Driving Toward Change   Greenhouse Product News January 2008   By Paige Worthy
After a turbulent, taxing 2007, are growers ready to face the challenges that await them down the road in the New Year?
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Forging Ahead After the Flames   Greenhouse Product News December 2007   By Darhiana Mateo
Weeks after devastating wildfires ravaged Southern California, growers are showing their resilient spirits by refusing to dwell on the losses.

Surviving the Drought   Greenhouse Product News December 2007   By Darhiana Mateo
As growers in the drought-stricken Southeast continue to grapple with stringent water restrictions and dismal sales, they are looking to the new year with apprehension. And they’re learning that their future success — or even survival — will demand more than just rain.

Sustainability — Shaping Tomorrow   Greenhouse Product News December 2007   By Stan Pohmer
In an ongoing struggle to define sustainability, implement environmentally and economically responsible practices, and establish an industry-wide standard, it’s critical that we have a say today on what the future will look like.

The Payoffs of Efficient Energy   Greenhouse Product News November 2007   By Christa Reynolds
A discussion of the problem of rising energy costs is nothing new to frustrated growers. But many people may not be aware of the existence of federal grants and loans for commercial growers, available to those who work to make their businesses more energy efficient.

Protect Your Greenhouse   Greenhouse Product News October 2007   By Jasmina Radjevic
This may be the end of hurricane season, but it’s never too early to begin preparing your greenhouse structure. Learn how some growers have been affected and what steps they are taking to secure their businesses.

Are You Ready For…   Greenhouse Product News October 2007   By Stan Pohmer
Fundamental changes in the economy, along with the consumer’s desire to buy sustainable products, will require growers to alter the way they operate.

Success In Columbus — A Short Course Recap   Greenhouse Product News September 2007   By Jasmina Radjevic
The OFA Short Course attracts growers and suppliers from around the world. Check out what attendees learned on the show floor and the innovative ideas they took home to implement in their own businesses.
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Vibratory Screener Solves Water-Recycling Problem   Greenhouse Product News April 2007   By Henry Alamzad
Catoctin Mountain Growers had a contamination problem with the up to 500,000 gals. of water the grower recycles each day for its crops. A new separator helped solve the problem.
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What’s On The Horizon?   Greenhouse Product News January 2007   Compiled by Tim Hodson
The Economy. Labor Costs. Consumers’ Preference. Supplier Partnering. These are just some of the issues expected to impact growers in 2007.
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How Secure Is Your Business?   Greenhouse Product News December 2006   By Thomas Dudek and Dean Krauskopf
Every greenhouse operation should have a security management plan. Learn about the four levels of security and the 15 elements you should consider when creating written security procedures for your business.
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Pohmer On...Controlling Your Destiny   Greenhouse Product News December 2006   Stan Pohmer
Your level of service and product quality won’t bring in higher prices if you can’t convince your customers of the value and benefits you offer.
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Spring Season 2006 - How Was It?   Greenhouse Product News August 2006   By Tim Hodson
Stephen Barlow summed up the spring season for many growers when he said, “Overall, our season was OK. It wasn’t great; it wasn’t horrible. It was somewhere in the middle.”
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Understanding (And Avoiding) Heat Loss   Greenhouse Product News August 2006   By George Elliott
With costs on the rise, growers need to examine energy conservation options in relation to the basic mechanisms for greenhouse heat loss and look at energy conservation.
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Growing The Greenhouse Industry   Greenhouse Product News August 2006   By Neil Reid and Michael Carroll
Growers in Northwest Ohio have joined together in a unique economic development program that promises to increase consumption while retaining each company’s individuality.
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Breakthroughs In Breeding   Greenhouse Product News July 2006   By Bridget White, Tim Hodson and Catherine Evans
Not just a new color or a competing line, these crops have the potential to change the market.
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Meet The Stars: From Agastache To Zinnia, Part II   Greenhouse Product News July 2006   By Catherine Evans, Tim Hodson and Bridget White
Learn about some of the interesting crops we saw at Pack Trials that may spark an interest for your company.
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Hybrid Phlox: Have a Sunny Future   Greenhouse Product News June 2006   By Rick Schoellhorn
New breeding techniques for vegetative hybrid phlox are proving very advantageous for growers and consumers.
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Is The Foliage Market Falling Apart?   Greenhouse Product News March 2006   By Lynn Griffith
Many factors — from recent hurricane damage to rising land prices to depressed pricing — are affecting the foliage industry’s future.
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Testing For Success   Greenhouse Product News March 2006   By Carol Hacker
Learn how testing potential employees can save you a lot of time during the hiring process.
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The World’s A-Changing… With Or Without You!   Greenhouse Product News January 2006   By Stan Pohmer
Is Wal-Mart’s new marketing strategy going to work with your business strategy?

