TECH ON DEMAND brought to you by GrowerTalks: Recent Episodes
Bill Calkins
GrowerTalks Senior Editor Bill Calkins sits down with JC Chong and Dennis Bunkley from SePRO Land to talk about two of the company’s newest crop protection products. BattleLine is a new fungicide effective on a wide range of pathogens and offers long residual activity and flexible application options. Barracuda is a new insecticide with fast knockdown and 21- to 28-day residual activity and is effective on mites at all life stages.
In this recording from Cultivate ’26, JC and Dennis share all the details you need to know and talk through trial results and benefits growers should expect with these new products.
Resources:
SePRO Land
BattleLine Fungicide
Barracuda Insecticide/Miticide
SePRO Technical Specialist Contact
A RESILIENT INDUSTRY REQUIRES MORE THAN BASIC INPUTS
FROM THE JULY 2026 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY LAURA BARTH
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Like any living system, floriculture requires continuous investment to remain healthy, productive and resilient. Research, workforce development, sustainability initiatives and industry collaboration all play important roles in supporting the long-term strength of floriculture, even if their impact isn’t always immediately visible from the greenhouse floor. For 65 years, the American Floral Endowment (AFE) has helped cultivate the floriculture industry through research funding, scholarships, internships and educational resources designed to strengthen the floriculture industry as it continues to grow and evolve—because healthy industries, like healthy crops, don’t happen by accident.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_26_07/index.aspx
This episode is sponsored by Prospiant—leaders in greenhouse design, manufacture and build. Learn more and connect with the expert team at prospiant.com.
This episode was recorded live during the Ball Seed Customer Days event in West Chicago, Illinois. Technical specialists Nathan Jahnke and Nick Flax shared best practices and tips for avoiding common pitfalls with key Fall crops—Mums, Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Celosia, Cabbage, Kale, Pansy and Viola.
Nathan and Nick concisely broke down some of the Fall crop problems they hear about most from growers, including:
- Garden Mums—rootzone and canopy diseases, mineral nutrition deficiencies and crown budding.
- Echinacea & Rudbeckia—Aster Yellows, foliage purpling and creating the right plan for each species.
- Celosia—minimizing stress, EC recommendations, avoiding phyto and knowing what varieties to pinch and which ones not to pinch.
- Cabbage & Kale—managing height, knowing vigor by variety, dealing with caterpillars/worms and managing color/color development.
- Pansy & Viola—Berkeleyomyces (Thielaviopsis), substrate pH management, nutrition, minimizing DIF and how to best use PGRs.
Ball Seed Technical Services: https://www.ballseed.com/Services/TechnicalServices
For this episode, host Bill Calkins is joined by Jeremy Webber, an ornamentals crop team member at Koppert. Jeremy has experience in propagation and finished plant production, as well as more than a decade of leading a team that works with growers across North America to develop holistic IPM approaches customized for each greenhouse and growing situation.
At his core, Jeremy is a plant guy through and through and wrote an excellent article for the 2026 GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide. For the guide, Bill challenged him to put a unique spin on how bio-IPM strategies lead to plant health, which in turn means fewer crop losses and a reduced need for rescue missions to save plants from pest and disease. Jeremy titled his article “The End of Rotation Anxiety (Stop Playing the MOA Game with EPF)” and explored an angle he’s truly passionate about—that although rotating crop protection products is definitely a key part of IPM and resistance management, it’s sort of an old school way of thinking.
If this sounds bold and raises questions in your mind, we’re with you. Which is why Bill sat down with Jeremy at the July 2026 Cultivate event in Columbus, Ohio … to dig deeper into the article to better understand what Jeremy is advocating for.
Resources
2026 Biosolutions Guide
Reach out to the Koppert Team
Isarid
Nematodes
This week, let’s talk about two of the most common and costly disease issues we encounter in garden mum production: Pythium and Fusarium. Both can cause stunting, chlorosis, wilting and lead to major crop losses, but they are not the same organism. Knowing which one you’re dealing with makes a big difference—particularly when selecting proper tools to prevent disease and respond to symptoms when they appear.
If there’s one takeaway from today’s tech tip, it’s this: rootzone disease outbreaks in mums don’t begin when symptoms appear—they begin days or weeks prior when plants become stressed or protection lapses. Whether you’re dealing with Pythium or Fusarium, the growers who consistently prevail against these pathogens are the ones who focus on sanitation, prevention, root health and stress management.
This episode is sponsored by Prospiant—leaders in greenhouse design, manufacture and build. Learn more and connect with the expert team at prospiant.com.
Subscribe to the weekly Tech On Demand e-newsletter: https://www.growertalks.com/Newsletters/Signup/?newsletter=techondemand
Host Bill Calkins caught up with Mike Gooder to discuss the evolution of vegetative crops from breeding and supply to production and demand. Then the conversation turned to the amazing story our industry has to tell and why this is critical for our future.
When Bill planned the episode, he had a goal in mind—to learn about how the vegetative side of our industry evolved through the eyes of someone who was in the game early and in a big way. His guest for this episode is Mike Gooder, the owner of Plantpeddler in Cresco, Iowa and the business was a rooting station before such a thing was cool. Bill was hoping to learn how and why the Gooders took such a big risk early on—building greenhouses and infrastructure to support production of vegetative young plants before the market was as proven as it is today.
They definitely got into that story but then the conversation veered off the young plant path and down a different road. About half the episode was Mike and Bill talking about how amazing floriculture is and how we need to develop messaging and tell this story far and wide to attract fresh, new talent to the industry. They discussed the importance of connection, networking, partnerships, relationships and how Mike’s industry involvement and leadership over more than 40 years opened doors for his business that he never imagined when he and Rachel bought the greenhouse back in 1980. You have to listen all the way to the end of this episode because there’s so much good information shared. It’s really an inspiring conversation.
As mentioned in the episode, mark your calendar for the Plantpeddler new variety open house in August or make plans to attend in the future. Here’s a link for more information: https://www.plantpeddler.com/trials/gardens-variety-day
Learn more about Plantpeddler: https://www.plantpeddler.com/
Read “Solid Strategies for Expanding” by Jennifer Zurko—GrowerTalks March 2026— https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?srch=1&articleID=27906
Throughout 2026, host Bill Calkins has been catching up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. He sent each potential guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, Bill is joined by his friend Kate Terrell, owner/president/GM of Wallace’s Garden Center in Bettendorf, Iowa. Kate is pretty much an industry icon at this point. She heads up her family’s business growing and selling plants and a whole lot more than that. She’s active in tons of industry leadership roles, writes articles for industry magazines, serves on committees and boards and is also a leader in her local community. It’s amazing she finds enough hours in her days to do everything. Plus, she’s a mom, Cubs and Cyclones fan and top-notch businesswoman. She has a lot to share this episode so be sure to stick around all the way to the end!
Here are the four questions Kate selected:
Q: What’s something about professional horticulture that annoys you and how would you change it?
Q: What are your top 3 favorite annuals? And perennials?
Q: What advice would you give to a young person considering pursuit of a career in horticulture?
Q: What advice would you give to an industry veteran currently dealing with “burnout”?
This episode is sponsored by Mycorrhizal Applications—master distributor of biological and botanical plant support solutions and the world’s leading supplier of mycorrhizal soil inoculants. Learn more and connect with the expert team at mycorrhizae.com.
Throughout 2026, host Bill Calkins has been catching up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. He sent each potential guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, Bill is joined by his friend Jeremy Webber, the Crop Team Manager at Koppert and an IPM expert with plenty of greenhouse and nursery experience and a true passion for plants and how to produce them efficiently and effectively. Jeremy is a great storyteller and that skill shines over the course of this episode. It’s funny, informational and a fantastic look into the mind of someone who thinks deeply about our industry every day.
Here are the four questions Jeremy chose to answer:
Q: What was your first exposure to “horticulture” and how did you feel, react, respond?
Q: If you had a free hour, what would we find you doing?
Q: What are your top 3 favorite annuals? And perennials?
Q: What do you love most about your job?
This episode is sponsored by Prospiant—leaders in greenhouse design, manufacture and build. Learn more and connect with the expert team at prospiant.com.
In this episode, the goal is to explore and unpack the upcoming AmericanHort Plug and Cutting Conference, a must-attend event focused on young plant production. Host Bill Calkins is joined by AmericanHort’s Education Program Manager Rachel Rawls to discuss some of this year’s conference components, tour experiences, educational insights and and networking opportunities designed to help level up your young plant production.
Plug & Cutting Conference
Philadelphia, PA
September 14-16, 2026
LEARN MORE & REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE HERE: https://americanhort.org/upcoming-events/plug-and-cutting-conference/
Here’s what you can expect to learn about in the next 30 minutes:
- The unique focus of the Plug and Cutting Conference on young plant propagation and why it stands out from broader industry events
- Practical education tracks covering crop timing, plant health, automation, sustainability and business management
- How peer-to-peer discussions and expert panels foster real-world learning and collaboration
- The integration of skill stations during production tours for hands-on experience in topics like dip-and-cutting and scouting
- The importance of addressing industry challenges like labor, input costs and crop quality early in the plant growth cycle
- Innovations in automation tailored for young plant production and how to incorporate practical, cost-effective tools
- Highlights of the extensive production tour lineup: Lucas Greenhouses, North Creek Nurseries, Star Roses & Plants, and Longwood Gardens
- The role of Spanish-language sessions in broadening industry access and workforce development
- Tips on translating conference learning into actionable improvements at your greenhouse, including leveraging on-demand session recordings
- Strategies for effective networking, building peer relationships and maintaining connections post-conference
THE GEAR GUIDE
FROM THE JUNE 2026 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY CHRISTOPHER J. CURREY
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Investing in the relatively modest selection of tools and equipment won’t just help you identify and conquer problems in the greenhouse—it should help you avoid them. A systematic regular approach to monitoring plant growth, the growing environment, pests and diseases, and the rootzone will produce high-quality crops … but, unfortunately, won’t help you with the zombies.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_26_06/index.aspx
This episode is sponsored by Prospiant—leaders in greenhouse design, manufacture and build. Learn more and connect with the expert team at prospiant.com.
This episode of the Tech On Demand podcast, brought to you by GrowerTalks is a special presentation from the 2026 Darwin Perennials Day event in The Gardens at Ball in West Chicago, Illinois. Darwin Perennials Day is an annual event held each summer to showcase perennial plants, breeding innovations, a huge range of suppliers and of course the growers who produce and sell perennial crops.
For many years, the event has included educational sessions, panel discussions and talks by perennial experts. This year, one of the panels was moderated by GrowerTalks editor Jen Zurko with three expert panelists focused on echinacea production. Echinacea Best Practices for Spring, Summer and Fall featured Ball Seed Culture Research Manager Nathan Jahnke, Darwin Perennials Product Representative Chris Fifo and Hans Stokes, the Seedling Business Manager at Swift Greenhouses in Iowa.
You’ll find this discussion interesting and packed with information to help you and your team level up your echinacea production.
Darwin Perennials Day: https://www.darwinperennialsday.com/
Darwin Perennials on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@darwinperennials/videos
As temperatures rise and the heat of summer starts to set in, it’s important to periodically take a moment to pause… cool down… and think ahead.
Right now it’s time to do this for poinsettias.
I’ve already started to get proactive questions on poinsettias—not just about propagation, but about finished production. And while there are great resources available that cover poinsettias from start to finish, today we’re going to focus on a few key considerations that can make a big difference early in the process.
Subscribe to the weekly Tech On Demand e-newsletter: https://www.growertalks.com/Newsletters/Signup/?newsletter=techondemand
This episode is sponsored by Mycorrhizal Applications—master distributor of biological and botanical plant support solutions and the world’s leading supplier of mycorrhizal soil inoculants. Learn more and connect with the expert team at mycorrhizae.com.
In this episode, we celebrate 10 years of Suntory's popular Catharanthus series, Soiree Kawaii with the company’s North American sales and product manager Lorentina Fielding. Lorentina is the perfect person to discuss this crop because she can cover crop production based on her work with growers across the continent (and her own production experience), as well as explaining how the product fits into retail programs and home and professional gardens and landscapes. And Soiree Kawaii has a place in all of these areas as you’ll hear throughout the episode.
Lorentina also shares behind-the-scenes perspectives on product development, marketing strategies and the innovative promotional campaigns developed for Soiree Kawaii as it celebrates 10 years—including social media influencer campaigns, an ongoing cause-marketing partnership with Girls Inc. and a teaser of what you can expect from Suntory at this year’s Cultivate event in July.
Resources:
2027 Suntory Catalog: https://suntoryflowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2027-Suntory-Catalog-web.pdf
Soiree Kawaii Series: https://suntoryflowers.com/series/soiree-kawaii-catharanthus/
Happy 10th Birthday Soiree Kawaii: https://mailchi.mp/suntoryflowers/variety-view-soiree-kawaii-turns-10?e=b4b9e987f6
Suntory Flowers E-Blast (you REALLY should sign up to receive this …): https://suntoryflowers.com/marketing/newsletters/
Girls, Inc.: https://www.girlsinc.org/
Throughout 2026, host Bill Calkins has been catching up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. He sent each potential guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, Bill is joined by his friend Jose Sanchez, a Sales and Business Manager with Ball Seed Company in the Pacific region. It’s a fun episode that starts with major league baseball (Jose is a die-hard Dodgers fan) and then gets into a really cool career in horticulture that captures some industry history and evolution and really shows how someone’s trajectory can change as it’s influenced by mentors, curiosity and good old fashioned hard work and dedication. Jose shares a lot of wisdom in this one and you’ll want to listen all the way to the end, because it wraps up with ways to avoid burnout.
Here are the four questions Jose chose to answer:
Q: What was your first exposure to “horticulture” and how did you feel, react, respond?
Q: If you had a free hour, what would we find you doing?
Q: What advice would you give to a young person considering pursuit of a career in horticulture?
Q: What advice would you give to an industry veteran currently dealing with “burnout”?
This episode is sponsored by Prospiant—leaders in greenhouse design, manufacture and build. Learn more and connect with the expert team at prospiant.com.
Sakata Seed America's product and technical services manager Michael Wiebe joins host Bill Calkins to help growers produce high quality SuperCal vegetative petchoa crops in Summer for Fall sales. This can open up new seasonal opportunities for one of our industry's leading series.
Resources:
- Sakata’s SuperCal Info
- SuperCal Fall Production Guide
- SuperCal Quart Production Guidelines
- SuperCal Variety Specs Chart (page 6)
- Sakata Playlist Collection (including summer/fall combinations)
Dr. Janna Beckerman from Envu joins host Bill Calkins for this episode of the Tech On Demand podcast, brought to you by GrowerTalks magazine. Janna is here to discuss a topic that she’s very passionate about and for good reason—resistance management could be the most critical component to greenhouse production IF we want to grow healthy crops in the future and maintain a toolbox of effective chemical and biological solutions. That’s tremendously oversimplifying things but throughout this episode, Dr. Beckerman will help make sense of it all and leave you with an excellent rotation to use against multiple, common greenhouse pests.
Janna Beckerman is an ornamentals technical specialist at Envu, and part of their Green Services Team. Prior to Envu, she worked at Purdue University and the University of Minnesota as a professor of plant pathology for almost 25 years. Janna continues to focus on developing environmentally sound pest management strategies that are economically feasible for growers and pest managers of specialty crops and is now excited to also focus on insect and weed management.
Resources
- Envu Ornamentals
- Envu Ornamentals Team
- Altus insecticide
- Aria insecticide
- Kontos insecticide
- Podcast: The ABCs of Foliar Disease in Greenhouse & Nursery Crops
- Podcast: Preemergence Weed Control for Greenhouses & Nurseries
Hey everyone—Nick Flax with the Ball Seed Tech Team here!
Every mum season, I tend to get the same core questions from growers—especially as material starts arriving and hitting the transplant line and moving into production—so today I want to try to head some of those questions off before they turn into headaches.
This week, I’ll walk through a few topics that I get questions on most often: propagation, premature budding, and disease pressure. I’ll also point you toward some additional resources if you want to go a little further down the rabbit-hole on any of these topics.
Subscribe to the weekly Tech On Demand e-newsletter: https://www.growertalks.com/Newsletters/Signup/?newsletter=techondemand
Throughout 2026 (and possibly beyond), host Bill Calkins is catching up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. He sent each potential guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, Bill is joined by his friend Dr. James Gibson, a technical lead at Syngenta Flowers in North America. Jamie has positively impacted countless greenhouses, crops and peers and it’s great to hear more about his horticultural story. Did you know his great grandfather was a horticulturist?
Here are the four questions Jamie selected:
Q: What was your first exposure to “horticulture” and how did you feel, react, respond?
Q: If you won the lottery and could start a horticulture business from scratch, what would it be and what would it look like?
Q: What advice would you give to a young person considering pursuit of a career in horticulture?
Q: What do you love most about your job?
This episode is sponsored by Mycorrhizal Applications—master distributor of biological and botanical plant support solutions and the world’s leading supplier of mycorrhizal soil inoculants. Learn more and connect with the expert team at mycorrhizae.com.
Host Bill Calkins is catching up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. He sent each potential guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, Bill is joined by Samuel Di Rito, a grower and social media manager at Collier’s Greenhouse & Garden Center, a third-generation family-owned business in Jackson, Georgia. Follow Collier’s on Instagram @colliersgreenhouse
Here are the four questions Samuel selected:
Q: What was your first exposure to horticulture and how did you feel, react, respond?
Q: What’s something about professional horticulture that annoys you and how would you change it?
Q: What advice would you give to a young person considering pursuit of a career in horticulture?
Q: What do you love most about your job?
This episode is sponsored by Prospiant—leaders in greenhouse design, manufacture and build. Learn more and connect with the expert team at prospiant.com.
Throughout 2026 (and possibly beyond), host Bill Calkins is catching up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. He sent each potential guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, Bill is joined by his friend Susie Raker, vice-president at Raker-Roberta’s Young plants in Litchfield, Michigan. Susie is an innovator in many ways and although some of this comes from growing up in a cutting-edge family business, she is definitely her own person and has forged an amazing path in the industry. This discussion goes in many directions, and you’ll have to listen all the way to the end, so you don’t miss anything!
Here are the four questions Susie selected:
Q: If you had a free hour, what would we find you doing?
Q: If you won the lottery and could start a horticulture business from scratch, what would it be and what would it look like?
Q: What advice would you give to a young person considering pursuit of a career in horticulture?
Q: What does the future of horticulture look like?
This episode is sponsored by Mycorrhizal Applications—master distributor of biological and botanical plant support solutions and the world’s leading supplier of mycorrhizal soil inoculants. Learn more and connect with the expert team at mycorrhizae.com.
Throughout 2026, host Bill Calkins has been catching up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. He sent each potential guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
Well, almost everyone … This episode, Bill is joined by his friend Leslie Halleck, a consultant, author, educator, certified horticulturist and nonconformist who opted NOT to pick four questions and answer whatever Bill asked. It’s a fun episode that goes in many different directions and touches on tons of different subjects but always circles back to a passion for the industry and all businesses and people involved. You absolutely have to listen all the way to the end of this one because although there are four questions asked and answered, there’s much more going on here.
Here are the four questions Bill selected for Leslie:
Q: Do you have a morning or evening routine you’d like to share with the listeners? Why do you do this?
Q: What’s something about professional horticulture that annoys you and how would you change it?
Q: What are three tools you couldn’t live without or couldn’t do your job without. (This can be hand tools, technology, etc.)
Q: What advice would you give to a young person considering pursuit of a career in horticulture?
This episode is sponsored by Prospiant—leaders in greenhouse design, manufacture and build. Learn more and connect with the expert team at prospiant.com.
Throughout 2026 (and possibly beyond), host Bill Calkins is catching up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. He sent each potential guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, Bill is joined by his friend Kelly Nicholas, Dümmen Orange’s head of technical services for North America. Kelly has a ton of experience across many segments of our industry—technical, production, greenhouse management and more. Plus, she’s a fantastic leader and has great advice that’s shared throughout the episode. If you’re considering exploring a career in horticulture or need some inspiration to battle burnout—Kelly suggests you hit her up on LinkedIn because she’s always happy to network.
Here are the four questions Kelly selected:
Q: What was your first exposure to “horticulture” and how did you feel, react, respond?
Q: What are three tools you couldn’t live without or couldn’t do your job without. (This can be hand tools, technology, etc.)
Q: What advice would you give to a young person considering pursuit of a career in horticulture?
Q: What advice would you give to an industry veteran currently dealing with “burnout”?
This episode is sponsored by Mycorrhizal Applications—master distributor of biological and botanical plant support solutions and the world’s leading supplier of mycorrhizal soil inoculants. Learn more and connect with the expert team at mycorrhizae.com.
Host Bill Calkins welcomes GrowerTalks’ editor in chief Chris Beytes and editor Jennifer Zurko to the podcast to share thoughts on California Spring Trials—the plants, the trends, the overall vibe—and the impact spring trials STILL has on the professional horticulture industry.
When Chris, Jen and Bill return from spring trials each year, folks in the industry always ask for overall thoughts, hot new varieties expected to be big sellers and what they consider to be industry breakthroughs. It was Bill’s bright idea to once again record a podcast answering some of these questions and of course his partners in crime for the annual trek had so much fin recording last year’s debrief that they agreed to humor him again.
Here are the questions the three tackled in this episode:
- If the 2026 California Spring Trials was a new employee, how would he/she introduce themselves?
- Name a few new introductions from CAST 2026 that stand out in our minds—and why.
- Why do we keep going back every year (besides to make sponsored content)—how do we stay amped up about spring trials?
- If we could have ONE OR TWO new introductions shipped to our houses for free, what would they be?
- What are some new intros that we feel are perfect for social media click generation?
- Are any of the new intros seen at CAST “more than just pretty”?
- Some 2026 CAST varieties that got major promotion at the event (big displays) that we think will live up to the hype?
- Were there any new intros that made us think, “what the heck is that” OR that surprised us?
- What are some reasons folks in the industry should take the time and make the investment to attend California Spring Trials?
CHECK OUT BALL PUBLISHING’S INDUSTRY-LEADING COVERAGE OF THE 2026 CALIFORNIA SPRING TRIALS:
Daily Newsletters
YouTube Playlist (25+ Videos)
Instagram (@growertalksgreenprofit)
Host Bill Calkins is catching up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. He sent each potential guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, Bill is joined by Mason Day, the Vice President of Business Development at JR Peters Company/Jack’s Fertilizers.
Here are the four questions Mason selected:
Q: What do you love most about your job?
Q: What advice would you give to an industry veteran currently dealing with “burnout”?
Q: How do you explain our industry to strangers, friends, family?
Q: What’s something about professional horticulture that annoys you and how would you change it?
Throughout 2026 (and possibly beyond), host Bill Calkins is catching up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. He sent each potential guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, Bill is joined by Lorentina McKoy, the North American Sales & Product Representative for Suntory. Lorentina wears many hats with Suntory from supply management and technical support to product selection and working as a liaison with off-shore stock farms. She brings it all together with unique skill sets and plenty of past greenhouse experience. Her perspective is thoughtful and rooted in a passion for the green industry.
Here are the four questions Lorentina selected:
Q: How do you explain our industry to strangers, friends, family?
Q: If you had a free hour, what would we find you doing?
Q: If you won the lottery and could start a horticulture business from scratch, what would it be and what would it look like?
Q: What advice would you give to a young person considering pursuit of a career in horticulture?
This episode is sponsored by Prospiant—leaders in greenhouse design, manufacture and build. Learn more and connect with the expert team at prospiant.com.
This episode is sponsored by Prospiant—leaders in greenhouse design, manufacture and build. Learn more and connect with the expert team at prospiant.com.
Throughout 2026 (and possibly beyond), host Bill Calkins is going to catch up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. He sent each potential guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, Bill is joined by Tanya Carvalho, territory manager for all of Canada at Ball FloraPlant and Selecta One. Tanya is also a social media influencer for the commercial side of our industry and you should follow her on Instagram! @tanyacbloomdiva
Here are the four questions Tanya selected:
Q: How do you explain our industry to strangers, friends, family?
Q: If you won the lottery and could start a horticulture business from scratch, what would it be and what would it look like?
Q: What are your top 3 favorite annuals? And perennials?
Q: What advice would you give to a young person considering pursuit of a career in horticulture?
In this episode, host Bill Calkins and BioTherm president Jim Rearden talk about a new partnership for BioTherm that brings some cutting-edge product lines into the company’s portfolio—including low-mass boilers and new, modern unit heaters.
But that’s not all you can expect this episode! Bill also asked Jim about the evolution of greenhouse environmental management, how grower needs continue to change (based on many factors), the importance of planning ahead when making equipment decisions and what the future may hold in terms of regulation and legislation that’s bound to impact our industry.
It’s a great conversation so be sure to stick around all the way to the end, because the good information keeps coming.
Resources:
- BioTherm Website: https://biothermsolutions.com/
- Climate Systems for Indoor Environments (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/1EImJy5UEe4|
- How to Heat Your Greenhouse (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/H46OQwxJdx4
- The Ultimate Grower Climate Control System (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/PSMxCyOhbj4
- Low-mass Boiler Solutions: https://biothermsolutions.com/high-efficiency-boiler-system/
- Sterling Unit Heaters: https://biothermsolutions.com/product/sterling-high-efficiency-unit-heaters/
Throughout 2026 (and possibly beyond), host Bill Calkins will catch up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. Bill sent each guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, he’s joined by Diane Blazek, Executive Director at All-America Selections and National Garden Bureau.
Here are the four questions Diane selected:
Q: How do you explain our industry to strangers, friends, family?
Q: Do you have a morning or evening routine you’d like to share with the listeners? Why do you do this?
Q: What’s something about professional horticulture that annoys you and how would you change it?
Q: What are three tools you couldn’t live without or couldn’t do your job without. (This can be hand tools, technology, etc.)
WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION! https://youtu.be/qrcLV3tyCLo
For this video podcast, host Bill Calkins is joined by three representatives from PanAmerican Seed who each bring specific expertise to the table, having worked with new crops for years to help bring them to market with solid foundations and supported by all the information you, as growers, need to be successful.
Lisa Lacy is Director of Product Management for PanAmerican, Robin Ruether is Senior Product Manager and Sonali Padhye is PanAm’s Senior Global Technical Manager and together they will cover five key 2027 introductions from the global seed breeding company.
Here’s the list of crops and you’ll see that they cover a range of genera, uses and market positions. There are landscape performers, combo components, Fleuroselect Gold Medal and All-America Selections winners and seed forms of traditionally vegetative varieties—truly something for everyone. Find all product information at https://www.panamseed.com/ .
- African Marigold Lanna Lace
- Bacopa Galactic Mist White
- Sunflower Always Sunny Gold
- Heuchera Heucherette Pink & Red
- Sedum Spectacular
Throughout 2026 (and possibly beyond), host Bill Calkins will catch up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. Bill sent each guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, he’s joined by Broch Martindale, National Nursery and Greenhouse Strategic Account Manager with Corteva Agriscience.
Here are the four questions Broch selected:
Q: What was your first exposure to “horticulture” and how did you feel, react, respond?
Q: What advice would you give to a young person considering pursuit of a career in horticulture?
Q: What do you love most about your job?
Q: What does the future of horticulture look like?
Throughout 2026 (and possibly beyond), host Bill Calkins will catch up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. Bill sent each guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, he’s joined by Shannon Carmody, director of plant pathology at Ball Horticultural Company.
Here are the four questions Shannon selected:
Q: What was your first exposure to “horticulture” and how did you feel, react, respond?
Q: If you won the lottery and could start a horticulture business from scratch, what would it be and what would it look like?
Q: What’s something about professional horticulture that annoys you and how would you change it?
Q: What do you love most about your job?
LESSONS NOT YET LEARNED
FROM THE FEBRUARY 2026 ISSUE OF GREEN PROFIT MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY BILL McCURRY
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: When selling or attempting to retire, owners without a strong leadership team find they don’t have a business to sell. They have inventory that’s worth half what the owner thinks it is. The fixtures and equipment are usually worth a quarter or less of the owner’s estimate. They may have real estate, but if the operations can’t be run without the current owner, they don’t have a business. All they have to sell is a job and the physical assets. It’s a sad, but consistent story.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gp_26_02/index.aspx
WATERING MORE EFFICIENTLY WITH DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS
FROM THE JANUARY 2026 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY JOSH HENRY
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Assessing irrigation needs: Good, better, best—Think of irrigation decisions as a hierarchy:
- Bad: Watering by timer
- Good: Checking surface color
- Better: Picking up pots to gauge weight
- Even better: Inspecting roots and using the 1-to-5 scale
- Best: Water by weight—real data drives decisions
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_26_01/index.aspx
BRIDGING RESEARCH & PRACTICE
FROM THE JANUARY 2026 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY ALICAIN CARLSON
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: The relationship between industry and academic research has never been more crucial. As our industry faces complex challenges—from climate change to evolving consumer preferences—the synthesis of academic rigor and practical application becomes increasingly vital. These collaborations create a powerful synergy: academic institutions provide deep scientific expertise and research infrastructure, while industry partners offer real-world insights, commercial perspective and the ability to scale solutions rapidly.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_26_01/index.aspx
CELEBRATE—WITH PLANTS!
FROM THE JANUARY 2026 ISSUE OF GREEN PROFIT MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY MARIA ZAMPINI
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Fortunately, with a little planning and creative POP displays, you can benefit from a slew of lesser-known holidays and life celebrations to promote plant sales. I’m not talking about the biggies, like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or Easter; I know you’ve got those covered. Instead, look for opportunities to celebrate lesser-known holidays, as well as major life milestones, where plants make the perfect gift.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gp_26_01/index.aspx
SETTING THE STAGE FOR SUCCESS
FROM THE JANUARY ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY NATHAN WALLACE-SPRINGER
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: By carefully checking your greenhouse systems and materials now, you can ensure a smoother start to the new season and protect the health of your crops. This article will provide a preseason checklist to help growers get organized and ready for a successful spring growing season.
READ THE JANUARY 2026 DIGITAL ISSUE: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_26_01/index.aspx
RENT, RETURN, REPEAT
FROM THE JANUARY 2026 ISSUE OF GREEN PROFIT MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY NEIL ANDERSON
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: How many times do you think Blockbuster rented out “The Little Mermaid” or “Ghostbusters” before those VHS tapes finally gave out? Probably hundreds. At roughly $4 a rental, that’s about $1,200 of revenue from a $20 tape. Pretty good margin, right?
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gp_26_01/index.aspx
SUCCESS BY DESIGN: THE SECRET STRATEGY FOR QUALITY VEGETATIVELY PROPAGATED SPRING CROPS
FROM THE JANUARY 2026 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY CHRISTOPHER J. CURREY
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: The secret strategy for quality vegetatively propagated spring crops isn’t too complicated: healthy cuttings, healthy rooted liners, healthy finished crops. While much is written and discussed about managing fertilizer when finishing containerized spring crops, managing nutrients during cutting propagation receives less attention. But to produce healthy rooted cuttings, cutting fertilization needs to be managed across all five stages of liner production: Stage 0—Prior to harvest or arrival of cuttings; Stage 1— Cutting arrival and sticking; Stage 2—Callusing; Stage 3—Root development; and Stage 4—Toning.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_26_01/index.aspx
Conversation with Stephanie Vincenti starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with April Herring-Murray and Sarita Cantu starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with Anik Graves and Paula Scott starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with Scott Mozingo starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with Jim Devereux starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with Mike Annes starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with Jessica Cudnik starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with Joe Messer starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with Alicain Carlson starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with Kathy McKay starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with Dwight Deppen starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with Stephanie Vincenti starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with Sjaak Sijm starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with Kris Carlsson starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with Robert Bett starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with Sarah Makiejus starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Conversation with Bart Hayes starts at 2:20.
