View All: Articles
May 08, 2003
I've just returned from the California Pack Trials, where I found the trials to be fairly conservative this year, with breeding companies mostly focusing on refining the major crops. There were a lot fewer "new" releases this year, and considering...
April 22, 2003
Long before Martha Stewart, there was Betty Crocker.
Betty was created in 1921 after a promotion for Gold Medal
flour flooded Washburn Crosby Co., with questions about baking. To answer
customers in a more personal manner, the company created a...
April 22, 2003
Last month, we covered the importance of developing a
relationship with your customer. This element of the sales process is a
requirement in order to move forward. As soon as you establish a relationship
and sincere rapport with your customer, you...
April 22, 2003
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...
April 22, 2003
Herbs are used throughout the United States for culinary and
medicinal purposes. Total sales of culinary herbs were $30.9 million in 1998.
The annual retail sales of medicinal herbs in the United States in 1994 was
$1.6 billion and nearly $4.0...
April 22, 2003
Like many men, I hate shopping. I only shop for what I
really need, and my goal is to get in and out in the shortest time possible. My
only exception to this rule is a good bookstore. I go to bookstores to pass
time in a relaxing way, and I am...
April 18, 2003
Cut flower growers are always searching for the latest in
new cuts to jazz up their product line. To provide that information, the
Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG) conducts an annual National
Seed and Perennial Trial Program. Last...
April 18, 2003
Hydrangeas form an integral part of the spring holidays.
Many growers produce and are familiar with the common Hydrangea macrophylla
hybrids, and some are also producing lace cap types for spring sales. However,
there is a newer group of hybrids...
April 18, 2003
Hemerocallis 'Little Missy' is a new diploid daylily that was recently introduced by DeVroomen Holland Garden Products. This cultivar reaches 2 feet tall, bearing beautiful, purple-red flowers with fine, white edges and a contrasting yellow throat....
April 18, 2003
Ageratum Artist(TM)
Ageratum Artist(TM) is taller (10-12") than most seed
ageratum. The two Artist "Blue" and "Purple" are also more
uniform and flower more consistently than their seed counterparts. They are
excellent in...
April 18, 2003
In just six years, Costa Color, a family-owned and operated
production facility in Miami, Fla., has become one of the largest production
facilities in the United States, with over 6,300,000 sq.ft. in year-round
bedding plant and seasonal production...
April 18, 2003
The heat of the summer is right around the corner, and that
means more energy is being used to keep your greenhouse cool. As you learned in
Part I in the March issue of GPN, fan and pad systems are great for cooling,
but there are more options:...
April 18, 2003
Intense breeding and selecting for the past 20 years by Dr.
Lyndon Drewlow has resulted in vastly improved kalanchoes. With the Forever
series, many of the production difficulties often associated with kalanchoes
have been eliminated. No more time...
April 18, 2003
This article will focus on a system that can achieve significant cost savings for outdoor nursery stock. The system is designed to facilitate the transport, placing and spacing of nursery stock and is suitable for pots ranging in size from 1-5 gal....
April 18, 2003
Profit for any business can be calculated by the simple
formula: profit = number of units sold x (sales price per unit - total costs
per unit). All growers know how many units of a specific crop they sell at a
given price. They also know the...
April 18, 2003
After a few days, not to mention how one feels at the end of
a week or more, at the California Pack Trials, it's easy to become jaded about
perfection. There are approximately 30 breeder/marketing companies holding open
houses during the two-week...
April 18, 2003
The day the first seed was planted was the first day your
business began to grow. Whether it is a first- or fifth-generation growing
facility, business growth is the goal. Sure, for a short time production will
increase with tighter aisles, closer...
March 21, 2003
Ralstonia Outbreak
Several U.S.
growers can now add a new disease to their repertoire: Ralstonia solanacearum biovar
3 race 2. One of the vascular, bacterial agents that causes southern bacterial
wilt, R. solanacearum biovar 3 race 2 was recently...
March 21, 2003
The Double Wave series' spreading habit makes this petunia
great for basket production and for mass planting in outdoor beds. Cousin to
the popular Wave series, the Double Wave series shares many of the same
characteristics. Long-day plants are...
March 21, 2003
In this column one year ago, March 2002, I reviewed the January 2002 Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing by Kmart, the largest retail bankruptcy in U.S. history. I reviewed what I believed were the causes leading to its financial demise and loss...
