3/1/2023
Save Time for Quick Turns
Bin Liu
Whether in a greenhouse or at a retail store, an empty bench is ultimately an opportunity for sales. Filling benches can herald the exciting start to the spring season or, later on, they’re a chance for more product after peak has subsided. However, an empty bench can also be distressing. It all comes down to timing; if a crop takes too long to sow, grow and finish that sales potential is soon out of reach.
Take a look around your greenhouse. See any empty benches waiting for product? What if I told you they could be filled and shipped quickly—from sowing the seed to in-color, ready-to-sell plants—in 10 weeks or less?
The sales potential is real through a new production scheduling program from PanAmerican Seed called “Sow fast. Grow fast.” This program is built on the foundation of the PanAmerican Seed research team’s in-depth knowledge of both product culture and greenhouse conditions for predicting flower timing.
This data and research are the perfect intersection of:
• Proven germination
• Calculated finish times
• Quick turn-around
“Sow fast. Grow fast.” recommends an expansive list of 113 varieties available from seed that will be ready-to-sell in 10 weeks or less, in quart or gallon sizes, ultimately solving the issue so many greenhouses face after peak spring sales: empty benches.
With attention to average daily temperature (ADT) and daily light integrals (DLI) you can produce a range of highly desirable, consumer-friendly varieties. The list is particularly helpful to address retail customer requests for late-season product to satisfy impulse shopper needs.
An added bonus, the versatile varieties on this grow-fast list can also be mixed and matched to build creative combinations for color bowls or decorative containers to meet seasonal demand.
Expertly designed and meticulously trialed, “Sow fast. Grow fast.” is proven to fill benches with quality seed products, offering fast finishes for your shoulder season sales. Browse the list in Table 1 and notice not only are these varieties selected for fast-growing, the list also includes several award-winning and top-performing varieties, such as Beacon Impatiens, Double Zahara Zinnia, Sol Celosia and Pacifica XP Vinca. That’s a win-win: You fill and clear your benches, and your customer is satisfied with excellent genetics.
Since timing is everything when it comes to empty benches, SAVE TIME with this program in-hand and watch as those sales opportunities grow. GT
Bin Liu is Senior Culture Research Manager for PanAmerican Seed stationed at the company’s Elburn, Illinois, research and development facility. Full culture on these plants can be found online at www.panamseed.com.