Live webinars on plant nutrition for ornamental and Christmas tree growers
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EmailFour live webinars on soil and plant nutrition for field grown nursery stock and Christmas trees will be offered February 2016.
Deciduous and conifer trees and shrubs require 17 essential nutrients for optimal growth. When these nutrients are not present in the right amount or readily available, plants can have poor growth and be off-colored, reducing their marketability. In order to develop an effective fertilizer management program, nursery and Christmas tree growers should understand the fundamentals of soil health and plant nutrition, such as soil pH, cation exchange capacity, nutrient availability, nutrient roles and symptoms of nutrient deficiency or toxicity.
A new webinar series on soil and plant nutrition for field grown nursery stock and Christmas trees is being offered by Michigan State University Extension on Feb. 3, 10, 17 and 24, 2016 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. Growers will be able to earn pesticide recertification credits (Michigan only) and Certified Green Professional CEUs (Michigan Nursery and Landscape Association). Credits for ISA Certified Arborists are still pending. This series will help enable you to more effectively select sites, match species and evaluate soil nutrient modification to improve tree and shrub performance.
Soil and Nutrient Management Webinars for Field Grown Ornamental and Christmas Trees | ||
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Date |
Topic |
Presenter |
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Feb. 3 |
Soils and Soil Health Many factors affect the successful production of woody ornamentals and Christmas trees. Soils are one of the most important aspects that can influence the quality of a site. Each soil has specific physical and chemical properties that impact water and nutrient availability. This session will help you understand basic soil fundamentals such as; CEC, soil pH, soil texture, nutrient holding capacity and how they influence plant selection and optimum plant growth and health. |
Jerry Lindquist, MSU Extension |
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Feb. 10 |
Role of Nutrients and Soil Properties on Ornamental Nursery and Christmas Tree Production Trees and shrubs, like all plants, require seventeen essential nutrients for optimal growth. Too little or too much of one or more nutrient cans result in poor plant growth and quality. This session will look at the role of key essential plant nutrients and the roll that soil properties can play in their availability….with the end goal being healthy plants. |
Bert Cregg, MSU Departments of Forestry and Horticulture |
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Feb. 17 |
Fertilizer Management Program Soil analysis is a critical part of a successful nutrient management program. This session will help you understand your soil test, choose the right fertilizers and develop a program for optimum plant growth on your farm. |
Jill O’Donnell, MSU Extension |
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Feb.24 |
Troubleshooting Plant Nutrient Problems Are your plants are not growing well or are off color? Poor plant nutrition is one of the most common causes of sub-optimal plant performance in ornamental nursery and Christmas tree production. Cregg will discuss common symptoms of nutrient deficiencies, tools to help diagnosis the problem, and corrective methods to insure healthy plants. |
Bert Cregg, MSU Departments of Forestry and Horticulture
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Interested growers should register now. For more information, check out “Soil and Nutrient Management Webinars Field Grown Ornamentals and Christmas Trees” or contact your nursery and Christmas tree Extension educator.