California Spring Trials 2026: March 24-27 (Days and time may vary by location.)
https://caspringtrials.us/
Tech On Demand host (and 20-year trials veteran) Bill Calkins collaborated with California Spring Trials registration managers at National Garden Bureau to produce a series of podcasts featuring representatives from just about every exhibiting company in an effort to get you excited about the iconic industry event and some of the new plant introductions you’ll see on display in spring of 2026. California Spring Trials is the horticulture industry’s “fashion week” and with more than two dozen participating companies bringing hundreds of new plants to market for 2027 and beyond, opportunities to get inspired and plan new additions to your crop mix abound!
Registration for this annual even is essential to help hosts create an amazing, customized experience for all attendees. REGISTER FOR CAST 2026 NOW AT https://caspringtrials.us/. You’ll also find a trip planner, location information and more. Be sure to schedule plenty of time at each stop and with each exhibiting company!
Host Bill Calkins took advantage of this opportunity to chat with Joe Brenton from Koppert US and covered a wide range of topics related to biolosolutions—including biological pest and disease management, biostimulants, biocontrol application methods, mass trapping and much more. Joe and Bill spent time recapping 2025 from early spring propagation and production through poinsettia finishing and everything in between from a biological and hybrid IPM perspective.
Joe’s experience as a large-scale production grower, coupled with his ability to break down the realities of pest and disease control and prevention for greenhouse professionals will leave listeners with many new ideas to explore and a better understanding of why it’s critical to work with dedicated experts when implementing biosolutions strategies.
Some Resources & Products Mentioned:
Airobreez—distribute natural enemies
Isarid—biological pesticide
Horiver—trap and monitor flying insects
Koppert: Find an Expert
This episode, host Bill Calkins is joined by two guests representing a company called Brands in Blooms and a solution they’re bringing to garden center retailers—BloomSuite. It’s a click-to-edit website platform built specifically for garden centers, but that’s far from the full story as you’ll hear. BloomSuite also offers an e-commerce component connecting your store to nursery fulfillment partners that ship plants directly to your customers. And if your marketing messages, social media and CRM are disconnected and operating in isolation, BloomSuite ALSO offers a CRM + marketing dashboard to tie it all together with pre-built customer personas, automated content generators, calendars for planning, the ability to send targeted emails and texts, as well as full Meta connectivity to upload your social media to Instagram and Facebook.
Brands in Blooms co-founders Jeff O’Brien and Jon Morrison explain what BloomSuite is all about and why the company is laser-focused on solutions for garden centers. Bill, Jeff and Jon also discuss the importance of having a website you’re proud of, why collecting data is only as good as your plan to use it, the high cost (and confusion) of stacking multiple platforms, how e-commerce opens you up to a new customer base and how advanced tech could possibly allow us to be more human in the near future.
As a listener of this podcast, you’re encouraged schedule a free website audit with the BloomSuite team as a way to learn how these cutting-edge but simple-to-use tools can take your business to the next level. Here’s how: https://brandsinblooms.com/pages/schedule
More Resources:
Brands In Blooms: https://brandsinblooms.com/
BloomSuite: https://brandsinblooms.com/pages/bloomsuite
Next-Gen Consumer Insights Masterclass: https://brandsinblooms.com/pages/course
In this episode of Tech On Demand, host Bill Calkins is joined by two experts from Epicor—a software company delivering comprehensive ERP solutions, as well as CRM tools and a range of supply chain management systems. Epicor truly understands the green industry and partners with garden centers and nurseries to customize business tools.
Kerrie Jordan, Epicor’s chief marketing officer and Sam Kirkland, a national business development strategist are on the podcast to talk A.I. and ways to take the data you have, digitize it and apply A.I. to use it even more effectively. A.I. has the capability to assist in all fundamental business processes—from product procurement and cash flow management to employee productivity and customer engagement. That’s just a snapshot of what Kerrie and Sam share in this episode.
Bill and his guests spend time discussing what exactly A.I. means for green industry businesses and applications from other industries can be transformational, as well as ways A.I. can help personalize businesses to level up the customer experience. They close looking to the future and what might be possible as this technology continues to evolve.
PODCAST: Artificial Intelligence in the Green Industry (Part 1): https://techondemand.podbean.com/e/artificial-intelligence-in-the-green-industry-part-1-ft-clint-albin/
MORE RESOURCES:
Epicor—Artificial Intelligence: https://www.epicor.com/en-us/solutions/technology/people-centric-ai/
ARTICLE: AI—Gaining Back Time: https://www.greenprofit.com/Article/?srch=1&articleID=27602
ARTICLE: Why You Need AI, No Matter Your Size: https://www.greenprofit.com/Article/?srch=1&articleID=27544
ARTICLE: Using AI to Shorten the Customer Journey: https://www.greenprofit.com/Article/?articleid=27702
PODCAST: Next-Level Engagement, Growth & Brand Building with Sam Kirkland: https://youtu.be/P_VMRu0wTHU?si=fBJr9uzxOT4UZu3C
This episode’s guest should be quite familiar by now as he’s joined host Bill Calkins multiple times to cover a range of topics related to IPM from a pest- and disease-specific angle, as well as seasonal controls and prevention strategies and even weed management.
Broch Martindale is the National Nursery & Greenhouse Strategic Account Manager at Corteva and downloads of his episodes are always strong proving that loyal listeners and many others across the industry are well aware of his ability to share detailed research-based cultural information blended with real-world greenhouse and nursery production experience. Check out the show notes for links to all of Broch’s 2025 episodes covering a range of topics.
This time, Bill and Broch look back on 2025—spring, summer and fall production—to highlight pests and disease that were particularly troublesome over the past 12 months, as well as products and approaches growers used to effectively go to battle before and after symptoms emerged. They talk spring pests like aphids and thrips that were prevalent coast to coast, mum diseases and issues due to warmer-than-average weather and poinsettia growers facing pathogens and insect/mite pests.
Broch also went into detail about how investments in research and development by companies like Corteva drive product effectiveness, even when active ingredients might look alike on labels. Did you know that particle size can dictate the amount of active ingredient actually getting to where it needs to be for full mortality—which, in turn, reduces the risk of resistance?
As you wrap up your year, take a listen to this episode to hear about things you might have faced OR challenges you might encounter in future years. And check out the resources below for trialed, tested and proven products to add to the proverbial toolbox.
Past 2025 Episodes with Broch:
Integrated Pest Management & Resistance Management
Safely Managing Whitefly (and more)
Pre-emergence Herbicide Tips & Tricks for Perennial Production
Resources & Products Mentioned:
CORTEVA NURSERY & GREENHOUSE
XXPIRE Insecticide
CONSERVE SC Spinosad Insecticide
FLOXCOR Fungicide
FLOXCOR + EAGLE Fungicides
GALLERY Herbicide
DIMENSION Herbicide
SNAPSHOT Herbicide
In this episode, host Bill Calkins is joined by Tom Van Wingerden from Van Wingerden Greenhouses in Blaine, Washington, to discuss a business angle that isn’t new but like many things these days, rapidly-evolving tools and technology are increasingly available to take it to the next level.
Tom is Sales Director at Van Wingerden Greenhouses in Blaine, Washington one of the 100 largest greenhouses in North America and a gold supplier for Ball Seed. He has a degree in business management, is a proud father of four and was a blueberry farmer in the past. Tom is an outside-the-box thinker who’s always looking for ways to do bigger things with fewer resources. That comes across loud and clear in this podcast.
The topic is fundraisers—which can be a love-hate topic for many and although some greenhouses businesses have found success with fundraisers over the years, many have not and thus given up the opportunity to create a profit center working with local organizations who are hungry for plants and ways to leverage plant sales to fund projects.
Of course, greenhouses need to make money from these efforts because they require plenty of work but what Tom’s team has developed has more than tripled the company’s fundraiser sales while requiring fewer people to manage the segment.
This isn’t just an episode about how Tom and the Van Wingerden team have grown sales. They actually developed a software system called PlantBuy.com that’s now available for other greenhouses who want to streamline the fundraiser process. It’s a system developed specifically for the commercial horticulture industry that could (in the future) result in a network of greenhouses across the country fulfilling orders from organizations who want to raise money through plant sales.
In the episode, Tom and Bill discuss the overall opportunity for fundraiser business, what is required by greenhouses and the organizations they partner with, how plantbuy.com simplifies marketing, ordering and fulfillment, as well as best practices Van Wingerden Greenhouses has picked up over the past 20+ years supplying fundraisers of all shapes and sizes. If you also have a garden center operation (like they do), the marketing potential alone might be worth the effort!
Resources:
Learn more about PlantBuy: www.plantbuy.com
Book a demo: https://www.plantbuy.com/schedule-a-demo/
In this episode of Tech On Demand, host Bill Calkins sits down with Susannah Ball, fourth-generation owner of Ball Horticultural Company, and Seth Reed, Ball’s Global Sustainability Manager, for an inspiring conversation about what it really means to “do better” when it comes to sustainability in horticulture.
They break down how a 120-year-old global company focuses on people, community and the planet—from aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to empowering the launch of impactful initiatives at Ball companies around the world. You’ll hear how teamwork drives innovation, how smart sustainability can lead to resilience and why Ball chose this moment to release its 2025 sustainability report titled “Sowing Sustainability.”
Whether you manage a greenhouse or garden center, lead a team or just want to make your business more future-focused, this episode offers practical insights and plenty of inspiration to grow greener and stronger—together.
WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION!
Read the 2025 Ball Sustainability Report (English & Spanish)
In exactly 30 minutes, Ball Seed Technical Services specialist Dr. Josh Henry covers garden mum production best practices, tips and tricks to help you avoid common issues experienced by growers. He basically offers concise “checklists” for you and your team to use during mum production—from propagation to finish. From managing all stages of prop to crop nutrition and environmental management to disease/insect control, this is an excellent overview that offers tactical solutions to help you produce your best mums ever.
WATCH THE VIDEO! https://youtu.be/nNlrEREN7lo
Josh mentions many Tech On Demand resources, linked below. Many of these and more can be found at https://www.ballseed.com/Products/Mums. Scroll to the bottom of the page for an Excel-based Growth Tracking Tool!
RESOURCES:
Mum Video Playlist
Properly Conducting a Pour-Thru Test for pH and EC (Video)
Why Mum Foliage Turns Purple (Video Short)
Fast-cropping Fall Mums (Video)
Garden Mum Podcast Miniseries PART ONE
Garden Mum Podcast Miniseries PART TWO
Garden Mum Podcast Miniseries PART THREE
At Risk Crops—Garden Mums (Chrysanthemum White Rust)
Ball Technical Services specialist Dr. Josh Henry joins host Bill Calkins to share best practices for producing ornamental peppers as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials.
From the importance of sanitation and purchasing tested seed to keeping temperature, light and nutrition up, Josh takes ornamental peppers from propagation through to finish to help you achieve success. He spends time on protocols for preventing INSV and TSWV as key diseases to watch out for, as well as bacterial leaf spot.
WATCH THE VIDEO!
Resources:
At Risk Crops—Peppers (Bacterial Leaf Spot)
TSWV & INSV Management
Properly Conducting a Pour-Thru Test for pH & EC (VIDEO)
Ball Seed Technical Services Specialist Chris Ferguson joined host Bill Calkins to share 5 tips to help you take calibrachoa production to the next level—and avoid some common pitfalls.
- Irrigation—water by weight
- Pinching—chemical vs. mechanical
- pH Management—not above 6.2!
- Thielaviopsis—know your spores
- Tobacco Budworm—scout and treat ASAP
WATCH THE VIDEO!
Resources:
AlkCalc from e-GRO: https://e-gro.org/alkcalc/dist/index.html
Understanding Water Levels 1-5 (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/LBhc8_KlEBE?si=SimY3iTv72Izp9Rw
In this episode, host Bill Calkins is joined by industry strategist and co-founder of A24 Consulting, Clint Albin, to discuss the artificial intelligence (AI) in the greenhouse and garden center industry. Bill and Clint explore the challenges faced by green industry businesses, including seasonal fluctuations and changing consumer behaviors and how AI can provide solutions to enhance customer engagement and streamline operations—what Clint refers to as “the front door and the overhead door”.
The conversation emphasizes the importance of integrating AI thoughtfully and creatively into existing processes, the need for immediate customer feedback and some potential risks associated with AI implementation. Clint shares insights on future Green Profit article and podcast topics related to procurement and local marketing strategies, highlighting the significance of innovation in the horticulture sector.
Some key takeaways from this episode:
- AI can empower businesses of all shapes and sizes.
- Our industry faces challenges due to seasonal business cycles.
- Customer visits to garden centers need to be increased.
- Immediate customer feedback is crucial for improvement.
- AI should not be applied to broken systems.
- The essence of abundance in AI can save time or make money.
- A policy on AI usage is necessary for each business.
- Understanding customer needs is always a key to success.
This podcast supplements an article series in Green Profit magazine.
Why You Need AI, No Matter Your Size (September 2025)
Syngenta Flowers’ Dr. Brian Krug and Dr. Jamie Gibson join Tech On Demand host Bill Calkins to discuss the exciting world of begonias, focusing on both vegetative and seed varieties. They explore the latest introductions, production best practices and the importance of lighting and PGRs in growing high-quality begonias. The discussion highlights the growing popularity of begonias in gardening and their versatility in various applications.
One of the top new introductions at California Spring Trials in 2025 was iCandy, a vegetative series of hybrid begonias for quarts and up—with double flowers and dark foliage—and Brian spends time detailing production best practices before moving on to other vegetative series including Adora (perfect for baskets), Birthday Bash (more traditional, waxy foliage and double flowers) and Florencio (a boliviensis hybrid).
Then Jamie goes through tips and tricks for producing a few newer seed-raised series from Syngenta including Bossa Nova (boliviensis types), Bionic (large, interspecific landscape type) Tophat (early-to-flower interspecifics with huge flowers) and Limitless (tuberous).
For each series, Brian and Jamie discuss production recommendations from propagation through finish—including lighting protocols, PGR regimes, temperature requirements and much more. Strategies to reduce the risk of blind cuttings are also shared.
WATCH THE VIDEO!
Resources:
Syngenta Flowers Website
Syngenta Flowers Technical Library (Search “Begonias” for culture on all varieties!)
Vegetative Begonia Photoperiod Effects
Syngenta Flowers’ Dr. Jamie Gibson joins Tech On Demand host Bill Calkins to discuss best practices for growing high quality pentas—both seed and vegetative varieties. As Jamie said multiple times, one of the biggest keys to getting the most out of pentas is keeping them warm. But there’s a lot more to maximizing production and there are nuances to understand with vegetative types, like Syngenta’s Starcluster and Starcluster Cascades, as well as the seed range, which includes Beehive, BeeBright and HoneyCluster.
Jamie and Bill kick off the discussion with vegetative pentas in the Syngenta range—Starcluster and Starcluster Cascade. Jamie calls out some key attributes like huge umbels, thick foliage and major pollinator attraction before digging into propagation from URCs or callused cuttings. If you’re concerned about propagating pentas from cuttings, a good idea might be to bring in liners and just finish them in about 8 weeks or even start from enhanced, larger liners to cut off a few more weeks in production. Another tip is for growers in Northern climates to bring in cuttings after week 6 to reduce the risk of cold-chain damage. Remember, it’s a heat loving crop and receiving vegetative pentas after week 6 still gives plenty of time to finish the crop for Mother’s Day. Jamie follows production through finish and even teaches Bill a new term, “Xanthophyll,” the yellow pigmentation that sometimes makes pentas roots look like they’re struggling even though they’re completely healthy.
Then Jamie and Bill turn the page and start on the seed-raised types. Jamie suggests buying in plugs from experienced pentas propagators because nailing pentas plug production can be quite tricky. Transplanted plugs still need to be grown warm (66-75F), and it’s recommended to consistently test pH and make sure it stays above 6.2 and also consider adding calcium nitrate to keep the pH up and tone the crop. In terms of positioning the seed-raised series from Syngenta, Jamie suggests BeeBright for packs and smaller pots, HoneyCluster for quarts and Beehive for baskets.
WATCH THE VIDEO!
Resources:
Syngenta Flowers Website
Syngenta Flowers Technical Library (Search “Pentas” for culture on all varieties!)
Patio Playbook Guide
This Tech On Demand podcast episode is all about propagation, biosolutions and starting your crops strong from the earliest stages. Host Bill Calkins is joined by Kristen Fowler, a technical sales consultant with Koppert who not only works with propagators but spent many years in leading propagation greenhouses as a grower—so she’s no stranger to the importance of optimizing plants at the most critical times during production.
In this episode Bill and Kristen discuss the importance of cleanliness before and after young plants are received, tips for assessing cuttings when they arrive at your greenhouse (you don’t want to push poor product onto your benches), consistent scouting and working with suppliers to understand what’s been applied to young plants before they come through your door. They also dig deep into what biological products can be used during each propagation stage (some products work well under mist, and some do not) and a roadmap to follow for protection when roots emerge, mitigating insect and mite pest pressure early on and biosolutions to apply at the time of transplant. With such a strong understanding of the propagation environment, Kristen is keenly aware that the best way to introduce many biological strategies and hybrid approaches is to work within existing propagation processes and not change too many protocols—think tank mixes, boom applications and different options for different systems.
RESOURCES:
Koppert U.S.
Koppert Consultants & Locations
Koppert Contact
Koppert Crop Protection Products
Koppert’s Side Effects Guide App
2025 GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide
2026 GrowerTalks Insecticide, Miticide & Fungicide Guide (English)
2026 GrowerTalks Insecticide, Miticide & Fungicide Guide (Spanish)
Sustainability and environmental responsibility are high on the priority list for the Proven Winners team and their partners. Their new Eco+ plastic-free and industrial compostable pots are a key part of this plant powered package. Host Bill Calkins caught up with Proven Winners’ director of sales, Dave Konsoer and Danny Mishek, president of VistaTek—the award-winning manufacturing company behind the new pots and other plant-based, compostable products making their way into many industries.
Danny, Dave and Bill discussed all aspects of the new packaging from manufacturing and trialing to ensure integrity in greenhouse environments to seamless integration into crop production systems and the strong, branded retail presence for which Proven Winners is known. Dave clearly explains the reasons Proven Winners invested in the move to sustainable packaging and Danny articulated why a zero-plastic approach is not only responsible but becoming necessary due to new regulations being implemented in many states very soon.
Of course, the pots went through many iterations in development and functionality in greenhouse production and retail settings was non-negotiable and Dave stated there are no changes to how crops are grown in Eco+ pots and the brand messaging remains crisp and clear on the plastic-free material.
Danny explained regulatory changes coming quickly in many states and why bio-based materials and plastic-free pots like Proven Winners’ Eco+ will help growers stay ahead of “extended producer responsibility” laws. Plus, as Dave explained, consumers clearly want responsible packaging and look to Proven Winners as a leader in the gardening space. The company’s social media pages for gardeners are filled with positive comments about the new plastic-free packaging.
There’s so much fantastic information in this podcast and excellent discussion around the topic of sustainability. It’s steeped in real-world horticultural knowledge of supply chains, price sensitivity, production situations, tolerance for change and future plans. You really have to listen all the way to the end because the ideas and info just keep coming.
Resources:
What Environmental Sustainability Looks Like for Proven Winners
Proven Winners Eco+ Containers FAQ
Eco+ Grande Pot Manufacturing (Video)
Eco+ Grande Pot Manufacturing (Video 2)
VistaTek Sustainable Manufacturing
Cost accounting is the process of calculating your fixed and variable costs of production and identifying on what products and activities you are spending your resources. It may not be glamorous, but taking the time for cost accounting can dramatically improve your business’s profitability.
Ball Seed’s senior business analyst Stephen Steiner joins host Bill Calkins for a quick crash course in “grower math.” Stephen discusses simple ways to calculate costs (fixed and variable) by sharing greenhouse production-based examples. Knowing the true cost to produce various inputs will help you and your team make the smartest—and most profitable—decisions.
WATCH THE VIDEO!
This discussion is a condensed version of a much more in-depth presentation you can find HERE.
Stephen also recommends a series of GrowerTalks’ articles digging deeper into greenhouse cost accounting from many angles. You can find all of these resources and more HERE.
Warning: You’re going to hear the word SEED a lot in the next half hour or so, because our guest this episode is Josh Kirschenbaum, the seed supply manager at Ball Seed Company. He’s a seed guy all the way. In previous roles, Josh was PanAmerican Seed’s business and portfolio manager for the company’s vegetable lineup and before that was product development director at Territorial Seed Company in Oregon.
Here’s what you can expect from host Bill Calkins and Josh this episode:
Their shared fascination with the new OPEX Perfect Pick machine Ball introduced earlier this year. Josh describes it as a climate-controlled vending machine for seed packets that can pull 20 orders at a time, resulting in speedy service and increased accuracy in order fulfillment. (Check out the video and article link in the resources below to see the machine in action.)
Bill challenged Josh to come up with three reasons why seed solves problems and why it’s still a preferred way to produce crops. Josh explains the economic benefits, why flexibility and efficiency are optimized when starting from seeds or plugs and finally the amazing innovation and quality of genetics available from seed.
Throughout the conversation, Bill and Josh touch on many more aspects of seed crops that have been at the core of Ball’s business for more than a century. Josh discusses the global nature of our industry, how innovative breeding drives our future, the importance of quality seed in large-scale plug production and the legacy seed has in horticulture.
Resources:
Ball Seed Company Website: https://ballseed.com/
Ball Seed Product Forms & Premier Line Seed List: https://ballseed.com/Products/Seed
OPEX Perfect Pick—From Grocery Store to Vending Machine (Article): https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=27411
OPEX Perfect Pick (Facebook Video): https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19SiAULR35/
This episode includes critical information for both nursery and greenhouse producers!
To discuss this episode’s topic, host Bill Calkins was joined by a fantastic guest from Envu—Dr. Janna Beckerman—who’s an experienced plant pathologist at heart and wanted to discuss three key diseases commonly encountered in greenhouse and nursery crop production. Conveniently for the podcast title, these diseases begin with the letters A, B and C—anthracnose, Botrytis and cercospora.
In this episode, the conversation starts with a brief recap of some diseases Dr. Beckerman saw a lot of in the spring, like rusts and Pythium and then the conversation moved quickly to the topic at hand—foliar diseases. Bill and Janna took the three ABCs in order talking through the main crops impacted by each one, symptoms to watch for and control methods. Although Dr. Beckerman mentioned one of Envu’s flagship fungicides, Broadform (a unique chemical class with two modes of action to control more than 50 pathogens), her rotation recommendations and application best practices were extremely in-depth and user-friendly. She also went through strategies to mitigate the risk from these three diseases using good sanitation practices and greenhouse and nursery environmental management.
Bill and Janna closed out the conversation with the importance of resistance management—a topic that cannot be overstated. Keeping our toolboxes full and giving all growers the best chance for controlling diseases (and insect/mite pests) requires diligence and intelligent approaches to chemical rotation and application.
You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode, because Dr. Beckerman is a true expert and offers countless tips and tricks to help you and your production team up the game season after season.
Resources:
Envu’s Ornamentals Segment Website: https://www.envu.com/segments/ornamentals
Envu’s Products for the US Market: https://www.us.envu.com/ornamentals
Envu’s Products for the Canadian Market: https://www.ca.envu.com/greenhouse-and-nursery
Broadform Fungicide Product Information: https://www.us.envu.com/ornamentals/po/products/broadform
Corteva’s technical guru, flower grower and greenhouse and nursery “coach” Broch Martindale is back on the podcast to share strategies for controlling weeds in perennial production using products like Gallery, Dimension and Snapshot. Bill and Broch recorded this episode live in The Gardens at Ball.
Over the course of this episode, Broch and host Bill Calkins discuss selecting the best products to control specific weeds impacting crops each season. They dive deep into weeds that can take over when temps drop and why fall applications of pre-emergence herbicides can be critical. General “best practices” are shared that will not only keep weeds at bay but also reduce costs associated with labor and product purchase.
RESOURCES:
Learn more about Gallery® specialty herbicide.
Learn more about Dimension® specialty herbicide.
Learn more about Snapshot® specialty herbicide.
Host Bill Calkins asked Jaime Kedrowski (Marketing Manager at Ball Seed Company) to join him for a discussion about the short-term future of our industry. This conversation was recorded live at the 2025 Ball Seed Customer Days open house event in West Chicago, IL.
For this episode, Bill had three “big ideas” that he introduced to Jaime one at a time to find out what she had to say about them (and if she had any even bigger ideas or approaches). There are no right answers and neither Jaime or Bill own a functional crystal ball. But the goal of this discussion was to share ideas to ponder and potential directions to steer as our industry enters a new era.
Topics discussed:
- Horticulture vs. culture
- New plants vs. new solutions
- Lifestyle vs. hobby
Host Bill Calkins asked Seth Reed (Global Sustainability Manager at Ball Horticultural Company) to join him for a discussion about the short-term future of our industry. This conversation was recorded live at the 2025 Ball Seed Customer Days open house event in West Chicago, IL.
For this episode, Bill had three “big ideas” that he introduced to Seth one at a time to find out what he had to say about them (and if he had any even bigger ideas or approaches). There are no right answers and neither Seth or Bill own a functional crystal ball. But the goal of this discussion was to share ideas to ponder and potential directions to steer as our industry enters a new era.
Topics discussed:
- Post-pandemic growth vs. new realities
- Labor vs. labor retention
- Production vs. automation
In this episode of the Tech On Demand podcast, brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins sat down with SePRO’s Technical Development Manager (and PestTalks e-newsletter editor) JC Chong to discuss plant growth regulators. PGRs are critical for greenhouse professionals but really haven’t been covered much on the podcast. Now’s the time! JC and Bill start off with a conversation about what PGRs are and what they do before jumping into a few specific products, including SePRO’s Topflor and A-Rest. Topflor is a gibberellic acid biosynthesis inhibitor (Class B)—active ingredient Flurprimidol. It offers some unique benefits in production, which JC covers in an informational way.
JC outlines crops that respond particularly well (and some that don’t) and what you can expect from crops treated with the product. JC also explains some of the more common rates and application methods and a handy tool from SePRO to take a lot of the guesswork out of PGR application.
JC is a researcher and has worked with the SePRO team and growers across North America to better use PGRs to achieve a variety of goals and has a lot of practical information to share. You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode because when Bill and JC chat, you never know what to expect!
WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION!
Subscribe to JC’s PestTalks e-newsletter
Resources:
Topflor Product Overview
A-Rest Product Overview
SePRO PGR Selection Guide
SePRO Horticultural Resources & Technical Contact
PAYING FOR THAT EFFICIENCY UPGRADE
FROM THE SUMMER 2025 ISSUE OF INSIDE GROWER MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY DAVID KUACK
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: When it comes to lowering operating costs for controlled environment growers, energy and labor are top of mind. The cost of labor is expected to continue to increase as the availability, hiring and retention of reliable workers becomes more challenging. The cost of energy—regardless of whether it’s electricity, natural gas, fuel oil or propane—will also likely continue to increase. Growers, regardless of where they’re located, are expected to have to deal with increasing weather unpredictability. For these reasons, more growers are looking for ways to improve the energy efficiency of their facilities.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/ig_25_05/index.aspx
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF TRIALS
FROM THE JUNE 2025 ISSUE OF GREEN PROFIT MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY DYLAN SEDMAK
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Modern day variety trials—side-by-side comparisons of primarily annuals (along with some perennials, vegetables and even woodies)—take place across an array of institutions in North America. Beyond universities, companies have begun opening the doors to their own personal trial grounds. Many organize annual events centered around visiting the trials, such as the Michigan Garden Tour or Southern Garden Tour (scan QR codes for links).
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gp_25_07/index.aspx
EXPAND YOUR CANDIDATE POOL
FROM THE JUNE 2025 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY TODD DOWNING
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Our industry is one of the most affected by the massive exit of so many retiring Baby Boomers who make up the green industry. Couple this with lower numbers of incoming talent and the demand for talent continues to far exceed the supply of candidates. While there are currently no magic answers, there are innovative and different ways of looking at the hiring process that will improve a company’s ability to attract and retain employees.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_25_07/index.aspx
This episode is a bit different—because it’s a live recording from a panel moderated by host Bill Calkins at the Darwin Perennials Day event in The Gardens at Ball on June 18, 2025. The audio quality is not as good as you’re used to hearing from this podcast, because it’s pulling from microphones in a tent with lunch being served and hundreds of growers in the background chatting about the plants they saw that morning and meetings with more than 30 leading perennial suppliers in the Ball Seed network. That said, the panelists were excellent, and the content is fantastic.
The topic was error correction—common challenges in perennial production that can be easily fixed to avoid running into the same issues year after year. The panel included Chris Fifo from Darwin and PanAmerican Perennials, Drew Koschmann from Walters Gardens and Nathan Jahnke from Ball Seed Technical Services. Some of the frequent pitfalls discussed included best practices for overwintering and bulking perennials, why input selection is critical, evaluating perennial plug and liner quality, managing tough environmental conditions and new research into no-pinch production strategies. We also solicited questions from the crowd and covered about 10 of them before closing.
If you missed this year’s event, that’s OK. Darwin hosts it every year! Mark Wednesday June 17, 2026, on your calendar and come check out the Gardens at Ball with thousands of perennial plants in bloom. As it get closer to the event, you’ll find all the details at https://www.darwinperennialsday.com/.
This episode includes critical information for both nursery and greenhouse producers! You may or may not know exactly how much time, labor and ultimately money you spend each year managing weeds in outdoor and indoor production, but chances are it’s a lot. If you don’t have protocols and strategies in place for weed control, that can lead to even bigger issues.
To discuss this topic, host Bill Calkins is joined by two guests from Envu—Dr. Janna Beckerman and Steve Larson—to talk through best management practices related to weed control and specifically the use of Marengo, a preemergence herbicide that not only controls more than 90 weeds (including broadleaf weeds, grasses and sedge) but also clocks in with residual activity for up to 8 months. It’s labeled for use inside greenhouses and can be a key player in your greenhouse sanitation lineup.
Envu’s Janna and Steve have decades of experience in our industry and bring a lot to the table when it comes to the science behind greenhouse and nursery production, as well as the real-world application of products and strategies. When it comes to weed control in production settings, Janna said it best—the greatest cost is the cost of neglect.
In this episode, the conversation starts with an overview of Envu’s history and innovative product range before quickly moving into weed control in nursery and greenhouse production. From regionality and seasonality of weeds and their impact to application strategies for preemergence herbicides and keys to safe use, there’s a lot to discuss. And with its residual staying power, wide range of weeds controlled and labeled indoor applications, Marengo (granular and liquid) is a product with benefits for just about every type of greenhouse and nursery operation.
You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode to hear all the tips, tricks, research and anecdotal success stories the Envu team had to share!
