Acres & Acres

Random Thoughts on Big Trends

Chris Beytes

Challenges and ideas that are currently on the minds of growers and retailers.

Columns

Apprenticeships

Albert Grimm

Traditional apprenticeships don’t end with graduates that are filled with cookbook knowledge.

Columns

Coverage = Kill

Paul Pilon

Successfully controlling pests and diseases involves more than simply applying an effective product.

Columns

In a Greenhouse, Not So Far Away

Jennifer Zurko

Dealing with labor shortages and the demand to grow more using less creates the perfect environment for new technology and innovation.

Columns

Singing the Botrytis Blues?

Rick Yates

Several methods, both cultural and chemical, can be used to help keep Botrytis at bay.

Cover Story

AutoStix: The Next Big Thing Since the Plug Tray?

Chris Beytes

Finding a way to automate the sticking of unrooted cuttings has been the Holy Grail of the industry since the vegetative annual craze began back in the ’90s. AutoStix is taking up the challenge. What’s interesting is that it’s not just a machine, it’s a whole system—one that puts the job of sticking cuttings onto your offshore supplier.

Culture Notes

Successful Biocontrol in Poinsettias

Ronald Valentin

Basic steps to make a pest management program that’s based on using BCAs successful for poinsettias.

Features

Chemistry Crash Course

Ryan Dickson & Paul Fisher

Why do geraniums drop pH?

Features

Climate Curtains for Considerable Savings

Robert Hanifin

Why and how greenhouse curtains save money and energy.

Features

Go High or Go Low?

Josh Henry & Brian Whipker

Insufficient phosphorus levels may be the culprit behind some of your plant problems.

Features

Motivating the Next Growers

Jennifer Zurko

This year, we asked the three finalists for our GrowerTalks/Dümmen Orange Young Grower Award how they would attract potential employees from Generation Z and inspire them to love this industry as much as they do.

Features

Safety First

Jennifer Zurko

Making sure that your drivers are up-to-date on all of the rules and regulations is a vital part of your business that some companies take for granted.

Growers Talk Business

Bridge Building

Gary Mangum

Embarking on most any mission can generally be easier if we plan and work with, not against, people and organizations that may have differing viewpoints.

GT in Brief

A Seat at the Table

Chris Beytes

Fourteen members of the agricultural community—including, importantly, one of our own, Tom Demaline of Willoway Nurseries in Avon, Ohio (second from left)—brief President Trump on issues of concern during a “Farmers Roundtable” April 25 at the White House.

GT in Brief

AmericanHort Debuts Technology Conference

Chris Beytes

AmericanHort will be holding a Production Technology Conference that “will be the place for nursery and greenhouse growers to get hands-on with the latest advancements in production technology and explore the ROI potential of equipment purchases and upgrades.”

GT in Brief

Ball Expands Rose Business with Rights to Kordes Varieties

Chris Beytes

Building upon its entry into the rose marketplace with the purchase of Conard Pyle/Star Roses in 2015, Ball Horticultural Company has acquired the U.S. and Canadian master licensing rights for Kordes roses from the current rights-holder, Newflora.

GT in Brief

Bayer Unveils New Insecticide

Jennifer Zurko

Environmental Science, a business unit of the Crop Science division of Bayer, announced that Altus insecticide is available for purchase through authorized agents beginning May 1, 2017.

GT in Brief

Greenhouse 101 Class and More From UF

Chris Beytes

If you’ve got an employee or laborer who has no formal training, but would like to expand his or her knowledge, you’re in luck, thanks to the University of Florida.

GT in Brief

Hort Printing Now Orora Visual

Jennifer Zurko

Orora Visual, which was launched in April, united four print and point-of-purchase businesses under one brand, including IntegraColor (Dallas), The Register Print Group (New Jersey), Graphic Tech (Los Angeles) and The Garvey Group (Chicago and Los Angeles). Horticultural Marketing & Printing will now be part of Orora Visual.

GT in Brief

Kaylee South Awarded Paul Ecke, Jr. Scholarship

Chris Beytes

Botrytis, look out! There’s a smart Ph.D. student at The Ohio State University who’s working on ways to take you down.

GT in Brief

Make an Impact on Capitol Hill

Jennifer Polanz

AmericanHort, which has been instrumental in representing the interests of the green industry on Capitol Hill, will continue this work in the fall when it will host the advocacy summit Impact Washington on September 12-13 in Washington, D.C.

GT in Brief

More Bio Plant Products from Mycorrhizal Applications

Jennifer Zurko

Mycorrhizal Applications (MA) announced that it’s now the master distributor of a suite of new biological plant support solutions for the professional horticulture, nursery, greenhouse, landscaping and home gardening markets.

GT in Brief

On The Move

Jennifer Zurko

BALL HORTICULTURAL COMPANY; DARWIN PERENNIALS; LURIE GARDEN; PLEASANT VIEW GARDENS

GT in Brief

Three Students Receive 2017 Altman Family Scholarship

Jennifer Zurko

The American Floral Endowment has named three students as recipients of the 2017 Altman Family Scholarship.

New Products

New Products

Adriana Heikkila

Darwin Perennials; Growers Supply Inc.; H.E. Anderson Co.; Ludvig Svensson Inc.; PBH Nature’s Media Amendment; Star Roses and Plants

SAF in the Lobby

The Floral Industry and Washington: The First 100 Days

Society of American Florists

While “the first 100 days” is viewed by some as artificial and even unhelpful, it’s an accepted benchmark for evaluating a new administration. Here’s our take on the first 100 days, with emphasis on the issues SAF took to the Hill during Congressional Action Days (CAD).

Under an Acre

Integrating Technology for a More Prosperous Tomorrow

Anne-Marie Hardie

When owner of Holy City Farms, Shawn Ransford, delved into the industry, he immediately saw the volume of data that not only needed to be tracked, but evaluated.