ProGreen EXPO 2019 - Horticulture Tracks

To help you better plan your educational schedule and make the best use of your time, sessions of horticultural interest are grouped together in the following tracks. For the complete ProGreen session schedule, full descriptions and speaker bios click here. For a PDF version of the Horticulture Tracks, click here.

Nursery - Practices
Nursery - Trees
Garden Center and Retail
Greenhouse Growing
Selecting Plants
Horticulture - General
Commercial Pesticide Applicator

Nursery - Practices
Insider Tips for Three Exceptional Species of Lavender

Tuesday
11a - 12p

Paola Legarre Learn which species and cultivars do exceptionally well in Colorado along with their propagation and growing requirements.
Pruning Made Easy: Best Practices for Keeping Your Woody Plants Healthy and Looking Their Best Tuesday
2:15 - 3:15p
Eric Hammond Discover the basics of proper woody plant pruning. You will learn how woody plants respond to pruning and the potential benefits and risks of pruning woody plants.
Practices and Processes That Drive Woody Plant Production Efficiency  Wednesday
10:30 - 11:30a
Shane Brockshus Learn how you can streamline production and maintain quality by balancing processes, equipment, and automation.

Nursery - Trees
Innovation in the Nursery Industry: Options for Year Round Shipping                              Wednesday
8 - 9a
Katy Hiatt         Learn how to ship trees year round and provide extra value to customers. Discover the growing methods best suited for year round shipping including B & B, container and grow bags.  
Does Your Root Ball Measure Up? Understanding Root Ball BMPs and Standards    Wednesday
3:15 - 4:15p
Terry Shaw The health and survivability of a B & B tree begins with the integrity of the root ball. Learn what makes an acceptable root ball including size, digging methods, handling and standards.
Best Practices for Creating Healthy Root Structures in Urban Environments  Thursday
8 - 9a
Dr Allison O'Connor
Explore production practices, planting recommendations and establishment for urban environments. Learn data and research supported BMPs and how to utilize on your projects. 

Garden Center and Retail
A Unique Customer Experience: The Key to Your Success Tuesday 10:30 -11:30a John Vachlek This session will teach you how to create an amazing customer experience and discuss how to grow your business through increased customer loyalty and referrals.
Bulb Design Potentials and Possibilities Wednesday
2 - 3p
Brent Heath This session will explore numerous bulb design strategies, labor-saving planting techniques and ong-lasting and long-lived cultivars. 
Tantalizing Tulips Thursday
8 - 9a
Brent Heath Did you know that some critters and human gardeners find tulips to be a tasty treat? Learn how to thwart the critters and enhance the dinner table of adventure gardeners. 
Recognizing and Working with Natural Enemies of Insect Pests Thursday
9 - 10a
Dr. Whitney Cranshaw Learn what common natural enemy groups are found outdoors and the pests they feed on, and numerous ways to improve the effectiveness of these natural enemies.
Plants That Pay the Rent Thursday
9:15 - 10:15a
Dan Heims Tap Dan’s vast plant knowledge to find out which plants fill multiple seasons with foliage color, long bloom times, fragrance, and decorative character. 
Useful Products for Managing the Insect Problems in Colorado Thursday
11a - 12p
Dr. Whitney Cranshaw Explore the various retail products and what they can and can not do for controlling common regional pests. A useful session for outlets that sell pest control products.
How to Make Lifelong Customers Out of Gen X, Y & Z Thursday
1 - 2p
Amanda Thomsen A fun, fast-paced and data filled presentation examining the perceptions we all have about different generations and how to lure each one in to become lifelong customers. 
Perennials for Containers Thursday
2 - 3p
Dan Heims Many perennials truly shine in containers! Learn which ones work best and how to take care of them. You'll walk away with some great container “recipes.” 
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Greenhouse Growing
Understanding Three Factors that are Essential for Growing Healthy Greenhouse Plants* Tuesday
9 - 10:45a
Jeannine Kwolek Learn the key factors that function together for proper plant growth. You'll take a close look at soil amendments, fertilizer calculations and water tests.
How to Provide the Best Environment for Greenhouse Growing* Tuesday
11a - 12p
Dan Gerace The greenhouse environment is critical for growing success. Explore various equipment and how it is used, and learn how to make heating and cooling calculations.
How to Identify and Manage Common Greenhouse Pests*  Tuesday
1 - 2:45p
Dan Gerace Ever wonder "what bug is chewing on my plants?' - then this session is for you: basic pest identification, management, sticky cards and plant damage.
How to Identify and Manage Common Greenhouse Diseases*  Tuesday
3:30 - 5:15p
Tamla Blunt Good greenhouse production requires a knowledge of diseases that can harm your plants. Learn how to identify common diseases and ways to manage them.
How Does a Plant Grow? An Introduction to Botany and Plant Physiology*

