Consumer Guide To Poinsettias
Greenhouse Product News
March 2006
By John Dole, Allen Hammer and Jim Barrett
Find out if the poinsettias you are growing or plan to grow
will be popular with consumers.
PDF Version
Best Of The Trials
Greenhouse Product News
February 2006
By Jim Barrett, John Dole and Allen Hammer
This year’s list of stand-outs includes both old and new cultivars.
PDF Version
New Releases For 2006
Greenhouse Product News
February 2006
By John Dole, Allen Hammer and Jim Barrett
Not as many new cultivars were introduced this year,
but the ones that were promise quite a show.
PDF Version
Recommended Cultivars
Greenhouse Product News
February 2006
By John Dole, Allen Hammer and Jim Barrett
With so much time and money invested in a poinsettia crop, finding the right cultivars
for your production environment is critical. These recommendations will get you started.
PDF Version
What’s Ahead?
Greenhouse Product News
January 2006
Compiled by Bridget White
Will the box stores play more fairly, will growers keep specializing,
is there any hope? A panel of industry leaders weighs in on some of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing greenhouse growers in 2006.
PDF Version
Summer Shows
Greenhouse Product News
August 2005
By Carrie Burns
Seeing Banner’s situation brought up a point of contention — with so many larger growers taking over the box stores and gaining exclusivity within those stores (especially with pay-by-scan being implemented), how are the small- and mid-size growers going to stay in business and be successful?
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Factors Affecting PGR Liner Dips
Greenhouse Product News
July 2005
Rebecca Schnelle, Christopher Cerveny and Jim Barrett
Liner dips are a useful new technique that make the production of mixed containers and vigorous crops in baskets and other containers much easier and that allow for more efficient use of PGR chemicals.
PDF Version
NEWS on the GROW
Greenhouse Product News
May 2005
By Kathy Benken, OFA President
Picking Popular Poinsettias
Greenhouse Product News
March 2005
By John Dole, Jim Barrett and Allen Hammer
Obviously, any grower focusing on novelties would want to grow these cultivars.
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Recommended Cultivars
Greenhouse Product News
February 2005
By Allen Hammer, John Dole and Jim Barrett
The best cultivar for an individual grower depends on their location, production practices, market and personal preference.
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A Lesson in Learning
Greenhouse Product News
January 2005
By Carrie Burns
An internship can teach students more than how to stick cuttings, irrigate and load trucks.
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Industry Leader Forecast
Greenhouse Product News
January 2005
Compiled by Bridget White
We put six of your peers to the test to see if they can predict what will be the biggest opportunities for growers in 2005.
Progress Toward New Products Slows
Greenhouse Product News
November 2004
By Jim Bethke
Unfortunately, “not much” was the typical response from my contacts in the chemical industry this year when I asked if there was anything new.
PDF Version
Calibrachoa Photoperiod Requirements
Greenhouse Product News
September 2004
By Erika Berghauer and Jim Barrett
University of Florida research helps you determine which calibrachoa varieties are best for early spring production, hot-weather production and fall flowering.
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Poinsettias: Early PGR Drench?
Greenhouse Product News
August 2004
By Jim Barrett
Just when you’re getting comfortable with late drenches,
a new technique from the University of florida suggests new drench timing.
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Keeping the Industry Clean
Greenhouse Product News
May 2004
By Bridget White
Visiting both Guatemala and Costa Rica, we spent seven full days on the road learning the basics of stock and seed production.
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Dear Diary
Greenhouse Product News
April 2004
By Bridget White
And when news of a second Ralstonia outbreak came early this year, we were glad that we had planned a trip to Guatemala and Costa Rica to check out cutting production.
PDF Version
Consumer Poinsettia Picks
Greenhouse Product News
March 2004
By Jim Barrett, Allen Hammer and John Dole
Red poinsettias are by far the biggest selling color and should not be overlooked in the excitement of all the new interesting novelties being introduced.
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Best of the Best
Greenhouse Product News
February 2004
By Jim Barrett, John Dole and Allen Hammer.
A 'best of the best' from the National Poinsettia Trials.
PDF Version
New Cultivars for 2004
Greenhouse Product News
February 2004
The descriptions below are based on how the cultivars performed in our trials, and we have only written about those cultivars that we personally grew.
PDF Version
NEWS on the GROW
Greenhouse Product News
January 2004
Compiled by Catherine Evans
Industry Leader Forecast
Greenhouse Product News
January 2004
Bridget White
In GPN's 6th annual "Industry Leader Forecast" we polled several of your peers on what they think will be the biggest issues facing commercial greenhouse growers over the coming year. From economic changes to customer service to buying habits, find out what to look for in 2004.
