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Top 100 Growers - More Of What They Think
How has the variety of crops you grow changed over time?
"More vegetative items. Better breeding. Seed quality and uniformity are better. More diversified soil mixes. Wider variety of container choices. The differentiation between perennial and annual is lessening. Resurgence in the popularity of vegetables and herbs."
"We are growing significantly more crops today than ever before. I would say our variety selection has doubled over the past 20 years. Vegetative cuttings have played a big role in this area."
"Gone from almost all bedding to mega varietal offerings to customers."
"Focus on differentiation, moving to higher greenhouser densities, offering lower cost alternatives through smaller plug size."
"We started with mostly 2- and 4-inch plants and are now mostly 6- and 8-inch. We started with just foliage and now we are 55 percent blooming and many of our foliage plants have flowers, ie. Anthuriums and spathiphyllum."
- Tony Godfrey, president, Olive Hill Greenhouses Inc., No. 91t
"Not a big difference in bread and butter crops, but more branding of premium crops."
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John Williams, vice president, production operations, Tagawa Greenhouses, No. 26
What do you predict the greenhouse industry will look like in 2027?
"More grower direct sales for small and midsize growers. Fewer growers selling sustainably, more products through different channels than we know today."
- Gary Mangum, Bell Nursery, No. 20
"Fewer growers, more centralized distribution. Growers will specialize in certain crops."
- Shawn Koepnick, vice president and general manager, Henry Mast Greenhouses, No. 85
"Kinda what it looks like in Holland now! We are 20 years behind."
- Donald Blew, vice president, Centerton Nursery
"Even more robotic."
- Wayne Cousins, facility manager and head grower, Petitti Garden Centers/Casa Verde Growers, No. 75
"A lot more high-tech automation. Fewer actual employees due to the immigration problem."
- Laurie Boven, president, Boven's Quality Plants Inc., No. 71
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