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Tip Atrophy: Triggers & Solutions

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 

Audio Files: Avoiding Tax Audits

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

Achieving Uniformity in Canna Production

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

Achieving Uniformity in Begonia Production

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

 

Audio Files: Two Tobamoviruses to Keep an Eye Out For

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

Audio Files: The Rise of Vertical Farming

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

Audio Files: Rehydrating Unrooted Cuttings

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

Achieving Uniform Germination & Flowering in Petunia Production

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

 

100th Episode! Telling Stories with Chris Beytes

Can you believe it’s the 100^th episode of the Tech On Demand podcast? Well, it is—and this is going to be a special one!

 

For the 100^th 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/

 

Audio Files: The Importance of Transparent Communication

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