SHOW DATES: AUGUST 20-22, 2025 SHOW HOURS: Wednesday: 10am – 5pm | Thursday: 10am – 5pm | Friday: 10am – 2pm Contact: 503-682-5089
Speaker: Elaine Sawyer, Technical Sales Specialist, Sound Horticulture Learn best practices for creating a successful biocontrol program, including specifics on beneficial insects, pests, scheduling orders
Speaker: Anissa Poleatewich, Senior Manager Product Development, Mycorrhizal Applications Anissa will discuss Biostimulants (mycorrhizae) and Biofungicdes in Horticulture Production Systems and will cover use of
Speaker: Luisa Santamaria, Ph.D., Professor, Extension Plant Pathologist, Oregon State University Boxwood plants, which are widely utilized in gardening and landscaping, are seriously threatened by
Speaker: Vanessa Vassilaros, M.S., Consultant Attendants will learn about steps to prevent, decrease, or contain pest and disease pressure using integrated pest management strategies in
Speaker: Alison Kutz, Consulting Director, Sound Horticulture Pests trying to outwit you? This talk will cover best practices for keeping beneficial insects and microbial controls
Unfortunately, Raymond Cloyd is not be able to attend the show this year. Speaker: Raymond A. Cloyd, Ph.D., Professor and Extension Specialist, Kansas State University
Unfortunately, Raymond Cloyd is not be able to attend the show this year. Speaker: Raymond A. Cloyd, Ph.D., Professor and Extension Specialist, Kansas State University
Speaker: Jessica Green, IPM Educator, Oregon Integrated Pest Management Center Solve Pest Problems, a tool managed by OSU's Oregon Integrated Pest Management Center, is a
Speaker: Jerry Weiland, Ph.D., Research Plant Pathologist, USDA-Agricultural Research Service Want to know how nursery production decisions can affect your risks for boxwood blight? Whether
Speaker: Melissa Scherr, Ph.D., Research Associate, Nursery Crops, Oregon State University Extension
Flathead borers can be serious pests of nursery trees and tree nut and fruit crops in the Pacific Northwest. In particular, two flathead borers in the genus Chrysobothris — C. femorata (flatheaded apple tree borer) and C. mali (Pacific flatheaded borer) — contribute damage in many different deciduous trees and shrubs grown commercially, weakening or even killing trees by girdling the trunk or branches. A third species, C. nixa, attacks cedar and juniper nursery trees. The flatheaded apple tree borer is a common pest in the Eastern and Central United States, while the Pacific flatheaded borer and flatheaded cedar borer are only found west of the Rockies. The Pacific Northwest region is home to all three species.
Speaker: Michael Brownbridge, Ph.D., Biological Program Manager, Plant Diseases, BioWorks Inc.
In North America, moves to adopt more biological inputs in plant production are driven by issues with pesticide resistance, market trends and restrictive re-entry intervals. This is where biopesticides can help. Their unique modes of action bring value in resistance management. The fact that they are derived from natural sources makes them more acceptable to consumers, and their safety means they can be applied with minimal disruption to day-to-day crop management activities. Yet there are still many misconceptions around what biopesticides are, their efficacy, and where and how they can be used. This presentation focuses on the use of biofungicides and their effective positioning in plant health programs.
Co-Presenters:
Kathryn Rifenburg, Pesticide Stewardship Partnership Coordinator, Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA)
David Green, Columbia River Coordinator, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
The Pesticide Stewardship Partnerships (PSP) program is a locally led, voluntary program to identify potential concerns and improve water quality affected by pesticide use. Partnerships combine local expertise and water quality sampling results to encourage voluntary changes in pesticide use and management practices. This presentation will give recommendations for keeping pesticides on site and protecting water quality and regional biocontrol projects happening around the state.
Co-Presenters:
Ryan Contreras, Ph.D., Associate Department Head and Professor, Oregon State University
Kara Mills, Lead Horticulturist, Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA)
OSU has conducted extensive research to evaluate nearly three dozen cultivars for their seedling production and attraction to pollinators. This work has identified the relative fecundity of all selections within the context of current regulation for Buddleja. The Oregon Department of Agriculture will describe how Butterfly Bush is currently regulated and forecast the future of these regulations in light of new data.
Speaker: Dr. Ann Chase, Co-founder, Chase Agricultural Consulting
Dr. Chase will start with an overview of the most common green pests from algae and Nostoc (blue-green algae) and moss to Liveworts. She will share how these pests become problems in plant production including where they come from and how we make them worse. The final section will review the products that are used to prevent or control them from herbicides to disinfestants and even biologicals. Knowing which products work best in the greenhouse or nursery, as well as what your legal options include will be covered.
Speaker: Dr. Jerry Weiland, Research Plant Pathologist, USDA-Agricultural Research Service
Phytophthora root rot has been a persistent problem in the nursery industry for almost 100 years. Yet, despite decades of research, there has been little progress in improving control of this disease. This session will explain why root rot has become more difficult to control over time and will cover the latest research on pathogen biology and fungicide management. Case studies will be used to illustrate the consequences of nursery production decisions on overall disease control and management recommendations will be provided.
Speaker: Brock Martindale, National Nursery & Greenhouse Strategic Account Manger, Corteva
Broch will cover the importance of building a robust IMP program and how you can avoid building resistance in your facility. You are bound to find several things that you can take back to your facility to improve your process. Broch will cover the 7 steps to success and a deep dive into preventing resistance.