Resources:
Envu’s Ornamentals Segment Website: https://www.envu.com/segments/ornamentals
Envu’s Products for the US Market: https://www.us.envu.com/ornamentals
Envu’s Products for the Canadian Market: https://www.ca.envu.com/greenhouse-and-nursery
Marengo Herbicide: https://www.us.envu.com/ornamentals/po/products/marengo
VIDEO (English)— Marengo Application/Calibration: https://youtu.be/7ZbCBCfHnb8
VIDEO (Spanish)—Marengo Application/Calibration: https://youtu.be/DhiSEXDGAPk
Envu Brochure—Nursery Weed Control: https://bynder.envu.com/m/5a01a4fcb5ddb3e7/original/Digital_TO_Nursey-Weed-Management_product-guide_NA_US_EN.pdf
Corteva’s technical guru, flower grower and greenhouse and nursery “coach” Broch Martindale is back on the podcast to share strategies for controlling and preventing some of the more common pest and disease challenges you might face in poinsettia production—like whiteflies and powdery mildew—using chemistries like XXpire, Floxcor and Eagle.
Over the course of this episode, Broch and host Bill Calkins discuss safely using chemistries in rotation and what chemistries are appropriate for poinsettias late in production (when bracts are in color), as well as specific active ingredients that have been successfully trialed and tested to tackle common but challenging greenhouse pests. Throughout the podcast, Broch offers tips and tricks he’s turned to over the years producing crops and working with growers to manage and prevent pests when producing everyone’s favorite holiday crop.
Be sure to read Broch’s article KEEPING POINSETTIAS MERRY AND BRIGHT in the May 2025 issue of GrowerTalks magazine for even more on this topic.
WATCH THE VIDEO VERSION!
RESOURCES:
Floxcor fungicide offers ornamental growers fast uptake and broad-spectrum disease control, and is rainfast in just 15 minutes.
Floxcor Fungicide Ornamental Fact Sheet
Prevent and control virtually every major soil and foliar disease with the winning combination of Floxcor fungicide and Eagle 20EW specialty fungicide.
Floxcor + Eagle Fungicide Ornamental Fact Sheet
The two active ingredients in XXpire combine to control more than 39 insects, including 7 of the top 10 chewing or sap-feeding pests.
XXpire Insecticide Fact Sheet
Learn how XXpire insecticide can help poinsettia growers control damaging insects, without residue or phytotoxicity.
XXpire Insecticide for Poinsettias Fact Sheet
More information on XXpire insecticide
This Tech On Demand podcast episode is all about fall control, integrated pest management and implementing biocontrol strategies that work. Host Bill Calkins is joined by Phil Gerry, a Technical Sales Consultant for the Northeast Region covering six states for Koppert. Koppert is a global market leader specializing in biological crop protection and team members have joined the podcast before covering biological IPM for spring crops and strategies for hybrid and truly integrated strategies. Phil was lead grower for large nurseries and greenhouses in the Northeast and Northwest before joining Koppert in 2021 and brings an incredible amount of practical knowledge and creative strategies to the topic of managing key pests in garden mum and poinsettia production.
In this episode Bill and Phil discuss the spring production season before jumping into the main topic—IPM for crops produced in summer for fall and holiday sales. Phil explains the importance of understanding the compatibility of biological controls and traditional chemistries, as well as why it’s critical to define what success looks like for your greenhouse or nursery before integrating biocontrols. As he reiterated, when making a move to bio-based approaches, it’s best to start slowly—choose one crop or one pest and hone skills before moving on to a more comprehensive plan.
When it comes to biological controls for garden mums, indoor versus outdoor production must be considered and beginning applications in propagation is the best approach for various reasons Phill addressed. Key pests discussed include aphids, thrips, fungus gnats, whiteflies and spider mites. Moving on to poinsettias, of course the main pests (whiteflies and spider mites) require diligence, scouting and early preventative controls and Phil explained some of his go-to tactics. Be sure to listen all the way to the end of this discussion because these notes barely scratch the surface!
RESOURCES & PRODUCTS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
Koppert U.S.: https://bit.ly/4kR5r13
Koppert Consultants & Locations: https://bit.ly/455PYpp
Side Effects Guide: https://bit.ly/4kOoZmP
Isarid: https://bit.ly/4mASHxc
Spidex: https://bit.ly/4dHyf9S
Enermix: https://bit.ly/3SAoy3p
Swirski-Mite: https://bit.ly/3HEZOEI
Airobreez: https://bit.ly/3SAp815
2025 GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/BioSolutions_Guide_2025.pdf
Syngenta Flowers’ Lauren Kilpatrick joins Tech On Demand host Bill Calkins to talk combos—specifically Kwik Kombos multi-liners and the new Patio Playbook program. Lauren explains just about everything you need to know to select the combination that will work in your greenhouse and deliver results for your retail customers, as well as tips and tricks for producing them at the highest quality.
Lauren and Bill kick off the discussion with a quick chat about California Spring Trials 2025—specifically Syngenta’s “Rooted In Teamwork” theme—and some of their favorites from the trial in Gilroy, CA.
Kwik Kombos is not a new program from Syngenta but they add new mixes every year and have their rigorous trialing dialed in so you can be assured that the mixes will work in production and perform beautifully at retail. Lauren explains the benefits of this early-, mid- and late-season spring program.
Patio Playbook is new (just released at 2025 California Spring Trials) and offers inspirational recipes for ALL seasons—using a wide range of inputs from foliage varieties including coleus to heat-loving annuals, perennials, tons of Syngenta’s geraniums and even garden mums. Recipes allow growers to deliver color-blocked combos to retail throughout the year, extending seasons and helping bring shoppers in to fill their carts with high-value impulse combos. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Of course, Lauren shares plenty of tips and tricks for combo culture, as well as some of her favorite mixes in both programs. Be sure to stay tuned all the way to the end of the conversation so you don’t miss any words of horticultural wisdom!
Watch the video version! https://youtu.be/3zRssbYo3kM
Resources:
Syngenta Flowers Website: https://www.syngentaflowers-us.com/
Kwik Kombos Catalog: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/636494595/92/
Kwik Kombos Culture Guide: https://www.syngentaflowers-us.com/sites/g/files/kgtney846/files/media/document/2025/02/26/culture_vegetative_kwik_kombos.pdf
Patio Playbook Guide: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/208275210/
POINSETTIA PRODUCTION: WHEN NEGATIVES CAN BE A POSITIVE
FROM THE MAY 2025 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY JAMES DOUKAS
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: A mastery, or at least a proficiency, in many growth strategies allow for a grower to select the correct “tool” from their “toolbox” no matter the situation that arises in the fall to achieve their desired goal for their poinsettia crop.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_25_05/index.aspx
HOW MUCH DOES A GREENHOUSE PROJECT REALLY COST?
FROM THE APRIL 2025 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY CHRIS BEYTES
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Anyone who’s completed a greenhouse project knows that a lot more goes into it than you might think. But how much, exactly, as a percentage of the total cost?
We asked three experts—Paul Golden with Prospiant, Matt Stuppy with Stuppy Greenhouses and Jeff Warschauer with Rovero North America—to help us with the math. It was a challenge because every site and every project is unique, and their usual answer is, “It depends,” but we forced them to break it down into key components and what percent of the project each might be. The figures below are minimums you’ll need for each category; in some cases (like site work), it could be much higher.
Read the Digital Edition: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_25_04/index.aspx
Forcing perennials out of winter dormancy and into bloom for spring and summer sales isn’t a new concept for most growers, but growth in the perennial market has inspired a lot of folks to add perennials to their mix and there’s been plenty of research done to update protocols for breaking dormancy. Because of this, Tech On Demand host Bill Calkins wanted to have a quick discussion with perennial plant guru Chris Fifo (from Darwin Perennials) to make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to waking perennials up this spring.
In this concise tech tip-style conversation Bill and Chris discuss the “traditional method” of forcing perennials and the “new-school way,” which results in better uniformity and reduced losses. Then Chris explains tactics any grower can use to force long-day perennials using an extension cord and a string of lightbulbs, as well as offering suggestions for reducing the risk of disease when perennials are being forced to wake up in early spring. The bottom line: It’s not as difficult as it sounds—warming them up and basic night interruption will work wonders on your perennial crop this spring.
WATCH THE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/rsq3hRTX0l0
Resources:
GROWERTALKS WEBINAR: 3 1/2 Steps to Overwintering Perennials
MICHIGAN STATE GUIDE: Long-Day Perennials
For this installment, Lorentina McKoy, the North American sales and product rep for Suntory Flowers, joins host Bill Calkins to talk about Princettia—the unique poinsettia assortment from Suntory that looks different than traditional holiday poinsettias because it’s bred to be different. This opens up some unique uses and retail specs and also requires some production nuances. Because breeding on Princettia is quite active, a whole new range of colors and patterns has come to market in the past couple years, as well as a new sub-series with a more vigorous habit. In this episode, Lorentina offers tips and trick to produce Princettias to their full potential, some ways she’s seen them marketed and sold around the world, why the fact they’re a true “family” of genetics is important and much more.
Although this episode is focused on one crop, Lorentina and Bill actually get into many different topics—from an early-Spring outlook and consumer trends to retail garden center tips and strategies to sell premium products. You’ll want to listen all the way to the end because this episode closes with some other top picks in the Suntory range of new varieties for 2026.
RESOURCES:
12-page Princettia Brochure—with culture notes: suntoryflowers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Princettia-Brochure-2023-digital-1.pdf
The 2026 Suntory Flowers Catalog - Suntory Flowers
Princettia Section—direct link: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/232823221/40/
“Just for Retailers” Page: Princettia Poinsettia - Suntory Flowers
Princettia Consumer Information: New Ways to Display Princettia Poinsettias this Holiday Season - Suntory Flowers
One of the greenhouse pests growers have been dealing with more and more recently is broad mite. This specific mite pest is extremely challenging to diagnose and treat and can wreak havoc on a very wide range of crops across multiple seasons. Host Bill Calkins is joined by well-respected professor and extension specialist in horticultural entomology at Kansas State University, Dr. Raymond Cloyd, to discuss this pest—from susceptible crops and theories why broad mites are on the rise to symptoms and identification. Dr. Cloyd then shared a bit about the pest itself and strategies to minimize the risk of losing crops due to broad mites and methods for control.
Once broad mites were covered, Bill asked Dr. Cloyd about Lewis mites (based on challenges with this pest on poinsettia crops in 2024), and the episode closed with the importance of sanitation, diligent scouting and IPM protocols during spring production. You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode and share it with your entire production staff.
RESOURCES:
Broad Mite and Cyclamen Mite Management in Greenhouses and Nurseries: https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF2938.pdf
Dr. Raymond Cloyd Contact Information: https://entomology.k-state.edu/about/people/faculty/Cloyd-Raymond-A.html
Extension & Research Program (Publications, Articles, Reports, Etc.): https://entomology.k-state.edu/about/people/extension/Cloyd-Ext-Research/
A bit about Dr. Raymond Cloyd: Raymond has an extension (70%) and research (30%) appointment in the Department of Entomology at Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS). Raymond received his MS and PhD from the Department of Entomology at Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN), and was employed as a professor at the University of Illinois (Urbana, IL) in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences for six years prior to his employment at Kansas State University. His research and extension program involves plant protection/pest management in greenhouses, nurseries, landscapes, turfgrass, conservatories, interiorscapes, Christmas trees, vegetables, fruits, cannabis, hemp and pollinators. Raymond is the extension specialist in horticultural entomology for the state of Kansas with a major clientele that includes homeowners, master gardeners, and professional and commercial operators. Raymond has published over 100 scientific refereed publications, over 900 trade journals, and over 60 extension publications on topics related to pest management/plant protection. In addition, he has authored or co-authored numerous books including Greenhouse Pest Management, Pests and Diseases of Herbaceous Perennials, IPM for Gardeners, Plant Protection: Managing Greenhouse Insect and Mite Pests, Compendium of Rose Diseases and Pests, Compendium of Bedding Plant Diseases and Pests, and Western Flower Thrips: Insect Pest of Greenhouse Production Systems. Raymond has also written book chapters, manuals, PICT or picture-pocket guides, and extension-related publications. Raymond is a frequent speaker at state, national, and international conferences and seminars; and has received numerous awards and honors during his over 25-year academic career. Raymond’s professional specialty areas are plant protection, biological control, plant-insect interactions, insect ecology, pesticides, integrating pesticides with biological control agents and sanitation.
Host Bill Calkins welcomed GrowerTalks’ editor in chief Chris Beytes and editor Jennifer Zurko to the podcast to share thoughts on the event—the plants, the trends, the fish tacos—and the overall impact spring trials has on the professional horticulture industry.
When Chris, Jen and Bill return from Spring Trials each year, folks in the industry always ask for overall thoughts, hot new varieties expected to be big sellers and what they consider to be industry breakthroughs. It was Bill’s bright idea to record a podcast answering some of these questions and of course, his partners in crime for the annual trek westward agreed to it.
Here are the questions the three tackled in this episode:
- If the 2025 California Spring Trials were a person, how would you describe their 2025 vibe?
- Name a few new introductions from CAST 2025 that stand out in your mind—and why.
- Do you go to CAST looking for something specific or just to see what’s new and report back via the magazine, videos and social media?
- If you could have ONE new introduction shipped to your house for free, what would it be?
- What are some new intros that you feel are Instagram-ready?
- What new variety should launch on Shark Tank?
- Name some 2025 CAST varieties that got major promotion at the event that you think will live up to the hype?
- Were there any new intros that made you think, “what the heck is that” OR that surprised you?
- What’s a new product you haven’t seen yet that you WISH would be introduced (i.e. if you were launching your own product, what would it be?)
- What’s ONE reason why a grower who’s never been to Spring Trials should go at least once?
CHECK OUT BALL PUBLISHING’S INDUSTRY-LEADING COVERAGE OF THE 2025 CALIFORNIA SPRING TRIALS:
Daily Newsletters
YouTube Playlist (26 Videos)
Instagram (@growertalksgreenprofit)
Just in time for warmer, spring temps and the insect pests that seem to come along, Tech On Demand host Bill Calkins caught up with Broch Martindale, the national nursery and strategic account manager at Corteva. The discussion centers on pest management in greenhouses and nurseries but because Broch is a phenomenal educator and “coach” there are plenty of best management practices and training strategies mixed in.
Broch and Bill start with a conversation about XXpire, an insecticide with two active ingredients that provides control for 39 pests—while minimizing phytotoxicity risk and risk to beneficials and pollinators. Then the topic shifts to IPM and the steps greenhouse teams can take to create a holistic plan that leads to results. Broch then dives into the importance of resistance management, a topic that is becoming more critical each year and one that he has plenty of expertise in and experience to share. You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode and share it with your entire production staff.
WATCH THE VIDEO! https://youtu.be/1qwbpAyXe5k
RESOURCES:
XXpire Insecticide
Insecticide Resistance Action Committee
IRAC Mode of Action Structures Poster (English)
IRAC Mode of Action Structures Poster (Spanish)
Recently retired Ball Technical Services Manager Dr. Will Healy joins host Bill Calkins to talk finished vegetative petunia production as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials AND this one is the final installment of our finished petunia miniseries—joining “common” seed-raised petunias and the Wave family of petunias in a dynamic trio of content.
From transplanting best practices and nutrition strategies to irrigation management and container selection, there are plenty of tips and tricks for your entire team. Will spends extra time on nutrition in this video, because fertilizer choice and application is so critical for vegetative petunias, as well as viral pathogens to watch out for and ideally prevent.
Resources:
GrowerTalks Insecticide, Miticide & Fungicide Guide: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/2025_IMF_Guide.pdf
GrowerTalks Insecticide, Miticide & Fungicide Guide (Spanish): https://growertalks.com/pdf/2025_IMF_Guide_Spanish.pdf
GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/BioSolutions_Guide_0624.pdf
Retired Ball technical manager Dr. Will Healy joins host Bill Calkins to share protocols for finishing Wave petunias as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials. From media selection and nutrition to water, light and temperature, finishing crops requires careful attention to avoid losses and send high quality product out the door on time. In this discussion, Will continues our finished crop miniseries on petunias by sharing nuances for finishing Waves, especially looking at the differences in culture between Wave and common seed-raised petunias. Some of these intricacies include crop times, nutrition, photoperiod research specific to Wave and more.
As Will and Bill continue to say, PanAmerican Seed (the breeding company behind Wave) has done so much research into Wave and has developed tools to practically ensure success with this amazing collection of series and varieties. Some of these tools are listed below.
FINISHED CROP VIDEOS—FULL PLAYLIST
Resources:
PanAmerican Seed—All Wave Information: https://www.panamseed.com/Products/Brands/Wave/
Wave Smart Scheduling Tool: https://www.panamseed.com/Products/Brands/Wave/SmartSchedule/
Retired Ball technical manager Dr. Will Healy joins host Bill Calkins to share protocols for finishing more common types of seed-raised (multiflora and grandiflora) petunias as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials. From media selection and nutrition to water, light and temperature, finishing crops requires careful attention to avoid losses and send high quality product out the door on time. In this discussion, Will focuses on turning crops quickly by transplanting induced plugs, keeping night temps above 65F and photoperiods longer than 10 hours.
FINISHED CROP PRODUCTION VIDEO—FULL PLAYLIST
Members of the Marketing Committee of That Flower Feeling join GUEST HOST Joan Mazat (Business Manager—Cut Flowers at Ball Seed Company) to share why this movement is so important to the cut flower industry. Join a dynamic group for an equally dynamic discussion about how and why industry leaders are actively working to motivate more consumers to view fresh flowers as a central part of their everyday routines, thereby raising overall floral integration and consumption.
Guests:
Karen Oie—Director of Sales, Smithers-Oasis North America
Lisa Nason—Director of Marketing, Kennicott Brothers
Carmen Marquez—Marketing Director, Ball SB
That Flower Feeling is an industry-wide cooperative effort to encourage consumers to purchase more flowers regularly. The philosophy is simple: As long as people are bringing home flowers regularly, it’s considered a success. The initiative aims to make the experience of having fresh flowers a part of daily life, challenging the notion that flowers should be reserved for special occasions.
Resources:
- Learn more about That Flower Feeling at https://thatflowerfeeling.org/
- Ball Seed Cut Flowers: https://www.ballseed.com/cutflowers/
This Tech On Demand podcast episode is all about spring pest control, integrated pest management and implementing biocontrol strategies that work. Host Bill Calkins is joined by Heidi Doering, the National Ornamental Team Lead and Technical IPM Consultant for the Midwest Region with Koppert. Koppert is a global market leader specializing in biological crop protection and Heidi has not only been with Koppert for almost 10 years but has a broad range of horticultural experience from greenhouse production to product management and sales, which means she has a unique perspective and breadth of knowledge to find unique IPM solutions for growers wherever they’re at on the continuum of chemical, biological and hybrid approaches.
In this episode Bill and Heidi discuss what she’s seeing and hearing as spring production ramps up across North America, her role as a “greenhouse CSI” when walking into a facility and meeting with owners and growers, common spring pests and potential prevention and management strategies, education and planning as they relate to biological IPM, the importance of relationships and her thoughts on Thrips parvispinus, the pepper thrips hitchhiking their way North on tropical plants. Be sure to listen all the way to the end of this fantastic discussion!
RESOURCES:
Koppert U.S.
Koppert Consultants & Locations
Koppert Crop Protection Products
2024 GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide
REDUCING THE RISK
FROM A 2025 INSIDE GROWER MAGAZINE WEB-EXCLUSIVE ARTICLE
WRITTEN BY TRACI DOOLEY
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: An increase in the frequency of severe weather events, reduced market capacity, higher labor, material, and equipment costs, and unusually high jury awards are all causing insurance premiums to rise across industries. For horticultural businesses, as the cost and frequency of your risk increases, your insurance must account for them to help keep your livelihood protected.
Understanding these changes will help you make informed strategic decisions, including how best to mitigate your total risk to help offset several of these costs in the coming year.
Here are five key trends that will affect your agribusiness risks and coverage in 2025, along with practical steps you can take to reduce risks and manage your policy expenses.
Read the web-exclusive article at Inside-Grower.com: https://www.inside-grower.com/Article/?articleid=27227
Whether you’re finishing Zinnia Elegans, Marylandica or Angustifolia crops, Dr. Will Healy has the “rules of the road” to avoid or manage stretch (… if you turn your back on the crop, it’s going to stretch!) and mitigate disease risk. Zinnias are a true classic when it comes to home gardens and breeding has brought this crop a long way, with new varieties, colors and flower forms still wowing customers generation after generation. But sending high quality out the door to landscape customers and garden centers requires close attention throughout production.
WATCH THE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/vYpzo65kFCU
RESOURCES:
(VIDEO) At Risk Crops—Zinnia: https://youtu.be/XzX2dXs9584?si=fJnwFhfr9nNIrkwb
GrowerTalks’ Grower Guides: https://www.growertalks.com/GrowerGuides/
There’s a lot of “Sweet William” going on in this video … Tech On Demand host Bill “Sweet William” Calkins is joined once again by Dr. Will “Sweet William” Healy to discuss tips and tricks for finishing amazing dianthus crops at a time of year that can be challenging. From receiving plugs in cold weather and starting dianthus under long days to soil considerations and phosphorous deficiency risks, Will has plenty of advice to share so you and your team can be successful.
WATCH THE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/7RcXvyFTdMo
Impatiens walleriana might be the most-recognized garden plant—certainly the favorite for shade gardens and landscapes. Ball’s recently retired technical guru Dr. Will Healy joins us once again to share tips and tricks for finishing key seed annuals. When you’re producing impatiens, there are plenty of best practices to follow to avoid issues like stretch, tip abortion and guttation. Will has tons of experience to share to help keep you and your production team on track with impatiens!
WATCH THE VIDEO! https://youtu.be/iLWlxDOKJyw
RESOURCES:
VIDEO: Impatiens 2.0: https://youtu.be/ZYlEcrqWO5Q?si=eoa5u01KZfJrCmk7
VIDEO: At-Risk Crops—Impatiens: https://youtu.be/3o7CyRb-jUE?si=_s_dj8vRCiUkqff_
GrowerTalks’ Grower Guides: https://www.growertalks.com/GrowerGuides/
EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY FOR GROWTH
FROM THE FEBRUARY 2025 ISSUE OF GREEN PROFIT MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY AVIVA LeSHAW
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Shoppers today want more than a good deal on plants. They’re looking for an experience—something seamless and personal. Research from the Square Future of Retail Report: 2024 Edition shows that a full 100% of retail businesses prefer automation for tasks like tracking inventory or ordering out-of-stock products, highlighting the growing demand for efficient, technology-driven solutions. For garden retailers, meeting these demands is essential.
Read the digital edition of Green Profit Magazine—February 2025: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gp_25_02/index.aspx
Every garden center—big and small—offers tomato plants for home gardens. Your key differentiators are varieties, container sizes and quality. Be the top wholesale supplier in your market by following Dr. Will Healy’s tomato production advice! In this Ball Tech On Demand crop-specific episode, he takes you through all the key factors necessary to finish high-quality tomato plants and send them to retail ready to sell. Tips for avoiding stretch and building root mass are covered in detail, as well as plenty more strategies Will has helped growers put into practice over many decades.
WATCH THE VIDEO! https://youtu.be/Zc4-LGfMTA0
RESOURCES:
VIDEO: At-Risk Crops—Tomato: https://youtu.be/aCBmuleuVXU?si=JV1wA7tF4ua6NRLb
GrowerTalks’ Grower Guides: https://www.growertalks.com/GrowerGuides/
THE ROOT OF LONG-TERM ENGAGEMENT
FROM THE JANUARY 2025 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY HARRISON DOWNING
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Just as early root health is the foundation of explosive plant growth in its influence on a plant’s ability to develop properly and produce high yields, so is the importance of a thorough onboarding program for new hires in a company.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—January 2025: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_25_01/index.aspx
Ball Seed Cut Flower Business Manager Joan Mazat takes over the golden TOD microphone to join Ball Cut Flower Guru Dave Dowling for a wonderful discussion about cut flowers. Dave shares stories from his beginnings growing flowers, owning a cut flower farm in Maryland for more than 20 years and subsequent career in the world of cut flower supply and product management. He also shares about his long-term involvement with the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG) and how proud he is of the ASCFG Dave Dowling Scholarship that supports the future of the domestic cut flower industry by awarding scholarships to undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a career in horticulture—focusing on cut flower research and production.
Learn more about ASCFG’s Dave Dowling Scholarship: https://www.ascfg.org/outreach/dowling-scholarship/
Find new varieties, best-sellers and many cut flower resources form Ball Seed: https://www.ballseed.com/cutflowers/
COMMON SENSE FOR UNKNOWN PAYROLL PRESSURES
FROM THE JANUARY 2025 ISSUE OF GREEN PROFIT MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY BILL McCURRY
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: With the country headed in a potentially different economic direction, old truths prevail. All payroll factors are local to your area’s economy, your business realities, and your employees’ financial situations. Let’s look at ways to lessen employee stress, without pay raises that incur employer payroll taxes and employee income taxes.
Read the digital edition of GREEN PROFIT Magazine—January 2025: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gp_25_01/index.aspx
RIGHT PLANT, RIGHT TIME, RIGHT SOURCE
FROM THE JANUARY 2025 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY BILL CALKINS
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: … the team-based approach Ball Seed and its perennials partners employ to help customers solve challenges and optimize assortments. In this case, the grower worked with their sales rep, who in turn worked with supplier technical experts and R&D managers to find the best solution.
This type of success extends across the entire Ball Seed perennial supply partner network and shines a spotlight on the importance of feedback loops and close communication.
Read the digital edition of GROWERTALKS Magazine—January 2025: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_25_01/index.aspx
Ball Technical Services specialist Josh Henry joins host Bill Calkins to talk finished vegetative Angelonia production as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials.
From transplanting best practices and nutrition strategies to irrigation management and container selection, there are plenty of nuances to be aware of—especially avoiding boron deficiency—and Josh is here to help.
Resources:
WATCH THE VIDEO! Finishing Vegetative Angelonia—Promote Branching & Avoid Boron Deficiency: https://youtu.be/qaQ06b3kO7k
(ARTICLE) Branching Out with PGRs: https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=26878
(RESEARCH) Going Viral: https://e-gro.org/pdf/2023-12-39.pdf
(GROWER GUIDE) Plant Growth Regulator Guide for Annuals 2025-2026: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/PGR_GUIDE_2025-26_Annuals.pdf
Ball Technical Services specialist Josh Henry joins host Bill Calkins to share best management practices for propagating vegetative angelonia from unrooted cuttings as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials.
From receiving, prioritizing and handling through all stages up until transplant, Josh is going to help you reduce risk and produce top-quality liners. Research on optimum light levels and tips for holding cuttings (if that is necessary) are key points in this discussion.
Resources:
WATCH THE VIDEO! Vegetative Angelonia Propagation—Temperature, Light and More!: https://youtu.be/BbQ9G6z4LaY?si=JJsijOu_ZpRqy6Cz
(DOCUMENT) BMPs for URC Hydration: https://www.ballseed.com/PDF/TechOnDemand-URC-Hydration.pdf
(ARTICLE) Avoiding Diseases in Propagation: https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=24435
(RESEARCH) Effects of Increasing Light Quantity on Greenhouse Crops: https://e-gro.org/pdf/203.pdf
TAKING CONTROL EARLY
FROM THE JANUARY 2025 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY TROY BUECHEL
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
Building roots on young plants can be challenging. With poor weather conditions in winter and early spring, variable sun appearances, inconsistent rooting or germination, unknown plant genetics, etc., it’s difficult to build great roots. Although these issues are outside of a grower’s control, this article will cover some variables that can be controlled to help build great roots on young plants.
Read the digital edition of GROWERTALKS Magazine—January 2025: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_25_01/index.aspx
In this comprehensive episode covering a key cut flower, Ball Seed’s cut flower business manager Joan Mazat and Sakata Seed America’s product technical manager Bob Croft discuss the Champion II series of campanula—with a uniform, shorter flowering window compared to older series, saving time and providing a quicker cycle for growers.
Bob shares tips and tricks for based on years of campanula production experience taking viewers from germination to transplant and on to finishing and post-harvest care. Campanula crops certainly have some nuances to be aware of, and Bob provides plenty of critical information for managing all factors of plant growth (light, water, nutrition, temperature and gas exchange), as well as strategies for controlling pests and diseases.
RESOURCES:
WATCH THE VIDEO! https://youtu.be/UaJZZgj3KfE
- Campanula Champion II from Sakata: https://sakataornamentals.com/plantname/champion-2/
- Ball CutFlowers: https://www.ballseed.com/cutflowers/
- Tools from Ball CutFlowers (presentations & literature, market trends, videos, podcasts, Dave’s newsletter, industry resources): https://www.ballseed.com/cutflowers/Resources/
MAXIMIZING PLANT POTENTIAL: SUBSTRATE INNOVATION EXPLAINED
FROM THE WINTER 2024 ISSUE OF INSIDE GROWER MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY JOSE CHEN LOPEZ
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
Choosing the right substrate for a particular application can be a challenge. Choosing the right beneficial microorganisms for a specific plant, mode of action and ensuring compatibility with other beneficial microorganisms can be excruciating.
When choosing and adding beneficial microorganisms to the substrate, growers must ensure that they’re viable, that the carrier is compatible, that the application rate is uniform and homogenous within the whole volume of the substrate, and that they’re from a reputable company.
Read the digital edition of INSIDE GROWER Magazine—Winter 2024: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/ig_24_11/index.aspx
Syngenta Flowers’ Dr. Alicain Carlson joins host Bill Calkins to discuss some key components of successful cut flower mum programs. Dr. Carlson starts by discussing some of the reason cut mums are so popular before highlighting some key varieties in the Syngenta Flowers portfolio. Then she jumps right into cultural and technical tips and tricks for sending high-quality flowers to market.
From the start, you’ll need to follow some best practices when receiving and handling young plants—planting immediately, protecting the crop in hoop houses when planting them in summer, using support netting to reduce losses and more. Once they are in production, lighting and temperature are critical, and understanding the impact of photoperiod is necessary for optimum flower timing. Alicain covers all of this, as well as strategies for pinching and bud removal to enhance branching and create different forms (single bloom vs. a spray of flowers). Then she wraps up with when to harvest and tactics for postharvest care.
RESOURCES:
WATCH THE VIDEO! https://youtu.be/sSURz16OGng
SYNGENTA FLOWERS CUT FLOWER ASSORTMENT & CULTURE GUIDES: https://www.syngentaflowers-us.com/cutflowers
CHRYSANTHEMUM AGRONOMIC PROGRAM: https://www.greencastonline.com/programs/pdf/mumagronomic.pdf
ALL ABOUT SUNFINITY (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/FkNh4yDCTU8
GROWING CUT FLOWER DAHLIAS (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/ddd680snZM8
Retired Ball technical services manager Dr. Will Healy joins host Bill Calkins to discuss the ins and outs of finished African marigold production as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials.
Will says African marigolds and French marigolds are like oranges and grapefruits when it comes to production protocols—meaning they’re similar (like the two citrus fruits) but very different in many ways. He takes you from plug transplant to shipping, with a particular focus on iron toxicity related to phosphorous deficiencies, tips for minimizing stretch to avoid the need for too many PGRs, nutrition to keep them growing strong and how to avoid Botrytis in the flower heads. Will has worked with many growers dealing with leaf spots and his advice on phosphorous is based on hundreds of crops and decades of experience.
Will also spends plenty of time on fall production of African marigolds for Day of the Dead sales, which is certainly a growing market and newer sales opportunity for many of you.
