Nearly 200 participants, representing a Who’s Who of Ontario’s nursery industry, gathered recently for the popular Growers’ Short Course.
Held mid-February at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington, the Short Course provides a lively forum for exchange of ideas. Participants took home value from both the formal presentations and the social hours.
The wide-ranging program covered topics including research results, emerging technologies, new cultivars, business success and risk management. One highlight was a presentation given by Keith Warren of J. Frank Schmidt and Son of Oregon, on proper tree planting depth. Warren advised using the bud point, root collar and the position of the top root as planting depth guides. The day ended with a Short Course tradition, the Growers’ Good Ideas session.
The Landscape Ontario Growers’ Commodity Group thanks Plant Products for its sponsorship commitment to the Short Course. Door prize donors included Timm Enterprises, Gro-Bark (Ontario), Plant Products, C. Frensch, Lone Pine Publishing, LO and the LO Growers’ Group.

Caption: Keith Osborne of Gro-Bark and longtime Short Course organizer, Dr. Glen Lumis, visit with participants.