conifer species are emerging in Oregon, and they could be a threat to conifer growers and nurseries. The pathogens include Phytophthora pluvialis, the cause of Pytophthora […]

Pest control for Christmas trees

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Evaluating new and old insecticides, and beneficial insects, for aphid control By Chal Landgren, Judy Kowalski, David Howell, Paige Kuchy Aphid control on Christmas tree and other conifer plantings can be a yearly headache for growers. This is especially true for growers of grand fir which, for some reason, seems especially “tasty” to aphids. Over […]

Grapes as a nursery opportunity

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Grapes are one of the ancient commodities, as they have been important to agriculture and human history for centuries. The growth of grapes and production of wine are rife with tradition. As a result, wine grapes are one of the least improved crops in modern agriculture. The wine industry’s strong tradition has growers in both […]

Here comes the sun

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Researchers continue to evaluate soil solarization as a weed management technique By Carol Mallory-Smith, Jennifer Parke and Nami Wada In 2017, nursery and greenhouse producers added $947.7 million to Oregon’s economy, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture. And for this very valuable Oregon industry, and all agricultural systems, weeds are a major issue impacting […]

Turf care without herbicides

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Research evaluates the use of IPM for weed control on turfgrass By Emily Braithwaite, Brian McDonald, Tim Stock and Alec Kowalewski It is speculated that proper cultural management practices can reduce weed populations in turfgrass without the use of herbicide applications. With new laws restricting access to certain pesticides within turfgrass management and increased pressure […]

The ‘tangled root ball’

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Family-owned businesses must balance work, ownership and family roles Each June, family business owners interview with a panel of peers to compete in the Excellence in Family Business Awards. Judges consistently ask each CEO how they carve out time for their family. To date, the most memorable — and perhaps practical — “policy” came from […]