WATCH THE VIDEO! https://youtu.be/nfA66OczRQM
Retired Ball technical services manager Dr. Will Healy joins host Bill Calkins to help growers finish French marigolds for quick turns as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials.
If elementary school kids can grow French marigolds in Dixie cups, they must not be too difficult … But finishing professional-quality crops requires attention to detail—especially pH, nutrition, moisture management and lighting. Will is here to explain all the nuances so you can avoid stretch and turn them quickly to maximize profits.
WATCH THE VIDEO! https://youtu.be/dePbEKylbYo
Ball Technical Services specialist Chris Ferguson joins host Bill Calkins to talk finished lantana production as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials.
From transplanting best practices and nutrition strategies to irrigation management and container selection, there are plenty of nuances to be aware of and Chris is here to help.
Resources:
Watch the VIDEO! https://youtu.be/Gqoz00MIr7M
GrowerTalks Insecticide, Miticide & Fungicide Guide: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/2025_IMF_Guide.pdf
GrowerTalks Insecticide, Miticide & Fungicide Guide (Spanish): https://growertalks.com/pdf/2025_IMF_Guide_Spanish.pdf
GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/BioSolutions_Guide_0624.pdf
Ball Technical Services specialist Chris Ferguson joins host Bill Calkins to share best management practices for propagating lantana from unrooted cuttings as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials.
From receiving, prioritizing and handling through all stages up until transplant, Chris is going to help you reduce risk and produce top-quality liners.
WATCH THE VIDEO! https://youtu.be/Tff-o5FfZ9U
Syngenta Flowers technical lead Dr. Brian Krug joins host Bill Calkins to discuss two new series—Pansy Delta Pro and Viola Penny Pro—sharing tips and tricks for maximizing production of these breakthrough new varieties. The Delta Pro pansy series was released a couple years ago as a comprehensive upgrade to Delta, an industry leader for more than 30 years and Penny Pro violas are new for 2025. When such iconic series are completely retooled, it shows that the breeders have been hard at work and truly identified improvements that can be brought to growers and end users.
Brian explains exactly why both Delta Pro and Penny Pro offer major benefits for growers, including Delta’s super-short timing window (all colors bloom within 10 days!), reduced need for PGRs and huge 3-inch blooms; and Penny’s flower power, non-stretching habit and vigorous root system.
After taking you through the key features, Dr. Krug dives deep into best practices when propagating and finishing both Delta Pro and Penny Pro. Although your production of these new series will look a lot like typical pansy and viola plans, there are a few nuances to note. Breeding for compact habit in production dictates lower PGR needs and the tight bloom window for Delta Pro means you don’t have to stagger these pansies to ship the full color range in flower. Brian also shares some tips and tricks learned throughout the years working with pansy and viola growers that will no doubt benefit your team. NOTE: Delta Pro was bred for Spring OR Fall production, which is fantastic, and Brian touches on this in his presentation, as well as some regionally-specific advice to help growers across all of North America.
RESOURCES:
Delta Pro—Produced for Precision: https://www.syngentaflowers-us.com/deltapro
Penny Pro—Produced for Performance: https://www.syngentaflowers-us.com/pennypro
Syngenta Technical Library: https://www.syngentaflowers-us.com/techlibrary/search/techlibrary
WATCH Delta Pro Grow—Comparison Trial Time Lapse Video: https://youtu.be/PnChUHNehcE?si=NVe-8QVNQe0XmZ_Z
Ball Technical Services specialist Josh Henry joins host Bill Calkins to take vegetative coleus to the finish line as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials.
From transplanting and pinching to selecting media and producing for a range of finished container sizes, there are certainly best practices to follow when growing coleus. Josh covers all of this and more, including nutrition, light, temperature and PGRs to help you create a winning production plan. Then he touches on pest and disease management with an emphasis on reducing risks associated with coleus downy mildew.
Resources:
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/cVbRSj7K7dM
GrowerTalks PGR Guide: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/PGR_GUIDE_2023-24_Annuals.pdf
e-GRO Coleus Disorder Guide: https://www.e-gro.org/pdf/2022-11-06.pdf
Ball Technical Services specialist Josh Henry joins host Bill Calkins to share best management practices for propagating vegetative coleus from unrooted cuttings as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials.
From receiving, prioritizing and handling through all stages up until transplant, Josh is going to help you reduce risk and produce top-quality liners.
Resources:
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/G32TupPcTF4
e-GRO Coleus Disorder Guide: https://www.e-gro.org/pdf/2022-11-06.pdf
Avoiding Diseases in Propagation: https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=24435
In this comprehensive discussion covering a key cut flower, Ball Seed’s cut flower business manager Joan Mazat and Sakata Seed America’s product technical manager Bob Croft discuss F1 Anemone Gemstone (seed-raised anemone) and share tips and tricks for selecting and producing top-quality crops.
Bob shares his experience with this F1 seed series—from germination to transplant and on to finishing and post-harvest care. He helps cut flower growers and flower farmers manage all factors of plant growth (light, water, nutrition, temperature and gas exchange), offers strategies for controlling pests and diseases and explains the benefits of starting anemone from seeds versus corms.
RESOURCES:
Anemone Gemstone from Sakata: https://sakataornamentals.com/plantname/gemstone/
Ball CutFlowers: https://www.ballseed.com/cutflowers/
Tools from Ball CutFlowers (presentations & literature, market trends, videos, podcasts, Dave’s newsletter, industry resources): https://www.ballseed.com/cutflowers/Resources/
Ball Technical Services specialist and culture research manager, Dr. Nathan Jahnke, joins Tech On Demand host Bill Calkins to share research-based best practices for rehydrating unrooted cuttings before sticking.
Cuttings can (and will) lose water at multiple points in the supply chain—arriving at greenhouses dehydrated by as much as 20%. As soon as harvest occurs, dehydration begins and although offshore farms have greatly improved harvest and handling processes in recent years, your young plants go through a lot before they land on your benches, ready to grow. Wilted cuttings can negatively impact production from the earliest stages, resulting in shrink and losses.
Dr. Jahnke walks growers through potential dehydration points in the supply chain and the challenges that result from dehydrated cuttings before explaining why water loss occurs and some of the ways farms are working to improve cutting hydration and handling. Then he moves quickly into ways growers can rehydrate cuttings before sticking, from good (misting) to better (dipping) to best (fogging) practices. From arrival to inspection and staging, protocols are offered to help production teams manage cuttings effectively.
RESOURCES
Article: Tech On Demand Best Management Practices for URC Hydration https://ballseed.com/PDF/TechOnDemand-URC-Hydration.pdf
Article: Rehydrating Unrooted Cuttings https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=26603
Article: Tips for Rooting Difficult or Slow-to-Root Cuttings https://www.e-gro.org/pdf/2020_904.pdf
Article: Swish-Swish—Dipping Unrooted Vegetative Cuttings to Reduce Incoming Pest Populations https://www.e-gro.org/pdf/2024-13-05.pdf
Article: Improve Your Success with Unrooted Cuttings https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=24307
Article: Stick & Die—How to Avoid It https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=25582
Article: Tech On Demand Poinsettia URC Action Guide https://ballseed.com/documents/Poinsettia-URC-Shipping-Performance-ActionGuide.pdf
Video Playlist: The Importance of Vapor Pressure Deficit https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8NX3KFjAfBn48BahYB5oaQpfb-jRy_3C&si=DXEDmuI0lNLxeq4K
Video Playlist: BMPs to Enhance Rooting Uniformity https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8NX3KFjAfBkUFpE72nX37ByIG9mjqg_o&si=giBR0RLmBDPd4cAO
This episode is all about a cutting-edge approach to insect and disease control—the use of botanical oil-based pesticides within IPM programs. Host Bill Calkins is joined by the director of research and development with the crop technologies division at Kemin Industries, Emily Fuerst. Emily is a highly accomplished scientist with more than 15 years’ experience merging science with agricultural insights to drive innovation across product categories and her passion for insects and expertise in the science of essential oils has led to the launch of a wide range of products responding to grower needs and agriculture challenges.
In this episode, the conversation starts by getting to know Kemin, a family-owned company operating since the 1960s producing science-based ingredients found in the food we eat and supplements we use, as well as nutrition for healthy livestock, poultry, aquaculture and more. Since about 2018, Kemin has been focusing a lot on our industry, bringing innovative solutions to the greenhouse and nursery markets.
As Emily and Bill move into the topic of oil-based biopesticides, you’ll learn why essential oils have the potential to keep pests and diseases under control while minimizing the use of standard chemical pesticides in an IPM program, all supported by scientific trials and success stories. Research and application show these products not only prevent or control greenhouse pests and disease to the same or greater levels compared to conventional chemistries but can be much safer for workers with low to no REI.
Some of Kemin’s leading products such as Romivex DIP (contact miticide and insecticide ideal for cuttings dips), PathoCURB (thyme-oil based fungicide and bactericide) and TetraCURB (miticide-insecticide for TSSM and soft-bodied insects) can not only prevent and solve common greenhouse problems but also extend the effectiveness of conventional chemistries when used in IPM programs and rotations.
It's truly a fun and informative conversation, so be sure to listen all the way to the end!
RESOURCES:
Kemin Crop Technologies: https://www.kemin.com/na/en-us/markets/crop-tech
Kemin’s Greenhouse & Nursery Products: https://www.kemin.com/na/en-us/markets/crop-tech/greenhousenurserysolutions
Kemin Team Blog: https://www.kemin.com/na/en-us/blog/crop-tech
LinkedIn—Kemin Crop Technologies: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/kemin-crop-technologies/
Retired Ball technical manager Dr. Will Healy joins host Bill Calkins to share protocols for finishing seed-raised coleus as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials. From media selection and nutrition to water, light and temperature, finishing crops requires careful attention to avoid losses and send high quality product out the door on time. Will is going to help reduce your risk in this process.
Retired Ball technical manager Dr. Will Healy joins host Bill Calkins to share protocols for finishing seed-raised begonias (semperflorens and interspecific) as part of the Tech On Demand series covering crop culture for key annuals and perennials. From media selection and nutrition to water, light and temperature, finishing crops requires careful attention to avoid losses and send high quality product out the door on time. Will is going to help reduce your risk in this process.
VIDEO: Achieving Uniformity in Begonia Germination
VIDEO: Training Your Team to Water Properly
More Tech On Demand Videos on YouTube
Syngenta Flowers’ Dr. Jamie Gibson joins host Bill Calkins to discuss just about everything you need to know when producing amazing crops of both Sunfinity Yellow Dark Center (from seeds or plugs) and Sunfinity Double (from unrooted cuttings or liners). This sunflower broke into the industry as a gamechanger not long ago and after multiple years wowing shoppers at retail and in landscape installations, the Syngenta team debuted Double Sunfinity at California Spring Trials this year. Yellow Dark Center and Double are very different crops—from their form (seed vs. vegetative) and how they need to be produced. Dr. Gibson discusses both in detail, including all of the nuances for growers to remember when adding these sunflowers to the mix.
Jamie shares research-based tips and tricks for scheduling, culture and production, positioning for optimal sales during three seasons and even gives a sneak peek into what’s coming next in the Sunfinity lineup. The team at Syngenta has conducted extensive research and trials with Sunfinity and you’ll definitely benefit from all of this work, so be sure to listen all the way to the end of this discussion to set your team up for success.
RESOURCES:
Sunfinity—The Next Generation of Sunflowers: https://www.syngentaflowers-us.com/portfolios/sunfinity
Sunfinity Inspiration: https://mysunfinity.com/
GrowerTalks PGR Guide for Annuals: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/PGR_GUIDE_2023-24_Annuals.pdf
Syngenta Flowers’ Dr. Alicain Carlson joins host Bill Calkins to discuss some key components of successful cut flower dahlia programs when starting from unrooted cuttings (URCs). Traditionally, most dahlia crops have been started from tubers, which were dug up and stored each year before replanting. Now, with beautiful dahlias available from URC, many growers are taking advantage of the benefits that come from this form of production. When buying from a reputable supplier, these inputs are virus and disease free with excellent uniformity across the crop, as well as simplified scheduling and potential cost savings. Dr. Carlson digs into the pros and cons of stating from URCs, as well as highlighting some key varieties in the Syngenta Flowers portfolio before moving into culture and production strategies.
Here's what you’ll learn throughout the discussion:
- Propagation tips for rooting into 50- or 105-cell trays
- Importance of long-day lighting in prop
- Rooting hormone trials and recommendations
- Why NOT to pinch young plants
- Winter dahlia production strategies
- Protocols for maximizing flower quality and “double-ness”
- Trial results from temperature research specific to dahlias
- How and when to perform a “hard pinch” after transplant
- Irrigation and nutrition in the field
- Pest and disease management in finished crops
- Postharvest care of dahlias
SYNGENTA FLOWERS CUT FLOWER ASSORTMENT & CULTURE GUIDES: https://www.syngentaflowers-us.com/cutflowers
This episode supplements information shared in the past two editions of the GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide that was released in June 2023 and 2024—a popular grower tool intended to help professional growers stay up to date on the latest research into biosolutions, as well as trialed and tested products and strategies.
Many greenhouse owners, growers and IPM managers are moving down the path of softer, more sustainable pest and disease control tactics but continue to use traditional or synthetic chemicals, as well as bio-based products and beneficials or biological control agents. It is this conjunctive approach and the compatibility knowledge required that provides the basis for host Bill Calkins to talk to this episode’s special guest.
Dr. Carlos Bográn wrote two well received articles for our first Biosolutions Guide—Using Bioinsecticides in your Greenhouse and Using Bioinsecticides in Conjunction with Biocontrol Agents—and now he joins the podcast to dig much deeper into these topics. Carlos and Bill also discuss high-tech new research findings, different ways to approach pest population management, how the economics of biosolutions has evolved, the current state of the market and new, cutting-edge products becoming available.
Resources:
GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide—1st Edition: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/Biosolutions_Guide_2023.pdf
GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide—2nd Edition: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/BioSolutions_Guide_0624.pdf
OHP, Inc.: https://www.ohp.com/
OHP Regional Technical Sales Managers: https://www.ohp.com/Company/sales_regions.php
OHP Literature & Recipes for Success: https://www.ohp.com/Literature/
OHP Chemical Class Chart: https://www.ohp.com/Literature/pdf/OHP_Chemical_Class_Chart.pdf
OHP Product Guide: https://www.ohp.com/Literature/pdf/OHP_Chemical_Class_Chart.pdf
Host Bill Calkins is joined on this Tech On Demand Rewind episode by Darwin Perennials’ General Manager Karl Batschke to take you through some new ways to better produce some of the latest and greatest perennial genetics.
But he didn’t talk about the easy ones. Instead, Karl addressed some of the more challenging crops and also newer crops that require different cultural and technical regimes. Let’s call them “Perennial Problem Children”. And like a good guidance counselor, Karl treated each one as an individual and created a custom plan to maximize their potential so you can achieve the results you want—your best crops ever.
But since Bill had Karl on the hook for 40 minutes, he asked him plenty of questions about the market for perennials, what he was seeing and hearing in his travels pre-2020 and thoughts and predictions for the future, which since this conversation is almost 6 years old … could be what we’re experiencing today!
Darwin Perennials Resources: https://www.darwinperennials.com/
TESTING NURSERY MEDIA
FROM THE AUGUST 2024 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY LYNN GRIFFITH
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Don’t just grab a containerized plant and call that a sample. We like to think of our potting media and fertilizers being perfectly uniform. The truth is they are not. Take about eight to 10 subsamples for each media sample you wish to collect, whether testing in house or at an outside lab. Insert the soil probe from top to bottom of the soil profile. Give the soil probe a twist with your wrist in order to bite into the soil a little bit, sort of a figure 8. This gives you a nice full profile of soil in the probe. If you just stick the soil into the media and pull it out, you won’t get a full tube of soil, especially if the media is dry. Tap each subsample into the bucket.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—August 2024: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_24_08/index.aspx
Joining host Bill Calkins live on the show floor at American Hort’s Cultivate ’24 event, Dr. JC Chong dives deep into a few new products from SePRO, recent research findings and why some chemistries offer more benefits than meets the eye.
JC is the Technical Development Manager at SePRO following an extensive academic career that includes a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona, graduate training at the University of Georgia, post-doctoral training at the University of Florida and a professorship at Clemson University. With almost 20 years in the turf and ornamental industry, he’s now leading SePRO’s ornamental R&D program, delivering innovative solutions to complex problems. He’s also the editor of the popular PestTalks e-newsletter and a frequent contributor to GrowerTalks!
In this fun and informational episode, JC and Bill chat about the 2024 season, Thrips parvispinus and what pests and diseases are impacting fall annuals, perennials and holiday crops now before moving into some new products SePRO has introduced in the past year. Bill learns a new word, “symbiont”, and the science behind why a PGR like Topflor is showing visible plant quality benefits in production.
JC shares some reasons all growers should consider adding the fungicide Obtego to the toolbox and then shares exactly why SePRO’s new StriCore herbicide is a true breakthrough. It’s not often that we see new active ingredients enter the pre-emergent herbicide market, so it makes sense turf and nursery growers are excited about this one.
Be sure to listen all the way to the end because when a podcast is recorded face-to-face, you never know what to expect.
RESOURCES:
SePRO’s Science-Based Solutions: https://www.sepro.com/
SePRO Ornamental Products: https://www.sepro.com/hort
Thrips parvispinus Rotation Guide: https://sepro.com/media/3924/thrips-rotation-guide.pdf
Topflor PGR: https://sepro.com/hort/topflor-liquid
Obtego Fungicide & Plant Symbiont: https://sepro.com/hort/obtego
StriCore Herbicide: www.StriCoreHerbicide.com
In this comprehensive episode covering a key cut flower, Ball Seed’s cut flower business manager Joan Mazat and Sakata Seed America’s product technical manager Bob Croft join host Bill Calkins to discuss Lisianthus and share tips and tricks for selecting and producing top-quality crops.
You’ll quickly realize that Bob has tremendous knowledge about and experience with Lisianthus, as he walks greenhouse growers and flower farmers through the ins and outs of the crop—from site preparation and proper classification/grouping to managing all factors of plant growth (light, water, nutrition, temperature and gas exchange) and controlling pests and diseases. Bob wraps up with harvesting protocols, post-harvest strategies and storage tips before he and Joan share some of their favorite series and why Lisianthus is a cut flower favorite.
Resources:
Ball Seed Cut Flower Programs: https://www.ballseed.com/cutflowers/
Sakata Cut Flower Technical Sheets: https://sakataornamentals.com/resources/
In this conversational Tech On Demand podcast two-part episode, host Bill Calkins and his guest Jeremy Webber cover an extremely popular topic these days, biosolutions, in a way that showcases Jeremy’s experience as a grower and as a trusted biocontrols advisor who’s worked with greenhouses of all sizes (growing a wide range of crops from edibles to ornamentals to cannabis and more) to develop and implement biological crop protection programs. As crop team manager at Koppert US, Jeremy works with experienced teams in the field and in the lab and has a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience in modern integrated pest management (IPM) strategies that he shares over the course of two podcast episodes. Be sure to listen to Part One before hitting play on the second part because they go together.
Bill and Jeremy start episode one discussing the history of Koppert and its 50+-year history of innovation, as well as the company’s vision for 100% sustainable agriculture, before moving on to why biosolutions are on just about every greenhouse professional’s mind and why more are considering bios every year. Then Bill jumps into some rapid-fire questions based on discussions with growers and some most asked questions—like when to use bios versus conventional pesticides and how costs line up between the two. Throughout the first part, Jeremy considers why he (as a former grower) feels biological approaches are critical for our industry’s future, the importance of trust when partnering with a biosolutions supplier, some examples of success moving the industry forward and why bios are a sustainable strategy for any greenhouse operation.
In the second part, Jeremy and Bill dive into some more tactical topics like “gateway” pests to start approaching with biological controls, some favorite predators, unexpected lessons learned from the cannabis side of the industry and why “trials” is possibly not the best word to use when implementing biosolutions on a small scale. Since Jeremy has plenty of greenhouse production experience, Bill asks him for some absolute no-brainer ways that biocontrol strategies can be implemented into any greenhouse immediately—with just-about-guaranteed results.
Before closing, Jeremy and Bill chat a bit about what biosolutions in horticulture will look like in the future and why the market is in the right place at the right time. Jeremy also shares a couple quick tips for application and release best practices for biocontrols from his article in the 2024 GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide (find a link to the digital version below.)
RESOURCES:
2024 GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/BioSolutions_Guide_0624.pdf
Koppert U.S.: https://www.koppertus.com/
Koppert Consultants & Locations: https://www.koppertus.com/about-koppert/koppert-consultants-and-locations/
Koppert Crop Protection Products: https://www.koppertus.com/crop-protection/
In this conversational Tech On Demand podcast two-part episode, host Bill Calkins and his guest Jeremy Webber cover an extremely popular topic these days, biosolutions, in a way that showcases Jeremy’s experience as a grower and as a trusted biocontrols advisor who’s worked with greenhouses of all sizes (growing a wide range of crops from edibles to ornamentals to cannabis and more) to develop and implement biological crop protection programs. As crop team manager at Koppert US, Jeremy works with experienced teams in the field and in the lab and has a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience in modern integrated pest management (IPM) strategies that he shares over the course of two podcast episodes. Be sure to listen to Part One before hitting play on the second part because they go together.
Bill and Jeremy start episode one discussing the history of Koppert and its 50+-year history of innovation, as well as the company’s vision for 100% sustainable agriculture, before moving on to why biosolutions are on just about every greenhouse professional’s mind and why more are considering bios every year. Then Bill jumps into some rapid-fire questions based on discussions with growers and some most asked questions—like when to use bios versus conventional pesticides and how costs line up between the two. Throughout the first part, Jeremy considers why he (as a former grower) feels biological approaches are critical for our industry’s future, the importance of trust when partnering with a biosolutions supplier, some examples of success moving the industry forward and why bios are a sustainable strategy for any greenhouse operation.
In the second part, Jeremy and Bill dive into some more tactical topics like “gateway” pests to start approaching with biological controls, some favorite predators, unexpected lessons learned from the cannabis side of the industry and why “trials” is possibly not the best word to use when implementing biosolutions on a small scale. Since Jeremy has plenty of greenhouse production experience, Bill asks him for some absolute no-brainer ways that biocontrol strategies can be implemented into any greenhouse immediately—with just-about-guaranteed results.
Before closing, Jeremy and Bill chat a bit about what biosolutions in horticulture will look like in the future and why the market is in the right place at the right time. Jeremy also shares a couple quick tips for application and release best practices for biocontrols from his article in the 2024 GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide (find a link to the digital version below.)
RESOURCES:
2024 GrowerTalks Biosolutions Guide: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/BioSolutions_Guide_0624.pdf
Koppert U.S.: https://www.koppertus.com/
Koppert Consultants & Locations: https://www.koppertus.com/about-koppert/koppert-consultants-and-locations/
Koppert Crop Protection Products: https://www.koppertus.com/crop-protection/
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR UNROOTED CUTTINGS
FROM THE NOVEMBER 2022 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY JULIE MARTENS FORNEY
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: When delays are excessive, cuttings experience moisture loss, low carbohydrates and possible pathogen development. In some species, ethylene sensitivity increases as carbohydrate levels drop. If cuttings are stressed due to shipping delays, you might see dropping leaves, leaf yellowing or death, dead growing tips or disease.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—November 2022: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_22_11/index.aspx
You may or may not know that before this podcast, Bill Calkins hosted another one called STEM: Insider Tips for Greenhouse Pros and although the technology was different, the topics were important and the guests were top-notch. Every now and then, he’ll jump back in time and re-release a STEM episode. In this Tech On Demand Podcast Rewind, we’re wrapping up a 2-part Rewind miniseries on poinsettias. You’ll recognize the guests—now-retired Ball Seed Technical Manager Dr. Will Healy tackled the early stages of poinsettia production in part one and now we’ll hear from Dr. Todd Cavins (former Ball Seed tech guru, now taking his talents to PanAmerican Seed) to take everyone’s favorite seasonal crop to the finish line.
Dr. Todd Cavins is back to finish up our two-part episode on poinsettias. Part 1 kicked off the topic last episode focusing on nutrition, explaining that when it comes to poinsettias, if you have the nutrition right, most of your problems will be greatly reduced. If you haven’t listened to that episode yet, we suggest stopping this one and going back in the archives to Success with Poinsettias (Part 1). If you have listened, great! Todd is going to pick up where Will left off and wrap the topic up by covering tools for height measurement and management, as well as pest monitoring and control strategies. Somewhere around weeks 39 or 40 are critical junctures for this important crop and as Todd tells us, it’s transition and adjustment time and he’s going to share knowledge, tips and tricks to help you make the most of your poinsettia crop, how to use a new graphical tracking tool available from Ball Seed, determining your optimal PGR regime and even some postharvest tricks to maximize sell through at retail. We have a lot to cover this time and Todd certainly lives up to the challenge.
Resources:
EC Monitor: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VVVEUI?pf_rd_p=2edffb5d-036e-4cd0-bc77-99980e2d4856&pf_rd_r=0BYNK2B0GCMMRYBKW6K9
Selecta One Poinsettia Catalog (Culture Guides on Page 43): https://www.selectanorthamerica.com/documents/SEL_2024_Poinsettia_Catalog_23620850.pdf
Ball Seed Poinsettia Growth Tracker Tool: https://www.ballseed.com/CatalogsBrochures/#digital-tools
You may or may not know that before this podcast, Bill Calkins hosted another one called STEM: Insider Tips for Greenhouse Pros and although the technology was different (old school mic, Skype, all sorts of file converting …) the topics were important and the guests were top-notch. Once every couple weeks, we’ll jump back in time and re-release a STEM episode. In this Tech On Demand Podcast Rewind, we’re kicking off a 2-part Rewind miniseries on poinsettias. You’ll recognize the guests—now-retired Ball Seed Technical Manager Dr. Will Healy tackles the early stages of poinsettia production in this episode and hands it off to Dr. Todd Cavins to finish the crop in part two.
In this first part, Dr. Healy takes a deep dive into Nutrition. As he explains, when it comes to poinsettias, if you have the nutrition right, most of your problems will be greatly reduced. We start with an overview of the importance of monitoring EC and pH and quickly get into the nitty gritty details of how to approach feeding your crop, the benefits of front-loading fertilizer and even why withholding feed is a bad strategy. Will does a great job explaining how your feeding decisions impact the EC of the crop, as well as how feed leads to excellent or poor crop presentation at retail. If you are wondering what to do if EC starts to creep up, be sure to listen all the way to the end.
We also spend time on pH and what can be gained by staying in the optimal 5.8 to 6.2 range. One of the most applicable parts of this episode is Dr. Healy’s explanation of how to determine crop needs based on the size of leaves on the plant and how you can effectively measure them using your two hands! As we wrap the episode up, Will talks about watering and shares some poinsettia specific watering strategies. As mentioned before, you are going to want to listen this one all the way to the end. And also, share it with your entire poinsettia team because when you’re all on the same page, good things will happen.
Resources:
EC Monitor: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VVVEUI?pf_rd_p=2edffb5d-036e-4cd0-bc77-99980e2d4856&pf_rd_r=0BYNK2B0GCMMRYBKW6K9
Selecta One Poinsettia Catalog (Culture Guides on Page 43): https://www.selectanorthamerica.com/documents/SEL_2024_Poinsettia_Catalog_23620850.pdf
Ball Seed Poinsettia Growth Tracker Tool: https://www.ballseed.com/CatalogsBrochures/#digital-tools
HOW TO DEEP CLEAN YOUR WEBSITE
FROM THE NOVEMBER 2022 ISSUE OF GREEN PROFIT MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY KATIE ELZER-PETERS
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: … it’s time to deep clean your website and really look hard at what works, what doesn’t, what you never got around to and what needs to change to keep up with new security risks, altered consumer behavior and the prevailing economic winds.
Read the digital edition of Green Profit Magazine—November 2022: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gp_22_11/index.aspx
CULTIVATING A FUTURE IN GARDEN RETAIL
FROM THE APRIL 2024 ISSUE OF GREEN PROFIT MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY JEFF O’BRIEN
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Garden retailers are facing a critical challenge as the shift from traditional customers to fresh-thinking Millennials (and younger generations) reshapes the future of how the horticulture industry evolves.
As the demographic landscape of our society shifts, so too must the strategies of garden retailers and how they connect with this new wave of customers.
Read the digital edition of Green Profit Magazine—April 2024: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gp_24_04/index.aspx
EARLY SPRING JUMP-STARTS THE SEASON
FROM THE JUNE 2024 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY AMY MORRIS
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: As we wait for winter to fade into a distant memory and the first hints of spring color to emerge, we prepare our crops for sales, in hopes of growing our business. An early spring can lead to increased consumer spending, and gardeners feeling optimistic and ready to spend, especially younger consumers and new plant lovers.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—June 2024: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_24_06/index.aspx
RE-CHECK YOUR CHECKLIST—A SAFETY CONSULTANT’S GUIDE TO MANAGING GREENHOUSE RISKS
FROM THE JUNE 2024 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY ZACH BRUCE
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: My job is to guide our customers through potential hazards. We discuss risk scenarios, navigate the ever-changing regulatory landscape and identify gaps in safety programs. My goal is to help growers of all sizes enhance safety within their business. This article is a reflection of those conversations.
I’ve gathered the most common risks I see on a daily basis and paired them with reminders to help you apply strategies within your own greenhouse.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—June 2024: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_24_06/index.aspx
MAKING USE OF UV-C
FROM THE MAY 2024 ISSUE OF INSIDE GROWER MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY CHRIS BEYTES
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: However, used correctly, the benefits seem to outweigh the risk: UV-C systems are relatively easy to implement, are cost-effective, require no re-entry period, reduce chemical use, improve the overall health of your crops, and can help you comply with existing and new regulations regarding chemical use and runoff water sanitation.
Overall, as UV-C technology becomes more tested, proven and widespread, it will be an excellent tool to consider adding to your IPM arsenal.
Read the digital edition of Inside Grower Magazine—May 2024: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/ig_24_02/index.aspx
PANSY TRANSPLANT ESTABLISHMENT
FROM THE JANUARY 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY JAMIE GIBSON
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Every pansy grower strives for uniform growth while minimizing plant losses. One major source of pansy crop failure is the improper treatment of plugs upon transplant into the finishing tray.
In order to be successful, you must consider several factors in the establishment of pansies. These include pre-plant plug status, substrate preparation, irrigation, fertilization and nutritional monitoring, and substrate fungicide drenching.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—January 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_01/index.aspx
Ball FloraPlant released the Tropica collection of mandevilla and dipladenia at 2024 California Spring Trials with more than 15 colors carefully sorted into five collections. The flowering tropical plant category is booming with consumer demand and Tropicas seem to be entering the market at the right time. Host Bill Calkins is joined by BallFloraplant’s Southeast and Southwest regional territory manager, Maria Bolinger for a fun discussion about what makes Tropica different and why it’s cutting-edge breeding and carefully curated collections creates opportunities for growers producing tropicals to meet market demand.
The Tropica assortment includes a range of colors (solid, as well as unique) with different profiles and habits selected to fit into a variety of container types and landscapes. There are compact, bush types (Tropica Modesto collection); medium-vigor bush profiles (Tropica Medio); medium-vining (Tropica Grande); large vining (Tropica Grandiosa) and a collection of novelty types (Tropica Unico). Maria explains the best uses for each and how to select and grow them for maximum retail appeal and optimal sell through. She also shares some of her favorites and how to use them in jaw-dropping combinations.