 Wednesday
10:30a - 12:15p

Mike Bone This session will provide a useful background on classification, anatomy, morphology and factors that influence plant growth. 
Fundamentals of Propagating Plants in Greenhouses*  Wednesday
1 - 2:45p
Mike Bone A hands-on class covering the fundamentals of seed and vegetative propagation including germination needs, propagating environments and taking cuttings.
Agriculture Meets Robotics: Today's Students Preparing for Tomorrow's Future  Wednesday
1 - 2p
Heather Crabtree Westminster High School students have implemented a FarmBot to explore the pros and cons of robotic growing. Learn how it's working and future goals.
Productions Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them  Thursday
11a - 12p
Paul Pilon Learn what it takes to grow picture perfect, bug-free, weed-free ornamentals. Examine production pitfalls and how to avoid making the most common mistakes.  
Growing Perennials for Specific Sales Windows  Thursday
1 - 2p
Paul Pilon Learn basic forcing principles that can help you schedule and deliver a consistent supply of color to your markets. Hear a variety of strategies for successful results.
* Certified Greenhouse Grower class - open to all attendees.      
Selecting Plants
Woody Plant Identification Tuesday
9a - 12p
Dr. Jim Klett
and Panel
Hone your identification skills with this helpful session focused on woody landscape plants. Plant samples and photos from all seasons will help your learning process.
“Super” Shrubs for Rocky Mountain Landscapes Tuesday
1 - 2p 
Keith Williamson,
Jeremy Valdez
This session will focus on selected “Super” evergreen and deciduous shrubs from the Colorado Certified Nursery Professional identification list. Discover what makes these shrubs "Super."
“Super” Trees for Rocky Mountain Landscapes Tuesday
3:30 - 4:30p
Keith Williamson,
Jeremy Valdez
This session will cover selected “Super” evergreen, ornamental, and shade trees from the CCNP identification list. Learn growth habits and what makes these trees "Super." 
Trees and Woody Plants for Small Places  Wednesday
1 - 2p
Dr. Jim Klett,
Eric Hammond
Learn about unusual and underused woody plants that fit many small urban landscapes. They have advantages that might add new interest to small urban designs.
Successful Landscape Plant Select Plants: The Tried and True and New!  Wednesday
3:15 - 4:15p
Ross Shrigley
and Panel
Discover the tried and true applications of Plant Select plants at different scales: parks and commercial projects, medians and residential landscapes.
Native Plants for Year Round Interest Thursday
9 - 10a
Irene Shonle This presentation will highlight native plants that shine in each season and will include many planting combinations for extra impact.
Best of Annuals and Perennials from the 2018 CSU Trials  Thursday
11a - 12:30p
Dr. Jim Klett and Panel See what the industry and consumers rated as top picks in the 2018 CSU Annual and Perennial Trials, including the "Best Of" annuals and "Top Performer" perennials.
Plant This, Not That: A Guide to Gardening with Colorado Native Plants  Thursday
1 - 3p
Deryn Davidson This session will list common, non-native plants and feature their ideal Colorado native alternatives, highlighting differences in plant care and maintenance.
How to Choose a Native Grass  Thursday
3:15 - 4:15p
Catherine Moravec Learn which landscape areas are best suited for native grasses and how to integrate them into a landscape design. Explore practical tools for species selection. 
Native and Non-native Plant Materials as Novel Annuals  Friday
8 - 9a
Mike Schnelle  What native and non-native plant materials can be used as annuals in Colorado? Find out the commonly overlooked and more unusual species that you can use.

Horticulture - General
Climate Change and Trees Wednesday
8 - 9a
Dan Herms Explore the implications of ongoing climate change for arboriculture and urban forestry, as well as the potential for urban forests to mitigate climate change.
The Climate of Colorado: Its Variations, Extremes, and What Comes Next Wednesday
10:30 - 11:30a
Nolan Doesken Examine climate features that usually produce good weather but also dramatic storms and extremes. See the trends and what to expect in the coming years.
Amazing Trends in Horticulture Technology Wednesday
1 - 2p
Walter Drummond

This session will cover “Green” applications for advanced technologies and reveal five key innovations that are revolutionizing the industry.

Labor. Plant Trade. Transportation. Pests. The Very Latest. Thursday
1 - 2p
Craig Regelbrugge Amidst a changing national mood and politics, Craig will provide an upbeat yet insider outlook on our industry’s most pressing challenges and opportunities.
CSU Research, Extension and Department/College Updates Thursday
1 - 3p
CSU Panel Hear CSU updates including insect pest research, dependable plants, pest management, propagation and Plant Select research.
Abiotic Disorders and Related Issues in Trees and Shrubs Thursday
3:15 - 4:15p
Mike Schnelle Abiotic causes of poor plant health are often overlooked. Ultimately, the causal agents can be traced back to human activity/error in the landscape.
Long Term Maintenance of Plant Select Plants Friday
9:15 - 10:15a
Ross Shrigley and Panel Learn best maintenance tips for plants that reseed; mulch differences and how to design reduced maintenance landscapes.  
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Commercial Pesticide Applicator Classes
Laws & Regulations Tuesday
9 - 10a
John Scott This class will review recent changes to the Colorado Pesticide Applicators Act and laws that currently effect pesticide applicators.
ATV Safety Tuesday
10:30 - 11:30a
Thia Walker Learn how to safely spray from an ATVs or Gators and methods to calibrate and clean. Videos will show the challenges of spraying over uneven terrain.
Laundering Pesticide-Contaminated Work Clothing Tuesday
1 - 2p
Thia Walker See how to prevent clothing contamination and decontaminate clothing exposed to pesticides. Get tips for avoiding your family's exposure to pesticide residues.
Industrial Right of Way - A Science and an Art Tuesday
2:15 - 3:15p
Derek Sebastian This class will highlight control differences between annual and perennial weeds/grasses and offer new solutions to an old problem.
Tools to Improve Pesticide Applications Tuesday
3:30 - 4:30p
Thia Walker In this class you''ll look at some nifty tools and practices for working with pesticides and avoiding pesticide contamination off-target.  
Understanding "Pesticide Trespassing" and the Power of a Pesticide Molecule  Wednesday
8 - 9p
Kevin Gallagher You'll examine better public awareness, how to interpret pesticide labels and the power of an herbicide/insecticide molecule.

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