IPPS Eastern Region plans annual conference

The Eastern Region of the International Plant Propagators’ Society (IPPS) has announced that its 2015 Annual Conference will take place Sept. 25- 28 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The 2015 Conference will include two days of tours; first a pre-conference tour on Friday, Sept. 25 of the Columbus area visiting Decker’s Nursery, Acorn Farms, Meadowview Gardens, Franklin Park Conservatory, and The Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center (OPGC) at the Ohio State University. The second day of tours on Sept. 27 will focus on the Cincinnati area. Highlights of that tour are Smale Riverfront Park, Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum, Natorp’s Nursery & Garden Center, and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.

Many of the area’s top nurseries and horticultural institutions not on the tour will be present for a Happy Hour Meet & Greet at the Zoo at the end of the day Sunday followed by dinner and the live plant auction.

The conference talks will span two days and have a unique split focus. Saturday, Sept. 26 will zero in on production topics including automation, LED lighting, plant breeding, innovation in plant rooting hormones, overwintering strategies, and much more.

Monday, Sept. 28, will partner IPPS members and other national experts on the subjects of plant production and how it interacts with conservation movements - ecology meets economy. Topics include invasive species evaluation, sterility thresholds, propagation of endangered species, and how conservation groups and production nurseries can work in positive and effective ways toward common goals.

For more information, and to register, visit www.ippseastern.org.