2026 Durham Landscape Seminar

The Durham Landscape Seminar provides continuing education and recertification credits for public and private sector green industry professionals, including landscapers, grounds and turf managers, and greenhouse and nursery producers. Home gardeners, HOA grounds managers, and others are also welcome to attend.

This seminar is approved for 1 ISA CEU credit in the following categories: Arborist, Urban Forest, and BCMA-Science. This course is approved for 2 NCDA Pesticide CEUs in the following categories: L, N, O, D, and X.

8:30 to 9am – Registration

9 to 9:50am – Organic Lawn Care

Grady Miller, PhD, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, NC State University

The presentation will discuss moving in the direction of creating a more natural lawn by adopting reduced-risk lawn care practices. The products and practices for fertilization and pest control will be presented, sharing their advantages and disadvantages. This will not be about "home remedies," but commercially available products. Also, some general best management practices for lawn care will be discussed.

9:55 to 10am – Break

10 to 10:50am – Avoiding Investigations

Elizabeth Farmer, Pesticide Inspector, NCDA&CS

Are pesticide inspectors one of the most nerve-wracking parts of your job? If so, you’re not alone. We will be exploring practical ways to prevent investigations before they start—featuring real tips, insights, and advice straight from your current pesticide inspectors. Get ready, because we’re sharing our best insider secrets to help you stay compliant, confident, and inspection-ready!

10:55 to 11am – Break

11am to 12pm – Lanternflies, Tree roots, and Bark Scale OH MYYY!!

Travis Black, Bartlett Tree Experts

Travis Black and his team from Bartlett Tree Experts will be providing an overview on the emerging pests that are and could be affecting our area in the coming years. The presentation will discuss Spotted Lanternfly and Crape Myrtle bark scale and what can be done to control and manage them in the landscape. Finally, they will wrap up the talk with understanding and managing tree roots within the urban landscape.

12pm – Wrap up and Evaluations

Image credit: Fons Heijnsbroek CC 1.0

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Host or Publisher N.C. Cooperative Extension, Durham County