Greenhouse Grower

March 28, 2018

Plant Breeding: From Concept to Commercial

Dr. Laura Masor joins us for this episode of STEM: Insider Tips for Greenhouse Pros. Laura is a plant breeder AND product manager for Ball FloraPlant. She currently breeds some of the hottest vegetative crops on the market – Calibrachoa, Angelonia and Verbena. You’re probably aware that a lot of breeding goes on behind the scenes in floriculture – seeing hundreds of new varieties coming to market each year but I’m fairly sure you don’t know everything that goes into it. From brainstorming the design of a new product, to gathering plant materials used to make crosses, to trialing in different environments and then rolling out the product to greenhouse growers around the world, there’s a complex pipeline involved. And Laura manages products all the way through – essentially doing two jobs as breeder and product manager. In this episode, she’s going to take us through the entire process using […]

March 13, 2018

Perennials: The Retail Color Bridge

Greg Soles, a Product Representative with Darwin Perennials and a true advocate for perennial plants joins STEM to talk about ways to create profit during shoulder seasons using fresh, flowering perennials. Greg has been a grower and a retailer, as well as a product and sales rep working with perennials for decades giving him the perspective to talk about perennial plants from history to future. And the future is bright! Greg’s real-world stories illustrate the many opportunities to leverage perennials to not only increase profits from early Spring through the end of Fall but also to inspire customers with fresh, flowering perennials that we know add value and excitement to any garden space (including mixed combos and patio pots)! Greg shares scheduling tips to help with planning, some of the best new genetics to use to build your color bridge and much more. You really need to listen all the […]

March 1, 2018

Executing Your Plan with Priority and Timeliness

Jason Twaddell, Territory Manager with Ball FloraPlant and Selecta One, joins STEM to talk about everything you need to consider from planning to shipping a crop of annuals so you hit critical dates. Maybe that’s a retail order or your own promotional or advertising calendar – or it could be having plants ready for an important landscape customer who needs to beautify a golf course for a tournament. Whatever the desired outcome is, starting production with the goal in mind will keep you on track throughout the manufacturing process, as Jason reminds us during the interview. Jason brings a ton of advice to the table, from propagation and liner stages to the importance of timing as it relates to transplanting and pinching. Throughout this episode, you’ll realize how important timeliness is as it relates to reducing shrink at all stages and maximizing profitability. He touches on optimizing labor and motivating […]

February 15, 2018

Getting Off to a Great Start

Dr. Todd Cavins, Ball Seed Technical Services, joins STEM to talk about proper care and handling of young plants – specifically plugs and liners. Todd begins by discussing reasons to start with young plants versus seed or unrooted cuttings and the benefits of buying in plugs and liners. He then digs into some of the common challenges the technical services team runs into each Spring and some specific tips and tricks for receiving young plants. Even though “stuff happens” and every production situation and shipment can be different, Todd shares many best practices related to temperature, light, nutrition, water and gas exchange and how these critical factors should be addressed before during and after transplanting. Dr. Cavins shares tons of fantastic information and much of it comes down to being prepared – starting a few weeks before young plants are expected on your greenhouse dock. From sanitation of your head […]

February 1, 2018

Drama in the Garden

Dr. Marvin Miller (industry legend, Ball Seed market research manager, economist and trend spotter) joins us to talk about a strategy for greenhouse growers to consider producing more Jumbo Packs and 1801 sized material to meet the new needs of today’s younger shoppers and homeowners. Not only do smaller formats like Jumbo Packs offer a lower price compared to 4.5 inch annuals, but also more opportunities for creativity when planting garden beds. These homeowners see beds planted in commercial landscapes and large estates and want to replicate the look at their own homes but can’t afford to use premium pots and also don’t want to use small cell packs. So what’s the alternative? Dr. Miller walks us through the demand from a statistical (and anecdotal) perspective, as well as pointing out how the economics are positive for growers. He also shares some top varieties to use in these pack formats […]

January 5, 2018

Bold, Bright Garden Mums from Dümmen Orange

The extensive collection of garden mums from Dümmen Orange features a wide array of color and timing options for a complete autumn program. Bred for large flowers and high color retention, these selections have an extended shelf life for retail and consumer satisfaction.

December 12, 2017

Hällnäs Handelsträdgård grows faster now during winter since deploying Fluence LEDs.

Since deploying VYPRx PLUS for supplemental lighting in their greenhouse in Northern Sweden, Hällnäs Handelsträdgård has seen an increase in overall yield, 21% reduction in lead time, and reduced shrink. Watch how, here.

November 7, 2017

15 Great New Combination Recipes for 2018

Nothing gets gardeners excited in spring like seeing truly artistic combinations of plants. The combinations your garden center provides help shape not only what customers purchase, but also their impression of your business. Color schemes, the use of texture and foliage accents, and landscape design ideas all come from seeing plants put together well. So, the combination plantings you use each year affect much more than just the sale of that one combination, they also help separate your crops from those of other producers. At Proven Winners® we put a lot of our efforts into combinations and want to share that expertise with you. Here are the ‘Recipes of the Year’ for 2018 and some other combinations we feel will really make a statement at retail. For more ideas, here’s a listing of our Top 50 bestselling recipes!

October 23, 2017

Benefits of STOCKOSORB® Seen by Retailer and Consumers

Randy Stetor at PGH Garden knows firsthand the advantages of buying plants grown with STOCKOSORB® hydrogel and so do his garden store customers. “When I think of Bob’s products, I think of them from two different perspectives–the retailer’s and the customer’s,” Stetor said. “From the retailer’s perspective, when the plants come in, they aren’t usually on our shelves for more than a few days. With the help of STOCKOSORB®, the plants go out the door looking a lot healthier.” The couple buys 60 percent of their plants from Bob’s Market and Greenhouses in Mason, W. Va. Bob’s Market incorporates STOCKOSORB® hydrogel into its growing media and Randy and Debra have seen the impact the hydrogel plays in maintaining the quality of the plants. The less time plants are on the shelf, also means the fewer employees Stetor needs to take care of them. “It doesn’t take long to see […]

August 22, 2017

Grower Sees Benefits of Using STOCKOSORB® from Production to End Consumer

Bob’s Market and Greenhouses uses STOCKOSORB® hydrogel to optimize plant performance from greenhouse to consumer. By David Kuack Bob’s Market and Greenhouses in Mason, W.V., has been incorporating a water-absorbing hydrogel into its growing mixes since 1995. When the company first started adding a hydrogel the growing mixes were produced using stationary concrete mixing drums. “We had a rudimentary method of making our soil-less growing mixes,” said vice president Scott Barnitz, whose responsibilities include the company’s retail operations and its wholesale finished production. “We ran the concrete mixers with hydraulic electric motors. We were able to fully expand the hydrogel and incorporate it into the mixers. We were quickly impressed with the beneficial water-releasing qualities of the hydrogel.” Barnitz said when his company began working with Bouldin & Lawson in 2012 to design and engineer an inline soil system it was imperative that expanded STOCKOSORB® hydrogel could continue to be […]