Cultivate’23 guide

Saturday, July 15

Nursery Production Tour: See some of the leading nursery grower operations in the Midwest on the nursery production tour. Learn about how these businesses maximize efficiency opportunities, manage complex supply chain logistics, and make upgrades to meet today’s business needs.

Stops include Willoway Nurseries, Petitti’s new Losely farm and Petitti’s Avon store.

Time: 7 a.m.-5 p.m.

Editor’s note: Click here for a full tour preview.

Charting the Course in a Challenging Environment: As consumer behavior shifts, extreme weather becomes a constant, and our industry faces economic pressures, how do you know what to keep steady in our businesses and what to change? This session will share insights about staying focused, but adaptive, during challenging times and what that could look like for your business.

Speaker: Jonathan Pedersen, CEO and plantsman, Monrovia
Time: 9-10 a.m. • Location: A120

H-2A vs. H-2B 101: H-2A vs. H-2B 101 will cover the ins and outs of both the H-2A and H-2B programs for employers. The session discusses the programs’ requirements, barriers to entry, and best practices for employers, including pertinent current events. As the labor landscape continues to be difficult, more and more businesses are turning to the H-2 visas to solve their shortages. Ensure your operation is on the right track.

Speaker: Emily Morris, Business Development & Marketing Coordinator, másLabor
Time: 1-2 p.m. • Location: A220

Improving Profitability with Free Marketing Programs: In this session, a panel of experienced growers, brokers and retailers will explain how they have used the free marketing programs that the non-profit organizations All-America Selections and National Garden Bureau create for the industry. They will give a better understanding of the AAS trials and resulting winners and NGB's Year of program for annuals, perennials, edibles, shrubs, houseplants and bulb crops. Then, our successful professionals will explain how they have, are and will use the free programs provided by these organizations. Join us for this exciting idea toss-out and case-study of how anyone can sell more product by using these programs.

Time: 4-5 p.m. • Location: A123

Sunday, July 16

Assessing the State of the Art and Science of Buddleia Breeding with a Focus on Sterility and Regulation: Buddleia davidii is prized by gardeners for their long flowering season, variety of colors, and pollinator attraction. Unfortunately, the species has escaped cultivation including in Oregon where it has degraded riparian habitat. Breeders have addressed its weediness by developing cultivars using hybridization and polyploidization, some of which have been introduced as seedless or nearly so. Oregon has approved more than a dozen of these cultivars, some based on “sterility” and some due to their hybrid nature. However, methods to evaluate fertility of cultivars are not standardized, something researchers across the country are currently proposing. Ryan Contreras will discuss HRI-funded research conducted to evaluate a large suite of cultivars and the implications on future breeding efforts. Additionally, he will discuss what these findings mean for future regulation of other banned taxa in Oregon and beyond.

Speaker: Ryan Contreras, Professor and Associate Head at Oregon State University, Department of Horticulture
Time: 9:30-10:20 a.m. • Location: C170

Importance of Scouting and the Cost of Misidentifying Pests: Scouting plays a critical role in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. This session examines common, and uncommon, misidentified pest problems. We will discuss the potential economic impacts of misidentifying plant pest problems and the benefits of having well-trained scouts on your team. Participants will need to bring a smartphone or tablet to participate in a Poll Everywhere activity.

Speaker: Andrew Jeffers, Horticulture and Natural Resources Agent at Clemson University Cooperative Extension
Time: 9:30-10:30 a.m. • Location: Union Station Ballroom A

Cultivating Cultivars - Urban Tree Cultivar Development: It’s a long and complex journey from seed to city tree. Many hands and a decade or more are needed to grow a tree from start to finish. It takes even longer to develop, select, trial and introduce new and improved cultivars. Bringing new and improved urban tree cultivars to market is a multi-generational effort that may take 15–30 years or more, via the collaborative efforts of plant breeders, growers, urban foresters, arboreta and academia. A changing climate adds urgency to the search for tough, resilient, adaptable urban trees. Understanding the timeline and processes of new tree introduction and the how and why of cultivar development will help growers, retailers, designers and specifiers plan for choosing, growing and planting the best trees for the future urban forest.

Speaker: Nancy Buley, Director of Communications for J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co.
Time: 11 a.m.-12 p.m. • Location: A113

Breeding the Next Generation of Nursery Crops: Sure, we want to breed and market plants that have spectacular appeal and beauty, but we also want them to be durable, resilient, pest resistant and non-invasive. Modern breeding programs are up to the challenge using diverse and novel techniques to develop new cultivars that not only beautify but enhance the environment too. In addition to advances in conventional breeding, new plant biotechnologies and applications are developing rapidly and offer tremendous potential for crop improvement. Integrating these technologies, including gene editing (e.g., CRISPR), expands the potential to develop the next generation of ground-breaking nursery crops.

