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July 20, 2010
In the days before automated controls, you shoveled some coal into the boiler if you wanted heat and got out the hose if plants needed watering. As heating systems evolved, electric thermostats could open valves for directing steam or hot water heat...
July 20, 2010
Yellow, pale or white leaves on the youngest growth of greenhouse and nursery crops are often signs of nutritional deficiencies. In certain instances, the problem may be a lack of a specific nutrients in the substrate; in others, the nutrients may...
July 20, 2010
“What’s new in the PGR arena?”
We get that a lot. The answer: several things. We’re working on more products in more areas than ever in the 30-plus years of the University of Florida’s PGR program. Here’s a quick summary of some of our current...
July 20, 2010
Fungus gnats (Bradysia spp.) are common greenhouse pests. The adults are primarily a nuisance, causing minimal plant damage. But eggs laid by adult females hatch into larvae that feed on roots and are directly responsible for plant injury. Growing...
July 20, 2010
Last month, we shared with you some of the awesome merchandising, marketing, packaging and other sales concepts we learned about at the 2010 California Spring Trials. This month, we bring to
you some of the striking varieties that caught our eyes...
July 20, 2010
Every year, we return from our annual trek to California for Spring Trials and are faced with the challenge of selecting the new varieties that will be covered in the magazine.
We see hundreds of new introductions as we tour the breeder sites, and...
June 15, 2010
Every so often, a breeder introduces a new perennial cultivar that vastly improves on preexisting cultivars. Heliopsis 'Tuscan Sun' is a fairly recent Proven Winners introduction that offers such enhancements and provides the 'Wow!' effect, both in...
June 14, 2010
High-pressure sodium lamps are widely used in greenhouse production, but they require maintenance for peak efficiency. After visual inspection, many growers find that some lamps in their greenhouse either aren’t operating or aren’t doing so at full...
June 14, 2010
Dahlias are native to Mexico and Central America, and there are hundreds of hybrid varieties commercially available today, with both bicolor and dark-leaf varieties gaining momentum in the market. The new Lucky dahlia series was bred in Europe and...
June 14, 2010
Seasonal bedding plant growers may be less affected by high fuel costs during the winter than a year-round greenhouse production facility — they may not be heating all their greenhouse space during the colder months of the year — but spring heating...
June 14, 2010
We have worked and sacrificed to get to the top of the mountain. Let’s not forget that getting down often claims more victims.
I recently read Into Thin Air, which is about an ill-fated expedition to climb Mount Everest. I was fascinated by the...
June 14, 2010
StandPoint, an Atlanta-based market research firm conducted a consumer panel during February 2010 in Tampa, Fla., to obtain insights on the buying patterns of consumers making retail plant purchases.
Consumer Picks
We recruited 12 consumers from the...
June 14, 2010
When spring started, the air was filled with anticipation of the pent-up consumer demand that was about to be unleashed. Two-thirds of growers responding to industry surveys indicated that business was “OK” or better (16 percent said it was good or...
June 14, 2010
In spite of the economic downturn, Wisconsin-based Plant Marketing continues to grow in more ways than one.
As you drive through the rolling hills of west central Wisconsin, one of the last sights you might expect to see is 33 shiny new greenhouses...
June 14, 2010
Over the last 20 years, the floriculture pathology research program at Michigan State University has had two over-arching goals. First, we seek to understand pathogens and how they thrive, move and survive. Second, we work out integrated management...
June 14, 2010
The 2010 California Springs Trials definitely experienced a bit of a makeover this year. The most obvious change was the annual event’s name. Over the years, the event — which used to be known as the Pack Trials — has really evolved into a multi-...
June 14, 2010
The 2010 American in Bloom (AIB) Symposium & Awards Program has been set with a full program of education and events for participating communities, industry professionals, and anyone interested in improving their community through beautification...
June 14, 2010
Our annual trip to California for Spring Trials is always exciting and this year was no different. As I mentioned last month, our trip started off with a “little” earthquake in southern California and ended seven days and more than 1,000 miles later...
May 11, 2010
Bellflowers have long been a favorite perennial of gardeners, landscapers and commercial growers. There are numerous species in production, each offering a different set of characteristics and uses. Campanula persicifolia has historically been used...
May 11, 2010
Growing extraordinary plants is critical to the success of your business and reputation. That’s why GPN compiles a list each year of all the award winners from various floriculture organizations in the United States and abroad.
All-America...