The Power, The Fury… The Devastation   Greenhouse Product News October 2005   By Stan Pohmer
Hurricane Katrina caused massive damage not only to property but also to people’s lives. How does this recent natural disaster affect the businesses in our industry and the future of horticulture?
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Independent Plant Breeders’ Conference   Greenhouse Product News October 2005   Bridget White
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Hurricane Katrina   Greenhouse Product News October 2005   Catherine Evans
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From Petroleum to Plastics   Greenhouse Product News September 2005   By Ambika Seshadri
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NEWS on the GROW   Greenhouse Product News May 2005   By Kathy Benken, OFA President

What’s In a Letter?   Greenhouse Product News May 2005   Bridget White, Editorial Director
If you’ve been reading GPN Weekly, our e-newsletter, (not a subscriber? go to www.gpnmag.com to sign up) then you know that the past few weeks have seen a flurry of speculation about the discovery of a “new” whitefly in Arizona and California (turn to page 10 for more information)
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Understanding UCCnet, Part II   Greenhouse Product News February 2005   By Bridget White
Green goods is a very unique subcategory, with its own forecasting models, ordering systems and inventory management.
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Floral Plant Growers: Making a Move   Greenhouse Product News February 2005   By Bridget White
What did this new investor group have in mind for FPG? Would the company change? Go on a buying spree?
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Understanding UCCnet, Part I   Greenhouse Product News January 2005   By Randy Goldbeck
When we received word late last year that some of the largest retailers of green goods would be implementing those processes in 2005 and that the vast majority of our industry was unprepared, we started working on this series of articles.
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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.

Weights and Measures Update   Greenhouse Product News January 2005   By Jonathan Bardzik
While the notice from regulators is not quite as gratifying as the television coverage, think of them as our industry’s paparazzi — when they start showing up it is a sure sign of success.

Water Quality: Is It An Issue?   Greenhouse Product News October 2004   By Carrie Burns
This just shows that different growers have different needs with water quality.

2004 Spring in Review   Greenhouse Product News August 2004   By Carrie Burns
A slow, but ongoing trend that seemed to make a big statement this spring was the emphasis of large mixed containers, using unusual crops.
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Pack Trials Part II   Greenhouse Product News July 2004   By Rick Schoellhorn, University of Florida
Lavender, agastache and plectranthus, oh my! Some of the many great things I saw at this year’s Pack Trials.
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Pick of the Pack Trials, Part II   Greenhouse Product News July 2004   By Carrie Burns, Catherine Evans and Bridget White
If you’re in the market for new varieties, we searched the Pack Trials for those with the most promise.
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Pick of the Pack Trials, Part I   Greenhouse Product News June 2004   By Carrie Burns, Catherine Evans and Bridget White
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Pack Trials 2004 — Part I   Greenhouse Product News June 2004   By Rick Schoellhorn, University of Florida
It was not an easy year to put on a good display, as temperatures in California were soaring and plunging all spring, making it difficult to time crops for the trials.
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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.
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National Floriculture Forum   Greenhouse Product News April 2004   By Rick Schoellhorn , University of Florida
The groups get together to discuss current issues and problems and brainstorm future research needs.
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Credit and Debt Collection   Greenhouse Product News March 2004   By Abe Walking Bear Sanchez
The methods most growers use to evaluate credit and collect debt are flawed. This new system will help you better evaluate credit risks and stop being treated like a bank.
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International Travel   Greenhouse Product News March 2004   By Bridget White and Carrie Burns
It seemed that the people behind the marketing schemes in Europe are risk takers and are willing to do a lot to get their ideas across to the consumers.
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Crossing Boundaries   Greenhouse Product News February 2004   By Bridget White
A new Proven Winners marketing partnership breaks all traditional rules by pairing bedding plants and woodies. This exclusive interview relays all the details and implications for the industry.
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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.

