Monday, August 17, 2015

Indiana Flower Growers Association Educational Conference

Save the Date - You are invited to attend the 33^rdAnnual Indiana Flower Growers Association (IFGA) Educational Conference which will be held at the Purdue Beck Agricultural Center in West Lafayette, IN on Wednesday, October 7, 2015. The Indiana Flower Growers Association (IFGA) and Purdue Extension are jointly sponsoring this year’s Educational Sessions. Please find the attached conference brochure for more information.

Registration, Floriculture Person of the Year nomination and AD Forms will be sent out next week.

Please note that there is no golf tournament set for this year. However, members are welcome to set up a golf outing.

2015 IFGA Conference – Purdue Beck Agricultural Center, 4540 U.S. 52/231 West, West Lafayette, IN 47906

9:00 to 10:00 AM Registration

Worker Protection

10:00 to 10:30 AM Everything You Wanted to Know About the Worker Protection Standard but Were Afraid to Ask

Joseph Becovitz, Pesticide Program Specialist Office of Indiana State Chemist

Water

10:30 to 11:30 AM Adjuvants and the Power of Spray Droplets

Fred Whitford, Fred Whitford, Purdue Dept. of Botany and Plant Pathology

11:30 to 12:00 PM Clean Up Your Water (1): Particles and Salts

Dr. Paul Fisher, Department of Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida

12:00 to 12:30 PM Break, lunch distribution, and awards

12:30 to 1:00 PM Clean Up Your Water (2): Biofilm and Pathogens

Dr. Paul Fisher, Department of Environmental Horticulture, University of Florida

Nutrition

1:00 to 1:30 PM pH and EC measurements – How to and Comparison of Test Methods

Dr. Todd Cavins, Ball Horticulture Co.

1:30 to 2:00 PM Fix It - Nutritional Problems and Correction Strategies

Dr. Todd Cavins, Ball Horticulture Co.

Break

2:00 to 2:15 PM

Pesticides

2:15 to 2:45 PM Non-Neonic Pest Control – A Growers Prospective

Zach Schlegel, Grower, L.F. Schlegel & Son Greenhouse, Inc.

2:45 to 3:45 PM Neonicotinoids and Pollinators

Rick Fletcher, Technical Services Manager, Nufarm

Break

3:45 to 4:00 PM

Growth Regulators

4:00 to 4:15 PM Pre-Transplant PGR Liner Soaks and Post-Transplant Spray Applications Influence Height and Branching

Of Purple Fountain Grass

Dr. Roberto Lopez, Purdue Dept. of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture

Production

4:15 to 4:30 PM Growing Bedding Plants under Greenhouse LED Top Lighting

Joshua Craver, Purdue Dept. of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture

4:30 to 4:45 PM Reducing Greenhouse Air Temperatures with the use of Root-zone Heating

Madeline Olberg, Purdue Dept. of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Purdue Rainscaping Education Program 

Rainscaping Practicies Map
Add your rainscaping practicies to the map and view others.

Registration open for rain garden training

September 17-18, 2015 - Columbus, Indiana

Download 2015 Program Brochure (pdf)

For those staying overnight September 17, please note the updated, local phone number to make reservations: Comfort Inn & Suites Columbus, 2485 Jonathan Moore Pike, Columbus, IN. Reserve your room no later than August 17 by calling 812-376-3051. For the special rate, please mention “Rainscaping Education Program."

Rainscaping includes the use of sustainable landscape design and management practices at both the household and community scales to prevent polluted runoff from reaching water bodies by directing stormwater to be absorbed by plants and soils. The Purdue Rainscaping Education Program provides training and resources on practices that can be installed in a residential setting or small scale public spaces project.

The program development focus for 2013-2016 includes community awareness and education for bioretention/ rain garden planning, installation, and maintenance using an advanced training model for Purdue Master Gardeners, conservation agencies and organizations, stormwater professionals, and landscape companies and consultants. Participants are encouraged to attend as a community team to support implementation of public education programs and provide technical assistance to homeowners upon completion of the training. The model consists of five, three-hour training modules in a workshop setting. The workshops include flipped classroom instruction, online learning opportunities, experiential training activities, field techniques, and field trips to community examples of rainscaping projects. Participants also receive hands-on experience through creation of a demonstration bioretention /rain garden project with community partners in a public space such as a county Extension office.

The Purdue Rainscaping Education Program is for Certified Purdue Master Gardeners, conservation agencies and organizations, stormwater professionals, and landscape companies and consultants.

https://ag.purdue.edu/extension/rainscaping/Pages/default.aspx

UPCOMING AUGUST/SEPTEMBER EVENTS

August 13, 2015

Indiana State Fair Master Gardener's Booth from 9:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. in the Purdue Extension Hort Building (near Gate 18). Hope to see you there!

September 12, 2015

Plant Exchange at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds arena from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Bring your unwanted plants and exchange for a new plant or two. Looking forward to seeing you.

September 14, 2015

Next Master Gardener's meeting at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds beginning at 6:30 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact Renee Wiatt at 364-6363.