Maria and Bill have been friends and coworkers for years, so you can expect a fun and dynamic discussion. Be sure to listen all the way to the end of this episode for tons of retail ideas and help putting together the best assortment possible.
RESOURCES:
Ball FloraPlant Website: https://www.ballfloraplant.com/
Tropica Collection & Grower Specs: https://www.ballfloraplant.com/pdf/Tropica-Mandevilla-SellSheet-BallFloraPlant-2024.pdf
Ball FloraPlant at California Spring Trials 2024 (video): https://youtu.be/7J8tPDV-Aio?si=TPqPZ-e7H0Mgd0wi
KEEP YOUR POINTS DISEASE-FREE
FROM THE MAY 2024 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY KURT BECKER
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
AND TO CELEBRATE AUDIO FILES #50! WHEN THIS ONE ENDS … JUST KEEP LISTENING FOR …
A QUICK REVIEW OF POINSETTIA DOWNY MILDEW
WRITTEN BY NORA CATLIN
ALSO FROM THE MAY 2024 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS
EXCERPT 1: Poinsettia Bract Edge Burn is a common occurrence in this Christmas crop. Brown necrotic lesions occur on the bract margin. The primary cause for this is low levels of calcium in the bract. Some poinsettia varieties have difficulty translocating calcium to the bract margin as the bract expands. Once necrosis begins, Botrytis can follow, often leading to more plant damage.
EXCERPT 2: After a long while of not seeing powdery mildew on poinsettias, several cases were seen last season. Perhaps that was a fluke and we won’t see it again—let’s hope that’s the case. But let’s use the mildew seen last year as a reminder and take the opportunity to review this disease.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—MAY 2024: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_24_05/index.aspx
IT’S TIME TO FALL FOR MUMS
FROM THE AUGUST 2020 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY NANCY RECHCIGL
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: While every greenhouse and nursery operation are different, one consistent factor common to all is that preparation is key to success. Growing mums for fall sales means having to deal with the challenges summer production can bring. By planning ahead with an agronomic program, growers are prepared when the expected and unexpected arise.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—August 2020: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_20_08/index.aspx
PART 3 OF 3 (discussion starts at 1:35): Best by color; most unusual; what each guest wishes was in their assortment but is not; what’s an old variety you wish would come back; the most challenging poinsettia requests from growers and retailers; BEST POINSETTIA OF ALL TIME.
For this 3-part episode of the Tech On Demand Podcast, host Bill Calkins turns the golden TOD mic over to Chris Beytes, editor-in-chief of GrowerTalks magazine. Let’s all welcome “Bossman Beytes” to his first-ever podcast!
Chris asked three poinsettia experts—Gary Vollmer of Selecta One, Rebecca Siemonsma of Express Seed and Steve Rinehart of Rinehart Poinsettias—to share what they think are the BEST poinsettias for a wide range of grower and retailer needs.
Chris asks about just about every use—early- to late-season, small to large pots, best core and novelty colors, best varieties for regions from Fairbanks to Miami—and he asks them to pick regardless of breeder! He even asks which variety they wishwas in their catalog, which variety they wish had never been bred, and which variety is the best poinsettia of all time.
Gary, Rebecca and Steve have more than 100 years of poinsettia experience between them and know almost every variety introduced since St. Louis Red!
PART 2 OF 3 (discussion starts at 1:35): Best for poinsettia “trees”; best for large containers; best traditional straight-ups; best poinsettias as cut flowers; best for independent garden centers; best florist type; best for fundraisers; poinsettias for landscape (?); energy-efficient varieties for cool growing; best for natural, compact finishing; varieties less-prone to whitefly (?); variety with longest shelf life, sturdiest varieties.
For this 3-part episode of the Tech On Demand Podcast, host Bill Calkins turns the golden TOD mic over to Chris Beytes, editor-in-chief of GrowerTalks magazine. Let’s all welcome “Bossman Beytes” to his first-ever podcast!
Chris asked three poinsettia experts—Gary Vollmer of Selecta One, Rebecca Siemonsma of Express Seed and Steve Rinehart of Rinehart Poinsettias—to share what they think are the BEST poinsettias for a wide range of grower and retailer needs.
Chris asks about just about every use—early- to late-season, small to large pots, best core and novelty colors, best varieties for regions from Fairbanks to Miami—and he asks them to pick regardless of breeder! He even asks which variety they wishwas in their catalog, which variety they wish had never been bred, and which variety is the best poinsettia of all time.
Gary, Rebecca and Steve have more than 100 years of poinsettia experience between them and know almost every variety introduced since St. Louis Red!
PART 1 OF 3: Guest introductions and experience; best early season varieties; best for autumn; best for big box promos/ad flyers; best for late season; best core red by region; best mini.
For this 3-part episode of the Tech On Demand Podcast, host Bill Calkins turns the golden TOD mic over to Chris Beytes, editor-in-chief of GrowerTalks magazine. Let’s all welcome “Bossman Beytes” to his first-ever podcast!
Chris asked three poinsettia experts—Gary Vollmer of Selecta One, Rebecca Siemonsma of Express Seed and Steve Rinehart of Rinehart Poinsettias—to share what they think are the BEST poinsettias for a wide range of grower and retailer needs.
Chris asks about just about every use—early- to late-season, small to large pots, best core and novelty colors, best varieties for regions from Fairbanks to Miami—and he asks them to pick regardless of breeder! He even asks which variety they wishwas in their catalog, which variety they wish had never been bred, and which variety is the best poinsettia of all time.
Gary, Rebecca and Steve have more than 100 years of poinsettia experience between them and know almost every variety introduced since St. Louis Red!
Our guest today is Jason Twaddell. Jason joins host Bill Calkins to tackle an important topic for all growers. In this STEM Rewind, he digs into the Why, What and When of trialing in an effort to highlight the importance of this critical piece of the growing puzzle. With margins getting narrower and the tolerance for inefficiency and shrink dropping to near zero, trialing and testing new genetics before replacing existing varieties is more important than ever.
Some of the topics he covers include trialing to solve problems and not just to evaluate what’s new; improving labor–intensive processes and the importance of an internal champion to maximize resources. Jason details the steps to take when implementing an effective trial strategy and also how to plan and prioritize to achieve the goals you set. This episode is appropriate for many roles in your greenhouse operation from management to section growers. Getting your team aligned when putting trials in place is critical to the whole process.
RESISTANCE MANAGEMENT
FROM THE APRIL 2024 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY DR. RAYMOND A CLOYD
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Resistance develops when pesticides with similar modes of action are continually applied to manage insect and/or mite pest populations below plant-damaging levels. It’s important to understand that pesticides don’t cause resistance; instead, pesticides select for naturally occurring resistance traits in insect and/or mite pest populations by removing susceptible individuals from the population.
Two strategies that may delay the onset of resistance developing in insect and/or mite pest populations are pesticide rotations (alternations/cycling) and pesticide mixtures (combinations).
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—April 2024: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_24_04/index.aspx
We are once again joined by Ball Horticultural’s retired Senior Technical & Research Manager Dr. Will Healy. The topic continues… watering and water management. This is part two in a two-part series and hese two episodes work best in tandem so try to listen to part one—The Language of Watering—before jumping into this one.
In the first part, Will delved into the importance of speaking the same language of watering throughout the company and qualitative and quantitative ways to teach water management so that accuracy and efficiency can be achieved.
This episode takes it to the next level getting into specific plant demands, how to determine wet/dry targets, how to optimize any greenhouse for water management and even suggests an inexpensive gift for all of your production team members.
This episode of Tech On Demand, brought to you by GrowerTalks addresses one of the most basic tasks in a professional greenhouse, watering. But proving that water management is fundamental and critical, we are joined by Ball Horticultural’s retired Senior Technical & Research Manager Dr. Will Healy—one of the most experienced and knowledgeable experts in all things greenhouse production. He’s also a great storyteller, which you will learn throughout the episodes. And yes—episodes—because this one is a two-parter. Watering and water management is SO critical that we invited a PhD to help us learn as much as possible about it AND will spend two sessions on the topic. The first part will be all about The Language of Watering and this one is perfect to share with your entire production team and others across your organization.
As Dr. Healy will help us understand, speaking the same language of watering throughout the company is critical and there are qualitative and quantitative ways to teach water management so that accuracy and efficiency can be achieved. Getting watering right WILL reduce your costs and result in better crops.
Gather your team, grab a pen and notepad and get ready for part one in a two-part session on watering.
SCOUTING: ESSENTIAL & THERAPEUTIC
FROM THE APRIL 2021 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY PAUL PILON
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Regardless of the types of crops being grown or the size of the operation, scouting is essential to any company that produces plants. This important routine shouldn’t only be viewed as a necessary task to detect pest and disease problems, but as an opportunity to get intimate with the plants in a manner that really lets you observe the plants closely and provides a great indication of how healthy they really are.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—April 2021: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_21_04/index.aspx
TERRIFIC TRADE SHOW PREP & FOLLOW-UP
FROM THE MARCH 2024 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY KATIE ELZER-PETERS
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Attending trade shows costs a lot of coin. Whether you pay for a booth, ship plants and fixtures out to the show, and cover hotel rooms and meals for staff or you send staff (and pay for meals and hotel rooms and transportation), at a minimum you’re spending $1,000. But your outlay might be closer to $50K with a booth. Are you getting as much out of the shows as you could be?
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—March 2024: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_24_03/index.aspx
AVOIDING CROP CONTAMINATION
FROM THE FEBRUARY 2024 ISSUE OF INSIDE GROWER MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY DAVID KUACK
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: While food crop production in greenhouses or indoor farms might be considered safer than outdoor field production, plants can experience the same exposure to human pathogens regardless of where they’re produced.
The CDC reports many kinds of produce, including organic leafy greens, can be contaminated with human pathogens. According to the CDC, leafy greens produced with hydroponic or greenhouse-grown methods can also be contaminated with these pathogens at any point from farm to fork.
“Greenhouse and indoor farm growers think they are growing a safe product because they are growing in a controlled environment structure,” said Melanie Lewis Ivey, associate professor, Fruit Pathology & Fresh Produce Safety, and extension experience coordinator at The Ohio State University. “There is a difference between a controlled environment and a closed environment.”
RESOURCE:
The Ohio State University’s Fruit and Vegetable Safety Team offers an online course called “Good Agricultural Practices for Food Safety of Hydroponic Crops.” This self-paced course provides controlled environment food growers with the information and tools needed to implement best management practices to reduce microbial food safety hazards.
Read the digital edition of Inside Grower Magazine—February 2024: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/ig_24_02/index.aspx
GET FAMILIAR WITH IN-HOUSE DISEASE TESTING
FROM THE FEBRUARY 2024 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY NICK FLAX
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Since the naked eye cannot see bacteria or viral particles, test kits are really the only way to home in on exactly which pathogen you’re dealing with. The alternative is to send plant samples off to a lab equipped with similar, higher -resolution diagnostic tools, but this can be time-consuming and costly, depending on the lab. In the meantime, while you wait to hear testing results, the pathogen could be spreading further through your crops and cause more damage because you weren’t able to react sooner. If you had a test kit on-hand, however, this would give you a much better idea of how to appropriately manage your disease risk when you first saw symptoms and potentially head it off sooner.
Read the digital edition of GROWERTALKS Magazine—February 2024: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_24_02/index.aspx
WHAT DOES “COMPATIBILITY” MEAN?
FROM THE FEBRUARY 2024 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY DR. RAYMOND A. CLOYD
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: … integrating BCAs and pesticides is complex due to the various direct and/or indirect effects that pesticides may have on BCAs. For instance, any delay in the population growth of BCAs by pesticides (and even fungicides) can substantially affect the ability of BCAs to manage pest populations below economically plant-damaging levels. Another factor to consider is that combining BCAs with pesticides not only has to effectively manage pest populations, but also has to be cost-effective. Finally, we need to stop using the term “compatibility.”
Read the digital edition of GROWERTALKS Magazine—February 2024: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_24_02/index.aspx
Host Bill Calkins is joined by Dr. Josh Henry, a Ball technical service specialist with expertise in plant nutrition and fertility, to take you through a range of topics related to crop nutrition with the goal of setting you and your team up for success with spring production.
In this discussion, Josh covers an early-season checklist that includes water testing, injector calibration and the importance of having an in-house testing toolbox handy. Then he digs deeper into options for fertilizer—macronutrients and micronutrients—and tips for adjusting pH up or down. There’s a lot of great information packed into 25 minutes, so this is a perfect podcast to share with your entire production team.
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO PRESENTATION: https://youtu.be/EuAlb8BXuRo
Resources Mentioned:
Properly Conduct a Pour-Thru Test for pH & EC (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/WyJ2fgkng-8?si=jqmYt5L6IEbXIYdR
AlkCalc calculator for adjusting pH and Alkalinity (from e-GRO): https://e-gro.org/alkcalc/dist/index.html
Ball Seed Ornamental Plants Plug Growing Chart: https://ballseed.com/PDF/OrnamentalPlants-PlugGrowingChart.pdf
Fertilizer Injector Calibration (University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension): https://extension.unh.edu/sites/default/files/migrated_unmanaged_files/Resource000882_Rep928.pdf
Something some of you might struggle with early in production is tip atrophy, often called tip abortion. This is when you see symptoms during propagation, often on calibrachoa or petunia, where it looks like the cuttings were accidentally pinched—but you know they weren’t. Poor rooting, stunted growth and strappy foliage can also cause you to wonder what the heck is going on? To answer that question, we turn to Dr. Will Healy.
As Will explains, this issue can be triggered by a handful of different occurrences in propagation and doesn’t always affect the entire crop. He starts by explaining that tip atrophy occurs in a range of different greenhouse crops in every season but is most often experienced with petunia and calibrachoa in the spring and pansy in the fall. It can be pervasive across entire crops or random, making it especially frustrating. Usually considered a symptom of nutrient deficiency, Will explains that tip abortion or atrophy is nutritional but there are certain processes to understand.
Will runs through the need for micronutrients, especially boron, calcium and copper in a tip atrophy prevention strategy and exactly what levels to aim for when supplementing. The final piece to this puzzle is being aware of potential trigger events. High relative humidity, low light, poor root growth, wet growing points, high soil pH, low transpiration, nutrient leaching and more can lead to tip atrophy.
By the end of this presentation, you and your team will be in a much better position to avoid tip atrophy and tip abortion in your greenhouse production.
FULL VIDEO PRESENTATION: https://youtu.be/7sHVKN3f0HA?si=xT9N2X0O8-QTgqJp
AVOIDING TAX AUDITS
FROM THE JUNE 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY MARK E. BATTERSBY
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Today, the IRS enforces the tax law in a number of ways, including the increasingly more common correspondence (examination by mail) audits and the dreaded field (face-to-face audit) examinations. The result is that many businesses are being scrutinized far more often than the numbers indicate.
Read the digital edition of GROWERTALKS Magazine—June 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_06/index.aspx
As we’ve discussed in other Tech On Demand videos and podcasts, the key to successfully producing high quality crops often starts at the very beginning. How you and your team approach the earliest stages of germination and propagation sets the stage for uniformity down the line. We’re pleased to welcome back frequent guest Dr. Will Healy who continues to think about ways to share his knowledge and decades of experience working with growers of all shapes and sizes. This time, he's here to focus on canna, which can be a tricky one.
YOU WANT TO WATCH THIS VIDEO ALL THE WAY TO THE END, BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME CRITIAL TOPICS COVERED RELATED TO PGRs AND NUTRITION SPECIFIC TO CANNA!
Will begins by explaining the germination process, defining terms and talking about the unique laser drilling technology that allows moisture to penetrate really hard canna seeds. After establishing the importance of proper moisture management and temperature control for tropical crops like canna, he digs deeper into flat filling and seeding best practices. With canna, the trick is BURYING THE SEEDS so they don’t rise to the surface after irrigation. Will offers three options for achieving this on the seeding line.
Before wrapping up, Will spends time on growth regulator selection specific to canna, because as a monocot there are some chemicals to avoid. Nutrition is also covered, because canna respond best to certain formulations.
WATCH THE FULL VIDEO PRESENTATION: https://youtu.be/8yqSDcVf7Oc?si=TNFuZjdPR76d0NEX
Resources:
At-Risk Crops—Canna (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/jiY2XlzLfqQ?si=lKKZuszWpeWhZoVt
Training Your Team to Water Properly (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/SCPPT0IXlLY?si=qh5wqFp7dF8Xmx1q
Mystery Solved! Slime, Moss and Algae (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/Qjh0BcwkqqI?si=2pftpc_IEgJHLO-S
Starting Strong with Seed Propagation (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/cH-lbXGn24U?si=2wRz6VsYM7_NDJMS
As we’ve discussed in other Tech On Demand videos and podcasts, the key to successfully producing high quality crops often starts at the very beginning. How you and your team approach the earliest stages of germination and propagation sets the stage for uniformity down the line. We’re pleased to welcome back frequent guest Dr. Will Healy, who continues to think about ways to share his knowledge and decades of experience working with growers of all shapes and sizes. This time, he's here to focus on seed-raised begonias
Will begins by explaining the germination process, defining terms and talking about the importance of melting the coating on pelleted seeds. After establishing the importance of proper moisture management to melt pellets effectively, he digs deeper into flat filling and seeding best practices including properly centering the seed in each cell and not burying them.
Then the discussion turns to why you should treat begonias like unrooted cuttings in the after germination—they’re a monocot, with root clusters instead of a taproot. As a tropical plant, Will reminds us that cold water in germination is not ideal and tempered water should be used. Lighting is also recommended—immediately after trays leave the water tunnel. You’ll also hear protocols for irrigation management and nutrition to help get begonias off to a strong start. The discussion wraps up with quick looks at other begonia species often started from seed, like tuberous, interspecific and boliviensis types.
WATCH THE FULL EPISODE AS A VIDEO PRESENTATION: https://youtu.be/fXpHI6hhmsA?si=oG-5Zv5v72-Z8uPE
Resources:
Training Your Team to Water Properly (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/SCPPT0IXlLY?si=qh5wqFp7dF8Xmx1q
Mystery Solved! Slime, Moss and Algae (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/Qjh0BcwkqqI?si=2pftpc_IEgJHLO-S
Starting Strong with Seed Propagation (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/cH-lbXGn24U?si=2wRz6VsYM7_NDJMS
TWO TOBAMOVIRUSES TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR
FROM THE FEBRUARY 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY DR. ANN CHASE & DR. MARGERY DAUGHTREY
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Virus symptoms are notoriously hard to identify just by looking. They can be mimicked by genetic variegation, or by certain other diseases or disorders, even spray injury—especially from overspray or drift from herbicides. One virus disease can easily be mistaken for another.
Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) and tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) are two very closely related viruses that you may encounter on many different greenhouse crops. Identifying ToMV or TMV may start by looking for mottling or mosaic in leaves, yellowing or browning of veins, leaf strapping, stunting or dieback of plants.
Read the digital edition of GROWERTALKS Magazine—February 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_02/index.aspx
THE RISE OF VERTICAL FARMING
FROM THE FEBRUARY 2023 ISSUE OF INSIDE GROWER MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY DANIEL PILSWORTH
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: The sky is the limit: In 1999, Columbia professor Dickson Despommier used the term “vertical farming” to describe a system of agriculture in which crops are grown indoors on vertically stacked platforms. His students imagined skyscrapers with lush greens, bursting from the sides of city buildings and providing hyper-local produce to dense urban centers.
In the two decades since then, vertical farming has grown up in unexpected—yet promising—ways. In fact, according to the most recent P&S Intelligence report, the total vertical farming market size in 2021 was $3.98 billion and this number is expected to grow 25.2% annually to reach $30.2 billion by 2030.
Read the digital edition of Inside Grower Magazine—February 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/ig_23_02/index.aspx
REHYDRATING UNROOTED CUTTINGS
FROM THE JANUARY 2024 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN AND NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
Fact: Dehydrated cuttings root non-uniformly. This means in the earliest stages, unless rehydration strategies are in place, you run the risk of getting off to a weak start. Poor moisture management at the beginning of the process will cause problems throughout production.
In a recent Tech On Demand video, Ball technical managers Dr. Will Healy (now retired) and Dr. Nathan Jahnke shared tips and tricks for choosing the best rehydration methods, based on trials and research. This article summarizes their key points in an effort to help you make the best decisions when cuttings land on your loading dock.
Read the digital edition of GROWERTALKS Magazine—January 2024: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_24_01/index.aspx
As we’ve discussed in other Tech On Demand videos and podcasts, the key to successfully producing high quality crops often starts at the very beginning. How you and your team approach the earliest stages of germination and propagation sets the stage for uniformity down the line. We’re pleased to welcome back frequent guest Dr. Will Healy. Will recently retired as Senior Manager of Ball’s technical services group but continues to think about ways to share his knowledge and decades of experience working with growers of all shapes and sizes. This time, he's here to focus on seed-raised petunias.
FULL VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/ulOD0qDeePs?si=AOe9KD4UCF8VvmQM
Will begins by explaining the germination process, defining terms and talking about the importance of melting the coating on pelleted seeds (like petunias). After establishing the importance of proper moisture management melt pellets effectively, he digs deeper into flat filling and seeding best practices including properly centering the seed in each cell and NOT BURYING PETUNIA SEED, which can be more challenging than it sounds. Then the discussion turns to building a strong root system and avoiding “root running” or failure to root. As cotyledons begin to emerge, attention must be paid to the goal of achieving uniform petunia stands and again, it comes back to irrigation to prevent drying. By day 8 in the germination process, your petunias should be off to a strong start, setting the crop up for success.
Resources:
Training Your Team to Water Properly (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/SCPPT0IXlLY?si=qh5wqFp7dF8Xmx1q
Mystery Solved! Slime, Moss and Algae (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/Qjh0BcwkqqI?si=2pftpc_IEgJHLO-S
Starting Strong with Seed Propagation (VIDEO): https://youtu.be/cH-lbXGn24U?si=2wRz6VsYM7_NDJMS
Can you believe it’s the 100th episode of the Tech On Demand podcast? Well, it is—and this is going to be a special one!
For the 100th episode, host Bill Calkins wanted to have some fun while also digging into a wide range of topics related to horticulture. His guest is none other than Chris Beytes, the editor-in-chief of Ball Publishing. Get ready for a fun conversation with a guy who’s one of the best storytellers around and someone who knows a little about a lot of things and a lot about plenty more. Chris has been in the industry for decades and you probably know him best as the bossman at Ball Publishing and GrowerTalks magazine. But did you know he and his wife owned a greenhouse in Florida before he entered the world of trade journalism?
Over the next 30 or 40 minutes, get ready to learn even more as Chris tells some stories … stories of that greenhouse business in Florida, going fast on a skateboard, how some of his most memorable interviews came about, being stranded in a German train station, thoughts on the future of the floriculture industry, his quest for a two-pronged pitchfork and plenty more.
Yes, this podcast covers A LOT in 30 minutes—it’s a wild ride from beginning to end. Sit back and enjoy.
RESOURCES:
GrowerTalks Magazine: https://www.growertalks.com/
Acres Online E-News (latest edition): https://www.growertalks.com/Newsletters/View/?article=4402
Acres Online E-News (subscribe): https://www.growertalks.com/Newsletters/Signup/?newsletter=acresonline
Ball Redbook: https://www.ballpublishing.com/BallRedBook/
THE IMPORTANCE OF TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION
FROM THE DECEMBER 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY AUSTIN BRYANT
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
The challenge lies in placing plants with similar watering, spray requirements and lighting together while considering the available square footage. This complex juggling act continues as salespeople manage prebooked orders, adjusting contracted versus speculative material. It’s a dynamic process that unfolds until the last cutting and plug finds its way into the soil or until space runs out. Ideally, the former happens before the latter, as no one enjoys making that call to a customer to cut a prebook.
Read the digital edition of GROWERTALKS Magazine—December 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_12/index.aspx
TRAIN TO RETAIN
FROM THE DECEMBER 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY BROCH MARTINDALE
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
… there are numerous ways technology has changed even the simplest of tasks. As we hire and train the next generation of growers, it’s important to keep up with technology. Or are we waiting for the evening news to tell us what we’re doing tomorrow?
Read the digital edition of GROWERTALKS Magazine—December 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_12/index.aspx
In a conversational episode, host Bill Calkins and his guest (and friend) Rich Christakes cover an extremely wide range of topics related to the modern greenhouse and garden center industry rooted in the goal of providing perspective and opportunities for action. Rich, CEO of Alsip Home & Nursery (a grower-retailer with two locations in Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland) and founder of the Ship My Plants online marketplace, has a unique perspective on garden center retail, variety selection, business management, the importance of peer groups and creating exceptional customer experiences.
Bill and Rich start by covering spring 2023 and new ways to meet the needs of today’s shoppers and then start talking plants—focusing on improvements to best sellers and the importance of new breeding. Then they change gears and address labor. Rich shares how Alsip has benefited from H2A and H2B labor sources and the importance of training and staff development. He explains some recent shift in Alsip’s purchasing strategies and ways they’ve set new goals for buyers and managers, which has resulted in significant revenue gains.
Then Rich and Bill spend time talking about ways to inspire key emerging customer bases by allowing them to shop however they prefer, from in-store and traditional delivery to online and even on Amazon. New shopping approaches provides a perfect segue into Ship My Plants, an innovative online platform for buying and selling plants. Think of it as “DoorDash or Uber Eats for plants” because it’s a multi-vendor marketplace that allows shoppers to order plants from local garden centers. This means garden centers maintain their store name and brand while engaging new customers and gaining another avenue for sales.
Before closing, Rich and Bill express how thankful they are to work in an industry that reflects positivity at a time when it’s so needed. Plants make people happy, benefit the Earth and improve mental health—and as green industry professionals, there many reasons to be proud and extremely grateful.
Be sure to listen all the way to the end of this episode! There are a ton of actionable ideas for everyone.
RESOURCES:
- Ship My Plants: https://www.shipmyplants.com/
- Ship My Plants Director of Business Development, Clint Albin: clint@shipmyplants.com
- Alsip Home & Nursery: https://www.alsipnursery.com/
SANITATION & PREPARATION: STARTING STRONG
FROM THE FEBRUARY 2021 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY PAUL PILON
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
Many growers take for granted the benefits of having a strong start, and when less-than-ideal conditions are present from the beginning, they often struggle to stay ahead of these issues throughout the crop or the entire spring season. A strong start likely has different meanings for different growers, but here’s a few methods I like to employ to get my growing season started off the right foot.
Read the digital edition of GROWERTALKS Magazine—February 2021: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_21_02/index.aspx
VERTICAL FARM SITE SELECTION
FROM THE NOVEMBER 2023 ISSUE OF INSIDE GROWER MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY DAVID KUACK
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: A major consideration when starting an indoor farm is site selection, which can have a direct bearing on efficiency and profitability. There are lots of factors to take into consideration, from the physical location to the utilities available, nearby neighbors and more. Here we break down what to think about before your next retrofit or build.
Read the digital edition of Inside Grower Magazine—November 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/ig_23_11/index.aspx
COMMON PROPAGATION MISTAKES
FROM THE NOVEMBER 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY LYNN GRIFFITH
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
Horticulture is an art as well as a science. Propagating plants vegetatively is even more of an art than growing in general. Sure, there’s research data on propagating the more common ornamental plants. However, variables such as variety, season, geography and structures can make large differences in what works and doesn’t work.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—November 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_11/index.aspx
FLORAL PACKAGING EVOLVED
FROM THE OCTOBER 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY SARA EVENSON
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
I’ll be the first to admit that navigating sustainability is complicated. It’s not enough to depict mountains of legal documents I’ve gotten lost under while trying to decipher the best path forward. Is it better to recycle or better to compost? What does post-consumer content even mean? What can I recycle at my house? I’ll even admit I spent the better part of two years tossing a container in my recycling bin only to later discover it wasn’t on the shortlist of items my city recycled. I, an ardent supporter and passionate advocate for all things “recycling and sustainability,” was guilty of contaminating the recycling stream! With so much stacked against us, how do we choose the best path forward?
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—October 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_10/index.aspx
POINSETTIAS: THE FINAL STEP—SHIPPING
FROM THE OCTOBER 2010 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY DR. P. ALLEN HAMMER
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
Poinsettia growers have a responsibility for the post-production longevity of the plants we offer to consumers. Growers can’t afford to simply be happy to have the plants out of the greenhouse door. Satisfied poinsettia consumers make for repeat customers. As a poinsettia producer and marketer, you can do a great deal to maintain the potential postharvest beauty and longevity built into the modern poinsettia cultivars.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—October 2010: https://www.growertalks.com/Article/Archive/Publication/?pubid=619
DIGITAL CROP TEMPLATES
FROM THE OCTOBER 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY BILL CALKINS
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
Remember when the walls of your greenhouse office were lined with file cabinets? Maybe they still are … but perhaps at least a few have been tossed to the curb with the contents now residing on computers and phones. Some of those drawers, no doubt, held files on past crops and your growers could pull a folder and see some notes from years gone by. Unfortunately, there was usually very little consistency and plenty of gaps (not to mention the inability of new growers to decipher another person’s handwriting). Those challenges (and space restrictions) are, thankfully, a thing of the past with new tools like Google Docs and other file-sharing platforms. The system used for storing and sharing crop template files really doesn’t matter, as long as it can be organized, easily updated and shared online for access via mobile devices.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—October 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_10/index.aspx
PERFECTING PERENNIAL PROPAGATION
FROM THE JANUARY 2020 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY CHRIS FIFO
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
My earliest memory of plant propagation was in second grade. I was taking cuttings off my mom’s Swedish Ivy and sticking them in a glass of water. I loved watching them grow roots. My passion for propagation had evolved by the fifth grade and I was propagating spider plants and giving them to teachers. I’ve come a long way since then and my career has focused on perennial propagation and production.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—January 2020: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_20_01/index.aspx
ACRES & ACRES: GOOD QUESTIONS! (SO-SO ANSWERS)
FROM THE OCTOBER 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY CHRIS BEYTES
NARRATED BY THE AUTHOR, CHRIS BEYTES
EXCERPT: Chris Beytes, as the editor of a horticultural trade publication, you have a unique perspective on industry trends. What recent developments in the horticulture sector do you believe will have the most significant impact on businesses and professionals in the coming years?
I guess my answer is that we’re a maturing industry, and we can’t expect major breakthroughs or developments to come along. Instead, we get small, incremental changes that are hard to recognize until after the fact. Think about this: Houseplants were hot in the ’70s, then they went away. Why? And why did they come back? It wasn’t anything we did. My question is, “What is the next thing we do that will fall out of fashion, or come back into fashion, and how do we recognize it?”
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—October 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_10/index.aspx
A WAKE-UP CALL FOR BABY BOOMERS
FROM THE OCTOBER 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY AMY MORRIS
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
The work ethic of Baby Boomers was deeply rooted in their experiences of economic struggle, as many of them grew up during times of scarcity and uncertainty. This instilled in them the value of hard work and the importance of saving for the future. As a result, they often put in long hours and were willing to make personal sacrifices to achieve their career goals.
The children of Baby Boomers, spanning multiple generations, have grown up in a vastly different world. The advent of technology and the rise of the Internet have transformed the way people interact, communicate and work. This has led to a divergence in work ethics, as the younger generations have been exposed to new opportunities and challenges that their parents’ generation could not have fathomed.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—October 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_10/index.aspx
If you haven’t already listened to part one of this episode, you’ll want to jump back in the archive and start there. This is part two and we continue the conversation, picking right up where we left off.