Crop Scheduling   Greenhouse Product News November 2003   Neda Simeonova
Our industry is moving forward and taking advantage of new technologies. The Internet and new software programs are implemented into the way we do business and may be what makes one operation more successful than another. Can the same be said about crop scheduling? Recently, GPN asked growers how they approach their crop scheduling needs and looked into some of the solutions currently available on the market.
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Getting It Right   Greenhouse Product News November 2003   Bridget White
From one little mistake, I find myself wondering about in-house propagation and labeling and responsibility.
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Trials and Tribulations   Greenhouse Product News October 2003   Bridget White
I'm sitting here at a company known for innovations -- a company that takes an active part in offering a lot of new varieties each year -- and I'm wondering what growers are supposed to do about all this great new material available to them. There isn't a single operation in the country large enough or profitable enough to devote all the necessary space to trialing each and every new introduction each year. Are we doomed to make random selections?

NEWS on the GROW   Greenhouse Product News October 2003
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Hydroponic Tomatoes   Greenhouse Product News October 2003   Lynette Morgan
Obtaining economic yields of high-quality fruit while minimizing the use of pesticides and other agrichemicals has put commercial tomato growers under increasing pressure, and many are now looking to modified hydroponic systems where higher profits are possible. Many of these new tomato-growing techniques involve the production of "spray-free" crops and using organically based systems.
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Counting on Coir   Greenhouse Product News September 2003   Joseph B. Hanson
One growing media component that may be worth experimenting with is coir. Manufactured from the fibrous husks of coconuts in exotic places such as Sri Lanka and India, coir has emerged as a relatively new growing medium. But the question is, how well does it work? Growers from all over the United States shared with GPN the advantages and disadvantages they've experienced in using coir.
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The Truth Behind Tank Mixes   Greenhouse Product News September 2003   Ron Oetting
What is the role of tank mixes, or the lack thereof, in resistance management today? This is a good question with answers supported by various theories, but the most common theory is that mixing compounds will result in resistance developing faster than if each pesticide is used separately in a rotation. The purpose of this article is to address some of the reasoning behind the use of tank mixes and rotations in pest management.
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Grower 101: Heating Systems--Maintenance Pays   Greenhouse Product News September 2003   John W. Bartok, Jr.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, natural gas prices will triple this winter. (For more information see Headlines in the August 2003 issue of GPN.) With the continuing unrest in the Middle East, propane and fuel oil will probably follow suit. Now is the time to get your heating system tuned up for the long, cold winter ahead.
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NEWS on the GROW   Greenhouse Product News September 2003   Catherine Evans
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How can you make your greenhouse greener?   Greenhouse Product News August 2003   Robin G. Brumfield
Do you know which individual crops are making money and which ones are losing money? Or more optimistically, if you are making money on everything, do you know which crops make the most? Once you know this, you can look at ways to increase sales of profitable crops and find ways to cut costs on less profitable ones. You can even decide to drop unprofitable crops and consider new, more profitable ones.
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Why All the Fuss?   Greenhouse Product News July 2003   Bridget White, Editorial Director
A national trade show -- and the Short Course is the closest we have to a national venue that focuses on wholesale greenhouse production -- affords the opportunity to discuss industry issues, anticipate future directions and seek advice from peers. I think this function of a trade show often gets lost with all the other activities that are going on, but it's probably the most important, whether we want it to be or not.

