GrowerTalks

May 2025 Issue

Vol. 89 No. 1

See the Digital Edition

How AI Will Affect HR

by Todd Downing

NEWSLETTERS

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

COVER STORY

New Must-Haves for the Holidays

Compiled by Jennifer Zurko, Photos by Osvaldo Cuevas

The latest poinsettia breeding includes some more traditional reds, but also some novelties, plus a new player in the game.

FEATURES

How AI Will Affect HR

Todd Downing

What does AI mean to the future of Human Resources in our industry?

Keeping Poinsettias Merry & Bright

Broch Martindale

Managing whiteflies and powdery mildew—because no one wants coal for Christmas.

The Evolution of Poinsettia IPM

Jeremy Webber

Whitefly control has come a long way.

The Silent Killer of Success

Rayne Gibson

The costs of poor communication and uncovering the most common pitfalls that disrupt workflow.

When Negatives Can Be a Positive

James Doukas

Growing poinsettias with DIF and DIP.

CULTURE NOTES

Cupheas Move North

Lowell Halvorson

Sales increases over the past decade on cupheas aren’t spectacular, but they’re strong enough to see new breeding enter the category lately from both the majors and the minors.

Reach for the Sky

Lauren Blume

The whimsical sky pattern from Selecta One is now available in poinsettias.

Growers Talk Production

Trial & Error: A Grower’s Guide to Fewer Facepalms

Stephanie Saccomano

A good grower is one who continuously challenges, explores and learns. The key is to keep it simple.

COLUMNS

Inside Look

It’s All in the Presentation

Jennifer Zurko

What if we packaged commodities in such a way that we could charge more for them?

Acres & Acres

Table Stakes

Chris Beytes

While it may be too late to adjust for Spring ’25, there’s still, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring ’26 in which to go back for a refresher on the blocking and tackling, the grip, stance and alignment, of this wild and wacky world we call the greenhouse business.

Growers Talk Business

Marketplace Disruption—Now What?

Stan Vander Waal

It’s time to seriously reflect and create contingencies for the unknowns.

DEPARTMENTS

JZ on D.C.

Jennifer Zurko

AmericanHort on Capitol Hill

GT IN BRIEF

American Horticultural Society Welcomes Five New Board Members

CAST of Characters

Gemini Herbicide Now Registered for California

Honoring Herman Meinders

Kientzler Expands Stock Production Into Guatemala

New Insecticide Posters

On the Move

One Nickel at a Time

Prospiant Hires a New President

Registration for Farwest Now Open

Some Organizational Changes at Ball Publishing

COLUMNISTS

Chris Beytes

Jennifer Zurko

Albert Grimm

Art Parkerson

Paul Pilon

Bill Swanekamp

Amy Morris

Terri McEnaney

Stan Vander Waal

Austin Bryant

Stephanie Saccomano

VIDEOS

Watch More

New Annuals from Proven Winners for 2026 and Beyond!

CAST 2025: Israeli Propagators

CAST 2025: Benary

CAST 2025: ThinkPlants

CAST 2025: Danizger

CAST 2025: Syngenta

CAST 2025: HilverdaFlorist

CAST 2025: Takii

CAST 2025: Kienztler

CAST 2025: Du¨mmen Orange

CAST 2025: Sakata

CAST 2025: PDSI

CAST 2025: PlantHaven

CAST 2025: Pacific Plug & Liner

CAST 2025: Suntory

CAST 2025: Green Fuse

CAST 2025: Beekenkamp

CAST 2025: Westhoff

CAST 2025: Schoneveld

CAST 2025: Hem Genetics

CAST 2025: PanAmerican Seed

CAST 2025: Ball FloraPlant

CAST 2025: Darwin Perennials

CAST 2025: Selecta One

CAST 2025: Morel

Our Visit to DRAMM's New(ish) Location

Trending Now: PDSI’s Screen Play Ilex

Trending Now: PDSI’s Clean Sweep Snowbank

N.G. Heimos Poinsettia Open House 2024

Caladium bulb harvest at Classic Caladiums

The Robo Cut Autonomous Tissue Culture Propagation Robot

Ball Seed Customer Days 2024!

Critical Chemistries (Recorded Live at Cultivate’24) with JC Chong

What's New From the Cultivate'24 Trade Show

Trending Now: Ball Seed & Philips Lighting Solutions

Trending Now: Floxcor Fungicide from Corteva

Trending Now: PDSI’s Better Boxwood

Darwin Perennials Day 2024

TRENDING NOW

BIOTHERM
BioTherm

EAST JORDAN PLASTICS
East Jordan Plastics Inc.

BALL HORTICULTURAL COMPANY
BALL SEED PERENNIALS

VOGES VERPAKKING BV
Voges Packaging

AMERICANHORT
AmericanHort

PINDSTRUP MOSEBURG A/S
PINDSTRUP FOREST GOLD

Who will be this year’s Young Grower winner?

We’ll be awarding this year’s GrowerTalks/Ball Horticultural Company Young Grower Award at the Unplugged event during Cultivate’25. 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 and your first drink is free!

WHEN: Monday, July 14 at 8:00 p.m.
WHERE: Gaswerks
487 Park Street, Columbus, Ohio

Finalists for the 2025 GrowerTalks/Ball Horticultural Company Young Grower Award:
Isabela Chamorro, Mahoney’s Garden Center, Woburn, MA
Daniel Villegas, Van Belle Nursery, Abbotsford, BC
Ginger Thurston, Spring Meadow Nursery, Grand Haven, MI

An extra special thanks goes to Ball Horticultural Company, BASF and AmericanHort for sponsoring this year’s award!

This Month ...

How AI Will Affect HR