TECH ON DEMAND brought to you by GrowerTalks

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