Speaker: George Grant, GGSPro Technical Specialist Supervisor, Griffin Greenhouse Supplies
Regardless of your standard operating procedures, sanitation is a key factor in having a successful season. Very few management practices have the duality of being preventative, curative, and cost-effective whereas a strong pre-season and mid-season sanitation plan does. For this reason, we strongly focus on maintaining clean production spaces, inputs, and equipment to manage a wide variety of plant-related issues. Surprisingly, there are scenarios we run into in our daily lives that overlap with plant production such as washing dirty dishes. We will use these common scenarios to help demonstrate the cultural and chemical steps necessary for effective sanitation.
Speaker: Silvia I. Rondon, Professor and Extension Entomology Specialist, Oregon State University; Director, Oregon Integrated Pest Management Center
This presentation will provide an overview of the Oregon IPM center with focus on our new Solve Pest Problems. Some unrestricted pesticides information will be mentioned during this presentation.
Co-Presenters:
Sharon Selvaggio, Pesticide Program Specialist, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Sam Bidwell, Integrated Pest Manager, Log House Plants; Founder, Sunnyside Sam’s Wholesale
People across the country are working to help restore monarch butterflies by planting milkweed. A recent study showed that milkweed plants purchased from garden centers across the country contained a wide variety of pesticide residues, putting monarchs at risk. In this seminar, we invite a thoughtful conversation about how nurseries can use practices that result in pollinator-safe plants. We will present the findings and implications of the milkweed study and share examples of how a local nursery, Log House Plants, puts pollinator-safe growing into practice.
Speaker: George Grant, GGSPro Technical Specialist Supervisor, Griffin Greenhouse Supplies
Propagation is a balance between maintaining an environment conducive to young plant production while managing a myriad of insect and disease pests that also thrive in these conditions. We will walk through various cultural, chemical, and biological inputs useful when propagating to ensure an efficiently and cleanly grown product. Strategies discussed during this presentation include moisture management, biological and conventional pesticides for below and above ground pests, cleaning up material using plant dips, sanitation steps, use of plant root stimulants and more!
Speaker: Kelli Matthews
This seminar will take a look at best practices, and emerging trends, while offering some fresh ideas for your social and digital marketing.
Speaker: Timothy Howard, President/Founder, Clarity Connect, Inc.
In today’s market, most growers and garden centers, are selling virtually every plant they have. It is somewhat counter-intuitive to invest in your business when you don’t need to. However, now is the perfect time to leverage extra cash for long-term gains. This presentation will demonstrate multiple ways growers and garden centers can upgrade their websites, invest in employees, purchase new technology and tools, and increase marketing efforts, to help secure customers for the long haul while making it easier on their operations.
Moderator: Jeff Stone, Executive Director, OAN Panelists:
Speaker: Timothy Howard, President/Founder, Clarity Connect, Inc.
With tools like A/B testing, screen recording, heat maps and Google Analytics, you can take the guesswork out of improving your website. The tools available are free, or very low cost, and give you the data you need to confidently improve your website.
Speaker: Anne Obarski, Founder and CEO, Merchandise Concepts
As customers return to physical stores, it’s the eye-catching displays that their attention and drive revenue. Has every product earned its right to be in your store? Are your lighting and décor drawing attention to your merchandise? Do you have an enticing floor plan? Are you struggling to create the “right” displays? This session will address the “new” ways to address your inventory and your store merchandising to receive a standing ovation from your customer.
Speaker: Jessica Arnold, Outreach Manager, Industry + Agriculture, Energy Trust of Oregon
Cash incentives are available through Energy Trust of Oregon for eligible projects that save natural gas or electricity. Participating utilities include Portland General Electric (PGE), Pacific Power, Northwest Natural, Cascade Natural Gas, and Avista. Examples include projects from greenhouse shell and heating systems upgrades to controlled environmental agriculture optimization of HVAC, dehumidification, irrigation, lighting and more. Attend this session to learn all about the different programs, and get your questions answered.
Speaker: Anne Obarski, Founder and CEO, Merchandise Concepts
Through the pandemic, customers have grown accustomed to online ordering. However, today you are trying creative ways to get customers back in the store. This seminar will focus on eight critical areas in your store to deliver that “astonishing” experience at every single touchpoint you have with your customer. The A.C.E. grading scale includes marketing, exterior and interior, employees, merchandising, and three additional areas you probably have never thought of. This session will help you deliver an A+ astonishing experience for your customers at every turn.
Speaker: Danny Summers, Managing Director, The Garden Center Group
Major shifts have occurred throughout industries, organizations, and the entire world over the past two and a half years. Garden Retailing is no exception. As we look forward to 2023, Danny Summers of The Garden Center Group will take a look back and share a collection of stats and observations to help you prepare for 2023 — and beyond. The Garden Center Group is North America’s resource for solutions for garden retailing — benchmarking, budgeting, inventory and margins, marketing, merchandising, brand building, property and site design, human resources, team building, succession, and more.
Speaker: Anne Obarski, Founder and CEO, Merchandise Concepts
If you become a frontline employee in your business for a day, what might you discover? Do you think there are items that could be changed or improved? What could you do with that information to create happier employees and an improved culture? It takes a special leader to be willing to take risks to discover what will make each employee part of your team of superheroes.