Speaker: Tom Ranney, JC Raulston Distinguished Professor at North Carolina State University
Time 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m. • Location: C170

Use of Drones, Part One: Introduction to Drone Usage and Drone Technology: In this first of three sessions, get a brief overview on the overall use of drones in the horticultural industry followed by a deeper dive into drone technology. You'll be apprised of drone rules and regulations, learn what licensing and certifications are needed for drone operations, and discover what types of drones are used in horticulture and agriculture operations. Attendees will learn how drones can benefit horticultural in agricultural operations. What is the future of drones in our industry? This session will explore the answer.

Use of Drones, Part Two: Drones for Early Detection of Plant Health Problems and Disease Control: In the second of three sessions in the drone series, join us for a closer look at drone usage for detecting and controlling plant health issues. First, we will share how imaging from UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) can be utilized by growers for early detection of both plant nutrient deficiencies and water stress. Then, we will explain how drones can be used to control two major diseases in nurseries using low risk fungicides. Be prepared to hear real-world examples as the information presented is based on field trials in working nurseries in Maryland.

Use of Drones, Part Three: Drone Usage for Pest Control: In the third session in the drone series, attendees will learn how drones have been used for pest control. Specifically, the use of drones to: apply beneficial mites in horticultural crops, apply the bioinsecticide, Beauveria bassiana in herbaceous perennials, and apply low risk pesticides for caterpillar control in commercial nurseries. We will also share the results of two years of field trials where drones were used to apply systemic insecticides in outdoor greenhouse crops. All of the field research results discussed in this session were conducted in Maryland in working nurseries and greenhouses, so be prepared to get real-world examples.

Times: 1-1:50 p.m., 2-2:50 p.m., 3-3:50 p.m. • Location: C170

Using and Navigating the H2A Program: Join in on the discussion as we bring together leaders in the advocacy and labor arena for our industry to cover updates on labor issues and trends horticulture businesses will need to know. Whether you need help untangling policy and some real-world clarity on H-2 programs to general regulatory updates – the team will answer the latest happenings in the policy environment impacting your green business.

Moderator: Sara Neagu-Reed, Director, Advocacy & Government Affairs, AmericanHort Panelists: Joel Anderson, Snake River Farmers Association; Arianna Cabrera de Ona, Costa Farms; Shawn Packer, JPH Law; Emily Showalter, Willoway Nurseries
Time: 2:30-3:30 p.m. • Location: Union Station Ballroom A

Monday, July 17

AmericanHort State of the Industry Address: Learn where our industry stands today and what the future holds. Our experts will provide insights on how to plan and navigate the changing market climate driven by rising costs and supply chain bottlenecks while also managing business challenges like labor and product availability. The latest thoughts on the political climate and regulatory policy and opportunities will also be shared.

Speakers: Charlie Hall, Ellison Chair in International Horticulture, Texas A&M University; Ken Fisher, president and CEO, AmericanHort; Craig Regelbrugge, Executive Vice President Advocacy, Research and Industry Relations, AmericanHort
Time: 8-9:15 a.m. • Location: Short North Ballroom

Dealing with Major Armored and Soft Scales in Nurseries and Landscapes: Results of several years of trials in controlling Japanese maple scale, crape myrtle bark scale, Lecanium scales, and soft scale of evergreens will be covered along with life cycles and most susceptible stages for control. Newer systemic insecticides and low risk pesticides that can be effectively used in a control strategy.

Speakers: Stanton Gill, Extension specialist in Entomology and IPM and Professor at University of Maryland Extension and Montgomery College
Time: 9:30-10:30 a.m. • Location: A223

Demystifying SANC Applications (a perspective from growers or Nursery owners): Certification of nursery stock for intrastate, interstate and international shipping has become increasingly challenging for industry and regulatory agencies due to higher shipping volumes, increasing regulated pest pressure, more rigorous shipping requirements, and dwindling resources. The goal of SANC (Systems Approach to Nursery Certification) is to identify risks or hazards, then use a facility’s critical control points to implement best management practices to mitigate these hazards. An online Risk Assessment Tool is available to expedite the required risk assessment. SANC-certified facilities are better prepared to reduce the risk of spreading plant pests through trade. The SANC program, developed with participation of more than 20 state agencies and several industry and academic representatives, is used in 16 SANC-certified facilities. Two additional facilities are completing certification. Interested facilities are encouraged to contact their state plant regulatory offices or AmericanHort.

