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January 28, 2003
What is the next big area of the wholesale growing business
that, when improved, will increase profit?
You meet all of the discounted early-order deadlines. All of
your available space, and then some, is full of product as often as possible.
You...
January 28, 2003
Slippery! Slimy! Creepy things, yuck! This pretty much
describes the general opinion of what a slug or snail is. These pests fall
under the general responsibility of entomologists when it comes to who has to
deal with calls and questions concerning...
January 28, 2003
Ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus L.), with the common name Persian
buttercup, has primarily been produced as a field-grown cut flower, thanks to
extensive breeding work in England during the 19th century that resulted in
more than 500 varieties....
January 28, 2003
Getting an early start on spring sales is critical to
growers around the United States. The problem is finding plant material that
can be grown under cool conditions, will flower under early spring short-day
photoperiod, and has some tolerance of...
January 28, 2003
Jennifer Browne just graduated from Cornell University's horticulture program. The chances that she'll land the job that she wants are high, because Browne has something to offer that sets her apart from other potential entry-level job candidates....
January 28, 2003
Industry leaders offer their preductions for 2003.
Jim Barrett, Professor
University of Florida, Gainesville Fla.
When Bridget sent the E-mail requesting an Industry Forecast for 2003, my first response was: "Mostly cloudy, patchy sun and a high...
January 28, 2003
As Proven Winners® introduces new varieties it is
important to help you understand a little more about each of the new products.
This will begin a series of tips that will offer helpful hints to have even
greater success with our new varieties...
January 28, 2003
Weeds compete for water, nutrients and light, resulting in
reduced flower yield and increased threat of serious insect and disease
problems. A successful weed management program utilizes cultural practices such
as cultivation and mulching, or a...
January 28, 2003
Dianthus 'Bouquet Purple' has been produced as a bedding plant or cut flower for a few years, and it is still underutilized as a perennial crop. Bouquet Purple has many desirable perennial characteristics such as: quick finishing time from plugs,...
January 28, 2003
A conspicuous highlight of the mid-summer border,
paniculata-type phlox are usually identified by their large clusters of
brightly colored, often fragrant, disc-shaped flowers. Rarely does a new
introduction come along that changes the established...
January 28, 2003
Only recently have I adopted the tradition of setting
resolutions. But I really like it. Resolutions not only set a tone for the year
to come, but they also help establish a starting point -- this is where it
begins; this is the new year. It's like...
January 28, 2003
The Ovaltech III from Harnois is low-maintenance, easy to erect,
covered in polycarbonate film and includes a number of other features that lead
to higher-quality plants. The Ovaltech III is the newest in the Ovaltech
series. It was introduced in...
January 28, 2003
In surveying the ethnic origins of your greenhouse
employees, it probably comes as no surprise that one in eight people in the
United States is of Hispanic origin, or 32.8 million, according to a 2000 U.S.
Census Bureau report. Approximately 66.1...
January 28, 2003
One year, three million dollars and 10 full runs later,
Plantpeddler in Cresco, Iowa, is growing as fast as you can say "more
acreage." Mike and Rachel Gooder opened the doors to their new facility,
Plantpeddler Young Plants, on January 10, 2002. So...
December 31, 2002
If you're a regular reader of The New York Times, you may
have had the misfortune of coming across an article entitled "Bigger Bar
Code Inches Up on Retailers" this past August. This work of fear-inciting
adjectives and general misinformation...
December 31, 2002
Leucanthemum 'Becky' is quickly becoming one of the most common varieties of Shasta daisy in commercial production today. This cultivar has many distinguishing characteristics, such as shiny, deep-green leaves that hold up well in heat and humidity...
December 31, 2002
Plant nutrient management requires a thorough understanding
of the relationships between irrigation practices, fertilization programs and
root medium selection. Everything is connected. Even a minor change in any of
these cultural practices impacts...
December 31, 2002
Tulip forcing in 2002 has been difficult. In many
greenhouses, tulip crops were uneven and, overall, very short. Upon flowering,
many pots had one or more stems with blind shoots, where the bud may have been
aborted at a relatively late stage (...
December 31, 2002
'Dapper' dahlia is one of the newest dwarf series on the
market, with six colors. Dapper features small, semi-double, 2-inch blooms;
dark green foliage; and a uniform habit. The Dapper colors are consistent
across varieties ? from Bronze through...
December 31, 2002
Somewhere between the explosion of the foliage industry in the
70s and the changing of the interiorscape market, many of us lost touch with
what was happening in the world of foliage. I have recently been working on
renovating our conservatory/...