LINK TO PART ONE: https://techondemand.podbean.com/e/benefits-of-dynamic-lighting-part-one-with-rose-michael-from-sollum-technologies/
In this two-part episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins talks to Rose Séguin (agronomist) and Michael Hanan (U.S. senior sales director) from Sollum Technologies about “dynamic” LED lighting and how this new technology allows for multi-zoning to meet the needs of multiple crops, as well as the ability to control light intensity and spectrums. Learn why fully-dynamic LED lighting is good for your crops, as well as your bottom line. Rose and Michael share case studies, new research and a fresh approach to LED lighting.
In Part Two, the team from Sollum explains why the dynamic solution they provide can be installed in just about any greenhouse facility, as well as how true partnerships with grower clients lead from goals to outcomes. Rose and Michael share case studies and past experiences with breakthrough results. Then they detail how their team is constantly learning and using data to help growers make improvements from crop to crop, season to season and year to year. Furthermore, partnering with leading researchers in academia promises to bring even more knowledge to the table that can be implemented at clients’ operations.
You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode as Rose and Michael share thoughts about the future of dynamic lighting and how new research is opening up opportunities to consider how light can be used to reduce disease and truly optimize plant health and quality for growers in all segments of horticulture.
If you have plans to explore new lighting technologies and want to learn more about the potential of dynamic lighting in enhancing plant health and reducing disease in horticulture, this episode is for you! It’s a perfect blend of science and real-world application with two guests who bring passion and tremendous knowledge to an energetic discussion about a critical topic.
Be sure to subscribe to the Tech On Demand Podcast, brought to you by GrowerTalks on your favorite podcast app—that way you’ll never miss an episode!
Resources discussed in the podcast episode:
Sollum Technologies website: https://www.sollumtechnologies.com/
Smart Greenhouse with Dynamic LED Lighting: https://www.sollumtechnologies.com/white-papers/smart-greenhouse-with-dynamic-led-lighting
White Papers: https://www.sollumtechnologies.com/en/white-papers
Case Studies: https://www.sollumtechnologies.com/en/case-studies
Contact Michael Hanan: michael@sollum.tech
In this two-part episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins talks to Rose Séguin (agronomist) and Michael Hanan (U.S. senior sales director) from Sollum Technologies about “dynamic” LED lighting and how this new technology allows for multi-zoning to meet the needs of multiple crops, as well as the ability to control light intensity and spectrums. Learn why fully-dynamic LED lighting is good for your crops, as well as your bottom line. Rose and Michael share case studies, new research and a fresh approach to LED lighting.
In Part One, The team from Sollum and Bill discuss exactly why the ability to control spectrum and intensity via software (versus simply turning lighting like HPS on or off) leads to flexibility and adaptability for specific crops—even down to the variety level. They dig into the ability of this kind of lighting technology to dial into specific stages of crop development—from young plants to finished material—and also how dynamic lighting can be customized to deliver specific outcomes based on diverse crop mixes or monoculture ranges.
Rose and Michael explain the science behind Sollum’s lighting strategies by walking listeners through questions frequently asked and discussed when planning new projects, as well as how their team helps solve problems and put new users at ease. As a partner and not simply a supplier, they don’t install and walk away.
If you have plans to explore new lighting technologies and want to learn more about the potential of dynamic lighting in enhancing plant health and reducing disease in horticulture, this episode is for you! It’s a perfect blend of science and real-world application with two guests who bring passion and tremendous knowledge to an energetic discussion about a critical topic.
Resources discussed in the podcast episode:
Sollum Technologies website: https://www.sollumtechnologies.com/
Smart Greenhouse with Dynamic LED Lighting: https://www.sollumtechnologies.com/white-papers/smart-greenhouse-with-dynamic-led-lighting
White Papers: https://www.sollumtechnologies.com/en/white-papers
Case Studies: https://www.sollumtechnologies.com/en/case-studies
Contact Michael Hanan: michael@sollum.tech
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Dr. Jamie Gibson, technical lead for Syngenta Flowers, for a deep dive into dipladenia. If you’re listening in real time, plans for 2024 are most likely being made and if you’re like a lot of growers that means you’re looking to add tropical plants to the mix for next year. We’ve seen a lot of interest in Dipladenia recently—for many reasons—and new breeding and introductions are helping drive the category by helping you produce amazing crops that fit different sizes, profiles and uses.
In this episode, Jamie explains how important it is to start dipladenia with the end in mind. This means you should know your target dates to ship and sell, as well as what the end use of the crop is intended to be. As mentioned, new breeding is allowing for careful selection, both with inputs (URC, callused URC, liner, enhanced liner and prefinished), as well as plant profile and habit (from mixed container components to vigorous stand-alone specimens). If you have a plan, you can find a dipladenia to fit it.
Once you know the goal, it’s time to dial in a production plan. Jamie walks you through this piece of the puzzle from propagation from the different forms through finish, with special attention paid to start times and cultural management. He discusses ideal greenhouse environment, nutrition, pest and disease control, pinching and trimming, PGRs and even post-harvest recommendation.
One part of this presentation that you’ll want to pay close attention to is the “recipe” Jamie shares for the final 10 weeks of production. These final weeks of a long crop can make or break your success and sell-through.
The Syngenta Flowers team has put a lot of time and trialing into dipladenia and much of what they learned went into the launch and support of their new collection called Madinia, which includes three types—Petite, a medium-vigor size and Maximo— all with core colors.
Resources discussed in the podcast episode:
Syngenta Flowers Dipladenia Madinia Landing Page—FULL RESOURCES AND COMBINATION VIDEOS: https://www.syngentaflowers-us.com/webcast/dipladenia
HEADWINDS AHEAD?
FROM THE SEPTEMBER 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY STAN VANDER WAAL
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
My father used to use the term, “Batten down the hatches,” which I feel is very applicable to today's business environment. The definition of my father’s term is, “To prepare for a difficult or dangerous situation.” With this thought in mind, I’d like to consider how we as operators and business owners can prudently plan and navigate the challenges ahead.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—September 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_09/index.aspx
THE LABOR DILEMMA
FROM THE JUNE 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY AMY MORRIS
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
Why does our industry face this dilemma? I believe it’s because prospective employees observe greenhouses and garden centers as offering the same compensation and career potential as the local McDonald’s. They see an entry-level temporary or transitional job when what we’d like them to see is a fun, challenging and rewarding opportunity. We all know the one thing holding us back from making greenhouses and garden centers the best place to work: compensation.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—June 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_06/index.aspx
ACRES & ACRES: NOT CUSTOMER SERVICE—HOSPITALITY
FROM THE SEPTEMBER 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY CHRIS BEYTES
NARRATED BY THE AUTHOR, CHRIS BEYTES
EXCERPT: If you’ve been reading this column for a while, you’ll know I’m passionate about customer service. I’ve long felt it’s the one easiest (and hardest) place you can make your business stand out from the crowd. Easiest because so few businesses excel at it; hardest because it requires that your staff (and you) are at your absolute best at the hardest times possible: when face-to-face with a customer. And it requires having staff who are willing to learn and practice the fine art of service.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks Magazine—September 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_09/index.aspx
GUIDE TO HIGH TUNNEL PRODUCTION
FROM THE MAY 2022 ISSUE OF INSIDE GROWER MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY PATRICK MAHONEY
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
Growers obviously want to minimize their expenses, but at the same time want to maximize crop growth and boost their profitability. This can be a tough balance to achieve, as newer growing practices can often come with a hefty price tag.
However, with a high tunnel, growers can start to obtain some of the benefits of greenhouse growing, without having to make a large investment or overcomplicating their grow. A high tunnel hoophouse offers a cost-effective solution that can significantly improve an operation’s efficiency, while providing a number of other benefits along the way.
A key advantage is the potential for a high tunnel grant, which is offered through a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) program. This grant allows growers who qualify government funding that alleviates some of their production expenses.
For growers who want to stick to soil, a high tunnel is the perfect way to enhance in-ground crop production, solve general outdoor issues and increase profits.
Read the digital edition of Inside Grower Magazine—May 2022: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/IG_22_05/index.aspx
BUILDING A VERTICAL FARM TEAM
FROM THE AUGUST 2023 ISSUE OF INSIDE GROWER MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY ERIKA SUMMERS
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
In my experience, here’s what I’ve seen work as the core makeup of a successful vertical farming implementation team. This team in the initial planning phase includes a grower, a mechanical engineer (or engineering firm) and a finance/business person. Other members of the team need to be added as the project progresses, but aside from someone raising funds for the venture, these are the “three pillars,” as I refer to them.
Read the digital edition of Inside Grower Magazine—August 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/IG_23_08/index.aspx
For more than three decades, Dr. Will Healy was a technical services manager at Ball working with countless growers around the world to solve greenhouse challenges and grow amazing crops. Over that period of time, there was a phenomenon he saw over and over and made it part of his mission to figure out how and why it happened. Now retired but still constantly looking for ways to share knowledge with the horticulture industry, Will joins Tech On Demand host Bill Calkins to reveal what he’s learned about this mystery. The topic is slime, moss and algae in greenhouse production.
This is not only a mysterious (and somewhat gross) topic, but also one that’s key to successful propagation and finishing of crops. Moss and algae growth supports fungus gnat and shorefly infestations and limits water movement leading to non-uniform growth—both situations you want to avoid at all costs. With these issues in mind, Will begins this discussion all the way back at the time of media selection. He then moves to how your flat filling equipment can positively or negatively impact media and the formation of an algae or moss “crust”.
How and when you apply irrigation often directly affects the formation of a crust on plugs and pots you want to avoid, as well as leading to hydrophilic or hydrophobic growing media. Answering the questions, “Where did slime, mold and algae come from?” And … “How do I avoid it?” Will explains that dry, fine fiber in media floats hydrophobic fibers to the surface, which in turn causes flooding of cells and compaction of the upper layer of media leading to smooth surfaces on each cell that encourages slime and algae growth. Thankfully, there are ways to avoid this, and Will has the solution to this phenomenon.
Training Your Team to Water Properly Video: https://youtu.be/SCPPT0IXlLY?si=_Tct1UkqGN3QnupW
BIOFUNGICIDES: WHAT TO CONSIDER
FROM THE AUGUST 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY DR. ANN CHASE
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
You should be aware of some considerations before trying biopesticides in your operation. It might be simpler to convert completely to biopesticides, but it’s rarely practical due to limitations in controlling a wide array of diseases. There are some facts you need to know to make the most successful use of any pesticide—biological or conventional.
This article was originally published in the first edition of our Biosolutions Guide, which came out with the June issue of GrowerTalks.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks & Green Profit Magazine—August 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_08/index.aspx
Skip the intro and get right to the content—fast forward to 1:15.
In the second part of this Tech On Demand discussion, Dr. Nathan Jahnke (Culture Research Manager at Ball Horticultural Company) and Deanna Felton (Production & Propagation Manager at Sunbelt Greenhouses) continue the foundation built in the previous episode, this time covering preparation, inspection and grading, as well as best practices for acclimation and the importance of providing feedback to labs and suppliers. Nathan and Deanna wrap up with some of their tips for TC, based on a lot of experience with this product form. Be sure to listen to part one if you haven’t already!
In part one, Nathan and Deanna set the stage with an overview of commonly used terms, how exactly Tissue Culture material is produced and the most common product forms you can expect to receive from TC labs. Then they dial in on critical components for success before taking you crop by crop through common TC species—ranking them in terms of difficulty to produce.
Over the past 50 years, commercial greenhouse production has been revolutionized many times—from seed to plugs to vegetative material, just to name a few evolutions. The newest frontier for professional growers is Tissue Culture (TC): The growth of cells derived from living tissue in an artificial medium.
Producing from Tissue Culture is certainly cutting-edge, although it’s not brand new to the world of horticulture. As more and more crops are offered from TC and production teams gravitate to this type of young plant input for many advantageous reasons, there’s bound to be a steep learning curve. TC plantlets are not like unrooted cuttings, plugs or liners—they are quite different and require new skills.
There is significant research underway and new strategies for TC production being published and now is the time to begin learning ways to produce TC-raised crops efficiently and effectively. That is the basis of this video series.
Join Dr. Nathan Jahnke, Culture Research Manager at Ball Horticultural Company and Deanna Felton, longtime Production and Propagation Manager at Sunbelt Greenhouses in Georgia for a 2-part podcast diving deep into Tissue Culture production—approaching the topics from both research and application angles.
DOCUMENT—Tissue Culture Language & Commonly Used Terms: https://ballseed.com/PDF/Tissue-Culture-Frequently-Used-Terms.pdf
WATCH THE VIDEO PRESENTATIONS FROM THIS PODCAST—DIVIDED INTO SEVEN PARTS: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8NX3KFjAfBliX4GfYRnSDWfcFa7WNU4i
In the first part of this Tech On Demand discussion, Dr. Nathan Jahnke (Culture Research Manager at Ball Horticultural Company) and Deanna Felton (Production & Propagation Manager at Sunbelt Greenhouses) set the stage with an overview of commonly used terms, how exactly Tissue Culture material is produced and the most common product forms you can expect to receive from TC labs. Then they dial in on critical components for success before taking you crop by crop through common TC species—ranking them in terms of difficulty to produce.
Part two covers preparation, inspection and grading, as well as best practices for acclimation and the importance of providing feedback to labs and suppliers. Nathan and Deanna wrap up with some of their tips for TC, based on a lot of experience with this product form. Be sure to listen to part two when you’re done with this one!
Over the past 50 years, commercial greenhouse production has been revolutionized many times—from seed to plugs to vegetative material, just to name a few evolutions. The newest frontier for professional growers is Tissue Culture (TC): The growth of cells derived from living tissue in an artificial medium.
Producing from Tissue Culture is certainly cutting-edge, although it’s not brand new to the world of horticulture. As more and more crops are offered from TC and production teams gravitate to this type of young plant input for many advantageous reasons, there’s bound to be a steep learning curve. TC plantlets are not like unrooted cuttings, plugs or liners—they are quite different and require new skills.
There is significant research underway and new strategies for TC production being published and now is the time to begin learning ways to produce TC-raised crops efficiently and effectively. That is the basis of this video series.
Join Dr. Nathan Jahnke, Culture Research Manager at Ball Horticultural Company and Deanna Felton, longtime Production and Propagation Manager at Sunbelt Greenhouses in Georgia for a 2-part podcast diving deep into Tissue Culture production—approaching the topics from both research and application angles.
DOCUMENT—Tissue Culture Language & Commonly Used Terms: https://ballseed.com/PDF/Tissue-Culture-Frequently-Used-Terms.pdf
WATCH THE VIDEO PRESENTATIONS FROM THIS PODCAST—DIVIDED INTO SEVEN PARTS: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8NX3KFjAfBliX4GfYRnSDWfcFa7WNU4i
For the past couple years at the annual Ball Customer Day event in West Chicago, panels have been assembled to share thoughts on a topic during lunch in the big tent. This year, the topic was how to plan for 2024—a big question and one that has everyone in the industry talking. Following three unique seasons, it can be challenging (if not impossible) for you and your team to set sights on a plan for your operation next year.
Because Ball Customer Day is now actually two days, the final Thursday and Friday in July, this episode only covers one panel. Be sure to check out the other panel discussion (also posted as a podcast) because the participants are different, and the ideas are unique.
On Friday, moderator Bill Calkins spoke to Kate Terrell, second generation owner of Wallace’s Garden Center, a grower-retailer located in Bettendorf, Iowa. Also on the panel was Tom Seery, also second generation as a Ball Seed sales rep and Midwest Regional Manager. The third panelist was Jim Kennedy, national sales manager at Ball, who shared how Ball Seed is planning as a supplier and ways Ball Seed can assist your team when strategizing for upcoming years.
Panelists shared thoughts on these questions:
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How did your team create a plan for 2023? What went into this planning and how did the season go?
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The big question heard around the industry is, “How do I plan for 2024?” How is your business thinking about your 2024 plan at the moment?
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With change and turnover constant in any organization, developing teams and team members is more critical than ever. Please share how your company goes about training and education of staff members. Why invest in this? Does it pay off?
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Because Customer Day is focused on innovative new plants, as well as tried and true varieties, please share some of the plants and concepts you feel will make an impact in 2024.
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Finally, please offer one key to success for 2024.
For the past couple years at the annual Ball Customer Day event in West Chicago, panels have been assembled to share thoughts on a topic during lunch in the big tent. This year, the topic was how to plan for 2024—a big question and one that has everyone in the industry talking. Following three unique seasons, it can be challenging (if not impossible) for you and your team to set sights on a plan for your operation next year.
Because Ball Customer Day is now actually two days, the final Thursday and Friday in July, this episode only covers one panel. Be sure to check out the other panel discussion (also posted as a podcast) because the participants are different, and the ideas are unique.
On Thursday, moderator Bill Calkins spoke to Johannes Pieterse (JP) and Brent Troost, co-owners of Countryside Greenhouse and Flower Shop, a grower-retailer with locations in Elburn and Crystal Lake, Illinois. The third panelist was Jim Kennedy, national sales manager at Ball, who shared how Ball Seed is planning as a supplier and ways Ball Seed can assist your team when strategizing for upcoming years.
Panelists shared thoughts on these questions:
-
How did your team create a plan for 2023? What went into this planning and how did the season go?
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The big question heard around the industry is, “How do I plan for 2024?” How is your business thinking about your 2024 plan at the moment?
-
With change and turnover constant in any organization, developing teams and team members is more critical than ever. Please share how your company goes about training and education of staff members. Why invest in this? Does it pay off?
-
Because Customer Day is focused on innovative new plants, as well as tried and true varieties, please share some of the plants and concepts you feel will make an impact in 2024.
-
Finally, please offer one key to success for 2024.
Synchronous germination is the goal—uniform seedlings that germinate within a 48-hour window and grow uniformly throughout production. Dr. Will Healy joins host Bill Calkins for a deep dive into the germination process with a focus on pansy and viola crops. Will begins by explaining why water and oxygen are the most critical elements in pansy germination, as well as the importance of hydration levels from Day 0-4.
He then shares ways to reduce the potential of creating a “gel layer” on seeds, instead moving them into the germination stage effectively. Next, Will explains best practices for flat filling with uniform moisture and ways to avoid dry spots and “checkerboarding” in young plant production.
Moving down the seeding line, pansies and violas should be top coated with a coarse media but distribution of the media is the key element. At the end of the line should be a water tunnel but, again, there are protocols to follow, and Will explains them all. Lastly, when your plug trays are filled, there’s always the discussion of whether bench production or a chamber is optimal. Will explains pros and cons for both.
Resources mentioned:
3-Part Pansy Production Video Series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8NX3KFjAfBmWBYPrzYNf-bbG3pc5Z4ru
Training Your Team to Water Properly Video: https://youtu.be/SCPPT0IXlLY
Optimize Your Seeding Line Video: https://youtu.be/dW-0wa55lZI
ACRES & ACRES: EMPLOYEES—BLESSING OR CURSE?
FROM THE AUGUST 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY CHRIS BEYTES
NARRATED BY CHRIS BEYTES
EXCERPT:
HR will never be easy. But perhaps looking at your people as a blessing rather than a curse is a first step toward creating a culture that attracts better people, who’ll be more pleasurable to manage, which will further foster a culture that attracts better people, and so on and so on.
It kind of reminds me of something I heard years ago: “What if I train my people and they leave?”
“Yeah, but what if you don’t train your people and they stay?”
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks & Green Profit Magazine—August 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_08/index.aspx
5 HERBICIDE MYTHS HOLDING YOUR PROGRAM BACK
FROM THE AUGUST 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY BROCH MARTINDALE
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
Weed management strategies commonly rely on multiple applications of pre-emergent and postemergent herbicides that are supplemented with handweeding. To help you build a robust program, it’s important to dispel some myths about using herbicides in your production.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks & Green Profit Magazine—August 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_08/index.aspx
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Dr. JC Chong, technical development manager at SePRO, to discuss the importance of pesticide rotation programs and how to develop and implement them in your operation. Rotating chemistries and modes of action not only gives you an effective approach to eliminating pests but helps ensure you can use the best products for years to come—without resistance and loss of sensitivity to pests.
JC and Bill dig into exactly why resistance programs are critical to reducing resistance and why resistance leads not only to reduced options and crop issues but also higher costs. Then they move into resources and tips to navigate the oftentimes puzzling world of insecticide rotation. JC explains why rotating modes of actions and not trade names is necessary, as well as how many modes of action should be used in an effective rotation. Finally, they go even deeper into how you can customize rotations for your needs using the tools and resources JC employs when he consults with greenhouse and nursery growers.
Because JC is a true insect and mite pest expert with more than 15 years-experience as a professor and researcher, Bill picks his brain on a current hot-button topic … Thrips parvispinus, the specific thrips that led to quarantines in Florida and spread to many states on tropical plants in 2023. JC offers his expertise on the pest, his outlook for Fall 2023 and 2024 and a new rotation program he developed at SePRO that’s available to download and save for use if you need to battle this particular bug.
Resources discussed in the podcast episode:
Insecticide Guide Poster
www.sepro.com/bugposter
Thrips parvispinus Rotation Guide
www.sepro.com/thrips
Ornamental Solutions Tech Sheet
https://www.sepro.com/media/3807/sepro-all-ornamental-20-sheet.pdf
SePRO Ornamental Products
https://www.sepro.com/Hort/Products
BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TECH ON DEMAND PODCAST ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST APP SO YOU NEVER MISS AN EPISODE!
ACRES & ACRES: PANDEMIC NOT REQUIRED
FROM THE JULY 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY CHRIS BEYTES
NARRATED BY THE AUTHOR ... CHRIS BEYTES!
EXCERPT:
The main point here is how the overall season turned out, and based on your scores, 2023 (7.6/7.6) will be the third-best season since I started trying to keep score. Only the pandemic years of 2020 (8.1/8.2) and 2021 (8.2/8.1) beat it. In fact, no other season comes close!
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks & Green Profit Magazine—July 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_07/index.aspx
SIMPLE THINGS GROWERS MISS THAT AFFECT PLANT QUALITY
FROM THE JUNE 2021 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY MIKE FERNANDEZ
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT:
In today’s digital world, we’re bombarded with information. That’s especially true if you’re new to greenhouse production. Best practices, expert advice, training and technology tips abound. The truth is many successful growers take a back-to-basics approach. Focusing on improving and perfecting just a few areas of your growing operation can make you more successful. Here are a few reminders of simple things new and experienced growers alike can use to increase plant quality, efficiencies and profits.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks & Green Profit Magazine—June 2021: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_21_06/index.aspx
THE ECHINACEA RENAISSANCE
FROM THE APRIL 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY LOWELL HALVORSON
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Our modern echinacea grew out of this crisis. Breeders pulled back and reassessed their strategies, especially within the dominant innovators. Features that define a good echinacea today—such as heavy flower count, extended bloom window, long lifespan and slow-to-fade flowers—come from their “whole plant” approach toward selection and improvement. Rather than walking through a field of samples and picking out cool flower tops, breeders judged plants by their ability to survive winter, create multiple growing points and pass through TC production successfully.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks & Green Profit Magazine—April 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_04/index.aspx
PLANNING FOR 2024
FROM THE MAY 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY STAN VANDER WAAL
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Planning considerations:
- Consult with your customers or prospective customers early about opportunities, but also clearly discuss timelines you need to work with to execute a successful 2024 season. Don’t underestimate the planning, supply chain run time or delays, or the time it may take to get the approvals you need for a given proposal.
- Cost review: Unfortunately, most operating costs haven’t gone down. Lay out your plan to clearly articulate what you’ll need for cost increases.
- Do you need to build? Depending on the size of your expansion this may be a challenge. We now plan and give final approval two years ahead. I’ve heard there’s some capacity with builders, and if your expansion is five acres or less, you may be able to complete it for 2024 production.
- Don’t forget the internal capacity building: your team. What positions will you need to fill? Do you have the experience and ability to support your growth plans?
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks & Green Profit Magazine—May 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_05/index.aspx
PUTTING YOUR MEDIA TO THE TEST
FROM THE JULY 2021 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY ED BLOODNICK & TROY BUECHEL
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Comparative product evaluations, product demonstrations and product trials are important for growers when evaluating new products, plant varieties and even growing media. This is the best way of determining what new product can benefit your business. But there are certain protocols that should be followed to ensure products are evaluated properly and the results can be replicated should you decide to move forward with a new product.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks & Green Profit Magazine—July 2021: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_21_07/index.aspx
FREQUENT HARDY MUM CONCERNS
FROM THE JULY 2022 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY MICHAEL DIBERTI
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Some stress—such as moisture, low fertility and temperature—can contribute to the budding issue. Temperature is one of the most frequent triggers. Nighttime temperatures of many of the current mum cultivars need to be above 60F (15C). Lower temperatures over a course of days generally cause the premature budding. The result of it can make the mum look stunted and odd-looking. Plant growth slows down and appears not to fill out as normal.
If you’re experiencing cooler-than-normal temperatures, frequently scouting the crop can be beneficial to early detection of premature budding. Look at the plants’ terminals to see if you can start to see this bud development. If you’re seeing buds, there are a few practices that can prevent further development.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks & Green Profit Magazine—July 2022: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_22_07/index.aspx
MINIMIZING RISK: OVERWINTERING PERENNIALS
FROM THE AUGUST 2022 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY PAUL PILON
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: To better manage and minimize the risks associated with overwintering perennials, it’s important to understand and accept that the main goal of overwintering is the survival of the root systems. This may seem like common knowledge, but most growers don’t think of overwintering plants in this manner. Focusing on the survival of the root system will greatly increase overwintering successes.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks & Green Profit Magazine—August 2022: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_22_08/index.aspx
OPTIMIZE ROOTING UNIFORMITY: A HIERARCHICAL PROCESS
FROM THE NOVEMBER 2022 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY BILL CALKINS
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: For greenhouses rooting large numbers of cuttings or growers interested in processes to improve rooting success, it’s critical to look at the key limiting factors to producing high-quality rooted liners. This is a very scientific process that involves multiple factors of plant growth—hydration, light, temperature, nutrition and gas exchange.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks & Green Profit Magazine—November 2022: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_22_11/index.aspx
ACRES & ACRES: I THINK WE’VE ANSWERED THE QUESTION
FROM THE JUNE 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY CHRIS BEYTES
NARRATED BY CHRIS BEYTES
EXCERPT: Last month in this space I talked about how nervous much of the industry has been about going into spring with the economy boasting both high interest rates and high inflation—and having just come out of a global pandemic, too. Plus, labor rates and input costs are up massively, and we’ve raised prices more in the last two years than we had in the last 20. Would our gardening customers show up this spring? Have we become too much of a luxury?
Well, we’re a month further into the season than last time (I’m writing this the Friday before Mother’s Day), so let’s continue the discussion.
Read the digital edition of GrowerTalks & Green Profit Magazine—June 2023: https://www.ballpublishing.com/magazine/gt_23_06/index.aspx
POINSETTIA FERTILIZATION TRICKS
FROM THE MAY 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY LYNN GRIFFITH
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Stock plants of almost any kind need more magnesium inputs than production plants. There are a couple of reasons for this: 1) Among the primary functions of magnesium in plants is that it’s in the middle of the chlorophyll molecule; and 2) it’s a mobile element.
HEATING IN YOUR WINTER GREENHOUSE
FROM THE OCTOBER 2022 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY PATRICK MAHONEY
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Fortunately, there are a number of ways for growers to improve their greenhouse and limit expenses during winter. To get the most out of their structure, operations will want to look at the key factors that impact heating efficiency, starting with the greenhouse’s ability to retain heat and the effectiveness of its heating system.
PAYROLL 2023 STYLE
FROM THE MARCH 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY MARK BATTERSBY
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Payroll, typically the biggest expense of a business, has come a long way since its creation in 1913. The 16th Amendment to the Constitution gives Congress the “power to lay and collect taxes on incomes.” The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 established the minimum wage, overtime, recordkeeping and youth employment standards, further complicating payrolls.
Obviously, understanding the basic rules for withholding payroll taxes—and paying over withheld amounts—on the wages of all employees in the commercial growing or retail business is a good start. Guidance and advice from a competent, qualified advisor is virtually a necessity.
SHOULD YOU HIRE A CONSULTANT FOR YOUR GREENHOUSE?
FROM THE JUNE 2022 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY ALBERT GRIMM
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Most of us are simply not aware of any mistakes we make or else we would avoid them. If we’re unaware of our flaws and deficiencies we cannot improve upon them, and therefore, honest critique is the most valuable professional gift that anybody can present us with. If you’re ready to accept critique, you’re ready for a consultant.
This audio is from a recent Trending Now video. You can find the video version at https://youtu.be/DYmksCn2HfI
Tech On Demand podcast host and GrowerTalks Senior Editor Bill Calkins talks to John Bonin, the substrate mix product manager and senior account manager for Jiffy Group, about the iconic company’s new Flexistart specialized growing media.
John takes you through a bit of Jiffy’s mission and the importance of high-quality substrates before explaining why Flexistart is a reliable product for professional young plant producers looking to drive performance, speed and precision, while reducing waste and labor costs.
More Resources:
- Plant propagation systems | Blends quality substrates | Jiffy Group
- Jiffy substrates and mix for professional use | Jiffy Group‘
- Meeting the Challenge of High-Quality, Cost-Efficient Substrates (jiffygroup.com)
- Jiffy Flexistart - Hear what clients are saying! - YouTube
- Jiffy Group International The Netherlands
- Jiffy Group –Sustainability
HOW MUCH ARE YOU LOSING TO WASTE?
FROM THE JANUARY 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY STAN VANDER WAAL
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Let’s talk realistically about waste, and for this discussion, break waste into two parts: First, production—which, to me, is from the buying of the product to delivery at the store. I would suggest producers can be as low as 2% and as high as 10% in this area. Second is shrink, or what we refer to as sell-through at retail.
WHEN USING YOUR LAND DOESN’T GO AS PLANNED
FROM THE OCTOBER 2022 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY MATT STURZEN
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Unless they’re actively involved in local government or kept up to date on land use issues, many individuals and businesses are unaware of their rights or restrictions as it relates to real property. This is especially true for those in the agricultural and nursery industries, since operations can go years without undergoing significant land use changes. However, land use issues can quickly arise and become complicated as time passes by. This is because land use plans are ever-changing, especially as urban and suburban development increases.
VISA PROGRAM PRIMER
FROM THE DECEMBER 2022 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY SHAWN PACKER
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Many employers turn to the temporary foreign guestworker visa programs like the H-2A and H-2B visa—so much so that we’re seeing record numbers of applications. In 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) certified 317,619 H-2A temporary agricultural visas and 181,451 H-2B temporary non-agricultural visas. That’s up from a DOL certified 200,049 H-2A visas and 133,985 H-2B visas in 2017.
Here are five things you should consider before embarking on this journey of hiring workers under these programs.
THE SPLITTING OF IMPATIENS
FROM THE JANUARY 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY LOWELL HALVORSON
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: When analyzing impatiens sales these days, we can see that the category has split into two distinct segments, each with its own sweet spot and market focus. Wholesale price lists show this breakout regularly. They often follow “Impatiens” with “Impatiens, Hybrid” or perhaps “Impatiens, SunPatiens.” This division reflects the new normal and, looking under the hood, we can also see each segment is shifting under different breeder and buyer pressures.
