In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, here are a few perennials for you to enjoy.

Agastache Sunrise Red

Sunrise Red is a recent introduction from Greenfuse Botanicals. It produces tons of red, two-lipped flowers and bracts above its lemon scented, medium green foliage. At 18-24 inches, this is a nice size for the landscape or large containers. Hardy to Zone 5.

Phlox Early White

This hybrid phlox bred by Bartels Stek and available from Dümmen Orange blooms earlier than traditional garden phlox cultivars. Early White produces wonderful clusters packed with pristine white blooms. Consider adding Early White into your holiday lineup. Hardy to Zone 4.

Salvia April Night

As its name suggests, April Night from Danzinger blooms about one month earlier than the ever-popular May Night. It also bears its blue-violet flower spikes longer—from spring through summer. Don't let the name fool you, I've seen this one in full bloom in the fall (from a summer planting). Hardy to Zone 4.

HydraFiber is becoming a very popular component of many growers' growing mixes. HydraFiber is different from other wood fiber products you've likely heard about or possibly even tried. I'd try to explain it, but that defeats the purpose of the FREE webinar. If you're even a little curious, I invite you to attend the FREE webinar next Thursday, June 28.

Join experts Jennifer Neujahr, Business Manager–Horticulture and Daniel Norden, R&D and Technical Services Manager–Horticulture, of Profile Products as they walk you through how HydraFiber might be beneficial for your production.

Here's a sample of what they plan on covering:

• What sets HydraFiber apart from other substrate components and how it will make your mixes work harder.
• How HydraFiber can fit into your program from several perspectives, including root development and overall plant quality, inventory management, shelf life, efficiency and environmental benefits.
• Findings from the latest in-house and independent trials and research.
• Real-world stories from some of the earliest adopters of HydraFiber, and their take on the transition to this new mix ingredient.

Click here to sign up for the FREE HydraFiber webinar at 1 p.m. Eastern/Noon Central on Thursday, June 28, 2018. 

The webinar mentioned above is an excellent chance to hear from the experts, but how would you like the opportunity to hear from the growers who've actually been using HydraFiber in their growing mixes? Well, I'd like to tell you how you can do just that. I'll be moderating two Grower Panels at Cultivate '18 where several of the country’s top growers will be on hand to share their experiences using HydraFiber and answer your questions about this new media component.

Join me for one or both HydraFiber Grower Panels on Sunday, July 15 at 3:15 p.m. EST or Monday, July 16 at 4:00 p.m. EST at the Cultivate Live Stage (near the Exhibit Hall A entrance in the 3700 aisle). There'll be different grower panelists each day, so they should be very informative. I hope to see you there. 

Actually, there's still plenty of time to register and attend Cultivate '18, being held in Columbus, Ohio July 14-17, 2018. However, the registration pricing goes up this Thursday, June 21st. So if you plan on going to Cultivate '18 but haven't registered, I encourage you to do so TODAY. It'll save you some dough.

Click here for event info and registration.
 
I hope to see you there next month.
 

OHP recently announced the addition of a new insecticide/miticide to their biosolutions product offering. Pycana contains natural pyrethroids synergized in canola oil, which enhances its performance compared with other pyrethrins-based products typically formulated with the synergist PBO (piperonyl butoxide). This unique combination provides quick knockdown of many insects and mites including aphids, fungus gnats, leafhoppers, mealybugs, plant bugs, psyllids, thrips, spider mites and more.

This great new insecticide is labeled for a wide range of crops such as ornamentals, fruits, vegetables and even herbs. Pycana can be applied in greenhouses, shade houses, hoop houses and in container nurseries.

What else should you know about Pycana? I'm glad you asked. It has a 12 hour REI, a CAUTION signal word, and is approved for organic production. OMRI listing has been applied for.

Consider adding this tool to your pest management toolbox.

Click here for more information on Pycana insecticide/miticide from OHP Inc.

Probably not the kind of weed you’re thinking of. GrowerTalks is also hosting another great FREE webinar in early July I thought I should let you know about. Industry weed science expert, Dr. Jeffrey Derr from Virginia Tech will be sharing his invaluable insights and research results in his webinar titled, "Common Weeds and Their Management in Container Nursery Production." Dr. Derr will be covering:

• The source of weed infestations in containers
• How to recognize the major weed species
• Proper and effective use of preemergence and postemergence herbicides

The webinar is being held on Tuesday, July 3, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern/12:00 p.m. Central.

Click here for more information on this great, and did I mention FREE, webinar sponsored by BASF.

After the webinar, I encourage you to take the rest of the day off and partake in some Independence Day festivities. Happy holiday and be safe.