Participants will learn how site conditions influence plant performance, stress, and long-term susceptibility to insect and disease problems. The session will examine how changing climate conditions, emerging pest and disease pressures, soil and site limitations, and evolving research are challenging traditional plant-selection practices. Attendees will gain a better understanding of how proper plant selection and site evaluation can reduce plant stress, improve establishment, and lessen the likelihood of future pest and disease problems.
 

About Dr. Bill Fountain: Dr. Bill Fountain is on the faculty at the University of Kentucky in the Department of Horticulture. He is an instructor for the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Tree Risk Assessment Qualification, is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA KY399B), ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist® (RCA #594), and Tree and Plant Appraisal Qualification instructor. Bill is the author of numerous publications relating to arboriculture and landscape management and is a frequent lecturer in Asia. He has served on the ISA Board of Directors and numerous ISA committees. He serves on the Kentucky Arborists' Association Board of Directors and is KAA representative to CoR.

Participants will learn to distinguish serious insect and disease threats from problems that are primarily cosmetic or otherwise unlikely to cause significant plant injury. The session will emphasize accurate diagnosis, evaluating true pest impact, and making informed pest management decisions. Attendees will learn when insecticide use is justified, when treatment may be unnecessary, and when plant health care and other integrated pest management practices are the more appropriate approach.
 

About Joe Boggs: Joe Boggs has over 33 years of Extension experience specializing in plant problem diagnostics and pest management in urban forests and landscapes. He averages over 90 teaching presentations per year with a strong focus on non-native invasive insects. Joe has worked with state and federal regulatory agencies to develop and offer outreach training to horticulture professionals on a range of non-natives including emerald ash borer, thousand cankers disease, Asian longhorned beetle, and most recently box tree moth and spotted lanternfly.

Participants will learn practical strategies for successfully growing fruit in the Ohio Valley, including cultivar selection, pruning, cultural practices, and management of common insect and disease problems. The session will address the appropriate timing and use of insecticides and fungicides as part of an integrated pest management approach, with emphasis on matching treatments to pest development and crop growth stages. Attendees will also learn how pruning and other cultural practices can improve plant health, reduce disease pressure, and support more effective pest management.
 

About Mark Wessel: Gurney’s Chief Horticulturist Mark Wessel is highly regarded as a plantsman and naturalist in the Greater Cincinnati area and beyond. His interest in plants began on a small farm in Ohio, where he learned to garden and explored surrounding forests and fields. After graduating from Hocking University, he spent decades working as a fine gardener on private estates. In 2014, he brought his diverse knowledge and experience to Gardens Alive!, home to a family of horticulture brands including Gurneys, Breck’s, and Spring Hill Nurseries. Mark is currently Chief Horticulturist for Gardens Alive!, where he travels extensively in the U.S. and abroad searching for new fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants for customers. In his spare time, Mark gardens with his wife Meg, and enjoys spending time in nature. He is a participating member in various organizations including the International Plant Production Society, Perennial Plant Association, North American Fruit Explorers, North American Rock Gardening Society, and several others.

Participants will review fundamental principles of plant culture and plant health, including soil conditions, environmental stress, changing climate, and other factors that influence plant performance. The session will emphasize distinguishing cultural and environmental problems from true insect or disease issues, helping attendees avoid unnecessary or inappropriate pest-control treatments. Participants will also examine how misinformation, including advice circulated through social media, can lead to poor plant-health and pest-management decisions.
 

About Dr. Paul Cappiello: Dr. Paul Cappiello is currently the Executive Director of Yew Dell Botanical Gardens in Crestwood, KY. Dr. Cappiello is highly regarded as a lecturer, writer, plant collector, teacher, researcher, garden designer and gardener. He is known locally, nationally and internationally for his work on selection, introduction and evaluation of new ornamental plants for the landscape. He and TN nurseryman Don Shadow co-authored the first major book devoted exclusively to Dogwoods and his writings appear in major horticulture publications nationwide. Among his numerous awards are honors from the International Plant Propagators’ Society, Garden Club of America, American Society for Horticultural Science and the Kentucky Nursery and Landscape Association. He was named the 2013 recipient of the American Horticultural Society’s highest honor – The Liberty Hyde Bailey Award and in 2015 was honored with the Award of Excellence from National Garden Clubs, Inc.

Participants will learn about outstanding trees, shrubs, and woody vines well suited to landscapes in our region, with emphasis on site adaptability, soil preferences, and long-term plant performance. The session will also address important insect and disease issues associated with selected plants, including problems to watch for and how plant selection can influence future pest-management needs. Attendees will gain practical information for choosing woody plants that are both horticulturally desirable and better suited to local growing conditions.
 

About Steve Foltz: Steve Foltz is Director of Horticulture at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, where he has worked for more than 35 years. During his career, he has been involved in virtually every aspect of horticulture at the Zoo, from plant selection and collections management to landscape development, trials, and public horticulture. He is widely recognized for his extensive knowledge of woody and herbaceous plants and has taught horticulture for more than 30 years as an adjunct instructor at both Cincinnati State Technical and Community College and the University of Cincinnati. Steve is a graduate of the University of Kentucky’s horticulture program and has received numerous awards and recognitions for his contributions to horticulture, the Cincinnati community, and the green industry.

Participants will begin with a brief overview of woody plant trialing and observed plant performance at Boone County Arboretum, including how trial results can inform plant selection and landscape management decisions.

The session will then transition to an extended, moderated question-and-answer discussion with the symposium’s featured presenters. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions related to woody plant selection, site conditions, plant establishment, insect and disease problems, diagnostics, pest management, fruit production, and other horticultural challenges encountered in the landscape. Moderators will guide the discussion and encourage presenters to share practical recommendations based on their areas of expertise and professional experience. 
 

About The Panelists: Their individual biographies are provided with their respective session descriptions above.

About Moderator Kristopher Stone: Kris is Director of Boone County Arboretum, a position he has held since 2002. He oversees the Arboretum’s extensive woody plant collections, plant evaluation and trialing, horticultural operations, education, and collection development. Boone County Arboretum is an ArbNet Level IV accredited arboretum containing more than 5,000 accessioned woody plants representing a broad diversity of trees and shrubs.

About Moderator Robby Brockman: Robby is the Horticulture Extension Agent for the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service in Boone County. He provides horticultural education and technical assistance to homeowners, Master Gardeners, landscape professionals, and the green industry, with programming addressing plant selection, plant health, pest management, soils, and other horticultural topics.