TECH ON DEMAND brought to you by GrowerTalks

Talking Tech with Danziger’s Mike Fernandez: NGI Nuances, URC Priorities & Low-Input Baskets

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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Be Vigilant: Greenhouse Diseases in 2022 with Dr. Ann Chase & Dr. Aaron Palmateer

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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Holding & Handling Unrooted Cuttings

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.

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Next Level Engagement, Growth and Brand Building

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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Structures Strategies: Build New or Refresh?

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/

At Risk Crops: Pansy Part Three (Finishing)

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/

 

At Risk Crops: Pansy Part Two (Receiving & Transplant)

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/

 

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At Risk Crops: Pansy Part One (Propagation)

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/

 

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Success Growing Garden Mums with HydraFiber

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/

 

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High-Tech Media with Ed Bloodnick

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.