Growth Regulators: New Approaches
Greenhouse Product News
November 2003
Jim Barrett
What's new in growth regulators? The answer is changes occurring with old chemistry. However, the changes are bringing new applications and options to growers. Let's review where we are.
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Better Calibrachoas with Growth Control
Greenhouse Product News
July 2003
Jim Barrett
The need to produce more attractive plants led us to doing growth regulator work for our May field days. For this article, I have chosen the strategy of showing more pictures of the plants and letting them speak for themselves, as in "a picture is worth a thousand words."
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FloraStar Elite Awards: A Greenhouse Performance Trial
Greenhouse Product News
July 2003
Jim Barrett, Erika Berghauer and Phillip Hamilton
FloraStar, in cooperation with the University of Florida, has selected the winners of the first FloraStar Elite Performer trials that are designed to evaluate how well a variety performs for the grower. This year's trial included calibrachoa and double impatiens.
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Here's to Being New
Greenhouse Product News
June 2003
Bridget White
We have another Marketing Innovation Award winner. And while there was an unusually large pool of quality programs under consideration, the GPN/MasterTag judges agreed that the Novalis Group's "Plants That Work" was the clear winner.
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Consumers Tell Which Poinsettias They Like
Greenhouse Product News
March 2003
Jim Barrett, Rick Schoellhorn, Allen Hammer and Joe Stoffregen
We are providing the results of the consumer surveys conducted at Purdue University, University of Florida and Homewood Nursery in Raleigh, N.C. These surveys are conducted in conjunction with the National Poinsettia Cultivar Trials and are supported by the major poinsettia breeder companies: Dummen USA, Paul Ecke Ranch, Fischer USA, Oglevee Ltd. and Selecta First Class.
PDF Version
National Poinsettia Trials 2002
Greenhouse Product News
February 2003
Allen Hammer, Jim Barrett and John Dole
This report has been split up into three sections: cultivars recommended according to grower type (large or specialty), page 10; new introductions, page 16; and the best of the best from the trials, page 20. This is the most complete coverage of last year's poinsettia trials you'll find anywhere, so make the most of it by using these reports to choose the right varieties for your production situation and market.
A New Start
Greenhouse Product News
January 2003
Bridget White
I can always do better. That's how I feel about our industry resolutions -- we can always do better -- that's why I don't think we need to set new resolutions this year.
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Using Topflor, Part I :Bedding and Potted Plants
Greenhouse Product News
January 2003
Brian Whipker, Ingram McCall, James Gibson and Todd Cavins
Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are commonly applied to container-grown plants to control stem elongation and produce high-quality, compact plants. Flurprimidol is a "Type 2" PGR, which is similar in its mode of action to A-Rest, Bonzi and Sumagic. Flurprimidol has been labeled as Cutless for turf use in the United States and commercially introduced as Topflor in Europe for greenhouse crops. Cutless has been trialed extensively by Auburn University researchers on nursery crops such as butterfly bush, holly and Mexican sage with growth control comparable to Bonzi and Sumagic.
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Who Cares for Poinsettias?
Greenhouse Product News
December 2002
Roger C. Styer
Every year, I am absolutely dumbfounded by the lack of care during handling, shipping, display and sale of poinsettias in the marketplace. Being a consultant, it is easy to point out the problems, but a good consultant also proposes solutions to those problems. So, here are my solutions to improve the care of poinsettias.
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Growth Regulators in Transition
Greenhouse Product News
November 2002
Jim Barrett
The lack of evolution in PGR products has actually been good for growers since they have had the opportunity to become very familiar with the products they use without having to learn new ones. However, changes in the available chemicals started a couple of years ago and will continue for at least a couple of more years.
PDF Version
University of Florida Field Trials
Greenhouse Product News
October 2002
Rick Schoellhorn
The spring field trials at the University of Florida this year contained 180 cultivars of vegetative annuals, both those more common to southern production and also several focus areas. The goal of these trials is to promote plants that are tolerant of extreme high heat and humidity, conditions common across the southeast sunbelt from Florida to West Texas. Obviously, the season here begins very early in the year and, for some plants, ends a lot earlier as well. The results of these trials can be used to help growers refine their late-season selections where heat and humidity have the biggest impact on crop quality.
