COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The rich tradition of green industry educational opportunities and trade show exhibits returns to the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, in January.
The 79th Ohio State University Extension Nursery Short Course, in conjunction with the Central Environmental Nursery Trade Show (CENTS), will take place Jan. 21-23, 2008. The nursery short course will offer more than 120 educational sessions for nursery, landscape, garden center, tree care and turf professionals. CENTS will highlight hundreds of exhibitors within 426,000 square feet of space.
The event is sponsored by the Ohio State University Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, the OSU Extension Nursery, Landscape, and Turf Team, and the Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association.
Trade show hours are from 11 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 21 and Jan. 22, and from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Jan. 23. Ohio State University Nursery Short Course sessions take place at various times throughout the three-day event. For complete show details including registration and hotel information, exhibitor listings and a short course agenda, log on to http://www.onla.org, or call (800) 825-3350.
A complete course listing is available online at http://www.onla.org. The following is a list of Ohio State University-related Nursery Short Course sessions being held on Jan. 21:
• 8 a.m. -- Review of 2007 Plant Diseases.
• 8 a.m. -- What's Your Label IQ? The label is the law. Test and improve your knowledge of label language requirements for legal use of pesticides.
• 8 a.m. -- Turf Disease Control: Learn about the most common turf diseases in Ohio, how to identify them, and strategies for management.
• 9 a.m. -- 2007 Insect and Mite Review
• 9 a.m. -- Selection of Turf Varieties for Specific Areas: Turfgrass success depends on proper variety selection. Learn how to choose the right grasses for the right places.
• 9 a.m. -- "Phat" Container Stock: Proper nutrition is just as important for your plants as it is for you. Understanding how substrate chemical properties influence plants is important for selecting substrates.
• 10 a.m. -- Ten Things You Need to Know about Pesticides: Learn about the key information on a pesticide label, the uses and limitations of pesticides as a part of plant health management, and the role of diagnostic and tree-age techniques for proper pesticide use.
• 10 a.m. -- Improvements in Insecticides: New insecticide modes of action are forcing the green industry to change strategies for usage. Learn about techniques to maximize new insecticide efficacy.
• 10 a.m. -- Turf Renovation: The proper timing and methods of renovating turf areas.
• 11 a.m. -- More Bite to Bark: Learn what adds more "bite to bark" and what is "all bark and no bite" when it comes to herbicide/mulch combination products.
• 11 a.m. -- The Plants of Secrest Arboretum: Learn about comparative studies and observations of the plants that have stood the test of time.
• 11 a.m. -- Commercial Turf Insect Control: Insects that damage lawns can also damage your business income. Diagnosing and controlling insects is essential for lawn success.
• 11 a.m. -- The Frustrations, Joys and Management of Time: Learn about the basics, time savers and practical take-home ideas of time management.
The following is a list of Ohio State University-related Nursery Short Course sessions being held on Jan. 22:
• 8 a.m. -- Plant Selection Committee Update: Learn about the top woody ornamentals selected by some of Ohio's horticulturists.
• 8 a.m. -- Field Soil and Nutrient Regeneration: Learn how to manage organic inputs for production and healthy soils, reduce disease and optimize yields and crop quality.
• 8 a.m. -- New Spray Technologies in the Industry: Research on spray techniques has developed methods that can greatly reduce amounts of active ingredients and carriers without reducing insect or disease control efficacy in nursery shade tree production.
• 8 a.m. -- The Practical Designer: Get an introduction to basic residential landscape design, with an emphasis on functionality and sustainability.
• 8 a.m. -- Picture-Perfect Pruning: Learn the proper techniques for pruning trees and shrubs.
• 9 a.m. -- What is Giant Hogweed and Why Should You Care? Get some identification tips and see some common look-alikes of this invasive species.
• 9 a.m. -- Great Plants for Great Gardens: An introduction to some of the best garden plants available.
• 9 a.m. -- Organic Inputs and Tillage Impacts on Soil Quality: The types of organic amendments and their impacts on soils will be discussed in combination with tillage impacts.
• 9 a.m. -- Shedding Light on the Workforce: An Ohio State study is providing new information on the green industry labor force, which may prove invaluable to businesses when it comes to communication and employee training.
• 10 a.m. -- Alternatives for Ash Trees: Discuss what some planting options are for places where ash would have been the tree of choice.
• 10 a.m. -- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, Ornamental Weed Control: A variety of environmentally sustainable weed control practices that can be applied to residential landscapes will be discussed.
• 10 a.m. -- Raising the Bar by Lowering the Intimidation Factor: Take a look at your store through new eyes and learn how to make it more user-friendly.
• 11 a.m. -- Techniques and Equipment for Efficient and Safe Application of Pesticides: Learn about new innovations in nozzle technology and spray equipment for controlling spray drift and increasing efficacy.
• 11 a.m. -- Turfgrass in Shade Areas: Proper selection of turfgrass cultivars ensures success in residential landscapes. There are management strategies to maximize turfgrass quality in the shade.
• 11 a.m. -- Industrial Vegetation Control: Learn about methods and products that can be used to control unwanted vegetation.
The following is a list of Ohio State University-related Nursery Short Course sessions being held on Jan. 23:
• 8 a.m. -- Emerald Ash Borer, What is Known and What We Need to Learn: Get an update on the latest EAB information, including a summary of insecticide trials being conducted in Michigan and Ohio.
• 8 a.m. -- Witch-hazel Family, the Plants: Learn more about the genera, species, and cultivars of this important horticulture family.
• 8 a.m. -- Walking Your Customers Through the Pesticide Maze: Help your customers identify their weeds before they purchase just any pesticide and apply it.
• 9 a.m. -- Turf Insect and Animal Control for the Garden Center: Over-the-counter products registered for turf insect and animal control will be discussed.
• 9 a.m. -- Witch-hazel Family, Culture and Plant Health Management: Learn about the cultural, environmental, and plant health management factors for growing and maintaining witch-hazels and their relatives.
• 9 a.m. -- Cabling and Bracing Trees: Learn the techniques that should be used in cabling and bracing trees, with an introduction to ANSI standards.
• 10 a.m. -- The Scoop on Bagworms -- Learn about the bagworm life cycle, plant interactions and bagworm management in Ohio.
• 10 a.m. -- Household and Structural Pests for the Garden Center Employee: Learn how to identify common household and structural insects and how to recommend cultural and insecticidal control strategies.
• 11 a.m. -- Pest Management in the Garden Center: Get a practical look at diagnosing and management insect and mite pests in home landscaping.
For more information regarding the Ohio State University Nursery Short Course program, contact program coordinator Cheryl Cuthbert at (614) 247-4353 or e-mail cuthbert.9@osu.edu.