February 18, 2026 @ 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm
The Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance Short Course is a virtual four week short course held each February designed to keep green industry professionals up to date on the newest industry practices and technology available. The presentations are live and include a question and answer period after each speaker. The cost of the four-week Short Course is $60. Individual weeks are $25 each.
Ceu’s available.
February 4, 2026
Getting to the Root of the Problem with Container-grown Trees
Explore a decade of research on root defects in container-grown trees and strategies for mitigating these issues.
Presented by: Bert Cregg, Ph.D., Professor of Horticulture and Forestry, Michigan State University
White Grubs and Other Turf Pests
Learn about the biology, management, and emerging trends of turfgrass pests including white grubs, chinch bugs, and cutworms.
Presented by: PJ Liesch, Extension Entomologist / Director – Insect Diagnostic Lab, UW-Madison
February 11, 2026
Effects of Construction Activities on Trees in the Landscape
Understand how construction impacts tree health and discover methods to predict and prevent long-term damage.
Presented by: Gary Johnson, Professor Emeritus of Urban and Community Forestry, University of Minnesota
Workhorse Perennials for the Landscape
Discover reliable, low-maintenance perennials that deliver lasting beauty and performance across diverse garden settings.
Presented by: Mark Dwyer, Horticulturist & Landscape Designer
February 18, 2026
Fundamentals of Optimizing Turf Fertilization
Gain insights into science-based lawn fertilization practices that balance performance with cost-effectiveness.
Presented by: Dr. Doug Soldat, Professor, UW-Madison Extension
The Aesthetics of Rain Gardens: Designing for Function & Beauty
Learn how to design rain gardens using native plants to achieve natural, clean, or hybrid aesthetics.
Presented by: John Gishnock III, Owner/Landscape Architect, formecology, LLC
February 25, 2026
Top Five Diseases of 2025
Review the most notable plant diseases diagnosed at this he clinic in 2025 and their implications for landscape management.
Presented by: Dr. Brian Hudelson, Director, Plant Disease Diagnostics Clinic, UW-Madison Extension
Flowering Shrubs for all Seasons
Explore a diverse selection of flowering shrubs that provide year-round interest, curated from Wisconsin’s largest woody plant collection.
Presented by: David Garison Stevens, Ed Hasselkus Curator, Longenecker Horticultural Gardens, University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum
Short Course via zoom
To provide the quality education that you expect, while being mindful of the safety of our participants, we are providing the Landscape and Grounds Maintenance Short Course online via Zoom. The class will only be available during the live presentation on the specified date and time. It will NOT be available to view later. An email will be sent the day before the class to registered participants with their personal link to access that specific Zoom session. This requires a unique email address for EACH registrant.
PAYMENT AND RETURN POLICY