PDF Version
Late-Season Bonzi Drenches: Northern & Southern Perspectives
Greenhouse Product News
September 2002
Jim Faust and Royal D. Heins
By the late 90s, late-season Bonzi drenches became a standard practice for many Southern growers, while many Northern growers were still appropriately cautious. Currently, late-season Bonzi drenches have been sufficiently tested that both Northern and Southern growers can safely use this technique, provided that the proper guidelines are followed.
Taming the Wild Calibrachoa
Greenhouse Product News
July 2002
Erika Berghauer, Jim Barrett and Rick Schoellhorn
As with many vegetatively propagated items, producing Calibrachoa hanging baskets does not come without challenges. Taming vigorous growth to produce a more attractive basket, facilitate shipping and keep plants untangled in a high-density growing situation are concerns. At the University of Florida, we have evaluated the use of growth regulator drench applications to slow the growth of Calibrachoa, which should make this high-value crop more appealing to growers.
PDF Version
Rely on an Expert
Greenhouse Product News
July 2002
Bridget White
Every year in early summer, we sit down to go over what GPN offers. We think about who we are as a magazine, what changes have taken place in the industry and most importantly, what our readers want to know/learn/read.
PDF Version
Losing a Leader
Greenhouse Product News
June 2002
Bridget White
It is no exaggeration to say that the “Paul Ecke” name is synonymous with poinsettias in every corner of the globe. Quite simply, Paul Ecke Jr. helped revolutionize the way poinsettias are bred, produced and sold.
PDF Version
Which Poinsettias do Consumers Prefer?
Greenhouse Product News
April 2002
Jim Barrett, Rick Schoellhorn and Allen Hammer
Consumer surveys were conducted at Purdue University and the University of Florida, and the results are presented here. While there are some differences in the details of the results, the general information generated by the two studies provides important information.
PDF Version
Media surfactant effects on post-production
Greenhouse Product News
April 2002
Jeff Million and Jim Barrett
Research conducted at the University of Florida indicates that applications of media surfactant made during production can help alleviate potential wetting problems that arise during postproduction handling and sales, raising the probability of a longer shelf life and greater sell-through. Our experiments indicate that a media surfactant drench prior to shipping can help reduce the stress plants are exposed to in retail display, as well as when consumers do not water adequately.
PDF Version
Best of the Best: 2001 Poinsettia Trials
Greenhouse Product News
February 2002
Jim Barrett and Allen Hammer
The following are the cultivars that we judged to be the best of the 2001 trials. In most cases, they are newer cultivars that offer a new characteristic, an improvement over current cultivars or fill a void in availabilities. A few are older cultivars that continue to be outstanding.
PDF Version
2001 Poinsettia Trials: Regionally Recommended Cultivars
Greenhouse Product News
February 2002
Jim Barrett and Allen Hammer
The following poinsettia cultivars are recommended for growers to consider. The recommendations are based on university trials and observations of commercial crops. Primarily, this list includes cultivars that the authors have grown at least two years. The cultivars listed as “worth watching” are the new ones that performed well in the Fall 2001 trials.
PDF Version
New at the Trials
Greenhouse Product News
February 2002
P. Allen Hammer, Jim Barrett, Terril A. Nell and Roy A. Larson
With the introduction of so many new and unique poinsettia cultivars, it has become impractical for a grower to evaluate them all. In conjunction with the breeding companies, we organized these trials several years ago to screen the new introductions and help growers in selecting the ones they will evaluate for their own production. Every poinsettia cultivar is different and performs better in some climates and production situations than in others.
PDF Version
Manipulating Dahlias
Greenhouse Product News
December 2001
Garry Legnani and William B. Miller
Night interruption lighting during dahlia plug production
can shorten crop time and inhibit tuberous root growth. It is important to keep
in mind that the critical day length for tuberous root formation is 11-12
hours.
PDF Version
Size Control for Lantana
Greenhouse Product News
September 2001
Jim Barrett and Rick schoellhorn
Lantana may be gaining popularity with consumers, but its spreading habit is causing headaches for growers. Here are some treatments to stop lantana spread.
PDF Version
Growing the Newest Poinsttia Cultivars
Greenhouse Product News
August 2001
By Jim Barrett and Allen Hammer
Breeders have introduced a large number of potentially important new poinsettia cultivars in the past two years, and this fall many growers will be producing some of them for the first time.
PDF Version
2000 Poinsettia TrialsBest of the trials:
Greenhouse Product News
February 2001
P. Allen Hammer and James E. Barrett
Poinsettia breeders have produced another crop of outstanding varieties. A few recommendations from top researchers should help make
ordering decisions a little easier.
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