TRENDS IN BIOCONTROLS
FROM THE FEBRUARY 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY JULIE MARTENS FORNEY
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: With biocontrols, it’s not an either/or approach when it comes to using chemicals, but a both/and. A combination of biology and chemistry delivers great success. For instance, “you can use biologicals up front to keep pest issues in check all through a crop if the weather is just right,” Dr. Michael Brownbridge explained. “That lets you save chemistry until the last few weeks of production so you can clean things up prior to shipping.”
The flip side is true, too. “If you have high pest and disease pressures, you can use chemistry first like a battering ram to knock down the problems and follow up with biologicals to mop up and provide protection to the plant,” he continued.
When it comes to diseases, he pointed out “there’s an increasing body of scientific evidence that if you use a combination of biology and chemistry you get better disease control.”
TECH IN THE GREENHOUSE
FROM THE APRIL 2023 ISSUE OF GROWERTALKS MAGAZINE
WRITTEN BY JENNIFER ZURKO
NARRATED BY BILL CALKINS
EXCERPT: Most of the new tech we’re seeing boils down to one reason: lack of resources. There aren’t enough servers to bring your food or enough cashiers at the grocery store, so those industries have had to figure out how to alleviate the problem while still providing those services to their customers.
In the growing biz, it’s no different. We’re experiencing a lack of resources, too—and have been for years—so it’s expected that some of the technology that we’re seeing in other industries to address labor shortages have made their way into the greenhouse.
But if you step back, you realize that the focus hasn’t just been on the lack of hands—growers are also looking for new ways to continuously improve on quality in a shorter and shorter amount of time.
How to effectively manage VPD.
This is the third and final episode in a series of podcasts looking into an important greenhouse production topic, vapor pressure deficit or VPD. Host Bill Calkins talks to guest Dr. Will Healy in an attempt to make some fairly complex information understandable and usable in this conversation about VPD, relative humidity and water loss. They are following up on a print article ran in the January issue of GrowerTalks magazine that walked readers through some definitions related to VPD, as well as why it is an important measurement to use and how it can specifically benefit young plant production. This podcast (and the others in the series) goes quite a bit deeper into the topic.
Dr. Healy has more than three decades of experience working with greenhouses of all shapes and sizes and around the world to implement the best strategies for their unique situations. Will retired recently from Ball Horticultural Company but continues to think about ways to improve horticultural production.
In this podcast, Dr. Healy continues the discussion of total moisture control my walking you through misting strategies from Stage 1 through 3 of rooting, including optimum VPD set points and values from hydration of URCs through root development. He shares exactly why you and your team need to establish rooting groups, identifying the specific needs of each crop and grouping them accordingly, because we all know each crop needs a specific environment for maximum performance. Will spends time on VPD frequency and mist duration, based on real-world greenhouse applications before closing the miniseries with thoughts on controllers (from simple to sophisticated) and the data collected by sensors that’s both critical and nice to have.
If you haven’t listened to PARTS 1 & 2 in this series, jump back in the archives and check it out because it sets the stage well for this cast.
RESOURCES:
- Learning Curves & Data Curves, GrowerTalks January 2023 by Bill Calkins (article): https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=26085
- Plant Empowerment (book): https://www.plantempowerment.com/in-practice/the-book/
- Tech On Demand—Training Your Team to Water Properly (video): https://youtu.be/SCPPT0IXlLY
WHEN is Vapor Pressure Deficit critical in greenhouse production?
This is the second in a series of podcasts looking into an important greenhouse production topic, vapor pressure deficit or VPD. Host Bill Calkins talks to guest Dr. Will Healy in an attempt to make some fairly complex information understandable and usable in this conversation about VPD, relative humidity and water loss. They are following up on a print article ran in the January issue of GrowerTalks magazine that walked readers through some definitions related to VPD, as well as why it is an important measurement to use and how it can specifically benefit young plant production. This podcast (and the others in the series) goes quite a bit deeper into the topic.
Dr. Healy has more than three decades of experience working with greenhouses of all shapes and sizes and around the world to implement the best strategies for their unique situations. Will retired recently from Ball Horticultural Company but continues to think about ways to improve horticultural production.
In the second episode of the series, Will and Bill discuss when VPD is most critical in greenhouse production. Using VPD to schedule irrigation is a much more scientific approach versus “watering every Tuesday and Thursday” because it takes into account how much water has been lost by plants. Will shares details about VPD accumulation and why this matters, as well as when in production VPD management can help reduce the risk of pests and diseases.
If you haven’t listened to PART 1 in this series, jump back in the archives and check it out because it sets the stage well for this cast.
RESOURCES:
Learning Curves & Data Curves, GrowerTalks January 2023 by Bill Calkins (article): https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=26085
Plant Empowerment (book): https://www.plantempowerment.com/in-practice/the-book/
Tech On Demand—Training Your Team to Water Properly (video): https://youtu.be/SCPPT0IXlLY
This is the first in a series of podcasts looking into an important greenhouse production topic, vapor pressure deficit or VPD. Host Bill Calkins talks to guest Dr. Will Healy in an attempt to make some fairly complex information understandable and usable in this conversation about VPD, relative humidity and water loss. They are following up on a print article ran in the January issue of GrowerTalks magazine that walked readers through some definitions related to VPD, as well as why it is an important measurement to use and how it can specifically benefit young plant production. This episode (and the others in the series) goes quite a bit deeper into the topic.
Dr. Healy has more than three decades of experience working with greenhouses of all shapes and sizes and around the world to implement the best strategies for their unique situations. Will retired recently from Ball Horticultural Company but continues to think about ways to improve horticultural production.
In the first podcast of the series, Will and Bill focus on clarifying the importance of VPD and Relative Humidity (RH), as well as explaining the process of Evapotranspiration. The episode sets the stage for upcoming presentations covering when VPD is most critical and ways to manage this integral piece of your greenhouse environment puzzle.
RESOURCES:
VIEW THIS PRESENTATION AS A VIDEO WITH SLIDES: https://youtu.be/MGb8RjLV3U0
Learning Curves & Data Curves, GrowerTalks January 2023 by Bill Calkins (article): https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=26085
Plant Empowerment (book): https://www.plantempowerment.com/in-practice/the-book/
Tech On Demand—Training Your Team to Water Properly (video): https://youtu.be/SCPPT0IXlLY
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by PanAmerican Seed president Anne Leventry, celebrating the company’s 75th anniversary. With so much history, ground-breaking products and innovative breeding, this conversation is divided into two parts. Be sure to check out part 1, as well, to get the full story!
Companies that survive and thrive for decades are nimble enough to maneuver trends and fads but consistent and focused enough to chart a thoughtful and successful course amidst constant change. This is certainly the case with PanAm, who’s celebrating an impressive anniversary and making innovative moves to grow for decades to come.
In this episode, the conversation turns to plants—breeding goals, Anne’s favorite varieties, underused and underappreciated products and floriculture’s future. It’s a mix of entertaining plant talk and an insight into PanAmerican’s strategic vision.
Because Anne has been on PanAmerican Seed’s global leadership team for many years, her personal stories and behind-the-scenes insights offer a unique look into PanAm and floriculture’s evolution from a macro perspective.
You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode and if you haven’t listened to part 1, it would be best to jump back in the archives and check it out before starting this one, because the information builds throughout. In the first part, Bill and Anne discuss the evolution of PanAmerican Seed, company growth, breakthroughs and industry challenges not yet solved.
Resources:
- PanAmerican Seed: https://www.panamseed.com
- Wave Petunias: https://www.wavegardening.com/en-us
- Beacon Impatiens: https://www.beaconimpatiens.com/
- Dragon Wing Begonias: https://www.panamseed.com/plant_info.aspx?phid=009202294005863
- Gryphon Begonia: https://www.panamseed.com/plant_info.aspx?phid=009205186024979
- Cool Wave Pansies: https://www.wavegardening.com/en-us/Flowers/PlantInformation?phid=046706339012223
- Solarscape Hybrid Impatiens: https://www.panamseed.com/plant_info.aspx?phid=119909505049271
- Seed technology & enhancements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QyuBqI3i2o
- First-Year-Flowering Tool: http://www.firstyearfloweringtool.com
BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TECH ON DEMAND PODCAST ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCAST APP SO YOU NEVER MISS AN EPISODE!
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by PanAmerican Seed president Anne Leventry, celebrating the company’s 75th anniversary. With so much history, ground-breaking products and innovative breeding, this conversation is divided into two parts. Be sure to check out part 2, as well, to get the full story!
Companies that survive and thrive for decades are nimble enough to maneuver trends and fads but consistent and focused enough to chart a thoughtful and successful course amidst constant change. This is certainly the case with PanAm, who’s celebrating an impressive anniversary and making innovative moves to grow for decades to come.
In this episode, the topics at hand include industry history, corporate leadership, overcoming horticultural obstacles and the importance of reliability. These dynamics are critical when applied to the horticultural industry, and topics that impact all greenhouse professionals.
Because Anne has been on PanAmerican Seed’s global leadership team for many years, her personal stories and behind-the-scenes insights offer a unique look into PanAm and floriculture’s evolution from a macro perspective.
You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode and the next, because the information builds throughout! In part 2, Bill and Anne turn to plants—PanAm’s breeding goals, game-changing plants, “sleeper crops” and the future of floriculture.
Resources:
- PanAmerican Seed: https://www.panamseed.com
- Wave Petunias: https://www.wavegardening.com/en-us
- Beacon Impatiens: https://www.beaconimpatiens.com/
- Dragon Wing Begonias: https://www.panamseed.com/plant_info.aspx?phid=009202294005863
- Gryphon Begonia: https://www.panamseed.com/plant_info.aspx?phid=009205186024979
- Cool Wave Pansies: https://www.wavegardening.com/en-us/Flowers/PlantInformation?phid=046706339012223
- Solarscape Hybrid Impatiens: https://www.panamseed.com/plant_info.aspx?phid=119909505049271
- Seed technology & enhancements: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QyuBqI3i2o
- First-Year-Flowering Tool: http://www.firstyearfloweringtool.com
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We’ve heard about plant parents (folks who care for plants the same as pets and even children) and the younger generations of gardeners (as well as plenty of others in the same houseplant tribes) flocking to garden centers, urban plant shops and even farm markets in search of the same interesting houseplants they see on Instagram and Tick Tock. Wholesale growers and retailers who’ve been riding the trend have seen significant growth in terms of both interest and sales. Thankfully the trend doesn’t seem to be fading, so if you’re not yet in the game, you haven’t missed the wave. On the other hand, the hot plant of the day does seem to change rapidly so staying aware of different genera and having a wide range of different plants available seems pretty critical.
Host Bill Calkins is joined in this episode by Andrew Britten, the tropicals and foliage technical and sales manager at Ball, to help us all understand the most common genera available and run through a pretty long A-Z list to help you understand how to produce them with success. Andrew has an impressive resume built as a head grower, production manager, technical advisor and sales manager for some of the largest and most cutting-edge greenhouses in North America. He’s produced and grown dozens of genera and is here to share everything from plant origins and varieties available to types of starter material and brief cultural best practices.
For those of you new to producing tropical and foliage plants or interested in learning more about the category, it can be a pretty steep learning curve. Maybe you have a long history in bedding plants, spring annuals and veggies or perennials and ornamentals. Well, what I’ve learned is that the tropical and foliage market is quite different. There’s certainly overlap, from a greenhouse production standpoint, but the differences are numerous.
You may know him from previous podcasts covering pests and diseases on tropicals, but this time Andrew Britten is here to walk us through different types of starter material from which you’ll begin your crops.
Andrew has a ton of experience producing tropical plants from a diverse range of starter materials and has gone through the growing pains required for successful growing to finish. He’s a true tropical plant production expert who’s been a head grower, propagation manager, sales manager and technical manager focused on tropicals for the last two decades or so. These days, he’s the technical sales manager for tropicals and foliage at Ball.
Here are the types of starter material discussed in this short but critical podcast:
- Unrooted Cuttings (URC)
- Tissue Culture (TC)
- Calloused Cuttings (CC)
- Rooted Cuttings (RC)
- Air Layer (A/L)
- Canes
- Stumps
Past Episodes with Andrew Britten:
Preventing & Managing Disease on Tropical Plants: https://techondemand.podbean.com/e/preventing-managing-disease-on-tropical-plants/
Controlling Insects on Tropical Plants: https://techondemand.podbean.com/e/controlling-insects-on-tropical-plants-with-andrew-britten/
Host Bill Calkins is joined by Andrew Britten, a greenhouse and nursery technical expert with a wide range of experience from large-scale production and propagation to technical services and even sales of foliage and tropical plants. He’s been a head grower, young plants manager and production manager at some of the largest and most well-respected operations in North America. Interestingly, Andrew was GrowerTalks’ Young Grower Award winner back in 2005.
Andrew joins the podcast again to discuss the most common diseases you might encounter when finishing tropical and foliage crops across North America. He goes one by one through more than 10 diseases, sharing causes, how to identify and finally, control strategies.
The goal with this podcast is to help you produce your best crops ever and send clean, healthy tropicals and foliage to market. If you haven’t listened to the previous podcast covering insect identification and control on tropicals, jump back in the archives and check it out.
Throughout the podcast, Andrew and Bill reference photos and slides, which you can find at: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/tech-on-demand-preventing-and-managing-disease-on-tropical-plants
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Host Bill Calkins is joined by Andrew Britten, a greenhouse and nursery technical expert with a wide range of experience from large-scale production and propagation to technical services and even sales of foliage and tropical plants. He’s been a head grower, young plants manager and production manager at some of the largest and most well-respected operations in North America. Interestingly, Andrew was GrowerTalks’ Young Grower Award winner back in 2005.
Andrew joins the podcast to focus on insects, because they’re something a lot of growers struggle with when they finish tropical and foliage crops across North America. He begins with an overview of the most common pests dealt with in tropical plant production and what kinds of damage to look for when identifying them. These “usual suspects” include aphids, spider mites, mealybug, whitefly and thrips. Then, he turns his attention to managing and controlling these pests, talking about both conventional chemical and biological controls.
Throughout the podcast, Andrew and Bill reference photos and slides, which you can find at: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/tech-on-demand-controlling-insect-pests-on-tropical-plants
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Ball Seed National Sales Director, Jim Kennedy and RCOP, Inc. owner, Mindy Clesen join host Bill Calkins to look ahead and provide the 2022 Ball Seed Customer Day audience with ideas and insights to help greenhouse professionals make the best decisions for the year ahead.
Mindy and Jim share some of their experiences from 2021 and 2022 and how they will apply these to 2023 planning. Then, they discuss recent cost pressures and supply challenges explaining how these factors impact budgeting. Labor is also a topic addressed, with ideas for mitigating what is an extremely relevant difficulty. Finally, they share thoughts on why our industry is more (or less) prepared for the uncertainty facing the North American economy in the short term.
Visit BallSeed.com for a wide range of resources and information to help your business in 2023!
Make plans to attend Ball Seed Customer Days in 2023. Visit BallCustomerDay.com for event information.
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined for the second time by Dr. Ann Chase, owner of Chase Agricultural Consulting, and Dr. Aaron Palmateer, technical development lead for the ornamental business at SePRO. Both are expert-level plant disease gurus with decades of combined work in the field.
Last time we talked with Ann and Aaron, the discussion centered on what to expect—from a disease perspective—in spring production. If you didn’t listen to that one, jump back in the archives and check out Episode 33. This time, we’re moving on to summer, but first, the guests reflect back on spring for a bit before jumping right into warm-season diseases like Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia, soft rots like Erwinia, Southern Blight, Xanthomonas and plenty more. They discuss what they’ve seen in greenhouses and nurseries already this summer and what they expect to see soon—more than 25 diseases they’ve seen first-hand. One of the most interesting parts of this cast is a rundown of common diseases and the temperature ranges that bring them on. The episode continues with thoughts on why producing crops (like vinca, poinsettias and fall pansies) out-of-season often requires the most vigilance and hardest work by production teams before concluding with an in-depth look at the most cutting-edge control strategies for summer diseases.
Resources:
Dr. Ann Chase: archase@chaseresearch.net
Dr. Aaron Palmateer: aaronp@sepro.com
Chase Horticultural Research: www.chaseagri.com
SePRO: https://www.sepro.com/Hort
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In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by two dynamic guests for a discussion that’s equal parts informational and instructional with a healthy dose of humor added to the mix. In relation to current supply chain challenges that are predicted to continue for some time, the importance of versatility and flexibility is as important now as ever and trialing to develop modern plans and backup plans plays a huge role in successful crop production. With growing media (especially peat) at the foundation of professional greenhouse production, understanding how you can take more control of your inputs and continue to create optimum quality plants is a critical component to your overall plan.
We’re lucky to have two experienced and creative guests join us this episode to share their thoughts, knowledge and advice to explore potential solutions for increasing crop quality, as well as efficiency. Pierre-Marc de Champlain and John Santoro from Berger are here to explain ways to ease supply chain burdens using creative growing mix selection and incorporating different media components in the correct way.
The discussion begins with the current supply chain, good and bad, and then moves on to why peat is not only the backbone of soil mix components but also a very viable option now and looking to the future. Get ready to hear all about why responsible bog management is at the forefront of Berger’s approach and why this is good for the entire industry. Pierre-Marc and John share their thoughts on why versatility is critical now more than ever and ways to fine tune your production by looking closely at your media mix. The episode wraps up with an explanation of the importance of trialing and creating a plan and backup plan related to growing media. Both of the guests have a lot of experience and unique takes on greenhouse production and I know you’ll find this episode engaging, informational and fun.
You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode, because we cover a lot of topics that build to a comprehensive growing media strategy.
Resources:
Learn more about Berger: https://www.berger.ca/
Connect with Berger Experts: https://www.berger.ca/en/grower-resources/grower-advisors/
Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association: https://peatmoss.com/
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In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Troy Buechel, a Horticulture Specialist with Premier Tech, for the final episode in a three-part series discussing the technical side of growing media. Now that we’ve worked our way through testing and sampling, it’s on to analysis. Looking at returned data from tests conducted on growing media, water and plant tissue can seem overwhelming but Troy is going to walk you through it.
This episode begins with a look into the most important numbers to consider when you see results from a test. From pH to EC and macronutrients to micronutrients, a lot can be gleaned when you understand what’s most critical. Knowing deficiencies can quickly lead to reversing the issues at hand and bringing your crop back to its potential.
Next, Troy discusses contaminants that can lead to plant stress, such as sodium chloride, and what this can mean to a crop. Clear results from testing are important before starting to correct problems. Next, the discussion turns to the ranges you want to see related to pH, EC, macronutrients and micronutrients. The conversation gets pretty in-depth and technical so feel free to pause the podcast, make notes and then hit play again.
Another topic of conversation in this episode is types of tests and ways they are conducted. Some can be done easily, in house, while others require the expertise of a lab. Troy helps make sense of this, so you choose the best path. This episode (and series) ends with some real-world stories and situations Troy has encountered over the years. As you listen, you might start nodding because as we all know, no grower or greenhouse is immune to common problems, or even the weirdest ones.
You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode, because the information builds throughout! Special thanks to Troy and the folks at Premier-Tech (the company behind Pro-Mix Growing Media) for lending much-needed expertise to such an important topic.
Premier Tech Resources:
To listen:
- Benefits of Analytical Testing
- Testing Water EC
- How to Test Water pH and Alkalinity
To read:
- Sampling Procedures for Testing Water and Fertilizer Solution
- Media and Tissue Testing – Why Test?
- Media and Tissue Testing - Media Testing Methods
- Media and Tissue Testing - Measuring pH and E.C. of Media
- pH Meter Calibration And Sample Preparation For In-House Testing
To connect:
- YouTube
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In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Troy Buechel, a Horticulture Specialist with Premier Tech, for the second in a three-part series discussing the technical side of growing media. Sampling is perhaps the most critical part of diagnostics and getting to the root of problems in your greenhouse. “Junk in, junk out,” as they say. An effective sample allows you or an independent lab to figure out the cause of a problem, while a poor sample isn’t worth much. It’s really all about consistency.
Troy and Bill start by going over what makes a consistent sample—cultivar, size, planting date, greenhouse block, etc. Sampling random plants from different locations and conditions creates a very muddy picture and stands in the way of an accurate analysis. But following some simple protocols can make the picture much clearer and the solution similarly straightforward. Next, they run through a detailed sampling process.
Troy then covers some dos and don’ts when it comes to sampling, as well as sharing some stories from the field. Sending a whole plant can lead to problems, as can sending wet samples. The last thing you want a lab to receive is a bag of mush. Troy talks you through all the steps to take. They wrap up with a conversation about protocols to follow to ensure a quick, useful analysis.
You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode, because the information builds throughout! Stay tuned for episode three, coming soon, where Troy and Bill tackle successful analysis and interpretation, because testing and sampling are done with a goal in mind. The goal is data to use in decision making. If you missed the first part in our series, The Importance of Testing, jump back in the archives and check it out.
Premier Tech Resources:
To listen:
- Benefits of Analytical Testing
- Testing Water EC
- How to Test Water pH and Alkalinity
To read:
- Sampling Procedures for Testing Water and Fertilizer Solution
- Media and Tissue Testing – Why Test?
- Media and Tissue Testing - Media Testing Methods
- Media and Tissue Testing - Measuring pH and E.C. of Media
- pH Meter Calibration And Sample Preparation For In-House Testing
To connect:
- YouTube
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In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Troy Buechel, a Horticulture Specialist with Premier Tech, for the first in a three-part series discussing the technical side of growing media. Assumptions and “trial and error” often lead to greater production problems, as well as wasted time money. Learn why proper testing of media, water and plant tissue is always the best bet, because without it, there’s no starting point in your mission to diagnose and correct issues.
Troy and Bill start by framing up the discussion by explain exactly why testing is important and should be done regularly, versus when a problem arises. Then, Troy begins the conversation by outlining the goals of testing—to establish trend lines related to pH, EC and nutrients to help paint a complete production picture. He details the parameters that should be tested, and when. Some can be tested twice a year (before spring and fall/winter production), while others need to be checked as often as weekly.
They spend a lot of time discussing testing tools, including the best types of pH and EC meters, because using bad tools that aren’t calibrated correctly is basically a waste of time. Before closing, Troy shares some real-world testing stories to highlight why these activities are so critical. Poor testing or no testing can lead to devastating results.
You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode, because the information builds throughout! Stay tuned for episodes two and three, coming soon, where Troy and Bill tackle proper sampling and how to use returned results to make proper changes and get on a path to success.
Premier Tech Resources
Check out Premier Tech’s Training Center, filled with videos and technical documents: https://www.pthorticulture.com/en/training-center/
Learn more about Premier Tech and PRO-MIX and their range of horticulture industry-leading media products: https://www.pthorticulture.com/en/
Continue the conversation by reaching out to the Premier Tech Grower Services Team: https://www.pthorticulture.com/en/grower-services/
To Listen:
- Benefits of Analytical Testing
- Testing Water EC
- How to Test Water pH and Alkalinity
To Read:
- Media and Tissue Testing - Media Testing Methods
To Connect:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/promixgreenhousegrowing
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/promixghgrowing
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/premier-tech-horticulture
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/PROMIXGreenhouseGrowing
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In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Mike Fernandez, Danziger’s market manager for North America, a long-time plant guru and trusted source of knowledge to greenhouse professionals around the world. The three topics on the plate are production specifics for New Guinea and hybrid impatiens, prioritizing sticking plans for unrooted cuttings, while remaining flexible and the ins and outs of low-input planters and baskets.
Mike and Bill start of the episode with a quick discussion of the current market, including supply chain challenges impacting young plants, chemicals, media and fertilizer. Mike offers suggestions for the current state and advice moving forward. Next, they address environmental nuances to help produce New Guinea and hybrid impatiens, focusing on time and temperature. After that, Mike takes a hard look at why the best plan for creating protocols and schedules for URC sticking might just be to stay flexible and make informed decisions on the fly. He also shares tips for minimizing the stress this type of planning can cause. Finally, they discuss Mike’s trial results with low-input (two or three cuttings) production of baskets and patio pots. The goal with such programs, like Durabella from Danziger, is to help you produce high-quality, quick-turn 12-inch programs. The benefits of such programs extend from your bottom line through retail and onto the end consumer. It’s truly a triple win.
You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode, because Mike has a lot of important information to share!
Resources:
Danziger Variety & Production Information: https://www.danzigeronline.com
Danziger Digital Catalogs: https://www.danzigeronline.com/digital-catalog/
Durabella Combinations: https://files.danzigeronline.com/smart-view/annuals_21-22_na/141/
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In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Dr. Ann Chase, owner of Chase Agricultural Consulting, and Dr. Aaron Palmateer, technical development lead for the ornamental business at SePRO. Both are expert-level plant disease gurus with decades of combined work in the field. The episode kicks off with a discussion about the top diseases to watch for in the coming year, including a deep dive into Botrytis and downy mildew. The guests discuss why innovation in disease control products is driving research and why this benefits growers around the world. Ann and Aaron then dive into bacterial diseases such as pectobacteria and agrobacteria and why diseases with latent or asymptomatic expression can be a particular nightmare. They also touch on less-devastating diseases and how to control them.
Next, Ann and Aaron tackle viruses, including TSWV, INSV and tospoviruses. It’s incredibly challenging to diagnose viruses, because they show such a range of symptoms, so our guests spend plenty of time discussing the importance of early recognition. The podcast wraps up with solutions, and a rundown of current products on the market. New premixes, new FRAC codes, biopesticides and biofungicides and broad-spectrum products are all on the table these days. Ann and Aaron are leading the way in research to help you understand and apply these new products.
Resources:
Dr. Ann Chase: archase@chaseresearch.net
Dr. Aaron Palmateer: aaronp@sepro.com
Chase Horticultural Research: www.chaseagri.com
SePRO: https://www.sepro.com/Hort
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Cuttings are arriving at greenhouses around the world and in order to get these young plants off to a great start, some processes and protocols need to be in place to hold and handle the cuttings between unboxing and sticking. What do you need to look for and how do you need to proceed to ensure uniformity in production? We’re going to address these questions and many more in this episode of the Tech On Demand podcast brought to you by GrowerTalks where our goal is always to bring you tips, tricks and information to produce your best crop ever. Be sure to subscribe to the Tech On Demand podcast on your favorite podcast app like iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and more so you never miss an episode.
Host Bill Calkins is joined by Dr. Will Healy, Senior Technical Manager at Ball Horticultural Company. This episode, Will is bringing you extremely relevant advice on how to handle cuttings when they arrive at your loading dock after a very long journey from their farms of origin. When they were harvested and packed, they were as healthy as can be. But we all know what can happen in a truck … From temperature roller coasters to severe dehydration, they often arrive in desperate need of attention. Are you and your team prepared to practice cuttings husbandry and even resuscitation before the little plants move to the transplant line? You will be after this podcast.
Visit the GrowerTalks Magazine Website
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by the dynamic Sam Kirkland, strategic relationship manager with Epicor Software Corporation to discuss how to leverage local messaging, technology and measurable programs to drive significant bottom-line growth. According to Sam, modern engagement strategies proving successful in garden center retail (and other industries) include community and local messaging, customer growth management and loyalty marketing. All of these pieces work together to generate dollars that go straight to the bottom line.
Sam and Bill start by looking at the tremendous growth the horticultural industry has seen in the past two years and why it’s important to support, retain and grow the new folks walking through garden center doors. They quickly move into tactical ways to market a business to drive loyalty and the importance of following a plan. Once plans and tactics are in place, it’s time to create key performance indicators and measurements to track your efforts. Sam has plenty of anecdotal and data-driven stories of how successful garden centers have approached this process using technology. As he says, “Now is the time to realize the benefits of all of your hard work.”
When you begin to think about customer loyalty as a driving goal, interesting information emerges. Your most engaged shoppers spend more and shop more often. They gravitate toward products you recommend, and they evangelize your business to others in the community. Often, they shop with you every season and view your store as their on-stop-shop for everything garden related. And they’re your most profitable group. You want more of them.
Resources:
Epicor for Retail
Article: 3 Retail Strategies to Win Customer Loyalty
Case Study: Weston Nurseries & Customer Loyalty
Visit the GrowerTalks Magazine Website
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In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Paul Golden, Sales Manager for Commercial Growing with Prospiant Inc., to discuss how you should approach the decision to build new greenhouses or retrofit or repurpose your current structures to meet new crop needs or prepare for product mix shifts in the future. They look at many angles this episode, from the physical structure and components inside to the people who work under the greenhouse roof. Your greenhouse structures serve diverse purposes and impact just about every factor in your business, including the health and success of each crop, as well as labor, efficiency and employee attitudes.
Through this podcast, Paul and Bill touch on all of these factors and more moving from the structural functionalities needed for your equipment to how your existing layout impacts labor and efficiency. One key factor to consider when deciding to build new or refresh is the cost of maintenance and Paul spends plenty of time on this. Perhaps shifting these expenses towards a new build is a better bet long term. The podcast concludes with a discussion geared toward hybrid business, grower-retailers. If you have plans to add a retail component to your business, due to increased demand in the past few years, you have a whole new set of considerations, beginning with the fundamental question: Is your greenhouse structurally sound? You also need to think about the shopping environment and whether your current facility is conducive to people with a far different tolerance for the greenhouse environment than your staff.
Resources:
Prospiant Website: https://www.prospiant.com
Prospiant Horticultural Information & Resources: https://www.prospiant.com/flowers-retail-horticulture-greenhouses/
GrowerTalks Magazine Website: https://www.growertalks.com/
In this episode, Ball Senior Technical Manager Dr. Will Healy and host Bill Calkins rethink Fall and Spring Pansy propagation in an effort to help you start your best crop ever. This is the final part in a 3-part series covering this critical multi-season crop. This time, Will starts with a discussion of Pansy Mottle Syndrome (what to watch for and how to mitigate the risk) before tackling common grow-out issues. Will and Bill talk about ways to speed up a crop, as well as strategies to slow your pansies down.
You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this podcast and then share it with your production team. Your best bet is to make sure everyone is on the same page immediately before and after transplant. The finishing stage is not a time to deal with disease, so Will talks about prevention and control tactics. Finally, he offers suggestions for post-harvest prep, with the goal of shipping the best crop possible to your retail and landscape customers.
Resources:
GrowerTalks Insecticide, Miticide & Fungicide Guide: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/2021_IMF_Guide.pdf
GrowerTalks Annuals PGR Guide: https://www.growertalks.com/pdf/Annuals_PGR_Guide_2021.pdf
Ball Tech On Demand At Risk Crop Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8NX3KFjAfBmEPwUH0frx_EYTu_dofILX
Training Your Team to Water Video: https://youtu.be/SCPPT0IXlLY
In this At Risk Crop series, each episode looks at risk factors, as well as methods of control for specific crops, with additional resources available at https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Ball Senior Technical Manager Dr. Will Healy to discuss inherent risk with Fall and Spring Pansy crops. Pansies are a relatively quick crop with plenty of nuances. If your team is experienced, you’re most likely not too worried about getting them to market. Nonetheless, crop uniformity, moisture management and nutrition are some key areas to keep fresh in the minds of your crew. Will is as experienced with pansies as anyone in the industry and in this series, he’s going to take you from start to finish using the latest techniques.
