US: Weathering a late spring

When inclement weather causes scheduling issues and production delays, consider these strategies to keep plants and people moving in the right direction.

It’s been a slow start to spring, at least for growers in the central states, the Midwest and the Northeast. Extended cool, wet weather and some snow flurries have dampened consumer spending causing delays in cycling plants out of production greenhouses and into retail areas and local gardens (Figure 1). In Ohio, we estimate that spring sales are roughly two to three weeks behind normal for this time of year. Luckily, the extended forecast is calling for more favorable weather in the days to come.

Every growing season is a little bit different, and growers must deal with unexpected delays in varied ways. When shipping orders and sales halt due to inclement weather, things can back up quickly. Scheduling of multiple crops generally assumes that when one crop leaves a space, another takes its place.

Click here for the complete e-Gro Alert (PDF), that highlights a few things to consider when weather and scheduling issues cause production delays.