March 15, 2011
Nursery growers took advantage of the opportunities at the annual Growers Group Short Course to learn about new research and best practices in the industry. The popular event also provided a chance for attendees to network during the day.

Again this year, the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington hosted the Short Course. It was held on Feb. 9, with over 200 growers attending the event.

Dave Cheung of the University of Guelph opened the event by announcing the launching of the digital guide to nursery and landscape pests of Ontario. Go to www.dkbdigitaldesigns.com/clm.

The featured speaker was Charles Gilliam of Auburn University. In the morning session, he presented Weed Control in Container Production: How to Win the Battle, while his afternoon talk centred on Better Weed Control in Field Production.

Other presentations throughout the day included Testing and Developing Woody Ornamentals with Rick Durand of Prairie Shade Nursery; Fungus Gnat Biocontrol: Mites vs. Nematodes? presented by Ernie Morimoto of Niagara College; Using Native Plants in Green Roofs with Joanna VanLuttikhuizen, of Niagara College; Root-Pruning Pots for Native Oaks with Jason Wrixon, also of Niagara College; Boxwood Blight and Dogwood Anthracnose by Tom Hsiang of the University of Guelph; Reduced Risk Controls for Insect Pests that Hitchhike on Cuttings presented by Cynthia Scott-Dupree, University of Guelph, The Curse of the Black Vine Weevil given by Michael Brownbridge of Vineland Research and Innovation Centre; Management Strategies for Verticillium by George Lazarovits of A&L Biologicals Agroecology Research, and Under-utilized Trees for the Urban Landscape with Sean Fox, University of Guelph Arboretum. Jen Llewellyn of OMAFRA gave her nursery crops update.

The Growers Good Ideas session is held at the end of the day, with everyone staying to learn from their peers. Thanks went to Glen Lumis and Jen Llewellyn for their work organizing this event, and great appreciation to Agrium Advanced Technologies, sponsor of the 2011 Growers Short Course.