Speaker: John Rausch, Director of Supply Management at Star Roses and Plants; Wayne Dixon, SANC Program Associate at National Plant Board
Time: 2-3 p.m. • Location: A223

Back2Basics: Time Management: It’s not about getting everything done! It’s about getting the right stuff done and knowing the difference between urgent and important priorities.  Managing your day so it doesn’t manage you is vital to success in any busy horticulture business, and John will teach you how to overcome the chaos and maximize your time each hour of the day.

Audience members will learn:

• The ways to invest your time wisely in the priorities that matter most
• How to save one hour a day with a simple “back 2 basics” success strategy
• The solutions to ten of the most common time burners you deal with each and every day

Speaker: John Kennedy, Coach/Strategist/Author at BoomerWrangle, LLC
Time: 3:30-4:30 p.m. • Location: A213

New Approaches to Inventory Management at the Nursery: Brett brings his unique experience in retail and sales to the production planning process at Monrovia’s nursery in Cairo, Georgia. He’ll share his process for preparing timely inventory and outline how thinking like a salesperson can help build an efficient production pipeline.

Speaker: Brett Cromly, general manager, Monrovia
Time: 3:30-4:30 p.m. • Location: A120

Tuesday, July 18

Vexed by Vascular Streak Dieback? An Update: Join us to explore a horticultural riddle wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma! This talk will provide an update regarding what we know about the tentatively named ‘vascular streak disease’ (VSD) of redbud and other potential hosts. We will discuss what goes into the diagnosis of the putative pathogen, Rhizoctonia theobromae, why it remains difficult to culture, and how this is slowing progress in understanding how plants are infected, and how to best protect against this pathogen. We then discuss managing redbud and other nursery stock to grow healthier plants and minimize the risk of fungal pathogens including R. theobromae.

Speakers: Janna Beckerman, Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist, Purdue University John Bonkowski, Plant Disease Diagnostician, Purdue University
Time: 8-8:50 a.m. • Location: C170

Editor’s note: Click here for more information on VSD.

Day-to-Day Marketing for Small Businesses: You're a busy grower or owner of an IGC and can't hire a full-time marketer, so what do you do? Anyone with a cellphone can create a successful marketing plan. Who knows your business better than you? Marketing is just another tool in your arsenal you can use to grow your business. Get the tools to create an accessible and successful marketing program that doesn't cost you hours of your day. IGC owners can explore the simpler sides of things like social media advertising, editorial calendars, events, classes and community outreach. This class is specifically designed for small businesses within the green industry looking to promote their business with limited resources and personnel.

Speaker: Cassandra Flynn, Marketing Director at Ashcombe Farm and Greenhouses
Location: Union Station Ballroom C

Fixing Nursery Problems with Plant Growth Regulators: This session will discuss the most common problems in nursery operation due to non-optimal production technology and production mistakes (e.g., leggy plants due to high plant density, drought stress due to under-watering, over-application of growth retardants, etc.). These all negatively affect plant quality, appearance, and thus market value. The presenter will provide solutions to these common production technology issues with the use of plant growth regulators. These applications will bring the plants back to their original quality, increase marketability and help growers maximize their profit.

Speaker: Kevin Forney, Field Technical Manager, Valent BioSciences LLC
Time: 8-9 a.m. • Location: A120

Box Tree Moth Update from Western New York: The triple threat of box tree moth (BTM) to boxwood producer revenue, viability of historic boxwood plantings, and boxwood health in landscapes throughout the United States makes this pest high-consequence. Over the past two years, a research team has gathered data on this insect pest in its new invasive range for the US. Adult trapping and larva scouting data were collected to understand BTM phenology during a growing season. The team also catalogued the presence of beneficial insects naturally occurring in parallel with this invasive. This session covers BTM, its phenology, potential beneficial insect controls and the potential use of a growing degree day model for forecasting.

Speaker: Alejandro Del-Pozo, assistant professor of entomology at Virginia Tech University
Time: 9:30-10:30 a.m. • Location: A220

Irrigation, Fertilizer and your Growing Media: This session will review the physical and chemical properties of various substrates; describe what happens to your fertilizer and water when applied to the crops’ growing media; and discuss strategies to increase retention and crop use of applied water and mineral nutrients. This talk will include matching irrigation to your container system, the effect of fertilizer type and placement, and opportunities implementing stratified substrates.

Speaker: Jim Owen, research horticulturist at USDA-ARS
Time: 11 a.m.-12 p.m. • Location: A123