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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...
May 10, 2010
Research can be as formal as experiments performed by scientists at private companies or universities, and as informal as comparisons of plant responses provided with different treatments at commercial greenhouses. Growers are often advised to...
May 10, 2010
It’s hard to improve on Henry Phillips’ praise of hollyhocks in 1824’s Flora Historica, where he wrote: “Its noble size, majestic height and splendid flowers could not fail to attract the attention of our earliest collectors of exotic plants…” These...
May 10, 2010
The industry’s most reliably successful growers are increasingly automating their irrigation systems for the significant improvements it makes to both their efficiency and crop quality. When a machine runs irrigation, plants receive a consistent...
May 10, 2010
Attractive hanging baskets are important items for growers and retailers. The variations of interesting colors in crops such as petunia, verbena, impatiens and calibrachoa can create an enticing product for consumers. However, the vigor of many of...
May 07, 2010
As the new annual plant trial director at Michigan State University, I was in rapid-learning mode during the 2009 growing season. But I was looking forward to watching, up close and personal, the performance and ornamental character of new annual...
May 07, 2010
This issue of GPN was due to the printer right after we returned from California Spring Trials, so we didn’t have enough time to write a full recap of the trials. The June and July issues will have extended coverage of the California Spring Trials...
April 12, 2010
Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are commonly applied as sprays to inhibit extension growth and produce more compact floriculture crops. There are numerous commercial products available, some containing the same active ingredient, but their...
April 12, 2010
As native plants build in popularity, showy performers like echinacea (coneflower) appeal to growers and gardeners alike. The new, All-America Selections award-winning PowWow echinacea from PanAmerican Seed is a first year-flowering native perennial...
April 12, 2010
The bearded iris, also known as German iris, is one of the most majestic and popular perennials used in landscape settings. Bearded irises have three petals that grow upward, referred to as standards; and three petals, known as falls, that grow...
April 12, 2010
Complete pest control in ornamental greenhouses is becoming harder to achieve with the registered chemicals currently on the market. Fewer chemical families are being introduced, and the amount of time and money required to register a product is...
April 12, 2010
Editors’ Note: This is the third in a six-part series on research being performed at Michigan State University in East Lansing.
The recent volatility of energy prices and an overall interest in reducing greenhouse production inputs have growers...
