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 […]

Tired of losing track of your plant carts? RACO GPS Cart Tracking uses RFID and GPS technology to identify where your carts are located (even while in-transit) and how long they have been there, allowing you to effortlessly view and manage your cart inventory, improve logistical efficiency, raise delivery accuracy, and ultimately save you money.  

Q & A with Nufarm Expert Dave Etzler & Jim Crockett. At Nufarm, we believe knowledge grows success. And since our team is committed to your growing success, we want to share all we know with you.

Q & A with Nufarm Expert Dave Etzler. At Nufarm, we believe knowledge grows success. And since our team is committed to your growing success, we want to share all we know with you.

Drought has plagued various parts of the United States in recent years. And, it will take a lot of precipitation to cure it. After a six-year drought Californians are suffering — or is it celebrating — record rainfall. The state has gone from five years of drought to the wettest year on record. That has led some to suggest an end to the drought in many parts of California and the Southwest. In fact, in January, the National Weather Service in Reno, Nevada, even tweeted, “Bye bye Drought. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” Despite burgeoning dams and overflowing reservoirs, the celebration may be premature, says Peter Gleick, co-founder and chief scientist of the Pacific Institute, a hydroclimatologist, and a member of the US National Academy of Sciences. “Even in a wet year in California, nature’s bounty of water is no longer enough to satisfy all […]

When Nonna makes her family’s traditional tomato sauce Dominick expects it to taste the same today as last Sunday — comforting and familiar. Why mess with the best? But, what if, just what if she simmers the sauce with roasted pork neck bones and sausage? Maybe she wants collagen from the bones to thicken the sauce and give it richer flavor. The tweak may go unnoticed, but the sauce may have better texture and flavor definition. Should she change the formula? Or should she cling to her past? She’s probably tweaked the recipe through the years as she’s learned ways to make it better. It’s just that no one knows. So, why not change now. Change may feel difficult at first, but it can improve the experience for everyone who touches the product. As a former president once said, “The price of doing the same old thing is far higher […]

A few key steps help protect your crops through the shipment process. In a recent survey of large growers conducted by Evonik, we asked the biggest challenges associated with getting healthy plants to market. Aside from concerns about weather conditions, the main problems were transportation issues and keeping plants hydrated in transit. There are a multitude of ways to ship plants, from carts to boxes or in sleeves, in pots or bare root and in all stages of growth, from young plants to finished, in your own trucks or in a contracted shipping company’s truck. Throughout all those scenarios, there are some key things growers should keep in mind to keep plants as healthy as possible from the time they leave the greenhouse to the time they get unloaded at their final destination. Planning Ahead There are a couple of actions growers can take before the plant gets loaded onto […]

Hanging baskets make up a good portion of the greenhouse business for peak spring, so it’s vital to have a strong growing program for these products. According to recent USDA statistics, sales of certain types of hanging baskets are up across the 15 states that produce the most floriculture product. The varieties that increased in sales in 2015 over 2014 include begonias, New Guinea impatiens and a category called “other flowering and foliar,” which is good news for including unique varieties rather than petunias and geraniums. Quality From the Beginning There are a couple of keys to a successful hanging basket program, and it all begins with a healthy start and the media mix. That means inspecting plugs and cuttings prior to planting up the mixes. Media can be pre-mixed or mixed onsite by the grower, but it’s important to have the right ingredients. Bobby Barnitz, vice president at Bob’s […]

Grow what consumers want! Surveys show that blue is one of the top preferred colors of today’s consumers. Here are twelve top recommended blue flowering Proven Winners annuals and perennials to suit your spring production cycle.