Will covers the stage when you receive plugs and transplant them into finished containers by focusing on greenhouse environment and crop culture. He starts with tips and strategies for receiving plugs in an effort to minimize risk with young plants. Then he moves into the processes to put in place prior to transplant, such as sanitation, temperature and RH management and nutrition. Next, he covers what your team needs to know immediately following transplant by digging deep into irrigation and nutrition.
You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode and then share it with your production team. Your best bet is to make sure everyone is on the same page before you sow the first seed.
Resources:
Slideshow that accompanies this podcast: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/tech-on-demand-in-the-break-room-pansy-part-two
Tech On Demand At Risk Crops YouTube Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8NX3KFjAfBmEPwUH0frx_EYTu_dofILX
Visit the GrowerTalks Magazine Website: https://www.growertalks.com/
BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TECH ON DEMAND PODCAST ON ANY MAJOR PODCAST PLAYER SO YOU NEVER MISS AN EPISODE – iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and more.
Ball Tech On Demand At Risk Crops: Pansy Part One (Propagation)
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Ball Senior Technical Manager Dr. Will Healy to discuss inherent risk with Fall and Spriing Pansy crops. Pansies are a relatively quick crop with plenty of nuances. If your team is experienced, you’re most likely not too worried about getting them to market. Nonetheless, crop uniformity, moisture management and nutrition are some key areas to keep fresh in the minds of your crew. Will is as experienced with pansies as anyone in the industry and in this series, he’s going to take you from start to finish using the latest techniques.
He begins with a discussion about sowing using primed seed before moving into uniform moisture and media coverage. He then dives deeper into hydration strategies (wet and dry) in the first week after sowing and into Stages 1 and 2. Next, he covers ways to plan a fertilizer program complete with micronutrients before tackling ways to control growth early, including water, DIF and chemical PGRs. Will closes the first part of this pansy series with disease management focusing on Thielaviopsis, Pythium, leaf spots and Downy Mildew. You’ll want to listen all the way to the end of this episode and then share it with your production team. Your best bet is to make sure everyone is on the same page before you sow the first seed.
Resources:
Slideshow that accompanies this podcast: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/tech-on-demand-in-the-break-room-pansy-part-one
Tech On Demand At Risk Crops YouTube Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8NX3KFjAfBmEPwUH0frx_EYTu_dofILX
Visit the GrowerTalks Magazine Website: https://www.growertalks.com/
BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TECH ON DEMAND PODCAST ON ANY MAJOR PODCAST PLAYER SO YOU NEVER MISS AN EPISODE – iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and more.
Tech On Demand: Success Growing Garden Mums with HydraFiber
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by two knowledgeable people from Profile Products, the company behind HydraFiber. Daniel Norden is the Senior Technical Specialist and Jennifer Neujahr is the Director of Business Development and they are on the cast to talk garden mums – specifically the benefits and nuances growers can expect when using HydraFiber media substrates in production.
With the much-discussed shortages and challenges related to supply of raw materials for growing media, more and more greenhouses are turning to HydraFiber for many crops. While it’s great that a relatively new product like wood fiber is available, there will be a learning curve to tackle when making a change. Daniel spends some time covering a few tips when incorporating HydraFiber, such as irrigation, nutrition and the importance of media testing. He points out some things to watch for, and also the benefits growers have seen in their garden mum crops. Then Jennifer takes listeners through some of the new products and why more and more greenhouse professionals are opting for them. This episode is heavy on the technical side, but Bill and the guests also spend time discussing what’s going on in the media market these days. You want to stick around to the end of this one.
Resources:
View the slideshow from this conversation: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/success-with-garden-mums-using-hydrafiber
Learn more about HydraFiber and their range of media substrates: https://www.hydrafiber.com/
Watch their Maximize Mum Production Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDLuyswL29s
Visit the GrowerTalks Magazine Website: https://www.growertalks.com/
BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TECH ON DEMAND PODCAST ON ANY MAJOR PODCAST PLAYER SO YOU NEVER MISS AN EPISODE – iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and more.
High-Tech Media with Ed Bloodnick
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Ed Bloodnick, grower services and product development director at Premier Tech Horticulture, the company behind PRO-MIX growing media. Ed leads the grower services team at Premier Tech, responsible for customer product support, training, laboratory services and product trials. Ed’s been at Premier Tech for 33 years and before that was the GM of a 20-acre greenhouse operation producing a range of crops from annuals and perennials to nursery and seasonal plants. He’s the perfect guest to discuss current media and substrate technology and why it’s changing the game and creating tremendous opportunities for growers.
Ed starts by sharing a quick history of soilless media and why our industry moved away from mineral soils in the 1970s. Then he and Bill dive right into the topic of media with added microorganisms like bacteria and mycorrhizae and why these “active ingredients” are so important, from a plant and soil health perspective. Ed explains how and why Premier Tech developed a strategy to incorporate microorganisms, as well as the differences between them, from endo vs. ecto and then into the importance of tripartite relationships in optimum plant growth. The bottom line is that growers using this type of media are seeing the benefits very clearly, including enhanced plant growth, disease suppression and improved flowering and fruiting. They close by discussing how and why growers should begin trialing new media types in production. The topic may seem complex, and it is, but Ed does a fantastic job explaining it in a way that makes it understandable for growers of all experience levels. You’re going to want to listen all the way to the end of this episode!
Resources:
Check out Premier Tech’s Training Center, filled with videos and technical documents: https://www.pthorticulture.com/en/training-center/
Learn more about Premier Tech and PRO-MIX and their range of horticulture industry-leading media products: https://www.pthorticulture.com/en/
Continue the conversation by reaching out to the Premier Tech Grower Services Team: https://www.pthorticulture.com/en/grower-services/
Visit the GrowerTalks Magazine Website: https://www.growertalks.com/
BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TECH ON DEMAND PODCAST ON ANY MAJOR PODCAST PLAYER SO YOU NEVER MISS AN EPISODE – iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and more.
Tech On Demand: Sustainable Growing Solutions Can Pay Off Bigtime
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined for the third time by Bryce Anderson, sales manager for The HC Companies. In this episode, they tie a bow on a three-part miniseries that started with pricing, moved to adding value and now wraps up with a more specific and action-oriented look at how sustainable packaging can create multiple payoffs. Bryce is a 28-year industry vet with experience in a wide range of roles from greenhouse production and distribution to retail and even manufacturing. He’s been a head grower and production manager, as well as garden center manager. He also brings experience in sales and operation management. This diverse skill set makes him a perfect guest to cover our topic du jour – Sustainable Growing Solutions Have Far-Reaching Payoffs.
This time, Bill and Bryce dig into how sustainable products fit perfectly into current (and shifting) consumer wants and needs. Bryce characterizes current market demand, as well as grower attitudes towards products that are not only good for the Earth but also fit seamlessly into modern greenhouse production scenarios. Next, the guys address costs and how sustainable products may be more expensive but the payback is greater. They close the discussion with a conversation about mindset changes and exactly why these new products should not be lumped into the general product mix, but instead called out as just that – new. Bryce ends our three-part podcast by sharing some thoughts on why now is the time to take some baby steps and test the waters with new sustainable products. After sharing his insights on pricing and differentiation, as well as a clear tactic, hopefully the story is pretty clear. Now is the time to embrace change and build your business for the future.
Resources:
Learn more about The HC Companies and their range of industry-leading horticultural containers: https://hc-companies.com
Continue the conversation with Bryce Anderson via email: banderson@hc-companies.com
Visit the GrowerTalks Magazine Website: https://www.growertalks.com/
BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TECH ON DEMAND PODCAST ON ANY MAJOR PODCAST PLAYER SO YOU NEVER MISS AN EPISODE – iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and more.
Tech On Demand: Product Differentiation is Critical to Your Value Proposition
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is once again joined by Bryce Anderson, sales manager for The HC Companies. Bryce is a 28-year industry vet with experience in a wide range of roles from greenhouse production and distribution to retail and even manufacturing. He’s been a head grower and production manager, as well as garden center manager. He also brings experience in sales and operation management. He says his skills have evolved over the years to include water, media, nutrition management and he has a particular focus on crop quality. That wide range of skills and experience should make this discussion particularly interesting – Product Differentiation is Critical to Your Value Proposition.
Following up on the previous episode focused on pricing, Bryce and Bill spend some time on ways and reasons to differentiate. They begin by highlighting how critical it is for growers to move toward product uniqueness and away from falling into the commodity trap. Bryce shares his perspectives on how to navigate a marketplace of choices and find products that are truly different. He spends time on the costs required to create difference but even more time on the cost not to differentiate. They kick around the question if differentiation strategies should fall on the grower or retailer (or both). Bryce wraps up the podcast with final thoughts on creative ways to elevate a product mix and grab attention as a wholesale grower. This is a fantastic discussion of a very important topic. Throw in your earbuds and open your mind to some fresh thinking.
Resources:
Learn more about The HC Companies and their range of industry-leading horticultural containers: https://hc-companies.com
Continue the conversation with Bryce Anderson via email: banderson@hc-companies.com
Visit the GrowerTalks Magazine Website: https://www.growertalks.com/
BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TECH ON DEMAND PODCAST ON ANY MAJOR PODCAST PLAYER SO YOU NEVER MISS AN EPISODE – iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and more.
Tech On Demand: Don’t Sell Yourself Short!
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Bryce Anderson, sales manager for The HC Companies. Bryce is a 28-year industry veteran with experience from greenhouse production and distribution to retail and even manufacturing. He’s been a head grower and production manager, as well as garden center manager. He also brings experience in sales and operation management. He says his skills have evolved over the years to include water, media, nutrition management and he has a particular focus on crop quality. It’s this comprehensive understanding of the industry that makes him perfect for our discussion today - Are Growers Selling Themselves Short? The Struggle to Balance Price with Value.
In this entertaining conversation, Bryce and Bill discuss what they’ve seen over the years that makes this topic of particular importance, while bringing an understanding of the realities of greenhouse production and market dynamics to the table. Bryce talks a lot about the myth and reality of consumer price sensitivity, market competition and what factors into a fear of raising prices. He touches on the importance of knowing your market and your costs, as well as his thoughts on what it takes to be profitable. Stick around all the way to the end for a timely and relevant conversation about the current market, post-pandemic, and how critical it is to capitalize now to hook a new generation and set of customers. You’re going to love this episode!
Resources:
Learn more about The HC Companies and their range of industry-leading horticultural containers: https://hc-companies.com
Continue the conversation with Bryce Anderson via email: banderson@hc-companies.com
Visit the GrowerTalks Magazine Website: https://www.growertalks.com/
BE SURE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE TECH ON DEMAND PODCAST ON ANY MAJOR PODCAST PLAYER SO YOU NEVER MISS AN EPISODE – iTunes, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and more.
Tech On Demand: At Risk Crops - Basil
Our miniseries on At Risk Crops continues with Basil. To look at the inherent risks with this crop, we’re joined by Nick Flax, a technical specialist with Ball Horticultural Company. The discussion covers Basil Downy Mildew. Nick shares information about this aggressive pathogen, as well as strategies for avoiding it.
Resources:
Slides for this presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/ball-tech-on-demand-at-risk-crops-basil
Overview of At Risk Crops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nivIaIVFE3c
At Risk Crop Resources: https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/
At Risk Crop Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRWIFgcRZVIylFIk-me3R1Q
Subscribe to GrowerTalks Magazine: https://www.growertalks.com/Subscribe/
Join the Greenhouse Tech Team closed group on Facebook and connect with more than 1000 greenhouse professionals | Log onto Facebook and search: Greenhouse Tech Team in groups.
Tech On Demand: At Risk Crops - Canna
Our miniseries on At Risk Crops continues with Canna. To look at the inherent risks with this key tropical crop, we’re joined by Dr. Will Healy, senior technical manager with Ball Horticultural Company. The discussion covers viruses impacting this crop. Will shares information about these potential challenges, as well as proven strategies for control.
Resources:
Slides for this presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/ball-tech-on-demand-at-risk-crops-canna
Overview of At Risk Crops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nivIaIVFE3c
At Risk Crop Resources: https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/
At Risk Crop Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRWIFgcRZVIylFIk-me3R1Q
Subscribe to GrowerTalks Magazine: https://www.growertalks.com/Subscribe/
Join the Greenhouse Tech Team closed group on Facebook and connect with more than 1000 greenhouse professionals | Log onto Facebook and search: Greenhouse Tech Team in groups.
Tech On Demand: At Risk Crops - Carnation
Our miniseries on At Risk Crops continues with Carnation. To look at the inherent risks with this crop, we’re joined by Dr. Will Healy, senior technical manager with Ball Horticultural Company. The discussion covers viruses and fungal diseases impacting this crop. Will shares information about these potential challenges, as well as proven strategies for control.
Resources:
Slides for this presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/ball-tech-on-demand-at-risk-crops-carnation
Overview of At Risk Crops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nivIaIVFE3c
At Risk Crop Resources: https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/
At Risk Crop Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRWIFgcRZVIylFIk-me3R1Q
Subscribe to GrowerTalks Magazine: https://www.growertalks.com/Subscribe/
Join the Greenhouse Tech Team closed group on Facebook and connect with more than 1000 greenhouse professionals | Log onto Facebook and search: Greenhouse Tech Team in groups.
Tech On Demand: At Risk Crops - Hosta
Our miniseries on At Risk Crops continues with Hosta. To look at the inherent risks with this crop, we’re joined by Dr. Nathan Jahnke, a research manager with Ball Horticultural Company. The discussion covers viruses impacting this crop. Nathan shares information about these potential challenges, as well as proven strategies for control.
Resources:
Slides for this presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/ball-tech-on-demand-at-risk-crops-hosta
Overview of At Risk Crops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nivIaIVFE3c
At Risk Crop Resources: https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/
At Risk Crop Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRWIFgcRZVIylFIk-me3R1Q
Subscribe to GrowerTalks Magazine: https://www.growertalks.com/Subscribe/
Join the Greenhouse Tech Team closed group on Facebook and connect with more than 1000 greenhouse professionals | Log onto Facebook and search: Greenhouse Tech Team in groups.
Tech On Demand: Growing for the Pro Landscape Market
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by joined by Lisa Lacy and Jeff Gibson. Lisa is a Portfolio Manager with PanAmerican Seed – a brilliant plant guru with a keen market sense, spotting trends far before they come to fruition. Jeff is Landscape and Independent Garden Center Business Manager with Ball Horticultural and someone who knows our industry inside and out with an ability to learn markets and help growers produce and deliver the crops relevant to each. Our topic this time is the Professional Landscape Segment – a huge part of our industry and one with particular wants, needs and nuances.
Both Lisa and Jeff are industry veterans and with that experience comes plenty of stories, so sit back and enjoy a lively conversation about ways to work effectively, as a grower, with the professional landscape segment. We talk about how the market has changed over the years, what landscape professionals have shared about how they want product grown and delivered, the importance of trust and availability and tips that have worked for many greenhouses. We also discuss how plant breeding and development has evolved to focus on landscape market needs and the importance of trialing new varieties to determine durability and longevity in today’s landscapes. Finally, we wrap up with everyone’s favorite topic – new varieties and products proving success with professional landscapers and designers.
Resources:
Ball Landscape Website – including the 2021 Thrive regional poster, Photo Library and ready-to-use presentations for growers: https://www.balllandscape.com
PanAmerican Seed Pro Landscape Website – including a regional plant selector, sell sheet creation tools and a plant calculator to help design installations: https://www.panamseed.com/landscape
GrowerTalks Magazine Website: https://www.growertalks.com/
Tech On Demand: At Risk Crops - Tomato
Our miniseries on At Risk Crops continues with Tomato. To look at the inherent risks with this crop, we’re joined by Nick Flax, a technical specialist with Ball Horticultural Company. The discussion covers a specific virus, as well as bacterial leaf spot impacting this crop. Nick shares information about these potential challenges, as well as proven strategies for control.
Resources:
Slides for this presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/ball-tech-on-demand-at-risk-crops-tomato
Overview of At Risk Crops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nivIaIVFE3c
At Risk Crop Resources: https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/
At Risk Crop Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRWIFgcRZVIylFIk-me3R1Q
Subscribe to GrowerTalks Magazine: https://www.growertalks.com/Subscribe/
Join the Greenhouse Tech Team closed group on Facebook and connect with more than 1000 greenhouse professionals | Log onto Facebook and search: Greenhouse Tech Team in groups.
Tech On Demand: At Risk Crops – Geranium
Our miniseries on At Risk Crops continues with Geranium. To look at the inherent risks with this crop, we’re joined by Dr. Todd Cavins, a technical manager with Ball Horticultural Company. The discussion covers bacterial diseases impacting this crop. Todd shares information about these potential challenges, as well as proven strategies for control.
Resources:
Slides for this presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/ball-tech-on-demand-at-risk-crops-geranium
Overview of At Risk Crops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nivIaIVFE3c
At Risk Crop Resources: https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/
At Risk Crop Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRWIFgcRZVIylFIk-me3R1Q
Subscribe to GrowerTalks Magazine: https://www.growertalks.com/Subscribe/
Join the Greenhouse Tech Team closed group on Facebook and connect with more than 1000 greenhouse professionals | Log onto Facebook and search: Greenhouse Tech Team in groups.
Tech On Demand: At Risk Crops – Hiemalis Begonia
Our miniseries on At Risk Crops continues with Hiemalis Begonia. To look at the inherent risks with this crop, we’re joined by Dr. Nathan Jahnke, a research manager with Ball Horticultural Company. The discussion covers viruses and fungal diseases impacting this crop. Nathan shares information about these potential challenges, as well as proven strategies for control.
Resources:
Slides for this presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/ball-tech-on-demand-at-risk-crops-hiemalis-begonia
Overview of At Risk Crops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nivIaIVFE3c
At Risk Crop Resources: https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/
At Risk Crop Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRWIFgcRZVIylFIk-me3R1Q
Subscribe to GrowerTalks Magazine: https://www.growertalks.com/Subscribe/
Join the Greenhouse Tech Team closed group on Facebook and connect with more than 1000 greenhouse professionals | Log onto Facebook and search: Greenhouse Tech Team in groups.
Tech On Demand: Cost Savings in Plant Protection Products with Aaron Palmateer
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Aaron Palmateer, Senior Technical Representative with Bayer Ornamentals, to talk about the economic side of things – moving beyond “sticker shock” and understanding how plant protection products can actually save you money. Aaron begins by jumping right into the topic with an overview of how growers really do save money when incorporating effective products into their pest, disease and weed management strategies. Next, we tackle the topic of generics and how such products might not be the best approach. Digging deeper, Aaron outlines a plan for cost-effective chemical rotations before sharing some examples of new chemistries developed to not only reduce long-term costs but solve greenhouse problems in creative and modern ways.
Be sure to listen all the way to the end of this episode to learn about a new resource available from Bayer, a user-friendly Spanish language pest identification guide that’s sure to be a critical tool for all greenhouse operations.
Resources:
Bayer Ornamentals Website: https://www.environmentalscience.bayer.us
Spanish Pest Identification Guide: https://www.environmentalscience.bayer.us/turf-and-ornamentals-management/production-ornamentals/portfolios-and-solutions/Spanish-Pest-Identification-Guide
GrowerTalks Magazine Website: https://www.growertalks.com/
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Aaron Palmateer, Senior Technical Representative with Bayer Ornamentals, to discuss the ins and outs of putting together a comprehensive pest and disease management program for your greenhouse. The episode kicks off with an explanation of integrated pest management for pest and diseases before moving into the key components for a solid program. Once the basics are covered, Aaron shares specific strategies to build a program and ways to know exactly what you’re dealing with when it comes to your crop plan. We wrap up with a conversation about the many variables that exist each season and methods and protocols to follow to minimize the risk of introducing pest, diseases and weeds into a production environment.
Be sure to listen all the way to the end of this episode to learn about a new resource available from Bayer, a user-friendly Spanish language pest identification guide that’s sure to be a critical tool for all greenhouse operations.
Resources:
Bayer Ornamentals Website: https://www.environmentalscience.bayer.us
Spanish Pest Identification Guide: https://www.environmentalscience.bayer.us/turf-and-ornamentals-management/production-ornamentals/portfolios-and-solutions/Spanish-Pest-Identification-Guide
GrowerTalks Magazine Website: https://www.growertalks.com/
Tech On Demand: Root, Stem and Crown Rot Diseases with Aaron Palmateer
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Aaron Palmateer, Senior Technical Representative with Bayer Ornamentals, to talk about root, stem and crown rot diseases. Because some of the diseases discussed occur below the soil and out of sight, detection is extremely critical to avoid devastating effects to the crop. The earlier symptoms are detected the better - that’s how this episode begins. Next, Aaron moves to an overview of the major pathogens impacting root, stem and crown and exactly how they cause disease. He goes in depth on the Big Four – Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium – but also discusses less-common pathogens and fungi. This episode concludes with a review of treatment options and rotation suggestions.
Be sure to listen all the way to the end of this episode to learn about a new resource available from Bayer, a user-friendly Spanish language pest identification guide that’s sure to be a critical tool for all greenhouse operations.
Resources:
Bayer Ornamentals Website: https://www.environmentalscience.bayer.us
Spanish Pest Identification Guide: https://www.environmentalscience.bayer.us/turf-and-ornamentals-management/production-ornamentals/portfolios-and-solutions/Spanish-Pest-Identification-Guide
GrowerTalks Magazine Website: https://www.growertalks.com/
Tech On Demand: Foliar Diseases of Ornamental Plants
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Aaron Palmateer, Senior Technical Representative with Bayer Ornamentals, to talk about foliar disease on greenhouse crops. Leaf spot disease management must be a top priority for all greenhouse professionals and Aaron explains why, as well as comparing the importance of yield to farmers with quality for greenhouse growers. After setting the stage for this episode’s discussion, the conversation moves to the importance of diagnostics and then a deep dive into how exactly disease happens and a review of the “disease triangle” with a twist. The differences between fungal and bacterial pathogens are detailed before Aaron tackles best practices to avoid them. This episode concludes with a review of treatment options and how to avoid resistance.
Be sure to listen all the way to the end of this episode to learn about a new resource available from Bayer, a user-friendly Spanish language pest identification guide that’s sure to be a critical tool for all greenhouse operations.
Resources:
Bayer Ornamentals Website: https://www.environmentalscience.bayer.us
Spanish Pest Identification Guide: https://www.environmentalscience.bayer.us/turf-and-ornamentals-management/production-ornamentals/portfolios-and-solutions/Spanish-Pest-Identification-Guide
GrowerTalks Magazine Website: https://www.growertalks.com/
Tech On Demand: At Risk Crops – Cabbage & Kale
Our miniseries on At Risk Crops continues with Cabbage & Kale – two very common fall crops. To look at the inherent risks with these key seasonal crops, we’re joined by Dr. Todd Cavins, a technical manager with Ball Horticultural Company. The discussion covers bacterial leaf spot, or black rot. Dr. Cavins shares information about these potential challenges, as well as proven strategies for control.
Resources:
Slides for this presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/ball-tech-on-demand-at-risk-crops-cabbage-kale
Overview of At Risk Crops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nivIaIVFE3c
At Risk Crop Resources: https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/
At Risk Crop Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRWIFgcRZVIylFIk-me3R1Q
Subscribe to GrowerTalks Magazine: https://www.growertalks.com/Subscribe/
Join the Greenhouse Tech Team closed group on Facebook and connect with more than 1000 greenhouse professionals | Log onto Facebook and search: Greenhouse Tech Team in groups.
Tech On Demand: At Risk Crops - Peppers
Our miniseries on At Risk Crops continues with Peppers – ornamental and edible. To look at the inherent risks with this key seasonal crop, we’re joined by Dr. Todd Cavins, a technical manager with Ball Horticultural Company. The discussion covers bacterial leaf spot and tospoviruses. Dr. Cavins shares information about these potential challenges, as well as proven strategies for control.
Resources:
Slides for this presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/ball-tech-on-demand-at-risk-crops-pepper
e-GRO: Insecticides Labeled for Greenhouse-grown Vegetables resource mentioned in the discussion:http://e-gro.org/pdf/2017_607.pdf
Overview of At Risk Crops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nivIaIVFE3c
At Risk Crop Resources: https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/
At Risk Crop Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRWIFgcRZVIylFIk-me3R1Q
Subscribe to GrowerTalks Magazine: https://www.growertalks.com/Subscribe/
Join the Greenhouse Tech Team closed group on Facebook and connect with more than 1000 greenhouse professionals | Log onto Facebook and search: Greenhouse Tech Team in groups.
Tech On Demand: At Risk Crops – Zinnia
Our miniseries on At Risk Crops continues with Zinnia. To look at the inherent risks with this key crop, we’re joined by Dr. Will Healy, senior technical manager for Ball Horticultural Company. Bacterial leaf spot, fungal leaf spot and powdery mildew are the topics at hand and Dr. Healy shares how to identify these diseases and also best strategies for control. Producing a clean, healthy zinnia crop is the ultimate goal.
Resources:
Slides for this presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/ball-tech-on-demand-at-risk-crops-zinnia
At Risk Crop Resources: https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/
At Risk Crop Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRWIFgcRZVIylFIk-me3R1Q
Subscribe to GrowerTalks Magazine: https://www.growertalks.com/Subscribe/
Join the Greenhouse Tech Team closed group on Facebook and connect with more than 1000 greenhouse professionals | Log onto Facebook and search: Greenhouse Tech Team in groups.
Tech On Demand: At Risk Crops – Garden Mums
Our miniseries on At Risk Crops continues with Garden Mums. To look at the inherent risks with this key seasonal crop, we’re joined by Dr. Will Healy, senior technical manager for Ball Horticultural Company. The discussion centers on one major disease concern, Chrysanthemum White Rust. Dr. Healy shares information about this disease, as well as proven strategies for control. Fusarium on chrysanthemums is also covered in detail.
Resources:
Slides for this presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/bcalkins/ball-tech-on-demand-at-risk-crops-garden-mums
At Risk Crop Resources: https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/
At Risk Crop Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRWIFgcRZVIylFIk-me3R1Q
Subscribe to GrowerTalks Magazine: https://www.growertalks.com/Subscribe/
Join the Greenhouse Tech Team closed group on Facebook and connect with more than 1000 greenhouse professionals | Log onto Facebook and search: Greenhouse Tech Team in groups.
Tech On Demand: At Risk Crops - Overview
This episode kicks off a miniseries on At Risk Crops. For a high-level overview of this topic, we’re joined by Dr. Will Healy, senior technical manager for Ball Horticultural Company. To start off our look at At Risk Crops, Dr. Healy digs into ways to manage the Disease Triangle – Pathogen, Host and Environment – and overall strategies to use when producing crops with inherent challenges. Continuous management of the disease triangle, throughout the entire production process, is required to ensure crop success.
Resources:
At Risk Crop Resources: https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/
At Risk Crop Video Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRWIFgcRZVIylFIk-me3R1Q
Subscribe to GrowerTalks Magazine: https://www.growertalks.com/Subscribe/
Join the Greenhouse Tech Team closed group on Facebook and connect with more than 1000 greenhouse professionals | Log onto Facebook and search: Greenhouse Tech Team in groups.
Tech On Demand: Holding & Delaying Greenhouse Crops
Although this season is an anomaly, the first time North America has experienced pandemic-related quarantines and sheltering, holding crops due to market challenges like weather impact growers more often than not. Today, we catch up with three experts covering a wide range of greenhouse crops from a technical and cultural perspective to learn strategies greenhouse professionals can use when product can’t be shipped on time. What crops respond well to holding and delaying strategies from cutting back to temperature manipulation and chemicals to lighting? How can you best make those kinds of decisions? What data do we have to determine how to treat specific crops? Are there any that you absolutely should not hold in certain ways? We tackle all of this and much more for seed annuals, vegetative annuals and perennials with PanAmerican Seed's Jerry Gorchels, Gary Vollmer from Ball FloraPlant and Selecta One and Chris Fifo with Darwin Perennials and Kieft Seed. The goal is to keep annual and perennial crops alive and saleable longer.
Resources:
Holding & Delaying Crops - Excel Tool and Strategies Document: https://www.ballseed.com/QuickCulture/ProductionGuides/
Subscribe to GrowerTalks Magazine: https://www.growertalks.com/Subscribe/
Join the Greenhouse Tech Team closed group on Facebook and connect with more than 1000 greenhouse professionals | Log onto Faceboook and search: Greenhouse Tech Team in groups.
Tech On Demand: Greenhouse Sanitation
Our Tech On Demand topic du jour is Greenhouse Sanitation. This time, we’re joined by Dr. Todd Cavins. Todd’s one of the technical services experts at Ball Seed and has been helping professional growers solve greenhouse production challenges for more than ten years in the field and before that was a professor at Oklahoma State University. You may have seen the hashtag #startcleanstayclean in hort posts recently. We all know it’s true. But does your greenhouse really have a sanitation plan? You don’t have to answer that, but you do have to listen all the way to the end of this episode because Todd covers a lot. From how growers (especially managers) traffic pests around a greenhouse to best practices for keeping greenhouses clean, Todd takes us from spring cleanup through crop production in all stages to help determine where problems lie and most importantly, how to clean them up.
Resources:
GrowerTalks Article: Start Clean. Stay Clean. https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=24573
Subscribe to GrowerTalks Magazine: https://www.growertalks.com/Subscribe/
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Tech On Demand: Poinsettia Disease Control
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Aaron Palmateer, Senior Technical Representative with Bayer Ornamentals, to talk about managing disease on poinsettias. When it comes to disease identification and management, Aaron’s a pro – with a background in plant pathology. He looks into his crystal ball and talks about diseases growers can expect on poinsettia crops this season, regionally and across all of North America. He also spends time on best practices and general guidelines to reduce the threat of pathogens and maximize the chance of success, as well as the importance of diagnostics. He covers pythium, botrytis, rhizoctonia, phytophthora, powdery mildew and a whole lot more. And in terms of solutions, the newest technologies in broad spectrum controls are covered giving growers solid information on new tools for the toolbox.
Be sure to listen all the way to the end of this episode to learn about a new resource available from Bayer, a user-friendly Spanish language pest identification guide that’s sure to be a critical tool for all greenhouse operations.
Resources:
Bayer Ornamentals Website: https://www.environmentalscience.bayer.us
Spanish Pest Identification Guide: https://www.environmentalscience.bayer.us/turf-and-ornamentals-management/production-ornamentals/portfolios-and-solutions/Spanish-Pest-Identification-Guide
GrowerTalks Magazine Website: https://www.growertalks.com/
Tech On Demand: Poinsettia Insect Control
In this episode of Tech On Demand brought to you by GrowerTalks, host Bill Calkins is joined by Aaron Palmateer, Senior Technical Representative with Bayer Ornamentals, to talk about managing insects on poinsettias. The discussion centers on insect challenges greenhouse professional face when producing poinsettias. Aaron takes listeners on an action-oriented journey from starting strong in the early stages of propagation through to finishing this critical holiday crop with minimal insect pressure. Regional specifics are covered, as well as how to avoid challenges from common and less-common pests. With challenges come solutions, and Aaron shares the latest technologies available to combat insects when they’re found.
Be sure to listen all the way to the end of this episode to learn about a new resource available from Bayer, a user-friendly Spanish language pest identification guide that’s sure to be a critical tool for all greenhouse operations.
Resources:
Bayer Ornamentals Website: https://www.environmentalscience.bayer.us
Spanish Pest Identification Guide: https://www.environmentalscience.bayer.us/turf-and-ornamentals-management/production-ornamentals/portfolios-and-solutions/Spanish-Pest-Identification-Guide
GrowerTalks Magazine Website: https://www.growertalks.com/