Summertime Blues   Greenhouse Product News July 2003   Roger C. Styer
To avoid the summertime blues, keep your focus on the following: 1) get poinsettias off to a good start, 2) keep mums moving but under control and 3) get pansies through the stressful period after transplanting.
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Temperature and Light on Bedding Plants   Greenhouse Product News July 2003   Lee Ann Pramuk and Erik Runkle
Last year, we began to research the effects of temperature and light intensity on four popular bedding plants: salvia 'Vista Red', celosia 'Gloria Mix', marigold 'Bonanza Yellow' and impatiens 'Accent Red'. Our objectives were to determine how temperature and daily light integral influence plant growth and development of these species. From this information, we can predict how changing your environment will influence the timing and quality of your bedding plant crops.
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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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And the Winner is...   Greenhouse Product News June 2003   Carrie Burns
It's difficult for you to imagine being in consumers' shoes as they wander through the garden center, but just try it -- try seeing things through their eyes. Novalis Inc. has found a way to solve that problem in a clear and understandable way in its Plants That Work (PTW) program, and this is why we are naming them the GPN/MasterTag 2003 Marketing Innovation Award winner.
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Fall Crops: Making A Brighter Season   Greenhouse Product News May 2003   Catherine Evans
Growers are producing pansies, snapdragons, perennials, cyclamen, dianthus and more -- not only in the spring, but in the fall as well. In the past, selection was a very small part of the fall crop; however, as time goes by, trends are changing and people are becoming more interested in color and variety and focusing less on tradition

Keeping Your Best Employees   Greenhouse Product News May 2003   Bernard Erven
The best way to keep star employees is to convince them that they have excellent jobs and that their greenhouse employer provides an excellent place to work. Job design, team building and employer reputation are the key ingredients.

Now or Later?   Greenhouse Product News April 2003   Sara Grosser
Careful analysis of your current facility, equipment and staff will guide you to make the right decision on expanding your business. Proper growth is the key to success. Expand too early, and the increased expenses may hinder your growth. Expand too late, and your customers may have already experienced the competition.
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Is your greenhouse in the green?   Greenhouse Product News April 2003   Robin Brumfield
The computer program Greenhouse Cost Accounting, distributed by Rutgers University Cooperative Extension, can be used on computers with a Windows operating system and Microsoft Excel software. The Greenhouse Cost Accounting software enables users to perform cost accounting and to determine the profitability of greenhouse crops. This information can be used by managers to analyze various production, financial and marketing strategies.
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This Year in Structures   Greenhouse Product News April 2003   Neda Simeonova
For large and small growers alike, every year brings new uncertainties and questions about how to remain in business. A sluggish economy and soaring energy prices continue to influence trends in greenhouse structures. Investing in automation tops the list of factors that help greenhouse operations through the difficult times.
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National Floriculture Forum   Greenhouse Product News March 2003   Rick Schoellhorn
The 2003 National Floriculture Forum (NFF) focused on ornamental plant breeding programs and germplasm resources in the United States. Here is an overview of what was discussed at this meeting and how it may impact the breeding and discovery of new crops in the future.
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Making News, Spreading Rumors   Greenhouse Product News March 2003   Bridget White
Late in January, the news came about an outbreak of Ralstonia solanacearum biovar 3 race 2 (southern bacterial wilt) on Americana geraniums. To my knowledge, USDA and APHIS never considered this importation of R. solanacearum a bioterrorist attack. They recognized it for what it was: the unintentional importation of a serious pathogen. In this case, rumors caused cuttings to be dumped unnecessarily, costing lost production time and profit.
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A Water-Wise Industry   Greenhouse Product News February 2003   Bridget White, Editor
. I've been invited to speak for four hours about the Federal Clean Water Act, water conservation measures and drought-tolerant plants. And while I'm a little nervous about having to fill such a large chunk of time, I'm excited to see that people are already preparing for what's ahead.
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Hanging basket tags --Can you see the problem?   Greenhouse Product News February 2003   Carrie Burns
Look at your hanging baskets. Can you read the tags while the baskets are hanging above your head, like they're most often displayed to the consumer? With the growing popularity of hanging baskets, new developments in tags have arisen that promise easier shopping for consumers, more sales at retail and more money in your bank account. A few companies are now offering these labels to eliminate the two biggest problems of hanging basket tags: tags covered by product and baskets displayed too high.
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Easing the Legalese with Hispanic Workers   Greenhouse Product News January 2003   Brandi D. McNally
Your Hispanic employees are probably some of the best workers you've ever had -- and some of them may be in this country illegally. According to Fred Atterbury, legal consultant to the American Nursery & Landscape Association (ANLA) and others in the green industry on wage and hour, I-9 forms and related matters, there are four basic issues on his most-frequently-asked questions list by green industry members with Hispanic employees. Mismatched Social Security number issues top the list. The second most-common question has to do with