Pest control experts to appear at Cultivate '25

Three of Koppert's experts will be appearing at two Education Sessions during Cultivate '25 on July 14, 2025, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Cultivate by AmericanHort is one of the leading horticulture events in North America, providing a wide range of opportunities for exploration and networking with industry colleagues. In Cultivate's Education Sessions, experienced researchers and horticulture experts gather to share the knowledge and tools attendees need to become more efficient and productive with their IPM programs.

Koppert's National Ornamental Crop Specialist, Heidi Doering, and Technical Sales Consultant for the Northeast Region, Phil Gerry, will be the featured speakers on Monday, July 14, at the 10:45 AM session, "'Tis the Season: Repeatable Success with Biocontrols in Mums and Poinsettias." They will discuss their experiences in building successful IPM programs for the fall, including what to watch out for and some reality checks. Topics will range from problems with incoming cutting material to IPM strategies in propagation and pest control into spaced and finishing production for both mums and poinsettias.

Heidi Doering and Phil Gerry are crop experts well-versed in fall crops. Heidi has worked with Koppert for the past decade and is one of the most well-informed plant experts of the day regarding ornamental IPM. Her broad range of experience includes greenhouse production, university extension, sales, and technical product management. She earned her master's in horticulture at Penn State.

Phil is a Technical Sales Consultant for the Northeast Region, covering six states. Before joining Koppert in 2021, he was a lead grower for large nurseries and greenhouses in the Northeast and Northwest. He brings a wealth of practical knowledge and creative strategies to managing some of the most troubling pests in garden mum and poinsettia production. All of Koppert's experts are very capable of getting into the technical details—they truly enjoy it—so attendees are encouraged to bring all their questions!

Koppert US National Ornamental Consultant Team Manager, Jeremy Webber, will be moderating a session titled "From the Horse's Mouth: Experienced Growers Share Their Biocontrol Stories," on Tuesday, July 15, at 9 AM. A panel of IPM experts from Koppert, Wagner Greenhouses, Pleasant View Gardens, and Star Roses will discuss practical and repetitive IPM techniques. They will cover how to get an IPM system to work well, managing IPM systems, and what it takes to be successful on the ground from year to year.

Jeremy advanced through several New England production facilities and was Director of Operations for a large perennial wholesale nursery. He has shipped a wide range of perennials, shrubs, annuals, and edibles, using both traditional pest treatments and innovative biocontrols, championing hybrid BioSolutions.