GrowerTalks

April 2020 Issue

Vol. 83 No. 12

See the Digital Edition

This Month ...

Developing Skilled Labor, One Intern at a Time

by Julie Martens Forney

COVID-19 RESOURCES

COVID-19

Who will be this year’s Young Grower winner?

We’ll be awarding this year’s GrowerTalks/Nexus Young Grower Award at the Unplugged event during Cultivate’20. If you’re heading to Columbus, make some time to join us Monday night to see who will be on the cover of our September issue. There will be networking, a rooftop bar and your first drink is free!

WHEN: Monday, July 13 at 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Callahan’s Columbus
520 Park Street, Columbus, Ohio

Finalists for the 2020 GrowerTalks/Nexus Young Grower Award:
Stephanie Berkhout: Qualitree Propagators Inc.
Emily McKay: Walters Gardens Inc.
Arlan Van Dam: Masson Farms

An extra special thanks goes to Nexus and AmericanHort for sponsoring this year’s award!

VIDEOS

Watch More

Cool Products from TPIE 2020

Cool Products from TPIE 2020

Ball Seed Customer Day 2019

Green workforce

Big Top plant-moving robot

Darwin Perennials Day 2019

Perennials: In or Out?

Jen Zurko Makes a Staghorn Fern Plank

Spring Trials 2019: Ball FloraPlant

Spring Trials 2019: Florist

Spring Trials 2019: Syngenta Drum Off

Spring Trials 2019: Proven Winners Annuals

Spring Trials 2019: Proven Winners Perennials & Shrubs

Bobblehead Bloopers 2019

2019 Spring Trials: PanAmerican Seed

2019 Spring Trials: Burpee

Spring Trials 2019: Ball Ingenuity

2019 Spring Trials: Darwin Perennials

Spring Trials 2019: Westhoff

Spring Trials 2019: Green Fuse

The new IDM-resistant impatiens

NEWSLETTERS

Read and subscribe to a variety of Newsletters tailored to your industry interests.

COVER STORY

Expansion Stories

Many growers across North America are adding more space. We asked a handful of them why and what they’re doing with their new structures.

FEATURES

Developing Skilled Labor, One Intern at a Time

Julie Martens Forney

The labor crisis is an industry-wide problem without a one-size-fits-all solution. The answer lies in creative thinking and the American Floral Endowment is embracing the challenge. By investing in student internships, AFE is cultivating a pool of skilled labor that you can draw from, and contribute to, by hosting an intern.The labor crisis is an industry-wide problem without a one-size-fits-all solution. The answer lies in creative thinking and the American Floral Endowment is embracing the challenge. By investing in student internships, AFE is cultivating a pool of skilled labor that you can draw from, and contribute to, by hosting an intern.

Fall Is for Perennials, Too

Start planning now to sell perennials for fall along with your mums and pansies.

Flex Your Greenhouse

Without building new ranges, growers get creative using space during peak seasons.

Trucking Best Practices

Jennifer Zurko & Bill Calkins

The biggest challenges that growers are facing with distribution and how they’re working to handle them.

CULTURE NOTES

Growing Dahlightful Dahlias

With their rich, jewel-toned flowers contrasting against chocolate foliage, these dahlias are a perfect alternative to mums or zinnias for a late summer, early autumn grab-and-go solitary or mixed pot choice on retail shelves as consumers start thinking fall.

Growing With Griffin

Good to the Last Raindrop

Virginia Brubaker

How to protect crops through prolonged wet weather.

Growers Talk Production

Trade Associations: What’s Their Value?

The health and prosperity of our state and national trade associations, and horticulture non-profit foundations directly correlates with how in-line our industry is with the newest members of its Millennial consumer base.

PEST MANAGEMENT

Basil Downy Mildew Field Observations

Basil downy mildew problems in the U.S. began in 2007 in Florida during the 2007 growing season. Since 2008, it’s become widespread in many states and has been reported in Canada and South America.

COLUMNS

Getting Through the New & Unknown

As I write this, I’m currently hibernating during a three-week stay-at-home period because of COVID-19.

Keep Calm and Garden On

I see three ways that our products are an antidote to all of the ills COVID-19 has caused.

Paul Talks Perennials

Paul’s PGR Primer

Guidelines on the reasons to apply PGRs and the benefits they provide when used effectively.

Growers Talk Business

Never Say You’re Sorry

There’s a formula for a good apology that too few people know and every apology needs three things.

IN THIS ISSUE

Congressional Action Days: Less Voices, But Still Heard

The Society of American Florists’ 40th Annual Congressional Action Days may have been on the smaller side, but the people who were there were still able to get to Capitol Hill to have their voices heard.

A Scientific Approach to Horticulture

Anne-Marie Hardie

Aaron Fields, head of horticulture and general manager of the vertical greenhouse at Eden Green Technology in Cleburne, Texas, is a self-described journeyman who adopts a scientific approach to each role, immersing himself in research and data to reveal solutions that will propel the industry forward.

GT IN BRIEF

AFE Research Proposals, Scholarship Applications Now Being Accepted

Energy Code Change Could Affect Greenhouses

Field to Vase Announces 2020 Dinners

HRI Announces 2020 Grant Awards

In Memorium: Pete Pike

NewGen Boxwood Introduced to the European Market

Orchid Endurance

SNA Scholarships & New Board Members

The Three Rs of Irrigation

COLUMNISTS

Heather Hydoski

Roger McGaughey

Abe VanWingerden

NEW PRODUCTS

Plants Nouveau LLC
Hydrangea Hortmagreclo Everlasting Green Cloud

Morel Diffusion
Halios Litchi Rose

Theta Retail
Theta Retail

Ball FloraPlant
Cabaret Calibrachoa

Gempler’s Inc.
Hardwood Field and Plant Labels

Argus Controls
Argus Live