Deadline approaches for West Michigan Summer Nursery Tour

The registration deadline is approaching for the West Michigan Summer Nursery Tour. The event takes place Aug. 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Michigan State University Extension educator Tom Dudek will guide this tour of three West Michigan nursery farms. Stops will include Zelenka Farms, KP Nursery and Trees, and Northland Farms. Lunch will be provided at A & L Restaurant courtesy of Twixwood Nursery, Inc. and Renewed Earth. There is no charge for this event; however, participants must pre-register by 5 p.m. on Aug. 15 by calling Tom Dudek at 616-994-4542 or emailing dudek@anr.msu.edu. 

The event begins at Zelenka Farms in Grand Haven, Mich. The group will tour KP Nursery and Trees and Northland Farms in the morning. After lunch, the group will return to Zelenka Farms for an afternoon tour and session. Here is a more detailed schedule, including topics to be discussed on the tour:

Stop 1—KP Nursery and Trees

“Ornamental Disease Research Needs and topics for Future Education”

Dr. Monique Sakalidis, Dept. of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, MSU

“New Conifer Diseases…Delphinella Shoot Blight, Lirula Needlecast, and Wier’s Cushion Rust”

Jill O’Donnell, MSU Extension

Stop 2—Northland Farms, Inc. Propagation Division

“How Compost is Being Used in Northland’s Container Media”

Curtis Dale, Assistant Propagation Manager, Northland Farms

“Managing Your Container Media Supply Pile”

Tom Dudek, MSU Extension

Stop 3—Zelenka Farms

“Can a Drone Be Used to Conduct Inventory of Container or Field Nursery Stock in an Efficient and Rapid Fashion”

Robert Goodwin, Dept. of Geography, MSU

“Update on the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid Situation and its Impact on Hemlock Growers”

Mike Bryan, Michigan Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development

“Weed Control Trials”

Mike Corbett, Propagation Manager, Zelenka Farms

3 p.m. Adjourn

RUP credits have been requested. For more information about the event, visit MSU Extension online here.