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Audio Files: Acres & Acres—Pandemic Not Required

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

Audio Files: Simple Things Growers Miss That Affect Plant Quality

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

Audio Files: The Echinacea Renaissance

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

Audio Files: Planning For 2024

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

Audio Files: Putting Your Media to the Test

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

Audio Files: Frequent Hardy Mum Concerns

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

Audio Files: Minimizing Risk—Overwintering Perennials

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

Audio Files: Optimize Rooting Uniformity—A Hierarchical Process

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

Audio Files: Acres & Acres—I Think We’ve Answered the Question

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

Audio Files: Poinsettia Fertilization Tricks

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.