Andrew Britten
Andrew Britten is the director of propagation and technical services at Costa Farms and Total Growth Solutions (TGS) in Miami, Fla. Learn more about Costa Farms and TGS, respectively, at www.CostaFarms.com and www.TotalGrowthSolutions.com. Britten can be reached at [email protected]
November 9, 2012
Integrate Production From Planting To Shipping
When I start thinking of technology in the greenhouse, I immediately think of all the wonderful robots we have. Automation exists in the form of environmental controls, booms, plug fixers, transplanters, etc. Although all of these help in production, the technology that helps us the most is our custom-written Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. There are several ERP systems available on the market, but a custom written system gives you exactly what you need instead of what you can adapt to. Anyone working with ERP systems, especially those originally written for other industries, knows the wish list of changes can stretch for many pages. We found it much more beneficial to build a highly educated IT department inclusive of programmers and system administrators. ERP software integrates all aspects of an operation, including development, manufacturing, sales and marketing. It allows you to track your product from initial ordering through production, to […]
November 23, 2010
Costa Farms’ Britten: Producing Quality Plugs
To understand how to grow a quality plug, you must first define what a quality plug is. Some will argue a quality plug is simply one that is able to be transplanted and, with some work, will grow into a quality finished product. To me, this couldn’t be further from the goal. A quality plug in my opinion is one that is able to be transplanted and finished with minimal additional inputs. The more you need to “fix” a liner in the finished stage, the more you lose off your bottom line. In order to achieve this goal, the plug must be produced so it is well toned, well branched and ready to take off running as soon as it is transplanted. This could include having bud initiation, depending on the crop. Poor quality inputs will generally result in poor quality results. Pre-Germination Our production methods have been developed to […]
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April 21, 2018
How Researchers are Building Better Lantana Plants
Lantana might be beautiful, but the perennial plant has a tendency to escape confined spaces, spreading beyond control and even cross-pollinating with native species. Coming up with a solution for lantana’s invasive nature has been a passion project for UF/IFAS Plant Scientist Zhanao Deng. His mission was set forth after local industry stakeholders asked if it was possible to breed sterile, non-invasive lantana selections. After more than a decade of research, Deng successfully developed and delivered two new lantana varieties designed to accommodate nursery managers, retailers, and consumers. According to Deng, ‘Bloomify Rose’ and ‘Bloomify Red’ are not only visually appealing, but they also don’t produce fruit and seeds, don’t spread, and don’t cross-pollinate Florida’s native lantana, Lantana depressa. Rick Brown, Owner of Riverview Flower Farm in Riverview, FL, has sold the new varieties for about a year and can attest to their assets. “They are relatively a perpetually bloomer,” […]
April 20, 2018
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April 20, 2018
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April 19, 2018
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Check out the newest 2018 plant introductions from Syngenta Flowers, Hishtil, Jaldety, Cohen Propagators, Nir Nursery, Bailey Nurseries, and Sunset Western/Southern Living Plants.
April 19, 2018
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April 19, 2018
Spring Trials Rookie Inspired by Connections
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April 18, 2018
At CAST 2018, Sakata Captures Consumer Attention Spans,…
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April 18, 2018
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Check out the newest 2018 plant introductions from American Takii, Hilverdakooijj, Hem Genetics, Thompson & Morgan, Sakata Ornamentals, and Ernst Benary of America.
April 18, 2018
How the Horticulture Industry’s Past Shaped Its P…
Andrew Scheldorf, the winner of Dr. Allan Armitage’s California Spring Trials Scholarship, says the stories of plant origins help ground our industry to the people and places that have changed us.
April 18, 2018
Dr. A Weighs in on His CAST Favorites From American Tak…
Here are some of the top variety introductions for 2019 that have pleased Dr. A during California Spring Trials 2018.
April 17, 2018
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April 17, 2018
Syngenta Flowers Acquires Netherlands-Based Dahlia Bree…
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April 17, 2018
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April 17, 2018
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April 17, 2018
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Here are some of the top variety introductions for 2019 that have pleased Dr. A during California Spring Trials 2018.
April 16, 2018
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CAST 2018 Provides Fresh Inspiration for Infusing Marke…
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April 16, 2018
Allan Armitage’s Spring Trials Favorites From Green Fus…
Here are some of the top variety introductions for 2019 that have pleased Dr. A during California Spring Trials 2018.